Breaking Free
Kereia (Moonlight
Spike)
Rating: NC-17
Two years ago:
The large office at the back of the antique shop had been overflowing with activity the whole day.
The school had crumbled down during the Ascension, and Giles was forced to find himself another job since reconstruction would probably take close to another year. Deciding that Sunnydale already had enough book stores, he figured that an antique shop would not only give him the means to earn enough money to have a decent live, but also give him the opportunity to stay close to his true profession.
With the large amount of obscure and dated objects inhabiting the many shelves and glass cabinets, it was not very difficult to maintain a normal and mundane outside appearance. It also helped cover up the nocturnal activities involving vampires, demons and, on occasion, magical artifacts and powerful gems. On the contrary, over the last four months, the former Watcher had discovered the amazing advantages that the antique shop offered.
During the first two months of business Giles had been busy making important connections throughout the world of art. Thanks to Joyce and her art gallery, it hadn’t been all that difficult to get to know the right people who soon came to pay him a visit, seeking verification of authenticity on various objects.
On some of those occasions, Giles found an almost peculiar amount of artifacts that were well known to him, and could be useful in his never-ending quest against darkness. Therefore he simply bought those artifacts, after giving their former owners the impression that they were either a fraud or of little value. Despite these little non-ethical actions his expertise was valued among his customers, and soon enough he received shipments from all over the world.
Today was one of those days. A new shipment had arrived and half the Scooby Gang had been busy helping their friend and mentor to catalogue and store a large amount of items from Nigeria.
After college classes were out, Buffy and Willow joined their friends, Buffy to get ready for patrol and maybe pummel the punching bag a little bit and Willow to live through another training session with Giles. She had taken up training shortly after graduation, deciding that it was about time she learned to defend herself when she accompanied the Slayer on patrol.
The two friends entered through the back door to find themselves amidst chaos. Opened and unopened crates were scattered throughout the room. Packing material littered the floor and every available surface. The large desk and computer were buried underneath a very long stretch of print out paper, which upon closer inspection turned out to be the delivery note.
Xander and Oz were both sitting on the floor. Oz had a small wooden statue in his hands, while Xander searched the list for a matching description. Giles was nowhere in sight, but the loud rumbling that was followed by the sound of breaking glass indicated that he was somewhere at the front of the store.
Chuckling, the four young adults exchanged greetings, when a cursing Giles appeared in the doorway of the office, holding variously sized glass shards in his hands. Considering the current state of disorder that was displayed not only in the back office but also throughout the whole shop, Buffy and Willow decided to skip training and help their friends. Afterwards they made their way to one of Sunnydale’s numerous cemeteries once it got dark.
Their patrol proved to be uneventful, as they continued to stroll through the darkened streets. Nonetheless they diligently did a second sweep of the town, hoping that at least a fledgling would pop up in order to render this night into not a total waste of time. When they exited the last cemetery, they still hadn’t found anything out of the ordinary so they decided to head towards Giles’ antique shop, knowing that he and their friends would still be waiting there.
Buffy was the first to enter the office and froze causing Willow, who was right behind her, to bump against her back. Rubbing her nose, she asked what was wrong. When she didn’t receive an answer, she curiously took a step to the side to look around the Slayer.
Giles was sitting in the office chair by the desk, sipping a cup of hot tea. Oz and Xander were leaning on the wall behind the desk and sitting on the desk respectively. There were two other people in the room, standing with their backs to them but were already in motion to confront them.
Willow gasped.
Even without looking at their faces she would have known who those two people were. She’d recognize them anywhere. One, because he was their friend. The other, because he’d tried to kill her and Buffy on more than one occasion.
Angel gave them a small not - very - happy smile. “Hi Buffy, Willow.”
Buffy was about to say something, but it was Xander who beat her to it. “Hey, Buff. You won’t believe what’s going on here. I sure don’t, but anyway, get this: Dear Deadboy over here came by to drop off his childe. Now, I’m sure you’d like to know why, because, believe it or not, you’re not allowed to stake him. Whistler discarded him at Angel’s in L.A., telling him that he lost a bet and is now supposed to help you. He now must be a good puppy or they’re gonna...”
“Xander!” Giles exasperated tone cut the brunette off. “Maybe we should let Angel explain this one more time. Because, frankly, I am not sure I understand any of this either.” The sarcasm in his voice clearly indicating that he did understand very well, he just didn’t want to believe it.
Meanwhile, Buffy had walked towards Angel, as Willow had hurried over to her boyfriend. Comforted by Oz’s embrace Willow watched as the Slayer eyed Spike for a second, who was standing next to them, then chose to ignore him, since he seemed to be even more drunk than the last time they’d met him. “Angel, what’s going on?” she asked, reaching for his hand.
Sighing, Angel resigned himself to telling the story all over again. How he and Cordelia had come home from a night of excessive demon hunting to find Whistler and an unconscious Spike at his doorstep. How Whistler had told him about the bet Spike had made with a demon like Whistler. How Spike had been completely drunk at that time and therefore lost the bet. How he was supposed to work with her now, if he didn’t want to get his soul back. Most of all, how he absolutely hated to leave Spike here with her, but had no means of preventing it.
That had been two years ago.
Ducking below the swing of the double-edged blade, Buffy rolled to her feet in one fluid motion. Without turning around, she lashed out with her foot catching her attacker right in the middle of his chest. He tumbled backwards, barely avoiding falling over the low park bench situated behind him. Buffy jumped after him, grabbing his sword arm, twisting as hard as she could. With a painful outcry, the demon let the sword fall to the ground. He clutched his broken wrist and brought his knee up to ward off the tackling Slayer.
Spike drove the stake through one of the fledglings that had surrounded him. The fledgling exploded to dust just as a tall, lanky vampire grabbed him by the back of his duster. Spike whirled around, breaking the grip. Two well-placed punches sent his opponent stumbling and he quickly embedded the pointy wood in his chest.
Buffy grabbed the demon’s leg and pulled, sending him falling to the ground. He landed on his butt, where the Slayer’s boot clad foot made a forceful acquaintance with his face. Howling, he fell backwards but used the movement to flip his legs over his head and roll to his feet. A powerful roundhouse sent the last minion crashing against the wall of a mausoleum. The female vamp however barely acknowledged the blow and rebounded right back off the wall, sending a high kick to Spike’s face. He let his head fall backwards with the blow and quickly jumped to the side, anticipating the vampire’s next move.
Buffy grabbed the sword that lay next to her feet just as the demon came to a standing position. With practiced ease she swung the blade, turning with the movement to gain momentum. Grunting with effort, she aimed the sword at his neck, where it severed his head.
Spike grabbed the outstretched leg of the fledgling and threw her off balance. A straight right to her face made her fall to the ground, disoriented. With a quick movement, Spike brought the stake down and dusted the vampire as Buffy walked over to him.
She tapped him on his shoulder and he whirled around with the stake raised expecting another attack. When he realized who it was, he let his hand drop to his side, a wide smile illuminating his handsome face.
“Why, if it isn’t my favorite Slayer.” He took a quick look over her shoulder, noting the decapitated demon lying on the ground. “Nice job, luv.”
Returning the smile, Buffy dismissed the comment with a shrug. “Wasn’t all that hard.”
Spike chuckled quietly, earning him a playful glare from the Slayer. “Of course not, pet.”
She hated it when he called her that and he knew that she hated it, just as she knew that he knew that she hated it, which was exactly the reason he kept calling her that.
Swatting his shoulder with her fist, she started to walk towards the cemetery’s exit, having promised Giles to stop by after patrol. They had been out here for a reason tonight, other than their usual nightly sweep of the town. Over the last two weeks the numbers of vampires calling Sunnydale their home had been steadily decreasing, almost as if they were fleeing the area. Then, in the space of one night to the next, the Slayer and her companions became busy once again. The new vamps that invaded her town were always attacking in groups of three or four and usually a demon was accompanying them. The demons always looked the same, dressed in shabby leather and a crimson cape that spoke of former wealth and glory. Their weapons of choice were swords, but so far the Slayer and the rest of the Scooby gang hadn’t had much trouble in dealing with them.
Giles had been researching furiously with Willow and Oz’s help, but so far they hadn’t been able to come up with anything useful. Tonight though, things had been different. Instead of confronting and fighting the demons and their vampiric escorts right away, Spike had made the suggestion to follow them. Doing so, they had found an underground enclave that hosted at least two hundred vampires and about fifty of the sword swinging demons. They were gathered around a small alcove, where a pompous, richly engraved throne was located. A sparkling, golden amulet was draped over the back of the chair and it seemed that preparations were made to properly celebrate the arrival of a king or in the demonic case--a Master.
Buffy had been about to turn around right then and there, but Spike’s hand on her shoulder had halted her. He disappeared for a couple of minutes, leaving an increasingly nervous Slayer hiding behind the entrance to the cave. When he had returned, the golden amulet was firmly fastened around his neck. They had almost made it out of the adjourning sewer tunnels, when they’d run across one of the demons, which had come out tonight to welcome a few new minions to his little family. Left with no choice but to fight them, they had stood side by side dividing the enemies among them.
Stealthily, they slipped through the back door into the dark room. Moonlight was casting shadows along their way as they walked toward the staircase that led down to the basement, which had been divided into a library, a gym and a general research area. They descended the stairs to find Willow and Oz involved in a serious lip lock, lying on the mats underneath the punching bag. Chuckling, they passed the oblivious couple and entered the library, where Xander and Giles were busy turning pages of big, old, dusty books. Taking turns, Buffy and Spike explained what they had found out.
“That is quiet interesting, I must say. Although stealing the amulet, was rather reckless, Spike.” Giles took of his glasses off to clean them and stood up to walk around the table. He took a small, leather-bound book off of a shelf on the south wall and walked back to the table. “Now, may I see this amulet, please?”
“What amulet?” Spike asked innocently.
Buffy scowled and stepped in front of him pushing his duster aside. When she didn’t find the gem, she grabbed the top of his red silk shirt and carelessly ripped it open, buttons flying everywhere.
“Now, now luv, you really have to learn to restrain yourself around me.” Spike chuckled as she grabbed the chain and pulled the amulet out from under his black shirt.
“Can’t help it. You bring out the worst in me.” She retaliated just as sweetly.
Spike raised an eyebrow and put his hands up to his chest to cover his unbeating heart in mock outrage, causing the Slayer to grin despite her determination not to. She handed the amulet to Giles who had watched the little exchange with a mixture of amusement and amazement. It never failed to surprise him how much those two had changed during the last two years.
The night Angel had left a drunk Spike, who was barely able to stand by himself with them, a full-fledged argument had broken loose. Buffy and Xander had wanted to stake the peroxide blonde vampire right away. Willow and Giles had spoken in favor of considering the possibilities that having Spike’s help presented. In the end it had been Oz who had kept them from jumping at each other’s throats.
Spike had spent the next two days tied up in the basement, while the Scooby Gang had discussed their options. When they had finally bothered to check on him, he had been sober but also half way starved. Not surprisingly, a homicidal tendency had been his initial reaction towards Xander’s accidental approach when Willow had bumped into him.
After prying his hands off the whimpering brunette, Buffy had been gracious enough to feed him some pig’s blood and they had settled for conversation instead of mayhem, bloodshed and torture.
The deal was that Spike had to help the Slayer in her fight against vampires and demons. If he refused to do so, he would be cursed with a soul. Since he had no intention whatsoever of turning into his sire, he resigned himself to his fate. Though of course, not without a lot of cursing and grumbling.
