FIC: Born Again (13/14)

["cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Hello dears,
Well the Born Again story is reaching it's end. See Author's notes in
part 00 for further details.
Yours Faithful Bard
Cilia

Title: Born Again
Part: 13
Author: Cilia
E-mail: cilia@xxxxx
Feedback: Please god yes
Distribution and Archiving: Sure go for it
Disclairment: You know it.
Summary: This little story began as attempt to do something new and
different. It focuses almost entirely on Willow and her adventures in th Old
World (Europe). Some time has past and we begin the story when we meet an
older more experience Willow, still old friends are around the corner and
Buffy never more then a phonecall away.
So I hope you enjoy this work,
Notes: You can find the missing parts at http://www.mmedia.is/~cilia/again
and then I wish to thank my beta Ollie and my critique Stan

Born Again
Cilia


Chapter 12

Willow's head hurt from all the signals she was picking up through the Stone
of Destiny and from the magical energies she was expending with each fire
blast. After she and Nathaniel had battled together through the cave, they'd
managed to crawl out to the street above through a manhole. Now they stood
surrounded on the street by Crimson's minions.
"Any more ideas Miss Rosenberg?" Nathaniel asked just as he
swung for a vampire's head.
"One, can you handle things here?" Willow asked back as she
ducked a blow.
"Nathaniel!" Danielle shouted as she and Leonardo came running
from the temple.
"I believe so," Nathaniel answered with thin smile and his
fighting seemed to become more focused.
"Good cause I need you to rally the Masters as soon as I take
out Crimson," Willow stated as she kicked a vampire into the ones behind it.
"Go, do what you must," Nathaniel stated.
"Thanks and try to stay alive," Willow said back and made a
break for the nearest alley.
"Where's the Slayer going?" Danielle asked as she and Leonardo
joined Nathaniel on the street.
"Going to the source of the problem," he stated.

Willow pulled the Stone of Destiny from her blouse and looked into it,
focusing its forces and weaving them together with her own Wiccan powers.
"I hope this works," she muttered as she closed her eyes and
felt the familiar surge of energy as the magic flowed through her being and
in a flash of light she was gone.

Spike had long since given up any rational thought, his only concern was to
get to the safe grounds of the Library, carrying Susan over his shoulder as
he ran didn't affect his speed.
"Spike put me down," Susan stated firmly as they burst through
the Library doors.
"Sister!" Spike shouted has he dumped Susan on the floor and
went to close the doors.
"William is there a." Agnes stopped when she saw Spike dragging
a cabinet in front of the door and Susan standing, looking rather pissed
off, decked out in black leather.
"Explain later," Spike stated and started dragging Susan and
Agnes further into the Library until he found the door connecting it to the
church.
"Stay here and don't come out until dawn," he stated and pushed
them inside.
"What about planning?" Susan asked.
"Change of plans," Spike stated and drew the sword.
"Spike what are you doing?" Susan stated firmly.
"Fulfilling my end of the bargain, protecting the territory and
if I recall correctly our territory begins just outside the Library," Spikes
stated.
"What about me, shouldn't I." A cold finger pressed against her
lips silenced Susan.
"My job, now stay here and I'll be waiting for you at the
mansion," Spike said and walked away.
"Sister Agnes?" Susan asked.
"Let him go," Agnes stated as she turned towards the altar." Won
't you pray with me?" she asked.
"Sure," Susan muttered as she watched Spike disappear into the
night.
Spike let his coat fall to the ground as he stepped out of the church. The
white suit was about to get dirty and James would be pissed as all hell if.
when he made it home. Spike looked around before stepping onto the street.
Standing under a streetlight he drew a circle with his sword on the
pavement.
"I am Master William Croix," he shouted, "and these streets are
now under my protection from now until the ends of the Earth!"

