-Disclaimers: Title belongs entirely to Gabriel Garcia Marquez--just borrowing it for the sake of the story. Buffy, Spike, Whistler and all the memories belong to Joss and his crew. All other characters are entirely mine. The Elephant Man belongs to (I still have to find this info). Lyrics used belong to Buddha's Family and are used without permission.

-Summary: Series set 100 yrs after &quooot;The Gift," Season five finale. This is part AU and futuristic. Spike has been alive for 100 hundred years after Buffy's death. Whistler comes to him to let him know that Buffy has been summoned to fight a new evil. Therefore she will be brought back to life and needs a "guide". When Buffy wakes she finds that the only one to cling to is the only person left from her past. This is a B/S fiction.

-Rating: Overall rating of series is R... (Language and Violence)

-Spoilers: I will mention everything thhhat has happened through "The Gift".

-Distribution: The only people that havvve permission to post these series are those who already archive my fiction and have asked me for permission. If you want to post it please ask me. I'll be happy to let you. I just want to know where my fiction goes.

-Author's Note: I adore Feedback, so plllease let me know what you think of the story so far! bih80reviews@yahoo.com

-Special Thanks: Marcee and Hilary who bbeta'd this part--thank you guys!!

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She woke with a cold weight on her belly.

She glanced down at the blonde head of her sleeping lover. It moved up and down in rhythm with her breathing. Blonde locks were tousled into something she decided to call ‘bed hair’, and his mouth was swollen and pouty as he dreamt in peace.

She looked at him for some time—studying him.

His face, his arms, his back.

It was odd, this was the only man she loved who had actually still been there when she woke up.

He was so handsome, with a strong jaw and long lashes adorning his eyes. Though closed, she knew were bright ocean-blue. A scarred brow that sharpened his features, a peculiar chin that dimpled when he slept. His arms were strong. She decided that other than his…member, she liked his arms the most.

Her eyes wandered from his strong slender fingers to his powerful hands that shaped to a very well proportioned wrist. His forearms were enviable, well defined with little veins that bulged blue and purple under his almost translucent skin. Her eyes finally landed on his unbelievable biceps. They were…wow. That was all she could think. She wanted to be enveloped in those arms forever.

He was milk-white. Soft and polished. His skin disclosed secrets of well-hidden muscles under the tender flesh. He had little battle scars that were reduced to small shadows of white re-grown flesh.

His back was something else entirely. As he rested carelessly over her she could clearly see the very attractive contours of his broad back. His shoulder blades were strong and softly curved. For a man that was smaller than average, he had an amazing back—strong and pale; it looked as if he could lift her up without an ounce of effort.

Then she remembered the day she had been brought back - how easily he had lifted her from the floor. She blushed and her stomach did funny flipping things. Can a person get this turned on by a memory, she wondered. She would have never admitted it to anyone, but she had felt like she was melting when he had picked her up that day. She remembered distinctly feeling his muscles rippling through his light leather coat.

It seemed so long ago that she had been brought back, when in reality it had only been nearly two weeks. Two weeks, and here they were lying in each other’s arms. Funny how things happen that way.

She shivered with satisfaction.

Last night was wonderful. After their initial session, they woke every hour and made love again. The last time had been beyond fantastic. The first few times had been rough, almost wild, but that last time… oh wow…they had nearly melted into the mattress. She had felt safe in those arms—a safeness that encouraged her to embrace all she was. When she was with him, she didn’t have to hide her slayer-half. She never had to pretend. She was a slayer no matter what and he was a vampire—no matter how sweet and tender he could be. But that was the spark. She knew he was tamable now, but in the morning hour he would get that air of authority, that undeniable atmosphere of power that drove her wild…something else she wouldn’t admit for a long time.

She lightly ran her fingers through his un-gelled hair. The curls were thick under her fingers, and in that moment she saw Vanessa’s resemblance to him.

She smiled…they had a child.

True, their child was not made conventionally, but then again none of them were. Spike was killed and brought back as a demon…she hated that word, but it was the truth. She was the Chosen One, who had died and been brought back by a spell…and their child was created genetically. So what?

Just one more addition to her ‘normal’ family.

She realized she no longer wanted normal. Normal was so not her.

When she was young, all she could dream about was having a ‘normal’ life—but when she really thought about it, she knew ‘normal’ was just not her.

It was a teenage fantasy, a phase— like Angel was. She really had loved him, with all of her young soul—but last night she had found something that made Angel a distant memory.

Spike was it—he was the one. She smiled fondly as she remembered him in the past. Cocky and arrogant—though that had not changed much…he now seemed more at ease with himself and who he was. He had been impatient and jumpy, now he was more serene—but not the Angel-type of serene, because that would make him broody and Spike was anything but broody. More like the type that always seems to know exactly what he’s doing and rises to every challenge.

