“I mean, I’m not saying you owe me for saving your lives or anything.” Andrew was saying.
Spike jerked the wheel of the Council’s van to make a hard right and Andrew flew across the back of the fan into the side.
“Maybe I should put on my seatbelt.” Andrew muttered to himself.
“I definitely sense some sort of power up ahead.” Buffy told Spike, as they both ignored Andrew.
“Cool.” Andrew leaned forward in between the two front seats. “Is that one of your new super powers?” He asked excitedly.
Then he looked up ahead. “Red light.” He told them.
Buffy put her hand in front of his face and pushed him back in the back. “Safety first.” She chirped. “Better put on you seat belt.”
“Red light.” Andrew said again pointing up between them.
“And quit distracting the driver.” Spike barked. There was a red light up ahead, but instead of slowing down Spike pressed his foot down on the gas pedal.
“Red light.” Andrew almost yelled this time.
Spike jerked around two cars that were waiting for the light to change. They flew through the intersection and narrowly avoiding two more cars and a floral delivery van.
Once they were on the other side of the intersection and back on their side of the road, Spike began to laugh like a maniac. “Doesn’t it just make you feel alive, luv?” He yelled at Buffy and turned up the radio. Buffy just rolled her eyes and shook her head at him.
Andrew looked through the back windows, dazed.
“Red light.” He said again before collapsing in a heap.
As they drove onward towards the center of the city, Spike’s driving continued to be reckless. Andrew had finally stopped saying red light, but appeared to still be in shock because of the way he was curled up in the back.
On the bright side, he hadn’t spoken at all in the past five minutes.
Just after passing the hospital, Buffy felt a strong tingling feeling inside of her. “Spike.” She said wanting to alert her mate to what she was sensing, but Spike obviously felt it too. He jerked on the emergency brake and the van spun around one hundred and eighty degrees.
Behind them Andrew began to throw up at the sudden movement.
“Oh BLOODY HELL!” Spike yelled as the smell of vomit filled the air. He quickly pulled the van over to the sidewalk and he and Buffy jumped out.
Spike lit up a cigarette, trying to get the disgusting scent out of his nose. Even Buffy leaned close to him wanting to clear the noxious odor out of her sinuses.
After regaining their equilibrium the looked up at the tall building in front of them.
“Do you feel the power coming from inside?” Buffy asked.
“Yeah.” Spike answered. “I also feel a demonic presence, a strong demonic presence.”
“Do you recognize it at all?” Buffy asked him.
Spike concentrated for a few seconds. “No, I’ve never come across anything like it before.” He said with a frown.
“Cool, something new to kill.” Buffy said with enthusiasm.
The sliding door to the van opened up and Andrew lurched out. “Ok, I’m ready you guys.” He looked up at the building. “Is this where we’re going?”
“No.” Spike said firmly. “Buffy and I are going in. You, however, are going to be staying right here and cleaning up the mess in the back.”
“But what if you need me?” Andrew gasped out, hurt.
“Need you to what, Andrew?” Spike turned and demanded angrily. “Need you to scream like a girl or hurl up what may be left of your lunch? What can you do to help? You can’t fight and I don’t think a tranquilizer gun is going to work on a demon that has been terrorizing people all over this city.”
“I could…” Andrew began.
“You could…” Spike cut him off. “You could distract us by getting yourself into trouble and needing us to bail you out. Or maybe you can use your deadly projectile vomiting power. You will be more trouble than you are worth.” He pushed him back into the van and shut the door before Andrew could say anything else.
Without another word he turned and stormed into the office building without a backwards glance. Buffy looked nervously at the window that now had Andrew’s tear stained face pressed against it before hurrying after Spike.
She caught up with him right inside the front door, immediately noticing the quiet, darkness that encased the entire building. They both moved forward cautiously. Both of them were using all their demonic senses to search out any demons or nasties hiding in the dark.
“Don’t you think you were kind of hard on him?” Buffy whispered.
Spike didn’t answer her, pretending he was too caught up in hunting this demon that was terrorizing the city.
