Title: Tainted by Death
Author: Hilary Rating: R Pairings: S/D, S/B, D/Aus Summery: My twisted take on Season 2. Buffy is a vampire
and Angel is doing what he does in LA only in Sunnydale with the help of Giles
and the Scoobies. Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to any of these characters,
if I did I'd be very rich. Feedback: You know I want it so give it to me +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As another dusk settled upon Sunnydale Buffy awoke and glanced
around her rather dank surroundings. It had been several months since she had
been turned and she was enjoying her experiences as a vampire, current living
conditions aside. Her Sire was dead now, the Master had been killed by Angel
and Xander shortly after he had killed her. A small part of her mourned his
death, there was so much she could have learned from him. But that time was
past, there was much to be planned for the future. She currently served the
Anointed One, sat at his right hand was closer to the truth. After the Master
had died he had been keen to have the former Slayer as his second in command.
Her strength and agility from life had been carried over into death and were
useful assets in the vampire colony. Both she and the Anointed One were feared
for their power and she liked that. Currently they were reduced to living in
an abandoned factory at the edge of town. It wasn't exactly a five star hotel
but it served its purpose. Things would change soon enough. Preparations were currently under way for the Night of Saint
Vigeous. Their power would be at its peak and then would be the time for them
to establish themselves as the new rulers of Sunnydale. Buffy was aware that
after she had been killed a new Slayer had been called but as of yet she hadn't
made an appearance in town. When she eventually showed up Buffy was ready, what
better way for a Slayer to die than at the hands of a vampire who used to be
one. The Anointed one had set up a kind of court in the main
area of the factory, he sat on a large chair which served as his throne and
Buffy sat on a stool at his side. A few vampire minions gathered in front of
them as they planned for the upcoming ritual. One of the vampires stood before
them, fear and respect in his voice. "As long as Angel continues to work with the Watcher
we will all join the Master in death. He's powerful, and his friends make him
stronger still." Buffy rolled her eyes, she had loved Angel when she had
been alive. Now she despised him for what he was, a vampire with a soul. It
was pathetic. She stood up and circled the cowering vampire. "I will deal with Angel soon enough, the Night will
see a great many things, including his death. When the time is right I will
strike him with a force he can't even imagine." One of the bolder vampires stepped forward. "Why wait until the ritual. The longer Angel is alive,
the more of us he will kill." He walked past Buffy and stood in front of
the throne. "Let me kill him for you. It will be the greatest event since
the Crucifixion
and I should know, I was there." "You were there?" A laugh emanated from the doorway.
"Oh please, if ever vampire who said he was at the Crucifixion was actually
there it would have been like Woodstock." All eyes fell upon the vampire who had walked in and was
now making his way forward. Buffy looked at him appraisingly. He had bleach
blonde hair, tight black T-shirt, red shirt on top of that and a long leather
coat. A cigarette hung from his lips as if he'd been born with it there and
there was fire burning in his eyes. She instantly liked him, he sort of reminded
her of herself. The vampire who was being addressed growled. "I ought
to rip your throat out." The blonde vampire merely smirked and carried on walking
forward. "I was actually at Woodstock. That was a weird gig.
Fed off a flower person and spent six hours watching my hands move." The other vampire rushed him from behind. Without even looking
the blonde raised a fist, smashing him in the face and knocking him down and
out. Buffy smiled, this guy was strong, and a good fighter at that. Not to mention
that he was the first vampire she'd met since she'd turned who actually not
bad looking. She glided over to him, fascinated. "Hello cutie." He said. "And who might you
be?" "Buffy." She replied simply. "And who are you?" Called the Anointed one from
his throne. He had watched Buffy with the new and arrival and could sense her
attraction to him. This time was too important to let his second in command's
hormones run away with her. He needed her to destroy Angel. "Spike." Said the vampire turning to face the
young child. "You're that anointed guy. I read about you." Buffy listened to him talk, his accent was British. She
wondered where he'd picked up his name from. One or two images were going through
her mind and she made a mental note to ask him later. Suddenly Spike turned
his head, his face morphing back into his human features. Buffy followed his
gaze and her eyes came to rest on a dark haired girl stood in the doorway. She
guessed she was a vampire, although she looked paler than most. "Drusilla." He said softly, walking to her side.
"You shouldn't be walking around. You're weak." Buffy saw nothing but adoration in his eyes and she swore
under her breath. Typical that the one interesting guy that she meets is blatantly
in love with someone else. Still, there was plenty of fun to be had with or
without Spike. "Look at all the people," Drusilla cooed. "Are
these nice people?" "We're getting along." Spike replied, shooting
a quick glance at Buffy. Drusilla took a few tentative steps towards the Anointed
One's throne. "This one has power." She said to Spike. "I
can feel it from the outside." "Yeah. He's the big noise in these parts. Anointed,
and all that." Drusilla suddenly got a distant look in her eyes. She addressed
the Anointed One as if he was the child which he had been in life. "Do you like Daisies? I plant them, but they always
die. Everything I put in the ground withers and dies." The child vampire looked confused and Buffy rolled her eyes.
She was getting the distinct impression that this girl was a little on the crazy
side. This wasn't what they needed right now. Drusilla's gaze suddenly fell
upon Buffy and she moved over to stand in front of her. "This one here stinks of death. She has killed many." Spike suddenly looked interested again and walked over to
stand next to Drusilla. "What's that pet?" "I used to be a Slayer." Said Buffy matter of
factly. This caught Spike by surprise, but he also seemed impressed. "Really?" He asked, almost delighted. "I've
never met a Slayer before, well, apart from the two I killed that is. But I've
never met a Slayer who became a vampire." "Well you have now." Replied Buffy, playing it
cool. So Spike had killed two Slayers, she'd have dismissed it as lies if she'd
heard it from anyone else but from what she'd seen so far she was pretty sure
he was telling the truth. That put him up another notch in her opinion. "You and me'll have to have a talk sometime."
Spike grinned and Buffy couldn't help but smile back. "Spike" said Drusilla softly. "I'm cold." Instantly the smile left his face and was replaced with
concern as he pulled his coat off, draping it over her shoulders and holding
her close to him. "I got you." He whispered soothingly. Drusilla
reached up and ran her finger down his cheek, her long fingernail slicing through
his skin and drawing blood. Buffy unconsciously licked her lips at the sight
of the small crimson drop running down his almost white face. As if she had
read Buffy's thought Drusilla leaned up and licked the blood from Spike's cheek
causing him to sigh with pleasure. They moved in as though they were about to
kiss but turned their heads away at the last moment so that they were facing
the Anointed One. "Me and Dru, we're moving in." Said Spike as though
the issue couldn't be questioned. Buffy glanced back at their leader, wondering
how he'd react. He may have the body of a child but he was still powerful and
Buffy had no doubt he could kill Spike where he stood if he chose to. The boy
merely nodded. "That settles it then." Grinned Spike clapping
his hands together. "I'll get us settled in and then I'll bring you something
to eat baby." He was addressing Dru now and she merely smiled as he took
her arm and lead her downstairs. When they were gone Buffy reclaimed her seat
at the Anointed One's side. "What do you think?" She asked, already suspecting
what the answer would be. "I don't trust him." The boy replied."He's
reckless and is in danger of ruining the ritual if he acts too soon. Watch him
closely. He can do what he likes when we've established ourselves but not until
then. Remember, if you see Angel he is not to be harmed, it must wait until
Saturday. " Although the child could sense Buffy's attraction to Spike
there was no one else he trusted enough to make sure nothing went awry. Buffy
nodded at his request and tried to will away the pleasure she was feeling at
the thought of spending time alone with Spike. After a few minutes the blonde
vampire emerged from below. "Buffy will go hunting with you." Said the boy,
his tone indicating that this was an instruction and not a suggestion. "She'll
show you the best feeding area's in town." Spike knew that the boy didn't trust him and that
Buffy wasn't tagging along to keep him company. She could
see in his eyes that he knew the truth although his voice betrayed nothing. "Alright then pet, let's move out. I don't like to
keep Dru waiting for her supper." Buffy would have ripped the throat out of any other man
who had dared to call her pet, it seemed to flow so naturally off Spike's tongue
that she let it slide. Soon they were out in the cool night air and heading
towards the center of town. Buffy loved to hunt, it was one of the many characteristics
which she had carried over from life into death. When she was alive she had
hunted vampires and now it was humans she hunted. She found the hunt itself
almost as exhilarating as the kill itself, requiring her to use all her predatory
skills. "That's quite an interesting little set up your boy's
got going there." Observed Spike as they walked. "Was he the one who
sired you?" He knew that it would take a vampire of great power and strength
to sire a Slayer. Buffy rolled her eyes at the mere idea of it. The Anointed
One was powerful but even he was no match for the Slayer. "I was sired by The Master." She replied with
an air of haughtiness in her voice. Spike raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah? I heard of him, heard he was pretty powerful." Although Spike had never met The Master, he knew his blood
flowed in his veins, mixed with that of several others. Someone had tried to
give him the details of his lineage once but that sort of stuff bored him. As
long as he was out having fun he didn't really care about the rest of that crap. "He was the most powerful vampire to walk this earth."
