Dead Ringer

Chapter 5

*Trigger warning: mentions of murder, angst, blood and drowning*

(Continuation of Dream, Spike and Nova's POV)

"W-William Pratt, ma'am", I say a bit nervous, I knew this timeline somehow, but I didn't also it felt very familiar. "Yes madam, shall I send him up", the maid asked me. "Yes you shall", I say grabbing a near by victorian style robe with light pink lace detailing. Suddenly, the door opens to a shy man with glasses, in a tweed, light brown suit, holding a bouquet of white daffodils. This is William, William Pratt, William the bloody...Spike, he was even more handsome than I knew him to be, I blush as he entered my quarters.

"Eliza, you look very beautiful tonight", he says in disbelief, as he hands me the bouquet, did he not recognize me as Nova..wait Eliza, why does that name sound so...familiar.

Spike's POV
I hand Eliza the flowers, she looked so beautiful with the light of the small flame lamp near by and the moonlight shining through the the...wait....why am I here, and why in the bloody hell did she just call me William, what is Nova playing at. I try to make out Nova's name but my brand only operates as William Pratt and not Spike, is-is this a dream, if so get me out of this crappy body, Liza...I mean Nova, deserves Spike, not this bloody terrible poet.
"Eliza..", I clear my throat still unable to say Nova's name....god was she ever so beautiful, "I came by as quickly as I could, I couldn't tell you then but there is something I have to tell you", Oh I remember now, I know exactly what's happening, this was the last time I saw Liza...my sweet sweet Liza, before Druscilla turned me. This night replays in my mind over and over, but something about this night feels a bit different, like I know it's Liza but this isn't just Eliza, it's also Nova...somehow.

"I love you Eliza...I have always loved you", I go to her and hold her close, "my poetry was always for you, my heart burns for you liza...", I remember the next words she said to me, they where like a knife in my human soul, the reason I could never let up. In reality, I never actually watched Liza grow old, that was extremely fabricated because I could not bear the truth of what actually happened to her, and now I have to relive this with Nova...

Eliza stroked William's face as tears form within her eyes, she loved him deeply but knew that she could not be with him because she had to leave England, her father had past away, and her mother had remarried a wealthy man, but in return is being forced out of her beautiful home. "William, I love you so much...but, I must tell you, tonight is my last night here in London, my mother is forcing us to leave, and I ...I cannot let her go alone", Liza let's tears shed as her heart broke at the words she said. She always knew she would be with William, but she knew there love was too good to be true, for them to last.

William held her closer as he wiped her tears away from her face. "Liza, I cannot let you leave, let's....let's run away....leave this god awful town, go to the countryside and start a new.", he said, hugging her tightly. She pushed away in frustration, "William you know I cannot do that, what about mother...", before she could finish, William kissed her with such passion. Pulling away he looks her in her eyes, " I cannot, and I will not live without you, I will not loose you, I will follow you to the ends of the earth, Eliza, please we cannot be apart", he caressed he face ever so gently. "But William, where would we go, how could we pull off such a stunt, how will we survive?", Liza says, now considering the idea of leaving with him. She had a life of her own to live, she and William belonged together and nothing could change that for her.

"We can figure that out together...just meet me by the lake before sunrise, near our shaded willow tree, pack your bags and I will be there and we will leave on foot", William says exiting. "I will see you soon my love", she says before closing the door.

Nova's POV
I pace back and forth near the willow tree William told me to meet him. It will be dawn soon and I have no sign of him. I suddenly hear footsteps behind me hoping it's William, I stay turned away from the stranger. "Finally my love, I waited like you said..." suddenly I hear an unfamiliar male voice approach me, this was not my William. "Well, what is a beautiful maiden such as you doing alone in the dark", he says, as I turn around from fear, I see a tall fella, with long hair and a devious smirk. Wait....Angel...? Why is Angel here...what is happening?

"Well what I'm doing here is none of your concern, please leave me to my lonesome", Liza says turning back on her heels, before being grabbed tightly around the wrist. Whatever this man wanted could not be good. "Didn't your mother teach your manners when speaking to a gentleman", Angelous snatched Liza by the wrist, slamming her against the willow tree. All both Liza and Nova could feel was fear, unable to fight back against his strength, she tears up. "P..please don't hurt me", Liza says with pure terror in her eyes. Angel leaned in closely as his face changed to a demonic form, while Nova knew who he was, Eliza did not, "Oh my sweet, this will only hurt....a lot", he takes a huge bite into Liza's neck, before she could scream, he covered her mouth, he was draining her dry, and Nova could not do anything about it, she felt paralyzed in a dolls body, she could feel her life leaving her as he continued. When he was done, he tossed her bloody corpse and belongings into the lake, the weak body of Eliza, floated deeper and deeper into the lake, and all she could think about was William in her last moments, where was he, would he even find her. Her weak body tried to fight, but she could feel water entering her system the more she fought, the lower her body went, she was drowning....she was dying. Choking violently on water to the point her pain became overbearing.....NOVA WAKE UP!

Nova shot up from the bed in a cold sweat, fangs out and almost dry heaving.....did Spike know what happened, was that really how Eliza died, and if so that wouldn't make Nova her descendant...that made her the reincarnation of Eliza.