1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Juliatheyounger
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy et al own these characters
Summary: Sequel to Hot Chocolate…Marshmallows (of course). Not only is Buffy going out with Spike but now she's got Armageddon to deal with as well.
Rating: R (I expect)
Spoilers: Season 5
Feedback: Yes please (with sugar on top?)
Distribution: If anyone wants it then, yes, please! But let me know so I can feel all flattered.
Author's note: Yup I've done it, started the Hot Chocolate sequel (yeah as if I could leave it there, we haven't even dealt with the chip or Angel yet!) mwhahahahaha… Let more pointless crap ensue!
For those who came in late and can't be bothered to read Hot Chocolate…
Buffy has finally admitted to Spike that she loves him after quite a bit of sex and a fight or two. Buffy has told the Scooby Gang she is seeing the blonde undead one. Xander has accidentally walked in on Buffy and Spike during a rather inopportune moment and Willow and Tara, not knowing Spike and Buffy were sort of seeing each other, asked him to be the…er…three in a threesome. Giles thinks they are just going on a date.
Oh yeah and there was stuff about demons and crap.
******************************************
WARNING: contains major character death, apparently I'm supposed to warn people about that.
Spoilers: Season 5 and something out of Angel, Season 6
************
Buffy opened the door. It was Giles and…a knight?
"Buffy, I've got something very important to tell you, this-" Giles paused, blinked a bit, then continued. "This is Saint George."
"Saint. George."
"Er…yes, of the…er…dragon."
"Oh."
"Apparently, there's going to be an Apocalypse."
Almost as if to add to Giles' statement, at that precise moment the phone started ringing.
"Hold that thought," Buffy said and went to answer it.
"Buffy?"
"Angel?"
"Buffy is Spike there?"
Buffy frowned, her heart sinking. What had he done? "No, why?"
"Cordelia just had another vision."
Oh, that's what this was about.
"Did it involve Spike and a certain chip? Cause, if so, could have been a little earlier with the warning."
"You know?"
Buffy's tone was dead. "He told me."
"Where is he now."
"I don't know, I told him to get out of Sunnydale or I'd stake him."
"Oh, well, he might be coming to L.A. then, Cordy saw him with Dru and Darla."
When Buffy got off the phone, Giles and the weird knight looking guy were sitting in the loungeroom.
"Buffy? Buffy are you all right?"
"Yeah, fine. It's just this Spike thing. I'll be fine."
"You're sure."
"Yes, Giles. I'm sure." Buffy sat down.
Giles glanced at the knight then at Buffy. "Buffy, George here wants our help. In the…er...final battle."
Buffy looked at the knight and then at Giles.
"Help?"
The knight coughed. "To fight the powers of darkness. Armageddon is about to begin and I've been sent to wage war against hell. We want you to-"
"Woah, hold it right there," said Buffy. "Ok. There's going to be an Apocalypse. Again. How do we stop it?"
George looked at them in surprise.
"You want to stop it?"
"Well duh."
"Buffy-" said Giles warningly. Then he turned to George. "Can we stop it?"
"Uh, well, I suppose so," considered the saint. "Stands to reason that you can. Just stop the thing that's going to precipitate it. No idea why you'd want to though."
"What's going to…precipitate it?"
George shrugged. "Funny thing, Armageddon. World's always running this close to it, only a step away from it really. Thing is, end of the world's not at the end of time, like most people think, it's like a gapping chasm and history marches along next to it. At any given moment it history could turn towards it."
"Well what's going to make it happen this time?" growled Buffy, too irritated and upset at the moment to put up with much.
"Events have occurred and choices have been made that will make other choices easier," said George ambiguously, earning him a glare from Buffy.
"Oh," said Buffy. "Is that all. Well just tell us what those choices are and we'll make sure they're made right."
George chuckled.
"What?" glared Buffy.
"I think that it might be a little difficult to know which is the right choice," murmured Giles thoughtfully.
Buffy groaned. "Why can't there just be something I need to kill? Is there something I can kill?" she asked George hopefully. "A big demony thing?"
