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The Favourite	By : charlemagne4ever Category: > Buffy/Spike(William) > Buffy/Spike(William) Views: 22104 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
Chapter 12: All That's Left

Author's
Note: I am going to sacrifice a chocolate-covered Spikebot to my beta goddess
Mariana, who got a piece of coal and made it a diamond. Thank you so much!

Another
big thanks goes to Cile for filling in as beta for TF for the past few chapters.
Thanks, honey!

Finally,
thanks to everyone who has had enough patience to wait for this chapter.

"You think I like having you in here?
Destroying everything that was me, until all that's left is you."

(Spike, "Crush")

Previously
on "The Favourite":

After
a shopping spree and lunch with Drusilla, Kendra is unwell. Buffy, aware of
Drusilla's evil character, suspects Dru has tried to poison her friend. She
voices her suspicions, but is proved wrong. Kendra is pregnant.

Buffy
tries to cope with her conflicting feelings.

Joyce
Summers persuades the art collector Wesley W. Pryce to sell a priceless statue,
the Galatea, to her gallery's customer. She has only been in touch with him
over the client's law firm in L.A. Wesley refuses to sell at first, until he
learns about Joyce's fate and her daughter's disappearance, which was,
ultimately, because of her flying over to buy the statue. Wesley relates that
the Galatea was his wedding gift for his fianc�e Winifred, whose plane was
hijacked on her way to him, she was abducted and he never saw her again. Moved
by Joyce's story and his own painful memory, he sells the statue to her.

�

Buffy
encourages Tara to confess her feelings to Willow, unaware of the consequences
a lesbian relationship among the sheik's wives can have.

Joyce,
still desperate about Buffy's disappearance, nevertheless has to prepare to do
her job and deliver the marble statue to her anonymous customer. Her contact,
Lilah Morgan, advises her to take some measures for Dawn's safety when she brings
her along - she must go fully veiled.

Spike
reveals to Buffy that the Galatea is supposed to be a gift for her.

Drusilla,
jealous because Kendra is pregnant with a child that might one day threaten her
own son Khari's claim to the throne, tries to kill Kendra. Kendra survives, but
loses the baby. Buffy comforts grief-stricken Spike. The next day, she tells
him about Drusilla's attempted murder, but given that she has made ungrounded
accusations against Dru before, he does not believe her and chalks her suspicions
off as jealousy. He admits that ever since Buffy came to his kingdom, she has
been the only one for him. An intimate moment between the two is interrupted by
the guards, who, prompted by Drusilla, have arrested Willow and Tara for having
sex with each other. Buffy begs Spike not to punish them, but he claims that
this would look like weakness to his enemies and probably cost him his life.
Although he, too, is desperate to save them, he cannot take back the death
sentence the law requires. Buffy is beside herself with anger and fear.

�

Buffy
finds little Khari's toy pig Mr Gordo. When she picks it up, she finds someone
(Spike, of course!) used the pig to send her a message telling her to see Clem,
and a key card. Talking to Clem, Buffy finds out that the key card belongs to a
lock on a secret passage under the palace, leading to the kingdom's limits.
Buffy learns from Clem that Spike used a birth date as a code, but Clem does
not know whose. To try the birthdays of 38 wives would take longer than the
30-second time limit. So one person will have to stay behind to create a
diversion and buy Willow and Tara some time.

Buffy
figures out that it was Spike who sent her the message in order to save Willow
and Tara and keep his tough image. Buffy is about to put her plan of freeing
Willow and Tara from their prison into action, when Joyce arrives with Dawn in
order to deliver the statue.

When
Dawn, fully veiled and dressed like a local woman, wanders down a corridor
alone in search of a water dispenser, Buffy (also veiled) walks right past her.
Buffy does not recognize her.

Dawn sipped
on her water and watched the woman walking past her, leaving her to ponder on
the situation surrounding her.

Must be
exciting to live here, she thought. Always great weather, and the sheik, Spike,
was really cute. Those gorgeous blue eyes... she would even bet that woman was
one of his wives. Lucky her. The scent of the girl�s perfume that has passed
her by still lingered. Simply Irresistible. Dawn blinked. Instantly
recognizing the fragrance as a French product. Strange that they would have it
here, too. Wait a minute! Hadn't her mother mentioned that she wouldn�t be
missing the mandatory duty free shopping at all, because this country was
famous for the rich and precious scents of Arabia? Hadn�t she also said that
they didn't import any American or French beauty products? That woman... Dawn's
heart was fiercely pounding. The way she carried herself... There was something
oddly familiar about the way she walked. Had she looked at her? Dawn had not
seen her face, but still...

