Chapter 11- Captured

Emmy slowly came out of her drug-induced sleep. She didn’t know what happened. One moment she, Spike and Giles had been talking, the next she new Giles had hit the floor followed by Spike and a piece of fabric was placed over her mouth. Then, darkness.

Her arms were shackled to the wall behind her. The room was dark with only a candle that sat on the floor in the middle of the room. Emmy slowly got to her feet. She found that her muscles were sore, probably from being in on position too long. She stretched slightly to work out the kinks.

"You think you’re so smart, don’t you?" A male voice with an English accent came out of the darkness. "You thought you could get away from me, didn’t you?"

"Who are you?" Emmy recognized the voice. She knew this man but couldn’t remember who he was. She knew that he was someone from her past.

"Who am I? You know who I am, love." The man replied.

"What do you want with me?" Emmy’s eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she was able to make out a figure standing in the far corner, just adjacent to her. He was tall and thin. She couldn’t make out much more then that.

"You’ll find out soon enough Emily Wordsworth," after the mysterious man said those words, water came out from where he stood and put out the candle. Emmy heard the man move to the center of the room, pick up the candle that sounded like it was in a metal bass, and left the room through a heavy metal door to Emmy’s right.

Emmy sat back down on the floor and thought, "He called me Emily. No one has called me Emily since I was 5 years old. Well, no one except Richard. But it couldn’t be him. First of all he loved me, he wouldn’t do this to me. And second, he would be long dead by now."

Emmy felt something soft beside her and felt it over. It was a mattress. "Well," she thought, "At lease they wont make me sleep on the floor." Emmy pulled the mattress over to where she sat so that the chains wouldn’t pull. She lay down on the mattress and continued to think about what had just happened.

(<>..<>)

"Buffy!" Willow and Kennedy yelled in unison from Willow’s bedroom.

"What is it?" Buffy said walking into Willow’s room followed closely by Spike.

"Look at this," Kennedy said sounding very upset and handed Buffy one of her shoes.

"Okay." Buffy looked at the shoe, "What am I looking for?"

"Mud," Spike said from behind her. Buffy turned to look at him, and her continued, "There’s mud on the bottom of her shoe. And it looks recent."

Buffy looked at the shoe again and saw that Spike was right. Kennedy hadn’t left the house since she had been getting possessed and trying to kill Spike, so how did this still wet mud get on her shoe?

"I think I had something to do with Emmy disappearing. But I don’t remember anything." Kennedy explained to the group in the room.

"It’s okay Kennedy," Buffy soothed, "We’ll find her. It’s what we’re best at."

"Besides killing things," Spike added.

"Besides killing things," Buffy confirmed and handed the shoe back to Kennedy.

"Well," Buffy said turning to Willow, "It didn’t rain last night, so I guess we could start by finding out who has an irrigation system.

"I’ll get right one it. Although, that’s going to be kind of hard because this is California, and it hardly ever rains. Allot of people are going to have them." Willow explained.

"I know," Buffy sighed. "But do your best and we’ll search the rest of the house for clues."

Willow smiles and nodded at Buffy and turned towards her computer. Buffy and Spike headed down stairs. When they got there, Giles met them at the stairs.

"Buffy," Giles began, "We have a slight problem. I just got a call from Molly and Christa. They both found mud on the bottom of their shoes this morning, but don’t remember going out at all last night."

"Kennedy just found mud on the bottom of her shoes as well. Do you think that whatever this thing is, that it’s somehow controlling the potential Slayers?" Buffy asked.

"I believe so, but I’ll look into it." Giles turned and headed into the dinning room to join Xander, Dawn and the newly arrived Anya in some research.

----------------------------------------------------------

Later that night, Buffy found Spike sitting on the stairs of the back porch, and joined him.

"Giles found something in his books about the potentials being possessed." She began.

"Did he?" Spike didn’t sound at all thrilled about the news.

"He said that it sounds like a prophecy. Something about a vampire with a soul, his sister and 3 young girls being controlled by something called an Ell Lution. He’s still trying to translate it."

"An Ell Lution?" Spike asked looking down at his shoes.

"Yeah. It said something that accrued in the past will come back, or something like that." Buffy explained.

"Hmmm…" Was Spike’s only reply.

Buffy was silent for a moment and just watched Spike. She could see that he was in a lot of pain. She knew that if Dawn were ever taken away from her it would kill her. It nearly did once. But to have to go through that again would truly kill her. She could only imagine the kind of pain that Spike must be feeling.

Buffy put her arm around Spike’s shoulders to comfort him. "We’ll get her back." She said in a soft voice.

"I know, Buffy," Spike said stealing a look at her, then looking back at his shoes. "I was just thinking about Emmy, and her funeral."

"Comforting thoughts." Buffy tried to joke, and her words made Spike smile.

"Yeah. I was just thinking about how much Richard had loved her, and what he said at her funeral."

"Richard?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, uh, Richard was her boyfriend. Her fiancé." Spike explained.

"Oh," Buffy said, "He loved her just as much as you did, didn’t he?"

Spike looked at Buffy with sadness in his eyes and replied, "Yes. Yes he did. He ended up taking his own life because he couldn’t deal with it."

Buffy took a moment to look into Spike’s eyes and gave him a soft, comforting kiss on the lips. When she pulled away from him, she looked into his shocked eyes and said, "Everything’s going to work out just fine."

(<>..<>)

Emmy awoke with a shock. Someone was in the room with her again. She slowly got up off the mattress, and again saw the candle in the middle of the room. But this time, instead of one candle, there were three. She stood at the foot of the mattress looking around for who ever was in the room with her.

"It’s about time you woke up," The familiar voice said to her. "I was wondering if I was going to have to throw some cold water on you."

"Who are you?" Emmy asked suspiciously.

"You know who I am," The male figure started to walk from the corner her stood in towards the candles. "I was the last thing you loved before you died."

Emmy was starting to get frightened now. She had no control over the situation and that didn’t sit well with her. She liked control. She didn’t like this situation, or the words this man was speaking to her.

