TITLE: Choices
AUTHOR: Ragna
RATING: FRT
SPOILERS: None
DISTRIBUTION: Sure, just tell me!
DISCLAIMER: Everything except what comes out of my pretty little head belongs to Joss and Mutant Enemy.
FEEDBACK: Wanted. Needed. SEND IT!
AUTHORS NOTES: I had to edit this for continuity's sake. It's not major changes.

***

Alex just stared in shock. Drusilla walked up to her. "Shh. Don't be afraid...too much." There's something different about her. She seems more...sane.

"Why are you here?" she asks, her voice shaking.

"I'm a watcher, too. I watch my Spike, and I watch you, and all your friends. I didn't want Spike to be alone. I didn't want to die. But that couldn't be helped. I was so scared." She sat down on Alex's couch. "He'll be here shortly, you know." And with that, the room got silent.

Alex walked over to that part of her house. "Are you real, or something?"

Dru laughed. "Or something. An adequate description. I've been given this one night to make things better. And to warn you. The demon you face is worse than anyone else, even the Master or Laigon." Then she looked right at Alex. "I can't say any more without Spike being here. It's not for you to know now."

***

After going after Ethan for a while and not catching him, Spike bellowed "Later! I will get you!" He turned around and headed back to the school. Suddenly, he swore he could hear Dru's voice in the wind. "Follow me. Follow me." He got in his car and drove, following the voice. Suprisingly, it lead him to Alex's. A light was on, and the doorway was open. Fearing the worst, he stormed inside.

"Alex!" he yelled. It was then he saw the visitor. It..it can't be! his mind screamed. Then she turned around.

"Hello, my Spike." Drusilla said. Spike fainted.

***

Feeling wet, Spike awoke. Alex was looking down at him.

"I thought about doing the same thing when I saw her," she said, holding out her hand to help him up. It was about 1 o'clock in the morning. Sunrise was in three hours.

Spike took her hand. It felt cold, but re-assuring. "Why the bloody hell am I wet?"

"It's because she splashed water on you. I needed you awake. Do you miss me?" Dru said all that from the couch.

"Why, I...I do. You should have known that." Spike stammered. He was almost starting to cry. Dru came up to him.

"Shh. Don't cry, love." She held the now sobbing Spike, who had been given a wonderful present: his Dru had come back, even if it was for a day.

"I'm going to go to bed." Alex said. She turned around and touched Spike's shoulder. "Close the blinds and stay here, if you want. Just..." Alex let her thought trail off. She climbed the stairs, changed, and went to sleep.

Dru's calming touch was helping Spike. He took a good look at Dru. She was as beautiful as ever, yet she seemed much saner to him. "You really are my duck, aren't you?"

She smiled. She was still a vampire, and her fangs gleamed. "Yes, my sweet. I am. I was allowed one night to be here. You're needed for something important, and you just can't be sad." Though sane, there was still a childlike quality about her.

Spike looked at her. Really looked at her. He could smell her, touch her. If only it could last, he thought. "You needed me. I let you down."

"No, you didn't. I died, yes, but you lived. At least you made the Slayer's life hell for a while." She paused, and looked at him. "I know I hated Alexandra when I was alive, but I believe she was the best thing for you after I was gone. She's very smart, you know."

"Yes, I know."

"And you love her, don't you? Don't lie; I know you too well." Spike couldn't answer. "I'll take that as a yes."

He looked away from her. She walked over and held him. It seemed as though the roles were reversed. Dru was the strong one, and Spike needed caring for.

Alex lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She knew Spike was downstairs with Dru's ghost, and that she should leave them alone. And she would, of course. She wasn't that mean a person. But she needed to be held, and...it would never happen. Spike didn't feel that way about her. She tossed and turned and tried to fall asleep, but to no avail.

Her thoughts turned to Jeremy. He was a jerk, but he had loved her. At least, she thought he had. When she first came to Sunnydale two years ago, he was with her. She had fought with him, like any other couple, but he turned on her. He had gone to Spike and Dru to ask for the immortal gift of being a vampire.And Jeremy would have joined them if they hadn't refused. Something else got him, though, something worse.

But he was stopped. She managed to behead him, using a blessed sword, but only after Spike broke his neck. But the fight with him cost her quite a bit. The Scooby Gang didn't trust her completely because she never told them about Jeremy, she had to deal with the fact that she beheaded him and her knees were acting up on her. But it was Spike who, well, saved the night. He stayed at her home, watched her, made sure she was okay. And then he went back to Drusilla because he loved her.

