Karma

A/N: Chapter sixty two of the series.

Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

Feedback: Sure, as you wish.

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Outskirts of London, England

December 2017

Buffy suddenly felt no pain.

The slayer could only feel a blessed warmth covering her body, and for a moment she forgot all about the battle and remembered the peace she'd felt that summer, more than fourteen years ago.

But then she opened her eyes and gasped, fearing she had died again and had left her family and friends alone.

She jumped up and stood on wobbly legs, trying to focus on her whereabouts and be ready for battle, should it arise.

She blinked twice and rubbed her eyes, not believing what she was seeing.

She was standing again in the vast blankness that was the netherworld.

"Great." She muttered. "Don't have time for more insights into my soul."

"Do you believe me now?"

Buffy slowly turned to where she heard her mother's voice.

"Hi mom." She said. "And what are you talking about?"

"You didn't believe me, before." Joyce said, smiling at her daughter. "And don't worry, you're not dead or dying, you're just unconscious. And a bit asleep."

"Asleep? You've got to be kidding me." Buffy groaned.

"No, dear, seems that hit to your head proved to be a bit beneficial." Joyce chuckled.

"Excuse me? How can a kick to the head help me at all?"

"Gave you a brief respite." Joyce replied. "A well needed rest. You won't help anyone if you're exhausted. You should have already learnt that one."

"Fine. Happy happy joy joy. I've got some free time courtesy of Angelus' boot. Great. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to wake up."

"Not so fast, honey. I want to talk to you."

"Ah. Now what is it? Wait, let me guess, I've got an incurable disease. Is that it?"

Joyce frowned. She hadn't expected her daughter to be so callous.

"Please, just hear me out."
"People are dying out there, mom, I can't..."
"We're outside of time." Joyce suddenly spoke. "There won't be any passage of time or any deaths. I promise."

Buffy crossed her arms and felt the need to stomp the ground with her feet, but she took deep breaths and managed to relax a bit.

"Ok. Tell me." Buffy said. "No, wait. Let me speak for a change. Why couldn't you tell me the Powers were using Spike as their gopher?"

"What?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Cordelia told me."

Joyce shook her head.

"She shouldn't have spoken." The angel muttered. "I wanted to be the one to tell you all of this."

"Well, at least she has been speaking to me. What I would really want to know is why I'm learning all of this through a woman who wasn't even my friend when she was alive instead of my own mother?"

"Everything has it's time and it's place, honey." Joyce said. "All this information couldn't be given so freely. So carelessly. It's part of the rules, dear. We have to respect them."

"Right, right. If you knew all of this was about to happen, then why didn't you warn me before? Like, ten years earlier or so? And if you are so powerful and are trying to play with both sides, why didn't you or the powers fix all of this and end it all?"

"Because the Powers didn't change anything!" Joyce blurted out. "You still don't understand? The Powers can't fix your mistakes because they didn't have anything to do with them! The existence of more slayers is because of you and Willow, get that into your head! We can't fix what you did! The Powers can't change that! It's because of you and your decisions alone that we've come to this point!"

Joyce ran her hands through her hair, hating that she had to be telling her daughter such things.

"You and Angel, honey. You played with fate and this is the outcome. You and your friends, who couldn't let you rest. Angel and his need to be the hero. Spike and his desperation. You all played Russian roulette with Balance and this is the outcome. The Powers can't do a thing because you twisted their plans and now you have to fix them."

"Is that why they are playing with us?" Buffy asked, feeling a knot on her throat. "Is that why they're playing with Spike? Why they're playing with me? Tell me. You knew about Annie and Spike, didn't you?"

Joyce sighed and nodded.

"And you couldn't tell me? Once again, I have to find out who the father of my child is through Cordelia? What is wrong with you?"

"Remember when you were younger, Buffy?" Joyce asked. "Remember when you first told your father and me about you and your calling? Remember what happened?"

Buffy nodded.

"And then you began risking your life, dear. Every night you went out and you didn't tell me about who you were and what you were doing. If I recall correctly, it was a night when Spike was with you when you decided to trust in me and tell me what you were."

"And you kicked me out of the house." Buffy bitterly replied.

"I know. And I'm sorry. But it's similar here. Would you have believed me ten years ago? Would you have kicked me out of your house if I came with such news?"

Buffy closed her eyes and lowered her head. She knew her mother had a point.

"You close completely when you hear things you don't want to know about, dear." Joyce continued. "You played with fate and now it's broken. Since you broke it, you have to fix it."

"That's why you gave me the choice, right?" Buffy asked, opening her eyes. "Only Willow can remove the slayer's powers, and she'd only do it if I asked her... right?"

"Yes. But that time is gone and over." Joyce sadly said. "Now you have Angelus and Spike is carrying out his orders. You can only hope he's quick and ends it all fast."