The Man slowly walked into the light and Emmy saw who he was, and everything she had feared had come true. This man had kept his word to come back for her if she should ever live on Earth again.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

12- A New Evil

"Richard," Emmy breathed. She couldn’t believe what she saw before her. She had watched him from above and saw everything that he had done after she had died. She watched as he violated innocent women, and had threatened them. She watched as he slowly drank, and drugged himself. And she watched as he picked up his gun and put it to his head. All those acts were because of her, he had said to himself, because he didn’t know how to deal. And all those acts landed him a first class ticket to hell.

"That’s right, love," Richard said walking towards her, "I’ve come back to claim what is mine."

To Emmy Richard looked the same. The only difference was in his eyes. In his eyes she saw darkness. It wasn’t just any darkness; it was the most evil darkness. He was no longer the man she once loved. He was no longer good in anyway. He was now pure evil.

(<>..<>)

It was now 24 hours since they first discovered Emmy missing. Hours passed that felt like days to Spike. He needed to find his sister before anything horrible happened to her. He needed to find her now. Willow’s search on the irrigation system in Sunnydale didn’t help them one bit and Giles and the rest of the scoobies searching the books wasn’t helping his sister any. He needed to do something, and he needed to do it soon.

Buffy was trying to help Spike, but it wasn’t helping and she knew it. But she was trying. The kiss she had given him last night was not just for comfort, it was also a promise. Buffy wanted Spike to get some sleep but he refused her. He wanted to be up if they found anything out. Now, Spike found it hard to keep his eyes open. He was emotionally drained and exhausted.

Buffy watched from the hall as Spike fought to stay away on the couch with a book in his hand. Once she saw him loose his battle, she walked over to him, took the book and placed it on the coffee table and put a blanket over him. Before she left the room she made sure that the curtains were pulled tightly shut and left the room.

(<>..<>)

Spike was walking through the woods. "How did I get here?" He thought to himself. Up ahead he saw a lantern and walked towards it. It was standing what looked like a cave, but the entrance has a large metal door. Spike opened the door and walked inside. From the outside it looked like a cave, but from inside, it looked like a house made of rock. Spike didn't see anyone inside the house, but he did see many passageways leading to different areas. HE saw a make shift kitchen with consisted of a small fire, a bucket and a small stream of water the flowed through the cave. The only light for the cave were many candles placed around the cave.

Spike stopped walking and listened very closely. He heard something coming from down one of the passageways in the cave. He slowly made his way down it, careful not to make to much noise. As he got closer he recognized the sounds. It was Emmy. She was talking to someone.

As Spike got closer, he saw a large metal door like the one he opened at the front of the cave. As quietly as he could he opened the door and saw Emmy through the dark. She was standing beside a mattress that was on the floor. Her arms were shackled to the wall behind her. She was looking out at the middle of the room with a shocked look on her face. Spike looked to see what she was looking at, but he didn't see anything but three candles set in the middle of the room.

"Emmy," Spike said running to her. "Emmy are you okay?"

Emmy looked at her brother, then to the middle of the room again and then back to her brother. In a quiet voice she said, "Go east,"

Spike was confused by what she said. He tried to grab the chains that held her prisoner, but for sore reason he couldn't get a hold on them.

(<>..<>)

Spike woke up with a start. It was a dream. It had all been a dream, or was it?

Spike got up off the couch and went to look for Buffy or Giles or whoever was there. He found Buffy and Giles talking in the kitchen.

"Good Afternoon, Spike. Welcome back to the land of us awake people," Buffy said, then saw the look on his face and became very concerned. "What's wrong?"

Giles, who had his back turned to Spike, turned around to see Spike warring a very frightened and confused expression on his face.

"I had a dream," Spike said walking into the kitchen and sitting down on one of the stools.

"What was it about?" Giles asked him.

"It was about Emmy," Buffy and Giles became very interested at this point. Spike continued, "I think I know where she is. Well, kind of."

"What do you mean?" Giles asked.

"I was walking through the woods and I found a cave. It had a metal door and I went inside. I found her in the cave and she told me to go east. What does she mean, go east?"

"Maybe she meant that the cave is east?" Buffy asked.

"Perhaps. I'll get Willow and find out," Giles said getting up and leaving the kitchen.

(<>..<>)

"Got east," Emmy told her brother. She may be alive again, but she was still able to connect with him.

"What?" Richard asked. "Who are you talking?"

"No one," Emmy quickly replied.

Richard walked closer to her now holding one of the candles. He looked at her trying to see something in her eyes, but couldn’t find anything.

"How did you get back?" Emmy asked.

Richard gave her a slight smile. "I found a way."

"What do you want with me?" Emmy shook her chains trying to intimidate Richard, but didn’t succeed.

"You’ll find out soon enough," Richard told her before turning and leaving her alone once again.

(<>..<>)

Chapter 13- Ell Lution

"I got it! I got it!" Anya squealed from the dinning room.

"What did you find?" Giles asked walking into the room and standing behind Anya in order to read her book better. Buffy and Spike followed him in the room.

"The Ell Lotion thing," Anya said sounding excited that she finally found something.

"Ell Lution," Giles corrected her.

"Whatever," Anya said and continued excitedly, "It’s not a thing like we thought it was, it’s a person. Someone that she loved will come back. He’s supposed to take her power away and transfer it to him. It says that it’s supposed to be her true lover."

"It’s a guy?" Dawn asked.

"Yes," Anya continued, "And he’s supposed to do it at a certain time and day. It can only be done once."

"Like with Glory." Willow replied.

"Yes," Giles said taking the book from Anya and reading it himself. "And according to this book, it’s supposed to take place the day after tomorrow."

"That means we have to find her before then," Spike said. "What happens if we don’t?"

"Then she dies," Giles said looking at Spike sympathetically.

"How is that possible. She’s already dead." Spike was confused. He thought, "after few days she would go back to where she had come from. Right?"

"No," Giles said walking over to Spike, "The spell we did, didn’t just bring her back to earth, it made her… live again."

Spike looked at Giles taking in the information for a moment. Then turned to Anya and asked, "What power?"

"What?" Anya said looking around like she has been in a daze.

"What power?" Spike repeated.

"I would guess whatever power she had when she came down to Earth. I mean, she had to do half the work, right?" Xander answered for Anya.

"You may be right Xander," Giles said, "Spike, would you know anyone that would come after your sister after all these years."

"Well, I would guess that Richard would, but that would be impossible. He’s been dead for a hundred plus years."

