Chapter 13

"Hello, my love," Jennifer cooed as Seth walked over to her, dragging the unconscious bodies of Spike and Buffy behind him. As she glided towards him, the vampire dropped the arms of the two warriors and met his bronze beauty halfway.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered, his hands coming to rest on her hips and claimed her mouth as his own. The quick greeting soon escalated and both participants barely contained the lust that had fired through them.

Finally, Jennifer broke the kiss, smiling seductively at her vampire. "Now, none of that, Seth. This vessel must be pure for the ritual."

Seth laughed throatily, his hands roaming up and down the expanse of her back. "Well then, I guess you can chalk this one up because, after last night, there's nothing pure about that vessel of yours."

She couldn’t bite back the chuckle and swatted him in the chest. "You really are something, you know that?"

"So I've been told," he replied. He released her but not before giving her one last kiss. As she walked away from him, Seth noticed for the first time the symbol that had been etched in the center of the room. It consisted of a diamond shape centered in a circle of candles. He sniffed the air and deciphered that it had been drawn in blood. He watched as the two remaining Jct'ars situated Buffy, Giles, Willow and Tara at four points, an unconscious Dawn in the middle. The latter wore the same robe as Jennifer though Dawn's face had been painted with several unfamiliar symbols. He listened as Rack circled the area, all the while chanting in some archaic language.

Seth rolled his eyes at the warlock and walked over to Jennifer who was now painting her face with the same symbols that covered Dawn's face.

"In case you were wondering what I meant," she said, never breaking her concentration, "is that while you guys with your showcasing your testosterone, a cleansing ritual had to be performed directly above the spot where the Enjoining is to take place."

"Is that why you're doing this here?"

"Yes. That and the fact that we will need the energies of these unfortunate people to power the ritual."

"What about the slayer and the others positioned around the symbol?"

"The Enjoining does not just require the energies of these people," she gestured casually, "but the four closest to her in blood, mind, spirit and heart. Only with their blood will I be able to merge with her."

"Hmmm," he said as they both walked back towards the center of the Bronze. With everyone in place, Seth watched as the Jct'ars shackled Xander to the still bleeding Anya while the unconscious Spike was chained to a pillar. Faith remained untied and Seth watched her head swivel back and forth and he knew she was on the cusps of waking up.

"Seth," Jennifer's voice broke him from his thoughts and he turned blue eyes toward his consort. "Remember," she said, her eyes focused, "once the ritual starts, nothing will be able to stop it. Be that as it may, I would keep an eye on that slayer of yours and her vampire of a father. Something about her…" she paused and shook her head before continuing. "After the ritual, I will be extremely weak so I will need you to be there for me."

"Always," he smiled at her but did not move to touch her, not wanting to disrupt the flow of magick through her. "So, what about them?" He gestured towards Buffy and the others around the diamond's points. "Will they die?"

"No. Taking too much of their essence would only increase Dawn's resistance to me and, in all likelihood, would set her up as the dominant personality as Emerald with only trace elements of mine infused with it."

"Can't let that happen, now can we?" he winked at her and she smiled genuinely.

"Remember, love, after tonight, nothing will stand in our way."

"That's right," he replied, his tone holding a hint of sadness, "nothing."

***

"Are you ready?" Rack asked as Jennifer took her place in the center of the diamond opposite Dawn.

"Ready," she replied and took Dawn's hands in her own. When they touched, the unconscious teen's body stiffened and she mimicked the cross-legged pose of Jennifer. The raven-haired woman closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before starting the chant.

"For that which is of nothing and everything, nonexistent and omnipresent, powerless and omnipotent, I beseech you." She felt the energy slowly build within her as the air became heavy with the forces she was calling forth. "From those that lie before us, I draw from them life--siphon into me the eternal energies that have been granted them, give me that which has been created unto them so that I may take as my own and create new life."

The ground shook and Seth righted himself, tightening his grip on the unconscious Faith. The two Jct'ars stood on either side of him and their fear was a pungent odor in his nostrils. Not that he could blame them. To be honest, he could barely contain the jagged edge of fear that ran through him as the power in the room pressed upon him. There was no doubt in his mind nor his demon's that whatever it was Jennifer was bringing forth was a power no demon, no one should ever experience. In it was the presence of life and death alike. A life of untold contentment that he could only assume to be that of Heaven and a death so dark and oppressive that Hell was not a strong enough word to describe it. As fearless as he was, Seth wanted nothing more than to be done with this ritual so that he could have his Emerald back. Even if it's never the same with us, he thought sullenly before turning his attention back to Jennifer.

***

Jennifer knew that the purity of the life forces she had just brokered could not be contained in this mortal shell but they had been required in order that she break through the first barrier of defense of the Key. She had to cloak herself in the essence of light in order to be accepted into the Key.

Her body spasmed as it was inundated with the life forces of the Bronzers. Her body was outlined with a whitish glow whose luminance increased to the point that her features were barely visible through the light.

