"What
the hell are you doing here, Spike," Riley snarled as the vampire
entered the Magic Box. His anger at Buffy for not allowing him to look
after her needed an outlet and the vampire fit the bill perfectly.
Rolling his eyes in contempt while sneering in derision, the blond
moved further into the shop, ignoring the soldier's question and
focusing his attention on the individual he was actually there to see.
"Came across a group of Cerillian Sluggoth Demons last night, Watcher.
They seemed to be right protective over this book," he stated calmly,
handing the book to the intrigued Brit.
"What is it?" Willow asked in interest from her seat at the table.
Spike shook his head and shrugged slightly before contributing the
little he did know. "Only looked at the title on the front page. 'The
Immortal Slayer: She That Is Chosen After Death.' Figured you lot
would want it."
Riley snorted in derision as he looked over Giles' shoulder. "That
could say anything. It's not even in English. Why should we believe
anything you say?" His voice dripped with condescension.
"What's the matter, Cardboard? Can't you read ancient Sumerian? Bloody
lucky for the Slayer that the Watcher can, then. Innit?" Spike smirked.
Stupid bloody pillock made it so easy to mock him.
"Thank you, Spike. This looks fascinating." Giles automatically, if
somewhat distractedly, expressed his gratitude. Inherent good manners
forming his words as his mind focused on the book in his hands.
Spike was not the only one that looked at the Watcher in shock. It was
a rare thing for any of them to actually thank the vampire for anything
he did; rare as in 'never'. Not that he deserved their thanks, or that
he'd ever done anything to warrant it was the primary thought of the
majority of the group. It's not like they did anything wrong in their
treatment of him...was it?
Concerned with the thoughtful expressions of the group, Riley was quick
to speak up. "You can leave now, Spike. We'll take it from here."
Ignoring the blustering commando, Spike stared at the training room
door and cocked his head to the side. He kept his gaze firmly focused
on the door as he spoke. "Slayer? What's going on in the back?"
"Huh?" Buffy asked inelegantly before following his gaze to the
entrance of the room in question.
A white glow seemed to illuminate the edges of the door; seeping
through the cracks.
Buffy let her senses out. She felt no threat emanating from the room.
Instead, she felt a benign presence that called to her inner slayer.
Her cautious step forward was stalled as the front door to the Magic
Box opened and a voice called for her to wait.
Looking over her shoulder she saw Cordelia Chase standing by the open
door, signalling someone outside the shop to enter. Angel darted in,
quickly followed by Wesley Wyndham-Pryce and Joyce and Dawn Summers.
Buffy looked from one face to the next in total confusion. What in the
hell was going on here?
"Apparently some stupid demons brought in a Book of Power that's not
meant to be in this dimension yet, and they've screwed with the time
line, or some such crap. Some Goddess of Warriors has to fix the
problem. But she can't come here directly, something about her actual
presence allowing the First Evil access. So, long story short, she
needs a pure conduit to actually talk to us." Cordelia explained in a
bored voice. She couldn't believe she'd been dragged back to this
crappy little town. Could her life suck more?
Giles removed his glasses, cleaning them as he asked his question.
"What exactly is it that Buffy is meant to do?"
Cordelia snickered in amusement. "Did you miss the pure bit? Happiness
Girl is so not the conduit."
"We are NOT using Dawn," Buffy snarled; her anger at the ex-cheerleader
only slightly more intense than her embarrassment at the brunette's
words. Angel and Riley in the same room was bad enough. Any mention of
happiness-giving was in all likelihood enough to cause the ex-commando
to implode. The only bright spot she was relieved to note was Spike's
apparent lack of snark. She was really glad that, for once, she didn't
have to deal with him, too.
"It's not her either. It's some pure white Wiccan. Tasha? Tamara?"
Cordelia shrugged an elegant shoulder. "Whatever. Starts with T, ends
with A."
All Sunnydale eyes turned towards the shy dishwater blonde.
