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………
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