Chapter: Chapter Twenty Four – The Confrontation

Author: Queen Akasha

Rating: NC17 in some chapters

Summary: B/S. Season Seven. (As it should be, by Queen A)

Disclaimer: The new season just got started, and already there are reruns? I was feeling pretty grateful to Joss (especially for Beneath You) but now I'm kinda pissed at him. Personally, the only thing that will bring him back into my good graces is 24-7 BtVS. That's right, a channel that is All Buffy, All The Time. (Oh, and all new, too!!) Of course, the channel must be Spike-centric, and everyone has to love him, and be nice to him, and there must be Spuffiness every hour. Is everyone with me?????

Spoilers: This is my fictional season seven. Anything up to the end of S6 is fair game. I'm Alternate Universe from about "Normal Again." (Spike didn't get his soul)

Distribution: If you want, take. If you tell me, I'll send you updates. >)

Willow let go of Tara and stood to face Flagg. "Let her go!" she ground out between clenched teeth, calling her power to her, letting it fill her, and feeling it sparking between her finger tips.

Flagg nodded. "Very impressive, witch," he said. "When I first started out, I don't think I had as much power as you do now. However," he amended, "I've been in the game a long time, and you know what they say, a new broom sweeps clean," he grabbed Willow by the throat, heedless of the energy she tried to hail on him, "but an old one knows the corners." He laughed as he tossed her hard into the corner of her room. "Get it?" he asked Dawn. "Knows the corners?"

Dawn looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. Flagg sighed. No-one got his jokes lately. Maybe he needed more current material?

He watched Willow struggle to rise, despite her obvious injuries. "Gelu," Flagg said casually, and Willow was immobile. Tara stood watching him calmly.

"So, ladies," Flagg said, "now that I have your attention, I need your help with a small project of mine." He giggled. Dawn felt like she was pressed up against a void, a nothing with form. She struggled, but Flagg held her firmly. "Now, now," he said, holding her with one arm while he stroked her hair with the other hand. "Don't fret, sweetheart," he said, grinning. Dawn saw his eyes change colour, and somehow they seemed to swirl in a very revolting manner. "It won't hurt," he said quietly, "MUCH!" The hand that had been stroking her hair suddenly clutched it with much force, yanking her head back and causing her to cry out in agony. "After all, I just need you to do what you were created to do. Just open a door for me. Such a small thing, really," he wheedled, holding Dawn against him and striding around the room. Willow watched helplessly as Flagg stopped in front of Tara. "And what's behind door number three?" he asked her, reaching out to push her out of the way.

Suddenly, a ripping, tearing noise sounded overhead. Dawn and Willow looked up in time to see a huge clawed foot descend through the roof, tearing up bits of drywall and studs. It hooked the rafter on its way back up, and tore that out as well, leaving a large gaping hole in the roof.

Buffy and Spike jumped down into Willow's room to face Flagg. "Like to pick on little girls, do you?" Buffy asked Flagg conversationally. "Why don't you try me on for size?"

*Buffy, I don't think you can hurt him,* Spike said in her mind. *He's too powerful.*

*Gotta try,* she shot back, unleashing a spinning leg kick at Flagg, meaning to knock him off his feet. Flagg just laughed, muttered under his breath, and apparated to the other side of the room, still holding Dawn.

"Wanna play tag, Slayer?" he teased, flashing in to give her a backhand across the head before disappearing and reappearing out of her range.

Buffy kept trying gamely, but Flagg continued the disappearing act, popping in and out, getting a hit in on her every time. Spike watched carefully, waiting, judging, and finally Flagg disappeared and appeared directly in front of him. Spike swiftly grabbed Dawn from Flagg's clutches and backed away with her to stand beside Buffy, who had ended up next to Willow against the wall.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Flagg screamed. "Damn you to HELL, Spike."

"Too bloody late," Spike replied, shielding Dawn with his body. "Someone's already done that."

Flagg stood still, getting his emotions in check, assembling his energy, muttering to himself. Buffy could actually feel the power growing around him.

*What do we do, Spike,* she asked silently. *How do we fight him?*

*I don't know, love,* he replied. *We can't fight better than him, we can't do better magic than him. We need some kind of edge, something he can't do, some kind of, ......., that's IT!*

His idea exploded in Buffy's brain, fully formed. She wasn't sure if it would work, but it was their best, and maybe only, shot.

