Beheading the Hydra - Spike

 

"So Bit, Clem, you got it straight?" Spike said to the teenager and floppy-skinned demon sitting on Buffy's couch.

"Yes, Spike, how many more times are you and Xander going to tell us," Dawn sniped, hurt that again she was thought incapable of following plans.

"As many as keep you in one piece, Nibblet," Spike said, remembering Ghora demon wounds from an overly determined Bitty Buffy not following the plan.

Clem turned to his buddy and reassured him, "Got it, Spike. While you all head on upstairs Dawn picks the lock to the basement plant-room, and we put the explosives in the positions you pointed out eight times, we start the timer switches, then I take Dawn straight home via the tunnel exit."

Spike nodded to both of them, and said, "Nice and quick on the way home, Bit. Thanks, Clem."

Clem smiled, his jowls shaking, and said, "No problem. I'm happy to help, after all you did for me and Sophy."

Buffy walked over and took hold of her sister's shoulders. She made her swear that Dawn would do that, and not try to come upstairs after setting the bombs. She agreed reluctantly, so Buffy fixed Clem with a death-glare. He nodded and Buffy released him from the stare.

Spike nodded at Xander, who'd just finished checking the explosives and timers were safely stashed in a sports bag, and said, "Nice job with the bomb-making, Harris."

Xander grinned, "Contracting-Guy gets the explosives, but Military-Guy saves the day - again. Ah, takes me right back to those happy High School days. Staking vampires, killing demons, blowing up the school, ah happy days."

"Xander! Present company!" Willow said sharply as she stopped pacing.

"Hey, just a little nostalgia-y goodness here." Xander said with his hands up.

"No offence taken, Will. You ok? You ready to do this? You don't have to. You've already helped with disconnecting the City Hall phone system so the buggers won't know what's hit 'em," Spike said, worriedly.

"Big yep. Big nervous yep, at going back there, and the thought of the dark magic I'm probably gonna be up against." Willow stood up straight and put on her 'resolve face' and continued, "But I'm ready, and I can do this."

"That's my Willow!" Buffy said, who moved to give her a hug.

"Nice job with the soul-magic warning talismans, luv. Everyone got 'em on?"

A rousing chorus of "Yes!" combined with a, "Stop being Mr Fussy," from Buffy.

Spike shrugged and told her, "Just trying to do it right, pet. Gotta do it right. The Ladies trusted me to do this. I'm supposed to do this, it's my responsibility - got me a bleeding prophecy and everything. Just don't want anyone else hurt cos I failed."

"Not gonna happen, Spike. We kick butt. Then Xander sets a fire so the alarm gets rid of any remaining humans in there. It goes boom. We party," Buffy grinned.

"Thanks, luv. Appreciate the vote of confidence. But, yeah, you're right, they stand no bloody chance against us lot, even if they've got the upper floors done out as a DH conversion factory. Besides, we got to do it. Giles' got his hydra already, according to the message I picked up before getting here. Can't let the side down. Let's go get mine!" Spike said.

"Let's go to work!" Xander said.

"Reservoir Dogs? Big with the jinx, Xand!" Buffy snorted.

"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am..." Spike raised his head to the heavens.

Buffy continued his refrain, "Stuck in the middle with you."

"Yeah, well, there's worse places to be. Come on. We'll never get there at this rate," Spike grinned.

"Can't have that. Ok guys, we've got more City owned property to destroy," Buffy grinned back at him.

A bag was picked up and carried carefully. Carefully selected weapons were hefted, supplies checked for the last time; then the motley group set off in the darkness to take out City Hall and Mayor Campbell.

They'd decided to use the service entrance where the chance of accidentally hurting humans was less than at the main entrance. It was a good call, but after the destruction already wrought on the stocks in the Initiative Caves, and the pipes into the Hellmouth, the Mayor had increased the numbers of guards on his perimeter.

As they got closer they slowed down to allow Spike to check for the smell of menthol. He found it in three directions near the door. Xander took the mace out from his jacket and tried to be a stealthy as the vampire and slayer. He didn't do perfectly, but the residual military knowledge from the long past Halloween combined with years of field time to mean he did ok. He and Willow stayed with Clem and Dawn, and the explosives, while Spike and Buffy took out the guards.

