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Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground	By : cousinjean Category: AtS/BtVS Crossovers > Het - Male/Female > Buffy/Spike(William) > Buffy/Spike(William) Views: 2581 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS) or Angel, the Series (AtS); nor any of the characters from them. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
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- 15
Dead Leaves & the Dirty Ground

by cousinjean

Chapter Thirteen -- Wake Me Up

RATING: R
PREVIOUSLY: Spike rescued Dawn from Connor, who then turned his sights on Angel before Wesley, with all of his memories intact, staked Connor just in the nick o' time. Angel then fell down and cried. Meanwhile, Spike's efforts to remove Dawn to safety were thwarted when Buffy and her minions got wise to his plan and ambushed them, dragging Dawn away and leaving an unconscious Spike to be disposed of by the sun.

A/N: This chapter's title comes courtesy of Evanescence and hold_that_thought.

~*~

Spike awoke to find himself looking into the black eyes of one seriously pissed off witch.

"Humumnph," he managed.

"Pain," she replied.

Currents of magic tore through Spike, setting every nerve ending in his body on fire. His throat felt raw by the time he finished screaming.

"Where is she?"

"DunnoeeeAARRRRRGHHH!!!" While that round wore off, he hung there, panting, and took in his surroundings. He was still in the parking lot, and it was still night, though by the smell of things dawn wasn't far off. He was suspended in mid-air, held there by� well, by nothing, it seemed. He raised his eyes to meet Willow's. "Gonna let me answer or not?"

She folded her arms. "This had better be good."

"I don't know where Dawn is-" Willow raised her hands for another blast. He hurried to finish. "-but I know where they're taking her!"

She lowered her arms. "Where?"

"Desert. Same place� same place the portal was opened before. Buffy's gonna use her to open it back up."

Willow looked appalled. Her eyes went back to their normal color. Spike found that heartening. "Why would she do that?" she asked.

"Wants to throw a party, invite a few hundred old chums. I'm not any keener'n you are on letting it happen."

She laughed. "You expect me to believe you want to stop her?"

Spike hung his head and sighed. "No more'n I expected Buffy to believe I wanted to stop Dru, way back when." Willow said nothing. It took some effort, but Spike lifted his head back up to look her in the eye. "Still me here, Will. Same old Spike."

"Yeah. The same Spike who would die for Buffy. Or kill for her."

"Not this time. Not Dawn."

"Oh, sure. That's why you were lurking outside our apartment."

"Matter of fact, it was!" He struggled against his invisible bonds to no avail. Giving up, he sighed. "So we're assuming, what? Buffy beat me bloody and left me out to roast because I'm her special helper?"

Her brow creased. "Buffy did that to you?"

He coughed and tasted blood at the back of his throat. "Who the bloody hell else? I was bringing Dawn home to get her things-and you, I might add-to take someplace safe. Buffy an' her gang ambushed us."

Willow had a better poker face than most of the Scoobies, but he could still see her struggle. She might not believe him, but she wanted to. It gave him hope.

So did the realization of a fairly obvious fact that just now penetrated Spike's pain-induced haze. "Hey! You got your powers back!"

She stared at him. "Okay, that gets a big 'duh'."

"When'd that happen?"

"About the same time you let magic back in our world."

"Right. 'Course. Shoulda thought of that." He tried to shake his head, but the motion made his ears ring. "So you mean to tell me that while you're standing there playing Torquemada, you've got the ability to fix this whole mess?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Torquemada. Spanish Inquisition?"

Willow's eyes almost turned black again. "I know that. I meant what-oh." Now they widened. "Oh!"

"Don't tell me it's just now occurring to you?"

"God, I'm such an idiot!" She started to pace.

"Wouldn't say idiot," Spike offered. "Had a lot distracting you."

But if she heard him, she gave no sign. Her wheels were already turning. "The spell was specific. I'd have to change some conjugations, maybe re-measure some of the ingredients..." She stopped and shook her head. "No, it's no good. I'd need more time to work it out."

