Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel the Series and all the characters that appear on the show are the exclusive property of Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, The WB, UPN, Mutant Enemy, Inc. and any one else with a legal binding claim to the shows and/or characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Part Twelve: The First Cut is the Deepest

When Angel raised his head he was grateful he didn't need to breathe. The air was thick with dust and smoke, making it hard for even a vampire to see clearly. He regained his feet, stumbling a bit in a momentary fit of panic when he couldn’t immediately locate his friends. His ears were still ringing and the chamber was still rumbling, but Angel called out their names anyway, with no response. As the sound subsided and the air began to clear, he was shocked to see that the cavern was essentially undamaged. He was relieved when he found Giles, Xander and Spike nearby. They were still down but stirring. That left only Dawn unaccounted for. He looked up towards the queen's dais and froze. Dawn was standing on the platform, looking unaffected by the smoke or the blast; in fact, he imagined she'd never felt the blast at all. She was looking up at something that made Angel’s stomach clench in fear. Directly over her head was an apparition like a huge tire made out of a storm cloud: a slowly swirling tube of black smoke, small red bolts of energy crackling around it. Angel ran towards her. She never looked in his direction, but she held out her hand like a traffic cop and Angel found himself unable to move.

"Dawn! What are you doing?" he yelled. Spike ran up beside him and was similarly held in check. The blonde vampire began cursing furiously. Giles and Xander joined them a moment later and were immediately held fast as well. The four of them stared as Dawn continued to smile up at the cloud, her face flushed with happiness, ignoring their repeated calls to her.

"Giles, what is this?" Angel beseeched.

"I have no idea," the Englishman admitted. "It appears to be a rift of some kind. Perhaps a portal." Dawn reached up towards the circling disturbance with both hands and the men found themselves suddenly freed. As she reached up they could see something extending down from the cloud. Something that looked exactly like a human hand. For a moment Angel was dizzily reminded of the Sistene Chapel, then Dawn cried out joyfully.

"Guys, everything's okay. It's Willow!"

***********

The energy barrier keeping Anya and Tara out hadn't kept them from being knocked off their feet by the force of the spell. When they looked up, they saw things in a greater disarray around the redhaired witch, and the scrying bowl shattered into a zillion pieces, but Willow was miraculously unhurt. She was kneeling on the seat of her chair, looking down into the strange space of nothingness that had appeared on the surface of the table. Willow ignored the swirling black smoke and crackling red fire that encircled the blackness as she leaned closer. Anya and Tara were frozen in shock as Willow stuck her right hand in all the way to the shoulder and it disappeared.

"She's down there!" Willow called out excitedly. "I see Dawn!"

"Willow, let us in!" Tara demanded. Without looking up, Willow waved her left hand and the barrier was released. The other two women cautiously approached the edge and looked down.

"Holy moley!" Anya exclaimed.

"Yeah," Tara said shakily. They appeared to be hovering about ten feet above Dawn, who was reaching up and trying to grab hold of Willow's hand. They weren‘t even close to reaching each other.

"Where is she? And where's Xander?" Anya asked. She was startled when Dawn answered.

"I'm somewhere under a mountain. Hey Anya! Hey Tara! The guys are here too. Everybody's okay, but the gnome people won't let us leave. And I want to go home." Willow pulled her arm back with a frustrated sigh. "Willow?" Dawn called uncertainly.

"It's okay, Dawnie. Just...regrouping." Tara could see the signs of strain on her girlfriend's face, and grabbed hold of her trembling shoulders gently.

"Will, what's going on?" Tara asked softly. Willow wiped at the trickle of blood that had started to come out of her nose.

"We're running out of time, I'm not sure how much longer I can keep the portal open," she said, trying to keep her voice soft enough so that Dawn wouldn't get worried. The teen heard and focused her mind on maintaining the portal, releasing her hold on the others.

Willow was surprised to feel someone take partial control of the portal. She frowned but the tension in her body eased slightly. "Tara, are you helping me?"

"I am. I can do magick here," Dawn called. "It's so cool."

"Dawn, I very much don't think you should be doing...whatever it is you're doing," Giles said from somewhere out of their view. Willow frowned down at the teen.

"He's right, Dawn. Let it go. This magick's too powerful, it might hurt you. Just tell Giles you need a boost up. Hurry."

***********

Angel was relieved that, although unhurt, the gnomes had stayed down on the ground nearly to a man. They were trembling in fear, and Angel couldn't blame them. This was an incredible sight even for someone who had seen as much as he had.

