Part 7

<<The Magic Shop>>

The door banged open and everyone swung round, weapons ready.

“Help me,” Wesley gasped.

Gunn and Xander both rushed forwards to help Wesley carry Buffy’s limp form.

“What happened,” Willow asked as they laid her on the table.

“After we split up, a majority of the Hellions followed us. We held them off, but I think Buffy may have a broken leg,” Wesley explained, “Did anyone else get hurt?”

“Not really, just a few scratches. We’re all here,” Willow answered distractedly as she

started patching up Buffy.

“What are we going to do? We are a slayer down, a Spike down, we have no idea what’s happened to Dawn and Joyce and Willow looks all magicked-out,” Anya babbled.

“Ahn honey, we're nearing your point, right,” Xander said

”It's just, how are we supposed to fight these guys? I mean, we can take a vampire

or two, sure, but there's a whole cavalcade of demons out there ... I mean, I think

this, you know ... it, it takes, um ... I mean, I ... we need...”

“Spike,” Tara said quietly

“Spike is not coming back. We failed,” Willow said sadly.

“But we can try again,” Cordelia asked hopefully.

“No – the urn was one of a kind. When it smashed, it also smashed any hope of

bringing him back,” Willow said.

Cordelia nodded sadly then yelled, “Angel! We need Angel.”

“Has anyone tried his mobile,” Wesley asked

“On it,” Cordelia said as she walked over to the phone and started dialing. Everyone

watched hopefully. Cordelia suddenly slammed the phone down angrily. “Stupid

vampire. As usual, he has either left it behind, not charged it, or has accidentally

switched it off,” Cordelia stated snarkilly.

“That man is a liability,” Wesley mumbled, “Alright, time to take stock. Do we have weapons?” Everyone held up an assortment of armoury. “Good so we go out there

and we get to the mansion. Sounds easy enough,” Wesley said hefting a sword experimentally.

“What about Buffy,” Willow asked.

“I’ll carry her,” Gunn said as he passed his axe to Cordelia.

They stood looking at the front door listening to the sounds of glass breaking and fires roaring. “Is there a back exit,” Wesley asked hopefully.

“Yeah, I think out the back way would be best,” Willow agreed leading them round the

back.

***

A lone figure clad in black with platinum blond hair made his way down the deserted

street looking around wildly at the destruction.

Spike stopped and stared mesmerized by a burning car.

“Am I in hell,” he quietly said to himself, still staring at the flames.

He began laughing manically. “Sure, play with the Spike! Why not – everyone else

does. Send him to heaven where all is warm and bright and calm – make him feel

safe, happy. Then just plunge him into the pit of hell. Bet your having a right laugh,”

Spike sniffed, tears forming. “Just tell me why,” he screamed at the sky, “Why take

me in and show me what I can have if you were only going to throw me out again?”

He continued to rage at his fate as tears streamed down his face before falling to the

ground and clutching his head.

“I was happy, finally at peace with me self,” he mumbled before throwing his head

back and roaring to the sky, “WHY?”

The roar of a motorbike filled the air. Spike took a deep breath and stood, wiping his

eyes as he did. He looked around and found the source of the noise.

Spike chuckled. “Well, if it’s a fight ya want,” he sneered as he bent down and grabbed

a metal bar, “then you’ve come to the right vampire.” Spike roared as he ran forwards.

***

Dawn stared disbelieving as she saw an unmistakeable figure with platinum blond hair 

run down an alley.

“Stop the bike! Stop the bike Mum,” Dawn yelled as she started climbing off before it 

had stopped. She ran down the alley and by the time Joyce could comprehend what 

had happened, she was gone.

“Dawn,” Joyce yelled. “Dawn,” she screamed again as another group of Hellions rounded 

the corner. Joyce quickly started the bike again and drove in the opposite direction from 

where Dawn had run, leading the Hellions away from her daughter.

Joyce rounded another corner and saw Angel standing in the middle of the street 

surrounded by Hellions fighting desperately. Joyce revved the engine and sped up 

yelling, “Angel!” 

As she neared, she held out her arm. Angel grabbed it and swung gracefully up behind her. 

After they had lost or killed their pursuers, Joyce stopped the bike. 

