Chapter Seven

The Pain of Love

A hard rain had begun pounding the earth when Buffy set out for Elizabeth’s mansion lair on Shadowbrook Road. The gray clouds above seemed to know something she did not for their rumblings resembled a rising discontent that would soon become a thunderstorm. Thunderstorms did not worry the slayer for they were apart of the natural order. However as the wind began to wail like a banshee in the night and the lands seemed to heave with protestations of some coming darkness, Buffy was gripped with a sense of urgency as she and Tara drove towards their confrontation with the Countess. It was a sense of unease that translated into the Wiccan beside her for Tara seemed no less comfortable than she did. Of course, facing a vampire of Elizabeth’s calibre should have been enough to shake even the strongest constitution but Buffy had a feeling it was more than just that.

At the time, they had presented a brave front to Xander because in his current state of being Elizabeth’s creature, they had no wish to give him the impression that his boasting about his mistress’s plans had frightened them. In truth however, Buffy was shaken to the core. This was the first time that an enemy had tried more than just to kill her but to kill all the Slayers that had ever been and would be. She wished that Giles were here because he would be able to tell her if this was possible or not. She did not want to believe that it could be true but Elizabeth had good cause to hate the Slayers. Buffy supposed if she had been trapped in a dungeon for four centuries, she would be similarly inclined to desire such an extreme vengeance. However, whether or not that desire translated into ability was another thing entirely.

Unfortunately, Buffy could not take the risk because she was not merely fighting for herself but for all the Slayers that would come after her. The vampire had already proven herself to be formidable enough to steal away Xander and Spike from her. Despite her difficulties of late with Spike, she never believed he was capable of truly hurting her until now. It was a stark reminder of how fine a line he walked by loving her and though she admired his ability to curb his baser instincts until now, Buffy understood that it would only take a nudge for him to turn on her.

Xander was even worse if that was possible. Spike she could kill because he was vampire and when they strip away all the other complications between them, the fact that he was a demon gave her absolution should she ever take that path with him. However, Xander was her friend. She did not love him as she loved Angel but her feelings for him were just as strong and it had taken Elizabeth a second to turn them both away from her.

If she was capable of that, then she was capable of opening the Hellmouth and destroying the slayers.

As it was, Buffy was not terribly happy about leaving Dawn and Anya alone to guard Xander. Despite her sister’s protestations that she was old enough to take care of herself as well as accepting added responsibility, Buffy still saw her as her little sister and could not help feeling the need to protect her even though she had to give in to Dawn’s argument this time. With Willow in the hospital and Xander needed watching until the threat of Elizabeth was dealt with, Buffy could not afford to expend the resources to guard her. In truth, she was leery of attempting to deal with two master vampires alone and was grateful that Tara was by her side. Although supposedly not as powerful a witch as Willow once was, Tara seemed to have better control of her magic and was quite formidable in her own right.

Buffy was not so arrogant as to think that she could take on Elizabeth and Spike on her own. The way she had been the past few months might have made her inclined to believe that she needed none of her friends but she had reached a watershed tonight and her road to healing had began by her ability to ask for help. Unfortunately that moment had coincided with the fact that at this precise instance, the friends who could help her were in no position to do so. Unlike herself, the others did not have super fast healing ability as she did and both Willow and Anya were in no shape to fight the enemies rallied against them tonight.

By the time they reached Shadowbrook Road, the rain was pounding so hard against the car it was almost difficult to speak through the sounds against its steel. Buffy gazed out the window and saw the sky was hidden beneath a blanket of gray and lightning bolts lashed out periodically, followed closely by thunder. The last time she had seen a night as fierce as this, it had been the day that the hell demon Glory had attempted to bring down the dimensional walls and while it had not rained, the air was charged with the same atmosphere of unrest. She hoped that she would survive the outcome of this battle in better condition than she had during that occasion.

The house on Shadowbrook Road was not hard to find since it was the one surrounded with high gates and manicured lawns that seemed to go on forever before one actually laid eyes upon the house itself. As Buffy and Tara approached it, she wondered what sort of justice it was that had a vampire leaving in such luxurious surroundings, while she, the Slayer, was forced to make ends meet by shovelling French fries and greasy burgers to an unsuspecting public. Sometimes there was just no justice in the world. Unfortunately, at the present moment, their troubles were a little more involved than the socio-disproportionate economic status of vampire and slayer, the steel gates appeared quite formidable and short of ramming through them with a car, they were not going to get past it.

"I’ll have to go in alone," Buffy replied once the two had emerged from the vehicle, which was parked a little more than a mile away from the house. There was no point in giving Elizabeth any more of a warning that she already had since the vampire would have reason to suspect her secret hideaway would have been compromised the moment Xander was overdue from his errand to retrieve Buffy’s blood. No doubt there would be sentries ensuring that intruders did not enter the grounds unnoticed.

"No," Tara shook her head, not about to entertain that idea in any shape or form.

"Tara, I can climb over the gate," Buffy insisted.

"And I can open it," she stared at the slayer.

"Oh," Buffy remarked with some measure of surprise. "Well why didn’t you say so?"

