the Altar

Parts 9-12

 

SERIES : the Trilogy

PAIRING : Buffy/Angel, Spike/Dru [ALSO minor pairings: Spike/Faith, Raith/Riley, Willow/Oz]

RATING: Althought a few parts are R or PG14, the majority of this fic are NC17.

SPOILERS : I Will Remember You & my fic the Challenge, & the Aftermath

DISCLAIMER : I do not own these characters.

 

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PART 9 (PG - Discoveries)

 

            “BUFFY!” She ran to her friend and the two embraced.

            “Hey Willow, I’ve been missing you, a lot.”

            “Me too, hey Angel!”

            “Hi, what’s going on?”

            “Not much. We just finished packing up the rest of my stuff, and all my candles and things too.”

            “So, I guess we’re not roomies anymore?”

            “Sorry...”

            “No, don’t worry about it Willow, we need to move on, no more doom and gloom. Right?”

            “Yeah, but it’s been really boring lately. Wanna sit down?”

            There was only a two seater left, so he and Oz sat down, and Buffy settled in on his lap. Angel wrapped his arms around his lover and she leaned forward, and held Willow’s hand.

            “I know the feeling. We don’t have to steal weapons from the army, and we don’t have to chase demons around, and there are no plagues on the earth, the slayage has been a no go.”

            “Buffy, I’ve gotta tell you something.”

            “Willow, what?”

            “Well, you almost died.”

            “No I didn’t, I mean not recently.”

            “No, Buffy, we came into the mansion and  we saw you over Angel, and Drusilla had an axe, she was going to kill you.”

            “She wasn’t anywhere near me.”

            “Buffy, she was, I saw her and I screamed and I flung my hands out in front of me, and she flew back. She hit the wall behind her, on her butt, she flew back, Buffy.”

            “What?” Angel looked at Willow, he didn’t remember much from when he woke up.

            “I think... I think I did it to her, she looked up at me, she was so surprised, I was too, I mean, pleasantly surprised, what with her going to kill you, but I don’t know what happened. I told Giles, and he thinks it might be some kind of spell, or something.”

            “Well, wait, could Tara have given you a power or something, can you do it again?”

            “I’ve tried, it won’t work, I’ve tried, but when I concentrate other things happen.”

            “Like what?”

 

            She looked across the table at Buffy. “Like, I’lll try to move that glass on the table. Watch.” She looked at the glass and put her hand not two feet from it, and tried to pull it toward her. The glass moved slightly, but then flew into her hand. “HOLY, THAT HASN’T HAPPENED BEFORE! I mean, before, the electricity went out.”

            “Willow, this is incredible, it must be some spell or something, maybe a new power, we thought Oz was the gift, but maybe she gave you something else, so you could save me.”

            “Maybe, it’s kind of cool, kind of like in the movies...”

            “You just have to practice more, a lot more, try moving stuff and throwing stuff...”

            “Hey, I wonder if I could throw a stake and kill a vampire from like ten feet away.”

            “We can patrol tonight, maybe we’ll get lucky and find one.”

 

            “I don’t mean to be a pessimist, but wouldn’t it better if we didn’t find any vampires?” She turned to him and planted a kiss on his lips.

            “Angel, we have to test this stuff out, this will help a lot. Seeing as how we can’t get really close to Drusilla, if Willow could just fling a stake at her, we wouldn’t have a problem anymore.”

            “No, but we’d have a really pissed off Spike.”

            “That’s true, but we can handle him.”

            “We can? Since when?”

            “Well, he didn’t bite me, did he? He’ll be destroyed when he sees her ashes, then we dust him and we go have lobster. Sound like a plan?”

            “Buffy, we can’t dust him, we know him.”

            “Willow, we know him, so what, we knew Angel, but I sent him to hell just the same, we do what we have to do, and they need to be dust, gone... then we’ll have a nice quiet hellmouth, and pizza.” She looked at her friends, they didn’t seem down with the plan. “What? Got a better one? Just because Tara said we’ll be ‘forever fighting’ them doesn’t mean we can’t have a plan, anyway, she deserves it.”

            “What if we got the initiative to put those little chip things in both of them, then we ca...”

