Spike licked his lips nervously, his hands automatically going up in supplication toward his feral sire. “It’s all right, mate,” he said placatingly. “Everything’s all right. Let’s just settle down, yeah?”

The other vampire growled in reply.

Spike sighed, frustrated. “You always were the difficult one. Okay, why don’t we just–” His words were cut off suddenly as Angel lunged at Spike and tackled him to the ground.

Spike grunted as his body slammed into the hard marble floor.

Angel bent down to Spike’s neck and sniffed him. His head snapped up with a snarl and Spike looked up at the querying expression in his sire’s golden eyes; Angel seemed confused about what he had smelled on his childe.

Probably the soul, Spike reckoned. Bet the poof hadn’t been expecting that.

“Take it easy big fella,” Spike urged. “You see, I’m one of your lot now. So why don’t we just get up and–”

Spike didn’t get the chance to finish that thought, as Angel pulled Spike’s head back by his hair and smacked his skull onto the floor with an audible thwack! Spike’s vision blurred, before dimming into complete darkness.

Angel shot up on his feet, running out of the mansion and into the night.

~*~

Buffy hit the ground with a whoompf, the breath knocked out of her body when a vamp caught her by surprise and rammed into her from the side.

She took a long blink and shook her head, trying to rattle the sense that had been knocked out of her back into place.

With a grunt, Buffy twisted her body–she was pinned underneath the vamp–so that her back was flat on the ground and she could look up at her attacker.

The Slayer grimaced, seeing the leering smile the vamp was making. It exposed his yellowed fangs that were in desperate need of a flossing.

“Oh my god,” Buffy groaned. “You’re breath smells worse than an actual corpse. You know, just because you’re dead, doesn’t mean that you can just neglect proper hygiene.”

The vampire’s expression turned to one of confusion, his brow furrowing and making even more grooves in his already bumpy forehead. He’d clearly been expecting screaming, not insults.

Buffy rolled her eyes before lifting up her knee and sending it hard into the vamp’s groin.

His face turned red with pain and his body seized up, making it easy for Buffy to push him off her. As the vamp rolled over, moaning and holding on to his wounded manhood, Buffy flipped to her feet.

Faith was preoccupied, beating the fangs out of the vampire that had initiated the brawl when he’d thrown Faith into the headstone. One other vampire was watching from the sidelines. His wide eyes went from Faith pummeling one of his buddies to the other injured vamp on the ground, then finally up to Buffy.

Buffy sucked in her cheeks and raised her brows in challenge to the vamp. His eyes darted quickly over the tableau on the ground before spinning around and running away.

Buffy rolled her eyes again and heaved a sigh before lurching forward to go after him. She paused and looked back at the vamp on the ground.

Oh right, better take care of him first.

She whipped a stake out of her jacket pocket and crouched down to stick it in the vamp’s back. As he exploded into dust, Buffy jumped to her feet and took off in pursuit of the cowardly vampire.

~*~

Spike groaned as his hand slowly reached up to touch the back of his throbbing head. “Bloody hell,” he mumbled as he rubbed the hard bump that was forming on his skull. He slowly cracked open his eyes, blinking several times to clear away the white spots of light blinding his vision.

Once he could see again, Spike gingerly propped himself up on his elbows and took in the room. His memory was muddled from the head trauma and his brow furrowed in confusion at the open refrigerator and empty blood cartons on the floor.

“What...?” he muttered aloud. He took in a breath through his nose. As the scent hit him, so did the recollection of what had happened. Spike sat up straighter and looked frantically about the room. There wasn’t any sign of Angel anywhere.

Spike shot to his feet and searched the mansion.

“Oh balls,” he cursed realizing that the other vampire was definitely not in the mansion .

Spike closed his eyes, clenching his fists tightly. He rolled his neck and shoulders and took a deep breath. Spike blew out the air with an aggravated sigh, then set out to go find the rabid vampire.