"Out of the Darkness comes the Light of Day. In love's heart, hatred is born. Created in innocence, dying in sin. The spark of the life is shrouded in death. Lord of Lords, Creator of all, subservient to none, I beseech from thee the power to unite that which was created as One--that which shall never be disjoined. The Key of Light--keeper of the eternal flame of life and restitution." The bright glow emanating from Jennifer had died down and was joined by a similar emerald glow from the teenager.

The jolt of purity startled Jennifer and she faltered momentarily before she began again with the preordained words. "The First. That from which sin is born and life is ended. Bind us together as One--the Keepers of Life and Death, our mind and thoughts cohesive as one."

Dawn's eyes snapped open as she was ripped from the darkness, her skin unnaturally warm as thoughts of yesteryear and a million tomorrows bombarded her mind. She tried to scream but instead found herself repeating Jennifer's words though in a language she did not know.

The symbols etched on Jennifer's face began to pulse and the heat they generated was past uncomfortable but nothing could be done. She watched as Dawn's eyes filtered green, the pulsating glow surrounding the teen increasing with each second. It brightened unbearably though Jennifer could do nothing to look away. After Dawn finished the words, however, it dimmed to the same dull radiance that encompassed Jennifer.

Now it is time to bridge the gap, Jennifer thought to herself. Both her and Dawn nodded simultaneously and she read confusion written in the teen's eyes. Truthfully, Jennifer hadn't been aware that both she and Dawn would be willing participants as she figured the girl would be unconscious throughout it all. She mentally shrugged her shoulders and caught the glint of steel as Rack held the knife in hand, approaching the first Scoobie from which to draw blood from.

Buffy.

***

As she shook off the final vestiges of darkness, the first thing Faith became aware of was the overwhelming power buzzing around her. It was like nothing she had ever experienced and she knew that a power this great was something reserved for only the most celestial of beings.

She tried to shake the cobwebs from her mind only to choke as Seth's arm tightened around her neck.

"Nah, nah, nah," Seth whispered into her ear, his free hand caressing her midriff, "none of that sweetie bear." She tried prying his arm from her throat but coupled with the wave of nausea roiling in her guts and his superior strength, she could do nothing but wait for him to loosen his grip.

"Now," he said as she ceased struggling, "are you gonna be a good girl and watch the nice ritual or do I have to muss you up some more?" he punctuated the last part by running his tongue over her neck. Faith shivered at the touch and was powerless to stop the tears that began to fall from her eyes. "That’s my girl," he smiled and brought a hand up to her face to taste the salty moisture. "Mmmm, just as good as ever," he sung as he brought his fingers from his lips. "You know, after all this is over, I can’t wait to taste the rest of you."

Faith whimpered when Seth’s erection ground against her butt. She knew that, if this succeeded, she would be at his mercy again and she’d rather die than to feel him on her, violating her again. Daddy, please help me, she cried inwardly when her eyes came to rest on the unconscious Spike, bound to a support pillar.

"He can’t help you," Seth murmured, "and neither can mommy dearest." At the mention of Buffy, Faith turned toward the pulsating energy and saw Jennifer and Dawn surrounded by varying glows of white and green, respectively. Her attention was taken from them as she saw the raggedy form of Rack approach an unmoving figure that she finally made out as Buffy. Faith screamed for her as she watched, helplessly as the knife Rack held bit into the flesh of the unconscious slayer.

For a fleeting moment, a renewed strength coursed within her only to die down as Seth pushed her to her knees, his grip tightening further.

"I said settle down," he grunted and Faith knew that in a few more minutes, her strength would return. How, she did not know, just that it would. And when it did, she’d be able to get away from Seth.

The only thing she didn’t know was whether it would be in time to save Dawn.

***

Dawn Summers was vaguely aware of what was going on around her. To her, it was more like a movie that she watched out of her periphery, unable to get a clear picture of the action. But that was not completely true, for there was a part of her, the Aged part of her, that was intimately aware of every molecule of energy that crackled through the air. That part of her danced and wove through the swirls of light and power that flowed through her and her dark sister’s veins. Yes, the First was here to and, despite what the others may have thought, the Aged part of Dawn Summers wanted nothing more than to be reunited with her dark sister. They had never been meant to be separated for so long but the time for their reunion was nigh. It was all as it was supposed to be--except…except something was missing. Something important.

Something that, once the Enjoining was complete, would give her a choice. And without it, what should be a glorious union would be nothing more than the beginning of the end…

***

Jennifer saw the recognition within the Key’s eyes and, as their thoughts were coalescing as one, she knew that the Key understood Jennifer’s plan. The Enjoining was the beginning of what would be the millennium before the final battle of Armageddon, where the One would lead the six and the warriors of Heaven against Lucifer and the true forces of Hell. It was a battle that, as respective beacons of Light and Dark, the Key and the First could not partake in individually, thus the reasoning for the Enjoining. However, with Jennifer as the dominant personality, as she would be without the Heart, the armies of Satan would have the advantage. There were no books that contained this knowledge, however as only the first two created housed that particular knowledge. But they would know, in time, they would all know…

Jennifer watched as Rack sliced into Buffy’s palm, reciting the required incantation.