When they felt themselves getting released they all stood and looked at each other, uncertain what to do next. They had all heard Willow's voice, and while Angel knew probably better than anyone the extent of the young witch's power, he could tell she was fading. Giles’ admonishment of Dawn meant that the full burden of maintaining the portal was now on Willow’s shoulders. The second she mentioned needing to boost Dawn up, Angel ran for Dawn. He was lightning fast. Spike was faster.

Spike bounded to Dawn's side, looking up at the three women back in Sunnydale in amazement. He grabbed Dawn around the waist as the others joined him. Everyone spent a moment simply staring at each other through the portal. Anya and Xander couldn't take their eyes off of each other, while Giles kept muttering something about Willow and dangerous spells.

"Ready, nibblet?" he asked. Dawn nodded, her eyes troubled as she looked from man to man, finally looking back to Spike.

"What's going to happen to you? When I'm gone?"

"Not to worry, pet. We've gotten out of worse...wait a minute. Hey, Red! You haven't by any chance got an Orb of Resh..." he trailed off, looking at Angel questioningly.

"Orb of Resharah," Angel said to Willow. Anya glanced at Tara and nodded. The blonde witch disappeared from view for a second, then returned holding something that looked nearly identical to the Orb of Thessulah. She held it uncertainly over the opening.

"Um, catch," she said, and the Orb dropped into Angel's waiting hands.

"Got it. Thanks," he said.

"Xander, baby, I love you! I miss you! Make sure you come out of this intact!" Anya blurted out. Xander smiled at his girlfriend's worried face.

"I promise. I love you, An," he called back. Anya blinked away fresh tears.

"The portal won't be open much longer," Willow said. "Anya, Tara, anchor me. Ready or not, here I come." Tara opened her mouth to protest, but Willow's resolve face stopped her. Instead Tara quickly recited a strength enhancement spell to effect all three of them. She grabbed Willow’s right leg and Anya grabbed the other. Willow leaned over the entrance.

This time the witch's head and shoulders emerged through the opening. Despite the pain the spell was causing her and the urgency of the situation, Willow couldn't help but grin at seeing her friend's costumes in person. She was completely unaware that as she emerged into the other dimension, the patchwork sweater she had been wearing had become a tight fitting black bodice. Noticing it as she looked at herself, she huffed in annoyance.

"Great, stereotype the witch. Typical," she muttered, then turned to Spike and Dawn. "Spike, try to get Dawn as high as you can. Dawn, grab hold."

"You must hurry," Giles fretted. "The portal is starting to close." The circle of smoke was now more of a misshapen oblong, and the flashes of red were growing larger and more frequent. Spike boosted Dawn towards the witch's waiting arms; Willow grabbed for the girl and missed. Spike swore vehemently.

"Try again," Willow said through gritted teeth. She was pale and the strain of effort was causing her to sweat profusely. The portal was growing smaller and unstable. Angel eyed it with growing alarm.

"If it's as explosive closing as it is opening..." Angel mused. Giles followed his line of thought and blanched.

"We need to get everyone away from here. Xander, help me," Giles ordered.

"And take this," Angel added, handing over the Orb of Resharah

Xander blew Anya one quick final kiss. Then he joined Giles in ushering the gnomes, whose curiosity had finally gotten the better of their fear, to a safe distance. Angel remained behind, adding his strength to Spike's. Dawn flew into Willow's arms almost like a trapeze artist, except she wrapped her arms around the witch's neck. Tara and Anya grunted but held on as Willow's arms encircled the girl's slender frame tightly. The two women strained with effort as they pulled their friends to safety. The four of them collapsed on the floor, breathing hard, and Willow chanted a quick spell of protection.

"Dawn? Is she safe?" Spike called out a bit nervously. Anya got to her feet and looked down at them.

"Dawn's here, everyone's okay. Please tell Xander I love-"

"Anya, get down. It's going to blow!" Willow yelled, her voice quavering with effort. Anya waved at the vampires frantically.

"Get away! It's gonna blow!" Anya shouted as she sprang away from the table. The resulting blast shook the shop, but having learned their lesson they had already hit the ground and Willow's protective barrier kept them from serious harm. The moment the rumbling stopped, the barrier dissolved. Tara and Anya stood shakily, surveying the damage. Willow was slumped on her side, only semi-conscious, Dawn still in her arms. The teen struggled out of her friend's embrace and touched her face gently as Tara knelt down beside.

"Willow? Are you okay?" she asked. She looked at Tara nervously. "Is she okay?"

"M'okay. Just tired," Willow murmured as she passed out.

***********

Spike and Angel managed to escape the immediate vicinity before the portal imploded, rocking the room again. When the dust settled, the portal was gone and only some faint scorching gave any indication that anything unusual had taken place. Queen Unxada and her people poked their heads out from their hiding places.

