A Woman's Initiative
By Fyre
Summary: Dru has been captured by the Initiative and is basically to damn smart for them (and no, I don't like Maggie Walsh - she upset Giles)
______________________________
I made them look and frown. Miss Edith thinks I am ever so clever, for making them all mixed up. Their thoughts buzz around me, bumping into one another, all confused and lost.
They want to watch me more, until I drink up my poisoned dinner like a good Princess, until I’m ready to be cut into tiny little bits. But I don’t want to be tiny little bits.
So I’ll write some beautiful poems, just like my sweet used to. He used to write such beautiful words, but the words made him weep and come to me, ready to be all gobbled up.
He wanted me to eat him all up and make him one of me. He was mine from the very start and he always wanted to stay mine, even when I played with daddy and with my gooey demon.
But he won’t read my poems.
So I won’t write for him. I will write for the people who stare at me, like an animal. I will write to make them frown and get more and more lost in the maze of their mind.
It is wonderfully amusing to hear so many puzzled thoughts hopping and skipping into my mind. They think I can’t hear what they think, but I know every word and they don’t.
Yeah. I know everything they don’t. And now, when they read my words, they will be more confused and Miss Edith will laugh and laugh and laugh.
~~~~~
“Let me guess.” The expression on Riley’s face was cold. “Our favourite demon has been creative again.”
Walsh said nothing, pulling away from the screen.
The vampiress was dipping her finger carefully into the blood bag and tracing bloody words carefully on the glass with her nails, the light contact not enough to shock her.
Behind her, the blackened, dried blood still crusted the wall – a recognisable image of the escaped hostile 17. But it was the words he had been called to see, the seemingly random little words she was scribbling on the glass.
“ ‘The Fish and the Slayer all cosy and warm.” He started to read slowly. “Like two little bunnies they shag.” Walsh cleared her throat. “Until the fine day…when my love and I say…we’ll kill you, you bitch and you fag.’…um…what the hell is that about?”
The vampiress’ head snapped up, her eyes turning to stare at the camera, a wicked grin on her face, as if she had heard his shock at reading her words.
“The fish…” Riley grimaced. “She knows my name. She knows about Buffy too.”
Walsh nodded. “That’s what I thought.” She agreed mildly. “And, from the look of it, she doesn’t like you very much either.” Turning to the commando, she inclined her head towards the screen. “Do you think you should tell your little lover about this?”
“It might be a good idea.” Finn slowly nodded. “She might be able to tell us who this vampire is.”
As soon as he was dismissed, he headed to Buffy’s dorm room, only to be pounced on by the grinning Slayer and tackled to the ground.
“Hey lover.” She kissed him on the nose. “Why the long face?”
“Buffy…” Sitting up, he gripped her arms, gazing at her. “I need to take you down…under.” She frowned. “There’s someone down there and she seems to know about us, even though I’ve never seen her before…she knows who you are too.”
“Oh great.” Sighing, the Slayer stood up. “Giles’ll love that. Secret identity lecture coming up. Is this ‘she’ a vamp? Demon? Human?”
“Come down and I’ll show you.”
~~~~~
Well, well. That didn’t take them very long. Even my Miss Edith is all surprised by the quickness of it all.
But there she is, standing outside my cell and looking at me, her sun coloured hair striped with muddy-colours, her eyes big and full of goodness.
She stares and stares, but not like I’m an animal in a cage. She looks like she is going to cry or laugh or be sick. I don’t know which, but I don’t move. I sit in my quiet corner and watch her, waiting for her to attack me with her stake.
But she doesn’t. She stands and stares, eyes full of surprise. Then she speaks to the big man beside her and he looks oh so surprised too.
I pick up Miss Edith and make her wave her hand at the Slayer and she immediately complains that she dislikes the Slayer very much indeed.
Miss Edith is wise. So I dislike the Slayer too. Because Miss Edith says so.
~~~~~
“My God.” Squinting passed the dark blood that stained the glass doors, Buffy shook her head in disbelief. “How long has she been here?”
