Seven Year Slayer – chapter 12

Story outline: Seven years is a long time to slay. Something's gotta change!

Timeline: Some months into an imaginary season 7; Spike is back with a soul; Willow learning to be a good witch; Giles in Sunnydale

Spoilers: Rumors of S7

Summary: The Ascension ritual at last

Disclaimer: All ME

Willow and Giles had drawn the magic design on the floor of the training room. Buffy was fasting, as Giles had requested. So was everyone else, she supposed. It made her feel very hollow and hyper.

"It's nearly twelve!, Giles called out. "Time to take up your positions!"

The original Scoobies took up their designated places: Willow, spirit; Xander, heart; Giles, Mind. Dawn took the position of Hands, or Sacrifice, the place that originally had been Buffy's. Anya and Spike had the task of standing guard over the participants. The position for Eternal Champion was still empty. Giles had assured them that everything in the scrolls indicated that the Champion would be provided for, or revealed somehow.

Giles looked at Spike, but the vampire stood staring at nothing, arms folded, face unreadable.

"Before we start, I want to say something to all of you, " Buffy said. " We don't if I'll be taken somewhere and how long it takes; so if I'm back in five minutes what I'm going to say will sound pretty silly, but I still wanna say it. Even if I'm no good with the words. First my Slayerettes; thank you for standing by me for all these years. I know it hasn't been easy on any of you.

Giles , you've been like a father to me – and you do it a lot better than the original version, I think you know that.

Willow, you're my best friend, and always will be in my heart. You always come through.

Xander, you've been like a brother to me all these years – and you're the bravest of us all, 'cause you have no powers to help you.

Anya, thank you for your support, and your great honesty. We've needed that.

Dawnie, I can't believe that I'm letting you do this – except that you made the choice and somehow the spell accepted it…I hope it's everything you want. I love you."

"Spike, I…" Buffy's voice broke. She wiped away moisture from her eyes. "Spike, we talked about this, so I'm not going to say much here. I just wish…I wish you could have been my Eternal Champion, because I could spend eternity with you…"

Buffy was sobbing now. Dawn and Willow felt tears coming to their own eyes.

"Goodbye Spike. I love you always. Can we begin now, Giles? "

The last shackle around Spike's heart finally broke. In two strides he crossed the magic symbols to Buffy.

"Buffy…I love you. I'll always be there for you when you come back. Even with Prince Charming around, if you want me to."

Spike took both her hands in his big ones. "Kiss me goodbye, Buffy," he whispered.

They looked into each other's eyes. Nobody noticed yet, but the diagram was starting to glow faintly, all by itself. Their lips met. A golden radiance burst from the magic symbols around Buffy and Spike. The fire raced outwards to encompass the four other positions. Another ray of light burst upwards, glancing off Spikes platinum-blond hair, crowning him with golden fire.

"Yes!" hissed Willow. "I knew I was right! Spike is the Champion! It was meant to be!"

The line of fire started weaving around Spike and Buffy, wrapping them in a cocoon of light. The light grew brighter, unbearably bright, and then collapsed inwards on itself. For a moment there was a last spark, then there was nothing but empty space where Buffy and Spike had been standing. Slowly the glowing lines dimmed and went out, leaving the five standing in the gym, completely stunned.

Giles coughed. "I say, that went well, don't you think? "

They all took a deep breath and started talking at once.

It was already mid-morning, that Sunday, when he Scoobies started dropping in one by one. Anya provided a hug pot of coffee, on the assumption it would be much needed. They'd sat in the shop until deep in the night, discussing the day's event and drinking.

Xander, predictably, refused to acknowledge that things had gone well. "I don't believe for one moment that Captain Peroxide could have been meant as Buffy's champion. It's ridiculous! Buffy and her Champion are meant to be a force of good! What about "seeing their children and children's children grow up'? He's a vampire! And he's evil! And I don't like him."

Giles interrupted. "The spell takes what's in our hearts and transforms it for its own purposes. This wouldn't have happened if Buffy hadn't loved Spike…and we all know he's loved her for a long time!"

"Love! "sneered Xander. "You call that love? I'd call it lust! Who wouldn't be hot for Buffy? Doesn't mean he's good for her!"

"Yes, Xander, we all know that you are jealous – but I don't agree with you, " Anya said positively. "I think Spike is the perfect champion for Buffy. He's already immortal, a supernatural warrior, a very caring, insightful man – "

"What! Are you insane! " Xander sputtered.

"- he loves Buffy, he's incredibly beautiful and sexy…I think he'll make her very happy. "

"The idea of them on some ascension plane with fluffy clouds, humping like bunnies, makes me sick!" Xander continued, oblivious.

"Xander, shut up! "Giles and Willow said simultaneously.

