Title:
Author: Abbie
Previous
parts/series:
Couple(s):
S/B W/O X/C
Rating:
Summary:
There's a new vamp in town and she's not playing nice.
Spoilers:
Disclaimer:
All the BtVS characters in this story belong to Joss o mighty and mutant enemy
and all other characters that aren’t mine are the property of their respective
creators.
Authors note: Quick note about my bad guy in this story and my web handle. The Abby in this story came before I changed my handle and it changed coz after I wrote this I realized she was a complete Mary Sue.
Email: Feed back is welcome at any time to mailto:holly.smith@ntlworld.com
Mimic
Spike V's The Spiders 1
Prologue
Spike
pulled the black De Soto over to the side of the road about 10 miles outside of
the town limits. He got out, moving around to the back he perched himself on the
trunk and lit a cigarette, slowly dragging back on it he looked down towards
Sunnydale, *his* Sunnydale. Dru was still unconscious in the passenger seat of
the car. Spike hoped that she would stay that way, at least until after dawn and
he’d got them into some nice dark motel room where she would beat the merry
hell out of him for being a traitor. He expected very little else from his
little princess, he just hoped that he would be forgiven in time.
Spikes
suddenly had the strange feeling that he should get into the car turn around and
drive back to Sunnydale. He had no idea why. Angelus was probably dead by now;
he hadn’t waited around to see if the Slayer had finished him off. The fact
that the world hadn’t been sucked into hell gave him hope.
Spike
took one last drag on his cigarette before tossing the butt away and moving back
to the driver’s-side door. He opened the door and turned for one last look
back at the place he’d called home for the past year. He made a half smile and
muttered one final statement into the night before climbing in and speeding off.
“Be
seein’ ya”
Part
one
Sunnydale was relatively quiet
these days. It had been a year since Buffy had sent Angelus to hell. With Spike
and Dru gone, and no Master vampire to take Spike’s, place absolute havoc had
become a thing of the past. The minions that had been left behind fought amongst
themselves for over control of Sunnydale and the title of Master.
After the authorities cleared
Buffy of Kendra’s murder she was accepted back to Sunnydale high much to the
chagrin of principle Snyder. Now they were in their final year at Sunnydale high
and Oz was studying music at Sunnydale College. They all helped patrol on most
nights, even Cordy eventually gave in and started to work less on her nails and
more on he combat techniques being a fully fledged member of the Scooby gang!
Willow, Buffy and Xander sat on
a bench in Sunnydale cemetery.
“Is
this Vamp gonna be long?” Xander groaned, “talk about sleeping in much!”
“It’s
the extra lax vibe from the other vamps,” Buffy explained, “It gets
everywhere”
“Well,
hey at least less vampires means more Bronze time!” Willow enthused “Oz is
playing tomorrow night, wanna come?”
“Giles
says that there isn’t any vamp dusting to be done tomorrow night, so I suppose
it’s a Bronze night, again” Buffy said with a small smile at the thought of
more free time for a normal life.
“Count
me in for crazed dancing, and where *has* Cordy got to with that coffee?”
Xander frowned.
“Ooh,
Buffy, I was wondering if I could borrow some clothes for tomorrow?” Willow
asked, and then added quietly, “I wanna look good for Oz.” Buffy gave a
small smile at her not-quite-so-innocent-anymore friend.
“Sure
Will, Oz will like you whatever you look like, but if you want then why….”
Buffy
was interrupted as the new vamp burst from the fresh grave in front of the
bench. Buffy slowly raised the cross bow from her lap and shot a single bolt at
the vamp piercing its un-dead heart.
“….
Don’t you come over at about seven o’clock and I’ll sort you out with
something ravishing?” Buffy concluded
“Hey
Spandex!” Xander suggested hopefully. Buffy and Willow gave him scathing looks
as Cordy walked up with the coffee that they had sent her for twenty minuets
ago.
“Hey
did I miss something?” Cordy asked looking at the disturbed grave and the dust
on the floor.
“Nope.
Ooh Ho-Ho’s!”
