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Chapter Seventeen

As they moved quickly toward where the tunnels opened into the caves surrounding Sunnydale, Buffy and Spike continued to walk side by side. When their arms brushed against each other again, Spike reached for Buffy’s hand and entwined their fingers. She hesitated for just a second, then squeezed lightly and moved a little closer to him.

The vampire hadn’t been sure how she would react to the PDA in front of her Watcher and best friend, and he let out an unnecessarily held breath when she didn’t pull away. He allowed his thumb to gently stroke hers as they walked along together. Behind him, he heard the Watcher’s pulse rate increase when he saw them, and waited for the reprimand that never came. Instead, Willow said in a whisper, “Awwww, Giles, Do you see that?”
“Yes, Willow, I do,” he growled back, making no attempt to lower his voice. His tone promised there would be conversation about what he was seeing as soon as they were safely back in the world.
Spike glanced at Buffy to see if she’d heard any of it, but she remained focused on the dim tunnel in front of them and didn’t react at all. He wanted to bring her hand to his lips and kiss it in appreciation of her willingness to acknowledge their new relationship, but decided that might push the watcher past his limits. Buffy’s quick sideways glance and the small smile on her lips told him she’d sensed the unspoken thought. She squeezed his fingers lightly and mentally blew him a kiss.

Before Spike could follow up with any more stimulating mental images, they reached the end of the lighted tunnels and he turned unerringly into the darkened corridor opening on the left.

“This is the way,” he said confidently, pulling her into the darker passageway. He quickly vamped out as the dim lights of the tunnels faded into the solid blackness of the caves. When Willow tripped over something, they stopped and the vampire looked down, finding a cache of equipment obviously left by the commandos. Included were several flashlights, some rope, and a couple of their ubiquitous tasers.

Scooping up the tasers and the flashlights, Willow and Buffy turned to go on when Giles cleared his throat.

“Have you given any thought to what are we going to do with this unpleasant woman when we get out of here?” he inquired, jerking his head toward Maggie. “I believe kidnapping, contrary to what she obviously believes, is still illegal. No matter how deserving the victim,” he added, glaring at the equally angry woman.

“Exactly!” she said firmly. “You have no choice but to let me go. Things will go much better for you if you do,” she added in her best “I’m the only one capable of making a good decision here” tone of voice.

Her apparent confidence and implied threat rubbed Buffy the wrong way.

“Do you remember what I told you would happen if you did anything to hurt my friends or family?” she asked coldly. “I believe you told me I was not in a position to make threats at the time. It seems to me our positions have changed, Professor Walsh.”

“I heard you say yourself, you do not kill humans. If you can’t kill me, you have to let me go. My men will turn this town upside until they find me.” She spoke confidently, having now figured out that in crisis situations the Slayer was in charge and she could ignore the growling vampire and the man holding her arm.

Buffy looked from Giles’ expressionless face to Spike’s icy stare and shrugged her shoulders.

“No,” she said calmly, “I don’t.”

She tugged on Willow’s sleeve and began to walk away, not looking back when the older woman began to sputter and argue.

“You cannot leave me with these two conscienceless creatures! That’s the same thing as killing me yourself!”

“No, it isn’t,” Buffy threw over her shoulder. “It’s Spike’s decision what to do with you. Giles will stay to make sure there is no torture involved and that he doesn’t eat you. Anything else is between them.”

The two Brits watched as the flashlights disappeared around a corner, then looked back at the nervous woman. Spike’s eyes were flashing back and forth between blue and amber as his demon demanded vengeance for the acts inflicted on both him and his mate by the human now quaking in front of him.

The Watcher observed him curiously. If he’d been asked a month ago whether a vampire could control his blood lust, could be around humans that trusted they were safe with him and not kill them, he would have responded with a resounding “no”. And if he’d been asked if a demon could love, he would have laughed bitterly, remembering how Angelus had gone out of his way to torment Buffy and how he’d killed Jenny.

But he also remembered seeing the pain on Spike’s face as he sat in his wheelchair and watched Drusilla hanging all over her Sire. And the flash of compassion and admiration when Giles resisted Angelus’ torture. He knew Spike had not wanted Angel to free Acathla, and yet he had suggested letting Dru use her thrall to get the information they needed from Giles rather than let Angelus continue to torture it from the helpless Watcher.

So, rather than speak, he waited patiently to see which would win the battle clearly taking place inside the vampire. Would the demon triumph and snap the woman’s neck in retaliation of what she’d done to him? Or would the gentle Victorian man Giles now knew resided inside the vampire demonstrate mercy toward her?

With a loud growl, Spike shook the demon off, and reached for the ropes left by her soldiers. Without speaking, he trussed her up so that she could not move, and left her sitting against the wall near the pile of supplies. He put a lit flashlight at her feet and stood back to stare into her curious eyes.

