PROLOGUE - London Calling

London King’s Cross Station 11pm

Drusilla walked slowly along the station carrying her favourite dolly, Miss Edith - her only dolly - she remembered with a scowl that marred her beautiful features. She’d lost most of her dollies over the years, the remaining few as she fled LA after Darla had been dusted just before her Angelus and Spike were killed by Wolfram & Hart’s army of demons.

“Silly boys!” she thought to herself. The pixies in her head had told her they would . She’d tried to warn them but couldn’t get to them in time. “Silly pixies leaving it too late.”

After roaming around the east coast of America for a long time, the decision to come to London had been purely on a whim, or so she thought at the time. It was the place of both of her births, that as a baby and that as a vampire.

“Naughty Daddy.” she thought as she recalled how truly evil Angelus had been then. She walked along the platform and out of the station.

She paused, looking up and down the street, wondering which way to go. She needed to find somewhere to stay. It was the first time in decades that she’d been alone and she didn’t much care for it.

The last time she’d been in London was the year she’d sired William – 1880. She remembered it clearly. He’d pushed past her as she’d been walking with Angelus and Darla. The emotions he’d emitted had attracted her instantly - such poetry, such pain. She’d left the others and followed him into an alley.

She’d mesmerised him by knowing his thoughts, his words, and his pain - the pixies for once getting their timing right. He’d been the first she’d sired and the best. Yes, Sweet William had turned out quite well. Well, that is until he fell in love with The Slayer. That had been the end of him, and he’d gotten even worse when he’d got his soul returned. He and Angelus stopped being any fun at all.

She walked along, looking around her as she did. Lots of people were still walking about despite the late hour. She noticed one in particular, a rather portly man, wearing an ill fitting brown suit. He was about fifty years old and was walking briskly. She decided to follow him. He hurried along until he came to a shop on the corner of two roads, a door to the flat above it just to one side. He reached into his pocket and started to put the key in the lock.

“Hello”

The man started and turned around at the voice that whispered in his ear. He hadn’t noticed any one nearby. His astonishment increased as he took in the striking figure before him.

“The night is young. A shame to be going home so early. Miss Edith wants to play,” said Drusilla, smiling at him dreamily.

“What? What do you mean?” stuttered the man.

“Hurrying home to your little wifey up there? You should be playing with us.” Drusilla looked deep into the man’s eyes.

“I don’t have a wife,” he answered, wondering why he was still standing there rather than going into his flat.

“No one waiting for you? The pixies won’t like it if you have.”

“What?” He started to feel alarmed. “No, there’s no one.” He was still baffled as to why he was answering her questions rather than getting into the flat and locking this strange woman out.

“Ooh goody!” Drusilla clapped her hands, “Time to play.”

She brought out her vampire features, laughing as the man cried out in alarm. She grabbed him, hand over his mouth, and pulled his neck towards her. With a feral growl she sank her teeth in and drank hungrily. She let the body fall to the floor and wiped her mouth daintily, then opened the door and dragged the man inside.

Ooooooooooo

Drusilla stayed in the flat for several days until the stench of the body started to attract unwanted attention from the people who ran the shop below. She’d used her time wisely and had sought out other vampires to get a lay of the land, this London being so very different from the one she’d known. Many of the buildings she remembered were gone.

She left the flat for the last time and headed over to meet with the vampire she’d met the night before. He’d said he knew of a great house to set up a nest in, obviously hoping he’d be nesting with her. She wasn’t so sure about that just yet but had flirted with him shamelessly to keep his interest, wanting to see what he had to offer before she decided whether he’d be staying with her or not.

As she stood at the prearranged spot on the edge of one of London’s small leafy parks he stepped into view. He was tall, dark haired, slim, probably about thirty when he’d been turned. His eyes were such dark brown they were almost black. He was dressed impeccably in a smart suit and tie, hair neatly brushed.

“Drusilla,” he said. He took her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it. “You look ravishing, so glad you came.”

“I said I would,” said Drusilla, “I don’t lie…..often,” she replied, smiling seductively at him, well aware of her powers in charming men.

“I thought we could go to the theatre,” said the vampire.

“Miss Edith will like that,” she replied.

He suddenly noticed the doll held in the crook of her arm.

“Perhaps Miss Edith would like to see the house first?” he said.

He’d worked hard over the past year or so to blend in seamlessly with the London theatre scene. Eighty years ago he’d been an aspiring actor before he found more than a couple of fans waiting at the stage door. He was pleased that his plan included going to the theatre, he’d missed it, but going with Drusilla clutching a doll would bring unwanted attention and he couldn’t jeopardise it.

“But you just said we could go!” whined Drusilla, starting to get agitated, her head weaving lightly from side to side as she made a strange little humming noise.

“Shh,” soothed the vampire, “We’ve got lots of time. Let’s see what Miss Edith thinks of her new home. Can’t have her worrying about it all the way through the play, can we?”

With that Dru calmed down and agreed to go to the house.

It was just a short walk away. She looked around it in awe - it was beautiful. It reminded her of the houses she’d frequented with Angelus and Darla when they'd picked off wealthy couples and used their homes as their own for a time.

“Ooh! Johnny! It’s lovely.” Drusilla started to dance around the hallway.

Laughing, Johnny joined in, taking her hands, spinning her round, and kissing her.

“Mm,” thought Dru, “Johnny would do quite well.”

“Drusilla, are you ready for the theatre now? Can Miss Edith keep an eye on the place for us?”

“Oh yes! Miss Edith wants to stay here. She wants to see the bedroom.” Dru squealed in delight and ran upstairs, Johnny taking the steps two at time to keep up with her.

The master bedroom was furnished lavishly, the furniture all antique and the fabrics heavy brocades or fine silks. The huge four poster bed in the centre dominated the room. Drusilla sat on the bed.

“Look! I’m a princess!” she said.

“You are indeed!” replied Johnny. He sat on the bed beside her and soon all thoughts of the theatre were forgotten as they tore each other's clothes off and made love with a ferocity and intensity that only vampires can achieve.

Later, as they were lying in each other’s arms, Dru fast asleep, Johnny was smiling to himself. It wasn’t a pleasant smile - a smirk would be a more accurate description.

to be continued...

JUST PERFECT

One Year Later.

The kitchen was in chaos. Boxes of breakfast cereal littered the table and cartons of milk splashed their contents as the ten girls jostled to reach the sort they wanted, all talking at once. Spike walked into the kitchen, took one look at the scene and turned on his heel, running up the three flights of stairs to the kitchen in Giles’ apartment.

“Morning, Rupe!” he said as he walked in, “Mind if I join you up here? The slayers look like they’re trashing the place downstairs and I didn’t fancy my chances.” He grinned at Giles.

“No, of course not, help yourself. Where’s Buffy?”

“Her turn to get Joy up. She’ll be on the slayers’ backs no doubt and will get them to settle down as soon as she goes in there. She’s pretty scary when she wants to be,” laughed Spike. “They just don’t take any notice of me outside of the training room.”

Giles smiled at Spike, amused that he didn’t realise why they behaved like that around him. It was the same with every new slayer - they all fell in love with him. Buffy stamped her authority on them so they knew he belonged to her and Joy and no one else.

“Yes, she can be,” agreed Giles, having been the object of her wrath on more than one occasion in the past.

Spike ate his breakfast, looked at his watch and got up.

“Well, once more into the breach,” he quipped, and he went back downstairs.

A quick glance at the kitchen proved that Buffy had been there - it was spotless. He chuckled as he walked past. All the young slayers’ eyes were on Spike as he walked into the training room but as usual he didn’t notice, he only had eyes for his two girls. He gave Joy a kiss as she was pushed past him in her stroller, being cared for by Carole for the morning, and joined Buffy in front of the group. He put his arms around her as he stood behind her and kissed her neck before letting go and standing at her side.

Buffy gave him a bit of a ‘look’, thinking it wasn’t very professional behaviour but loving the fact that he really was immune to the charms of the girls, not noticing how they practically swooned in his presence.

“Hi, girls,” he said, and was rewarded with a chorus of ‘hi’s’ and giggles.

“Right, let’s get down to work. This morning we’re working on hand to hand, so get into pairs and we’ll get started,” said Buffy.

Spike smiled to himself. This was going to be a good day. He was going to get to manhandle the missus!

Oooooooooooo

By the time they broke for lunch everyone was exhausted. Buffy and Spike ate lunch with the slayers, Buffy’s presence keeping the girls in check. Carole brought Joy in to them just as they were finishing up. Carole had been identified as one of the slayers and had come for training but hadn’t really been able to come to terms with her calling. So she now doubled up as nanny to Joy and kept the trainees in check in their quarters on the first floor. She’d proved herself indispensable and no one at the Council could believe they’d ever coped without her. Joy loved her and even though Spike and Buffy tried to spend as much time as possible with her, now she was getting a bit older she needed more attention than they could give when they were working.

Buffy and Spike had the afternoon off as the slayers were going through the Watchers’ Diaries with Giles and Andrew. It was the session that included the history of the notorious vampire, William the Bloody. Spike always enjoyed the next day, watching the reactions of the girls. Up to that point they didn’t know he used to be a vampire, just that he was the Council’s resident vampire expert.

It was a beautiful day, sunny and bright but being early December it was cold. The wind cut its way through you, as though too lazy to go around. Buffy and Spike wrapped up Joy in layers of warm clothing, a little fleece cap with ears on it finishing it off.

“She looks good enough to eat,” said Spike with a smile, “Well, not literally, I mean..er…..” his words trailed off, smile fading as he recalled when he was a vampire in pre-soul days he would have happily snacked on her. He always did prefer veal.

Buffy just laughed at him, knowing as always the conflicts within him. His bloody past had no relevance to her these days but it still caused Spike disquiet.

“I know what you mean, you dope!” smiled Buffy.

For a moment Spike stood there looking ashamed, his soul still seared with the ones he’d killed. It was less so now that he was human but the past was still there. He wished the Eukaryote had taken those memories instead of the ones of Buffy. Then he gave a little shrug, pulled himself together, put his hands on the bar of the stroller and off they went for their walk in the park.

“Uh oh!” said Buffy, as she caught the hat that Joy had just pulled off and dropped.

She picked it up and put it back on her daughter’s head.

“You’ve got to have it on Joy, it’s too cold.”

“Mama,” said Joy wisely, looking up at her with her huge blue eyes that were exactly the same colour as her father’s.

Buffy kissed her on the end of her nose and they set off again. They soon arrived at their favourite park. Spike unstrapped Joy, took her out of her stroller and put her down on the path. As soon as her feet touched the ground she was off, walking happily along, the hat once more being taken off.

“What is it with her and that bloody hat?” said Spike as he put it on his furiously wriggling daughter.

“It’s the ears, she knows how silly she looks,” laughed Buffy. The hat had been bought by Spike and it still tickled Buffy when he did things like that, such seriously non-vampire behaviour. She’d known him for so long as one and had loved him as one too. The way he doted on both Joy and herself and relished being human again was just amazing. He was the perfect partner, the perfect dad.

The three of them walked along blissfully unaware that they were being observed.

Johnny was standing, carefully avoiding any direct sunlight, and watching as they walked along holding hands. Spike pushed the stroller with his free hand and Joy walked in front of them.

“Soon,” he said quietly, “Soon.”

To be continued…………..

TOUCHED

Andrew put on his smartest suit and picked out a colourful tie. Tonight he was going out to the West End to see a play he’d wanted to see for ages. He’d bought the tickets so long beforehand that he couldn’t believe the day had finally arrived. It had some seriously top flight actors in it and he couldn’t wait.

He was going alone as the first available day he’d been able to get coincided with the scheduled night for field manoeuvres for the slayers. He hadn’t realised this when he’d booked them. Giles was supposed to be going with him but since all hands were usually called to be on patrol for the night he’d had to cancel but he generously allowed Andrew to go as he knew how much it meant to him. Let’s face it, the guy wasn’t much use in the field. Andrew had sold the other ticket on ebay for an exorbitant amount.

“See you later.” he called as he left, passing the assembled slayers in the hallway.

Oooooooooooo

The ten girls stood there apprehensive and excited at the same time, each holding a wooden stake. Buffy, Spike, Willow and Giles stood in front of them. Dawn was with Carole on the top floor looking after Joy. She was on vacation from university and tended to spend her evenings with the others once her friends had packed up and gone to their homes for the holidays. Buffy, trying to ensure her sister led as normal a life as possible, had refused to let her come on patrol.

“Right, girls,” said Spike, “You’ll need your wits about you. So don’t want you yammering away as we go along.”

He glared, with little effect, at the two girls whispering at the back. They just giggled and, after a brief pause, carried on. He turned and looked at Buffy who just smiled at his frustration, knowing at times like these he missed being able to ‘vamp’ up to make them take notice. He was a total contradiction in terms - hating his old powers or missing them a bit depending on the situation. The trouble with Spike was that he was so content these days that his once legendary temper now rarely showed itself.

Suddenly with a roar he flung the axe he was holding over the girls’ heads and it embedded itself in the wall.

Silence.

“Sorry about the panelling, Giles.” said Spike as he went to retrieve it, the girls parting like the Red Sea as he walked through. He wrenched it out and stomped back.

“This exercise is not a game, people,” he said, the words having all the more effect for being spoken softly. “This is real. It’ll be the first time any of you have encountered a vampire and no matter how many times we emphasise its strength, determination, ruthlessness and aggressiveness, you won’t be able to imagine how truly terrifying a vampire can be.”

A hand went up at the back.

“Yes?”

“If they’re so bad how come we only get stakes? Why not axes or swords? Surely it’s as easy to cut off its head as to find its heart with a stake?”

“Good point,” Spike nodded. “Thing is the stake is easier to conceal. You can have one on you at all times. It must be your weapon of choice. An axe can be used to chop you into little bitty pieces as easily as it can be used to chop of a vampire’s head. A stake, unless it gets really lucky, will probably only wound you.”

He looked at the serious faces of the girls and was glad his message had gotten through.

“All a vampire wants to do is hunt, kill, feed and survive. So let’s make sure none of you are eaten tonight, okay?”

“Is that what you were like?” a short, slightly dumpy girl standing near the front spoke out.

Spike’s face clouded over. After a pause he said quietly, “I was one of the worst.” He turned abruptly and went towards the door.

“Come on then, let’s go,” said Buffy, stroking her hand on Spike’s arm as he passed.

All of them went out of the building and headed off to find the unsavoury back streets that were the usual haunts of vampires.

Ooooooooooo

Andrew was so excited he fidgeted from foot to foot as he queued to get into the theatre. The seats he’d purchased were the best in the house, offering the perfect view of the stage. The evening was effectively costing him nothing as the profit he’d made on the ebay sale had more than paid for his ticket too. He wondered what the person he’d be sitting next to would be like.

At last he was inside. He had a drink in the bar and then went to find his seat. The seat he’d sold was empty then, just as the final call for people to take to their seats was being given, a tall dark haired man appeared. He was impeccably dressed. He made his way to the seat and as he settled in it he turned to Andrew.

“You must be Andrew. Can I once again thank you for selling the ticket? It’s sold out for weeks and despite having lots of contacts I really thought I was going to miss it.”

He offered Andrew a hand to shake. Andrew took it and thought how cold it felt until he realised that the man was wearing leather gloves still cold from the December night.

“Johnny Ravenscroft,” he said.

Andrew already knew it from posting the ticket. What he didn’t know was that Johnny had been trying to find a way to get to know Andrew for several weeks, hacking into his personal computer and finding the ticket for sale, which gave him the perfect opportunity. He’d put a massive maximum bid in to make sure the ticket came to him. The lights dimmed and the play began.

Ooooooooooooo

After the play Andrew and Johnny chatted about it amiably and headed to the bar where they had a drink and discussed plays they’d both like to see. When Andrew mentioned a particular play Johnny said,

“I don’t know whether you’d be interested or not but I’ve got a couple of tickets to see that next week. My girlfriend was supposed to be coming with me but she can’t make it now. Would you like it? We could perhaps meet for a meal first? I hate going to the theatre alone. It’s much more fun if you can talk to someone about it. Just give me face value. What do you think?”

“Well….er…wouldn’t you get more selling it on ebay?” said Andrew, feeling guilty that he’d made so much out of his new friend yet he was still being offered something like that.

“Probably,” agreed Johnny with a smile, “But to be honest, Andrew, money’s not an issue and I wouldn’t be bothered to sell it. Come on - say you will, it’ll be fun.”

“Okay then,” agreed Andrew, “Thanks.” He thought about how nice it was to meet someone new, someone normal, who was not included in his life with the Watchers Council.

“That’s great.” said Johnny and he told Andrew the name of the restaurant to meet him at and what time. “See you then.”

Ooooooooooo

Andrew arrived home just as everybody else was too. The girls all seemed to be talking at once.

“Did you see the way I dusted that vamp?”

“Yeah cool!”

“Their faces when they realised we weren’t helpless girls.”

“Spike was amazing! Did you see how he caught that one when it was going for Julie?”

The members of the ‘Scooby Gang’ smiled at their excitement; it had been a good exercise. All the girls had managed to dust at least one vamp each without too much assistance from the others and, apart from a few bruises, none had been hurt.

The slayers headed for their rooms and the others went up to the top floor flat to join Dawn, Carole and Joy. Carole got up to leave as they arrived.

“I’d better get down there and make sure they settle down okay. They’re always totally hyper after their first slay.”

None of the others envied her the task.

Buffy walked over to the little travel cot that held her daughter. Joy was fast asleep. Buffy dropped a kiss on her baby’s cheek.

They all had a nightcap, chatting about the evening they’d had. Andrew told them how well he’d gotten on with Johnny and that he’d be going to see another play with him next week. Spike raised an eyebrow at Willow as Andrew told them this and she had to stifle a giggle. It looked like Andrew had found someone other than Spike to hero worship!

Ooooooooooooo

Johnny arrived back at his house to be greeted by Miss Edith flying through the air and hitting him on his arm. Snarling, his face taking on its demonic features, he turned around to find Drusilla standing halfway up the stairs.

“You’ve been so long! I wanted to come!” she cried.

Johnny leapt up the stairs to her.

“I told you, Drusilla, that I had to go alone – that it was important.” He took her into his arms, gently nipping her with his teeth.

“Aren’t I important too? I want to go out! I want to see the stars!”

“And go out we shall!” replied Johnny with a grin, “Come on!” he grabbed her hand and pulled her down the stairs.

She screamed with laughter and together they went out of the house and into the park opposite. They walked along, Drusilla giggling and spinning round like a little girl, rejoicing at being outside. The only thing Drusilla disliked about her relationship with Johnny was that he preferred her to keep indoors as much as possible. He brought her lots of presents including several young men for her to feast on so she wasn’t neglected at all but she did love to be outside. Their attention was caught by a young couple walking slowly along, not far in front of them. Dru looked at Johnny.

“Can I, Johnny? I want to slash and bash!”

“Go and have your fun,” said Johnny.

He’d been delighted at how easy it had been to cultivate his relationship with Andrew and was happy to let Drusilla have some fun. It had been a long time in the planning and keeping Dru under wraps hadn’t been easy but soon the time would be ripe for her to really have some fun. Dru hurried over to the couple.

“Can you help me?” she asked.