"Buffy?"
Dawn whispered into the silence.

Obviously,
there was no one there to offer a reply.

It took her
a moment to tear herself away from her lethargy. "Buffy�" She took a
few tentative steps into the direction the veiled woman had taken. She barely
noticed that her vision was blurred with tears.

Dawn broke
into a frantic run down the hallway, yelling her sister's name. "Buffy!
BUFFY! BUFFY!!!!!!!!" Her dress and veil were in complete disarray, but
Dawn couldn�t have cared less. When she reached the end of the hallway, the
corridor forked in two. The veiled woman - BUFFY, she corrected herself - was
nowhere to be seen. Dawn stood uncertain, pondering for a horrible crucial
moment, before she decided to take the left fork.

*

Buffy tried
to look unsuspicious as she approached the guard. Clem had been correct. Only
two men were there to guard the prisoners. Spike must have been very confident
that no one could ever escape from the premises. Or - she shuddered at even
daring to think about it -, he simply did not think it was worth the trouble to
invest much money in security, due primarily to the relatively short amount of
time between the arrest and the execution of prisoners. With a pounding heart,
Buffy approached the guards.

"What
are you doing here?" the first guard snarled at her. "Women are not
allowed into this part of the palace."

"Really?"
Buffy blinked and gave him her best �I�m blonde AND dumb� act, which was quite
the difficult feat to perform when your face and hair are completely covered by
a veil and you only have your eyes to work with. So she flirtatiously batted
her eyelashes at him. "I'm so glad I've found you guys, cos you know,
like, I'm totally lost, like, I'm not even sure where I am!"

"Well,
you're in a restricted area," the guard snapped menacingly, "Go back,
or else I'll report you!"

Buffy gave
the second Janissary, who was less muscular and had softer features, an
innocent look. "Oh, am I really? I'm soooo sorry, so that's why, like, nothing
looked familiar around here! Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere!"

"Never
mind," the man replied in a conciliatory tone, "I got lost here on my
first day, too!"

Buffy
giggled.

"Yeah,
that's because you're dumb, Fouad," the first guard retorted harshly,
"Now back to the harem, woman!"

Fouad shot
his colleague a dark look, but obviously bit back an insult to his superior
officer.

"To be
honest, I'm a bit scared of getting lost again. Could you escort me back to the
harem, please? This palace is so huge, and I..." She smiled sweetly,
batting her eyelashes for effect. "I'm just a girl, after all."

Fouad
seemed eager to escort her back, but hesitant to do so without being given the
leave by the other Janissary. "Commander Mundhir?"

"So
what are you waiting here for?" Commander Mundhir scowled. "And no
loitering! I want you back in ten minutes sharp, is that understood?"

"Yes,
Sir. This way, my lady." Fouad gallantly let Buffy lead the way back into
the long corridor. "So you're one of the sheik's wives," he commented
stupidly, just to make some small talk.

"Yeah,
technically, but� I guess he's just not that into me," Buffy said with a
dismissive gesture, "He's got his favourites."

"I'm
sorry to hear that," Fouad said, but with a smug smile. It did not sound
as if he regretted that too much.

"I'm
so glad you're taking me back, I would never be able to find my way around here
on my own," Buffy said in her best damsel-in-distress voice. "And I
hope you don�t mind me saying this but you seem like such a strong and
impressive man. I�m really happy you�re here protecting us." For a moment
she feared she had overdone it, but when she saw his shoulders straightening
and an idiotic grin crossing his face, she knew it was working. "You know
and please don�t take this the wrong way but... Fouad... you shouldn't let that
fool Mundhir treat you like that."

Fouad
sighed. "Mundhir is my commander. I follow his orders. He's an arrogant
son-of-a... well, he's sort of difficult to deal with, but that doesn't change
a thing, unfortunately. He commands, and we all have to obey."

Buffy made
a big show of blinking away some crocodile's tears. "That's so... sad...
and... and unfair! I understand that he's your boss and everything, but still,
that doesn't give him the right to call you a coward in front of all the
Janissaries in your unit!"

"What?"
Fouad gasped and stopped in his tracks.

Buffy put a
hand to her veil, in the place where her mouth was. "Whoops. Forgive me, I
shouldn't have said that, it's evil gossip, and I'm a silly girl."

"No,
no," Fouad insisted, just as she had expected him to do, "I want to
hear this. What. Did. Mundhir. Say?" he inquired, stressing every word.