"I believe the name you are looking for, Cordelia, is Tara," Giles
remarked gently; speculatively eyeing the silent witch.
Unwilling to stay in Sunnydale any longer than necessary, Cordelia
broke the silence that had overtaken the group. "Okay! So,
what's-her-name has to go into the back room and sorta commune with the
Goddess, then we can go in, find out what all the panic is about, fix
it, then return to our regularly scheduled lives." With a dismissive
snort at Xander, she couldn't help but add, "Well, those of us that
have one, anyway." It was amazing how Sunnydale managed to bring out
the worst in her.
"Ah yes, you get to work for dead boy, be still my jealous heart,"
Xander mocked sarcastically.
He almost lost his poise completely when Spike spluttered with
surprised but genuine laughter at the boy's comment. His pride kicked
into overdrive at the monumental first. He, Xander Harris, had told a
joke that made the bleached one laugh in actual amusement...and no
actual
blood had been shed in the process. Whoda thunk it?
Angel's snarled response for Spike to shut up instantly raised Xander's
hackles. He may hate the blonde menace, but it was with nowhere near
the intensity that he felt for the brunette. "At least he's got a sense
of humour, brood boy, what have you got other than one facial
expression and an over-excessive reliance on gel?"
This time there was no mistaking the gales of laughter that came from
the weeping vampire who was almost rolling on the floor in mirth, nor
the fact that Dawn and Giles joined him. Joyce was a little more
circumspect in her tittering.
Spike wiped the tears from his face and spoke to Xander with surprising
sincerity. "Whelp, my admiration for you just keeps bloody growing!"
"Yeah, yeah! Enough already, people, can we just get on with it. The
quicker I'm out of this hell hole, the happier I'll be," Cordelia
snapped tiredly. She hated the fact that five minutes back in the
company of the Scoobies and she was channelling her younger, bitchier
self.
Tara smiled shyly at Willow, rose from her seat at the table, and moved
serenely towards the door to the training room. She could hear the
Goddess beckoning her.
The rest of the room watched her go. Something about her keeping them
all quiet. Something regal...pure...powerful.
The minutes ticked by. They waited.
When the silent call came, it was clear to all of them. As one they
faced the door and headed in that direction.
The training room had been transformed. Sterile walls of white
surrounded them. The walls met seamlessly with the floor and ceiling
giving the illusion that the rectangular room was now circular. Seats
dotted around the room, no two adjacent.
Tara stood in the centre, garbed in a flowing white robe that matched
the room exactly, making it seem as if her head and hands were not
connected to anything - a bizarre version of Alice's Cheshire Cat. A
power radiated from her, one that demanded respect and reverence.
With silent gestures, the white Wiccan directed them to their places
around the room.
Pointing to the book that Giles still held, Tara started to speak.
"This is the reason I call you here." Her voice echoed musically
through the room; a symphonic harmony of sounds with melodic vibrations
that sang to them all.
"It is good that you have it already. It saves much time." She nodded
her head at Spike, clearly indicating that he was the one to thank.
"Each one of you is here to help my beloved Chosen One. Some of what I
need to say will be heard first only by her, but each one of you has a
part to play. The entire balance of the universe relies on this
meeting. On all of you.
Not surprisingly both Angel and Riley had the same thought – 'Then
what the hell is Spike doing here?'
Tara looked first at Angel and then at Riley. "There is a reason."
Turning to face Buffy, Tara directed her next comments to her. "You
fear to love truly, dear one. You fear the pain of rejection, of loss.
You hide the truth away from yourself and your loved ones. You deny
your feelings, your nature, and your fears from all. You love your
friends and family but do not trust them with your innermost desires.
You fear that they will judge you and find you wanting. You fear their
disappointment, disapproval, rejection. You settle for that which you
do not desire, because you believe it pleases them. There is a flaw in
your thinking, childe. If they truly loved you; they would accept all
of you."
