The Secret Slayer, Chapter 9

This entry is part 9 of 11 in the series The Secret Slayer
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Angel goes to Hell, and pay attention to Whistler
NC-17 for some dry humping.

Chapter 9

Chapter 1: here
Chapter 2: here
Chapter 3: here
Chapter 4: here
Chapter 5: here
Chapter 6: here
Chapter 7: here
Chapter 8: here

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While Cassie and Willow found out that Oz was the wolf the werewolf hunter was attempting to capture and kill, Beth convinced Clem and Jack to go out on a trial date. By the end of the evening the unlikely couple was totally committed to each other, much to the happiness of Beth.

While Cassie mourned her lost relationship with Angel, Xander and Willow embarked on new ones with Cordelia and Oz. Dalton brought around a beautiful gold and ruby necklace for Beth from Spike. With the Judge blown up by the Slayer and the Scoobies, Dalton once again had free run of the factory. Spike had hidden the bookish vampire away, lest he face the wrath of the Judge.

While Cassie and Giles learned to deal with Jenny Calendar’s betrayal and subsquent death, Beth began to worry about Spike being in the hands of Angelus. Dalton had told Beth that Angelus would only allow the blond vampire to be fed every other day. So, when Giles approached the factory for revenge, the Specter joined him. She only had to growl one word at the smirking arrogant Angelus for him to blanch, grab Dru by the arm and drag her screaming and kicking from the factory while Giles began to torch it. Dalton had removed Spike from the danger just moments before when the blond vampire said that the Specter was on her way for retribution.

While Cassie battled the flu and the Kinderstod in the Sunnydale Memorial hospital, Beth found out from Dalton that the group of vampires had moved to one of the mansions on Crawford Street. Spike relayed to her that he still wanted to be with her very much, but he worried what would happen if Angelus learned of her identity. Angelus made daily threats against the Specter’s life. Spike was already upset that the brunette vampire was making threats against one of his girls. Spike worried that Beth would not be able to ‘live’ thorugh a fight with Angelus because of her fledgling status.

While Cassie and Angelus played out the tragedy of the dead lovers, Beth was busy with her classes and her job. She didn’t have any spare time to patrol as the Specter. Dalton showed up at the Bronze with a private message from Spike to Beth. A smile crossed the girl’s face when she read the news that the blond vampire had taken his first steps.

While Cassie and the gang dealt with swim team members turned fish monsters, Beth buckled down to study for her finals which she passed with flying colors. She was amazed at her scores considering how little time she had to study the past few weeks. She figured it was because of the help that Clem and Jack gave her. They would take turns quizzing her in-between bussing tables or handling the dishwasher.

While Cassie and Willow were finding the computer disk that had the spell to reensoul Angelus, Angelus was giving Spike a little history lesson on Acathla. Spike felt an urge to check on Beth. Hell on Earth was not what he wanted for his little vampiress. This feeling was especially strong after Angelus sent a vampire to give a daylight message to the Slayer. Spike knew that the message was a trap for the Slayer, and he was going to use it to his advantage. Angelus had the Slayer busy while Dru and the minions went on a raiding party to the high school library to snatch the Watcher. So, the mansion would be clear for him to leave to find his girls and warn them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike stepped cautiously out of the mansion. He kept his senses peeled for any of Angelus’ minions that might be spying on him. He slowly made his way towards Beth’s warehouse apartment. He knew that she had Tuesdays off.

When Spike arrived on Beth’s doorstep, she seemed to know he had been coming. She flung the door open, and she launched herself into his arms. “I’ve missed you so much, Spike,” Beth cried. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She dampened his shirt where her face was buring in his neck.

“Oh, luv. I’ve missed you, too,” Spike whispered. His arms tightened around Beth, and he breathed in deep to memorize her scent. “Angelus plans on making it Hell on Earth, baby. I gotta help the Slayer defeat him before I can take Dru away and settle her elsewhere. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“I know. Somehow I knew you’d be coming to say goodbye,” Beth sobbed, “You wouldn’t be my Spike if you weren’t loyal to those you care about.” Beth’s face hardened under her tears. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it though.”

“I know, sweets.” Spike stroked Beth’s short curls. He pressed her pelvis tightly against his as he covered her lips with his mouth. Spike outlined her bottom lip with his tongue, and he groaned deep in his chest when she opened her mouth. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth to caress the soft, wet cavern.