The guards were patrolling in pairs, but were no match for the vampire and slayer. A synchronised body slam into a concrete wall took out one set. A grab, turn, punch combo took out the second. And the last was taken out with a tap on the shoulders, as the resulting turns were followed up with broken noses.

Buffy ran back to the main group, as Spike ran directly to the door. He got out his lock-picks and had just opened the door when the others arrived. They dashed inside and got to the stairs to the basement before stopping. Spike handed the picks to Dawn, and she smiled and gave him a hug before she and Clem headed down the stairs with the bag of bombs.

Buffy wrinkled her forehead and asked Spike, "You are absolutely sure she knows how to use those?"

"For the thousandth time, yes, Buffy. Girl's a natural. Showed her lots of different types of locks over that summer. Besides, if she has a problem she's got her mobile. You've got yours, and they're both set to vibrate and text. But we won't need that. It'll be all right, luv, you'll see."

"It had better be," Buffy said.

"It will. Now, everyone sorted?" Everyone nodded. Buffy unsheathed her sword.

Willow went first with Buffy and Spike following closely behind her. Xander took point. When she reached the top of the stairs she took out a translucent crystal and started to chant quietly, her voice rising in tone until the crystal turned green. She turned and smiled at her friends, "It's done. The wards have been neutralised. Well, these anyway. I can't feel any more right here, but we should go slow."

"Can you feel any other strong magics, Will?" Spike asked.

"Two directions. Along that long corridor towards the Mayor's office, and can I say, so not really wanting to go there again. But I will. That's really black, but all screwy and stuff. The rest is down this corridor, and it's so black it's like ice around my spine."

"Big Bad Ice first?" Buffy asked.

"Might as well, luv. Come on Red, I'll be right with you."

They'd got halfway along the corridor when a guard came out of an office along the way. Spike sniffed menthol and shouted that out. More DH's came out as a result, and he sighed, "Bugger. Me and my big mouth." Then he took out two DH's with a roundhouse.

Not to be shown up Buffy decapitated two DH's on an arching swing. Xander was attacked but he swung his mace and managed to smash noses. Willow had a baseball bat and tried to use that, though the temptation to use her magic sent her eyes black. As more DH's flowed out of the offices ahead Spike morphed into game face and became a whirlwind of destruction, and blood and blue gunk soaked into the carpet and his clothes. Buffy was not left behind. Her sword slashed off heads and the hilt smashed noses.

Three DH's made a rush at Willow. Before one of them could reach her, it was tackled by Xander, who managed to pin it down, and smash the mace deep into its head. As he tried to pull the mace free from the skull before it liquefied he was jumped on by another two DH's, who started to methodically knock him unconscious.

That left two rushing towards Willow, who then lifted her hand and the DH's flew into the air, turned to face the ceiling, and smashed repeatedly into the roof even after their noses broke until they rained down on the combatants as blue gunk.

Spike spun-kicked his way through more DH's when he saw what was happening to Xander. He head-butted, punched and kicked his way to Xander. Then he booted the first DH in the face so hard he landed across the corridor before dissolving against a door. As he did that Willow picked up the mace with her mind and smashed it against the face of the other DH attacking Xander. She nodded to Spike, who nodded back and returned to the now much thinner fray around Buffy. With both slayer and vampire keen to finish the fight it didn't last long. They fought their way back together and then took out the remaining DH's.

Once all the opposing force was a slippery blue and red mess on the floor they took a breather. Buffy came over and helped Xander stand up. He shook his head, said "Thanks", nodded at Spike who'd gone back to human face, and hugged Willow.

Buffy glared at Spike, "I thought you're supposed to be using your axe, mister. I know you brought it, and that you promised Wesley you'd use it. What's with the fists and fangs - only without the actual biting part - approach?"

"Mm, sorry, pet?"

"Nope. Axe, now, or I'll be a very cranky Slayer. There might be super-DH's in there. And I don't want you hurt, Spike. You promised."

Spike unhitched his axe from his belt loop and said, "All right, Buffy." Then he turned to the others and asked, "Ready for more?" They all nodded.

Buffy and Spike kicked open the locked door. It was thick and heavily soundproofed so it took all their combined strength.