Buffy cringed. Her eyes looked everywhere but into the eyes of her
companions. She couldn't bear to see the disappointment in their eyes
and she didn't doubt for a moment that it would be there.
"You still doubt your worth? Think hard, Childe. Do you know who you
are? Do you know who they are? Do you know the depths of their
thoughts? Or understand exactly who it is that you are allowing the
right to dictate the life you are leading? Let us see what the others
think, shall we?" With a wave of her hand Tara whispered a truth into
the Slayer's mind, 'they
will only hear their own response, will only speak the absolute truth,
and will not remember that they have spoken once they are done.'
Buffy wasn't at all convinced that she was ready for the absolute truth
from every other person in the room. It kinda put a damper on the whole
living in Egypt thing she had goin' on.
"Who is Buffy Summers and what does she deserve?" The Conduit to the
Higher Power spoke loudly, her voice echoing forcefully. Pointing to
Dawn, she urged the girl to speak.
"She's the sister of my mind and the mother of my body. She is my
family; my guardian; my protector; my friend; my hero. She's the one
who drives me nuts and who I annoy with pleasure. I admire her and I'm
jealous of her. I want to be her, or as much like her as possible.
She's Buffy, and I love her. She deserves a love that loves her with
the depth that she loves." Dawn lapsed into silence, not knowing that
she had spoken at all.
"What did she mean by 'sister of her mind and the mother of her
body'?" Buffy asked huskily, blinking back tears from her sister's
unexpected and moving commentary.
"The monks made her from you, technically that makes you her mother."
The Wiccan answered with a grin.
Buffy snorted before sarcastically asking who the father was.
Tara smiled secretively. "He is here. He knows you better than anyone."
Refusing to say more, the Conduit pointed to Joyce.
"Buffy is my daughter; my greatest achievement. She is temperamental,
stubborn, and not always truthful. She avoids or denies anything that
she doesn't want to know or is afraid to know. She is kind, loving, and
fiercely protective. She is beautiful and antagonistic. She has my
pride and my heart. I love her with a ferocity that sometimes scares
me, and she deserves to be loved for every idiosyncrasy, completely and
entirely, good and bad. She has earned every blessing that this world
can give her."
Tara waited for Buffy to compose herself before turning her finger to
Giles.
"Buffy is not only my slayer, she is the daughter of my heart. Her
dedication to duty holds my pride and my fear. Each night that she
patrols, I fear for her safety. Never knowing if this will be the night
I will lose her. My heart aches with the thought. I fear for her heart.
Her desperate need to remain in a black and white world will surely
break her heart one day. Or her mind. Her conviction that Angel and
Angelus are two separate individuals is cemented because she dare not
believe anything else. Anything else would open the door on the
possibility that Angel is not the perfect love that she thinks him to
be. She could not face knowing that her hero was not all that she
believes. Not a hero at all. She deserves so much better than she has
now."
Buffy studiously ignored the content of her watcher's speech as she
blandly commented, "Sheesh, even his speeches sound like a journal
entry."
Tara lifted a delicate eyebrow but refrained from commenting, instead
she calmly moved her finger to Willow.
"Buffy is so beautiful and peppy and confident that I just feel good
being with her. She's my best friend and I want to help her. Buffy
deserves the life she wants. If I could just work out how to do it, I
could take over for her. Working with Giles. And then Buffy could have
that normal life with the white picket fence and normal husband and 2.2
kids. I could make things so much better, and Buffy wouldn't ever have
to worry about it again."
Buffy stared at the girl in shock. She could hear the red head's desire
to fix everything; her obvious lust for power. Flashbacks of Willow's
'Thy Will Be Done' spell played through her mind. The blond was
suddenly terrified that one day Willow might be successful. "Okay,
there's a disaster just waiting to happen! I'm definitely gonna have to
talk to Giles about that one."
Tara nodded sagely in agreement before turning her attention to Xander
and pointing her finger.
"Buffster is like the perfect woman. She's everything I want and one
day she's gonna realise that I'm as Joe Normal as a Joe Normal gets.