“You know her?” Riley frowned as the vampiress lowered the waving doll into her blood-stained lap, stroking the matted hair with a loving hand, her eyes fixed on the top of the doll’s head.
Buffy nodded, nausea rising in her throat. The vampiress was thin, much thinner than she had been two years previously, her face and hair were crusted with dried blood, her bone-thin arms protectively wrapped around the filthy, bloody doll in her lap.
“She’s called Drusilla.” She finally replied, the vampiress’ dark eyes seeming huge in her skeletal face. “She was Spike’s girlfriend…they were together for over a hundred years.” She turned to her boyfriend. “How long has she been here? How long since she fed?”
Riley shrugged. “Two weeks…maybe three.”
Laying her hand against the glass, Buffy shook her head. “This isn’t right.” She whispered. Staring at the pitiful vampiress, she glanced at Riley. “Has she been chipped?”
“They all are, as soon as they’re brought in.”
“So we could get her out and back to Spike?” She looked almost hopeful. She claimed to hate the blonde vampire, but in reality, she felt sorry for the biteless wonder. “He almost killed himself when he lost her once. If she’s harmless, could we free her?”
Riley frowned. “I’m not sure. She seems crazy…I don’t know if the chip would be enough…” He paused. “No…it’s just that Walsh wants to keep her, do tests on her.”
“We can’t let her, Riley!” Buffy’s eyes flicked from Drusilla to Finn. “She’s sick and weak. It’s just cruel to do that to her.”
Nodding, Riley stared stonily at the vampiress. “I’ll see what we can do. You go and tell Spike.”
~~~~~
So I have something in my head, do I, Miss Edith? And it will stop me playing with my dinner?
Will I have to eat my dinner out of bags like my bad daddy does? I don’t like that. I like my dinner to be fresh and sweet and warm and to pulse in my mouth, full of life.
Did that boy put it in? The Slayer’s boy. I know he did it to make her pleased, but it does not please me…or you, does it, Miss Edith?
We shall have to punish him, when I can stop the machine in my head. I will punish him and the Slayer for making me have something inside my head that isn’t a pretty thought or a sweet feeling.
If I can get the machine out, they will see how silly they were to make me and you annoyed, won’t they, Miss Edith?
~~~~~
“Spike, will you just shut the hell up and listen to me for once!” Slamming the vampire – back-first – against the wall of the crypt, Buffy glared at him. “I am not here to violate your space, pinch your telly or to check on you.” He twisted his face in disbelief. “It’s Dru.”
“What about the two-timing bitch?” He growled, pushing her away from him and groping for a cigarette.
“The Initiative have her.” Spike swung round to stare at her. “They’ve had her for weeks. She hasn’t fed and she won’t let them near her. She looks like hell and she could die any day.”
The Slayer gasped as she was slammed against the wall, Spike staring at her furiously. “When did you find this out?” He growled, desperately trying to ignore the burning pain behind his eyes. “If they’ve done anything to her, I’ll tear them apart, chip or no soddin’ chip!”
“I only found out today.” Pushing his hands aside, she stared up at him. The vampire may have been a cold-hearted and brutal demon, but she could see he loved Drusilla more than anything, in spite of everything the vampiress had done to him. “I came to get you as soon as I could.”
Blinking back the stinging tears of pain, he turned his back on her, lighting his cigarette and inhaling a long drag. “Why?” He finally asked, his voice trembling with emotion. “You always hated me and Dru. Is this just to laugh at how pathetic I am? Again?”
“I saw the state she was in Spike.” Leaning against the wall, Buffy eyed the vampire warily. “She looked like hell. No one deserves that…even your skanky ho girlfriend.”
“What makes you think I would want her back?” Big words to maintain the big man image, she knew.
“C’mon, Spike.” Straightening up, she sighed. “You come back to Sunnydale, pretty much suicidal after she dumps you, you go back to try and torture her into loving you again…hell, you even date Harmony out of desperation. Now, tell me you wouldn’t throw yourself at her feet if she walked in the door.”