The room was huge, and clearly converted at short notice from a meeting hall. Narrow pipes came up through the floor, to end in glass containers. The pipes were identical to those Spike had disconnected from the Hellmouth. There were tables in the centre, with alpha and omega marked on them. Guards looked up from there at the disturbance.

One corner of the room had been converted to match the ritual fittings of the small meeting room where they'd found Carolyn and the soul-stealing magic. Robed figures looked up from it. Large industrial chemistry machines had been installed in another corner of the room. They were surrounded by sigils, candles, and DH's in lab coats decorated with arcane symbols.

Willow blanched and inhaled sharply when she saw the the sigils and the soul-stealing circle, but swallowed hard, and said, "Keep away from the sigils. The talismans should protect all of us from the soul-stealing stuff, but it might still hurt bad. You guys deal with the DH's when they get here. I'll deal with the magic stuff."

The guards rushed Buffy and Spike, who sprung into lethal motion. Xander tried to follow, but was restrained by Willow who didn't want him any further injured, so she told him she might need a bodyguard while she dealt with the magic. He grinned and said, "One white-knight at your service, Will."

As Buffy whirled through a wave of guards Spike happily decapitated DH after DH, kicking the heads into the walls before they exploded in a puddle of blue gunk.

Willow's eyes turned black as she concentrated. The heavy tables in the centre of the room flew back towards the soul-stealing circle. The ritual ingredients were scattered, breaking the spell. Willow then pulled the tables towards the machines and blasted the tables into the machines, causing them to crack and start to leak all over the sigils. She then pulled the pipes through the earth from where they'd been attached to the Hellmouth and used them to eradicate the sigils. Then she cried out, "Disperso!" and there a crack was felt in the air as the magic circles were completely breached. Willow shouted to Buffy and Spike, "You're safe now from the magics." Then she slumped into Xander's arms.

Buffy and Spike had sliced, smashed and axed their way through the remaining guards but still had the robed figured and the lab-coats to deal with. Buffy looked at Spike and he looked back at her. They didn't need to speak. Buffy turned, sword dripping with blood and blue gunk, and headed for the lab-coat DH's. Spike charged the robed figures, axe held high. Twin whirls of destruction later both groups of remaining DH's were puddles of blue gunk on the floor, and Buffy and Spike were splattered with blue and red but happy.

They ran over to where a tired Willow stood, supported by Xander.

"Hey, Red, nice one," Spike said patting her shoulder.

"Big with the destruction, Will. Are you ok?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, give me a minute though guys, that was some bad magic to break there."

"Whatever you need, pet." Spike smiled reassuringly. "You gonna be up for round two, or do you need to go home. No problem if you're not ready, we'll manage. Harris, you'll take her?"

"Hey, ready to go. Gonna need to do some chanting and stuff after, but ready to go." Willow said, shaking her head clear, "Let's finish this."

They turned and returned up the long corridor, down another, and through several sets of heavy fire doors to the Mayor's office. Spike raised his scarred eyebrow at Buffy. She grinned. Spike kicked the door in. It wasn't as soundproofed as the ones to the conversion chamber, but it was still thick enough that screams would have been muffled from even the corridor outside.

Mayor Campbell stood in front of his desk. He was well dressed and looked kindly, but somewhat peeved. He said, "Now that was rude."

Spike grinned, "We'd have made an appointment. But what can I say. I'm an impatient sort of bloke."

Buffy said, "And I'm worse."

The Mayor sighed, "You'd still need to see my secretary. But I guess I'll just have to call the guards to dispose of you."

"Too late, mate. No more guards, no more turning people into monsters, no more of anything much actually," Spike stated the facts.

"What!" The Mayor said.

"Yep, sorry. We're putting you out of business, old son. Permanently," Spike smiled.

"It's got nothing to do with you!" The Mayor shouted.

"Oh yes it has! You've gotta to stop messing with the Hellmouth. God! Don't you people ever learn? Hellmouth, tapping it - hello, not mix-y things," Buffy ranted.

"Yep, and some nice ladies tell me I've got to guard it. So, here I am. What do I find, but people messing with things that aren't theirs," Spike said and wagged his finger at the Mayor.

"Which never ends well. Pain, carnage, rain of toads - you get the picture," Xander quipped.

"My Uncle Dickie built this town. It's mine! And so's my Hellmouth," the Mayor said.