Replied Buffy, annoyed by the lack of respect in his tone. She was used to any
mention of her sire being met with awe. Then she sighed. "He's dead now." This did capture Spike's attention. He'd heard that something
big had gone down in Sunnydale recently but he'd never imagine that someone
had actually managed to kill The Master. Clearly Buffy hadn't done it, so who
could it have possibly been? "Who?" Was all he asked. "Me." A male voice replied The two vampires looked up and found themselves facing a
third, Angel. Spike's look of annoyance quickly turned to recognition mixed
with delight. "Angelus! I'll be damned!" Angel continued to look grim. "I heard you were in town Spike, you still hanging
around with Dru?" Spike's smile fell a little. "Yeah, things changed
once you left. She's not the same as she was." Angel nodded. "I think we've all changed." "Not me mate, I'm still the same old Spike." Angel sighed loudly. "I didn't expect anything less." Before Spike had time to react Angel whipped out a stake
and plunged it towards his chest. Spike barely had time to deflect the blow.
Knocking the stake to one side, he punched Angel, sending him staggering back.
Buffy watched for a moment before recalling the Anointed One's words. She grabbed
Spike and pulled him back as he lunged at Angel again. Spike whirled round and
pushed her off him. "Stay out of this." He hissed. "This isn't
your fight." Buffy immediately grabbed him again. "It's too soon,
you can't hurt him yet. It's not time." Spike immediately slipped into his demonic visage. "You
think I give a toss about you and your bloody ritual? This is personal so stay
the hell out of it." Angel used the distraction to lunge again, this time at
Buffy. He punched her hard, knocking her to the ground and stunning her momentarily.
Spike growled. "What the hell happened to you? You were my sire, my
Yoda. We're demons, we don't change!" Beneath the anger there was the smallest
hint of hurt and betrayal and Angel sensed that. "It's complicated." He said quietly. "Complicated my arse, you've just turned bloody soft.
I always knew you were a poofter and I guess you're proving it now." He
took a deep breath and heard Buffy climbing to her feet behind him. He ignored
her for the moment. "I know we've been through a lot together Angelus but
if you think I'm going to let the fact that you just tried to kill me slip by
then you're very much mistaken." Angel didn't move. "Spike, leave here. I'm offering
you that chance. Take Dru and get out." Spike snorted. "Not bloody likely, I just got here.
What are you going to do anyway? Kill me?" "If I have to." "Not if I kill you first." Without giving Angel
the chance to respond Spike hurled himself at the vampire, knocking him to the
floor, straddling him and raining punches down on him. "You bastard!" He yelled, not letting up on his
punches but not making a move to kill him either. Eventually he picked up the
stake which Angel had dropped and raised it over his head for the kill. Buffy
immediately kicked the stake from his hand and pulled the blonde to his feet. "That's enough!" She said with a cold calmness.
"You've done your damage and if you kill him now you'll have ruined everything.
Save your fight for another time." Spike glanced down and saw that Angel was now unconscious,
his face more of a bloody pulp than any actual recognisable features. That,
at least, was satisfying although he probably would have felt better if he'd
killed him. Still, as Buffy said, there would be another time. He shrugged and
slid his human features back into place. "Alright pet, I'll play it your way for now. But when
the time comes for me to kill him, I don't want you or your flunkies interfering." Buffy nodded and they continued their walk into town in
silence. After a few minutes they arrived in Hammersmith Park, one of the prime
feeding areas for vampires. There were rumors spread amongst the humans that
the park was haunted and the main people who went there now were kids who were
trying to prove their courage. Sure enough there was a group of about ten or
so crowded round a bench drinking and laughing. Buffy and Spike allowed their
true faces to show, the bloodlust overcoming them both. "I don't know about you," Grinned Buffy. "But
all that talking and violence has made me hungry." Spike allowed himself to smile although he could still feel
the rage from the fight with Angelus boiling inside him. He'd feel better after
a good kill no doubt. "Me too pet. Don't kill them all though, I need to
take something back for Dru." Buffy's eyes darted back to the group. "There's plenty to go around." She replied and
with that she ran forward and drained a boy before the rest of the group even
knew what was happening. She laughed as they screamed and ran in all different
directions, desperate to escape. Fear only made them taste better. When she
and Spike had drunk their fill Spike punched and knocked out a girl to take
back with them. "I hope Dru likes take-out." Grinned Buffy as
Spike hoisted the girl's limp body over his shoulder. "I prefer dining
out myself." Spike couldn't help but laugh. Despite all that stuff with
Angelus earlier, this former Slayer was a lot like him. "You know pet," he began as they walked. "You
don't strike me as being the sort of girl who goes in for all that ritual crap.
Why do you let that kid tell you what to do?" Buffy shrugged. It was true that she was at her happiest
when she was out killing and generally causing mayhem. It was just the way that
there was a natural hierarchy in the vampire community. The Master had been
at the top until he had died and now that role fell to the child. She did things
his way purely because that was how it was meant to be. "Things will be different soon." She said. "After
the Night of St Vigeous it will be a bit less ritual and a bit more fun. I'm
looking forward to that day." They walked in silence for a few minutes until Buffy could
no longer contain her intrigue. "What's the story with you and Angel? Seems like you
two have a bit of a history." Spike flinched, the memories of Angelus' betrayal still
gnawing at him. He pushed it to one side. "Well, he was going by the name of Angelus the last
time I saw him, and that was nearly 100 years ago. There was a group of us that
used to travel together. Me, Dru, Angelus and Darla." "Hmm, I met Darla. Angel killed her." Spike stopped and turned to face her. "What? He killed his own sire?" He felt his temper
flare. He'd never been one for rules and conventions but there were some things
that you just didn't do, killing your sire was one of those things. What the
hell was he thinking? "Alright pet, you obviously know more than you're
letting on. What's with Angelus, why is he attacking vampires all of a sudden?" Buffy stared at Spike for a moment. "You don't know
do you? Angel has a soul." Spike had prepared himself for many reasons for Angelus'
behavior but this hadn't been one of them. He had a soul, a disgusting soul.
This changed everything. "How?" Was all he asked. Buffy sighed, remembering how much the Slayer had loved
him, it was sick. "He said something about being cursed by gypsies." Spike laughed. "Yeah, those gypsies always did know
how to do it with gusto. Well, this is bloody marvelous. We've got the scourge
of Europe working for the enemy." "Not for much longer. He'll die soon enough, along
with the rest of this town." They arrived back at the factory and stepped through the
door to find themselves facing the Anointed One and all his minions. Buffy looked
confused, he never gathered them all together like this unless there was something
serious. She walked over and took her seat next to the throne. "What is it?" She asked. The child kept his eyes
on Spike, who had unloaded the unconscious girl and dumped her body on the floor.
He could sense something wasn't right. Drusilla came up and took his arm. "Is that for me?" She cooed, gesturing at the
girl. "Dru, pet, what's going on?" The Anointed One stood, answering both Buffy and Spike.
