Chapter 23

"So where do we find this chick?" Buffy asked.

"On the Isle of the Dead, as Giles told us," Spike ruminated.

"This isn't the Isle of the Dead?"

"No, sweets, this Isle of the Dead doesn't exist on this plain...we have to take a ferry to it. This is just he starting point." Spike led them to the edge of the rock formations in front of the cave, there a wooden pillar Buffy hadn't noticed before was embedded in the sand. From it hung a horn, made from some unknown beast. Spike took it to his lips and blew hard, the deep resonating sound dominating over the crash of the surf.

A mist began to creep in behind, while another rolled in with the waves all around them, cold and biting to their skin. Soon enough neither could see beyond the tips of their noses. The mist was thick and evoking of claustrophobia. Buffy held on to Spike a little tighter when the sound of something wading over the water became audible. Emerging slowly from the preternatural fog was a tall, teetering figure cloaked entirely in black. It was punting along in a rickety carved out boat.

"It's Charron, the ferryman - he gives trespass to should into both Hades and the Elysium fields - Heaven and Hell....we're getting off just before that," Spike explained. Charron stopped his transport a fair way's off shore and Spike led them into the ocean. Buffy stifled a slight cry when the ferryman held out a skeletal hand to them. The vampire placed the gold coin Giles had given him in Charron's hand and the bones curled around the fare. He stepped aside for his passengers to embark. Spike lifted the Slayer by her hips and into the boat and in turn she gave him a hand up. The boat floated away as if a feather caught in the wind, away from the shore, so they passed from one realm into another.

"I don't mind telling you I'm totally wigged out here, Spike."

"No worries, love, we'll take care of each other, but when I tell you to do something, do it, no arguments...this is too important."

"I get it, no problem....you be careful too though." The passing of time had become imperceptible and it wasn't until the boat ran aground that they even knew the crossing had occurred. Buffy hopped into the sand, Spike following, gripping his ax tighter. Charron was already gone when Buffy noticed,"Hey, our ride!"

"No, pet....he only brings 'em here, he doesn't take 'em back...still got Anyanka's pendant?"

"Yeah....still around my neck, right with the one you gave me."

"That's our only ticket home.....and it makes me very happy to see you still wearing my gift." He laced their fingers together and held on tight,"Let's get on with it then, shall we?"

***

Xander pulled his car up to a campsite near Watamo Lake, situated on the outskirts of Sunnydale. The surrounding forest looked blacker than ever, and as expected the place was absolutely deserted. He turned off the ignition and huffed out a breath. He'd barely spoken as he and Willow had gone from lakeside to lakeside around the Sunnydale area, looking for the second Hell Mouth."I just don't get it, Will," he finally spoke,"He's evil..." Willow smiled inwardly, Xander was like a dog with a bone and refused to let go of the actuality of Spike and Buffy's relationship. The fact that Anya and Giles were together didn't ruffle any feathers spoke volumes.

"Not so much," Willow replied casually.

"After all he's done to us....to Buffy, I don't understand how she can even tolerate him, let alone have him touch her!"

"It's about forgiveness. She repeated to me something Giles told her once - forgiveness is an act of compassion, it's not given because someone deserves it, it's because they need it. But in Spike's case she believes he deserved it. Tara forgave me because she loved me and I needed it, it's the same with Spike and Buffy."

"That's different, you didn't mean to hurt Tara...and it was just a little memory erasing..."

"It was just as bad, different, but no less wrong. Buffy really loves Spike, and he loves her."

"Yeah....I just never thought Buffy would play the whole Luke n' Laura thing."

"You're making a bigger deal of this than she did.....remember she took Dawn to his crypt the next day to keep her out of harm's way, what does that tell you?"

"That's she certifiable."

"Or maybe she accepted that what happened wasn't exclusively his fault....she'd done some pretty horrific things to him before that night, some pretty unforgivable things that he just brushed off for her sake. I think they're made for each other...sure there's bad stuff, but the good stuff is extra super good."

"And where does that leave us? She chooses the evil undead over her best friends! There's something really wrong in that....I mean, what do I have left? Anya's moved on, Buffy's moving away from me, Dawn's practically Spike's kid sister......what do I have left?" Willow sighed and wondered if Giles and Spike were right about the thickness of Xander's skull.

"You have me." Xander stopped the second leg of his tirade and gave the young witch a discerning look."I've always loved you Xander."

"But Willow, you're gay!"

"Still am, not that kinda love, silly...best friends, forever, remember? Tell you what, despite my buttering my bread on the other side, we make a deal, if we're not married by the time we're 35, we marry each other. Sound good?" He softened, she was right, he wasn't alone, not really.

"You've got a deal."

"Good, except there's a condition to our engagement...let Buffy be happy, she loves him and if she's forced to make a choice, it'll be him.....okay?"

"Okay, Wills..." Willow nodded and gave him a sincere smile.

"So, we've got one more place on the list to check."

Chapter 24

Xander and Willow stood out in the rain, looking out over the lake, holding on to each other for warmth and comfort. The car was a few feet behind them, it's headlights shining out from behind where the pair stood. As if a streak of light had been painted into the water, dissecting the lake, they beheld the broken seal between Hell and Earth,"Xander?" Willow squeaked. He looked at her, then back out to the water, virtually boiling and showing all its portents.

"This is bad.....this is...god.....we're all going to die..."

***

Dawn scribbled furious notes in her binder, taking down anything she thought was remotely pertinent to the assignment Giles had given her. She was taking the work very seriously, being sure to read carefully and go back over anything she didn't understand until she was clear on the meanings. She was hindered only by William persistently attacking her pen when it slid across the paper. She gently shooed the kitten away and he occupied himself with attacking the strap of her purse.

