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Rebellion by Thianna
 
25 - Barriers
 
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Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox studios. This story is not meant to infringe upon anyone's rights, only to entertain.

**

Chapter 25 - Barrier

Buffy picked herself up slowly. She looked around to see if Spike was still in view though she already knew the answer to that. She wore resolve on her face as she walked away from Willy’s. She made her way towards her usual patrol route. Once she neared one of the cemeteries, she pulled her stake out. She walked by familiar tombstones, hoping that tonight would be quiet. Of course things never go the way she liked as she felt that familiar knot in her abdomen.

"It seems like today is my lucky night."

Buffy turned around and did her best to show no emotion on her face. "Angelus. So nice to see you come out of your comfy mansion. What? Darla got tired of you? Or did Drusilla finally go sane."

"I see you've been picking up some of William's humor." Angelus said making his way towards her.

“Among other things.” she said slyly.

Angelus let out a low growl.

“Oh, I’m so scared. So how do you want to do this?" She said raising her stake.

"Now now. Is that any way to treat your Master."

"You are NOT my Master. I don't belong to you."

"You did once. And you will again.” he said smiling. "It seems the day I've been waiting for has come."

"And what day is that?"

"The day I take back what's rightfully mine. I told you this day would come, the day when you would realize that Spike can never give you want. He can’t give you what I can give you.

“What can you give me?”

“Anything your heart desires my little Slayer.”

“Funny, I was with you for months but in days Spike was able to give me more than you ever could.”

“Yet my child has abandoned you.”

"Seems like news travels fast then. But he hasn‘t abandoned me. We just had a little … uhm … disagreement."

"Is that what a disagreement is these days?”

Buffy just stood there, a stern look on her face as she crossed her arms.

“Let's just say, your little show tonight with William was quite entertaining."

"What? Jealous that he could be so close to me?"

"Hardly. I told you before that I own you. Just wanting to keep my word."

"I won't be as easy as the last time."

"Good. Then this will just make it taste sweeter." he said letting yellow eyes burn forth as he growled then lunged at her.

Buffy let her instincts and training flow through her muscles as she defended herself and looked for openings for a stake. Feeling that he was trying to corner her, she did a back flip and ran to a more open section in the cemetery -- one with lesser tombstones. Angelus smiled at seeing the slight despair in her face as he kept pushing her ... wanting her to tire so that he could make his move.

Buffy kept on backing up as Angelus pushed forward, trying to find the right moment to act. As she stepped back one more time, she cursed herself at finding that she hit a tombstone. Moving quickly, Angelus saw his chance and grabbed her wrist, turning her around so that she was held tightly in front of him. He moved his head down towards her neck, his demon taking in the scent of the Slayer as his eyes focused on her jugular. It was teasing him for a bite. He smelled his child on her and couldn't help but growl some displeasure. He would wipe those scars clean. She will be his, the way he always intended it to.

"Come. It’s time to be with me. It‘s your time to fully be mine" He bared his fangs and sunk them in deep. Buffy closed her eyes, trying to shut out the pain as she felt him pulling at her essence. There was no comfort here -- not with this bite ... not with this vampire. It was painful and savage. He pulled his fangs out then moved towards another bite mark. He planned to overlay his mark on ever single kiss that Spike had tattooed on her skin. As his teeth sank anew, Buffy tried to struggle, not wanting the pain to continue.

She was starting to feel a little lightheaded. She tried to focus her thoughts. "Must stay awake! Can't pass out ... not yet ... Can't belong to Angelus.

As her eyes fluttered, a blue green gem unnoticed on the ground by the dreaded tombstone started to glow and electricity seemed to fill the air. Angelus sensing the change in the atmosphere, let his prey go. Buffy slumped to the ground for the second time tonight.