"You were told not to harm Angel, yet I hear that he was attacked tonight
and has since gone into hiding. The night of St Vigeous is ruined." Buffy frowned, the only way he could have known all this
was if he'd had her followed. Evidently the boy no longer trusted her. Spike walked over to the throne and knelt down, looking
up at the boy. "I..uh...offer penance." "You failed us," Snapped one of the minions. "You
should lay down your life." Spike lowered his head a fraction. "I was rash, and
if I had to do it all over again..." He began to laugh and stood up. "Who
am I kidding! If I had to do it again I'd have done it exactly the same, only
I would have done this first." He grabbed the boy and walked over to a cage in the middle
of the room, punching out one of the minions who tried to stop him. Buffy jumped
to her feet more out of surprise than of the desire to protect the boy. Spike
threw the child inside and hoisted him halfway towards an open window where
the first rays of dawn were now flooding in. "From now on we're going to have a little less ritual..."
He pulled the chain once more and the cage swung into the direct sunlight. The
child screamed, a high pitched agonised cry, and then disintegrated. "...and
a little more fun around here." Buffy watched with fascination as Spike swaggered back over
to Dru, scooping up the human girl with one arm and wrapping the other around
his lover. As the two walked downstairs Buffy sat back down. Thing were going
to get very interesting around here. For Buffy, the weeks which followed the death of the Anointed
One were fairly quiet. Little had been seen of Angel since their attack on him
which had left them with more or less free reign of the town. They'd run into
Giles and his white-hats a couple of times but they weren't stupid enough to
try anything without Angel there to back them up. Buffy was enjoying her new
life. She was free to hunt and kill wherever and whenever she wanted and for
the first time since she'd been sired she didn't have to worry about rituals
and chanting. The first couple of weeks in particular had been fun. She'd gone
hunting every night with Spike and shown him all around town, the best places
to hunt. It had been good. Lately though Spike had been out less and less, only leaving
the factory when he needed to feed or to bring something back for Dru. He'd
managed to get hold of some sort of ancient scroll which apparently had something
to do with restoring Dru back to full health. Buffy wasn't actually sure what
was wrong with her anyway, Spike had mentioned something about a mob in Prague
but had been reluctant to go into any details. So now Buffy was reduced to hunting
alone, she didn't mind, but it wasn't as fun. She enjoyed hearing Spike's stories
about the places he'd been and the people he'd killed, but she'd barely heard
two words from him in the last few days and she knew better than to push him.
Finally, after almost a week, she returned home to find
him waiting for her. She was immediately struck by the fact that he looked tired,
he obviously hadn't been sleeping and his face was a little thinner, indicating
that he hadn't been eating either. "You look like hell." She observed as she walked
into her room and found him sitting on the bed. "Thanks pet." He smiled. "This isn't a social
call though. I need a favour." "Shoot." She replied, sitting down next to him. "Well, it turns out that scroll we dug up is in some
sort of code. I need this cross thing from the Du Lac crypt on the other side
of town. I'd send the boys but you know what idiots they are, if Angel or his
cronies turn up they'd hightail it straight out of there." "Consider it done." She immediately replied. Whilst
having her run of the town was fun, Buffy found that without Spike to keep her
company she got a little bored. At least this task would keep her amused for
a short while and if she had a run in with Angel then all the better. He couldn't
stay hidden forever, eventually his poor little soul would force him to come
out of hiding and start helping people again. Buffy intended to be waiting for
him when he made his move. "I'll go out as soon as the sun sets tomorrow."
She added, knowing that the sooner he cured Dru, the sooner he'd be back to
his old self. Spike nodded and stood up, without further
comment he turned and left. As soon as he'd gone Buffy climbed into bed and
closed her eyes, as she drifted off to sleep she wondered how different things
would be once Dru was restored. ****** True to her word, as soon as the sun set the
next evening Buffy made her way to the Du Lac crypt. She soon found what she
was looking for, a cross, wrapped in velvet and sealed in the tomb with the
last member of the Du Lac family. Clutching her prize she turned to leave and
found herself facing Angel. She smiled "I was hoping I'd run into you. I guess
you've heard that things have changed over in our neck of the woods. Speaking
of necks, I must remember to pick up a bite to eat on the way home. I've had
such a wide choice since Spike kicked the crap out of you." She lowered
her voice as though she were telling him a secret. "You can't even tell
he did it any more." Then she giggled. "I bet it was killing you,
knowing that your pretty face was all messed up." "Buffy, what are you doing here?"
Angel asked wearily. "Just looking for a few trinkets."
She replied. "You know, I just can't seem to find anything that goes with
this outfit." Angel's face had that sorrowful, brooding expression
which made her feel sick to the pit of her stomach. "I don't know why you feel sorry for me."
She snapped. "You should know better than anyone how alive becoming a vampire
makes you feel. I mean, come on, it's not as though I had much of a life before
this anyway. I was stuck in a destiny I couldn't escape and I was living a life
I didn't want. For the first time I'm actually free." "Free to take innocent lives." Angel
replied sadly. Buffy scoffed. "And what's a few of their
lives compared to the hundreds that I've saved? Do you think any of those worthless
humans ever actually thanked me for saving them? No, they just carried on with
their meaningless little lives and soon forgot about the whole thing. I don't
think I owe humanity a thing, do you?" For once, Angel was at a loss for words. He'd
known that Buffy had always struggled to accept her fate as the Slayer, but
hearing the demon speak the raw truth made him realise just how hard it must
have been for her. "That doesn't make it right." He
eventually said. Buffy just laughed and pushed her way past
him. "Stay out of my way Angel, or I'll finish
the job that Spike did." When Angel made no move to stop her she headed
back to the factory, stopping only to feed from a teenage boy who had made the
fatal mistake of thinking she was human and trying to come on to her. ****** "Special delivery!" She called as
she walked into the main room of the factory. It was unoccupied save for Spike,
Dru and Dalton, who was the resident scribe. Buffy handed the cross to Spike
who immediately passed it to Dalton. "Get on with it!" He barked, sending
the smaller vampire scurrying away in fear. When he'd gone Spike moved over to Dru and
pulled her into his arms, capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss. "It won't be long now ducks." He
smiled. "Once you're strong again the Streets of Sunnyhell will run red
with blood." Dru giggled, running her fingers through Spike's
hair. "My naughty, wicked little Spike, what games there will be." Buffy glowered throughout this entire interaction.
What Spike saw in a total headcase like Dru she would never know. Dru glanced
up at Buffy, and as if she knew what she was thinking she pulled Spike back
to her and kissed him hungrily. Dru's eyes never left Buffy's while she did
this and immediately Buffy saw what the dark vampiress was doing. She was marking
Spike as her own, a 'keep your hands off' gesture. Buffy scowled as the two vampires parted and
almost as an afterthought Spike remembered she was still there. He turned to
face her while Dru continued to caress his cheek, a small smile on her lips
as she continued to keep her eyes on Buffy. "Any problems?" Spike asked. Aside from the fact that you're with her
when you could be with me? She thought, then she shrugged. "Ran into Angel." Both Spike and Dru looked interested at this. "You saw my Angel?" Dru asked dreamily,
finally removing her hand from Spike's cheek. Her whole tone of voice reminded
Buffy of a girl suffering from a teenage crush. "Dru," said Spike exasperatedly.
"He's not your Angel anymore, he's our enemy now." He turned back to Buffy. "Did you kill him?" She shook her head. "Thought I'd save
that little job for you." Spike grinned. "Now that will be
fun." After a moment of relishing in the thought
of killing Angel, Spike became aware of a dull ache gnawing at his stomach.
Thinking about it he couldn't actually remember the last time he'd eaten properly.