"You're such a sweetie pie, aren't you William?" Dawn said to the cat as she wiggled her finger on the table in front of him. William dove for the thing and sunk his needle teeth in,"Ow! Beast...how much time have you spent with Spike?" She took the fuzz ball of fury in her hands and kissed him on the nose. He tried to bite her again and she burst into a fit of giggles. From behind her came a strange indistinguishable sound, almost like a glob of mud being emptied on the ground. She stopped her toying with William and jumped to her feet, turning around to find the Magic Box the same as ever. Keeping the kitten close, the young girl scurried around the shop turning on every light and lamp she could find. The kitten rubbed his pointed face against her chest, reminding her that it was likely just her imagination getting the better of her. After all she was alone in the Magic Box, a place notorious for pre-apocalyptic disasters; there was one going on outside, it was night, it was raining heavier than ever and she was alone. William began purring and snuggling in close and instantly Dawn felt at ease again.

She sat back down to the volume of Hardigan's Tome of South Pacific Demons and Water Fae, she flipped the page and scrunched her face at the picture of a Isosillica Depth Trudger. It was similar to a giant globule, a clear watery sac around a series of organs. Apparently it took victims by swallowing them whole and digesting them in the lower portion of the blob.....which is exactly what it was about to do to Dawn.

William let out a piercing shrill of a meow, lept from Dawn and ran hell bent under a book shelf. Dawn dove away just it's expansive mouth was about to consume her. She screamed blue murder and rushed behind the counter. The demon turned to go after her, and the teenager began to throw anything she could get her hands on; urns, crystals, coffee mugs, books. The objects became suspended in it's shapeless form, but it still kept coming. Using her instincts and wits, Dawn frantically searched for something to stop the demon. She unintentionally grabbed the bottle of Remy Martin cognac Giles kept behind the counter, it was then that the idea came to her. Buffy probably wouldn't approve of last summer's lesson Spike had given her in right proper riot inciting, but it might just do the trick. She dowsed Anya's dust rag in the liquor then stuffed some of it down the neck of the bottle. Grabbing the set of matches from the utility drawer and striking it across the accelerator, she lit the rag. Once the flame took she stood up and aimed for the creature's mouth. Unaware, the monster swallowed it, just before it exploded and blew him apart. Dawn shrieked and hid herself again as gobs of water landed all over the floor. Score one for Dawn Summers and the art of the Molotov Cocktail; bonus points to vampire who taught her how.

***

"Ever get that sneaking feeling you're being watched?" Buffy asked as she and Spike walked over stony earth towards the now visible ruins of an ancient Grecian temple. He brought her hand to his lips for yet another kiss and grinned.

"I'm sure we are, pet, the whole bloody island's probably full of demons, ghosts, ghouls, maybe even vampires. This isn't gonna be easy, and it's not gonna get any easier when the time comes to take on the bint, you'll have your eyes closed."

"You sure tha..."

"Very sure, not up for debate. Don't fret, love, you're very zen, there'll be no worries once you're in full Slayer mode, just you versus the beast. But take note of where you're swinging that sword, like my head where it is."

"I'll know when it's you near, I always know. Your head is safe....we'll the one on your shoulders at any rate...."

"Naughty Slayer...."

"Delicious looking vampire, can't help myself."

"No one's asking you to....just stow it away for a lil' while. Buff.....gotta say it one more time, I love you." She was about to echo his sentiment when on reflex her sword was raised and her hand taken from Spike's.

"You feel that?" His affirmation came in the form of his demon surfacing and a low growl emanating from the depths of his throat,"We're surrounded aren't we?" Spike stood low, his shoulders hunched over and a firm grip on the ax. Hundreds of eyes opened in the darkness, yellow and glowing like fireflies.

"Feeders......I....I think...."

"Huh?"

"Dark souls, or not...just dark things...they feed on negative emotions, suck you dry of your life force....eat you whole...tell me about something good, should get them to back off...."

"Like what?"

"When you realized you loved me..."

"Uh....not so happy...."

"How come? That's not boostin' to a bloke's ego, sweetness."

"When Willow went kablooey, the night after you'd left, I took Dawn to your crypt to ask you to take care of her while me and Xander went after Willow." He visibly started and she gave him an almost ashamed look, she could tell this wasn't about to make him happy.

"The day after I attacked you......you brought your little sister to me?!"

"She needed to be safe and the only person she felt safe with was you so I agreed. I didn't plan on doing anything except asking you to take care of her and then I'd be gone...I wasn't gonna deal with everything.....there just wasn't any time. But you were already gone, Clem was there, he said you'd left town. Suddenly I found myself thinking about the men in life and how they'd all left me.....my dad, Angel, Riley and now you too....and I loved all those men.....and it just hit me that I loved you too. I didn't cry over it until much later, when the dust had settled and you were still gone.....then I couldn't stop....and.....then I accepted it......but then you came back." There were tears in her eyes as she told him her story, the emotional rollercoaster of the past few months taking her for another ride. The feeders were much closer now, the lovers didn't even realize it. The dark dwellers were jittery and eager, moving in to start the frenzy.

"It was no picnic for me either when I found myself as your willing slave, so to speak.....had a nightmare about it....then it just went around in my head like a cat in a blender."

"Eww....nice to know I inspire Petricide.....or whatever....."

"But then came that night in the house behind the Magic Box.....when you just sorta...."

"Mounted you?" He laughed and moved in closer to her, letting his guard down, the feeders irrelevant.

"It was like being burned by the sun, you were so hot...so wet....riding up and down on me....and you were so tight, like I was your first..." Her sword began to falter and she was captivated by the lustful memory dancing behind his eyes.

"I had no idea you'd be so huge....the others, they weren't like that at all...it was almost too much for me....now, no one else will ever be enough....."

"I kinda gathered that....I almost came right then and there, before we fell through the floor......" She lay a hand on his heart.

"There was something I never told you, something that started the night you saved me from internal combustion."

"Our first kiss?"

"Technically that was our second, there's the one after Glory. That kiss though, the night you saved me and we sang to each other, it wasn't a spell, I wanted it." Her confession strummed at a chord connected to his soul, it felt wonderful. In turn, Spike lay a gentle hand over her heart, his long fingers pressing against her collar bone,"And after Randy and Joan..."

