Buffy arrived at the side street next to the mansion quicker than seemed possible. She also seemed to have arrived just in the nick of time. For some reason Xander was suspended in mid air and slowly revolving.
Buffy, who was still on edge after her meeting with Tarot, brought the sword before her and crouched low.
Then a waft of cigarette smoke passed by. She rose from her defensive position and swung round.
Spike was in shadow, leaning against a wall and lazily twirling his finger. “Alright pet?”
Mindful of fact they were supposed to be inconspicuous Buffy hissed rather than shouted, “Spike, what the hell?? I asked you to look after Xander!”
Spikes mouth twitched, he was very obviously trying not to smile. “And I am pet. GI Idiot here was picking fights with me over nothin, raisin his voice and what not. He was on the verge of bustin in there an tryin to rescue Giles himself”. Spike snorted, “Actually, that would have been funny to watch, maybe I should have let him go.”
Buffy crossed her arms and wore a very ‘not pleased’ expression. Xander was extremely red in the face, and he alternated between turning pleading eyes on Buffy and livid eyes on Spike. Spike had apparently done something to prevent Xander from speaking, which was probably a good thing, as it looked like he’d be yelling.
Buffy was feeling slightly on the verge of hysteria. She had the fight of her life looming before her, she didn’t have time for this. She felt defeated already as she said, “Spike, let him down. And Xander, can we just drop whatever happened, we’ve got more important things to worry about.”
Spike had the decency to look sheepish as he reversed what he’d done and Xander fell, quite heavily, to the floor. He scrambled to his feet and opened his mouth but one look at Buffy made him close it again.
Buffy turned to Xander, “I need you to get Giles and get him out. He might need to go to the hospital, I don’t know... they might have... I don’t know what state he’ll be in.”
Xander looked grave.
“He’s alive slayer, I can sense him. He’s in the basement, heartbeat slow but steady.”
Buffy nodded, not ready to be relieved yet. “Ok then, Spike I’ll need you to handle Drusilla. I’ll take on Angel-us.”
Spike scowled then nodded. “As much as I’d like to take on captain forehead myself I think you’re right.’
Buffy was surprised for a brief moment, she’d expected Spike to go alpha male on her and insist on fighting Angelus himself. He hadn’t said much, or anything really, about their past relationship but his dislike was obvious. She didn’t question him though, there wasn’t time. She could feel the forces of darkness beginning to press upon her.
Whatever ritual was needed to open the portal to hell had begun.
They walked as one from their hidden place and edged towards the mansion. Buffy was in the lead, but Spike was close behind her. Xander trailed a little further back, Buffy had demanded that if they were attacked unexpectedly Xander had to carry on with his mission regardless. No matter what else happened Giles had to be saved.
Buffy lowered her voice so only Spike would hear and said, “I met with Tarot”.
She felt Spike stiffen as he replied, “I figured you didn’t pluck that fancy sword from a flower bed on your way over. You were meant to be meetin Whistler. Wish you had. He’s alright, bit odd but alright.”
“And Tarot?”
Spike sounded off as he said, “Well, you’ve met him, he's hardly a bundle of kitteny joy".
“Yeah I have met him, and when all this is over you and I are going to have a talk about that.”
Spike made no comment.
They couldn't say more, they had arrived. As stealthily as possible they entered the hallway.
Spike indicated silently to Xander the way he needed to go, and that there were no minions that way. After only a moments hesitation he gave Buffy a weak smile and was gone.
Spike then pointed the way they needed to go and held up five fingers. There were five minions ahead. He had no sooner done this then the silence exploded into sound, and the minions were upon them.
Buffy and Spike dispatched two instantly. They had trained together several times now and knew how the other one fought. They worked together, a team of flashing fists and powerful kicks. Buffy wielded her sword with deadly accuracy, as Spike did his stake.
Killing them all took only moments. The air was thick with dust.
Buffy felt her heart thudding alarmingly, any second she expected Angelus and Drusilla to appear. They didn’t come, which could only mean badness.
Buffy led Spike to the largest room of the mansion, the place both of them knew Angelus to be.
It was Buffy’s nightmare. Angelus. Drusilla. Stood side by side as she and Angel once stood. Their expressions were ones of dark, deadly glee.
Buffy was so lost in her own horrible emotions she didn’t notice at first that Spike was suddenly not by her side.
She was instantly panicked, but wasn’t given time to act on it as Angelus began to speak, “Buff! Glad you could join us, I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show. That would have been such a shame. Dru had so much fun killing her first slayer, she wouldn’t have liked being deprived of seeing the death of a second.”
Drusilla laughed manically. “Ooo it was fun it was, her neck snapped like a chicken! But then she went all floppy... like a little doll who doesn’t want to play. And I like to play”
Buffy felt sick, and through her head ran the constant thought ‘Spike, Spike, where is Spike?”
She took a step towards them and expected to feel her legs give out beneath her. She held firm however, and barely even shook. Her voice too was steady, cocky even, as she replied “Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not in the mood to play, and I won’t be the one dying tonight.”
Angelus laughed and it cut Buffy to the soul. “Oh Buff, even I didn’t think you were that much of a dumb blonde! Well, fake blonde anyway. The collars don’t quite match the cuffs do they?”
Buffy flared red with embarrassment and anger. Her grip on her sword hilt tightened. It was then she noticed the statue behind Angelus, and the fact that he too had a sword in his hands. She took another step forward.