When he went out he always made sure he got something for Dru, but he was so
preoccupied by looking for the cure that more often than not he forgot about
himself. "Do you want to go and get someone to
eat, pet?" He asked Buffy. "Sure." She smiled. As soon as the word had left her mouth, Dru
began to whimper and Spike immediately turned his attention back to her. She
slumped into his arms, her whole body weak and he scooped her up as though she
were a small child. Cradling her in his arms and holding her close to him she
buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Don't leave me." She whispered. "I'm not going anywhere baby." He
replied softly before carrying her towards the bedroom. "Let's put you
to bed, you need your rest." When they were out of sight Buffy rolled her
eyes. She was beginning to wonder how much of Dru's 'weakness' was actually
genuine. It seemed to get worse just when it suited her and Spike was so blinded
by love that he couldn't even see it. She sighed. It looked like it was going
to be another night of eating alone. ****** "I don't bloody believe it!" Exclaimed
Spike as he looked at the sheets of paper in his hand. "What?" Asked Buffy as she peered
over his shoulder, Spike was holding full details of the ritual which would
restore Dru back to full health. "Well, it's a good job you didn't kill
Angel last night, it seems we need his blood for the cure." Buffy looked amused by this, irony had a way
of rearing it's head at the strangest of times "You're kidding!" Spike grinned. "And the best part is,
we cure Dru and it's bye bye Angel." It just kept getting better. "It'll kill
him?" She smiled. Spike nodded. "Let me get him for you." Buffy asked
excitedly. "I promise I won't hurt him...much." "Alright pet, but don't rough him up too
much, remember, we need him alive for the ritual." He disappeared into
the bedroom for a minute and returned with a small box which he handed to Buffy.
She opened it to find a syringe filled with a bright green substance. "What's this?" She asked. "Enough sedative to knock out a herd of
elephants. When you've finished having your fun, stick him with that and he
won't cause you any more problems." Buffy nodded and headed for the door. "Get
everything you need ready, I won't be long." Without looking back she ran out into the night
and headed straight for Angel's apartment. Tonight he would pay for betraying
their kind. ****** Buffy was surprised to find Angel's apartment
unlocked, either he was expecting someone or he was getting really slack with
his security. Stepping inside she took a moment to look around, it hadn't changed
at all. The same minimalist decor. From what she'd gathered from Spike Angel
was the complete opposite of Angelus who liked everything to be lavish and beautiful. She was disturbed from her thoughts by the
sound of the door opening behind her. She turned. It was Angel. "Hello lover." She said chirpily.
He looked at her nervously, almost as if he
knew why she was here. "What do you want Buffy?" "Well, it seems that you weren't entirely
honest with me when I was alive. Tell me, is it true what you did to Dru? Did
you really turn her into the nutty headcase that we all know and....well....know." The look of pain and sorrow in Angel's eyes
gave her her answer. Buffy laughed. "That's brilliant!" She exclaimed
with delight. "I never would have thought you had it in you." She took a step closer to him and whispered
in his ear. "You can be like that again you know." Angel gasped and pushed her away. "What
are you saying?" "Come on Angel, why do you fight who you
are, what you are. You're a killer, soul or no soul. You should accept that.
You could join us, me, Spike, Dru. We could do anything, go anywhere, kill anyone." "Buffy you know I can't." She sighed loudly. "Well, it was worth
a try. I guess we go for plan B then." With lightening speed she was at his side and
quickly stuck the syringe in his neck, pressing the plunger down fully. Angel
barely had time to react before he slumped, unconscious, to the floor. Buffy stared at his still form for a couple
of minutes, making sure the drugs had done their job effectively. When he didn't
move she looked around the apartment. No phone. She looked back down at Angel
and wondered if she'd be able to carry him alone, probably not. It was his size
rather than his weight which was the problem. She had an idea. Rolling him onto his back
she went through his pockets until she found what she was looking for. Pulling
out the mobile phone she quickly punched in the number. "Spike? It's Buffy. I'm at Angel's, send
the boys over will you." ****** Buffy sighed as Angel's screams resounded throughout
the building. Dru had been at it for hours now, insisting that she be left alone
to 'play'. Spike had agreed of course, not wanting to deny his beloved anything,
but Buffy was now getting the impression that Spike wasn't happy with the decision.
For the last hour he'd been pacing up and down, smoking cigarette after cigarette.
It was beginning to make Buffy dizzy. "Spike, will you sit down. You're making
my head spin." Spike merely growled at her and continued to
pace, flinching everytime he heard Angel scream. Ok, time for a different approach. "Look, just relax. The sun is nearly down
and in a couple of hours Angel will be dead, Dru will be restored and we can
do whatever we want." Bingo. Spike pulled out a chair and dropped
down into it. Buffy walked up behind him and began to massage his shoulders,
she'd always been good at it, even when she was alive. Spike let out a small
murmur of pleasure as she kneaded the tension out of his muscles. After a few
minutes she stopped. "Better?" Spike opened his eyes and looked at her. "Bloody
hell pet, where did you learn how to do that?" Buffy shrugged before glancing up at the window.
The sun was down. "Time for church." She said quietly.
Spike looked up and nodded before getting to his feet. He disappeared into the
bedroom and emerged a few minutes later with his arm around Dru. Two minions
followed carrying Angel, or at least what was left of him. His shirt had been
removed and his entire upper body was a mass of cuts, bruises and burns. Dru
certainly knew what she was doing when it came to torture. Spike stopped in front of her. "We'll be back as soon as the ritual is
complete, then the real fun will start. Keep an eye on thing here while we're
gone." Buffy nodded. Dru said nothing, merely rested
her head on Spike's shoulder. As Buffy took one last look at Angel she sighed
with the knowledge that once he was gone she'd be free from the final tie to
her human life. It felt good. Part of her was annoyed that she was going to
miss seeing his death, but Spike had insisted that someone stay in case the
idiot librarian and the others somehow came looking for Angel. As the doors
closed Buffy took on Spike's role. She began to pace. ****** Something was wrong. They had been gone for
over 24 hours and Buffy had heard no word. She couldn't go and look for them
because she didn't know where they were. For the first time since she'd been
turned she felt useless. Letting out a cry of frustration she punched one of
the chairs, shattering it. Moments later she heard the main doors open
and she looked up. When she saw who it was she jumped to her feet in shock.
It was Dru, fully restored and well, carrying an unconscious Spike in her arms.
His white-blonde hair was the only thing which enabled Buffy to identify him.
His clothes were burned and torn and his face was covered in soot. "What the hell happened?" She demanded. Dru ignored her and carried Spike into the
bedroom, placing him gently on the bed. She sat at his side whimpering softly. "I said 'what happened'?" Repeated
Buffy, who had followed them. Finally Dru turned to face her, her vampiric visage
in place. "My Spike made me all better." She
said with a smile. Buffy lost it. Grabbing Dru by the throat she
pinned her against the wall. "Who did this to him?" She ground
out. "My Angel's friends came and rescued him,
they left us to feed the fire." "Well, you seem to be alright." Buffy
spat, releasing her grip on Dru. The dark haired vampiress began to laugh. "The poor little Slayer is in love with
my Spike. Naughty girl, trying to take what's not yours." Suddenly they heard the door open again. "Well, this is nice, a little drab for
my liking but I can learn to deal." A male voice called. Buffy and Dru
went to investigate. "Hello lover." Said Angel, who stood
in the middle of the room taking in his surroundings. Buffy shook, numb with
rage. "I can't believe you were actually stupid
enough to come here." She finally managed to say. Angel shrugged. "I was in this part of
town and I couldn't not stop by and say howdy. How are you anyway Buff?" "Buff? What the hell is wrong with you?" "Angel?" Breathed Dru in awe. He
grinned. "Yeah baby, I'm back." "How did this happen?" Asked Dru with delight. Angelus kept his eyes locked on Buffy the whole time, even though it was Dru
he was talking to. "Well, it seems the ritual had some interesting side effects. One minute
I was trapped, then all of a sudden it was goodbye soul-boy." He grinned.