“Nice timing,” Angel said as he climbed off the bike.

“I’ve lost Dawn,” Joyce gasped as the enormity of what was happening suddenly hit 

her and tears began to fall.

Angel pulled her into a hug. “Shush, she will be fine. She knows how to take care of 

herself. Trust me.”

Joyce sniffed and pulled away looking at him calculatingly. “It was you, wasn’t it,” 

she accused.

“What do you mean?”

“It was you who taught her how to wield a sword,” Joyce stated.

Angel looked at the ground. “Yes,” Angel said quietly.

“When this is all over, we are all going to sit down and have a proper chat, but right 

now I have to find my daughters, ” Joyce said as she swung herself back on the bike. 

Angel stood there staring at the ground. “Well, you coming?” Angel looked up in surprise. 

“I may be angry, but I’m not stupid and you’re my best hope of finding them and staying 

alive.”

Angel nodded and got back on the bike behind Joyce. “Where were you heading,” he asked.

“To the mansion to try to find you,” Joyce replied.

“Right, then we head for the mansion.” Angel looked around finally noticing where 

they were and groaned they were on the opposite side of town to the mansion and 

between them and their target was a horde of badness. “And kill everything in our way,” 

he sighed as Joyce started the motorbike up.

*** 

They were running followed by a horde of Hellions. 

“Any ideas,” yelled Cordelia as she mentally scolded herself for not wearing trainers 

although they SO wouldn’t have gone with her outfit.

“Nope, I’m all out except for keep runni…” They rounded a corner, skidding to a halt 

as they found it to be a dead end.

“Okay, this is so not funny. How is it that most of us either live here or have lived here 

and yet we still manage to find the only dead end road in all of Sunny-Fucking-Hell,” 

Cordelia yelled in frustration as she turned preparing to fight.

Gunn carefully placed Buffy behind some boxes and took his axe from Cordelia.

“Hell would be right luv, except I don’t see why you lot are here.” All eyes swung to a 

dark figure sitting on a crate in the shadows. 

“Spike,” Willow gasped disbelievingly.

“Well, well, well.  What do we have here? A nice little picnic,” one of the Hellions said 

as he walked forwards.

“Incinerate,” Tara whispered as she flung her arms out making a flash of fire appear in

front of the Hellion stopping his advance.

“Ah. So you got a witch in the mix.”

“More than one,” Willow said boldly.

“Plus, we have a vampire here, uh, who might actually be looking to eat some brains,

so, I think a little quiet moseying, no hard feelings, and I'm sure your demon horde

won't think any the less of you,” Anya said nervously

The lead Hellion shook his head. “Now my boys, see, that's tricky. They came looking

for a massacre and I think you got exactly enough magic between you for a kiddie

birthday party.”

Willow stepped forwards. “Then you'd be wrong.”

“This is bloody brilliant.” Spike laughed maniacally then looked at the sky and yelled,

“Oh you stupid wankers, you got it wrong – Red ain’t got balls like that.” Spike

laughed harder.

All eyes turned and regarded the figure in the shadows.

“Sorry, carry on. I’m just enjoying the show.” Spike smiled.

“Look, just back off,” Willow said to the lead Hellion.

The lead Hellion smiled. “Whoa. Well, I better back off, or you might, what? Pull a

rabbit out of a hat?”

Anya looked horrified. “Don't, don't do that!” She looked at Tara saying, “Why would

she do that?”

Tara patted her arm reassuringly while shaking her head.

“We don't want trouble ... you don't want trouble,” Willow stated.

”Of course we want trouble, we're demons. We're really all about trouble,” The lead

Hellion smirked.

 

“Not this kind of…” Willow never got to finish her sentence as the lead Hellion smacked

her round the head sending her flying through the air.

Spike clapped as he watched the scene unfold in front of him laughing with glee as

Xander was the next Scoobie who went sprawling.

“Now let me tell you something, children. We're not gonna fight you. We're just gonna

hold you down and enjoy ourselves for a few hours. You might even live through it.

Except that certain of my boys got some… anatomical incompatibilities that, uh, tend to

tear up little girls. So, who wants to go first?” The lead Hellion grinned.