*****
The four friends didn’t notice
themselves being watched from across the other side of the cemetery. A lone
figure stood leaning back against a tree smoking a cigarette. A true Master
vampire, not like the young wanna-be Masters that filled the town. Those with
barely enough experience of un-dead life to survive their first night. The
Vampire stayed and watched the Slayer and her friends until they left the
cemetery, then retreated to the darkness and away from the impending dawn.
Part
two
“You
had a-a-a successful hunt at the, er cemetery la-last night?” Giles Inquired
as he carried a pile of books to the cage from the table.
“Problem
free, in fact you could call it boring!” Buffy sighed, “I haven’t had a
decent fight in months.” She and Willow where sitting on the counter looking
oddly alike for some reason that Giles couldn’t put his finger on and thought
best not to comment about.
“Well
Buffy you for one, should be happy that the vampire situation is-is under
control for once” Giles frowned.
“Giles,
you’ve just jinxed us big time!” Willow squeaked.
“I-er,
oh dear,” Giles flustered. “I’ve what?”
“To
change the subject, are there any demons dark beings yadda, yadda on the
horizon?” Buffy enquired.
“No
it er l-looks like you’re free to take your leave for to-tonight.”
“Great!”
Willow bounced up and down on the counter for a second. “We’re going to the
Bronze to watch Oz play!” She explained.
“Will,
*I’m* going to the Bronze to soak up the atmosphere and relax,” Buffy
corrected. “*You’re* going there to watch oz play!”
“Well
y-you should go down and er take your rest, build up your strength f-for
training tomorrow night.” Giles informed.
“Ok,
See you tomorrow Giles,” Buffy waved as the duo jumped down and headed for the
door.
“Bye
Giles,” Willow called.
Buffy and Willow entered the
Bronze to the strains of ‘The dingo’s ate my baby,’ and the song Willow
had heard Oz practicing when she woke up on Sunday morning. They took their
seats at their usual table and Willow became instantly fixated on Oz as he
played, Grinning like a big cat. Oz was just as equally fixated on Willow to the
point that he almost missed a chord. Buffy smiled at her friends affectionate
display and wished for a second that she had something like that, but just for a
second she stopped mid-point at the hard memories of her and Angel before he
lost his soul.
Buffy asked if Willow wanted a
drink and then went to get herself a cappuccino. She walked up to the bar then
stopped dead in her tracks. At the bar with his back to her as a tall brown
haired man, he was wearing black jeans and a leather jacket. Buffy could see the
collar of a maroon shirt just above the neck of the jacket. Buffy found herself
totally unable to move until he turned round, meeting her with a confused
blue-eyed stare. Buffy smiled shyly and returned to her table.
“Where’s
your drink?” Willow enquired as the song ended.
“Hun?
Oh I, er, changed my mind” Buffy explained. Willow shrugged and noticed Xander
and Cordy heading their way.
"This
place is busy tonight," Xander frowned as he and Cordy took their seats at
the table.
"Yeah,"
Cordelia cast a suspicious eye around the club. "I know most of the people
in Sunnydale, but I could point out half of the people here that I've never seen
before in my life."
"Is
there anything on the radar Buff?" Xander asked. Buffy closed here eyes for
a second already aware that there where no vampires close to them she let her
Slayer sense wander the room and beyond before supplying her answer.
"Nope,
skies are pretty much clear," she smiled *and so is my night* she thought
silently. Oz walked over to the group as tonight's second band took over for a
couple of songs.
"Hey
guys," he greeted as he came towards them. "Willow, you wanna
dance?" Oz already knew what the answer would be it was just a little more
polite to ask rather than to just drag her away. *Not that she is ever really
against a bit of dragging* He laughed to himself.
"Yeah
sure," Willow beamed brightly and wondered why he had bothered to ask,
*He's probably just being polite* she thought as they walked out on to the dance
floor together. Cordy and Xander joined them leaving Buffy alone at the table
watching.
"I'm
gonna become a voyeur, I just know it" she muttered quietly to herself so
that only she and the un-dead could have heard. Little did she know that the
un-dead where listening.