"The funny thing was, if Giles and his crew hadn't gotten me out of there
I'd have been dust. They didn't realise I was free until it was too late." "You killed them?" Buffy asked incredulously. He sighed deeply. "Nothing is more satisfying than the sound of a human
neck snapping. They tasted good too." Then he shrugged. "None of that really matters anyway, why don't we go
and get something to eat. It's been a good half hour since I tasted human blood
and I'm making up for lost time here." Dru clapped her hands with glee. "Oh goody, we can go hunting as a family." Buffy stared at her in disbelief. "What about Spike?" Angelus looked around. "Where is the bleached one anyway? I really should
thank him for setting me free." Dru gave a small whimper and took Angelus' hand, pulling him into the bedroom.
Buffy followed closely behind them. Spike hadn't moved from the position Dru
had left him in, it chilled Buffy seeing him like this. He was normally so animated
and active, now he just looked like the corpse he was. "Hmmm." Frowned Angelus. Then he smirked. "Well, it looks like
Spikey boy won't be joining us tonight. Shall we go ladies?" He wrapped one arm around Dru and made to put his other around Buffy, she moved
away. Angelus' face expressed a mixture of annoyance and surprise; he wasn't used
to women resisting him. "Come on Buff, the souled one is well and truly gone. I'm not going to
go all mushy on you." Buffy said nothing, merely glanced back at Spike. Dru leant up and whispered
something in Angelus' ear. "You've got to be kidding me!" He exclaimed. "You're a Slayer-turned-vampire
Buff, you can have your choice of any creature you like, and you want him?" Buffy scowled, she wasn't used to being told what to do, least of all by her
former lover. "At least he hasn't been soul-whipped for the last 80 years."
She snapped. Angelus grinned. "Still got that fire I see. I always liked that about
you." He reached out his hand to caress her cheek and she slapped it away, growling.
Angelus growled back. "You should learn your place little girl. I may not have been sired directly
by the Master, but his blood still flows in my veins. I've walked this earth
for over two centuries and you'd do well to show some respect." "Respect? You killed the Master and you killed your own Sire. I ought
to return the favour right now." Angelus walked over to Buffy so that he was stood mere inches away from her.
"Yes, I killed the Master." He said softly. "You don't tow the
line and the same thing might happen to you." His voice resumed its normal tone. "Well, if you want to stay here and play nursemaid then that's just fine.
Dru and I will go alone, right baby?" Drusilla made no reply, just snuggled closer to Angel. Her actions speaking
volumes. Buffy was disgusted, vampire or not she couldn't believe that Dru was
just willing to drop Spike now that her bastard of a Sire had returned. It was
evident however, that Dru had no qualms about doing just that. When she had Angel had left Buffy sank down on the edge of the bed next to
Spike. This was not the way she had imagined things going. After a minute she
turned her attention back to the injured vampire, since no one else was going
to do anything she may as well sort him out. ****** An hour or so later she'd managed to get Spike cleaned up and into some new
clothes. He'd remained unconscious the whole time, which had saved any embarrassment
on either side. Looking down at him she realised that he was going to need to
feed in order to start recovering. Angelus and Drusilla still weren't back and
Buffy was pretty sure they wouldn't have brought anything for him anyway. She'd
just have to go and get something herself. Stepping outside she grabbed the first human she came across, a night watchman
who had been patrolling the area around the factory. Buffy quickly immobilised
him with a blow to the back of the head before dragging him inside and into
the bedroom. This was where things got awkward. Spike was still unconscious
and Buffy had no idea how she was going to get him to feed. Finally she had
an idea. Chaining the man to the wall, she retrieved a mug from one of the other rooms
before taking his arm and biting into his wrist. Holding the wound over the
cup she allowed the blood to flow until it was full. She then bound the man's
wrist, she had no idea how long Spike was going to be like this and the longer
she could keep the man alive the better. Sitting on the edge of the bed she lifted Spike's head and held the mug to
his lips. Instinct kicked in and he began to drink, quickly draining the cup
of its contents. When he'd finished she set his head back on the pillows and
spent a few minutes just watching him. How Dru was willing to give him up for
Angelus was completely beyond her. He began to stir, his eyes flickering beneath
his lids but not opening. "Dru?" He croaked, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper. Buffy opened her mouth to respond but then closed it again. Somehow she couldn't
bring herself to tell him that Dru was off cavorting with their former enemy.
Instead she reached out her hand and lightly brushed her fingers down the unburned
side of his face. A small smile played at the corner of his lips and shortly
after that he seemed to drift back to sleep. A few minutes later she heard the door bang open and she walked out into the
main hall to see Angelus swagger in, his arm wrapped around Drusilla's waist.
Even from where she was stood Buffy could smell the blood, they had obviously
fed well. "How's the invalid?" Angelus asked coolly, still angry about his
earlier rejection. "He's asleep." Buffy replied with an equal lack of emotion. "Can I go and see him?" Dru asked quietly. Angelus pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Go on then." Dru scurried into the bedroom leaving Buffy and Angelus alone. Buffy scowled
at him. "I see you've got Dru eating out of your hand already." Angelus shrugged. "She's just a crazy girl. Come on Buffy, I don't know
why you're fighting this. Both of our souled counterparts are gone, there's
no reason why we can't take up where they left off. " Buffy said nothing, which just enraged Angelus further. "There's no point saving yourself for Spike." He snapped. "There's
only ever been one woman in his life, Dru and there'll only ever be one woman
in his life, Dru. You may as well just accept that now and take what's on offer.
I promise you'll never lack anything with me, I always make sure my women live
like queens. You can have anything you want, just say you'll be mine." Buffy stared at him for a moment. He honestly expected her to come crawling
just because he said so. She'd never been one for following orders when she'd
been alive and she was damned if she was going to start now. Flicking her hair
over her shoulder she walked into her room, slamming the door behind her. Angelus stared at the closed door for a moment. He'd have her eventually, he
always got what he wanted one way or another. In the meantime he have to make
do with second best. "DRU!" He roared. ****** Buffy spent the next couple of weeks doing her best do avoid Angelus. It wasn't
actually as much of a problem as she'd have thought, he was busy keeping himself
amused with Dru and Buffy spent most of her time watching over Spike, who had
still not regained consciousness after the ordeal with the ritual. Dru would
come in and sit with him occasionally but more often than not she was occupied
with Angelus. After the first couple of days Buffy practically moved into Spike's
room. Dru spent the days with Angelus and Buffy hated the idea of Spike waking
up alone. She made sure that Spike fed regularly, using the same methods she'd used on
the first night. She found that she could make a human last two or three days
as long as she bound the wound after she'd bled them. That way she only had
to leave when she wanted to feed herself, or when the latest 'blood on tap'
ran dry. After feeding Spike and herself she settled herself down on the bed next to
Spike, flicking through a magazine she'd found on the girl she'd just killed.
There was nothing really worth reading but it passed the time. She was just
getting bored of the fashion tips when she felt Spike stir next to her, a moment
later he moaned. "Spike?" She called softly. His eyes half opened and he looked up at her. "Buffy?" He whispered weakly. "Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling?" "Like someone dropped a bloody organ on my head." His eyes opened
fully and he began to take in his surroundings. He was back at the factory,
in his room. But he had no idea how he'd gotten there. The last thing he remembered
was trying to carry Dru out of the church before the damn librarian dusted him.
Dru. He lifted his head a little and looked around the room. "Is Dru
?" His words trailed off, not able to bring himself
to say it. "She's fine." Buffy answered absently. "The ritual worked and
she's back to normal
well, as normal as she can be anyway." "Where is she?" What was Buffy meant to say? She's having sex with Angelus who you managed
to bring back and has now stolen your girlfriend? "She might be out hunting." She replied vaguely. Spike's face fell a little and he tried to sit up, getting halfway before a
look of shock and horror crossed his face. Buffy noticed this. "What is it?" She asked with concern. "My legs, I can't move my bloody legs." He gasped, falling back on
the bed and doing his best to blink back the tears he could feel stinging in
his eyes. For once Buffy didn't know what to say, it was more than likely that his paralysis
would only be temporary, he was a vampire after all, but what if it wasn't.