"Got all day if you'll get cracking. It's a long drive to the desert, and Buffy can't make her move before nightfall."

She stared at him in disbelief. "You want this."

Spike lowered his eyes. "Want to save Dawn, is all. Whatever it takes. And..." He turned his face away. He didn't want her looking at him. Not that she hadn't seen him in various states of patheticness over the years, but this... it was too raw. When he spoke again his voice was barely more than a whisper. "And I want her back. All of her. For real."

She folded her arms and studied him long and hard. "I don't trust you, Spike."

He hung his head. "Bloody�"

Willow waved a hand, and he fell to the ground. Wincing, he looked up at her. "But I think I trust your love for them." She reached down to help him up. "But Spike, I swear to every god and goddess who can hear my voice, if you prove me wrong-"

He held up a hand to ward her off. "Got the message, Pet." Sniffing, he wiped at the crusted blood under his nose. "So what do you need?"

"Go. If I get it wrong, you might be Dawn's last hope."

He nodded. "Keys still in the Jeep?"

"I think so."

He gritted his teeth and started toward it, working out his kinks as he went. "Figure you'll be telling Angel, 'case you think he's her last hope. Least give me a head start before you do."

"Spike, wait."

Sighing, he swung back to face her. "Never-ending torment, that zap earlier was just the appetizer, better not let you down. Believe me, I got it."

She just gave him a look, then held out her hand toward the Jeep. "Shade." The vehicle's windows all darkened to near-black.

Spike raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Have to teach me that one sometime."

"Just get there before they do."

He nodded. "Plan to."

As he limped toward the Jeep she followed. "Just tell me one thing. How far are you willing to go to save her?"

Climbing into the driver's seat, Spike looked back at Willow, really not certain which "her" either of them meant. Or what difference it made anymore.

"Far as it takes," he told her, and started the car.

***

"That was Willow," said Wesley, laying his phone down. "Buffy's taken Dawn. The man we put on her is dead."

No reaction.

Wesley rubbed the bridge of his nose and breathed a weary sigh. Not knowing what else to do, he'd brought Angel back to his hotel so they could both recover. As soon as they arrived, Angel had chosen a chair near the window and sank into it. He'd been unresponsive ever since.

It worried Wesley, and not only for Angel's sake. His own feelings were confused. All these new memories... he looked at Angel and saw a countenance twisted in hatred, a pillow being pressed down over his own face. When Angel snapped out of his stupor, Wesley couldn't help wondering where he would choose to place the blame.

But he tried to push all that out of his mind and focus on the present. They still had work to do. "She called from the airport," he continued. "She's on her way to Los Angeles. It seems she couldn't get hold of an Orb of Thesula in the Bay Area."

Still nothing. He wondered if Angel could even hear him.

"It also seems that Spike is still protective of Dawn. At least, Willow seems to believe so. He's gone to try and intercept them-"

"Where?"

Wesley blinked, surprised more by the sound of Angel's voice than the question itself.

"The desert, where the last battle took place. Spike claims that Buffy intends to use Dawn's power as the Key to reopen..."

But Angel was already on his feet and going out the door. "Bring the weapons," he ordered, disappearing down the hall.

Wesley breathed another sigh, this one full of relief. It appeared that Angel had already chosen.

***

Everything was ready...mostly. Willow went over her calculations for about the fourteenth time, just to be sure. She'd even had Fred check them over. This would work. She was positive. She only needed...

"What the heck is taking Xander so long?" she muttered.

"He'd better hurry," said Fred, coming over from the doors to the terrace. "The sun's starting to go down. We'll run out of daylight soon."

