Chapter 3: Rainbow Over The
“Where am I?” Spike demanded. “I was fighting…”
“Nice to see you too, Spike.” Anya replied pointedly, still smiling.
Spike stared at her.
“But you’re dead!” He said in total confusion.
“Yes, I died in Sunnydale.” Her perky smile never faded.
“Where are we?” He asked again.
“I’ll tell you when the others get here.” She told him.
There was a squelching sound and Angel appeared to his left. Another squelch and Illyria turned up on his right.
“Where are we?” Angel demanded from him.
“That’s what I’m still trying to find out.” Spike replied and looked pointedly at Anya.
“Hello.” Anya said, inclining her head towards Angel and then Illyria. “I’m Anya.”
“She’s dead.” Spike told Angel.
“What?!” Angel said.
“Anya, an explanation would be good right now but, somehow, I’m guessing we didn’t survive the fight.” Spike suggested.
“Nope. You lost. Badly.” She said smartly. “But the good news is that you went out champions.”
“But did we destroy Wolfram and Hart’s operation on Earth?” Angel asked anxiously.
“You hurt them very badly.” Anya told them. “They’re mighty pissed at you.” She smiled even more broadly. “But that shouldn’t matter to you anymore!”
“Why?” Spike asked sarcastically. “You’re not saying we made it to heaven?” He snorted derisively.
“Close enough.” Anya said happily. “Congratulations boys. Welcome to your life.”
“Huh?” Angel queried.
“Just listen.” She put her finger to her lips to shush them.
Spike did just that; closed his mouth and listened. There were no birds, no sounds and he started to frown, wondering what the bloody hell she was on about but then he heard it. Somewhere near by there was a subtle rhythmic throbbing sound. He realised slowly that it was coming from him. He put his hand to his chest and, for the first time in over one hundred years, he felt his heart pounding.
“Angel!” He exclaimed looking up at the other man.
Angel had obviously just realised the same thing that Spike had because he broke out into a huge grin. Spike whooped happily and the two men grabbed onto each other… hugging, shrieking, grinning and dancing around happily…
“Why am I here?” Illyria asked Anya in her mono tone, ignoring the boys and their happy dance.
“You’re a champion too.” Anya replied with her perky smile.
“I’m not part of this prophecy.” Illyria said. “Why am I here?”
The smile wavered but didn’t disappear.
“The Powers That Be didn’t tell me everything. They just said to expect you. Maybe they decided to give you a free pass too, another shot at life?”
“Then where is Wesley? Why didn’t he get one?” The icy cold stare fixed on her. “And Gunn?”
“You’re not easy to please, are you missy?” Anya frowned.
“Something is wrong here.” Illyria said but Anya turned away from her dismissively and went back to the men.
“Come on, no time to waste. Let’s get you settled in to your new lives.” She said.
“Is this Earth?” Spike asked, still grinning like an idiot.
“Not quite.” Anya replied apologetically. “That’s the one thing that wasn’t in the prophecy, I’m afraid. You get to live until you die, but you can only do it here.” The smile went away. “You can’t ever go back there.”
“Typical bloody prophecy!” Spike snorted, he turned to Angel. “Well, least we don’t have to fight about who gets to go after Buffy…”
The former vampires, now human, set off with the dead Anya across the field, chatting happily, as giddy as schoolboys eager to explore their reward. The sun started to come up over the horizon and they basked in its beauty and majesty.
Illyria followed some way behind. She didn’t like this at all.