His life was everything Buffy had never imagined. She had changed him. The magnitude of it all was beyond her comprehension as she realized that she not only saved this soulless being, but she also saved all those who might have died had he not changed his ways.

She looked down at his face again—The same face that many had seen in their dying moments was the same face that plenty had recognized as their salvation.

Spike didn’t seek redemption—he didn’t go out nightly and place his life in danger in hopes of someday earning forgiveness. He did it because it was the right thing to do. For fifty years he held the fate of the world on those strong shoulders- fifty years of pain, of death, of loneliness and guilt.

He had more than paid his price—he had earned her love in return. If they had brought her back only a few months after she died, she doubted she would have given him a chance.

Though she knew her feelings, she also knew that she would have hidden them. At that time, the line between right and wrong had been so clear. But now, he was that line. He was where good and bad collided. There was no longer a clear division. Humans, with god given souls, killed. Demons, without souls, protected.

How the world had changed—or perhaps it had been the way all along.

Demons wanted hell on earth because it was in their nature to yearn for chaos. Humans, whose nature should be good, could destroy each other without remorse simply because they chose to. She felt somewhat alien to this new perception —a lost little girl lost amidst a crowd of strangeness. But now, this soulless vampire had taken her in, cradled her from the storm and because of him, she was stronger now. She could now see the world in all its shades of grayness. And her survival instinct was healthier than ever.

Love had found its way.

That thought washed over her with the brightness of the sun. Before, she had thought of love as dreary, a thing of pain and hurt. Something gloomy that you would ponder on a rainy afternoon. But now, here in bed with the man she loved, love was summer. A promising light that lay ahead. A cold lemonade you drink on a hot summer day. It travels down your throat and refreshes you to the core, leaving you renewed and ready to face the task ahead.

Only her life didn’t seem like a task anymore. If this creature had taken her responsibilities willingly, without complaints, who was she to protest. He had lost more than just her along the way. Everything. From the original Scoobies, to a little girl he watched grow into a woman, to the woman who made him the monster he once was, to the family he had recently come to care about. Yet he still bounced back. Harmed, but stronger—willing to fight to the death, willing to place everything on the line for the livelihood of good. And for people, happy meals on legs , he had once called them—he did it for them. She knew he would never admit it, but she saw it in his eyes.

From the way her cared for his servants in Spain to the people who had died saving the daughter they never knew they had. He had done it.

Back then he didn’t know, he only needed someone to guide him. Angel had always had a guide—he was chosen by the powers. All that Angel did, Angel was forgiven for. And here was Spike. Fighting like a soldier and never giving up. When she hated him, when the Scoobies hated him, when they treated him like crap, he stood silently, enduring, until they came to accept him. He didn’t have to become what he did—good was not in his nature, but yet he overcame his demon and had come out triumphant.This was a man of courage—who never wanted to be more than what he was, and in his humble search for his true character, he became a man to be admired.

For love.



Tears came to her eyes as she ran her fingers lightly over his hair.

He was so special. All her life, she was told that she was the chosen one. She only fought because she had no choice.

She, too, had been engineered to fight, but he…he was just a monster trying to be man, using his demon-strength to fight for good. He was no animal.

Well, it would take convincing to make him think otherwise but even he knew how much he had changed. He had never been an animal, not even at his worst.

She was reminded of a movie she saw when she was small. It had frightened her and made her lose hope. She cried for days.The movie was called The Elephant Man. John was born normal, a shy young boy who at the age of two began to show physical deformities His body twisted and rotted in to a monstrous appearance. People feared him. She clearly remembered one point in the movie when he is attacked by a London mob. They chased him through the train station and ripped his hat and mask off to reveal the pale disfigurement beneath. That’s when he began to scream"Iam a human being, I am not a monster, I am a man." He slid to the floor as the crowd looked on with disgust.

That was Spike. He had always known he was different—as a vampire he had been wild---driven by emotion.

When he tried to become part of humanity, they saw him as a monster. His entire life had been a walk on a thin line. As a human he had been too soft, an outsider—never fitting in anywhere. As a vampire, he played by his own rules – never truly accepted by the demon world, and feared by the human. Still, his isolation didn’t kill the sparkle in his eyes, the smirk on his face or the swagger of his walk.

He was a survivor.

A being that didn’t try to pass himself off as something other than what he was. He was himself, who he was. He didn’t waver with the times, if he liked to dress punk in an age of preppies that was him. And she admired him for it.

She had been completely lost in thought, analyizing his life, when she felt a cool hand wiping her cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" he asked her, concerned.

That only made her tears come faster—as clear blue eyes looked on with such love.

The dam broke.