            “We can all go for tea? Chain them up in the tub and bring them blood? They didn’t work the last time, I mean last time we tried being friends I ended up getting engag... never mind.”

            “Never mind what Buffy? Come on, I won’t hold it against you.” Angel asked.

            “No force on this earth. I refuse to relive these moments of weakness.”

            “Oh Buffy...”

            “Willow, shut up! Anyway, we should go now... I want to find Riley and tell him about Faith, he needs to know, for his own good.”

            “Buffy, you still care about him?”

            “Of course, there was sparkage, he was nice, we had picnics, he helped me pass psych, got me into the initiative... it was a good time, and when we...” she cleared her throat as she felt Angel’s hands tense up. “When we killed Adam, it was over, Riley is history, but I’d still like to be friends, I mean, just because he’s with Faith doesn’t mean we can’t talk, get along.”

            “Ooo... how’s the baby?” Willow asked, quickly changing the subject.

            “Good, driving me crazy though.”

            “Why?”

            “Angel makes me eat vegetables.”

            “Oh, sorry... oh well... have you seen anyone else lately? I know I haven’t seen Cordelia around in a while, I mean, not like she’s my best friend person or anything, but I still can’t believe she actually got a job, and for Angel no less.”

            “Cordelia isn’t the same anymore guys, she’s really changed, she’s nice, well, she’s not exactly nice, but she’s grown up. She’s a good friend to have in a pinch, this one time she chained me to the bed.” Buffy whipped her head around and looked at him.

            “OH REALLY?”

            He looked at her and smiled. “No force on this earth.”

            “You jerk.” She kissed him lightly and laughed. “We should get going, but we’ll see you two later? Maybe we’ll actually make it to the Bronze and have a good time tonight, the last time, it wasn’t very good.”

            “Deal.”

 

            They were on their way to Giles’ holding hands. “You know, if we are serious about this wedding thing, we have to get things together, we have less than nine months, time goes quick, you know?”

            “Buffy, nine months? Let’s deal with the crisis of the day first, we have Faith hooking up with your ex-boyfriend, this can’t be good, he’s probably hating me right now, and she probably remembers us tricking her, and you giving her body back...”

            “Angel? We had Thanksgiving dinner in the midst of an indian attack, we’ve had birthday parties crashed by vampires and we won’t even start on graduation or the prom, surely we can handle Faith on our wedding.”

            “The point is, wouldn’t we rather have an occasion when we don’t have to do all that. You should have, you deserve a special day, without demons and darkness, and it just so happens that I can give that to you now, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

            “That was very authoritative. I like it.”

            “Well, I’m good like that.”

            “I know.” They got to the door and went inside. “Cordelia? We’re here.”

            “Buffy! Angel!” Cordelia walked out of the bathroom. “Hey, I was just getting out of the shower, what’s going on?”

            “Not much, where’s Doyle?”

            “He went shopping, we were out of  milk and stuff like that. Listen, I’m glad you guys came over, we wanted to tell you that we...” just then the door opened.

            “Angel and Buffy, great!”

            “Hey Doyle, I was just going to tell them the news.”

            “What news?”

            “Angel, Buffy, we are going back to LA.”

            “When? Why?”
            “Well, Angel, when  I was dead, I had a lot of time to think and there was a condition to my return. Kind of a self imposed one that the PTB agreed with me on. I didn’t fight before, I was the messenger, but now Cordy is, and I’m going to fight the good fight.”

            “But, Doyle, you’re not combat ready.”

            “I wasn’t, but I can do it now Angel. We all have something to atone for, and I started by dying, and now I’m back and I want to finish what I started, and with Cordy by my side...”

            “And Wesley, don’t forget Wesley. Angel, I don’t want you to worry about us, we’ll be fine, and if we need anything, we can call Kate.”

            “Kate? Who’s Kate?” Buffy asked.

            “Kate? Oh she’s this detective Angel was jonesing for... oops... sorry...”

            “Cordy, you have a way of putting your foot in your mouth.”

            “It’s my way. Anyway, we’re leaving this afternoon. I have an audition lined up for tomorrow, a part in a music video... I won’t actually have to act, as it’s painfully obvious that I can’t.”