"Who’s Richard?" Dawn asked.

"He was Emmy’s fiancée." Buffy replied.

Giles turned to Willow; "Willow is there a spell that will tell us who it is that has come back?"

"Umm… yeah, I believe so. Why?"

"I want you to do it."

"What?! No. Giles I can’t I’m not ready."

"I believe you are, Willow," Giles walked over to Willow and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I believe in you Willow."

Willow gave Giles a sad smile and gave in. "Okay. I’ll do it. But only if you’re there to coach me."

Giles smiled at her, "Of course I will."

(<>..<>)

Chapter 14- Stories and Explanations

As Willow and Giles prepared the spell, Spike and Buffy sat on the stairs talking about Spike’s sister. Buffy was curious about his sister and how life had been for them. Spike told her stories about their childhood, and stories about when they were teenagers. Her favorite story that Spike told was one that was about her last birthday, were Emmy gave him her locket so that Spike would meet her on time to give it back to her.

"Buffy," came Willow’s voice, "We’re ready."

Buffy and Spike looked at each other for a moment, then got up off the stairs and walked into the living room where the spell was to take place.

(<>..<>)

"It’s him," Willow cried as she did the spell and collapsed into the arms of Kennedy and Giles.

"Who, Willow? Who was it?" Kennedy inquired.

"Richard…" Willow was able to say before she passed out. After passing out, Willow’s hair turned back to it’s natural color of red.

"Richard," Spike said.

(<>..<>)

Emmy woke to find herself chained to the middle of the room. She slowly sat up and notices that she had 13 white candles lit around her. She looked around the room looking for Richard. She felt him in the room but couldn’t see him. She tried to stand, but found that she couldn’t. The chains were keeping her close to the ground.

"Rick?" Emmy called out in a soft voice.

"I’m here, luv," he answered.

"What are you going to do?" she tried to inquire again.

A deep sigh came from where Richard stood in the room. He was silent for a moment before answering her. "Emmy, you’re going to witness it anyway, luv, so I might as well tell you."

There was silence, then footsteps. Richard came into the light so that Emmy could see him. He stayed outside the circle of candles and continued to tell her what was to happen to her.

When he finished, Emmy looked down at the floor. She didn’t know what to say to him.

Emmy sadly whispered, "Why?"

"Because that’s what I’ve become. Because of you, Emmy. Because of you. I want this. Maybe it will take away the pain I’ve had for too long." And with that, Richard left Emmy in the candle light as a painful tear rain down her cheek.

(<>..<>)

Chapter 15- The Day Has Come

Emmy was awake when Richard and three girls entered the room. She recognized one of them. Kennedy. Willow’s friend.

The girls and Richard made a circle around her and started to chant in a different language. Emmy wasn’t sure, but she thought that it sounded like some form of Latin.

After the chanting was over Richard stepped into the circle and unlocked the locks that were around Emmy’s wrist.

"It’s time to prepare you, luv," Richard said as he pulled Emmy. Emmy resisted, which caused the Slayers in training to help and succeed.

The three slayers in training and Richard where able to drag Emmy into the room that was behind the metal door that Emmy was forced to stay behind. They sat her in the middle of a white circle and began to chant some more. As they where chanting a bright white-blue light came up around her from the ground. As the light rose to the ceiling and grew brighter, it went through Emmy and caused her to shriek from surprise.

After the light had gone completely through her, Emmy fell to the floor breathless. She felt weak. She found that she had to concentrate in order to keep breathing. Richard helped her up to her feet and to lie on a bed that was placed in the room. She turned her head to the side to look at him.

"The day has come," He told her.

(<>..<>)

Giles sat at the dinning room table reading papers that he had received from the counsel early in the morning. It was only nine o’clock, but he had been up since five in the morning reading. He had asked for any information that they had on the Ell Lution. The counsel nearly threw the information at him, which surprised Giles. Normally had to fight and beg for the information before they gave it up.

Giles was researching a way, any way to prevent what was going to happen to happen. The only thing he found that would prevent what was going to happen was with a spell. They would have to send Emmy into another dimension in order to prevent Richard from taking her powers. Or, they would have to find Emmy and hide her until the time period that Richard needed had passed and he could no longer perform the ritual.

Willow rushed into the room.

"Giles!" She yelled.

"Yes, I can’t hear you Willow, I’m not deaf," he replied. Giles turned and looked at Willow and saw her fear stricken face.

"Willow, what’s the matter," Giles asked standing up and walking over to her.

"It’s Kennedy," Willow began and paused. "She’s gone."

"What do you mean "She’s gone"?" Giles asked taking Willow by the hand and leading her over to the table.

"I mean she’s gone," Willow explained. "I looked for her in my room, and in the bathroom. I checked the kitchen and the living room. I went down into the basement just in case. I found Spike’s cot empty but Spike was in Buffy’s room again. I checked all the bedrooms. She’s not here Giles. She’s gone."

"Willow, calm down. Perhaps she just went for a walk this morning." Giles tried to sooth.

"No," Willow said, knowing her girlfriend a little bit better then him. "She would have left me a note, or woken me up or something."

Giles was about to reply to Willow when the phone rang. He went to go pick it up when Dawn, Buffy and Spike all came down stairs wondering what Willow was so frantic about. She had barged into their rooms asking if they had seen Kennedy, then ran out when they told her no.

"Willow, what’s up?" Dawn asked in a sleepy voice.

"Kennedy’s gone," was all that Willow said

"What do you mean gone?" Buffy asked.

"I mean that she’s not here. No where here. She’s gone."

The door opened as Willow finished her sentence and Xander and Anya walked in hand in hand smiling. Anya closed the door behind her and Xander noticed the look on his best friend’s face.

"What’s the matter Willow?" Xander asked now concerned.

"Kennedy’s gone. She’s missing and Willow can’t fine her anywhere." Dawn answered for Willow.

"Maybe she needed to go for a walk," Xander tried, "You know the girl loves her walks."

"She didn’t leave me a note. She always leaves me a note." Willow was on the edge of crying.

"Willow, I’m sure it’s not as bad as it seems," Xander said pulling Willow into a hug.

"I’m afraid it is," Giles said stepping back into the room. "Christa and Molly are gone as well."

