STRONGER THAN DEATH

By Sophie

Spike strolled down the dark town. For two years Spike had worked in L.A. with Angel. The vampires had, through some miracle, learnt to compromise. He opened the door to the sleazy bar. There were demons and vamps all sat at tables, drinking human blood. Some demon girls were dancing nude on the bar. In the corner, four humans were locked in a cage. When Spike entered, the bar silenced. The owner moved so that he would be standing one foot away from Spike.

"You’re not welcome here." The Gurshlak demon said boldly.

Spike didn’t even bother with a snotty come back. This demon was scum. He carelessly through him across the room. Within minutes every demon and vampire in the bar except Spike were dead. He freed the humans and none of them bothered saying thank you.

One of the girls stayed huddled in a corner. Spike took a step toward her, and she flinched. "It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you." Although Spike didn’t have a soul, he had somehow learnt to love and care. Spike crouched down next to the girl. On her neck she had a tattoo of some sort of black, bleeding star.

There were cuts and scratches all over her limbs and face. "They didn’t do this to me." The girl said, she had noticed Spike was inspecting her. "I just get these," She looked at Spike, her eyes showed just how tortured she was "I’m cursed."

Cordelia was checking the files when Spike came in. In his arms, he was carrying a girl in her early twenties. "What’s wrong with her?" She immediately asked.

"This girl says she’s cursed."

"She’s not." Angel came down the steps with a look of concern on his face. "She’s possessed."

"How can you tell?" Cordelia asked, confused.

"That tattoo on her neck isn’t a tattoo, it’s the mark of a demon. The demon Creae possesses people, it feeds on their flesh and emotions. This girl is lucky to be alive."

"How is that possible? She told me she’s had that tattoo for years."

"Well, she must be different somehow." Cordelia figured out. "Like when you kill a slayer, you don’t drink her blood all at once. You take your time, because you know it’s the best meal you’ll ever have."

"That’s right." Angel realised. "But, we still don’t know how this girl is different."

"First of all we need to kill this Creae demon. Before it kills her." Spike ordered. He wasn’t in charge but he really believed that the girl didn’t deserve this.

An hour later, they had found out the girls name was Desire. She was twenty-two years old and didn’t remember anything about her past. They had done a cleansing ritual, but the Creae demon had not yet come forward.

Desire slept in one of the empty rooms. Spike sat in a chair next to her, for some reason he had felt a sense of familiarity.

When he was around her, he thought non-stop of Buffy. Desire started to mumble something in her sleep. "Be brave. Live……for me."

"Buffy." Spike said under his breath. It could be possible, he thought. Desire jumped awake, terrified. "Buffy?" Spike asked.

"I don’t know who I am." She replied.

Cordelia, Angel, Fred, Gunn, Spike and Desire sat around a large round table. "Let me get this straight, you had this dream that you were on a tower and then you jumped off, basically."

"Yes." Desire said. "I’ve always had these dreams where I’m someone else. Her name is Buffy Summers, she has a sister called Dawn who’s not real. I’ve been getting these dreams for as long as I can remember."

"There is someone called Buffy Summers. She died two years ago. She jumped off a tower."

"How is this possible?" Desire asked.

"That’s what we’re going to find out. There could be some unfinished business that the Buffy ghost might want to finish or-"

"She’s Buffy." Spike stated.

"Spike, we think you shouldn’t have anything to do with this case, it may lead you to believe stuff like what you just said." Cordelia explained.

"I’m not crazy. Desire is somehow Buffy. I can feel it."

"I can’t be. We’re two different people. For example she’s dead and I’m not." Desire said.

"I know this is hard to believe," Spike took Desire’s hands in his. "But you are Buffy Summers. You must have some sort of psychic link to her and now that she’s dead you two are becoming one."

Desire ripped her hands away from Spike’s. "You really are crazy."

"No. Look at me and tell me who I am. Who do I remind you of?"

Desire slowly turned her head to look into Spike’s eyes. "You’re Spike, William the Bloody or whatever. Now, leave me alone."

"It could be possible. Desire could just be Buffy." Fred thought out loud.

"I don’t get it." Gunn said.

"I’m not sure I do either." Angel continued. "Spike, how can this girl be Buffy?"

"I’ll found out."

Spike took Desire up to her room.

"I can’t do it." Desire said,. frustrated.

"You can, just lie down, relax and let her in." Spike reassured her.

Desire lay down on her bed. He eyes closed over her emerald green eyes. A strand of her blonde hair hung over her face. Desire’s soft skin seemed to glow in the dim light.

Spike watched completely amazed as Desire transformed into Buffy. Tears cover her cheeks and she could barely move. She saw Spike and begged him, "Spike help me. I’m stuck here." She inhaled sharply and became Desire again. "Wow."

Angel looked at Desire. She lay in the center of the main hall. Candles made a circle round her. She lay there and suddenly above hovered a white figure. Everyone gaped as soon as they realised that the white figure was Buffy.

"Help me. I’m a prisoner, I’m stuck. Please help me. Give me my body back."

A strong wind blew through the room, and Buffy’s ghost disappeared. "I think we need Willow, if we’re going to help her." Spike stated.

Willow’s car pulled up outside the hotel. She, Dawn, Xander, Tara and Dawn got out and marched in. The tension in the air was crisp and grave.

An hour later, they were performing a spell. A picture of Buffy was at the center of their circle. Desire watched from the stairway. After Willow chanted something in an ancient language, the picture rised a couple of feet into the hair and was swallowed by a bright light. Buffy was thrown out of the light just before it disappeared.

She landed hard against the tiled floor and just lay there shaking. Spike rushed to her side and kneeled next to her. "Are you ok?" He asked.

"You saved me." Buffy looked into his eyes. "Not even my death could stop you from saving me."

"My love for you is stronger then death."

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