Buffy had been less than enthusiastic about working with him Not just because that meant that he would remain undead for now but also because it meant that she had to trust him enough to turn her back on him while she was fighting. The next few months had been hell, for all of them. Buffy and Spike had been incapable of being in the same room with each other without turning it into a nuclear war zone. Their patrols however had gone astonishingly well and together, they soon earned themselves a reputation that kept the vampire population of Sunnydale at an all time low.
It had been about seven months into their reluctant alliance when Xander, Oz, Willow and Giles had been captured during a nightly hunt. In order to save them, they’d had no other choice but to work together. No one knew what transpired between the Slayer and the bleached blond vampire but when they finally rescued their friends, their relationship changed. They started to work together, keeping their yelling and fighting to an absolute minimum. Still, it had taken almost another year to let them settle into the comfortable friendship they now shared. They still fought and bickered, except now it was done with an underlying respect for each other. Insults were thrown playfully and dismissed with ease, neither one of them taking them too seriously.
After her classes the next day, Buffy stopped by Spike’s place. Giles had called and said that she should bring the vampire with her before they went on patrol. He’d found some information regarding the amulet. Grinning, she opened the door recalling the moment two month ago when Spike had given her the key to his house. He’d been so awkward and nervous about it, that she was actually able tell. He normally kept a suave and indifferent facade up but on occasions, such as this one, he’d let it slip; revealing a man that Buffy would have never believed possible to exist, what with him being a vampire and all.
Loud music was blaring from the expensive sound system situated on the east wall, complete with a TV and VCR. There was a surprising comfortable modern furnished living room. In front of the entertainment center was a low glass table surrounded by a cream-colored leather couch and recliner. Two glass cabinets stood to the right against the wall, their color matching the beige carpet. The remaining wall to the left was lined with well-stocked bookcases and the front door. The large room led directly into an open kitchen, which was, regarding the nature of the house inhabitant, seldom used.
Crossing the living room, Buffy stepped through the short arcade, separating the living room and another equally large room occupied mainly by a piano and more shelves. The floor length windows to the right were draped with heavy curtains, while the skylight taking up a quarter of the room, had been covered with layer upon layer of black paint. The remaining three quarters of the ceiling supported the second floor, which a broad staircase, situated against the length of the far wall, led.
Speakers had been installed all over the house to guarantee early deafness, thus it would be totally useless to call out Spike’s name. Sighing, the Slayer ascended the white marble stairs, keeping far left against the wall because there was no balustrade. Checking the first bedroom-that had been turned into a sort-of-office, stocked with a computer system that would give Willow a heart attack, she moved on to the master bedroom, knocking loudly at the door in order to be heard.
Knocking twice more, she opened the door when she didn’t receive an answer. The prominent item in the room was a king-sized bed, with dark blue satin sheets. A separate CD player stood on top of a small glass cabinet to the right. Two-night stands were directly beside both sides of the bed and various drawings occupied the walls. Spike was nowhere in sight. Cursing, she closed the door and turned around to check the remaining rooms.
She didn’t get far. Gasping, she tried to take shaky breaths, as she was confronted with the sight in front of her.
Spike. Wet. Naked.
All right, almost naked, for he had a towel wrapped around his waist. Buffy felt her skin begin to burn, as her face turned several shades of red. Her make-up doing little to compensate for her change in color.
“Are you looking for someone in particular, pet?” He smirked at her, apparently totally comfortable with his lack of clothing.
“Uh...I...uh...yeah...” Buffy stammered, unconsciously taking a step backwards till her back was flat against the door. His smile grew making her knees shaky before she could get a grip on herself.
“And what do you want from that someone, once you find him?” he asked, stepping towards her and reaching out with his right hand.
“I...uh...I...just...GILES! That’s right...uh...Giles wanted to...to...”
Spike leaned closer until their faces were only inches apart and Buffy lost what little ability she had left to speak. Then Spike turned the knob on the door and opened it.
With a squeak, Buffy tumbled backwards breaking the spell she was under. Spike quickly caught her in his arms, although it wasn’t necessary, since Buffy had already regained her footing.
“Giles needs to talk to us. He found information about the vamps and demons. So you should hurry up, getting dressed, it’s almost sundown.” She said in a rush. Lightly but firmly, she pushed him away from her, trying to ignore the feel of his smooth skin underneath her fingertips.
“Be right out, luv.” he said and let go of her. Buffy took a deep breath, regaining control over her raging emotions and ran a hand over her hair. She pressed the palm of her hands against her cheeks to check if they still felt hot. They did.
She had been desperately trying to avoid making eye contact with the bleached blond vampire but when she heard him cough politely, her gaze shot up to meet his.
“You gonna stay for the show?” he inquired starting to tug on the towel.
Once more incapable of speech or thought at this point, she left the room, shutting the door firmly behind her. She walked downstairs to wait in the living room and decided to turn off the music. Afterwards she sank against the wall, trying not to hyperventilate as she remembered his long, elegant fingers playing with the hem of a certain white towel fastened around his hips. That same towel catching the remaining drops of water that had trailed down his alabaster skin. It took her a couple of minutes to regain her composure.
Then, she started chiding herself. She had long ago given up on any pretense to herself. She was in love with Spike and had one MAJOR case of wanting -to - constantly - jump - his – bones syndrome. She tried hard to hide it from her friends and most especially from the peroxide blonde vampire himself. Sometimes though, her brain went on vacation leaving the rest of her emotional self behind to deal, usually ending in disaster.
This had not been the first time that a conversation or an exchanged glance held the underlying thrill of innuendo to it. They had teased each other from time to time, but while it seemed to be just that to him, teasing, it was torture to her. After Angel, she had sworn that she’d never fall for another vampire again but Spike had somehow managed to make her do it anyway. At first she’d gone into denial, then she’d started to fight it. Until finally she had resigned herself to just accepting that she loved him, as well as that she could never be with him since he still loved Drusilla.
He told her that after his short visit to Sunnydale, he had indeed gone back and tortured her into loving him again. Celebrating his victory, he had decided to get utterly and completely drunk. That’s when he had met the demon, which had put him into his present predicament. Too drunk to care that losing would mean working with the Slayer, he had accepted the bet, confident that he would win. He didn’t. Now he was forced to work by her side, until he could find a way out of this situation and go back to his dark goddess, making her love him once again.
Sighing, Buffy waited till Spike came bouncing down the stairs and joined her in the living room, before they went to Giles’ antique shop.
“Sounds fun.”
“Yeah. Right. Who’d want to miss that party?” Xander glared at Spike, who was lazily leaning against one of the library’s bookshelves.
“It would be of great advantage if-if we could keep the...uh...party from occurring in the first place.” Giles brought the conversation back on track. “Once Callistomar rises, we will have no chance at all, if he can still rely on the strength of his army.”
“All right, let me try to sum this up.” Buffy interjected. “These sword swinging demons are the leaders of Callistomar’s army. The army being the vampires, right? So Callistomar will rise...I mean, will be conjured with a spell to be their king and his presents will give the demons as well as the vampires additional power, up to a point where the will be pretty much invincible.”
“That is correct, Buffy.”
“Than we’ll have to eliminate his army as soon as possible, meaning before Callistomar rises.” Willow said.
“But how do we kill a whole army of vamps and demons? From what Buffy and Spike told us, here are already hundreds of them down in the cavern. And we’ll have to do it fast, because they’re probably gonna perform the spell soon.” Xander frowned.
Giles nervously fumbled with his glasses, as he reread the last passage of the book in front of him. “Actually, I’m afraid, that the spell was already cast.”
“What?”
“Come again?”
“Huh?”
“It seems that the spell involving the rise of Callistomar has to be cast during the last full moon of his reign, which was according to this book, uh...April.”
“The full moon of this month was last week,” Oz said.
“Indeed, however, apparently it takes some time for Callistomar to gather his power, so he won’t actually rise till the new moon, which will be in ten days, exactly.” Giles continued, rapidly flipping pages.
“O.K. that means we got ten days to kill his army.” Buffy unconsciously started pacing, a habit she had picked up from Spike. “What we need is a plan.”
Surprisingly it was Xander, who spoke up. “Can’t we try to trap them inside the cave and burn the whole place down?”
Considering that idea, Spike cocked his head to one side. “Actually that could work. There was only one other way out, beside the one we came through. I bet the vampires stay inside the cave during the day, since you said the demons are the leaders and at that really a bunch of control freaks. It wouldn’t surprise me if all or at least most of the demons, would be there, too.”
Buffy went over to the table, grabbing a pen and a sheet of paper from the desk. She roughly drew an outline of the cave. “All right Xander, Giles and Oz will be at the south entrance, where Spike and I were hiding last night. Willow could you work some witchcraft to make Spike and me invisible for a couple of minutes?”
The redheaded witch cringed. “I could but that kind of spell requires a lot of strength and concentration. I better ask Amy if she can help me with it, just to be safe.”
“Great, here’s the deal. Spike and I will sneak in and put some explosive devices in a couple of strategically important places, while...what?”
Giles and Xander were merely grinning, while Spike and Willow were outright laughing at her.
“Sorry. It’s just...explosive devises, strategically important...you’ve been spending too much time around Giles and that Mr. I-am-gonna-join-the-military-and-become-a-bomb-specialist Zachary Cain, before you broke up with him, that is.” Xander scoffed.
Frowning, Buffy picked up where she’d left off. “Whatever. Giles taught me how to build this kind of stuff and as I recall, they’ve been useful more than once. Anyway, Giles, Xander and Oz will be armed with flame-throwers along with the usual stakes and crosses. Maybe a sword would be helpful, too. Willow will wait at in the sewer tunnels till Spike and I join her. Then we’ll blow the cave and take out any remaining demons who manage to make it outside.”
“Sounds like a plan, luv. Risky, but a plan. Besides I like risky.”
The rest of the night was spent putting the plan into detail. It was decided that they were going to try their attack in three days, since preparations would take that long.
Sunrise was only a few minutes away when Spike arrived at his house. He was about to open the front door, when a low noise made him hesitate.
“Show yourself, “ he demanded.
A young handsome man appeared out of the shadows of the trees that stood to the right of the entrance. He cautiously stepped forward and addressed the blond vampire. “Are you Spike?”
“What if I am?” Spike quickly determined that the man was a vampire, too, a fledgling who posed no danger to him.
“I have a message for you, from my mistress.”
“Is that so? And who might this mistress of yours be then, mate?”
“Mistress Drusilla.”
Instantly Spike was all attention. He hadn’t heard from Dru since he started working for the good side. Whistler had promised to inform her of his predicament, but he had never gotten a reply or any affirmation that he had actually told her.
“She needs your help.”
“What happened?”
“She was taken hostage by a Master. His name is Daryll. He killed her doll,” the fledgling explained nervously, jumping backwards as the master vampire in front of him vamped out. Spike determinedly stepped forward and grabbed his beloved’s childe by the lapels of his jacket. “Where is she?”
“She…she is held in a small church, south of San Antonio, Texas. Daryll is the Master of the city. He wants Drusilla as his queen, but she refused. Said something about Miss Edith not liking him. So he locked her up, starved her until she agreed to become his mate. He’s the traditional kind, you know. Wants to have a whole traditional ceremony to make it official and all. So Daryll gave her me, for food. She turned me and sent me here to tell you to get her out of there, so she can get a new teacup for Miss Edith. She broke the last one, because she burned her lips on the hot tea.”
Spike frantically tried to deal with this news. “When will the ceremony take place?” he finally asked.