He'd taken a lot of damage, more than she'd ever known a vampire take before. "You'll heal, you just need some time." She said as convincingly
as possible. Spike wasn't listening, he'd never been like this before, he was useless. What
if his legs never healed, he'd be stuck like this for the rest of eternity,
or at least until someone took advantage of his weakened state and dusted him. He barely noticed as Buffy got up from the bed and returned a few minutes later
with a mugful of blood. This was what he had been reduced to, taking handouts
because he was too useless to hunt for himself. He glared at the mug in his
hands before draining it of its contents and then hurling is across the room
where it shattered. "Just leave me alone." He said quietly, closing his eyes. There was
silence for a moment, then he felt the bed shift and heard the door close. He
wasn't sure how long he lay there for, just contemplating his new state of life,
but he must have drifted off because the next thing he was aware of was a muffled
cry coming from within the room. Opening his eyes the first thing he noticed was a wheelchair next to the bed.
For a moment he'd thought that his paralysis had been some sort of horrible
nightmare, but the chair was a glaring reminder that this wasn't the case. Still,
reminder or not, anything beat lying around on the bed like a piece of useless
meat. Even if he couldn't walk, at least he'd be mobile. Sitting up he noticed the source of the cry that had woken him. A hospital
orderly, chained to the wall and gagged. Just hearing the moans made Spike realise
how hungry he was. Levering himself off the bed he lowered himself into the
chair and wheeled himself over to the orderly. He was a young man, in his mid-twenties
and healthy. Just right, Spike thought as his bit into the man's wrist and drank
deeply. He drank until there was no more blood to flow and then wheeled himself
into the main room, wondering where everyone was. Buffy looked up at the sound of the bedroom door opening and smiled when she
saw Spike wheel in. She really hadn't been sure how he was going to react to
the wheelchair, but she'd guessed that he'd want to be out of bed and moving
around again. She could also smell the blood on him, indicating that he'd fed
off the man she'd left for him too. "Hey." She greeted. "Good to see you up and about." "Thanks pet." Spike replied. "The chair your idea?" Buffy nodded and Spike wheeled over so that he was just in front of her. "Tell me exactly what happened. The last thing I remember is being in
the church." Buffy took a deep breath and told him. Everything. She didn't even leave out
the details of Dru and Angelus, figuring he was better off knowing the truth
straight away. He stared at her in disbelief; she was seriously telling him
that the woman that he'd loved for over a century was now sleeping with her
Sire. He'd always known that Dru had had a fixation with Angelus, when he'd
disappeared after losing his soul she'd insisted that they search for him, never
willing to accept that he was gone. As if one cue the doors opened and Angelus and Dru emerged, their hair and
clothes rumpled. It didn't take a genius to work out what they'd been doing. "Spike!" Dru exclaimed, but made no move to approach him. Angelus
kept his arm wrapped around her. "Good to see you mobile again." He glanced at the wheelchair and
smirked. "So to speak. As you can see I've been taking care of Dru for
you while you've been resting." Spike's entire body stiffened with rage. Buffy squeezed his hand reassuringly
and he relaxed a little, continuing to glare at Angelus. Releasing his grip
on Dru she walked over and placed a kiss on Spike's cheek. "You can't blame a girl Spike. I have certain needs." "I was in a bloody coma Dru!" Spike yelled. "You'll have to
forgive me for not tending to your 'needs'." "Come on Spike, look at you." Chipped in Angelus. "You're not
much good to anyone like this. You may as well let a real man do the job for
you." Dru smiled. "My Angel's been looking after me." She cooed dreamily.
"Besides, you've had the little Slayer sat at your bedside. My Angel needed
someone." "No, Dru, he didn't." Snapped Buffy. "You're just too much of
a ho to give a damn about anyone but yourself." "Watch your mouth little girl." Dru growled. "I may have to
teach you a lesson about stealing one of my boys." "Your boys?" Buffy laughed. "What's the matter Dru? Scared of
the competition?" With a snarl Dru hurled herself at Buffy who easily dodged the attack, sending
the dark haired vampiress sprawling across the room. Dru quickly recovered herself,
ran at Buffy and tackled her to the floor. As the two women wrestled Angelus
watched on, partially annoyed and partially amused. It amused him to see the
two women fighting, but it should have been over him and not Spike. As he watched her fight Angelus felt himself wanting Buffy more than he ever
had before. She was an amazing fighter, his equal in every way. He would have
her; he was going to make sure of it. Buffy finally managed to pin Dru to the floor, snapping off a chair leg ready
for the kill. "Bloody hell Peaches! Spike yelled. "Do something." Rolling his eyes Angelus walked over to the two women and hoisted Buffy away
from Dru, pulling the stake out of her hands at the same time. "Now, we'll have none of that." He chided, not releasing his grip
on Buffy's waist, enjoying having her this close to him and savouring her scent.
Buffy glared and pushed him away. "That wasn't your fight." She snapped as Angelus helped Dru to her
feet. "From now on you stay out of my business." Dru buried her face in Angel's chest, sniffling quietly. "Can we go out?"
She murmured. "Alright." Angelus agreed and he led her outside, knowing that a
good hunt would probably make Dru forget all about it. Silence descended in the room for a few minutes. Buffy was still infused with
rage and Spike was trying to digest everything that had just happened. "What the bloody hell was that all about? You were going to kill her!" Buffy shrugged. "You're telling me you didn't want her dust even though
she's screwing around with Angelus?" "No! This thing with Angelus is just a mistake; she'll come around. Just
stay away from her." Spike wheeled himself into his bedroom and slammed the door. With a dejected
sigh Buffy sat down. That hadn't gone as planned at all. ****** "I say we get out of this dump and move somewhere decent." Said Angelus. It had been a couple of days since Buffy and Dru had fought and no one had
mentioned it since. Dru continued to share a bed with Angelus and occasionally
with Spike when Angelus wasn't in the mood. Buffy pretty much kept herself to
herself, going out only to feed and to bring something back for Spike. She always
made sure they were alive and just threw them into the room, leaving him to
take it from there. He hadn't spoken to her since she'd tried to dust Dru and
it bothered her more than she'd like to admit. This was the first time all four
of them had been in the same room together. "What's wrong with this place?" Asked Spike with a sigh. He'd hoped
that Dru would have come back to him now that he was starting to recover, but
this hadn't been the case. "What's right with it?" Angelus retorted. "It's got no class,
no finesse. This isn't the sort of place we should be living. It almost as bad
as that mine shaft you had us hauled up in that time." "Look Angelus, we're vampires. This place serves its purpose, we don't
need to move." "I'd like a new house." Said Dru. "Full of pretty things and
whispering secrets. This house has nothing to say." "Well, that settles it then." Angelus replied, ignoring Spike's earlier
protests and not bothering to ask Buffy her opinion. "I have the perfect
place." ****** "Oh Angel, it's beautiful." Gasped Dru in awe as she looked around
the main room of the Crawford Street Mansion. "It's fit for a princess." "Well, that's what you are my sweet." Angelus replied with a grin. Buffy and Spike looked slightly less impressed. "We're going to fry." Buffy stated. "Look at all these windows." "As I said before," Spike agreed, "There's nothing wrong with
our old place." "Look." Angelus snapped. "If you two don't like it, you're more
than welcome to go back to the factory. Me and Dru, we're staying right here." Buffy and Spike fell silent at this, Spike had no intention of leaving Dru
and Buffy had no intention of leaving Spike. Seeing that they'd given in, Angelus
grinned. "Right then, let's get moved in." ****** Buffy found that she adjusted to life in the mansion quite well. She had a
large room to herself and the house was so big that it was quite easy for her
to avoid Angelus and Drusilla altogether. She continued to bring people back
for Spike since the other two seemed to more or less have forgotten he was even
there. It was just the same as it had been in the factory, she'd throw whoever
she'd caught into the room and leave Spike to it. She'd then go back in while
he was asleep and get rid of the bodies. The sun was just setting as she went in to retrieve the body of Spike's latest
victim. As usual he was lying on the bed sound asleep and the drained corpse
lay in a crumpled heap in the corner of the room. She walked over, hoisted the
body over her shoulder and was almost at the door when she stopped. "Buffy?" Spike called. She turned back and saw him sat up in bed,
rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "The sun hasn't set yet." She said quietly. "Go back to sleep." "Wait." He said. "Don't leave." Dropping the body by the door she walked back over and sat on the edge of the
