Title: Stroke of Luck
Part: 2/4
Author: Spike’s Slave
Shipper: Spike/Buffy
Spoilers: This story is a replacement for the end of season five, there may contain major plot spoilers for the season final. If you don’t wanna know…DON’T READ THE FIC. Thank you.
Dedication: This is dedicated to my ‘Stroke of Luck’, Sam. I was lost until you found me. Since that time I don’t remember being happier. Till fate takes you elsewhere.
Disclaimer: If I created any of the BtVS characters I would be insanely rich sipping tea with James Marsters, talking about the weather… umm no… I am not that lucky. All the characters are the property of the WB, FOX, Mutant Enemy and lord GOD Joss. Please direct praise for pervious character development to them.
[Stroke of Luck II]
Her sleep was far from restful and happy. The previous day ran through her head, over and over. Losing Dawn, losing her mind… Then there was nothing. Buffy floated in a sea of pure dark in a comfortable yet damning silence. She soon came to rest, she was still, her mind was still and the darkness still flowed around her. A voice shattered the silence and rang sharply in her ears. The Darkness that she had begun to embrace began to change in to a blinding light and within that blinding light stood her mother.
“Mom” Buffy said hysterically trying to reach her mother. She couldn’t she was stuck steadfast to the one spot. Tears ran down her eyes, this had to be one of the cruellest tricks fate had ever played on her… to see her mother, right there in front of her, but to be unable to touch her, to embrace her, to melt in her arms, mush as she did when she was a child. Before she became the slayer. Before she became the world’s salvation. Before she became the tool of the powers that be. Joyce reached out and ran her fingertips down Buffy’s face. Buffy’s sobs grew louder, still unable to move.
“Why are you crying Buffy?” her mother asked.
“Because you are gone… and I just want to hug you and I can even do that?”
“I am not gone, I’m right here”
“You died, I couldn’t save you. I can slay Vampires and kill huge snake demons and send my boyfriend to hell, but I couldn’t save you. I can save the entire planet but I couldn’t bring you back”
“This is the last thing that I wanted… For you to blame yourself for what happened to me. It wasn’t your fault. It was my time. I didn’t want to leave you, but I had to. You know I love you Buffy and this is the last thing that I wanted…” Joyce looked as Buffy’s face dropped and became vacant, “What is it?”
“D-Dawn, Glory, she took her. I couldn’t save her either. I am such a failure, I protect the rest of the world from what hides under their bed, but I can even protect my sister.”
“I know that Glory has Dawn… and I know its not your fault, and you need to know that to. My time here grows shorter Buffy… I came to deliver a message to you.”
“You can’t leave me”
“I have to, I have no choice in this” Joyce said looking painfully at her daughters dismayed face. “The powers that sent you to me sent me to you with a message… I don’t know what it means but they said you would…
Stroke of Luck or gift from God…
Hand of Fate or Devils Claws…
From Below or Saints Above…
He’ll come to you.
The voice of your enemy will clear your mind…
The hand of your enemy will pull you from the depths of hell…
The touch of your enemy will pull you from loneliness…
He will stay with you.
Listen harder for what you haven’t heard before…
Look deeper for that you haven’t seen before…
Feel more of that which you haven’t allowed yourself to feel before…
He will teach you.
“What!? What is that meant to mean? Please tell me what are you trying to say?” Buffy said at the completion of the prophecy.
“I am only the messenger, I don’t know what it is referring to, but they did say that its already begun. This prophecy has already begun to unfold. You have to know what to look for Buffy. Something that’s been there that you have overlooked… that’s all I can tell you”
“I don’t understand” Buffy said as the light began to fade back in the darkness that had surrounded her before the appearance of her mother.
“That’s all a can tell you, and I fear that I have already told you more than what was intended. I have to leave you.”
“No you cant, you cant go… I need you!”
“And as long as you keep my memory alive I will never be truly dead to you… but you have to go back and save the world”
“I don’t want to fight for a world without you in it.”
“Don’t fight for me… fight for you, and Dawn and your friends and Mr. Giles… my time with you has ended I must go.”
“Please don’t”
“I must… I love you Buffy… With all my heart and soul…”
“NO!” Buffy screamed through streams of tears as her mother faded away in to the darkness. Her feet became unstuck and she fell to the ground violently sobbing. She stayed that way till she felt a presence looking over her…, “Mom” she said casting her tear filled eyes upward. The form of the first slayer looked dangerously down at her. Her tears nearly immediately stoped, she pulled herself together and brought herself up to eye level. “No mom” Buffy said staring her ancestor in the eyes.
“You time for watching is over… the time for action is now. You are a slayer… your gift is death…”
“I WILL NOT kill my sister” Buffy said
The first slayer looked puzzled “Your gift is not her death, it is your death.” She said it so simply, like Buffy should have been expecting to die like it was what she was designed for, what she was born for.
“M-my death?”
“Yes… it is your gift,” the first slayer stated.
“I am not ready to die”
“Then prepare… it is your time to give your gift.”
“No there has to be another way”
“No other way… it is your life or your sisters, the choice is yours”
“I wont, there is some other way” Buffy replied
“There isn’t… but with every ending there is a new beginning.”
“What is it with you people and prophecies, God cant you just gave me a straight answer!”
“Begin Again” The first slayer said as she looped her hand around the back of Buffy’s head and kissed her forehead. As she did so Buffy came back to consciousness. She awoke still in Spike’s strong cool arms.
“Looks like you have grown something there buff… like me to cut it off” Xander said looking down at her.
“What? Oh… Spike… no he is okay”
“His hands… that is verging on naughty touching”
“But its not… and today, who knows what will happen, if he fights for me and Dawn he might share our graves”
“Don’t talk like that you are not going to die… either of you… or Spike, but it doesn’t mean you can beat him up a little."
“Death… I am in love with it… I stare it in the eyes every night. I have brought it to so many… before killing was my gift… but now… now my gift is death” Buffy said with blank eyes… all Xander could do was stare at her, not knowing what she meant and being afraid to find out. Spike had woken with Buffy’s disturbed sleep and had heard what she said, on top of that, he understood exactly what she meant and knew exactly what she was going to do. But he was not going to watch her die… he would not leave her like he did at the hands of Angelus he will not let the hands of fate steal her away from him. If necessary he will follow her in to hell.
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