"I didn’t think you were going to try and leave me behind," Tara retorted as the two of them started down the slick road.

"I wasn’t trying to leave you behind," Buffy gave her a look, feeling the rain soak through her supposedly waterproof coat in a matter of seconds. "I didn’t think you could climb over the thing."

"Okay, okay," Tara remarked with a smile. "I just don’t want you to think that you have to do this alone."

Tara remembered how it felt to alone and of the belief that she was beyond anyone’s help. She had for the longest time, believed she was part demon and thus submitted to the will of her father and her brothers out of some fear that no one else would care about her if they knew what she was. Willow had shown her that she was worth loving but it was Buffy who made her truly feel apart of the Scooby Gang. When her father had come to take her home despite her own wishes, Buffy had stood up for her and called her family. She had almost wept from the intense gratitude of Buffy’s gesture but the Slayer never expected thanks because she really meant what she said; Tara was family and one did not thank family for simply being that.

"I know," she swallowed. "I’m glad you’re with me."

The high gates seemed to surround the entire mansion and with the rain the way it was, Buffy had trouble spotting any vampires that might be keeping watch for trespassers. She assumed that Elizabeth had to know that she was coming. What else would explain Xander’s absence? Unfortunately, Buffy had no choice; she had to act whatever the risks. The only thing that gave her hesitation was Tara’s presence. However, the Wiccan was not going to allow that the reason hinder Buffy in what she had to do. Deciding against entering through the main gates, the found a smaller gate after walking for ten minutes around the steel fence. It appeared to be a service entrance of some kind and though it was padlocked, Tara dispatched it effortlessly.

"You ready for this?" Buffy gave her a look.

"As I’m ever going to be," Tara swallowed.

Buffy sucked in her breath, trying to control the fear she felt at what they were about to face and prayed silently that she did not fail this like she had failed every thing recently because this was one battle she could not afford to lose.

*************

Tonight the Slayers would die.

Not just the one who presently inhabited Sunnydale but the entire wretched line of all vampire slayers for all time. Since the beginning of time, since the emergence of the first vampire, there had been a slayer there to fight it. For all the centuries since that day, a war had been fought in secret that most never knew existed and for every slayer that had fallen, hundred of vampires and demons had died first. If what she did tonight succeeded, then that war would finally end with the slayer being vanquished and Elizabeth gaining the revenge she had dreamed about for four centuries of horrific enslavement.

As she stood in the center of the hall where the ritual would be performed, she continued the preparations, making good use of the blood that Spike had returned to her after their evening’s encounter with the slayer. It disturbed her mildly that the human Xander had not returned to her but then Elizabeth had sent her minions forth to retrieve him so she anticipated that his absence would not be for long. Of course there was every possibility that Xander could have betrayed her to the slayer but Elizabeth was unconcerned by this as well. Vorgas and the rest of her foot soldiers were patrolling the grounds, ensuring that she was uninterrupted while she proceeded to conduct this ritual.

She allowed only Spike – William, to remain because he needed to have the slayer’s hold upon him broken. The irony of a vampire loving a slayer was not lost upon Elizabeth but she wanted him for herself and would endure no rival for his affections. His love for the slayer was strong, even the spell of enchantment Elizabeth had placed over him was finding difficulty remaining in place without constant reinforcement. It was fortunate that with this one spell, she would be able to eliminate the competition but also the Enemy.

Beyond the walls of the mansion, the rain was starting to beat down upon the earth with greater intensity. Elizabeth had not quite begun the ritual but the components of the spell could be felt upon the supernatural world. The realm of shadows had its own way of reacting to the currents running through it and this violent thunderstorm was only the opening act of a larger play tonight. Spike was seated on the wide sill of the window, staring into the darkness as if he were not entirely there with her. He was an introspective creature, she noticed, full of deep thoughts that were not customary for a vampire. He was something more though how that was possible was beyond even Elizabeth’s vast knowledge. Whatever it might be, Elizabeth was certain that it was closely linked to the slayer.

"I am about to begin William," Elizabeth responded as she mixed in the final ingredient of the spell to the earthenware bowl filled with the slayer’s blood.

Spike turned away from the rain and dropped of the sill. "What do you need me to do?" He asked quietly.

"There isn’t anything left to do William," she said silkily. "You accomplished everything when you brought me her blood."

"Oh," he nodded softly. "Then its all right to go then."

"Yes," Elizabeth smiled. "All you have to do is bear witness to history unfolding before your eyes. Tonight will be the last night of order. Tomorrow, we and chaos will rule the world."

With that, she poured the contents of the bowl into the pedestal of fire before her and watched the fluid hiss, turning the amber flame into blue.

************

 Buffy and Tara had just come within sight of the house when suddenly, they were beset upon a trio of vampires. They were all big stocky men that seemed to tower over her and would have been very formidable even before they were turned into creatures of the dark. Buffy had faced far worse and stronger when she had fought demons and so she did not even think twice when she rushed into face them, stake brandished and prepared to kill with extreme prejudice. Tara stepped out of the way. In the past, the Scoobies had a set pattern of instructions when they accompanied Buffy on patrol. Most of the time, they were to stay out of her way unless the odds were such that she needed assistance but that was usually clear after the first few blows were struck. If she needed aid, they would try to help her but if not, they were to stay out of way in order to ensure that they did not become more of a liability than aiding her.