bed. "What?" "Dru, that mistake I thought she was going to come around from, looks
like she isn't." He sighed. "Not that I can blame her, I'm not a lot
of use to anyone while I'm like this. Anyway, I guess I just wanted to thank
you, for bringing me food and stuff. I might as well be dust as far and Dru
and the bloody pouf are concerned." "Yeah, well, what can you expect from a lunatic and the guy that made
her that way." Buffy replied with a small smile, happy that she at least
had someone to talk to again. "True." Spike replied. "You know pet, I was thinking. When I
can walk again what's say we get out of here. Leave Dru and Peaches to get on
with it and we'll go someplace new. I'm fed up of Sunnyhell, nothing good comes
out of this damned town." "I think that's why they call it a Hellmouth." Buffy grinned. "But
yeah, I'd like that." "Good." Spike smiled. "It's settled then." "I should go." Buffy said, standing up. "I'll bring you something
to eat a little later." "Alright pet." Spike said, settling himself down to get another couple
of hours sleep. Buffy quietly left. Having some time to kill before the sun completely set
Buffy sat on one of the couches in the main room and flicked through one of
Angelus' many books. She wasn't much of a reader herself, but it passed the
time. She was just flicking through the pages, not really paying attention to the
words when suddenly someone grabbed hold of her hair and yanked her backwards
over the back of the couch. She found herself facing Angelus but barely had
time to cry out before he buried his fangs in her throat and began to drink
deeply. By the time her self-preservation instinct kicked in she was too weak
to fend him off. Everything around her began to fade and dim until finally she
was aware of nothing. Angelus continued to drink until he felt Buffy go limp in his grip. He lifted
her up and dumped her unceremoniously on the couch. A lesson needed to be learnt
here. He still couldn't believe that he'd overheard her and Spike planning on
leaving. No one left him unless he gave them permission or threw them out. He
certainly wasn't about to let Buffy leave. Hearing her moan he looked down to
see her eyes open. She'd come to a lot faster than he'd expected, but he'd drained
her enough that she wouldn't be going anywhere in a hurry. Buffy awoke to find herself lying back on the couch. As her blurred vision
began to clear she saw Angelus leering down at her. Her first instinct was to
run, fight, anything, but she couldn't move. Blinking back the tears she realised
with grim irony that this must be how Spike felt all the time. Seeing the look of fear in her eyes only made Angelus smile. "So Buff, you and Spikey were thinking of leaving us were you? I'm afraid
I can't allow that to happen. You see, Dru wants us to be a family, and what
Dru wants Dru gets." He leant down and began to lick the blood from the wound he'd inflicted on
her. When it was gone he sat back up. "You know, I always told myself I was going to have you one way or another.
I was kind of hoping that you'd come around and offer yourself to me." He sighed deeply. "But I can see now that that's never going to happen. It looks like this
is the only way." Stretching out his hand he traced his fingers down her cheek and then continued
to move his hand down her body until it came to rest on her thigh. With a small
smile he began to slide it up the skirt she was wearing. "Hey, what's all this?" Angelus whipped his head around and saw that Spike had just wheeled into the
room. "Stay out of this roller-boy." He hissed. "It's no concern of
yours." Buffy gazed at Spike pleadingly, begging him to help her with her eyes. Angelus'
hand remained just under her skirt but he made no attempt to move it any further. "Yeah, well I'm making it my concern." Spike rolled closer. "I
mean, what is it with you Angelus? Dru not enough for you?" Angelus smirked. "So that's what this is all about. Don't like the fact that I'm taking
all your women away from you?" "I hardly call forcing yourself on her taking her away from me." "It depends on how you look at it. She might decide she likes it." Spike raised his voice a little. "Yeah, and she might not." "Well, there's only one way to find out. Now, if you don't mind, you're
interrupting my fun here." Angelus turned his attention back to Buffy and Spike pulled out a wrench, which
he'd been hiding under his coat. He cracked Angelus over the back of the head,
knocking him out and sending him sprawling to the floor. "Fun's over mate." Spike gently lifted Buffy from the couch and pulled her into his lap. She looked
up at him and gave a small smile before her eyes closed and she slipped back
into unconsciousness. Spike wheeled them both into his bedroom, locked the door
and placed Buffy on the bed. Wheeling round to the other side he pushed himself
up so that he was sat beside her. This was a problem. Buffy needed blood to recover from being drained, but neither
of them was in any state to go hunting. Clearly there was only one solution.
Shifting close to her he bit into his wrist and held the wound to her lips.
For a moment there was no response. "Come on pet," he urged. "This will help you get strong again." After a moment he felt her begin to suck on his wrist and he relaxed a little,
allowing her to drink until he began to feel quite weak himself. Finally he
detached his wrist and looked down to see that Buffy was sleeping. Realising
he was quite tired himself, he lay down and allowed himself to fall into an
exhausted slumber. ****** Buffy wasn't sure how long she'd slept for, but the first thing she became
aware of when she woke was that she was nestled in Spike's arms. Glancing across
she saw that he was still sleeping peacefully, his arms around her waist and
his head resting on her shoulder. For a while she just lay there, enjoying the
feeling until she felt him begin to stir. His eyes opened and his smiled up
at her. "How are you feeling pet?" Spike's words brought the memories of the previous night crashing down on her.
Reaching up her hand she felt her neck to find the wound nearly healed. "I'm going to kill him." She said, her voice full of venom. Spike was immediately awake. "Don't be so bloody stupid!" He exclaimed. "You won't stand
a chance against both him and Dru." "Fine." She replied calmly. "You can help me." "I'm not going to be much use while I'm like this pet." "I don't care!" She yelled. "I'm not going to let him get away
with what he tried to do to me." "Alright pet." Spike said gently. "But you're not going to achieve
anything but just rushing out there and getting yourself dusted. Angelus is
going to be expecting us to make some sort of move so for now I suggest we focus
on getting out of here so that we can come up with a plan." After a moment Buffy allowed her tense body to relax and she nodded. "Alright, but when the time comes you let me kill him, not interfering." "Fine by me pet." "So, what's the plan?" "I'd say our first concern is getting out of here. Can you drive?" "Not well, but yeah." "Right, my car's in the garage. Fully sheltered and the windows are blacked
out. We wait until Dru and the pouf are asleep, take the car and get out of
here. We'll find a motel or something and stay there until we come up with a
plan." "It sounds like you've been planning this for a while." Buffy smiled
ruefully. "I might have been." Spike replied. Buffy took Spike's hand and looked down at the watch on his wrist. It was 3am,
a good few hours until sunrise. "What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" "I guess we just wait." And for the next few hours that's what they did, they lay in each other's arms
and waited. ****** "Come on." Buffy whispered harshly as they made their way through
the mansion towards the garage. Sure enough Spike's car was there waiting for
them, the keys in the ignition. Buffy helped Spike into the passenger seat,
folded up his wheelchair and put it in the back. She then started the engine
and a few minutes later they were on the road. Once they were a reasonable distance away from the mansion Buffy found a side
lane and pulled the car over. It wasn't safe for them to book into a motel while
the sun was out, they'd have to sleep in the car until nightfall. "Do you think Angelus will come looking for us?" She asked Spike. "Maybe." He replied. "Well, I'll be ready for him." She murmured sleepily. "Too right." Spike yawned. They were both asleep before they could
utter another sentence. Awaking just after sunset Buffy drove them to the nearest motel and booked
them in. She then helped Spike out of the car and the two of them settled down
to focus their energy on bringing down the vampire who had made both of their
unlives miserable. ****** Angelus hadn't been surprised to wake up that evening to find Buffy and Spike
gone. He seriously doubted that they'd gone far. They'd make their move soon
enough, all he had to do was be ready for them. In the meantime he had other
things with which to occupy himself. ****** "Pet, come out here for a second will you." Spike called. Buffy poked her head around the bathroom floor where she had been washing her
hair. Vampire or not she still liked to make sure she looked good. What she
saw made her jaw drop. Spike was stood up. He was stood up unaided and his wheelchair
was sitting behind him uselessly. "Spike!" She gasped. "Felt a little twinge in my legs, thought I'd try it out and presto."