Beth moaned. She hooked one leg around Spike’s lean pelvis, and she cradled his cock closer to her aching core. She wiggled in need when Spike’s hands dipped down to cup her ass cheeks.

Spike broke his lips away from Beth’s, and he kissed her down her jawline. He whispered, “Oh luv, we don’t have time, and the first time we make love I don’t want it to be rushed.”

Beth tangled her fingers in Spike’s hair as she tried in vain to ignore the feelings he aroused and to comprehend the words he uttered. She pulled away from him, and she stood there panting. Beth’s eyes filled with tears, and she gave Spike a shaky little smile before she turned to rush inside.

Spike stood alone on the street for what felt like hours. This was going to be hard on him. He just knew it would be. Spike was torn between rushing to Beth while he ignored everything else and making sure that the world was safe for the women in his life.

His choice was made easy for him when the Specter stepped out of the shadows of the alley. By unspoken agreement the pair headed down the streets of Sunnydale in search of the Slayer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike and the Specter watched from the shadows as a police officer pulled a gun on Cassie and shouted at her to ‘hold it right there’. As soon as the police officer told her to put her hands on her head and threatened her with his gun, Spike and the Specter both leapt out of their hiding spot. Spike knocked the officer unconscious with just one hit to the face. He threw the police officer down on the hood of his car, and he turned to Cassie.

“Slayer.” Spike smirked. “Looks like you could use some help.”

“Spike?” Cassie asked in surprise, “You can walk.”

“Yeah, vamp healin’,” Spike replied. He looked over his shoulder at the still unconscious cop. “What’s up with him?”

“Dru killed the other Slayer. They found me with the body. So, the idiots think I did it,” Cassie replied sadly, “She showed up a couple of days ago saying that there is some sort of darkness going down.”

“That would be your ex, and his pet rock,” Spike muttered, “He’s got your Watcher. Right now, he’s probably torturing him.”

“The Powers That Be said that Angel was supposed to stop Acathla not bring him forth,” Cassie disclosed in a tight voice, “This is all my fault.” She rubbed her face with her hands. “All my fault,” she whispered to herself, “Jenny dead. Kendra dead. Willow’s in the hospital. All my fault.”

“Slayer, that’s enough of that rot,” Spike remarked tersely, “The gypsy girl getting herself killed was her own damned fault. She could have easily told you and the Watcher all about Angelus and his curse. Then, we wouldn’t be in this bloody mess.”

“What about Kendra and Willow?” Cassie asked sadly. Her eyes flew from Spike to the Specter and then back to the vampire.

“Kendra’s a Slayer, luv. She knew the deal,” Spike answered. He felt a bit cold saying that, but he knew he had to knock the woebegone feeling out of Cassie. He saw Cassie visibly flinch. “She did her duty, just like you are about to do yours. And as for Red? She’s been with you for awhile now. She knows the risks.”

“How can you be sure I will do my duty?” Cassie challenged Spike words.

“Because you’re a good Slayer, pet,” Spike replied.

The police officer started to moan. Cassie, Spike and Specter all turned to look at the man, and they realized that he would regain consciousness in just a few moments.

“I suggest we take this elsewhere,” Cassie sighed. She motioned for Spike and the Specter to follow her. The three moved swiftly and silently towards Giles’s apartment, and they kept their senses extended outward for any sign of Angelus’ minions.

When Cassie entered the courtyard of Giles’s apartment complex, she was knocked to the ground by a minion. Before she had time to react to the threat, she was covered in vamp dust. Cassie opened her eyes to find the Specter standing over her with eyes flashing and a stake planted firmly in her hand. She took the hand the Specter offered, and Cassie was surprised at the flash of kinship she felt with the girl. That was something new.

The Specter turned, and she spoke in her harsh but lilting voice to Spike who translated for her. “She says the rest of the courtyard is clear, but there’s a demon of some kind inside the Watcher apartment.” Spike added his own comment. “The minion was one of Angelus’ boys. He won’t get a chance to tattle on us now.”

“How is this going to work, Spike?” Cassie asked.

“I’m gonna remove Dru from the equation,” Spike answered. He pulled his cigarettes from his pocket, and he lit one. He inhaled a deep drag before he continued. “‘ll take her to Brazil where her caretaker is waitin’ for her.”

“Why can’t we just dust her?” Cassie cried out suddenly. She moved away from Spike and the Specter.

“Can we dust Angelus?” Spike asked in return. He watched Cassie frantically shake her head. “Thought not. I don’t want to dust Dru either, Slayer. Look, ‘ll deal with Dru and the Specter can deal with the minions. That leaves you to deal with Angelus.”