"Not yet," said George. "Depends how things turn out." He looked at Buffy and Giles. "Don’t you see?" he said. "It all depends. Depends on human nature. Depends on choices. Dark or light. Like that force whatsit."
"So who's Luke and who's Vader?" Buffy asked.
George winked at her. "We all are my dear. We are all both. Well, not me obviously, since I'm a saint, but I had a choice once."
**************
Spike stirred in his bed, in his crypt and for moment forgot the things that had happened not seven hours earlier. A soft naked female body snuggled closer against him. Buffy. Spike smiled, eyes still shut. Something was wrong but it took a while for Spike's sleepy brain to figure it out. Cold.
Spike opened his eyes. Oh yeah, that's right, he was with Dru again. Good. He resolutely rolled over and wrapped his arms around his Dark Princess. It was good to be back in the arms of his vampire lover, he told himself, very firmly. That warm, hot human thing would've got old pretty quick. It had been so long since he'd held her like this. It had been familiar. It had been comfort. It had been despair. It had also been quite a bit of released frustration too. It was still night, obviously he'd only slept an hour or so. Dru had always managed to wear him out. He'd dreamt of the last few hours for such a long time. Before that period where he didn't dream of anyone, before the time when he'd started to dream of the Slayer. He had longed for Dru for so long after she'd left him. And now he had her again and tonight had been a reminder of why he had missed her in the first place. Making love to Drusilla was a completely unique experience. Like making love to the Slayer, a part of him added treacherously. He ruthlessly ignored that thought.
Dru smiled in her sleep and her face shifted before she started to purr. Spike propped himself up on one elbow and watched her. Everything was back to normal. Like it should be. Spike decided he'd feel better once they left Sunnydale. Sunnydale was bad luck for him and Dru. Yeah, he'd feel better about this once they were away from the place. They'd get out of Sunnydale and start again. He'd just have to make Dru forget Darla and this wretched Apocalypse business.
"Mmm Spike," purred Drusilla. "Hold me, my darling boy." She tugged him to her.
"Morning love," said Spike softly as he nestled closer to her. This comfort, this mad love. Spike was suddenly filled with a sense of despair. He wanted Buffy he admitted to himself in a moment of honesty. Fuck, all he wanted, sitting here, wrapped around his beautiful, dark, fractured angel, was a silly little blonde chit. It all seemed so stupid, like he could go knock on her door and she'd be all "Spike, where the hell have you been?". Then his pride reminded him of how she'd treated him. What was said. The look in her eyes. Disgust. He couldn't take it any more. Not after having what he had with her. Not after seeing how much she could love him.
"It’s a beautiful night Spike, the stars are calling." Drusilla nuzzled his neck sleepily. "They promise to light the way if we go and play with them."
"Hungry pet?" The darkness danced around Spike and he walked blindly into it.
"Mmm, I want a nice, fat baby, with dimples in its knees. And the softest skin. I'd bite it and bite it til it was all gone."
"Sounds delightful love. We'll go find you a baby. Myself I fancy a -" Spike stopped. The image of Buffy had flashed in his head. Spike brushed the thought of her and her pale neck from his mind. Spike suddenly didn't feel like hunting. He couldn't stay here. He couldn't go back to being a proper vampire while he was here. Everything and everyone reminded him of the Summers women. And no matter how pissed off he was he couldn't hurt them. Not yet. Maybe never. So he'd go somewhere else. Get out. Spike propped himself up on one arm again. "Dru, we have to leave," he said seriously. "I mean it love, I can't stay here. I have to leave." If he was going to be with Dru, they had to go. Then he'd be happy. He could be normal again. He could feed again without worrying if it was someone someone knew. The Slayer would stop being there, in his head, looking over his shoulder. He'd be able to forget her.
"But Spiiikkkkee," Drusilla obviously did not like the idea of leaving. Spike had forgotten how high pitched she could get. "The Apocalypse. I want to see it. They're all coming, all Hell's armies and Heaven's too. And there will be a glorious battle."
Spike shut his eyes. Obviously Darla was up to something. How come he always ended up stuck in Sunnydale because of someone's mad scheme to end the world? Well, bugger it all, this time he wouldn't.