Out on the dance floor the two couples where dancing closely. It had been along
time since Xander had paid close attention to Oz's movements around Willow, but
tonight Willow and Oz where doing a little more than just a close lovers dance.
Oz held his arm tightly around Willow’s waist as they moved together his other
hand gently exploring her face and neck. They were as close as two clothed
people could get. Willow was about ready to get down and do the dirty right
there. *I'm gonna have to find those two a closet, and quickly* Xander smiled.
Before he could comment on this to Cordy his thoughts where interrupted by a
scream from close by on the dance floor.
One of the dancers had suddenly found herself in the arms of a vampire instead
of the *human* she had walked onto the floor with. He glared viciously at the
girl, before having to pick himself up from off of the floor after an
unsuspected roundhouse kick to the head from the Slayer.
The occupants of the Bronze scattered save the Slayer and her fan club. Buffy
gave the vamp another flick kick to the jaw knocking him backwards. He burst
into dust as Oz rammed a drumstick from the stage into his back, looking pleased
with his work as he dusted himself off, twirling the stick in his hands.
Suddenly Buffy's spider sense went through the roof, just as five more vamps
came through the roof.
The five friends closed ranks standing back to back with each other ready to
fight as vamps appeared from all around. For about five seconds no one moved,
then Buffy let fly with a powerful punch to a vamp standing just a little too
close and the fight was on. Buffy and the Slayerettes fought with grim
determination and power winning through excellent team work, but Buffy knew that
the vamps were pretty sure to take this round as more seemed to appeared from
the wood-work. The Slayerettes fought on through their exhaustion when the
fighting somehow suddenly stopped. The vamps backed away taking defensive
postures out of the line of fire. Buffy and her friends fell back in quiet
confusion breathing deeply from the exertion.
No one moved for what seemed an eternity. Buffy's super-human hearing caught the
sound before the others. Her senses honed on it in a second like she was on
autopilot. The sound of footsteps reached the others ears. The sound itself was
nothing new but the silence that surrounded it caused an eerie chill to creep up
their spines as they listened. They were the cold calculated steps of a
predator.
The threat came into view as it shifted out of the shadows and under a spotlight
on the dance floor. Small shocked gasps came from the Scooby gang as they
watched. Buffy felt like she had fallen through into another dimension as the
vamp gracefully hoped up so that it was sitting on the stage and lit a
cigarette.
The movements the posture the *feel* of
the vampire was exactly the same, thought Willow. The humor mixed with strength,
violence and power that seemed to control its actions. It *was* Spike to the
point of almost absurd certainty, but this Spike had short black hair, almost
green eyes, and was by far shorter than its counterpart. Most of all, this
Spike, was a she.
Part
Three
The She-Spike looked around the room
then made a small movement with her head. The vampires that filled the room
pulled back silently heading for the door and spilling out into the night. Buffy
felt the minions leave and knew instantly that this vampire had Spike’s
confidence too. There was hardly a vampire in the vicinity when Spike’s double
finally spoke.
"I
thought it best to level the playing field," she stated simply. "Can't
start off a game with foul play. That comes later!" She smiled taking
flicking the remains of her cigarette onto the floor. Her accent was a total
contrast to what the team where expecting. It was mixed to the point that it
couldn't be distinguished as anything but odd. Some American, some English,
French and others not so common.
"Why
don't you tell me who you are and what you think you’re doing here, before I
send you to hell." Buffy asked finally regaining some strength after their
encounter.
"Me?
I'm the new master in town, but you can call me Abby. As for my plans for this
place well," Abby looked around for a second. "Some new drapes maybe.
A splash of colour, I think blood red would work well." She held a cheeky
grin for a moment as she mulled over the idea. "Oh!" she snapped her
fingers in mock realization. "You mean, what are my plans for, mass
destruction and murder, well I'd love to tell you but I do watch the TV and the
worst thing I ever saw was the evil villain of the piece getting cocky and
telling the hero the entire plan, so I think I’ll just leave you to work it
out."
"Why
here?" Buffy asked before realizing that it was a dumb question.
