Her Saving Grace, 24/25, Spike/Fred, R

[authoressnebula.livejournal.com]

Short chapter this time, but we're wrapping up for the big finish!

Title: Her Saving Grace
Rating: R
Pairing: Spike/Fred, Buffy/Xander, mentions of previous Fred/Wesley
Spoilers: Angel S5
Chapter: Twenty-four of Twenty-five
Prompt: #54 - Cry Havoc for tamingthemuse
Warnings: Character death (not the permanent variety)
Summary: An accident one night changes Fred's entire world. Shunned by the people who should care the most, she turns to the one person who does care, and finds something beyond friendship.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Seriously. Not even my mind these days.

Previous Parts Here

Word count: 1515


Pretty by kitty3101

Chapter 24: Building Battle Plans

It wasn't long until she heard voices. Slowly Fred raised her head from her knees where she'd rested it, listening to the best of her capabilities. It wasn't just Cyvus's voice now; there were others. A lot of others. More than just the other two voices she knew of, which were the guards. No, these voices were soft and dangerous, intelligent and wickedly so.

The Black Thorn. Apparently, they'd agreed with the plans Cyvus had told her earlier, and they were coming for her. It wouldn't be long now until they were opening the doors, and then she was screwed. Very very screwed.

Fortunately for her, the voices faded away, and didn't come near the door. Yet. It was only a matter of time.

She knew Spike was coming for her, and she couldn't stop the grin that slid over her face at the thought of Spike barging through those doors, bringing Hell and help with him as he came. The Black Thorn wouldn't know what hit them. Her beautiful, dangerous knight.

Fred glanced around the room at everything again, then tucked her legs beneath her. In one fluid motion she stood. She was not going to play damsel in distress. Not when she knew that Spike was coming up against the Black Thorn. Not when she knew that Spike might not be able to get there in the few seconds that it would take for Illyria to hollow Fred out.

It might not take seconds; maybe hours. But it would happen, and she was not condemning Spike to that. Not when he'd just gotten her.

Not when she'd just truly found him.

Her eyes took in everything the room had to offer, and she stepped forward towards the tallest wooden cabinet, examining it thoroughly. It was time to put her thinking cap on and figure out how to get herself out of here.

She took quick looks and glances at everything, before she began to smile. She knew how to get out of here. It was easy as could be.

And on top of that wonderful nugget, she got to build something.

They reached the place within twenty minutes, and Spike was the first one out of the car. “You could at least wait for it to stop,” Buffy called after him. “You're not going to do her any good if you get run ov...Spike, wait UP!”

Spike ignored her and kept on running. They'd decided to park several blocks away, and now that he could see the building, he felt everything lurch forward as his demon cried move and he couldn't stop running. He didn't think he was going to stop running until he ran into Fred, and even then he'd simply grab her and keep running.

Nothing mattered except her now.

Two hands grabbed him, one on each of his arms, and hauled him back. “Do you want to get her dusted?” Angel hissed in his right ear, while from his left he could hear Buffy telling Angel to back off. “We wait, Spike. Then we strike.”

“Someone's coming,” Wesley whispered harshly, and Spike's retort was immediately swallowed down as he slid back towards a nearby building. Everyone pressed against the wall and waited.

A black car had pulled up in front of the building that Spike was finally getting a better look at. It was made of bricks, though the bricks looked as if they'd been mixed with blood. It rose a good three stories above the ground, though there weren't any windows to confirm that, and there certainly weren't any buildings around in the area that were high enough to compare with. It towered above all the small shops, and everything about it screamed dominance and a dark, twisted power. Black iron gates surrounded the door and building, further exuding the dark tone.

Dammit. Not good.

The car doors opened, and out stepped several figures. What they looked like, Spike couldn't say: they were all clad in black cloaks, with the hoods pulled up around their faces. “Must be the Black Thorn,” Xander whispered, and Spike nodded. There were five right there, and another car pulled up behind the first, letting out six more.

“Do you realize what this means?” Angel whispered harshly, and Spike turned to glance at him. Angel's eyes were locked on the figures that were quickly making their way into the building. There was a fire in them that Spike hadn't seen in too long, and it made his own nerves jump. His foot started tapping impatiently even as Buffy shook her head in response to Angel's question.

“We could end all of this, right here, right now,” Angel continued. The door closed behind the last figure, and the cars had long left. Still they lingered against the wall, Angel's words sinking in. The Black Thorn, the ones who gripped Wolfram and Hart in their clutches (and hell knew how many others), were all right in the same building.