"Dru, I'm going." He made one last attempt to persuade her. "Come on love, we'll have a grand old time, you and I."
But Dru had gone off somewhere in her head. "No, shan't. Grandmama says there are too many roosters and we must chop off their heads. " She turned to Spike and he could see in her eyes that she wasn't lucid. "You'll be able to wade in all the lovely blood. It will come up to your ankles and the fishies will try to swim in it."
*************
Buffy bid Giles and George goodnight. She was sure once Giles got over the saint's ying yang crap he'd ask some pointed questions and they'd figure out what was going on, once and for all. Buffy sighed. It always came down to choices. She hated having to make choices. Couldn't she choose not to choose for once in her life? In the darkness of her room Buffy let herself give in to the tears that had threatened to fall all evening. She buried her face in her pillow and sobbed. This was all so awful. Buffy wanted Spike, wanted him so badly, wanted to find him and kiss him and make him come back. But she knew it was so the wrong thing to do. She knew he loved her. It would be so much easier if he didn't and she didn't love him. She wanted to trust him, wanted to believe him. But. But Angelus. But Giles being tortured. But Jenny Calendar dying. But. It was too hard to take that chance again. What if he slipped once and killed someone, it would be her fault, even if it was someone she didn't know, she would be responsible for their deaths by letting him live. She should have staked him this afternoon even. Buffy's sobs quietened and finally she fell asleep.
************
Dawn opened her eyes, someone was calling her.
"Mom?" she asked, getting out of bed.
"Dawnie, my little Dawnie, come here."
Dawn went to the window. Her mother was outside.
"Dawn, come here
please, I locked myself out of the house. Can you help me carry the groceries
in?"
Part of Dawn's mind questioned the fact that her mother would be going shopping
in the middle of the night, but then suddenly it was day, so that was all right.
Dawn went downstairs, out the door and followed after her mother.
************
Spike was halfway out of town when he pulled his De Soto to a halt.
"Bugger."
The tires screeched as he spun the car around. It was still early. He'd be far from here by dawn, he'd just do this, then he'd go.
"Bloody hell."
*************
Buffy opened her eyes at the sound of a thump at her window and a muffled curse.
"Bloody hell Slayer, you put the uninvite spell up already?"
Buffy tried to clear her head. Had she? She couldn't remember.
"Spike?"
"Yeah, it's me Slayer, let me in."
"No I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because…" Buffy didn't know, all she knew was she was excited and happy about Spike being there. "Why - why are you here?" She found herself moving to the window.
"Buffy, love, let me in. We need to talk."
Buffy shook her head, but she opened the window.
"Spike, I can't," she pleaded.
"Yeah, you can love, it's easy. Just say, Spike come in - see, real simple."
"You know what I mean," she glared, but bit back a smile, his banter making the situation suddenly better.
Spike sighed and Buffy thought her heart would break.
"All right Slayer, have your way, but let me have one kiss before I go?"
He did the puppy dog face.
"OK! One kiss, then you HAVE to leave Sunnydale. Honestly, Spike, what part of I'll stake you don't you understand?"
"Haven't staked me yet though have you?"
Buffy glared at him. "Don't tempt me," she murmured as she leant out the window a fraction and pressed her lips to Spike. He kissed her back softly, and she pressed into him a little more. He deepened the kiss and Buffy sighed as she parted her lips and let his tongue enter. Suddenly everything felt all right again.
"Love you Buffy, love you so much," murmured Spike pulling back.
"Love you too Spike," sighed Buffy and then she opened her eyes in time to see Spike in full game face lunge towards her.
Buffy screamed and back into the room, but suddenly somehow the uninvite spell failed to stop him and Spike was after her. She stumbled across the room and just as she reached for the door handle he grabbed her.
Buffy struggled and kicked and punched, but didn't seem to have any effect on Spike. He grabbed her hair, yanking her head back, exposing her neck. He shifted to his human visage for a moment and looked at her lovingly.
"Love you so much Buffy," he breathed then vamped out and drove his fangs into her neck.
Buffy sat up in bed with a start. Her heart was pounding and she was covered in sweat.