"Its
the Hellmouth, it attracts all sorts of weirdo's" Abby smiled "I did
have ideas of killing you now, but that's no fun, I can wait. And if you want
answers then so shall you" With that Abby jumped down off of the stage and
disappeared into the shadows before anyone could stop her. Her voice rang out to
them before she left. "Have fun!"
*
* * * *
"A-and
she just er left?" Giles clarified. The group where sat around the table in
the library. Willow was looking through the web, and Giles was looking through
past watcher diaries in search of anything that they could find on a vamp named
Abby.
"Yeah,
but Giles you should have *seen* her" Buffy shook her head.
"She
radiated Spike. It was the girl of his dreams." Xander said as he leafed
though a volume on demon history.
"Yeah,
that's if you like to go out with your twin." Cordy rebuked.
"And
thank God for us all that you can't speak from experience on that subject."
Xander threw back. Cordy was about to toss a zinger when Giles spoke up to quiet
them.
"There
is only one er f-female master mentioned that I can find," He reported
"Why
only one?" Oz looked up from his place behind Willow at the computer.
"Well,
Vampires have a tendency towards ,er, sexism. Female vampires have much harder
times winning title because they are thought of as too weak, ironically this
actually makes them stronger." Giles replied. "The only female master
is one called Abigail, er t-there I-is very little written a-about her,
apparently she's French, and over 500 years old. Oh." Giles removed his
glasses for a second.
"What,
what is it?" Willow asked looking up.
"Well
I-it would seem that she is D-Darla's sire." Giles returned his glassed.
"Which
kinda makes her Angels grand-mother." Cordelia thought out loud, "and
Spike's great grand-mother, eew" Cordy looked at Buffy her expression one
of hurt "Oh, Buffy I'm-I didn't mean to...."
"That's
okay. No biggie" Buffy lied, no one commented.
Part
four
The factory had been empty since Spike left over a year ago, there were holes
opened up in the roof letting the sun shine in, but there was enough darkness to
last the vampires through the day until they could get up to fix them. Abby lay
on the bed in the room that Spike and Dru had occupied during their stay. She
was having very little success in sleeping so far. She sat up as some one
knocked at the door
"Come
in.” She said wearily. She watched as the door opened and a figure entered.
"You've been out there a long time. I hope that you've done you’re your
preparations."
"I'm
ready, I've collected everything I need." He replied.
"You
still think that you can do it?" The figure stepped into the light of the
candle. He removed his glasses, cleaning them with a cloth from the pocket of
his tweed coat.
"She's
as good as dead."
*
* * * *
Giles walked up the steps and into Sunnydale high carrying books under each arm.
Xander was walking past in the hall.
"Oh,
er Xander could you h-help me with.... these er books, please" Asked Giles
glancing around to guard against eavesdroppers. Xander picked up on the watchers
non-too subtle message.
"Er
yeah sure, why not" he shrugged taking half of the books Giles was carrying
and following him down the corridor. "So I'm guessing librariiiie...."
Xander let out a startled cry as the librarian yanked him into an empty
classroom "Hey! What's with the..." Xander didn't get to finish his
question as Giles hit him around the head with a chair.
"I'm
sorry Xander, but I'm afraid that you’re going to have to lay low for a
while." Giles explained to the dazed teen as he pulled up a few
pre-prepared floorboards. Giles produced a roll of duct tape and used it to gag
and tie Xander then dropped his semi-conscious form into the gap in the floor.
"You'll be OK in here for now, its not you I want, just your face."
The watcher smiled then let himself melt away into a puddle quickly reforming
into a carbon copy of Xander. Xander watched horrified as the new him closed
down the boards and he was sealed in.
"Xander
what are you doing?" Xander turned from his place on the floor of the
classroom to see Cordelia glaring at him her hands on her hips. Xander paused
unsure of what to say and do.
"Haven't
I told you that plaid looks bad on you?" She stated looking exasperated,
but ultimately waiting for a smart Alec comment that would start of another war
of the words raging across the classroom and half the school, ending quietly in
a closet somewhere.
"Yeah,
whatever" Xander shrugged and walked straight past her out of the
classroom.