"Blood of the blood," he said before slamming the knife into the edge of the diamond symbol.

"That from which the shell of the Key was created, sister and mother both, I beseech you, oh Host, bind our bodies as one," Dawn/Jennifer said, their voices low though the power of it reverberated throughout the club. The blood that dripped from the knife snaked its way into the diamond’s center and stopped between the two women.

They watched as the blood congealed, seeping underneath them, an endless pool forming from the handful of drops that had fallen from the blade. Slowly, the pool began to take shape, the swirling energies around the two women facilitating its growth. They felt it sap the energy from them and, though the pain was immense, the knowledge of what was to happen fueled their concentration even as their bodies faded between physical and incorporeal states, their essences bleeding into the third ethereal entity that had formed between them.

Rack had pulled a second knife from his waist and duplicated the same thing he had done with Buffy, though his words differed.

"Mind and Knowledge, that which is the father," he said and sliced into Giles’ palm.

"That from which the Key’s mind has been nourished and cultivated, trust to bind us and our intuitions to understand."

As before, the blood snaked towards them until it rested in between the two women. Pulling the energy from them, it filtered into the third shape that had formed between them at the spilling of Buffy’s blood. It shimmered before glowing with an electric blue tint, twirling in and out of the ethereal forms of Dawn and Jennifer before lancing through the top of the third figure between them.

Dawn’s mind shook with the inundation of thoughts that were not her own, yet were. She saw through dark eyes as He was nailed to the cross and laughed as a spear lanced His flesh. She oversaw the slaughter of billions with the inclusion of an errant thought. Then there was Angel, his eyes wide with fear as she taunted him with the blood that would always be on his conscience…then she saw the slayer, heard Buffy’s sardonic words before she dissipated. She waited patiently, then the body had become ripe for possession and she resurrected the body of Jennifer Calendar…

The images shifted for Jennifer as she saw an existence not of the physical but the metaphysical. It had been a state she had not been privy to for countless eons. The physical had always been the First’s primary weapon even in her wraithlike state. But now, she was overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance of existing between time and space, transcending all but Him, and the peace that was within her was indescribable. Then, it changed, watching as she became one with the body. Standing over her irate sister, she asked annoyingly ‘Can we go Now?’…The pain of the knife as she cut herself, her human mind unable to comprehend not existing. Her heart fluttered as she watched him light the cigarette, ‘I feel safe with you…’ she said dreamily…the fear as Doc sliced into her flesh was overwhelmed by the grief of watching her sister jump into the portal…

Then the confusion was gone as the two minds had now fell in sync with one another. Though their purposes were at odds, their focus was as one…

Halfway there, Dawn/Jennifer thought, sensing Rack approach the third form that represented the heart.

Willow.

***

"Balls," Spike muttered as he swam from the confines of darkness. His head (not to mention several other parts of his body) was throbbed deliciously. He reached to touch the back of his head but received a notice in the form of immobility that he was chained up.

"Fan-bloody-tastic," he swore and jerked at the chains. Though they had been set in place pretty well, he didn’t doubt that with a few well-placed tugs here and there, he could free himself from them. "In about two days," he told himself, pissed that he would be of no use to the Scoobs if…

Daddy, please help me, the voice sounded in his head and he instantly recognized it. "Bitlet?" he called aloud, his eyes falling on his girl for the first time. He stared in fury, vamping out as he watched Seth’s arm wrapped around her waist. He tugged violently at the chains, oblivious to the metal indenting his skin, intent on ripping that look of smugness off the vampire’s face. When he got out of…

And that’s when he smelled it.

Though extremely concerned about Faith, the power that filtered the air drew Spike’s attention to the center of the Bronze. His face melted back into its human form and he felt a knife turn in his chest at the site before him.

There, in the center of it all, holding hands with that Jennifer woman, was his Nibblet. She looked nothing like the uncertain, precocious and sarcastic teenager he had spent the majority of last summer with, though her traits, albeit cloudy, were still the same. The rigid posture she sat with coupled by the surety of her limited movements told him that the power that had slept within her for the past year was finally coming forth and he didn’t know whether to be elated or terrified. Considering the scent of blood in the air-Buffy’s blood, no less--his mind clung to the latter. He had to free himself from these bonds if he was going to be of any assistance to his girls.

Yanking at the chains once more with an even greater tenacity, Spike felt them give some more. If he had just a little more time, then maybe he could stop the ritual before it was completed. He ignored the nagging feeling that, even if he did escape in time, what he did would have no consequence on the remainder of the night.

But that wouldn’t stop him from trying.

***

Rack studied the serene face of Willow, her eyebrows scrunched in exhaustion and dread. Even unconscious, she sensed what was going on, and was powerless to stop it.