"What do you mean gone?" Anya asked, "Did they disappear?"

"No," Giles said picking up a piece of paper off the table. "Richard has made the slayers in training his servants. They are going to assist him to carry out his plans."

"The day has come," Spike said.

(^..^)

Chapter 16- Finding Emmy

"We need to find out where the slayers in training have gone," Buffy
said. "Anya, do you still have a few demon friends that can help?"

"I believe so, but they'll want something in return, I'm sure." Anya
replied rubbing Xander's arm.

"Like what?" Xander asked, a bit worried that someone else would be
allowed to touch her besides him.

"I don't know. Probably a puppy or a kitten or a `Backstreet Boys'
poster, or is it `Hanson' now? Maybe it's `Menudo'." Anya rambled on
a bit.

"Can I kill her?" Spike asked turning to Buffy, who just gave him an
apologetic look.

"Hun," Xander said, turning towards Anya, "What are you talking
about?"

"My demon "friends". Actually, they're more like acquaintances.
They'll want something in return for the information."

"Then give it to them." Dawn said. "It's nothing big. We'll go to
the mall and get a five dollar poster of whatever they want."

"Right," Buffy agreed with her sister.

"You know, that stuff is quite pricey down in the demon world. And…"
Anya began.

"Anya, just get the information," Giles interrupted her.

"Fine," Anya said with a sigh and left the house.

"Spike," Buffy said, "Why don't you find Clem. Maybe he'll know
something."

"Right," Spike said and turned grab his blanket before leaving
through the back door.

"I'm going to go down to `Willies' to see if he knows anything."
Buffy said, "Xander, you wanna come with me?"

"Yeah," Xander replied.

"What do we do?" Dawn asked meaning herself, Willow and Giles.

"Research," Giles answered for Buffy. "We need to find out as much
about this thing as possible."

"And no one is better at it then you three," Buffy said with a smile
as she and Xander headed out the door.

(<>..<>)

Emmy sat on the ground of the cave where she had been chained to the
wall and thought. She thought of how when she was 13 years old
Richard and his family moved in next door to her home. She
remembered that when they first met, it was because William had said
something that had made her angry and she rain away. Well, she
really didn't run away, she just went across around the block and
sat. She remembered that Richard had come up in front of her and
asked her what was wrong. Although she couldn't remember for the
life of her what it was that made her so angry now, she clearly
remembered how Richard had talked to her. He talked to her like he
understood, like he knew exactly how things were in her life.

Richard was three years older then her, but he never treated her
like she was younger, not like William did anyway. William meant
well. She was after all his little sister. But Richard knew what she
needed and how to talk too her.

She and Richard didn't start dating until she was 16 and he was 19.
At first, her mother and William weren't to sure about it, until
they got to know Richard like she did. Richard had the up most
respect for her family, as she did for his.

Emmy remembered how loving Richard had been. She remembered how he
would tell her that he would do anything for her. How if it ever
came down to it, he would die for her.

"So what happened?" She thought. "What made him into a monster? What
makes him want to kill me now that he has me back?"

Richard had been watching her from across the room. If he had better
hearing, he swore that he would have been able to hear what she was
thinking.

"You know this has nothing to do with you, love, don't you?" Richard
said as he walked over to her and sat beside her.

"Why are you doing this?" Emmy asked Richard looking him in the eyes
and trying to keep her emotions down.

"You have a power that I need to survive."

"I don't understand."

"A long time ago, I once told you that I would die for you." Richard
told her.

"Yes, you did." Emmy said, "That is why I do not understand."

"When I told you that, it was the truth. Now, since you're death,
things have changed. I have changed." Richard touched her check with
the back of his hand. "Now, I'm only living for my own survival."

Richard got up and left to prepare, leaving Emmy alone once again.
She could not hold the tears back any longer, and began to cry.

"How did every thing turn out so wrong?" She thought as the tears
continued to roll down her cheeks.

(<>..<>)

Xander and Buffy walked into the house to find a panicked Spike and
Giles scolding Anya about something.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked walking into the living room.

"Anya found some information." Dawn replied.

"She told Spike first. Which wasn't the brightest of ideas." Willow
continued looking sternly at Anya.

"I have to find her. I have to go." Spike said trying to leave the
room, but Willow was able stop him.

"What did Anya find out?" Xander asked looking from Dawn and Willow.

"No matter what you try, you're not going to save her. She's going
to die. That's what I found out." Anya said.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

" I mean, that we have no idea where she is, so we can't save her."
Anya stood up and walked over to Buffy and continued, "He's going to
take her to the top of a cliff, open a portal and push her in and
jump in after her. After a few minutes, both will drop from the
portal. He'll live because he has her powers. She die because she'll
be human. If we're going to save her, we have to find her now, and
we have no idea where Richard has taken her." Anya paused a
moment. "I'm sorry, but the truth is, we wont find them in time to
save her from this."

"NO!" Spike yelled, threw Willow to the side and running for the
door.

"Spike!" Buffy yelled as Spike opened the front door and tried to
leave.

Xander grabbed Spike and pulled him back inside and closed the door.
Buffy grabbed Spike and sat him in a chair. "Spike," Buffy said
trying to sooth him. "We'll find her. We're going to save her. I
promise you that."

"I can't loose her again, Buffy. I just can't." Spike said, tears
running down his cheeks. Buffy held Spike's face and gently kissed
he's cheek in a way of saying that everything was going to be okay.

Buffy turned to Anya and asked with a hint of anger in her tone. "Of
all people, Anya, why did you tell Spike?"

"He asked me what I found out, so I told him," Anya defended her
actions.

"Buffy," Willow said.

"I didn't know that he was going to react that way," Anya continued.

"You don't tell someone that they're sister is going to die," Buffy
told Anya now fully angry.

"Buffy," Willow said again.

"Buffy, I'm sure Anya didn't mean to upset Spike, she was just…"
Xander tried to defend.

"Shut up Xander," Buffy yelled, not meaning to hurt her best friend.

"Buffy," Willow tried again.

"Don't tell him to shut up!" Anya yelled at Buffy. "He's only trying
to help!"

"I don't…"

"BUFFY!" Willow finally yelled.

"WHAT?!" Buffy yelled back, looked at Willow, calmed herself and
started again. "What is it, Willow?"

