“Quick in the van” Faith ordered, mentally doing a head count, Xander, Willow, Dawn, Giles and Buffy, that’s the old gang, three, six, nine, eleven, twelve slayers, Angel, and Spike! Shit!
Damn B could given them some warning, Angel looked like he’d seen a ghost, he set his bloodied grandchild in the van and sat back on his heels, watching in confusion as Buffy clambered in next to the younger vampire.
She kept her eyes on the distraught Slayer as she took command of more pressing matters. “Anna” she barked at one of the girls, “you’re driving. Go!”
“Spike” Buffy was muttering the vampire’s name through desperate tears, her hands uselessly clutching at his chest to staunch the bleeding. “Oh God, please no”
They where moving now, being jostled around on the metal floor as Anna sped through the busy streets. “Katie” she got the attention of a stocky brunette with short-cropped hair, “Quit gawping and get me some first aid”
“Buffy” Dawn pulled her stricken sister away from Spike, giving Faith room to work. Her arms wrapping comfortingly around the older girl, “Let Faith patch him up okay? The blood loss won’t kill him, it’s gonna be okay”
“Spike” the blonde whispered reaching a hand to touch the vampires thigh, “Help him” half an order half a plea as she looked beseechingly at the dark slayer.
“I got it B” Faith went to work, she couldn’t believe how frail Buffy seemed, how girlish and feeble in the face of Spike’s condition, perhaps she had been pinning her hope too much on Buffy’s arrival, perhaps the once mighty Buffy Summers wouldn’t be able to save them after all.
……………………….
“How much longer?” Dawn demanded.
Faith peered out the vans small back window getting her bearings “Nearly an hour, Anna’s taking an alternative route, standard procedure in case we’re followed”
“Giles, can the blood loss kill him?” she asked the watcher. All eyes returned to the vampire on the floor, there was so much blood, Faith’s mobile first aid kit had been able to do little in the face of his injuries, blood lay thick and dark on the floor so that each of them had stained knees and hands where they crouched in it.
“In theory no” Giles assured her, “but I’ve never seen a vampire loose so much, he doesn’t seem to be healing, I don’t understand.”
“He’s only had butchers blood since he came back” Dawn remembered, “maybe he needs human blood to heal”
“Well that would certainly help, but where…” he trailed off as her intention became clear, she rolled up her sleeve moving her arm towards his lips.
“No Dawn” Buffy’s voice was strong and commanding, she looked up from the vampire who’s head she’d cradled in her lap.
“Don’t try and stop me Buffy” Dawn hissed angrily at her sister, “if I can help him I will”
Buffy grabbed her arm as it moved again towards the vampire’s mouth, “No Dawn, the plan”
Dawn frowned knowing her sister was right, Willow needed her precious blood to fight Velmorick’s power. “We can’t just do nothing” she insisted.
Buffy didn’t answer she merely rolled up her own sleeve and put out her hand for a blade.
Angel had been silent and immobile for the whole journey, Spike was back, back for a fiery death in the hellmouth. Spike who had saved the world was back and possibly bleeding to death in the back of a van in Cleveland. He saw Buffy roll up her sleeve to feed the vampire and revulsion rose in his stomach, no it wasn’t right. His golden perfect Buffy freely offering her blood to an evil disgusting thing like Spike.
“I’ll do it” he cut in causing Buffy to look at him in surprise, when she looked about to protest he continued. “You need your strength and sire’s blood will heel him faster than anything”
“Do it then” she snapped “quickly”
It occurred to Angel that Buffy had wanted to do it herself, that she had been glad to gift the vampire her blood, she must not know, must believe that he had returned from death with his soul intact. Still, there would be time for that revelation later, now he would have to heal his grandchild or Buffy certainly would.
He pierced his wrist with his own fangs, letting the blood drop over Spikes still lips in an action so reminiscent of siring that he felt a suffocating wave of regret wash over him. His blood had created this creature, this thing that had killed, maimed and tortured his way across the world for a century, he had created him, all that blood was on his hands.
Slowly the mystic power of his demonic blood roused the unconscious demon, his lips parted allowing the healing fluid to slip into his mouth in a steady trickle.
As Spike felt consciousness returning he was aware of only two things, firstly that he was in pain, a lot of pain, he felt as if his body had been put through a mincer. Secondly, that there was powerful vampiric blood running down his throat, familiar and comforting the life giving elixir that could only be his sires, or her sires.
Angel. His eyes shot open to fix on the dark vampire, who’s bleeding wrist hovered over his open mouth. Hatred for his grandsire rose in his weak body, for a moment he considered batting the offered wrist away, he needed nothing Angel could offer. But the blood, the inescapable pull of family called to him through the blood, he was a vampire and it had been a long time since he had shared blood with his closest kin.
Ignoring the pain his hand shot out to fasten on Angel’s thick forearm, holding it in position as he lifted his mouth to the small wound. His own fangs descended ripping the flesh so that the blood poured freely into his mouth.
