Chapter 9 - The Price of Loyalty
Buffy stayed in the alley for a few minutes, trying to relax before going back into the Bronze. She knew Owen was waiting for her, but the unsettling feeling that Spike left her with wasn’t going away anytime soon.
“Haven’t even begun,” she muttered in a scoffing voice, staring in the direction Spike had disappeared in. “You need to listen to your own advice, Blondie.”
Turning around, she nearly ripped the door off its hinges, uncaring that she wasn’t supposed to enter through the back. Her anger simmering below the surface, Buffy made her way through the club, halfheartedly searching for Owen, her mind still in the alley.
Running a hand through her hair, Buffy took a deep breath, calming her nerves as she circled the interior of the building. Frowning when she’d walked through the entire club, Buffy pushed through the doors, hoping he was just getting some fresh air.
“Owen?” Slowly turning in a circle, her heartbeat began a more repetitive rhythm, echoing her growing terror. “Owen, if you’re out here, answer me!” she yelled, already knowing where he was. “Damn you,” she whispered, nearly rolling her eyes at the thought of damning a vampire. Especially one who was clearly damned a hundred times over from the terror he’d forced on humanity.
Running in the direction of Sunnydale High, Buffy gritted her teeth as she imagined the thousands of ways she could prolong the annoying vampire’s death before staking him.
No, she thought, running faster as a jolt of fear went through her at the idea of Owen already being dead. Staking is too good for him. Beheading - that’s the way to go.
Seeing the school in the distance, Buffy prayed Giles would be working late in the library.
These shoes are so not the kind for running. Spike is definitely going to die a slow death.
Reaching her destination, Buffy pushed open the doors, hurriedly cutting through the hallways until she found the library doors. Walking into the large room, she agitatedly ran a hand through her hair. “Giles, I need your…” Trailing off at the realization of the feeling she’d been ignoring since she entered the school, Buffy slowly turned in a circle, her breathing escalating as she took in the dozen vampires who surrounded her.
Way to follow those instincts, Buff. Just ignore what’s been instilled in you since birth and walk right into the trap.
Buffy faced the door once again, pasting on a smile that was considerably more confident than she was. “Hello, Spike,” she said with false joviality. “It’s been a while,” she continued sarcastically. “What brings you here?”
“Oh, nothing much,” he replied, pushing away from the wall he was leaning on to slowly stalk toward her. “Just occurred to me that you might be a little out of sorts, what with the boring nightlife Sunnyhell has to offer. I figured I’d do something to alleviate it.”
“How thoughtful. And I’m guessing that includes snatching my date and setting up this charming welcoming party for me.”
Nodding with false contemplation as he surveyed the room, Spike shoved his hands in the pockets of his duster, still continuing his slow approach. “Seemed like the right thing to do,” he countered. “After all, you obviously felt my company earlier was so detrimental to your wellbeing, I thought I’d bring along some friends. To make you more comfortable, of course.”
“Of course,” she murmured, her eyes never leaving his.
“Oh! Almost forgot,” Spike said, snapping his fingers. “Thought you’d want to even the odds.”
Buffy’s eyes widened as he pulled a stake out of his duster, tossing it toward her. Catching it reflexively, Buffy stared at the weapon in her hand, gritting her teeth at Spike’s newest round of mind play. He didn’t think she was a threat, even with a stake? He would learn.
“What a welcoming host,” she quipped. “Planning your own demise is so yesterday. I much prefer the planning and the means to execution. It’s more modern. Before you know it, vampires will be crawling out of their graves and running for the nearest broken tree branch.”
Spike smiled at her nervous banter.
“And Owen?” she continued, watching Spike carefully. “Will he be a member in this lovely welcoming party?”
“He declined,” Spike replied with a seemingly sincere sigh of disappointment. “I’m afraid loverboy just wasn’t up to celebrating.”
Smashing down the fear that slithered through her, Buffy eyes grew wary as she studied her enemy. “Is that right? A shame.”
“It really is,” he said, watching her carefully. “Unfortunately, your Watcher felt the same way.”
Abandoning all hope of not showing her fear, Buffy’s eyes widened as her breathing became more labored. “What have you done with Giles?” she asked, gripping the stake until the wood bit into her hand.
“Nothing much… yet. Besides, it’s only superficial, anyway. After all… how many people really need their hand?”