There, there my sweet Strawberry, Rack cooed internally as he slashed the knife across her palm, fascinated as the rich coppery scent of her blood flooded his nostrils. Can’t get distracted, he reminded himself.

"Will and determination, strength of heart," he chanted before stabbing the knife into the floor. Don’t worry, my strawberry, he smiled to himself as he walked to the final Scoobie, after all this is over, you and I will have a nice, long acquaintance.

***

"Fire of the heart, that which gives us power, awaken within us." As the blood congealed in the center, an indigo flame enveloped the center of the circle and the onlookers turned

away as the radiance of the flame was too much to bear.

The flames licked at the outer edges of the circle, the barrier biting back the power that threatened to destroy all outside it. But just as quickly as it begun, the indigo blaze simmered until it was nothing more than a glistening jewel in the chest of the third figure whose corporeal state increased exponentially until it was the only solid form inside of the ritual area.

Only a sliver of form remained of the Key and the First, though they were frozen in the same position. They were only vaguely aware of their individuality, instead, their personas flowing as one. Not after the final piece has been completed, Dawn/Jennifer thought as Rack stood over the final piece of the puzzle.

Tara.

***

"No," Faith choked out as Rack cut into Tara's flesh. Seth's tightening grip elicited a sharp cry from Faith.

"Now I thought we were clear on your behavior, Faithie? Don’t make me have to do something I really don’t wanna do." Though his words were sure, Faith detected a hint of uncertainty underneath his bravado. Her strength had returned considerably though not enough to break his grip, so Faith knew she needed a diversion.

"Seth," she forced and he loosened his grip minutely.

"What is it, honey bear?"

"You're afraid." It wasn’t a question and she felt his body tense ever so slightly, so she pressed her advantage. "You don’t think she will be the same when all this is over."

"She's going to be either Emerald or Jennifer," he said casually though the doubt was evident to her trained ears.

"No, she's not. Do you really think that the Jennifer you know will be the same after she garners all that power?"

Seth hesitated before he replied. "Even if that's true, she'll be my Emerald again," Faith heard the longing in his voice and knew she didn’t have much time to press the advantage. She could feel Tara's blood seeping towards the center of the diamond, the final component: The Spirit.

"No it won't be. Don’t you see? The Emerald you know never went through the ritual."

"How do you…?"

"I was with Dawn for ten years before she left us. The Emerald you know did not have the purity that this ritual will give her. And with the blood of the four any traces of Dawn's personality will be wiped out…she will be the First completely. Don’t you realize what that imbalance will do?"

"What do you mean?" Seth's grip loosened more and she edged herself closer to him, glancing towards Dawn she saw the increasing glow of a purple light in the center of the ritual. Time was almost up.

"The One is supposed to be an even balance of the Key and the First, the blood of the others will allow her to subvert all the goodness that you love in Dawn. She will never be the same, the one you love." Seth inhaled sharply, the wheels turning in his mind. He had wondered why Jennifer had refrained from telling him what Buffy and the others would be used for until the last minute. And Faith was right, his attraction to Dawn had been instant, unlike the lust he had felt for Jennifer. In fact…

Before he finished the thought, Faith slammed her head into his chin, causing him to stumble backwards. She swung her left arm around, smashing it into the first Jct'ar's face and before the second could react, executed a vicious jump spin kick, her right heel cracking its jaw. Already, she saw Seth on his feet and knew she would never get there in time.

You always have a choice. The words of Emerald rang in her mind and she grasped at the locket around her neck. A warmth she had never felt radiated from it, as if it was speaking to her. It's all I have left of my family she had told Buffy and Spike.

"My family," she whispered and automatically brought her elbow up, momentarily stunning Seth. She heard him growl and knew her time was up. So, without another thought, she hurled the silver locket into the maelstrom that was the Enjoining.

***

"Essence of spirit, give us direction and vision of spirit," Jennifer called and Tara's blood joined the others and slowly grew, its purple flare coursing with energy as it snaked through the three silhouettes that burned bright as everything else slowly fell away.

Jennifer was shaken as her spirit and Dawn's weakened essence clashed. It would take longer than the other three pieces though after it was completed, she would ascend as the One.

She smiled as Dawn's spirit was pressed away. Now all she needed was to close the circle with a simple phrase, thus locking the two together for eternity.

"Oh Lord, as this circle is never ending, bind us eternally, never to be torn asunder! Let it be done! Let it be done! Let it be done!"

The wave of power shot from out of the circle just as Faith's locket fell into the lap of the only solid figure in the circle. The figure that was now Emerald.

Faith and the others were blown to the floor, the pulse sapping their energies and they fell away into unconsciousness.

The Enjoining was complete.