And when I do, I’m gonna put the wanker on a leash, he thought as he wound up the chains -that had been used to restrain himself a few months ago - and stuffed them into a bag.

~*~

Angel’s scent led Spike out to a small woodland area a few miles off from the cemetery that the two Slayer’s were currently patrolling; it wasn’t a very safe area for a wild vampire to be roaming with a new, stake-happy Slayer about.

Spike just hoped that he wasn’t too late and he found his sire before either of the Chosen two did. Of course he was planning on telling Buffy about the vampire’s return – just not yet. She was already so wracked with guilt over having had to kill him, if Buffy saw Angel like this, she would be gutted. Spike just wanted to get the lout sorted out before Buffy saw him.

As soon as Angel begun acting more like his old self, Spike would tell the Slayer he was back.

And after that...

Spike shook his head.

Well, after that, whatever happens, happens. It’s up to Buffy.

Spike tried to ignore the sharp twist in his chest that sentiment caused and forged on deeper into the woods; he had a fairly good idea about how things would workout once Buffy learned that her precious Angel was back. Spike tried to tell himself he didn’t care, that he wasn’t jealous.

Yeah, right.

The vampire shook off the unpleasant thoughts of the future and focused on the matter at hand. As he went further into the woods, he no longer needed to rely solely on his sense of smell to guide him to his sire. All he had to do was follow the trail of rabbit carcasses littering the ground like breadcrumbs.

Spike’s lips twisted as he sidestepped the bunny bodies.

Guess a trip outta Hell works up quite an appetite, he reckoned. Mentally, Spike added the drained animals here to his week supply of blood that Angel had already gone through. Which reminded him, he was going to have to make a stop at the butcher’s to replenish what he’d lost.

Spike sighed. What he wouldn’t give to be watching crap telly right now.

Spike stopped and pricked up his ears as he caught the faint sounds of gurgling and slurping coming from not far off ahead of him. Spike honed in on the noise and proceeded carefully onward. It wasn’t long before he saw Angel crouched down on the ground, his head bowed as he sucked the life out of yet another rabbit.

Spike stopped and opened the bag he’d brought with him to carry his set of chains. He didn’t think that he could get Angel to come back with him voluntarily. Even though Spike was being careful and was pulling the chains out slowly, they still clanked and rattled. Spike winced as he noticed Angel’s body stiffen with awareness.

Bugger.

Angel whirled around, a bloodied bunny dangling from his mouth. Its foot was twitching with the shred of life it still clung to.

“Hiya, pops!” Spike greeted drily. “How ya been? How’s Hell this time of year? Hot, I imagine.”

Angel growled as he leaned forward on all fours and crept menacingly towards Spike.

“Oh, right, I forgot. You never were much one for conversation.” He scoffed, “You know, it’s hard for me to imagine how you and the Slayer got on, knowing how much she likes to prattle on ,” he remarked with a touch of fondness when speaking of Buffy.

There seemed to be a flash of recognition in Angel’s yellow eyes at the mention of the Slayer.

“Yeah, Buffy,” Spike repeated her name, getting an idea. “Remember her? The great love of your unlife.” Spike had to grit the words out. “Well, do you really want her seein’ you this way?”

The other vampire seemed to be considering the question.

Spike thought he was onto something. Maybe he could get Angel back to the mansion and out of sight with less of a struggle than he’d thought. Relieved, Spike felt a bit of tension ease out of his shoulders.

“That’s right,” Spike went on. “We wouldn’t want Buffy getting a look at the state you’re in. So, how’s about you just crawl on back with me to the mansion before she accidently stumbles onto us, yeah? All right? Nice and easy now.” Spike took a step forward, the chain in his hand dragging on the ground.

Angel’s wild eyes flicked to the chain then up to Spike. He snarled, finally dropping the now completely lifeless rabbit from his jaw. Angel leaned back on his haunches, a gesture Spike recognized as getting ready to attack.