"Your witch has gone?" the queen asked. Angel nodded.

"She's home."

"Alright, I've had enough of this," Spike said impatiently. "Do the spell, Watcher. Make them human so we can get out of here."

"You can do it, right?" Xander asked Giles solemnly. His brief contact with Anya had made him realize how much he missed her. He was as eager as Spike to get on with this.

"Yes, I think so," Giles said, surprise evident in his voice. "It's quite remarkable...I seem to remember all these spells and I have no idea why."

"I say we shouldn't look a gift spell in the mouth," Angel said. He drew the others aside and whispered so that the gnomes couldn't hear him. "Giles, once you've done this spell, do you think they'll help us? Or do you think they'll still want to keep us around." Giles smiled a bit smugly.

"In fact, I’ve already considered that question and believe I have an agreeable solution. Just leave it to me."

What seemed to Spike like hours later, the spell was finally cast. As the enchantment around them dissolved, the gnomes morphed into their human forms, golden sparks showering off of them as they stretched and looked at each other in amazement and hugged each other in joy. The queen, who they were amused to see in her natural form bore a more than passing resemblance to Cordelia Chase, came to them smiling regally.

"My people and I cannot thank you enough. We are forever in your debt." She looked down at herself and immediately dropped her regal demeanor, giggling like a girl as she twirled in a circle. "I had no idea anything could feel this wonderful!"

"Your Majesty, we must be on our way. Our quest-" Angel began, but the queen cut him off with a wave, immediately resuming her usual deportment.

"Yes, of course. To help you find your way is the least that we can do. It was wrong of me to try to keep you here, I hope you can forgive me."

"What will you do now?" Xander asked curiously. The queen sighed.

"I do not know. It has been hundred years since we were enchanted and forced into this mountain. We no longer have a kingdom to which to return, and no means of fighting the dark wizards even if we could. We are tired of fighting, we wish only to exist in peace."

"I was hoping you would say that, Your Highness," Giles said. "I know a hiding spell. It will allow you to remain undetected so long as you do not perform acts of aggression. If you do not try to take on these dark wizards, they will not even know you still exist." The queen looked like she was afraid to believe this could be true.

"It is more than we could have hoped for. You will perform this spell on us?"

"As soon as we're out of here," Spike said mistrustfully.

"Then we will go now, right away," Queen Unxada replied. She clapped her hands and the people quieted down and turned their attention towards her immediately.

"My people, today we leave this mountain to begin new lives of peace, thanks to these brave and magickal knights." When the cheering at this pronouncement died down, she continued, "Generals, lead us to the surface."

The people streamed in a seemingly endless procession. It seemed to Spike that they walked for hours on the gradual incline before they emerged out a passage that looked different than where they had entered. The snow that had begun falling earlier had left a light covering, sparkling in the sun like a blanket of diamonds.

"We're on the other side of the mountain," Angel remarked.

"And I'm going to say yay for the no more climbing, and a big woo-hoo for the above-groundness," Xander said, squinting in the late afternoon sun. "Man, it felt like we were buried...heh. Sorry." He gave apologetic glances to the two vampires.

"Are you ready?" Giles asked, and the queen nodded for her subjects. Giles began to move away, signaling for the others to do the same. Raising his arms as if giving a blessing, Giles cried out in a loud commanding voice, "Abscondus eletben levo evanuis pax!" The mountain and the former gnomes shimmered and faded out of sight.

"Wow. Go David Copperfield!" Xander said in admiration. At Angel's confused frown, Spike added derisively, "Get your head out of your books and turn on the telly once in a while, you ponce!"

"I know about the illusionist...I actually prefer David Blaine," Angel rebutted calmly. "I'm just thinking that this is the part where we usually find ourselves in a forest." The others looked around and saw what he'd already noted. The rocky terrain remained. In fact large rocks blocked their passage in almost every direction except for one.

"But instead we've got big rocks. Charming," Spike said snippily.

"We've got a path," Xander pointed out. The four men shrugged and began to proceed. Spike was the last to turn down the path, walking a few steps behind the others.

"Does it have to be so bloody cold?" Spike grumbled. The other three exchanged an amused look as they continued down the path, and Spike glowered at their backs. "For the last time, I am not afraid!"

They reached a clearing. A dark cabin, a roaring fire, and a somber Slayer greeted them. Buffy's gown was winter white, but it was almost completely covered by a fur-lined dark green cloak. She looked at them each in turn, her expression telling her feelings eloquently even before she spoke.

"Thank you for...for helping Dawn. They wouldn't let me...but you were there for her. All of you. It means so much to me. It means everything."

"We'd all give our lives for her, Buff," Xander said simply. Spike stepped forward, locking eyes with the Slayer.