"God
Xander!" Cordy exclaimed before following him out.
*
* * * *
Buffy punched the kick boxing pad viciously but being sure to use only half of
her strength. Giles recoiled painfully from the blow but remaining silent. He
knew that after a while the feeling of pain would go away, along with all the
other feeling in his body. Xander and Cordelia wandered in from the corridor if
Giles had been able to focus on anything but checking that all the appendages
that he couldn't feel where still there he would have noted that Cordelia was
desperately attempting to start up a verbal war with Xander, but was quickly
losing to Xander's silence tactic.
Buffy was having her own problems. She suddenly began noticing that her control
over the strength of her punches was dropping. Cordy looked up at Buffy finally
giving up on Xander for good, and winced.
"Buffy
don't you think your being a little hard?" Cordy could feel the punches
herself. "Buffy?"
Buffy could hear Cordelia but all her concentration was going in to pulling her
punches as her hands began to take on a life of their own. She spun round giving
a flying kick to Giles's unprotected head sending him flying across the room
into a bookshelf.
"Giles!!"
Buffy screamed, she was suddenly able once more to control herself. Cordy and
Xander where already huddled around the unconscious form of the watcher. Buffy
slid across the floor.
"Buffy
what were you doing?" Cordelia gasped at her.
"I-I
don't know! It was a-an accident." Buffy stood up backing away.
"Yeah,
big accident" Xander replied sarcastically "He looks alright we might
be best to get him to he hospital though, Cordy you drive" Xander ordered.
"Who
died and put you in charge?" Cordy remarked.
"If
we're not careful he might," Xander pointed to Giles.
"He's
not that bad is he? I thought you said he would be alright." Buffy
panicked.
"I
said I *thought* that he looked alright to *me* I'm no doctor. Lets just focus
on getting him to hospital."
"I'll
go get changed." Buffy turned to leave
"No,"
Xander fixed her with a cold glare. "You stay here. I think you've done
enough." With that Buffy ran out into the corridor. Cordelia was to
involved in checking Giles to see Xander smile as the library doors swung to.
Part
Five
Xander and Cordelia dropped the
concussed watcher off at his house on their way home from the hospital making
sure that he was okay before they left. Cordelia looked at Xander as he sat
quietly in the seat beside her. She'd never seen him this quiet before, and he'd
been staying away from their little arguments all day.
"So
where do you want to go then?" she asked hopefully.
"I
was thinking home would be a good idea." He stated plainly.
"Wouldn't
your parents mind about that?" Cordy frowned. "I know mine
would."
"What
me going home at night?" Xander confused.
"No,
us making out in your bedroom." Cordy gave him her best talking to a two
year old voice.
"Who
said anything about making out?" He shook his head. "I just wanna go
to bed..." The words were hardly out of Xander's mouth before the car
screeched to a halt in the middle of the road. Causing him to nearly hit his
head on the dash.
"What!?"
Cordy spun round in her seat to face him "Do you honestly think that
because you agree with everything I say for one day, one day! That it'll make me
want to have sex with you?" Xander looked at her blankly for a second
"I
think I'm gonna walk home." He explained then slipped quietly out of the
car walking away into the night leaving Cordelia still staring at the empty seat
beside her.
"God
Xander!"
*
* * * *
"Where's
Giles, is he ok?" Buffy rushed into the library. Willow looked up from
where she was sitting at the computer.
"He's
not here, he took the day off." Willow explained.
"Giles?
He took the day? Hyper research guy Giles took the day?" Buffy clarified
and Willow nodded solemnly. "Oh God, I've killed Giles!" Buffy sat
heavily in one of the old oak chairs.
"Buffy
don't over react." Willow said moving around the table to sit next to her.
"He's fine. Xander told me what happened yesterday, wanna talk?" Buffy
could see Willow’s ‘nurturing friend’ role clicking in to place and smiled
as much as she could.
"I
don't know what happened, its just like I lost control of my body for a second
and the next thing I knew I hit Giles, hard." She explained.
"Well,
this is good. Right?"
"Will,
where have you found good in this scenario?"