Buffy gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing murderously on the man in front of her. “If you’ve hurt him-”
“Lay off the hero trip, Slayer. I’m not here to listen to idle threats from a cheerleader who can’t even keep her boyfriend or her Watcher safe for one night. I’m here to offer you a chance.”
“A chance,” she scoffed. “A chance at what?”
“Why, to become the most famous Slayer of them all, pet,” Spike replied with false innocence.
“Alright,” Buffy slowly replied. “I’ll buy that. I might even be able to sell it back to you if you’re half as stupid as you think I am. Now where the hell is Giles?”
“Tsk tsk, such a temper,” he said with a smile. “I promise, English won’t bite the dust unless his little girl doesn’t feel like playing the game.”
“You know, you keep mentioning this damned game. I think you’re the one who’s sitting on the sidelines of it.”
“That I am, love. Something I hope to rectify before the night is out.”
A feeling of dread washed over Buffy as she watched his slow-moving gaze leisurely peruse her body.
Buffy clenched her jaw. “What do you want?”
Spike smiled as he walked around her in a slow circle, tapping his finger to his lips, mildly impressed that she didn’t turn to follow his progress as he walked, merely cutting her eyes toward him instead. “What do I want?” he repeated in a mild tone, continuing at the same relaxed pace until he was standing in front of her once again. “What if all I want is a little kiss?” he asked with a deceptive smile.
“Your dust will be settling on the floor before you’d ever get the chance.”
“Guess I shouldn’t ask for a quickie then.”
Her stake arced toward his chest in a blinding movement that nearly sent her off balance. Gasping in pain as her wrist was caught in an iron grip, Buffy winced as she was thrown against the wall. Spike’s face was cold as he stared at her, obviously tempted to teach a stronger lesson.
“Try it,” she hissed, a smile pulling at her lips as the minions behind him began to slowly inch forward.
Spike paused at her determined expression, his eyes narrowing a fraction before he took a step away, raising an eyebrow when she immediately moved away from the wall. “So you’re not up to bargaining, pet?”
“Not when the conversation travels in that direction,” she replied, resisting the urge to flex her wrist.
“Even if it meant an unfortunate fate for the boy and the old man?”
Buffy’s face paled at the threat. She could afford to take any risks necessary when it was her own life at stake, but she couldn’t take those same risks when it involved two other people. Especially when one of those lives was a person she felt responsible for. After losing her last Watcher and feeling a stronger responsibility of protection toward Giles, she couldn’t abandon him because of her own morals.
A Watcher did everything to train his Slayer to be safe. She was the Slayer. A Slayer protected her Watcher… at all costs.
Spike saw the flicker of hesitation as she slowly opened her mouth to respond, a smile curving his lips as he watched her. “If that’s not enough of a temptation,” he said in a low voice. “Then maybe this will change your mind…”
Buffy’s eyes narrowed slightly at the underlying threat. Turning as one of his lackeys approached her, she tightened her hold on the stake as he extended his hand, offering her what looked like a picture. Staring at it for a moment, she snatched it away from him. Her eyes riveted to the photo, Buffy’s face drained of color as she stared into the image of her mother’s terrified eyes, a gag shoved in her mouth. Gripping the picture until it was crinkled into a ball, Buffy’s murderous gaze turned toward the Master.
“Where is she?”
Spike raised an eyebrow at the commanding tone, nearly smiling at the rage he could feel directed at himself. “Safe enough,” he replied, his smile widening. “For now.”
Feeling short of breath, Buffy kept her focus on Spike as she struck with deadly accuracy, staking the minion who was still standing at her elbow, slamming the stake home and never taking her eyes away from the man in front of her as the dust settled at her feet.
Clucking his tongue, Spike shook his head. “You really shouldn’t’ve done that.”
Her control snapping at the condescending tone, she moved in a blur, smashing into Spike with enough force to throw him into the wall behind him. One arm on his throat, the other pressing the stake to his heart, Buffy ignored the surprised vampires behind her. Seeing Spike give his followers a look that told them to stay put, Buffy pressed the stake more firmly against his chest, the fabric of his shirt giving way to the pressure.
“Let me tell you how this is going to work,” she said softly, her voice holding a promise of what Spike’s short-lived future held. “You are going to tell me exactly where my mother is. After you do that, you are going to release my Watcher and Owen. If all of this is too hard for you to comprehend, I’ll be happy to let the stake that you so graciously provided do all the talking.”
