Timeline

Chapter 14

Buffy squinted through the whiteness. " Y'know , you could do with getting the decorators in, white's not really a good look , makes you look a little pasty. And a few creature comforts wouldn't go a miss either, emphasis on the creature here"
" Enough! Do you know why you feel so seperated from the world.It's because you are.The world wants you gone."
Buffy was taken back by what the little girl had said." And I thought I was adjusting so well"
"There's no need for you now, the world has it's champions now , you saw to that. Still won't do any good. Your witch changed the one person that could make a difference"
"Angel!" Buffy was starting to see the full picture. The pieces of the puzzle were all there , she just needed to put them together. " So , who interferred with Willow's spell?"
"Someone in the vampires house, a confidante"
"Why" Buffy was walking in a circle around the girl , her scythe grasped firmly.
"They knew the future,could see the mayhem , the destruction, the bloodspill and thought the price was too high"
"Why didn't the powers that be tip him off , he's their champion , it's not in their interest to just let him go"
"Who says they have? True, they have lost him as a champion , but as one door closes another opens.Whilst we may not be good, we also know that a balance is needed "
"Is Liam the balance?"
"I cannot comment"
"Why keep me here? And why are you telling me all of this?" Buffy paused ,it suddenly dawned on her.
"The Senior Partners have a proposition for you"
"What makes you think I'll be interested" Buffy remained calm.
"We can undo the wrongs , on both sides, on the condition that you and the vampire remain seperated"
"No deal" Buffy swung the scythe at the litle girl.Red broke the whiteness.

Faith had been hunting for the demon for an hour.Finally she sat on a park bench.She put her ear phones in and hit play. She had been in the sewers searching and took deep breathes to get the stench from her nose. A group of teens walked past and one of the young girls noticed Faith.Faith looked up and conitued to nod her head in time with the music.She jumped of the bench and followed the teens further into the park.
Faith ran her hand to her jacket pocket and withdrew the bottle of holy water, flicking the cork out with her thumb.Still bouncing to the tunes playing in her ears she whistled loudly.She stretched one arm up over her head, the other still clutching the bottle " Any of you that still get tans, Run!"
The girls frowned ."As if the question was a stomper" Faith sighed.
"Blondes!" Faith thought .She was annoyed at their stupidity.She grabbed their arms forcefully " RUN!" she shouted at them.
As the young girls ran Faith turned towards the other teens.A low animalistic growl came from them all and they morphed into their demon visages.
"Good job you guys don't have that face perminantly cos you really are wicked gross"
The vamps leapt at Faith ,dropping kicks and punches as they landed.One got a face full of holy water and the other got a stake to the chest. The youngest saw the eldest get dusted and tried to run, Faith withdrew the stake from the elder and threw it in the direction of the sprinter.It hit home and he fell , turning to ash before he hit the grass. The vamp that got the holy water facial stood up clutching his face.
"You are so gonna regret that lady"
Faith laughed " If I had a buck for every vamp that said that,and hey not a lady!"
The vamp ran at her , punches connected with Faiths face and ribs.Still sore from the battle in Sunnydale, she grunted.That pissed Faith off as she hated any weakness she showed.She turned that anger on her attacker, reigning blows on him.
"Whassup slayer , someone get the better of you" he laughed at her efforts, blocking only a few of Faiths blows.
"YOU " punch "HAVE" punch "NO " punch "IDEA" .Faith dug out her spare stake and drove it home.Standing back up she dusted down her trousers and spun on her heels , straight into the lizard demon.
" Great now they line up to have a try" she dropped to the floor and swiped it's feet out from under it.The demon smacked to the dirt on it's back hard , winded it thrashed to try and get back to it's feet.
"You got a face only a mother could love" Faith placed her foot on it's neck , preventing it from getting up.
The demon's tongue flicked out and wrapped round her ankle , pulling her off balance and onto the floor next to it.It rolled on top of Faith and tried to pin her down.She raised her legs and got the lizards head between her knees,squeezing as hard as she could, the lizard demons head burst , spraying her with gloup and slime.
"You just now that shit aint gonna wash out" She said to herself."Job done". Faith put the ear phones in and jaunted back to the hotel , pleased with her nights work.


Back at the Hyperion

Since getting back from the White room, Lilah had been placed in the basement with Liam. Angel had gone to check on Willow and Fred.Lorne was drinking his usual sea breeze and nursing a headache , bought on by reading Cordy.The potentials were all chattering amongst themselves, nothing rare about that though Angel thought to himself.Wesley and Gunn had packed the weapons away after getting Lilah 'comfortable'.
Willow explained the nights events to Angel. Angel hadn't appeared to be surprised and showed no emotion.The only time he showed any was when finally someone noticed that Buffy was absent from the returning party.
"We got sent home by the liason.It obviously had unfinished business with Buffy" Angel had said as he walked or rather dragged himself up to his room.
Wesley walked into the office and pulled the chair up next to Fred. "How has the research on the Rites of Calenook gone?"
"It has some footnotes in here" Fred slumped a book into Wesley's lap."And some text in here " she picked up the book she was reading " I haven't finished here, but it looks promising.So far I have found out it has something to do with restoring a 'fallen' vampire back to it's original state"
"Sound like just the thing for Angel" Wesley said
"Does Angel want to go back, I thought he would want to be human, cos of Buffy"
"I think Angel's punishing himself and thinks the recent events have happened as some kind of knock on effect caused by his new found humanity."
Gunn walked into the office and sat on the edge of the desk, picking up the amulet.
"I can't believe Spike's soul is trapped in this thing"
Fred shrieked and jumped up quickly causing Gunn to drop the amulet in shock.
" It says here, Of heart and soul and body and mind,To this amulet I now bind, good and evil are entwined,mortal flesh thee to find"
Gunn stood up, staring at the amulet. " Errrr guys"
Fred and Wesley moved round the desk. The amulet glowed brightly and smoke swirled slowly round it,a few seconds later and it was like a small tornado. A scream eminated from the tornado and slowly , glowing embers visibly swirling inside it. The embers grouped together forming a skeleton. The screams grew louder. Lorne ran into the office, skidding to a stop at the sight in front of him.Angel and Giles came running down the stairs stopping in the doorway.The skeleton now had burnt skin .The screaming had become so loud that now the group had to cover their ears. Nobody said a thing , they were all fixated on the happenings in front of them. No-one even noticed Buffy come in.
"Guys?" she called.
Buffy saw the gang grouped in the office , staring at something. She walked in , ducking under Angels arm.
"Spike!" She said loudly
The tornado was still turning , the embers still forming the shape , that now was almost complete . Everyone backed away , not sure what to do.Angel pulled Buffy to him.
Wesley was the first to speak."Does it mention whether Spike will be human, vampire or ensouled vampire"
Fred still watching the event answered "It just said he would be restored"
"So we are to presume he is a vampire with a soul" Giles said.
"I guess so " Gunn reached for a stake "Hope so "
The tornado ceased and Spike was stood there in the position he had died in.The amulets glow dissipated, turning the stone black.