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********************
"Buffy!" Xander cried. Buffy punched once more then turned in time to catch
the chair Xander had thrown at her. She smashed it to the ground and threw one of
the legs to Angel, spun around to stake a vampire that was jumping at her. Having
done that she threw the makeshift stake to Spike, grabbed the next two and threw
one back to Xander. She glanced to make sure he was doing all right and then looked
for her next victim.
Angel was exchanging blows with two. She pushed someone out of her way as gently
as she could and jumped into a kick, knocking one of them right into her boyfriend.
He held up his "stake" just in time and the vampire burst into dust. He
nodded at her and she turned away, knowing he would be fine with the one he had left.
Her eyes landed on Jewel valiantly battling a vampire for a shrieking pre-teen. She
shook her head and ran over, blocking the vampire’s attempted blow to Jewel’s head.
She looked confused and tried to get around Buffy but Jewel stepped back, pulling
the other girl with her and let Buffy get in to fight. The Slayer delivered a roundhouse
kick to the vampire’s abdomen, then spun around, exchanging punches. The vampire
managed to sweep her feet out, but Buffy rolled and came up easily, delivering a
scissor kick to the vampire’s head and then flipping her over Buffy’s shoulder to
the ground.
"Jewel," Buffy called, seeing a young man about to become vampire-fodder.
The singer raced over and Buffy handed her the stake. "Heart," she ordered.
She left, hoping Jewel could do it and grabbed the vampire’s head as it bent it to
boy’s neck. She snapped it back and he let go of the young man, who stumbled away
in shock. Buffy punched the vampire solidly, yanking his head down and around. He
got over the shock and tried to grab her but she succeeded in holding him an arm’s
length away. For a little while at least. Long enough for Willow to come up from
behind and smash a glass over his head. He slumped to the floor. The friends shared
a smile and then Buffy spun around, looking for more. Seeing yet another emergency,
up on stage, she ran off and leaped up, ready to fight.
********************
"Bollux," Spike muttered as some hysterical girl latched on to his arm.
"Save me!" she screamed. "Save me!"
"Just be quiet," he told her crossly, trying to figure out how to shake
her off without hurting and her and surprise the nearest vampire.
"Please," she sobbed. He rolled his eyes.
"Dear God," he muttered and pointed her towards a table. "Go hide,"
he instructed firmly. Sobbing, she did as she was told, leaving him to fight. He
did, coming up behind a vampire and kicking him in the back. He stumbled forward
and spun to face Spike, who recognized him as one they’d picked up a few weeks before…Kris
or something.
"Traitor," Kris cried at him. Spike sighed.
"Cut the crap," he told him. "I’m not a bloody traitor, I’m just on
the right side now that’s all. Shall we have a debate about it or shall we fight?"
Fight seemed to be the answer of choice, because Kris attacked. Spike blocked his
first punch, and threw a right hook into the other vampire’s eye. He ducked the next
jab, jab, hook combination and drove a fist into Kris’s stomach. In a human, that
would knock the air out of them, but no such luck in a vampire. He stumbled back
slightly and then brought a heavy blow down on Spike’s head. Spike let himself fall
to the ground, then spun, knocking out Kris’s feet. He rolled up and kicked Kris
in the side a couple of times, and then in the head. He motioned Oz, who had some
kind of stake-like object over and turned to find another foe.
There was a moment of calm as his eyes took in all the little battles around the
room. Buffy was fighting someone up on the stage, Angel and Xander were finishing
off another, several high schoolers had teamed up and seemed to be doing pretty well.
Willow was muttering a spell from a corner. But where was Drusilla?
And where was Jewel?
"William!" a shriek pierced the noise and Spike spun, his heart convulsing.
He saw them—Drusilla had Jewel tight in her grip. As he watched with horror, unable
to move, the insane vampire spun Jewel around and caught her eyes. Though he couldn’t
hear her, he knew her words, knew the singsong voice and though he couldn’t see Jewel’s
eyes, he knew the glassy look that was beginning to appear.
All of a sudden his movement came back. "No!" he screamed, shoving aside
anyone in his way. "Jewel!" The room seemed to slow, and he felt as if
every step took hours. Drusilla could kill her. She would kill her.
He stopped a few feet away as Drusilla spoke to him, not taking her eyes from Jewel’s.
"I could kill her Spike. Should I? You wouldn’t be happy with that would you?"
"Dru, don’t do this," Spike warned. Dru swayed softly back and forth and
Jewel did the same. If he attacked, Drusilla could kill Jewel before he could stop
her.
"Why not?" she asked with a pout. "You don’t love me anymore. You
love her. Why shouldn’t I kill her?"
