Conflict of Interest

Chief Gunn sat back in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally over. Once he had rounded up the Mayor and Mr. Trick and gotten back to the station, Judge Summers and Spike Giles had been detailing their statements for D.A. Harris. Mayor Wilkins and Mr. Trick were booked and charged with not only the murder and conspiracy to commit murder of Darla but for Drusilla Giles’s murder as well and Buffy and Spike were not charged and let go.

Angel, already on trial for Darla’s murder, was then charged with Drusilla’s murder as well. Spike’s secretary, Harmony was hauled into the station and booked as well for the part she played in trying to blackmail Spike and Buffy.

Buffy declared a mistrial citing a conflict of interest and a new trial was set for when Judge Rosenberg returned from maternity leave. Spike removed himself as Angel’s lawyer as well. Xander had Anya put into protective custody as she was the prosecution’s star witness and not only did he fear that the Mayor would try and harm her so she couldn’t testify but he was in the middle of falling deeply in love with her, something which she reciprocated.

The local papers were mixed. Some carried harsh criticism of Buffy and appealed for her to step down from the bench while others hailed her for doing the right thing by allowing Angel a new trial without her as the presiding judge which would be considered fair. The papers weren’t as nice to Spike, condemning him for his adultery while his wife was being murdered. Spike was used to bearing the brunt of bad publicity though and took it all in stride. While he was deeply upset about Drusilla’s murder, he also knew the truth, that she had not been a very nice person. That was solidified when at trial, an affair she had with Angel was revealed.

In the end, the interest of justice was served. Angel was eventually convicted of Darla’s murder as well as conspiracy in Drusilla’s murder along with his step-father, Mayor Wilkins and Mr. Trick. Judge Rosenberg sentenced them all to life in prison without parole.

The deputy Mayor who had nothing to do with Mayor Wilkins extra curricular activities took over for the remainder of his term and about six months later, Anya Jenkins, having changed her name back from Wilkins, not only ran for Mayor but won in a landslide.

Buffy was able to retain her seat and Spike was not disbarred thanks in most part to the surprisingly supportive stance of D.A. Harris. It seemed love had softened him up and a quiet but mutual respect had grown between the two prior combatants.

Spike sold his house and moved in with Buffy and they were married in a double ceremony with Anya and Xander. The proof of their love from their wild tryst at Spike’s office was born nine months later. They named her Darla Joyce, DJ; for Buffy’s mother and for the woman who had brought Spike and Buffy back together. Through her unfortunate death, new life was now born; the circle of life complete.

Spike stopped drinking and started going to AA meetings. Buffy still had to sometimes deal with some of his former bedmates in the grocery store or other public places and Spike always knew when she had by the look on her face when she got home. He also knew he wasn’t getting any that night and he’d be making a call to the florist in the morning. He would apologize profusely the next day and then they would have mind blowing sex.

Yep, all in all, life was back to normal in good old Sunnydale, Chief Gunn thought right before one of his deputies rushed into his office.

“Chief…we just found a body in the alley behind the phone company and get this; he has two gaping holes in his neck like some kind of vampire bit him.” The deputy gave a strangled chuckle.

Well, as normal as Sunnydale could be.

The End