Spike’s hands curled into fists, his grip tightening on the chains.

“Fine ,” he muttered. “The hard way it is then.”

Angel pushed up forward from his legs, sailing through the air towards Spike with the grace and prowess of a puma.

Unlike back at the mansion, Spike was ready for him this time. He flung the chain up in the air, whipping it around lasso-style. As soon as Angel was at the right angle, Spike tossed the noose of the chain and caught the other vampire about the neck. Once Spike had a hold of his sire, he gave the chains a rough yank and brought Angel down to the ground hard.

“Sorry ‘bout that, mate. But it had to be done,” Spike told his subdued sire.

Angel shook off the jarring impact and pushed himself up on all fours and thrashed about in the grip of the chains, trying to pull free. He whipped his head toward Spike and lashed out at him, snapping his fangs.

Spike took a step back and gave the chains a jerk, choking Angel.

Angel whimpered as his hands came up and he tried to pull the chains back from crushing his neck.

Spike loosened the hold. “All right, then,” he told Angel. “Now you just be a good sire and don’t make me do that again.”

Angel stilled, looking at the ground, a low rumble heaving deep in his chest.

“Okay,” Spike said. “So you’re gonna play nice, then?”

Angel slowly raised his head to Spike. He answered by opening his mouth wide and lunging forward, clamping his jaw tightly down on Spike’s leg.

“Bloody hell!” Spike cried as he lifted the leg not currently being bitten and kicked Angel in the head. His sire still wouldn’t let go.

Spike pulled up on the chains again, applying just the right amount of pressure in just the right place to make Angel lose consciousness. The way he had done with Drusilla just a few months - but what seemed like a lifetime - ago. Spike thought about how if he had just taken Dru then and left like he’d planned to, he wouldn’t be in this predicament.

I always do the stupid thing, Spike lamented to himself as Angel’s body finally went limp and Spike was able to ease his painful hold on the chains. Spike bent forward, resting his hands on his knees to recover from the effort, panting needlessly. He took a moment to collect himself before straightening and looking down at the still, prone figure of his sire while he contemplated whether or not to carry him back to the mansion or just drag him by the chains.

Well, he thought. The man’s just got out of Hell, I’m sure a few extra bumps and scraps ain’t gonna bother him much.

Spike pursed in his lips and sucked in his cheeks. He looked down at the chain in his hand, then to the body lying helpless on the ground. He sighed as he threw his head back and closed his eyes.

“Ah, sod it,” Spike cursed before tossing down the chains and bending over to heft Angel up and fling him over his shoulder.

~*~

“Bloody hell, you’re one heavy bastard,” Spike grunted as he tossed the still unconscious Angel unceremoniously onto the ground. He had been carrying his sire for over a mile now and needed a break. Spike rolled his aching shoulders and popped his neck. He leaned back against a tree and rummaged around in his pocket for his pack of cigarettes and his lighter.

He popped a cigarette in his mouth and lit up, breathing the smoke in deep.

“Oh yeah,” Spike moaned before releasing the smoke from his lungs and mouth. He pressed the back of one shoulder into the trunk of the tree and rolled it, trying to rub out a kink. He was just about loosened up when he caught a whiff of something on the wind that had him stiffen.

“Shit,” he muttered, tossing down his fag and stomping it out.

~*~

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Buffy said, disgusted, as she came to a clearing in the woods where she had chased the vampire – he was nowhere in sight.

“Well, he may not be much of a fighter,” she said aloud. “But he’s a pro at the running and hiding, I’ll give him that.”

Buffy sighed and shook her head. She turned and was just about to head back to the cemetery to go help out Faith when she heard something rustling in the bushes.

She slowly turned back and narrowed her eyes at the bush from where the noise had come. A smile curved up her lips and her brows hitched up in triumph.

Or maybe he’s not such a good hider after all.

Buffy raised her stake up in the air as she crept towards the bush.