"I liked Randy and Joan."

"The kiss at the Bronze, I didn't just want it, I needed it." His hand moved to the back of her neck,"What I wanted to tell you was that, from then on I had found the one thing that made me want to stay on Earth. When you were inside me, I finally felt alive again. When we weren't together I told myself how wrong it was and that I should be disgusted with myself, but I just couldn't stay away from you. I craved you, like you said I would. The only time I felt anything was when you made me, when you were touching me, moving with me.....you saved me, I see that now....your love saved me." His eyes were closed and his lips close to her's, tasting her essence when she exhaled.

"You've been my salvation, Buffy." They held on to the moment for a brief instant, then plunged, mouths open into each other's embrace. Smacking and sucking in a coarse, hungry kiss hard enough to bruise lips.

Suddenly remembering they were actually in grave danger they broke apart and readied their weapons again. Much to their surprise, the feeders were gone."What the?"

"I suspect our lil' display sent them off.....evil things aren't much for love and affection."

"There'll be more bad stuffs when we get inside?"

"Count on it, sweet breads - time to shift gears, full on Slayer."

"When this is over we're gonna do it for ten hours straight, got that? I don't wanna be able to walk for a week at least."

"That's my girl."

"That's right, I am your girl, don't get dead in there! Understood?"

"Got it, love.....just like you're not allowed to turn into stone. Gimme your hand, once we're inside you gotta keep those pretty eyes shut tight."

Chapter 25

Giles and Anya rushed into the Magic Box under the cover of a drenched umbrella that was barely stopping the deluge anymore. They both stopped short at the scene before them. The store looked as if a flood had come through it, everything was soaking wet and in total disarray, save for the upper level where Dawn sat clutching both her binder and her cat.

"Dawn, what's happened?!" Giles begged, quite panic stricken. In total contrast a wry smile spread across the teenager's face,"Dawn?"

"Isosillica Depth Trudger."

"Say that again....."

"Isosillica Depth Trudger.....page 156 of your copy of Hardigan's Tome of South Pacific Demons and Water Fae."

"Yes, I know.....are you saying..."

"I smoked his ass....literally...it was scary at first.....but I handled myself!"

"Good for you Dawnie," Anya congratulated, propping up a faint Giles.

"So, find the second Hell Mouth?"

"No......let's hope Xander and Willow had better luck....I feel we're running out of time," Giles continued. The bell over the door clanged as a water logged Xander and Willow came inside."You found it didn't you?" The solemn looks on their faces told all.

"God Giles...." Xander said shakily,"It's bad.....it's really bad....I don't think we can stop this...even if Spike and Buffy succeed....I don't think it's gonna be enough."

***

The temple's tremendous size was an illusion Spike and Buffy found when the entrance room lead only to a slender, descending corridor. Spike flipped on his zippo lighter, revealing the tales and pictograms covering the walls. Spike made a sound of discerning interest as he easily interpreted the Greek.

"What?" Buffy asked, walking behind him, with her eyes shut and her hand held securely by his.

"Drawings on the wall, pet, Greek letters, the myth of the first gorgon, Medusa. She was once the most beautiful woman on Earth and a priestess to Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. She was seduced by Poseidon and they made love in Aphrodite's temple. The Goddess became so enraged that she cursed Medusa - turned her into a half woman, half serpent. Snakes for hair, ugly face, one look from her eyes will turn any living thing to stone."

"That's kinda....totally not her fault! Men! Goddesses! Grr..."

"Can't say that I totally disagree, sweetness, but we both know life's not fair. After Perseus killed Medusa to save Andromeda, another shamed woman took her place, and on and on down through the centuries."

"I kinda feel bad about cutting her head off now."

"If we don't the Kraken's gonna open up a Hell Mouth and destroy Sunnydale, then probably California, and the rest of the world, the people we love, etc. Think of poor William, cats hate the water."

"Well, for William then." Nearing the end of the corridor, Buffy's senses began to pick up all sorts of stimuli. There was a hot air coming from ahead. It smelled like burnt flesh and decay. There was also a counter wind cooly flowing horizontal. As they passed through the breeze the hairs on the back of her neck began to prickle. The crosswind stopped suddenly and in pure survival instinct she stomped her foot on the back of Spike's knee, making him twist and fall. A split second after sharp and hair thin darts shot across where he'd been standing. Buffy too got down just in time and now crawled her way blindingly to the vampire."You okay??!" she whispered hoarsely.

"Dislocated knee, but otherwise just peachy."

"Don't whine, you should've know it was coming."

"Sorry, love, but I was too busy paying attention to the giant three headed dog."

"Oh my god!!"

"Just kiddin'."

"Not funny Spike, stupid vampire."

"Just a little post-near-death-experience humor, sweetums, no harm intended.....thanks for the save, by the way."

"You're welcome...but watch yourself, it's not easy to do this with your eyes closed and don't tell me that I've got to keep 'em closed, you couldn't drive that point home any clearer if you shoved a railway spike up my nose."

"No funny either."

"Sorry, babe....just a little formerly-evil-vampire-boyfriend humor." He unexpectedly planted a good firm kiss on her lips, then drew them both to their feet.

"The inner chamber's just ahead, she'll prolly be hiding, knowing we're coming.....we'll separate, I'll go for the more direct attack, you hand back in the shadows and sneak up...got it?"

"Got it, be careful and I love you."

"Love you too. I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life! And if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death." She punched his arm.

"Stop it with the jokes!"

"I wasn't....nevermind, on with it." Buffy took a steadying breath and slid into the gorgon's lair. She flattened herself against the wall and let her Slayer senses awaken. The room was very warm, with the acrid smelling air thick as a mire. The walls were marble, smooth in some places, jagged in others. The detection of light through her eyelids came and went as she moved, indicating the presence of both columns and torches.