Buffy caught the fist coming at her and grabbed it in mid punch, using it to immobilize her attacker as she planted several deft kicks in his sternum. The vampire hissed in pain as ribs cracked under her boot before the slayer shifted position and hurled him over her head. He landed flat on his back at her feet and Buffy wasted no time in landing on top of him and slamming the stake right through his heart. He burst into dust before she had even stood up to face her next opponent. This one was cautious not to engage her directly and Buffy soon realized that it was because he was distracting her for the other that was sneaking up behind her. She could sense his approach in the back of her mind even if she could not see him and quickly mapped out her attack strategy as he moved in for the kill while the other pretended to attack.

She swung around just as he was about to grab her and threw a forward kick that connected with his jaw. The vampire staggered back clutching his mouth before she swung around in a tight circle and struck the other who had been doing the distracting. He dropped to his knees and Buffy let her legs do most of the work, slamming her heel into his shoulder and driving him into the damp grass. He looked up at her briefly, his face covered with rain and his demonic visage hissing with rage at his eminent defeat before Buffy drove her stake through his back and ended him for all time. The pounding rain quickly dissolved the cloud of dust left in his wake.

Buffy rose to her feet, preparing to deal with the last vampire that was coming at her, when suddenly she was gripped with something unexplainable. It could almost be considered fatigue. She had little time to ponder this because she felt a fist slam into her cheek that sent her flying across the grass. In the background of ringing pain, she heard Tara call out after her in fright. Buffy landed hard and when she did, it felt like every joint in her body was screaming out in outrage over such punishment. For an instant she was stunned why this was hurting more than it should. However, there was little time to consider it deeply when she felt herself being dragged up by her shirt.

The vampire was staring at her in triumph, its teeth bared and preparing to sink its fang into her flesh when Buffy broke free and threw her upturned palm into his nose, shattering the bone there and searching the ground for her stake. She need not have looked far because suddenly he exploded into a cloud of dust before. When he disappeared, Buffy saw Tara standing behind where he used to be, holding Mr. Pointy in her hand after using it on the vampire.

"Are you okay?" Tara asked immediately.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded, wiping the blood and water away from her nose. "I don’t know what happened there. I just suddenly got really weak."

"You were hurt pretty badly by Spike," Tara pointed out anxiously. "Maybe it just caught up with you."

"Maybe," Buffy nodded but she could not help thinking that it was something else.

**********

 Dawn hated this.

She never told Buffy how much because it would do nothing but worry her sister even further but Dawn could not hide the truth. She hated this endless waiting whenever Buffy was out there facing untold evil. It was not so bad when her mother was alive, at least the two of them could wait this out together but with Joyce gone, there was not even that small comfort. Of course in truth, none of this had ever happened because the memories she had of the event were fabricated for her benefit and those of others by the monks who desired to make her fit into the slayer’s life. Nevertheless, the memories felt real and the reality she was enduring now even worse.

Anya was still in the basement, keeping watch on Xander in case he tried to escape. Dawn would have remained with her except that Xander was saying such mean things, especially after realising how Buffy and Tara had tricked him into revealing Elizabeth’s lair. Dawn did not know how Anya could tolerate his vile words but she decided she could not and had opted to leave the vengeance demon to her fiancée. Hopefully before the night was out, Buffy would have staked Elizabeth and the enchantment spell that Xander insisted he was not under would be broken. However, sitting here on the couch was not a better proposition either because she could not occupy her thoughts with anything other than how Buffy was faring fighting not only Elizabeth but Spike as well.

After flipping through one of her favourite teen magazines and finding that she could read nothing because her mind was to set on Buffy, Dawn tossed it aside and reached instead for the remote to the television set. She hoped there was something better than infomercials on, because she could really use the distraction. When the screen finally flickered to life, Dawn discovered that there was evil greater then even the Hellmouth and it was late night programming for she was soon staring mutely at a TV evangelist delivering a fiery speech about hellfire and damnation.

She wondered what he would think if he knew that hell was already here and it could open sooner than he predicted.

Unfortunately, she had little time to ponder that question when suddenly, a loud crashing sound filled her ears as the door fell forward, trailing splinters of wood and before slamming hard against the fall. Dawn let out a short cry of fright when she saw what came through. The demon resembled the creature Buffy had encountered at the bank a few months ago when she tried to get a loan. It was big, ugly and it was looking straight at her.

"Where is he?" The demon roared.

Xander! Dawn thought involuntarily as the demon advanced upon her, threatening to intimidate her into giving him the information with his bulk and aggression. Despite herself, Dawn knew he was succeeding spectacularly.

"I don’t know," she stammered, wondering what was in her mind when said that.

The demon roared angrily, revealing a mouthful of teeth that made Dawn climbed up the sofa in a bid to get away.

"WHERE IS HE!" It demanded again. "Tell me or I’ll rip you apart!"