Then we'll be able to get away from this freaky life and live in normal
bliss enjoying all the things I've fantasised about. She deserves it."
Buffy opened and closed her mouth several times, doing an artful
impression of a landed fish. She so wanted to not hear what she had
just heard. She turned pleading eyes to the white witch, silently
begging her to refute what had been said.
Tara tilted her head and smiled sadly at the girl whose every illusion
was slowly being shattered, with a subtle shift Anya was directed to
speak.
"Buffy is the Slayer. She makes it safe for me to make money and have
sex. She should keep doing that."
Buffy chuckled in amusement, for once thankful for the ex-vengeance
demon's forthright honesty. At least she had never been in doubt of her
standing with Anya.
Wesley was the next to speak.
"Buffy Summers is the girl that taught me what a slayer should
be. She challenges authority, never blindly following unexplained
rules. She questions declarations, demanding proof and reason. She's
taught me what bravery actually means. She is an inspiration and a
mentor, a teacher and a guide. She expects the best and helps to bring
it out in all that join her. She is also my deepest regret. I never
told her what her example has meant to me, or how it has helped me to
change. Buffy Summers opened my eyes...and my mind. She deserves to be
surrounded by individuals as brave and as loyal as she is."
Buffy blushed, for some reason the praise of the watcher she'd
dismissed gave her more pleasure than she could fathom.
Tara turned her finger to Cordelia.
"Buffy Summers is the only person in this world that I think of as any
real competition. It's the reason we don't get on. Oh! That and the
fact that she got Angel and I didn't. If I got him now, it would always
be in the back of my mind that she could take him away from me. It's
not that I think she doesn't deserve to be happy; it's that I'm afraid
that her happiness will be at my expense. Not pretty, but there it is!"
Buffy bit her lip to stop from laughing out loud. Cordelia Chase
jealous of her! How 'bout them apples!
"You are so much more than they see; than you see." Tara pointed to the
book in Giles' hands. "The existence of that book in this plane caused
your gift to come to you early. You are the Immortal Slayer. You cannot
die. The book will tell you all that you are now. We can not change the
events that have happened. But we can ease the burden you carry. We can
elevate your true soulmate to your level of being. But first, my dear,
you need to recognise him."
Turning to the three individuals that had not yet spoken Tara pointed
first to Angel, asking him a question; "Either Buffy or Dawn are to
die. Who would you save and why?"
"Buffy. She's the Slayer. The world needs her."
Tara pointed to Riley, repeating the question.
"Buffy. I love her."
Finally lifting a hand to Spike, Tara asked him for his answer.
"Dawn. Buffy would be devastated if anything happened to little sis. I
couldn't live seein' her in that much pain."
Returning her gaze to Buffy, Tara continued. "One of these three is
your true soulmate. Which one knows you best? Which one knows you well
enough to actually do what you think is best for you rather than what
they think is best for you." Not waiting for Buffy's response Tara
pointed to Riley, allowing him opportunity to answer the question
almost everyone else had already faced.
"Buffy is a good girl. The type of girl I'd be proud to have my mom
meet. I have the whole thing planned out. She'll make the perfect wife.
Beautiful, so I'd be proud to show her off. But she's so innocent.
She's blindly following all the claptrap her watcher has fed her, so
that she thinks she's invaluable. It will take time to undo all the
damage that her circle of so-called friends has done. I'll make her see
that the army can do a better job and that she can retire with a clear
conscience. She deserves to be taken away from all this mystical trash
to a place where she can be cherished and looked after- a stay at home
mom living the perfect, normal life that only I can give her."
As Buffy balked in horror at Riley's words, Tara pointed to Angel.
"Buffy is my reward. When I finally Shanshu and become human, Buffy
will be my gift from the Power's That Be. She's perfect; so innocent,
so beautiful. My little Buffy. She needs guidance, and luckily she
knows to listen to me. I'll be able to mould her, shape her into the
woman I know she can be. I'll teach her everything. I'll show her books
and introduce her to music. Things that will uplift her. I'll dress her
in clothes more becoming for her station as the wife of The Champion of
the Powers. She deserves all the things she's ever wanted. She deserves
me."