Willow pouted her lips and blew out a long breath of frustration as she surveyed the floor of the Hyperion's lobby. Fred said that they had performed powerful magicks there in the past, but any residual vibrations that might have helped to amplify her spell had been wiped clean when the first portal had closed. Still, it seemed as good a place as any to set up for the ritual. She knelt where she had laid out the ingredients and fidgeted with placing everything just so. It had to be right. She'd only get one shot at this. "We can start as soon as he gets here. If he'll just get here!" As if on cue, the front door opened. "Oh, hey, there he is," said Willow, jumping up to greet Xander. "Did you bring them?"

He cradled a package in his arms, but he didn't fork it over. He just stood at the top of the steps and gazed at the ceremonial spread on the floor below, his mouth set in a grim line. "So that really is what you wanted them for."

"I know what you're gonna say, but you can mock me for taking so long to think of it later. We don't have much time-"

"Actually, I was gonna say, are you out of your mind?" He turned his eye on her. "Do I seriously have to remind you what it was like the last time you brought her back? Or how bad it was for Spike after he got back his soul?"

She stared at him, but she wasn't really surprised. She'd asked herself these same questions about a dozen times throughout the course of the day. "They got better. And anyway, this isn't the same thing."

"No, it's worse. This is a curse, Will! It was one thing to do that to Angel because, hey, default state. But you're talking about an existence where it's not just 'ow, my conscious, I can't believe I brutally killed all those people.' She's not allowed to get over it. Ever. Or else she turns into a killer again. And you're talking about doing that to Buffy!"

Willow lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. "I'm not talking about it. I'm doing it."

"Will-"

"She has Dawn, Xander."

"She... No." He swallowed, hard, then turned his gaze back to the lobby's floor. "So is that who the second orb is for? I thought-"

"Dawn's alive." She took the package from Xander. "This is to make sure she stays that way." She carried it over and knelt before the rest of her ingredients. "Tell me Buffy wouldn't want that," she muttered as she opened the package.

Xander came over to kneel beside her. "I can't. I-" He stopped, and sat there a moment, silent. Then he shook his head. "I don't know if this is right. But I don't have any better ideas."

"Me neither."

He watched as she took both orbs out of their boxes and set them in pride of place among the rest of the spell's ingredients. "Spike too, huh?"

She nodded. "It was his idea."

"His�" Xander blinked. "You talked to Spike?"

She nodded.

"And he actually asked for this?"

"Yeah. Well, not actually, not in so many words�"

"Willow�"

"But I know what he meant."

Xander gave her an incredulous look. "He meant for you to curse him?"

"He meant for me to get Buffy back her soul before she hurts Dawn. But yeah, it is a curse. He knows that. So do I." She fiddled with a chicken bone, placing it just so. "If Buffy's gonna have to go through this, I figure he'd want to go through it with her."

"Yeah." He nodded. "Yeah, he would. But are you sure you can handle two?"

"Yes. I mean, I've never done it that way before, but I had all day to go over the spell and make the alterations. And Fred helped." She pointed at the other woman, who'd been standing by, trying not to intrude on their discussion. When Xander looked at her, Fred gave him a sheepish little wave. "I'm sure it'll work," said Willow.

"How sure?"

"Sure enough to try."

Xander held up a finger. "Okay, you know that there is no try here. It's do, or do not."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Master Yoda."

He nodded. "Just checking. And you'll get 'em in the right bodies, right? We're not gonna have any Freaky Friday hijinks to sort out?"

"Xander�"

"Because the thought of Spike going around looking like Buffy is extremely disturbing to me."

"Are you done?"

"Yes."

"Um, you guys?" They both looked up at Fred. Her bundle of herbs was burned down to the stems. "I hate to interrupt, but time's up. If you're gonna do this�"

Taking a deep breath, Willow nodded. "Yup. I'm gonna do this."

"What can I do to help?" Xander asked.

"Just stand back," she said, "both of you. If anything does go wrong, I want this all on me."

***

Fingers combed through her hair with gentle, familiar strokes. Dawn opened her eyes, but it made no difference. The back of the truck was as pitch black as when she'd first closed them. They were still moving. The large trailer rocked and bounced with every bump in the road. She realized that her hands were unbound and her gag had been removed, but even so she kept still and quiet.

