Chancing Folly
“Isn’t
it weird how slaying always makes you hungry and horny?”
“Well,
sometimes I crave a non-fat yoghurt afterwards.”
Faith and Buffy – ‘Faith, Hope and Trick’
****
Wesley
couldn’t say what it was that made him race towards his Slayer as she prepared
to step onto the wooden beam. All he knew was that the minute she raised her
foot, she was going to be falling down into that endless cavern. As she stepped
unknowingly off the ledge, her startled scream pierced the air and the others
all jumped in surprise. Wesley however was already halfway to her and jumped
forward, reaching out with his arms to try and catch her.
His
right hand closed around Faith’s left wrist, the force of her weight dragging
him across the floor to the edge of the their steady platform. “Faith!”
Xander
and Tara immediately followed the Watcher, Xander catching hold of Wesley’s
legs to stop him following Faith into the abyss, Tara running forward to try
to reach Faith herself. Wesley was lying bent in half over the ledge, the top
half of his body fully extended as he reached down for his Slayer and Tara saw
that she wouldn’t be able to reach Faith, even if she did the same.
“Wesley!”
Faith’s voice was panicked, breathless. Her eyes met his as she struggled to
hold on, her legs kicking the air beneath her. The tone of her voice made him
tighten his grip. She sounded helpless, so unlike her usual vibrant, sarcastic
self. A part of him he usually stamped down to the very depths of his being
awakened and forced it’s way forward. He wanted to help her, protect her. He
wanted to save her.
“It’s
alright,” he told her calmly, moving his other arm so that he was holding her
more securely. “Just hang on.”
“Why
do people always say that?” Faith quipped, with an ironic quirk to her lips.
“Do you really think I’m just going to let go?”
Wesley
smiled a little. A thought flittered unbidden through his mind. ‘That’s my
girl.’ His smile disappeared.
‘What? No. Wait.’
“Don’t
get the wrong idea about this,” he told her, with an air of superiority that
made her grin despite their precarious situation. “I haven’t forgiven you or
anything.”
“Thought
never entered my mind.”
“Wes!”
Xander shouted from somewhere behind him, “We’re going to try pulling you up,
ok?”
“Ok!”
“Wesley!”
Faith shrieked as her hands slipped against his shirt. Wesley clutched her arms
tighter and tried to mask his own fear as he tried to reassure her.
“It’s
ok. It’s ok. I’ve got you. It’ll only be another minute. Xander hurry up!”
“I’m
sorry,” Faith said drawing the former Watcher’s attention back to her immediately.
The words were spoken quietly, so only he could hear. “I’m so sorry for what
I did to you.”
“Stop
that! You can beg for forgiveness all you want when you’re back up on solid
ground but there will be no emotional scenes, no matter how heartfelt when you
are dangling precariously over a cliff. You’re the Slayer for God’s sake. Act
like it. Xander what the hell are you doing?!”
Faith’s
eyes glittered dangerously. “How dare you! I know I’ve done some pretty awful
things but I’m truly sorry for them. Excuse me for wanting to apologise before
I died.”
“You’re
not going to die damn it. Unless your inane prattling becomes too much and I
drop you.”
“You
are such a supercilious bastard! This is why I’ve never had a conversation with
you.”
“Oh?
I thought it was because you were a smart mouthed bitch.”
“Well
gee Wes. Thanks for making me feel good in my last few minutes on Earth.”
“Don’t
you ever get tired of the sound of your own voice?”
“Um,
don’t you want you want to tell them they’re safe now?” Willow murmured under
her breath to Xander, as they watched the Slayer and her Watcher continue to
bicker, seemingly unaware that they were now kneeling on solid ground, hands
still clinging to each other’s arms as they faced one another.
“Are
you kidding? They’re almost as much fun to watch as…” Xander stopped and frowned.
Willow winced as she realised what her friend had been about to say and why
he had stopped.
“As
you and Anya?” she teased gently, hoping to lighten the moment. They shared
a smile.
An
impatient cough drifted across the room and Wesley and Faith pulled back from
each other sharply, both blushing as they realised they’d been rescued without
even noticing, as they immersed themselves in arguing with one another. They
turned to find Buffy and the other Scoobies watching them, the blonde Slayer
watching them with a mixture of amusement and pain, her arms folded across her
chest.
“So,” she began when she finally had everyone’s attention. “What now?”
“You
know that thing where you bail in the middle of an upsetting conversation? I
have to do that.”
****
Spike
and Dawn walked silently through the streets of Sunnydale together, comfortable
in their silence, her arm linked with his. They made their way slowly back towards
the Summers’ house, both heading instinctively in that direction without either
saying a word. Spike was eager to see baby Dawn again and deep down, the teenage
version beside him wanted to see the happy family they made once more. She wanted
to see the way things should be.
She
couldn’t wait to tell Buffy.
The
thought made her stop and Spike was pulled back a step. He turned to look at
her quizzically. “What’s wrong pigeon?”
