Subject: [SpikesSalvation] Phoenix Tears (11/11)
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2004 19:29:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Jerusha Hancock <enigmaticblue@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: SpikesSalvation@yahoogroups.com
To: SpikesSalvation@yahoogroups.com


Chapter 11: Completion


The chasm was gone, as were the flames. Ty wasn't sure whether the pit had
been illusion or reality, but the flames had been real enough. Real enough
to kill Angel at least. Ty turned in the middle of the room and watched as
Connor walked towards the spot where he had last seen his father.

The servants of the Likt'na'e were nowhere to be found. There was the sound
of weapons clattering to the ground as Spike, Buffy, and Emmie made their
way to the same spot. Angel's ashes were obvious enough; he had been a
master vampire after all. Ty's throat was dry. He couldn't bear to look, and
he couldn't bear to look away. He saw his father look up at him, asking
silently if he was alright. Ty could only nod, and then Spike went to stand
behind Emmie, who knelt on the ground, crying over the vampire's ashes.

"You have done well."

The voice came from behind him, and Ty spun around, half-expecting to see
another enemy. But the being standing there was nothing like the Likt'na'e.
He was nothing like a man, as he was glowing with an inner light. Ty vaguely
remembered his mother describing what angels looked like, seeing them
depicted in the stained glass windows of the church when he'd gone to Mass
with her so very long ago. He thought perhaps this being was what an angel
might look like.

Ty's fear melted away, and a sense of peace filled him. "Who are you?"

"I am one who has watched you for a long time. I was there before your
birth. I will be there at your end." There was joy in his face and voice,
the kind of joy that creates solemnity rather than hilarity. "You have
fulfilled all our hopes, Chosen."

The boy tore his eyes away from the being and looked over his shoulder at
the knot of people. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this," he protested,
grief suddenly making its presence known. "Uncle Angel wasn't supposed to
die."

"It was necessary." The voice was gentle. "It was his choice."

"No!" Ty cried, tears finding their way to his eyes, rolling down his
cheeks. "That's not the way it's supposed to work. There was a prophecy.
A-about a souled vampire. He was supposed to save the world a-and Shanshu.
It's not fair."

The being was hardly offended. "Life is not fair. You know this."

"It's not right then," Ty said angrily. "He tried so hard. He fought for
you."

The being shook his head. "He fought for you, Chosen. As was his right."

Spike looked up, seeing that Ty was talking to—well, he was talking to
something. There was nothing evil or malicious about whatever it was; he
could tell that from where he stood. Ty was in one piece, untouched as far
as he could tell. And for the moment, he had nothing to give his son. All
his energy was taken up by grief. He and Angel had not always gotten along,
but the prophecy had been correct. They had been brothers; they had
understood one another better than anyone ever could. There were experiences
they had shared between them that no one else would ever know.

Buffy stood behind him, one hand on his arm. He could hear her crying. Emmie
knelt next to the pile of ashes that had been Angel, sobbing quietly. The
vampire had been the first man she had loved. Spike understood the nature of
this loss. For that matter, so did Buffy.

Connor stood across from him, tears running down his own cheeks, making
white tracks through the dust and soot. He had lost his father for the third
time.

Spike finally knelt beside Emmie, pulling her into his arms, letting his own
tears flow freely. "Angel—" he whispered.

"Do you see them?" the being asked from behind Ty. "Angelus made no valuable
contribution as a man. He hurt each of them as a vampire. At one time, your
father and your Champion would have called themselves his enemies. The
Slayer sent him to hell. And yet they weep."

"They loved him," Ty retorted. "I loved him."

"William weeps." The being came up behind him and laid one bright hand on
his head. Ty felt a wave of peace wash over him, and his tears stopped. He
was suddenly quite certain that everything would be fine. "Your father was
the one to Shanshu. Tell me why Angel should as well."

"Because there were two souled vampires. Because the prophecy can be
fulfilled as many times as the conditions are met. Because we need him."

Ty listed his reasons calmly, already knowing he had won the argument. The
being nodded once. "Then tell me the properties of phoenix tears."

Ty looked at the mourners, and began reciting his well-learned lesson. "The
phoenix is a mythical creature, said to die by self-immolation, only to rise
again from its ashes," Ty whispered, remembering that his father was named
the Phoenix. "The tears of the phoenix are said to have healing properties,
even unto healing mortal wounds."

"Even so. Do you see?" the bright one asked. "Had Angel not been worthy of
love, he would not have been worthy of the Shanshu. Just as your father was
worthy of love, and so worthy of Shanshu. When Angel died, he died for love
of you, and no other reason. And the Phoenix will bring him to life."

Before all their astonished eyes, Angel's ashes began glowing, a great wind
swirling them into a vortex of glowing embers. The embers reformed, taking
the shape of a body. Silence reigned as Angel reappeared, reformed from the
dust and ashes.

And then he took a deep breath.

Ty watched as Emmie threw herself on his chest, and grinned broadly. He
turned to look for the being, but he was gone, with no sign remaining that
he had ever been there.

"Ty!" Spike called to him, his eyes glowing with joy and surprise. Ty sped
across the expanse, flinging himself into his father's arms, suddenly a
happy child again.

Spike flung his arms around his son, looking on as Emmie helped Angel to
stand. They were still in awe of what seemed a miracle. Connor took a few
shaky steps towards his father, and then they embraced, Angel's now-beating
heart thumping in steady rhythm.