"Oh no, Sunnydale belongs to me," Buffy stated firmly.

Spike tilted his head and said, "She's quite right you know, and I'm hers'."

"He is, and you don't want to mess with us. Now, be a good boy or I'm gonna be forced to stop you like I did 'Uncle Dickie', and how lame a nickname is that? Blowing him up was a mercy really," Buffy said.

"Too right, pet."

"Which is something you're going to pay for, missy," the Mayor said.

Buffy looked at Spike and asked, "Human?"

He sniffed hard and shrugged his shoulders, "Dunno, pet. No menthol. Might be human, might be a super-DH. One way to find out!" Spike swung his fist at the Mayor, and the chip didn't fire. Spike shrugged, "Super-DH!"

The Mayor wagged his finger, "That's not very nice, you will have to pay for that." He punched Spike across the room, smashing into a cabinet full of black magic charms and books. The Mayor frowned, "And now look what you made me do. Hurt my inheritance will you?"

Buffy leapt into the fight shouting, "Hurt my boyfriend will you. You'll wish you'd gone the snake route!"

The Mayor swatted her aside and laughed, "Why bother with becoming a snake when I found a better way and people willing to pay for it!" Xander tried next but was swatted straight out of the door into the corridor. The Mayor laughed, "And this way I get to play tennis. That's a bit hard with no arms, as you'll find out."

Willow's eyes turned black and she shouted, "Stop."

The Mayor slowed but didn't stop. Buffy and Spike got back up again and charged, but got swatted by the slow motion Mayor. Willow started to panic until she spotted a protection against magic talisman in the ruins of the cabinet. She managed to shout, "Smash the talisman," before having to concentrate on stopping the Mayor again.

Xander stumbled back in from the corridor and told Buffy and Spike, "I'll do that, you take him." They nodded. Xander applied the mace to every item in the cabinet.

Buffy roundhoused into the Mayor's head, but missed the nose, putting a dent into her sword. Spike leapt at the Mayor and buried his axe into his eyes, before getting knocked off. He rebounded for a second go when a flash of light from the business end of Xander's mace told him that the talisman was destroyed. With that gone, Willow was able to hold the Mayor rigid, and Spike was able to pull the embedded axe down and forward taking off the Mayoral nose with it.

There was time for a short, "Well Damn!" from the Mayor before he puddled into his carefully groomed carpet.

All four took a breather, even though one didn't strictly need it - he just enjoyed it.

Buffy took a look at her watch and said, "Twenty minutes before the bombs go off."

Spike nodded and turned to Xander, "Wanna go set a fire in the other room, mate?" Xander nodded and checked his pockets for the lighter fluid stashed in there. Spike tossed him his Zippo, and said, "I want that back, but it seems the right thing to use. See you outside."

Xander went off to do a little arson. Willow checked to see if there were any more magic items left intact. The only things left were some ancient books, which she picked up. Buffy and Spike went through the Mayor's desk, and picked up some files, confirming the links to Security Answers and Wolfram and Hart. They added those to the books Willow put into her bag.

The fire alarm sounded, and the trio ran down the stairs outside where they met up with Xander. They moved to a safe distance. Then the building exploded.

Xander said, "Toasty!"

"We did it. Big Yay Us!" Buffy grinned.

"Too right, pet. One ex-hydra."

"It has ceased to be. It is an ex-hydra. It has shuffled off the... "

"Xander! I'm confiscating your Monty Python collection. You only got the tapes because Giles didn't realise some British VCR's can show our stuff," Buffy said.

Xander begged, "You're not going to tell him? Please. I need those tapes. I wasn't allowed to watch 'Holy Grail' for years because of that damned killer rabbit. It's the only good thing about 'No Anya'. I get to watch my tapes. I have tapes!"

"You only want to watch the 'Now the oral sex bit', Harris."

"Please! As if," Xander shrugged and continued, "The 'It's only a flesh wound' bit's good too."

"I'm partial to the 'Help, help, I'm being repressed' myself," Spike grinned.

"Ok, now this is just disturbing. Since when did my best friend and my boyfriend start having conversations like this?"

"We did live together, pet," Spike reminded Buffy.

"But we didn't do this. New stuff, huh," Xander replied.