Angel let his one time progeny drink until he felt blood loss weaken his own body, then he wrenched his wrist away from the others increasingly powerful grip, and moved away watching with interest as Buffy drew Spike’s attention.
“Spike” she whispered her hands stroking his face gently “Are you okay?”
“Slayer” his hoarse voice was barely more than a whisper, he looked slowly down at his own bloodied chest. “Bloody hell” he croaked before passing out again.
………………….
Slayer central was a well oiled machine, Buffy had to admit being extremely impressed, on their arrival there had been medical assistance for Spike and one of the girls who’s arm had been cut in the fight at the air port, a quick no nonsense debriefing and food and drink for the new arrivals.
Buffy sat with Xander in the large empty canteen, eating sandwiches and sipping on milk shake. “Nice set up they’ve got here” she commented. "Have you been here before?”
“I pop in and out, but mainly it’s field work for me. Helping out new Slayers.” He leant back in his chair and smiled at the anxious Slayer across from him, “how you doin’ Buff?”
She sighed heavily and scrubbed at her face, “I’m okay, I just wish someone would tell us what’s happening”
“Don’t worry” he reassured her confidently, “Slayer central has the best of everything, they’ll fix your boy up in no time”
“He’s not my boy” the response was automatic, a reflex denial that surprised them both. “I mean, he’s… It’s complicated”
“Ain’t it always?” Xander asked, a soft question that could have been mistaken for rhetorical had he not held her eyes so intently
“I was just so happy he was back you know, I thought we could have a new start.” She looked past him a rueful expression on her face “But then…” she sighed “Stuff happened and I felt like we where back on square one and, I don’t know, it was such a long hard road the first time, can I do it again?”
“Only you can answer that Buffy, but what I know is that if it’s really real, that scary no holds barred love I was so wrong in thinking you and Riley coulda had”
She laughed a little then and reached over to take his hand. “If it is” he continued “then you can, because you have a hell of a heart”
Closing her eyes she basked in his gentle, unconditional affection, “thank you” she told him sincerely.
…………………
“He’ll be fine B.” Faith insisted for the fourth time, “we’re pumping him full of A Pos, he’ll be all better by tomorrow afternoon. Now you” she physically turned her towards the stairs “room 340. Get. Some. Rest”
Buffy sighed giving in to the dark slayers insistence, “Okay I’m going, see you later”
The room was cheap but comfortable looking with a small double bed, but no shower, God she was exhausted, she stepped out of her shoes and trudged towards the bed.
A sharp knock on the door stopped her, “Buffy are you awake” Angel’s worried voice sounded through the hardboard.
“Yep, sure come on in” She sat on the bed rubbing her sore feet as he entered.
“Buffy” that gentle reverence that always accompanied her name on his lips, “I need to talk to you, there’s something you need to know, about Spike.”
Her head shot up, “Is he okay?” She asked already half way to her feet. He stopped her gently and sat them both down on the bed before continuing.
“He’s on the mend, but, Buffy, I’m sorry to tell you this, but…”
“Spit it out Angel” worry fuelled her annoyance making her harsh.
“His soul. He doesn’t have it anymore” he watched her reaction, the confused crease of her forehead and annoyed shake of her head, not what he’d expected.
“So?” she asked bluntly, her eyes fixed challengingly on his
“So?” he asked incredulously. “Buffy do you even know if he still has that chip?”
“Yes” she replied disinterestedly as she took her foot in her hands again.
“Well that’s something then, but even so Buffy we need to be careful, he could still…”
“I mean yes I know if he still has the chip” she interrupted him, not looking up “he doesn’t”
He watched her for a moment, processing her casual revelation that William the Bloody was loose in Slayer central without a muzzle. “Have you gone crazy?” he asked angrily jumping to his feet, “You brought him here! What where you thinking Buffy?”
She looked up at him narrowing her eyes, who the hell did he think he was? “I was thinking we can’t fight Marcus without him.” She told him haughtily “I was thinking we need him here, I need him here” her eyes shone with defiance, daring him to question her judgment or authority.
“Buffy” His voice was soft again, oh so gentle, oh so calm and reasoning, what the hell did Angel have against a nice shouting match, “I know that what he did for you, for all of us before he died, meant a lot to you. But you mustn’t let it cloud your judgment, he has no soul, he’s not the same person”
“Pfft” she waved her hand at him dismissively, “You don’t know him?”
“I created him” Angel countered, “I think I know him”
“Not anymore, he’s different now. He’s here to help Angel, it’s not up for discussion, we need him” her voice was firm, full of an authority, he opted for discretion over valour and changed track.
Looking down at her hands where they had resumed tending to her tired feet, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Well at least you haven’t done anything stupid?” he said, inclining his head towards her hand.
“Eh?” she questioned idiotically.
“You still have your engagement ring” he clarified, “I was worried for a moment that you where throwing everything away over this”
----
A/N things have gone a bit busy at work, so just a quick Update
Love to Cali and KMS your reviews are appreciated as always. xxxxx
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