“Are you lost?” asked the girl as they turned towards her.

“I’m a lost soul,” giggled Drusilla as she vamped her features.

They recoiled from her and went to run but she was too fast. She broke the girl’s neck without breaking stride and caught the boy before his girlfriend’s body had hit the ground. She pulled him towards her and sank her teeth into his neck.

Johnny caught up with her and helped himself to the girl. Afterwards he contacted his two flunkies to make sure the bodies, if they were ever found, would be far away from his area.

Later she and Johnny were going to bed just as dawn was breaking. Drusilla was helping him undress when she suddenly put her hand to her head and started to weave backwards and forwards, a keening noise coming from her lips.

“What’s wrong?” asked Johnny.

“Ooh ooh, the pixies are singing. They’re saying my William is near! But he’s dead! Why are they lying to me?” she wailed.

Johnny wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight and comforting her.

“The pixies are bad, Princess. Don’t listen to them.”

He kissed her sensuously but his mind was racing, how could she know about Spike? He’d only been near to Andrew yet Dru had picked up on it. He’d always thought she was just a bit ‘touched’ with no real powers, but now he realised he’d have to be very careful over the next few weeks.

His distraction worked. Dru melted into his arms and they fell on the four poster with glee.

To be continued…………..

THE TRAP

A couple of weeks later and Andrew was on his way out to meet up with Johnny again when he bumped into Spike in the hallway.

“Off out again?” asked Spike, “What’s that, the fourth time? You’re getting to be a regular theatre goer.”

“Yes ……well, I like going,” said Andrew, a touch defensively.

“No worries, mate. Do you good to get out. Trust me, I wish I could go with you - get away from a houseful of shrieking slayers,” joked Spike, “Have fun, see you later.”

Andrew met Johnny in the restaurant as usual. They enjoyed the meal. Johnny regaled backstage stories from various theatres while Andrew listened in awe, impressed by his friend’s knowledge of all things theatrical. He could name which theatre any actor Andrew mentioned had made their debut in.

“How do you remember all this? Some of it’s from ages ago,” asked Andrew.

“It’s been my hobby for years,” said Johnny, thinking that as he’d been around eighty years he had seen most of it first hand.

After the play Johnny asked Andrew if he’d like to have a drink at his place instead of finding a pub.

“I’ve got lots of theatre memorabilia there.”

“That’d be cool,” agreed Andrew readily.

When they reached Johnny’s house, he took Andrew through to the sitting room. Photos of stage actors adorned the walls and tickets dating back for years were framed alongside the photographs. Andrew wandered around the room, drink in hand.

“They’re all signed to Johnny,” he said, “even the really old ones.”

“Family name,” replied Johnny, “ the first born son’s always called Johnny.”

“Oh right,” said Andrew, but he started to feel uneasy. “Well, it’s late. I’d better be going.”

“I don’t think so, Andrew,” replied Johnny calmly.

Andrew made a bolt for the door. Just as he got to it, it was flung open and a tall slim woman stood there. He was just about to go past her when she growled and showed her vampire face, her hand grabbing his throat.

“Good timing, Princess,” said Johnny.

“Where do you think you’re going? Pixies told me you’ve been with my Sweet William. Are they telling me lies or have you been with him?”

Andrew, barely able to speak, gasped, “William? You mean Spike?”

He’s not Spike anymore. Back to being William he is,” said Drusilla. She looked at Johnny, “but he will be Spike again soon, won’t he?”

Johnny was once more amazed that Drusilla knew of his plans.

“That’s right. We’re going to get him here and have some fun.”

Andrew looked over at Johnny knowing he’d been played. It was his fault Spike was in danger.

“Put him down, darling, before you kill him,” said Johnny.

Drusilla abruptly eased her grip on Andrew and he fell to the floor gasping like a fish out of water, holding his throat.

“Let’s get him tied up and then we can get Spike to come over. He’s bound to come to help the idiot.”

With that they carried him down to the cellar and tied him securely to a chair. Chained to one wall was a man of about twenty, slumped barely conscious. Johnny laughed when he saw Andrew’s face at the sight before him.

“That’s our buffet bar!” he joked, “Just in case we’re hungry in the daytime. It’s nearly empty, though, so perhaps you’d be a good replacement?”

oooooooooo

It was two in the morning when Spike was awoken by his cell phone ringing. He glanced over to Buffy as he picked it up, happy that it hadn’t woken her. He answered it and walked to the door of their room.

“Ullo?” he said, his voice thick with sleep.

“Spike.”

“Andrew? Do you know what time it is? What’s up?” He was still half asleep.

“I need your help Spike. I’m in trouble.”

Spike was instantly alert.

“What sort of trouble?”

“No, nothing like that, it’s just …I’ve been mugged. Can you help get me home?”

“Sure thing, mate. Are you okay though? Where are you?”

“Yeah, a bit bashed but okay. I’m at the phone booth on the corner of the park where you bring Joy.”

“I’m on my way,” said Spike and he put the phone down.

Poor old Andrew, he thought. He sounded really shaken up. Spike quickly got dressed and headed out of the door. He decided to run to the park - it wasn’t far he could be there quickly.

Johnny took the phone away from Andrew’s hand.

“Well done, Andrew. He’s on his way. So predictable.”

He pressed the point of the long dagger he’d held at Andrew’s throat into the flesh under his chin, drawing blood before taking it away.

Andrew sat there, tears in his eyes, but he’d been certain they’d kill him if he hadn’t done what he’d said.

Spike sprinted along the empty streets getting to the telephone booth in less than ten minutes. As he approached he could see a figure slumped at the side of it.

“Andrew?”

A movement caught his eye to the side of him. Too late - a vicious blow hit him squarely, knocking him out as he fell to the floor. Drusilla stood up from where she’d been couching.

“Tut, tut, tut, naughty daddy, been away so long.”

Johnny lifted the limp body of Spike and effortlessly carried him back to the house. Andrew looked up in dismay when he saw then carrying Spike into the cellar.

The pair of vampires laid Spike face down on the floor and tied his hands behind his back before shackling his feet to the wall. His feet were held off the floor by the chains. He’d be unable to move once he regained consciousness. Drusilla was in high spirits - she kept running her hands over Spike’s body.

“We’ll be a family again, my pretty boy,” she said.

Johnny glared at her, jealous of the way she was touching Spike.

“Come on, Princess, have something to eat and let’s get upstairs.” He took her by the hand and led her to the slumped figure chained to the wall.

“Not hungry. Too excited,” said Dru.

“Well, I am.” Johnny put on his demon face and sank his teeth into his victim, finally completely draining the poor boy.

Ooooooooooo

Andrew sat there tied to the chair looking around the cellar, trying to avoid the dead body still suspended by the chains. He was terrified he might be the next one to be chained there. Spike hadn’t moved since they’d brought him in but he could hear his breath wheezing slightly as he lay face down in the dust of the cellar floor so he knew he was alive. The cellar was about fifteen feet square and, apart from several places where manacles and chains hung down, it was bare, lit by a single bulb in the middle of the ceiling.

At one point another vampire came down and retrieved the body of the boy. He was a short stocky guy with his brown hair flicked up at the front with gel. He grinned at Andrew, vamp face showing, and prodded Spike with his foot, eliciting no response. He then carried the body up the wooden steps and out of the cellar. Andrew figured it must still be before dawn and that he was basically just taking out the trash.

A groan was heard, followed by another.

Andrew looked over to the prone body of his friend and saw it move slightly.

“Spike,” he said.

He just got another moan in response. Spike was trying to turn onto his side but was unable to do so because of the way his feet were tied about eighteen inches off the floor.

“Spike!” said Andrew urgently.

“Huh?” said Spike finally. He managed to lift his head a little and saw Andrew sitting there looking at him.

“Spike, come on, wake up,” insisted Andrew. Though quite what he thought he’d be able to do was anybody’s guess.

“….Andrew…..What……?”

He shook his head a little as if trying to clear his thoughts. His face went deathly pale and he passed out again for a minute or two. He was more lucid when he came to the second time.

“Andrew, where are we?” His voice was barely audible.

“At Johnny’s house,” said Andrew.

“Johnny? The guy you go to the theatre with?”

“Yes, but he’s a vampire and he tricked me and he made me phone you and he had a knife at my throat and he said he’d kill me and…..” Andrew gabbled.

“Stop!” said Spike, head throbbing and Andrew’s shrill voice was making it worse. “Slowly, mate. Quieter – head’s bit sore an all.”

“Oh? Sorry. God, Spike, it’s all my fault.”

Spike struggled again but couldn’t move from being on his stomach, hands tied so tightly he could feel the rope digging into his wrists.

“Why did they want me? How many are there?”

“I’ve only seen three, all vampires - Johnny, a woman and another guy who came in and took away…….er…..took away…..the body of their last meal,” he finished in a rush.

“Did they say anything about me?” insisted Spike.

“Er….well, nothing really….um….the woman said they’d be a family again, that soon Spike would be back.”

“What!” shouted Spike, wincing as his head throbbed in protest, “What does the woman look like?” he asked with his heart in his mouth ‘please God, don’t let it be who I think it is.’

“She’s tall, thin, dark hair. Kept going on about pixies.”

“Oh Christ!” said Spike kicking futilely at his chains.

“What is it, Spike?” asked Andrew in panic. He hadn’t ever seen Spike look so scared, not even when he faced down Gordy the vampire as they escaped the clutches of the Immortal.

“Drusilla,” Spike spoke softly.

“Dru…..but she’s…” Andrew’s voice tailed off as he realised what the consequences would be.

“Yeah, she’s the one that if she turns me I’m back to being a soulless vampire with no get out of jail free cards left.” He slumped in defeat. “Let’s hope they just want to kill me and have done with it,” he continued, knowing that that wasn’t the plan otherwise he’d be dead already.

“Oh my God,” cried Andrew.

“Andrew, look, you’ve got to get free. Can you do it? Try as hard as you can,” said Spike urgently.

Andrew struggled in vain at his restraints but after ten minutes gave up, the knots getting tighter rather than working loose. They both tensed as they heard the door open and two people came down the stairs.

“Well, well, well,” said Johnny, “he’s awake.”

Drusilla ran over to Spike. He tried to move out of her grasp as she knelt beside him but couldn’t.

“Oh my sweet little William, back to how you were when we first met. Tell me some poetry,” she cooed.

“Piss off,” said Spike, wondering how the hell he’d been attracted to her at all.

“William’s not so sweet now,” said Dru sulkily.

She drew a long sharp fingernail across his cheek, a bright red trail of blood left in its wake. She leant forward and licked it off.

“Leave him be, Dru,” snarled Johnny, “It’s not time yet.”

She glared up at him. “But I am the other that gave birth to him.”

“Yes and you will be again, just not right now,” replied Johnny, confirming Spike’s worst fears.

“But I want a taste now,” said Drusilla, licking her way down to where Spike’s jugular vein was visibly throbbing in time with his racing heart.

Johnny looked at Drusilla in frustration. It was like having a baby around. He knew he’d have to humour her but wasn’t sure how long he’d keep her around once she’d done her job - she was just too unpredictable. But she could be amazing.

“Okay then, but only a little. It won’t do any good until later, so no point in taking too much now.”

She changed her pretty features into her demonic ones and bit into Spike’s neck. He grunted and tensed. She had a couple of mouthfuls then stopped. Lips still bloody, she put her mouth to Spike’s and kissed him.

He furiously spat away the taste of blood. She laughed at him.

“Soon you’ll be forgetting your little slayer, William. When Spike’s back good and proper he won’t want her anymore. It’ll be like the good times we had in China and New York. If you see a slayer you’ll want to kill her!”

Spike just glared at her, desperately trying to free his wrists.

“What about the boy? he said, “You’ve got me. You don’t need him any more.”

“We thought we might let him be your first meal,” laughed Johnny.

Spike and Andrew stared at each other both remembering that Spike had once tried to kill Andrew when under the influence of The First. Both knew than an unsouled vampire version of Spike would have no qualms about having another go.

“Come on, Dru, lets get some sleep. We’ll soon be busy.

As they left Spike looked up at Andrew, his expression bleak.

“If you get out of here and they turn me, tell the others to kill me. Tell them to hunt me down and kill me.

He made Andrew promise he would.

To be continued…………

ONCE BITTEN

Buffy awoke to the sound of the alarm. She rolled over waiting for Spike to turn it off as he usually did. It kept ringing. She turned back over and went to give Spike a nudge with her elbow. He wasn’t there - the side of the mattress he slept on was cold. Puzzled she switched the alarm off and got out of bed, pulling on a robe. A quick glance at the cot at the bottom of the bed showed Joy still fast asleep. Buffy smiled as she thought that Joy would sleep through a bomb going off.

She wandered over to the en suite. Empty. Where was he? She noticed his sweat pants and t- shirt had gone from the back of the chair. He must have woken early and gone for his run. Unconcerned she had a shower, got dressed and got Joy ready. She went into the kitchen that they shared with the slayers. For once they weren’t being too noisy. She fed Joy, chuckling at her daughter’s attempts to use a spoon.

“I think I’m wiping more off your face than you are eating,” she admonished fondly.

Carole came down to take over caring for Joy as Buffy looked at her watch.

“Where the hell is Spike?” she thought, “He’s going to be late for work.”

She followed the slayers into the training room and set them some exercise routines to be getting on with, then left the room to call Spike on his cell. She listened to it ringing.

“What’s going on?”

ooooooooooo

Johnny had Spike’s phone in his hand as it rang. He looked at the caller ID - Buffy. He had an idea to help keep the slayer off their backs until they had made their getaway. Drusilla was asleep so he went down stairs calling for one of the two vampires he had on his payroll to come with him.

“Mick, got a little job for you,” said Johnny, knocking on his door as he went past.

Mick was at the door in an instant. “Yes, boss.”

The pair made their way down to the cellar.

“Right, Spike. Buffy’s just called your phone and I need you to talk to her so she doesn’t worry where you are, come looking and maybe wreck my plans for later.”

“No way,” said Spike. He’d rather die than be a vampire again.

Johnny nodded at Mick who grabbed Spike by the hair, painfully pulling his head back and upwards. Johnny pulled out the dagger he’d threatened Andrew with earlier and put it at Andrew’s throat.

“Oh, I know what a ‘throw yourself on your sword’ guy you are these days, but will you let him die just to defy me?” He pressed the knife harder against Andrew’s flesh. “Your call.”

Spike looked at him. As far as he could see there was no way would they let Andrew go anyway but……..

As he hesitated to answer, Johnny very casually stuck the blade through the meaty part of Andrew’s upper arm. Andrew screamed.

“No!” shouted Spike.

“You can end it, just call Buffy and tell her what I want you to say.”

Spike, despite himself, still hesitated. It went against the grain to concede to threats. This time Johnny’s knife went across Andrew’s left wrist. Blood gushed from the wound, its metallic scent provoking Mick to change to his vampire face.

“I wouldn’t take too long. You know it doesn’t take very long for them to bleed out. Such a waste, too.”

The worst thing was Spike did know exactly how long it would take.

“Alright, alright. I’ll do it, just help him.”

Johnny pulled out a gauze pad and a bandage and tightly bound the wrist, stemming the flow of blood.

He told Spike exactly what to say, reminding him that if he didn’t get it right he’d do Andrew such damage that he’d wish he were dead. He gave Mick the phone and stayed near to Andrew. Mick pressed the button to call the last missed number. As it started to ring he put it to Spike’s ear. It was picked up almost instantly.

“Spike? Where the hell are you?” Worry was making Buffy very snappish.

“Sorry, pet. It’s just that Andrew got mugged last night. He managed to call me before he passed out. Got him to hospital and he’s unconscious but should be okay. I’m staying here until he wakes up.”

“Oh no, poor Andrew. What happened?”

“Not sure yet. Look, gotta go. I shouldn’t use the phone in here. Tell the others.”

“Which hospital…..?” Buffy realised he’d hung up. Never mind. Mystery solved.

She ran upstairs to let Giles know. He hadn’t yet been missed as the researchers started work an hour later than Buffy, Spike and the slayers did.

“Well done, Spike,” said Johnny, “Quite the actor – perhaps you’ve missed your vocation.” He laughed.

Spike looked at Andrew who was visibly trembling in his chair, furious that there was nothing he could do to get them out of there.

“See you later, got lots to organise.”

With that Johnny left the room followed by Mick who let go of Spike’s hair, his head falling and hitting the floor hard enough to make his teeth rattle and eyes water.

Ooooooooooooo

Hours later Johnny, Mick and another vampire returned to the cellar.

“Get him up,” ordered Johnny.

The two vampires unshackled Spike’s legs and pulled him upright. Cramps went through his legs and he could barely stand. They untied his hands but kept a tight hold of his wrists until he was fastened once more to the wall by chains on his wrists, holding his hands up at head height and about as far apart as his shoulders.

“Him, too,” said Johnny once they’d finished with Spike, pointing at Andrew.

Andrew struggled and sobbed as he was chained where the body had been earlier. That done Johnny turned his attention back to Spike.

“Time’s up, Spike,” he said with a smile, “It’s taken me over a year to plan this momentous day. You’ll thank me for it soon enough,” he added as he saw Spike glare at him with contempt.

“Been thinking and decided not to have you eat your friend here. I think he can do a better job for us than that.” He turned to his two flunkies. “Off you go then, you know what to do.”

The two vampires approached Andrew. Mick grabbed him and sank his teeth into his neck.

“No!” shouted Spike, leaning forward in his chains.

Andrew’s screams were muted as he collapsed unconscious, hanging limp by his tethers. The two vampires unfastened him and carried him away up the steps.

“What are you going to do to him, you git,” yelled Spike.

“Nothing more than we already have. In fact, like you told Buffy, he’ll be in hospital. It’ll give the others something to think about while they’re wondering what’s happened to you. By the time he wakes up, we’ll be long gone and it won’t matter what he says.”

Johnny disappeared up the cellar steps, returning moments later with Drusilla and an extremely tall man dressed in clothes that reminded Spike of how kids dress at Halloween when they are trying to be a wizard. Short of having a pointy hat the stereotype was complete, including a purple velvet cape around his shoulders.

“Great,” said Spike, “ Who’s this? Bloody Merlin, is it?”

“Funny you should say that,” replied the man, “He was my ancestor. We share the same name although I prefer Merl.”

“Inherit the cloak, did ya?” said Spike, wondering why he was there.

The remark was ignored. From within a pocket on the cape, the wizard pulled out a needle and several huge vials. Johnny got hold of Spike by his throat and held him fast as Merl inserted the needle into Spike’s jugular vein and drew enough blood to fill five of the vials, each holding about a quarter of a pint.

“Your blood, prophecy boy, if taken from you on the eve of the winter solstice, which in case you’re wondering is today, and is properly enchanted by our wizardly friend Merl to be taken on the solstice itself, has amazing properties - something that you’ll find out for yourself soon enough.

Johnny turned to Drusilla who’d been quiet throughout the bloodletting.

“Your turn now, Dru. Go turn sweet William back into the good old Spike of old.”

She made a strange mewling noise.

“Ooh! The pixies say he will be very bad, Johnny, very bad indeed.”

“That’s just what we want. Now get on with it,” he urged.

She walked up to Spike who moved away as far as his chains would allow.