“I know he reminds you of how you used to be.” She said, quietly.
Spike stopped, but he didn’t turn around. “I sense the power coming from up above us, but the demons signature seems to be below.” He sniffed the air. “I can also smell the Watcher’s cologne, he’s been here recently.”
Buffy reached out and grabbed his elbow. “Spike.” She said.
He whirled to face her furiously, eyes glowing gold. “What do you want me to say, Buffy?” He demanded.
She just stared at him as he ran his hand through his hair frustrated. “Ok, so maybe I was a little hard on him, but it’s for his own good. He had no business being out in the field like this. He would get himself killed.”
“I know, but still…”
”How many times have has he been told about sneaking out to follow me and yet every time I turn around there he is.”
“Spike, its ok.” Buffy soothed him. She could feel how bad he felt for the way he talked to Andrew and she could also sense that he had said what he had out of concern for Andrew’s safety. “You have to remember, though, that he isn’t you.” She said, gently. Spike glared at her for bringing up the similarities between his human self and Andrew. “He knows what’s out here and the reason he follows after you like he does is because he looks up to you.”
“Fine, I’ll take him out for a bloody ice cream when this is over, ok?” Spike snarled and turned back around, missing Buffy’s knowing grin. “Now what do you want to tangle with first? The unknown demon or the warlock your Watcher is after?”
“I vote demon. That way there won’t be any unexpected surprises when we go up to face Ethan.”
Spike nodded and the headed across the lobby of the building and down the stairs to the lower levels.
Andrew sat outside in the car, tears pouring down his face. He couldn’t believe Spike thought he was so worthless. Didn’t saving them count for anything with him?
Andrew knew he was still just a nerd in their eyes, but he had thought he was much better than he had been. He was a full member of the Watcher’s Council now and had even taken out quite a few demons on his own. Well on his own with some help from the younger Slayers.
Andrew sniffled and then scrunched up his nose at the smell of his puke in the back. He looked through the van for something to clean it up with, but didn’t see anything. He moved farther to the back and happened to glance out the window and notice something moving outside towards the office building. He stopped and stared at it curiously.
It was the size of a large rat and the same color. The only difference was it was completely round and it rolled on the ground instead of walking. Andrew watched as it traveled up to the doors of the building and pushed open the doors and went inside. Several more appeared and also headed towards the office building.
Suddenly, Andrew remembered, a passage he read in one of the books about a certain type of demon. Andrew began to search frantically through the van, looking for his briefcase, amidst the clutter.
Of course he found it under a pile of his spew, he tried to dump most of the liquid off before opening it. He threw the papers on the top out of the briefcase at random, before he found what he was looking for.
Most women kept a whistle on their key chain in case they ran into trouble at night alone. Andrew kept an air horn on him. He grabbed it along with the two back ups he also had and threw open the sliding door on the van.
He hesitated for a moment remembering Spike’s words, but then he shook off his hesitation. They had no idea what they were up against and he was the only one who could save them.
Andrew got out of the van and ran inside after the furry round balls.
Buffy and Spike descended lower into the building, the farther down they went the more they began to doubt their senses. While they still felt the demon ahead of them, they also felt it behind them, and around them. Yet they still hadn’t caught sight of it.
“Are we on a wild goose chase?” Buffy wondered.
“Something ripped into Angel’s woman.” Spike said.
“True, but why is it hiding from us?” She asked.
“Maybe it knows it’s going to get its arse kicked.” Spike said with a grin.
Just then there was movement up ahead of them. They both squinted their glowing eyes into the dark corner.
“Was that a rat?” Buffy whispered fearfully.
Spike turned incredulously. “Tell me a little rat doesn’t scare you.”
Buffy got defensive. “It doesn’t scare me, it just squicks me out.”
”Come Vampire Slayer, I’m sure there are worse things down her than rats.” Spike told her.
“Jerk.” Buffy muttered.
There was more movement off to their left, the both stopped and turned towards it, but again it moved to fast for them.
“Bloody hell.” Spike muttered. “Why don’t you show yourself?!” Spike yelled into the darkness.