"Yeah. More sort of a seething hatred back then. Times change. Now, any chance of borrowing Holy Grail, and Life of Brian," Spike asked. Xander nodded.

"Well, my 'very naughty boy' is going to have to share his toys." Buffy wagged her finger at Spike.

"Buffy..." whined the vampire.

"The tape toys anyhow. The Slayer has spoken. We will have video night with Giles' old tapes. Tomorrow night, my house - killer rabbits, very naughty boys, and the Giant Invisible Rabbit thing."

"Harvey, pet."

"Thanks, Harvey." Buffy said.

"I look like a six foot invisible rabbit," Spike teased.

"That would be scary. I think I prefer the fangs to the fur. Now, behave. We're gonna watch all the tapes Giles can't have back, and couldn't anyway with the whole 'bunny issue'," Buffy said. Xander's face fell. Buffy noticed, and continued, "Sorry Xand."

"No, Buffy. It's ok. Gotta face it. I lost her. My fault she's gone. She's gone and the Xand-man loses another girl to the Land of Scones. Hurts, but hey, gotta live with it."

"The alternative sucks," Willow said sadly.

"It does, but been there, done that. It's ok," Buffy said softly to Willow.

"Not still wanting to go back, pet," Spike said, his forehead knotted with worry.

"One day... but I'm better off here now. I've got all of you, and that makes all the difference," Buffy said with a half-smile. "I've a great little sister with a good line in breaking and entry - and don't think we're not discussing that later, Spike - or should I say Fagin?"

"Much better looking, pet," Spike stroked her hair.

"Tragically true, and my downfall. And my boyfriend," Buffy said to Spike's broad grin, before continuing, "And I've got my best friends fighting the good fight with me."

Willow slumped. "I said sorry."

Buffy and Xander turned to her and hugged her, both saying, "We know."

Willow sniffed and looked up at them before saying, "Thanks. It helps. It helps big time. But that was one big fight. Some big magics, and pretty dark stuff. I sorta gotta go do some chanting. Cleanse, and get all centred again. Spike? How 'bout you? You need come with, or are you ok?"

Spike heard the need for support in the witch's voice and he looked at Buffy, who nodded securely. But before he could say 'yes' Xander said. "Hey, Will, wanna show your oldest, bestest bud all this chanty stuff? Share it with the Xand-man? Distract him from Anya-broodage?"

"Big yes, Xand. You sure?" He nodded. "That's so great. I got a box of the special fudge sent as a present from the ladies in Devon. We can share. Spike, you sure."

"You two share the fudge. I'll be fine. Buffy?"

"I think you should have some peace and quiet. I'm still sorta wired. Spike, you up for a little patrol?" Buffy rolled her shoulders.

"Patrol?" Spike waggled his eyebrows. Buffy grinned and said, "A very short patrol, and maybe coffee over at your place while we clean your weapons."

"A fella's got to have clean weapons, luv," Spike said huskily.

"He does. We shouldn't let them rust. That would be so totally of the bad," Buffy said.

Xander took Willow's arm and said. "So, special fudge. Tell me about special fudge before these two make me poke my eyes and ears out."

Willow looked round at Buffy and Spike and squeaked, "Bye, guys. Later!" And the two old friends walked off to Buffy's house.

Buffy and Spike walked towards his place. She asked, "Just doing the role-model-y checking thing, but that's not very 'special fudge' that social services wouldn't approve of being in the same house as my baby sister, is it?"

"Not if it's the same bleeding horrible Soya fudge they gave us, pet. I think Harris'll hate it. Dreadful stuff, but healthy, apparently." Buffy snickered, and Spike continued, "But I'm always happy to 'patrol' with you, luv. You know that."

Buffy breathed out hard. "And I love to 'patrol' with you. That was a hell of a good fight, and now I'm all wired."

"Hot and bothered, pet?"

"Oh, yes. Race you? If we see any bad guys we kill 'em, but I need coffee, now!"

"Me too, luv. Coffee good. On 3? 1,2,3!

Slayer and vampire both broke the 5000 meter Olympic record to Spike's flat, despite both being encumbered with blood stained weapons. But victory went to the Slayer.

Spike almost dropped his axe as he fumbled for his keys. He found them finally, tossed the axe inside and switched on the lights. She followed him in, tossed her sword aside, and then she jumped him.