“Don’t do it, Dru,” he said.

“But why not? I’ve missed you,” said Drusilla, vampire features on show. She kissed him hard on the mouth, her fangs cutting his lip, then found the jugular vein and drank deeply. As he started to lapse into unconsciousness, legs buckling, she bit her wrist and held it to his mouth so that he drank of her blood before he passed out completely. She drained some more then looked round at Johnny and Merl.

“The pixies are happy now.”

At that point Mick and Kev returned. “No time to lose. Get him down and let’s get to the airport,” said Johnny.

The two vampires unchained Spike from where he was hanging and took his lifeless body up the steps. They bundled it into a large heavy metal box that looked, for want of a better word, like a coffin. They laid him on his back and put the contents of one of the vials of his blood into a plastic bottle and placed it into his hands that were laid across his chest. The lid was put on and fastened with strong clasps pulled as tight as possible.

They then gathered up a couple of bags and went outside to where Kev had left the vehicle. They slid Spike’s coffin in the back and headed out to the airport.

It hadn’t been an idle boast of Johnny’s when he’d told Andrew that money wasn’t an issue. His skills at hacking into computers meant his bank balance was always exceedingly healthy.

They arrived at the airport and were soon boarding the private jet he’d hired. The box, containing Spike, was safely stowed in the cargo hold.

They pulled all the blinds down on the windows and settled down. It was going to be a long flight.

Oooooooooo

Buffy paced up and down the hospital corridor. When Spike didn’t call back Buffy had called round the hospitals and found the one where Andrew had been brought into and headed there as soon as she’d finished work. She’d been cross that Spike hadn’t phoned with an update but understood that he'd probably not want to leave Andrew. Spike would never admit it but he was very fond of him.

When she’d arrived she’d asked about who had brought him in but no one knew. Andrew was still unconscious and Spike was nowhere to be seen. The nurse said Andrew had only been brought in a short time ago, hours after her phone conversation with Spike, hence the pacing. She’d tried Spike’s phone but it was turned off. That was another thing that troubled her - he never turned it off.

She heard footsteps and turned to see Willow and Giles walking towards her, Willow’s heels clicking on the floor as she walked.

“Any change?” asked Giles.

“Nope, but he wasn’t mugged, Giles he still has his wallet and everything. He’s got a wound on his neck and has lost a lot of blood. He’s also been stabbed in his arm and a wrist is bandaged.

“Vampire?” asked Willow.

“Looks like it but where’s Spike? He sounded okay when I spoke to him this morning, a bit stressed, maybe, but you know how he hates hospitals. I didn’t think anything of it. He can’t have just disappeared.

I tried a spell but since the Shanshu kicked in I’ve never been able to touch him with any magics,” said Willow. “We’ll just have to hope Andrew wakes up soon.”

Ooooooooooo

He didn’t wake up until the small hours of the next day. Eventually the nurses said one of them could go and see him.

“I’ll go,” said Giles, getting up from his seat.

“But.” started Buffy.

“No, let him go,” said Willow, putting a restraining hand on her friend.

“Find out…..” said Buffy.

“I will,” replied Giles, knowing exactly what she meant.

Giles walked into the intensive care ward and over to Andrew’s bed.

“Hello, Andrew, are you alright to talk?” Giles asked gently.

“Yes,” replied Andrew, his voice sounding hoarse.

“What happened?”

Andrew told Giles what had happened - how he’d been used to trick Spike and how they’d captured Spike chaining them both in the cellar.

“What happened to Spike?”

“I don’t know. The vampires did this to me before anything was done to Spike, but Giles, Drusilla was there. They were definitely going to have her bite him.”

“Oh dear Lord!” exclaimed Giles, “Look, I’ll be back again later, get some rest.” And he rushed out to Buffy and Willow.

They could see by his face that the news wasn’t good.

“The people, well vampires, who have Spike have also got Drusilla there.”

Both girls gasped.

“But that means…..” started Willow.

“He loses his soul and humanity,” finished Buffy.

Oooooooooooo

In the metal coffin Spike stirred. He became fully awake with a snarl, vampire features on show. He felt the bottle on his chest and sniffed at it – blood. He opened the top and put the bottle to his lips. He had enough room to slightly raise his head and finished it off, barely spilling a drop. He clawed at the lid with no success, it didn’t budge. With a bellow of rage he kicked and punched with his considerable might and, although a few small dents were made in the sides, the box held firm.

Fifteen minutes later Spike’s body convulsed, twitching several times before falling unconscious.

Ooooooooooo

The four vampires travelling in luxury in the seated area of the plane, along with the sorcerer Merl, were in high spirits. The time had come to drink the blood they’d harvested from Spike the day before.

Merl had warmed it for them and they drank it from crystal glasses, chinking them together before they drank the blood.

Fifteen minutes later and all four vampires convulsed a couple of times before falling unconscious. Merl looked at his watch. Another fifteen minutes and they’d wake up again.

Oooooooooooo

Buffy, Giles and Willow went to the house Andrew told them about. They went cautiously, weapons at the ready, but the place was empty. The cellar held no clues for Willow to use in spells. A look through the upstairs confirmed Drusilla had been there - a doll was left abandoned on the bed.

Buffy visibly slumped when she saw that. Up to now she’d tried to believe it wasn’t true but now she had to face the fact that Spike had already been turned.

Despite the nickname of William the Bloody and the fact he’d sought out and killed two slayers when he’d been sired before, Spike had always seemed to retain a little more of the person he’d been than other vampires. The way he’d defended herself and Dawn against Glory, protecting them because he loved Buffy. He’d still been a monster, still evil but not where they’d been concerned. His love had been so strong, but now she feared there’d be nothing left of the Spike she loved at all.

“What can we do, Giles?” she asked.

“I don’t know, Buffy,” came his honest reply. “They could be anywhere.”

The three of them dispiritedly left the house and went back to the Council’s offices. It was four days before Christmas but none of them felt very festive.

Ooooooooooo

Fifteen minutes after passing out Spike reawakened. He once again railed at being captive in the box. Demonic features twisted in rage as he kicked and punched it. Thankfully it still held him securely.

The others soon woke up. They all looked at each other, had it worked? Merl went to the front of the cabin and opened a couple of the blinds over the windows. Bright light flooded in.

“Kev,” said Johnny, “Go and stand over there.”

“But boss…..”

“Do it.” Johnny growled as his face vamped up.

Slowly the vampire walked towards the light. He put out his hand and felt nothing so he boldly stepped into the light. He stood there in full bright sun, no harm coming to him.

They all started to laugh. Drusilla got up and danced about the aircraft opening up all the blinds, bathing the cabin in light.

“Thanks, Merl,” said Johnny, “It worked.”

“Of course it worked. Did you doubt me? You are now invulnerable to light and will be as long as Spike exists as a soulless vampire.”

“Well, the prophecy is no more, Dru biting him saw to that, and I’ll keep him locked up so he survives a good long time,” said Johnny.

Ooooooooooo

They landed in LA and transferred themselves into a van to drive to the house Johnny owned. The casket containing Spike was in the back. They could hear from the odd muffled thump that Spike had awakened.

The house was a pleasant looking one well set back from the road. It was large, having five bedroom. Also, because it was owned by vampires, it had a large basement.

Mick and Kev managed to carry Spike into the house, their vampire strength coming in useful. Once in the basement they all gathered around it. This would be the tricky bit, transferring Spike from the coffin to the shackles on the wall. Johnny was half tempted to leave him where he was but knew he’d need blood and they couldn’t give it to him in the box.

He ordered Mick and Kev to open it up. Johnny stood holding a stake but would only use it as a last resort. Merl stood next to him, tense, hands clenched into fists. Only Drusilla looked relaxed about it, singing and clapping. She was really starting to drive Johnny mad.

As Kev reached the last clamp on the lid, it was flung upwards immediately followed by Spike, vampire features contorted with fury. Before anyone had time to move, he grabbed Kev and bit him savagely draining what little blood he had. He leapt out of the container, grabbed Johnny’s stake and ran it through the hapless Kev with such force his hand was embedded up to his wrist before the vampire was reduced to dust. He turned his attention to Johnny.

“Right, you wanker…” he started.

Merl flew into action, chanting a spell and putting his hands together. A bright flow of energy left his hands and hit Spike in the chest. He dropped like a stone, unconscious.

“Oh, do it again! Do it again!” cried Dru with glee.

“Shut up!” yelled Johnny, badly shaken up. Christ, he’d known Spike had been a badass vamp but he’d never seen anything like it in his eighty odd years.

“Quick, let’s get him tied up.”

Mick helped drag Spike’s limp body over to the wall, pulling him through the dust that had been Kev. Chains were already hanging there, passing through a big ring on the wall. Each chain fastened to one leg and one wrist, long enough for Spike to lie flat on the floor or stand up. Johnny now regretted having them so long. He’d prefer him to be tethered so he couldn’t move. No matter, he can always change them later if need be. Perhaps Merl could do a spell to keep him subdued. They’d just gotten him securely fastened as he started to move.

“God, he’s strong,” exclaimed Merl, “That should have held him for at least thirty minutes. I’m going to have to remember to double up on normal enchantments.”

Spike started to growl, a terrible feral sound. He got to his feet and dived towards the others with such force the chains almost brought him down as he hit the end of their length, arms wrenched back from his shoulders.

“Calm down, Spike,” said Johnny, carefully keeping out of his reach.

Spike looked at him with malevolence.

“You! What do you think you’re doing locking me in that bleeding box for hours!” he growled, yellow eyes blazing.

“Only way we could get you out of the country. You were dead at the time, still are actually!” laughed Johnny, more confident now he could see the chains were holding him secure.

“Yeah, well, let me go,” said Spike.

“Sorry, no can do. Can’t risk your little slayer woman tracking you down and putting a redwood through your non-beating heart.”

“Slayer?” the demon that had been released into Spike’s body revolted at the thought of a slayer being called his woman. “I see her and she’s dead.”

“Big words, champ,” goaded Johnny, “That’s just what you want me to hear and anyway she won’t know where you are and never will. Get used to the view. This is your home for….well….forever.” He stepped back again as Spike once more flung himself to the end of his chains.

“Christ, Dru. How could even you be with this guy? He’s psycho.”

Dru stepped forward almost able to touch Spike.

“My sweet William is all gone,” she said, “This Spike’s much more bad. I’d told you he’d be bad. The good bits all gone - prophecy took him all away.”

Spike looked at Drusilla, the demon in him excited by her presence. He remembered the love they’d shared for over a century.

“Drusilla,” he said, voice softening and vampire features fading for the first time, “God, I’ve missed you. I’ve been away so long.”

She leaned in towards him. Their heads touched and lips were just about to meet when Johnny pulled her back.

“Dru, let’s go out and play in the sun.”

“Sun!” roared Spike, “Don’t you kill her.”

Dru looked back at Spike. “Silly old daddy, we can play in the sun now, all thanks to you.” She blew him a kiss.

“Yes, that’s why you’re staying there. We can’t afford you to get staked. As long as you’re okay we can go where we like when we like.”

With that they all went up the steps and locked the door.

Spike pulled and tugged at his chains but despite the demonic strength coursing through him they wouldn’t budge.”

To be continued………

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Christmas Eve

A very subdued ‘Scooby Gang’ was gathered in the library of Giles’ apartment. The only members missing were Xander, who’d cancelled the trip over on hearing the news and, of course, Spike, although he probably wouldn’t appreciated being called a ‘Scooby’.

They’d never had so little to go on. They’d worked exhaustively trying to get leads on anything connected with the house, Spike, Johnny or Dru but had found out absolutely nothing.

Willow feared for Buffy - she’d never seen her as bad as this since she’d collapsed into herself when Glory had taken Dawn years ago. She wasn’t in quite that state yet but not far off. She had Joy to cling to but she reminded her of Spike so much Willow could see the effort it took Buffy to deal with her.

Joy was walking about the room looking behind the furniture.

“Where’s Dada?” she asked.

Buffy stifled a sob. Dawn leapt up and took Joy her favourite toy to distract her. Luckily it worked.

“God, if I knew he was dead it’d be easier than this,” said Buffy.

Andrew sat on the edge of the group. He’d barely been able to meet anyone’s eye since he’d been released from hospital, feeling almost suicidal that he’d been the cause of it all. How could he have been so stupid? No one had said it to him but he could see it on their faces.

Oooooooooo

Drusilla went down into the cellar. Johnny was still asleep, since they were just starting to get out of their nocturnal habits, only using the cover of darkness to feed. She knew Johnny didn’t want her going to see Spike but the connection between sire and the sired was strong. Johnny wasn’t much fun anymore. He was always shouting. She’d seen where he’d hidden the key to the basement and so here she was, unlocking the door and stepping down to see her one time lover.

Spike was sitting on the floor. He looked up at the sound of her steps, knowing it was Dru. He’d smelled her even before she’d opened the door. He was feeling pretty weak. The only blood he’d had since he’d turned was the little bit in the bottle and what little he’d managed to get out of Kev. Johnny was not worrying about quantities, just that he had enough to exist on.

“Drusilla,” he said as he got to his feet.

“Spike, my pretty Spike” cooed Drusilla. She went over to him, the pixies in her head telling her he wouldn’t harm her.

He stepped back against the wall, giving him more slack in his arms. She went closer, and he put his hand out and took hers.

“My black goddess,” he said softly.

She went in closer still and soon they were kissing with all the passion they’d had over a century ago and then some. Her hands went to his pants, opening them, and she fell to her knees before him. He ran his hands through her hair, groaning with the pleasure she was giving him. A noise from above startled Drusilla and she quickly got up, stroked Spike’s face and left, locking the door behind her. Spike was smiling as he fastened his pants. Drusilla would once again be his salvation, he was sure of it.

Ooooooooooo

Christmas Day

Joy saved Christmas that year, provoking smiles as she opened her presents - at one point preferring the box one was packaged in to its contents.

Xander phoned from LA and tried to jolly them all along but the fact that Spike was still missing cast a pall over the whole day. No slayers were there to keep everybody occupied as the next lot was not due until the New Year.

Willow suggested they hit research mode and see if anything could be done to restore Spike, should he be found as a vampire. She did this as much to keep them busy than in the hope they’d find anything that could be done. The prophecy had been pretty clear - soul lost, humanity forfeit. Still at least they were doing something.

Oooooooooooo

The door opened and Spike could smell fear along with the scent of Johnny and Dru. It excited him, making his vampire features appear. Between them Johnny and Drusilla were carrying a middle-aged man, who’d obviously been living on the streets, making him perfect prey. No one would miss him.

“Happy Christmas,” said Johnny, flinging the man at Spike’s feet.

Spike glared at him but quickly turned his attention to the prone man. He leant down and sank his teeth into the man’s neck, greedily drinking his blood.

“Don’t eat him all at once. You might want to save a bit for later,” laughed Johnny.

Spike stopped feeding for a moment and looked up at Johnny, blood running down his chin. Johnny shifted uncomfortably and turned to leave. He knew Spike wanted to kill him. He’d have to have a word with Merl about doing something about him. Spike resumed his feeding after they’d left, but he did leave a little life in the man. He’d drained enough to make him unconscious but he’d live for a day or two at least if Spike didn’t get hungry before then.

Much later the door opened again and Drusilla returned. She walked down the steps wearing just a thin silk nightdress. She looked amazing. She walked over to Spike and kissed him on the lips, hard, and he responded with fervour. He undid his pants then gripped her on her sides and lifted her up, their eyes looking deep into each other’s all the time. She put a hand on the wall above his head and he eased her up and down, the rhythm quickening to the moment they both climaxed. Afterwards they stood there holding each other.

“I need to be out of these chains, pet,” said Spike into her ear, “I need to be able to be with you.”

Dru looked up towards the door.

“But Johnny won’t like it…,” she started.

“I’ll take care of Johnny,” said Spike, kissing along her neck. “Tomorrow,” he murmured.

“I’m scared, Spike,” said Dru.

“You’ll never be scared again once I’m free,” said Spike.

She left, agreeing to find the keys to his shackles.

Spike sat there on the floor with his next meal lying there waiting for him, thinking it hadn’t been a bad Christmas after all.

To be continued……..

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE

The next day Spike woke to the sounds of the door being opened.

“Dru,” he thought, then “Crap.” as he realised it was Johnny and Merl coming down into the basement.

“Morning, Spike,” said Johnny.

Spike, as usual, didn’t speak. He just vamped his features and snarled at him.

“See what I have to put up with, Merl?” said Johnny, “What can you do about it?”

“Well, we could do this,” said Merl, light dancing from his fingers.

Spike suddenly found himself flung backwards against the wall, feet not touching the ground.

“But that’s not much use and won’t last very long,” said Merl, parting his hands.

Spike fell to the floor in a bone crunching heap. He growled even more ferociously.

“How about this?” Merl joined his hands and once again light flew from the sorcerer towards where Spike still lay prone.

Spike’s features immediately de-vamped and he looked around the room in wonder. He extended a hand as if to touch something they couldn’t see.

“Shiny,” he said, smiling.

“What have you done?” asked Johnny, watching as Spike stood up and was looking around himself. He was watching things they couldn’t see floating in the air near him, touching them, giggling and ducking his head as if to avoid something hitting him.

“Vampire hallucinogenic drug imprinted straight into the brain,” said Merl.

“Looks fun,” said Johnny.

“Don’t get any ideas, Johnny, its effects will last at least a couple of days and for every good trip there’ll be a bad one. It will keep him too busy to worry about you. If you want to shorten those chains now’s the time to do it whilst he’s in a ‘happy’.”

Johnny went towards Spike, still with trepidation. He needn’t have worried because Spike didn’t seem to notice him. His eyes were unfocussed and filled with sights only he could see, and he was still trying to catch the invisible things with his hands. Johnny looked back at Merl.

“Do we need to bother now? I mean if we keep him doped up it won’t matter.”

“The chains are so long, Johnny, that if he had a bad trip he’s got enough slack to damage himself. I’ve seen vampires under the influence pull chains around their own necks so tightly they’ve dusted themselves.”

“Christ! Can’t have him doing that! Do you think we can get him over there?” He nodded to the wall opposite where there were some shackles hanging.

“Yes, but quickly! We don’t know how long this ‘happy’ is going to last.”

They both went over to Spike and untethered him. He stood docilely as they did, and when he was loose they guided him over to the other side of the room. He went willingly, laughing and ducking occasionally.

“Shiny! Do you see the shiny?” he said to Johnny, his blue eyes unfocussed still.

“Yeah sure, I can see the shiny,” said Johnny. It was starting to creep him out.

They got Spike to the other side of the room and soon he was fastened tightly to the wall, his hands secured at shoulder height with no movement allowed. His legs were fastened by a length of chain about eighteen inches long running from ankle to ankle and fastened halfway along its length to the wall, leaving him with just a few inches of slack.

“Spike won’t be as comfortable now,” thought Johnny. But he’d feel a whole lot better when the drug wore off knowing that Spike was fastened so securely. All he had to do was make sure Spike stayed alive - it didn’t matter whether he was comfortable or not.”

No way was Johnny going to lose the opportunity to live the perfect life - immortal, vampiric strength but able to go out in the daylight like a human. He planned to take up acting again. That’s why he’d come to LA.

“No one ages in LA!” he thought with a grin.