Spike instantly sat up in bed and brought her into him arms. She held him for all that life held dear. Softly he rocked her and whispered comforting words that only made her cry some more.

He was completely confused. He though last night had been magical—and here she was sobbing uncontrollably on his shoulder and he had no idea what had triggered it.

"Pet, won’t you talk to me?" he tried.

He didn’t get a response from her for some time. She finally lifted her head and sniffed as crystal tears ran down her flushed cheeks.

"I wanted to tell you…" more tears and sniffles, "…that…you’re not a monster……" The damn broke again.

He held her tighter, completely confused and almost amused at her outburst.

"Buffy, tell me, what is wrong?"

"We were so terrible to you," she muffled into his bare chest.

"Baby, that was long time ago," he said softly to her ear.

"But you were trying…you tried so hard but no one would help you—you were trying to be good and no one noticed," more sobs.

Spike could only smile down at her trembling head. She was crying cause she felt bad for him, for something he had already forgiven her for so long ago.

"It doesn’t matter anymore, Buffy. That time passed—it’s all in the past. No worries, pet," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"But…" she lifted her head and looked at him. "We were so terrible!"

He chuckled and kissed her lightly. "It doesn’t matter, luv, look—made me a better man."

There she went again, sobbing without comfort.

"What’s this, Buffy?" he pulled her away to look at her. "You’re stronger than this, pull yourself together, slayer."

That did the trick. She straightened up and looked at him.

He was confused and amused.

"You told me," she swallowed, trying to control her shaky nerves. "That night, you said you knew you were a monster, but I wanted to tell you that you’re not. Monsters wither and die, they give up and are killed easily. They live day after day dwelling on the destruction of human kind, on ending life. But you know what I found out? That humans can be monsters too. That beneath our skin and ‘mighty soul’ attitude, even with our beating hearts, we can be as cruel and as soulless as you claim to be. But you’re not," she took his face in her hands and kissed his lips softly. "I love you, the monster you claim to be and the man you really are."

Spike was beyond moved. He kissed her back and held her to him. What a way to wake up. Your girlfriend starts crying and then makes you fall in love with her all over again.

"You’re wonderful," he whispered.

"Me?" she asked, breathless.

He nodded and traced her face slowly, memorizing every line.

"You would make any man strive to be better," he kissed her again.

"But you did it on your own," she reminded him as he wiped her tears.

"Yeah, but in those early years it was your memory that guided me. You know, ‘would Buffy like it if I did this?’, ‘would Buffy be upset if I said that?’, things like that," he said.

Buffy pouted and looked at him. "Really?"

He smiled down at her and sucked gently and her bottom lip. "Really," he whispered.

“Oh, you two! Stop it—you’re making me cry ‘ere!" Both Slayer and vampire bolted upright and turned to face their intruder.

Whistler leaned against the doorframe, chewing on a piece of beef jerky—smiling at the couple.

Spike growled and almost jumped off the bed when he realized Buffy was naked—and so was he.

"Get out!" he roared and he covered Buffy with his body and the blanket.

The demon wiped his fake tears and sighed.

"Temper, temper. Really, slayer—you should teach him to control that. Now—let’s get to business."

"No, now you get out before you lose parts of your anatomy," Buffy hissed, very pissed at the demon.

"Ouch, that hurt, kid. But really, we have work to do—we can make an analysis of Spike ‘ere later’."

"OUT!" Spike shouted standing up and literally throwing the demon out.

Buffy watched him with appreciation as he walked back to the bed in all his naked glory.

She arched her eyebrow. Oh yeah, all mine, she grinned to herself.

"Now, pet—you were saying?" he asked, joining her in bed and kissing her senseless.

She was getting heated again, as she felt the friction between the sheets.

She moaned into the kiss and reached out cupping his butt.

He hissed in appreciation as she sucked gently on his neck.

Mr. Pointy joined them with much enthusiasm.

She grinned into his neck. "You sleep with a stake?" she joked.

"Oh, yeah, in case I need it to slay the slayer."

There was pounding on the door. They pulled away from each other, startled.

"I can hear you in there! Get out here and save your daughter, you two," Whistler cried from behind the door.

Spike groaned and slumped down on top of her, burying his tousled head in her shoulder.

"Can I kill ‘im?" he murmured.

"No," she replied.

"Bugger."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let’s hurt these motherfuc****

Entering the dark zone of the kings and queens

This is the mind set of these schizophrenics

that will be judged by all the people

"Ok people, look alive!" Spike told them as he hoisted his bag over his shoulder and led the way out the door.

"I love the moment before a fight—gets me all pumped up!" Mario said, hitting an invisible punching bag.

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. "Didn’t get any last night, did ya?"

He sighed and grabbed his own bag. "Who’s keeping track?"

