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Thank you all for the kind reviews. Hope you all are still enjoying this.
She was so sick and tired of stupid vampires. What were they thinking?

It had only been a week since the Judge and ever since she had been trying to make sense of what they were thinking. Sure they were irritated with her after all she was good at stopping their plans but if they wiped out all the humanity on the planet what the hell were they going to eat?

For beings that were way older then she was they didn't seem to have a whole lot of common sense. Of course for all she knew they were letting Dru plan everything for them.

It would explain all kinds of crazy decisions but for that to happen Angelus and Spike would have to be listening to her. Maybe all three of them had boarded the crazy train.

But the week had passed without a peep from the three. And though Buffy was many things patient wasn't one of them. She was tired of playing this game and waiting for them to strike.

She needed a chance to have a decent fight with them and even though the look on Angelus' and Dru's faces had been near hysterical when she pulled out the rocket launcher it didn't make up for the fact that they had run off like a couple of scaredy cats.

Not nearly as satisfying as fighting them directly.

But the thought of her final confrontation with the Judge as short as it was brought another question to the forefront of her mind.

Where was Spike?

Not that she cared. Quite the opposite in fact but he had to be healed by now it had been a month already.

She shrugged to herself. Now wasn't the time for this anyway. She had come out here for a specific purpose.

Standing just outside of the factory she checked the night sky. It was still plenty dark but right now it was kind of early. Early enough that the elder vampires should be out hunting.

Leaving a bunch of minions alone to hold down the fort so to speak. A bunch of minions she would have no trouble what so ever taking out.

The thought brought a smile to her lips. It was one hell of a way to send them the message that she was done playing.

And she should have plenty of time to get done before they returned to their lair.

There was a rarely seen bounce in her step as she made her way into the dark factory. She paused just inside the door letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. This was different then just her everyday slaying while she patrolled. No tonight she was hunting them.

She stuck to the shadows as she made her way through the factory staking each of the minions she found silently. None of them were prepared for someone to attack their little strong hold and she forced back the urge to tsk their arrogance. How could she not make an attack on their little nest? They were only begging for it.

One by one she stealthily depleted the number of minions that served the surviving members of the Scourge. It gave her a subtle thrill to know she was one-upping the most notorious group of vamps in the last two centuries.

She was a little disappointed as she made her way around to the last vamp she could find in the main part of the building. She was almost through but dammit for once she was really enjoying herself. As the dust settled she grasped her stake tighter so she could make it to the actual separate rooms in the back. No one had spotted her and there had been no alarm but she was cautious any way.

Reaching out with her senses she felt the familiar buzz that signaled vampire. It wasn't particularly overwhelming which told her it wasn't more then one. But it was off a little from the norm a little stronger then what she recognized on a daily basis. Something that screamed age and power. A master.

She halted and turned her head to the side listening. That didn't make sense the only master vampires in town currently were the three that lived here already and they were supposed to be out hunting. Raising her stake in the air she took a few more steps.

The sound of clapping brought a small smile to her lips.

Maybe there would be a bit of a challenge tonight after all.

"Nice work luv."

She twirled the stake in her hand.

"Now why does this seem familiar?"

The low chuckle that greeted her seemed to come from the right. Glancing in that direction she couldn't see anything it was just too dark.

The grin on her face disappeared as he wheeled into view. He was still in the damn chair.

The disappointment bubbled inside of her. Not only was she being denied a fight with her most worthy adversary of date but he should have long healed by now. What was going on?

She watched as he continued to roll forward the chair stopping as he entered a pool of light.

The gasp that left her was strictly involuntary as she took in the sight of him. He was most definitely still in the chair and her eyes roamed over his emaciated form. Where once strong sleek muscles were prominent now he was little more then skin and bones. The skin of his arms were covered in dark bruises. Letting her eyes drift to his face she couldn't help the surge of anger she felt as she noticed his sunken cheeks and the black eye. His right temple sported a bright red gash that nearly met his eyebrow.

Not a month ago she had left him outside of this very building in much better condition than the one she saw him in now. The difference was like night and day, the only way she could be sure it was the same man was the look in his vibrantly blue eyes.

For once the intense hatred she could see burning there wasn't directed at her.

"What have they done to you?" She whispered the words unable to really let them out in the face of her rage and compassion for the creature in front of her.

He stared quietly at the Slayer and watched the play of emotions that flickered over her face. He didn't want her pity it was worthless not something that he could use. But as he watched the rage start to burn in her emerald depths a surge of hope passed through him. A feeling he hadn't had since the third day he had returned to the factory.

His assessment of Angelus' reaction to his predicament had been spot on as usual and the round of torture and starvation had started almost immediately. They gave him just enough pigs’ blood to keep him from turning into a literal skeleton but not enough to nourish his beaten and abused body.