"Xander, if the Powers find Spike worthy, and most importantly, Buffy does, than we should refrain from judgment. Did you not notice that the ritual, if you can call it that, started on its own? I think what happened was that the last piece of the puzzle slotted into place. The three of us had been identified long ago; Dawn chose herself for the Sacrifice Position; I think what happened here was that Buffy realized who she wanted to be her champion ( or did some time ago, in fact); probably Spike at last accepted in his heart that he was worthy - and that clinched it. I don't think Willow and me chanting the spells and waving burning herbs would have been able to change anything about this."

"But Giles.. then you knew? You knew Spike was going to be the champion and you did nothing to prevent that?" Xander couldn't mask the hurt in his voice.

"Willow and I did discuss the possibility that Spike was the Champion some time ago; knowing that Buffy cared for him. Anyway Anya, I agree with you completely."

"Whoa, Giles, you think Spike is sexy too? " Willow giggled. "But I'm with you all the way, Anya."

"Me too! " added Dawn.

Anya glowed. Xander glowered.

"So Giles, you have any idea how long they'll stay on the higher plane?"

"I don't know, " Giles had to admit. "Perhaps it was in the burned part of the scroll; but there were enough indications that they will return to this reality, to live out their lives in happiness and serve the forces of good. It doesn't say when they will return. Our time and time in another reality may not run parallel.

But, since I think magical numbers in our reality still have significance, we might return here 7 hours, 7 days, 7 weeks after the event.."

Fortunately, this recital was interrupted by a glow starting in the middle of the abandoned diagram.

"Giles, look!" Willow said." Something is happening. Should we assume positions? "

As soon as they were in place the glow strengthened. What happened was the reverse of last day. When the lighting dimmed , in the middle Spike and Buffy were standing. Spike had been caught in the middle of looking backwards at someone, giving a salute. Buffy stared straight ahead, expression unreadable.

Buffy let go of Spike's hand and ran to Giles, embracing him tightly.

"Buffy! What happened! You look – actually, you look just the same! " Willow said.

Buffy and Spike shared a glance.

"You tell 'em, love," he said.

Buffy rubbed her neck. At Giles' glance, she said: "It itches. But the scars are gone. I guess I am kind of immortal now, no scars, no fillings, no bunions! Pretty cool, huh?"

"At the beginning, Buffy?"

Buffy looked at Spike again. "Spike and me had been talking about the whole Eternal Champion stuff, and we had decided we didn't really want to play. But as you saw, we got kind of caught out by the spell. You were also right about consent, Giles, it matters. And Spike didn't give enough of it. So there was some – speech – stuff – beautiful music, yadda yadda yadda, I don't really remember, and then we got sent back. Were we away long?"

Spike remembered. They were in a chapel, and they had knelt down, and he had been given communion. He hadn't been thinking about Buffy, only reveling in the completely unexpected sense of homecoming, even though he had never truly enjoyed church. He had felt the taste of the bread on his tongue, and the sip of wine, and the benediction on his head. There had been a presence, with an ineffable sense of holiness. He didn't dare put a name to it, Him, but there had been forgiveness, and an unmistakable command to let go of his hubris and accept the judgment of others on his worthiness.. So he had bowed his neck and accepted his yoke. And when he received it there was grace, and gladness in his heart, and he knew at the end of the road there would be a place to rest his weary soul.

"That was very… concise, Buffy, " Giles voice cut through his reverie. "I still have some questions, though."

"I didn't know concise meant garbled?" Xander asked. Five pairs of eyes told him to shut up.

"Have you ascended or not?"

Buffy spread her hands. "I guess…Spike agreed to do it, after all."

"Why weren't you willing at first, Spike? I thought you loved Buffy!" Willow said curiously.

"Yeah, so what? Doesn't mean I wanted to be a pawn in somebody else's game! Doesn't mean I wanted Buffy to be tied to me with magical chains. Love is voluntary. The whole eternal thing gave me the willies." He paused. "But something convinced me – I accepted. It's done."

Giles looked from Spike to Buffy, perplexed. "Buffy! You almost sabotaged the Slayer Spell, that's supposed to have been in place for thousands of years?"

"Why not? " Buffy shrugged. "The result would have been the same, right? Spike and me would have stayed anyway to train and protect Dawn, until--- I don't know until what. We'll make it up as we go along. I didn't – Spike didn't want to be all pre-destined for eternity. "

Giles looked at Spike with both approval and speculation on his face. "What changed you mind, Spike? You seemed pretty determined!"

Spike did not answer, only smiled absently and fiddled with something in his pocket, his eyes never leaving Buffy. His Slayer, his reward and his penance.

Dawn went up to Spike and hugged him. "I think it's great, Spike. You can protect me any time you want!"

"Hey, wait, we're not finished! " Willow protested. "I wanna know about the living happily ever after? What's gonna happen?

"Get over it, Willow, " Spike said, but his voice was gentle. "Why not throw in the white picket fence and the 2.4 kids? We're not exactly regular people!"

He put his hand in his pocket again, and curled his fingers around the small silver cross he felt there. There was no burning anymore, only coolness and solace. Some day he'd tell them about his own private epiphany.

THE END