The End: The Amulet

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Summary: Angel continues his assault on Spike while Buffy is distracted and Willow readies for her anniversary with her lover.

AUTHOR: Laure Alexander
EMAIL: lara@sunflower.com
RATING: R
PAIRINGS: Spike/Angelus
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any of the characters on the show. Joss Whedon and the WB Network own them (for now). No copyright infringement intended, so please don't sue.
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His back a mass of agony, his eyes blinded with tears, Spike jerked as the belt fell again. He had lost count early on, but there must have been at least two hundred blows.

None had cut him, but the skin on his back was nearly black with bruises, and still the belt cracked against him until he hung limp and exhausted in the chains, whimpering softly like a hurt cub.

Watching his childe slump against the footboard, his feet going out from underneath him, Angel lowered the belt and sighed heavily. His eyes slid over Spike's back, but he felt no pride in the masterpiece of pain he'd created. His shoulders slumped and he wondered how much more of this either of them could take.

He wanted Spike broken and cowed and accepting. Even if it was only temporary, it should last long enough for Willow to be turned and awaken. In the end Spike would have no choice but to accept the fact of her as a vampire.

But, Angel was beginning to believe that his childe was too strong to break. He was rather surprised by that.

And his boy was inspiring an odd sense of paternal pride in him.

Realizing the beating had stopped, Spike gritted his teeth and forced himself back onto his feet. Dizziness assailed him and he swung in the chains, but managed not to cry out in pain.

He'd been beaten before, many times, and often worse, but Angel had never tried to break him.

Spike understood why his sire was attempting to do so now, but he couldn't let it happen. He had to stay strong and somehow fight his way free. He had to save Willow.

Twisting his head around, he saw Angel regarding him with solemn eyes, and begged, "Not tonight," every emotion inside him nearly choking him.

Angel gave him a tired look. "Then when, Will? Next month, next year? Do I let you go tonight with promises that you will have until tomorrow only to find you've run with her?"

Dropping the strap, he leaned against the bedpost, head down, shoulders slumped. "Too many of our people know of her promise, Will. I can't delay forever."

"You don't have to do it at all," Spike cried, digging his fingers into wood, desperately trying to tear the bed posts apart and free himself.

Looking at the straining muscles of his favorite childe, Angel felt a moment of despair mixed with quiet pride, then he turned and embraced the younger male from behind. Lowering his head to Spike's shoulder, he sighed softly. "If I don't see my bargains through, Will, if I lose face in front of my own minions...You know what will happen to this town."

"I don't care," Spike sobbed bitterly, trying to pull away from his sire's embrace, which was comforting despite the pain in his back. "You'll destroy everything I love in her."

Unable to bear the anguish in his childe's voice anymore, Angel stepped back and glanced up at the manacles. "Since you won't break, you can just stay here until it's over. The manacles and posts are magicked," he said coldly, "You can't escape."

Spike twisted his head to glare at the older male. "Buffy will stop you."

Angel simply shook his head. "Buffy will be too busy on the far side of town."

"You'd throw your own mate into danger?"

"She's in no danger. The minions are to detain her, not hurt her, and I have complete trust in her abilities to protect herself. She just won't be interfering any time soon." Turning, he headed for the door, ignoring Spike's wild pleas.

"No, you can't do this. Please, sire, please."

As the door closed behind Angel, Spike screamed his pain and fear to the world.

*****

Descending the stairs, Angel found Drusilla sitting in front of the cold fireplace, holding her hands out to nothing. She looked up at him, her eyes solemn and wide.

"You are not to go in there until I say, do you understand, Drusilla?"

She nodded, but her lower lip trembled. "He's scared."

"Everything will be fine in a couple of nights, and you will have a new sister to play with."

"She'll be cold, like me."

Crouching down next to her, Angel nodded. "And wicked and fun, too."

"Spike doesn't want her heart dead," she replied bleakly, clasping her hands in her lap and dropping her eyes.

"He will adjust."

"She will be so scared." Drusilla shivered and scooted nearer to the empty fireplace.

"Would you like a real fire, Dru?" Angel asked kindly.

She shook her head. "The fire's going out and all will be ice." Looking up, she stared blankly past his shoulder. "Our salvation and ruin...So much blood."

"I have to do this, Dru."