Buffy
lowered her voice to a more conspiratorial tone, stressing the secrecy by
looking frantically at each side of the corridor for marauders. "The thing
is... you know Abdul-Nasir, the sheik's personal bodyguard?"

Fouad
nodded impatiently. "Yes, yes, yes, and?"

"I
really don't want to put him on the spot, but�" Buffy paused dramatically,
seeming reluctant to keep talking. "When I was waiting outside of the
sheik's quarters last week, Nasir told me how Mundhir had made fun of you after
dinner, how he said that you were afraid of your own shadow and... oh no, I
can't repeat this, it was horrible!"

"WHAT?"
Fouad demanded, his face flushed and his jaw clenched.

"I
really can't say this aloud. I'm too embarrassed." Buffy lowered even more
her voice and gestured for him to bend down to her so she could whisper in his
ear.

"What
did he say?" Fouad whispered.

"He said
that the sheik had probably recruited you along with the eunuchs who guarded
the harem," Buffy whispered back.

Fouad's
face immediately went bright red with rage. "He should not have said that!
He definitely should not have said that!" he snapped, balling his fists.
"I'm going to make him regret he ever set foot into this palace!"
Without paying any more attention to Buffy, he ran back down the corridor.
Buffy, who was promptly following at his heels and glad that he could not see
her satisfied smile behind the veil, had trouble keeping up with his pace.

"Took
you long enough, Fouad," Mundhir grumbled when he heard the other
Janissary approaching, not truly aware of Fouad�s enraged intentions.

Fouad spit
out a nasty insult in Arabic and, without warning, hit his commander square in
the face with his fist.

Mundhir saw
stars and swayed dangerously, then spit out blood and something that looked
very much like a tooth. "Are you insane? What the hell is wrong with
you?" he roared and without actually expecting an answer, hit back.

Fouad
stumbled back, wiping blood from his upper lip. "I will teach you to call
ME a eunuch!" he roared.

Fouad's
next blow aiming directly to Mundhir's adam's apple.

As if on
sensing the imminent attack, Mundhir brought his knee up between Fouad's legs
right before the blow took its toll and the Janissary commander went down to
the floor in a pulp.

Fouad
howled in pain. Then, everything went dark around him.

"Aw,
that was just... too easy." Buffy pouted. She shrugged as she knelt down
and searched Mundhir's pockets for the keys to the security door and the trap
door hidden in the chamber behind it. "Boys!" she said shaking her
head as she jingled the now freed keys.

With
fleeting fingers, she began to try one by one the keys on the chain and luck
was definitely on her side, for it helped her find the right one really fast.
It took her some effort to push open the heavy security door, and for a
horrible second, she feared that the noise she was making would wake up the
unconscious guards, but nothing like that happened. She rushed into the small
chamber that held no furniture, just a rusty old ladder, with a small trapdoor
on the floor. Buffy unlocked it and lifted the heavy lid.

"Will!
Tara!" she said into the blackness below.

For a long,
straining moment, there was no reply.

Then, at
the bottom of the pitch-black hole, something stirred.

Holding her
breath, Buffy listened into the darkness.

"Buffy?"
Willow's voice was very small, vulnerable, and disbelieving.

"I'm
getting you out of here," Buffy promised, her voice trembling, as she let
the ladder down the trapdoor. "Hurry up, we don't have much time."

Willow gave
a sound that sounded like a sob.

Buffy
barely recognized her friends as they took tentative steps up the ladder. Their
skin was gray, the beautiful clothes they had once worn at the harem had turned
into dirty rags, and both of them, even Tara, who had always been known for her
luscious curves, looked haggard. Willow blinked at the brightness of the light
when she emerged from the dark hole. Buffy tried not to let the terror show in
her face as she hugged them both, tightly, yet very briefly. "Can you
walk?"

"I
hurt my ankle when they pushed me down," Tara said, and Buffy shuddered at
the thought of being cast into those dreadful shadows, "But I'll
manage" Tara added resolutely.

Buffy
nodded. "Let's go. We'll take the tunnels of the ventilation system. You
have to climb up there. Think you can do that?"

"Yes,"
Tara agreed.

"Where
do we go from there?" Willow asked.

Buffy did
not elaborate. "Let me worry about that. I know a safe way out."

Willow
squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Buffy. Oh, goddess, thank you."