She smirked at him—pleased with herself that she was finally getting with the program.

"Mario—lay off my girl." Spike said without looking behind him.

"Spike I wasn’t…"

"Save it, shorty." Buffy replied, shoving another bag at him.

He glared at her. "That’s it! I am transferring to South Africa."

"What’s in South Africa?" she asked him.

"Another slayer," Zeta commented coming up behind them.

"I keep forgetting we have more than one." Buffy commented after she was a bit confussed.

"Hey! Gennie looks good!" he defended.

"And you’re married," the woman reminded him.

"Well you know—in the work place…feelings develop."

Spike stopped—making them all literally run into him.

"Hey, man—what’d deal?" Dalton asked as his belongings spilled to the floor.

Spike turned and grabbed Buffy’s hand.

The slayer was beyond amused as her lover pulled her out in the front.

"Ok, what did I do?" Mario asked confused.

Whistler smiled and threw his arm around the young man. "C’mere, kid—let me tell you a story."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"They’re coming." Senator Kemp smiled down at the witch that read the tarots.

"How sure?" Javier asked.

"Tanita is never wrong," he stated.

Javier nodded and watched with a careful eye as the witch stood up with her raggedy skirt and her clinking beads.

She slivered out of the room and the mist of darkness that surrounded her followed.

Javier sighed in relief.

"You didn’t like her, did you?" the Senator asked as he walked to his desk and picked up the phone.

"I don’t like the occult—I like things that you can see and touch," he replied.

The man chuckled and dialed a number. "Peter, in a few hours the slayer, the vampire and their band of misfits will get here. Make sure they are given a warm welcome."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Don’t you look pretty," Glory told the little girl dressed in a pure white dress.

Vanessa clutched the little pig in her arms and stepped back from the woman.

"Don’t worry, kid. Your mommy and daddy will be here soon, don’t you want to see them die?" Glory asked her as she twirled the little girl’s soft hair around her finger.

"My daddy Spike said that he wouldn’t leave me—he told me he’ll always come for me." She said holding the woman’s gaze.

"Aren’t you…special," she replied smiling.

Glory grabbed her little arms—making her drop the pig. The little girl screamed. "Let’s play a game—it’s called ‘can daddy save you before I kill you’."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hear all these voices in my head and none are them can help me

I feel millions of people that pray for me to loose my cool and do some bad

This time I am going to hit all of them without any remorse

And may God help you and save you from my fury

They all stood still and looked up at the building before them.

"Good lawd," Dalton whispered as he looked at the building that stood almost one hundred stories high.

"Didn’t they discontinue buildings that big?" Troll asked as he, too, stared in awe.

"In 2001—when that whole World Trade Center terrorist attack happened," Lucy replied.

"Mmmm….and you remember that?" asked Mario.

"Didn’t you learn about that in school?"

"I don’t remember much—I was busy fucking," Mario responded taking out his binoculars.

Buffy, Zeta and Lucy all rolled their eyes at him.

"Shit," he said looking at them and placing down his binoculars.

"What?" Spike asked his aide.

"The roof’s covered, there must be over three hundred vamps in there," Mario replied.

"Actually more like 375," Zeta corrected.

They all glared at her.

"Just doing my job, people—don’t kill the messenger."

"Ok—we’ll have to blow it up," Lucy said, calculating numbers in her palm pilot.

"You can’t blow it up—that’s a valuable piece of property!" Spike cried out.

"Your daughter is up there and all you can think about is about property value?" Buffy asked her boyfriend, a bit bewildered. "Typical billionaire attitude," Lucy murmured under her breath.

"Ok, enough 'bout me. The slayer and I will head up--you remain behind and watch our backs. This is our fight--dispatch the decoys and the fledgings. The ladies are ours."

They all nodded and watched him and Buffy walk around the south side of the building.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"They're here, sir."

"Good--proceed with phases A and B--make sure there's plenty of decoys," the Senator said before returning to his game of chess with the general.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Spike, let me do it--it's my job," Buffy insisted as she watched him adjust the suction cups that were strapped to his hands and knees.

"Have you ever done this?" he asked. Buffy shrugged and pouted. "No."

He smiled and kissed her pout.

"Trust me." Buffy took a deep breath and nodded.

She watched him as he tightened the straps and finished adjusting them. "This shouldn't take more than ten minutes--you'll be fine without me."

"I can't guarantee that," she said, smiling seductively.

Spike glared at her.

"Pet, I need to climb a building--how I am supposed to do that with a hard on?"

"Oh, like you mind," she grabbed his neck and brought him down for a kiss.

He smiled when they pulled apart. "This will all be over before you know it...she'll be alright," he reassured her, running his hand through her hair.

"She’d better be," Buffy replied trying not to think of the possibility that they might not find Vanessa.

