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Chapter 28 – Never Again


“Rise and shine, Miss Summers.”

Wading through the fogginess and pain that seemed to be weighing her down, Buffy managed to open her eyes. “Go to hell,” she rasped through gritted teeth, glaring at Travers.

Refusing to be intimidated by the hypodermic needle he was holding, she raised her eyes to the smug-looking man.

“Perhaps this dose will be a little more effective.”

“Why the hell are you telling me this?” Buffy asked, struggling to focus through the burning sensation that was still flowing through her veins.

“I just assumed you would like to know that your time is being cut short even more than planned,” he said with a maniacal smile.

“Or you’re just afraid that I’ve built up a tolerance to it,” she said, looking at him through glazed eyes. “Why not just take my strength away and have me fight a vampire? Oh wait…you already tried that. And why test the Slayer, anyway?” she asked, feeling the need to take him down as many notches as she could. “If she’s not smart or cunning enough to make it in the field, she’ll die. If her powers are stripped away, she’ll die anyway. Why willingly want to kill these girls? Maybe it’s because you’re a sadistic son of a bitch. Maybe you’re just bored. Or maybe you just have an inferiority complex when it comes to a bunch of teenage girls. No matter how you look at it, you’re really in the wrong line of work.”

Angrily walking toward her, Travers jerked her arm toward him, as much as the chains would allow. Knowing that this was her only chance and he was counting on her being weakened by the previous dose of venom, Buffy summoned up every amount of strength that she could.

Grabbing the chains, she hoisted herself into the air, ignoring the agonizing explosion of burning pain that seemed to run through her as she jerked her legs up to wrap around his arm, easily snapping the bone before using the momentum of the chains to propel her around, her foot connecting a sharp blow to his head.

Just as quickly as it came, the adrenaline flowed out of her body, leaving her to sag against the chains. She could feel herself about to pass out but was grateful when she saw that she had successfully incapacitated Travers for the time being.

“Spike,” she whispered, seconds before passing out.



“Where the bloody hell is it?” Spike growled, following closely behind Willow and Tara as they walked past several vacant houses.

“We don’t know, Spike,” Tara said gently.

“The spell only leads us here. She’s close, but there’s something keeping us from finding the exact place. It must be a counter spell,” Willow added.

“Is she still in pain?” Giles asked, causing Spike to turn around and look at him as the Watcher trailed behind with Xander, Anya, and Riley, who insisted on coming.

“I…I don’t think she’s conscious.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because it’s dull…almost nonexistent.”

Riley was staying surprisingly quiet throughout the interaction.

“Tune into her,” Anya spoke up, looking around the old neighborhood.

“What do you think I’ve been doing?” Spike asked in exasperation, turning around to look at her.

“I think you’re feeling what she’s feeling. I’m telling you to tune into her.”

“What are you on about?”

“She can hear you, right?” Anya asked.

“Yeah…what of it?”

“How long has that been happening?”

“Since we started patrolling together,” Spike replied, his brow furrowed as he tried to realize what the ex-demon was saying.

“And you haven’t figured it out?” she asked with a slight smile. “Men. You’re all the same. You live over a hundred years and you’re still clueless to figure out what’s been going on.”

“Enlighten me,” Spike muttered, looking from house to house, trying to focus on Buffy.

“You placed an unconscious claim on her,” she said matter-of-factly, not noticing that everyone was looking at her in shock. “It led to her being able to hear you because mates need to have some form of strong communication. To the best of my knowledge, the claim has never occurred between a Slayer and vampire, and I’m assuming if she’s reciprocated, it’s gotten even stronger.”

“What do you mean 'stronger'?” Spike asked, his mouth slightly open in shock.

“You felt strongly about her and she was able to hear you. If she feels the same and it’s a two-way street, you should be able to pick up on what she’s thinking if you concentrate hard enough.”

“Can she do the same?”

“Eventually,” Anya said. “I don’t know if a claim has ever been this strong, but since you are both superhuman, it’s not surprising. I’m more surprised that you haven’t figured it out before now.”

“I’ve been researching this for weeks and you lay it out in less than five minutes,” Giles said in exasperation, his eyes wide as he looked at Anya. “How do you know all this?”

“You live a thousand years, you pick up a lot. It’s not my fault no one ever asked me what was going on.”

Spike was nearly numb with the revelations he’d been dealt. ‘The strong aspect of the claim didn’t take effect, because I’d already claimed her- that’s how she was able to hear me,’ he thought, finally letting everything fall into place. ‘Buffy shared the claim, and we were more firmly bonded, but that’s why I didn’t feel anything go through me the night we made love.’

As Spike was about to put the theory to the test, he suddenly caught a familiar scent, drifting toward him. Breaking into a run and leaving the rest of the group behind, he ran toward an old abandoned Victorian mansion at the end of the street.

Saying a silent prayer to whomever might be listening that the house was as vacant as it looked, Spike kicked in the door and hesitantly stepped through, breathing a sigh of relief when he passed through the doorway with no interference. He could hear the group running to catch up with him, but he was already heading toward the kitchen, following Buffy’s scent. Seeing a door to his left, he practically ripped it off its hinges in his haste to fly down the stairs.

Pausing for a moment at the foot of the stairs, Spike felt the bile rise in his throat when he saw Buffy’s limp form hanging from the chains secured in the stone walls. Seeing a man at her feet with a syringe in his hand, he had never felt the urge to kill more than in that moment.

‘She’s not dead,’ he thought, trying to reassure himself as he ran over to her. ‘I would have felt it…she’s not dead.’

Kicking the man away, Spike scooped up her body, growling at the rattling of the chains before listening for her heartbeat. After a tense few seconds, he finally picked up on the weak thumping inside her chest. Fighting the demon for dominance, Spike was able to keep his human mask in place as the demon howled to come to the surface and check on its mate.

“Buffy,” Spike whispered, praying for an answer.

“Spike?”

Turning at the sound of Giles’ voice, Spike merely gestured to the man on the floor and then at the chains bolted into the wall.

Giles quickly made his way over to the man as the rest of the group clamored down the stairs, each coming to an abrupt stop when they saw the scene before them.

“Dear Lord.”

Everyone turned toward Giles, who was staring in shock at Travers.

“I should have known,” he mumbled before searching for the key to the manacles. Finding it in his coat pocket, Giles jumped up and quickly unlocked the shackles from around her wrists, seeing the small trails of blood from where it bit into her skin, presumably from attempts she’d made to free herself.

This time, when the group approached, Spike did let out a warning growl, letting the demon flash to the surface as he held Buffy close.

Satisfied when they stayed back, he let the demon fall away as he checked on the woman in his arms.

“Buffy?” he whispered. “Buffy, luv, open your eyes.”

“Spike?” she murmured, her voice laced with pain as she tried to open her eyes.

“I’m here,” he said softly, watching her face contort in agony.

“Where were you?” she asked deliriously, not knowing if it was really him that she was looking at. “I thought you’d come for me.”

“I’m here now,” he whispered tearfully, holding her close.

“Don’t let him hurt me anymore,” she said in a barely coherent whisper as she weakly clutched at his jacket.

“Never again,” Spike said in a choked voice. “No one will hurt you again.”






Thanks so much to: Rachel, Fa Sai, Franchesca, Isabel, Rana, Kar, spufette, pari, spikes eternal lover, Mari, Cordykitten, Steph, Bernardette, Alicia, pj, Kimber, AmyB, samica, jenny, Crystal Pegasus, Caitie, gypsy_jin, Jennice, Juanita, blondiebear, gattaca, Seraiza, revellow_1620, songgal1, Katie, Laine & Mariana!





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