They could end a possible apocalypse before it had a chance to happen.

“We could end it all,” Spike agreed, before stepping out from the wall and striding towards the ominous building. “But we're not doin' it without Fred. Her first. Then...the Black Thorn can go to hell.”

Moving furniture wasn't easier this time around, considering she had no help, but it was easier in the sense that it wasn't going up stairs, either: just across a hard floor. With her strength, she could not only move the wooden cabinet, but move it quietly as well. And that was to her advantage right now, especially the way she needed to turn it.

She slid the chair she'd used to get on top of the cabinet around to the front of it, then stepped back to admire her handiwork. Every single piece of furniture she'd been able to use from the room now stood, stacked in front of the door. The tower went up towards the ceiling quite a ways, and it'd be enough for her to reach her goal.

It wasn't all exactly in front of the door. She didn't need them bursting in and knocking her tower down in the crucial moment. The way it was stacked (if it stayed that way long enough), she could reach the ceiling, no problem.

Voices outside the door alerted her to the Black Thorn. They were all coming for her now. They were louder than before, which meant she didn't have a lot of time. Glancing once more towards the door, she went into motion.

The door opened a minute later, and she heard surprised gasps. “What the devil has she been doing?” one voice inquired, and then she heard quick footsteps as they all entered the room.

“Where is she?!” Cyvus roared, and Fred grinned. They'd never find her.

“She built a tower!” a female voice exclaimed. “Look! It leads all the way up to...”

That was her cue. As everyone stared at the tower, which lead to a solid ceiling with no windows available to exit, Fred pushed open the doors of the cabinet that she'd turned to face the door of the room. The door of the room that was now wide open. In a split second she was out and running down the hall, their voices loud and angry behind her.

She remembered which way the guards had taken her and went the opposite way. Stairs appeared, and she quickly went down them. She reached another hallway, hearing them fast on her heels. She rounded the corner into an open atrium, and...

Black duster. Black jeans. Sturdy boots. Bright hair. Beautiful blue eyes. Hers. “SPIKE!” she shouted, and Spike was already in motion towards her. His arms opened and she dove into his embrace, feeling it tighten around her. “You're okay,” she whispered, clutching at him hard enough to possibly tear his duster.

He didn't appear to care. “Thank hell,” he managed to get out, his voice shaky. “You're all right?”

“I'm fine,” she answered, then turned just as the footsteps behind her got too loud. The Black Thorn slid to a halt as they caught sight of her in a now growling Spike's arms.

Then their gaze went beyond Spike, and Fred twisted to catch a glimpse of what they were staring at. Buffy, Angel, Xander, and Wesley were coming up behind Spike, armed and tense.

“You're gonna die slow,” Spike swore, his voice dangerously low. His grip tightened to the point of painful, but Fred didn't care. She had him in her arms, and she wasn't letting go. “You dared to take her from me, and for that, you will die.”

Cyvus smiled darkly, and it was enough for Spike to move Fred behind him. She took his hand in hers, however, and stepped to his side instead. His eyes met hers for just a moment, but it was enough. She was fighting by his side.

He squeezed her hand, then turned to the Black Thorn, a smile playing on his own lips. “Cry havoc,” he murmured, and the battle began.

~Nebula

Comments

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Yay for Fred and her braininess! Plus...Spike to the rescue! I can hardly wait to see how it all ends!


Gabrielle

[jesterlady]

Little evol cliffhanger there, my dear. But a splendid chapter.

I love Fred and her building things and that she got out by herself and that Spike came to the rescue and that there's going to be a good old fashioned brawl.

In short I love it.

[lilithbint.livejournal.com]

Yay!
I've missed this so much.
and such a wonderful chapter.
Black duster. Black jeans. Sturdy boots. Bright hair. Beautiful blue eyes. Hers. “SPIKE!”
*sigh*

[bubble-blunder.livejournal.com]

You. Are. Evol. What a cliffhanger!

Awesome chapter, though. Just can't wait to see how it all ends up.

~Lisa

[umbralillium.livejournal.com]

GLEE! Loved Fred tricking them into thinking she'd built the tower so she could climb up. Also loved Fred not letting Spike protect her overly much.

Black duster. Black jeans. Sturdy boots. Bright hair. Beautiful blue eyes. Hers. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

[ex-dark-ami.livejournal.com]

Yay there's more! *bounces* Missed this so much.

Loved the chapter, particularly Fred escaping from the room herself.