It wasn’t long before Buffy was mentally cursing the stupid designers and the stupid stores that sold the stupid boots that were now crippling her. Why hadn’t she thought of changing before coming out on this jaunt? She realised that the professor had been saying something, but she had been so caught up in her misery that she hadn’t heard a word he had said.
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, I was just saying how incredibly well you fight. I have never seen anything like it. You must do a lot of training.”
Buffy realised that, although she had been staying at Mackness’ house, she hadn’t really had a proper conversation with him. So she described a typical day in Sunnydale, and then asked about him. He was a bit hesitant about describing what he called his boring life – but she found that it had been anything but. Among other things, he had been to Transylvania researching Vlad the Impaler and his father Dracula. He was astounded when she told him that she’d met and fought with the most famous vampire in the world. That led to a general conversation about vampires and they compared notes. She asked about his family and was really saddened when he told her about the death of his wife. She found that she had become fond of this gentle, quiet man.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to do a bit of “dad boasting” now,” he said shyly, as he brought out his wallet and showed her some pictures of his sons.
She suddenly stilled. Her Slayer senses told her that there were vampires nearby, and she held up her hand to silence him. Gesturing him to stay where he was, she slowly approached a corner and peeked round. There were a group of around a dozen vampires standing about, as if they were waiting for something. Then she realised that another group was coming up behind them.
“Um, professor is there another way we can go? “She asked in a calm voice. “Only I think it’s going to get a bit crowded around here real soon.”
Mackness thought quickly. “There is an access tunnel just down here. It’ll mean we’ll have to crawl – which is why I didn’t suggest it before – but it cuts our journey down a bit.”
She looked down at her clothes. Buffy, how unsuitable can you get? She asked herself. The jeans were okay, but she was wearing a light blue silk blouse over a strappy top. She sighed, took off the blouse and stuffed it in her pocket.
“OK prof, lead the way.”
He led her to a panel in the wall at about waist level. “This is where the good old Swiss Army knife comes in handy.” She marvelled at how he was keeping it together, as he fumbled out a screwdriver from the knife handle and proceeded to unscrew the panel.
They closed the panel behind them as best they could, and started to crawl.
“Do you think it was an ambush?” He asked her quietly.
“Vampires don’t often plan, much less co-operate with one another, “Buffy began.
“Maybe they know that I’m the one that has been killing them.”
She had no answer to that – she’d been thinking the same thing.
The walking had been bad enough, but now their knees, hands and shoulders started to burn with strain.
“How far have we got to go now?” Buffy asked. “Sorry, that sounds like a bratty kid – “are we nearly there yet?””
The professor smiled to himself, she was such a unique young woman, no wonder Rupert was so proud of her.
“I think the end of the tunnel is just ahead, then it’s a left and a right and we’re back to the tunnel that leads to my office.”
When they arrived, Mackness unscrewed the panel, opened it a crack and peered out. The corridor seemed empty, so Buffy swung herself down and dropped to the floor. As she straightened, she felt her Slayer senses warn her again. Gesturing for him to stay where he was, she was about to investigate, when three vampires attacked.
The professor watched the fight from the safety of the tunnel. He was so caught up in watching the action, that he didn’t hear the vampire behind him until it was almost too late. He swung round, the knife still in his hand and terror in his heart.
“Oh no! The little man has got a knife! Oooh I’m frightened.” It grinned showing long, glistening fangs then, too fast for him to see, it grabbed his arm in its two hands and twisted. The knife dropped to the ground. Mackness heard the bones in his forearm snap like twigs and agony lanced up to his shoulder. The vampire was taking its time, enjoying the professor’s screams. Suddenly, the professor felt as if he was standing outside himself, detached from his pain. He calmly reached down with his left hand, picked up the knife and thrust it into the vampire’s face, as hard as he could. It was the vampire’s turn to scream, as it tried to pluck the screwdriver blade from its eye. The professor half fell, half jumped out of the tunnel, just as Buffy dusted her last vampire. She swung round, and saw what had happened. Her face a mask of fury, she leaped into the tunnel, hauled the vampire out and began to beat it to a pulp. When she started to tire, she took out a stake and finished it off.
Buffy looked down at the professor’s unconscious form, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle. She crouched beside him and straightened the bones as gently as she could, pulled her blouse out of her pocket, and bound his arm to his body.
What had he said – a left and a right? Or was it a right then a left?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Giles returned from his patrol, there had been a lot of discussion and heated argument, when Buffy and Mackness had failed to return.
“I’ll go and find them,” Spike said, “we can’t just bloody well sit around doing nothing.”
“Buffy can take care of herself.” Giles replied, unknowingly echoing something that the Slayer had said earlier. “We don’t know these tunnels; we could wander around for hours and still not find them.”
“Sod that! I can follow her scent. There should still be traces I can find.”