The seething hatred he had felt for the wanker when he was a fledge had returned ten fold. The only difference now was he was starting to hate his dark princess. It was unacceptable to him to feel that way about the woman who had raised him from the mediocrity that had been his life. But her continued attention to her daddy at his expense and her lack of concern about his declining condition was pushing him to that emotion.

But the Slayer, now there was something that could help. He had no reason to believe that she would really other then the fact that she had before. There was something about this one that was different and although he didn't let his thoughts linger on her any more then necessary he had a feeling that the compassion she had shown him was one of her greater strengths. Something he could use to help him rid the planet of his Grandsire's presence.

He was aware that she had voiced a question but he was too tired and emotionally spent to actually give a really coherent answer. He had used whatever reserve of strength he had left to make sure he wheeled himself to where she was. The pull of unconsciousness was almost irresistible and he managed to fight it just long enough for her to kneel in front of him.

"Do you want to leave?" Her voice was still quiet but he heard and clung to every word.

With a nod of his head he relaxed and finally let the blackness engulf him.

***********

He awakened slowly not really wanting to fight off the last pull of sleep in his tired body. The stirrings of his mind had brought him to consciousness a few times but the tug of sleep to his exhausted body had been too strong. The brief glimpses of awareness had brought flashes of images that he strained to put in order but failed.

There were too many all centered around a small green eyed blond girl who shouldn't give a right toss to what happened to him. And yet she did.

Opening his eyes slowly he was greeted by the sight of her face once again.

He didn't know if he should be relieved or terrified.

What he did know was that with the making of coherent thought that awareness brought it also reminded him of just how much pain he was in.

The rough groan that passed his lips seemed abnormally loud.

"I guess that answers the question of how you feel." She shook her head. "Jesus Spike what the hell happened to you?"

He stretched slightly noting that while the pain was immense it wasn't as sharp as it had been. Which of course could only mean he was healing and the only way that could happen given the state he was before everything had gone black was that he had at least been fed. He didn't know if he could ever thank her for that.

He stared into dark green pools full of concern and anger and wondered when everything was said and done if he would be able to go through with killing her. The thought that maybe he couldn't was pushed ruthlessly out of his mind. Of course he could this was just temporary he was still the Big Bad and as evil as always.

"Just Angelus being the bastard he's always been. Din't expect any less of the Wanker."

"Then why the hell did you go there in the first place?"

He declined to answer and gave her a glare.

She was tired. Too tired to sit and deal with a now conscious and apparently still hostile Spike. The last two days she had sat by his side and force fed mug after mug of blood into him. And while that provided a great distraction from her current problems it was also not one of her favorite things. Cause blood ewww.

She was glad that the events of Valentine's Day had confused and flustered her mother so much that she went on the spur of the moment buying trip for a couple of weeks. The timing of her raid on the factory couldn't have been better. For once luck had been on her side. She hated to think what would have happened if the others had burst into the basement to find Spike there.

Unfortunately the aftermath of the spell had left all of them embarrassed and flustered so they were all pretty big with the avoidy. Well except for Xander and Cordelia they were closer then ever as annoying as that was. Which all boiled down to Buffy being alone and having way too much time to think.

And she had been. So much so that her brain had to be fried. But every time she thought the swirling torment that was her thoughts had stopped that sneaking little voice in her head spoke up. The one that couldn't grasp the fact that the Angel she knew and loved had been turned into such a cold and heartless creature. The voice that told her the only probable outcome to their problems involved something sharp and pointy and wooden.

It hurt in ways she was unable to describe to anyone.

And yet she spent hours sitting and staring at Spike waiting for the moment where he would finally come to. What was wrong with her? Was she that desperate to hide from her pain? Why was she still trying to help him?

She didn't know the answers. What she did know was seeing him the other night in his god awful condition set her teeth on edge. She was angry. Well more then angry that anyone would take advantage of someone in such a way.

Evil was a poor word to describe it.

Sure death destruction these were the norm in the undead creatures that evil hovered in. But this? This went way beyond that.

Maybe the reason she wanted to help him now was the rage she felt. Maybe it was a way for her to put another nail in Angelus' metaphorical coffin.

So now he was awake. And just like that she knew the situation had completely changed. Not that she didn't think it would but she was unsure just how much to interact with him. Because if looks could kill... Yada yada yada.

She stood and just gave him a look that could be interpreted a number of ways, none of which she was going to expand upon.

"I'm going upstairs anything you need?" Her tone was brisk and business like.

Did he? Mean beside the use of his legs and to be healed from the weeks of torture and starvation from Angelus' hands?

He shook his head in the negative and watched as she seemed to gracefully float up the stairs. So he was back in the basement. He glanced around and noticed that its appearance hadn't changed while he'd been gone.

Just as well seeing how he didn't have the energy to notice the differences in the first place.





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