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Buffy was standing near the dirty window again, staring outside at a clouded sky. The room looked the same at first glance, the walls still covered in dirt that came from who knew where, nearly invisible holes embedded in the stone until a rat would slither through, and Buffy worked very hard on getting her skin not to crawl.

It wasn't so much rats in general that bothered her, Buffy wasn't easily scared by them, but she didn't like the idea of being alone with so many at once. One or two, fine. She just didn't want fifty crawling around her ankles.

She ignored her twenty-fourth stomach growl, idly wondering why her appetite wasn't dead yet. Between the rats, dank surroundings and unfortunate circumstances, you'd think she'd get sick at the mere idea of food.

Evidently, rocky road ice cream and a glass of milk didn't fill you up for very long.

She wondered if she'd ever be given something eat. Hunger paired itself with random bouts of dizziness, and the rushing of her blood which somehow felt like it no longer fit inside her veins. Everything around her felt constricted.

Buffy wasn't sure she could do much else but wait at this point, wait until something happened or she figured a way out.

It might take a miracle, and she knew that. She had already tugged one shackle out of the wall, and now the rusty contraption hung from its eroding stone home like a crooked coat hook. Anyone that saw it from a distance wouldn't know that it was loose enough to fall out at the slightest touch. Buffy had two weapons now. Question was, would she be able to use them?

She thought about Spike every passing moment, and not knowing how far she'd been taken from his side made her nervous. The whole situation made her nervous, obviously. She'd been fucking kidnapped.

Internally, she debated whether or not she might be being just a little dramatic, but then remembered... she wasn't. Unfortunately.

She was grateful for the ability to- somehow -know that Spike was safe, and at home. He was with the others, and he hadn't been hurt. The only thing she could sense wrong was the fact that SHE was missing, and it was driving Spike insane.

Every time she closed her eyes felt like the winds of a hurricane were blowing around her. The distance, his fear, everything... Spike wanted her back. He was terrified she was going to be killed.

Connection to him had strengthened, as if the claim knew it was an important defense against the invisible enemies in the next room.

If they WERE in the next room. Buffy believed so, she could feel them.

She was still getting dizzy, her heart rate went from calm to rapid pounding at the drop of a hat. Chills danced up and down her arms despite the fact this room was actually, for some reason she didn't understand, warm. She knew it was colder outside. She longed for the cold, for the freedom of a fast wind and a chill not caused by the disquiet in her veins.

There was no fire or electric heater, the darkness had settled into the air and corners like water seeping into a towel. All Buffy wanted was to get out, and her options were nil.

There was no visible exit. She'd already counted nearly every stone in the room, feeling crevices and lines and roughness with her fingertips. If there was a way to open that door her kidnappers came through- from the inside -she hadn't discovered it yet.

Candlelight would be nice. She didn't care how medieval it would feel with torches added to this room of dank rock. There weren't outlets anywhere and Buffy was alone in the dark. Her nerves were already on edge, she wanted the ability to see.

Little did the girl know, it would take an hour of being surrounded by absolute blackness, until her eyesight finally did more than just adjust. The discovery came so slowly, like the passing of sunset to midnight, she didn't even notice it at first.

The shadows sketched the stones. Light was nonexistent, yet her eyes were doing better in the dark than they ever had.

She moved a hand slowly back and forth in front of her face, realizing she could make out every line in her palm, the tips of her fingernails. The cracks and edges of the room, each corner, and the table still intact beside the broken chair, were all dark shapes. It was like a black light, but green outlined separate shadows, making her able to distinguish objects.

She couldn't tell color, for she was immersed in one giant black void; but she could, if not conventionally, see.

*It has to be the claim,* Buffy thought to herself. No doubt. She wasn't a vampire, a bat or a feline, or any other sort of animal that was able to see in the dark. She was only human- Although now, apparently, with a twist.

Buffy smiled.

