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An animalist growl rumbled in Spike’s throat as he rounded the corner at the end of the block to find the narrow alley empty. The crowd had been a good place to hide when the Slayer and her latest example of romantic folly had exited the Bronze, but the people had been a huge hindrance when he had attempted to follow the couple. By the end of the street he wanted to start throwing people out of the way no matter how much the chip would punish him as a result.



He didn’t have time for that now. He had to find Buffy before she got herself good and dead. The alley was empty and nothing had been disturbed save for the tipped over garbage cans that had probably been that way all night. There wasn’t a sign of the couple in sight, but they wouldn’t lose him that easily. The scent of vanilla nearly overpowered by the smell of liquor and a very faint dash of something else teased at his nostrils. It would not have been noticeable to your average person even without the stench of garbage hiding it, but luckily for the Slayer, she had him around to save her butt.





****





“Mmm…” a raspy groan passed through Buffy’s dry lips. Her mouth felt like it could make the Sahara look like a rain forest. She kept her eyes shut hoping the throbbing in her temples would let up soon. Vaguely, she recalled leaving the Bronze, but after that things got hazy. When was she going to remember alcohol and the Slayer didn’t mix? At least, she had a sweet guy like Ryan to take care of her. Although, she wished the bed wasn’t so rock hard and her hands weren’t chained over her head.



Wait a minute! Buffy’s eyes snapped open, but the chains about her wrists became a rather minor concern. She hadn’t expected Ryan’s apartment to have rock walls or a stone slab for a bed or a campfire built in the middle of the dirt floor for that matter. Where in the hell did he bring her?



“So you’re finally awake.” Ryan emerged from a shadowy corner of the cave. The look of distain on his face turned her blood nearly as cold as the stone beneath her back.



“Ryan,” she croaked tugging against the chains holding her down, “where are we?”



“This would be home,” he replied. “Who would have thought it would be so easy to bring a Slayer down?”



Buffy stared at the man towering over her not believing this was the same man she had met in the cemetery. “What’s going… Ryan, you know who I am? What did you do to me?”



“It was so simple,” Ryan boasted. “All the plotting, spells, and all it took was a simple mickey, okay, two or three, to bring you down.”



“Ryan, have you gone completely bonkers?” she growled. “You drugged me? I thought you were a consultant…”



“And I am,” he laughed as he brought a heavy sword from behind his back. “I told you I help people with their problems—a coven needing to rid themselves of an annoying do-gooder Wicca, or say an entire town of demons plagued by a Slayer with relationship issues. You were such an easy target. Once I finish you off, that powerful little sister of yours will be all mine, and I’ll rule the Hellmouth.”



The chains rattled as Buffy fought to get off the slab, only making the manacles about her wrists bite into her flesh. “Leave Dawn out of this! She’s just a kid!”



“Come now, Buffy,” he laughed raising the sword over his head, “we both know she’s much more than that, and if you will kindly shut the hell up, I would very much like to get this messy business over with so I can get my reward.”



Buffy’s eyes fluttered shut waiting for the final blow. She was such an idiot. Dawn had tried to warn her, and now Dawn was going to the paying for her stupidity.



Was he ever going to get this over with? The bad guys always had to prolong their victories. The girl’s eyes popped back open at the sound of the sword thudding to the dirt floor followed by a second thud as Ryan’s back landed against the cave wall.



“Spike?” She had to be dreaming. The vampire was miles away. He couldn’t be in the cave holding Ryan against the wall by his throat.



“So you’re Spike?” Ryan smiled despite the fingers digging into his throat. “Thought you were busy getting your soul back. How’s that working out for you?”



“You know about that?” the vampire growled looking confused for a moment.



Buffy ceased to struggle with her bonds and stared at the new arrival. “You got a soul?”



“It’s my business to know the going on's in the demon community,” Ryan informed him. “Now why don’t you be a good vampire and put me down. Wouldn’t want my death on your conscious, now would you?”



His face turned an unhealthy shad of red as the vampire tightened his grip. “No, wouldn’t want that. Then again, I doubt killing a demon trying to kill the woman I love will really bother me much.”