Buffy spun around, seeing something moving out of the corner of her eye. The feeling from the demon was much stronger now and it seemed to surround them.
Suddenly the room they were in lit up and they both cringed at the sudden flood of light. When their eyes adjusted to the brightness they looked up and saw a single ball of brown fur in the middle of the room.
“What the hell is that?” Spike asked.
The ball seemed to grow short two-inch legs that it stood up on. Two tiny arms extended out of the fur with inch long claws on the end. It didn’t seem to have any eyes that they could see.
“Are we being attacked by a Furby?” Buffy wondered.
The little ball leaped into the air as high as her head, moving faster than they thought possible. Buffy moved out of the way just in time to miss a claw to one of her eyes.
“Crazy little bugger.” Spike yelled as he followed its flight though the air.
It had barely landed before it immediately jumped up again, this time coming for Spike, who managed to catch it in mid air with his hands. He squeezed it and a green blood ran out of it as it died.
“Well that wasn’t so hard.” He said.
“No, but this might be.” Buffy said. He looked and saw that surrounding them in a circle almost ten feet deep were nothing but more of the little furry creatures.
“I don’t know if we can hold them all off.” Buffy said.
“We won’t know until we try.” Spike said, desperately trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice. The stood back-to-back, moving slowly in a circle, while they waited for the creatures to attack.
“I love you.” Buffy told him. “I’m sorry I got mad at you earlier.”
“I love you, too pet. And don’t worry about it, one of the things I love most about you is your stubborn anger.”
“Jerk.” She said with affection.
A shiver seemed to run through the creatures collectively and as one the all leapt onto the vampire and Slayer.
Andrew ran down the stairs as fast as he could. He was hoping he remembered correctly that these demons preferred dark and damp places low to the ground as opposed to anything high up and bright. The farther down her went the darker it got. He reached in his pocket for his Mag-lite Flashlight and illuminated the hallway. He hoped he wasn’t too late to help Buffy and Spike.
They were covered from head to toe with the creatures. Most of their clothing was ripped and blood poured from the cuts all over them. Spike could smell the Buffy’s blood in the air and it fueled him to fight harder even though he knew it was useless. There was just too many of them. Every time he managed to get hold of one and kill it, ten more took its place. Pretty soon neither one of them would have any skin left.
He felt Buffy fall behind him. He tried to turn to help her, but then one of the creatures managed to cut one of the tendons in his leg and he also fell to the floor. He reached out his hand desperately, but felt nothing. He threw another one of the furry bastards off him and reached out again. This time he felt his way through the fur and managed to grab onto Buffy’s arm and pull her towards him. He wrapped his arms around her, as they both pushed the creatures out from between them. Her face was covered in blood, but her eyes stared into his without fear and full of love.
They both knew this was it, there was no way out for them.
A loud noise filled the room, it made Spike’s jaw ache, but it also seemed to hurt the creatures because they suddenly dropped to the ground shivering uncontrollably. The noise doubled in intensity, then tripled. Spike and Buffy both put their hands over their ears to block out the noise.
The creatures started to explode around them.
The noise went on and on, until every last one of the creatures had blown apart, then it died down and everything was quiet.
Spike and Buffy looked towards the doorway they had come through in shock and awe.
There stood Andrew, looking larger than life with Air Horns in his hands.
Spike couldn’t help it he broke into a relieved laugh. He and Buffy helped each other up and staggered over to the doorway. Spike looked Andrew in the eyes.
“Thanks mate. You saved our lives.” He told him sincerely. Andrew beamed with pride.
“How did you know how to kill them?” Buffy asked him breathlessly.
“They were Tribulamara demons.”
“Uh-huh.” Spike said.
“They were the inspiration behind the ‘Trouble with Tribbles’ episode on Star Trek.” Andrew explained further as he put one arm around Buffy and helped them get to the staircase. “I found them in one of Giles old books and that’s also when I discovered one of the writers for the original Star Trek series used to be a Watcher. That’s why so many of the aliens on there resembled some type of demon.”