“In seven days, on Thursday,” the fledgling replied. Spike was pacing. That by itself was not very surprising, because he was usually pacing whenever he had nothing better to do. Plus he felt like he would crawl out of his own skin, for lack of action. The sunny hours of the day had always been aggravating to him but now he was more aggravated than usual.
He had sent the vampire off after he had gotten the exact address of Drusilla’s whereabouts. He needed to find her. He needed to save his black goddess no matter the cost, but he was not foolish enough to believe he could take on a Master of a city and all of his minions all by himself. He would need help. However, the only help he could get was the Slayer’s, and even that had a big “maybe” attached to it. For one thing, she would be busy with Callistomar’s army. And secondly, even though she had befriended him, she had never forgotten that Drusilla had killed Kendra, which would make it even harder to convince her to help him. Still, he had to try.
The room was dark, the shades drawn tightly to keep the sunlight out. On the bed underneath the covers lay the Slayer, curled up, hugging her pillow, lost in a beautiful dream.
The phone started ringing.
“Buffy, pick up the phone,” came Willow’s muffled demand through the sheets.
Slowly drifting back into consciousness, Buffy snuggled deeper into her pillow. “You pick it up, you’re already awake.”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“Am not.”
“Yes you are, you’re talking to me.”
“And you’re the Slayer. Now pick up the phone. I want to sleep.”
Grumbling, Buffy snuck her hand out and picked up the receiver. “Whoever this is, you gotta have one major death wish!” she mumbled.
“Slayer, I need to talk to you.”
“Spike, what is your problem? You have got to be at least as tired as I am, so why aren’t you in bed?”
“Could you come over to my place?”
Frowning at the anxiety in his voice, she glanced at her watch, “What is it?”
“Could you just come over, damn it! We need to talk!”
“Can’t this wait till sundown? I’m trying to get some beauty sleep here.”
“Bloody hell, Slayer, get your ass out off the bed and get the fuck over here!”
Flabbergasted, Buffy stared at the receiver after the slamming sound clearly indicated that Spike had hung up on her.
“O.K. That was…strange.”
Willow turned around to look at her. “Everything all right?” she asked, concerned.
“Obviously not.” Buffy shrugged. “And I’m gonna find out why.”
She quickly dressed and left the dorm room, heading down the street to Spike’s house.
Buffy knocked loudly and continuously at the front door. She’d brought her keys with her but on the way to his house, her irritation over Spike’s phone call had turned into anger at his attitude. If he had the nerve to chase her out of bed like this, he might as well open the door for her, and he also better have a damn good explanation for this.
The door was opened to reveal a rather sheepish looking Spike, who obviously hadn’t even bothered to take off his duster since arriving at home. Right after he had slammed the phone down, his anger had evaporated as fast as it had surfaced. Now, he felt bad for yelling at the Slayer. Not only because it wouldn’t exactly make her more willing to help him but also because he valued their friendship to much to not realize that she didn’t deserve such harsh treatment. He expected her to be mad at him and was determined to make up for it.
“I’m sorry,” were out of his mouth before Buffy could even open her mouth to swear him.
“You better be, mister. Now, care to explain what this is all about?” she demanded, flopping down on his couch.
“Do you want anything to drink?” he asked, trying to play for time.
“No thanks, just the explanation please.” she stated in a clipped tone, still somewhat angry with him. That anger, however, evaporated as soon as she took a good look at him. She had spent enough time around him to know that his defenses were completely down. He looked worried and angry, as well as insecure. Buffy immediately gave him her full attention. She started wondering what could have caused him to let himself be this vulnerable and came only to one conclusion: Drusilla.
“Spike, what happened?” she asked carefully.
Sighing, he flopped down next to her, only to jump back to his feet immediately, settling for pacing in front of the entertainment system. Then, he told her.
“No way. Forget it.” Buffy shook her head, brushing her hands over her disarrayed hair.
“Slayer, I need....”
“No Spike, I can’t, even if I wanted to, which frankly I don’t.”
Defeated, Spike hung his shoulders. He had known that she would refuse to help him. He had been hoping that somehow he could convince her but it had been no use. During the past three hours they’d gone from calmly reasoning with each other to barely restrained argumentation till they were back at the point where they had been one and a half years ago: yelling at each other till they resorted to physical violence.
They had ended up with him pinning her to the broken remains of the glass tables, the shards painfully digging into her back, while a stake was pressed to his chest right above the heart. Suddenly realizing what had happened, he had let go of her stepping backwards. Silence had penetrated the room as both of them realized that within those three hours they had destroyed more than just a living room.
Then Buffy had spoken these last words and turned towards the door. Spike halted her with his voice.
“Slayer, I love her.”
Her voice was trembling, not from the pain of her injuries, but from the emotions tearing through her heart at his words. “I know.”
“I have to save her,” he pleaded, wanting nothing more than to make her understand.
“I know.” she refused to turn back around to face him. Instead, she fixed her gaze at the wall right above the door. “I cannot help you. Callistomar will rise in ten days. We have to kill his army before that; there is simply no time for me to leave now to save your girlfriend. I can’t let my friends do this alone. You’ve seen how many vampires there are already. They need me…we need you...here.”
“I don’t…Buffy, I can’t. I have to save her,” he repeated.
“You don’t have a choice in this!” she exclaimed finally turning around. Spike was shocked to see tears running down her cheeks and stepped forward to brush them away. As she shied away from him he felt as if a stake had been driven directly through his heart.
“That frigging demon has been checking on you every month to make sure you’re still here doing your work. It will be back soon. If you’re not here, you get your soul back!” she shouted.
“Except if you’re with me. Then, it would think that we are fighting vampires someplace else.”
“I already told you, I can’t go with you,” she choked out exasperated.
“Fine! I got the message!” he yelled back. “I’ll go on my own then.”
“But....”
“I don’t fucking care!”
Buffy ran down the street until she reached the dorms. Only then did she slow down. Silently she walked up the stairs as numbness settled over her. She opened the door a crack to find Willow sitting fully dressed on her tidy bed looking at her with worry in her eyes.
“Spike called,” she said as soon as Buffy had closed the door behind her. “He said to tell you that he’s sorry and that he will stay till we destroy the vampires. After that he’ll leave.”
“I know…Willow, I feel so awful.” Sinking down to the floor, the Slayer covered her face with her hands crying silently. Willow was immediately by her side, wrapping her arms around her friend.
For the next twenty minutes Buffy proceeded to cry her heart out, huge sobs wracking through her body. When she had calmed down, Buffy realized that the whole situation had gotten out of hand and part of that had been her own fault. When Spike had told her about Drusilla, she had been torn between the desire to help him and her own jealousy.
Jealousy had won and instead of giving him a sound and logic reason on why she couldn’t help him at this time--which she did, she had instead mocked him. His short temper, already precariously tipped towards the breaking point before she had arrived, had done the rest. Now she wished that she could take back the words she had thrown at him, but it was too late. Their decisions were made. Although it ripped her heart out to see him leave, she knew that nothing would keep him here.
“Everybody set?” Willow’s voice sounded hollow through the walkie-talkie.
“Team one, ready.” Xander answered.
“Team two, ready,” Buffy said, crouching low beside the small entrance.
“All right, Amy and I will do the spell then.”
Seconds later, Buffy and Spike felt a slight dizziness that was soon replaced by a feeling of numbness, before it vanished completely.
“You think that was it?” Spike asked doubtfully.
“If not, then we’ll find out soon enough.” Buffy replied.
During the last few days they had avoided each other. Buffy had patrolled either alone or with Willow, while Spike had done his duty but stayed out of her way whenever possible. He had however, appeared at the antique shop right before sunrise as promised. Conversation had been awkward but they managed to get along. Now they shouldered their backpacks and carefully crept into the cave.
As predicted, the vampires were all gathered together, most of them sleeping, playing cards or drinking. There were also a lot of demons present but neither Spike nor Buffy could say for sure if all of them were present. Since the demons could go out in the sunlight, they were not restricted to the cave.
They planted their little surprises quickly before disappearing again into the small tunnel that led to the sewers where Willow and Amy were waiting. Now the only thing they had to do was wait.
The synchronized timers went off exactly as planned and all hell broke loose. The only thing the two teams heard at first was screaming, as hundreds of vampires turned to dust within two seconds. Part of the cave collapsed, burying some of the demons, while a group standing near the larger exit ran for safety and right into the arms of Xander, Oz and Giles, who were determined to have an extensive Saturday morning barbecue.
Only two demons made it out the back entrance where Buffy, Spike and Willow were waiting, their swords raised and ready for battle. The first one ran into Buffy, who was thrown back into the filthy water. Spike pulled him off her and sent him flying into the sewer wall as Willow took on the second demon.
She expertly parried the first couple of swings but, because of the demons superior strength, felt herself rapidly weakening. Buffy jumped back to her feet as two vampires came running out of the cave entrance. She quickly beheaded the first one before he even realized what was happening. The second one, however, managed to knock her sword away. Grabbing a stake hidden on her lower back, she sent a well-aimed roundhouse to his jaw, which made him stumble backwards.
Smashing into the demon who was fighting with Willow, he gave the redhead enough of a diversion to stab the sword through his heart. Panting, she dropped her sword as Buffy staked the remaining vampire.
Spike dispatched his opponent just as quickly. Without Callistomar’s additional power, they had never really posed a threat to the small group of Slayerettes. Their strength had been in their numbers. All by themselves, they were quickly dispatched. The next two hours however, proved to be more difficult than they had expected.
There were about two dozen demons, who had not been in the cave when it was blown up. Dumb as they were, they made their way back to it as they heard the sound of the explosion. Along with the remaining vampires and demons that made it out of the cave, they put the Slayer and her companions neck deep into work.
It was past noon, when they finished their inspection of the cave and crawled exhausted into Oz’s van. Heavy drapes protected Spike from the sunlight. As they dropped Amy off at her house, Spike insisted he had to go as well, claiming that he had to pack. He had informed the Slayerettes that he was leaving, although he’d kept the reason to himself.
Giles had been about to argue the point, but Buffy had cut him off, making it clear that he could not be convinced to stay. Willow was worried about her friend. The last few days Buffy had been withdrawn and short-tempered, breaking into tears without reason. She was pretty sure that Spike was the reason for it but despite her insistent questions, Buffy had refused to tell her what exactly had happened that one morning.
After dropping Spike off, they drove back to the antique shop to discuss their further actions. During the whole meeting, Buffy barely spoke a word. Absent-minded as she was, she didn’t realize that Giles was calling it quits after addressing her three times without getting an answer. Deciding it would be best to give all of them some rest, he made sure that they would meet again tomorrow morning.
It was shortly after sundown when Spike stepped out into the night, a single large black sports bag in his hand. He’d been lying when he’d said he needed time to pack. The truth was, he could not stand to look at Buffy for one more second without doing something stupid. Like pulling her into his arms and begging her to forgive him for being a total jackass two days ago...or staying. It proved curiously hard for him to actually leave Sunnydale. He had always been convinced that all he wanted was to get out of here and get Drusilla back. Now that he was actually leaving, he was surprised to find it hard to say good-bye. He suddenly knew that he would miss the people he had been working with for the past two years. Most of all he would miss the little hellion who had turned his world, more than once, upside down. The same hellion who’d become his…friend.
Sighing, he dug his car keys out of his duster pocket and put his bag in the trunk. He was about to open the driver’s door when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning to the sidewalk, he felt his heart constrict. Buffy was standing there, clad in black jeans, black shirt and almost drowning in the long leather coat that surrounded her like a protective blanket. He had bought the coat for her after he had heard a comment she made to Willow: that if she ever staked him, she would make him take off his duster, because she liked it so much. He remembered that he’d had no idea what size she was wore and had ended up with a coat that looked exactly like his own, except it was way too big for her. Still, she had kept it.