~*~

Spike crouched down as soon as he smelled Buffy coming and heard her footfalls running in his - and Angel’s - direction. He thought about hefting up his sire and making a run for it, but figured that hiding was a safer alternative.

Spike squeezed his eyes shut tight - as if it would somehow make him become invisible - when he heard the Slayer talking to herself.

He was doing his damnedest not to make a sound, but his efforts proved futile as Angel chose just that time to start to stir; his arm flailed at his side, hitting the branches of their shelter and alerting the Slayer to their presence.

Spike glared down at his, thankfully still sleeping, sire and kicked him in the head, after which Angel went still again.

That’s it, he thought. I’m dragging his sorry ass the rest of the way. That is, if the Slayer doesn’t stake me first.

Buffy slowly reached out with the hand not holding her stake and started to pull back the brush to expose the vampire, when he beat her to it and burst out.

Buffy was ready to send the stake into the vampire’s chest, but stopped short, her eyes going wide when she saw who it was.

“Bloody hell, Slayer! Watch it with that, would ya?”

Buffy dropped her hand and blinked dumbly at him. “Spike?” she asked, boggled by his presence. “What the hell are you doing? I could have staked you!”

Spike chuckled wryly. “Yeah, I noticed.”

Buffy shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well?” she prodded.

“Well what?” asked Spike.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were busy watching Dawson’s Creek tonight.”

“Oh...er, right,” Spike stammered. “It was a rerun. Nothing else good on, so I decided to come out for a walk.”

Buffy nodded her head slowly. “Uh-huh,” she remarked, in a sceptical tone.

“What about you?” Spike returned.

“What about me, what?” Buffy asked, a slight crinkle in brow.

“What are you doing?” Spike elaborated.

“Oh, right. I’m patrolling. Like I said I was going to be earlier.”

“Oh, right,” remarked Spike. “How’s that goin’ then?”

Buffy sighed. “Well it was going fine until this total scaredy-cat vampire took off running and I lost him. You didn’t happen to come across him, did you?”

Spike shook his head. “‘fraid not.”

Buffy frowned. “Well, I guess I should get back to looking. Wanna keep me company?”

Spike’s heart twisted at the slight sound of hopefulness he could have sworn he heard in Buffy’s voice.

“Er... sorry, pet,” he said. “I’d love to tag along, but, I’m feelin’ a bit beat. I was just about to head back to the mansion, actually.”

Buffy deflated. “Oh,” she said lightly with a nod, trying not to seem disappointed.

“Tell you what,” Spike offered. “I’ll keep m’ eyes peeled for the vamp on the way.”

Buffy gave him a smile. “That’d be great,” she said. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Spike ground his teeth together when Buffy made no move to go; he needed her to leave first so he could get Angel. He rolled his tongue along his cheek, trying to keep his patience.

“Say,” Spike began, attempting to sound casual. “Didn’t you say that you were going out with the other Slayer? Where’s she then? Didn’t cut out on you, I hope.”

“Oh no,” Buffy told him. “I left her going to town on another vamp when I chased after his friend.”

“Hm,” he remarked with false contemplation.

“What hm?” Buffy demanded.

“Oh nothing,” Spike replied with a shrug. “Well, I was just thinkin’ maybe that vamp doubled back on you–it’s an tactic; divide and conquer, yeah–maybe you should head back and check on the other Slayer just in case.”

Buffy’s eyes widened. “Oh crap, that’s a good point,” she conceded. “I didn’t think of that. You’re right. I should go.”

Spike nodded. “Right. I’ll see you later, pet.”

“Bye,” Buffy said hurriedly. She turned and darted off.

Spike waited until her scent had faded so that he knew she was far enough away for him to be able to get Angel back to the mansion without her catching him.

Spike stepped back through the bushes and grabbed the chains. He started pulling on them, grunting with the effort.

“Right, that’s it,” he said through gritted teeth. “No more bunnies for you. You’re going on a diet.”

TBC …