Spike was still chuckling and stretching his fingers out as they left the basement.

Oooooooooooo

A scream rent the air making Drusilla jump as she tried to put the key in the lock of the basement door. Another came, then another.

“Drusilla!” She jumped this time at the sound of Johnny’s voice behind her. “What are you doing?” he demanded.

“Spike. Something must be getting Spike. If he dies I can’t go out in the sun.”

The screams were continuous now with barely a gap between them.

“It’s alright, Dru, there’s no one down there with him. It’s just in his head.”

“Like my pixies?” she asked.

“A bit like that but not as friendly.” Johnny grinned at the thought.

The screams cut off and the silence was deafening.

“Better take a look.”

Johnny took the key from Dru, opened the door and went down into the basement. Spike was writhing in his chains, unable to move his hands and feet, but his whole body was bucking against his restraints, vampire face showing in his distress. Eyes peered off to his left, widening in fear at the hallucination he was seeing. The screaming had been replaced by a repetitive barely audible ‘NoNoNoNoNo’.

“Spike.” Dru ran to him, and as she touched his face he turned towards her and screamed, pulling his face as far away from her as he could.

Dru stepped back, starting to make a mewling sound. She backed up until she was next to Johnny.

“What is it, Princess?” said Johnny.

“Spike hasn’t got pixies. He’s got monsters, big greedy monsters.” She began to cry.

Johnny put his arms around her and led her out of the basement. He glanced back at Spike who was still desperately trying to get away.

“Damn, that Merl’s good. Worth every penny of the fortune I pay him.”

Ooooooooooo

Spike stood there exhausted, feeling battered and bruised all over his body, although the only marks on him were where the shackles had chafed his ankles and wrists. He was panting hard. A vampire doesn’t need air to exist but since it’s a demon inhabiting a human body, the body still responds as it would if it were still human. When stressed or exerted in any way its breathing rate increased even though it had no reason to.

He was lucid, still looking around the basement fearfully. Where had they gone? Were they real? No, not real - just in his head. He shook his head, trying to clear the strange thoughts in his mind.

His head lolled back, eyes once more losing their focus, and then he smiled. The ‘shinys’ were back, he liked the ‘shinys’.

To be continued……….

RELEASE THE DEVIL

Willow sat at the table, her eyes aching from all the reading she’d done over the past twenty four hours. She glanced at Dawn, who was at the computer. Buffy had fallen asleep, head on the pile of books in front of her. Willow thought about trying to move her to get her to go to bed, but she knew that once she woke she’d refuse to go so she just left her where she was.

“Hey Willow,” said Dawn softly, mindful of her sleeping sister. “Come and have a look at this.”

“Got something?”

“I don’t know, maybe?” said Dawn.

Willow went over to the computer and read what Dawn had found in the archives. As she read it her pulse quickened.

“Well done, Dawnie! I think you’ve found what we needed. I’ve just got to get some ingredients together. Some will be hard to get but not impossible.”

“Only one problem then,” said Dawn.

“Yes,” agreed Willow, “We still need to find Spike first.”

Ooooooooooo

The drug took three days before its effects finally wore off. Spike was left barely able to stand, wrists and ankles rubbed raw by his struggles.

Johnny came down into the basement. He looked at Spike, seeing his eyes focus on his own. But Spike was too exhausted to bring forth his vampire features. He just stood there, head hung low.

Johnny was carrying a mug of blood which he then held at Spike’s lips, watching as he drank it all. He said something Johnny didn’t catch.

“What was that?”

“More,” repeated Spike. He hadn’t eaten for three days - a mugful would be barely enough to sustain him.

“I’ll think about it” laughed Johnny. This was much better.

Ooooooooooooo

Later Drusilla sneaked down to see Spike, standing on the bottom step.

“Spike?”

He looked up.

“Dru.”

“Have the monsters gone?” she asked.

“The monsters?” asked Spike, then realised she must have seen him tripping, “Yeah love, they’re all gone.”

She went over and kissed him.

“I came with the keys yesterday, but I couldn’t get near you for the monsters,” she said.

Spike knew in his weakened state he couldn’t take Johnny on. He needed to get his strength back.

“Can you get me some blood, pet? But don’t let Johnny know you’re getting it. I need to get strong then we’ll get out of here.”

“Very well, I’ll get my pretty Spike some.” She kissed him again and left.

She didn’t return for a long time and when she did she had several bags of human blood, obviously stolen from a hospital. She held them for Spike to drink from, his fangs neatly piercing a hole for him to suck it out of. He emptied three before he was sated. She hid the others behind an old set of drawers in the far corner. Spike felt stronger already.

“Tomorrow,” he said, “Bring the keys tomorrow.”

Drusilla nodded then went back upstairs, leaving Spike alone once more.

Ooooooooooooo

The next morning Johnny appeared again with one small mug of blood. Spike made sure Johnny thought he was still half out of it with the after effects of the drug and the lack of blood. He drank the blood, artistically allowing some to dribble down his chin as if too weak to swallow properly. Johnny chuckled and slapped Spike lightly across his face as he left. Behind him Spike vamped up but made sure no growl escaped from his lips. God, he’d have fun getting hold of him.

That night Dru crept down to him and unlocked his wrists and ankles. Spike held her to him for a moment before going behind the drawers to finish off the rest of the blood.

“Ready, petal?” he asked.

“Ooh yes,” said Dru, excited at the thought of Spike taking on Johnny.

They sneaked up the steps and out of the basement.

Where’s Mick?” asked Spike, needing Dru’s knowledge of the house.

She took him by the hand and led him upstairs, stopping outside of a door. Spike looked around, needing a weapon. On the landing near them there was a small table with an ornament of a cavalryman on it. Spike quietly took it off and placed it on the floor then broke off one of the table’s legs, pausing after the sharp snap it made sounded loud in the night. Nothing in the house stirred. He opened the door and, doubled over, he went noiselessly over to the bed.

Mick was asleep, laid on his stomach - an easy target. Spike vamped up his features, summoning the extra strength that came with it and rammed the wooden table leg into the vampire’s back with all his might. Mick didn’t even wake up before he exploded into dust. Spike left the room, closing the door behind him. Drusilla was waiting just outside.

“Johnny?” he said. She pointed to the door at the end of the landing.

Spike once more sneaked up and opened the door. Johnny moved slightly in his sleep, turning onto his side. Spike reached the bed and in one fluid movement he punched Johnny at the side of his head rendering him unconscious. He lifted him up and carried him over his shoulder, out of the door, along the landing and down the stairs, then into the basement. He took great delight in chaining him up where not long before he’d been fastened himself.

Back up the stairs for the tricky one, the sorcerer Merl. Again Dru indicated where he slept. Spike had taken some rope with him that he’d found in the cellar. He had to keep Merl’s hands apart - his power lay in him joining them to cast his spells.

Luckily the sorcerer slept like the dead and Spike had leapt on him and bound his hands to his sides almost before he realised what was happening.

“You’re coming with me,” said Spike.

He pulled Merl off the bed and pushed him along in front of Dru and himself until they were all in the basement. There was a sink in the corner and Spike filled a beaker with water and threw it into Johnny’s face. He spluttered a bit and woke up.

“What?” Johnny struggled as he realised he was tied up.

Spike went up to him and bared his fangs at him.

“Thought you might like a bit of your own medicine.” He stepped slightly to the side so Johnny could see Merl was there. He started to tremble, remembering Spike’s ear splitting screams. Spike grinned. He turned to Merl.

“Right mate, here’s the deal. Either you start to work for me, in which I’ll pay you whatever he does and then some, or else I’ll kill you. Your choice.”

“I’ll work for you.”

“Good decision,” said Spike with a smile that made Merl think he was about to go for his throat since he still had his vampire face on.

“Good, that’s sorted.” He knew Merl wouldn’t try to trick him. Sorcerers are notoriously inconstant. The only thing that motivates them is cash. Whoever held the purse strings held their loyalty and that now would be Spike.

“Give him what you gave me but a bit stronger, eh?”

“No!” shouted Johnny.

Dru giggled. “Your turn for the monsters.”

Spike untied Merl’s hands and the sorcerer then joined them together. The light flew from them to Johnny. His eyes lost their focus and he started screaming.

“No ‘shinys’ for him just yet,” laughed Spike as he, Dru and Merl left the basement and left Johnny to his monsters.

Spike took Dru up to the master bedroom, picked her up and carried her onto the bed. He kissed her as he undressed her, covering seemingly all of her body. She lay back in ecstasy. He pulled off his own filthy clothing, the same ones he’d been wearing when Johnny captured him, and fell upon her. It was hours before they resurfaced.

To be continued………..

FOUND

Xander Harris sat at his desk in the LA branch of the Watcher’s Council. He’d just gotten off the phone with Willow and there was still no news of Spike. It was now the second of January - he’d been missing since the twentieth of December. It wasn’t looking good for him.

“Christ, after all he went through a year ago and now this. Poor bastard. I hope it was quick,” he said to himself, certain he must be dead.

There was a knock on the door. It opened before he had time to speak, Helen walking in a coffee cup in each hand.

“How are things? Any news?” she asked, putting the cups down and going to his side of the desk to give him a kiss.

Xander pulled her o to his knee, wrapping his arms around her.

“Nope, not a thing,” he sighed.

“Poor Buffy and Joy,” she said, “God, it doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Xander had met Helen initially when she was with Spike. Romance had blossomed when she nursed him in hospital, but it didn’t work out. Xander then met her again when she’d been attacked by the Immortal’s henchmen in his search to find Spike to use him as bait for getting Buffy back into his grasp. Helen had told them where to find Spike and even after he had returned to full health she’d still felt guilty.

After the threat of the Immortal had passed and Xander had decided to stay in LA, she’d asked if she could work for the Council in some shape or form. After learning of the vampires and demons that lived amongst us she felt she couldn’t just go back to her old life and pretend nothing had changed. Now that she knew of the creatures she needed to work where she could help in the fight against them. She still had nightmares about the vampires that attacked her.

Xander had taken her on as a researcher. She’d ended up becoming his personal assistant and then they lived up to the classic workplace stereotype and become lovers a few months later. They’d been living together for three months now. They had been going to go to England to tell everyone at Christmas but with Spike’s disappearance they’d cancelled the trip and stayed quiet.

“Anything happening that I should know about?” asked Xander.

“The hospital where I used to work had some blood stolen a few days ago but no violence, it was just taken from the store. That’s about all I’ve got,” replied Helen.

“Perhaps the bad guys are still on vacation,” said Xander.

Oooooooooooo

Spike took a long shower and shaved his face, grinning at the lack of reflection in the mirror. He searched through Johnny’s clothes and found a pair of trousers and a shirt that didn’t fit too badly. Johnny’s wallet contained about $2,000 plus several credit cards.

“Time to go shopping, love,” he said, “ That’s if you’re sure we can go out in the sun?”

“We can, we can,” sang Dru. To prove it she opened the curtains and stood in the light.

“Come on then,” said Spike, eager to be out and about after his incarceration.

As they walked past the cellar door they could hear Johnny still screaming. They were laughing hysterically by the time they got onto the street.

Spike had soon bought himself his usual garb of black jeans, black t-shirt and black boots, even wearing them out of the store. He was glad he’d gotten new clothes but was pissed off that he’d paid for them even if it was with someone else’s money. Where was the fun in that?”

“Where’s your coat?” asked Dru.

“Coat? Haven’t got one, sweetheart.”

“Yes you have, your leather one. Got it from a slayer, you did,” insisted Dru.

She was right. He still had it but it was in London where he’d been when he’d been human.

“I’ll get another,” he decided and started to look for a shop that sold them.

When he did he went inside, with Drusilla following him. He made his way to a rack at the back of the shop and started to try them on. His old one had been a bit too big and he wanted one that felt just the same. He’d just put on the one he wanted when the shopkeeper came over.

“I think if sir looks in the mirror he’ll see that one’s a little big,” said the man helpfully.

“I think if you look in the mirror you’ll see that you’re in trouble,” replied Spike, stepping in front of the mirror and pulling the shopkeeper towards him so he could see he cast no reflection..

“How….?” started the man.

“Easy,” replied Spike in full vampire mode.

He ripped into the man’s jugular, drinking some then offering him to Dru. She finished him off and the pair left him where he fell. Spike ripped the security and price tags off the coat and they walked out and strolled through the mall holding hands.

Dru ran into a shop holding the money she’d asked Spike for screwed up in her hand like a child would.

“Getting you a present,” she said.

She wouldn’t let him know what she got him, telling him he’d have to wait until he got home. As they headed out of the mall they could hear the wail of police sirens, the body of the shopkeeper found.

Ooooooooooo

Helen walked into Xander’s office. “Got a report of a vampire attack,” she said as she entered.

Xander looked up at her as quizzically as a man with one eye can.

“Yeah?” He wondered why she was telling him; the normal ‘everyday’ stuff, if you like, wasn’t really his department. LA at the moment, despite the council’s best efforts, averaged a death by vampire three times per week.

“Thought you’d like to hear about this one since it took place in broad daylight.”

“What? Where?”

“In the mall in a leather goods shop. The only thing missing is a black leather duster. The police found the tags for it near the door. They’ve got a couple of witnesses saying they saw a man wearing such a jacket going out onto the street and walking hand in hand with a dark haired woman.

“My God! He’s here,” exclaimed Xander, standing up and starting to pace about the room.

“Who’s here? Xander, stand still,” said Helen.

He turned and looked at Helen.

“Spike,” he said grimly.

“But it’s good that we know where he is, isn’t it?” she asked, wondering why he looked so bleak.

“Thing is, Helen, if he’s with Drusilla and wearing the duster again, it’s not the Spike you ever knew. Maybe not even the one I knew. Even before he got his soul there was always something slightly different about Spike - he’d retained a sliver of soul perhaps? According to Willow if he’s been turned and the prophecy broken there will be nothing left of the Spike we knew. He’ll just be another vampire. But how can they be out in the day? Phone London and let them know.”

“But Xander, we don’t know for sure it’s him.”

“Do it, Helen,” Xander said sharply. He softened his tone, “I’m sorry, but I’m sure it’s him. Just let them know.”

Ooooooooooo

Buffy put the phone down slowly and turned to the others.

“That was Helen. They think Spike’s in LA,” she said quietly.

“How does Xander know? asked Dawn, “Has he seen him?”

Tears started to fall down Buffy’s cheeks.

“No, he hasn’t seen him but a report of a couple matching Spike and Drusilla’s description were seen after a man was found dead in a shop.”

“Doesn’t prove anything,” said Andrew.

“The only thing stolen was a leather duster,” added Buffy.

They all looked at each other. They knew that Spike the vampire had loved his duster, that after he’d regained his soul he’d sought it out and put it on when he needed to call on the demon within to fight.

Buffy thought of the original jacket. She’d seen it packed away in the back of a closet. Even though human Spike never wanted to wear it or even see it because of the memories it evoked, he still hadn’t been able to bring himself to throw it away. Soulless vampire Spike would want one back again as it was his signature.

Giles broke into everyone’s thoughts.

“Well, if we know where he is we’re closer to getting him back. Willow, have you got all the ingredients you need?”

“Not yet but I’ll be able to get the last few over in LA,” she replied.

“Right then, let’s get organised,” said Giles.

They all started to go out of the room. Willow saw Buffy didn’t move.

“Buff? Come on, let’s go. It’s good we know where he is,” she said gently.

“He’s a vampire again and he’s been killing.”

“Yes, but we should be able to sort that out. The information Dawn found, remember?”

“I’m just afraid it’ll be too much for him to take. You know what he was like when he got his soul.”

“Look, Buffy,” said Willow sharply, “We’ll worry about that when we come to it. We’ll all be here for him and for you, whatever happens.

Buffy visibly pulled herself together and the two women walked out to start planning their trip.

Ooooooooooo

Spike and Drusilla got back to the house. As soon as they were inside Dru, giggling, led Spike to the bathroom.

“Sit there,” she said.

Spike perched on the edge of the bath.

“What are you up to, Dru?”

She opened the bag she’d bought in the mall and started to mix the packets together. A familiar pungent odour assailed Spike’s nose. Dru smeared the mixture onto his hair, which stung his scalp a bit. After a while she washed it off. Spike towelled his hair dry and turned to Dru.

“What do you think, pet?”

She ran her hands through his now snowy white hair, pushing it back from his forehead.

“That’s better. Now you’re all mine again.” She took a step back to admire him. Over all the years she’d been with Spike she’d liked him best as a platinum blond - it emphasised his blue eyes.

He grinned at her, “I’m all yours, Princess.”

They went down to check on Johnny in the basement. The screams had abated but as they walked towards him they could see he was still in the throes of a bad trip. His eyes were wide but unfocussed, his mouth open in silent screams as if he’d worn out his voice, his body thrashing about.

Spike grinned evilly at the sight then picked up the chair leg he’d used the night before, marched up and thrust it into Johnny’s heart. He exploded into dust.

“Had to put him out of his misery,” he said to Dru, “Come on, let’s go have some fun.”

He took her upstairs and made love to her before they left the house to go out on the prowl looking for trouble. Spike’s newly bleached hair shined as the streetlights started to come on in response to the gathering dusk.

Ooooooooooooo

Xander had spent most of the day on the phone. Helen had been organising getting one of the Council’s safe houses ready for the arrival of the London contingent. Now with everything in place for when they got here, Xander and Helen were heading home, Xander at the wheel of their old station wagon.

“Pull over here, Xander,” said Helen, indicating a pharmacy, “My head’s splitting and we’ve no pills at home.”

Xander stopped the car in the nearest space, about a hundred yards from its door. Helen got out, hurried along the sidewalk and into the shop. Xander’s mind wandered as he thought of Spike. He’d finally gotten close to the guy, gotten to like him even. When he helped him come to terms with the blindness he’d suffered at the hands of the Immortal (thankfully he got his sight back a few weeks later), Xander had been impressed at how Spike had coped. He knew the guy adored Buffy and his daughter. Now he was back, through no fault of his own, to being a dead soulless bloodsucker and according to Willow probably as evil as Angelus had been.

His attention was caught by a couple walking towards him. He couldn’t mistake that swagger nor the colour of the hair. Spike! He and Drusilla were still a few yards beyond the shop Helen was in.

“Stay in there, stay in there,” muttered Xander, tensing in his seat. He reached his hand under it and pulled out a crossbow.

He glanced up in time to see Helen coming out of the shop, fiddling with her purse. She didn’t see the couple until she literally bumped into them.

“Shit!” said Xander, and he started to slowly get out of the car.

“Oh, sorry,” said Helen. She looked up and there was no mistaking the face she’d known so well.

“Spike” She said it before she could stop herself.

He had been going to just carry on walking, ignoring the woman who’d bumped into him, intent on finding a nice club in which to terrorise the clientele. As she said his name he stopped short and turned to look at her.

She quailed at the look in his eyes. If they say the eyes are the windows of the soul then he certainly didn’t have one. He fixed her with a hard stare, tilting his head a little in a gesture so familiar to her she caught her breath.

He spoke, the voice as cold as ice.

“You know me?”

“Er…..no…..sorry, my mistake,” stuttered Helen.

Spike sniffed the air, closed his eyes for a second and then snapped them open again.