“Of course he was.” Spike said as he stared up the dark staircase wearily. “I don’t think we can make it up all those stairs.”
“There’s an elevator behind you.” Andrew pointed out.
The three limped to the elevator doors. “Let’s just hope it works.” Buffy muttered.
“Either way, we aren’t in too good of shape to take on a warlock.” Spike said.
“I think I can help with that, too.” Andrew said, after pushing the button to go up. They were all surprised and relieved when the lights lit up and the elevator began to descend. “I know a simple healing spell that should close up most of those wounds.”
Spike looked at him impressed. “Seems like I underestimated you.” He said apologetically.
There was a ding as the elevator doors opened and the light from inside lit up the dark area they were standing in. They made their way into the car where Buffy and Spike slumped down onto the floor, leaving Andrew to punch the button.
“That’s ok. Even you are allowed to be wrong once in a while.” Andrew said.
Buffy snorted loudly.
“Once in a while.” She muttered disbelievingly.
“Hey now.” Spike said to her offended. She offered him a smile and he returned it with love.
Spike leaned forward and began to carefully lick the blood from her face, similar to a cat. Buffy sighed and leaned closer to him. Andrew knew he should be grossed out by what he was seeing, but instead he found the close tenderness they shared between them endearing and he watched with a supportive smile on his face as Spike cleaned all the blood from her face taking her face between his hands and kissing her lightly. She smiled at him lovingly.
“Hey you.” She said.
Andrew began to chant behind them and they both turned, as the sound of his voice grew louder. A green light surrounded them and they both felt themselves infused with energy and an itchy feeling as their wounds began to heal knit themselves up. By the time the elevator dinged to mark their arrival on the main floor both of them felt on hundred percent better.
“This is my stop.” Andrew said. “I’m going to wait down here and make sure none of the Tribulamara demons try to sneak up behind you.”
Spike and Buffy both looked at him with appreciation. Impulsively, Buffy leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thanks, Andrew. We owe you our lives.” She said.
They saw Andrew turn beat red just as the elevator doors closed and they began to ascend to the top floor to face Ethan Rayne.
Buffy just hoped Giles was ok.
As the elevator rose up to the top floor, Buffy’s anxiety increased. She didn’t really know what to expect when facing Ethan Rayne. She knew that when it came down to it, the man was a coward, but it was his magic capabilities that made him a formidable enemy.
The bell dinged signaling their arrival and the doors opened. Buffy and Spike peered out carefully. Seeing no one the stepped out and looked around.
They both felt the power pouring out from down the hall and they began to make their way carefully towards it. They turned a corner and saw in front of them a large corner office that had probably belonged to the CEO of the business they were inside of. Through the glass doors they were surprised to see Giles holding Ethan by the throat on one side of the desk.
When he spoke they could hear him clearly.
“I’ll ask you one more time, Ethan: What was the spell you cast on Buffy?” Giles asked, his voice was cold.
“Come now Ripper.” Ethan wheezed. “You know a magician never reveals his tricks.”
Giles squeezed harder and Ethan began to choke and cough. “Where is the scythe?” Giles demanded. A funny noise began to creep out from Ethan; it took a moment for Buffy to realize it was laughter.
“I sold it, to a nice demon friend of mine. It should be in a delightful hell dimension about three realms over.” Giles threw him across the room into the glass doors.
He lay on the floor not far from Buffy and Spike. Giles walked out and looked down at him. He was so focused on Ethan he didn’t appear to notice Buffy or Spike. Giles kicked the other man squarely in the crotch and watched impassively as he curled up. Behind her, Buffy almost heard Spike cringe in sympathy. She knew he was thinking that Giles wouldn’t mind doing that to him.
“You once again endangered my Slayer, Ethan.” Giles said. “Do you know how angry that makes me?”
“Attached to the girl, are you?” Ethan said through his pain. Giles slammed down his foot on Ethan’s knee. The other man howled in pain.
“You endangered my Slayer.” Giles said again, louder. “I never thought you were that stupid.” Giles all but growled.