After that, there was nothing more to do except activate the portal home.
Buffy pricked her finger on Emmie's boot-knife and smeared the blood on the
stone. Five minutes later, the portal opened and they walked through, Angel
still being supported between Emmie and his son. Apparently, dusting and
then becoming human again after two centuries was a little disorienting.

On the other side, there were the usual exclamations, the evidences of a
happy homecoming where no one had died and they had won. For a few moments,
they could forget what was lost and simply be happy at what had been gained.
Grief would come later.

~~~~~

Spike stood at the window looking out at the green expanse of lawn, thinking
about the changes the last months had brought. With the end of the Senior
Partners, the L.A. branch had been theirs again. Angel had insisted on going
back to work as soon as possible, despite his new human status and slight
disorientation. The newest ex-vampire still paused to look in every mirror
and reflective surface, still got a look of awe on his face every time he
walked outside on a sunny day. Spike had a feeling Angel wouldn't be taking
his heartbeat for granted any time soon.

Their victory had also initiated a massive power struggle in most of the
other branches of Wolfram & Hart, and not just in their dimension. Angel had
sent Wesley and Connor to the New York and London branches immediately,
hoping to tilt the hostile takeovers in their favor. While they had managed
to tentatively secure those two locations, the others were now being run by
people very much like Lilah Morgan and Lindsey McDonald. The new Watcher's
Council would ensure their hold on the London office, but the New York
office was still being purged and turned around. Weeding out the evil
influences and making attempts to stall the other branches was going to be
the work of a lifetime. It was actually rather exciting.

Spike and Buffy decided to get married in a small, private ceremony. When
he'd asked her if she didn't want something more elaborate, Buffy had just
laughed and said she'd seen plenty of that with Anya and Xander's disastrous
wedding. The only thing she'd wanted was to find the perfect dress. After
that, it was only a matter of finding a minister and a reception hall. Two
months after they'd gotten engaged, Spike stood at the front of the
reception hall, with Ty, Angel, and Wesley at his side, watching as first
Emmie, then Dawn and Willow came to stand across from him. And finally,
after what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, Buffy had come to meet him on
Giles's arm. It was a perfect moment, one that could not have been improved
with months more of planning.

And now—now they were playing the waiting game again. Spike hated waiting.
With a sigh, he turned away from the window to find Buffy standing just
behind him, an amused look on her face. "Why so nervous?" she teased. "You'd
almost think it was your kid."

Spike shook his head. "I was perfectly calm with Ty," he replied. "I was the
one doin' the drivin' and the coachin'."

His wife smiled. "Well, that's good to know."

He blinked as he recognized that particular smile, the smile that said she
knew something he didn't. "Are you¯?"

"I am," Buffy said, her eyes dancing. "I wanted to wait to say anything
until after, you know, but I figure we can go public in a couple days."

Spike leaned down to give her a thorough kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too." Buffy let him hold her. She could hardly believe, after
everything they'd gone through, how well it had all turned out. Gunn would
be sorely missed, but she couldn't help but be grateful that she still had
Spike and Ty and Dawn. Her family was intact.

"You think there's somethin' in the water?" Spike asked quietly, with some
amusement, thinking of Fred and Wesley's soon-to-be-born little one, not to
mention the two new engagement rings that had sprouted on certain fingers.
And the way Dawn and Connor had been looking at one another, Spike wouldn't
be too surprised if the future brought a third.

"You mean with the weddings and babies?" Buffy asked. "I don't know. I think
you just ended up giving the other guys ideas."

Spike nodded, looking over the waiting room. Dawn and Connor were sitting in
intense conversation, with Ty seated next to them, quietly reading a book.
He and Angel's son had been really close since the battle, and Spike was
grateful that there was yet another person who was looking out for Ty's
welfare. Angel and Emmie were sitting close by, not talking, but simply
enjoying the other's presence. Angel's near-miss had solidified their
commitment to one another, plainly represented by the ring on Emmie's left
hand. They were just waiting on Fred and Wesley at this point.

Wesley came through the doors just then, and Spike easily recognized the
look on his face. He was certain he had worn the same expression when Ty was
born. The normally reticent man was nearly bouncing, the only thing
preventing him from doing so was the deep-set exhaustion brought on by more
than 12 hours of labor.

"It's a girl," he announced, his face breaking out into a proud smile. "You
can see them if you like."

With a sense of joyful expectancy, they all followed Wesley back to the
private room. Fred lay propped up in the bed, her face tired but happy,
holding a small infant wrapped in a pink blanket. Spike stood, his arm
around Buffy, remembering the past and anticipating a time in the future
when it would be Buffy and their child he was looking at.

"What did you name her?" Angel asked, the look on his face telling Spike
that their thoughts were running parallel.

Fred and Wesley exchanged a loving look, and then Fred nodded. Wesley looked
down at his daughter in pride. "We named her Charlotte Hope," he said
softly. "After Charles."

It seemed right, to all of them. A good name, a good reminder. A fallen
friend who would not be forgotten. Ty pushed his way past the adults and
made his way to the bedside next to Wesley. "Can I touch her?" he asked
timidly.

"Of course, Ty," Fred said softly.

The boy reached out, and gently stroked the infant's cheek with one finger.
And then he smiled. "Hello, cousin."


---------------------------------