His sharp voice made Dawn shoot a sidelong glance to the basement door and the young woman cursed herself when she saw the demon catching that sudden shift in her eyes. His lips pulled back into a triumphant grin and he moved immediately for it. As Dawn saw the demon’s massive hand rip another door of its hinges, she thought quickly what to do. If Buffy was here, it would be simple; she would stop him. However, her sister was not and Dawn knew that if Xander was taken back to Elizabeth, then Buffy would have one more obstacle to worry about other than Spike and Elizabeth.

She had to do something.

She heard Anya crying out from the basement and scuffle before she was prompted into moving. Running into the kitchen, she looked around for the items she needed and found them in good measure just as she heard Anya crying out, probably trying to stop the demon from taking Xander. Dawn felt her stomach lurch when she heard a noisy clatter erupt a second later and hope Anya was alright. She hurried out the kitchen and stood by the basement door when she heard the pounding footsteps of the demon coming up the stairs. For a brief instance Dawn wondered if she was insane. Was she really going to do this and risk her life?

Then she thought of Buffy and what the slayer had to endure all the time and had her answer.

When the creature’s face appeared in the gleam of the fluorescent light over them, his eyes widened briefly at the sight of Dawn. He had picked up Xander and tucked him under his arm, like the human was a sack of rice. The positioning however, ensured that Xander would not hurt. Dawn had no idea if this would work but she had no choice but to try. There was an instant between Dawn and the demon when the creature glared at her challengingly with his yellow eyes daring her to act. She knew that if she faltered, she was dead and so she did the only thing she could, she push down the nozzle of the oven cleaner in one hand and ignited the spray that escaped it with the stove lighter in the other. A strong spray of whooshed into being as the fluid not ignited splattered on the demon’s face and brought the fire with it.

The demon howled in agony, releasing Xander as he tried to douse the flames that had engulfed his skull. Staggering backwards, he fell down the staircase, rolling into a ball of amber flame becoming landing hard on the floor. There was a loud crunching noise as he impacted and Dawn hurried down the stairs past Xander who had been knocked unconscious when he was dropped so unceremoniously. Anya was picking herself up from the collapse remnants of the shelf she had been thrown into when she tried to stop the demon from taking Xander.

"What did you do?" Anya demanded as they stopped a foot away from the demon’s prone form. He had stopped struggling but the flames had spread to the rest of his body and were burning his flesh away. The unusual angle of his neck indicated that he had broken it but that was never any assurance where demons were concerned.

"I used this trick I saw in a movie once," Dawn stammered, shaking so badly that she had succeeded without getting herself killed that it was really quite astonishing. She showed Anya the can and the lighter, allowing the former vengeance demon to extrapolate the rest. "I didn’t think it would work."

"It looks like it worked to me," Anya replied, her eyes darting around the room before resting on the object she wanted. Picking up the axe, she walked towards the creature and gave Dawn a warning of what was to come. The teenager decided she had seen enough grisly tonight and turned away as Anya swung the blade over her shoulder and the sound of metal striking flesh shuddered through her body. Only when she heard the sound of Anya dropping the axe did she turn around and after that, she was spared the horror of more carnage when Anya dropped a layer of canvas over the dead body to douse the flames.

"Just to be sure," Anya replied.

"Oh," Dawn swallowed and glanced up the stairs. "That’s one less thing for Buffy to worry about," she sighed.

"Yeah," Anya nodded as she walked towards the stairs and stopped short in her tracks.

"Dawn, where’s Xander?"

************

Buffy finally entered the mansion with Tara after fighting several scores of vampires. It seemed as if Elizabeth had created herself a small army because Buffy was feeling sore and damned near exhausted from the combat. She tried to hide the fact that she was preoccupied by fears of the looming exhaustion that was settling into her bones. She did not get weakened, not unless there was a very good reason for it. She remembered some years ago when the Watcher Council had attempted to test her by injecting her with some kind of drug that robbed her of her Slayer powers. Although the fatigue came about her in waves and for the moment, she was holding her own, Buffy was uneasy with how much longer her strength was going to hold out before diminishing entirely.

"Buffy are you alright?" Tara asked, noticing her silence as they slipped through the rear door that emptied into the kitchen. The kitchen was larger than her living room, Buffy thought as they passed the counter tops and stove.

"Yeah," she nodded as they moved into the adjoining corridor, "I’m not as bad as I was a while ago," she confessed but knew that it was something of a lie because they could not test her strength until she fought another vampire.

"Can you hang on?" Tara asked anxiously as she looked about her and wished the place did not have quite so many shadows. She wondered why mansions were generally kept so much in the dark. It was almost a prerequisite that they be as creepy looking as possible.

"I think so," Buffy said with confidence she did not feel.

There was a light at the end of the passageway and Buffy stiffened with caution as she gave Tara a briefly glance that conveyed to the witch to stay close behind her as they made their way up its path. She could hear a chanting voice filtering through the corridor, the language was nothing she understood but it was undoubtedly female. For some reason, the word filled Buffy with dread even though she could not understand any of it. It was a cold fear that struck her right to the core, in a primeval way that she had not felt since she first realized that vampires were real and demons walked the earth.