“Buffy.”
“What
about her?”
“What
are we going to tell her?”
The
vampire continued to watch her, turning the question over in his mind. To be
honest he hadn’t thought about explaining this to his Slayer. His mind had been
too busy jumping ahead to that time Buffy had mentioned a couple of days ago,
when she would be with him and they would be together with Dawn as a family.
Would
she be happy? Scared? Angry? Confused? Probably, he acknowledged as those same
feelings continued to churn inside him. He didn’t doubt she would be overjoyed
to discover that Dawn was truly her daughter. She might be a little less than
pleased however that he had been chosen as the father. That of course brought
to mind a whole new set of questions he really wasn’t ready to deal with.
“I
think we should wait ‘til we’ve finished this stupid game,” Dawn interrupted
his thoughts, her voice strong and decisive. “That way we can explain everything
to her properly. It’s going to be hard enough trying to explain why you’re not
a big pile of dust.”
Spike
smiled at Dawn, grateful that he wasn’t going to be faced with the challenge
of giving the Slayer such Earth shattering news the second he saw her again.
Or alone, if the amount of ‘we’s’ Dawn was throwing out was anything to go by.
He nodded, letting her know he agreed with her decision and they continued on
along Revello Drive.
They
arrived at the house moments later, neither knowing whether to enter again.
Peering cautiously through the window Dawn gasped, a need she hadn’t realised
she was repressing surging through her. Spike was beside her immediately, his
eyes searching for the cause of her surprise.
“It’s
not in there,” she told him knowingly, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “It’s
in here.” She placed her other hand over her chest. Spike frowned at her and
turned back to the scene inside the house, confused.
Buffy
lay curled up next to William on the couch, her arm lying possessively around
his waist as she slept. Her hair was slightly mussed, her lips slightly parted.
She looked peaceful and content. Baby Dawn was also asleep, lying on her front
on her father’s chest, her head turned to face her mother. William was watching
them both sleep, a look of pure love and blissful wonder on his face, as he
cradled both mother and baby in his arms.
Spike
felt the same force that Dawn had felt slam into him. He grasped at his daughter’s
hand and squeezed in tightly in his. “You’re mine Dawn,” he growled at her.
“You and Buffy. You’re mine.”
This
time Dawn had no desire to run. She looked up at her father with clear, understanding
eyes. “Yours,” she agreed just as fiercely. “Always.”
****
Ethan
paced the length of the small tower room, stopped and glanced at Dawn who remained
unmoving on the bed. After repeating these actions a few more times he returned
to her side and tried for what seemed like the hundredth time, to shake her
into consciousness. “Dawn!” he shouted. “Wake up!”
The
young girl jerked suddenly upright, causing Ethan to stagger back a couple of
paces. Dawn was sweating, panting fiercely as she fought to adjust to the shock
of being so quickly forced back to reality. “Spike,” she whimpered as she looked
around the small room. “Spike.”
“He’s
not here Dawn,” Ethan told her, finally able to relax. He set the chair he had
knocked over upright again and sat down. “I’m afraid Spike’s dead Dawn.”
The
teenager turned to face him sharply, collecting herself. “How long have I been
gone?”
Her
captor frowned at her choice of words but answered, “About three hours.”
Dawn
jumped off the bed and strode to the door, yanking on the handle. It didn’t
move. “So much for Slayer strength,” she muttered to herself and turned back
to Ethan. “Let me out.”
He
smiled cruelly. “Oh yes. Of course. I’ll just open the door shall I? Even if
I wanted to I couldn’t. It’s magically locked. The only way in is by activating
the trigger.”
“What
trigger?”
****
“What
now?”
Buffy
looked at her friends, each of them staring at her with varying amounts of concern.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed to calm down. Concentrate.
She was the Slayer. She wasn’t helpless. Her Slayer strengths didn’t make her
who she was and she could do this without them. She wasn’t about power. She
was about love. Apparently. According to that spirit guide. She was full of
love. Her eyes snapped open.
“Love,”
she said, receiving a few confused looks from the Scoobies in return. She turned
to Giles. “I’m love.”
She
saw the understanding blossom in his eyes and he nodded. “But what about the
bridge?”
They
turned back towards the spot where the makeshift bridge had been and were surprised
to see that it had returned. “What the…?”
“Guys?”
Cordelia shouted from the other side of the room. “Hate to interrupt but I thought
you’d like to know that the door… It’s real now.”
“What?”
Buffy shouted back, rubbing a hand over her face.
“It’s
locked,” Angel answered, pulling on the metal handle with his full strength.
“But it’s real now. Wood and metal.”
“Oh,
what the hell is going on?” Xander exclaimed, turning to Giles for an answer.
The others similarly looked to Giles for the explanation.
The
Watcher groaned and removed his glasses, rubbing them thoughtfully with the
corner of his coat. “You could have been a grocer, but no. Had to carry on the
family traditions didn’t you? Idiot,” he berated himself under his breath. No
one spoke for a while as he considered everything that had happened.