Chapter 14

Seth groaned as his scrambled senses slowly returned to him. He was acutely aware of a petite form huddled beneath him, his lithe body spread across the much smaller person. The smell was definitely feminine and he could detect the telltale rise and fall of breathing, so she was still alive. Forcing his aching arms to push him up, Seth stared at a tangled mop of strawberry blond hair that was matted on one side with dried blood. As he became more aware of his being, Seth recognized the tiny creature underneath him and he smiled wickedly.

"Well, what have we here?" he whispered into Faith’s ear and her body recoiled at his intimate murmurs though she was still unconscious. "Looks like I’ve got you where…I want you…" he said, the last part trailing off as his eyes had looked up to survey his surroundings. When he saw the bodies strewn about the floor and the smoke filtering through the air, the memory of the last few minutes slammed into the forefront of his mind.

"Fuck," he uttered in disbelief, which soon became rage when he remembered why he was on top of Faith. "You bitch!" He spat and slammed his fist into her kidney. The force of the blow was enough to awakened the slayer and she groaned in pain. The noise had a two-fold effect on the vampire, arousing him as well as filling him with an unkempt rage and he wasn’t sure which was controlling his actions as his fists rained blow after blow into her lower back and neck, all the while his lower body pressed intimately against her.

"You like that, you little whore?" her roared, his eyes bleeding with the red and gold of his demon. "You like the pain," punch, "don’t worry," punch, "because I will give it to you just how you like it."

Seth’s lengthened nails ripped through the flimsy shirt that Faith wore, tearing into her skin as well. The pain lanced through her and she screamed, though it was more out of terror and helplessness as Seth dug his fingers into her hips, pulling her against him.

"Please, no," she whimpered, the shame of what he was about to do coupled with her injuries immobilizing her desire to fight back. "Please, Seth…" He silenced her with a punch to the back of the head and, without warning, sank his teeth into her neck.

The pain of his fangs ripping her flesh was exquisite and Faith fought the almost irresistible urge to black out. But she knew she had to stay awake, no matter her desire to be unconscious as Seth’s hands ravaged her already bruised body. Buffy and the others would need her and, if that meant to be at the mercy of Seth until they recovered, then so be it.

The anger and frustration drove Seth’s innate need to inflict injury upon the slayer. After all, it was her fault that the ritual had been interrupted. At least in the haze of his mind she had interrupted it. Though he remembered Jennifer’s words that nothing could stop the ritual once it had begun, he had doubted those words when her shrill cry thundered through his ears just as he tackled Faith to the ground. It was unlike anything he had ever heard and all Seth could think of was that whatever Faith had thrown into the circle had disrupted the energies that had been flowing through his lover. Yes, Faith would pay. First with her dignity then with her life.

Seth pulled away from Faith’s neck violently, the sickening sound of ripping flesh catapulting through the air. He lowered himself on top of the whimpering slayer and grabbed a handful of hair, yanking her head up.

"You know what I’m gonna do to you for this?" He whispered darkly into her ear. "I’m gonna hurt you so bad baby that, by the time I’m done with you, I’d be surprised if you’ll ever be able to look anyone in the eye again." He shoved her face into the ground, shuddering at the crack of her skull as he fisted the fabric of her pants in one hand.

"Tell me when it hurts," he taunted and motioned to rip the material away but a faint moan pulled his attention from Faith.

"Jennifer?" He called out as his eyes focused on the nude figure in ritual area. The last time he had looked, there had been three figures there, though two were more astral than solid. Slowly, he lifted himself off of Faith and walked cautiously over to the bronzed flesh woman, the creak of his boots thunderous in the tomblike club.

After what seemed like hours, he finally reached the unmoving form and kneeled down beside her. With his hand shaking, Seth reached for Jennifer and when he touched her shoulder a warmth unlike anything he had ever felt coursed through him. His demon screamed for him to run but the man in him gravitated towards the beauty of his love, the only woman who had ever held his heart.

Emerald.

***

The eerily familiar scent of blood was what brought Spike back to consciousness. He fought to grasp the events of the last few minutes. The last thing he remembered was tugging violently at the chains before an overwhelming…something slammed into him, rendering him unconscious. He pushed himself from the floor noting that the chains were no where to be found. He brushed aside the thought of why quickly, as the pounding in his head was not up for sharing brain space. His fingered the back of his head to the source of the pain.

"Bloody hell," he cursed when he saw the blood that coated his pale fingertips. He instinctively went to pat the injury again but he caught movement out the corner of his eye. He whirled toward the source while at the same time adorning his game face, his body coiled for attack.

He watched as Seth walked over to Dawn--hey, where was the other woman? Didn’t matter, all that mattered was that the bastard was touching his Nibblet. A growl reverberated in his chest and he took two steps toward the unsuspecting demon when he caught sight of Faith strewn about, her clothes ripped, laying deathly still a few feet away from the still unmoving Jct'ars. He sniffed the air and his undead heart constricted at what he smelled.