"Buffy that’s a spell," Tara whispered, recognizing some of the words being spoken but not all of it.

"What kind of spell?" Buffy asked as they neared the light.

"I don’t know," the witch shook her head. "I’ve never heard some of the words she’s using. I recognise some of it. I think it’s Romanian or maybe Latin."

"Its Magyar actually," a voice said behind them both.

The two women spun around swiftly and found themselves facing a vampire whose bulk was big and towering. No sooner than those words left his lips and called their attention to him, he swung out his large hand and swatted Tara away like a fly. The Wiccan slammed into the wall hard, her head making a fair whack against it.

"Tara!" Buffy cried out and stared sharply at the vampire, determining to end him for what he had done. She ran forward with her stake brandish preparing to throw a punch when he caught her fist in his hand and twisted her arm behind her back. Buffy tried to break free but it was a struggle to gain even the slightest advantage when the vampire shoved her forward. She stumbled like a child, unable to gain her balance until she had almost hit the floor. The fatigue that had gripped her earlier had returned, only this time it was worse.

She managed to get to her feet and saw the vampire rushing at her, taking the offensive. He lashed out wit his fist and Buffy managed to block it briefly, her bone shuddered from the powerful blow. She returned one of her own and put everything she had into it. The vampire staggered. Knowing that she would die here, tonight, if she did not dispatch him quickly, Buffy poured everything she had into the fight. She kicked him in the chest when he was off balanced, sending him further down the corridor. Somehow, she had still managed to keep a tight grip of her stake so she was not completely unarmed. The vampire hissed in fury as she punched him hard against his jaw, ensuring something cracked when she did.

Buffy remembered her training, especially the fighting techniques that did not require a great deal of physical strength and had their greatest effects on vulnerable points. She kicked out again, shattering ribs with such force that the bony shards sliced through organs. She saw the vampires face contorting with agony as he clutched his body where she had struck. Taking advantage of his disorientation, she slammed her foot into his knees and brought him down. Even kneeling, he was tall and Buffy had to use all her strength to deliver a spinning kick that landed him flat on his back. She did not even bother to risk coming closer and flung the stake into his heart as she stood above him.

He doubled over when the wood sunk into his flesh and it was in this pose that the vampire named Vorgas disappeared into nothingness in a burst of dark cloud. His ashes scattered the floor where he had been but Buffy did not stay long enough to observed his demise once the stake had done its work. Instead, she hurried towards Tara and was relieved to hear a strained groan. The Wiccan was starting to regain consciousness, stirring out of the blackness forced upon her into the dark of the corridor.

"Tara," Buffy quickly hurried to her side. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Tara nodded after a while. "My head’s throbby but I’m fine."

"You have to get out of here," Buffy insisted. "Something’s wrong. My powers are weakening…."

"It’s the spell," Tara said firmly, suddenly slipping out of her dazed state with that awareness filling her mind. "She’s doing the spell now Buffy."

"I thought that might be it," Buffy nodded, somewhat unsurprised. "Can you stop it?" She looked at Tara hopefully.

"I’m not sure but if we can stop her before she can complete the spell, that could reverse the effect on you," Tara replied.

Buffy took a deep breath and stared past Tara into the light at the end of the passage, certain that Elizabeth was there and waiting her arrival. Unfortunately, Tara was right. Whatever happened would happen.

"Let’s do it then." She said firmly and strode out the passage, determined to finish this one way or another.

*************

Spike could smell her the minute she came into the house.

After sharing so many intimacies with her, Spike was familiar with every scent her body produced, desire, happiness, fear and most frequently, sadness. He wondered what she would think if he knew her so intimately. She would probably think it was another reason why he was so pathetic, he thought ruefully before he recanted that she probably would not because he would never tell her. Elizabeth was well into the ritual with the slayer’s blood which probably indicated that the spell was already having marked effects upon Buffy.

That she still lived was nothing short of a miracle because Elizabeth had sent most of her vampires after the slayer. Then again, Buffy was always notoriously difficult to kill. He knew that from experience.

"She’s here," Spike announced even before he heard the commotion. Elizabeth had sent Vorgas to deal with the slayer but even with her spell taking effect, Spike had serious doubts about the vampire being able to taken on Buffy. Being the slayer was never just about having the strength to fight evil, it was also about having heart and cunning. Buffy had proven time and time again, she had an abundance of both.

"Then you can finish her off," Elizabeth stared at him pointedly.

Spike held her gaze for an instance, aware that she was testing his loyalty. He did not flinch in response to her unrelenting stare because he had no doubt about being able to face Buffy. No doubt at all.

"No problem luv," he replied coolly and walked to the far end of the room because he could smell her coming down the hall.

He was making his way across the floor when he heard the human inside him whispered again.

William, don’t do this.

He faltered only briefly because there was desperation in that plea.

Don’t do this or you’ll regret it forever.

I’m not hearing this, he told himself. She doesn’t mean a thing to me!

You know that’s not true.