A sports bag identical to his own was dangling in her hands as she walked towards him. It was the expression on her face that shocked him to the core of his being. He had never seen her like this before. She looked unspeakably sad and....defeated. Without a word, she went to the passenger side and opened the door, tossing her bag onto the back seat.
“Why are you here?” he asked quietly.
Buffy raised her head to look at him, but no sound came past her lips.
Spike opened his door but hesitated. “Buffy...why?”
“Because no one else will,” she said just as quietly, averting her gaze and settling in the car. “And because I don’t want to see you die,” she added in a whisper, barely audible to even Spike’s enhanced hearing.
He stared at the air, where her head had been, unable to control the sudden feelings that rushed through him. He was completely thrown off guard by her appearance and it’s implications. It not only meant that she’d forgiven him, but also that he meant something to her. She was willing to help him, despite the fact that it must be killing her to leave her friends alone at this time. She cared for him, even though he was a vampire and therefore her sworn enemy.
He took a deep but shaky breath as an unaccustomed calm and happiness settled over him. Together they would make it.
They drove in silence through the night, only stopping when the DeSoto threatened to run out of gas. Leaving California behind, they made it through Arizona and into New Mexico before dawn. A couple of miles west of El Paso, Spike exited the highway and pulled up in front of a motel. As the car rolled to a stop, Buffy woke from her short nap.
“What are you doing?” she asked, sitting up and looking out the blackened window. She could barely see anything at all, but after shifting slightly in her seat, she managed to determine that the sun was just cresting the horizon.
“We’re gonna stay here for the day, luv. We can sleep till sundown and drive on next night, “ Spike explained.
Buffy’s head shot around to glare at him.
“No we’re not!”
“Buffy, a bed is far more comfortable than the car and we both need some...”
All right listen, here’s the deal. We drive to San Antonio...without stopping. We get your girlfriend out of there as fast as possible and hopefully, I’ll be back in Sunnydale to stop Callistomar from killing my friends, got it?”
The blond vampire stared at her for a second, sucking on the insides of his cheek. Finally he nodded. “Got it.”
“Good. If you’re tired, I can drive for a while.”
“You think I’d let you drive my car?” he asked in mock outrage, trying to lighten the mood.
“You did before. If it weren’t for you, I’d never gotten my driver’s license.”
“All right, but try to be careful.”
Buffy got out of the car and walked around it, giving Spike the opportunity to slide across the seat, so he wouldn’t have to expose himself to the sun.
After they had taken up their travel again, conversation flowed more easily. They made good time and arrived in San Antonio shortly before dusk.
They drove a little further south until they reached a small town with an even smaller but comfortable motel. Buffy checked in using the credit card Spike had given her and returned to his car, the room key dangling from her hand. Since she had no intention of staying longer than absolutely necessary, she had only gotten one room, double occupancy.
Spike questioningly raised his eyebrows, when the put their bags in the room, but dropped the subject, without actually saying anything, when he took in the detached expression on her face and her body language. He realized that she meant business, and accompanied her in silence when she went back outside and slipped back into the car. He sat beside her, but hesitated to turn the ignition.
“What are you waiting for? You said you know were Drusilla is.”
“I know where she is, Slayer. That’s not the problem. I want to know what’s wrong.”
Buffy tried to glare at him, but after meeting his determined gaze, she quickly averted her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
“I don’t.”
“Slayer…”
“Fine. Maybe I know what you mean, but I don’t want to talk about it.”
Spike got frustrated. “Why not? We used to talk about everything.”
“That was before you pinned me to a broken glass table!”
“If I remember correctly, you were the one who broke the table, and put a stake to my heart!”
“Yeah, unfortunately, you didn’t fall on it,” she hissed.
Spike grew absolutely rigid, looking at her in shock and hurt. “You don’t mean that,” he said quietly, his voice trembling slightly.
Buffy heard the subtle change in tone and stiffened. Still she remained quiet. Spike almost broke the key as he turned the ignition. Without another word, he drove through the small town to the place, where neglected and abandoned houses and factories stood. Admits those houses was a large free area, and in its center stood the small church. The town’s people had abandoned it long ago, and Daryll had found it greatly amusing to call a church his home.
During the day, when only he and a few of his minions occupied the underground chambers to sleep, it looked deserted. No one would think it to be a vampire’s lair. But at night it turned into a place of busy activity, as preparations for the ceremony were made.
Spike parked the car a few blocks away, and they continued on foot. They could hear loud music flowing through the streets, before they even saw the church. Carefully the rounded the last corner, and stopped dead in their tracks. Hastily pulling Spike behind the wreck of an old van, Buffy pulled a pair of night-vision binoculars out of her duster pockets. She had taken them out of her bag at the motel, and was glad that she had come prepared.
Peeking around the van, she could determine more than three-dozen vampires swarming around the church, completely absorbed in their task of painting the church black. She could make out more activity inside, but was unable to count the numbers of minions inside.
“Looks like we can’t just barge in there and drag Drusilla out. I’ll have to come back during the day and try to get a better look,” she murmured under her breath.
“You can’t be seriously thinking of going in there alone,” Spike hissed incredulously.
Buffy put her binoculars back into her pocket and faced her partner. “I won’t do anything, I’ll just do recon. That ceremony is in two days, we’ll have enough time to come up with a plan.”
Spike took one last long look at the church, before he stood and pulled Buffy with him. “All right, let’s get some sleep, then.”
“We could get an extra room!”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Slayer. I’ll sleep on the floor.” Spike took the spare pillow and threw it on the floor along with the bedspread.
“But the reason I only asked for one room was that I thought we could rescue Drusilla right away, which, all right, was a little naive, but still...you don’t have to sleep on the floor.” Buffy argued.
“Buffy, just go to bed, will you. It’s only for one night anyway. Tomorrow we’ll rescue Dru and than we can go back to Sunnydale and kill Callistomar. Now, get some sleep.” With that he pulled the bedspread up to his chin and closed his eyes.
Gingerly, Buffy sat down on the bed and crossed her legs, studying his handsome face. “We?” she asked uncertainly.
Spike reopened his eyes to look at her confused. “Huh?”
Nervously twisting the sheets in her hands, she studied him. “You just said that after we rescued Drusilla we will go back to Sunnydale. Do you mean that?”
Instead of answering right away, Spike got up and sat beside her on the bed. Taking her hands in his, he watched her carefully. “Of course I’ll come back with you. I still got that sodding demon looking after me. I just want to know that Dru is safe.”
She gave him a tentative smile, trying to ignore the fact that the man she loved was sitting beside her, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers, and holding her hands.
They sat in silence for a few seconds, just looking at each other. “I didn’t mean it, you know. That I wanted you to fall on a stake,” she confessed.
Taking a deep breath, he smiled at her, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “I know, luv. Now, let’s try to get some sleep.” He moved to slide down to the floor but stopped, when a sudden thought occurred to him.
“Is that why you’ve been so mad at me, because you though I wouldn’t come back with you?”
Buffy shrugged. “Maybe.”
Spike realized that she was again averting her eyes and knew that his question had been dead on. He suddenly felt his heart constrict at the sight of her and couldn’t resist the urge to pull her into his arms any longer. Eliciting a startled yelp from the blond Slayer, he hugged her tightly. “Oh Buffy, I would never just leave you. I love you…” Shocked, he realized what he’d just said and felt her body stiffen in his arms. “As a friend,” he added quickly.
She raised her head to look at him and moved out of his embrace. “I should really get some sleep, now. Especially since I’m planning to get up in four hours.”
“Uh...yeah. Sleep. Right.” Quickly, he slipped back beneath the bedspread and closed his eyes waiting for her to turn off the light.
The sun was still low in the sky, when Buffy stepped out of the motel room and headed for the car. Contrary to her expectations she had fallen asleep, the minute her head had hit the pillow, and felt a little refreshed, even though she hadn’t slept very long.
Deciding to have breakfast before going back to the church, she went to the small restaurant that belonged to the motel and ordered cereal, ham and eggs along with a cup of milk and a glass of orange juice.
It was almost nine when she reached the church. The large paved area around the church looked deserted and it was not very hard to sneak up to the front entrance. Looking through one of the large mosaic windows beside the huge double doors, she saw that the nave was void of life…or unlife. Buffy pushed the door open and slipped inside, extending her Slayer sense to determine if any vampires were in the building. There were a lot.
Hurrying through the aisles, she came to a halt in front of the low wooden door at the back of the church. Upon opening the door she was greeted by two vampire guards. The surprised fledglings proved no match for her and she dispatched them quickly, but unfortunately not entirely silently.
Buffy was crouched on top of the spiral staircase, leading to the underground level of the church. She listened intently for any noise that would indicate that her entry had not gone unnoticed. After a few minutes she allowed herself a relieved intake of breath, before she carefully descended the stairs.
The stone hallway lay deserted and dark, small torches insufficiently illuminating the entrances to adjourning rooms. The Slayer made her way down the hallway, opening doors to check out the various rooms in search of Drusilla and Daryll but all rooms proved to be empty. Cursing under her breath, Buffy pressed her ear to the last door at the end of the hallway. She could hear the sound of conversation drifting to her. The participants of said conversation appeared to be some distance away.
Carefully, Buffy opened the door far enough to look around it. Another staircase wound it’s way downwards and she could see the faint glow of light, probably a fire throwing shadows around the corner of the staircase. The conversation was louder without the door swallowing most of the noise but it was still impossible to understand what the vampires were talking about.
Sneaking down the stairs, Buffy stopped dead at the bottom step and pressed herself close to the wall as she discovered another pair of vampire guards standing only a couple of feet away from her. The stairs she had come down led to a heightened platform that drew a half circle on the entire side of the wall. Five more steps descended into the actual room, which was obviously being prepared to serve as the ballroom for Daryll’s ceremony. Daryll, easily identifiable by his demeanor as the Master of the city of San Antonio, was perched on top of another heightened platform, much smaller than the first one with a long table and several chairs behind it. Two of the chairs were larger than the rest and situated at the middle of the table - the thrones for Daryll and his future queen.
Daryll was a handsome older man,
who was loudly arguing with two of his fledglings about the kind of flowers
miss Edith preferred. After all, he
wanted to make his queen as happy as possible, even if he had to starve her
again in order for her to achieve that happiness. What were the arranging and
discarding of two hundred and seven flower arrangements, when he would have a
loony as his queen?!
Buffy crept closer, keeping a watchful eye on the guards, who had their
back turned towards her. “I don’t
fucking care!” Daryll roared to the cowering fledgling. “Get her here. NOW!”
Buffy watched as said fledgling scurried off to the left of the room, where a heavy steel door was situated. The door had a small window at the top that was guarded by thick bars, preventing anything larger than a mouse to reach through. The fledgling pulled a key out of his pants and opened the door.
Upon entering, Buffy heard a low whining echo through the room that was soon replaced by loud screeching. Only seconds later, the fledgling reappeared, dragging a thin and rather pitiful looking Drusilla behind him. She was brought before Daryll, who immediately embraced his future queen, cooing softly in her ear.
“Now, my darling, don’t fret. Tomorrow will be the happiest day in our unlife. We will rejoice and drown this place in blood, and live happily ever after,” he whispered, so low that Buffy had trouble understanding him.
The vampiress seemed to calm considerably and Daryll carried on, “What kind of flowers do you wish for, my dear?”