Giving him a sad smile, she patted his hand. "I know, daddy. The King must answer to his courtiers, and the Prince's rebellion will come to naught."

Angel's eyes narrowed as he grasped her meaning. "Spike is going to rebel?"

"When hasn't he, the naughty prince?" Drusilla smiled suddenly and rose to her knees, lifting her lips to her sire's. "Now go and bring home our new princess."

*****

Smiling to herself as the silk of her new lingerie slid against her skin, Buffy twirled a stake between her fingers and strolled through Eternal Peace Cemetery. As she neared the center, the sound of something scraping against stone reached her and she stilled, turning her head in the direction of the noise. Muffled voices came to her and then a louder scrape. Metal on stone.

Silently she stalked towards the sounds. As she got closer, she began to make out individual voices. Three, four, maybe five. Discussing an artifact in a tomb. Creeping up behind a large tombstone, she peered around it and saw half a dozen vampires using crowbars on a sealed vault.

"Hurry," the vampire holding a flashlight urged, "The Slayer could be around here."

"Once we have the amulet, it won't matter," another replied confidently, then grunted as the stone shifted.

"Put your backs into it, lads," a third cheered, tugging hard on his own crowbar.

The stone shifted again, then fell aside, sending up a cloud of dust. As Buffy calculated odds and pulled another stake from her pocket, one of the vampires ducked into the crypt and emerged, a glittering necklace in his hand.

The vampires' cheers were cut off by a loud whistle and they all turned to stare at the Slayer. "Wow, that's some rock. What's it do?"

"Our master needs it to bring on the end of the world," an obvious fledgling crowed, then cried out as the flashlight holder smacked him across the ear.

"Shaddup!"

Buffy mock yawned. "End of the world...That's so passe, you know."

"Pass what?" the most stupid of the bunch asked, actually scratching the top of his head.

Buffy rolled her eyes and charged, only to find the vampires scattering. "Hey! Come back here!" Cursing under her breath, she took off after the one holding the amulet and his two companions.

She could always stake the other three another night.

*****

At the soft knock on the French door, Willow glanced up from the dresses strewn across the bed, then looked at her watch before smiling. It was the one year anniversary of the night Drusilla made a present of her to Spike, and they had a big evening planned, if she could ever decide on an outfit to go with her new teddy. She was currently wrapped in a big, fluffy robe.

"You're early, sweetie," she said, heading for the door, "Come on in."

Before she could reach it, the door opened and a large hand pushed aside the curtain. Willow stumbled to a halt, eyes widening in shock, as her worst nightmare entered the room.

Smirking down on the trembling girl, Angel closed the door behind him. "Thanks for the invite, but very sloppy of you, Willow. We shall have to do something about that."

Willow took an involuntary step backwards and swallowed hard, trying not to let her fear show. "Get out. You're not welcome here."

He smiled wider. "Bravo. Not a stammer to be heard."

"Spike will be here any minute."

Angel shook his head lazily, savoring the terror emanating from her. "No, he won't."

Willow went white and swayed in shock. "Wh...what have you done with him?"

"Your lover will recover, but he won't be riding to your rescue," Angel replied, taking another step towards her which sent her back up against the wall. Grinning wolfishly he invaded her personal space and placed a hand on the wall on either side of her head.

"Now you promised not to fight..."

Terror overwhelmed her and she burst into tears.

"Willow, Willow," Angel chided softly. "All you have to do is accept, and you will be a magnificent monster."

"I don't want to be a monster," Willow sobbed, pressing herself as hard against the wall as she could.

One of his hands slipped onto her shoulder and his fingers encircled her neck, lightly rubbing the collar. "Your wishes have never mattered, you know that."

As she continued to sob bitterly, he sighed and released her. "Get dressed." Willow turned startled eyes on him and he continued, his voice cold. "I'm not doing this here amongst the stuffed animals and rainbows."

When Willow made no move to obey, Angel grabbed her and quickly stripped the robe from her. As she struggled naked against his grip, he yanked a mint green cashmere dress over her head, then scooped her black pumps from the floor and dropped them at her feet.

Willow stammered, "I need underwear and stockings."

"No. You don't," Angel replied, his voice as hard and cold as ice, and Willow shivered as she jammed her feet into the shoes.

With a lingering, tear-filled look at her childhood bedroom, she let him drag her out the door into the cold night.

End of Chapter 2