****
Wesley
had remained close to Faith after they had been pulled back from the cliff edge.
He had, rather clinically, checked her over for injuries, but nothing too serious
seemed to have occurred. Once he had assured himself she was ok, he turned his
attention back to Buffy, Giles and the others, glancing now and then at his
Slayer who stood quietly to one side. As Giles took some time to consider what
had happened, Wesley turned back to contemplate Faith.
He
didn’t know what to think of her anymore. She wasn’t the same reckless teenager
he had known two years ago. He wanted to be so angry with her. To hate her for
what she had done, not only to him, but also to those he cared about. Looking
down at her now however, as she stood there, proud but reserved, in that long
flowing gown, her dark hair tied back at the base of her slender throat, which
was adorned with a silver chain and key, he couldn’t help but…
“Key,”
he exclaimed, pointing towards Faith’s necklace. “Where did you get that?”
Everyone
turned to look at the Slayer who raised her hand to her neck, tilting her head
back slightly so that she could see what Wesley was gesturing at.
“I
didn’t get it anywhere. I think I would have noticed a large key tied around
my neck before now.”
“‘Faith,
Love and Benevolence Guide the Way,’” Giles announced, dragging everyone’s attention
back to him. “I think I understand. I’ll try to explain. It’s the only way…”
he trailed off without elaborating and everyone squirmed impatiently. Finally,
Anya’s exasperated sigh dragged his mind back to the present. “Faith attempted
to cross the bridge…”
“And
failed,” the brunette reminded him, still fingering the key around her neck.
Giles continued as though she hadn’t spoken.
“And
she was saved by Wesley.”
“Which
was rather benevolent of me,” the younger Watcher murmured, as he realised what
Giles was thinking. He placed a comforting hand on Faith’s shoulder. “Benevolent,
as in…”
“I
know what it means,” Faith snapped back, but softened the words with a shy smile.
“That
act caused the door to appear. Now Faith has the key and…”
“And
love is going to open the door,” Buffy finished, holding out her hand to Faith.
The younger Slayer unhooked the chain from her neck and placed the silver key
onto Buffy’s palm. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
“Buffy
wait,” Willow said, stepping forward and blocking her best friend’s path. “What
if the bridge disappears again?”
Buffy
shrugged, and smiled ruefully at her friend. “There’s only one way to find out.”
She
walked towards the narrow plank of wood, flanked on either side by Xander and
Tara. “J, just in case,” the blonde Witch stuttered nervously and Buffy nodded
reassuringly.
“I’m sure everything will be fine.” She took a deep breath and holding the key firmly in her fist, she stepped onto the bridge.
“We
have to find Buffy. Something terrible’s happened. Just kidding. Thought I’d
give you a scare.”
****
She
was halfway across when she felt it. She stopped as the dizziness overcame her,
and the room fell out of focus, leaving her trapped. She didn’t dare to move.
Her mouth opened automatically to call out to Giles or Angel for help, but that
fog that had descended in her mind was too thick and she couldn’t form the words.
Buffy
That
voice she loved, his voice, echoed within her.
Buffy
She
wanted to call for him, to reach out to him. But the words refused to come.
Spike
her mind cried out instead.
Spike, help me
“It’s
alright baby, I’ve got you.”
The
words sounded so close, as though he were whispering them in her ear. She relaxed
slightly, feeling his presence nearby, trusting that he would protect her.
“Do
you trust me Buffy?”
With
my life she thought, realising
for the first time that she meant it. She had trusted Spike with the one thing
she loved most in the world. The one thing she would die for; had died for.
Dawn. She hated the thought that she would never be able to tell him, to thank
him for everything he had done, to tell him she l…
“Move
forward slowly. I’ll guide you. One step at a time sweetheart, that’s right.
Good girl. We’re almost there. I’ve got you. I won’t let anything happen to
you.”
She wanted to sob at the injustice of it all. Why was he allowed to haunt her waking thoughts, but not stand there with her in person?
“Buffy?
Buffy?” She heard Angel’s voice now, telling her she was safe, that she could
open her eyes. But she kept them closed. If she stayed still just a few more
moments she’d be able to feel him with her. She could feel him in front of her;
practically see the expression on his face as he watched her make a fool of
herself. She smiled as she felt his hands on her waist, steadying her trying
to gently shake her back to consciousness.
“Spike.”
“Buffy?”
****
The
first thing Spike saw when he opened his eyes was Buffy.
It
disoriented him for a moment, suddenly finding himself standing on a ledge at
one end of the main hall of an old castle. One moment he had been standing with
Dawn on the Summers’ front porch, the next he was back playing Darla and Drusilla’s
twisted game. He realised that Dawn was no longer with him almost immediately,
his vampiric senses easily identifying the Scoobies around him. His eyes however,
remained trained on his Slayer, who was slowly edging her way along a beam that
bridged the two sides of the room.