“Tulips, Daryll, I want tulips. The harbingers of death, they make me happy. And I want red ones, red as blood.”
Daryll smiled at that. With a nod to his fledgling, he indicated him to abide by her wishes. “Drusilla, my queen, our reign shall be eternal. I will have to send most of my minions to San Antonio for the night, so they can prepare the city for our arrival. They will be back for the ceremony tomorrow, so you have to look your best for all the people who will witness our bonding. Will you look pretty for them? Will you look pretty for me?”
Drusilla smiled wolfishly. “My Spike will come. I will look pretty for my Spike.”
Buffy gasped slightly and quickly retreated up the staircase. She could hear the anger in Daryll’s voice as he ordered Dru to be brought back to her cell, shushing her not to ever mention Spike’s name again.
As fast as she could, Buffy hastened through the hallway and up the second set of stairs back to the nave. She had heard all she needed to know. With most of the vampires gone for the night, it would give Spike and her the perfect opportunity to attack and free Drusilla. In her mind she recalled the image of Drusilla’s being dragged along the floor. Buffy could not suppress an involuntary shoulder. The vampiress had definitely looked starved, just as Spike had told her, before they’d started fighting.
Good God, was that really only
five days ago?
So much had happened over the last week that Buffy was hardly capable of rational thought. She felt as if she was standing at the edge of an abyss, desperately trying to grasp at anything that would prevent her fall. Her thoughts automatically shifted to Spike. He would be furious, when she told him about Drusilla’s condition. The last thing she wanted was to be at the receiving end of Spike’s wrath. She did not envy Daryll in the least.
Buffy had gotten to know Spike over the last two years. She knew about the depth of his feelings for the vampiress. She had been the only one who had given him what he had hungered for during the first hundred years of his existence. From her own experiences with Angelus and the stories Spike had told her, she could safely say that the worse half of her first love, had been a cruel and abusive Sire.
Spike had always been different than any other vampire she’d ever met. His ability to have deep emotions must have made his first hundred years a living hell for him.
When Drusilla had come into the fold of their little family, Spike had been emotionally starved. Drusilla, although insane, had still enough humanity in her to recognize his condition. She had been the one to teach him to feel again, preventing Angelus from turning him into a cold-blooded monster. Buffy was pretty sure that her reasons were not anywhere near as noble and pure as Spike insisted they were but when she thought about Angelus, she could not suppress a cold shudder.
No matter if Drusilla really loved Spike or had just used him as her boy toy, she had to thank the vampiress. If it weren’t for her, the part of Spike that she loved would have been destroyed long ago.
She was about to leave the church, when an idea occurred to her. Quickly, she returned to the door at the back of the church, where she had met the first pair of guards. Using her hands, she gathered the ashes from the floor as best she could, and disposed of them behind a floor length banner. Than she spread the rest as far apart as possible, so no one would realize that the guards had been killed. Their absence would be noted, of course, but with a little bit of luck, Daryll would dismiss the occurrence as inconsequential.
Satisfied with her work, she turned around and inspected the interior of the church further. She wanted to get this over as fast as possible. Therefore she’d have to be prepared. Checking out any and all places that would provide her and Spike with cover, she even crept down the first staircase again to take another look at the underground rooms.
About two hours later, she crept away without being noticed.
Spike woke from his dreams rather reluctantly. After stretching his muscles, he scrambled to his feet. A quick look to the bed confirmed the guess that he had made when he didn’t hear a heartbeat in the room upon awakening. Buffy was gone. He sat down on the bed, his hand moving over the covers. There was not much warmth left but Spike was able to feel the difference between the spot where Buffy had slept and the otherwise cold sheets.
Smiling, he laid down to comfort himself with the little sensory imprint she had left for his senses, imagining that it was her and not the smooth pillow that he cradled in his arms. He loved Buffy. Some part of him had always known that but being a vampire he had denied it to himself, of course. However, after the emotional hurricane he had survived during the last few days, he could no longer dismiss his feelings.
Buffy had managed to capture his heart, despite her being the Slayer. His slip yesterday had not been quite as accidental as he liked to believe. Her strong will and consistency, the love and devotion she felt for the ones close to her heart. Those things had always fascinated him about her. He knew that she had a devil-may-care attitude about many things. It was her way of defending herself.
She had more than enough problems just by being the Slayer. If she had started to worry about everything that was going on in her life, she would drown eventually in her own emotions.
Her love for her friends made her strong but it could also be a source of weakness to her. She had to walk a thin line between life and death every day of her life and Spike knew from his own experiences how exhausting this could be. He knew that she would fight like a lioness to protect those she loved. No matter what he had thrown at her when they’d still been enemies, she’d taken everything in stride and fought back. She had shed many tears during his and later Angelus’ presence in her life but she had not broken. There was no power on earth, not even love that had the ability to injure her beyond her own ability and strength to heal.
That’s why he loved her. She’d shown him that strength was something that lay within himself. She gave him the ability to shake off the last remains of Angelus’ stronghold that had imprisoned him over two hundred years. Even though he had been moving on with his life when Angelus had first been cursed with a soul, he had been unable to stand up to his Sire once he had returned. At the time Spike had blamed it to the fact that he was forced to live in a wheelchair, but deep down he’d known. The gut wrenching feeling that had accompanied every hour of his existence under Angelus rule had returned the minute Drusilla had announced that he had lost his soul again.
The last two years of working by the Slayer’s side had shown him that he did not have to cower before his Sire or prove anything to him. He just wished that there were a way for him to tell her about his feelings without upsetting her further. He knew that she cared for him, her presence and willingness to help him proved that more than enough. But he also loved Drusilla and he couldn’t leave her in Daryll’s claws. Two hundred years of love were not something that you could easily forget or ignore. The bond they shared had weathered many storms. Drusilla’s love had saved him in many ways. Without her he would not be the person, he was now. Shuddering he remembered, how close he had been to giving up that at that time. His desire to let go of the few broken pieces that remained of his humanity had been overwhelming but Drusilla had somehow managed to pull him back. She had rescued him. With no one else to show him emotions, he had clung to her like a lost child, eagerly drinking every drop of affection she had shown him. Their love had lasted beyond any mortal counterpart.
When Angelus had returned, he had slowly but inexorably destroyed Drusilla’s feelings for him. Where centuries of a life in darkness had failed, his Sire had succeeded. He had been the only thunderstorm too powerful to resist. Still, Spike loved her. He was still tied to her with his heart and mind, not capable or willing to let her go. In a way he was very grateful that he had lost that stupid bet with the demon. Not only had it forced him to work with Buffy and get to know her better, but it also did not leave him any other choice than to stay with Buffy. The decision was taken away from him and that was a good thing, because if he’d ever have to make a choice between Buffy and Drusilla, he wasn’t sure who he would choose.
Sighing he got up from his resting-place and walked to the small bathroom. It was probably best if he took a shower. Once Buffy returned, they would have more than enough to do to plan their actions.
Buffy parked the DeSoto in front of the motel. Thoughtfully, she stared through the windshield at the curtain-covered window to her room. Drusilla knew that Spike was here. Once they rescued her, she would sure as hell not be very pleased to discover that he had been working for the good side, if she didn’t know already, that is.
And Spike…Spike loved Drusilla, even after what she had done to him. Sure, he had promised to stay with her. He really didn’t have much of a choice unless he wanted to get punished by that frigging demon. Sighing, Buffy decided against going into her room. She didn’t want to face Spike just yet. Instead she exited the car and went for a walk.
The sun was high in the sky. It was almost noon as Buffy made her way through the almost deserted streets of the small town. She was sure that Spike had some feelings for her, but didn’t know if they extended beyond friendship. Buffy knew that she loved him, and maybe - just maybe - that meant that she had to let him go, she realized.
He had been caged for too long, always reliant on another person, too needy to face the loneliness of immortality. She knew that even though he had become emotionally stronger over the last two years, he was still too attached to the vampiress. Buffy was afraid that if she would take that away from him, make him come back to Sunnydale, that he might not be able to emotionally survive the indefinite lost of his princess.
Of course, if she could figure out a way for him to be with Drusilla, she didn’t have much left to lose. If she was really going to convince him to stay with her, she could just as well try to show him some of her own feelings for him. This way, she would not only gain certainty but hopefully also be able to gain a beautiful memory that she could treasure for the rest of her life. Her stride hastened as a plan began to develop inside her mind.
In the end, she stopped at the bus station to buy a one-way ticket to Sunnydale, California, before she returned to the motel, determined to follow through on her idea.
Darkness greeted her upon entering the small room, she and Spike had chosen as temporary shelter. Buffy heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. She briefly considered waiting for him to finish his shower but decided against it, when she realized that this gave her the perfect opportunity to do what she had wanted to do for the past year.
Shedding her clothes, she quickly padded over to the bathroom door. Relieved, she noted that it was not completely closed which enabled her to enter the room quietly without being heard. Buffy could see Spike’s silhouette through the milky plastic barrier that prevented the water from spilling on the floor.
Again, she found the sliding doors to be slightly open. She slipped through them and stepped into the shower. Buffy wanted nothing more than to stand there and enjoy looking at him for a few minutes, but again she decided against it. She was afraid that if he realized her presence now, she’d never have the courage to follow through with her plan.
Spike had his head directly under the shower spray, washing the shampoo out of his white-blond hair, when Buffy stepped behind him. She pressed the palm of her hand lightly against his back and felt his body become completely rigid. Swallowing hard, Buffy slipped her hand around his waist to rest on his stomach and added her other hand, until she encircled his waist with her arms.
That’s when he turned around.
It took her a few seconds to gather her courage, but when he didn’t push her away, she raised her head and met his gaze. His eyebrows were raised, his lips parted slightly, but he did not seem angry or amused. Instead he looked at her in askance. There was something else in his eyes that Buffy was too inexperienced to identify, but she hoped that it was passion or at least interest.
Taking a deep breath, she raised herself to her toes, bringing her mouth to his in a brief kiss. Again, he did not resist. Instead he reciprocated, matching the pressure of her lips to his. She pulled away from him to meet his eyes again.
“Just for today?!” she whispered, hoping that she did the right thing...for both of them.
His answer was another kiss.
This time, it was not brief or light. As he finally put his arms around her, his lips wandered over hers, teasing her, demanding, yet gentle. He tucked with his teeth on her lower lip, sucking it between his own, before his tongue demanded entrance into her mouth. Buffy complied willingly, enjoying the feel of his cool, smooth skin against her warm body.
He explored her mouth thoroughly before drawing her tongue into battle with his own. His hands wandered up to her face as he turned her sideways, until her back was to the cold tile-covered wall. Buffy’s hands started to explore his lean chest and back, running her fingertips over his shoulder and along his spine until she reached his strong buttocks.
Grinning devilishly against his mouth, she grabbed them firmly with her hands, squeezing them. With a startled yelp, his hips surged forward, causing his erection to press against her stomach. Pleased with herself, Buffy chuckled lightly and met his gaze challengingly.
“Why, you are a little devil, aren’t you?” he asked, mirroring her smile with one of his own.
Bending forward he brought his mouth to her ear. “Let’s see if I can make you scream louder than that, shall we?” he whispered huskily.
Hearing his words, Buffy could not suppress the shiver of excitement that ran over her skin. Her reaction did not go unnoticed. Spike lightly bit her ear, before trailing kisses down to her neck and collarbones.
His hands fell to her waist, as he bent his knees in order to lap at her throat. His demonic visage slipped into place and he lightly scraped her skin, until tiny droplets of blood poured from the scratch. Lapping at the precious liquid, he savored its taste. The blood of a Slayer was a treat a vampire did not get often, and definitely not as a willing offer!