She breathed, "Spike, I want you," between kisses.

Spike groaned and said, "You sure, Buffy. You absolutely sure?"

She nodded, looked him in the eyes and said, "Yes, Spike. I want you. I want you now. But I want to make love with you, in your bed. And I want it now!"

"You do. You'll let me make love to you, not just fuck you every which way but that? In my bed?"

"I think we'd break the couch, but, yes. And I promise not to blow up your bed this time, unless there's any more eggs around." At his stricken look she continued with a kiss, then, "And I know there won't be, that you've changed. I've changed and I want this, Spike." More softly she said, "Give me this, please?"

Soul looked into soul as eyes met, and he said, "Always, Buffy, always."

He picked her up and carried her across the threshold of his bedroom.

The blood had dried on their clothes, making them stiff and harder to take off, but they didn't rip and rend, though as super-strength combined with passion that was hard. So was he, so hard for her and she exulted at the feel of him back where he belonged, in her hands, lips and ultimately her body. He worshiped every inch of her, and delighted in her sheer power and her passion for him. Need drove them to the peak, as the remaining adrenaline from the fight fuelled their fire, before both fell asleep entwined in each other's arms.

Neither was allowed to rest for long. It wasn't the Hellmouth this time. It was the telephone, one of the more useful inventions Spike had seen in his decades of existence, but not at that moment the most welcome. The loud ring roused both warriors and Spike stumbled to the phone, his hair a riot of curls and happily naked.

Buffy shouted, "Is it Giles, or Wesley?"

"Dunno, pet, give us a minute. No new messages on the machine, so let's hope, eh?" It wasn't either Watcher. It was the hospital. Spike's face fell, and he muttered, "Coming. I'm coming right over."

Buffy came out wrapped in a sheet. "What's up? You look awful. It's not Giles? Please don't let it be Giles!"

"'S not Giles. Good news off him earlier, remember? Not Wes neither. It's the hospital, luv. You remember Ethel. Nice old bird. I took you to meet her."

"Yes, she was nice. I liked, I very liked."

"She's going. Only got a couple of hours. She's put me down as next of kin, which was a shock when she asked me. Poor old girl hasn't got anyone else, I suppose. Got to go. Can't let her go off alone. Wouldn't be right. 'S all right. I'll be ok. You stay here. Get some rest. You deserve it."

Buffy drew herself up to her full barely over five-foot height, and despite the handicap of only wearing a somewhat messy sheet, commanded, "No. I'm coming with. We're a couple. Couples do that sort of thing, I think. They support each other. I'm coming with you, Spike. I'm not letting you lose anyone you cared for on your own."

He looked up at her, tilted his head, and said, "You are?"

She nodded firmly and said, "But I think you better put some clothes on, or we'll be in the police station for indecency before we get to the hospital."

"You too, luv. But your shirt and stuff - 's all bloody."

"The jeans, not so bad, I think. Not the best, but the blue stains could be painting - late painting admittedly - and do a distract-y bit for the bloodstains. I'll just have to borrow one of your extensive selection of black shirts for the rest of me. Now! Clothes!"

He kissed her, said, "Thank you, really, pet." and they both raided his meagre wardrobe, before heading out to the hospital.

As they walked towards the hospital Spike smacked his forehead. This worried Buffy who grabbed his hand before he could do it again, and she asked, "What's up? No hitting yourself, we decided, remember? No hitting other than the bad guys, for either of us."

He sighed ruefully, "How about having an idiot exemption clause. I forgot to call Giles and Wes to tell 'em it's Spike and the Scoobies 1, Hydra 0, with no need for injury time. They'll kill me."

"Very probably, but my bad too. I shouldn't have wanted to 'patrol', or 'have coffee' so much. Bad Buffy. But, hey, solution!" She took the small mobile phone out of the pocket of his button-down shirt, where she'd stashed it, and handed it to him.

"Thanks, but it'll cost a fortune, pet, transatlantic an' all."

"We'll just have to stay in. Watch videos with the guys, do a little patrol, have coffee at home. Save our money," Buffy said huskily.

"Sounds a real hardship." Spike's voice went even deeper.

"Oh yes, but I think we'll just have to suffer. It's all for a good cause after all."