"It's okay, Dawnie," said her sister's voice, soft and soothing. "They won't hurt you."

Wary, Dawn sat up. Why is she being so nice? She told herself it was stupid to hope, and yet� "Buffy? Are you� does this mean�?"

"Shhh. You don't need to be afraid." A cool hand found hers in the dark and gave it a squeeze. "We're almost there. It'll all be over soon."

"What will? Where are we going?"

Silence. It sat there, heavy in the blackness. Dawn's voice sounded tiny and far away to her own ears when she finally ventured to break it. "Buffy?"

"It doesn't hurt, you know."

"What?"

"Bleeding to death."

Dawn yanked her hand away. She heard the vampire sigh, felt the light touch of fingers at her temple. She swatted them away. "Don't!"

"Just thought you should know," said Buffy. "At first you can feel it leaving you. Then you go numb all over, and you don't feel anything at all. Then you go to sleep. That's it. It's really one of the least painful ways you can die. Well, y'know. Once you get past the thing that made you bleed."

"Shut up."

"Why? I'm only telling you this so you won't be scared."

Dawn hugged her knees to her chest. "What do you care if I'm scared?"

More silence. Then a sharp laugh. "You're right. What do I care? It's not like we're still sisters. We never really were."

"That's a lie."

"No, the lie is what those monks put in our heads. The lie is you, looking like someone who could've been my sister, when we both know what you really are."

"Shut. Up!"

"Anyway, if you're scared you'll bleed faster, and I want the portal to stay open as long as possible."

"Just stop." Dawn brought her knees closer and rested her head on them. The truth was, she was already numb. She should be scared, or maybe angry, or both, but the best she could manage was a dull ache deep in her chest. It was easier to be brave back when she knew Buffy was the one coming to save her. Still, she was a Summers, no matter what this thing with her sister's voice said. Time to act like it. She lifted her head. "Do you really think they're gonna let you get that far?"

Buffy laughed. "I hope you're not counting on Spike to save you."
"Why? Is he�" Please, no.

"Dead? Maybe. But I kinda doubt it. I actually won't be surprised if he does show up, makes another play at rescuing you. But he won't. Rescue you, I mean."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because he's not willing to kill me to save you."

Dawn wanted to argue that Spike would do anything to save her. But as much as she longed to believe that, she knew Buffy was probably right. "You think Spike's the only one who'll come after me?"

"No, but it pretty much applies across the board, doesn't it? Xander, Willow� Angel� they'll look at me, and they'll see who I used to be." She sounded almost sad. "And they'll hesitate. Maybe for just a split-second, but that's all I'll need."

That was also true. Dawn knew that first hand. Not even seeing Buffy in vamp face had been enough to make her go for the kill instead of running away. The only other person who'd been in a position to take her out had been Spike, and instead he'd gotten himself turned again.

Dawn found herself fresh out of bravado.

The truck bounced her painfully into the wall of the trailer as it rumbled over rough terrain. Dawn did her best to hold on while it slowed and then lurched to a stop.

"We're here," said Buffy.

As if to punctuate her statement, the latch on the back of the truck squeaked and the doors creaked open on their hinges. Dawn closed her eyes a moment, the twilight sky outside too bright after the darkness she'd ridden in all day. When she opened them again she saw the desert. She also saw that she'd been riding this whole time in the company of about a dozen vampires.

Buffy stood as the others climbed down out of the truck. She looked back at Dawn, her face still hidden in darkness, her silhouette outlined against the dusk. "You coming?"

"You expect me to make this easy for you?"

Buffy grabbed her arm and yanked her roughly to her feet. "Hoped you'd make it easier on yourself." She dragged Dawn to the trailer's opening, but then just stood there, looking out. "So predictable," she muttered.

Dawn followed Buffy's gaze to her own Jeep, sitting alone in the middle of the desert. The sight of it filled her with hope in spite of everything. "Spike!" she screamed.