The master vampire growled, his demon telling him that this was not a good place to be. He turned to walk away but after taking fifteen paces away from Buffy he noticed that he could not keep going. He raised his hands, trying to push through what seemed like a wall keeping him from moving forward. But it was to no avail. He heard something else ... something distant then slowly growing louder. His eyes narrowed in anger at seeing a man in a suit, holding a large book. The man was chanting.

At the realization that it was magic, Angelus hurried back towards Buffy’s still slumped form. "What did you do, whore?" He screamed, as he lifted her up but the lapels of her jacket. "Tell me."

She looked at him weakly. "I don't belong to you."

Angelus backhanded her cheek for that comment. "Tell him to stop!" he said with seething anger.

"Make me!"

Angelus dragged Buffy to the end of the barrier where the man in a suit was still chanting. "Stop this. Let me go and I won't kill the Slayer."

The man continued with his chanting never leaving his eyes from the book. "Don't listen to him Giles, finish the spell." Buffy said half delirious from blood loss.

"A Watcher." Angelus said in realization. "Watcher, let me go and I won't snap your precious little Slayer's neck."

Giles continued chanting and then when the last verse was said, he looked at the vampire coldly.

Angelus slammed a fist against the barrier, but it wouldn't budge. He turned his attention to Buffy, angry at this slip of a girl that had eluded him at first, rejected his seduction and now mocked him by magic. He threw a fist at her, sending her flying a few feet away. Then storming in anger to where she landed, he picked her up again. "I could have made you complete, Buffy. I could have shown you how to find pleasure in pain and darkness."

Buffy looked at him with disgust. "I don't need anything from you!" With that, she gripped the lapels of his coat, raised her legs, bringing her feet to his chest and pushed him away from her. She picked herself up and readied herself for another attack.

**

Spike could no longer watch in darkness as the scene unfolded before him. He rushed towards Giles, wondering how the Watcher could watch idly by as his weakened charge was fighting Angelus with the possibility of being trapped in the gem with him. "What are you doing Rupert? We have to find a bloody way to get her out of there."

Giles lowered his head. "The spell has been cast, no one can come out until the magic has done what it needs to do."

"You're just going to stand there and watch her get imprisoned with Angelus?"

Giles shook his head. "I made the spell specific to vampires alone. Buffy will not be imprisoned."

Spike looked at the fight between the Slayer and his grandsire. Buffy was holding her own, but he could tell she was getting weak. As she landed one more time against the ground, Spike knew he couldn't just wait here like the wanker beside him. He moved towards the edge of the magic which is where the barrier started. He tested it, reaching out with his right hand to try and force his way in. Seeing that it allowed him entrance, “Bugger this!“ he said as he steeled himself and jumped through. He rolled and quickly jumped to his feet. He released the demon inside upon seeing Angelus, glowering over Buffy's form. He lunged for his grandsire, knocking him away from the Slayer. "Stay away Poofhead."

"Aaah .. William. Come to join the party?” Angelus said laughing as he stood up. “And here I thought I might get bored spending eternity with MY plaything. You could provide some entertainment as well."

Spike threw a punch at him. "Stay away from her."

Angelus laughed. "Come now William. She is mine. And she tastes exquisite. Her blood rich and her body supple. Does she moan for you as well when you drink?" he said trying to unnerve his childe.

"Piss off!" he hit his grandsire again and Spike took over as Angelus' dancing partner. He hoped that he could buy the spell enough time to finish. Anything to keep Angelus away from Buffy... anything to end this symbol of her despair ... anything to keep Buffy safe. He did his best, keeping Angelus as far away from her as he could. He was worried about her. He could hear that her breathing seem labored and though she stirred, he knew she still hadn't stood up.

"You're distracted dear William. I thought I had taught you better than that."

Glaring at him, Spike replied with a punch in the gut. "I never needed anything from you."

"Really now? Everything you are ... everything you have ... came from me -- your unlife, your sire, your slayer ... All mine!"

"Stop flattering yourself, Peaches."

"She is sweet ... and rich, perhaps I wouldn't mind sharing her with you like Drusilla."