            “Don’t say that, you just have to find someone who believes in you.” Buffy felt bad, Cordelia had been so good to Angel and she was just as sad as Buffy had been.

            “Don’t worry about our Cordelia, I believe in her, and she’ll be famous, if only in my mind.” Doyle smiled at her and kissed her on her forehead.

            They sat and talked for a couple hours, and as Cordelia and Doyle drove off, Angel smiled. Something good had come out of his leaving Sunnydale after all.

 

PART 10 (PG14 - Rise I)

 

            The sun fell that evening, and the moon rose. Stars came out as they always did and Willow Rosenberg stepped out of the building holding her lover’s hand. She glanced up at the moon and it was red, she’d never seen anything like it, she fell to her knees.

            “WILLOW? Are you okay?”

            “Oz... it’s... it’s so powerful, it hurts me...”

            “What?”

            “The blood on the moon.”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “Look at it... don’t you see it, the moon blanketed in red.”

            “Willow, the moon isn’t even out, it’s covered by clouds.” She looked up and the moon was bright red. The stars were glowing red as well.

 

            He didn’t know what was happening.  There was no moon out tonight, it was too cloudy, but Willow obviously thought she saw something.

            “Willow? There is no moon out tonight.”

            “Oz, it’s all so red up there, it hurts me, it gives me the chills.”

 

            All of a sudden she was swept away with emotions, hatred, jealously, pain, she completely fell onto the ground and she watched the images danced in her head. She saw Faith, vamped out.

            “Oz... it’s Faith.”

            “What Will, you’re scaring me, tell me what’s happening.” She looked up at him from the ground and the sky was black, no stars were visible.

            “Oz, I think... I don’t know, it must be Tara’s way of telling me something. I saw Faith, I had a vision, kinda like what Cordy has I guess, and I saw the sky, covered in red, Oz, I did see that, it wasn’t my imagination.”

            “I believe you. Are you okay?”

            “Yes, it doesn’t hurt anymore, we have to get to the Bronze, we have to tell Buffy.” She stood up and regained her balance and they headed toward the Bronze.

 

            Outside of town, the moon smiled dripping blood from it’s devious smile. “When do you think they’ll come Spike?”

            “Soon love, soon.” Max had tied two people up above the graves he had dug for the master’s new arrivals. The two were gagged and sat in fear, not knowing what to expect. Spike listened intently to their hearts, inhaled the fear in the air around them. He sat on the ground, Dru in his lap, both watching the ground for the first movement, the sign they were waiting for.

            “Maybe I didn’t do it right Spike, what if it’s all wrong?”

            “Shhh, you did it right love, it just takes time is all, just time and some blood waiting for them.”

            They sat for what seemed like hours, waiting, watching, holding each other, Dru raking her nails on his thighs and he, grasping her supple breasts, waiting.

            “Spike?”

            “Yes pet?”

            “I want a new dollie. Can I have one?”

            “Of course love, what will she look like.”

            “The Slayer.”

            “Perfect.”

            They sat more in silence, touching each other, on the ground. He closed his eyes and listened to the beating hearts of the victims. Dru jumped out of his lap and his eyes popped open. She crawled over the ground and he saw her finger graze the tip of another. He smiled. The moon did too.

 

            “So you saw Faith as a vampire? Do you think it’s really going to happen, I mean I would get visions of things that may happen, but most never came true.”

            “Buffy, I know what I saw and what I felt. It’s true. I think it’s already happened.”

            “Okay, we have to find Faith and try to get her to stay with us so we can protect her.”

            “Um, Buffy, it’s Faith, psycho-killer-switch-your-body-steal-your-boyfriend-slayer-gone-bad Faith. Lest we not forget that.”

            “Xander, I get the concern thing, but she did show me how to get rid of the Mayor, to stop the Ascension and I...”

            “Enough with the forgiveness thing Buff, I’m so sick of it... let’s forgive Angel for killing Ms. Calendar, let’s forgive Spike for trying to end the world, let’s forgive Faith, what’s next, wanna forgive the Mayor for ruining graduation, wanna apologize to the Master for killing him and invite the Judge for tea?”

            “Xander, over react much? Xander, no matter what Faith has done, she is a Slayer, and she doesn’t deserve to die... not yet.”