“Helen,” he said triumphantly. “I remember now, you were with me when I was human.” He said the word human with a sneer.

Dru at that point, not liking the fact another woman was holding Spike’s attention, started to speak.

“Spike,” she whined, “I thought we w…”

“Shh Dru, this could be interesting. I can smell someone else on you,” he said, reverting his attention to Helen. “Harris,” he added.

His features changed into vampire mode. Helen shrieked and made to run away but Spike caught her, grabbing her by the throat.

“This will be fun,” he leered at her, yellow eyes gleaming.

“Spike.” Dru’s voice was urgent.

He looked round and saw Xander approaching, crossbow aimed at Drusilla.

“Got yourself one of my little cast offs, did you Harris?”

“Let go of her, Spike,” said Xander, voice trembling with rage.

Spike went to bite Helen, and Xander let fly with the crossbow. Dru started yelling in pain - the bolt had missed her heart but was embedded in her shoulder. Spike bellowed in rage and threw Helen so hard she hit Xander, who was still twenty yards away, and they both fell to the ground. He grabbed Dru’s hand and the pair ran off into the shadows.

Xander managed to untangle himself and stood up. He offered a hand to Helen to help her get up. She didn’t take it but just sat on the sidewalk, crying so hard her breath was coming in gasps. He knelt beside her and put his arms around her.

“Shh, it’ll be okay,” he soothed, not convinced it would be, “Come on, we need to get home.”

He helped her to her feet and took her to the car. The journey home was silent. He parked the car in the garage that was attached to the house he and Helen rented. Lowering the garage door they entered the house through a connecting door into the kitchen. Helen sat weakly at the kitchen table whilst Xander chanted a further protection spell around the house, boosting the one already in place. He had no intention of telling Helen that now Spike had their scent locked in he could track them anywhere they went. He poured them both a stiff drink, carried the glasses to table, sat down and pushed one towards her.

“I don’t want it,” said Helen.

“Sure you do,” said Xander mildly. “Trust me, it’ll help.”

She looked at him.

“Spike! God, his eyes - they were so cold, so…..empty.”

“Listen, Helen, he’s not the Spike you knew. It’s something using his body, sharing his memories. The vampire Spike I knew would never have risked Dru getting hurt. He didn’t care that I could’ve taken her out tonight. It was a shame that I was too far away to be on target.

“What do you mean? How can it not be Spike?” asked Helen

“When a human is turned into a vampire a demon inhabits their body but their soul is lost. It still has the memories of the human but it feels no guilt, remorse, or compassion. It feels nothing that makes us human. All it lives for is to hunt, feed and whatever passes for fun in their sick minds.”

“That happened to him before but I know you’ve told me how he protected Buffy even before he had a soul. How is it different now?” asked Helen.

“Not sure. Like I said before, perhaps somehow he’d managed to retain an inkling of what he’d been before he was turned - a sensitive gentleman by all accounts. Even as a vampire he had emotions as strong as a human, something not normal in vampires. Willow thinks that because he’s been sired again by Drusilla and it’s denying the prophecy that his soul would be ripped out even harder than before. It may look like Spike, it may talk like Spike, but all we’re seeing, Helen, is an evil demon.”

Oooooooooooo

Spike and Dru got back to the house. Spike was in high spirits.

“Did you see her face? God, it was delicious!”

“Daddy’s bad,” grumbled Drusilla

“Oh, shut up Dru. You’ll be okay,” said Spike impatiently, walking up to her and pulling the bolt from her shoulder.

She squealed in pain. He put his mouth to her wound and licked the blood away.

“See? All better now,” he said.

“But you let him shoot me.”

“I didn’t figure he’d have the balls to do it. He was too far to get a good shot,” said Spike to appease her but he knew he’d do the same again. The thought of tasting Helen’s blood was just too irresistible.

“Will you make him pay?” asked Dru.

“Oh he’ll pay, Princess, he really will,” grinned Spike, “I think I’ve found my new hobby.”

To be continued………

TROUBLE

Buffy, Willow, Giles, Andrew, Dawn and even baby Joy were all heading out to LA. Carole was left behind to keep an eye on the London offices - luckily no slayers were in residence.

They weren’t very communicative, each lost in their own thoughts. They’d discussed their possible actions until they were blue in the face, Buffy refusing to accept Andrew’s instructions from Spike that if he’d been turned they were to hunt him down and kill him.

Xander had relayed the news of his and Helen’s encounter with Spike and Drusilla, how Spike hadn’t even seemed to care what happened to Dru. He could have easily avoided it by letting go of Helen instead he’d tried to bite her.

Willow had added that the prophecy had said that if turned by Dru then ALL his humanity would be lost along with his soul. She tried to make her friend realise that he’d be as evil as a vampire could be. He’d be like Angel when he reverted to Angelus, taking pleasure in hurting ones he’d previously loved.

Still Buffy refused to believe it. Not Spike - she could save him. She had before when he’d been under the influence of the First. She’d believed in him.

Giles watched Buffy as she sat staring into space in her seat. He really hoped the plan Willow and Dawn had could work. It’d be a long shot, but the only alternative was killing Spike and he didn’t think Buffy could cope with that.

The bedraggled group walked through into the arrivals hall. Joy, for once, was playing up. Usually such a happy, easy going child, she could pick up the atmosphere and added to that the boredom of the flight meant she was screaming her head off as they found Xander and Helen waiting for them.

They went out and got into the van Xander had hired, not wanting to split them into two cars. Once they were all strapped in, he set off to take them to the Council’s largest safe house. With Joy’s screaming distracting him he didn’t notice a car was following them. It drove past as they swung into the driveway and pulled up a couple of houses away. Spike got out and crept up behind a couple of trees to get a better look. He saw them all get out of the car before the metal garage door rolled shut.

Buffy! If his heart could miss a beat it would have, but it wasn’t love he felt inside him, it was loathing. She represented all he now despised, that weak pathetic human he’d been. She’d even made him weak as a vampire, mooning over her, seeking a bleeding soul for her. He saw the child in her arms, could smell its scent, a combination of Buffy’s and his own. He had a child! The demon within hadn’t registered the fact until now. He saw how Buffy held her so tenderly, soothing the child’s sobs. He knew he had found the perfect way to hurt Buffy.

Oooooooooo

They put their bags down and assembled around the large kitchen table, Joy now happily walking around exploring her new home, tears forgotten.

“So what’s the plan?” asked Xander.

“Not sure we really have one yet,” replied Giles.

“Yes, we have,” snapped Buffy, “We find Spike, we catch him and we do Willow and Dawn’s spell and bring him back.”

“Easier said than done, Buff,” said Xander.

“I know,” said Buffy wearily, “but I’ve got to try.”

“How do we find him though?” asked Dawn, “Locators don’t work on vampires and it’s a big city.”

“I’ll hit the computers and see if I can see any area with increased vampire activity. It sounds like he’s feeling pretty bold,” said Willow.

“What’s with this out in daylight crap?” asked Xander.

“We still don’t know.” This time Andrew spoke, “We don’t know of anything like the Gem of Amarra. It must be something magical. It was the winter solstice when they….. got him.” He hesitated a bit, still feeling responsible, which was fair enough since he was.

They talked a little more before Xander and Helen said they were going home.

“Going home?” asked Willow. “So you two - you’re……?”

“Yes, we’re together,” said Helen, “We were going to tell you all at Christmas but… well you know why we didn’t.”

“That’s great,” said Willow, “So pleased for you both.”

The others all added their congratulations to Willows’, there was a huge group hug, and then Xander and Helen left in their old stationwagon, leaving the van there. The others went to bed.

Ooooooooooo

Xander and Helen again entered via the door from the garage to the house. Helen stepped in first, but by the time Xander had followed her she’d been grabbed by Spike, his demonic features showing. He was holding her with her arm bent painfully back, pulling her tight against his cold body.

“Helen!” cried Xander when he saw her.

“Hello again,” said Spike with a smirk, “Just thought I’d catch up with me old girlfriend.”

“How did you get in?” Xander was baffled. Forget the protection spells, without an invite he shouldn’t have been able to cross the threshold.

“Well now, I’ve got me a friend who’s very good at getting me what I want. He’s somehow managed to convince your little house, don’t ask me how, that it’s really a hotel and hey ‘presto’ - no invite required. The protections spells took him seconds to disarm. He’s a descendant of the original Merlin, no less,” said Spike, unable to resist bragging.

“What do you want?” asked Xander.

“Ooh, lots of things, but first I want to do this.” He dipped his mouth to Helen’s neck and bit deep. Helen screamed.

“You bastard!” roared Xander, hurling himself at Spike.

Spike met him with a punch to his jaw that sent him reeling back unconscious. Helen managed to pull away from his grasp and ran.

Behind her Spike laughed. “Time for a bit of fun, love.”

She made it almost to the phone before Spike grabbed her. The only weapon at hand was the paper knife on the table. Her finger closed around it as Spike pulled her back. She stabbed it into Spike’s chest with all her might. He howled with pain and looked down at the hilt sticking out of him. With his free hand he wrenched it out and started to laugh.

“Good aim, pet, right in the heart. Shame it wasn’t wood, eh? Bloody hurts though. Right, where was I? Oh yes, right about here.”

The hand that had pulled the knife from his heart tore open her blouse, “Let’s see if I can show you a better time than I could before, shall we?” he sneered.

He drank more of her blood as started to drag her to the floor. It was all too much for Helen and she fainted, hanging limp in his grip. It saved her life. Spike threw her down in disgust. It wasn’t fun if she’s wasn’t screaming. He stalked through the house, smashing furniture purely out of malice. He left before either of them stirred.

Ooooooooooo

Xander came to first, groaning and holding his jaw. He struggled to his feet. He looked for Helen but she wasn’t in the kitchen. He could see spots of blood on the floor leading out of the room, so he staggered through the door and spotted Helen lying on the floor.

“Please no,” he whispered as he went to her.

She was alive. As he stroked her hair and held her hand she woke up.

“Are you okay?” asked Xander, wondering why he’d asked such an inane question. Of course she wasn’t okay - she’d been attacked by a vampire.

Helen sat up, pale and shaky. Xander helped her back to the kitchen and onto a chair. He got the first aid kit from the cupboard, cleaned the wound and stuck a dressing onto it.

“We’re not staying here,” he said, “We’ll go to the others. Willow’s got some major mojo that she can protect us with.”

They both walked to the garage to get in the car, neither in the best shape to drive but Xander got behind the wheel. He turned the key - nothing. He tried again and still nothing. He got out and popped the hood, finding the starter motor had been ripped out.

“Son of a bitch!” shouted Xander, and he slammed the hood down hard enough to make the car bounce. He felt in his pocket for his cell phone and thankfully it was still there. He ordered a cab and, whilst they were waiting for it, Helen packed an overnight bag.

Xander called the others, “We’ve had some trouble. We’re on our way over and will tell you everything then but get some serious upgrades in the protective barriers over there.”

They had the cab drop them off at the top of the drive. Willow appeared at the door, chanted a phrase and opened a doorway for them to walk through the invisible barrier, the gateway apparent by its shiny edges. Once inside Willow sealed it back up.

Soon they were all sitting in the lounge. They listened to Xander’s account in horror. Spike had truly turned evil. Dawn and Willow headed to the computers to see if they could find anything out about this descendent of Merlin, the sorcerer to King Arthur.

Buffy sat there numb. If she’d needed proof Spike was now the bad guy she’d gotten it in spades. She recalled how Spike had told Andrew that if he was turned they had to kill him. He’d known she’d try everything else first. She still hoped they’d be able to save him but knew there was a very real possibility that they’d have to kill him.

To be continued…………..

BAD, BIG BAD

Spike returned home to find Dru cross at being left behind. He’d stolen a doll from a shop on the way past and Dru soon forgave him. She’d been missing Miss Edith, who’d been left behind in London.

Spike suddenly had an idea.

“Fancy a trip to London, love?” he asked.

“But we’ve only just got here,” said Drusilla.

“Well, I’m going. You can stay here if you like, I won’t be gone long. I’ll hire a private jet and I’ll be back as soon as I can. Least I’ll have a comfy seat this time”

“No, don’t leave me behind. I’ll come,” said Dru quickly.

“Okay then, go tell Merl to get ready. He’s coming too in case I need his skills.”

Money talks and the three of them were soon jetting back to London.

They landed in the small hours of the morning local time. The three of them then went to the Watchers Council’s offices. It was time to see if they needed Merl or not. Spike didn’t have a key but a good bang with his shoulder and the door swung open. He went to walk inside, and stepped easily into the building. He laughed out loud - the idiots hadn’t remembered that since it was technically still his home he could enter at will. He invited Drusilla in and with Merl following they made their way up to the first floor. Spike knew there were no slayers here, being between courses, and he’d seen the entire ‘Scooby gang’ arrive in LA. That left just one person - Carole.

He made his way to her bedroom next to the big dorm used by the slayers. He opened the door and there she was, as he knew she would be - he could smell her. He went over to the bed.

“Carole,” he said softly.

She moved on the bed but didn’t wake.

“Carole, pet,” he repeated, giving her a gentle shake.

“Spike?” she said groggily. She woke up properly when she realised what she’d said.

She sat up, reaching for the bedside lamp.

“You’re back? The others are all in LA.”

“Yes, I’m back.”

Something in his voice made her blood run cold. Her fingers trembled on the light switch. As the light flooded the room, she saw Spike standing next to her. He was smiling a smile that was anything but reassuring, his hair bleached white, and his black leather jacket giving him a menacing air.

“But………” her voice trailed off as she saw Dru and Merl standing in the doorway. “How did you get in?”

“I live here, pet. Seems everyone forgot that. Bit careless, eh?”

As he spoke his features changed. Dru at the doorway also put on her game face. Spike grabbed hold of Carole, but although she didn’t practice as a slayer she’d still been endowed with slayer strength. She pulled free and punched Spike hard enough to knock him off balance. Staggering backwards he laughed and put his hand to his mouth. He saw blood - she’d split his lip. He licked it off his fingers and Dru snarled from the doorway.

“No Dru, don’t need help. Just gonna dance a while, are we Carole?” sneered Spike.

Despite Carole fighting like a wildcat she was soon overpowered by Spike. He dragged her out of the bedroom and tied her hands with the belt from her bathrobe that had been hanging on the back of her door. He threw her down when he got to the telephone in the hall. She sat there dazed.

He picked up the phone and dialled Buffy’s cell phone number, amazing really that he could remember it so clearly, he thought. She picked it up after two rings - it was breakfast time over there.

“Carole? What’s up?” she asked, recognising the number.

“Hello, slayer,” drawled Spike.

“Spike? But you’re here.”

“Well, obviously right now I’m not. Always was a bit slow, pet. Things called aeroplanes, remember? Pretty fast they are.”

“What do you want? How did you get in? Where’s Carole.”

“Steady, sweetheart, one question at a time. What I want is for you to get my message. How did I get in? I live here, you silly bint. You forgot to disinvite me. Mind you, I suppose Xander’s told you that I don’t always need an invite. How’s Helen, by the way? Tasty piece, she is.” He chuckled and it was a horrible mirthless sound, “And as for Carole, she’s right here.”

“What’s the message, Spike? If you hurt her - for God’s sake, she looks after your child.”

“Mm, not sure how that works. Is she still my child? Dunno. Rest assured I’m not going to hurt her.”

He nodded to Dru who got hold of Carole’s arm and snapped her wrist as if it were a twig. Carole screamed.

“No!” Buffy yelled down the phone.

“I’m not going to hurt her. I’m going to kill her.”

Spike put the phone on the table, making sure he didn’t sever the connection, and nodded once more to Dru, who broke Carole’s other arm. The girl’s screams travelled over the line to Buffy. Spike got hold of the girl’s head and with one good twist she was dead, her cries cut off in mid flow.

“See you soon, pet,” said Spike into the handset and he hung up.

Buffy flung her phone at the wall where it smashed and fell to the floor.

“Christ, poor Carole. How could they have left her so vulnerable?” thought Buffy as she ran to find the others.

Spike went down into the room his human self had shared with Buffy. There was something he needed to get. He opened a drawer, rummaged a bit then pulled out the little fleecy hat with ears on it that Joy had worn not long ago.

“Perfect,” he thought, stuffing it into the pocket of his duster.

Ooooooooooooo

They sat stunned, the girls crying for Carole and the men trying their hardest not to.

“What’s his game?” asked Xander.

“I think that’s exactly what it is, a game,” replied Giles, “He’s doing these things to rattle us.”

“Well consider me rattled,” said Willow, “God, Giles, he killed Carole. He loved Carole.”

“Spike’s gone. The demon has him all,” said Buffy, “If even a bit of Spike was left in him he couldn’t have done that.”

“So what do we do now?” asked Dawn.

“I kill him,” said Buffy coldly.

“But we’ve got everything we need for the spell to restore him,” said Willow, “We can’t leave Spike’s soul just in limbo, ripped out by the demon. He’s a good man, Buffy.”

Buffy turned and looked at all her friends gathered before her. Her heart ached with the loss of Spike but she was terrified he’d hurt someone else if she should selfishly say she wanted him back.

“I think we need to vote. What ever the majority decides, we do - no question. Okay?”

A chorus of okays followed.

She looked at Willow, “So what do we do? Save him or kill him?”

“I vote save, I know we can do it.”

“Xander?”

“Sorry, Buff, I say kill.”

“Helen?”

“Save.”

Xander looked at her, “How can you say that after what he did to you?”

“That’s my point though, Xander. It wasn’t Spike, was it?”

“Giles?” asked Buffy.

“Kill him. It’s too risky to try to save him.”

“Andrew?”

“Save. I know he said for us to kill him if he got turned but that just proves he should be saved.”

“Dawn?”

“Save,” she said quietly.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t have to cast a vote, the majority decision already made to save him.

“I vote save,” she said “but if things go wrong I’ll kill him.

They all nodded. Now they just had to figure out exactly what they needed to do.

To be continued…………..

CHANGING SIDES

Spike, Dru and Merl arrived back at the house in LA. They all went to bed not caring what time it was. Spike had given Merl Joy’s cap and asked him if he could put it to good use.

Merl sat on his bed holding the cap. He could use it numerous ways and all but one of them would have terrible consequences. The one that wouldn’t have was the easiest – return it to its owner quickly.

Merl wasn’t an evil man and perhaps wasn’t a good one, but he had his rules and one of those was not hurting humans. When he’d agreed to Johnny’s scheme involving Spike he hadn’t realised he wasn’t already a vampire. Johnny had told him he’d discovered that Spike’s blood could be enchanted at the solstice to great effect. He’d neglected to tell him that they’d be turning him at the same time. He’d been unable to back out without fearing for his life and so had gone along with it.

He had no problem with vampires taking each other or demons on but had been badly shaken by the death of the girl in London. Okay, so she may have had slayer blood coursing through her veins, but that didn’t make any difference to Merl. Her death didn’t benefit the world like one less vampire did - her death had left a hole.

He’d never come across evil like Spike before, the way he rejoiced in it. He’d heard the argument Spike and Dru had had after Dru had been hit by the crossbow’s bolt. He knew then that Spike was purely out for himself and nothing else. Although he lusted for Drusilla, Merl knew Spike wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice her to save himself.