"She is nothing like Dru. And you keep both of them out of this. Between you and me Angelus. That's how it's always been."

Angelus mockingly bowed in front of him and they then resumed their dance. Anger raged through both vampires as blows were exchanged.

Buffy focused her senses, feeling two vampire signatures instead of one. Upon seeing Spike battling Angelus, her heart both melted and sank. She couldn't believe that he would risk this -- his unlife -- to save her. She knew how he adored being a vampire, how he reveled in the power and the freedom. Yet with this one act, she knew he was voluntarily putting all of that on the line. She melted at the knowledge, that this time it was for her and for her alone. But she was starting to feel cold. When the spell is done and the gem has finished it's work, she would lose him. Giles had explained to her in confidence that he would alter the spell to ensure her safety. But what about Spike? Giles has never shown any liking to him and it was only with the fact that her Watcher had kept her relationship quiet that the Council had not gone after them. Or at least that was what Giles had assured her. But who was to say that Giles wouldn't try to kill Spike if given the chance. It was a perfect opportunity, Angelus and Spike all in one move.

She stood up, wondering if she should interfere in their heated fighting. She looked around trying to see where she left her stake just in case Angelus decided to come after her again. She heard a large thud as Spike was thrown against a tombstone, effectively breaking the stone in half. Looking up, Buffy rushed to his side, eyes full of hatred for the master vampire for so many reasons.

"Well look at this lovely scene." Angelus said, wiping blood from his busted lip. "MY child and MY plaything, mocking me still. So should I assume that that little tiff earlier tonight was for my benefit. I feel so special."

Spike growled loudly and lunged back at Angelus, revealing the stake that he had found Buffy had dropped earlier. But his grandsire was able to move at the last minute. The stake lodged itself in his shoulder instead. Angelus stepped back in shock, not really expecting his own child to have had the audacity to stake him. He looked down in disbelief.

Spike stepped back himself, cursing himself for not being faster. Buffy stood up, moving close to Spike, her arm snaking inside his duster. He looked down and afforded to give her a quick smile.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy whispered.

"You know me. Can never resist you, love."

Angelus growled as he pulled the stake from his shoulder, hatred at the couple before him. "You dare ..." He said lunging the stake in Spike’s direction.

Buffy moved quickly, pulling the stake she knew Spike kept in his duster's inner pocket and shoved it in Angelus' heart. The master vampire looked down once more in disbelief before he faded away to dust.

Spike jerked his head backward in pain as he felt the loss of his grandsire. The thread that had connected Angelus to the Aurelius family now cut.

The blue-green gem started to glow brighter as the spell was about to reach the final phase. The dust that used to be Angelus, swirled into the air and was quickly absorbed into the gem.

"Looks like we didn't need the bloody trinket after all pet."

The magic swirled around them, and Spike had a feeling that this could be the end. He stared down at the blue-green gem. He stared down at his future.

"We did it! But we need to find a way out of here." Buffy said.

"No love, you did it. And you'll be safe. But I doubt I'll be so lucky. Rupes told me what he did to the spell."

"No. I won't accept it. We'll find a way."

He reached out his hand to cradle her cheek, he loved how she could be so stubborn at times. "Don't worry your pretty little head about me, love. You'll be free now. You're a Slayer. You don't need me."

"NO! I'm not going to lose you." Buffy looked frantically around for one of the white crystals that was forming the barrier. There was only one thought in her mind now. She had to save him. She wasn't going to lose him. The blue-green gem glowed brighter and she grew frantic, knowing that the spell would end soon. She dropped down on all fours, frantically pushing away dirt and leaves for any signs of the white crystal. She found one hidden behind some leaves and she grabbed it. Without thinking about the consequences, she smashed it against a cold marble tombstone. The barrier turned into a binding light, but the blue-green gem still glowed brightly. Buffy averted her eyes as she hunched to the ground while Spike protectively covered her with his body. He hoped that was enough but with magic you could never be sure.


 
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