"Gotta go now, pet." He said and began climbing the building--the suction cups popping as he pulled his hand free to grip higher on the window.

"Were did you learn to that anyway?" she cried out as he started ascending the glass.

He stopped and looked down at her black figure and smiled. "Turkey."

She smiled up at him and threw him a kiss.

Her heart was beating a mile a minute—she pushed the prospect of him falling to the back of her mind. She refused to worry. Deep breath. She watched until he disappeared to the black of the night.

She suddenly remembered that she was in a strange town with baddies lurking about.

Baddies, she thought, picking up Spike's language now.

"Well, well, mates. Lookie what we got here."

Step to my face if you have any balls

Pray to god that you come out of here alive

And if you’re a man—I don’t give a f***, you’ve stepped over the boundaries and you’ll pay for that

Stop—I am tired of you backstabbers, that hurts my fuc*** soul, even though I swear I ain’t got one

All the hairs on Buffy's neck stood on end when she heard the raspy voice behind her.

Not vampire--her senses were not prickling, so it could only mean one thing.

She turned around to look at the men. Dumb humans.

"Hey there, lassie. What's a pretty li’l thing like you doing on a dark street like this?"

Buffy glowered at the dirty humans. There were about six of them, dressed in dark clothes. They blended into the night. The scent of liquor was in the air along with the stench of unwashed bodies.

"Walk away now," she warned him crossing her arms.

"Ohhh, a feisty one, boys. I like 'em like that." The leader smiled at her, showing a mouth full of missing teeth.

"Yeah," one of the men added while undressing her with his eyes.

Buffy thought idly, didn't they notice she had five guns?

She took a deep breath and glared at each of them. "One last warning--this is one chick you don’t want to pick a fight with."

One if them smiled, showing a mouth full of gold. "I like 'em though."

Buffy slowly reached for the axe that was hanging on her small back. "Ok, boys."

The handle slipped down to her hand until she held it comfortably. She smiled. "Let’s dance."

They had no idea what hit them. One moment, she looked like easy prey, the next, she was some type of Wonder Woman

"Cabrona!" one hissed as she sliced his leg and then kicked him in the same place.

"You're lucky I don't understand Spanish--look me up in a couple of months and we'll have some fun." She winked at him.

Kick. Punch. Hit.

In a matter of seconds the only one left standing was the toothless leader.

He was trembling as he watched the little blonde with a bloody axe in her hand walking towards him without having shed a bead of sweat.

"Wh-who are you," he stammered as he backed up into the wall.

Even the devil would sell his soul to get you off the planet

This life sure hurts as hell

I find myself alone—in four little walls

Don’t let yourself be ran over and be hurt

"I told you—I’m one chick that you shouldn't have messed with."

She walked closer to him and he nearly peed his pants as he saw the glimmer of the axe in the dim street lamp.

"You can't be 'er...I saw her die, slayers are not immortal!" he cried.

"I'll give you a tip, oh toothless wonder--when one dies," she crouched in front of him and slipped a knife out of her waistband.

"Another one is called."

He fainted.

She stared at him with amusement.

"Must be getting better in your ol' age."

Buffy turned her head slowly and smiled up at a smirking Spike.

She shrugged as she stood. "Was just warming up."

He nodded and approached her. "Cardiovascular is always recommended."

She replaced her knife. (guess you meant knife.. hee hee)

"C'mon--lets work on the stretching."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They felt eyes surrounding them as they entered the silent main chamber of the building.

"Remember, get the girl and bolt. Mario is working his magic outside," Lucy whispered into the intercom as they stopped to survey the area.

All the players nodded and stood their ground. They waited for their sign.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Better to show face so they see what you’re made of

Because when you’re ahead millions of friends are behind you

If you ain’t got nothing they all leave you fast and quick

All these motherfuc**** I’ve erased them from my list

"Light the flare," Spike whispered to Buffy. The slayer took out the match and dragged it across the sole of her shoe.

The small orange light flickered in the darkness.

She brought the flame to the flare and smiled as it instantly came to life.

"Bombs away," she whispered and dropped the burning amber blaze to the floor below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They saw the light descending through the darkness before the evil eyes in the darkness did.

"Play time," Lucy whispered into the ear-piece with a small smirk.

Entering the dark zone of the kings and queens

This is the mindset of these schizophrenic

That will be judged by all the people

And it was on.

The yellow eyes in the darkness had no idea what hit them as the five humans they were stalking turned on them.

"Evenin’ folks, don’t suppose any of you have a light," Dalton said as he pointed a large weapon at them.

No answer.

He smiled and a sickening clicking was heard.

"No trouble, I hav’ one."

