An Unaccomplished Fate

Author: enigmaticblue

Rating: PG-15

Disclaimer: I don’t own most of these characters, and I’m not making any money off of the ones that are mine.

Summary: The sequel to Avocation and Under the Sun. Spike and Buffy’s relationship is on solid ground at last, but a new prophecy threatens everything they hold dear. The bonds of family and friendship will be tested, lives will be threatened, and the entire world will hang on the choice of one vampire.

A/N: Any resemblance to canon is pretty much accidental.

Chapter 35

“Your hand flew from my eyes into the day./The light arrived and opened like a rose garden./Sand and sky throbbed like an ultimate/beehive carved in the turquoise./Your hand touched syllables that rang like bells,/Touched cups, barrels full of yellow oil,/flower petals, fountains, and, above all, love,/Love: your pure hand guarded the ladles./The afternoon…was. Quietly the night slid/over a man asleep, its celestial capsule./Honeysuckle set loose its sad savage odor./And then your hand fluttered, it flew back again:/it closed its wings, its feathers I had thought were lost,/over my eyes the darkness had swallowed.” ~Pablo Neruda, “Sonnet XXXV”

Xander felt like he was part of the excitement for once. Not only had he been in on the rescue of Giles—if only in a peripheral sense—but he’d also been asked to drive Giles, Joyce, Dawn, and Thomas to Los Angeles.

And now it looked like they needed him again.

“Spike isn’t answering his phone?” Xander asked in a low voice, spreading the map out in front of him. He’d been at work, but he had willingly met Wesley during a break. He’d sent his crew for their fifteen and spread the map over a couple of sawhorses.

“Buffy isn’t either,” Willow replied. “That’s not like them.”

“No, it’s not.” Xander touched the map, his stomach sinking when the colored dots appeared momentarily, only to flicker out again. “It isn’t working.”

“Let me see.” Willow took the map from his hands, turning it over and staring at the streets and landmarks of Sunnydale. “The magic has been weakened,” she said slowly. “We’re going to have to cast the spell again to make it work.”

“We don’t have time for that.” Wesley’s voice was terse. “If Spike and Buffy are going after Glory alone, they’ll have found her before we can even gather the necessary items.”

Willow shot him a look. “I’m aware of that, Wes, but we don’t have a choice. I’m guessing that adding people to the map without redoing the entire spell used up a lot of the power that was driving it.”

“Can’t you track them some other way?” Xander asked. “Another locator spell, maybe?”

“That’s going to take time.”

Wesley was clearly cranky, but there was nothing Xander could do. If the map didn’t work, he wasn’t going to be the one to fix it. “This is Spike and Buffy we’re talking about,” he said patiently. “They’re fully capable of taking care of themselves—and each other.”

Xander glanced at the clock, noting that he had about two minutes left before the other guys would start filtering back in after their smoke and coffee break. He thought wistfully about his rapidly diminishing vacation days, then said, “I can help if you want.”

Willow offered a grateful smile. “Thanks, Xander, but I think you’re right. We’re going to need items belonging to Spike and Buffy, and do the locator spell. There’s not much you can do.”

“Just call if you need something,” Xander said. “I can probably leave early if you need me.”

They were gone by the time the first of his guys came back into the room; Xander had already tucked the map away, and although he tried to focus on the job, worry gnawed at him.

He believed what he’d said to Wesley and Willow: Spike and Buffy were more than capable—but this was a Hellgod they were talking about, and it would be just like them to go after Glory, especially after what had happened to Willow.

Xander ran a hand through his hair and tucked his cell phone in his pocket. There was nothing he could do right now, and he needed to keep his job.

“Okay, back to work!” he called, putting his hard hat back on.

Xander was beginning to accept that he had a life outside of saving the world, no matter how much he wanted to help his friends. He could do what he could to help, but his life was Anya and building things. Stopping apocalypses had been relegated to an extracurricular activity.