“Spike?” The voice broke as it called his name and he reluctantly dragged his gaze from Buffy, to find Willow watching him warily, her eyes tired and disbelieving.
“Will?
You ok?” The vampire immediately found himself surrounded by three clinging
feminine forms as Willow, Tara and Anya all rushed at him simultaneously.
“Spike!
Oh, thank God you’re alright. We thought you were dead.”
“You
turned to dust. What happened? What’s going on?”
“Are
you hurt? Are you ok? Where have you been?”
The
panic he felt at this barrage of affection must have shown through on his face,
as Xander, rather kindly, took pity on him. “Hey girls. Back off ok? Give the
vampire a little space to… do whatever vampires do. In the strictly non-eating
people way of course.”
Spike
met his look and gave a small nod of gratitude as the two Witches and former
demon stepped back slightly. “’S good to know you all missed me.”
“Missed
you? Hey buster, you died! In the middle of grieving for you here,” Willow smirked,
only half joking. Her eyes flicked past him to where Buffy stood in the centre
of the beam. “Some of us more than others.”
Spike
followed her gaze and one eyebrow quirked in surprise. “Didn’t know she cared.”
“Yes
you did,” the redhead answered him quietly. “You know she’s…” She stopped and
frowned, her eyes fixed squarely on Buffy. “Spike.”
The
vampire’s entire being was focused on his Slayer. She had stopped at the middle
of the wooden bridge and was swaying dangerously where she stood. Without a
second thought Spike stepped onto the beam, ignoring the startled shouts of
Willow, Giles and Wesley. He moved along the makeshift bridge as quickly as
he could
As
he approached, he could feel the tension and panic mounting in her body. He
willed her to calm down, hoping she would recognise him as a comforting force.
As he took one final step towards her, he heard his name being called. Buffy’s
voice, calling for him, resonated throughout his entire being. “Spike,” he heard
her murmur again, almost inaudibly.
“It’s
alright baby, I’ve got you.”
****
Her
eyes snapped open and she stared at the man before her in shock.
He
was there. Spike was there, standing in front of her just as she’d imagined.
His head was tilted to one side and his expression was half worried, half amused.
“Happy
to see me then love?”
In
answer Buffy threw herself into his arms, holding him as tight as she could,
as her hands searched his body, trying to prove that he was real and actually
standing there.
“Take
that as a yes, shall I?” he joked, but his face and voice held nothing but pure
contentment. He was alive and Buffy was safe in his arms. Nothing else in the
world mattered.
“Spike!
Oh God, thank you, thank you,” Buffy whispered over and over, her face buried
in his neck, finally letting go the emotions that built within her since his
disappearance. He held her as she shook, silent tears of relief and happiness
running down her face. “If you ever scare me like that again, I’m going to kill
you,” she murmured, making him smile.
“I’m
never leaving you again baby.”
“Where
were you?”
“Long
story,” he sighed, drawing a raised eyebrow from the Slayer. Not really wanting
to answer any questions about his little voyage of discovery just then, he continued,
“I saw Dawn though.”
Buffy’s
mind instantly cleared of everything except Dawn. “What? Is she ok? Where was
she? Are you sure it was her?”
“She
was fine, she was with me and yes I’m sure it was her. She must have been sent
back the same time I was. She’ll be up there. Waiting for us.”
“Got
back from where?”
“Ahem,”
Cordelia interrupted non-too subtly. “Do you think you could continue this later?
Some of us want to get home.”
“Fine,”
Buffy agreed. “But don’t think we won’t do this later mister. I want to know
where you were and what you were doing,” she assured him, jabbing her finger
at his chest. Then, with a genuinely happy smile, she made her way past her
friends, to the door. “This had better work.”
“You
guys are just wigging me out!”
Buffy – ‘Band Candy’
****
“I
hope this works,” Faith murmured to herself as the Scoobies gathered around
Giles, talking animatedly about Spike’s return.
“It
will,” Wesley answered her softly, and she noticed for the first time how close
he was standing to her. She raised her head and glared at him.
“Don’t
you know it’s rude to eavesdrop?”
The
Englishman bristled at her harsh tone. “Sorry for wanting to make you feel better.
I’ll just leave you to your nervous breakdown shall I?”
He
turned away and Faith automatically put out her hand to stop him, grabbing his
arm and pulling him back to face her. “Wait! I’m sorry. Just a little jumpy
is all.”
Wesley’s
face softened as he watched her. She was biting her bottom lip nervously, her
attention fixed squarely on her shoes. “It’s ok.”
She
looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you. For saving me.”
“Yes
well,” the former Watcher said, tilting his chin and affecting his most pompous
voice. “All in a days work for Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Demon Hunter.”
Faith
snorted, trying and failing to control her laughter. “What?”