Giles leaned down and pulled his head up by the man’s hair. “When you attacked Buffy, it was the same as if you attacked my family. Buffy is like a daughter to me.” He shoved Ethan’s head into the floor and watched it bounce off the tile, before he grabbed his hair and roughly pulled his head up again.
“But you knew that didn’t you Ethan. You knew that out everything on this planet, hurting Buffy would be the most sure fire way to hurt me.” Again Ethan’s head bounced off the floor. “That girl is everything to me, I would do anything to protect her.” He pulled Ethan up one last time and stared deeply into his eyes. “I know you won’t let this go, you will continue to trouble her as long as you live. You want to punish me for turning my back on our former life.” Giles stood up.
“What are you going to do, Ripper?” Ethan whispered, but Buffy and Spike could still hear him.
Giles calmly pulled a pistol out of his pocket. “I’m going to ensure you never hurt her again. She is going to have a hard enough time, I won’t let my past endanger her more.”
“You won’t kill me.” Ethan said.
Three shots were fired, Ethan’s body jerked and then was still.
“Giles!” Buffy gasped, and ran out from behind the corner.
Giles looked up at her. “How long were there?” He demanded from her.
Buffy couldn’t speak, tears filled her eyes as she looked from the now dead man on the floor to her Watcher, to Spike and then back to her Watcher.
“I love you.” Buffy told Giles.
He gave her a weak smile. “And I love you my dear girl.” His voice was filled with pride. He walked forward and gave her a hug, all the while eyeing up Spike behind her.
For the first time Spike found himself nervous about the Watcher. He recognized the look in his eyes when he killed the warlock. Giles had killed before and he would do it again if he felt his reasons were just and he wouldn’t hesitate to do it.
Giles let go of Buffy and she turned to Spike. “What about you? Are you ready to get out of here?”
“More than.” Spike said.
“I would think it best if the two of you stayed at the hotel with rest of us for now.” Giles said. “There are more than enough rooms that you can get one far from anyone else within hearing range and I don’t think we should be separated right now.”
Buffy looked at Spike in question. He shrugged; he really didn’t care where they stayed. Besides, a hotel room wasn’t much bigger than his apartment.
“Ok, Giles.” Buffy agreed. Giles turned and fixed Spike with the same cold emotionless stare he had on his face when he faced off with Ethan. Spike began to wonder where he got the nickname ‘Ripper’.
”Besides Spike is going to probably need that time to convince me he’s good enough for you.” Giles said, with a tight smile.
Buffy walked over and laced her fingers with Spike’s. “He makes me happy and I love him.” Buffy told Giles. He looked at her with a fond smile, before turning back to Spike.
“If you ever hurt her, I will make you scream in pain for years to come.” He told the vampire, there was no doubting the sincerity of his words when witnessing the fire in the older man’s eyes.
While Spike now understood the Watcher was much darker than he ever gave him credit for, he didn’t flinch under the scrutiny.
“If I ever hurt her, I hope you do worse than that.” He simply said. His answer seemed to please Giles because the cold look left his eyes.
“Uh, guys…” Buffy pulled on Spike’s sleeve, but he was focused on Giles.
“At least you are British.” Giles said as he took off his glasses and began cleaning them.
“That’s right mate. I understand what football actually is.”
“GUYS!!” The alarm in Buffy’s voice finally ended their pissing contest and they turned to her.
“Look.” She said pointing to where Ethan lay.
Except now there wasn’t a body, there was just a stack of papers on the ground where he had been. Three bullets were imbedded in the floor around the papers.
The three inched forward and saw the top paper said in clear writing ‘Ripper - Someday you will thank me.’
Giles picked up the stack and looked through them. “Oh bloody hell.” He said tiredly.
“What is it?” Buffy asked peering over his arm at the papers.
“It appears to be a prophecy.” Giles answered her.
[Reviews - 129]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 1373 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
I got permission to stay late at work and get some writing done. I am still without electric, for another week at least. I'll try to come in tomorrow and update Legacy. Thanks for the patience and all the nice e-mails and reviews. I promise once I get moved updates will come regularly again.