Even if it isn’t, it doesn’t matter. I’m with Elizabeth now, the demon inside him argued harder.

Because of a spell Spike. You’re with her because of a spell. You’ve been a slave to a chip, do you want to be a slave to a spell too?

Spike closed his eyes, trying to ignore that voice inside of him. He had a chance to be free of Buffy and the weak, pathetic creature his love for her has made him. He was not going to squander. When Buffy arrived, he would kill her.

************

The first thing that Buffy saw when entered the room was Spike.

The vampire stood before her as if he knew she was coming and Buffy supposed that it should not surprise her that it would come down to this. That Elizabeth would use him against her like this. No doubt Spike would have painted every lurid aspect of their relationship to the vampire witch and she probably thought that using him against Buffy would stop her from killing him. He stood before her boldly, the usual arrogance in his demonic face, not at all like the Spike she had come to care about on some level. She supposed in the end it was always going to be like this. Their relationship what there was to begin with, was always going to be a tragedy written in stone. She should have known from her experiences with Angel that being with Spike was going to end the same way as it had when she had to send Angel to hell.

At least this was not going to be that hard.

"Hello cutie," he replied dispassionately.

"Spike," Buffy replied coolly and shifted her gaze towards Elizabeth and found that Dawn had not been exaggerating. The woman was extremely beautiful. It was no wonder that the men had fallen under her spell as they had. It would be an easy enough feat for her to manage without the use of magic. "So you’re the Countess."

Elizabeth rose her eyes from the crucible to meet Buffy’s gaze. "And you’re the slayer. How nice to finally meet you." Her face vamped into its demon visage as she smiled. "You brought the little witch with you."

Tara swallowed hard as Elizabeth stared at her.

"Pretty ambitious," Buffy said casually, belying the fear she felt as she saw Elizabeth carrying out the spell that would deprive the world forever of slayers. "Most people just try to kill me. You’re the first one whose tried to wipe slayers of the map."

"I have my reasons," Elizabeth replied. "Do you think the little witch can stop me?"

"She doesn’t have to stop you," Buffy returned coldly, her eyes narrowing. "I am going to." Buffy took a step towards Elizabeth only to have Spike bar her way.

"I don’t think so Slayer," Spike replied, clearly throwing down the gauntlet.

"Spike, don’t make me do this." She pleaded not as much demanded. "Don’t make me kill you."

"I’m not the one who’s withering away under a spell," he laughed. "And I showed you I could beat you the last time we met."

"The last time we met, I had written you off as a lost cause," Buffy replied sadly.

"Why William," Elizabeth smiled. "Maybe the girl does have some feeling for you."

Buffy turned scarlet with embarrassment for showing that weakness. "Don’t count on it."

With that she threw a punch in his face, he flinched but remained rooted to the spot. Spike rubbed his jaw and smiled before he lashed out at her. Buffy felt his blow in her cheek and was unable to keep herself from falling.

"Feeling a little under the weather, Slayer?" Spike grinned and pulled her off the floor by the hair. Buffy let out a small cry of pain as she wrenched herself free and threw a flying kick at him. He caught her foot in mid air and twisted sharply, bringing her down on the hard floor. Her entire body ached from the impact and she knew that she had lost at least half her strength since entering the room.

Tara saw Buffy being beaten and knew that she had to act. She turned to Elizabeth who was still continuing her spell, draining Buffy further of her strength. With her face framed in smoke, Elizabeth continued her recital of the invocation, causing the smoke that rose from the mixture of blood and ingredients to swirl in a vision of colour. Tara had to stop her before she completely drained Buffy and killed her.

"Desist!" Tara cried out and sent Elizabeth flying backwards. The vampire was torn away from the crucible of flame.

Spike turned around at the sound of his mistress ‘ cry and started towards Tara when Buffy swept his legs from under him in a drop swing. The vampire tumbled to the floor as Buffy moved in, straddling Spike as she grabbed his head and smashed it hard against the stone. The vampire hissed in pain and then bucked hard, throwing Buffy off him. She collected herself quickly before rushing to keep him from resuming his advance on Tara. Placing herself between him and Tara, Buffy raised her fists to fight, intending to do everything possible from protecting the Wiccan.

In the meantime, Tara was standing before the fire, intending to upend the contents of the crucible before Elizabeth recovered enough to retaliate for her attack. She stared momentarily at the swirling contents and the gagging stench that came from before opening her mouth to upend the red hot stand the crucible was perched upon. However the chance never came as she was hit by something hard, it surged through her bones with pain and forced her to scream. Tara fell to her knees and looked up to see Elizabeth approaching, her yellow eyes narrowed with unrestrained fury.

"I’m going to turn you into my slave for the next ten thousand years!" She roared as she grabbed Tara by the hair and exposed her neck for the bite.

"TARA!" Buffy shouted and tried to get past Spike who yanked her back when he realized what she was going to do.

However Tara was not done yet, she sunk her nails into Elizabeth’s face and raked thick red lines across the vampire’s face. Elizabeth screamed in outrage, as she felt the skin taken of her face and immediately let Tara go. The Wiccan scrambled away as Elizabeth clutched her bloody cheek and felt the wounds torn through her skin. She knew she had to act fast when suddenly she felt something behind her. Tara turned around just in time to see Xander’s fist coming at her. There was little time to react as the blow slammed into the side of her head and everything went black.