Wesley
dropped the arrogant manner and his eyes twinkled as he shushed her. “For God’s
sake, not too loud. I’ll never hear the end of it, if Cordelia hears.”
“You?
A demon hunter?
“For
a while yes.”
“What,
did you wear a lot of leather and drive a motorcycle?”
“How
did you…?”
The
Slayer’s eyes grew huge. “Oh my God!”
“It’s
not that funny.”
“It
is if you’re me.”
They
stood smiling at each other for a moment, happily sharing something besides
the pain and violence that had gone before. A shout from the other sound of
the room made them both turn.
“Come
on B. Get us out of here.”
****
“Dammit!”
“Buffy?”
Spike was immediately beside her. “What’s wrong?”
“It
won’t open.”
“What?”
“The
key won’t turn,” Buffy explained, frantically twisting the key back and forwards.
“It won’t open. How are we going to get to Dawn if it won’t open?”
Spike
placed his hands on her shoulders and gently eased her away from the door. “Angel,”
he said curtly, his eyes still trained on Buffy. The elder vampire stepped towards
the door and continued to work on opening it.
“Spike…”
“Calm
down sweetheart. You’re going to make yourself ill.”
Buffy
gave a shout of near hysterical laughter and then clamped her hand over her
mouth with a sob. “Buffy?”
“Make
myself ill? Are you insane? Do you know what I’ve been through? I lost you and
I couldn’t get to Dawn. And every step forward I took just seemed to take me
further and further away from where I wanted to be, with the people I love…”
Spike inhaled sharply but Buffy didn’t notice as she continued. “And then you
come back and that’s so amazing and miraculous and I feel almost complete again.
But I want Dawn back. I need her. It may sound weird but, every second I’m away
from her there is this physical ache inside me. And it just keeps growing and
growing and threatening to devour me.”
“It
doesn’t sound weird,” he told her softly, pulling her close and kissing the
top of her head. “I feel the same way. About both of you.”
She
looked up into his eyes and for the first time allowed him to see exactly what
she was feeling. For a moment he was stunned by the intensity of the emotion
he saw there. Anger, fear, hurt, confusion, relief… And there in amongst all
the pain and worry about Dawn he saw something that was directed solely at him.
Something so simple and so pure she probably didn’t even realise what it was.
But it was there and it gave him hope.
“Buffy.”
Angel’s voice interrupted them and they turned sharply to him. “Door’s open.”
****
The
locks on the tower door creaked open one at a time.
Dawn’s
face held a look of triumph as she turned to face turned to face Ethan, while
his expression became more desperate. She started towards the door, but Ethan
reached it first, pushing Dawn backwards towards the bed. Her foot caught on
the bottom of her dress and she tripped, hitting her head on the ground.
Ethan
barely noticed as he scrambled to get the door open, hoping to be able tot get
away before Buffy reached them. He hurried down the spiral staircase and stopped
on the first small landing he came to, hoping that the door was open.
****
Buffy
raced up the stairs, Spike and Angel just a few steps behind her. Her entire
being was focused on getting to Dawn as quickly as possible. Adrenaline surged
through her veins as she climbed higher and higher inside the tower.
As
they neared the top of the tower Spike stopped allowing Buffy to continue up
to where he could feel Dawn was waiting. Angel stopped next to him, his expression
questioning as he watched his Childe. “What’s wrong?”
“Rayne.”
Angel
sniffed the air around them as they followed the man’s scent to one of the doors
that led off to the left. Spike threw the door open, revealing a long corridor
with several doors and halls leading off from it.
“Split
up?”
“Shout
if you find anything interesting Grandpapa. Don’t want you having too much fun
all by yourself.”
“Spike!”
Buffy’s scream stopped them in their tracks.
The
two vampires glanced at one another and Angel nodded. “Go. I’ll find him.”
“Get
some, get gone.”
Faith
– ‘Revelations’
****
Angel
quickly picked up Ethan’s scent and followed its trail through the corridors
of the castle. He could tell the man was frightened, fear emanating from him
in waves. The vampire slipped into game face allowing his demon a little more
freedom as he hunted. Deep inside he could never escape the memory of the hunt,
the feelings that stalking his prey would invoke. They had been intoxicating.
“Ethan…
Come out, come out wherever you are!” he sing-songed as the trail led him around
one final corner onto a corridor with only three doors. He smiled cruelly as
he stepped towards the door on the left. “Look, you can give yourself up to
me now, or I can come in, kill you and… well no, I guess there wouldn’t be anything
after that.”
He
rattled the handle of the door and pushed it open, immediately spinning round
to pin the other man to the wall. “Tut, tut, tut,” he admonished, shaking his
head, his eyes flashing yellow as Ethan struggled against him. “If you want
to hide from a vampire you should really try to calm down. We can smell the
desperation a mile away. Of course, I’d still be able to hear your heart beating
and your blood pumping. It’s roaring now. You’re heart’s slowing, but that may
have something to do with me cutting off your oxygen supply. Don’t worry though.