There was another reason Merl wasn’t a happy man - he’d fallen in love with Drusilla at first sight. In many ways she was vulnerable because of her strange mentality and Merl longed to keep her safe. He hated the way Spike was encouraging her to become ever more violent.

He stood up, closed his eyes and thought of where he wanted to be. When he opened his eyes a second later he stood just inside the door of Spike and Drusilla’s bedroom. His ability to teleport was something he made sure none of the demons he’d worked for knew he could do as it was his ultimate ‘get out’ clause.

He peered at the two vampires who were lying naked on the bed. The covers were in disarray and their clothes discarded all over the room, ripped off in their haste. Mel’s jaw clenched at the sight. She should be in his arms, not Spike’s. The pair had drunk just about every drop of alcohol the aircraft had on board but he wanted to make sure they wouldn’t wake up before he returned and realise he was missing. Muttering a phrase he put his hands together and a soft light left them and floated over the couple. It settled on them gossamer light, only Spike moved slightly at its touch. Merl frowned a bit at that, remembering how quickly Spike had recovered from the spell he’d cast when he’d first been released from the metal casket. He made a mental note to make sure he was as quick as possible. The spell should last four hours but he’d better be back well before that just in case.

This time he opened the door and left the room in a conventional fashion, not needing to worry about them hearing the door opening. He walked back to his room and picked up Joy’s hat. He held it in his hands, closed his eyes and thought about it needing to be reunited with its owner. He found himself landing heavily on his butt on a damp lawn outside a fairly large house, which was not exactly the entrance he had intended to make. He’d had no problem surpassing the protection spells at Xander’s house but these were a different kettle of fish altogether. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end in response to the power that the shield was emitting.

Okay, Plan B. He’d have to knock. He raised his hands together and did the sorcerer’s version of knocking, basically throwing a ball of blue light at the shield. It bounced off with a loud bang. Merl stood patiently on the lawn.

“What the hell was that?” shouted Xander.

“Something just hit the barrier, but don’t worry, it didn’t get through,” replied Willow.

“There’s some one standing on the lawn,” observed Helen.

Buffy ran to the window to see a very tall man cloak, flapping around him, standing calmly on the lawn.

“This must be that descendant of Merlin that Spike was bragging about,” said Xander.

“Yes, but what’s he doing here?” said Giles, “He doesn’t look like he’s trying very hard to get in.”

“He’s not trying at all,” said Willow, “I think the noise was him knocking. With the power he must have he’s just done the equivalent of rap on the door.”

“Oay, so what does he want?” said Buffy.

“Well, since he’s not coming at us guns blazing, as it were,” said Giles, “Do you think he wants to talk?”

“Willow, open a doorway. I’ll go see what he wants,” said Buffy.

“I’m coming with,” replied Willow, “just in case he starts with the magicks.”

Buffy opened her mouth to protest but stopped. Willow had her ‘resolve’ face on. Buffy knew that look and knew she wouldn’t be swayed.

The girls walked to the front door of the house and stepped out of it. The barrier Willow had raised started about ten feet away from the house. She opened a door in it, they stepped through, and she closed it tightly behind them. They walked across the lawn towards where Merl was standing. Buffy held an axe in her hand just in case.

“Well?” she said, stopping about six feet away from him.

Merl smiled and looked at Willow.

“May I congratulate you on your barrier. There are very few that I can’t bypass when I teleport.

“You tried to get into my house? You son of a bitch,” said Buffy, taking a step closer.

Willow put a hand on her friend, restraining her and calming her down at the same time.

“Don’t be alarmed,” said Merl as evenly as possible, “I mean you no harm.”

“Tell that to Xander and Helen,” snapped Buffy, “Disarming their protection spells sure didn’t do them any good”

Merl winced. Spike hadn’t told him of his intentions in the house but knew it couldn’t have been pretty when he saw Spike’s blood-stained clothes on his return.

“I know,” he said, “That’s why I’m here. Spike must be stopped.”

“Oh yeah, and we just believe you’re telling the truth? It’s the oldest trick in the book, pretending to change sides then taking us all from within,” said Buffy bluntly.

“I’ve brought something that I hope will convince you I’m telling the truth,” said Merl. He started to reach into his pocket.

“Slowly,” cautioned Buffy, raising the axe. Willow tensed beside her, spell at the ready just in case.

He moved his hand cautiously and pulled out Joy’s cap by one of its ears. Buffy gave a gasp when she saw it.

“Spike took this when he was in London. He wants me to use it to connect with the child. I’m not sure what he intends me to do but I’m certain it won’t be good. I have done many things that are deemed bad but never, until I had the misfortune to be near Spike, have I ever harmed a human with my powers. What he did to the girl in London sickened me. I will not harm an innocent child.”

Willow and Buffy stared at him. He seemed sincere. Buffy stepped forward and took the hat from his grasp. She gave it to Willow.

“Could it be used like he says?” she asked.

“Oh yes,” said Willow, “A person’s possessions can be very dangerous in the wrong hands.”

“So what do you want? You’re doing this, what? From the goodness of your heart?” said Buffy.

“I just want out,” said Merl, “and I want Drusilla to come with me.”

“Why should I let her do that? I know she hurt Carole before Spike killed her.”

“You’ll do it because you have no intention of killing Spike so why would you kill Drusilla?”

“Because……because……it’s different,” said Buffy, astonished that the sorcerer apparently knew of her plans.

“It’s not different at all,” said Merl, “Is it because Spike was once human? So was Drusilla. Is it because you love him? I love Drusilla. I can help you but I won’t if you don’t give me your word that Dru will be unharmed.”

Willow looked at Buffy.

“The spell will be tricky. It has to be done in stages. It may take a week before it’s complete and getting him where we want him in the first place will be difficult. We could use all the help we can get.”

Buffy looked at Merl.

“Okay, agreed. You have my word.”

“So may I come inside to discuss our plans or must we stand on the grass all day?”

Buffy hesitated.

“You can come in if you agree to have your hands tied down,” said Willow, adding to Buffy, “The way he works his magic is by joining his hands together.”

Merl nodded.

Willow said a few words and a coil of rope appeared in her hands. She went to Merl and tied him tightly, hands by his sides. The three of them walked back towards the house.

“You double cross me and I’ll chop off one of your hands,” said Buffy, giving the axe she was holding a little waggle.

Merl visibly paled and she knew her threat had been taken seriously.

They all gathered in the kitchen, apart from Dawn and Joy. Buffy didn’t want the sorcerer to lay eyes on her child.

“Are you really descended from Merlin?” blurted Andrew as they walked into the room.

“I am,” said Merl, in his wisest tone. “I’m also Merlin but I prefer Merl.”

“Shut up, Andrew,” said Buffy, “So what’s the plan?”

To be continued…….

DANGEROUS

By Mabel Marsters

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owes the Buffyverse, I own a mental Jack Russell terrier!!

Chapter 12

IT HAS TO BE BLOOD

Merl teleported back to the house, putting himself outside of Spike and Dru’s room and he listened for a moment before teleporting inside. He was startled to see Spike was half sitting up on the bed, groggily pulling at the covers. God, he was strong! Merl quickly lifted the veil of sleep and had teleported out of there and back into his own room before it had disappeared completely.

Spike sat up and shook his head.

“Must have had more to drink than I thought I had,” he said to himself as he climbed off the bed, wobbling a little as he did so. He found his jeans and pulled them on. Dru’s hand reached for him.

“Where are you going? Stay with me.” she said seductively, writhing on the bed.

Spike looked down at her. For a moment he was tempted then he shrugged off her hand.

“Quit it, Dru,” he said sharply. “Got things to do.”

She started to wail softly. The ‘old’ vampire Spike would have immediately gone to soothe her, hating to see her distress, but he didn’t even glance back as he strode out of the door, slamming it shut.

Spike stalked about downstairs. He had to take out the slayer. He’d never be free of his past while she still breathed, and the kid? If he could get his hands on it it’d be the best bait to get hold of Buffy with and he was pretty sure a slayer’s baby would be worth something to someone. Perhaps he’d raise her and turn her when she got to sixteen.

“Mm,” he thought, “That might be sweet.”

“Merl!” he yelled up the stairs, “Get your arse down here.”

The sorcerer flinched as he heard Spike’s voice.

“I hope this works,” he thought, “Otherwise I’m dead.”

As Merl opened his door he saw Drusilla coming along the hall. He could see she’d been crying - the bruises Spike had left on her from the night’s passion showing dark on the creamy skin of her arms.

“Are you alright?” he asked when she got near.

“Daddy’s in a mood,” she said, “He didn’t want me. Would you have wanted me?” She looked up at Merl, dark eyes peering through her long lashes.

“I’d always want you, Drusilla,” said Merl, voice hoarse with desire.

She giggled and kissed his cheek. It took all of Merl’s resolve not to just grab her and teleport the pair of them out of there, but he’d given his word to the slayer and he knew Spike would be ruthless in hunting them down.

“Merl! Are you bleeding coming?” Spike’s voice travelled up the stairs to them.

Merl girded his loins and went down to see what Spike wanted, as if he couldn’t guess. Spike was pacing about in the sitting room when Merl arrived, Dru walking in behind him.

“Dru, what are you doing here? I need to talk to Merl alone.”

Without waiting for a reply he marched over, grabbed her by her hair and literally threw her out of the door.

“Get back up to the sodding bedroom and stay there. I’m busy.” He slammed the door, leaving her sprawling on the floor crying.

“Pixies don’t like this daddy at all,” she whispered, crying, as she went back up to their room, feeling for the first time, afraid of Spike.

“Why did I have to give my word to them?” thought Merl. Once a sorcerer has given his word to a human he can’t take it back, he must see it through. “I should have just killed him.”

“Where’s the hat?” demanded Spike.

“I burnt it,” said Merl.

“You did what?” shouted Spike.

“For the spell,” said Merl quickly, “I needed its ashes for the spell. It’s more potent that way.”

“Oh? Okay then.” Spike had never been very good at the whole magic thing.

“So what do you want me to do for you, Spike?” asked Merl.

“I want that kid and I want the slayer to come after it so I can kill her,” said Spike bluntly. “So I need you to get me into a position to do that.”

“Mm,” pondered Merl, “That witch of hers has got some powerful protection around the house. It’ll take me a day to prepare for it, so I can work out how to get you in and then you both out.”

“You’ve got half a day or else.” Spike showed his vampire features, not needing to vocalise what he meant. “Oh yeah, one other thing you can do for me. Do something to keep Dru in the bedroom. I can’t have her following me about and putting a spanner in the works.”

“No problem,” said Merl, relieved as it meant he could keep her safe.

Spike picked up his coat and went outside, too restless to stay in, enjoying the fact that he was no longer bound to the shadows as a vampire. Yeah, life was pretty good, and would be even better when he killed the slayer. He’d enjoy seeing the look on her face. It had to be said that slayer blood was the sweetest he’d ever tasted. His mouth practically watered at the thought.

Ooooooooooooo

Merlin teleported to the safe house as soon as Spike left.

“It’ll be late this afternoon. Make sure you have everything ready. You can’t afford any slip ups and he’s stronger than any vampire I’ve ever seen, so be careful! If he gets his hands on the baby……..”He didn’t need to finish his sentence, and with that he left.

The gang all congregated in the kitchen. Willow and Dawn looked at each other nervously. It was their research that would be put to the test in the efforts to make Spike human again, complete with soul.

Buffy didn’t miss the look that passed between them.

“What gives?” she asked.

“Nothing, it’s just we still haven’t got one of the ingredients. Well we kinda have and kinda haven’t,” stuttered Willow.

“Meaning?” said Buffy, raising her eyebrows.

Willow took a deep breath and said in a rush.

“SpikehastodrinkJoy’sblood.”

“What? Say again a bit slower.”

“Spike has to drink Joy’s blood.”

“He has to what?” said Buffy, horrified, “And what do I do, just let him bite on her and hope he stops in time?”

“Obviously not,” said Willow, “but he has to drink some to give his soul a beacon to latch onto, to find its way back to him. The rest of the stuff is banishing the demon but unless his soul, his very essence, returns…” she stopped.

“He’s just a living breathing empty shell,” finished Dawn, “Not vampire, Spike, not human Spike, not Spike at all.”

“Hang on,” said Xander, “Let me get this right. If Spike doesn’t drink Joy’s blood he ends up what? A vegetable?”

“Basically…..yes. The body would be able to eat, drink and walk about but no one would be home. Spike’s soul would still be wherever it is now. The blood is the key.”

“It always has to be blood,” said Xander, “Wouldn’t it just be easier to stake the guy and have done with it.”

“We decided we’d give it a try,” said Helen softly. She turned to Buffy and said, “Willow’s told me Spike doesn’t need to have much blood from Joy and certainly it doesn’t need to be taken from her by him. I can draw a little blood, Buffy. It won’t harm Joy at all.”

“I’ll do a spell so she’s asleep and won’t know a thing,” added Willow.

Buffy just nodded, tears in her eyes. Was nothing ever going to be easy in her life?

“Now,” said Willow, gently, “we need to do it now.”

“Okay.”

The three women went into the sitting room where Andrew was playing with Joy and some wooden building blocks. Joy ran over to Buffy as soon as she saw her. Buffy scooped her daughter up into her arms and kissed her, once more noticing that the blue of her eyes was an exact match for the father’s.

She nodded to Willow, who put her hand on Joy’s head, muttered a few words and with a sigh, Joy fell asleep. Helen got out the syringe, needle and two small vials and went to draw the blood, inserting the needle into the vein expertly. She drew back on the syringe and withdrew 10mls of blood, double the amount needed of the spell, just in case. She put half the blood into each of the vials that contained a substance to prevent it from clotting. It was a tiny amount - just two teaspoonfuls. Another few words from Willow and it was all over, Joy wriggling to get down and play with Andrew.

Now they just had to hope Spike would fall for their subterfuge.

Ooooooooooo

Spike wandered the streets. He’d had a few drinks in a very rough back street bar and had managed to provoke a nice bar room brawl that had spilled out into the alley. It’d been great until the cops showed up on the scene. He’d given them the slip easily. He put his hand up to his left eye, a bruise starting to form, and chuckled as he thought of the face of the guy who’d hit him when he’d vamped up and hit him clean across the alley. Nothing like a good bit of violence to put you in the mood for…..well…..another good bit of violence.

He made his way back to the house, feeling horny as hell and went straight up to the bedroom. A foot from the door he hit an invisible barrier, knocking him backwards a couple of steps.

“What the……?” Then he remembered he’d told Merl to shut Dru in. “Merl!” he yelled.

Merl looked out of his room to see Spike standing at the door to the bedroom, no mistaking his intent.

“Glad you’re back. It’s time to go,” he said.

“Oh?” said Spike. He looked at the bedroom door for a moment. “Great. Let’s get going,” he added. Dru could wait.

“Thank God,” thought Merl. He really couldn’t bear to hear another of their marathon sex sessions.

He followed Spike downstairs.

“So what do you know?” asked Spike.

“I heard them talking. Some of them are going to the Watcher’s council building. They’re going to stay there, not wanting everyone in one place. They’re afraid of you.”

“Damn right they’re afraid,” said Spike. The thought that he’d gotten them all worried cheered him immensely. “Who’s going there?”

“The slayer, the child, Dawn, and Andrew are moving to the Council.”

“What about the witch. Isn’t she going with them?” asked Spike. It seemed odd for Buffy not to want her near her.

Merl gulped a bit. This was the bit he had to convince Spike about.

“She’s staying at the house as she keeps having to renew the protective barrier around it and can’t do it remotely.” He held his breath. Would Spike fall for it?

“Oh, right,” said Spike, “Be easier without her around.”

“Phew,” sighed Merl, "he fell for it". Aloud he said “ We’d better get into position - they’ll be arriving there soon.”

Spike grabbed his coat and the pair headed out to their car.

To be continued……….

FIRST CATCH YOUR VAMPIRE

“Are you sure this is working?” asked Buffy. She looked down at the doll in her arms and it looked like, well, a doll in her arms. She looked at Willow and Willow looked just like Willow.

“No, it definitely is,” said Dawn, “It’s creepy.”

“Well, how come she still looks like Willow to me and the doll looks like a doll?” asked Buffy.

“It’s because you’re involved in the glamour. It’s only people not within it that can see its effect,” said Willow.

“Trust me, Buffy, Willow looks exactly like me and the doll you’re holding really does seem to be Joy,” said Dawn.

Helen stood there amazed. She’d never witnessed anything like it. Her life had gotten very odd these past couple of years.

Willow had borrowed some of Dawn’s clothes, not that she needed them for the spell, just to add Dawn’s scent into the mix to fool Spike’s vampire sense of smell. She did the same with the doll, which was dressed in Joy’s clothes.

“Ready then?” asked Buffy. She got nods in reply and they went out to the car.

They drove round to the Council building, Andrew parking the car a few yards from the door as arranged. He and Dawn, well, Willow, got out and cautiously made their way to the door, looking around as they did so. They gestured to Buffy and she got out of the car, holding baby ‘Joy’ tightly. Even though she was expecting it she was still startled when Spike suddenly appeared in front of her.

“Hello, love.” He grinned at her. “How’ve you been?”

Andrew leapt at Spike from the doorway. Spike adjusted his stance, lashed out with his left fist and sent him sprawling to the floor. He lay still.

Spike turned back to Buffy and their eyes met. Buffy realised exactly what Helen had meant when she’d said she’d seen nothing of Spike in them - his gaze was icy cold.

He sniffed the air.

“Hang on a minute, something’s not right. Merl?” he said.

To his amazement Buffy suddenly swung the baby around by her legs and hit him across the side of his face with her, making him stagger backwards. Buffy followed it with a vicious kick to his stomach, all her anger and frustration of the past days put in to it. He doubled over.

“Now,” cried Buffy.

Willow put her spell into action. Sparks flew from her fingers and Spike collapsed on to the sidewalk unconscious.

“Quickly! Get him where you want him. He’ll come around before you know it. He shakes off magic quicker than most,” said Merl as he stepped in to help.

Buffy glanced at Andrew, who was just starting to rise.

“Come on then,” she said.

They half carried, half dragged Spike down into the cavernous depths of the Council, putting him into one of the cells there. On Merl’s advice they chose one that was completely empty, with padded walls and floor. The front wall of the cell was made of magically reinforced glass. It bent slightly if you leant on against it but was impossible to break. It meant whoever was in the cell was in plain sight all the time and could do themselves no harm. There was a very basic toilet - a hole in the floor covered by a padded hinged lid, to be precise - and nothing else.

They put Spike in the cell, quickly stripping him of his clothes and putting him in a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt. It was important that nothing metallic was in the cell so his jeans, boots, etc had to go. They’d barely finished as he started groaning and trying to stand up. They hurried out and locked the cell both mechanically and magically.

“Here.” Merl handed Willow a small box which was so light it felt empty. “If things don’t go as planned, use this.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“You don’t need to know. You might not need it, but you will know when to use it if you have to,” he answered cryptically.

He turned to Buffy.

“Good luck. I hope it works out. He must have been a good man to generate such devotion to restoring him. It won’t be easy for him or for you watching but stay strong and no matter what do not go into the cell until it is completely over.”

“Thank you, Merl,” said Buffy.