“Fine. Be ready to back me up when I make my move,” Cassie stated, “But Giles had better not die.” She moved to Giles’ aparment door, and she disappeared inside.

“That went well, don’t you think?” Spike muttered. He dropped his cigarette butt on the ground, and he ground it out with the heel of his boot. “‘ve gotta get back before the Poofter misses me, luv.”

“Who am I going to practice my sparring with while you’re gone?” the Specter asked. She moved closer to the vampire, and she peered up into his face.

“Ah, pet. Don’t make this any harder than it already is,” Spike answered. He reached up to lightly cup the Specter’s face through the mask. “‘ve a bad feeling that getting back to you and Beth is going to be harder than I thought. Ever since that damned ritual, Dru’s mental state has gone down hill.”

The Specter clung to the hand that cupped her cheek. Her glowing golden eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill over. She was trying to keep her Specter identity aloof and unemotional, but it really wasn’t working since her Beth identity was so broken hearted.

“No tears, pet,” Spike whispered fiercely, “‘ll be back as soon as I can get away.” He moved his fingers to catch the crystal tear clinging to the Specter’s eyelash. Something about the Specter tugged at his heart strings like Beth did. It confused him. “Keep an eye on Beth for me, will you? She’s a good girl.” Spike pulled himself away from the girl, and he slid into the darkness in a swirl of leather.

The Specter pressed her gloved hands to her eyes as she contemplated what had happened between her and Spike as both Beth and her secret identity. The kiss she had shared with him as Beth had been so sweet and hot that her toes had curled inside her shoes, and she had wanted nothing more than to take him to her bed to make love until the world ended. The heart of the Slayer had won out, though. So, she had changed her clothes, and she had gone to meet him as the Specter. However the fierce tenderness Spike had shown the Specter in the past few minutes caused all parts of Beth to want to run after him, rip off her mask, and reveal her all of her identities to him.

A voice startled the Specter out of her reverie, “It’s not time for that yet, Specter.”

The Specter peered into the darkness only to find a short, badly dressed demon wearing a battered fedora staring back at her. “Who the hell are you?” she growled, and her eyes flashed.

“Name’s Whistler, kid. I’m the representative of the Powers That Be,” the demon replied. He lifted his hat politely.

“You understand me?” the Specter murmured in surprise.

“Of course I understood you. I wouldn’t be a very good representative if I couldn’t communicate with all of the beings I come in contact with,” Whistler declared softly. He didn’t want the Slayer inside the apartment to overhear the conversation with the Slayer outside the apartment.

“How come Spike can understand me?” the Specter asked.

“Well, what kind of explanation do you want to hear?” Whistler inquired.

“A truthful one,” the Specter growled. Somehow she knew this smelly half demon was just the type to roll his messages up in riddles.

“I can only tell you what I know,” Whistler said in an informative voice, “It turns out that Spike’s vampiric demon is not only the destined mate of your vampiric demon, but the mate of your Slayer, too.”

“So if I hadn’t died, Spike would have still been my destined mate?” the Specter demanded.

“If you allowed yourself to accept him … yes,” Whistler answered, a bit evasively. He refused to look at the Specter in the hopes that he wouldn’t reveal anything in his eyes. Unfortunately, this caused the Specter to actually study the half demon much more closely.

The Specter’s thoughts ran the gamut as she pondered what the demon wasn’t telling her of the alternate future. “I wouldn’t have though, would I?” the Specter asked sadly, “Not like I do now?”

“Not before it was too late, kid,” Whistler acknowledged, “It’s not time yet to reveal yourself wholly to your mate or the others. There’s a new Dawn coming, Specter, and you have to be ready. You think you know what you are, but you haven’t even begun.” The half demon raised his fedora to the Specter again, and much like Spike before him, slid into the darkness.

The Specter recognized the last little bit of what Whistler said; the part that sounded so much like what Dru had told her. However, before she could fully think about what the Powers That Be’s messenger had told her, Cassie stepped out of the Watcher’s apartment.

“The sword I need is at the school library, Specter,” Cassie informed the black clad girl. The sorrow for her upcoming duty palpable in her voice and attitude.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassie and the Specter walked up Crawford Street towards the mansion that Angelus had taken up residence in after Giles burned down Spike’s factory lair. The two girls walked at a fairly brisk pace. They both carried swords concealed in burlap. They were both startled when Xander jumped out of the bushes that lined the hillside.