"I… I might… be able t-to do something." Willow said nervously.

"What?" Buffy asked.

Everyone turned to Willow interested in what she could do. "I m-
might be able to make my own portal." She stopped and took a breath
before continuing. "You know, so that she wouldn't fall to the
ground. Kind of like a… sheet, only the portal kind of sheet."

"That's a good idea." Giles said. "A portal. She wouldn't fall too
the ground."

"But he'll still be able to take her power." Spike stated.

"Unless we make it above his," Giles replied.

"Umm… I have a question." Dawn said.

"What is it Dawn?" Buffy asked.

"Why does he want her power anyway? What is he going to do with it?
Is he going to use it for evil? And why is he still alive? Shouldn't
he have died like, a hundred years ago?"

"That was more then `a question', Dawnie," Willow stated. "That was
five questions."

"She had a point," Giles said. "We've been so concerned about
getting her back, we really haven't looked into those question."

"He needs her power to live on. He's going to try to control the
world with it. Yes, he's going to turn her good, pure power into an
evil kind of power, and he made himself a demon. That's why he's
still alive." Anya answered all of Dawn's questions.

Spike gave Anya a strange look, "Who have you been talking too?"

"A few demons." Anya shrugged.

"We still have time to save her though, right?" Xander asked, taking
the subject off Anya.

"Y-yes, we do," Giles answered.

"Giles, do you have any idea when this is supposed to take place?"
Buffy asked.

"A half hour after sunset." Dawn answered for Giles.

Buffy nodded at Dawn and she continued to explain. "It's also taking
place at the cliff by Angel's old mansion."

"How long `til sunset?" Spike asked in a low voice.

"We have an hour." Buffy told him.

"We should prepare." Spike told her, as he got up and went into the
dinning room.

"Will, are you sure you can to do this?" Buffy asked.

"Yes." Willow replied, "I think I'm ready. Besides, if things turn
out bad, Giles is there to knock me down."

"What do you mean, knock you down?" Xander asked.

"Knock her out, incase things start to get out of hand," Giles said,
putting his hand on Willow's shoulder.

"Okay," Buffy gave her best friend a small smile and headed into the
kitchen, leaving everyone to prepare.

(^..^)
Chapter 17- The Truth

"He will come for me," Emmy told Richard as he entered the room once
again, holding a vale. "He will save me."

"Perhaps." Richard answered her, "But that will be only if he finds
out where we are. And if he does, I have three strong ladies her who
are willing to take him on."

Richard unchained Emmy and stood her up, only to chain her arms
again. He walked her into the room outside the door that she was
held prisoner in and chained her to the wall outside the door.

Emmy looked over at the three slayers in training that were seated
around a small fire. Kennedy, Molly and Christa didn't move. They
just sat looking at the ground in front of the fire.

"Doesn't look like they can do much." Emmy replied sitting down on
the ground.

"It may not look like it, but these are some pretty strong girls."

"Love rules over all. You know that Richard." Emmy looked deep into
Richard's eyes as if she were trying to see his soul.

"If they can't take him out, then I will." Richard walked over to
the fire and picked up a stake that was laying by Molly. "I'll make
sure things go my way this time."

Emmy looked at Richard with a curious look. "What do you mean `this
time'?"

Richard looked up at the woman that he once loved. "Let me tell you
a bed time story, love." Richard walked over to Emmy and kneeled in
front of her.

"I'm not tired." She replied.

"Once upon a time, there was a boy. He wasn't very social, but he
did get around. Talked to a few birds every now and again. Well,
this boy met a girl. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever
seen. Soon the boy and the girl began to date. They fell in love.
Now, they were a little young when they fell in love, so marriage
was not a question just then. After all they were only 13 and 15,
right? Well, as the boy and the girl got older, their love only got
stronger. When he felt that they were old enough, the boy went to
the girls mother and asked her blessing to marry her daughter."

"Okay, now I'm tired." Emmy broke in sounding tired.

Richard continued as though there was no interruption. "The mother
approved. So the boy asked the girl to marry him and naturally she
said yes. They began to prepare. They set a date to marry in one
year, when the girl was 18 and the boy was 20. Well, that one-year
went by without a problem. Things seemed to be going great. The boy
and the girl could not be happier. Then… Then one week before the
wedding, on the girls 18th birthday no less, someone, or something
comes along and murders this innocent girl. Skip a head a few years.
The boy, after his true love died made some very bad choices. He
made a deal with a demon that he never kept. The demon came looking
for the boy. When he found him the demon gave him the worst
punishment he could think of. He made the boy a demon. Made is so
that the boy would never die. Made is so that the boy would have to
live with the pain of this loves death forever.
Skip a head a hundred years. The boy comes across a book that says
that the spell that was cased on the boy can be reversed. But there
was one problem. He needed the girl. A few years later he is told
about another book. He goes in search of it and finds it. This book
tells of the girl coming back in a few short years. When she comes
back, he can find her and he can be human once more."

"Wait. I know this story." Emmy pretended to think. "Oh yeah. I
witnessed it. Richard, you will not succeed."

"You put to much faith into your brother my dear girl." Richard said
standing back up. "Come on now, he can't even keep a woman
interested in him."

"To bad you wont be around long enough to find out how wrong you
really are."

"I believe that will be the other way around. It's time to go."
Richard pulled Emmy back to her feet and proceeded to unchain her.

Emmy looked over at the three other girls. All three were stand and
looking straight ahead. Richard chained Emmys hands together in
front of her and began to pull her towards the opening of the cave.

(^^)
Chapter18- Preparing

"What happened?" Buffy said as she entered the living room.

"I don't know. One minute he was sleeping, the next he was on the
floor holding his head yelling no." Dawn explained from her place on
the floor by the couch holding Spike's arms.

Slowly Spike began to calm. He laid his head down and is arms
loosened in Dawn's hands.

"Emmy," Spike said so soft that Buffy and Dawn could barely hear
him, as he woke up.

"Spike?" Buffy whispered.

Spike opened his eyes to see Buffy and Dawn above him. "I saw," he
said. "I saw what he's going to do to her."

"Are you sure you saw what he's going to do, or was it just a
nightmare?" Giles said entering the room.