A blast of hot fire shot out from the barrel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"C’mon, lets go," Spike said as he pulled Buffy’s hand along.

"We can’t leave them," she told him desperately.

"Believe me when I say, they can take care of themselves," he replied over his shoulder.

She shrugged and followed him, retrieving her crossbow and mentally preparing for the hardest part.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Bring her in," the man said to the guards dressed in ceremonial garb.

"Tonight we take her innocence and turn her to the dark," the Senator said addressing the Council member that was smiling with approval. "This is what we’ve been waiting for—make no mistakes."

A squeal of terror was heard as little Vanessa was dragged by two armed guards through the door.

She was dressed from head to toe in white silk. Tear tracks marred her face, her hair had been let loose and combed,

letting her waist length curls shape her small scared face. "I am not afraid of you," she spit out to the Senator who looked down at her smiling.

"Good, I wouldn’t want you to be," he said waving his hand to the guard.

They reacted by dragging her along and laying her down on a ceremonial table. The little girl struggled against the guards as they tried to tie her down with leather straps.

"No!" she screamed to the room.

All faces remained passive, except for one that kept wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

"Nothing to be afraid of, Mr. Berrios," the general assured the worried man.

Just then, Vanessa screamed as she saw the dark woman she didn’t like come into the room, wearing a formal robe. There were minions at each of her sides, carrying candles and incense.

"My daddy Spike is going to come for me!" she screamed at them.

"They are getting closer," the witch beside the Senator told him in confidentiality.

The Senator smiled and whispered in her ear, "They are being taken care of."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy and Spike were making quick work of the guards that had come running down the hall, but both froze when they heard a familiar voice scream in terror.

"This way," Buffy told him.

They sped down another few hallways but stopped in their tracks when the lights suddenly went off.

The red emergency lights blinked eerily through the corridor. "Do I know how to pick them, or do I know how to pick them?" he smirked at her.

"The players?" she asked him.

He nodded.

"Or maybe a player."

They both turned to look toward the voice that came from the far end of the hall.

I hear all these voices in my head and none of them can help me

I feel millions of people that pray for me to loose my cool and do some bad

There she stood. Dressed from head to toe in a black leather catsuit.

Her red hair was pulled into a tight ponytail and she held a single long jungle knife in her hand.

The blade twinkled as she brandished it.

"You bitch," Spike spit out lunging toward her without thinking. Buffy grabbed his arms to keep him at bay, never taking her eyes from the redhead.

"Go," she told him. "Save her, save our baby—lady Godiva is mine." Buffy smiled back at the player.

Now come and tell—all those asses that were my friends

Don’t they dare come back and say that they were my friends

These people don’t care what happens and what people will say

That’s why I fight on my own to get my own dough

Spike looked from his ex-girlfriend to his true love.

"Be careful," he whispered to Buffy and kissed her cheek. He turned to look at the redhead one last time and gave her his signature smirk.

"See you in hell, Loret," he said as he turned to go. Then he stopped and looked back at her. "Oh and by the way…you’re fired."

He disappeared into the dark hall.

Both Buffy and Loret looked at each other, lightening tingling in their veins as the anticipation ran through them.

"Hope you told Romeo his last goodbye, cause both of you die tonight." The blade sparkled again as she twisted her wrist.

"Oh no, honey—today it’s you who dies," Buffy replied dropping all of her weapons except one. She held onto a long blade similar to her opponent's.

"Shall we dance?" the slayer asked her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Behind you!"

Troll turned around and saw the arrow rushing toward him.

With a small chant and a raise of his hand, the arrow was suspended in the air by a mystical field.

He looked at the creature who had shot it. Smiling, he twisted his wrist and the arrow followed the demon like a patriot missile.



"Count to three," Lucy told the vampire whose hand she had twisted around his back.

"What the hell for, bitch?" he asked.

She scowled at him and plunged the stake in his heart. "And here, I thought I was being nice, giving you three more seconds to live." She shrugged.



"Ya know, in Georgia, we’s be polite to our brothers," Dalton said to the large black vampire in front of him.

"This ain’t Georgia, boy," the taller man responded crouching down to a fighting position.

"Good, ah wus afraid I would have to be polite," he smiled.



A sharp blade was pressed to her back and the demon grabbed her throat tightly.

"Now you die," the it snickered in Zeta’s ear.

Without a second thought, she flipped him over, grabbed his knife and sliced his throat.

"Damn, why do they always think that I can’t fight."



Mario’s hands worked daftly on the C-4 in his hand.

He kept chanting under his breath. "Ay, ay , ay, ay, canta y no llore, porque cantando se alegran cielito lindo, los corazones." (Oh, oh, oh, oh, please sing and don’t cry, because when you sing, my love, my heart is happy."