Buffy shoved her off the trailer. Again she screamed, but before she hit the ground she was caught by the big, muscled vamp who'd ambushed her last night in the lobby. "You guys have all the spell ingredients," Buffy shouted. "Set it up right! Carlos," she looked at the big vamp, "stake the Key out over the pages. She has to bleed on them."

Dawn forgot her training and resorted to plain old kicking and screaming as Carlos dragged her out into the desert. She twisted around, trying to keep her eyes on the Jeep, waiting for Spike to jump out and start fighting, any second now. Carlos forced her onto her knees in the same spot where she'd knelt across from Spike only a couple of weeks before. Another vamp brought over a large, metal post and pounded it into the ground beside her. It had leather straps attached to the top. Dawn looked back at the Jeep. Its windows were dark for some reason. Maybe he couldn't see her. "Spike! I'm here!"

A meaty hand cuffed her mouth. Dawn winced, and grimaced as blood pooled on her tongue. She spat it onto the sand at Carlos's feet. He pointed a huge finger in her face, making her flinch. "Don't waste it!"

A door on the Jeep opened then. Finally, thought Dawn, waiting, not struggling as they strapped her to the post. He wouldn't let them do this to her. He promised.

Spike got out and sauntered in their direction. He looked unarmed, but that didn't worry her. His coat could hide a whole arsenal. As he crossed the desert he kept his eyes on Buffy, who strolled out to meet him.

"Are you here to do something stupid?" she asked.

Spike stopped, looked around at the assemblage of vampires without so much as glancing at Dawn, and shrugged. "Think I know when I'm beat."

What? No�

Buffy snorted. "Since when?"

"Since it's you doing the beating."

Because he's not willing to kill me to save you. Dawn pushed that thought out of her head and kept silent, and watched, waiting for a sign. A glance, a nod� something. Anything to assure her this was all part of the plan.

Buffy stared at him for a long time. Then she smiled. "I knew you'd come around."

"Yeh. Thought about it on the drive down. That life's over, I know that. I'm a new vamp now. Time to let go the old one's baggage." He held out a hand to Buffy. "All forgiven, then?"

She took his hand and let him pull her to him. "I suppose." They kissed.

Dawn watched in disgust, but it was mostly directed at herself. She should have known better. Not that she didn't believe Spike had been sincere last night, but she shouldn't have depended on him-on anyone-to get her out of this. They taught me not to need rescuing. While the other vamps were busy drawing the circle and lighting the candles, Carlos went to retrieve the mystical pages. Dawn got to her feet and pulled as hard as she could on the post. It wouldn't budge. She tried rocking it back and forth, trying to loosen the sand around it, but Carlos came back, and she hunkered down, still and innocent as he bent to lay the pages out before her. Then she kicked him. It didn't have much force behind it, but it connected with his face hard enough to make him cry out.

"You little�" He cocked a fist, but Dawn kicked at the pages, trying to tear them with her feet. "Cut that out!"

Buffy stopped macking on Spike and looked over at them. "Tie her feet, you moron."

Carlos grabbed her ankles and yanked her feet out from under her. She fell hard on her tailbone and cried in pain. "Spike, you promised! You promised!"

"And while you're at it, gag her." Buffy rolled her eyes and turned back to Spike. "I'm starting to figure out why you gave up on the whole concept of minions."

He chuckled. "More trouble'n they're worth."

When Carlos finished, Dawn was bound to the post hand and foot, with a bandana stuffed in her mouth and tied so tight it gagged her. He picked up the pages, dusted them off, and rearranged them beside her. Then he stood up. "I think we're ready."

Buffy gave a satisfactory nod. "Time to get this party started."

"Let me guess," said Spike. "This the part where I prove my loyalty and do the cutting?"

She smiled and pulled a knife from her jacket. It was the same dagger from before. Dawn shook her head at her own stupidity. She hadn't even thought to look for this stuff when Angel had recovered her stolen Jeep.