Spike shook his head. "It felt to real to be just a dream."

"Are you sure?" Dawn asked.

Spike just nodded and continued, "There's a ritual. Three girls
stood around a fire chanting. Then… then Richard walked through the
fire. He cut his hand, then Emmy's. He mixed their blood." Spike
stopped, not wanting then continue.

"What happed after that?" Buffy asked.

"He stabbed her in the heart and jumped with her into a portal."

"Okay," Buffy said looking into Spike's sad eyes. "It's time for us
to leave."

"Willow," Giles called, "Are you ready?"

"Just a minute." The answer from upstairs came.

"Xander, Anya, we're getting ready to leave." Dawn called into the
kitchen.

"We're here," Xander said coming into the living room from the
kitchen followed by Anya.

"Xander?" Buffy asked, "Is that lipstick?"

"Lipstick?" Xander quickly wiped his mouth.

"Never mind," Buffy chuckled. "Grab some of the weapons from the
chest, we're leaving."

Spike stood by the door putting his black leather duster on. Buffy
approached him. "We'll save her. It's what we do."

"What if this is the one time we fail?"

"We wont. I wont allow it."

"Buffy," Willow said as she came down in a white robe. "I think I'm
ready. I was practicing floating some pens upstairs and everything
seems okay."

"Good. Then we're good to go." Buffy looked at Spike for
conformation. Spike opened the door for her and followed her outside.

"I've put all my confidence and faith in you Buffy," Spike
said, "You know that."

"I do."

The group of seven walked down the Sunnydale street to the old
mansion looking as thought they were about to go to war.

(<>..<>)
Chapter 19- The Fight to Save Emmy

The fire was the first thing that Emmy noticed as the three slayers
in training, Richard and she walked to the top of the hill where
the "ritual" would be held. The fire was very large in size. It was
about ten feet across and about forty feet high.

"Somebody somewhere has to notice this," Emmy thought.

"It's almost time," Richard said into Emmy's ear.

"You will not succeed. You will be stopped." Emmy retorted.

Richard sneered at her, "He won't make it in time to save you."

"Love rules over all." Emmy told him.

Richard stopped walking and looked at Emmy, "Does he really love
you?"

Emmy stood tall and looked into Richard's eyes. "Of course he does.
He always did."

"Really? Is that right?" Richard took a step towards Emmy and stood
a little to close to her. "He loved you so much that he let you die?"

"He did not let me die. There was nothing he could do."

"Right." Richard started walking again and pulled Emmy along when
she wouldn't walk with him.

"We'll see what rules over what," Richard said with venom in his
voice.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

"Buffy? Do you see that?" Spike said as they got closer to the
mountain.

"What does it mean?" Anya asked.

"It mean's we have to hurry." Buffy said, "Willow, are you ready?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Okay, remember don't get to close to them. Just work your magic."
Buffy smiled at her best friend.

"Okay," Willow said as she walked off with Giles, "Be safe Buffy."

When Willow and Giles disappeared around the side of the mountain,
Buffy turned to Xander, Dawn and Anya. "I want you three to stay
here just in case."

"We'll know what to do, Buffy." Dawn told her sister. "Just save
her. We know what our job is."

"Okay." Buffy hugged her sister and turned to Spike.

"Let's go Spike."

"Right behind you Slayer."

(^^)(^^)(^^)

Richard practically threw Emmy into the circle by the edge of the
cliff.

"Don't leave the circle." Richard told Emmy and turned towards the
three slayers in training. As soon as Richard turned his back, Emmy
tried to run but as soon as she hit the border of the circle she was
thrown to the ground.

Richard turned to see Emmy thrown to the ground. "I told you not to
leave."

The Slayers in training all stood in a circle around the fire and
began to chant. "Gods above and fire below, bring back this man to
his natural form. Let his demon free from form and bring back his
still free soul. Open the gate and let them pass. Free this man from
his broken past."

As the slayers in training chanted the same lines over and over and
green and purple portal opened over the edge of the cliff.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

"Willow?" Giles said seeing that the ritual has already begun.

"I know, I know. I'm going as fast as I can." Willow said,
frantically trying to get her elements in order and placing an item
that belongs to Christa, Molly and Kennedy in the palm of her hands.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

"Okay Dawn, are you ready?" Xander asked seeing the portal open
above them.

"Lift me up." Xander lifted Dawn up and she crawled in to space
about thirty feet off the ground.

"I'm up," Dawn yelled to Xander, and he threw a parachute sheet up
at her. Dawn found a solid rock and after making a whole in the
sheet chained the sheet around the rock.

Xander and Anya both did the same from their end.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

"Those girls are going to be tough," Spike said to Buffy.

"What do you mean?"

"I was teaching them to fight, remember?"

"Oh yeah. You didn't teach them everything, did you?" Buffy asked
with a little worry in her voice.

"Of course not. Half the stuff they're not ready for. But they'll
still be tough."

"Well, hopefully Willow's spell will work like it's supposed to."

Buffy and Spike arrived to the spot where they were to wait for the
signal from Giles.

"Now we wait." Buffy said.

"Yeah."

(^^)(^^)(^^)

Richard walked around the fire and began to walk through it as the
girls continued to chant and the portal got larger.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

Willow stood in a circle with her head and arms turned up to the
stars.

"Gods above, hear me. Let these three girls be saved. Let the spell
that binds them set them free."

Giles walked to where Buffy and Spike could see him and raised his
arm to signal that they should attack.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

"The time has arrived." Buffy said as she began to run towards Molly
and knock her down.

Spike followed her and knocked Kennedy to the ground.

As Richard exited the fire, he saw what was happening and
yelled, "Attack them!" at the slayers in training.

The three slayers in training then began to attack Spike and Buffy.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

"Nothings happening," Anya whined, "When's the fighting going to
start?"

"Right now," Xander said hearing yelling coming for above them.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

Willow continues to chant, and with each chant she got louder. With
her final chat Willow was yelling and it looked as though she were
struggling.

With one final chant Willow fell to the ground. Giles ran to her to
see if she was all right. "Willow, are you all right?"

"I think so." Willow slowly stood up. "Giles, I didn't go all dark."
Willow said smiling.