"Well
its good that your admitting that its all your fault, Xander said that you
wouldn't even do that yesterday." Willow smiled slightly.
"Willow
what do you mean? It was an accident. It wasn't, strictly speaking, my
fault."
"You
said yourself *you* lost control *you* hit Giles. Who else is to blame here?
Xander and Cordy were the only other people there, and they sure as hell
couldn't have done that"
"Done
what? What do you mean?" Buffy asked suddenly paling. "I thought you
said that Giles was okay."
"He
will be in a week or so," Willow had lost almost all the niceness in her
voice. If Buffy had realized she would have thought she was speaking to a
complete stranger. "I went to see him before school today, Buffy, he's
really beaten up."
"But
I- I didn't mean to...."
"Yeah,
no one means for these things to happen." Willow turned round and went back
to her computer. Buffy ran.
*
* * * *
"Well
this is fun!" Xander quipped as he worked against the ropes around his
hands. "Locked in Giles's basement, tied to a chair, while some lava guy
wanders around pretending to be me. What's he going to be doing to my
reputation?"
"I
hope that my double remembered to hand in my computer sciences homework."
Willow said worriedly.
"I
shouldn't worry Willow, I think we have more pressing concerns at the moment.”
Giles told her.
"Yeah,
like working out why our doubles didn't just kill us if they wanted us out of
the way" Willow nodded.
"Actually
I was voting on working out how the hell we're going to get out of here."
Xander rocked about on his chair until it fell over and he gave up. "But
before anyone else tries this isn't the way, and God Giles, how long has it been
since you painted your ceiling?"
"How's
your head?" Asked Willow ignoring Xander.
"Oh
I-its alright now, the double visions cleared and the throbbing has gone down
but its still painful."
"That's
a point." Said Xander from his position on the floor. "Where's Buffy?"
"I-I
don't believe that I, er follow," Giles confused.
"Well
you said that Buffy kicked your ass, I'm assuming double here. So shouldn't we
be worried about the original?"
*
* * * *
Buffy wandered through the courtyard still reeling from Willows words. She was
so lost in her misery that she didn't see Harmony and her minions sweeping
through the crowed until it was too late.
"Hey
watch it!" Harmony scowled as she collided with Buffy. "I thought it
was your boyfriend who'd need the white stick, oh sorry forgot, you're a wall
flower."
Giles, Willow and Xander watched the scene unfold from the shadows. Buffy didn't
realize what was happening until her fist connected with the cheerleaders face
in a punishing round house punch. Harmony hit the floor blood pouring from here
nose. The three watchers smiled at the show turning to leave. Their work was
almost done, Buffy would take care of the rest herself.
Harmony's sheep skittered away from the blond slayer. Buffy noticed Snyder's
approach and ran.
Part
Six
The De Soto's Driver stopped as he saw the sign. Such an invitation couldn't go
un-answered. He smiled as the car sped forward knocking the sign flat leaving
tire marks across the lettering. *So she said to leave*, he thought, *but
since when have I done anything she said?* But if what he'd heard were true
then she'd need him around anyway. Whether she wanted him there or not.
*
* * * *
Buffy sat in the cemetery fiddling idly with a stake. She felt like all of a
sudden she'd lost control. *I'm a danger to everyone*, she thought as she sat on
the ground staring at the fresh grave in front of her, *even my friends*.
The first thing that latched on to the vampire behind her was her Slayer sense
warning her of the danger. The second was her fist. Buffy spun round recognizing
the vamp quickly.
"Abby!
Nice of you to drop by but I'm not dressed for company." Buffy smashed a
flying kick into Abby's face and was about to follow it up with a right cross,
when Abby disappeared.
"Slow,
Slayer." Abby chided as she swept Buffy's feet from behind. "Too
slow."
Buffy swung round on the floor to knock
Abby down too. She saw vamps feet leave the ground as Abby jumped to avoid the
sweep, but Abby was gone again. Buffy pulled herself upright. She looked around
her but the cemetery was empty. Her Slayer sense suddenly went wiggy as she
dropped to the floor, avoiding Abby's roundhouse by millimeters.
