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*** For my darling Beta Miss Isabella on her birthday... Couldn't do it without ya, Cupcake! And for Lady of Spike who begged very sweetly for an update. :D ***


Chapter Forty Three ~ Super Overdrive

“Round and round and round we go
One time before I die.
Round and round and round the world
In super overdrive.
See the world through a little hole
See it fly by.
Here I am in super overdrive
Super overdrive, super overdrive.

I'm sliding on the swings.
I'm swinging on the slides.
I'm alive
Fuel-injected
Passion-erected
Death-defied

One day it’s gonna come, boy
You’re gonna pay…

~ Billy Idol



“Wesley!” Angel was at his side in a moment. “What happened?”

“I-I don’t know. Perhaps his loss of consciousness voided the spell?”

He flipped through the book hastily, searching for an answer.

“Find me another spell. Or recast this one.” He glanced at Buffy, beginning to actually fear for her for the first time. “Just DO something!”

Buffy faced off with Riley across the clearing, her eyes never leaving his for a moment. She was waiting for a sign, something to show his next move - but his face was unrecognizable to her, his eyes unreadable. The person that stood before her now bore no resemblance to the sweet and earnest young man she once loved. Now he was a stranger, capable of anything. In a way it was a relief, it lifted any burden of guilt she might have had.

There would be no holding back this time.

Without warning he struck; Riley hit her with the full brunt of his pain and rage, all channeled into a blast of magick so powerful it was blinding. It blew her back 30 feet. The Slayer skipped like a stone over the rough ground and finally lay still, her body at a broken, awkward angle.

Spike roared in protective fury, dragging his battered frame up from the grass to launch himself at the mage. Even in his weakened state he was too quick for the boy and tumbled them both to the ground, fangs locked into his neck like a pit bull with a bone. They were down for an endless moment, struggling in the dew-wet grass. Suddenly Spike flew in an arc as if struck by lightening, body landing with a heavy thud as Riley rose from the ground straight to his feet, propelled by his own magicks. With a wave of his hand his gaping neck wound was healed. He grinned menacingly and advanced on the just-stirring form of the Slayer.

Angel swooped in, black coat whipping dramatically behind him. He had decided he would be the one to finish the job Spike couldn’t.

*As usual.*

He thought with a put-upon little sigh. Sliding seamlessly into game face he jumped into the fray, preparing to defend Buffy at any cost. No thought spared for the now still form of his errant grandchilde. Before he got within 6 feet of Riley he found himself spun upside down and placed in a chokehold, floating well above the ground. The sorcerer spared him a grim smile.

“Don’t worry, Angel. I won’t leave you hanging for long.”

And he turned back to his intended leaving the vampire to dangle interminably, trench coat flapping comically around his ears.

Gunn rushed to Angel’s aide. He tugged and pulled from every angle, but nothing worked. The vampire was left to swing like the Hanged Man from the Tarot deck. He thought he might be able to get a hit in and force Riley to release his hold. Waiting until the sorcerer was half-way to Buffy, Gunn came in from behind with the battle axe. It bounced off harmlessly as if hitting an invisible shield. When he struck again the axe whipped out of his hands and embedded itself into the nearest tree. Riley never even looked his way.

He trudged back to Wesley, not prepared to give up just yet.

“You got anything, Man?”

“Not yet, I’m afraid. Fred?”

She shook her head, not willing to peel her eyes from the book in front of her. Cordelia moved from her spot on the hillside to sit next to Fred on the grass, selecting a battered leather tome from the stack. The two men exchanged a look of disbelief.

“If Cordy’s researching, it must be ON.” Gunn quipped.

“What? I’m a team player!” She replied indignantly.

“Yeah, but you hate it.” He snorted.

“I don’t see you cracking a book, Pal.” She gave him the eyebrow of doom.

“Well…That’s just ‘cause I’m lookin’ for more weapons…” properly admonished he turned back to their small arsenal and began diligently digging. Cordelia settled in to her research with just the eensiest bit of self-satisfaction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy moaned and struggled to sit upright, her vision a hazy blur – everything had gone grey and misty around the edges like she was lost in a fog. She pulled herself up with the help of a convenient tree and shook her head, struggling for the breath her brutal landing had knocked from her. Blood trickled from a scalp wound into the corner of her eye, making it even harder to see. She couldn’t spot him – where was he? She scanned the landscape and found only misty dark. She couldn’t decide if it was her own blurred vision or his magick.

Riley came for her then. Floating two feet above the ground he approached, fingers dancing with sparks of evil green. He spotted her in the shadow of the tree and smiled a sick and deadly grin.

“There’s my girl.”

This was it, the moment that inevitably came for her in battle. So often faced with her own death she felt it.