“Xander,” Cassie gasped.

“Cavalry’s here,” Xander announced, “Cavalry’s a frightened guy with a rock, but it’s here.” He held up the rock he was carrying, which he threw aside when Cassie offered him a stake. “That’s much better,” he chuckled.

“You’re not here to fight,” Cassie informed the boy as they started walking again, “You get Giles out and you run like hell, understood? Spike’s getting Dru out, Specter is dealing with the extras, and I…” Cassie pulled the cloth off the sword she carried, “I’m gonna be busy dealing with Angelus.”

Xander looked back and forth at the two girls, each of which had a sword in their hands, “That’s a new look for you.”

“Mine’s a present for Angel. The Specter wrote that hers make her feel manly,” Cassie noticed Xander’s look of confusion, and she shrugged. “She said it’s something Spike said to her once.”

“Willow’s awake,” Xander said in a rush, “She told me to tell you that she’s going to try the spell and to delay as much as possible. You’ll know it was successful by Angel’s eyes flashing, I think she said. Although personally I don’t think he deserves a chance.”

“But I do, Xander,” Cassie simply stated as the three continued down the street to the mansion.

The Specter led the way into the mansion, and she dispatched the minions as she went. She cut the head off the vampire guarding the door just as Angelus drew a blade across the palm of his hand. As Angelus was uttering the last words of the spell to awaken Acathla, he turned his head to find the Specter staring at him. Their eyes met, and the Specter growled expectantly.

Angelus moved toward what he considered an insolent little girl, and he forgot her threat against him from before. He was surprised when Cassie stepped out from behind the petite black clad figure.

“Hello lover,” Cassie drawled.

Angelus quickly schooled his features to extreme boredom, “I don’t have time for the likes of you.”

“You don’t have a lot of time left, Angelus,” Cassie smirked and winked at her ex-lover.

“Coming on kind of strong, don’t you think? You’re playing some deep odds here. Do you really think you can take us all on?” Angelus sneered, “Two little girls.” He failed to notice the smirk that swept across the face of the vampire sitting directly behind him.

Spike stood up from his wheelchair, and he hit the elder vampire several times across the back of the head with a fireplace poker. When Angelus cried out in pain it caused Drusilla to twist around to seek out what was hurting her daddy. Spike whacked Angelus a couple more times, before he turned his attention to Drusilla. He dropped the poker and advanced on his sire. Spike pulled back his left hand, balled it into a fist, and clipped her on the jaw. Drusilla crumpled to the ground in a heap.

The Specter intercepted a minion that had moved to attack Cassie. She quickly beheaded the creature, and she allowed Cassie to move in to kick Angelus while he still laid passed out on the floor. The Specter noticed that Xander and Giles were on their way out of the mansion, but their way was blocked by several minions. She caught Cassie’s attention, and the two girls kept their eye on the uncosncious Angelus as they hurried to help the Watcher and Xander.

Spike dragged Dru out into the garage. He was worried she would awaken and be pissed. So, he locked her in the trunk of his car. <I>One down and many to go,</I> he thought to himself. Several minions came in the side door of the garage. They expressed surprise that he was out of his wheelchair but not for long. Spike dusted them before they had a chance to say much else.

Angelus groaned when he woke up. As he rubbed his eyes he felt the blood running down his wrist. He heard a scream, and he glanced around the room only to find two of his best minions turning into dust under the Slayer and the Specter’s swords. He shrank away a little when the Specter’s golden eyes fell upon him until he remembered he was Angelus, Scourge of Europe, and no little girl was going to get the best of him. Angelus watched as the Specter turned her attention back to the minions, and she began to dispatch them almost too easily. Angelus leapt to his feet, and he shot across to Acathla. He grabbed the sword with his bloody hand.

The room was filled with a blinding bright light. Cassie had been crossing the room towards Angelus when he withdrew the sword from the stone. She threw her hand up over her eyes, but the light disappeared just as fast as it had appeared. Cassie could hear the sword in Angelus’ hand whistle through the air as he took a few practice swings.

The Specter stood in the doorway with her hand over her mouth, when Spike came up behind her. “What’s wrong, luv?” Spike asked. He could feel that something was off as soon as he got in close proximity with the Specter.

“He opened Acathla,” the Specter whispered, “Willow is going to do the spell to give him back his soul. We were supposed to keep him distracted long enough.”

In the room with the stone statue, the Slayer and her ex-lover squared off. They both held their swords at attention, ready to fight.