So far, so good, she thought, just at the moment she bumped into someone. She froze and her breath seized in her lungs, carnal fear erupting. She hadn't known it was coming, no signed of life whatsoever, even Spike, dead as he was gave of vibes. When no reciprocal attack came, Buffy tentatively reached out to touch the person before her. Immediately she realized he was made of stone, a statue that had once been a man. She ran her fingers over his face, he must have been very young. At his side was a short bladed sword and upon his head was a helmet. He'd once been a Roman soldier and had been standing here for thousands of years.

Spike crept along down the center of the chamber, careful and aware. The scene was familiar, and recently so. Walking into Sarlaak's cave was exactly the same. The knowing dread that you were not alone but not being able to see your foe was unnerving. The place looked as it had throughout all antiquity. The center aisle was a monument to fallen heroes, all who came for the gorgon's head and failed. Soldiers from ancient times, Knights from the heart of the medieval era, even one poor bloke from W.W.II, still in his uniform. There was even an Indiana Jones knock off, though more likely the original patent. He had his ax ready to swing, he wasn't in this for a good spot of violence. He wanted a fast, clean kill then to go straight home with Buffy.

He was certain he heard something slithering off to the right and far ahead, but it was too light to be the gorgon herself. He paused to listen more intently. It was from straight ahead that the first shot came. A perfectly aimed and executed arrow cut through the air and pierced his chest just right of his heart.

"Just bloody great!" he seethed as he yanked the wooden shaft from his chest, sneering at the bloody wound. He ducked behind a pillar just as another barrage came whizzing out."Pardon me, bitch, but arrows through the chest are for holidays only!!" The gorgon hissed violently at Spike's indignation. She emerged from the darkness, a loathsome, hideous mutation of a woman. Her body from the waist down was every bit a serpent's, green and scaled and patterned like and anaconda. Her upper body was no more human than the lower half, save for it's shape and the presence of breasts, uncovered and speckled with scales. Her face was a tragic mask, human features contorted to give semblance to the species that dominated her form. White fangs that rivaled a vampire's descended to her lower lips, gleaming and dripping with venom. Her eyes however were black as pitch. The rumors of snakes in place of a mane of hair proved true, writhing, snapping beastial coils. Her weapons were the traditional of the first gorgon's, a bow in hand and a quiver lashed to her back.

Spikes wasn't afraid, the gorgon had nothing on Sarlaack, but he was still tense. If the thing got even a hint of Buffy being there he'd lose his cool for sure. Despite the amazing day they'd shared, he'd have much rather do this alone. He quieted himself and his emotions and listened to the thing's movements. She didn't slither with the stealthy grace afforded to most ophidians, some progresses forward consisted of dragging herself along. Needing not to breathe and when the blood didn't need to flow to the one spot in particular, there was nothing about him that could be perceived by any animal's senses, except a Slayer's.

The gorgon had seen where her prey had hidden, but couldn't detect him beyond the brief sighting when she'd loosed her arrows. Her torches cast all shadows, she knew them all by heart, few new came to visit. She withdrew an arrow and made it ready to fire. Spike waited patiently for the beast to come within striking distance of his ax. However to his amazement he was suddenly aware of Buffy's mind. It took a moment for him to accept it, but it was her nonsentient thoughts that he had complete knowledge of. She was moving stealthily, careful not to make a sound, sword poised high. But what he knew and Buffy couldn't see was that by coming at the gorgon from behind cast her shadow long and large.

The monster swung around as Spike simultaneously leapt from the behind his column."Buffy, drop!!!" he shouted and she obeyed instantly, the wind of the arrow touching her hair, her knees hitting the ground. Spike rushed the gorgon, ax coming in a wide arc. She turned back to her original target, her eyes as bright as the sun's. The blade took her head, but Spike had seen the demonic light and felt it pierce his soul.

"Spike?" Buffy called out admidst the silence,"Did you get her? Spike? Spike answer me!" She got to her feet, eyes still closed and with her arms outstretched she carefully moved forward. After only a few paces her fingers fell upon his face and the chiseled incline of his cheekbones. She outright screamed. He'd been turned to stone.

Chapter 26

"Nooooooooooooooo........" Buffy wailed, pain and fear overwhelming her. She opened her eyes and cried out again at the sight of him, all pale and whitened, from boot tips, to duster, to his curly hair. Of course he'd have to be marble, it was both hard and soft, rough and smooth, always beautiful. He looked so supple and almost life like, but he was cold, so much colder than a mere vampire. She cupped his face in her slight hands, her nose pressed to his, crying so hard she thought she'd never be able to stop. He remained unchanged, caught in suspended action, his arm outstretched and still holding the ax after having killed the gorgon. He had a searching look on his face, looking to make sure Buffy was alright. She kissed his lips, they were hard this time, no reciprocation or tenderness. She kissed him again, foolishly thinking the ways of childhood stories would wake him from this sleep."Please......not like this....not like this.....just because you have your soul....it was your reward....you promised me forever.....Spike....Spike..."

A welt appeared suddenly on her face, something had slashed her cheek. Blood trickled down her face as something again cut her again, this time on her ankle, right through the leather of her boot. No more warnings came and Buffy was suddenly pulled away from Spike and into the shadows. The feeders tore at her clothing, groped and prodded her lewdly, they bit her, scratched her, they ate away at her soul. She screamed, cried and they kept coming. "SPIKE!!!!!!" she called out one last time as she was enveloped by them.

There was rage, there was anger, there was the thirst for blood and violence and they belonged to one of the darkest warriors Hell had ever spawned. He rebutted the curse of Medusa, told the bitch that her mojo wouldn't work on a demon, wouldn't work on an evil dead thing. His fangs cut through the marble as if it were little more than paper, the ridges of his forehead contorted under the stone until it fell off in chunks. The duster's flaps soared out behind him and then fell against his legs. The ax completed its tilt and whirled Spike around, his feet no longer rooted to the ground. For a moment he knew nothing but the purity of his evil, but then the panic cry of his mate centered him.