"How
the hell do you move so fast?" Buffy frowned then kicked out to where Abby
was standing. Only to hit thin air. Buffy spun around to see Abby sitting on
top of a mausoleum with a lit cigarette.
"Vampires
get stronger, faster, sharper and well, better with age. Although very few get
to live that long." Abby smiled "I only know of one other vampire
older than me and I haven't seen him in a long time."
"You
sired Darla?" The question came without a thought, and Buffy wondered from
where.
"I've
sired many, I don't tend towards memorizing all of them." Abby shrugged
"But I do remember Darla." she said with a small smile then added,
"I remember Angel too." Buffy gasped at the mention of her old loves
name. "I wish I could have been around when he was turned. He really knew
how to have a good time!" Abby winked. Buffy clenched her teeth.
"What
are you doing here?" She asked finally.
"Taking
in the sights, the sounds, thought I might go out get myself a little Chinese
later." She grinned.
"You’re
killing me," Buffy said rolling her eyes at the oldest vamp joke she'd ever
been told.
"Not
yet," came the reply that seemed to echo around the cemetery from no fixed
point. Abby was already gone.
*
* * * *
Buffy knocked on Giles door. She needed his help now and hoped that he'd be able
to forgive her. Willow opened the door.
"Will,
I..."
"Buffy
what are you doing here?" Willows voice was harsh
"Will,
I'm sorry, but I need to see Giles, this is important."
"Buffy?"
Buffy heard her watchers voice and pushed past Willow.
"Giles!"
Buffy looked down at the bruised, yet still tweed-clad librarian. His lip was
cut and he had a dark bruise on his left cheek, he had a collar around his neck
and was obviously in pain. "God are you alright?"
"I'll
heal, in time. You said something was important?" Giles winced a little as
he shifted on the sofa and motioned for her to sit. Buffy felt guilt streak
through her as she sat. She looked shyly up at Willow but found no sympathy.
"Abby."
Buffy stated quietly "You wouldn't believe how fast that girl is. I can
hardly even see her move."
"Well
at over five hundred years I'm not surprised, but she shouldn't be too much of a
challenge."
"What
do you mean?" Buffy frowned "One second she's standing next to me
about to get a stomach full of size five, the next she's sitting on top of a
mausoleum smoking a cigarette with hardly a hair out of place. And by second I
mean second here." There was a knock at the door and Willow let Xander in.
He stopped and glared at her when he saw the petite Slayer sitting on the couch
next to Giles. He glanced at Willow who just shrugged in defeat.
"Buffy
what are you doing here?" Xander spoke up.
"I
needed Giles's help." Buffy explained.
"Don't
you think that you should be somewhere along way from other people?" he
asked. Buffy had never seen her friends act this way.
"Xander,
what are you talking about?" Giles frowned at the teen. Willow jumped
in immediately.
"Well,
we didn't really want to tell you because we didn't want you to worry but Buffy
broke Harmony's nose today, and nobody knows why."
"Buffy?"
Giles turned and looked at her questioningly.
"I-I
broke her nose?" Buffy didn't realize she had done any real damage. Snyder
would have her out of school for this for sure.
"Buffy,
maybe Xander is right," Giles said slowly pushing his way up from the couch
wincing as Willow helped him. "Maybe you should stay away from human
contact for a while." Buffy watched heart broken as her best friends
visibly distanced themselves from her.
"Yeah.”
She said quietly "I suppose I should go.” Buffy left quickly heading
home. She turned the corner into Revello Drive and stopped. Home was the worst
place she could think of going. Even though the only thing she wanted right now
was a shower and a tub of chocolate chip ice cream, she didn't want to risk
hurting her mom. She didn't trust herself. Not like this. She turned and walked
away.
Part
Seven
Abby lay back on the couch in the old factory watching TV. It was getting close
to dawn and the minions where returning from the hunt. Food in Sunnydale was
much harder to come by. Not so many people walked the streets late at night but
they had probably learned from living on the Hellmouth. Suddenly a familiar
sound permeated the air.