“You’re right.” Spike gave her a weak grin. “Which is something I never thought I’d be bloody fool enough to say.” A pained look crossed his face. “But me and my chip…she’ll hate that.”
“She’s chipped too, Spike.”
His face fell. “She’ll do something drastic.” He whispered, biting his lip. “Your fancy-pants scientists have no idea of the pain Dru can stand…for Satan’s sake, Angelus was her Sire.”
“Then we better get you down there and get her out, before she gets herself killed, won’t we?”
Grabbing his duster, Spike nodded mechanically. “I couldn’t stand losing her again, you know.” He sheepishly admitted.
“I know.” Buffy gave him an equally sheepish smile. “You’re pathetic, Spike. The Fang-free Big Bad with the attitude too big for his demon…and the daily threat of death. You’re so predictable.”
“At least I’m consistent.” He argued, as they headed out into the night, about to break into the place that could kill one of them and reveal the other.
~~~~~
I have spoken for many hours with Miss Edith. She has advised me on what I should do about this nasty little machine in my head.
It must be removed, she tells me. You must take it out if you want to live and find your sweet. It may hurt and make a mess, but it will stop them cutting you up into little pieces.
As ever, Miss Edith talks far too much. She should be punished for speaking out of turn, but she is simply trying to help her Princess.
I listen to her plan carefully. My tummy is getting growly and I long to leave this place, but she tells me I can not leave until I get the nasty machine out of my head and smash it all up.
Then, she says, only then will my sweet come and rescue me from the nasty people and carry me off so we can dance in the moonlight together, just like we did in the old days.
My sweet is coming for me.
~~~~~
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Slayer?”
“Sh!”
“But what if we get caught?”
“SH!”
“What if its all a bloody trap? To catch me? You’ll walk away scot-free and I’ll be left here, to be hacked up and experimented on.”
“Spike, will you shut the hell up!” She exploded fiercely. “We’re not going to get caught. It isn’t a trap and if you don’t shut the hell up and let us get on with the breaking you in to save your skanky ho of a tramp girlfriend, I’ll stake you where the sun don’t shine.”
“Calm down, Slayer.” She could almost see him grinning in the darkness, his gleaming hair concealed under a dark balaclava. The thought of Spike dressed as one of the commandos was surreal enough as it was, but actually seeing it, was just plain weird. “Touchy, much?”
“Wishful thinking, Fangless.” She glared at him. “Have I ever told you how much I really don’t like you lately?”
The vampire snorted in disgust. “Mutual, ducks.” He replied, a cruel note in his voice. “The minute I get this bloody chip out, I’ll tear both your throats out. No offence to you.”
“I’m so scared.” Buffy spat back at him. “That threat…gee, it gets scarier every time you repeat it.”
“I don’t know why you even wanted to help him.” Riley shook his head, trying to muffle a laugh, unsuccessfully.
“Cos I have a cute arse?” The vampire suggested sweetly.
“It’s not because of tha…er…” Buffy flushed. “I mean, I never looked to see if you have a cute…ass. I’m doing this cos it’ll shut you up and get you off my back and stop you moaning about having blondie as a girlfriend.”
Riley gestured for them to be quiet, as they made their way into the passage through one of the crypts. Taking the lead, Buffy followed him, Spike directly behind her.
The scent of fear hit them as soon as they entered the main facility, the vampire stiffening, a surge of painful memories running through his mind. “Shit…” He managed to whisper under his breath, clutching the stun gun in his hands as if it were a life-preserver.
“This way.” Riley said tersely, flashing the security clearance cards against a scanner, massive steel doors sliding aside to reveal the sterile, white corridor, the glassy cages lining the walls, filled with unfortunates.
Pushing passed the two humans, Spike raced down to the cage from which he could smell that overpowering scent of blood. Blinking passed the smears of dried crimson on the glass, he fell to his knees with a low gasp.