"I noticed," Giles smiled back.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

Buffy and Spike fought the slayers and training trying to keep them
from continuing the chanting. Buffy fought with Molly and Spike with
Kennedy, Christa fought with both Buffy and Spike.

Spike kicked Kennedy to the ground, and all the girls stopped and
fell to the ground. Buffy and Spike looked at each other in
confusion for a moment, then realization hit Buffy.

"The spell must have worked."

Richard watched the girl fall to the ground, and saw as they woke up
that they were no longer in his control. "I'll work with what I
have then."

Richard grabbed his knife off a rock by the fire and began to walk
towards Emmy with it.

Spike saw what Richard was doing and ran towards him knocking him to
the ground by the fire. Spike stood in front of Emmy and said, "I
can't allow you to do this Richard. Her life is not yours to take."

"And what of mine? Am I not allowed to live?" Richard was angry.

"You chose this for yourself. No one forced this life upon you."
Spike responded to Richard's angry question.

"You did," Richard blamed, "You forced it on me by letting her die."
Richard pointed towards Emmy.

"It wasn't his fault, Richard. No one is to blame for my death. I
was needed. You only have yourself to blame for the life you lived."
Emmy said calmly.

"You chose this life for yourself, no one chose it for you." Spike
said.

"No," Richard yelled and ran towards Spike. As Richard reached
Spike, he stabbed him in the heart with the knife and pushed him
back not realizing what he was doing. Spike stumbled back into Emmy
who grabbed a hold of her brother and fell back into the portal.

"Spike!" Buffy yelled as Spike and Emmy fell into the portal.

"Oh my god," Giles said as he and Willow came into view just in time
to see Spike and Emmy fall back into the portal.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

From down below Xander, Anya and Dawn all watched as the brother and
sister fell back into the portal, and then as fast as they went into
the portal they fell right out and down onto the parachute sheet and
slid down into Xander and Anya knocking them down.

"Buffy!" Dawn yelled. When she got no answer Dawn yelled
again, "BUFFY!"

(^^)(^^)(^^)

Hearing her sister yelling for her, Buffy ran as fast as she could
down the mountain followed closely by Giles and Willow.

When they got there they saw what Buffy had been called down for.
Spike and Emmy had come out of the portal and were now on top of
Xander and Anya.

Buffy ran over to the four bodies lying on the ground. Xander and
Anya were all right, they just got the wind knocked out of them from
the impact of Spike and Emmy falling into them. Giles and Buffy
helped roll Emmy and Spike off Xander and Anya. Xander helped Anya
to her feet and they walked off to the side by Giles holding hands.
Giles checked Emmy's pulse to see if she was alive.

"She had a pulse and it's strong," He told Buffy.

A sound barely above a whisper came from Spike, "Buffy?"

"I'm here Spike," Buffy said lifting Spike's head into her arms.

"Emmy?" Spike barely got out.

"She's okay. She's here," Buffy said, reaching for Emmy's hand and
placing it on Spike's, "And she's alive." She said quietly with a
smile on her face.

Spike reached up his hand and placed it on Buffy's cheek. "Thank
you," Spike then dropped his hand and passed out in Buffy's arms.

"Wow, that really was a fight to save Emmy, wasn't it?" Dawn said
walking over to the group with Willow following close behind her.

(<>..<>)
Chapter 20- A Gift from above

Spike watched as Buffy crawled up his body. She seemed to glow. She
placed small kisses from his torso, up his neck and finally on his
mouth.

Spike flipped them and as he pressed his body to hers, he felt the
reason that she was glowing. Spike put his hand on her swollen belly.

"What's a matter?" She asked.

"Nothing," he said looking at her with pure love, "I just never
thought that I was capable of receiving such a gift from above."

"I guess that the powers that be felt you earned it."

Spike just smiled at her and resumed welcome assault on her lips.

"Spike," Buffy said.

Spike looked up at her as she said, "Wake up."

Spike was confused for a moment, then darkness came over him.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

"He looks so peaceful, maybe we should let him sleep," Kennedy said
looking down at Spike.

"He's been sleeping for two days already," Buffy replied.

"He needs to eat," Giles said, "Also a shower would be most welcome."

Giles left the room and Buffy turned to Kennedy and said, "He's
right. Spike is getting a bit ripe."

"It just looks like he's having a good dream is all," Kennedy
replied and then left the room leaving Buffy alone with Spike.

Buffy sat on her bed next to Spike and began to wake him, "Spike."
She didn't get a response. "Spike," she said again, "wake up."

Spike slowly began to stir and wake up. "Buffy?" he said finally
awake.

"Welcome back to the conscious world, Spike."

Spike looked around the room and found that he was in Buffy's room,
but did not see Emmy anywhere. "Where's Emmy?"

"Spike," Buffy began, "You've been asleep for two and a half days.
Emmy woke up a day and a half ago."

"Oh," Spike said, "So, where is she?"

Buffy smiled down at him taking his hand. She loved the affection he
had for his sister. "She's down stares with Dawn."

"I need to see her," Spike said trying to get up, but Buffy held him
down.

"No, You need to take a shower first."

Spike stopped and realized that Buffy was right. He was starting to
smell a little dead.

"Your right. I'll take a shower first," Spike said sitting up slowly.

"Good," Buffy said, then got up and pick up something sitting on her
chair by the nightstand. "Here, when you're done put these on."

Spike took what was handed to him and saw that it was a white t-
shirt and black track pants. "These are my size. She much have
bought them," he thought.

"Thank you Buffy," Spike said.

"Your welcome," she replied and left the room.

Spike got up and went into Buffy's bathroom to take a shower. He
walked over to the sink to set the clothes down when something
caught his eye. Spike looked up and shrieked and fell onto the
floor.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

Buffy was by the stairs about the go down when she heard Spike
scream. As fast as she could she ran into the bathroom and found him
on the floor.

"Spike, what happened?"

Spike looked at her and then at the mirror and back at her. Buffy
just looked confused. Spike slowly got up off the floor and looked
into the mirror again. Slowly he lifted his hand to his face.

"Oh," Buffy said realizing that she forgot to tell Spike about
his "cure" as they were calling it.

Buffy led Spike over to the edge of the tub and sat him
down. "Spike," she said kneeling in front of him. "We found
something out after we got you and Emmy back here."