"Hello
mate," came the English accented voice. The peroxide blond vampire
appeared from the shadows as if they where an extension of himself.
"Spike!"
Abby greeted. "I didn't think that you where coming back, not after what
happened with Angelus."
"Yeah,
well this is home you know." Spike shrugged falling down onto the couch
next to her. "You really got the place nice, especially after that fire an'
all. Glad you didn't move into that old mansion."
"I
was thinking about it, but there where too many windows, as much as I'd like to
work on my tan I'm afraid of getting skin cancer." Abby explained.
Spike smiled remembering for a moment how fun it had been destroying things with
the young looking vamp next to him. She was the one who first called him Spike
(she was the first to find out why). Now he was going to switch sides on her, a
short burst of emotion flooded through him at that thought. It almost scared him
to think that he was capable of that feeling. He felt guilty.
"So
I hear you planning the demise of our beloved Slayer then,” he said
conversationally.
"I've
got the Mimic out in the field already" she smiled. *Bloody hell* Spike
thought. *This is worse than I thought.* Spike lifted himself off of the couch.
"I'd
better get back before sun rise or I’ll be crispy by the time I get
home."
"You’re
not staying?" Abby sounded disappointed.
"No.
I've got along way to go and I want to get there by tomorrow." He lied.
"Dru
has you so whipped." Abby smiled, Spike managed a small smile in response.
"You
have no idea." He replied as he left.
*
* * * *
Buffy didn't know where she was going until she looked up to find herself in
front of Angel’s basement apartment. She forced the lock and wandered in. It
had been untouched since she last saw it. She took in a deep breath closing her
eyes. "Angel," she whispered as if she was expecting a reply. Her eyes
felt heavy she kicked off her shoes and threw her coat onto the couch sliding
into the bed she closed her eyes and lost herself in memories.
It was past mid-day when Buffy woke. She looked around remembering where she was
and standing. Her coat was on the floor behind the couch. She went to retrieve
it and froze. Looking over the back of the couch she saw Spike, curled up on the
cushions surrounded by his duster. He had come in not long after Buffy, finding
the place unlocked. Buffy had fallen into an exhausted sleep when he got there,
he'd been looking forward to a night in a soft bed after having huddled in his
car and in cargo ships out of the sunlight for the past few months. *Who’s
been sleeping in my bed? * He’d thought comically when he saw the blond
Slayer.
Buffy moved around the couch pulling a stake from her coat she crouched in front
of the sleeping Spike. He hadn't been there when she got in, and he must have
seen her when he arrived. Why hadn't he killed her when he had the chance? She
put her stake away realizing that there must have been a reason he hadn't
drained her on sight. He looked almost cute.
Buffy went out a little later to get some food she'd picked up some pigs blood
as well while she was out, but wondered why she was bothering. She sat watching
Spike as she ate and came to the conclusion that, when asleep, Spike was
definitely cute. If only for the reason that he talked in his sleep.
Buffy noticed Spike mumbling to himself for about five minutes, picking up stray
words here and there.
"Spike?"
Buffy said finally.
"Umm,
Slayer?" Spike kept his eyes shut and didn't move. Buffy realized he was
still asleep. She smiled and continued.
"Why
are you here?"
"
'Cause they is chasing me." Buffy sat confused by his answer for a second
then realized he was talking about his dream.
"Who?"
"Them."
"What
are they?"
"The
spiders." Buffy smiled wickedly wondering if she should ask the next
question or not but the suspense was killing her.
"Spike,
are you afraid of spiders?"
"Yes."
This was priceless. Spike, William the Bloody, scared of spiders!!
"Where
are they now?" she asked trying to keep down a laugh.
"I
don't know." Buffy carefully put the tips of her fingers on his cheek.
"SPIKE
THERE'S A SPIDER ON YOUR FACE!" she shouted.
Spike jumped so high he almost hit the ceiling.
He fell off of the couch almost taking a hysterical Buffy with him. He was
standing almost in the same move. He looked at Buffy holding her sides with
laughter and narrowed his eyes.
"What's
going on?" Spike asked. Buffy composed herself.