            “Buffy, remember that whole going-to-the-hospital-because-your-boyfriend-slurped-you-up?” Angel went pale. “Remember who was behind that? Think about who imposed that decision?”

            “Xander, that’s really rude to drudge up old stuff, and another thing, Faith did that because the Mayor told her that. She never got a chance at a real life, her mom was mean, and she deserves the benefit of the doubt, another chance, that’s all I’m saying, we don’t know why she’s here in town, maybe she changed her mind.”

            “Yeah, Buffy, just like she changed her mind about being friends when she switched your bodies, Buffy what kind of drugs are you on?” He stood up and left, Anya followed him.

            “Buffy, you shouldn’t let that get to you, I’m all up for the not letting a Slayer become a vampire, I mean aren’t there rules for that?”

            “I don’t know Willow, but Xander’s been really touchy lately.”

            “Maybe he sees that he’s not the supreme guy in our lives now. I mean for a while, he was everything, helping us get over Angel and Oz, and now they’re back and they aren’t hurting us anymore, so now he’s jealous. We don’t depend on him anymore, you know, plus he’s probably nervous about the baby.”

            “I guess you’re right Will, but I am right about Faith, aren’t I? I mean, I tried to kill her, and I felt really bad about it afterwards, I mean, maybe not REALLY bad about it, cause I was sort of in a coma, but I mean, she was the first human I’d hurt...”

            “Buffy, I think you’re right about Faith and Xander has a point. If we can forgive me for all the things I did, she deserves another chance too, who knows maybe she really did find a way to atone for what she did.” Buffy smiled at Angel and the two couples sat in silence, watching the crowd dance. She heard a song play, “Dance with me Angel.”

            “Okay.”

//I wanna stand with you on a mountain

I wanna bathe with your in the sea

I want to lay like this forever

Until the sky falls down on me

And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky

I’ll make a wish and it to heaven and make you want to cry

the tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty//

 

            She rested her head on his chest and his arms engulfed her. They swayed with the music and all of reality she knew was his steady breath on her hair, and his arms holding her, pulling her into him. She never imagined anything like this would ever happen. And now she was pregnant, with Angel’s baby, a miracle in itself. He must have been thinking the same thing because he moved one of his hands from around her to her stomach. It covered her tiny belly completely, protectively. She smiled and kissed him tenderly.

 

PART 11 (R - Rise II)

 

            She remembered the night he had come back, her and Willow had been sitting talking and Spike had showed up. Buffy had known he was there, she could feel him whenever he was around. He was part of her, she didn’t love him, it was more than that. It was so intense, complete, without him, she wasn’t whole. She shuttered to think of a time when this wasn’t possible, when this couldn’t be possible. It brought a tear to her cheek as the song ended. She looked up at him and his hands took her head and his thumb wiped away the tear.

            “Buffy, what’s wrong?”

            “Nothing, I was just thinking about how much I love you.” He smiled and gathered her up in his arms again. Their lips met, and he lifted her body off the ground a couple inches. She was floating, flying and she never wanted to come down.

 

            The moon whispered secrets, she listened intently as she watched the fingers, frail and cold peeking up through the ground. She remembered her Angel had been there, waiting for her, to take his pleasure of her and leave her begging for more. He always did. She knew that now, he made promises and only wanted her when it was good for him. Spike loved her. He did anything for her, he had known how Angel hurt her, and she adored him now. The moon whispered secrets, past memories, and it was red, her favorite color.

 

            ‘Have to push, listen, shhh, have to go, further, never ending, dark, black, cold, so cold, too cold. Have to go, push on further, have to, listen, shhh, do you hear it, hungry, tired, have to go on.  Someone will be waiting, have to go, further, further, cold, dark, so cold. Air, warmth, cool fingers, contact, further, hurry, hurry. What’s happened? Warmth, contact, further.’

 

            “Okay, here’s what we know, Faith is a Slayer, why would a vampire make her into one?” Buffy sat, her hands in Angels on the table, gazing across the table at her best friend.