Buffy cringed at the sound of Ryan’s neck bones snapping. She was just a total fool, and Spike had just proven it. The chip had never kicked in. How could she let herself get suckered in by a demon? Once again, she got herself into a bad relationship, and she got burned, and…



“Dawn!” Spike turned from the dead body slumped in the dirt at the Slayer’s outburst. “Spike, we’ve got to get home. He was after Dawn. She’s at home by herself…”



“Don’t worry, I sent Clem over to keep an eye on her,” he replied giving the chains over her head a blow with Ryan’s discarded sword. “Right, luv, we’d better hurry.”





****





“So let me get this straight,” Dawn muttered thoughtfully. “You were the one giving the gifts?”



“Well, I bought them” Clem explained. “They were supposed to be from Spike. Thought the Slayer would figure it out. Might make the homecoming a little easier.”



“Unless you add some cute, manipulative guy to the mix,” she sighed, “and Buffy thinks I have bad taste in guys… Did you hear that?”



Dawn looked around the dimly lit room. The television had been off for hours, and she was sure she had locked the door after Clem had arrived. It couldn’t be Buffy. Since meeting Ryan, she couldn’t make it through the door without gushing about what a wonderful time she had had.



“I didn’t hear anything,” Clem replied as his eyes also darted around the room. “Maybe it was a cat outside, or…”



“Maybe it was the vampires in the basement.” Dawn and Clem both jumped up from the couch as the three vampires entered the room. “Good to see you again, Clem.’



“Again?” Dawn shot a questioning glance at Clem and turned back to the vampires. “You can’t be in here. You weren’t invited.”



“Looks like we can,” the blond laughed. “Ryan’s pretty handy with the magic.”



“See, I told you Ryan was up to no good!” she added.



“I think you should leave,” Clem said as bravely as he could. “I won’t be needing your services anymore.”



“We’re not here for a job,” the vampire to the blonde’s right replied with a sneer. “We’re here for the girl.”



“Buffy’s not here,” Dawn told the vampires. She eyed Buffy’s weapon chest on the far side of the room. She doubted she could make it that far with three vampires only a few feet away.



“Ryan’s already got her taken care of,” the blond sighed impatiently. “We’re here for you, sweetheart.”



“I’m not letting you take her anywhere!” Clem placed his bulk between the demons at the door and the girl.



“I don’t recall asking permission,” he growled. “Boys, get rid of him already!”



The vampires were on the demon in a heartbeat. Clem stumbled under the weight of the attack and feel backwards landing on the coffee table.



“Leave him alone!” Dawn screamed grabbing the splintered table leg that had landed at her feet. Without thinking, she plunged the weapon into the nearest vampire’s back.



“Hey! You killed him!” the remaining brunette growled as the dust settled.



“Yeah, and you’re next!” Dawn did her best to look threatening.



“I’m going to kill you, you little bitch!” The vampire leaped at the girl, only to be pulled back by the neck of his t-shirt by the blond.



“The boss wants her in one piece!” he warned the other.



“He won’t notice if a few drops are missing!” the vampire whined.



“No, but I would!” Dawn’s eyes shot to the door. Relief flooded every cell when she saw Buffy followed closely by Spike enter the room.



“Slayer!” the blond gasped shaking almost as badly as Clem had when that had arrived. “Where’s Ryan?”



“Oh, he’s quite dead, mate,” Spike replied.



“Just like you’re going to be in a very few seconds,” Buffy added raising Ryan’s sword in her small hands.





****





“I’m really sorry, Buffy,” Clem moaned as Dawn pressed a towel filled with ice to the lump over his right eye.



“You meant well,” Buffy sighed taking a large sip of her coffee. It really didn’t do much for the dryness lingering in her throat. “Just no more inviting vamps into my house. I really can’t afford anymore coffee tables.”



“Right then,” Spike added jumping off his seat on the kitchen counter. “Everybody’s safe and sound. That’s a signal that I should be leaving.”



“Hold it right there!” Buffy snapped before he could open the door. “I think you should stay.”



“You mean, you forgive me?” He looked hopefully over his shoulder.



“Well, it is kind of hard to be angry with the person who just saved our lives,” she replied studying the contents of her cup intently. “Besides, I’m still feeling kind of hungover at the moment, and I don’t want you to sneak away before you tell me the details of this whole getting a soul thing.”



Dawn shot Clem a hopeful look. “Um, I think I’ll be spending the day over at Clem’s tomorrow,” she told them. She had a feeling there was going to be quite a long, and probably loud, discussion in the Summers’ home the next day, but it was a start.





The End





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