I know exactly the last moment you need to take a breath before you die. Can’t
promise you won’t have permanent brain damage but that’s the risk we take.”
Ethan
gripped Angel’s hands, trying to keep the Master vampire from strangling him.
His mouth opened and closed a couple of times and Angel moved closer, tilting
his head as though trying to hear. “What? Sorry you’ll have to speak up. Not
as young as I used to be.” He squeezed a little tighter and then released the
man who collapsed back against the wall, sucking in deep breaths of air.
“You
can’t kill me,” he croaked eventually, his voice thin and raspy due to the pressure
on his throat.
“And
why is that?” Angel growled.
“You
can’t get home without me.” He smirked a little at the look of rage on the vampire’s
face, but it was soon replaced with a look of fear as he was hauled upright
again and Angel’s fangs settled over his neck. “The first group to reach Dawn
wins, so when we get to Dawn, we’ll all get home. Buffy’s up there with her
right now.”
“Then
Buffy won and she and Dawn are on their way home as promised.”
Angel
drew back to stare Ethan in the eye. “What?”
“I’m
sorry, I thought I’d made it clear,” Ethan explained, feeing more in control.
He pushed Angel away from him slightly. “Whoever gets to Dawn first wins. If
Buffy got there first, alone, then only she will be transported home with Dawn.”
“And
the rest of us…?”
“Can’t
get home without me. Quite.”
Unable
to stop himself, Angel attacked, knocking the man to the ground. Following him
down, he delivered a succession of blows to Ethan’s face, unleashing all of
his anger and frustration. Raising his fist to strike once more, he sensed a
presence behind him and turned to see Cordelia standing a few steps away, watching
the scene impassively.
Immediately
Angel stopped and stood, moving closer to her. “Cor, I…”
“Don’t,”
she said sharply. “Just don’t say anything. You can’t kill him.”
The
vampire hung his head in shame, closing his eyes to Cordelia’s disgust. Ethan
had dragged himself to his feet and shuffled closer to the young woman. “Thank
you. He was going to kill me, I…”
Cordelia
ignored him, her words cutting off his thanks, as her eyes remained fixed on
Angel. “You can’t kill him, because Spike and Giles will probably want to hurt
him a bit first.” The vampire’s eyes shot to hers and he realised that her hatred
was not directed at him, but at the man standing next to them.
Taking
Angel’s hand she turned to face Ethan. “We’re all going back to the tower. If
you try anything at all on the way, I will let him kill you.” She gestured for
him to walk ahead of them and they quickly made their way back to Dawn’s room.
****
Cordelia
was the first to reach the tower. She stumbled through the doorway to find Spike
standing beside the bed, looking defeated. “Spike?” Wesley and Faith arrived
seconds later, their faces bright from the effort of climbing the tower. Catching
sight of Spike and Cordy, they moved further inside looking for Buffy and Dawn.
“Spike? Where are Buffy and Dawn?” Wesley asked, a confused frown on his face
as he questioned the vampire.
The
blonde vampire looked up and shook his head, unable to answer Wesley’s question.
Cordelia stepped closer to him and haltingly touched his sleeve. “Spike?” she
asked softly, “What happened?”
“They
uh… Buffy came up to get Dawn but Angel and I… we stopped. And then she shouted,
so I ran… but when I got here, they just uh… they vanished.” No one made a sound
as they all took in what had happened and tried to make some sense of it.
“Where
is Angel?” Cordelia asked suddenly, realising he was also missing.
“Ethan.
He went to find Ethan!” Spike immediately started for the door but Wesley intercepted
him.
“We’re
going to need him alive if we’re going to find Buffy and Dawn. Cordelia, go
and find Angel.”
Wesley
and Faith shared a worried look as Spike began to growl unconsciously, his anger
eventually overcoming his shock. “Spike?” The vampire stalked across the room
and snatched up a china vase from the dressing table. Both humans flinched as
it shattered against the wall.
“Spike!”
“I
feel better.”
****
When
Angel and Cordelia arrived back in the tower, they found the rest of the Scoobies
waiting near the bed, where Wesley and Faith were perched, watching Spike pace.
Upon seeing Ethan the blonde vampire let out a feral snarl and launched himself
at the man. Angel smirked and stepped closer to the door ensuring there could
be no escape.
Realising
that Spike was ready to kill the man, Xander stepped forward and grabbed his
arm. “Spike! Forget it. He’s not worth it!” His hand was shaken off roughly
and he found himself face to face with the furious demon. Instead of backing
down, Xander raised his chin. “I realise hitting me may make you feel better
and if that’s what you need right now go ahead; we’re all out of china,” he
said, looking pointedly at the piles of broken vases and ornaments that lay
around the room. “If we want Buffy and Dawn back, we need the guy alive.”
For
a moment Xander thought Spike would actually punch him. They continued to hold
one another’s gaze, neither one backing down. A smile caught at the corner of
Spike’s mouth and his lips twitched. “I’ll take a rain-check on that thanks
Harris.”