"And we're like the good guys, right?"

"Oh yes. Now, phone Giles!" Buffy ordered.

"And Wes, pet. Can't forget Wes."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "No, unfortunately not."

"Pet, please. You did say you'd give him a chance, and he's a mate."

"The things I do for you."

"I'll make it all worthwhile, you know I will," Spike promised.

"Counting on it. Phone!"

Spike tried, but both machines were on so he left messages. "Thanks, luv. No long chat, so should mean we can maybe afford the back row at the pictures."

"We promised Dawn the new Harry Potter. I think we'll have to wait for that. But it'll be worth it," Buffy said trying to distract him from the sad mission they were on.

"Promise, pet?" Spike in liquid chocolate voice.

"You can even have popcorn," Buffy tried for perky/sultry.

"Sticky salty buttery popcorn?" Spike raised the stakes.

"Very sticky, with nachos - and dip." Buffy won.

Spike kissed her. "Sorted, luv."

Then they got to the hospital.

Buffy held Spike's hand as he checked the latest information, before they were led to Ethel's bedside. She was desperately thin, tubes fed the beyond hope painkillers into her veins, and her breathing was harsh, but she was still conscious. She saw Spike, smiled bravely and said, "You came."

Spike took her hand carefully to avoid the tubes, sniffed hard, and tried to smile at her. "Couldn't have kept me away from my best girl."

"I know... and it's kept me going... having someone... to talk to. Not been anyone... to talk to... long time."

"Know that feeling, luv. You've helped keep me going too. Meant a lot, having you to talk to, and want to talk to me. You know that?" Spike said stroking her hand gently.

Ethel squinted trying to see him through failing eyes. "Yes, I do... Spike. Made all the difference... not being alone...having a friend... who cares."

"I do, Ethel. Don't go, please. I'm gonna miss you, luv." Spike bit his lip to hold back the tears as he leant closer to the dying woman. Buffy stood next to him holding his other hand in support.

"Me too. But...not got... much of a choice. Time... for rest now. But...need to tell... you. I fixed it... same time... as next-of-kin... I'm leaving everything... all I had... to you."

Spike's head pulled back in shock and he said, " But you can't. I don't deserve it."

Ethel continued, to get it all out before the end, "It's not much... small condo... some jewellery... T-Bills's... stocks that don't... seem to have done so good... last couple a years.... But I've left it to you."

"Ethel, it's too much," Spike said.

Ethel said between laboured breaths, "Spike, I do what I want... Lived my life that way.... Dumb to stop now. I want... Got no one else... to leave it to.... It was going... to the cat shelter.... It'll do you... and your gal... more good.... Only cat shelter I ever saw with... no kittens." Buffy coughed. Spike looked embarrassed.

"But, I dunno what to say. 's a shock, and no mistake. But, thank you, Ethel. You know I didn't expect nothing but a bit of good company. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, Spike. That's why... you're the right person... to leave it to. Now... stop...protesting. Hurts so much... not got long now.... Talk to me... about the Cotton Club... Robert Johnson... all of them. Silly really... gonna see them soon... but I'd like to go... listening to your voice... and back in my... glory days... not a worn out... old woman."

Spike reached up and kissed her forehead. He said, "Never, pet. You're my best girl." Buffy squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back. Spike started talking about the music of the '20's and '30's with cracks in his voice, but he did it for his friend, as she slumped back in the bed exhausted by the effort of talking.

He carried on talking as she slipped into unconsciousness and only stopped when the monitors screeched as she finally slipped away. Then he stood up, kissed her eyelids, and whispered a cracked, "Goodbye, luv. Gonna miss you."

Buffy led him out of the room as the medical staff rushed in. Then there were the endless forms to be filled in by the next of kin for Spike to attend to, before they could leave. Ethel's room hadn't had windows, and neither had the office where he'd signed the forms. But when they got to the big almost empty hospital lobby the sun was well up. Spike took one look at the sunshine, sighed, turned to Buffy, and said, "You go on home. I gotta take the tunnels, with all the other shit."

Buffy gripped his hands and looked at him. "You.Are.Not. a 'shit'. Why this? I know you're upset about Ethel, but it was her time. She was in pain; she's not anymore. Remember, I know." She smiled at him.