"Ok, that was unpleasant," she said and lay back on the pillow, trying to calm down. Sheesh, not like she didn't know her fears already, she didn't need her subconscious to remind her of them while she slept.
*************
Dawn followed her mother. The car was a long way away. Why did her Mom park so far from the house.
"Dawn, I'm waiting."
"I'm coming Mom."
Her mother stood by a park bench, the sun was so bright, Dawn could hardly see.
"Dawnie, my darling little girl." Joyce smiled and held her arms out to her daughter.
Dawn fell into her embrace.
"Mom, where did you go," she shook her head. "I…it was weird, I thought you were dead."
"No sweetheart, I'm not dead," Joyce looked at her daughter lovingly. "I've got a present for you."
Dawn smiled up at her mother and the world suddenly went white.
*************
Buffy had just gone back to sleep when she woke again. Someone was pounding on the door. She threw on a dressing gown and rubbing her eyes went downstairs. Spike stood in the doorway. He made no move to enter. He assumed Buffy would have uninvited him.
"Spike? What-" The memory of her dream assailed her, both the good and bad bits and for a second Buffy indulged the reckless hope that he was here to sweep her into his arms and make her take him back. The expression on Spike's face was cold. Definitely no sweepage about to occur. Hopefully no fangy stuff either. Buffy fingered the stake she had slipped into the pocket of her dressing gown.
"I'm leaving Sunnydale," Spike said shortly. "I'm just here to pass on some information then I'll be on my way."
"You're leaving?" Buffy felt numb. "I mean, uh, good." She knew she should stake him now. End this. But she couldn't bring herself to reach for the stake. Not yet.
Spike's jaw worked under his cheek. His eyes chilled Buffy and she suddenly found herself wishing he would look lovingly at her again.
"Should have left a long time ago," he said. He looked away and took a deep breath before turning back. "Dru and Darla are in town. Probably got something to do with that vision the Cheerleader had. Dru was going on about the end of the world and all that rot." He was about to move, about to turn and go in a sweep of his duster, all dramatic and poof like, but she spoke and he didn't.
"Drusilla, you saw her?" Buffy bit down the jealous bile that rose in her throat.
"Yeah. She's not coming with me, wants to stay for the party."
Buffy shook herself and let the Slayer part of her do the thinking. "Do you know what they have planned?"
Spike shook his head. "I think Dru's just been having visions of her own. Or she and Darla have cooked up some mad scheme. Either way they can bloody count me out this time. I'm getting out of this bleeding town like I shoulda done years ago."
"Did she mention Dawn?"
Spike stopped. "No," he said quietly. "Fuck no, Buffy you know I wouldn't just be here telling you if they were going to hurt Lil' Bit. God, you've got to know that."
Buffy bit her lip. She nodded, her chest felt too tight.
Spike cocked his head and looked at her. He swallowed.
"Come on love, this is silly."
"Don't Spike."
"Don't what pet? Tell you the truth?"
"Make this harder than it is."
"You want it to be easy Slayer?" Spike's tone grew harsh and the cold mask slipped over his features again. "What? You want me to go out and kill someone just so it's all nice and black and white for you? So you can sleep all peaceful like knowing there's good and there's evil and nothing in between? You want me to tell you I don't love you anymore?"
"No. It's just…God, Spike, we CAN'T be together."
Spike grabbed her by the shoulders. "Why not Buffy? Give me one good reason besides Angelus?"
Buffy wrenched herself out of his grip. Angry. Angry was good.
"You Vampire. Me Slayer."
Spike glared at her. "I haven't killed anyone pet. I haven't fed on anyone. I've changed, you've-" He sighed, frustrated by the futility of arguing with her. "Just give me a chance," he said quietly.
Buffy looked up at him.
"I can't do this Spike. I can't be the only reason you don't kill. You can't ask me to do that. It's too much responsibility."
Spike stopped and he momentarily forgot his anger. Buffy didn't notice however, she turned away.
"I mean, fuck, Spike. We've only been going out a few weeks. What if we decide in a month we don't actually have that much in common? What'll you do then? What if I piss you off? I don’t want to have to worry that I might be setting a killer loose as well as ruining a relationship."