Drusilla suddenly started to clap excitedly. “Ooo daddy can I go play outside? The stars have sent me a present, they’ve dropped an angel on the floor!” She giggled. “A real angel. Not like you my naughty daddy.”
Without taking his eyes off Buffy Angelus said “Can it wait Dru? We have a guest, we should make sure she’s comfortable first.”
Buffy realised that Spike must be outside, trying to draw Drusilla out. While she wished he was here to fight by her side she knew that she had to face Angelus alone. She called out tauntingly, “What, are you afraid to take me on on your own? Afraid to take me in a fair fight?”
Angelus growled. “Dru, go. Me and Buff are going to do some one on one. Hopefully it will be more satisfying then the last time.”
Drusilla practically ran out of the room. Buffy was beyond rage. She loved Angel. This was not Angel. This was Angelus. He was cruel, he was ruthless and he was evil. He had to be stopped.
As though on some signal they both advanced at speed. They’re swords clashed together and rained down a shower of sparks from the force of the impact. The fight had begun.
***
Drusilla spun in graceful circles under the cloudless night sky. The moonlight hit her skin and made it glow. Her head was thrown back so she faced the heavens. She began to sing.
“Princes and princesses, nuns and naughty boys, slayers and vampires play with their toys.”
“Hello Dru.”
Spike had known that If Drusilla had seen Buffy attacking her precious daddy she would have fought tooth and nail to protect him and even he would have struggled to hold her back. He had gone outside and waited until Xander had gotten Giles from the building before calling Dru to him. He was not sure she would hear him at first, they had not communicated in this way for a very long time.
She heard him, loud and clear. And now here she was.
She stopped spinning and turned to him with a breathlessly beautiful smile on her face and her arms stretched out towards him. “Spike, my prince, my dear sweet William, I knew you would come back to me at last. I knew you would be in my arms again.”
Spike made no move nearer. “Why Dru? Why do you keep doin this?”
“My sweet William is angry with me. Why is he angry with me?”
There was more sorrow in Spikes eyes then anger. “Your obsession with slayers, your determination to kill one. I know you do it to bring me out... but you know, you must bloody know by now, it won’t work. Things won’t ever be like they were Dru, not ever.”
Drusilla stamped her foot. She was more lucid now then she had been in years. “You keep hurting me! Why do you want to hurt me my William? I’m you’re princess, your special princess”
Spike shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt you Dru. But I will. This time I will, If I have to. You’ve done what you’ve always wanted, you’ve killed a slayer. You can stop this now.”
Drusilla put her hands over her ears and shook her head wildly. “No no no no no. That slayer was no fun, no fun at all. I want to stop the sunshine. I won’t leave. Daddy and you and I, we will have a party, all of our very own and block out the sun for ever.”
Spike snorted. “You’re daddy won’t be up for a party soon luv, only thing he’ll be up for is an urn.”
Spike instantly regretted his comment as she looked towards the house in panic, and made as if to go back inside.
Spike blurred with the speed of his movement. He kicked out and caught Drusilla in the centre of her back. She flew forward and slammed into the wall with a sickening crunch. She did not get up, but turned, whimpering, to face Spike.
“You made me fall down and I didn’t like it. I shouldn’t be in the dirt with the worms. We used to live in the stars... why won’t you live in the stars anymore?”
Spike clenched and unclenched his fists. “You know why. You bloody well did this Dru, not me”.
“I only did what daddy said, daddy made me do it. But you’re mine sweet William, mine. I want to have what’s mine”
“I’m not yours Dru, not anymore. I haven’t been yours for a hundred years. You chose your daddy and then he went and got a soddin soul and didn’t want you anymore so you decided you’d have me back instead, but you’ll never have me back.”
Drusilla rose with a frightening rage glittering in her eyes. “You’re mine, mine and daddies and we will have what’s ours.”
She sprung at him and her claw like nails raked where his face had been less than a second before. She hissed and sprung at him again and again. Every time she missed.
“Enough!” Spike did not shout but his voice carried the weight of a scream. He grasped Drusilla’s neck tightly in one hand and lifted her from the ground.
She managed to rasp out ‘mine’ and she smiled grotesquely.
Spike shook his head. “No Dru, not your's” Before she understood what was happening he had slid into game face. She started to panic, squirming and clawing at his arms.
“Be still.” Drusilla’s arms went limp at her sides but her eyes were wide with horror. Spike drew his fangs close to her neck, to where her pulse could once be heard and where two small silvery scars crossed. He sunk his fangs into them, felt the blood oozing, coating his lips and trickling down his throat. He hesitated for only a moment before he retracted his fangs slightly and violently tore the skin, exposing the stolen blood in her still veins beneath the surface.
Through the blood and the gore and his own sickening sensations he roared, “No longer yours but my own! I am my own. Claimed by no one”
Tears flowed freely down Drusilla’s cheeks and Spike had to look away as he released her. His voice was low and heavy as he said, “We are done. Leave here now. If I ever see you again I will kill you.”
Drusilla was trembling. She looked back towards the mansion but Spike moved so that he blocked her path to it. “I mean it Dru.”
She didn’t acknowledge his statement. She looked as confused and bereft as Spike felt, and gazed vacantly towards the stars, as though for guidance. She began to hum an odd disjointed tune as she walked slowly away. Her usual grace had been abandoned, she shambled along, staggering every now and again. She did not once look away from the stars.
When even the scent of her was beginning to fade Spike turned back towards the mansion. He took a deep and unneeded breath. The metallic clang of swords, which had been in the background of his hearing, had stopped abruptly. The worst was yet to come.
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