Thinking of the engagement ring he had his eye on, Xander thought he might be okay with that.

~~~~~

By mutual agreement, they had left their cell phones at home. Spike had pointed out that even if they had an opportunity to call for help if they needed it, the chances of anyone reaching them in time were slim to none.

Buffy knew that they were taking a huge risk going in alone, but she agreed with Spike. She didn’t want to risk anyone else; Spike was nearly invulnerable, and she was the Slayer. They stood a better chance against Glory than anyone, and there was still a good chance they were going to get their asses handed to them.

“Are you sure we’re going to see Warren?”

“We have to do this one errand first, April,” Spike said with a sigh.

She gave him a dubious look. “That’s what you said about the last errand.”

Buffy met Spike’s eyes and saw the same guilt in his face that she felt. It would just figure that the robot had a good memory. “I know, April, but surely you want to help us. It’s what Warren would want.”

That was a blatant lie, but Buffy was willing to do whatever it took to get Glory at this point. She could see the light at the end of the tunnel. With the Council off their backs, and the Knights out of the way, the only enemy they had to worry about was Glory.

And Buffy wanted the Hellbitch dead.

“I have to ask you something.”

Spike’s voice broke the silence as they walked towards the second high rise apartment building. There were only a couple in Sunnydale, and Spike had suggested that they start there; Glory didn’t seem the sort to own a house.

“Go ahead.”

“What if Glory is tied to a human body, and that person is an innocent in all of this?” Spike asked. “Wes seemed to think he or she wasn’t aware of it.”

Buffy took a deep breath. “I think if we have a chance to end Glory, we do it. She would destroy the world if she had the chance.”

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one, or the few,” April inserted, appearing pleased with her contribution.

Spike threw April a look. “Did Willow program her with Star Trek movies?”

“You know Star Trek?” Buffy countered.

“That’s not the point.” Spike scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “The point is Glory.”

“Whatever it takes,” Buffy insisted.

Spike nodded grimly. “Right, then. Whatever it takes.”

~~~~~

Dawn didn’t exactly mind the break from her regularly scheduled life. Robert’s house was huge and beautiful, his collection of gaming consoles was awesome, and the pool was similarly cool. Really, if she had to be exiled while Spike and Buffy killed Glory, this was the place to stay.

That didn’t explain why she was feeling so down, however.

“Can I join you?”

Dawn shaded her eyes, looking up at Robert. “Sure. It’s your pool.”

“I didn’t know if you’d rather be alone,” he replied diplomatically.

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’m alone enough.”

“I’m sorry there aren’t more people your own age here.”

Dawn shrugged, knowing that Spike had told Robert what she was. “Technically, there’s no one my age.”

The silence that fell between them was companionable, and Dawn closed her eyes and let the sun’s heat soak into her skin. “Can I ask you a question?”

She heard the smile in Robert’s voice. “You may ask.”

“How did you and Spike meet?”

“Ah.” Robert paused delicately. “That is an interesting question.”

“And you’re not going to tell me.” Dawn knew that tone of voice; adults used it when they were trying to let you down easy.

Robert chuckled. “I didn’t say that, but I think I’d prefer if you didn’t tell Spike that I told you.”

“Have you known him for a long time?” Dawn sat up, leaning closer to Robert, feeling a thrill. She and Spike were linked by fate, but that didn’t mean she knew much about him. Even the collected stories in Quinn’s book hadn’t told her nearly enough.

“Oh, not long when you consider how long we’ve both lived,” Robert said.

“How old are you?” Dawn blurted out before she could think better of the question. “Sorry,” she said immediately. “I’m sorry. That was rude.”

“I am nearly eighty,” Robert replied mildly. “Old in human terms, but not those of my clan.”

Dawn wanted to ask if Tara would live as long, but she bit her tongue. She could ask about Tara later. Right now, she wanted to know about Spike. “So, you and Spike met…”

“Ten or fifteen years ago,” Robert replied. “I had a cousin who was in trouble in the Middle East, and I needed someone to smuggle her out. Spike came highly recommended.”