Buffy's eyebrows almost disappeared into her hairline. This had to be
some sort of joke; a cruel, mean, vicious joke, but a joke none the
less. She shook her head in disbelief. Could this get any worse? 'Oh
wonderful!' she mused, rolling her eyes. Tara was pointing to Spike.
"Buffy Summers is the most aggravatingly beautiful, argumentative,
loyal, hormonal, and loving bitch to walk the face of the earth. She is
stubborn and faithful and irritating and amusing. She drives me bug
shaggin' crazy, and the world would be a poorer place without her in
it. She's a glorious, golden goddess with more passion and fire than
anyone I've ever met. She's the sunshine in the darkest night. I would
willingly dust myself if it meant she'd be safe for even one instant
longer than she is destined to be. She's got bloody appalling taste in
men and couldn't see the truth about them even if you hit her over the
head with it. Repeatedly. The Girl is gentle and so vulnerable to the
damage that a broken heart can do. Her ability to love is all
encompassing and she deserves to be loved with the same intensity. The
Slayer is a fierce warrior, whose skill and prowess are unmatched. Her
deadly dance is poetry in motion. She is unlike any before her. I love
her with every atom of my being. She's the One. She makes this monster
wish he was a man."
"Would you regain your soul for her?"
"I'd willingly fight for it."
Buffy stared at the blonde vampire in open-mouthed shock. Turning
tear-filled eyes to the blond witch, Buffy gave her opinion. "The
really sad thing is that the two guys that love me actually pale in
comparison to the one that just thinks he does."
"Thinks he does?" Tara asked in amusement.
"Well, yeah. Soulless vampire. It's not possible for him to love,"
Buffy announced with absolute certainty.
Tara lifted an eyebrow before turning to Angel. "Can Spike love?" she
asked.
"Of course he can. Stupid, disrespecting little bastard. I tried to
beat it out of him, but he wouldn't learn."
"Why did you never tell Buffy this?" Tara pushed.
"What does it matter? It's just Spike. Why would Buffy care?" Angel
snorted derisively at the very idea that Spike's ability to love might
be considered significant. "It would have just confused her anyway and
it might have made her question why my demon couldn't love her."
"Why couldn't your demon love her?" the Wiccan persisted.
"As far as the demon is concerned, Buffy is just a poor substitute for
Darla."
"So basically, the only part of Angel that loved Buffy was the soul?"
"Well...yeah," Angel replied, not really seeing the problem.
Buffy felt her anger rising, and it wasn't just the slayer side that
was pissed. "Can I ask some questions?"
"Of course. This is your future we are dealing with." Tara smiled in
compliance.
"Angel, what would you think if I told you that you weren't my eternal
soulmate, but Spike was?" Buffy asked with an evil little grin. She
crossed her arms and waited for his reply.
"Wouldn't happen. If it did, I'd torture Spike till he told me how to
break the spell."
Turning a questioning glance to the Wiccan, Buffy was relieved to hear
her response.
"As the Immortal Slayer, you are impervious to magic."
"Let's share that with the group before anything else, 'kay?" Buffy
smiled innocently.
Tara chortled with amusement.
Whirling to the ex-commando, Buffy directed her next question at him.
"What would you do if I told you I was choosing Spike over you, Riley?"
"I'd wait till you weren't around to protect him, then I'd stake him
with a plastic stake, watch him writhe in agony, and then dust him for
good."
Tara faced panic stricken eyes as she answered the unasked question.
"If you chose him as your mate, Spike would become as immortal as you.
His chip would no longer work, and Riley's stakes would have about as
much effect as yours did while Spike wore the Gem of Amara."