Standing upright again, he lifted her off the ground. Her legs went around his waist immediately. Leaning against the wall to support her weight, he kissed her once more thoroughly, before continuing the descent of his lips to her pert nipples.
Buffy moaned out loud, when she felt his lips fasten around her right nipple. Her hands wound through his short hair, trying to press him harder against her aching flesh, but he denied her. After sucking only once, his mouth wandered over her breast teasing her mercilessly.
Only after Buffy cried out in frustration and threatened to stake him, did he comply. He smiled against her flesh as his tongue drew circles around her nipple until he finally brushed it over the sensitive pebble.
Sucking on her breast, alternating between hard and gentle, he used his teeth to torture the little Slayer in his arms even further.
Buffy cried out, tightening her legs around his waist, urging him on. His lips left her nipple to give the same treatment to her other breast and Buffy leaned her head back against the wall, letting the warm water of the shower run over her face.
The water running down their bodies made it difficult for her to keep her legs around his waist. Over the past minutes she had been slipping downwards inch by inch until she could feel the tip of his manhood press against the globe of her buttocks.
Spike bit her nipple lightly, once more drawing blood. As he felt her tantalizing essence flow over his tongue and his cock brush against her warm skin, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to last much longer. He gathered Buffy in his arms, crushing his mouth to hers. Then he stepped, backwards, intending to turn her on to the wall underneath the shower-head, so that she would be able to rest her feet against the bar, that currently ran underneath her buttocks.
He never got the chance to complete the movement though, as the water running around his feet, caused him to slip. Regaining his balance without letting Buffy fall to the floor was an impossible task and within seconds both of them tumbled to the floor of the tub. Buffy shrieked as Spike hit his head against the plastic shower door and cursed vehemently.
“Are you all right? Are you hurt?” the Slayer asked worried.
Spike gave her his trademark cocky grin, shaking his head. “Just peachy, pet. Actually this leaves us in a rather interesting position, don’t you think?” He smirked at her, grabbing her hips, with both of his hands.
Smiling, Buffy looked down on him. “So it does!” She quickly reached up to turn off the water, since Spike’s head was exactly under the spray. As her body stretched to reach the knob, Spike raised his head and captured one of her nipples with his mouth, causing Buffy to moan.
Once the water was taken care of, Buffy lost no time to adjust herself on top of him. Bracing her hands against his torso, she rubbed her clitoris against the tip of his shaft, electing a deep groan from the blond vampire. Spike grabbed her hips more tightly, capturing her gaze. With a quick tug he pulled her down, impaling her effectively on his cock.
Both of them threw their heads back, overwhelmed by the sensations that ran through her bodies. Buffy began to draw her hips up slowly, only to bring them down again hard and fast. She readjusted herself slightly, so that the tip of his penis would brush against her clit every time he entered her.
The vampire met her thrust for thrust, encouraging her to pick up her pace. Panting, Buffy raked her fingernails across his chest, leaving welts on his cool flesh as she drew closer to her climax. When Spike felt her muscles begin to tighten around him, he quickly grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her upper body down to him. Burying his fangs in the crock of her neck, he felt himself fall over the edge, as Buffy experienced her first orgasm of this night.
Screaming his name, she felt herself explode, shattering into a million satisfied little pieces. Her inner walls continued to quiver around him, as he continued to feed, letting her warmth flow into him.... warming him.
He held her close, feeling her breathing gradually slow down until had calmed down a little bit. His face changed back into its handsome human planes, and he tenderly kissed the puncture marks he’d left on her neck, lapping at the last remaining drops, that mingled with the sweat and water on her skin. Their eyes met and Spike pulled her into a long and tender kiss.
Both of them lay there for several minutes, not realizing the hardness of the bottom of the tub. They just enjoyed the feeling of utter contentment that encompassed both of them.
They shared kisses and caressed each other, whispering endearment into each others ears, both of them wanting to prolong this moment for as long as possible. After a while, Buffy started shivering, as the temperature in the room dropped. Spike picked her up and somehow managed to pull both of them to their feet, without letting go of her. He pressed her closely to his body with one arm, while reaching for a towel with the other.
Then he started to gently rub the white linen over her skin, catching any remaining drops and raining soft butterfly kisses over her shoulders and stomach, as he kneeled before her.
Buffy gasped softly as she saw this incredibly sweet man being so unbelievably gentle. It was hard for her to remember that he was also a vampire who enjoyed violence and had been her sworn enemy, not too long ago. Feeling her eyes brimming with tears, she cradled his face with both her hands and dragged him up her body, to press a tender kiss to his lips. Spike pulled her back into his arms and picked her up to carry her into the bedroom.
Sunset was already a few hours past when Buffy stepped out of the shower. They had spent the day worshipping and exploring each others bodies, until it was time to move out of the bed, where they had laid the last few hours. Neither one of them had addressed the issue of Drusilla or their impending rescue mission, but now, after both of them had taken a shower and dressed, it was time to discuss what lay ahead of them.
Buffy studied her reflection wearily in the small bathroom mirror. Her face was still a little flushed, her eyes were huge and sorrow filled. Sighing, she suppressed any memories of the past hours, knowing that she would carry the memory inside her heart for the rest of her mortal life. When she exited the bathroom, she saw Spike already dressed and waiting, leaning against the doorframe of the open front door.
“I packed our stuff into the trunk and put all your weapons on the backseat,” he said. He opened his mouth, as if to continue, but closed it again without another word escaping his lips.
Thankful for his business-like attitude, Buffy found it easier to meet his eyes. “Then we should go now. The sooner we get this over with, the better.” She realized that her voice had a slight edge to it and scolded herself for not hiding her emotions better. Her tone as not lost on the vampire.
“Buffy....” he started, but was immediately interrupted by the Slayer.
“We have to go, Spike...come on.” She lightly punched his shoulder on the way out, signaling that she wasn’t mad or angry with him. She really didn’t have a reason to anyway. He’d made it clear that he loved Drusilla, no matter what he felt for her and that was exactly what Buffy’s plan was based on.
This day had already been one of the most beautiful and sorrow-filled of her young life. The hours she’d spent in Spikes arms had been heaven. He had shown her a side of him that he rarely allowed himself to acknowledge about himself. Buffy knew that if they started to talk about this now, they would both most likely say things that would destroy what they had experienced over the last few hours.
They would apologize and try to explain it, but she knew that this would mean that she either had to confess her feelings or lie to him. She did not want to do either. The first would make him feel guilty and the last would hurt her more than she was willing to admit. She felt a little selfish about her actions, but she reminded herself that in a few hours from now, he would leave her life forever.
The things that weighed on her heart were better left unsaid.
Spike tried to keep his eyes on the road, but he could not prevent his gaze from traveling to the beautiful girl that sat beside him.
There were so many things that he wanted to tell her, that he felt as if he was drowning in a wild-water-current of words. While the past hours had been like a dream come true, they also fueled his insecurities. The fact that Buffy did not want to talk about what had happened between them drove him batty. If they did not resolve the matter soon, he did not know how they were going to keep working with each other and maintain their friendship. It nearly tore him to pieces knowing that she probably did not want a relationship with him. At least that’s what he assumed by her reaction to his attempts to talk about this, this evening.
He was confused; why she had offered herself to him now? Why at this time? Was she jealous about Drusilla? Or was it simply a form of venting, some sort of attempt to deal with what had happened with them over the past days? Sighing, he resigned himself to ignore his feelings until they’d rescued Drusilla.
“So let me get this straight...your plan is that we basically just barge in there and kill everyone who is foolish enough to stand in our way. Then we grab Dru and run like hell?” Spike’s voice expressed his skepticism. “That’s not much of a plan, luv.”
“Most of Daryll’s minions are in San Antonio. There will be few left to slow us down, plus he doesn’t expect an attack. We have the advantage of surprise.”
Still, Spike was not convinced. He took another long look at the church. It lay dark and silent…too silent. He could not hear a single sound penetrating the thick stone walls.
“Look, if you have a better plan, please, by all means, let me know.”
Spike’s eyes fell on the girl by his side. Memories of the past day flowed easily through his mind, distracting him from the situation at hand. It took all his self-restraint not to pull her into his arms and crush his mouth to hers.
“Let’s go then.” he sighed, shaking himself out of the daydream.
They approached the front doors fast but quietly. Upon entering they found the nave to be just as deserted as it had been when Buffy had paid her first visit. There were no guards behind the door. The corridor at the bottom of the first staircase was dark and empty. Spike knew that they were walking in a trap, the minute he followed Buffy through the door at the end of the hallway and down the stairs. The room was pompously decorated and brightly lit by a huge chandelier but there was still no sound to be heard. This was going way too easy.
Buffy seemed to share the sentiment. She turned around and met his gaze. Spike nodded once and went back up the stairs to get two of the torches that lined the walls of the upper corridor. After he’d gathered them, he carried them back to the staircase.
There, he lit one and strapped it to the torch holder right next to the door with a thin fiberglass wire. Winding the wire through the torch holder, he fastened it first to the door jamming it into the small crack that ran between the wood and the metal hinges. Then let it descend towards the floor were he positioned it so it would function as a trip-wire. Any vampire who went past the door now would set it, and hopefully himself, aflame, which would hopefully buy them enough time. That accomplished, he returned quickly, but kept himself hidden in the shadows of the winding staircase.
Buffy acknowledged his presence with a nod and crossed the space between the staircase and the metal door of Drusilla’s prison with only a few steps. Picking the lock did not prove to be as difficult as she had anticipated. She opened the door, but instead of finding the vampiress she was looking for, she was greeted by half a dozen fledglings who jumped at her immediately.
Buffy let herself fall backwards, throwing her first attacker over her head. Using her momentum to come to her feet just as quickly, she extracted two stakes from the pockets of her duster and rammed them into the hearts of the vampires nearest to her.
She could hear the distinct sound of fighting behind her and knew that Spike was also occupied and would not be able to help her. Looking around the room quickly, she started to run for the chairs and banquet table when three vamps tackled her at once. With a lot of kicking and rolling, Buffy was able to throw them off after a few minutes, staking another vampire in the process, but not without earning herself a painful bite mark in her left shoulder.
Cursing she jumped to her feet and spun around, sending a perfectly executed round house to one vamps face, while grabbing another stake that had been hidden at her lower back. She plunged it through the heart of the vampire, who had been approaching her from behind, without bothering to look at him and introduced her fist to another minion’s face only seconds later.
A powerful kick landed in her side, sending her sprawling to the floor again. Holding her stake in front of her, she simply let her next attacker fall on it. Buffy dusted herself off and took a long level look at her last opponent.
“Would you mind explaining to me, why you guys always do that? I mean, not that I mind...it makes my life a whole lot easier, but one would really think that you know better than that by now.” Smiling she walked towards the frightened fledgling, who backed away from her.
She pushed him into the wall, clamping one hand against his throat to keep him there. A look over her shoulder told her that Spike was in control of the situation, the amount of ashes swirling around him certifying that the bleached-blond vampire had had a lot of fun.
“Where is Drusilla?” she asked, focusing her attention back on the fledgling.
“I’ll tell you if you let me go,” he hissed, struggling slightly.
Before Buffy could respond, a wooden bolt flew past her arm, embedding itself in the vampire’s heart, causing it to crumble to dust. Buffy threw herself around and to her side, seeking to take cover behind the banquet table. From there she saw Daryll standing near his “throne,” a crossbow in his hands.
“It’s difficult to hire good help, these days, isn’t it? Most of them would betray their own mothers for the chance to live a day longer.”