“Much as I’d like to rip out your entrails and strangle you with ‘em,” he growled, “I have to answer to that little girl you were so anxious to know more about, and I know she wouldn’t like it. So, I’m leavin’ it in God’ hands. If what’s left of your toy soldiers finds you first, I guess you get away with your kidnappin’ and torturin’. If one of the nasties that come through these caves finds you first, you get what you deserve and I don’t have to grovel for forgiveness tonight.”

Scientific curiosity won out over fear, and she couldn’t resist asking, “You are clearly a very powerful vampire – the most powerful we’ve ever tested in here.” She flinched when Spike vamped out at the word “tested”, but when he remained still, she went on, “Why would a...creature…like yourself be afraid of a little girl? I know she’s quite strong,” Maggie rushed on before he could say anything, “and that she kills vampires, but surely one such as you has nothing to fear from her? Why would you ‘grovel’ to her?”

The vampire stared at her then said flatly, “Killed two Slayers before this, and fought a couple more.” He felt Giles start beside him and grinned to himself at the Watcher’s surprise. “Fell in love with this one.” He turned away to leave, then paused and looked back at the astonished woman, “And, she can kick my arse 9 times out of 10. Best remember that when you’re callin’ her a ‘little girl’.”

Laughing at the woman’s insistence that he come back and tell her more about these other Slayers and about vampires and their relationships, he strode after Buffy and Willow.

Giles looked at the still-objecting woman and said quietly, “Who would have thought that William the Bloody would be more compassionate than I would? You should be very grateful Buffy left the decision in his hands. Mine would have been less gentle.” He turned away and hurried through the dark corridor after the vampire.

He caught up with him much quicker than he expected, as it turned out Buffy and Willow hadn’t gone very far and were waiting around a sharp bend in the cave tunnel.

“Well?” Buffy was demanding, hands on hips. Spike explained what he’d done and waited to hear her reaction. To his surprise, she just nodded and turned away muttering, “You should have killed that bitch. She’s never going to leave us alone.”

He rolled his eyes and hastened to catch up and take her hand again. “Feelin’ bloodthirsty, are you, Slayer?”

She sighed and leaned toward him briefly. “No, I’m glad you didn’t kill her. I’m just afraid she’s going to make more trouble.”

“She has to survive until someone from that place finds her, first, pet. At worst, she’ll have plenty of time to think about whether or not she really wants to come after us.”

“And at best?”

“She won’t have time to do much of anythin’,” he said softly. Buffy nodded and they continued working their way toward the fresh air Spike could smell ahead of them. Suddenly, he froze and gestured to them to stop. He cocked his head listening, then went into vamp face and moved forward cautiously. Buffy fell into step behind him, pulling one of the confiscated stakes from her waistband.

The small group rounded another corner only to find themselves facing a vampire stalking angrily toward them.

He stopped when he saw Spike, then looked intently at the stake-wielding blond behind him.

“Does she have you, or do you have her?” he inquired, looking from Spike to the small girl beside him.

“Y’might say we have each other,” Spike drawled, dropping his vamp face. “This isn’t a real good place for a lone vamp,” he offered. “Lot’s of nasty humans further back that way.” He jerked his head toward the way they had come. “Bloke could get staked, or worse.”

“They took my mate,” the other vamp snarled. “Worse has already happened.”

As the humans stared in complete amazement, the other vampire dropped his game face and they saw tears on his cheeks.

“I know she’s gone. I just thought I’d try to take a few of them with me before I join her.”

“Don’ know how many we left standin’, mate, but you’re welcome to what’s left.”

The vampire turned to face the small blond still clutching a stake, but looking at him with sudden understanding.

“I know I can’t beat you, Slayer, so I’m just asking. Will you let me go by? Let me meet my end at the hands of the people who took my reason for living away from me?”

Buffy slowly lowered her hand and nodded her head, unable to speak for the lump in her throat. The grief the other vampire was carrying was palpable and she had no doubt he had no intention of ever coming out of the tunnels. Behind her she could almost feel Giles’ eagerness to get back to his apartment and add the things he had learned about vampires tonight to his watcher’s diary.

The other vamp gave a grateful nod and started down the tunnel the way they had come. Only to be stopped by the older man accompanying the Slayer and her unusual assortment of friends.

“The woman who runs the place is tied up about a half-mile back. If you get there before her men find her…” He didn’t finish his sentence, just stepped back away from the astonished creature and wondered how the Council would react to one of their former Watchers’ giving directions to a vengeance seeking vampire. Deciding he didn’t care, he responded to the other’s nod of thanks and followed his Slayer and her vampire out of the caves.





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