For Love Of Eva
Silence, deafening, and telling. Senses pushed forward, wondering pulled back. Hunting, flashes of images. The scent of pine sharp in her nose. Adversary, enemy, lover, the same. Blood, death, a mother’s love. An endless circle of love. Cut short, no time. Thrumming in her ears. Creeping forward, listening, calculating. Eyes sweeping, taking in, knowing nothing. Fear, anger, fulfillment. Destiny hers. Born to this, dead by this.
One endless circle.
Max crept through the lobby of the Hyperion, her senses on full alert. She’d consciously employed every technique that Manticore had taught her. Time swept through her, bringing with it memories that she pushed away. The flashes of pain knew no purpose in the now. What mattered only was her love. The love of her daughter who must be saved at any cost to herself.
So she listened. But there was no other sound but the rusty creaks of a settling building. The water heater in the basement below, groaning in its age. The whistle of the wind across the panes of glass about her. Possibly even the shuffling feet of mice, scampering in the walls, oblivious to any danger but a natural predator.
She watched. Light pouring in, dust motes dancing. Shadow in corner, taunting, beckoning. Eyes dilating, sweeping, receiving no telling images but the corner. Looking above, attack possible. But not there. Fixing, closing in, the door leading down.
She scented. Familiar, knowing. Blood and decay. The sickly sweet scent tickling her nose daily. Turn head, back, then again. Dust, perfume, aftershave, baby powder, crumbled plaster, papyrus. Mind cataloging all. Flashes. Faces. Not him.
Inside, the knowing she kept. With eyes wide open, she saw nothing. Words echoed. ‘Angelus…run…love you…daddy please…Angelus…run…’ No danger sensed. No threat was surrounding her. Pushed aside. Not reliable.
So down she went. Creeping cautiously, no weapon in hand but herself. Proud in the strength and honor that would meet this threat head on. As she neared the apartment door, Max checked her surroundings again, in the same manner as before. And still there was nothing. Angelus, master of mind games was waiting for her. Waiting for her to make the first move. Planning for maximum pain. She pushed the dangling door inward, noting to herself that she’d torn it partially from the hinges in her earlier mad rush. Once inside, she went through the routine again, securing properly each step gained. She could not risk attack from behind.
She secured each room, slowly, saving Eva’s for last. She knew not the particulars of this enemy but for the pure evilness of it. Maximum damage, her mind played over again. She approached the nursery on silent feet, still reaching out. She shut down the love she felt for this Vampire. It would not call to him, because she knew it would become a weapon against her. She would not risk that. With a forcefully steady hand, she pushed the door open.
Max gaped at the macabre sight before her. Her mind wheeled in disgust. She stood there long moments, wondering why, how, why. Until she could no longer take it and turned to race from the room. As she hunched over the toilet, emptying ever last bit she could, she cried. She’d rather face Case’s death again than contemplate what he’d left for her.
*****
"’Ello!" Spike answered his telephone jovially. He and Buffy had just finished another marathon round of lovemaking and were lying together, sated. "Watcher? What… Giles, slow down!" he frowned as he listened to the older man yelling things that made no sense. He sat up straight as he caught one word to fear him with dread.
"What is it Spike?" Buffy mumbled sleepily.
"Gotcha," Spike confirmed. "We’re on our way." Buffy opened her eyes wide, catching the excitement pounding through her lover’s body. Something was definitely up. He scrambled from the bed, snatching up his clothes and hers. "We gotta go pet." Buffy cocked her head, but obeyed.
"What’s going on?" she asked as she climbed from the bed to yank her jeans on. "What did Giles want." Spike paused after pulling his shirt over his head. With a heavy sigh, he pulled it all the way down and turned to her.
"I’m sorry luv," he mumbled. He hated to do this to her, knowing her as well as he did. "Angelus is back."
"What!" she shrieked. Automatically, she pulled on her own shirt, her mind racing to what could have happened. She should have known that something like this would happen. It just wasn’t Angel’s destiny to live a happy, normal life. Just like her. Max must have done something to make him delirious. ‘Probably had sex with him right after she had the baby and told him she was pregnant again. Probably told him she’d give him dozens of babies.’ She thought viciously as she yanked on the laces of her running shoes. And now it would be up to Buffy to save him, again. Or worse.