Buffy had begun to fight back but there were too many of them, she was overcome with both grief and raw terror, and it only made the feeders stronger. She would have broken their bones, but they had none, nor any faces to speak of for her to punch, just darkness with eyes. Something got a particularly strong grip on her wrist and tried to pull her, she resisted, but it was stronger than she at that moment. She was yarded out from the hoard of feeders and brought back into the light, by the vampire. Spike had her, his grip on her arms bruising. He was in full game face, snarling with eyes blazing as fiercely as the feeders.

She was confused, seeing him alive, but seeing him also in his beastial form, feral and running on pure instinct. His hand moved up her arm and over her shoulder, holding at the side of her face, then it covered her eyes,"Told you to keep them shut," he spoke, with love, none of the demon present in his voice. He took his hand away and her eyes were closed again, but she was shaking. He saw what they'd done to her, torn her clothes to tatters, marked and cut her beautiful skin, violated her soul with their darkness. He flung his coat around her and wrapped her tight, then blanketed her with his arms and heart. She felt herself drawn against him, not caring the her cheek pressed to where the gorgon had shot her arrow."My beautiful girl, what have they done to you? M'sorry I couldn't help sooner, but it was the soul you see, let the gorgon get me for a spell. Demon was stronger than her though, pushed her off me...let m'come out of it. S'alright, pretty bird, your boy's right as rain, see? Well, wait....no, don't see, eyes closed......gorgon head, know I left it 'round here somewhere...hold up one sec." He released her and began pawing around on his hands and knees, looking up at Buffy the whole time.

Eventually something wriggly was felt, he gave a shudder at the still live, writhing snakes. Trying to get to his feet with the head in his hands, he stumbled and squished some part of it, splatting a stream of blood on his face."Well, that's just nasty," he complained as he spat out what blood had gotten in his mouth. He reached inside the pockets of the duster and withdrew both the leather satchel for the gorgon's head and his handkerchief. Once the head was secured in the sack and his face cleaned, Spike finally let himself take a breather. Coming back over to the still visibly shaken Buffy, he tilted her head up with his fingers at her chin,"You can open your eyes now, love." She didn't at first, but when she did she smiled at him, but then her face crumpled and became strained,"Buffy, what's the matter?"

"I'm trying not to cry....the feeders."

"They won't touch you again, not with me around...are you badly hurt?"

"Just cuts and scratches, nothing that won't heal in a few hours." He leaned in and hugged her, sighing in her ear."Spike, I'm sorry....I screwed up......I shouldn't have come, you were right."

"Nah, pet.....if you hadn't come I'd be dead. I heard you crying for me....it woke the demon straight up, primal need to protect its mate n' all that. If you hadn't been here I couldn't have broken free."

"I want to go home." He drew back and nodded.

"Alright, you give Anyanka a summoning....I've got something else to take care of first..." He put down the leather sac and picked up he ax.

"Spike?"

"Their souls are still in the statues....been there all this time.....hafta set 'em free......"

"Oh god..." He stepped up before the man from the early 20th century, gave him the patented smirk.

"Put in a good word for me when you get upstairs, eh mate?" With that he hauled off and sliced the ax through the marble, taking his head and releasing the soul trapped within. He shattered the rest - the knight, the centurion, everyone else, especially Indiana Jones, he reminded him of Giles. When he was done he picked up the leather sack and the gorgon's head. Anya was with Buffy now, fawning over the battered Slayer like a mother with her cub. The Slayer was reassuring her that she was fine. Spike wrapped his arm around Buffy's waist and pulled her close,"Take us home Anya."

Chapter 27

Not re-materializing in the rain was a boon for the triumphant duo, but the Magic Box looked fairly worse for wear. Wasn't the first time, certainly wouldn't be the last. Buffy let out a sigh of relief and slumped against Spike, letting him support her.

"You two alright? You look like hell," Dawn observed from her position on high.

"We're fine, Nibblet, just need to get our p's in q's in order," Spike replied, flinging the leather bag on to the table,"One gorgon's head, as requested."

"Not too much trouble I hope?" Giles asked, tempted to have a peak in the satchel, but restraining himself aptly.

"Nah.....no big, almost died....what, honey? Five times?" Buffy snarked, feeling a little worse for wear. Giles inwardly admonished himself and gave Buffy and apologetic look.

"The Slayer n' I are gonna go downstairs to get cleaned up....then you can tell us what the game plan is..." Spike announced, taking Buffy by the shoulders and leading her away.

"Spike...." Giles began to protest, but Spike was already ushering Buffy through the door to the training room and its facilities. Buffy let herself be lead to the shower stall in the small change room. Spike turned on the water and tested the temperature before searching through the solitary locker against the wall in which Buffy kept spare clothes. Buffy removed his coat and then the remnants of her tattered clothing and stepped under the stream of hot water. Spike chuckled to himself when she let out a loud moan, this short treatment was exactly what she needed. He took up his coat again, loving how it now smelled so richly of her again and put it back on.

"Aren't you gonna join me?" she called from behind the frosted glass. He finished laying out a new pair of jeans, a t-shirt and clean underwear and sports bra for her, then turned to gaze upon her nude form, it's healthy shape distinguishable through the glass. He sat down on the bench next to her clothes and ran his fingers through his hair,"Spikey? I'm all wet...."

"Don't be usin' the cute talk on me, Slayer. We're on a mission here, saving the world does not get subjugated for orgasms."

"I hate it when you use logic."

"My love, when this is all over I promise we'll put the Kama Sutra to shame, the upside down positions and everything."

"Damn, and I just had the trapeze removed from my bedroom last week." She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower to find Spike with his back to her, holding out a towel."Wow, look at you...all restraining of yourself."

"I'm being a good puppy, don't corrupt him....we have a Kraken to fight, this time I think I will need my edge, you too." She grabbed the towel from him and pushed him out of the way so she could get to her clothes. When she was done dressing she came up behind him and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He turned around and knowing precisely what she was in search of. He wrapped his arms tight around her waist, lifted her off the ground and hugged her as tight as he could.