Buffy and Spike helped Willow to stand. She was injured and still moved stiffly, but, with Flagg concentrating on gathering his mo-jo, his spell on her seemed to have worn off.

"Take her to Tara," Buffy whispered to Dawn. "When I say."

Dawn nodded, and took Willow from Buffy and Spike.

Buffy and Spike clasped hands, and turned towards Flagg.

"Flagg," Buffy said conversationally, "how do you feel about love?"

Outside, JB smiled.
 

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Giles and Xander stared in awe. The being under the streetlight was like nothing they could have imagined. He appeared to be an extraordinarily handsome man in the prime of his life. His features were perfect. His milky skin would've rivaled Spike's for paleness, and his jet black hair made a striking contrast. Everything about him, though, appeared to be a tad larger than normal. The phrase 'larger than life' might have been coined about him.

He nodded in a civilized manner to Giles and Xander, and smiled at Anya. She smiled back. He then turned his attention to the two large black men in front of him, standing stiffly. Behind them, demons and dragons fought.

"Boys," he said in a low mellifluous voice, "what's wrong? Can't you two just get along? Celex, what's the problem?"

Celex hung his head, looking strangely like a small boy chastened by an elder. The new arrival turned to JB.

"Jebex? Will you tell me what is going on here?"

JB pointed at Celex. "HE," he emphasized, "is trying to end the world by helping FLAGG." He sounded somewhat like a tattling child, and Anya had to hide a smile.

"Celex, Celex, Celex," the entity shook his head. "You know better than that."

Xander spoke up. "You don't want to end the world?"

The being chuckled. "No. Far from it. My job is to protect this and all possible worlds. But, I sense there's no time. My erstwhile priest has caused considerable difficulties for you and your friends," he directed his words to Giles. "I have let him get away with much, as I felt I owed him a great debt. He saved my sons at the cost of his own. But this, this is unforgivable. He really must be stopped this time."

"Father," JB ventured, "could you, just this once,.....,"

JB's father interrupted. "You know better than that, son," he said. "I cannot intervene – cannot cause a reaction. I can only watch."

Suddenly, JB's head came up, and he smiled. "You may not have to intervene," he said. "I think they figured it out."
 

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"Love," Flagg spat, as if the word were a curse. "There's no such thing, you know. Everyone says it – 'I LOVE you, I can't live without you,' but really, everyone only loves themselves. And that isn't love , that's just selfishness. No one being truly loves another."

"Not so, Flagg," said Spike, meeting Flagg's eyes for the first time. "The Slayer and me, we love each other. Willow and Tara," he nodded at the witch and the vision, "they love each other. And we all love Dawn." He smiled at Dawn, standing behind them with Willow.

"NO!" screamed Flagg, holding his head. "You don't! You don't really. You don't know what love is! There's no such thing!!"

"Actually," said Buffy, "I think YOU don't know what love is. Would you like to feel it?"

She and Spike let all their feelings for one another come to the surface. Without shame, without pride, without any other emotion, they felt their love. Truly and completely. They felt it, and they joined it together. And they projected their feelings towards Flagg. Flagg stood still, shaking his head. Buffy nodded at Dawn, gesturing towards Tara. Dawn helped Willow cautiously around Flagg. Tara reached out her arms and held Willow, who still held Dawn.

"Can you feel this, Flagg?" Buffy asked. "It's love. It truly is."

Flagg's body started shaking, and he backed away from Buffy and Spike, towards the three girls. Buffy and Spike, still holding hands, crowded towards him, until the five of them could encircle Flagg. All five then reached for each other, holding hands, Buffy to Spike to Dawn to Tara to Willow back to Buffy, with Flagg in the center.

*It's love,* said Tara gently.

"Love," Willow echoed.

"Love," Dawn agreed.

"We love one another," Buffy said.

"Can you feel it?" Spike asked. "Can you feel the love?"

"NOOOOOO!" Flagg cried, holding his head. "Stop this, right now. This instant. Stop this,...., this love," he said, sinking to his knees. His body seemed to become transparant.

"Do you want us to love you too?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, PLEASE, no," Flagg sobbed, suddenly pumping his arm in the air and crying "Abscedere!" Instantly, the center of their circle was empty, except for Flagg's garments, belling out onto the floor.

"Where'd he go?" Dawn asked.

"Far away," said JB from the door. "And I hope he stays there for a long, long time."

"So," Dawn said, "you guys love each other, huh?"

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TBC
 

Still not over – we need some more explanations don't you think?

>)