Giles was polishing his glasses for the umpteenth time, “yes, Spike, I know, but you have been affected three times by these witches, they may be able to find you even without the collar and if they find you, they find us.”
As Spike opened his mouth to object, Hilda came in from her patrol. “I think you’d better come and see this.”
They followed her down the corridor to the entrance and stopped dead. There on the other side of the magical wall stood a group of ten snarling, screaming vampires who, when they saw the newcomers, tried to throw themselves through the shimmering blue protection barrier before them.
“Yesss!” Spike turned to Hilda, his face alight with glee, “open up luv, I could do with some fun.”
The witch and the Watcher exchanged a glance. “For once I agree with the vampire – we have to get rid of them before Buffy returns.” Giles sighed.
Whilst Giles went back for his crossbow and a supply of stakes, Hilda watched with grim amusement, as Spike vamped out and began strutting back and forth, growling and snarling at the group outside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy decided early on that she would have to jettison the boots. She laid Mackness down and regretfully drew them off, leaving them in the tunnel. Picking the professor up again, she sighed with relief, the concrete was beautifully cool against her feet.
After around half an hour wandering, her arms were beginning to tire and her feet were now bruised and cut. This place was beginning to get on her nerves – it all looked the same. Then she heard the faint sounds of a battle. Following the sound was incredibly difficult, as it echoed along the tunnels. But eventually, she knew that the fight was just beyond a junction a few feet before her. Laying the still form of the professor down again, she crept to the corner and peered round.
Her heart leapt at the scene she saw before her. The two men she loved above all others, were fighting side by side - it was a beautiful sight. Then the reality of it hit her, they were only just keeping their own against eight vampires, and as she watched, a vampire stabbed Spike in the side with a long dagger. Screaming with rage, she launched herself at the unsuspecting vamp and it was dust before it knew what was happening.
Both men registered her presence together and, unknowingly, they welcomed her with matching looks of love and pride. After that, although the vampires outnumbered them, it was a one sided battle.
Brushing off the dust, Buffy grinned at Giles and then gave him a rib cracking hug. He was telling her how anxious they were becoming at her lateness, but she wasn’t really listening. Glancing round, she saw that Spike was disappearing back down the tunnel towards the professor’s office muttering about "sodding group hugs". Well he didn’t seem all that worried, she thought to herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You really need to go to hospital and have your arm X-rayed, set and plastered.” Hilda said after examining the now conscious professor.
“Talking about getting plastered – can you ask him where he’s hidden the booze?” Spike asked hopefully.
Mackness smiled wanly. He had managed to swallow some painkillers, but they were obviously insufficient - he was almost as pale as Spike.
“Sorry, I don’t drink.”
“Don’t drink!” Spike spluttered. “What a useless git he is.”
“He protected my back. He fought off a vampire using only a pocket knife – something I don’t think even you have managed.” Buffy said hotly
The professor was grateful that she had interpreted his entirely instinctive actions, as heroic. Even the vampire looked impressed.
It was decided that Giles ought to take Mackness to a hospital and pick up supplies on the way back. A door in the barrier was cautiously opened and, supported by Giles, the professor tottered out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spike realised that he couldn’t stay in the same room as Buffy, without making a complete prat of himself. He mumbled something about keeping watch and hastily left. Buffy slumped down on the bed and sighed.
“What’s the matter?” Hilda asked.
“He can’t even look at me now.” Buffy replied without thinking.
“Oh, I’m sure he’d like to do a lot more than look at you,” Hilda said trying for humour.
“What do you mean? He’s been all avoidy for days – it’s you he loves.”
“No Buffy, he loves you – me he just thinks of as a friend.” The witch sighed.
Buffy hadn’t heard anything beyond “he loves you”. She looked at Hilda wide-eyed, “Do you really think so?” She whispered. She had gone so pale, that the witch thought she might faint.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! Look, I’ll go and get him – then you can sort it out for yourselves.”
Hilda got up and marched to the door, without turning she said, “Just don’t hurt him again, or you’ll have me to deal with.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spike had been wandering up and down, thinking that he’d been a prisoner of someone or other, since he’d been brought to England. Now, he was caught in this stinking rat hole and no idea of how to escape.
He jumped as a voice said, “Why don’t you go and talk to her?”
“Bloody hell woman, don’t creep up on a vampire like that!” Then the sense of what she’d said, permeated through. “Talk to her! Huh, I’m not ready for a punch in the nose.”
“Spike trust me, you’ll want to hear what she has to say.”
Something in the witch’s voice made him look at her closely; she returned his look and smiled reassuringly. Hope surged in his breast. Hilda saw his expression change and pushed him gently towards the door. He walked towards it slowly, and then turned back. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, grinned, and then vanished through the door.
Hilda slowly curled her fingers over his kiss. “Oh Buffy, you lucky, lucky girl.” She sighed.
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