Disclaimer:
Training room, The Magic
Box, Cloth, crystals, string etc. all lain out as if for
locator spell but on a larger scale. A small sack in the
corner of the room seems to be moving on its own until a
kitten's head appears from it.
Tara: Right,
we have the spell, but before we break Faith out of jail,
we're going do a trial run. We'll make the portal and we
should be able to see where it comes out.
Spike: So, we
see where Faith'll be goin' but do we send someone through
and if we do can we get them back?
Willow: We don't
know how to get someone back. We could open the portal again
but because time seems to flow differently in different
dimensions, say we wait a day here it might be a minute
there, or it could be variable. I mean this Joss guy, the
one who owns everybody, he could spend a week writing about
stuff that takes place over a two day period in April and
then just skip the next three weeks and start writing about
something that happens in May. There's no predictability
at all. Time might not even run in the same direction in
both realities all the time. What if he decided he knew
what he wanted to happen at the end and then filled in the
bits in the middle? And does it become our reality when
he writes it, or when this Mutant Enemy production company
film it, or is it when UPN transmits it because that's when
it enters the public consciousness?
Spike: When did
this go all Stephen Hawking. I thought it was just, send
Faith, Faith shags manic depressive, he cheers up, we get
to have lives again.
Willow: We can
hope. Anyway, we thought we might try sending, say one of
your poker kittens through. At least that way we can check
it works.
Spike: That was
meant to be my breakfast. I didn't bring'em for you to chuck
through portals at some bloke what's muckin' up our lives.
Second thoughts, go ahead, with any luck it'll shit on his
carpets.
(Spike goes over to
the sack in the corner, picking up each of the three kittens
he has with him one by one, talking baby talk to them. Tara
follows him over.)
Tara: Spike,
what are you doing?
Spike: (He's
stopped the baby talk and is now holding a little ginger
kitten, that seems to be trying to stroke Spike's nose with
it's front paw.) Well, I kinda thought, if I'm going to
eat two of them, and then we're sending the other one to
him, then maybe we ought to send the cutest one so I was
just working out which one I thought it was.
Tara: Yeah, you
wouldn't want to eat the cute one.
Spike: Well,
what did you think happened to that first kitten you had?
Tara: We only
had one kitten.
Spike: Nah, you
din't, had two. They were both black and white but they'd
diff'rent markings, pet. See I borrowed the first one, but
I lost her and by the time I was back ahead of the game
she was already some demon's supper so I just stuck her
collar on a different one. You really didn't notice? But
then, I don't think the second one was around very long.
Tara: Shh! You
know Willow gets sensitive when you mention her spells going
wrong. She just wanted to meet Atomic Kitten.
Disclaimer 2:
Nope, I didn't make up what Spike is singing. It's a song
called "Vengeance" by New Model Army.
A/N: Sorry
this has taken so long. I haven't been too well this week.
Can't say I'm totally happy with this chapter, but I hope
you'll disagree, and if not I'll try to make up for it with
the next one when Spike finally makes it home. Apart from
the epilogue that should be either the last or the penultimate
chapter, depending whether I can cover everything in one
chapter or not.
Chapter 21
". I wish Quentin Travers and all his knowing
accomplices in his misdeeds, against me and those I love,
would be permanently transported to an alternate reality
where they can live out the rest of their natural lives
in safety but they will be unable to harm any other sentient
beings either directly or indirectly," Spike read from the
notes he'd made on the piece of paper. "And if they all
have to wear pink tutus from now till the day they die that
would be a bonus," he muttered under his breath, just loud
enough for the other demon, but not the humans to hear.
"Done," replied Fernak as his face took
on that veiny look.
Spike looked at the chair where Travers
had been sitting. All that remained to show he'd been there
were six cable ties two loops of leather thonging and a
white terry-towelling bathrobe. Spike lifted the bathrobe
and raised an eyebrow.
"Well, he'll have other clothes to wear
where he's gone," said the vengeance demon.
Spike smiled and started singing to himself
under his breath. "I believe in justice, I believe in vengeance,
I believe in gettin' the bastard, gettin' the bastard, gettin'
the bastard."