Spike held out his hand for the knife. Buffy regarded him. "How can I be sure you don't mean prove your loyalty to her and cut her free?"

Dawn studied Spike's reaction, hoping for something to tell her that was exactly what he meant. But if it was, he had the best poker face in the world. He only shrugged. "Guess you'll just have to trust me, Pet."

"Happy as I am to see you," said Buffy, "I'm not an idiot. Besides, this is something I should do myself." She tossed the dagger in the air and caught it by the hilt, then started toward Dawn.

"Right, yeh. That'd be the poetic thing to do." He followed behind Buffy as she came over.

Dawn pulled futilely at her restraints. Carlos unstrapped one of her wrists and wrenched her arm out over the texts. Then everything stopped. Around her, the vamps outside the circle growled and started closing in.

"Back off!" shouted Spike, and growled right back at them. He stood behind Buffy, arm extended. Between them, moonlight illuminated a stream of silver that ended at her neck. Dawn didn't know where the sword had come from, but it was the best thing she'd seen all night.

"Carlos," said Buffy, "do you know how to snap somebody's neck without killing them?"

Meaty fingers wrapped around Dawn's throat. She closed her eyes as they squeezed. Then, just like that, they were gone. She looked up to see Spike discard the empty crossbow and pull another from beneath his coat. "Anyone else touches her gets the same."

Slowly, Buffy turned to face him. "Are you gonna kill me, Spike?"

"Not if you don't give me a reason. Let me walk out of here with her and we don't see any more dust tonight. Bit? Can you get yourself free?"

Dawn had already pulled her gag loose and unstrapped her other hand, but the knot binding her feet had been expertly tied. "I need something to cut it."

"Drop the dagger," he told Buffy.

"No."

"Buffy� please."

"Oh, gosh, you said the magic word! Let me think� still gotta go with no."

Spike barked a laugh and shook his head. "You are a piece o' work, Love." He sniffed. "Right, then." Without taking his eyes off her, his sword hand unwavering, he edged around her toward Dawn.

"You know what?" said Buffy. "I'm already bored with this. Brenda!"

A vamp outside the ritual circle stepped forward. Spike glanced at her, only for a second, but it was enough, just like Buffy'd said. She kicked the sword out of his hand. But as she started toward him he raised the crossbow. Buffy came to a halt with the point of the stake pressing against her chest.

"If you were gonna do it, you would have by now," she said.

"That overconfidence does nothing for you, Pet."

"You think? Guess you'd better do it, then." She stepped forward, pushing against the stake. Spike took a step back. Buffy sighed. "Time to choose, Spike. Her or me? You're not getting out of here with both of us."

The muscles in Spike's jaw danced. He tilted his head, and Dawn saw the wetness on his face glitter in the moonlight. But she didn't have time to feel bad for him. What hope she had was quickly ebbing away, and her chances along with it. Frantically, she clawed at the rope around her ankles, breaking three nails in the process.

"Which one of us can you most stand to live without?" Buffy was asking. "I brought you with me so we could be together. Forever. Are you really ready to throw that away?"

"Don't," he whispered.

In the distance, Dawn heard the rumble of a motor, growing louder. The glow of headlights appeared from behind a giant boulder, and then Brenda exploded in a cloud of dust. All around Dawn, vampires scattered as a large, black 4x4 drove straight at them. Spike and Buffy dove out of the way in different directions.

The SUV skidded to a stop and Angel and Wesley jumped out with swords swinging. A few of the vampires ran for their lives, but that still left plenty more for them to fight. Several feet from where they'd parked, more vamps dogpiled on Spike. Dawn looked around, not seeing Buffy, wondering if they'd already dusted her.

No. There.

She lay face down on the ground, unmoving. But was she hurt, stunned, or playing possum? Buffy raised her head, and Dawn had her answer. She looked around at the battle, then at Dawn, and smiled a triumphant smile. As she crawled toward her dagger, Dawn kicked at the post. "Help me!" she screamed, but Angel and Wesley were both too caught up in the battle to hear. "Spike!"