"And he still does," she mused. Getting up, she walked over to the window. The stars were especially pretty that evening, and she looked at her hand. When Jacob proposed, it had been a night like this. Her thoughts drifted to her fiance. He had been the opposite of Jeremy: cool, collected, sweet and not a witch. He also loved her to the point he would die for her. That was his weakness, and she hated thinking about his final moments. As tears slid down her cheeks, she thought, If Spike can deal with Dru, I can deal with Jacob.

Another demon had attacked London. He was similar to Eyghon, except that he could only enter unconcious bodies; dead ones were of no use to him. During the fight, Jacob had been knocked out, and the demon, fearing his life, fled into Jacob's body. Only Alex were fighting him. Unwittingly, a vampire had turned Jacob during a fight...which never should have happened. Jacob had Alex backed into a corner, and all she had to do was chop off his head.

But she couldn't.

As Jacob was about to kill her, a man quickly entered the room and proceded to beat the crap out of what had been Jacob. That man had been Spike. It had also been the first time he'd saved her life. Spike proceded to break Jacob's neck. Alex then handed him the sword and he beheaded him as Alex broke down and cried afterwards. Even to this day, over a year later, she still wore the engagement ring. The diamonds sparkled in the moonlight, as silent tears slid down her cheeks.

***

Meanwhile, downstairs, Spike and Dru were still talking.

"What do you mean I need to make a choice?" Spike said. "What type of choice?"

"Well, it is a hard one, but I know my Spike will make the right choice," Dru said, standing up. She started to pace, something she had never done before. "You need to choose between helping your enemies or living in a world ruled by your foes."

"What's the difference between the two?" he asked, getting up to follow her. He needed to touch her, because his eyes still didn't believe what they were seeing.

"Your enemies are the Slayers, the Watchers and their friends. Your foes are the immensly evil demons coming. They're unnaming my stars, and it scares me." Bits of Dru's ravings were still evident.

"Who are my foes? Dru, sweet, you know me. I don't like unanswered questions."

"I know. They are true evil. I mean, worse than us. Worse than all the demons who have come here and died. Original evils, original sins. They were here since the beginning of time, but the Hellmouth is bringing them forth. It wants to open again."

Spike thought about that before asking his next question. "Pet, can you still have visions?"

"Some," she replied, sitting down again. "I can tell what will happen if you make the wrong choice."

"What, my duck? What will happen?"

She stared right at him and said simply, "Chaos."

He was taken aback. "Do you know what choice is right?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "No. But I know this much: Alex is a key." She looked toward the sky. The sun was to rise in an half an hour. "My time is almost done."

Spike looked at her, startled. "You said you were given a day! It's only been a few hours!"

She reached out and placed her cold hand on his cheek, caressing it. She laughed softly. "My days are short compared to yours. Don't worry, my sweet; I will visit again soon." With that, she kissed him tenderly, then with more passion, before pulling away.

"I must go," she said, and then she disappeared. Spike sat alone, and waited a few minutes. Then, not wanting to leave for a while, he went to every room in the apartment and shut the blinds. The last room he entered was Alex's.

She was finally asleep, looking peaceful. There was an aura about her, glowing silver. It was only visible when she was asleep. Spike just sat in a chair near her and looked at her as the sun rose. At least tomorrow was Saturday, he thought, and realized with a start he was hungry. He walked over to Alex's bed and kneeled down until he was even with her face. She looked so beautiful, he thought, so much like Dru. Pushing some stray hairs out of her face, he got up and went downstairs to her kitchen. He laughed. On the microwave was a note. It read:

"Don't you dare use this! The one you ruined is in the utility closet, plugged in and ready for your use. Blood bags are still in the refrigerator. Use the bowl in this microwave, and press 1 and 0 twice, then press the 'Start' button. Then, when it's done, pour it into a glass and use the air freshner next to your microwave. Spray it in the utility closet; you know how much I hate the smell of warm blood. Love, Alex."

He held the note in his hand. Sure, he had seen notes she had written to other people, but she ended very few of them with "Love." She probably wasn't thinking about it, he mused, and proceded to follow her instructions. The smell of the warm blood made him hungrier. It wasn't fresh, but he knew how much she hated seeing him feed. Or hearing him. And she was a light sleeper. He knew that from watching her.

The sun wasn't shining in her face like it usually did, which meant one thing: Spike was at her home. She got out of bed and walked downstairs, looking at her Grandfather Clock as she passed it. It was a little after noon. She had been asleep for almost eight hours. She could smell the lavender air freshner wafting out of the utility closet. She smiled and headed straight for her new microwave. It was unstained, and a new note was attached, reading:

"I can use a microwave now. Who said vampire's don't change? Spike."