Blue wire crossed with green and he smiled at his handiwork. "Damn I am good," he told himself. Then looked around and adjusted his package. He sniffed the air. "What I wouldn’t give for a good fuck," he muttered to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The chanting was growing louder. Vanessa’s ears hurt, and her wrists against the leather belts.

She whimpered as she saw a large knife being held in front of her—she had promised herself she wouldn’t cry. She closed her eyes tightly as the knife was brought down to the inside of her elbow.

She felt the cold steel and bit her lip in anticipation.

But the knife never cut—She opened her eyes. The hand of the dark lady was pulled back.

And there he stood.

"Daddy!" she cried out in pure relief as she saw Spike in full game face, growling at Glory.

"Glory—did you really think you’re going to win? You tortured me, got my slayer killed, hurt Dawn, murdered my family and you were just about to sacrifice my daughter? You must have a serious death wish." He growled at her.

Let them try to stop me—they find face to face one rebellious man

That’s why I am going to scream—because they will hear

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The battle was on. The slayer ducked, rolled and blocked a punch.

"What’s wrong little girl?" Loret taunted. "Need your vampire pet to stay strong?"

Buffy jumped up and kicked the woman in the gut. Loret reeled back. "You know what I did to the last person who taunted me?"

Loret shrugged uninterested and swung at Buffy, but the slayer saw her coming and ducked, bringing her hand up to slash her back. The woman cried out in pain and Buffy leaned into her ear. "I sent them to hell," she hissed.

Entering the dark zone of the kings and queens

This is the mind set of these schizophrenics

That will be judged by all the people

Loret threw her head back, butting Buffy in the nose. The slayer hissed and fell back, clutching her nose as she glared at the woman.

"Is that the way you show love?" she asked. "Then really I am impressed."

Buffy smiled and jumped back up, punching the woman knocking her against the wall. "You know I liked you—we could have been friends, but then you went and tried to get into my boyfriend’s pants. And that just didn’t fly." She reached out and backhanded Loret again, blood dripped from the redhead’s mouth. "The last bitch who tried something like that with my man ended up in a coma."

Buffy grabbed Loret’s hair and brought her face close to her own. "Your first mistake was messing with me. Your second was messing with Spike. Your third was choosing Glory’s side, and the last and most stupid one,” Buffy seethed with anger, “was kidnapping my daughter."

Loret smiled through her haze. "Aren’t we a loving mommy," she whispered. Without warning the redhead’s hand lashed out and the blade came down behind Buffy, piercing the slayer’s back.

Buffy screamed and looked at the woman with pure shock.

Loret pushed her to the floor.

Buffy coughed and tried desperately to stand. Loret smiled and placed her heeled boot on Buffy’s face.

"Riddle me this, riddle me that…what does a slayer become when she’s lost a fight."

Buffy closed her eyes and welcomed the blackness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I waited for you to come, precious." Glory smiled at Spike as he threw her on the floor.

He felt the air go thick as the Council members stood up from their chairs around the ceremonial table. "Stay away from the woman."

He turned to look at the man. A sly grin appeared on his face. "Senator Kemp—I should have known you were behind this."

The white haired Senator walked down the steps. "Glory is no longer Glory—she is a mortal, with no claim to what has happened here. If you want to take it up with someone, then your business is with the Council. Walk away from here and take the slayer and your players with you, and we will stay out of your…” he cleared his throat, “life."

Spike looked at the Council—he recognized most of them. He pointed his hand to a crying Vanessa. "Let‘er go," he said calmly.

I hear all these voices in my head and none of them can help me

I feel millions of people that pray for me to lose my cool and do some bad

The Senator nodded to the guards and they instantly let the girl go.

Vanessa let out a strangled sob and threw herself into Spike’s arms.

He lifted her up and hugged her tight, never taking his stern gaze from the Council members.

"If you’ve never heard anything I’ve said before, hear me now—I will come back for you. I want you to know that every time you lie down at night with your wife or your whore, I will be watching you. Every moment you walk alone on the street, I will be right behind you. Every time you take your children out to play, I will be there—and I swear by everything I hold dear that you will, one day, die by my hand. You will not go near my players, my slayers, Buffy or my child. You do anything I might think offensive, I will hunt you down. Know that by the end of the week, I will have learned everything about you, down to the size of your dick. The Council, ha!” he laughed, “Men place themselves on thrones like these,” he motioned to the chairs arranged in the room. "Powers we can’t even begin to explain put me on my throne. You could only dream about what real power is."

He turned from them and faced Glory. She smiled at him.

Spike didn’t take his eyes off of her. "Pet, did she hurt you?" Spike asked Vanessa.

The little girl buried herself in his neck and nodded.

"Close your eyes tightly and don’t open them until I tell you," he told her and she obeyed.