*************

Buffy saw Tara go down after Xander’s punch and knew that she was outmatched.

The witch lay on the floor completely unconscious, with Xander standing maniacally over her, wearing a triumphant expression on his face.

"Well done Alexander," Elizabeth beckoned him over and Buffy could only watch stricken, as Xander padded over to her like a well-trained animal. The look of adoration in his eyes was enough to sicken Buffy and she wanted to weep at having failed everyone in this room.

"I love you Elizabeth," Xander whispered. "I would never let that bitch hurt you."

Elizabeth rewarded him with a kiss before returning to the crucible. "Now Slayer, watch your future end."

"NO!" Buffy struggled to reach Elizabeth as the vampire resumed her spell.

Spike grabbed her by the waist and flung her against the wall. Buffy slammed into it, back first, her heard hitting the stone and was still dazed when she realized he was throwing another fist at her. She caught it but barely kept it connecting with her jaw. Her strength was waning and she knew it would not be long before it would go completely. It was not possible for her to using the tactic she had on the other vampire in the corridor because Spike knew all the same tricks. He had been able to take down two slayers in his life because he knew to outmatch their skills. She kicked him away from her, forcing him away but for a moment. The margin of a few seconds was enough for her to catch her breath.

"Getting tired Slayer?" Spike sneered as he saw her struggling.

"I’m just peachy," Buffy retorted, refusing to let him see that she was exhausted. She threw a succession of punches at him, most of which he shrugged off easily because the strength to hurt was not in her possession any more. She knew that she could never reach Elizabeth before she completed her spell and destroy whatever was in her to pass on the seed of the next slayer. A wail of anguish rose up within her that she had failed yet again, even though she had tried so hard to be strong this time. What was worse than just her dying would be to know that there would be no other slayer after her and that Tara would die right along side of her.

"Not for long," Spike replied and punched her again and did not stop.

Spike continued bombarding the slayer with blows until she could not move and had fallen to the ground at his feet. Her stake was snatched out her grip and finally she was completely defenceless. She raised her eyes and he saw the blood running out of her nose and her lips. She was battered and bruises and just about done. It should have pleased him but it did not. Her blue eyes stared at him and it was not betrayal he saw in her eyes. It was acceptance. The same damned acceptance she had worn throughout most of the year. He knew instantly that she did not care about dying, just about failing everyone else.

"You always hurt the one you love," she whispered and blinked. A tear rolled down her eyes.

Spike froze as those words impacted upon him. He had said those very words to her when she had been all fired up to confess her guilt about killing that girl. Spike had tried to stop her and in the process borne the brunt of her savage fury. He had lain there, bleeding like a pulp after letting her pummel him to such a state and uttered the same words to her, telling her that it was alright, that he understood that she needed to purge herself of all her demons. Did she really believe that she was returning the favour?

Spike had no time to ponder this question because suddenly an ear-piercing scream filled his ears. He looked down and saw that it was Buffy. She was lying on her back, tearing at her skin as something wraithlike began to emerge from her body. Her blond hair had come loose and she was tossing her head from side to side like a wild banshee. Elizabeth was smiling as the phantom struggled as much as its human counterpart and for a split second, Spike could only watch as the essence of all the slayer that ever were and ever would be was torn apart by Elizabeth’s spell.

William, this is your last chance.

That inner voice whispered again. Spike tried to ignore it but its tone was desperate and compelling.

The wraith was being drawn out of Buffy’s body and the more it emerged from under the skin, the more her face contorted in a rictus of agony. She was half sobbing, half-screaming, a sound that should not have mattered to him but sliced through all his consciousness nonetheless. He saw Elizabeth, smiling with pure ecstasy of the moment, relishing the unparalleled joy of completely destroying her enemy. Spike could see Tara stirring, trying to crawl towards Elizabeth to stop this from going any further but her progress was hampered by Xander striding promptly over and bringing his foot down on her hand. The girl cried out in pain but the sound of agony was drowned out by Buffy’s screaming.

William, you can be more than you ever imagined. You are more than just a vampire, you know that. Deep inside in that hidden place where I am, you know that.

This is bullshit! He shouted back at that voice with fierce denial.

You’ve always known that. It’s why you never let the Judge touch you. He said you had love in you, did you never think that was odd? Vampires don’t love William, they never have but you do and you made Drusilla love you.

But I can’t make the Slayer love me, he answered himself weakly.

If she dies you will never have that question answered, you will know if there is a possibility of it because she will be gone. Can you live with that?

Spike closed his eyes and the answer came to him like some misbegotten creature that had been trapped in the darkness and had been climbing for so long to reach the light. He took a step away from Buffy and turned towards Elizabeth again.

"I guess this is it for us," he remarked sadly.

"Don’t worry William," Elizabeth smiled at him. "In a moment, it will all be over."

"Yeah," he met her eyes. "It will be."