"What happened to him?" Buffy asked. "Why are the Powers playing with him?"

"Because he's convenient." Joyce replied. "Isn't that what you once told him?"
"Mom, please." Buffy drew in a sharp intake of air. "That was a long time ago..."

"That is why he became the perfect pawn, honey." Joyce continued. "What he felt for you was the only innocent and pure thing he felt or did since turning into a vampire. He gave all that devotion and was met with harsh words and fists and pain."

"Mom..."

"You know, it's not different from what Angelus did to you." Joyce kept talking. "You used his love and twisted it for your own benefit. Spike meddled with powers beyond his comprehension and he gave his very self, his very existence for what he thought was your only chance to be happy."

"God, mom, please!" Buffy broke down. "I know about that! I heard it the first time. I know what I did. I have shed my tears about that."

"But you asked, dear." Joyce replied. "You asked why he is being used. When I say he gave what he had to give, the Powers noticed a certain trait in him. His loyalty. His need to get things done completely. His need to see how it ends."

"So he did this to himself?"

"Oh no, honey. He was a murderer. An unrepentant murderer. He went to hell, like all assassins do. He did his time there until he became exactly what the Powers needed."

"And what is that?"

"You'll see, honey." Joyce sadly said. "You'll see for yourself."

"Why?"

"It's all about balance, dear, I've told you before. Karma."

"Karma?"

"Do you know how special you are, Buffy?" Joyce asked. "And I don't mean the slayer thing. I mean you, Buffy, the girl and the woman. You made a vampire with a soul want to get up from the filth he'd inhabited for almost a century and become a champion. You made a soulless murderer turn from his ways and completely change, dear. You made someone who didn't care about life or death care about you and ultimately love you. You gave a reason to change to Angel, but you changed Spike's entire sense of existence, Buffy. You became his chance at redemption. You were his angel."

Tears threatened to appear, but Buffy bit the inside of her mouth to keep from spilling them.

"But you used him, dear. You abused him. You took a feeling so powerful as love for granted. You felt dirty and didn't realize what a miracle you were performing. You sinned, Buffy. You twisted his love until he himself bent and lost everything. That didn't go unnoticed."

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"This ordeal is far from ending." Joyce said, and her voice seemed unnatural. "Your final test is still to come. A test you'll face not as the slayer, but as a woman."

"Why can't you tell me what is going on?" Buffy cried out. "I hate this cryptic shit! I hate that you're telling me I'm single handedly responsible for messing up the natural order of things. I'm sorry that by trying to understand the world I fucked it up! I'm sorry for everything!"

Joyce sighed and brought her daughter close for a hug. The angel felt the hot tears coming out of her daughter's eyes and felt them as daggers in her heart.

"You have to be strong, Buffy. I can't tell you more because I'm not allowed to. You are an adult now, dear. You have to face the consequences of what you've done. You know that, don't you?"

Buffy only cried harder, her logic shattered and her hopes vanishing.

"There are always answers, honey. There are always paths. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. You'll find a way."

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Buffy opened her eyes to the darkness of London's sky.

She turned around and the pain in her neck welcomed her back to reality. She still heard her mother's words and knew the hardest part of the conflict was still to come.

"Buffy?"

The slayer turned her head to the other side and saw Giles' concerned eyes looking at her own.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah." She replied. "Think so. What's with the grim face?"

"Angelus almost got you." Giles said as he caressed her head.

"Faith got me out in time, huh?" The slayer asked and groaned as she sat up.

"No." Giles replied, his hand on Buffy's back, giving her some support. "Faith didn't get there in time."

"Then why am I not shish kebab on the battle field?"

Giles pointed east, and Buffy slowly turned to look.

She gasped when she saw the platinum haired head standing next to Drusilla and Angelus.

"He saved you." Giles said. "He stopped Angelus' hand when he was about to strike you."

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"He's what?" Angelus' shout was heard all over their base camp. Spike chuckled and stared deep into Angelus' eyes.

"Looks like you're the third wheel, Angelus." Spike said. "Now be a good boy and gather the troops, 'ey?"

Angelus seethed and his eyes almost turned red from sheer anger. He gripped the sword's hilt so hard the steel almost gave away.

But Angelus was not stupid, and he knew just how fickle a mistress Drusilla was. He knew she was the real power leading the army, and he knew she would always love him over the stupid William.

He hadn't survived more than three centuries by rushing or following impulses.

He'd heard how Spike had disappeared or died, he would now make sure that happened.

He'd see it with his own eyes, after he did it with his bare hands.

"Sure thing, Spike, old friend." He almost sang. "I'll rally the troops, right on, sir!"

He'd bide his time. He'd always been good at it.

He'd wait until Spike turned his back on him.

And if there was one thing Angelus was good at, was waiting.