Spike spun her around.
"It's. Not. Like. That," he growled. "Slayer! Can't you get it? It's not like that anymore. I'm not just holding back to impress you. Maybe I was at first, but bloody hell, Slayer, can't you see, I was changed before that could even happen!"
"Spike listen to me-"
Spike pushed her hard up against the porch wall. The desperation and despair driving him on.
"No. You listen to me. You changed me - and that's why I wanted to please you. And then it wasn't just about winning your love, it was because I love you." Spike let her go and paced in frustration, trying to express his feelings. " You, your little sis, your Mum, and you're bloody friends, even your Watcher. You all got to me. Maybe it was the chip. Maybe I spent too much time hanging around you lot. Maybe I was just lonely and pathetic and wanted someone, anything as a friend, to just fit in. I don't bloody know, but I stopped seeing you lot as a meal, as an enemy, a long time ago and now you've made it bloody hard for me to see anyone else as one either."
Buffy looked at him, eyes luminous with unshed tears.
"Spike, I can't…don't make me kill someone I love again. Please."
Spike held her gaze with his for a moment, pain etched on his features. Angel had really done a number on this girl. Buffy's eyes were filled with longing, which hurt him more. She didn't trust him. That was why they couldn't be together. Feeling dead inside, he nodded once, briefly then turned on his heel and strode off the porch.
************
Dawn opened her eyes and it was night and she was lying on the ground. A blonde woman looked down at her.
"There's a good girl. Now you might not want to move much for a while, but you'll get used to it."
Dawn frowned. "Mom?"
The blonde woman laughed. "Sorry darling, not your Mommy, just a little illusion to get you out of the Slayer's house so we could do a little spell."
In a flash the woman's features were distorted into vampire form. "Wasn't invited in you see."
Dawn sat up, trying to get to her feet. But she couldn't. Couldn't move. Something… her stomach hurt.
"What…what did you do?"
The blonde laughed. "What did I do? What did you do more like it, you did me a very big favour little girl."
The woman laughed and rubbed her own, flat stomach.
"Don't worry you've only got another three or so months to go."
Then Dawn looked down, touched her engorged belly and screamed.
*************
Buffy watched Spike walk away and for a moment she had to fight to stop herself from running after him. She could stop him. Stop him from leaving.
Suddenly a piercing scream rang out through the night. In seconds both she and Spike were heading towards the sound.
"Dawn!" Buffy cried as she saw her sister lying on the ground. She pulled her sister to her and stopped, aghast as she saw Dawn's swollen abdomen. "What happened?"
"Oh no, Buffy, ohgod, oh Buffy, look at me!"
"Nibblet, sweet bit, talk to me, what happened?" Spike crouched beside her, stroking her hair.
"What happened Dawn? Who did this to you?"
"I..I don't know."
"Was it a demon?" Spike asked.
"No, yes…it was… it was a vampire. She used some magic to make me think she was Mom."
"Drusilla," growled Buffy. She couldn't look at Spike.
Dawn shook her head. "No, it wasn't Drusilla. It was someone else. She was…she was blonde. I think I remember seeing her before, once…when you were fighting the Master?"
Spike looked at Buffy. "Darla." And before she could move he was on his feet. "I'll kill her."
**************
"Grandmamma, you're home!"
"Yes I am dear, and I feel much better."
"Ooh, naughty, you got rid of the baby. How ever did you do it."
"I found the little key dearest, and she very obligingly offered to carry it for me." Darla winked at Dru. "I can't believe it actually worked. Thank whoever. Ugh, I couldn't stand having that thing inside me for another minute."
Drusilla suddenly laughed, in the way that disconcerted Darla, because it obviously wasn’t at anything she had said.
"Oh, daughter. It was wonderful. I saw my Prince and he is free again. We made love and he kissed me sweetly." Almost as suddenly as she had laughed, an unhappy look flittered across Drusilla's face and she pouted. "Spike didn't want to stay and play, Grandmother."