The claim was supposed to award her with other vampire-like traits, but she'd thought they would be delayed. Buffy hadn't given a wit about them in the beginning of all this, truthfully, she had only wanted to be with Spike. Whether she got stronger or was able to see better at night hadn't mattered to her... Well, such things came in handy, after all. Hell, even fangs would be a welcome power boost right now.

Abruptly, a thought popped into her mind. Turning towards the shackles, Buffy approached the one she hadn't been able to loosen earlier.

With one good yank, it sprung out of the wall as if anxious to be free, and Buffy's teeth showed in a wonderfully bright smile.

Who would've known strength came to a mate even faster- rather than slower -when his or her other-half wasn't close enough to protect them?

***

"That was our deal!"

Flora had been complaining for nearly an hour, and frankly, Antonia wanted to kill her. "Do shut up, you blabbering moron."

Flora glared at her, ignoring the way the witch rubbed her temples and her eyes started to glow. She sat on a velvet seat near a dirty window. Moving to this broken down building- no one knew what it had been, but it seemed to be ninety percent stone -had been her idea.

The earthquake had needed to be triggered from underground, and after that, Antonia wanted a change of scenery. She said it was safer to move than to keep in the same location for too long.

Flore believed the witch had just gotten bored. It was one of the many things fueling her anger. Antonia was running the show, and she was tired of it. Not to mention, impatience clawed at her insides and her gut, and she just KNEW she had to move now.

If she could only get her hands on that little brat down the hall...

"You're going back on your word, you realize that, don't you?"

Antonia rose her perfect eyebrows high and said, "I never GIVE my word."

Flora sighed. "That's a fucking surprise. You're just a lying cunt."

Antonia tilted her head then made a swatting motion with her hand, like she was shooing away a fly. Flora's knees buckled and a groan left her lips. The sparks of agony faded quickly, it was just a flicker of pain, a reminder.

"You're much more prone to lying, dear. Now why don't you pick your sorry self up off the floor and bring our captive something to drink- No food. Just water, she'll survive."

*Wish she wouldn't,* Flora internally raged. She wanted to kill Spike, or Elizabeth; either one would do for vengeance. Antonia wasn't granting her either option. "I just want the crack at Spike you promised me. I'll accept no help if you refuse, but he is MINE. I want to see him turn to-"

"If you say 'dust' you truly are the most overdramatic vampire I've ever met."

Flora rolled her eyes and slowly stood up. "What else would I say?!"

"Anything. 'Dead' 'Ashes' Many different words, but you're very unoriginal."

"You're avoiding this! Why won't you just let me kill him when he comes for her?!"

"Because I want this to go smoothly." Antonia crossed her long legs and made a clear glass of water appear in her right hand, extending it out to Flora. "Now raise your voice again, and I'll decapitate you on the spot." She locked eyes with the vampire "And you know I don't like to repeat my threats."

Flora stormed forward, taking the glass of water and then softly, almost begging, said, "Can't I just kill her? Spike wouldn't know... you'd still get your dumb stone."

Antonia's expression spoke silently of patience waning. "They are mated, of course he'd know. I have no interest in Spike's demise, but as I told you, you'll get his ashes any way you want them after this trade is done with and I have the Gem."

Flora's grip threatened to break the glass in her hands into little shards. Antonia wanted the Gem and that was all.

Time was suddenly bearing down on the vampire's shoulders.

"Did you make that phone call yet?"

Flora glared. "No."

"Get on it," Antonia ordered.

She left the room, water still in her shaking hands. She was tired of being a puppet, never seeing results, always waiting.

That human's throat could have been ripped out ten times over by now, and it would have been the best justice for her brother who now sat rotting in hell. The only reason Flora had agreed to work with Antonia at all was because she'd thought the witch would help her kill Spike, and Flora never believed finding that stupid Gem would take this long. The powers she'd once had as a bonus were gone, and Antonia hadn't thought to give them back.

Nothing was going the way she'd planned. Nothing.

Slamming the glass of water down on a little table, she pulled her cell phone out of one of her jean pockets. This would be her last service.