“Dru, Princess…” His eyes glimmered gold, taking in her haggard appearance, as she weakly crawled to the glass, raising a hand and laying it lightly against the surface. “Oh, kitten.” He touched the opposite side of the glass, shaking his head in dismay. “I’ll kill them.”
She mouthed one word to him. “Spike.” A small smile curled her lips, as she sank forward, her blood-matted, dark hair tumbling over her scabbed face. Miss Edith fell from her grasp, her body limp on the white floor.
A surge of anger raced through his body, his hand drawing from the glass and curling into a fist. They could defile him. They could hurt him and drug him and put brain-frying chips into his head, but no one – NO ONE – hurt his princess.
“Let’s get her out of here.” He hissed, his eyes blazing up at the Slayer and the commando, looking more dangerous and furious than either of them could ever recall seeing him.
~~~~~
I had such a beautiful dream. I saw the Slayer cry out as her pretty little boy was chopped up by his friends. I saw my Spike laughing and staking the Slayer. It was so much fun.
Then I woke up and I fell into the blue.
“Spike?”
He smiles at me and I know I’m still his Princess. His only Princess. “Hello, kitten.” He says, touching my face.
I ask him where we are. He just hugs me like I am Miss Edith and he kisses me on the head. He came and rescued me, just like Miss Edith said he would. I knew Miss Edith was right. Miss Edith may be a chatterbox, but she is always right.
He nibbles on his arm until I can smell sweet childe’s blood singing its way into my head. “Drink up, Princess.” He whispers to me, giving me his arm to munch from. “Get big and strong for daddy.”
If I do what I’m told, I know my sweet will play with me and we’ll use all our nice toys that we haven’t played with for so long. I can not imagine what games he has in store, but I will do as my lovely asks.
He won’t go away again.
~~~~~
Sitting on his bed, Spike stroked Drusilla’s dark hair gently. He had managed to use the Watcher’s bathroom to clean her up, all the crusted blood now washed of her frail little body.
Her head was pillowed in his lap, her dark eyes closed, as he caressed her cheek gently, waiting patiently for her to wake.
It was strange to see his sleeping lover in modern clothing, but there had been nothing else for her. Wearing one of his red shirts and a pair of Willow’s jeans, she looked so fragile and delicate that he longed to run far away from Sunnydale and keep her safe forever.
But with the chip.
He grimaced.
Until they found some way to remove the implant from both of their heads, there was no way either of them could leave Sunnydale.
“Spike?”
Looking down, he gave her a smile, her blood-shot eyes half-open. “Feeling better, luv?” He asked softly.
Nodding, she shuffled up a little, curling against his chest, her dark hair spilling around her face. “Sharp claws are scratching at my mind,” She breathed in his ear. “But soon the dog will be gone and and your little kitten will be able to chase the mice again.”
“Dru…” An arm around her shoulder, he pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “The people down below…they put something in your head…you won’t be able to hunt again.”
She giggled naughtily. “Oh no, sweet.” She whispered seductively. “I will be out to play again very soon.”
Spike tilted his head to look down at his Sire and lover. “What are you talking about, pet?” He asked, cupping her thin chin in his hand. “What do you mean you’ll be out to play again soon?”
“Sh!” Cocking her head, she stared around. “I hear her. Do you hear her, Spike? Do you hear the crying of my present?”
“Present?”
Drusilla nodded absently. “Yeah.” She murmured, nestling back against him lazily. “The one with the sunshine in her hair. I made her eat some cursed water cos she called mummy all kinds of rude names.”
“You did Harmony over for me?” She nodded. “Bloody hell, pet. You did a great job!”
“I know.” She purred softly. “And I want to do something special…something for the Slayer…”
“But…”
She slapped him sharply. “Hush! I will hear of no protest.” She narrowed her eyes. “Do you wish to help me or will you spoil my fun and go and play for the Slayer and her friends?”