"Because I’d hate you forever and I’d punish you. No more tea or cookies ever,
no more dolls to play with. Not even Sunshine," Spike warned, trying to control
the utter panic that gripped him. He had to trick her, use her child-like mind against
her. "Now be good," he said soothingly. "Be good and come here to
Daddy."
"You’re not my Daddy!" Drusilla cried, then in a softer, sad tone, "My
Daddy is bad now too. You all left me, all my daddies."
"I haven’t left you love," Spike reassured her, hating himself for deceiving
her, hating what he had to do to her. She was evil and yet…she couldn’t help it.
She was what she had been made to be. Once she had been a beautiful, good young woman
and now she was a creature of darkness, her mind forever that of a child.
"Really Spike? You do love me?"
"Always," he told her and somehow, that wasn’t a lie. He did love her,
in a way. It was more of a pitiful kind of love, a parent for a child they know they
can’t save, but he did love her. At the word, Drusilla’s face lit into a smile and
she almost stepped toward him, almost released Jewel. Then she stopped.
"What if you’re lying. You love her, maybe you’re just trying to save her,"
she murmured.
"Dru—" he began, but she cut him off.
"Better just kill her anyway, and then we’ll have more fun at our party,"
she said and in one second Spike’s entire being convulsed and he leapt forward, seeing
her long fingernail flashing out, moving toward Jewel’s pale neck and then the impact
of wood in flesh and Dru’s eyes left Jewel’s and met him. Her hand moved up, ever
so slightly, towards his face and the pain and love in her eyes, for just one moment,
wasn’t childish at all. And then she was gone, into dust. Jewel slumped down and
Spike barely caught her, still held by the eyes of the woman he had loved for a century
and more.
"William," Jewel whispered. He looked at her, really looked and knew he
had done what needed to be done, and that he would choose this woman, that he held
in his hands any day of that century.
"You’re safe," he murmured, reassuring her as best he knew how, and himself
too. When he thought he would lose her again, after just finding her…his elegant
fingers caressed her face. "You’re safe."
"Is everyone all right?" Jewel asked. He helped her up, his arms still
encircling her protectively. They looked around. Most of the vampire were dead or
knocked out and the few that were left were trying to flee now that Drusilla was
dead. Killed by the hand of the man she loved. Vampire she loved.
"I think so," Spike replied.
"Are you all right?" Jewel asked, reaching up to bring his eyes back to
hers. She must have seen some of the pain there, because she pulled his face down
to her shoulder and kissed his hair, murmuring, "I love you." Spike turned
his face to catch her lips, her sweet, soft lips.
"Sing for me," he whispered, swallowing hard. And so she sang, in that
dark crowded room, and all the people around, scared or triumphant or tired, listened
and knew that whatever happened, love would always banish fear.
********************
"You know, this always happens," Buffy complained later as they
all left the Bronze, satisfied everyone was all right or being taken care of.
"What?" Jewel asked, never loosening her tight grip on Spike’s hand.
"Vampire attacks," Xander answered. "In for a night at the Bronze,
those lousy vamps never fail to make an appearance. And they don’t even pay the cover!"
"Yeah, none of them gave me any tips," Jewel sighed, a half smile on her
face.
"It’s the Hellmouth," Oz said.
"Yep," Buffy agreed, glancing up at Angel.
"Yeah," he agreed, catching her eyes and smiling despite himself.
"Glad we’re all agreed," Xander remarked wryly. Buffy swatted at him with
her free hand but he dodged out of the way.
"I kinda like Sunnydale actually," Jewel said quietly after a moment of
silence. She glanced sidelong at Spike to gauge his reaction. He was smiling.
"It has it’s moments," he replied. "Bloody great town." Their
eyes met and both smiled.
"So are you staying?" Willow asked hopefully. There was a moment and then
together, Jewel and Spike nodded.
"I think so," she said, as he replied, "Well blast me if we aren’t."
They laughed softly, happy to be in agreement, happy to be together.
"Well gosh, glad that’s settled!" Xander exclaimed. "Who’s for candy?"
Buffy laughed.
"We better go tell Giles that he doesn’t have to spend anymore time worrying
about Drusilla’s next move," she pointed out. Xander wrinkled his nose.
"Spoil my fun!" he exclaimed, imitating the Slayer. She laughed and let
Angel draw him to her for a kiss. Xander rolled his eyes in mock-disgust.
"To the library then," Spike said softly, drawing Jewel to him as well.
She linked her arms around his neck.
"And after that," she murmured, "who knows where?"
"Anywhere," he replied softly, and leaned down to kiss her beneath the
stars.