Glory’s eyes grew wide—without further thought she felt the sharp pressure in her abdomen.

She looked down to her stomach. There was a hole clear through.

"Shit, I like this dress."

As she looked up her features melted into the visage that Spike remembered. Black hair replaced by badly tamed blonde curls.

"This time—stay dead," he whispered as she crumbled to the floor. He felt the Senator raise up in protest.

He turned to look at what was left of the Council. "Adiòs." He bowed and walked out of the room with his child in one hand and his Rubio in the other.

Shut up...I don’t care what they say...

The truth is that they haven’t given me sh**--I owe them nothin’—bring it all from my heart

I will not shut up—someone come and make me

What more do I give, I am the king and all shall bow

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She idly wondered why the blade didn’t hurt. It should—she should feel it piercing her lung, its pressure, or maybe the blood oozing from a gaping wound, but for some reason she didn’t. And she didn’t feel the strain of the boot on her face either.

She opened her eyes and looked up. Just above her, she saw Lucy grabbing Loret’s hand and giving her a well deserved punch in the nose.



"Riddle me this, riddle me that…what do you call a slut with nothing to shag?" Lucy flung her words right back at her.

"This is not your fight, Susy Homemaker," Loret spit back and chanced a glimpse at Buffy. Buffy could only whimper from her place on the floor.

For some reason she couldn’t breathe—her legs felt cold. The thought that she was dying casually entered her mind.

Sorry, Spike, she though as she closed her heavy lids.

Lucy pulled out her weapon and pointed the 35mm at Loret. The redhead smiled.

"You don’t have the balls," Loret snickered.

"No, but I do."

From the dark confines of the hall, Lucy watched as Spike emerged. He held his Rubio in front of him—the fire in his eyes told Lucy that he had seen Buffy. She stepped back as she loud boom crashed through the small space.

I hear all these voices in my head and none of them can help me

I feel millions of people that pray for me to loose my cool and do some bad

The impact sent Loret flying into the wall. She stood there stunned and looked up at her former lover. "I could’ve loved you," she whispered.

Spike brought down his weapon and stared at her indifferently. "Now we’ll never know."

She smiled at his last words and gently closed her eyes and her limp body crumpled to the floor.

Spike ran to Buffy’s side. She was lying flat on her back, blood oozing from beneath her. Spike rolled her gently to inspect her wound. He hardened his jaw as he realized she had punctured a lung.

He laid her back down, resting her weight against his own body. She was cold and deathly pale.

Her eyes slowly opened as she felt herself being cradled against a hard body.

"Spike?" she whispered, then coughed.

"C’mon baby—we’re getting you out of here," he whispered and lifted her up despite her loud groan in protest.

"Take Vanessa," he told a teary Lucy. The woman nodded and lifted the little girl into her arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You’re just going to let them live?" the general stood beside the Senator.

Senator Kemp smiled. "This is not the time to fight. This was a time for them to know their enemy—it is not time yet."

"Then when? When will it be time?" he cried.

The Senator walked right over the dead body of the ex-goddess and adjusted his cuffs. "Soon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The players watched as Spike and Lucy walked down the stairs and Mario nodded. He set the bomb.

"Clear," he said, and they all scurried out of the building, stepping over the dust of vampires and body parts of demons.

Dalton had brought the large van to the front of the building and they all piled into it.

He drove fiercely—trying to get to the their clinic as soon as possible.

Spike held a piece of cloth tightly against Buffy’s bleeding wound.

"Hold on, baby—we are almost there," he whispered as she softly moaned.

"Spike…"

He looked down at her—tears were threatening to spill down his cheeks.

"I….I…can’t feel my legs…and I am so cold," she whispered, hardly audible.

He kissed her forehead and held her tighter trying to block out the impending cold that was beginning to envelope her.

"Please stay with me…" he begged her.

He watched as her limp hand reached up to cup his face.

"Please…live, for me…for Vanessa…promise me you’ll live. Fight another fight." Her breath was becoming ragged and shallow.

Spike’s mind was racing—but his thoughts screeched to a halt the instant her felt her cough, and watched thick red blood trickle down her lips.

"Buffy…" he whispered.

Her sparkling green eyes met his and he could’ve sworn they were smiling at him.

"You made me…so happy."

Then she went limp. There, in his arms, she went limp.

He could feel bile and desperation rise in his throat. He shook her. She had to wake up.

He was breathing hard, even though he didn’t need the air. Her eyes were still open—still looking at him—why didn’t they sparkle anymore?

Sparkle damnit, he shouted to her within the confines of his mind.

Her small body felt so cold and vulnerable.

"Please," he begged.

He laid his head on her chest and for the first time in his existence as a vampire, he prayed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next in the Series - In Paths Not Taken



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