***

They'd only been gone 15 minutes at the most and the Scoobies were surprised to see them back so soon, assuming their sojourn downstairs was for something other than a shower. But it seemed they really had gone downstairs just to clean up. They'd gathered themselves around the table, leaving space for Buffy and Spike, who sat pressed close next to each other. The sack containing the gorgon's head sat at the center of the table, generally freaking them out every time a snake thrashed or wiggled. They all seemed rather sullen and tired. Obviously the past few days had been strenuous, and it was finally wearing them down, but in truth it was all only just beginning.

It was Giles who finally broke the silence,"We've found the second Hell Mouth," he stated simply,"Xander and Willow did, to be precise. I'm afraid the situation is grave....no, that's not even close."

"Giles?" Buffy asked, absorbing Giles' tension,"What is it?"

"When the lake arose after the Kraken's first attempt to breach it's confines was thwarted, the stupendously idiotic people of Sunnydale thought they'd compound it by building a dam. Presuming that raising the water level would strengthen the imprisonment. As decades went by and technology advanced, the dam was made larger, more effective and impressive until now, today, it is the largest reservoir in this part of the state."

"If the dam breaks, it'll wipe out all of Sunnydale," Spike stated.

"Yes, it will. Even if the Kraken is turned to stone, the collapse of his body back into the water could cause a colossal tidal wave, if the dam breaks....it'll all be for naught..."

"Bloody hell, bloody bloody hell, and bloody bloody bloody hell."

"My sentiments exactly."

"What do we do then?" Buffy interjected,"Can we evacuate the city? Will people even listen to us? Look, we've got the gorgon's head, the Kraken could raise itself any time, we have to play this.....what else?"

"Enough minions to sink the Titanic....again," Dawn piped up, opening her binder,"Here's what we know...."

"We know stuff?"

"I know stuff....first, the Isosillica Depth Trudgers are a piece of cake, Molotov Cocktails all the way - I suggest we go to the liquor store and pick up some vodka. K' there's the Sunnydale swim team species....just a sec.....here they are...Gillagus Mencenius, the way to do them in is to rip out the gill sacs under their ears, it holds the water they use to breathe when on land. There'll be electric eels all over the place.....sharks who can move on land....you should all look at my notes before we go to the dam."

"Hold on.....you're not coming with us....."

"Okay, I'll stay down here and wait for the damn to burst and sweep me into the Pacific." Buffy growled and clenched her small fists in frustration, Spike obligingly began to knead the muscles of her shoulders.

"Giles, how much time do we have left? Is it going to happen tonight?" Giles removed his glasses and began to clean them with his handkerchief, signaling of course that the situation was dire. Spike's hands left her shoulders and moved themselves around her waist, pulling her ever so gently closer to him. She untensed and relaxed into the form of his torso, a slight reprieve in these dangerous moments before they entered the fray of yet another battle to save the world.

"Before dawn, I'm sure of it....any time now, in all honesty. We can't delay in the slightest...."

"Then we form a plan and go for it."

"From the vantage point of the expanse atop the damn, the gorgon's head must be held up for the Kraken to see first thing."

"What if he comes up looking the other way?" Dawn asked innocently,"'Cause once he's out of the Hell Mouth he'll be a hundred stories high, he'll never see her eyes if we're that far down." The faces of those gathered simultaneously changed expressions, solemn and nervous.

"I have an idea," said Spike.

Chapter 28

"Are you out of your freaking bleached mind?!?!" Buffy screamed at him, Spike wincing as the volume and intensity of hit him. He'd told them his idea and before he knew what was happening she'd grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and hauled him outside into the rain, sparring none of her Slayer strength in the action. Spike kept pushing the water off his face, trying to keep a handle on the situation now that she was freaking out."It's suicide, Spike!"

"Cut out the bloody hysterics, Slayer, it's not suicide!" She wanted to slap him across the face for his patronization, but instead all she could muster was unfettered panic. She still held him by his coat, her emotions palpable all around him.

"I've had enough of you almost dying to last me a dozen lifetimes!"

"Once! Today! You were dead for 147 days, not to mention all the near misses before and after that!"

"And I had only minutes without you and it almost killed me.....don't you understand that I can't live without you now?!" He took her hands from the leather that hung over his body and held them between his own, kissing lightly at her fingertips.

"I understand that you're scared, but I've lived with the same fears every day and night for years.....and I do it gladly because it's a vital part of who you are, it's part of why I love you so bloody much. You're a tried and true hero. I'm not a hero, Buffy.....I'm just....heh...I'm not even a man.....but I need to do one good thing in my life. I know I'll never make up for all the pain and misery I've caused as a vampire....that's not even my reason. My way is the best shot we've got for defeating the Kraken - too many lives are at stake here, there's no other way. My mess of an unlife for a hundred thousand is a no brainer, pet....might even be saving millions. Incidentally, whoever said I was gonna bloody die? I don't plan on failing.....besides, you've promised me a shagfest of epic proportions! Roman Army'd have t'drag me from that." Buffy took her hands out from his grasp and replaced them at either side of his face.

"You're wrong you know? You're very much a man, and you are a hero, you've been Dawn's for years now.....and you're mine." That moment was an epitome for Spike and it would settle for nothing less than the sweetest, most soulful kiss they'd ever shared. They trembled with emotion, knowing that every last second over the years and especially the past few days had brought them to a point in the expanse of infinity where each knew without question or doubt that no matter what plain they travelled, no matter the forms they took, they'd never be separated. This was love.

The pair came back into the Magic Box hand in hand. Buffy's crisis of protestation apparently averted. Spike let go of her once they'd stepped back inside. Shrugging off his duster and laying it wet as it was across the counter, he then marched over to the hexagonal table and took up the sack with the head in it.

"Suit up kiddies.....we've got an apocalypse to stop."