Willow opened her eyes and found herself in the familiar sewers under the
city with their high curving ceilings and worn stones. They were like the
City, old and comfortable, if you could say that about a sewer system.
"I must be going nuts," Willow muttered as she fished a small
flashlight out of her coat.
"Simple plan; kill the big bad vampire and then sit down with a
glass of chilled white wine and watch the sunrise," Willow said to herself.
She tiptoed along the narrow walkway avoiding the sewage and the occasional
rat as best she could.
"At least there are no frogs," she murmured.
Coming to stop in front of steal door, newly installed and in stark contrast
to everything around it.
"Locked," Willow muttered as she tried the handle.
"Can't pick the lock cause that'll destroy the element of
surprise," she muttered. Moments later the door flew of its hinges into the
room taking the guards that had been standing on the other side down with
it.
"Wow that was fun," Willow stated as walked into the room.
Gathered at a long meeting table were Crimson and her top henchmen and from
the looks of it Willow had just crashed a war council meeting. Sometimes you
just get lucky.
"A Slayer oh this is going be fun!" Crimson stated as she stood.
"Killing me won't do you any good Crimson, the fight above is
lost, the Masters are killing off your foot soldiers by the dozens;" Willow
stated.
"Still killing you would be fun and yes I know that the cannon
fodder is doing its job," Crimson stated.
"What's your game here Crimson, this isn't making sense?" Willow
asked and probably wondered why she wasn't killing somebody.
"Not telling," Crimson answered with a girlish grin, "that would
destroy the fun," she added. There was a long pause as Willow stared at her
foe, then she just sighed and charged.
"Kill her," Crimson said off hand and the henchmen launched
themselves at Willow. The first went down rather easily, but the rest were
awfully stubborn and before she knew it Willow was ducking and weaving
between blades and bullets. The minutes seemed to drag on. Maybe it was only
a few seconds, but for Willow it must have felt like an eternity.
"Shit, shit, shit!" she cursed as she jumped off one of the
walls and took a head while flying backward over one of the attackers. A
bullet grazed her shoulder and drawing a trail of blood and angering Willow
more. The second bullet grazing across her thigh didn't help her mood
either.
"Burn you son of a bitch!" she screamed as small ball of fire
erupted from her outstretched had and engulfed the shooter.
"I've had enough of this!" she screamed as winds started blowing
around the room. Chairs took flight and were torn apart by the force of the
wind and Willow's mind. The henchmen found the surrounded by a whirlwind of
flying wood and when it settled only dust remained under a pile of rumple.
Willow sank to her knees as and her sword fell to the floor. Breathing
heavily she looked up at Crimson who stood calmly only a few feet away from
her. Blood dripped from various cuts on Willow's body, while Crimson seemed
unharmed.
"Mistress," a vampire with a stake in it's back uttered as it
stumbled through the door.
"You lose," Willow said with a grin as blood dripped from her
nose and splashed on the stone floor.
"Miss Rosenberg always a pleasure," Nathaniel said as he stepped
into the room with Danielle and Leonardo close behind.
"Well it's been fun," Crimson said with a wave and clicked her
heels together three times.
"Not again!" Willow stated as she lunged for her enemy, landing
flat on the floor, clutching a piece of paper.
"Just once I would like to actually kill the bad guy," she
stated as she read the message, three words in red ink and flowing script.
"BE SEEING YOU."
Drops of blood fell from her nose onto the paper. Willow just sighed and
looked up to see Nathaniel's offered hand.
"We won," he stated and handed her a handkerchief.
"We won," Willow said and grasped his hand.


Willow crawled up through the manhole about an hour before dawn. Nathaniel
and the others had taken the sewers back to their perspective territories
and the issue of Crimson would be discussed at the next meeting. Willow
looked around and smiled as she saw Spike swaggering towards her, his sword
hanging loose in one hand and a bottle of scotch in the other.
"Red," he greeted and offered her the bottle.
"Spike," Willow stated and accepted the bottle and took a swig.
"The City has been cleansed," Spike stated with flourish and
looked up at the fading stars.
"Crimson got away," Willow stated and took another swig.
"We always do," Spike said, "the bad guys I mean," he added.
"We'll see her again," Willow stated and handed him the bottle.
"We always see them again," Spike answered, "the bad guys I
mean," he added again.
"Spike shut up and go home before Susan gets worried," Willow
ordered.
"You going to be okay, luv?" Spike asked.
"I'll get by," Willow stated, "but I could use a hug," she added
and opened her arms.
"I live to serve," Spike stated as he wrapped his arms around
you.
"Thank you Spike," she whispered.
"For what?"
"For being my friend, for being you, for being here, take your
pick," Willow answered with a smile.
They just stood there for a long while as friends in all things knowing that
love can be fleeting, but true friendship is forever.

To be concluded...