It was her blood that had roused him from oblivion and it was her blood that now screamed for him as her voice in his head had done earlier. But this time, it was different. This was not a plea for help but a call for solace. Spike didn’t have to see the wound or listen to her pulse to know what was wrong. The scent of her blood told him everything.

And it told him that Faith was dying.

***

She had known the moment Seth's fangs ripped a chunk of her flesh away that he had been careless. As many times as he had drank from her, never had he been so primal, even during his…

Faith closed her eyes tightly, attempting to shut out the images of him on top of her, in her, soiling her body and soul. Somehow, despite the weakness that pervaded through her veins, Faith laughed humorlessly.

Here I am, bleeding to death and the only thing I can think of is the things that sick bastard did to me, she thought bitterly. There had been so many good times, seventeen years of them, to be exact, that should have obliterated the horrors she had faced during the last six years of fighting Gabriel’s forces. But her mind was too tired to conjure up the images of days past and instead settled for the sweet, assuring voice of her father.

"Bitlet," Spike whispered and Faith opened her eyes.

"Daddy?" She murmured and though her strength was fading, lifted her hand to the one that caressed her cheek. "Daddy is it you?"

"Yeah, 'let, it's me," he said, unable to keep the emotion from his voice. He pulled off his duster and wrapped it around her shoulders as he brought her to his lap.

Tears of joy and heartache poured from Faith's cerulean green orbs as she looked upon her father. She had waited two years to lay eyes upon him and, now that they had bonded once more, she was being taken away from him.

She watched with hooded eyes as Spike ripped his shirt off and pressed it to her neck to staunch the bleeding. She winced at the pressure but remained. Faith stared into his tear-filled eyes and marveled at how they could be terrifying and in the next instance, loving and soothing. She had no answer and, instead, smiled sweetly at him.

"I love you, Daddy," she whispered, fighting to stay awake. If she closed her eyes for too long, it would all be over. Already the blood loss was too severe as her main artery was shredded. At least I get to die in his arms, she thought weakly.

"Baby, it's gonna be all right, you'll see," he soothed though the panic in his voice was obvious.

"You don’t have to lie, Daddy," Faith assured, "I'm a big girl now. Been fighting the forces of darkness for six years running. I know what death's like."

"No you don’t," he whispered harshly. "Neither you nor your Mum have any idea what true death is. Death is me," he murmured and Faith barely made out what he had said.

"Don’t be a git, Daddy," she said before a fit of coughing lanced through her and several gobs of dark blood spilled from her lips. Spike brushed the blood from her lips and stared as it mixed with his. So sweet, this life giving substance, so rich and empowering. It was what gave his dead flesh the strength to carry on for a hundred years and it would power him until his bones were dust. No, she was wrong; he was death. Always had been and always would be.

"I'm not wrong, Daddy. Look, as much as I love discussing the philosophy of things with you, I don’t have much time…" she coughed loudly again and a sob caught in the vampire's throat.

"Don’t say that, Bitlet, you can't…I…can't lose you…won't let you…" he couldn’t finish as the tears poured from his eyes and Faith could only watch, her heart breaking at the sight of her daddy, her hero, broken and in tears.

"Daddy," Faith demanded, her voice brokering no argument, "it’s not about me anymore. I already told you, it’s too late for that. But not for the others…" her eyes glazed over and Spike knew she was almost gone.

"Faith," he said as panic set in. Having no other course of action, he slapped her hard in the face. "Wake up, baby. We need you. Me and your Mum. Don’t you wanna see your Mum again?"

At that her eyes fluttered open and she smiled weakly. "You have to take care of her and the others. Make sure she and Dawn…"

"Dawn," Spike whimpered and stole a glance at Seth, whose back was turned. The rage bubbled inside of him, at himself and at Seth. He had failed Dawn, they all had. They hadn’t performed the counter spell and his Nibblet was lost forever.

"No, she’s not," Faith muttered. On his confused look, she reiterated. "Dawn’s not lost, Daddy. I think…I think I did something to help her."

"What did you do?"

"The…the same thing she gave me…a choice…"

***

Seth smiled warmly when he saw his love’s eyelashes flutter and her breathing pick up. She moaned several times and Seth knew she was on the verge of waking up. He tenderly brushed a lock of black hair from her forehead and relaxed himself enough to take in her features.

She was every bit as beautiful as Emerald-well, that was expected, considering that she was Emerald. Everything from the bronze skin to the dark hair was intact. Her skin was alight with the effervescent glow that often accompanied Emerald’s change in moods and Seth stroked the flesh of her arm, content in her supernatural warmth. His cold heart thawed when he felt her lean into his touch.

"Em, baby," he cooed as her lips parted slightly. "Wake up, baby. It’s me, Seth." Slowly-agonizingly slow for him-Emerald’s eyes fluttered once more until he saw a slip of green through the slit between her cracked eyelids.

"S…Seth…?" she managed, her voice disjointed.

"Yeah, it’s me. Are…how do you feel?" His hand slid to the small of her back as she forced herself to sit up. Her delicate hand came up to massage her temples.