In comparison with the equivalent facility
in our reality the demons in charge run a benign regime.
All the inmates are well fed and looked after. They are
allowed out of their cells for a daily exercise period and
those who are able are encouraged to take part in group
activities. In an effort to make them feel at home, when
replacement clothing is necessary the keepers duplicate
the inmate's original clothing as closely as possible. All
the facility's inmates are allowed to live out their natural
life spans and no-one even thinks about hacking bits off
of them to make cyborgs. Whilst life here is considerably
more pleasant than in the facility once run by the Initiative,
it is also far more secure. There has never been a successful
escape attempt.
For some reason all six new inmates just
appeared one evening in the facilities holding cells. They
were all wearing tutus in different shades of pink. All
have been subjected to behaviour modifying surgery. As a
comparative study three have been fitted with the latest
behaviour modifying microchips. The other three, (Quentin
Travers and his two lawyers) have been subjected to the
more traditional pacifying technique known as frontal lobotomy.
"Okay, I reckon if we get a move on and
I can get back to the hotel, grab the rest of my stuff and
if you'll give me a lift to Heathrow I can get a plane as
far as New York tonight. I should get away with booking
in late as long as I've only got hand luggage."
"Don't you have to get another coffin and
go freight?
"Nah, flying east this time. It's still
slightly dodgy but I'll risk it. I can get on a plane leaving
here at half eight at night local time and be in New York
just after eleven at night there. Tomorrow I leave New York
about eight and get to LA just after eleven. It's okay when
the time zones are working for you. Just a pity I can't
see a way to do it all in one night using the commercial
flights.
Let's move it people. I'd really like to
be home tomorrow."
Spike shoved all the tools back in his
bag, removed the tape from the video camera passing it to
Giles. "Right, as promised no permanent injuries, no dead
bodies. I take it you can sort out getting copies of that
to the council and it's my guess Ronnie knows how to get
a copy to the Tarakans." He moved quickly toward the van.
"Ronnie, pet, I don't suppose you'd consider letting me
clear off that contract, so that I don't have to worry about
it hanging over my head any more?"
"I might, if I can have the document back,
wherever it is."
"Well, funnily enough I happen to know
just the person who's looking after it. I'm sure when they've
finished their research you could have it back, provided
it has "discharged in full" written across it. What'd you
rather have, cash or services?"
Ronnie laughed. "What kind of services
are you offering?"
"Nothing that would have the slayer sticking
a stake through my heart."
"In that case I'll stick with the money."
"You think that'll be worth your while?"
"I know it. I did a little exercise once
where I worked out how much it would cost to hold one of
those little bashes you used to throw for Drusilla every
so often. I'll take my chances."
"Christ, I don't even want to know the
number you came up with. Never dared work it out at the
time so don't tell me now."
"Then of course there would be the houses.
Assuming the ones where the deeds are in a woman's name
went to Drusilla that would mean she got Lisbon, Moscow,
Athens, Rome and Boston. That still leaves you London, Paris
and New York but then I've only traced back over the last
sixty-five years so far, so there may be more."
"Leave a man some secrets, pet. Yeah, there's
another one in my name in Florence, the rest are all in
Dru's. I'll sort out the valuations and get back to you
with a figure."
"If you have a house in London, why were
you staying at a hotel?" Giles asked.
"For one thing, anyone could do what I
assume Ronnie here did and check the land registry on places
where we've stayed before. For another thing, I don't think
the tenants would be overly impressed."
"Tenants?"
"Yeah, don't think it would do the places
much good to be sitting empty. Look, you thought I was skint,
turns out one of your number's been a bit less inclined
to make assumptions, and she's been doin' the math. Get
over it.
Just out of interest how much did it cost
you to lay hands on a tenth of everything I own?"
"Translated into sterling, about two hundred
and twenty pounds."
"Bloody hell!" Spike gave a lop-sided smile.
"I suppose if someone's got to make a profit I'd as soon
it was you."
