drink2

DISCLAIMER: All hail Joss Whedon, UPN, the WB, FOX , Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. Theirs not mine.

The mist continues down to his feet and fades away.�With the force of love the claim was made, " Tara chants. "With the blood of the kindred the bond was forged. By the will of Lilith may the link be restored.� The bowl shakes and spins, the blood draining down to the bottom until it is empty. A metal chain appears on my wrist, the long silver links reaching to a similar cuff on Spike�s.

�Mighty Lilith, dark goddess, we thank you for your favor and entreat you to depart.� The bowl turns to dust in Tara�s hands. �Dissipate.� The circle around us disappears. Tara collapses, and Angel holds her up.

I lean over Spike. The bandages that cover his chest are intact. I rip them off, using them to wipe off the blood around the wound. As soon as I wipe it clean, it begins to seep blood again.I shut my eyes, pulling along the cord that ties me to him. I follow the chain, moving through a series of black rooms. All I can see is darkness. For what seems like hours, I search, finding nothing. I return to myself. �I can�t find him. I can�t find anything.� I turn and look at Spike. He is fading away before my eyes.

Tara takes my hand. �We�ll do this together.� She takes Angel�s hand. I take his. We form a circle, bound together. I am walking through the dark rooms again. �Illuminate,� says Tara.

The room floods with light.

She and Angel follow behind as I trace the chain to its source. We walk through room after room. Some are recognizable, some obscure. None seem familiar. I walk through a doorway and stop. The chain has ended in nothing. I look around the room. In the farthest corner, Drusilla sits next to a roaring fireplace. She is curled in an armchair, reading a book. I turn to Angel and whisper. �My chain has ended. But Drusilla is in here. Do you think she knows how to find Spike?�

Angel grimaces. �It�s worth a shot. Depending on her mood, we could just get a bunch of gibberish.�

He walks over to her, kneeling in front of her. �Hello, Dru.�

She drops the book in her lap, clapping her hands. �Angelus! You came for the farewell party for my William. �

�Do you know where Spike is, Dru?� he asks patiently.

She nods her head, eyes flashing with excitement. �He was in all these lovely books.�

Drusilla gestures behind her to the empty bookcases. She holds up the one from her lap.

�Now there is only this one left.� Angel grabs it from her and tosses it to me.

Drusilla turns to stare at me, amusement washing over her face. �The quest is over, princess. The blood is nearly gone.�

I turn to Tara. �Get him out of there. Now!�

�It�s up to you, Buffy," she tells me encouragingly.

�I don�t know what to do.� I open the book on a table and look at it. There is a watercolor, covering two pages. A tranquil field stretches to a wide blue lake. At the edge, there is a figure. I lean forward, as if diving into a pool and find myself sitting on the grass, watching the play of sunlight on the water. Spike turns and smiles at me. His hair is a glorious blond in the sunlight. His cheeks bloom with health. He's wearing chain mail, bright and unmarked.

He reaches out and touches my face with a warm hand. The chain on his wrist pulls on mine. �I�m glad you�re here, pet. I didn�t want to leave without saying goodbye.� He kisses me, deeply and sweetly.

I grab his hand, placing it on my heart. �It�s not time to say goodbye. What we are. What we have. It has only begun.�

�Too much time has passed. Love has failed. The quest is done,� he says, staring at the horizon.
I stand, forcing him to his feet.

I pull my arm over his head, wrapping the silver chain around his neck. �Angel, Tara,� I speak in my mind. In my free hand a chalice appears, golden and bright. �Drink,� I say, raising it to his lips.

He looks into my eyes. �You don�t understand what this means, Slayer.�

Power rips through my body, blazing across the chain that connects us. The words come to me unbidden. �For love I have claimed you. By blood I have bound you. Return to me.�

His eyes blaze defiance.�You need to release me, Buffy. You don�t understand what you�re playing at here.�

I pull tightly on the chain, forcing his head downwards. �For love I have claimed you. By blood I have bound you. Return to me.� Slowly, unwillingly, he drinks. I release the chain.

The sun disappears under a cover of clouds. Darkness falls, a crescent moon visible in the sky. The wind whips the water into fierce, churning waves. Spike stands before me, his leather coat whipping around his legs. The moonlight reflects the stunning white of his hair.

His eyes burn into mine over the rim of the chalice. Draining the cup, he hands it to me. Blood stains his lips. �The ritual is done. The claim is made. We are bound, as one.� Jerking my wrist, he pulls me close. He whispers in my ear. �Bound for eternity.