“That isn’t nearly enough information!” Dawn protested, jolted out of her ennui by the promise of a good story. She excelled at wheedling, and that’s exactly what she planned to do.

Robert’s smile suggested that had been his plan all along.

~~~~~

Luck was with them for a change at the second building. Buffy was the first to spot one of the same little scabby demons they had run into at the zoo while preventing Glory from raising the snake demon.

The fact that the scabby demon had been watching them, and was likely scurrying back to Glory to inform her that it had found the Key, was not lost on either of them.

Getting into the elevator with the demon wasn’t an option, so Spike stood next to Buffy and April in the lobby, waiting to see where the elevator stopped.

“Top floor. Should have known,” Spike commented, hitting the button to go up.

“What’s the plan?” Buffy asked.

“Go in, kill Glory, get out before the cops come.” Spike grinned at her. “Do you think we need a different plan?”

She shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

Spike didn’t dare unsheathe his sword in the elevator; the risk that someone would be waiting outside the doors when it opened was too great. “April? Do you think you could knock on Glory’s door?”

The glimmer of a plan was risky, but no more so than bursting through the front door.

April smiled brightly. “I’m always happy to help!”

Her perky response caused Spike to wince, mostly because he didn’t expect the robot to come through this in one piece. “And we appreciate it. What I need you to do is to knock on a door and tell whoever answers that the Slayer sent you. Think you can do that?”

April gave him a look that clearly indicated she thought he was stupid for asking; Spike couldn’t get over how much of a personality she had for the next thing to an inanimate object. “Of course.”

“Great.” The elevator stopped moving, and Spike pointed out the door across from the elevator. “Start with that door, and if no one responds, try the next. Tell them you’re the Key.”

He pulled Buffy into an alcove along the hallway, and she elbowed him. “What is that about?”

“April figures out exactly what apartment Glory is in, and we go in.”

Buffy glanced at him. “Do you really think it’s going to be that easy?”

“In a word, no.” Spike kept his eyes trained on April. “But I don’t think we have another choice. Do whatever you can to give me a shot at beheading Glory with the sword.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“We run,” Spike replied grimly. “Or you do. If the sword isn’t effective, I want you to get out of there; don’t worry about me. We tell everyone to pack up, and we leave town until her window of opportunity has passed.”

He could see that she wanted to argue, but she finally nodded. “Okay, but be careful, Spike.” Buffy grabbed his arm. “Don’t take stupid risks just to end this. We’ll end it, but I want both of us alive at the end of it.”

Spike nodded, then pressed a hard kiss to Buffy’s lips. “Love you.”

“I love you, too.”

They both heard a squawk that could only be from Glory, although Spike couldn’t tell if the sound was one of victory or anger.

He drew his sword and rushed forward, knowing that Buffy would have his back.

~~~~~

Tara sighed as the argument raged around her in Wesley’s living room. Now that they knew where Spike and Buffy were, Wesley wanted to find them, and possibly kick Spike’s ass for going off without him. Willow didn’t like the idea of going in without a plan, and possibly ruining Spike and Buffy’s plan.

Quinn thought that they could probably manage to get in and at least provide a distraction while Spike killed Glory, and Tara had kept her mouth shut.

Until now.

“I think we should stay put.” Silence fell over the room as everyone turned to look at her. “We all know why Spike and Buffy decided to do this alone,” Tara continued. “And they have a right to make that decision.”

“And if something happens to them?” Wesley demanded roughly.

“That you could stop?” Tara countered. “This is Glory, a Hellgod. You know as well as I do that if we were there, Spike and Buffy would both be too worried about us to pay full attention to the fight.”

The unspoken words hung in the air—especially after what had happened the day before.