He teleported away just as Andrew appeared rubbing his face.

“What did you do that for?” asked Buffy, “It wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Just thought it’d look more convincing if I did,” he replied.

A roar from inside the cell made them all jump and turn quickly around. Spike was on his feet in full vampire mode, fangs bared. He charged at the glass with such ferocity and speed they all took an involuntary step back. They needn’t have worried - the glass just bounced him back. He saw Willow standing there, the glamour having worn off.

“You! I knew I could smell something wrong.”

He charged at the glass again with the same result, bellowing in frustration and rage. They decided to leave him to it for a little while. The first part of the restoration spell couldn’t be cast until the moon had risen.

Oooooooooo

Merl teleported back to the house and disarmed the barrier holding Drusilla in the bedroom.

“Has naughty daddy gone away?” she asked.

“He has,” said Merl, “but I’ll look after you.”

He went over and took her hand.

“I want to leave here. Will you come with me?”

Drusilla looked at him. She might be quite mad but she wasn’t stupid. She could see the devotion in his eyes, something that had been lacking in Spike’s, and happily agreed to go with him. She always had been pretty fickle.

To be continued………

TRIALS

An hour after they captured him Buffy went down to see Spike. As she got to the cell she could see him pacing furiously back and forth like a wild animal trapped in a cage, which she guessed is what he was. He was in full vampire mode, snarling on every turn and kicking the wall. He stopped when he saw her. Their eyes locked and Buffy felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, terrified but unable to move. She could almost feel the evil he exuded, his yellow eyes boring into her. It was nothing at all like the vampire Spike she’d known and loved.

“We’re going to fail,” she said to herself, suddenly sure this would only end one way - with her having to dust him.

She could tell Spike was seriously stressed despite his fury. He was breathing hard, taking deep totally unnecessary breaths, giving away how close to the edge he was.

“Slayer,” he snarled. She winced at the contempt in his voice. He really did see her as the enemy.

“Spike,” she said, forcing her voice to be calm.

“So what are you planning? Keeping me as a pet?”

“Think you’re a bit vicious for a pet,” replied Buffy, “More of a pet project.”

For a second she thought she saw fear in his demon eyes but it was so fleeting she couldn’t be sure. She turned on her heel abruptly and left. Another couple of hours and they could start.

Oooooooooooo

The next time she went down, Buffy was accompanied by Giles, who’d come over to help, and Willow. Andrew was back at the safe house. Spike had stopped pacing but stood with his hands on the glass looking in their direction as they approached, no doubt having heard or smelled them with his enhanced senses. He was still in vamp mode, demonic features on show. Buffy was glad as it made it easier to cope with, seeing the face of the demon who’d taken her lover away. His breathing was back to normal.

The three stood looking at Spike for a few minutes then Willow checked her watch. It was time. She took a crystal out of each of the two pockets in her jacket, carefully holding them apart - one on each palm of her outstretched hands.

Spike looked at the crystals and the serious silent people in front of him and decided this couldn’t be good. He slowly started to back away from the glass, eyes fixed on Willow’s hands.

Suddenly, in one fluid movement, she cupped her hands together and the crystals melded as one. She threw it with all her might at the glass. It passed through as if it didn’t exist and hit Spike in his chest. He gasped and looked down. It had pierced his heart. He just had time to think that if it’d been wood he’d have had it, when the pain hit him. It ran through his body, forcing itself outwards from his non-beating heart. He collapsed on the floor, dimly aware that the others were still watching. He writhed, legs kicking, hands clutching at the floor. He screamed.

Buffy stood watching, tears running down her cheeks. She told herself that it wasn’t ‘her’ Spike who was hurting but the demon within. But the sight of that body she knew so well, knew every part of, being in such agony was unbearable. With a sob she left. He’d be like that until the moon set and she wasn’t going to watch him for that long.

Ooooooooooooo

Hours later Spike, hardly conscious, felt the pain ebb away and his limbs were able to relax. He rolled over to get on his hands and knees. He tried to stand but after getting only halfway up before he collapsed he gave up and just lay there, wondering for how long they were going to torture him. The trouble with being a vampire, stakes, beheadings and such aside, they were impossible to kill. This could last quite a while.

He heard footsteps approaching. Strangely he couldn’t get the scent of them. He looked up at them from where he lay, too exhausted to get up. His fear at what they’d do next kept his vampire features on show, and he hissed when he saw them.

Again it was Giles, Willow and Buffy. This time Willow was holding a bag of blood. It looked like one from a hospital. His stomach rumbled but he’d no intention of drinking it, it was bound to be loaded with some nasty potion or other. Again they stood there silently and it was beginning to freak him out.

“What you got there, Red?” he asked with more bravado than he felt. “Who are you, the wicked stepmother with the poisoned apple? Not going to be drinking that.”

“You will Spike,” said Willow.

She threw the blood at the glass and, like the melded crystal, it passed through as though it wasn’t there. Spike shuffled back a bit but it landed harmlessly a couple of feet away from him. He took his eyes away from it to look at her with a sneer but before he could open his mouth he was pushed backwards by an unseen force until he was sitting with his back against the wall, legs stretched out in front of him.

The bag of blood flew towards him, stopped inches from his face, and hovered there. He was transfixed - what the hell was going to happen now? His left hand moved towards the bag. He looked at it astonished - he wasn’t moving it. It felt as if it was still by his side but it gripped the bag and brought it to his lips. Again having no control he realised he’d bitten into it and was drinking it hungrily. The bag disappeared once it was empty, and his hand fell back to his side.

Spike looked at Willow, seeing the triumph in her eyes. The power she commanded was unbelievable. She gave a little sigh, wobbled a bit and was steadied by Giles.

“Willow, are you alright?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied, “That was a bit harder than I thought.”

The three of them left Spike alone once more. He sat there waiting for something to happen. Nothing did.

“Bit of an elaborate way to make me eat my dinner,” said Spike aloud, his voice sounding oddly muffled in the confines of the cell and it did nothing to put him at ease.

Sure enough, some time later he felt something happening. His stomach felt like it was going to explode. He dragged himself towards the toilet but before he could get there he vomited, and kept vomiting until he felt he was going to turn inside out. The amount being expelled bore no resemblance to the small amount he’d taken. It was just blood, and seemed like as much as he’d drunk since he’d turned. When finally the retching was over, he rolled on his back, too weak to move further or to notice that the blood around him just disappeared. He closed his eyes.

Ooooooooooooo

Giles, Willow and Buffy sat in the guest apartment at the Council. Apart from Spike they were the only ones in the building.

“How do you think we’re doing so far?” asked Buffy.

“On schedule I think,” said Willow, “It’s hard to know exactly but I’m sure the spells are working.”

“I think Willow’s right,” added Giles, “The spells are having an effect and the further we go with him the less of the demon we have to deal with.”

The only way to rid Spike of the demon within was to ebb it away gradually. Ancient prophecies aside, it wasn’t possible just to pull it out when it was at its full strength. The crystals had been to weaken it and dull its senses. The blood containing a teaspoon of Joy’s blood was to act as a catalyst to expel the blood he’d taken as a vampire. Joy’s blood was the beacon to guide his soul to return to its rightful home.

The next day would bring the final push to rid Spike’s body of the demon, which would then leave it ready for his soul to return. Merl had warned them that there could be a time lapse of even up to a couple of days before Spike’s soul found its way home.

This time the three of them got to the cell and stood there for a second or two before Spike was aware of them. His senses were now reduced to human levels. For the first time since his capture his demonic features weren’t on show. As soon as he realised they were there he vamped up but it seemed to take a couple of attempts before the transformation was complete. He stood up.

“I’m still here,” he said.

“So I see,” said Buffy quietly.

Spike tensed when Willow stepped towards the glass. He hadn’t liked what she’d done so far and guessed this would be no different.

She took a pale blue feather out of her pocket, placed it in the palm of her hand and pressed it to the glass. The feather floated into the cell, not falling to the floor but just staying at the same height and moving about the cell.

It circled Spike. He kept turning as it did, not wanting to let it out of his sight or for it to touch him. When the circuit was complete Spike was lifted as if by a rope around his waist and suspended in the air. The cell began to fill with a pale blue substance oozing from the outside edges to slowly engulf Spike in its mists. He thrashed wildly, held by his invisible restraints. The substance entered his mouth and his nostrils, filling his lungs. He went limp, just hanging there in the air, surrounded by thick blue smoke, gas, fog or whatever the hell it was. Buffy could watch no more and ran away up the corridor.

“How long?” asked Giles, inclining his head to the cell.

“Dunno,” replied Willow, “Until either the demon or the body is dead. We’ve weakened the demon as much as we could, now only time will tell.”

“And if the body dies?”

“That’s it, game over. Nowhere for his soul, his essence, to inhabit - just dead,” said Willow. She glanced at the eerie scene in front of her, then she and Giles followed in Buffy’s wake.

Ooooooooooooo

Giles went down to check on Spike, unsure after Willow’s words what they’d find and not wanting Buffy to witness it if things had gone badly.

He found his pace was slowing as he neared the cell, reluctant to see what had befallen Spike. Finally he reached the cell. The blue substance had gone, although the walls looked a bit discoloured. Spike was lying face down on the floor. Giles guessed he’d simply stayed where he’d fallen once he’d been released.

Giles couldn’t see if he was breathing. He put a hand on the door of the cell then he remembered Merl’s words not to go in until it was finished. He rapped on the glass, a weird sensation as it gave slightly under his knuckles.

Nothing.

“Christ!” thought Giles.

He rapped again, harder and then slowly, so slowly to start with that Giles couldn’t tell he was moving, Spike turned his head. He pushed himself up until he was sitting then shuffled round so he could look at the direction of the noise.

His eyes met Giles. There was no trace of the demon left but equally there was no trace of ‘Spike’. His eyes just looked empty, vacant, blank. He looked at Giles with no hint of recognition. He didn’t seem to care where he was, he was just ‘there’. His soul had obviously not found its way home yet.

Giles went to tell the others what had happened. Well, at least he was ‘alive’. He reminded Giles of how poor Tara had been after she’d been brainsucked by Glory but with even less left behind. The girls looked at him as he walked in the room.

“The demon is gone and he’s no longer a vampire,” said Giles.

“But?” said Buffy as he paused before continuing.

“But, he’s not back yet,” finished Giles.

“But there’s time, right? There’s still time?” She looked at Willow as she spoke.

“Yes, there’s time,” she replied.

Ooooooooooooo

They went down to see Spike first thing the next morning. When they got to the cell they could see Spike was standing up. He was leaning against the padded wall of the cell in such a typical ‘Spike’ way that Buffy’s heart missed a beat. She rushed forward and put her hands onto the glass front.

“Spike,” she said.

He looked over to her but his expression didn’t change. Like Giles had said the night before, his eyes were empty. She looked at the others and by the time she looked back at Spike he’d dropped his eyes from her face and was just standing there, leaning on the wall and taking nothing in.

“Is there anything else we can do? Buffy asked Willow.

“Well, we do still have that teaspoonful of Joy’s blood left. I think if there’s no change by this evening we should give it to him as a second dose. Perhaps the strength of the demon destroyed the first lot. Plus this vampire version of Spike was so much more evil than he’d been before that perhaps his soul needs a little more help.”

“How do we get him to take blood now he’s not a vampire, even if it such a small amount?” asked Giles.

“I’ll work something out. I don’t think we can just go in there though, Merl did warn us about waiting until it was over before going in. I think it would disturb the magical forces that are in place.”

“What about food? He hasn’t eaten or drank since we put him in there, not counting that blood,” said Buffy.

“It’s all under such magical influences that I don’t think real world issues like food apply,” said Giles.

They’d checked on him several times throughout the day. Each time he sat or stood in the cell apparently quite content with his lot, with still no soul in sight.

Willow had thought hard all day how to get the blood into Spike without him spilling it or refusing it. She couldn’t do the spell she had before to make him drink the bag of blood as it wasn’t subtle enough. It was one thing getting a vampire to suck half a litre of blood down, quite another to get a human to drink a teaspoonful. In the end she’d decided to put it into a very small amount of soup and just hope he’d take the mug and drink it.

The three once more trailed down to the cell. They’d realised over their past visits that it wasn’t his name he responded to, just whatever anyone said first, probably because right now he wasn’t actually Spike - he was just in limbo.

Willow was actually a bit nervous but she concentrated hard and soon the mug with the drop of soup laced with a little of Joy’s blood floated its way through the glass and hovered near Spike. He looked at it in a bemused fashion then back at Willow. She mimed taking it and drinking it and after she’d done it a couple of times, like a small child he copied her and took the mug. He brought it to his lips and drank it in one swallow, then he just let the mug drop. Willow had to concentrate quickly to catch it and float it back through the glass wall and into her hand.

They left hoping the morning would bring some change.

It didn’t.

They stood there not knowing what to do or say. Spike at that moment was sitting down and leaning back against the wall, legs drawn up to his chest.

“Ow!” cried Willow.

All of them jumped, including Spike, at the sudden noise.

“What is it?” asked Giles.

“I’m not sure,” she replied, “It feels like something hot is in my jacket pocket.”

She put her hand in carefully and rapidly pulled it out.

“Ow!” she said again. “It’s too hot, I can't touch it.”

“Here, try this.” Giles produced a handkerchief from his pocket.

She took it and used it to wrap around whatever it was so it didn’t burn her.

Spike stood up and walked into the middle of the cell.

Willow looked down at the object she’d just fished out and saw it was the small box Merl had given her.

“I guess this is what he meant by saying I’d know when to use it,” she said.

Buffy and Giles peered at the box in her hand.

“So what do we do with it?” asked Buffy.

“Open it, I suppose,” said Willow.

She slowly opened it. The box contained a glowing golden sphere of light. As they looked at it, it flew upwards out of the box, startling them all, and hurtled its way through the wall of the cell. It hit Spike in the chest.

He fell to his knees, body arching backwards, suffused with the light, eyes shining golden as if lit from within. He cried out then as the light disappeared. He fell forwards so he was on his hands and knees, breathing hard, head hanging down.

“Spike!” cried Buffy.

He looked up and into her eyes.

“Buffy,” he whispered.

To be continued………

MIND GAMES

“Buffy,” whispered Spike.

Giles, Buffy and Willow all hugged each other. He was back! It had worked!

“Get the door open!” cried Buffy.

Spike was still on his hands and knees as she raced in and went to him. Resisting the urge to fling her arms around, she knelt in front of him.

“Spike,” she said tenderly. As she touched his hand he pushed himself up so he was kneeling, facing her.

“Buffy, it’s you,” he said. He reached out and touched her cheek with his fingers. She caught the hand and held it tight.

“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” she said. She helped him to his feet as he was a bit unsteady. Together they walked up into the apartment with Willow and Giles following them.

They all sat there a little awkwardly, no one knowing quite what to say.

“Is there anything you need, Spike?” asked Giles eventually.

“If it’s okay I think I’d like to go to bed,” said Spike hesitantly.

“Of course, it’s just through here,” said Giles, getting up and showing him the way.

Spike nodded slightly to the girls and followed him into one of the bedrooms. Once inside he lay on the bed, not even going under the covers. He was asleep before Giles had left the room.

The others moved into the kitchen so as not to disturb him with their talk.

“He’s exhausted,” said Giles, “Let him sleep as long as he likes.”

“Hardly surprising considering what he’s been through,” said Willow.

“So what do we do now?” asked Buffy.

“Take it one day at a time, I suppose,” said Giles.

Ooooooooooooo

Spike tossed and turned on the bed then suddenly sat bolt upright, wide awake, with his heart pounding and his body drenched in sweat.

“Oh God,” he said quietly.

He looked around the unfamiliar room and saw a pile of clean clothes on a chair near the bed. He looked down at the t-shirt and pants he was wearing, the t-shirt wet with sweat. He got out of the bed and over to the clothing. There was a pair of jeans, a clean t-shirt, underwear and a pair of black boots. Hanging over the back of the chair was a leather coat. He reached out tentatively to the duster. As soon as his fingers brushed the leather he was assailed by the same images that had wrenched him from his sleep. Visions of him killing, biting, and drinking blood. He pulled his hand back sharply, stifling the cry that was trying to get out. He daren’t touch the other clothes - he knew he’d worn them all at the same time and couldn’t bear the thought of putting them on.

He had no idea what time it was so he went to the door, opened it and listened for a moment. He could hear voices coming from a room on the left. He stepped into the hall and walked slowly towards the voices. He found Willow, Giles and Buffy eating breakfast at the kitchen table. He paused at the door, unsure of what to say or do. Buffy saw him before the others did.

“Spike! You’re awake at last.” She came over to him and gave him a hug and a kiss.

Spike forced himself to hug her back and return her kiss but in his mind he remembered Drusilla and the kisses and more that they’d shared. His face flushed slightly, ashamed of his behaviour. He loved Buffy but had eagerly sought out Dru’s passion.

“You’ve slept for nearly twenty four hours,” said Giles, “Come on, sit down. Let’s get you something to eat.”

“Oh, sorry,” said Spike in a subdued voice.

“Sorry? For what? Sleeping so long?” said Giles, “It’s no matter. You must have needed it - your body’s taken a bit of a battering the past few days.”

Spike closed his eyes briefly at his words. He’d felt peace when the demon had been expelled from his body, almost unendurable pain during but once it had gone it had been calm with no pain. He’d been aware of a sensation urging him to take control of his body once more but he’d resisted it because he’d liked that place. He’d had no memories of the things he’d done and he didn’t need that body any more. He was just existing in a serene calm, without form. Then it had been like he’d been caught in a tornado. He was pulled from the plane of existence he’d been on and slammed back into his body. It had hurt like hell, not just physically, but as he entered the body he could feel the evil it had done, the evil he’d done.

He opened his eyes to find all three looking at him.

“I’m okay,” he said in response to their unasked question.

He ate his breakfast, all the time aware of their scrutiny.

“Do you want to have a shower before we go back to the others at the house?” prompted Buffy.

Spike abruptly became aware that he didn’t exactly smell fresh.

“Yeah,” he said and he got up quickly and left the kitchen before anyone had chance to tell him where it was. He went along the hall, opening a few doors before he got the right one.

He got under the shower, running the water as hot as he could bear. He scrubbed himself hard and after about ten minutes he got out, skin red from the heat. He dried himself and wrapped the towel around his waist. He went to the mirrored cabinet on the wall hoping he’d find a razor. He opened it, found a razor and some shaving foam and took them out. He shut the door and wiped a hand across the steamed-up mirror to clear it. As he caught sight of his reflection he gave a bit of a yelp and took a step back. His hair was snow white, but that’s not what had shocked him. For a second his eyes had been yellow, brow lumpy and his teeth long and vicious. The image passed and he was back to looking at his own familiar face albeit with bleached blond hair.

His hand trembled as he started to shave, nicking his cheek. He found himself shaving by touch rather than looking in the mirror again. He knew it was his mind playing tricks. If the demon was still within him it would cast no reflection but he kept his eyes averted nonetheless.

He dressed in the clothes he’d had on before, no way was he going to put those others on, and went back into the kitchen.

When Buffy saw him still in the dirty clothes she started to tell him about his jeans. But then she guessed why he hadn’t wanted to wear them and kicked herself for not bringing others over. She had been so worried about the spell and getting him back she hadn’t even thought about it.