"Dawn!" He was down to two vamps. With his game face on, he bit the arm of the one that had him in a headlock. When it let go, Spike grabbed its face and twisted its head clean off. As it disintegrated he dove for his crossbow. The other vamp dove for him, but Spike already had the weapon up. It exploded in the air above him.

It all looked like slow motion to Dawn. Buffy was on her feet, dagger in hand, stalking toward Dawn with nothing but determination on her face. Spike looked around at the ground, then picked up his sword. "Noooo!" he hollered, charging at Buffy, sword raised. But then he stopped. Something flashed in his eyes, and he dropped to his hands and knees.

Buffy stopped, too. She turned the dagger over in her hands, like she couldn't remember where it had come from or what she was supposed to do with it. Then she looked up at Dawn, bewildered. Suddenly her eyes went wide and she gasped, dropping the knife. Her hand flew up to her mouth as she sank to the ground.

And Dawn knew. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she did. "Buffy?"

Buffy's hand fell away. "I'm� I don't�"

"Buffy, can you hand me the knife?"

Dazedly, Buffy stared at the dagger. Then she snatched it up and got back to her feet. Dawn closed her eyes, thinking she'd been wrong again, but Buffy only knelt beside her and cut her free. Then she threw the dagger away. "Dawnie�" Her voice was so strained it was barely audible.

"Shhh, Buffy." Dawn reached for her. "It's okay now."

Buffy's face crumpled as she shook her head. "It's not!"

Nearby, Angel and Wesley had taken out all but one vampire. Angel left it to Wesley and turned toward the girls. He came toward them, eyes fixed on Buffy.

"It's okay," Dawn told him. "It's over!" But he didn't stop. "Angel, no!"

Angel paused and looked at Buffy. She didn't look at him. She just stared dully at her hands, making no move to defend herself. His face twisted up in rage and he raised his sword.

"Nooo!" screamed Dawn as the blade flew at Buffy's head. As she grabbed Buffy to pull her out of the way, steel rang against steel.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Spike.

"What does it look like?" Angel swung his sword at Spike, who raised his to block. Then Spike went on the offensive, raining blows down on Angel, driving him away from Buffy and Dawn and eventually disarming him. He had Angel up against the SUV, the tip of his blade pressed against his heart.

"Don't even think about it," said Wesley, aiming a crossbow at Spike.

"Are you both daft?" He pointed at Buffy. "She's got her soul back!" He stood back from Angel and chucked his sword away. "And that makes two of us."

Wesley lowered his weapon and looked in astonishment from Spike to Buffy. The latter had been sitting there in silence, but now sobs erupted out of her. Dawn pulled her close and held her. "It's okay," she promised. "Everything's okay now."

Spike came over and knelt beside them. He rested a hand on Dawn's head, his eyes asking if she was okay. She nodded. Satisfied, he sat on the ground. "C'mere, baby." He gathered Buffy into his arms. "I know," he murmured, rocking her as she cried.

Dawn watched warily as Angel retrieved his sword. He stood there a moment, watching them, his face expressionless. His grip tightened around the sword's hilt. But then he turned and, without a word, got back into the SUV.

Wesley didn't seem to know what to do. "Um." He looked back at the car, then at Dawn. "Will you be all right? With them?"

"Yeah," she managed, her voice tight.

Wesley nodded, and got in the passenger side. The SUV peeled out before he could even get his door shut.

As they drove away, she looked around. It was just the three of them now, right back where they'd started. Except this time instead of saving Buffy from one hell, they'd condemned her to another. Dawn realized the ritual texts still lay at her feet. She gathered them up and tore them into tiny little pieces, letting them drift away on the wind. Then she sat by and watched as her sister tried to cry out her soul.

~*~
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Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

Dead Leaves & the Dirty Ground