“Spike – help us,” Tara pleaded.

Spike looked at her puzzled. “Why? I will probably have to relive this scene from now

till the end of time. I mean, that’s what hell is ain’t it? Watching your nightmares unfold

in front of your eyes,” he asked.

Cordelia gasped as realization hit. “Spike sweetie, we’re not in hell. This is Sunnydale

here and now. We pulled you out of hell.”

Spike sat there, his eyes turning hard. “You…you pulled me out,” he asked coldly.

“Yes, we pulled you out of hell and bought you back,” Cordelia said smiling sweetly.

Spike roared as his emotions overwhelmed him and leapt down from his perch. “You

pulled me out of hell,” he asked.

The group nodded looking slightly scared.

“Nice as this is, my boys and I are up for some action,” the lead Hellion said as he leered

at Cordelia.

Spike looked at the ground then raised his face, sneer on his lips, just before he became

a blur of black – kicking, punching and spinning his way through that mass killing and maiming numerous Hellions before the others had time to react and join him in the fight.

With a final roar, Spike broke the neck of the last Hellion. He stood there panting with

rage staring balefully at the humans before him.

“Spike,” Wesley asked as he cautiously advanced.

Spike looked at them one last time before he swung around and ran. The others ran after

him yelling his name, but by the time they reached the corner, he was gone.

***

Dawn was scared. She was sure she had seen Spike, but it was probably just wishful thinking. Dawn looked around and found she had wondered to the site where her whole world had changed. She was at the tower. She looked up craning her neck and gasped. “NO,” she yelled as she ran up the stairs.

Spike stood on the edge of the platform looking down. “I wonder if I was to jump again whether they would take me back,” he muttered shuffling forwards a bit more.

“No,” Dawn said quietly as she neared the top.

Spike spun round and stared at her. “I have to Nibblet.”

“It’s you really you,” Dawn gasped in amazement, “Wha..Ho…”

Spike turned around and looked down.

“No,” Dawn shrieked as she cautiously walked forwarded, the tower creaking alarmingly “Please don’t,” she said softly.

Spike turned his head and looked at her with dead eyes. Dawn shivered. “Please don’t

leave me again,” she begged as tears stared to fall, “We’ve got you back. Don’t leave

us.”

The tower creaked.

“Is this hell?” Spike’s voice was low and horse.

“What? No. You're here ... with me.” Dawn took another step towards the vampire. “Whatever happened to you, whatever you've been through, it's ... it's over now. You're, home.”

“Home,” Spike whispered

Dawn took another step and the tower began to shake alarmingly.

“Spike, we have to leave now…Spike,” she shrieked.

“It was so...clear...on this spot. I remember...how...shiny...and clear everything was. But...now...now…” Spike swayed.

“Spike...please...listen to me. You told me I had to be strong...and I've tried. But it's

been so hard without you.”

Spike looked at her tear-stained face and started to walk towards her. The tower shook alarmingly. Dawn screamed and crouched down as pieces of the tower began to fall

around them.

“Dawn,” Spike yelled as he jumped towards her and pulled her into his arms. The tower shook uncontrollably. Spike looked around wildly and spied a pulley and rope. “Hold on

tight Bit,” he said as he jumped and grabbed the rope. They started falling then jerked

to a stop when the pulley got caught on something. Spike let go of the rope and they fell. Spike landed on his feet with Dawn in his arms. He looked up and saw the tower sway violently before it started to crumple to the ground. Spike ran.

“Spike,” Dawn asked tentatively as they slowed and finally stopped, safe and sound.

Spike looked at her. “Yeah Little Bit?”

“You are real, aren’t you?”

Spike kissed the top of her head. “I’m real Bit, I’m real.” Spike put her on her feet

and they stood looking at one another. “What are you doing out on a night like this,”

Spike started yelling, “Why aren’t you at home with Joyce like you should be?”

“I was, but the Hellions came and Mum and I ran…but we kinda got split up…”

“Where were you going,” Spike asked.

“We were heading to Angel at the Crawford Mansion…”

“Angel,” Spike said quietly suddenly feeling totally drained both physically and

emotionally.

Dawn looked at him and took his hand and began leading him away.

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