Xander
shared his grin. “Anytime.”
“I
still don’t like you.” Spike repeated Xander words from a few days earlier.
“And
the feeling is more than mutual.”
“As
thrilling as this is,” Ethan broke in, causing everyone to turn, disbelieving,
in his direction, “I rather thought you wanted to get home.”
“Where
are Buffy and Dawn?” Willow asked coldly and Ethan felt a frisson of fear. Suddenly
he was immensely pleased he had prevented the young Witch from using magic while
inside the game.
“At
home, or at least, they should be. In L.A I would think. Somewhere safe.” The
Scoobies continued to stare at him. “Buffy won the game. She reached Dawn first.”
“It
was the team that reaches Dawn first,” Anya pointed out, but Ethan shook his
head.
“She
disbanded the teams. I took that to mean ‘everyone for himself’.”
This
time Giles and Faith stepped when Spike did, but all three were restrained.
“Ethan,
you will send us back now,” Giles demanded in a voice that none of the others
had ever heard him use before. Spike and Angel shared an amused glance, impressed.
“Whatever you have to say or do to get us home, you will do. Or you won’t have
to worry about Spike and Angel ripping you to pieces. I’ll do it myself.”
“Now,
now, Ripper,” Ethan teased, looking uncomfortable. “Not in front of the children.”
“Ethan!”
“We’ll
have to go downstairs,” he explained, backing down when he saw the dangerous
light in Giles’ eyes. “There’s a crystal. I don’t have it with me.”
“We
better get moving then.”
“Love isn’t brains children, it’s blood. Blood screaming inside you to work it’s will.”
Spike
– ‘Lover’s Walk’
****
“Ripper,
I have to say I’m impressed. Showing such restraint in front of the children,”
Ethan said, turning to his old friend when they were finally alone. The crystal
lay inside a chalk circle on the stone floor waiting for the two men. Spike
had insisted on going ahead alone to find Buffy, and was closely followed by
the others. Giles stayed close to Ethan for the duration of the ritual to make
sure the man kept his promise.
The
Watcher smiled menacingly. “Yes. But the children aren’t here anymore are they.”
Ethan
glanced up from his position outside the circle suddenly nervous. “Look, old
man, I’m sure the threatening behaviour goes down very well with the demons
of Sunnydale, but please try to remember that you need me to get back home.”
Giles
stepped into the circle and snatched up the crystal. “Afraid not, old man.”
“Giles…”
“I
warned you, Ethan.” Stepping back out of the circle, Giles lashed out violently,
backhanding the other man away from him, across the floor. “I’ve told you time
and again to stay away from me. And Buffy. You just don’t seem to get the message.”
Placing the crystal in his coat pocket he stepped closer to Ethan and kicked
him in the stomach, before roughly turning him onto his back and bringing his
foot down on the man’s neck.
“Rupert,
please…”
“Hmm?
Well maybe you’re right. Where’s the fun in doing it this way?” He dragged Ethan
to his feet and knocked him down again immediately, the force of the blow sending
the other man sprawling. Dragging himself to his feet Ethan swung at Giles,
only to find himself trapped, with his arm twisted round behind him. Maintaining
his hold with his left hand, Giles attacked with his right. Ethan brought his
right leg up behind Giles’ and forced them both to the floor. The two men continued
to struggle, with Giles causing the most damage as Ethan tried to defend himself
from the assault, while also battling to retrieve the crystal from the Watcher’s
coat pocket.
Eventually
Giles forced the other man onto his back once more and slammed his head against
the ground. “Final warning old friend. Stay away from me.” He punctuated each
comment with a vicious punch to the face, which pounded Ethan’s head back into
the ground again. “Stay away from Buffy. Stay away from Sunnydale. I don’t care
who is pointing whatever kind of gun at your head. If I ever see you again,
I will kill you.”
Leaving
the almost unconscious man where he lay, Giles stood and took the crystal and
a handkerchief from his pocket. Wiping his face and hands clean he walked back
into the chalk circle and closed his eyes, concentrating on the spell he had
watched Ethan perform on the others.
****
“One
coffee for you and one lemonade for you,” Fred announced as she placed Buffy
and Dawn’s drinks down on the table in front of them.
After
finding themselves rather abruptly hurled back to reality and into the lobby
of the Hyperion, Buffy and Dawn had barely moved. Clinging to her sister, Buffy
managed to move the necessary five steps to the couch, where they both collapsed.
The sisters babbled incoherently to one another, checking each other for cuts
and bruises, reassuring themselves that they were safe.
The noise brought Fred and Gunn running from the office. They stopped short when they saw Buffy and Dawn daring to hope that all of their friends had been returned to them. A quick glance around the lobby informed them that this was not the case. Fred rushed forward, eager to help them, while Gunn began questioning. “What happened? Where’ve you been? Where’re the others?”