He grinned. "Have you tried walking?" She asked with a smile. Spike looked down at his feet and then back at Buffy. Finally he lifted his
foot and took a shaky step, then another. He was in the process of taking a
third when his legs buckled. Buffy was at his side in an instant, catching him
before he fell. "Well, that was a start at least." She smiled before becoming aware
that her lips were just inches away from his. Without thinking she leant up
and kissed him. Spike responded immediately and they fell back onto the bed
where they made love with a passion and fire that neither of them had felt in
a long time. That evening Buffy managed to lure two teenage boys back to the motel, which
made an easy meal for her and Spike. They spent the rest of the night walking
up and down the motel room, Spike leaning on Buffy when he was too tired to
walk unaided. He could feel the strength returning to his legs slowly. It wouldn't
be long now. As long as he fed regularly he was pretty sure that his vampiric
healing would do the rest. ****** Sure enough, a week later, and after regular 'training' sessions
with Buffy Spike was back to full strength. "So what's the plan?" Buffy asked one night after an
exhilerating hunt with Spike. It was good that they were finally able to hunt
together again, she knew how frustrated he's been while he'd been stuck in the
chair. "Simple really." He replied. "We walk in, you kill
Angel, I kill Dru, we leave." Buffy raised and eyebrow in surprise. "You're going to kill
Dru?" "Bloody right I am! You think I owe her anything after the
way the crazy bitch has treated me?" "Fine, when do we leave?" "No time like the present, pet. Sunset tomorrow." Buffy nodded grimly. It was time to finish this once and for all. ****** "What the hell is that?" Whispered Buffy to Spike as
they crept into the mansion. It was about an hour after sunset and although
there was no sign of Dru or Angelus, there was a large statue in the centre
of the main room, a sword sticking out of it's chest. "That, my friends, is Acathla." Said a voice from behind
them. They both spun round to find themselves facing Angelus who was smirking.
"You picked the perfect time for our little reunion. We're about to unleash
hell on earth." Spike rolled his eyes. "I hear Hell's not all it's cracked up to be mate." "Ssssh," a voiced cooed from behind them. Buffy kept
her eyes on Angelus while Spike turned round to find himself facing Dru. "Naughty
Spike," She chided. "It wasn't nice of you to go away and leave our
little family. I am very cross, and you shall have to be punished." "Yes indeed, and he's not the only one who needs punishing."
Angelus added, and with that he punched Buffy, sending her flying back. Dru
seized that moment to launch an attack at Spike, hurling herself at him with
such force that she knocked him to the floor. Buffy and Angelus continued to fight, both of them easily matched
and able to block whatever the other one dealt. Neither of them seemed to be
gaining the upper hand and they continued to fight. Spike managed to buck Dru off him and they too were more or less
evenly matched as they fought. Finally after a few minutes Dru seized her chance.
Dodging a punch which Spike threw, she kneed him in the groin. Before he could
recover she grabbed one of Angelus' precious Ching Dynasty statues and brought
it crashing down on Spike'd skull. He slumped to the floor, out cold. Angelus, however, wasn't faring as well. Buffy now had him on
the defensive, raining kicks and punches down on him which he could barely deflect.
Finally she pulled a stake out of her pocket. He couldn't help but grin. "Still a little bit of the Slayer in you I see Buff." This only enraged her further and raised the sliver of wood, ready
for the kill. At that point Dru grabbed her and spun her around so that they
were facing each other, making sure their eyes locked. "Be...in...me." She droned, wafting her fingers in front
of Buffy's face. Buffy's eyes glazed over and she began to sway in time to Dru's
movements. Her arms fell loosely to her sides and the stake she'd been holding
clattered to the floor. "Impressive." Commented Angelus. "I never get tired
of watching you do that." Dru smiled but kept her eyes locked on Buffy's. Angelus' eyes
flicked over to Spike who was still out for the count. No danger in that area.
He then looked down at Buffy's stake but quickly dismissed the idea. Although
there was a certain amount of irony in an ex-Slayer getting staked, he wanted
her to die in style. Finally his eyes came to rest on the sword potruding from
Acathla's chest and his face lit up. What a way to kill two birds with one stone,
Buffy's death - again - would also see the opening of the portal to Hell. Plus,
he couldn't remember the last time he'd decapitated anyone. With three large strides he was at the statue and he pulled the
sword out, having uttered the incantation shortly before Buffy and Spike had
arrived. He turned to walk back and noticed that Spike was on his feet. Before
he could utter a warning Spike had brought the same statue which she had used
on him down on Dru's head, rendering her unconscious. Buffy put her hand to her head as the fog which had been holding
her lifted. Her eyes focused and came to rest on Spike was stood in front of
her, he was bleeding from a head wound but other than that he seemed ok. Her
gaze drifted past him and came to rest on Angelus who was stood a little further
back, sword in hand. She moved Spike to one side, indicating that she didn't
want him to interfere. Spike stepped back. "Come on Angel." Buffy coaxed. "Let's get this
over with." With a snarl he lunged at her, Buffy didged his attacke easily,
grabbed his arm and sent the sword spinning across the floor. She then punched
him twice in the face before he finally managed to free himself from her grip. He gripped her forearms violently before she could take another
swing at him and lifted her off the ground slightly so that she was on her toes
looking deep into her eyes and saw a hint of something. Was it lust? Her chest
heaved taking in much uneeded breaths and the parts of her skin which were exposed
were coated in a thin sheen of sweat. "Buffy!" Called Spike, tossing her the sword. Buffy
caught it and turned back to face her foe. What she wasn't expecting to see
was the mouth of the statue open and a whirlpool type vortex start to form.
Angelus seemed oblivious to this. "Come on then Buff, finish me off." He panted, exerted
from the fight. "Still, at least I got a taste of you, I told you I would." "Taste this!" She spat and rammed the sword into his
chest. Angelus hadn't expected this, he thought she was just going to take his
head off and have done with it. As it was, the pain was excruciating, and he
realised that she'd intended this to be as painful as possible. Watched the scene unfold with fascination, only to be distracted
by a moan coming from the floor. Looking down he was that Dru was beginning
to stir. Not sure if he should knock her out again or not he readied himself
just in case. Her attention was on other things though. Seeing Angelus pinned
to the statue and seeing the vortex forming behind him she let out a loud cry
and ran over to him. As she began to tug at the sword Angelus peered over his
shoulder and saw why she was making a fuss. Now he was starting to panic. "Come on Dru, pull it out!" He yelled. "I'm trying." She whimpered, continuing to pull. Buffy was about to step in and stop her when a white light resonated
throughout the mansion. She shielded her eyes and when the light faded Dru and
Angelus were gone, the sword back in the statues chest. "What the bloody hell happened there?" Asked Spike who
had walked over to join her and was now voicing her own question. "I have no idea." Buffy replied. "I guess they
got sucked into that vortex thing." "You mean they're in Hell?" "I guess." Spike shrugged. "Best place for them I suppose. Well, there's
nothing left for us here. You still want to go someplace?" Buffy nodded and wrapped her arm around his waist. Spike in turn
put his arm around her and they walked towards the door. "I hear Brazil's nice at this time of year." The End
Part 2
Part 3
Angelus smiled at her wickedly as he brought his head to kiss her. She gazed
up at him, smiling slightly, waiting for him to bring his head down closer.
When the timing and placing were right she headbutted him. He howled in pain
and Buffy she too the advantage. Stepping back she gave him a scisor kick that
made him do a 360, then continued with two shots to the breastplate.
Angelus staggered back with each blow and the next thing he knew he had his
back against Acathla, with nowhere else to go. Buffy smiled, knowing that victory
was just a small step away. She looked around for a weapon to finish the job.
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