***

Arriving at the Sunnydale Dam in both Xander's car and the DeSoto, the gang paused to stare in horrified awe as the fissure under the water's depths. The entire lake was glowing, exquisite and beautiful to behold, like a diamond shimmering in the sunlight. Spike gave a shudder, he'd thought he had the courage for what he was about to do, but he found it waning. This was a Hell Mouth, living and beating and preparing to unleash a titan and whatever else it was bringing along for the ride. Buffy tore her eyes away from the lake and to the back seat where her sister sat with William forcefully tucked inside her jacket pocket. The kitten was very put out, but cooperating for the moment."Dawn, can you go over to Xander's car? We need a moment alone." Dawn nodded, understanding how nervous and outright terrified Buffy must be right now.

"No problem," she replied, the suddenly wrapped her arm around Spike's neck, catching the vampire by surprise and choking him. She squeezed him tightly, and put a kiss to his temple,"Don't screw up."

"No worries, Nibblet," he replied, giving her arm a reassuring pat,"Take care of my namesake there."

"No worries. I love you Spike." He closed his eyes and rest his chin pensively against her.

"Go on....." She released him and got out, running over to hop into the back seat of the other car with Giles and Anya. Spike looked over at Buffy, he tried to smile for her, but it faltered and he let his head lull back against the seat."Damn."

"Understatement of the century," Buffy echoed.

"I'm not feeling too swift...going after Glory that last night wasn't half this bad....never felt like this before."

"What do you mean?"

"My stomach, it's queasy..."

"Mine too, just nerves before the adrenaline kicks in."

"Maybe....I'm not a bloody coward, but....I'm not feeling too brave either...."

"You'll be.....you'll be fine, I believe in you, you won't let anyone down." He found his smile then, gave it to her and she reciprocated with one of her own. She moved across the distance between them until she was virtually in his lap, then she began to lower her head.

"Sweetheart....I don't think this is the time..."

"Get over yourself...." She reached down and pulled up his pant legs, then proceeded to untie his boots,"These things are heavy and useless in the water, they'll hinder you." She then pulled the old Doc Martens off and stowed them by the pedals. As she rose she paused to unbuckle his belt.

"Still not the time, m'precious, but....oh....go for it, the Kraken can wait ten minutes." He could practically feel her role her eyes. The belt was unceremoniously pulled out from the loops of his jeans and came away as Buffy sat back up.

"No unnecessary weight..."

"My kingdom for a Speedo." She laughed at his opportune joke, laying a hand at his chest.

"Tell me this gonna work?"

"It's gonna work, pet, my plans never fail." At those words her lower lip began to tremble."That was a joke." She nodded and curled up against him and held her lover for a few ephemeral moments, the knowledge that once again she could lose everything twisting her soul in knots.

Chapter 29

From the fortified wall that spanned the length of the dam, Spike stood a good ten feet higher than where the rest of them were. He didn't dare look back, one sight of either Buffy or Dawn and he'd loose all his resolve. Instead he looked into the water, even far past safety levels it was still two stories down. At this vantage point the water looked black and cold, the light from the opening Hell Mouth nary but a thin blight across the murky expanse. The sack with the gorgon's head was secured around his chest and shoulders while he placed a knife between his teeth in case he came up against any foes in the water and needed to defend himself. Not needing to breathe was one of the main reasons he was the one on top of this wall, but he still felt the need to inhale and exhale a few times before taking four steps back then breaking into a sprint and propelling himself into the blackness below.

Buffy saw him disappear and felt her heart lurch, there was no turning back now. He was strong, resilient and her match in a fight; but he was also the man she loved and sending him off alone to dive into the Hell Mouth went against every instinct. The remaining six of them stood helpless in the rain, hardly knowing what to do with themselves. "BUFFY!!!" Dawn screamed, snapping the Slayer out of her lamentations. Coming at them, and fast, was the first wave of aquatic demons.

Spike had expected the water to be icy cold, but when he slammed into it he felt as if his skin would be boiled off it was so hot. The heat forced his eyes closed, but he persevered and managed to tolerate the pain enough to guide himself in the direction of the opening between Hell and Earth. The barest flash of something's shape was caught in his peripheral vision, and Spike began to swim harder and faster in a effort to be long gone by time it made it's second pass. However, obviously with purpose in mind, it swam past him and came for him in a frontal attack. Spike had thought JAWS was pretty funny movie when it first came out all those decades ago, but now as the demonic great white sharks came at him from all sides with rows of white teeth bared, Spike didn't see it quite that way anymore. One false move and any one of them could take off an arm or leg as if bones were little more than twigs to be snapped off a branch.

His eyes went wide, all impossibly humongous by way of comparison to his slight and compact frame. Taking the knife from his teeth, Spike swam forward to take the first shark head on. The thing came at him, its eyes glowing a hellish red and teeth as long as Spike's forearm. At the last possible second the vampire dodged to the right, digging the blade into the denizen of the deep's gills and cutting them out. Blood filled the water and the other monsters centered on their fellow creature, cannibalizing him without hesitation. As one shark sped past him to the meal, it thrashed Spike with it's tail, knocking him for a loop almost to unconsciousness. He came back to his senses just in time to see the last bit of the broken strap of the sack disappear into the depths, taking the gorgon's head with it. Oh balls.

The Isosillica were easy enough to dispatch with, Dawn's suggestion to acquire bottles of liquor before coming to the dam proved valid as they blew a dozen apart before the next assault came. This time it was a combination of several kinds of amphibious and marine demons came down upon them. Buffy had been right about the adrenaline and now it propelled her into an offensive attack, taking on all comers by sheer brute force. Meanwhile Willow, Xander and Giles warded off what could only be described as a hellish giant squid. They sliced and diced its numerous tentacles with weapons brought from the Magic Box, desperately trying to be stealthy enough to avoid it's snapping jaws - definitely not standard squid. Anya was making great progress by conjuring ball of fire that effectively evaporated anything that came near her. Dawn meanwhile was holding her own, but keeping close to Buffy. They were thinning the herd of the Kraken's loyal minions, all the while hoping that Spike was having as much success.