Buffy gave a relieved sigh before facing the blond vampire they had
been discussing. "How 'bout you, Spike? How would you react to me
telling you that I was choosing you as my eternal mate?"
"I'd think it was a bloody good joke to play on Peaches, but I doubt
I'd believe it," he answered flatly.
"Is there anything I could say that would convince you immediately?"
Buffy asked, frustrated at the thought of wasting any more time than
she had to.
"Outside o' claimin' me on the spot or snoggin' me senseless, I can't
think of a thing."
"Snogging's kissing, right? Not something like totally gross?" Buffy
clarified suspiciously.
Buffy fully expected to hear him chuckle in amusement before confirming
her translation. The robot-like responses from the group were made all
the more clear by Spike's example. The usually animated vampire's
personality was greatly missed.
Buffy and Tara spoke of all the options before the Wicca released the
others for the final discourse. Buffy had the feeling that things were
about to get very loud.
As soon as the group was free, the Conduit addressed them. "All has
been decided."
A plethora of voices asked or demanded explanation and Buffy stepped
forward to answer them.
"I had to make a decision, which I'll get back to," the Slayer stated,
her clipped tone demanding that they listen to her without
interruption. "Each and every one of you gave me truthful opinions and
I need to address those first. Tara is gonna give you back your memory
of what you each said, but only your individual comment. You don't get
to hear everyone else's."
Stepping first to her sister, Buffy waited for the young girl's memory
to return to her. "I love you too, Dawnie. We'll discuss the rest
privately, okay?"
Dawn cautiously nodded her agreement, her confused mind agog with
questions.
"I have a feeling that you're gonna be happy with my final decision,"
Buffy said to her mother. Reaching to hug her, Buffy whispered a hint
in her ear. "You always were such a good judge of character."
To Giles, Buffy grinned. "That whole black and white thing? So not an
issue!" She loved it when she could startle her watcher into silence.
Moving to Anya, Buffy chose the next person she would address. "Thank
you, Anya; for just being you. Oh! And that suggestion you made...I
will!"
Anya smiled happily, even if she was enormously puzzled. It was rare
that she was praised.
"Wes, I can't even begin to tell you how much your words meant to me,
but, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you."
Wesley blushed in pleasure.
"Cordy, gotta say...me too! Oh! About that little concern you had? I
think I can safely say that after today; you'll never have to worry
about that again."
Cordelia stared at the perky blond, embarrassed by her own honesty and
more than a little curious about the cryptic commentary.
Knowing that Riley would only remember his words about her, Buffy
turned next to the ex-commando. "I'm sorry, Riley. I can't live the
life you want for me. I can't be the girl you want me to be. I don't want
to be 'that girl'."
She knew that he wouldn't understand, that she was breaking his heart,
but she couldn't feel too much compassion for him – not after what he'd
said he would do to Spike. She really should have expected Xander's
response though.
"Buffy! What are you doing? Are you crazy? Riley's the best thing that
ever happened to you!" Xander was furious, he knew that Buffy didn't
love the ex-soldier, but at least while she was with him the carpenter
didn't have to worry about her falling in love with anyone else!
Buffy glared at the blustering Scooby. She watched with narrowed eyes
as his own words came back to him. She saw the horror in his expression
as the realisation of what exactly he had said washed over him. "Are we
clear on how much I will NOT be listening to you in the future,
Xander?" she snarled furiously.
Riley alternated his gaze between Buffy and her clearly mortified best
friend. "What the hell is going on here? I don't understand. Why are
you breaking up with me, Buffy? I heard Tara. You're the one that won't
love. I can help you. Let me help you," he pleaded desperately.
She returned her sad gaze to her ex-boyfriend. "That's the problem,
Riley. You don't understand. I'm sorry."
Her tone brooked no argument and the defeated ex-soldier left the room
in silence and without a backward glance.
Buffy just watched him go.
With the tinkle of the front door, Buffy returned her attention to the
matters at hand. "Okay, before any of you get on my case about the fact
that I should have done that privately, I know. I didn't have a choice
though, stuff is about to get complicated and I couldn't risk adding
Riley into the mix. That would be so NOT with the productive!"