Buffy
blinked back a tear. She could not permit herself to conjure any type of
emotion, at least not right now, for if she did, she was sure to fall apart.
She needed to remain level headed, for the sake of all the parties involved in
this endeavour. "Be careful not to step over the unconscious bodies in the hall," she added lightly, but her
voice sounded hoarse and distant. As they stepped into the hall, Buffy made
sure to carefully put back the keys on Mundhir�s pockets, completing phase 1 of
the escape plan.

*

"But
what they didn't get was that it was a copy of the bill of lading... so they
thought that it was another order form, so I had two shipments of Greek
amphorae on my hands!"

Dawn heard
her mother's voice and Spike's deep laughter even before she burst into the
gallery.

"That's
funny. And� really, how many do you
need, amphorae?"

They
laughed together at the conclusion of Joyce's story as they were standing in
front of a glass case that contained a Greek amphora from the 1^st
century BC. Spike was leaning against the wall casually, smiling radiantly, and
her mother looked as relaxed and happy as she had not seen her once since
Buffy's disappearance.

Dawn's
abrupt entrance made their heads turn.

"She's
here," Dawn breathed, her eyes wild and desperate, "I saw her!"
Dawn chided herself for not actually saying "Buffy is here, I saw
Buffy!" which made her realize how fast her sister's name had become a
taboo around her small family. But she could not bring herself to say it. It
still hurt too much. "I smelled her perfume," Dawn said in a
tear-stricken voice, "But before I was able to make the connection, she
was gone, and there are so many hallways here, I... I couldn't find her
again... and I got lost, and I didn't see where she went, and..." She
broke off, tears running freely down her face.

Joyce put
her hands over Dawn's. All the happiness and giggles had drained from her face
as fast as they had appeared. She ran a hand over Dawn's cheek. "I know,
honey. I see her everywhere, too. Every single day."

"No!"
Dawn said violently, "It wasn't like that! It was her! And I didn't
realize... It took me too long... and she was..." her voice was suddenly
high-pitched and petulant. "... gone!"

Without
another word, Joyce held her and let her cry. "I'm so sorry, Dawnie. I'm
sorry. It happens every time I see a blond girl on the street or at the
hotel... every time..." Her voice breaking as she blinked back her tears.

Spike
stared at them in confusion. He put a hand on Joyce's arm. "What is it,
Joyce?" he asked in concern. "What is all this about?"

Joyce could
hardly keep her voice from trembling. "My eldest daughter was kidnapped on
the first day of our stay here. The authorities are looking for her, but we
haven't heard a word from her since."

Spike's
face fell at discovering the tragedy that fell upon these two women. "I'm
so sorry, Joyce, I had no idea. If there's anything I can do for you..."

"Thank
you," Joyce said. "It�s just... very hard at the moment. We'll be
alright. They'll find her," she added with little conviction, "Sooner
or later, we'll all be together."

"Of
course." Spike did not voice his doubts. He did not have the heart to
mention that in this part of the world, Western girls, especially blonde ones,
had a prominent tendency to disappear without a trace. With a twinge of guilt,
he realized belatedly that it was the Galatea that had made this family
come here in the first place. His unrelenting pursue to obtain that valuable
and antique art piece had made this sweet little girl and her mother cry in
despair for their abruptly broken family. Whomever and wherever Dawn's sister
was, his capricious wish to have that sculpture had brought misery upon that
young woman too. But if there still existed, faint as it were, the possibility
that� she was still alive... Spike got
thinking and realized that his offer to help had not been an empty one. He
truly wanted to help Joyce to find her missing child.

"I
could talk to my contacts at the local authorities in Cairo," Spike
offered, "I have friends. And those friends have friends. Very influential
friends. If you need any financial aid to support the search for your daughter,
please, do not hesitate to ask. You have helped me acquire this sculpture, at a
terrible and unforeseen price on your home, so now, the least I can do really,
is to provide the necessary means to help to find your daughter."

Joyce
smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you. You are very generous."

*

After much
trouble to get inside the air ducts, in the first place, Buffy, Willow and Tara
were crawling along quietly. They had been moving through these shafts for what
seemed like hours. Buffy knew how much of a clich� this all was, she even
started humming the theme of Mission: Impossible in her head a while ago, but
obviously people in this part of the world did not watch enough cable to know
that in every lousy movie about a spies, robbery and whatnot, the hero always broke
into the building over these kinds of tunnels. They were tight, but they would
provide the safest - and probably only - access to Spike's personal quarters.
It was hot in the narrow steel tunnels. She was currently bathed in sweat and
her dress stuck uncomfortably to her body. Willow and Tara behind her were also
panting heavily, but if it was from the unrelenting heat or from fear and
exhaustion, Buffy could not tell. She could only hope that they would find
their way out soon. As she looked down from the slits periodically, she was
able to make out their way by recognizing hallways and familiar rooms. She
suspected, they had to be close to the gallery, and from there, it would only
be a couple of hundred yards to Spike's rooms - and then, their ticket to
freedom. Willow and Tara's tickets to freedom, Buffy thought gloomily. They
were almost there. She had hoped Spike and his guests would have left the
gallery by now. It would not be pleasant, considering the precarious situation
they were in, to crawl through a tunnel that ran right above Spike's head. She
felt a numb pain in her knees, but they had to keep going... and crawling.