The vampire was dead tired, or at least tired as a man who was already dead could get. His exhaustion only made him swim harder, all in effort of regaining the gorgon's head. He was used to the water's temperature now, though the deeper he dove, the hotter it got. Not unexpectedly the water was becoming clearer and lighter at these depths, closer to the Hell Mouth's opening. He reckoned he was close on 100ft down, still no sight of the lakebed. His estimation of the sack's path of descent had been correct and he saw it ahead of him, almost within his reach. Finding his second wind, Spike kicked more furiously and clawed the water with his hands, snatching the line of the strap and pulling the head back within his grasp. There was no sense in making for the surface, so he continued downwards and directly towards the place from where the Kraken would emerge.

Chapter 30

Memories of his earlier days as a fledgeling vampire peeked out from behind the corners of his mind. One night in particular when Darla had fought one night with Angelus and stormed out in a huff, dragging poor William with her. He didn't recall why Drusilla hadn't been there at the time, only that Great Grand Siremum had tossed the man of the house aside and taken up with underling William. It was after that night he'd begun to rebel against Angelus' tyranny. She'd brought him to an opium house, but not for a meal, she wanted to loose herself in the liquor and smoke. He'd spent the better part of that evening on the tip of a hooka pipe, inhaling diamonds and pearls of smoky intoxicant.

All around him was light and prisms, colors he'd forgotten about after spending so many years in the darkness. Jellyfish and hydrozoa cavorted and danced around him in a haunting underwater ballet, the atypical beauty of it almost made him forget the matter at hand. A reminder was brought sharply into focus in the form of one of the jellyfish brushing against his arm and stinging him. He cried out and the knife was reflexively released and it sunk rapidly. The arm was numb, but the vampire's strength was resilient, however he could see the creature's brethren massing for a group assault.

The onset of the Kraken's rising was announced by a low rumbling at the base of the dam. It came from the earth and rippled upwards through the steel and concrete until it was a shaking under the feet of those on land. The awful din of compressing metal and cracking concrete echoed all around them in dreadful symphony in harmony with the beating of the rain and the snarls of demons."We have to get off the dam!" Buffy shouted above it all. No one debated for even a second and they sprinted in rapid succession back to where they'd parked the cars. Once on higher ground, they turned to watch as the lake began to drain itself into the Hell Mouth, likely to erupt again as a volcano. Buffy took a several paces ahead of the others, holding her arms around herself and shaking from too much adrenaline and too much cold..."Spike...."

The Kraken made Sarlaak look like a patsy. Spike didn't see him coming, despite that fact that it made the Statue of Liberty look like a toddler. The vampire found himself rising from the water atop the Kraken's head as if he was on the recoil of the world's largest bungee chord. One hand gripped white knuckled to the gorgon's head, while the other to some part of the titan. Coming to the surface was a welcome relief, being back in Spike's natural element, however still water laden it was. But when he found himself being hurtled towards the clouds, an entirely new degree of terror was achieved. It wasn't that he was afraid of heights, it was being a louse on the head of a giant that made him feel like hurling. Not to mention the fact that the wind beat upon him as if he were caught in the engine of a stealth jet, how the rain ripped his skin and made him bleed. His stomach had dropped and he was glad for the fact that he hadn't eaten anything more than blood, otherwise the Kraken might meet the metaphorical equivalent of a pigeon in the form of vampire. Said man was woozy and suffering from vertigo as it happened, but the demon was royally pissed right off. He could be at home right now, shagging the Slayer into next Tuesday, but heavens no, he had to stop an apocalypse. A definite kink in his chain, in addition to the fact that he discovered he was latched to the thing's nostril. Oh, just bloody lovely.

Dawn grabbed on to Buffy's when they saw the first hint of the Kraken emerging from the drink, scales the size of cars interconnected on a domed head. From then it was ridges upon it's face, like so many lesser lizards in the deserts; a head so large, with rows of teeth crooked as uncared for tombstones that the notion that there was a body to follow was inconceivable. So, the youngest among them, hid behind the strongest, not realizing that if the Kraken saw fit he could probably break the mountain side with a flick of its finger. When the mightiest of the titans soared from the water, there was a downsurge of both sound and energy, the Hell Mouth had been opened.

There was nothing in all they were witnessing that spoke to Spike's fate. No one wanted to believe that he'd failed, meaning he failed meant he'd be in the belly of something the Kraken had brought with. The Kraken never should have disturbed the surface in the first place, Spike was going to have the gorgon's head be the first thing the monster saw when it came through. Or had Spike been caught in some sort of hellish undertow and sucked down through a funnel into hell? Buffy couldn't help but imagine this and other terrible scenarios. She'd never felt so purposeless in all her years as the Slayer.

"You know, mate...." Spike started speaking to the Kraken, ignoring the monster's snarls that's clearly declared I have breached the Hell Mouth, I'm big and scary. Also brought some pals and we're going to have Armageddon now."There are many other things I much much rather being doing right now than dangling from your major mucus orifice." Spike had begun to climb over the Kraken's face, heading for one of his huge yellow reptilian eyes."For example..." Spike pulled himself up to the bridge,"Being hung by the larger of my two love spuds from that chandelier at the Sunnydale Country Club Ballroom and whipped with a cat-o-nine tails. There's also the piercing of my nipples with railway spikes.....hell, sharing a beer with Harris....well, actually, come to think of, just between you, me, and your major mucus orifice...."

The Kraken's rise began to slow, and Spike knew he had only moments left. The first step forward would likely crack the dam in two from the forceful displacement of water. He began climbing in earnest over the terrain of the hell beast's face, never loosing grip or determination, had a shagfest to get to afterall. Spike traversed part of the forehead, then let himself slide down the brow until he could dangle over the edge. His legs swung freely and in front of the Kraken's eye. That got the thing's attention and now Spike found himself combating with the shaking of the giant head to rid itself of the pest.

Spike put the rim of the leather sac's opening in his teeth as he fished inside for the head. After a minuscule squichy moment at delving his hand into the snakes he withdrew the prize he'd fought for, spat out the leather in his mouth and held the head of the gorgon in front of the Kraken's eye.

"Lights out, peaches."