“You almost made it, Cass,” Angelus sneered.

“It’s not over yet,” Cassie said confidently. She brought her sword up to hold the blade in front of her face.

“My boy, Acathla here, is about to wake up. You’re going to Hell,” Angelus boasted. He too held his sword up in front of his face.

“Well, save me a seat, big boy,” Cassie quipped. She thrust her sword out at Angelus, but he quickly parried.

“How long will it be before the little witch completes the spell?” Spike asked in a whisper. He watched the two combatants move out of the main part of the mansion and into the atrium.

“Xander didn’t say,” The Specter replied. She started slightly as Cassie lost her sword and was thrown onto a nearby stone table that collapsed beneath her weight. The Specter advanced on Angelus, and she spoke in her harsh, lilting voice.

Spike’s laughter filled the air as he translated for the Specter. “Hey Peaches, m’girl says you are so inadequate as a vampire you can’t even find your own fangs in the dark.”

Angelus stopped his advance on the Slayer to turn and face his verbal tormentors. The look of confusion on the dark haired vampire’s face was worth it for the blond vampire.

Spike gasped for air as he continued to translate for the Specter who was slowly advancing on Angelus. “She says your breath smells like the rotting blood of gutter rats.”

Cassie snorted at the insult, and she crawled cautiously towards her fallen sword. She saw that the Specter was keeping Angelus’ attention away from her. Cassie grinned as the Specter turned in such a way that Angelus’ back was always towards the Slayer.

Spike fell to his knees as the Specter’s next insult caused him to lose all control of his motor reflexes. “M’girl says that you compensate for a small dick by using an excess of hair gel to accentuate your big forehead.” Spike couldn’t help himself from actually rolling on the ground laughing. He knew he wasn’t going to be much help at this stage if she continued. “Stop, luv, you’re bloody well cracking me up.”

Angelus was about to advance on the Specter when he felt the presence of the Slayer sneaking up behind him. Before he could decide which girl was the most dangerous, the Slayer hit him in the small of the back. He lunged forward towards the Specter who quickly jumped out of the way, and he stumbled through the door back into the mansion. Angelus tripped over a still laughter-immobilized Spike and fell crashing to the floor inside the building.

Cassie followed Angelus. She gracefully jumped over Spike, and she kicked Angelus in the ass. The dark haired vampire scrambled across the floor away from the Slayer. Cassie trailed behind Angelus as she waited for him to make it to his feet.

Angelus managed to make it to his feet, but when he turned around he found that the Slayer was closer to him than he thought. He could see behind her that the Specter had gotten Spike up off the floor and appeared to be telling the blond vampire he needed to leave. Angelus’ attention swung quickly back to Cassie when she swung her sword at him. He missed the block, and this caused Cassie to get a lucky blow that sliced his hand.

Cassie advanced on Angelus when he dropped his sword and held his bleeding hand. She kicked him hard in the face. This caused him to fall backward towards Acathla and land on his knees at her feet. When he looked up at her, she saw his eyes flash, and she knew his soul had been returned to him.

“Cassie?” Angel whispered, “What are we doing here?”

“Oh Angel,” Cassie sighed, “We’re here saving the world.”

Cassie stared at the rock statue behind Angel where its eyes glowed red. Its mouth opened and a swirling vortex opened. It grew larger and began to glow red. Tears leaked out of Cassie’s eyes when she realized what she was going to have to do.

“How are we saving the world?” Angel asked, confusedly.

“Don’t worry about it,” Cassie whispered. She leaned over, put her hand over Angel’s eyes, kissed him softly on the lips, and rammed her sword through him.

Angel’s eyes popped open in surprise and pain when he felt the sword enter his body. He watched as Cassie stepped away from him. Angel felt something pull at his chest where she had stabbed him. When he looked down he could see a bright light. Then he looked up at Cassie in confusion as the power of the vortex began to pull at his flesh. He uttered her name one time before his body touched the vortex, and he disappeared.

Cassie dropped to her knees, and she began to sob. She was startled when she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see the concerned eyes of the Specter looking down at her. Cassie looked around for Spike, but didn’t see the blond vampire. She allowed the Specter to help her out of the mansion.

The two females went to the hospital where all of Cassie’s friends, including the Watcher, were gathered. When the others asked where Angel was, Cassie was unable to say anything, but the Specter spoke her first word in English to the group.

“Hell.”

 

Originally posted at http://seasonal-spuffy.livejournal.com/142295.html

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