They had
not quite reached the gallery when Buffy froze all movement. She could hear
Spike's voice over the ventilation system. Damn. It looked like his guests were
still there. But they could not wait. They were running out of time. Once the
guards regained consciousness and realized the prisoners were gone, all hell
would break loose. They had to crawl over the gallery as quickly and as quietly
as possible, paying close care not to draw any unwanted attention to them.
Buffy turned around to look at Willow and Tara. She put her index finger over
her mouth and then gestured ahead of her.

Willow
nodded in silent understanding.

Taking a
deep breath and bracing herself for what was coming, Buffy began to crawl
towards the gallery. With some luck, the constant hum of the ventilation would
drown any sound that came from the three girls hidden in the duct.

"...I
have a child, too," Buffy heard Spike saying, "A little boy. His name
is Khari. He means the world to me. I don't know what I would do without him.
So if there is any way I can help you, I will. It's what every parent would
do."

Buffy
smiled despite her tension and strain. Whenever Spike talked about Khari, his
voice unconsciously assumed a soft and tender quality and surprisingly, it
calmed her down.

"We
appreciate your help," another voice said.

Buffy
stopped dead on her tracks. She knew that voice. It made her blood run cold and
her throat tighten. That was impossible. It couldn't be... She had to be
imagining it. But then Joyce Summers began talking again, in that sweet,
soothing voice she had been missing so much during all those lonely hours at
the palace, and Buffy had to muster all her strength not to break into
hysterical sobs. She bit back her tears. Her mother... here? But how?
Then she suddenly remembered that Joyce had been contacted by a law firm in
L.A. She had not known who her client was. Well... one mystery solved,
she thought in despair. Oh, God, mom.

"I was
so sure I saw my sister,"a third voice chimed in, sounding low, depressed,
and miserable... Buffy would have recognized that voice anywhere. Her heart
skipped a beat. Dawn. "I'm sorry if I upset you mom," Dawn continued.

"That's
okay," Spike replied in a soothing voice, "After all you have been
through, it�s no wonder that wishful thinking would eventually get the better
of you."

"So
you're not angry at me?"

"Of
course not, Nibblet, why should I? I'll do anything in my power to help you
find your sister. I promise."

Buffy's
heart tore as she listened to Spike talking to her sister. Nibblet. He
even had a nickname for her. Buffy glanced through the grate and then she saw
them, all three of them. Spike, her mother and Dawnie, they were all standing
in the gallery in front of a white marble sculpture, talking about... her.
Obviously Joyce had told her client
about the disappearance of her daughter. And Spike had offered his
unconditional help. He had no idea who the missing daughter/sister was. He had
no idea it was her, Buffy. He had never even asked her for her surname. It
would have been funny if not for the tragedy of it. Irony was spitting her in
the face and fate was laughing at her. There they were, her mom and Dawnie, and
all she had to do to be back in their embrace was to kick out the grate with
her feet, and she would fall down to the floor in front of them, to hold them
and kiss them, to, finally, let them take her home... they would not leave
without her, and Spike would let her go, she had no doubt. He had just given
her mother and sister his word, and honour was most important to him, no matter
what. They would go home. To Sunnydale.

And
Willow and Tara would be put to death.

The thought
hit her like a slashhammer. They were so close... and yet she refused to make a
noise to attract their attention. The cost of her freedom would be the end
of� her friends� lives.

Tara
nervously tugged at Willow's sleeve, trying to figure out why they had stopped
crawling and why Buffy had hesitated.

Buffy ran a
hand over the grate, taking a longing last look at her family. "I love
you, always" she mouthed. Then she forced herself, in an enormous effort
of will, to tear her eyes away of the two women she loved most in the world and
crawl on through the narrow duct. Her heart aching with every step she took and
never looking back.

*

Buffy came
up on a grate in Spike's bedroom a few minutes later, kicking it out with both
feet and jumping out without hesitation. She helped Willow and Tara climb down.