“Funny!” Buffy said from her hiding place.
“I thought so.” Daryll smirked.
“Your little visit this morning, didn’t go quiet as unnoticed as you might have hoped. We found the ashes of my guards...by accident, I have to admit, but we found them nonetheless.”
“Well, what can I say, I was never good at the cleaning-up part. But it seems as if your little trap, didn’t function quiet as well as you hoped it would, either.” she shot back.
“Yep. It looks like it, doesn’t it? I underestimated you and your friend...Spike, isn’t it?” he addressed the vampire, who’d abandoned his position at the stair and walked towards the other end of the table, putting Daryll between the Slayer and himself.
“Where is Dru?” he asked, his voice quiet and emotionless, hiding the onslaught of emotions that welled up inside him.
“She’s right here.” At his words, the tapestries behind him moved, revealing a hidden passage, through which Drusilla appeared, clutching a doll closely to her stomach. A minion, who held her neck in a tight grip, using her as a shield, pressed a wooden stake to her chest.
Even though Buffy refused to let Daryll out of her eyes, she could see from the edges of her vision how Spike dropped the burning torch he had held in his hands and took a step towards the vampiress. She heard his gasp softly as he took in her haggard appearance, and knew that his eyes were burning with hatred towards the master vampire.
Daryll aimed his crossbow squarely at him. “I wouldn’t do that, if I were you. You see, my trap might have failed, but unless you want your precious lady to fit into an ashtray, you’ll let us walk out of here.”
“You don’t really believe, that you’ll get away with that, do you?” Buffy asked.
“Oh, but I do.” Slowly Daryll walked over to Spike, the minion and Drusilla following him.
Drusilla’s eyes lit up the second she laid eyes on the vampire. “My Spike, I knew you’d come for me. My childe found you. I am a clever girl.”
“That you are, Dru. You are a clever girl!” Spike replied quietly, watching her being dragged past him. That’s when Buffy attacked.
Without warning, she threw her last stake, sheathed on her lower arm, in Daryll’s direction. The master vampire whirled around, when he saw the movement and re-aimed the crossbow at her, giving Spike the chance to grab the fledgling who held Drusilla captive and break his neck in one swift motion.
Buffy dodged as fast as she could, but the crossbow bolt pierced her shoulder, throwing her to the floor. Her head connected painfully with the edge of the table and she lost consciousness, before she came to rest on the cold stone surface. At the same moment her stake found its target, embedding itself in Daryll’s chest.
The master vampire died with a sound of surprise on his lips, his ashes spreading across the floor.
Spike dispatched the minion quickly. Watching the dust settle on the floor, he raised his eyes to see his beautiful dark princess standing right in front of him. Relief washed over him and without a word he pulled her into a fierce hug, crushing her to him, desperate to assure himself that she was safe. He could feel how thin she was, how very frail her body felt as it rested against his.
“My Spike!” she whispered against his neck, before burying her fangs in it. She drank greedily and Spike granted her wish, knowing that she would need a lot more blood than he could give her to regain her full strength.
After a few moments he pushed her away, gently but determined. Holding her at arms length, he studied her carefully. “Are you all right, darling?” he asked, still concerned about her well-being.
Her blood-red lips broke into a beautiful smile. “I feel as if I’m floating. Everything is so bright and shiny. I am hungry, Spike.” she pouted. “Can I have the Slayer? She tastes strong and warm. I can tell. Miss Edith said you tasted her. I can feel her power on my tongue like tiny droplets of champagne. Do you remember France, Spike? How we bathed in champagne?” She swirled away from him holding Miss Edith in the air and laughed musically, turning around and around.
Spike felt as if the ground he had been standing on had somehow disappeared from underneath his feet. The Slayer! Buffy!
Shocked about his own carelessness, he searched the room with his eyes. When he saw the small blond figure lying motionless on the floor, he felt as if he’d been hit with a sledgehammer. Racing to her side, Drusilla completely forgotten for the moment, he used his vampiric senses, trying to determine a pulse and heartbeat. Spike fell to his knees beside her body and lightly touched her shoulder, turning her to her side.
He saw the bolt sticking out from
the tender flesh underneath her collarbone and cursed quietly. Shedding his duster,
he ripped his
shirt from his body and pressed it against the wound. Taking a deep
breath, he gripped the bolt and pulled it out.
Buffy moaned as the pain brought her back to consciousness. Blinking, she focused her eyes on the worried face of the vampire, hunched above her. “Spike?”
“It’s all right, luv. Everything’s all right. Just hold on a second, till we get to the car.” For once in his life he was grateful that Buffy had insisted on putting a first aid kit into the trunk of his car, months ago.
Buffy got to her feet slowly. She was still a little unsteady, so she leaned against Spike. Turning towards the staircase, they came face to face with Drusilla. She had her head tilted to the side, a curious expression on her face.
“Miss Edith tells me my Spike has been a naughty boy, while I was gone.” Spike visibly flinched at her words. Noticing his reaction, Buffy took a step away from him, feeling heat rise to her face.
“Dru, I...”
Buffy walked towards the steps, shutting out his voice as best as she could. She had no doubt that Spike would find a way to talk himself out of the situation and if not he could always convince her by other means. By then she would already be gone, sitting in a bus headed towards southern California.
She knew that this was how it was meant to be. Spike needed Drusilla. He had always been dependent on her. When they’d first arrived in Sunnydale, it had been obvious to anyone who looked at them, that Spike was willing to do everything for his princess. He loved her with all his being. His ability to give such great love and devotion had always been a source of envy for Buffy. Especially after Angel had lost his soul.
The fact that a vampire, a demon without a soul, who could live forever, had been gifted with a love that had lasted many lifetimes, while she, a Slayer, who was fighting demons for the sake of humanity and would probably die very young, had lost her first true love under such cruel and morbid circumstances, used to make her so very angry. Over the years, she had matured and reached a better understanding about the bond Spike and Drusilla shared.
She had come to learn that Spike used Drusilla’s affection as a shield to ward off his own despair. The despair has tugged at his mind because of the treatment Angelus had given him in his fledgling days, because of his fear of spending his immortal life alone and deserted if he failed to please his Sire or, later on, Drusilla.
It was an easy way to face life. Protected by Angelus and Drusilla’s fondness for entertaining themselves with playthings, he had subordinated his will to accommodate their needs and wishes. The only difference had been that, where Angelus had forced this behavior upon him by using physical violence, Drusilla had been much more cunning. She had restored his humanity, enabling him to feel her abuse in ways worse than Angelus had ever inflicted upon him.
Buffy knew that Spike had shaken off most of that submissiveness and neediness over the past years growing more independent and stronger. He had proven to himself that he could and would stand up to Angel, numerous times, since he’d been forced to join her. Buffy had no doubt that, if Angel should ever lose his soul again, Spike would not let himself be pushed around anymore.
Drusilla was another matter entirely. He really loved her. It was a needy love, but love nonetheless. Buffy knew that in order to free himself completely from his own fear and despair, he’d have to break free of the hold she had on him. But she also knew that he was not yet willing to do that. It was too soon. Maybe, at some point in his live he would not only realize, but also accept that he had to face his life on his own. Buffy could only hope that she would still be alive to see that moment.
“Dru, I...” he did not get to finish the sentence. The second Buffy had vanished around the corner of the stairs, Drusilla lashed out at him. Her sharp fingernails raked across his cheek, leaving bloodied streams against his alabaster skin. His head rolled with the blow and he quickly jumped backwards.
“Dru!”
“You tasted her! You marked her as your own! A Slayer!” She ran towards him, fury and outrage blazing in her eyes. Spike caught her tiny fists, before she could hit him. He knew that it would be no use lying to her, so he simply admitted his actions to her.
“Yes, I did!”
“You fool! You weak little fool! It’s wrong. Everything’s so wrong!” she whined, stomping her feet on the ground. Her hands flew to her hair, pulling it into various directions, until Spike had to restrain her.
“Dru...will you listen to me for a bloody minute?” he shouted, pulling her back against his chest and pinning her arms to her sides. The vampiress whimpered for a second, shocked at his harsh tone. She turned her head around to look at him with big liquid eyes, blood red tears threatening to spill over.
Spike felt himself soften like he’d done countless times before, when she’d given him that look. But this time he knew that she was manipulating him. He shook his head, tightening his arms around her. “This won’t work, Dru. Not this time.” he said softly, but determinedly. He was surprised at his own words. There had been a time when he’d never even considered questioning her reactions to his outbursts. Now he was astonished that he’d not even hesitated about his decision not to apologize to her. He had changed a lot, indeed.
With a shriek Drusilla brought her high-heeled shoes down on his foot. His combat boots took the blow, but he let her go nonetheless. The vampiress whirled around, clawing at his face and chest.
“This is all wrong. Everything is dark. Where is my Spike?”
Spike caught her arms once again, gently forcing them down. “Dru?” he asked softly.
Drusilla stopped in her ranting as their eyes locked. “Where is my Spike? Everything is wrong. So very wrong!”
“No, Dru. It’s not wrong, just different. Things change. I changed.” He pulled her into another hug, stroking her back until she’d calmed down.
“I need to talk to the Slayer, Dru. Do you promise, to wait here and not do anything stupid until I’m back?” he asked searching her eyes.
“My Spike has gone...gone far away. To the dark place!” she replied.
Sighing, Spike handed her Miss Edith. Then he quickly walked to the staircase, eyeing Drusilla with a long level look, before ascending them.
“Buffy! Buffy wait!”
Buffy was about to start the engine, when his voice halted her movement. Winding down the window, she waited for him to reach her. She could see the first rays of light begin to sparkle along the horizon, telling her that she did not have much time left, if she wanted to catch her bus.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Spike demanded as soon as he caught up to her. Leaning into the car, he looked at her expectantly.
“Home. I’ve got another demon to fight, remember?”
“We have another demon to fight,” he corrected her, not liking the look on her face.
“No, Spike. There is no we,” she stated quietly. The Slayer met his gaze steadily, but was sure that Spike could see the thunderstorm of emotions within her green orbs.
“What’s that supposed to mean, Buffy?” he asked.
“You belong here…with Drusilla!”
“But...”
“You said it yourself. You love her, Spike. You’ve loved each other for longer than I’ve been alive. Longer than I’ll ever be alive. Your place is with her.”
“That’s not true. Besides the demon....” he tried to convince her, but was interrupted again.
“I’ll tell him what happened, only with the slight change that you and Drusilla died, during the fight. You’re off the hook. It said it couldn’t track you with magic, which is why it shows up every month to check on you. Look, I only need your car to make it to the bus station on time. You can pick it up there, this evening.”
“Buffy...I don’t want you to leave.”
Buffy met his eyes, seeing the claw marks across his cheek. Smiling sadly, she gently cupped his handsome face in her hands and leaned forward to press a gentle sweet kiss to his lips. “Bye, Spike.”
She started the engine, but Spike grabbed her arm, before she could drive away. She winced slightly when her shoulder protested to the jerky movement, but did not pull away.
“What about yesterday?” he asked.
“A wonderful dream. Something that was beautiful, but not meant to be,” she answered. Tears were welling up in her eyes and she pulled free of his grasp. “I love you, Spike.” With those words she floored the gas pedal and fled the dark place, vowing not to look back.
She had a demon to fight.
Stunned and speechless, Spike watched his car disappear around the corner, taking the woman he loved away from him. He stood there on the same spot for several minutes until he became uncomfortably aware of the rising sun. Only then did he turn around and entered the church again.