The couple hurried from the room they shared in Willow and Kennedy’s suite. Spike was calling for the redheaded witch, apprising her of the situation. She gaped at them. "B-but, that’s not possible," she cried. "The curse…"
"Yeah, well Wills, it obviously didn’t hold," Buffy snarled. "Just get your curse ready again. It’s better than nothing. We’ll call if we can to give you the go ahead." Spike threw to her the bag she used for her weapons, already full, his own over his shoulder. And together they ran from the room, leaving a protesting Willow behind them.
The silence on the drive over to the hotel was painful. Each dealt with their own thoughts about meeting Angelus again. Spike’s heart actually ached for the old poofter. He had been moving on, had found someone new to love and had even been able to create a miracle child with this woman. He was surprised at the hitch in his chest when he thought of having to be the one to kill Angel, but he chose to ignore it. If he had to, he’d be the strong one. Anything to protect Buffy.
Buffy’s mind whirled along a slightly different path. What ifs played in her mind. What if she’d chosen Angel instead of Spike? She knew the risks involved in their relationship and would have held herself back. What if Angel had listened to her back when she’d warned him about what Max could do? What if Max had never come here at all?
There was silence when they reached the hotel, as if everything in creation had stilled itself to hear the outcome of this battle. They crept through the hotel, mindful of every movement. Spike directed them down to the basement. The information Giles had passed on led them there. He noticed immediately the broken door. With an inaudible gulp, Buffy moved into the apartment.
Max heard them come in, but couldn’t move. She’d sat here for the last twenty minutes after she’d thrown up, completely numb. The couple moved around to face her, still keeping a watchful eye around them. She knew it was them, on some baser level, she had recognized them. Spike stared at her for a moment, before gently lifting her chin up to meet his eyes. He swore inwardly at the track of tears on her face. Something major had happened.
"Max?" Buffy almost yelled to get her attention. "Where’s Angelus?"
The tears started again. "Gone," she mumbled. "Was in the nursery…" Without another word, Buffy whirled around and headed for the baby’s room. Spike seated himself on the coffee table before the other woman. Uncertainly, he rubbed at her arm with one hand, trying to soothe her. Buffy’s shriek of rage and pain made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end. A virago had taken her place, flying from the room, straight at Max. Spike intercepted her quickly, using all his new Slayer strength to hold her back.
"What did you do!" Buffy shrieked through her tears.
"Luv," Spike said in a low tone, "what happened?"
"He’s gone Spike," she cried, still struggling. "He’s dead. She staked him. There’s nothing but a pile of…d-dust." She collapsed in his arms finally, crying for her lost love. Spike tamped down the anger and frustration and yes, even pains for Angel that her words brought. They needed comfort right now.
"I didn’t," Max cried as well.
"What do you mean?" Spike asked gently, quickly wiping a tear from his own eye, his other arm around Buffy.
"He felt it" Max sighed, trying to dry her tears. "He felt it and he told me to run. To get Eva and run. I got her out. But I came back. And he was already gone." Fresh tears started. Spike gaped at her stupidly, before moaning at her unspoken words.
"Jus’ like the damn bloody poofter," he sighed. "Kill ‘imself to protect you."
"No!" Buffy yelled. "He would never! He would have waited for us to help! He would have waited!" she shrieked even as she realized the truth of Spike’s words. It was exactly what Angel would have done. Something he’d always been prepared to do. Especially to save his own child. But she rallied again. "Willow could have cursed him."
"No, she couldn’t," Spike denied. "You heard her pet, his soul was his own. This shouldn’t have happened. He must have known." Buffy shook her head. She turned her glare to Max.
"This is all your fault!" she raged. Max gaped at her, mind racing. She paled as everything came together in sharp clarity. Without hesitation, she ran.
*****
He floated, in warmth and peace and love. It was no longer a foreign feeling to him. Max’s love was like this. Eva’s love was like this. And their love had opened a whole new world to him. He could give and readily accept what others offered, love. He knew no fear of it now. And that love had brought him here. He drifted in and out, never knowing anything but contentment.
Light approached, brighter than the sun, and purer. Angel felt himself smile. It no longer burned him, but cradled him gently, as if he were the child. He sighed happily. Voices drifted to him, snatches of the words of the light.
‘…loved them well…’
‘…fulfilled his destiny…’
‘…long and painful road…’
‘… rest now warrior of light…’
‘…earned this…’
For Love Of Max
No comments:
Post a Comment