"What
was going on in the gallery?" Willow asked, realizing then the unimpeded
tears that were streaming over her friend's face. "Buffy, what is
it?"

"Nothing,"
Buffy said dismissively. "We don't have time for this, you guys got to
go!"

"Willow,
did you see the woman and the girl in the gallery with Spike?" Tara
interrupted them.

"Yeah,
sure. What about them?" Willow asked.

"Tara,
don't," Buffy said warningly.

"They
were your mom and your sis," Tara said quietly, "weren't they?"

Willow's
eyes widened. "What?!"

"My
mom has an art gallery," Buffy said, as if that was would explain
everything.

"No,"
Willow cried in disbelief, "Say you didn't just do that!"

"It's
no big deal, really," Buffy replied, trying to convince herself as much as
Willow.

"But
it IS a big deal," Willow said desperately, "You could have
just..." She made a helpless gesture.

"...
left you to die?" Buffy offered. "I don't think so."

"Buffy,"
Willow began.

"I'm
not discussing this with you," Buffy said firmly. "Yes, I've made a
sacrifice, a willing sacrifice, I might add but if you don't want it to be in
vain, listen to me and do as I tell you!"

She was
sorry to snap at her friends like that, but her own feelings were in too much
of a turmoil to allow the pain to get to her now.

Willow
nodded. "Okay."

Buffy tore
aside the faded Union Jack, and the three young women gasped at the sight of
the hidden door. Buffy pressed the key card Spike had sent her over inside Mr
Gordo in Willow's palm. "When the first door opens, you will find a small
antechamber with a second door and a computer panel. The four-digit code is the
birthday of someone in Spike's family. I don't know whose, maybe Khari�s, maybe
one of his wives�. You have thirty seconds to enter the correct date before the
alarm goes off, but I'll see if I can buy you more time. I'll break Spike's
safe or something. You just try all the dates. When the door opens, run for
your lives. There is a passageway that leads to the city limits. You'll be out
of Spike's jurisdiction and out of harm�s way once you get there. You have to
hurry." She gave Willow a piece of crumpled paper. "This is the phone
number of the US embassy at Cairo."

"But
Buffy..." Willow protested.

"Go!"
Buffy insisted.

"Come
with us," Willow pleaded.

Buffy shook
her head. "I can't. If I go with you and it takes us too long to figure
out the correct code, the guards will be upon us in less than a minute. But if
I can create a distraction, nobody will know that the alarm went off because of
the passage. I�ll put the Union Jack back over the door as soon as you're in
the antechamber and none will be the wiser. Hurry, please!" Buffy hugged
the girls quickly. "Good luck!"

"Thank
you," Willow whispered. "I can't thank you enough for what you've
done!"

Tara just
squeezed her hand.

Buffy tried
not to be sentimental about this. "Now, go! Fast!"

Tara opened
the first door with the keycard. Buffy rushed her friends inside, closed the
door as carefully and as quietly as possible then covered up the hidden door
with the Union Jack of Spike's mother, as if nothing had ever happened. They
had thirty seconds, starting now.

She
searched his desk for something, anything she could use to break open the safe
behind the painting in Spike's sitting room. 25 seconds left. A letter opener!
There had to be one inside his desk, somewhere. Buffy's hands were trembling as
she began roaming the drawers, turning the papers upside down, until
finally,� her fingers closed around a
silver letter opener. 20 seconds. She was taking it anxiously from the drawer,
when her gaze suddenly fell upon a letter beneath it. It was written in
English.

Sheik Khari Ahani,

You have
declined my previous offers. This is your last warning. No matter for how long
you keep ignoring me, I will not forget the pretty blond teacher I saw sitting
by the fountain in your gardens with your little son. Send Buffy to me without
delay. Otherwise, I am afraid you will sorely regret it.

I am
your Master, and you had better remember it.

Khawandi

Buffy
shuddered. 10 seconds. Her thoughts went back to the day she had been going
through those texts with Khari by the fountain, with Spike looking down at
them. She had felt a chill, as if the day had suddenly turned cold. And then
that man had appeared out of nowhere, blocking her way, staring at her hungrily
with his bloodshot eyes. She had shied away from his cold hand on her neck and
his hoarse whisper was still haunting her in daily nightmares. "Soon�"

She stared
at the letter in her hand. The drawer was full of letters, all of the same
handwriting, with the same precious parchment and the seal of the khawandi.

The last
letter was short and precise.