"William? That little toad. You saw him? You said he was in love with the Slayer. Great Dru. Now her blonde bitchness is going to hunt us down before we can even raise this thing."
"Ooh noooo," laughed Dru. "Poor Spike has gone far away." She used her fingers to imitate a man walking. "The Slayer doesn't want to him now and he's been sent away to seek his fortune."
"Whatever, but I wouldn't trust that little weasel as far as I could kick him. He always hated me."
"Ahhh," smiled Drusilla. "But he loved me."
"Come on," snapped Darla. "If the Slayer knows we're here we haven't got much time. We have to do this spell or else this whole thing is a complete waste of time."
Drusilla smiled knowingly at her childe. "All of heaven and hell waits upon us my daughter," she said.
*************
Buffy carried Dawn home and put her in bed, then dialed Giles' number. Not thinking, not thinking was good. Doing. That was important. Buffy called Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya as well.
Giles was over quickly, St. George in tow.
"Where is she?" Giles demanded as he came in the door.
"Upstairs, in bed."
They hurried up to Dawn's room where she lay in bed sobbing.
Giles pulled back the covers and gasped as he saw Dawn's enlarged stomach.
"Oh dear lord," he murmured. Dawn whimpered as he pressed his hand to her tender stomach. "Buffy, my bag."
Buffy handed him his bag and he pulled out the stethoscope he carried there for some reason. Dawn cried softly as Giles listened to her stomach.
"I hear a heartbeat," he said quietly to Buffy and George. George nodded, but Buffy shook her head.
"No, she's too young. This can't be happening. Undo it, whatever it is."
Giles turned to Dawn. "Dawn, listen to me. You have to tell me what happened."
*************
"You fucking bitch!" growled Spike as he strode into the abandoned warehouse. It had taken some searching, and he'd had to beat up a few of Willy's patrons, but he'd found them. He was angry. Angry beyond any anger he had felt in his life. And it wasn't a fun kind of anger either.
Darla and Drusilla jumped up in fright. Then Dru laughed and clapped her hands.
"Spike you've come back! I didn't see it! What a trick!"
"Not now Dru," Spike said pushing her out of the way as he advanced on Darla.
"What did you do to her Darla?" His tone was quiet and deadly.
Darla drew herself up. This was after all her great-grandchilde, and she wasn't going to be intimidated by him.
"Her who, William? You need to be more specific in your accusations."
"You know bloody well who. Dawn, the Slayer's sister."
"I gave her a gift is all. My own child. Wasn't that generous of me?"
"You be generous Darla? Don't make me vomit." And Spike shoved Darla hard up against a wall. "Reverse it, undo it, whatever it is," he growled.
Darla kneed him in the groin and shoved him off her.
"No, I don't think so William. That child is a very important part of my plan. Unfortunately, the consequences of being its mother would have made things, shall we say, cumbersome. So I found someone else to carry it." Darla smirked.
"Besides," she said. "I can't." Spike coughed and got to his feet.
"She's just a child!" he grated. He Darla circled each other. "Why her!"
"Because she's so shiny Spike!" cried Dru. "She's all alight. Like she's clothed in the sun itself."
"Drusilla, less talk more spell please!" snapped Darla.
Spike glanced over at Dru and saw a protection circle marked out on the ground.
"What else are you up to Darla?" he demanded and neatly blocked a blow. Darla wrenched her hand free and lunged at Spike. They crashed back against some old chairs.
"I'm raising hell, Spike, jealous?" Darla grabbed a piece of broken wooden chair.
"Never of you pet," he said and knocked her across the room with a blow. Darla got to her feet and wiped a smear of blood away from the corner of her mouth.
"Why do you care about what happens to some little girl, Spike? You make me sick, you're pathetic, worse than Angel. And you haven't even got a soul."
Spike looked at her coldly. "Least I'm not heartless, like you."
Darla laughed at this as they walked towards each other. "At least I still know how to have fun," she said.
Spike chuckled, a low dangerous sound. "You're right Darla," he said. "What you and Dru are up to sounds very fun. I could join you, cut a swath of dead a mile wide through Sunnydale, drain the town dry." He gestured widely. "Kill, every last one of the Slayer's family and friends." In an instant his hand shot out and grabbed Darla by the neck. "But I won't. And you know why?"