"Sorry, Buffy. But, you know, I'm a vampire."

"Not in danger of forgetting that any time soon."

"Me neither, but I'm a vampire. I've slaughtered my way across continents. The blood's on my hands, and it can never come off. I'm staining you." He went to pull away from her, but she pulled him by the hand into an empty corner of the room.

"Spike, no. Stop it. You're not! Hey, Slayer here. Got enough blood of my own to cope with! But what's changed. You were all upset about Carolyn, but she was young and maybe we all could have done better. Don't you think I know that one? But why are you beating yourself up over Ethel? Coz I won't let you! Talk to me, Spike, please."

"Carolyn's not your fault - 's mine." He sniffed and exhaled hard before continuing, "It's hard, luv. I killed, for decades on decades. I enjoyed it, didn't I. I gave death at a whim. I cut down lives at their start and finish, to them in pain and those that loved life. Didn't matter, it was all fun. Now... now I had to watch someone who'd have welcomed death as a release from the pain drift away, and all I could do was watch! I could have sunk my fangs in her neck and stopped that pain in a heartbeat. But I didn't, did I! I couldn't give her that quick death when I've given it to thousands! Cos it would be wrong! Bloody soul. The one sodding time I'd be happy to fight the pain to bite and I can't do it, cos I don't ever want to kill again. I don't think I ever could, Buffy. It's so bloody hard. Why's it all so hard?"

"Life, Spike. Life sucks sometimes. None of us wanna see those we love in pain. I think everyone's tempted to give an easy way out, or at least think about it. You've got fangs and practice, of course you're gonna give it a thought. When you see someone you love, more than anything, in pain then you think about it." Buffy started to cry. "Don't you think that when Mom was in such pain and didn't know who she was, and I thought she was going to die that it never crossed my mind that I'm a killer, and I could spare her all that pain."

"Buffy, luv. Come here." Spike drew her into his arms, and wiped her tears.

"But I'd never have done it. I couldn't. I loved her and would never ever have hurt her, even to stop the pain, coz I couldn't have lost her. I thought it, so did you. You couldn't do it either," she sniffed "But, hey, just shows you're human, sort of, or that the soul's working like it should anyhow. And it shows that we're the same," she said, buried in his shoulder.

"Sniffling messes in a hospital lobby, pet?" Spike said, wiping away a tear from his own face.

She looked up. "Yep. Messy, tired, red-eyed, sniffle-y, but I wouldn't change you."

He brought his head back to look at her quizzically. "You wouldn't?"

She frowned. "No, Spike, I love you. Why'd I want to change you?"

His eyes widened in amazement. "You love me? You really do?"

"Yes. I said so didn't I? Oh My God, I said it. I really said it! And I meant it. Bloody Hell!" Buffy said in shock at her own words.

"I'm rubbing off on you, pet." Spike said with a massive grin.

"Yes, you are, and that's your cue, mister." Buffy frowned.

He kissed her and said, "Buffy, I love you, and always will."

She smiled up at him and kissed him back. "Good to hear. Let's go home."

"My place?" Spike asked.

"No, mine. You need looking after right now. I need clean clothes. I need you. I want you in my bed," she said firmly.

"Buffy, you sure?" He asked, barely able to believe it.

She led him out of the lobby towards the hospital basement service tunnels and said, "You know the way. Come on, the fastest we're through the tunnels the faster we can get you home, and we can both get some rest."

They walked home; she exited the tunnel first to open the door to him. The he did a quick dash to the door, stomped out his smouldering jacket, and they walked up the stairs, together, to the Master Bedroom.

She led him to her bed, the one place she'd always denied him, but which she wanted to no longer. They eased the clothes off each other slowly; all the time kissing and re-claiming skin without breaking it. At last they stood naked and together in the half-light from the closed curtains. He reached for her and they fell onto the bed kissing and caressing each other, giving pleasure as a gift not taking it as a right.

The passion was still there, but so was the compassion. They took their time and built each other to peak after peak of pleasure before finally joining as one. The pleasure each found within the others' embrace healed some of the wounds each had inflicted on the other, and as they came together for the last time they were at last able to rest, together.

They fell asleep in each other's arms, satiated in body, victorious in battle, and having re-forged a new relationship from the ashes of the furnace that had tempered both.

 

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