Sheik Khari Ahani,

Tomorrow.
Midnight. Or else, war on your kingdom[M1] .

K

The letter
dated from the day before.

How
could Spike keep this from me? Buffy's feelings were in turmoil. He could have just turned me over
to the Master� but he didn't. He risks the peace of his kingdom for my sake�

But she did
not have time to dwell on those thoughts. At that moment, the alarm went off,
time has run out. Determined to help Willow and Tara escape, she pocketed the
letter and stabbed the letter opener into the safe's lock in a desperate
attempt. It did not open, but when she used force, she broke off a little piece
of the lock. That was sure enough to spark off the alarm under normal
circumstances, she reasoned. No one would know that she had not been the cause.

Buffy heard
the shouts of the Janissaries in the corridors, and their fast approaching
footsteps. She could only hope Willow and Tara had managed to enter the correct
code in the meantime. The Janissaries burst into the sheik's private quarters.

"What
are you doing here?" a guard barked at her.

The second
one did not ask any questions. He approached and turned her wrist around
painfully, winding the letter opener from her grip. "She's tried to break
the safe open," he said with irritation.

"Arrest
her," the first guard ordered.

"Hey,
guys," Buffy said, "I was just looking for the� uh� alright, caught
me. I was trying to find out what my husband got me for my birthday. Some
expensive jewels, I hope."

"Save
your breath, woman. Tell that to the sheik."

*

Much later
that evening, after a forceful arrest and much fretting on Buffy�s part, she
was brought in front of the sheik to acknowledge the punishment that awaited
her."Jewels," Spike repeated thoughtfully, walking up and down the
gallery in front of her.

"That
is what she said, my Lord," the first guard confirmed.

Buffy
shrugged innocently. "I guess, now that I think about it, it was a stupid
idea," she admitted with a small smile.

"Impertinent
woman!" the second guard exclaimed and raised a hand as if to hit her, but
Spike's command stopped him in the movement.

"That
will be all, thank you," he said sharply. "You may leave. I will deal
with the culprit personally."

The guards
exchanged a silent glance, then bowed and turned to leave. Buffy could have
sworn she heard one of them mutter something that sounded strangely like 'Lucky
bastard!'

As the door
closed behind them and left Buffy alone with Spike, she breathed a sigh of
relief.

"You
do not seem to be afraid of punishment," Spike said suspiciously.

"You're
not gonna punish me," Buffy said lightly.

"Are
you sure?" he asked. "One might think that your attempt at breaking
the safe had something to do with the escape of two convicted prisoners from my
dungeons."

"Are they safe?" Buffy asked
abruptly, desperate for any information that would recount her friends� fate.
"I mean, not that I know who or what you're talking about, or that I had
anything to do with the whole affair, for that matter... But... I'd like to
know if they made it." She finished in a whisper, afraid of the actual
answer.

Spike's lips curled into a smile. "Of
course, I have no idea what you mean by that, but I have heard on the news that
two American citizens turned up at the US Embassy at Cairo today, claiming they
had escaped from a palace in the desert by a secret passageway. Of course, this
piece of news is completely unrelated to the events that occurred today, here
in my kingdom."

Buffy nodded. "Thanks."

"What for?"

"For placing that key card into my
hands." She raised a hand, begging him to be silent and let her continue.
"Don't worry, I know you can't admit it. And that's fine by me. The most
important thing is that Willow and Tara are safe, that there will be no death
sent..." She stopped abruptly as her gaze fell on the marble statue of Galatea.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Spike said.
"I've wanted that sculpture for months, but its former owner, who is an
old enemy of mine, didn't want to sell it to me. I had to hire an American art
gallery to purchase it on my behalf. The woman in charge of said gallery was
here earlier today, Joyce Summers. I sent her to Egypt to get the statue and a
few other pieces of art for me."

Buffy gave him a strange look. And I wouldn't be sitting here if it wasn't
for that cursed piece of ancient stone. "You had her fly over," she said faintly. Now that all the
tension and worry about Willow and Tara had subsided, she suddenly felt dizzy
and very vulnerable.

"Well, yeah. It was expensive, but it's
truly worth it, don't you think?"

Buffy did not reply. Her gaze was fixed on the
statue. "You always seem to get what you want," she said ambiguously.

Spike did not seem to notice her agitation or
the double meaning of her statement and kept admiring the statue. "This is
Galatea. Have you heard about her story?"