"What?" Spike asked still in shock.

"Well, we found a heartbeat. Oh you, I mean." Buffy paused a moment
allowing Spike to take in the information then continued. "Spike,
when you went through the portal with Emmy, you came out human."

"Human?" Spike asked.

"Yes."

"Oh," Spike was shocked by the news. He wasn't sure what to do.

"Take a shower. We'll be down stairs." Buffy said getting up and
leaving the bathroom.

"And Spike," Spike looked up at Buffy, "Don't… drown or anything."

"Promise I wont."

(^^)(^^)(^^)

About and hour later Buffy heard the water turn off. Spike came down
stairs with his new clothes on. As he came into the kitchen he saw
that Xander, Anya, Giles, Dawn, Buffy and Emmy were all there.

"If you're going to be human, you need to ware more then just black
all the time," Anya said, "Otherwise people will start thinking your
strange."

Spike looked Buffy in the eyes, then looked passed her at the door.
He slowly walked towards it and stood in front of it debating
weather or not to open the door and go outside. It had been nearly
one hundred and thirty years since he'd been in actual sunlight
without it burning his skin. A hundred and thirty years since he
actually cared to go into the sun and feel it's warmth on his skin.
A hundred and thirty years since he was last human.

Buffy moved to Spike's side and took his hand in hers. He looked at
her unsure as she opened the back door and they walked into the
sunlight together. Spike laughed, not believing it. He let go of
Buffy's hand and walked down the stairs of the porch on to the
grass. He stood with his arms stretched out and his head turned
upward towards the sky. The sun felt good on his skin. It burned
slightly, but it didn't hurt him like it usually did.

"Enjoying your time in the sun big brother?" Emmy said walking up
behind Spike.

Spike turned around and looked at her with so much joy and happiness
in his eyes. He hugged her as tight as he could. When he let go he
asked, "How?"

"My power is a healing power, dear William. That's why Richard
needed me. When we fell into the portal your were "cured" of your
demon. Now in order for it to work, I needed an open wound just like
what you had."

"An open wound?" Spike asked confused, "But you weren't stabbed, he
never touched you."

"No," she said, then held up her right hand revealing a number of
scratches on her hand and wrist. "Just a small drop of blood was
good enough."

Spike and Emmy then went bake into the house to join the others.
When they arrived inside, Willow had a plate of pancakes waiting for
Spike on the island.

"Here," Buffy said motioning to the plate. "You should eat."

Spike approached the plate cautiously. "I didn't poison it," Willow
said smiling as a newly arrived Kennedy.

"No," Spike said, "I know. It's just that…"

"It's okay, Spike. Take your time." Dawn said. "It's a big step."

Spike smiled at the slayers little sister and picked up the fork and
began to eat. After swallowing his first bite, Spike said, "It
tastes better now. More then it used to."

"And his taste buds have gone from blood to food," Xander said.

(^^)(^^)(^^)

That night, Spike sat on the couch unable to sleep. It was nearly
two o'clock in the morning and he was wide away. He didn't know if
it was because he slept for so long, or the fact that he spent the
last one hundred and nearly thirty years as a creature of the night.

"Can't sleep, huh?" Buffy said walking into the room and sitting
next to him.

"Nah," Spike replied, "You?"

" I got lonely. Someone stole my stuffed pig."

Spike looked down at the stuffed pig that he held to his chest for a
bit of comfort. He didn't know why, but the pig helped to calm him.

"Sorry," He said and handed it to her.

"It's okay. It's no big deal. I did want to tell you something
though."

Spike turned his whole body towards Buffy so that she knew that she
had his full attention. "What?"

"When you and Emmy fell and I saw you on the ground, I felt
something that I never thought I would."

Spike looked at her with interest.

"It felt like someone had come by and stabbed me in the heart. Like
I was dying, because I thought you were dead."

"Buffy…"

"I know it sounds stupid, but I…"

"Buffy…"

"I guess I just…"

Spike leaned into Buffy and kissed her. Buffy began to kiss him
back. Spike had been afraid that maybe she would kill him for doing
that, but it would be worth a chance.

"…love you." Buffy finished when the kiss ended.

Spike grinned at Buffy, "I love you too."

Buffy smiled at Spike. She grabbed his hand and led him up the
stairs to her bedroom.

(<>..<>)
Chapter 21- A New Beginning

The next day, Xander, Anya, Giles, Dawn, Willow, Kennedy, Emmy,
Buffy and Spike all sat around the dinning room table drinking tea
and coffee talking.

"So what happens now?" Dawn asked. "Do things just go back to the
way it used to be?"

"No," Buffy said. "Not the way it used to be. Things have changed,
but I would think that the changes were for the better."

Spike smiled at her and took her hand in his.

"Molly and Christa will still train, and Spike could still train
them." Giles said. "I talked to Wesley this morning. He told me that
he had been doing a bit of research himself. Although Spike is
human, he still had his vampire strength."

"So, he's like a male vampire slayer?" Xander asked.

"Essentially, yes."

"Interesting…" Xander said, thinking.

"Xander," Willow warned him.

"What?" Xander acted as innocent as possible.

"Behave honey," Anya said, patting Xander on the arm. Xander
pretended to pout.

"And Emmy is human, so, I guess it's up to her what happens next,"
Emmy smiled sweetly at Giles as he said this.

"So, what do we do now?" Dawn asked.

"We could go to one of those mall places Dawn was telling me about,"
Emmy suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Kennedy said.

"I'm in," Willow got up to get dressed.

"I guess we're going to the mall then," Buffy said.

"Don't I get a vote," Giles said, siting up a little bit straighter.

"Vote are all in and we vote the mall, G-Man," Xander said standing
up.

"Xander, I've asked you for years not to call me that," Giles sighed
and followed Xander and Anya into the living room. Kennedy and Emmy
followed close behind both going upstairs.

"So, what happens now?" Buffy asked Spike.

"I tell you how much I love you and I can't live without you for one
moment." Spike replied.

Buffy leaned over and kissed Spike.

"I'm going to marry you one day Buffy Summers."

Buffy smiled at him, "And one day, you'll actually have a child."

"How do you know that?" Spike asked with mock suspicion.

"I had a dream," Buffy said standing up and walking into the kitchen.

THE END