“The prophecy said that Spike would be the one who had to make a choice, that the world was in his hands,” Quinn inserted. “Wesley, you know there’s nothing we can do now.”

“We can be there,” Wesley insisted. “We can pick up the pieces if necessary.”

They all looked at each other, and Willow nodded. “Wes is right. We can be there, even if we can’t intervene.”

Tara could see the relief on Quinn’s face; she finally had something to do. Tara had to admit that taking some action, even if it was small, was better than sitting around and waiting.

“Let’s go, then.”

Maybe they would be able to do something after all.

~~~~~

Sometimes, in the heat of battle, Buffy became hyper-aware of every detail, usually when the tide was turning in her favor, or she could sense that she was going to lose—and it was going to hurt.

This was one of those times.

The scabby demons had descended on them as soon as they had kicked down the door, and it turned out that Glory’s scream had been one of rage; April’s head was on the floor, three feet from her body, wires protruding and sparks flying. She was screaming at her minions to kill them, to capture them, to make them pay, and the minions were attempting to do just that.

Buffy thought it was a little like being on the wrong end of a clown car, since the damn little demons seemed to come out of nowhere, threatening to overwhelm her and Spike by sheer numbers, even if they didn’t have strength or agility.

She speared two at the same time on her sword, fighting to get it clear of the bodies, watching the blood—darker than human blood, more rusty than red—fly in an arc through the air, droplets falling on the carpet, the walls, her clothing.

Buffy could see that they were finally reaching the end of Glory’s minions after what felt like hours, but was probably only five minutes or so. Her arm was getting tired, and her shoulder ached from nearly being wrenched out of its socket by one of the demons; her weapon had gotten hung up on one of its ribs.

Glancing across the room, she could see Spike, his blade a silver blur as he fought his way to Glory; the Hellgod was still screeching, but her voice had taken on a desperate tone that bode well for Spike’s success.

He had a manic grin on his face, lips stretched wide, and Buffy saw the flash of green and gold on his hand as he cut the head off of the last demon between him and Glory.

The Hellgod had both hands on her head now, and she was moaning in pain, just as she had the last time they had tried to kill her. They hadn’t had a magic sword then, however, and now Spike stepped forward, blade raised.

And froze when Glory was suddenly gone, and a young man stood in front of him. He looked vaguely familiar, and Buffy realized that it was one of the interns from the hospital. She had no idea how he’d gotten into Glory’s apartment in the middle of the fight.

Ben had his hands up, and Buffy could hear the fear in his voice as he said, “No, please. You don’t understand.”

Spike hadn’t lowered the sword, and Buffy felt sick as she realized that Spike wasn’t going to stop.

“Spike! NO!”

Spike turned slightly, enough to catch her eye, and she saw the resolve. He turned back to the kneeling man. “I’m sorry,” he said, and swung.

~~~~~

Spike could see the incomprehension in Buffy’s eyes, even from across the room. For whatever reason, she didn’t know that the man was Glory, or Glory’s human host.

In that moment, he knew he had a choice. He could put down the sword, and they could risk Glory coming back and finding Dawn and ending the world. Or, he could kill what was very likely an innocent man, and hope that Buffy would understand and be able to forgive him.

Spike thought of Dawn, and her wide innocent eyes, and he swung.

Body and head hit the floor separately, the twin thuds twisting his stomach. He stood, sword dangling, staring at the slowly growing pool of blood. He didn’t dare look at Buffy.

A hand came to rest on his forearm, and Buffy gently took the sword from his grasp, bending to wipe the blade clean on the dress Glory had been wearing; it looked ludicrous on the man.

“He was Glory.”

Buffy broke the silence, and Spike turned to face her. “You didn’t see the transformation?”

She shook her head. “No, I did, but—it’s fuzzy. I didn’t remember that he was Glory until you’d killed him.” Buffy handed him the sword. “We’d better get out of here before someone calls the cops.”

“You’re not mad?” he asked as he followed her out of the apartment, shutting the door behind him.