Spike smiled, ignoring the unwelcome twinge of admiration he felt for the small girl who thought she currently held the upper hand. “Now let me tell you how this is going to work,” he replied in the same tone of voice. “You’re going to calmly step away and follow me to the place of my choice. Once we’re there, I’ll give you the terms that will get everyone released, reasonably unharmed.”
“If you think I’ll trust you, you’re more deranged than I gave you credit for.”
“Never said anything about trust,” Spike replied with a smirk, moving with lightning speed to grab the wrist that held the stake, applying enough pressure to draw it away from his chest. “Let’s go.”
“Like hell,” Buffy muttered, jerking away from him. “If you think I’m going to follow you anywhere-”
“If you want to save your friends, you’re playing by my rules.”
“What rules?” she countered cynically. “You’re a vampire. The only rule you have is whether to bite from the right or the left.”
“Actually, that’s more of a habit than a rule,” Spike replied in a conversational tone, enjoying the subtle change in the color of Buffy’s face as her rage grew nearly uncontrollable.
“I’m going to kill you,” she whispered, growing short of breath as she tightened her hand on the stake.
“I doubt it,” he murmured, his voice taking on a softer quality as he watched her. “After all… if you kill me… you kill your mother.”
Trying to ignore the slice of fear that crept up her spine, Buffy held his steady gaze, refusing to show any sign of movement as she silently asked the unneeded question.
“Seems that if I don’t return at a certain time, my lackeys get a little hungry.”
“Shouldn’t you be careful who you put in charge of the hostages?” she snapped. “After all, if you lose your only leverage because your minions get snack-happy, that doesn’t bode well for your already uncertain future.”
Spike didn’t say anything as he watched her mentally work out what she could do. “You could attempt to kill me,” he said, seeing her clench her teeth at the derisive ‘attempt’. “But seeing how my death would directly be the death of three people you seem to care about…”
The unspoken words hung in the air.
“I could find her,” she said, never taking her eyes away from his. “If it came down to the idiots you seem to think are bodyguards or me… I really hope you don’t think they stand a chance.”
Spike chuckled, surveying the growing agitation of the vampires standing behind the Slayer, seeing the desire for the kill in each one of their eyes. “Better be careful, Summers. I might just start to like you.”
“Too bad I’ll never be able to say the same,” she replied sarcastically.
Ignoring the pointed insult, Spike crossed his arms, casually leaning against the wall. Nearly smiling at the look Buffy gave him, he raised an eyebrow. “What’s it gonna be, Slayer? I don’t have all day.”
Biting back the angry retort of the obvious ‘You know what it has to be,’ Buffy slowly tilted her head, studying him with a cold gaze that unknowingly sent an immediate jolt of alarm through Spike.
“Alright,” she said slowly. “I’ll go with you.”
“And the catch?” Spike replied in a bored tone.
“You let them go,” she said. “First.”
“No deal.”
“Scared, Spike?” she taunted. “You think if you let them go, I’ll figure out some way to outwit the big bad Master? How could I do that?” she continued, battling the nervousness that tried to tinge her voice with something other than the confident tone which gave her a slight edge over her opponent. “There’s no way I could overpower you. I’m just a little girl, after all.”
“Out!” Spike barked to his lackeys, never taking his eyes away from the Slayer, each of them sensing the growing hostility in the group as they left the room.
“I want them free, Spike,” Buffy said, staring at the man in front of her.
“I know that, love,” he said quietly, walking around her in a slow circle. “But that’s the rub, isn’t it?”
“What is?”
“How far will you go… to protect them?”
Thank you so much to: Nerdy Jordy, ChrissieLinnit, riahannon, mac, jenny, SarahandJamesFanatic, cordykitten, Vette, Tanya, Deb, Suzie, and CutieSaiyajin for reviewing the last chapter!
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you to everyone for being so patient! I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy last year and am adjusting to having to find time to write, but I promised I would never abandon my fics and I meant it, so here you go.
Previously on Deadly Obsession...
Buffy and Spike confronted each other in the alley behind the Bronze, during Buffy's date with Owen. Threats were made, ultimatums were issued, a Slayer was pissed off. And Spike left the scene with the always confusing quasi-prophecy: "You think you know what's to come? What you are? You haven't even begun."
Previously on Deadly Obsession...
Buffy and Spike confronted each other in the alley behind the Bronze, during Buffy's date with Owen. Threats were made, ultimatums were issued, a Slayer was pissed off. And Spike left the scene with the always confusing quasi-prophecy: "You think you know what's to come? What you are? You haven't even begun."