Despite the fact that The Magic Box had
closed its doors to the public several hours before, it
currently seemed almost as busy as it did at peak trading
hours. None of the assembled Scoobies could bring themselves
to settle at the normal table. Anya, Buffy and Dawn were
nervous about Xander's appearance or lack thereof. Tara
and Willow were just nervous around each other. As a result
Anya was flitting round the store with a duster and the
others were doing impressions of browsing customers. Of
course, when Dawn started wandering round the shop picking
up things and looking at them, first Buffy's browsing and
then Anya's dusting began to follow the same route.
"Jeez, would you two stop checking out
my every move. I was just looking." Dawn moped off in the
direction of the table, which was still decorated by the
vase of yellow roses. She pulled out a chair and sprawled
across it, lying back as far as she could without falling
off, arms folded, legs wide. So it turned out she was the
first to see Xander come through the door.
His head was slightly bowed and his movements
were hesitant, as if he was unsure of his welcome, which
was, of course, the case.
"Hey." The greeting was downbeat and non-committal.
He looked round the room with a hangdog expression, nodding
a greeting to the women present.
Anya moved over to the counter picking
up the vase on the way. Everyone else headed for the table
where Dawn waited. She glared at Xander as he sat down.
"Okay." Buffy tried to find a place to start. "Dawn'll do
the important bit later. I guess I get to do the pre-show.
You probably all know or have guessed bits of what I'm going
to say. I don't think anybody knows the full story.
Since I came back, I haven't really been
comfortable round most of you. For months, I didn't feel
right. I haven't been able to open up and I've kept secrets
from all of you. At first I talked to Spike, but I. I took
advantage of how he feels about me. I. I needed comfort
and I took it from him. He thought it was the start of a
relationship, but it was more like the end. I blackmailed
him. I told him that if he told anyone about us I would
stake him. I stopped talking to him. He tried to send me
away when he realised what it was going to be like, tried
to say if he couldn't have all of me that he didn't want
the crumbs. I didn't see or didn't care what I did to him."
The group stared at her. Xander's mouth
was hanging open. "Bu- Bu."
"I'm not finished. It went on for months.
I haven't been coping very well and whenever things got
too much, I'd go to him. I'd used him as a release mechanism
and then just to make sure he wouldn't think it was anything
other than physical I'd sling a few insults his way and
leave him. Every time he tried to tell me he cared about
me I'd tell him he couldn't. It wasn't real. He didn't have
a soul so he couldn't feel anything and if he did it wasn't
love.
I beat him to a pulp, and told him I would
never be his girl, that he was evil and without a soul there
could never be anything good inside him." Buffy caught Dawn's
eye and gave her a rueful smile. "The black eye he had at
my birthday party, that was what still showed after a week
of vampire healing. He tried to stop me going to the police
and when I started hitting him instead of taking the time
to explain why I had to do it, he let me. He didn't hit
back. He didn't even defend himself and I left him for dead
in an alley with three hours to go before the sun came up.
I never even spoke to him till he turned up at the party.
Never even checked whether he made it out of the sun.
And when Riley came to town, I never even
bothered to get his side of the story. I just got on my
high horse and broke off the whole thing. Turns out the
only reason he got tricked into having those eggs was that
he was trying to protect some of us.
So I guess you're all wondering by now
what's the point of telling you this now.
I want you all to know that he's basically
the innocent party in all of this. He's never done anything
except be there when I've needed him on whatever terms I've
forced him to accept. He didn't want to hide what was going
on. That was me.
I've treated him really badly, but when
I've thought about it, so have most of the rest of you.
He's always treated like an outsider unless we need him.
I think he's more than earned the right to be treated like
a member of the team and it's time he was. I know that part
of the reason he's been excluded in the past was to spare
my feelings but as of now, I'd like him to be given the
same consideration you'd give me or Willow or Xander or
any of the rest of you. And that still stands whether we
manage to make things work when he gets back or not. I'm
not saying this because he's going to be my boyfriend; I'm
saying it because I think he's proven himself. Has anybody
got any objections?"
Buffy looked across at Xander expecting
him to be the first and most vocal opponent.
"Buffy, he may have spent a year or so
helping us, but he spent far longer trying to kill us. I
just don't think he can be trusted. He's a demon. That means
he's inherently evil. That isn't going to change."