Neither Buffy nor Dawn felt ready to answer any of the young man’s questions and so remained silent. They assured Fred that they weren’t hurt and meekly accepted her offer of a drink.
“Dawn are you sure you’re ok?” Buffy asked as Fred backed away from them towards Gunn.
“I’m fine. I mean my head feels funny from all this jumping around from place to place, but apart from that…”
“I was so worried about you.”
“I know,” Dawn told her seriously. “But he didn’t hurt me, except at the end, and I was with Spike for some of the time. He did get back to you didn’t he? That’s why you shouted for him right? He was with you?”
“Yeah, he was there. Is. Was… Whatever. And you will be telling my everything about this little adventure the two of you took later.” Buffy smiled at her sister and hugged her close.
“Oh God Buffy!” Dawn exclaimed, pulling sharply away from the Slayer. “What if Spike can’t get back? What if the others are trapped there forever? What are we going to do?”
“Dawn, calm down,” Buffy said, sounding more confident than she felt. “Willow and Giles and Tara will figure out a way to get everyone home. You’ll see. Before you know it, Spike’ll be standing there in front of you, calling you Nibblet and cursing up a storm.”
Dawn giggled. “I don’t think those will be the first things on his mind. I think ‘Kiss Buffy’, will be number one, followed by ‘Kill Whoever’; insert as applicable.”
“I…”
Whatever Buffy had been about to say was lost forever when a loud crash was heard from the office. The Summers girls jumped up from the couch and ran towards the noise. They stopped in the doorway and saw Gunn lying on the floor atop the broken remnants of the desk.
“Buffy?”
The sound of he name made her heart pound faster and she slowly turned to find Spike at the other end of the room. “Spike?”
The vampire crossed the room in three steps and grabbed Buffy to him. They clung to one another for a moment, both closing their eyes, happy to be lost in the others embrace. When they pulled apart it was only far enough to allow Spike to run his hand over Dawn’s hair.
“You ok Nibblet?”
Dawn nodded, looking tearfully at her sister and best friend, realising that their ordeal was over.
Turning back to Buffy, Spike held her face in his hands and lowered his lips to hers. She pulled him closer deepening the kiss, allowing all the words and feelings that had remained unspoken to flow between them.
****
Five minutes later the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel was filled with people. Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya swooped down on Dawn as soon as they saw her, hugging her to them. Spike and Buffy approached their friends, hands firmly entwined, looking happier than the others had ever seen them.
Fred ran forward to greet Angel, Cordelia and Wesley and hugged the three of them enthusiastically. Gunn followed at a more sedate pace, hugging Cordelia and shaking hands with the two men. “Where’ve you guys been?”
“We were really worried about you.”
“It’s a really long story,” Cordelia told them, stepping closer to Angel and taking his hand. Fred watched the two of them with a smile and casually pulled Gunn to one side to talk to Wesley giving Angel and Cordy some privacy.
Before either of them could speak Faith appeared at the vampire’s side. “Angel? Can I talk to you for a minute?” He looked down at Cordelia and squeezed her hand, smiling when she nodded in response. Releasing her, he and Faith moved away from the others to a more private area on the other side of the lobby.
“You ok?” the vampire asked as he spotted Faith’s nervousness. “You seem a little…”
“You have to call the police,” Faith interrupted in a rush, glancing over to where Wesley stood with Fred and Gunn.
Angel frowned. “Why do I need to…?” The Slayer looked up at him and understanding blossomed in his eyes. “Oh. You sure?”
Faith nodded. “Part of the whole redemption thing. You have your soul, I have my cell.”
“Is it working?”
“Well, I didn’t try and kill any of the Scoobies the minute I saw them so… yeah, I’d have to say it was working.” They shared a grin at that. “Look let’s not have that whole ‘I care about you because you’re just like me’ discussion. I’m already dreading the, ‘I’m sorry Buffy/I love you Faith’ talk that’s brewing with B. Just call the damn cops and I might be able to get out of here without any more meaningful conversations.”
Angel walked purposefully back across the room and into the office, Faith trailing behind him. Closing the door behind them, the Slayer leaned back against it, while Angel picked up the phone and called the police.
“Hello… yes. I’m calling from Angel Investigations. I have information about the whereabouts of Faith Walker who I believe escaped from the Northern California Women’s Corr… What? Faith Walker. No Faith. She’s been there for… No, I’m not. Ma’am, I think…” Angel blinked as the woman abruptly ended their conversation. He turned to Faith who had advanced towards the desk throughout the phone call. “They’ve never heard of you,” Angel told her in answer to her unspoken question. “They have no record of Faith Walker and no one has escaped custody within the last month.”
“But…”
“It must have something to do with Ethan’s spell. He got you out of prison. You just disappearing would be a little hard to reconcile so…”
“He just wiped me from the files and their memories. Neat.” Faith slumped down into a chair facing Angel. “What do I do now?”