Darla clawed at the hand at her throat.
"Because its wrong." And, smirking at the phrase borrowed from another Slayer in another time, Spike threw her across the room. "And because I love Buffy," he added quietly. He turned to where Dru was chanting in the protective circle. They probably weren't conjuring up anything pleasant, decided Spike and he dragged Drusilla out of the circle and kicked the candles and bowl from its centre.
Drusilla laughed. "Bad Spike. Now you've made a mess. Grandmother will be cross."
Darla staggered to her feet.
"Oh that does it William. Little Slayer's pet. It's time for you to be put down."
They flew at each other. They crashed through walls and into pieces of furniture. The two vampires rolled and punched and bit and kicked. Finally Spike overestimated his reach and fell over something. Darla was on him in a second, broken chair leg in her hand. She pulled her hand back to strike, but quicker than lightning, Drusilla was between her and Spike.
"NO!" she screamed, pressing herself onto Spike. Darla couldn't stop the momentum of her blow and she drove the stake straight through Drusilla's heart.
Darla staggered back as her grandchilde cum sire shattered into a billion particles of dust.
Spike stared at her in shock and horror.
"You staked her. You killed Dru."
Darla didn't believe in apologies. She'd always hidden her vulnerability behind her sharp cold exterior. She did that now.
"It was her own fault. She was stupid to try and protect you."
"You killed her." Spike felt more than anger, a terrible pain filled him. Pain borne by regret and guilt and sorrow. Not long ago he had offered to do this very thing for Buffy. He hadn't seriously meant to, he'd been so upset at the time, so desperate, that it had seemed like a good idea. But now, with his dark princess scattered in dust at his feet, he hurt.
Darla backed away, shocked by what had happened. And now for the first time, afraid of Spike.
They fought, Spike spurred on by anger and despair, Darla fuelled by desperation, fear, weighed down by guilt and her own grief. And then Darla fell on one of the broken chair legs and she exploded into dust.
Spike sank down onto his knees and sobbed.
***************
"Oh," said St. George suddenly with a frown. He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. There was a lot of, "hmmm, I see, right then, yes, yes, no, no, I understand, right away Sir". Finally George put his cell away. "Well, that's that then, Apocalypse is off."
"It's off?" asked Giles.
"Yes."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Oh, its over. The choice is well and truly made, on all counts. Close call this one, but balance is restored, good triumphs over evil, ecetera."
"Oh I see."
He slapped Giles on the back. "Don't worry old chap, the minute it looks like someone's going to raise the beast, I'll be back."
"Oh, yes, good," murmured Giles. "Uh thanks-" But George was no longer there.
"Wait!" he called. "What about Dawn?"
***************
Spike wiped his face and got to his feet. He went through the warehouse til he found what he was looking for. Taking the two empty jars he carefully picked up as much as he could of Drusilla's and Darla's remains. Then not looking back, he left the warehouse, climbed into his De Soto and, thankful for the blackened windows shielding him against the coming dawn, got out of Sunnydale.
***************
"Hey!" smiled Cordelia as a familiar and not so dangerous anymore figure walked into the hotel. "Oh wait, are you like psycho vamp again, should I warn Angel to hide all the sharp pointy things?"
Spike didn't manage a smile. "Here, this is for the Poof."
Cordelia looked at the jar, filled with grey dirt.
"Ooh thanks. I think. What is it."
"Spike?" Angel walked warily into the room. "Are you ok? What's been going on?"
"Look Angel, Spike brought you some dirt," said Cordelia a little wildly.
Angel looked at the urn, then at Spike.
"What-"
"Darla," he said shortly. "Her and Dru are dead."
"Buffy?"
Spike shook his head. "No. Darla staked Dru by accident and I staked Darla very much on purpose."
"What- I mean, where…what will you do."
"Going to take Dru home," said Spike. He turned to go, then stopped. "Let the Slayer know, would you, that Dru and Darla are gone. So she don't worry herself none."
Angel nodded and Spike turned and left the hotel.