“We’ll stop and get you some stuff on the way to the house,” she said, noticing his relief as she said it.

“If we’re ready we’ll go, shall we?” asked Giles

They picked up their bags that stood near the door and headed out to the car. None of them commented on the fact Spike was barefoot. He sat in the back seat with Buffy, Willow driving and Giles in the seat next to her. Willow pulled up outside a store and Buffy went to get out.

“I’ll go and get them. I know your sizes,” she said.

“I’ll come too,” said Spike.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind. I won’t be long.”

“I’m sure,” he said.

“Okay.”

The pair of them got out, Spike drawing a few odd looks due to the lack of footwear and grubbiness of his clothes. They made their way over to the racks of jeans, Buffy heading for the black ones. She started checking sizes when Spike said,

“I’ve got some.”

She looked around to see him holding a pair of faded blue denims.

“They’re nice,” she said brightly.

He quickly grabbed a red t-shirt and then went and selected a pair of white trainers. She paid for them and he put them on before leaving the shop.

Willow and Giles looked at each other as they saw him returning with Buffy. Neither could remember seeing him in anything other than his usual black jeans.

When they got to the house the others greeted him warmly.

“Welcome back,” said Xander, shaking his hand and patting his shoulder.

Helen looked into his eyes, seeing the difference in them from when she’d bumped into him in the street, before he’d vamped up. She could see his soul for want of a better word. She hugged him tightly. Spike hugged her back then had to resist the urge to fling her away as he got a taste of blood in his mouth - her blood. He could smell it. He gagged slightly, managing to disguise it as a cough.

Andrew was next but mercifully Spike didn’t get any strange feeling from him or from Dawn. Dawn had passed Joy to Buffy as they’d come in and now Buffy produced their daughter for Spike to hold.

“Dada,” said Joy, holding out her arms for him. He took her from Buffy and when he didn’t get assailed by any hideous images he hugged her tight, tears stinging his eyes. He’d missed her so much.

As the day went on, Spike started to feel a little more relaxed. He carefully avoided touching Helen. He knew he’d attacked her and certainly didn’t want a repeat of the feeling he’d had earlier. He kept his mind busy by playing with Joy, who was delighted to have him home.

Helen and Xander left to go to their own home that evening and later, at about eleven, Spike turned to Buffy.

“Where’s the bedroom, pet? I think I’ll turn in.”

“I’ll show you.”

She took his hand and walked him up the stairs to the room she’d been using. It had two single beds, not a double. As she closed the door she kissed him, hands running over his body. He kissed her back, pushing away the images of Drusilla her kisses provoked.

“It wasn’t me,” he said to himself firmly.

They lay on one of the beds, kissing and caressing, but as Buffy reached for the buttons on his jeans he put a hand over hers and said softly,

“I can’t, not yet.”

“’S okay,” said Buffy, trying not to let the hurt show in her voice. She kissed him again. “No rush.”

“Sorry,” said Spike. He sat up, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and put his head in his hands.

How could he tell her that his mind was full of Drusilla and it revolted him that he’d been so unfaithful to her. He felt Buffy kiss his neck up and he reached out and squeezed her hand then got up, got undressed, and got into the other single bed.

“Night, love,” he said, voice catching a little and tears threatening to fall.

“Night, Spike. I love you,” said Buffy.

“I love you too,” he managed to say.

Ooooooooooo

His sleep was wracked with dreams. He woke several times, drenched in sweat, heart pounding. At about four am he gave up trying to sleep and looked over at Buffy in the bed opposite, just able to make out the shape of her under the covers. He got out of his bed and went to hers, slipped under the covers, and spooned his body next to hers needing the comfort it offered. Buffy stirred in her sleep but didn’t wake. Spike lay there holding her, grateful that no images of Drusilla appeared. He got out of bed as she started to rouse. He had a shower and was dressed before she woke up fully.

“Morning, pet,” he said, thinking that perhaps he’d be okay today, that it was just left over stuff from all the mojo he’d been subjected to. They’d told him of his time in the cell and the magics Willow had evoked. He hadn’t told them but he remembered it all. It was like he’d watched what had happened to his vampire self but still felt the pain along with it. The only thing he’d hadn’t known was the time before his soul had returned. That, he knew, corresponded to the time he’d felt peace and calm before being dragged painfully back to this plane.

He leant down and kissed her. As their lips met Spike could suddenly see Drusilla on the bed, not Buffy.

“God no!” he thought, closing his eyes. He opened them again and thankfully it was Buffy’s concerned face looking at him, not Dru’s.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, headache is all,” he lied.

At that moment there was a knock on the door and Dawn popped her head round it.

“Hope you’re up for a bit of company.” She laughed as she pushed the door open further and Joy came into the room and over to her Dad.

“Morning, gorgeous,” he said, scooping her up in his arms and kissing her, with Joy giggling in delight.

Oooooooooooo

The day passed uneventfully with Spike suffering only one vision, again that of his vampire face when he caught sight of himself in a mirror in the sitting room.

It was nearly time for dinner and when Spike didn’t appear with the others Buffy went to find him. He’d been playing with Joy and she thought, as was usual when he played with his daughter, he was so engrossed he’d not realised the time. She looked into the sitting room but it was empty so she carried along the hall to where there was a dining room. They had never used it, preferring to gather around the kitchen table.

She walked in to find Joy happily playing with a doll. At first she didn’t see Spike, then she heard a low moan and turned to see him sitting on the floor behind the door, knees drawn up to his chest and head bowed down.

“Spike!” She rushed to him and he flinched as she touched him. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

He looked up at her with such pain in his eyes her heart faltered. He wordlessly held out his hand to her; in it was Joy’s little fleecy cap. He looked back down.

“I wanted to hurt her,” he said. He couldn’t tell her that, as he looked at Joy, he could see her covered in a veil of blood, with oozing tooth marks on her neck.

“No, not you. It wasn’t you,” soothed Buffy.

“I killed Carole the day I got that hat,” he said as if she hadn’t spoken, his voice a low monotone.

She repeated that it hadn’t been him and gently took the hat from his hand.

He looked up at her, the horrific image of the broken body of Carole disappearing as the cap left his hand.

“Oh God, Buffy,” he whispered.

She hugged him close. He clung to her, eyes kept tightly shut, fearing he’d see Dru and not Buffy.

“Come on, dinner’s ready,” said Buffy eventually.

They stood up. Buffy picked up their daughter and walked out into the hallway.

“You go eat, I’m not feeling hungry, “said Spike, “Think I’ll lie down for a bit if that’s okay?”

“Sure it is. Want me to sit with?”

“No, it’s okay. You go and get your dinner.”

He brushed his lips on her cheek with the gentlest of kisses, then turned to go upstairs.

Buffy, joining the others for the meal, explained about finding Spike as she had.

“Poor Spike,” said Willow, “I’ll see if I can find a spell to help him.”

The others agreed it might be a good idea.

Oooooooooooo

Spike went into the bathroom, glancing fearfully at the mirror. Sure enough the reflection he saw was of the yellow eyed demon leering back at him. He struck out at the glass with his fist. It broke, a cobweb of cracks distorting the already distorted features of the demon. He looked down at his fist and there was blood on his knuckles, the smell turning his stomach. He spun round and just made it to the toilet before throwing up. When it passed he stood leaning over the toilet, breath coming in ragged gasps. He turned back to the mirror. In the disjointed reflection he still saw the demon, hair gleaming under the fluorescent light. He opened the cupboard and took out a pair of scissors and started to cut off the blond locks as close to his head as he could, trying to rid himself of the vision in front of him. It didn’t work - the vampire still looked back at him.

He fled the room and quickly and quietly went downstairs. He went to the cupboard that all Watchers Council properties have - the weapons cupboard. He looked at the racks of weapons, disregarding the swords and the axes, and pulled open a drawer. He took out a hand gun and from another drawer he took out a clip of bullets and snapped it in place. He carefully shut the door and walked along the hall to the garden at the back of the house. He opened the back door and slipped out into the night.

To be continued……..

TOO MUCH TO BEAR

After dinner they sat and chatted, making plans for their return to London. Thankfully a colleague had seen to the removal of Carole’s body and making the place secure once more. It wouldn’t be long before the next new intake of slayers would arrive and they wanted to get Spike back in his normal routine as soon as possible, certain it would help him.

“BUFFY!”

The yell made them all jump.

“He’s GONE.” Dawn’s voice was shrill.

They all ran to where her voice had come from. She was standing on the upstairs landing. She’d gone to check on Joy, who was still sleeping in the room she shared with Willow, and she’d gone into the bathroom and seen the smashed mirror and the locks of hair on the floor. Alarmed, she’d popped her head to look in on him but had found the bed empty, untouched.

“I should have known. He was so upset when I found him and I just let him go off to be on his own,” said Buffy, distraught.

“Dawn, you stay here with Joy. Andrew, go call Xander and let him know, then you and Willow go and look for him. Head towards the Council building. Buffy, you and I will go out the other way,” said Giles quickly, “We’ll find him, Buffy,” he added.

They rushed out of the house and split up to spread out and search for him.

Oooooooooooo

Xander put down the phone and turned to Helen.

“Spike’s gone, sneaked out of the house. He’d told Buffy earlier that he’d killed Carole. She thought she’d calmed him down and reassured him that he hadn’t done it. He said he was going to bed but he didn’t. He smashed the bathroom mirror and cut off his hair then disappeared.”

“Poor Spike, but it wasn’t him who killed Carole,” said Helen.

“I know, but he obviously can still feel it somehow. God, the guy’s been humanised and vamped so often there’s no wonder he’s in pieces.”

He stood and thought for a bit.

“I think I know where he’ll go - back to the house he was using.”

“Wouldn’t you think he’d steer away from that place?”

“You’d think so but I bet that’s where he is.” He snatched his coat up from the back of a chair and snatched the car keys up from the counter.

“I’m coming with you,” said Helen, rushing out after him.

Merl had told them where Spike and Drusilla had made their lair. They got there in about fifteen minutes, driving with no regard to speed limits. Xander looked at his watch, presuming Spike left soon after saying he was going to bed. He’d been missing for over two hours. He pulled the car to a halt, noticing the house was in darkness. They got out and walked to the front door, which was closed but not locked. They crept through the house, switching lights on as they went through the rooms on the ground floor, and found nothing. They checked out the basement, finding lots of chains but no Spike.

Upstairs they opened each door - still nothing. Xander was just thinking his hunch had been wrong when he realised he could see light shining under the door from the last bedroom. It faced the back of the house so they hadn’t seen it as they’d arrived. He pushed open the door.

Spike.

He sat to the right hand side of the room on a little stool in front of a dressing table. It had a mirror on the top of it, one of the sort that has three parts to it so you can see from different angles. The smaller side mirrors were smashed. He was staring at his reflection in the middle one, the fingers of his left hand tracing the outline of it in the glass.

Xander and Helen stepped into the room, but Spike didn’t seem to hear them. He picked up a bottle of Jack Daniels with his right hand and took a couple of big slugs, eyes never leaving his reflection.

“Spike?” said Xander, walking towards him.

Spike turned to look at him for a second before he looked back at the mirror.

“What do you see?” asked Spike, words slightly slurred, indicating he’d drunk a lot of the liquor he still held in his right hand.

“Er…..a friend in a bit of trouble, I reckon,” said Xander.

Spike started to laugh, then took a couple more slugs of JD.

“Spike, honey, come on, let’s take you home,” said Helen gently.

“I am home,” said Spike, “This is where I belong.”

“No it isn’t,” insisted Helen.

Spike took his left hand from the mirror and picked up the gun that up to that point neither Helen nor Xander had seen. Both froze when they saw it. He raised it slowly, not at them but to his left temple, his eyes never leaving his reflection.

“No!” screamed Helen.

Spike jumped as if he’d forgotten they were there. He lowered the gun and turned to them, getting off the stool and standing up. The gun was in his left hand and JD still in his right.

He looked at Helen in horror, seeing her not as she was but as she’d been in her kitchen, fear in her eyes and blood on her neck. He wiped his mouth with the back of his left hand and looked at it, surprised not to see the blood he thought he’d wiped from his lips. He could taste it.

“What do you see?” he asked again

“I see Spike, my friend Spike,” she said softly.

“Do you want to know what I see?” said Spike, voice trembling.

“Tell me.” she said. She could see Xander moving very slowly, trying to get closer to Spike.

“I see…..I see….the blood on your neck. I can taste it in my mouth. I hurt you and I……I….wanted…to do more…..bad things.”

“But it wasn’t you,” she soothed.

“If it wasn’t me why do I see it, feel it?” His voice rose to a shout. He wheeled round and pointed at the bed.

“I love Buffy, but why do I see Drusilla when she touches me? Why did I spend hours in here with Dru, not Buffy?”

Helen could hear the brittle edge of hysteria in his voice.

Two more big gulps of liquor.

“I killed Carole. I can feel the way her neck snapped in my hands.”

He looked back at the mirror. He looked at his reflection, still seeing the hateful face of the vampire staring back at him, evil amber eyes glaring brightly.

He flung the bottle of JD at it as hard as he could, both shattering with a loud crash.

He brought the gun up to his left temple.

Xander, who was now behind him, leapt for it.

Spike pulled the trigger.

To be concluded in the next chapter...

IT’S OVER

The shot rang out loud in the bedroom, both men falling to the floor.

“NO!” screamed Helen.

The two men lay still, then Xander started to move. His hand found the gun and he removed the clip of bullets and threw it into the corner of the room. He looked at Spike, seeing there was blood on his temple. Xander put his hand out to touch it.

Thank God, it was just a graze. Spike started to move. He was lying on his side and he drew his legs up to his chest until he was curled into a ball, head tucked into his knees.

Xander looked up at Helen, “We’re okay.”

She went to go to them, but Xander looked down at the mess that was Spike and turned back to her.

“Just leave us be for a bit, okay?”

She hesitated, but then nodded her agreement and left telling him she’d be downstairs and to take as long as he needed. Xander threw her the cell phone.

“Tell the others but don’t let them come up here.”

She caught it and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Spike was trembling violently and moaning almost inaudibly.

“It’s gonna be okay,” soothed Xander, “Come on, let’s get you up.”

He practically had to lift Spike onto the bed. He sat him on the edge of it then sat down next to him. Spike was still trembling uncontrollably so Xander put his arms around him.

“You’re okay. Just let it out, let it go.”

Spike leant against him and sobbed so hard he could hardly draw breath, his whole body shuddering. Xander held him tight until the trembling and sobs had subsided, leaving his shoulder soaked from all the tears.

“Do you want to tell me about it? What you saw?” asked Xander gently.

Spike sniffed a few times and hesitantly started to talk.

“In the mirror….I saw…..I saw….me….but vampire me…It showed what I am.”

“What you were,” corrected Xander, “If that’s what you are now you wouldn’t see it in a mirror, would you?”

“No…..yes……I dunno,” Spike stuttered, fresh sobs wracking his body.

“I remember it all……..remember the taste of blood…..the ….the ….thrill. And Carole….Christ…Carole…I can feel it.”

He looked down at his hands as if expecting them to be still gripping her neck.

“What about Joy?” prompted Xander, knowing that Spike had to confront his demons, as it were.

Another bout of shuddering sobs.

“Oh God.” Spike buried his face in his hands, “I ….can’t….don’t make me.”

Xander’s heart went out to Spike but he had to get through to him.

“Spike, you never touched her. You never touched the others. The vampire got them but he never got Joy.”

“I….he….wanted to get her…..to hurt her…..I saw her covered in blood….”

“It wasn’t real, Spike,” interrupted Xander.

“He…..he…..planned on……keeping her….turning her….at sixteen when she was old enough for him to….to…..oh God…”

Xander suddenly realised what Spike meant. The relationship between a vampire and its sire was often sexual. No wonder Spike had gone for the gun.

“But it won’t happen, she’s safe. It was his thought, not yours,” Xander said, a bit sharply.

“But…why do…I,” Spike faltered, “Why do I see it…..in the mirror…..Is it me?…..Is it still in me?”

“No way is it you or still in you. If you were that demon do you think you’d just have tried to blow your head off? You would’ve shot me and Helen and carried on doing the evil, not trying to stop it.”

He could see the relief flood through Spike’s body. He sagged a bit, head once more in his hands, and after a few minutes he sat back up and looked at Xander

“Christ, I nearly……”

“Yeah, you nearly,” said Xander, “Mind you, you still might want to when you see the haircut,” he added with a smile.

Spike ran his hand over his head, feeling the hair’s uneven length.

“That good, huh?”

“Want to see?” asked Xander. He felt Spike stiffen beside him.

“Come on, it’ll be okay. Think we need to find a different mirror, though,” he said with a nod towards the dressing table’s smashed mirrors.

Xander and Spike walked along the hall to the bathroom, Xander pulling the light cord. He noticed how Spike kept his eyes off the mirror until the pair stood in front of it. Xander gave him a little nudge. Spike took a deep breath and raised his head. His eyes widened in horror at his reflection. His body tensed, then he relaxed and rubbed a hand over his shorn locks.

“Bloody hell,” he said.

“Told you,” said Xander.

Spike looked at his reflection. His blue eyes were a bit bloodshot and red rimmed but they were most definitely blue. His features were normal, no lumpy brow or sharp teeth. A trickle of blood ran down from the graze on his temple, but the hair – well, it was certainly different. It was cut down to the scalp in places, some parts still showing the bleach blond, and others showing the brown roots. Spike didn’t care; it was his face, his hair and not the demon’s.

“Can we get out of here?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” said Xander.

The pair walked downstairs where Helen, Giles and Buffy were waiting. When Spike saw Buffy he broke into a run and flung his arms around her, picking her up off her feet. He kissed her, then realised he’d closed his eyes. When he opened them he just looked upon the beautiful face of his partner with no vision of Drusilla. Relieved, he kissed her again, not noticing as fresh tears fell down his cheeks.

When they finally parted Helen went over to and put her arms around him. He gave her a hug. The impression of her blood had gone. Xander slipped back upstairs realising he’d left the gun there. He picked it up, put it in his jacket pocket, and rushed back downstairs.

Xander and Helen went home, while Giles, Buffy and Spike went back to the safe house. They were greeted by Willow, a very enthusiastic Andrew, and Dawn. No mention of the gun was made to them and Spike was grateful for that. He went up to where his baby daughter was sleeping. Feelings rushed over him as he looked down at her, almost overwhelming him. But they were of love and protection, not harm. He breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Ooooooooo

Willow told him that she thought the visions he’d had were a side effect of all the magics he’d been subjected to. He agreed with her but in his heart he knew there had still been a little of him inside his body with the demon. He’d been along for the ride whether he’d wanted to or not.

Oooooooooo

They travelled back to London as soon as they could. When they arrived at the Council, whilst the others were busy putting bags away and such, Spike slipped away unnoticed. He scrabbled about at the back of the closet in his bedroom, found what he was looking for and went out into the garden. There was a meshed metal bin at the bottom of the garden that they used to burn leaves and other garden waste in from time to time. He put it in, put some old newspapers and twigs around it, squirted it with lighter fuel and dropped a match.

He stood there as the flames took hold, burning the old battered leather duster to nothing but ash.

THE END