            “Well, I know, if I were a vampire, I mean, again, when I was... I would have killed a Slayer, but who would make one into a vampire? It seems too ironic, I guess it makes sense, but what’s the guarantee that she wouldn’t retain the slayerness, I don’t know. It seems crazy.”

            “Crazy? Who do we know who’s crazy enough to try it?”

            The four looked at each other and nodded, and in unison said, “Drusilla.”

 

            “Welcome to our world.” She said, looking down at the newbie. She took his hand and he pulled himself up and shook the dirt from his body. “It’s tiring, I know, but we have a present for you. I’m Drusilla, you can call me Dru.”

            “Drusilla will do just fine mate, call her Drusilla.”

            He walked over to the girl who was tied to the post. He could hear it, the blood, the heart, thump thump, thump thump. He looked back at her. “You know what to do.” He looked at her, and tried on his new face, his new identity and turned back to the girl. She tried to scream but it was to no avail, the gag was too tight. He took hold of her head and bent it toward her shoulder and bit down fiercely. She tried to scream and fight, but she couldn’t and she eventually went limp. He stood up, and wiped his mouth off, the taste lingered in his mouth, salty and rich.

            “Perfect.” She smiled and walked to him. “You’re perfect, you’re part of our family now, we’ll feed and play, what’s your name again? I forgot.”

            “Riley.” He looked into her eyes and grabbed her forcefully and dove into her mouth with his tongue. Sooner than he could think, he was thrown back by hostile 17.

            “We’ll have none of that... you keep your hands off my Dru, or I’ll stake you myself mate.Got it?”

            Riley nodded and stood up. “Spike? That’s not really necessary, he’s cute, I like him.”

            Spike looked at Riley and he smiled. Spike growled at him and turned to Dru, “Now Princess, we’ve been through this before, I don’t ask for much, but I do ask you not shag anyone else, I don’t think that’s too much to ask.” She gave him a small smile and her eyes grew wide.

            “Spike! She rises.”

 

PART 12 (NC17 - Rise III)

 

            “So what’s the plan Buffy?” Willow asked as the four were walking toward the mansion.

            “Plan? Why do I always have to have a plan? I’m sick of being the plan girl.”

            “Well, Buffy, you are the Chosen One, and you should come up with the plans, you’re good at it, your plans work, you’ve come up with some good ones.”

            “Yeah, Willow, but it was Xander who came up with the really good ones, like the gun thingy with the Judge, and well... hmmm... I can’t think of anymore off the top of my head, but he helped, a lot... and I don’t want to come up with the plans, you do it.”

            “But, Buffy, I’m Willow, I’m no...” she fell off to the ground and looked around her, red, all over, red, blood, hate, the moon was gone but the stars spelled secrets to her, words she could not focus on, she couldn’t make them out. She lay on the ground waiting for the intense spasms of her muscles to stop and give her relief.

 

            “WILLOW!” Buffy and Oz went after her, trying to stop her fall, but it was too late. She hadn’t hit her head though. “Buffy, this is what happened before when she saw the moon and the vision.”

            “Oz, how long did it last before?”

            “Couple minutes.”

 

            She looked up and watched the stars dance and move. They spoke to her, whispered secrets. ‘The . baby will die... all will die... Faith... ALL WILL DIE... only BLOOD will stop... you rise... SHE RISES...’ Her eyes shot open and she sat up.

            “She rises.”

 

            She played with her fingers, teased them, licked them as she waited.

 

            ‘Further, what’s that? Warm... so warm... hurry... need to taste it... hurry... so hard... tired... when will it end... black... black all black... listen... pumping... further... soon... so soon... warm... air...’

            Her arms moved above the surface and made a hole for her head to come up out of the soil. She opened her eyes to the darkness and saw the dark woman there, waiting for her, extending a hand.

            “Welcome.” She stood up and shook herself off. She knew these faces, all but one.

            “Who’s that?”

            “That’s Max love, he’s a servant. We have a present for you.” Spike stepped toward her and she met him and pushed herself into him as she had done months prior in the Bronze. She remembered what she had said.

 

I could have anything... anyone. Even you, Spike. I could ride you at a gallop until your

legs buckled and your eyes rolled up. I've got muscles you've never even dreamed of;

I could squeeze you until you popped like warm champagne and you'd beg me to hurt

you just a little bit more. And you know why I don't? Because it's wrong.