She started brewing a cup of mocha so she could relax. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel stressed. She usually got up around nine to watch Saturday morning cartoons and stuff, followed by eating a semi-healthy breakfast of fruit and Fruit Loops. This morning, she got her breakfast ready, poured her coffee, and went into the den. It was almost pitch black. Spike was asleep on the couch, so she decided to bypass the television. She curled up on another couch, grabbed her phone and dialed her uncle.

Giles picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Uncle Rupert. I was almost pretty sure Gaby would answer."

"Well, yes, she probably would have. But she's at cheerleading practice."

"It's inhumane. Getting up early to get sweaty. Not like we don't do that enough as it is."

"Well, that's true. Why did you call?"

"You mean I can't have a conversation with my uncle just for the heck of it? I'll have to remember that." She laughed a little. "Actually, Spike and I both had an interesting visitor waiting for us last night."

"Who was that?"

"Drusilla."

"What?!?" Giles sounded like he was having trouble believing it.

"Trust me. Would I lie to you? She said she had some news, and only had a day. She doesn't appear to be here now, but Spike's asleep in the den."

"I meant to have a talk with you about that. Do you think it's wise--"

"To have Spike around? Remember, dear uncle, I can read minds. Yes, actually, I think it is. He protects me, and I trust him. He has no reason to lie to me, especially because he knows I can still curse him."

"I trust you, dear Alexandra, but...I just don't want you getting hurt. In any way."

"Well, you're too late for that. I've already been hurt. It's part of living. You should try it sometime."

"What, living or hurting?"

"Both, just more of the living and less of the hurting."

Giles laughed; unlike him, both his nieces had great senses of humor. "You know, I see so much of your parents in you, it's frightening."

"Like what?" Alex asked. Her uncle usually wasn't open about her parents.

"Well, both you and Gabriella are very artistic, like your father, as well as smart and stubborn. However, you both have more of your mother's tendancies. Your father's misstress was very impatient, but had the most beautiful voice and was a superb dancer. She was very artistic."

"And my mother?"

"I loved your mother as though she were an actual sister. She was joyful and easy going, and a romantic at heart. You look a lot like her, you know."

"I don't remember much of her looks, except what I see in pictures. And considering they only died five years ago, I feel bad about that."

"Actually, you shouldn't. Poor Gaby barely knew your father. I was so upset when he died, along with your mother, but you were old enough to do well with a guardian and a trust fund. But when Gaby's mother died last year, there was no way I couldn't take her in."

"Sounds like I'm not the only one who feels bad. Enough depressing stuff, however." She looked towards the couch, where Spike appeared to be waking up. "I have to go. I love you, Uncle Rupert."

"I love you too, Alexandra. Call me when you find out what happened."

"Fine. Goodbye." Alex hung up, grabbed her apple and walked over to the couch where Spike was sitting up, stretching. "Long night?"

"Yes," he replied, and looked at her. "Who were you talking to?"

"My uncle. I usually call him on Saturday mornings, since I don't see him until later in the evening. I thought he should know about our visitor." She looked at him quizzically. "Are you okay?"

"I'm..."

"Depressed?"

"Exactly. I wish I could get drunk."

"I would love to oblige, but I don't have anything alcoholic in the house. Sorry."

"Oh well." He stood up and decided to tell her something important. "Dru said I had to make a decision."

"About?"

"Oh, not much. Just the fate of the bloody world."

"Yeah. Nice thing to have to decide on first thing in the afternoon."

"What time is it, anyway?"

"A little after noon. You know, you don't have to talk about what happened last night. I understand."

"That's good, because I wasn't going to talk about it anyways. Why do I feel so bloody low?"

"Probably because you had to face something you didn't want to last night. It happens. I did the same thing. Notice a difference?"

Spike looked her up and down. "Not a thing."

Alex showed him her hand. The engagement ring was off her finger.

"You took it off!"

"Yeah. I had to make a choice, and I chose to move on with my life. I'm still wearing it, though." She pulled out a necklace that had been tucked under her tank top. It was a silver chain, and the silver engagement ring was on it.

Spike got up and looked around the dark room. "I think I've made a choice too."

"And that choice would be...?"

"You'll see."

"I hate the secretive stuff!" Alex said.

Spike grinned. "You pulled it on me last night. Turnabout's fair play."

"True," Alex agreed. "So when do I get to find out this life shattering decision?"

"Soon. I promise."