The Choice.

Fall and rest or live to fight another day.

Buffy ALWAYS fought, even at her weakest, body bruised and bloodied. Because it wasn’t a choice at all – not really, it was simply who she was. She was a fighter, a warrior – a Slayer to her soul. And if she was to die, then she was damn well going down fighting. She closed her eyes trying to find that strength. Buffy thought of all she had to live for, to fight for.

Spike.

Dawn.

Mom.

Her friends, her Watcher, a world that held sunshine, shoe stores, Italy. Spike would take her to Rome and show her the city at night. And Paris too…what had he said? He wanted to make love to her at the top of the Eiffel Tower. She smiled at that, leave it to him to bring sex into everything they did. God, she loved him.

There was so much left to do, so much life left to enjoy…hadn’t she just discovered that? And no one was going to take it from her, not the Master, not Angelus, and certainly not Riley Finn.

She straightened up to look her approaching enemy in the eye, pure Slayer.

Riley faltered. Where was that battered young girl he saw struggling to her feet? Before him stood something entirely else; Buffy stood erect, spine straight, fists at the ready as she regarded him coolly. There was something animal about her, he could almost smell it.

She cocked her head at him quizzically, as if regarding a strange beast. What disturbed him most was her utter lack of fear. It was written in the lines of her body, a languid ease set about her. She was relaxed yet watchful, showing not the slightest sign of trepidation.

*I’ll show her fear.*

He set his jaw and pulled energy up from the earth, brow furrowed with the effort.

*I’ll show her LIGHTNING.*

Between his hands a fireball grew, emerald fury crackling with heat. He set it bouncing palm to palm like a basketball player ready for the game. Buffy regarded him serenely, the eerie green glow casting a sickly light on her face. She didn’t flinch. Not even when he drew back suddenly and threw it at her. She merely leapt with cat-like grace and let it pass harmlessly beneath her feet. She landed in a crouch, when she raised her head he took an involuntary step back.

She was grinning.

*Is that all you got, Boy?*

He could almost hear her saying it in his mind.

From her crouched position she pounced, faster than even his magick-enhanced vision could follow. Dragging him from his levitation, they tumbled to the ground landing with her on top, that malevolent grin still intact. Drawing back her fist she cracked him across the mouth, blood instantly began seeping from his split lip. In his anger Riley forgot his magicks and lashed back at her. With his closed fist he back handed her and watched with satisfaction as her head snapped to one side.

Remarkably, she laughed. A low sound of menace he had never heard from her before. When she turned her face back to him she was still smiling. Quick as a flash she sprang from him again, and with a leap and tumble laid hands upon her sword. When she stood once more, he felt the first rush of real fear.

Slowly she rose, head bowed until the last possible second, when the curtain of her hair cascaded from her face he saw her eyes. Black and fathomless they took him in and disregarded him in the same moment. He was no threat, no enemy – merely a broken beast to be dispatched quickly and just as soon forgotten. With arm extended she raised her blade and held it steadily at shoulder height, pointing directly at him. There was no mistaking the threat. Over four solid feet of razor sharp steel she stared him down. Only one word was uttered;

“Come.”

It was a command, a call. One he felt compelled to obey. Something about her tone…her voice.

*It doesn’t even sound like her!*

Riley felt a white bolt of cold fright shoot through him. For the first time since he began this mission he thought he might be the one to die. Somehow he finally found the sense to use the magicks he had paid so dearly for.

“I’m not going out like this, Buffy.”

He conjured another fireball and threw it at her. She used the sword as a deflector and sent it careening off into the dark.

“This isn’t how it was supposed to end!”

She stepped forward and he found himself retreating.

“You were supposed to be mine.”

He pulled up the lightning, drawing in energy from wherever he could.

“But if I can’t have you -”

The magick came over him again, his eyes pupiless and green as poisoned absinthe, emerald veins a broken spider web across his face.

“NO ONE CAN.”

And he struck her with everything he had.

A blinding fury of electricity came at her, for an instant Riley’s entire form was eclipsed by it and she saw only light. But the Slayer never faltered, with a dancer’s grace she leapt and the shot went wide, striking the old elm behind her and incinerating the top half instantly. The remaining stump flamed up and burned bright in the darkness.

By its golden glow he saw her. In the shimmers of heat her image danced; a pretty young college girl in the light of a fall bonfire. At a time not so very long ago they might have been holding hands beside it. He had a moment to wonder just how they had come to this. She smiled then, a terrible smile he would see forever in his worst nightmares.

And she came for him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Slayer within her was laughing with the joy of battle. Everything just felt right somehow. She was fulfilling the purpose she was born for. Feeling stronger than she ever had, Buffy cast her eyes to Riley. Even in his current evil form he seemed diminished somehow, smaller.