 

            She’d meant it, she was hot for him, she grabbed his waist and pulled him hard into her. “Or you can not open your present.” He said, as he leaned in to her mouth.

            “Um, Spike?” He turned to Dru, “Spike? The present...” Dru walked over and unhooked Faith’s hands from around her man. “We have a present for you... you know what to do... well we have two presents.”

            “RILEY!” Faith ran over to him and grabbed him, he was clamy. “Riley, are you, I mean... did they... are you like me?”

            “Yeah, I’m here with you babe. Take him, I left him for you. Do it.” She walked over to the boy and took out the gag from his mouth, she wanted to hear him scream. She vamped out and bit down, hard and let the blood spout into her mouth and she sucked him dry.

            “I’ve always wondered about that. It’s good, tastes like chicken.”

            “Well, I’d wager it’s a lot better than chicken in that’s it’s not.” Spike said as Faith looked back at him. Dru put her arm around him again and Riley slinked his arm around Faith. “So, what else do vampires do for fun?”

            “Well, I like to tie up Spike upstairs...” Dru offered.

            “Hmmm, I’d like to tie him up too...”

            “That’s not what I meant. We brought Riley for you, you choose him and he’s yours.”

            “So what, Drusilla? You can fuck other guys, but he can’t ride me? That hardly seems fair, I mean, if you can share, why can’t he?”

            “Because he’s mine, and he’s been a bad boy, and he’s mine.”

            “I’ll bet he’s been a bad boy, though as I recall him and B were pretty tight before. Her feeding him, tying him up in the bathtub, sounds like the games you like to play.”

 

            Dru whipped around to him and looked at him, her eyes wide. He had to explain, he hadn’t told her about it yet, it was too embarassing.

            “SPIKE?”

            “Dru, baby, I had to survive, I had no money, you left me, and I needed blood, it wasn’t as much fun as it sounds, it wasn’t any fun. It’s all his fault!” He pointed at Riley, but she didn’t shift her eyes.

            “Upstairs NOW!” She said, and he knew he was in trouble, he went up and she followed him after turning to the new arrivals, “You stay here a couple hours, have fun, Max’ll get you another dinner if you like, but stay here, the Slayer is strong, and so is my Angel.”

            “You got it D, we’ll just be chillin’ here.”

 

            “Who rises Will?”

            “Faith, she’s risen, I saw it, the stars they told me.”

            “Well, great, another freak listening to stars, at least it’s not an ex-girlfriend, huh Angel?” He looked at her and she tried to smile, she knew she shouldn’t have said that. He was touchy about those vampire jokes now, especially ones that made him think of how much he hurt her. “Sorry, I...”

            “It’s okay, let’s figure out this... the stars told you?”

            Oz reached down and pulled Willow up and kissed her forehead. “Are you okay?”

            “Yeah, little pain, but no big, the stars they spelled words to me, told me the baby will die, all will die and that I rise and she rises. That’s what the message was, which kind of goes with Cordy’s vision, the baby and you and all.”

            “Well, this baby isn’t going to die, I won’t let it, Buffy,” Angel said, he turned to Buffy,  “I want you to go home. I’ll be along after I find Faith.”

            “Angel... I’m the Slayer, I have to go.”

            “Buffy, you’re not taking the chance, not with this baby, not with yourself, I’ll go.”

            “Angel, I...”

            “He’s right Buffy, Angel and I can go, we can take care of it, you go home, we’ll come right over afterward.”

            “Will...”

            “Buffy, resolve face. See, resolve face, you’ve seen it before, you know what it means. Go, Oz’ll take you, we’ll see you later.”

            “Willo...”

            “Oz, resolve face. Go, take Buffy and make sure she gets home safe.”

            “Okay, be careful, I love you. Come on Buffy.” Willow and Angel said their goodbyes and watched as Oz and Buffy walked off.

            “Think it was a good idea?”

            “Angel, you’re right, we can’t take the chance, I mean, Dru bit you, most likely she knows Buffy is pregnant, it’s safer this way, and Dru has the emotional leverage over you and Buffy, she could distract her... this is best.”

 

 

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