"Even those of us without lives to give," he said with a small smile. After a moment she returned it, and he was struck by how beautiful she looked with the firelight dancing in her eyes. Spike opened his mouth again, but found himself unable to speak. Instead he dropped to his knees before her, bowing his head as if in prayer. Buffy blinked in amazement, then gathered herself and proceeded with the matter at hand.

"Who seeks the Blade of Denis?" she called out. Now that he wasn't looking at her, Spike found his voice.

"That would be me, as if you didn't already know. Can we get on with this? It's freezing!" he snapped. Buffy looked surprised, then cocked a questioning eyebrow at Angel. The dark-haired vampire mouthed, 'He's scared,' almost making her giggle. But when Spike looked up suspiciously her face was composed and aloof.

"Leave your weapons here and proceed when ready," she commanded, turning and disappearing into the cave. Spike rose and followed close behind. The others settled in around the fire, warming themselves in silence for a time.

Xander finally spoke quietly, "Should we be worried?"

"About Spike?" Giles asked.

"Uh-huh," Xander answered, then continued hesitantly, "I saw the way both of you looked after. I get that whatever this test thing is, it's tough. And even though I might be starting to like the guy - and if either of you ever tell him that I'll deny it - he is a soulless vampire. Is he gonna make it?"

Giles and Angel shared a look that was in essence a silent discussion.

Finally Giles said, "It all comes down to loving Buffy. He's here because of his feelings for her, and I think he'll pull through.”

"He might even have it easier," Angel said bleakly. "There's nothing he wants more than Buffy back." At that, with memories of their own tests tightening their chests, Giles and Angel both turned away from Xander and lapsed into silence. The younger man gazed into the fire as if it held all the answers until they all fell into dreamless sleep.

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"Think of the thing you most regret...the moment you wish you could do over again..."

Spike started when Buffy's voice whispered at him in the darkness, but the memory came immediately, fresh and clear as if it were happening all over again. And then suddenly it was, much to his distress. Only this time he was an observer, watching himself try to rescue Dawn and fail, watching his body get unceremoniously knocked off of the tower. Brought to ruin by Doc, a character he had greatly underestimated. He had to turn away when Buffy came to the top of the tower to save her sister.

"Why?" Buffy asked him, and he was suddenly aware of her presence beside him. He found himself fighting back tears.

"Because it's my fault you died. If I had stopped that...if he hadn't of made Dawn bleed, you wouldn't have had to...to do what you did."

"But you're sure that it's your deepest regret?" Buffy insisted. "You're sure there isn't something else?"

Spike's expression became uncertain, and the scene shifted. Now they both saw him standing on the UC-Sunnydale campus. They both winced when they saw him get hit by tazers and captured by the Initiative. A moment later the scene switched back to the tower, then back again to the Initiative. Buffy looked at the vacillating vampire not unkindly.

"If it wasn't for the chip, you never would have fallen in love with me," she said softly. His eyes widened in surprise at her acknowledgement of his feelings, then his shoulders slouched.

"I don't know," he admitted, his voice harsh with emotion. "It's all so bloody confusing. And being in love with you, Slayer, knowing you don't love me back, watching you die...it's been complete and utter hell. You have no idea how much it hurts."

The scene shifted back to her death on the tower; they both watched the injured Spike weep at her grave. He turned away from the sight of both of them.

"It doesn't matter how I came to love you...I just do, and losing you was the worst thing that ever happened to me..."

"Tsk tsk. You didn't tell the truth. Bad dog."

The words hung in the air for a moment before Spike turned. He already knew what he would find when he did; he could sense her now.

"Hullo, Dru."

His sire smiled at him, twirling around in the dress and cloak that Buffy had been wearing moments before.

"Spike...isn't it pretty. Don't I look like a princess? Your Snow Queen?" she cooed. She finished twirling with her back to him. Spike swallowed hard.

"Where's the Slayer, pet?" he asked carefully. Drusilla didn't turn around, but her shoulders began to shake as if she were crying. Or laughing.

"All you care about. The Slayer," she said sadly. "You've gone wrong, Spike. Something bad's gotten into your heart," she said, whirling on him in full vamp face. Spike tried to step back but he was frozen in place. Dru was holding a gleaming black sword, and she touched the point of it lightly to the left side of his chest. She smiled, her insane eyes dancing at his growing fear. Dru moved the sword to the side of his neck in the blink of an eye. The blade was so sharp Spike couldn't even feel it, but he could feel a trickle of blood slowly trailing downward and knew that she had cut him. Dru licked her lips hungrily.

"Or maybe the something bad is in your head. Maybe I should just...cut...it...out."

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