*Enough with the foreplay already…*

“Let’s finish this.”

And she bounded forward, sword in hand. His magick was of little use to him now. She fought as a woman possessed, faster and more furious than anything he had ever seen. Every attempt he made to hit her landed uselessly in the spot she had only just been. It required all his focus to try to fend her off. Angel finally dropped to the ground, forgotten in his sudden need for defense.

Gunn rushed to the vampire and dragged his limp form back to the relative safety of the sidelines. Angel rubbed at his now unconstricted throat. Good thing he didn’t need to breathe or he’d be dead by now.

*I knew I never liked that guy…*

He was preparing to jump back into the fight when he noticed Buffy - seriously kicking Riley’s ass.

“Damn. Do you SEE that girl?” Gunn’s eyes were wide with awe.

“Yeah.” His voice was still hoarse from the choke hold.

They followed her progress as she danced back and forth across the grass, moving so quickly it was almost hard to see.

“She always fight like that?”

“Buffy’s always been good – but no. I’ve never seen her like this before.”

All eyes were pinned on the Slayer, fighting for all she was worth - and winning.

Spike finally rallied enough to crawl back toward the group, somewhat recovered. He was met by Fred, who wrapped a blanket around him. She didn’t know what else to do.

“Thanks, Pet.” He coughed. “ ‘Preciate it.”

He took a moment to check for damage, patting all the important parts. He cupped his intact package gratefully. Satisfied of his relative wholeness he turned his eyes to the fight. He wanted to see how his Slayer was doing. When he caught sight of her, he grinned.

*There’s my girl.*

Buffy was literally beating the Hell out of Riley. The mage’s former evil appearance had been replaced by a Midwestern college kid sporting two black eyes, a split lip and a bloody nose. With a whipping sidekick she had him on his knees. Sword overhead she bonked him on the top of his skull. She used the solid metal end cap to bash him in his face, the crunch as it broke his nose was just as satisfying as she imagined it would be. He fell backwards holding his battered face, blood dripping through his cupped hands. Buffy pressed her advantage. A quick boot heel to the solar plexus and he was on his back. She raised the Claymore threateningly.

“I want you to listen to me, Riley. Because I’m only going to say this once;”
The sword tip pressed below his Adam’s apple. “Leave town. NOW.” She applied pressure to the blade for emphasis. “Because so help me, - if I ever see you again,” the tip pressed in another fraction of an inch. “I won’t be able to stop myself from killing you.”

Riley looked at the deadly creature in front of him, and for the first time he truly saw the Slayer within her. He saw the darkness in her eyes - and trembled. He didn’t know this girl. Maybe he never had.

He nodded his head, defeated.

“Go then.”

He scrambled back from her blade, only turning to run after he was clear of it.

Buffy stood, sword in hand until he was out of sight. Then she dropped the blade to the ground and ran to Spike. Falling to her knees beside him, she cooed tenderly over her singed lover.

“Oh Baby, how bad are you? What can I do?”

He coughed up a small puff of smoke and gave her a shaky smile.

“You can help me up for starters.” She extended her hand and pulled him to his feet, tucking herself under his arm for support. “Now you can kiss me.” She smiled and kissed him sweetly on his bruised mouth, her heart singing to have him whole and in her arms again. Together they limped slowly back towards the assembled members of Angel’s team.

“Nice bit of fightin’ you did there, Slayer.” He smiled at her admiringly.

“Nobody messes with MY man.”

“Remind me never to get you brassed off at me, Pet.”

“Oh, but I already am! I know you said something to set him off.” She poked him with an accusatory finger. “And what did I tell you?”

“I know, I know…behave m’self.” He put his hands up in a conciliatory gesture. “ Sorry, Love – it’s just that wanker irritates me. You know I’m not good at controlling m’ mouth.”

“It does seem to get the better of ya on the regular.”

“Yeah well, as long as it got me you, Baby.” And he shot her that roguish grin that made her melt.

“It wasn’t just your mouth…” She whispered kissing him once more, slower this time.

“Yeah?” His voice dropped to a husky whisper as he pulled her closer. “What else then?”

Cordelia had the presence of mind to clear her throat before the two love birds got carried away. She was so not prepared to see a Slayer and master vampire going at it today. The couple in question turned to see the gaping mouths of Wesley, Fred and Gunn as well as Cordelia’s amused smile and Angel’s unhappy scowl.

“Oh, hi Guys.” Buffy smiled brightly.

“Did I mention we’re together now?”


*** The end of one problem for our heroes...but what of Faith? Glory? And how will Angel handle the news of Spike's involvement with Buffy?? Stay tuned for more intrigue in the next episode of Vamps of Our Lives....***





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