Buffy shook mutely her head, taking a step
towards the sculpture. She touched the cold glass that separated her from the
antique and was overcome by a great sense of loneliness. Her mother had bought
this statue for Spike. Less than 8 hours ago, her mom and her little sister had
transported it here. Her mom and sister... both whom she would never see again
in this life.

Spike
mistook her silence for appreciation of the artwork. "The clumsy giant
Polyphemus loves the fair sea-nymph Galatea," he explained in a quiet
voice, "But she is in love with the handsome river god Acis. When
Polyphemus finds out about the affair, he becomes very upset and jealous."

Buffy ran
her hands over the smooth surface. Her mother's presence still lingered in the
room. Her eyes filled with tears.

Spike
continued in a soft voice. "'I will make this the last one of your love
meetings', he exclaims, and hurls a rock at Acis. Though only a corner of it
touches him, it overwhelms him. As his blood flows out from the wound, Galatea
transforms Acis into a river. She often sits by the river and mourns the loss
of their love�"

"That's... so sad," Buffy whispered.
Her legs gave out and she fell softly on her knees at the foot of the statue,
her shoulders trembling. She veiled her face to hide her tears.

Spike looked at her intently. "You're not
crying about the story, are you?"

She raised a hand, trying not to let her voice
crack. "Just... give me a minute, please."

He looked at her with concern and sat down on
the cold floor by her side. "Buffy, what's wrong?"

She could barely see him through her tears.
"You wouldn't understand."

He gave the statue a critical glance. "If
the statue bothers you, I could ask Joyce to..."

At the mention of her mother's name, Buffy
totally lost her composure. She repositioned herself on the floor and hugged
her knees, curling into a tight little ball. She was sobbing uncontrollably.
Spike pushed the veil away from her face and studied her expression. Her eyes
were so full of despair and sorrow, it scared him. Her eyes� he had seen those
eyes before. A cold dread came over him. This morning.

"What is your name?" he asked
quietly.

Buffy shook her head, her shoulders shaking
with sobs.

"Your name," Spike insisted, now
alarmed.

Buffy lifted her chin and looked at him.
"Buffy Anne Summers."

"Summers."

"Summers."

He understood in an instant. "Joyce is
your mother."

Buffy could not speak. She nodded silently.

His face fell. "You could have run up to
her. You could have pushed away the grate and called her name, stretched out a
hand to touch her, and you would have been free."

"Yes," she said quietly. "I
could be going home right now, with my family."

"But you let the moment pass because it
would have cost Willow and Tara's lives."

Buffy ran her hands through her hair. "I
couldn't have lived with myself if I had done something else," she
admitted. "If I had made a sound, you would have had no choice. Willow and
Tara would have been caught, and..."

Spike closed his arms around her and kissed her
forehead. "Thank you," he whispered, closing his eyes briefly,
"Oh, God, thank you� oh God� Buffy." He was momentarily torn between
relief and remorse and� fear of losing her. What if she hated him now?

She indulged in his warm and comforting embrace
for a long moment. After what seemed like an eternity, she turned her head to
look at him.

It was as if she saw him for the first time.

"Where do we go from here?" Spike
asked, almost inaudibly.

"Kiss me," Buffy whispered.

It took a few seconds before her words
registered with him. "Buffy, are you sure you..."

"Kiss me," she repeated.

His lips brushed hers softly, as if by accident. It
was surreal, her sitting at the feet of the fateful statue with him, two
star-crossed lovers at the feet of another one, and Spike kissing her ever so
delicately, yet with all the passion that he had been withholding until now, a
kiss so full of promise and longing that at first she did not notice his cheeks
were wet with tears, and his shoulders were trembling.

A last kiss, like he�s saying good-bye, Buffy thought in confusion.

She broke the kiss and looked at him, her eyes
full of questions. "Spike, what is going on?"

"Nothing," he replied levelly,
regaining his composure fast. "It's just that I'm gonna miss you... so
much."

He rose and walked over to a painting. To
Buffy's surprise, he took it off the wall to reveal a small touchpad. He
entered a code, and the safe opened.

He took something out of the safe, something
small and silver and shiny.

"What are you talking about?" Buffy
asked, the letter of the khawangi seeming to burn a hole into the soft
silk of her dress. Her stomach churned at the thought of the Master's evil eyes
and clawlike hands. No� he couldn't do that� he couldn't send her away�
"Where am I going?" she asked in a small voice.

Spike pressed the cell phone into her hand.
"Home."

TBC

[M1]It should say, �a war will fall upon
your kindom�, but I like the entonation of it, in not so many words.
- 12
- 13
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The Favourite

Chapter 12: All That's Left