“We can’t…”
“No, sweet.” Her voice and tone suddenly went icy. “No one tells me I can’t. I can do anything I like.”
~~~~~
My poor, silly Spike.
He doesn’t know that the tiny machine that the nasty people put in my head is gone. He doesn’t know that it was gone when he carried me like a baby and took me in his arms to look after me.
So I pick up Miss Edith and show him her little handbag. I hid the little machine in there, so none of the nasty people would know.
It hurt to pull it out. My nails scratched into my mind, pulling and pulling, but it came out. It made such a mess of red and black. It was quite beautiful.
I show my Spike the little machine and he starts to laugh and laugh. He hates his little machine. He doesn’t know you can just pull it out, just like that. So I tell him all about it.
~~~~~
“You mean…” Spike stared at the tiny piece of metal in his hand. “You just pulled it out of your head?”
She nodded. “My mind was all in bits so I put my finger passed my eyes and picked it.” She smiled serenely. “It came out in my hand, so tiny and nasty.”
‘Put a finger passed my eyes.’ Spike shivered at the thought of his beautiful love poking her finger through her eye socket in an attempt to make herself a full vampire again.
But she had healed though, so maybe, just maybe there was a chance it would work on him too. After all, he had survived a crushed spine – an injury that would have destroyed or paralysed a human.
Closing his hand around the chip, he frowned. It may turn his brains to mush, but it also may not. He could be driven insane by it if he left it in, but a nail in his brain didn’t exactly mean stable mental health either.
Drusilla watched him, her expression neutral, as he went through each argument, always turning it into a ‘for’ answer. He wanted the chip out and he was willing to do pretty much anything to do that.
~~~~~
I watch him thinking and puzzling. He wants me to take it out, but he thinks it might hurt his mind, his pretty, sweet mind that is all in one beautiful piece.
Not like mine.
My mind is scattered all over the universe, like Grandmum’s ashes, blowing in the wind.
But he will choose the right thing.
Miss Edith said so and Miss Edith knows me and my Spike will be together for ever and ever. A pretty Princess and her handsome Prince, travelling the world and tasting the nectar of life.
It will be marvellous.
~~~~~
Kissing Drusilla hungrily, the blonde vampire draped a leather-clad arm around her waist, carelessly dropping a small note on top of the two bodies that lay intertwined on the grass.
“Why did you leave a letter, sweet?” The vampiress asked, as they walked hand-in-hand across the grass, towards the waiting De Soto, not even glancing back at the University Campus that had caused them both so much pain.
Spike shrugged. “Joyce has been good to me.” He replied quietly. “I had to explain that it was something I had to do. I had to tell her I was sorry to do it to her, but the whole vampire-slayer thing…it would never work out.”
Drusilla nodded sympathetically. “She was your mum.” She replied. “You got hugs from her that no one but a mummy can give.”
“Pretty much.” He agreed, helping her into the passenger seat of the car, his eyes caressing her slender face. “So you know why I had to apologise to her, don’t you?”
The vampiress nodded. “Telling your mummy you killed her baby because you had to.” She said. “She won’t like you anymore, will she?”
Spike shook his head. “I doubt it, luv.” He replied, half-regretful.
Joyce had been wonderful to him, accepting him, even before the chip. She had guts and strength and he only hoped the death of the Slayer and her chump boyfriend wouldn’t kill her.
Whatever happened, it was too late now. The two corpses chilling on the grass of the campus attested to that.
Circling the car, he slid into the driver seat, flexing his hands slowly around the familiar steering wheel, as his lover slipped his Sex Pistols CD into the player, turning up the volume with a smile.
“Ready, luv?”
“As I’ll ever be.” He grinned rakishly at her, slamming his foot down on the accelerator.
As the blacked-out De Soto raced out of town, the ‘You are now leaving Sunnydale’ sign was flattened with an impressive crunching sound, as two vampires grinned at one another heading for a new life together, strains of Sid Vicious singing ‘My way’ lingering on the still morning air.
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