He heard her sigh. “We talked about how we were going to deal with this, Spike.” She waited until they were in the elevator to continue. “Glory is dead, and Mom and Giles can come home. Why would I be upset about that?”

“Fair enough.” Spike wrapped an arm around her shoulders when Buffy snuggled up to his waist. “We made it, luv.”

“And the world didn’t end.” She gave him a bright smile. “I say we party.”

Spike snorted. “After I sleep for about a week.”

He was somehow unsurprised to see Wesley and the others waiting for them. “Why the hell would you go in alone?” Wesley demanded without preamble.

Willow broke in. “Is Glory dead?”

“Dead as a doornail,” Buffy replied. “But let’s get off the street. I need to call Mom, and we look like we’ve survived a massacre.”

They all crammed into Spike’s Mustang, the girls in the back seat. The tale of how they’d slain the Hellgod took no longer than the ride from the apartment buildings to Spike’s townhouse. Spike had allowed Wesley to drive, and he leaned his head against the seat, weariness weighing him down. He didn’t think he’d felt this tired after a battle before, but then, there had been a lot going on for what seemed a very long time.

“We’ll let you get some sleep,” Wesley said when the car pulled to a stop. “You look like you could use it, but we are going to talk about this later.”

“Thanks, Wes.” Buffy leaned over the front seat to pat him on the shoulder. “We appreciate it.”

“How are you getting home?” Spike asked, pulling himself from his daze.

“My bike is here.” Wesley sighed. “Go on, Spike. You’ll fall asleep in the car otherwise.”

Spike stumbled into the house, nearly asleep on his feet, Buffy steering him down the hallway. “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked. “Because this isn’t like you.”

“Dunno,” he slurred. “Just exhausted.”

“You and me both,” Buffy muttered. She helped him undress, then Spike fell face-first into the pillow, and knew no more.

~~~~~

Buffy awoke to the sound of thudding under her ear. It was a foreign sound, but after a moment, she realized that it was a heartbeat.

That wasn’t right.

She stirred, moving carefully so as not to disturb her companion, and immediately saw that it was still Spike. Buffy hadn’t noticed a change in body temperature, because the ring and its added protections took care of that. In fact, nothing seemed to have changed, except for the heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest.

“Huh.” Buffy reached out to touch his skin, smiling at the warmth, at his sleepy twitching. She ran her hand up his chest to his throat and back down again, her smile turning into a grin when she noticed his body’s reaction.

“Better not promise anything you’re not going to deliver,” Spike murmured without opening his eyes.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She kept her voice innocent and waited for Spike to notice that something big had changed.

“I’m—” Spike stopped, freezing, and she felt his chest stop moving.

“Breathe, Spike,” Buffy ordered, amused. “You’re human now, so you’re going to need to.”

He pulled in a gasping breath, coughing once, then twice, before he fell back into the rhythm. “When?”

She shrugged. “Sometime in the night? I have no idea.”

“Bloody hell.”

“How does it feel?” Buffy searched his face anxiously, knowing that he’d been uncertain about this possibility. She was less surprised, and a lot less freaked out, than she thought she’d be. He was still Spike; he’d had his soul before, and he’d been warm and invulnerable to sunlight.

He’d be able to go out in the sun now, too, but he wouldn’t be invulnerable.

Buffy shoved that thought to the back of her mind. It wasn’t worth worrying about, not now, maybe not ever.

“I feel…the same.” He pulled her in for a kiss, and Buffy made a face about his morning breath. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay.” The reality of it all came crashing down—everything was okay. She could appreciate that fact now that she wasn’t too tired to have it all sink in. The Council had been neutralized, the Knights were out of the picture, Glory was dead—and her vampire boyfriend was now human. “God, Spike, we can actually take a vacation.”

Spike laughed and pulled her in close. “Anywhere you want to go, luv. Anywhere you want to go.”