"Fine…I think. A little power dizzy but-all things considered…" she trailed off as her eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness and she gasped in horror.

"What is it? What’s wrong?" Seth asked, not bothering to hide his concern.

"All…all these people…" a single tear escaped down her cheek and Seth’s apprehension grew. "I…I killed them..."

"You had to, to come back to me, you had to."

She looked at him, the confusion evident in her eyes. He brushed his knuckles across her cheeks and caught the glint of silver around her neck but he ignored it, focusing on her dazed eyes.

"I can feel them…their lives inside me," her brows knitted, "and it’s not just them, it’s everybody. Everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything," She reiterated and her eyes traveled to the two blondes sitting together. "And everyone."

***

Spike’s eyes studied the increasingly pallid face of the young woman in his arms. Here she was, a surrogate daughter he had come to know and love with the ferocity of someone from his loins in the span of two days. And, just like he had with Buffy, he could do nothing but watch her die.

Faith’s short breaths had dropped to shallow pants and her eyes refused to stay open. Her hand had fallen away from Spike's, as she no longer had the strength to grip it. His distress bled into her mind and that had been the only thing keeping her afloat in the realm of the living. If I was a vampire, I could just latch on to his vein and drink away, she thought as the haze built a fence around her mind. I guess this is the end…she thought until a clear thought blazed through her darkening state. Something her father had said about blood relationships between a vampires and its childe.

"Daddy," She called weakly.

"Yes, Bitlet?" Spike replied. He fought to keep his voice calm as he listened to her weakening pulse filter through his ears.

"I…need for you…to…feed…me."

"Feed you?" He questioned after a moment of utter bewilderment.

She nodded and forced the sluggish words from her lips. "Your blood…it can…it can help…"

"How, baby?"

She smiled at his confusion before she replied. "Just…like a childe and sire our…my father’s blood…it can…it can heal me."

Spike pieced together her broken words and understood what she was saying. Being the daughter of a vampire, it made sense for that parent’s blood to be a sort of all-purpose elixir, just as Angel’s blood had been to him. The only problem was that it was necessary to have a direct blood link for it to work correctly and he only assumed that that would be true even more so with a half-vampire as Faith was. Spike sighed and, for the first time in decades, he truly wished for Angel.

"I…it won’t help, Bitlet. It would only work if you had a direct blood connection to me, not the cross-familial bond we have now…" the apology that he wanted to express was silenced by the tender feel of her fingers on his lips. Faith stared into the stormy eyes of her father and smiled--all the love and tenderness she had ever felt for him, the goodbye she never got to say, radiated through to him.

"I know," was all she said and Spike narrowed his eyes, searching hers for the confidence of her tone. It didn’t take long for him to find it, and when he did, the surge of joy that exploded within him was only hampered by his need to keep her alive.

Finally, after all they had been through in the last few days, Spike finally knew.

And it had only taken one unguarded look for him to see the truth.

***

Buffy awoke when she heard a familiar voice waft through the air. She tried to move but her body had other ideas. She groaned inwardly, careful not to alert anyone of her condition. Stretching out her senses, she felt the presence of two vampires close by. One was definitely Spike and she thanked God that he was still alive. The second vampire, however, she was not too happy was still undead and kicking.

That bastard, she swore as another jolt of electric pain seared her. The damage Seth had done to her arm was quite severe and she knew she'd be out of action for at least a week while it healed. But I'll be in commission long enough to dust him, she thought bitterly.

"Everyone?" His voice sounded and Buffy assumed he was talking to Jennifer.

"Yes, everyone," was the reply and Buffy bit her lip to prevent her from screaming out Dawn's name. She's alive, the slayer thought joyously and cracked an eye open just enough to take in the scene before her.

Seth had his back turned to her and his body position shielded her from viewing Dawn. She could have maneuvered around but didn’t want to turn Seth's attention to her in the current state that she was in. So, Buffy opted to remain still and listen in on the conversation.

"Emerald, did it work?" Buffy was surprised at the concern in Seth’s voice but discounted it as his desire to see the First now Enjoined wreck havoc across the world. And that was when it hit her.

They had come here, not to stop the ritual, but to perform the barrier spell to keep Dawn’s personality in tact. She knew Giles and the others hadn’t succeeded though she blamed herself. She had failed Dawn. As the realization sunk in, she couldn’t stop the tears that poured from her eyes.

**

Not wasting a moment to contemplate the startling revelation, Spike pushed up the sleeve of the shirt he had worn underneath his red button down, his other hand still holding Faith gingerly in his lap. Putting his bare arm to his lips, he vamped out and sliced open his vein. He watched the blood seep to the surface and rushed it to his daughter’s lips.

"Faith, baby," he cooed to the barely conscious slayer, "here you go. Drink it up, Bitlet." He nudged her head forward to his wrist and his eyes widened when he saw her teeth lengthen before she latched onto his wrist.