He found Drusilla waiting for him at the top of the first staircase. She had calmed down completely and eyed him with serenity. Spike knew Dru sometimes had a rare moment of clarity, after she had calmed down from an emotional outburst. One look into her eyes told him that this was one of them.
“You love her.” It was not a question. She’d always known him better than anyone else.
“Yes.”
The vampiress looked sad for a moment, but then, an expression of conviction illuminated her features. “Then you should go to her.”
“Yes. I will. That’s why I came back. Buffy already left...There is something I need to tell you.” he said quietly. “I love you. I always have and I always will.”
He gently grasped her hands and kissed her fingertips, before gazing into her beautiful eyes again.
“And I will never forget you, Dru. You’ll always be part of me, and I....” A fingertip on his lips silenced him.
“I know. I love you too, my Spike, but our time has passed. Miss Edith tells me to set you free. Miss Edith is a clever girl. Much smarter than I am.”
“That’s not true. You were always a bright girl, sweetheart.” With these words he took her in his arms, knowing that it would be the last embrace they’d share. “You’ll always be my princess.”
Buffy was flying.
High up in the air, her body described a perfect arc before crashing into the wall of the mausoleum. Grunting in pain, she pushed herself to her feet in time to see Giles running at Callistomar, clutching a sword in his hands.
The Watcher took a futile swing at the enraged demon, who had little trouble deflecting the blade with the metal bracelets encircling his lower arms. Buffy ran across the grass, but Callistomar had already grabbed Giles. He held him aloft, clutching his throat, slowly choking the former librarian. With two more steps, Buffy flung herself against the demon’s bulky form, tackling him to the ground.
White-hot pain shot through her shoulder, but the demon wavered just slightly. He let go of the Watcher, who fell to the ground, coughing. Buffy did not lose any time in sending another high kick to Callistomar’s face, in hopes of keeping him off-guard long enough for Willow to complete the spell she was working on. It was supposed to prevent Callistomar from leaving the cemetery, so their battleground would be confined to the ancient walls of this resting-place. When Callistomar had emerged from the vortex that had brought him here, he’d immediately begun to search for his followers, not knowing that they were long dead. He’d literally overrun the Scooby Gang on his way to the surface, not even bothering to acknowledge them as a threat. Only when they had caught up to him in the cemetery, did he take notice of their existence.
A big, seven-fingered hand caught Buffy right under her jaw, as the demon backhanded her. She flew through the air once again, landing on the damp grass. Before she had time to react, Callistomar ripped one of the headstones out of the moist earth and threw it in her direction. She quickly ducked out of the way, but she hadn’t realized how close she’d been to Willow. Fortunately, the stone only grazed her shoulder, but it was enough to send her crashing headfirst into a nearby tree. The redhead fell to the ground, unconscious.
Tears were brimming in her eyes, but Buffy quickly wiped them away and pushed herself to her feet. She saw Oz moving towards the still form of her friend, while Xander handed Giles a crossbow, before joining him. Relieved to know that Willow would be in good care, she faced Callistomar once again, rage and hatred welling up inside of her. Giles had already managed to injure the demon with the crossbow bolts, but that did not seem to bother the demon much. Even though he was bleeding heavily out of at least a dozen wounds, he did not appear weakened.
Buffy charged him again, but was to slow to prevent that the demon hit Giles squarely in the jaw. The Watcher tumbled backwards and Callistomar lashed out again, ripping the crossbow out of the Giles’ hands, dislocating his shoulder and breaking his arm in the process.
The crossbow went flying to the ground, broken and shattered. Buffy punched the demon as hard as she could. Caught off-guard, Callistomar tumbled backwards, falling over the bench that was directly behind him. Having gained a short amount of time to breathe, Buffy took in the damage around her.
Giles was holding his broken arm, incapable of continuing to fight. Xander and Oz were both kneeling besides an unconscious Willow, gently trying to wake her up, while checking her for injuries. Surveying the damaged headstones, Buffy found one that was broad enough to give her sufficient room to stand on. She jumped on top of it and grabbed on of the few stakes that were still in her possession. When she opened her mouth, it was not a witty remark that came out of it. Instead a loud battle cry found its way to her lips.
Callistomar came hurling her way, his huge body moving faster than one would believe it capable of. Buffy had little time to aim, but the stake hit him nonetheless exactly where his heart should be.
The demon came to a dead stop. Blinking, once it looked flabbergasted at the wood producing from his chest. Then it raised his eyes to hers and roaring laughter filled her ears as he simply pulled the wood out of his flesh and threw it behind his shoulders dismissively. However, this had given Buffy the little extra time she needed. She extracted the silver dagger from her boots and launched herself off the headstone, sending a high kick to Callistomara’s face. When her feet hit the ground, she spun around quickly and embedded the dagger in his forehead, pushing it with all her might through his skull.
The demon howled in pain and lashed out with his hand, catching Buffy against her injured shoulder. She spun around and her head connected painfully with the edge of another headstone. Callistomar collapsed to his knees. With a last whimpering sound escaping his lips, he died, sinking to the ground.
Buffy lay motionless for a few minutes, briefly entertaining the idea of slipping into oblivion, but finally she pulled herself together and forced her exhausted body to her feet.
Giles hurried to her side, still clutching his arm. “Buffy, are you all right?”
Feeling the adrenaline draining quickly from her body, the Slayer felt too tired to reply, therefore her response was limited to a slight nod and a reassuring hand on the former librarian’s healthy arm.
Willow had regained consciousness and leaned heavily against her boyfriend, while Xander was standing nearby holding their weapon’s bag in both hands.
“How are you doing?” Buffy managed to ask. Not only did she feel dead on her feet but also somewhat dizzy, so she decided that it would be a good idea to use a tree for support, when reaching her friends.
“Will and Giles need to go the hospital, but Oz and I are fine. As for you, I think you should also let the doctors look you over. You took a pretty bad hit to your head there, Buff,” Xander answered.
Buffy dismissed the suggestion with a wave of her hand. “No, thanks, I’ll be fine, really. But you should definitely go.”
“Are you sure Buffy? You could have a concussion. Especially since you already bumped your head once, when you and Spike...” Willow faltered upon seeing the expression on Buffy’s face. “Sorry!”
Buffy forced a small smile. Upon returning to Sunnydale, she had told them and the demon, who had already been waiting to check on Spike, why she’d left Sunnydale without telling them. First they had been mad at her, which was understandable, but when she’d told them of Spike’s death, they had all calmed down rather quickly and offered their support. The demon had left, convinced by her behavior that she was telling the truth. Looking sad and grief-stricken hadn’t been all that hard for Buffy, since she really felt that way.
There had only been a few hours between her return and the time Callistomar had been supposed to rise. They had spent the time with organization, leaving little time to talk about feelings.
“It’s all right, Will. You guys should go, now. I’ll...just go to bed
and sleep for the next couple of...years, hopefully.”
Giles was about to protest, but Buffy walked off, determined not to let them see the tears that were running down her cheeks.
Buffy didn’t feel like spending the night at her dorm room. She wanted to be alone for a while. Since Buffy’s mother was visiting relatives, she decided that sleeping in her own room sounded like a good idea.
Once Buffy had reached the street she lived on, her tears had subsided. Now, only an overwhelming sense of exhaustion settled over her. She stumbled the last few feet to her front door and searched for her keys. It took her a few tries to figure out that she was using a pencil to open the door. To tired and fuzzy to even curse at her own stupidity or attempt to find the keys again, she walked to the tree in front of her window and climbed up to her room.
Pulling herself through the frame, she flopped rather ungracefully onto the floor. She shed her duster on the spot, before crawling to her wardrobe. That’s when she saw the figure laying on her bed.
“Bloody hell, Slayer. What in God’s name happened to you?” Spike jumped to his feet and hurried to her side. Buffy heard him mumble something about kicking himself for leaving her to fight the bloody cocksucker of a demon all by herself, but the words did not really register in her mind.
As the blond vampire kneeled down beside her, she was still too busy staring at him to do anything else. His hand against her cheek finally brought her out of her contemplation.
“Spike? What are you doing here?” she asked slowly, her speech slightly slurred due to the swelling of her jaw where Callistomar had hit her earlier.
“I...uh, came back.”
“I can...see that.”
Her eyelids closed for a second, but she jerked them back open. Realizing that she was in no condition to ask all the questions that were running through her mind, she simply slipped out of her clothes. “Wanna sleep,” she mumbled, dimly realizing that Spike had helped her with her clothes and was now carrying her to her bed.
She felt herself getting tugged under the covers and cold lips grazing her temples. Buffy was already half asleep, when the blond vampire lay down beside her a few seconds later, gently spooning his own body to hers. He tightened his arms around her and brushed his lips against her hair.
“I love you Slayer. And I’m not going anywhere.”
The phone was ringing insistently.
So insistently that Buffy couldn’t ignore it any longer. Dragging herself from the wonderful dream she’d had, she reached for the receiver. “This better be good, or I’ll rip your frigging head off,” she grumbled, opening her eyes.
The room was shady, but Buffy could see sunlight through the drawn curtains. With a quick glance to her alarm clock, she saw that it was already late afternoon.
“Hey, Buffy. How are you?” Willow’s cheery voice made Buffy wince slightly. She still felt groggy and a massive headache was beginning to form behind her temples.
“Hi, Wills. I’m fine. What about you and Giles?”
“Giles’ arm is taken care of. He’s already back at the antique shop, ordering Xander and Oz around. The doctor said that I’d have to stay in bed for today though, but I’m feeling pretty good. Just a little sore.”
“Know the feeling,” Buffy replied, slowly becoming completely awake. “I just had the most wonderful dream.”
“Really? Oh, tell me....”
Buffy rolled onto her back. “I dreamed that Spike had come back and...” Buffy trailed off, as said drop-dead-gorgeous-bleached-blond vampire came into her field of vision.
With a cocky smile on his lips, he leaned over her, his elbows on either side of her head. “Mornin’, luv.”
Buffy’s mouth dropped open as she took in the sight before her. “Uh, Will? I’ll...I’ll call you later.” Without waiting for the redhead’s response she let the receiver fall out of her hand. Spike caught it and replaced it, chuckling slightly.
“Spike...I...you...how? I mean why?”
“I was here yesterday, when you tumbled through the window, remember?” he said. Leaning down he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
“Uh...no?!”
“I’m sorry that I didn’t come to the cemetery to help you fight Callistomar. I wanted to surprise you and thought that after we killed his army, you wouldn’t have any problems taking care of him. I guess I wasn’t thinking. How are you feeling?” He looked at her with honesty and concern in his eyes. Slowly, his words sunk in and a smile spread across the Slayer’s face.
“A lot better,” she said quietly, capturing his mouth in a long, passionate kiss. The deep rumbling sound that escaped the vampire’s throat made her giggle.
“I like it when you do that,” she smiled.
“Well, looks like you’re gonna get to hear this a lot from now on,” he whispered, trailing kisses down her neck. “If you want to keep me, that is.”
At those words, he met her eyes again, waiting for her answer.
“What about Dru?” she asked quietly.
“You said that two hundred years are not something you can forget. Part of me will always love her. But the rest of me loves you. More than I can say.”
“She let you go?”
“That, too...but it was my decision!” His fingers played with her soft blond her while his other hand pulled her closer. “I don’t need her anymore. And I don’t ever want to need you as much as I needed her. Does that make sense?”
Buffy smiled. Forgetting her headache and the fact that she would have a lot of explaining to do, she let a content laugh bubble from her lips and pulled him closer.
“It does!” she said, pulling him into another kiss.