Behind him Anya looked at him as though
her heart were breaking. Xander just seemed to refuse to
see the inconsistencies in his logic. He never even seemed
to notice that half of his words could equally well be applied
to his ex-fiancée.
"Yes, he is a demon. His basic nature is
to do evil, but just look at what he's done in the last
year. He hasn't killed anyone. He's patrolled with me day
in day out since I got back. He's spurned by his own kind
and belittled and insulted by you and by me but he's still
done nothing but help me, look after my sister and help
you all defend the Hellmouth when I wasn't here. If he can
do that when we're all against him imagine what he can do
with our support.
While he was away he had the chip removed."
Apart from Dawn, the rest of the group
looked shocked, but Buffy continued without giving them
a chance to interrupt. "It was a matter of necessity. I
think in the long term he's always wanted to do it, but
circumstances meant he was at risk if he didn't have it
done straight away. It's going to be a hard adjustment for
him. Xander, if you persist in pushing his buttons then
don't be surprised when you get unpleasant results. To be
honest, I think you've been. You've acted like a bully for
three years now, knowing he couldn't do anything about it.
I think he's due some payback or an apology."
"So apart from the fact he's evil and he's
dead you also want us to overlook the fact he can hurt us.
You want us to overlook the fact you'll be sharing your
bed with a thing that will rip your throat out the second
his control slips."
"Xander, since I came back he could have
done that any time he wanted. Tara says the differences
are minute, but the chip didn't recognise me as human. He
going to need our help. He's way too proud to ask so I'm
asking for him before he gets back. If we want him to overcome
his basic nature then we have to be supportive, no more
"evil dead, you're in my seat" cracks. I think it's a pretty
long time since Spike's actually done anything evil. I'm
not saying you have to be friends with him. I just wish
you would be civil. Or at least stop being hostile."
"I don't really know any other way to be
with someone I hate, but I'll try, only because I don't
want to lose you, Buffy, but when it all ends in tears and
it will, I'll be the first one to say I told you so." Xander's
words seemed to offer a truce, but his expression was bitter.
"Anyone else got any problems about this
while we're on the subject?"
Tara replied, "it does worry me a bit that
he's got his chip out, but only a little. I think he'll
be okay, but it might take a while not to act nervous around
him."
"That's just the way things are. You can't
help it and I think he'll understand if it takes a little
while to adjust. If it helps when they wanted to force him
into doing something they threatened the three people he
cared most about. Dawn, me and you. I doubt you're in any
danger.
I've said my piece. I think it's Dawn's
turn now. Dawn."
Dawn looked round at the faces in the room,
and then blurted out her news. "I don't know if I've got
a soul. I didn't say anything before because I thought Buffy
wouldn't be able to love me. She said all this stuff about
Spike, and I thought it must apply to me as well. So it
was only when she decided to give Spike a fair chance, soul
or not, that I felt I could say anything. As things turned
out it was Xander going on about Spike that made me tell
both of them. I don't know if any of you can tell, or if
we can research the spell the monks used to make me or whatever.
If I don't have one, I need to know if there's a way to
get one and I need to know what difference it would make
to see if I'd want one."
"Oh, sweetie."
"Dawn, you're human. You can't be human
without a soul. What on earth would make you think you might
not have one?" Willow asked.
"Well, you're a powerful wicca. If you
wanted to and you were still practising, could you make
a soul?"
"Er, no, but you were made by monks, holy
people. They must understand how important a soul is. They
wouldn't let you be soulless."
"Willing to make a bet?"
"Tara, is there any way you can tell by
reading her aura?" Buffy asked.
"I'm sorry. It can tell you about emotions
and about your health, but your soul. not as far as I know."
"Giles is sorting out where the council's
research on Glory came from. He's going to see if he can
find out anything about the spell that way. Other than that
I don't know what else we can do. We pretty much know we
don't have anything on the monks. Tara and Willow if you
could try the spell books, maybe you might be able to find
a spell they might have used or adapted. Anya, have you
any books about orbs of Thessula, and how they work?"
Buffy turned to get a response from the
store's proprietor, only to find she was no longer in her
position behind the counter, or apparently anywhere else
in the main shop.
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