Without saying another word he slammed an elbow into her face and sent her staggering backwards, before kicking out and upending the crucible and all its contents.

"What the hell are you doing?" Xander shouted at him but move to intercept when Tara came to live on the floor near him.

"Drop!" She hissed and suddenly Xander's feet were swept away by some invisible force. The human fell down face first. His skull impacting hard against the floor and knocking him unconscious.

"William!" Elizabeth glared at him in fury, appearing no longer beautiful. She was no longer wearing her demon mask and yet the dark hatred in her eyes was beyond description. "Are you choosing a human over one of your own?" She hissed.

"Yeah, I guess I am luv, " Spike swallowed. "Maybe what I feel for her is gonna get me killed and isn’t worth the bloody paper its written but at least I know they’re my feelings and not because some one put a spell on me!"

"It was more than a spell," Elizabeth shook her head in disappointment. "I care about you William, I will care more than she ever will."

"Leave Elizabeth," Spike stared at her in the eyes. "Don’t make me do what I have to."

"You can’t kill me," she took a step towards him. Her voice suddenly silky again. "You care about me William, don’t you?"

Spike saw her face melt into expression of beauty that had captured him when he had tried to leave Sunnydale days before when this had all began. Her eyes danced with hidden promise and he could smell that intoxicating scent filter into his brain. He could become lost in her again, it was so easy. She raised her lips to his and he tasted her cold mouth again. She felt heavenly against him as he breathed in the powerful perfume of her skin. He knew that he could love her. He could easily be drawn into the world she wanted to create, where vampires ruled the night and he would be the Master Vampire who carved himself a reputation as William the Bloody. He could be the Big Bad again.

"I do care about you luv," Spike responded softly in her ear. Closing his eyes as he spoke, "that’s why I gave you the chance to leave."

"I won’t leave," she replied. "Not without accomplishing what I came here to do."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," he replied, blinking slowly before he thrust the stake in his hand deep into her heart.

She tensed in his body as the wooden shard pierced her skin, letting out a cry of pain escape her. There was no time for the sound to escape her lips because she exploded into black dust while still in his embrace. When she finally dissolved around him, the stake clattered to the floor and he felt tear running down his cheek. He kept his back turned away so that the others in the room would not see what remained of Countess Bathory drifting around his feet.

He stood in place for a moment, staring at the dust and the stake, wondering what it was inside of him that could make the choices in his life so impossible. He could still smell her lingering smell against her skin and knew that the scent of lavender would always inspire her memory until the day he met his end She was four hundred years old and a Countess and she had in her way loved him. If he was less than what he was, he might have loved her too but as it stood, too much of what the chip and the slayer had done to him, made it impossible. He was on a road to damnation and his course was set. He could not alter his path even if he wanted to.

"Spike," the silence of the room was broken by Tara’s soft voice.

He turned around to see the young witch rising off the floor, clutching her injured hand.

"Yeah luv?" He walked towards her, remembering how she had saved him the trouble of fighting Xander since it could only end badly if he had tried.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I’m fine," he whispered softly, unable to meet her eyes because the witch was pretty smart. She’d guess the truth.

"I’m sorry," Tara offered, seeing real anguish in his face even though he was trying to hide it. He passed up the opportunity to be loved for all time, with someone who would not become used up in a number of years. Whatever her thoughts about Elizabeth, Tara knew that could not have been an easy decision for him.

"I’m sorry too," he said abruptly and turned to Buffy. "You better see to the whelp there." Spike remarked glancing at Xander, "I’ll see if Buffy is okay."

Tara nodded slowly as Spike walked over to Buffy.

The slayer was very much unconscious and after her ordeal who could blame her? It was not every day that someone had their soul nearly torn from their bodies. Spike lowered himself next to Buffy and cradled him in his arms as he tried to rouse her from her dark sleep. It took a few insistent pokes and shakes before her eyelids fluttered open and Buffy was staring at him. Surprisingly enough, after everything that had happened she did not try to lash out at him, merely staring at him in anticipation of what torment he was about to visit upon her.

"You okay Slayer?" He asked quietly.

"That depends,’ she replied. "Am I still me or are you prolonging this nightmare so you can watch me in pain again?"

"You’re still you," he replied meeting her eyes. "Elizabeth is dead."

Her eyes widened at the news and she tried to sit up. "What happened?""

"I killed her," Spike answered.

"Tara broke the spell?" Buffy’s brow knotted weakly.

"No," he shook his head. "I did."

"You did?" She exclaimed. "How?"

"By realising that I still love you," he looked away into the window and the twilight beyond it. "That I will no matter what, even when the days comes when I lose you."

Buffy opened her mouth to respond but did not because he was right. They were reaching an end, he could feel it and she knew it for certain. There would be no recovery after this. Perhaps a few more fleeting encounters stolen before the final end came but it was done between them. Perhaps it was always meant to end in tragedy and Spike just realized it now. Or maybe he had always known and wanted to take a chance on an impossibility.

However, for the moment they held each other close, taking what remaining fragments of comfort that was left between them and savouring it until it diminished forever.

TO BE CONTINUED