"Why are you so angry with Xander, Buffy?" Anya asked innocently.
"You get to ask him that, Anya. But, later...okay?"
Something about way the Slayer was asking her had the capitalist
ex-demon agreeing without further questions.
"To get to the point of this meeting, the introduction of the book to
this dimension turned me Immortal. There is nothing we can do about it.
We can't change the past. And it does come with benefits, no longer
having an expiration date being a big one. The Powers weren't expecting
it to happen yet and they don't want me to think of this as some sort
of punishment so they have offered to help make it possible for my
soulmate to be elevated to my level now rather than later."
"Buffy, you don't have to accept this. There are...ways to get around
it," Angel stated firmly. He didn't believe for a minute that she was
ready to leave her family and friends and he had responsibilities in
L.A. that he just couldn't walk away from. The time wasn't right for
them. It didn't cross his mind for even an instant that he wasn't the
soulmate in question.
"Not in this case," the Conduit replied with equal intensity. "You have
already used the option of time reversal once, Angelus. You sited this
Chosen one as your reason and then turned your back on her, supporting
the rogue Slayer in her place. You chose your path with your decision.
What you may not realise is that the easier the path, the longer the
journey."
"HEY! That's not fair. I love Buffy. Everything I've done has been for
her. Faith had nothing to do with Buffy. I was helping Faith and Buffy
wasn't needed," Angel blustered indignantly.
Tilting her head to the side in curiosity, the Conduit offered a
rhetorical question and remark. "Is this how you justify your actions?
Interesting. It is no wonder that your future is so uncertain."
"Um, can we back up a bit to the part where Angel already had time
turned back?" Buffy requested archly, crossing her arms and tapping her
foot as she waited with ill-concealed impatience.
"It's not important, Buffy," the brunette vampire quickly assured her.
"You will find the way to lift the veil within the book, Chosen."
Angel whirled on the interfering Conduit. "NO! I forbid it. It will
only hurt her."
Power pulsated from the blond Wiccan as she drew herself up, her eyes
flashed with fire. "You dare make demands of me! You treat the Immortal
Slayer, Chosen of the Gods, like a child without sense or intellect.
You hold yourself higher than She, the mighty warrior that is head of
the Army of Light. Your years of experience mean nothing if you have
not learned a thing; you are so much less than you believe yourself to
be, and it pleases us beyond measure that this has not escaped the
notice of our Childe."
Turning To Buffy, the Conduit made her demand. "Tell them your choice,
your Champion, your equal, your mate."
Buffy stood tall and proud as she gave them her decision. "Spike. I
choose Spike."
Wide-eyed stares of disbelief shifted between the Slayer and her chosen
champion who in turn stared at the slayer in absolute shock before
bursting into gales of hysterical laughter.
"Oi! Good one, Slayer!"
Relieved tittering encompassed the group. Buffy rolled her eyes before
stomping over to the loudly laughing blonde, muttering the whole way.
"Stupid Vampire! This was so much easier when I could just beat him
into submission."
Making her stance, Buffy glared at the still laughing blond. Crossing
her arms and tapping her foot she decided to wait him out.
Spike's laughter tapered off as he realised that she wasn't laughing
with him; her continuing silence telling him that maybe his initial
interpretation may not have been completely accurate. His mind raced to
reach another conclusion.
"Did you do another bloody spell, Red?"
Willow 'eeped' at the accusation. She had been desperately trying to
remain in the background. It hadn't escaped her notice that Buffy
hadn't attempted to speak to her directly and she was very much afraid
of what 'truthful opinion' she had given her friend. "Nope! Not me! No
wonky spells for this girl."
"The Slayer can no longer be affected by magic," the Conduit happily
informed the group.
Spike's look of complete confusion when he asked, 'Then what's wrong
with her?' was the only thing that saved his nose.