For a vampire, feeding was everything. Of course, draining the life essence of a human was intoxicating but it could not compare to the explosion of ecstasy one felt when drinking the blood of one’s Sire. The converse was also true; allowing a childe to feed from you was just as powerful, just as orgasmic. And there was nothing like it for Spike, except the blood of a slayer.

As he watched Faith milk his veins, he marveled at how this moment made all the other bloodlettings pale by comparison. True, the same heady rush swept over him as well as the invariable need to hold this child in his arms forever. But it was not a need based on lust or anything sexual but one of indescribable love. It was a need to protect and to feel this tiny woman in his arms, a woman that he had helped create. He felt a smile etch his face and, despite the amount of blood she ingested from him, Spike actually felt invigorated. He sensed his wounds healing at the same time his strength began to return and he couldn’t help but smile at it all.

The smile quickly faded as he saw them and he had to restrain himself from pulling away from Faith.

One by one, images not his own assaulted his mind with an animalistic fervor. He watched helplessly as Faith saw Buffy stake him, the emotional pain rushing him in waves. But the nearly crippling grief was nothing compared to the anger Faith directed towards Buffy nor the subsequent guilt that wracked the young Summers as she turned her back on her mother’s cries. He had known about this but to experience them firsthand was almost overwhelming. The pain that Faith held inside was more than he could have imagined and his love for her grew all the more at her strength to fight through this. She had fought through the worst possible…

His thoughts about the previous images were shattered when he was bombarded with the most horrible thing he could imagine.

He watched from Faith’s eyes as Seth stalked into the room that first time, his eyes raping her before he touched her flesh. But when he did touch her-God! -The horror! She fought in vain as he "punished" her, teasing her about the things he would do before he did them. His stomach lurched as Seth…violated her with his body and words. He cringed when the silver blade sliced down her face and shook as Seth poured holy water into the gaping wounds. Over and over, images of the vampire torturing Faith, drinking from her…violating her in ways even at his worst Spike had never done, assailed Spike and he violently pulled his arm away from her lips. He didn’t even feel the flesh rip away from his arm-all he could see and feel was the shame and disgust Faith carried with her after being in the hands of the monster that had bested him and nearly killed Buffy.

"Go to her," Faith whispered. Spike looked down at her, his face stained with newly shed tears. Her eyes were closed though her lips were twisted in an almost wry smile. Shaking himself from Faith’s horrible past, he checked the wound on her neck and sighed in relief when he saw that it was nearly healed.

"It worked, Bitlet," he choked out through the emotional lump fixed in his throat. You’re all better."

"Well," she said and opened her eyes. For a moment they sparkled, completely blue, before returning to their original mixture. "I wouldn’t say that."

Despite the situation, Spike chuckled and planted a loving kiss on her forehead. He felt the strength of Faith’s grip as she took his hand away from her and sat up gingerly.

"Oh, yeah. I’m a long way from all better," she turned back to him, a look of complete love and devotion blanketing her features. "But I’ll live, thanks to you."

Spike moved to speak but was silenced when Faith placed a chaste kiss on his lips before her arms wrapped around his neck and she laid her head on his shoulders. "I love you so much, Daddy. Don’t leave me again."

The confession was too much and Spike crushed his little girl’s body into his, holding her as if she would disappear any moment. He shut his eyes tightly, inhaling the scent of her that was a combination of him, Buffy and something all of her own.

Although he was cold by nature, Faith felt the warmth of her father’s embrace seep into her bones. It had been so long since she had felt this safe, this protected and she didn’t want to let go. But she knew she had to and when Spike’s body stiffened in her embrace, she gently pushed him away.

When she looked in his eyes, she saw the barely contained fury and didn’t need to turn around to see what he was looking at. Faith cupped Spike’s cheek and he turned, his love for her sliding over the fury.

"Be careful," she said, "I’ll need a few more minutes before I can make a go at him."

Spike nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He rose quietly, and moved away from her but before he could get too far, she touched him on the shoulder.

"Don’t kill him," she said as he turned around and Spike stared at her incredulously. Before he could say anything, she added to her statement, a malevolent grin staining her youthful face. "Save that particular pleasure for me."

"That’s my girl," Spike beamed before stalking towards the man who had desecrated his daughter in every conceivable way. He knew that Seth was stronger and faster than him, but that didn’t matter. The rage coursing through Spike would propel Spike through the fight and, 'Mark' be damned, the bastard was going to die.

They say that ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’. Spike only laughed at that. Though it might be true, a father’s rage towards those that dare harm his family had no equal. And he was set on showing Seth just how infinitesimal Hell’s torment was compared to the fury that flowed within his veins.

Spike had promised Faith that he wouldn’t kill Seth but as he got closer to him, he hoped she wouldn’t be too upset with him. He wouldn’t kill the demon but, on the other hand, by the time he was finished, there wasn’t going to be much of Seth left to kill.

And if Faith was mad at that, then that was fine by him.

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