Buffy waited for the Conduit to return his memory of his speech, then
threatened, "You believe me now, or do I make that public knowledge,
bleach boy."
Spike's mouth snapped shut. He didn't believe her, but he wasn't taking
any chances of the rest of the group finding out what a poncy bugger
he'd been; it was bad enough that she knew it.
"Buffy, the joke's over. Nobody is buying this. Can we please get back
to business?" Angel said in exasperation.
"I don't think it's a joke," Joyce pleasantly informed the elder
vampire. As far as she was concerned; if Buffy was destined to have an
eternal mate, then far better it be the vampire that she actually liked.
"I'm with mom," Dawn happily chirped. Spike in the family was a great
idea.
Tara faced the three visitors from Los Angeles. "Your tasks here are
complete, we thank you."
"What!? NO! I'm not leaving till this mess is straightened out...even
if
I have to dust Spike to do it," Angel snarled in fury.
"Don't make me put you down, Angel!" the Slayer said coldly, her body
poised to fight.
"Listen to yourself, Buffy," he pleaded. "You're threatening me. You're
not yourself. You know you wouldn't threaten me unless you were under
some undue influence. There is no way that you would choose
Spike over me."
"Um, Angel? I can pretty much guarantee that most of the people in this
room would choose Spike over you," Willow felt it important to let the
fish killer in on a little home truth.
Angel was stunned to see the majority of heads nodding in agreement.
But not more so than the silent blond that was the present subject of
the discussion.
"But it's Spike," he whined in disbelief, as if that alone should be
answer enough. Clearly, by the look of expectation on the faces that
surrounded him...it wasn't.
"Enough!" the Slayer snarled. Grabbing the hair of the vampire beside
her, she wrenched his neck to the side and struck. Easily breaking
skin, she swallowed his borrowed blood and growled her possession.
"MINE!"
With his whispered acceptance, Spike felt the instantaneous changes
take place. He felt his heart beat as the borrowed blood flowed freely
though his veins. He felt William's soul return and bond with his
demon. He felt his strength grow as power infused his body. He felt his
connection to his vampiric family snap and be replaced by an
unbreakable bond to the slayer he loved. He felt her belief in him and
her conviction that he was the one. A look of awe graced his features
as a feeling of peace suffused his heart.
Angel's roar of disbelief and fury snapped Spike back to the room. With
languid fluidity he turned to face the insignificant beast that would
never have power over him again. "There a problem, Peaches?"
"You, William," the brunette spat with distain. "You're pathetic.
Always trying to take what's mine and once again, just like Dru, she'll
never love you. You'll always be second choice."
Dawn snorted indelicately. "The only one that actually chose you was
Drusilla, doofus. Does the fact that she's insane not register with you
at all?"
"Do we need to point out that Buffy actually claimed Spike...not the
other way around? Technically, it would be Buffy that was doing the,
er, taking." Giles smirked in amusement. He may not be quite sure
exactly what was happening but whatever it was, it was worth it to see
Angel being severely mocked. He really hated that sanctimonious
bastard.
The Conduit spoke to the question Giles had not asked. "All your
questions have answers within the pages of the book, Watcher."
"Angel, perhaps it would be best if we left," Wesley urged his furious
friend. He was terribly afraid that the vampire would do something
foolish.
"You should listen to your friend, Cursed One," the Conduit concurred.
Angel rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Oh, right! I'm gonna listen to
you. You're probably responsible for this whole mess in the first
place!"
"Do you not realise that I could vanquish you with a mere thought?" she
asked with amused curiosity.
"Well, then, you best be prepared to do just that, because I'm not
going anywhere while Buffy is bonded to that
bastard," Angel smugly replied, positive that he was calling her bluff.
He was The Champion for the Powers That Be. She wouldn't dare!
Buffy smiled into blue eyes filled with love as a plume of dust settled
onto the training room floor. She didn't love him yet, but, if the
butterflies were any indication, she didn't think it would take very
long at all.