***

The phone rang in the quiet kitchen, six heads all snapped up at once. Spike ran forward, cutting the ring in half. Before he could say a word, a voice sounded on the other end that made him feel as if he'd just swallowed hot coals.

"Miss your girlfriend?"

Everyone who wasn't already, stood up, their backs straight as pokers. "Flora," Spike growled.

"I'll make this plain. We have your girl. If you want to try an ambush, you and your pals will get killed before you even reach her-..." There was pause that made Spike's skin crawl, and Ace and Stevo approached his side in order to hear better. "Actually, if you try and rescue her, she'll be killed the second you make your move. I'll happily do it myself."

Spike's grip cracked the phone, his hand shaking. Stevo grabbed onto his wrist and said, very quietly, "Control yourself. Just for a minute longer."

Flora's chuckle filtered through the speaker. "Getting antsy, Spike? Worried? Would you like to hear her voice?"

The way she made the offer had everyone immediately on guard; she'd said it too syrupy sweet. "I'll get her on the phone for you."

"I have the Gem!" Spike suddenly shouted, making positive she heard him. "I'll give it to you. And that will be the end of this, I get her back UNHARMED, you understand?"

The dangerous edge in his voice went ignored. He thought he heard movement on the other end of the line, almost like something heavy being dragged across the floor. Then, Flora called out, "Elizabeth, Spike is on the phone."

Suddenly, Flora's screams rung out like a car alarm.

"Buffy!" Spike yelled, desperation suddenly scorching his insides.

Flora's yowling died down to growls quickly, a loud crash following. "You're trying to make this harder on yourself, aren't you?! Well fine! At least now I have an excuse!"

Buffy's shout of pain bounced off the walls and ran through Spike. He felt the force of it in his abdomen like a double fisted punch. Ace caught the phone.

Mayhem ensued. "Get- ugh -off!" Buffy grunted, then did so again and again.

The sound of flesh meeting stone was clear; Flora was hitting her, repeatedly, on the chest and face. Spike's head whipped to the side.

He wouldn't bruise, but he felt everything. He couldn't breathe, but he knew he wasn't the one in need of oxygen.

Flora covered Buffy's face with her bundled jacket. No screams made it out, though she tried, spitting and cursing behind dusty fabric. Spike felt her fading, fighting for breath as her struggling waned down to feeble hits. He wheezed and ordered, "Get off her! Get the HELL OFF OF HER!"

Ace held the phone up to his ear. "If you kill her you don't get the Gem! We know you're working for someone else who wants it and we have it- STOP HURTING HER!"

Blake's head was throbbing, he'd never felt such seething hatred. He was experiencing his own, and Rex was gripping the edge of the countertop as waves of fury shot out from his tense body like whips. Stevo and Dylan had their heads in their hands, teeth grit, overwhelming pounds of sadness and distress and anger lumping in their throats... So much anger... Ace was still screaming. Spike was near dying; the force of the agony finally brought Blake to his knees, but he bit his lip and kept quiet.

Flora was a dead woman.

***

Antonia heard the noise. She sensed the fight as if she could see through the walls into the room where Flora was nearly going insane. Evidently, young Elizabeth had bravery; that, or almost as much stupidity as the vampire currently screaming at the top of her lungs.

Honestly, she didn't know why Flora insisted on making like a howler monkey.

Elizabeth must have caught the jump on Flora and somehow managed to harm her. Antonia only cared enough to listen and make sure the animal didn't lose all control and kill Elizabeth. She was, after all, the only way of getting the Gem- Well, the only EASY way. Contrary to popular belief, Antonia merely TOLERATED messy brawling and war, she didn't truly enjoy either.

What she enjoyed was power, and power she would have. As long as her idiot "partner" didn't ruin anything, she could get what she wanted fairly easily. And if not, she always had a backup plan.

She sighed when the screaming ceased. Spike would be more angry than ever after this little attack, but perhaps that would get the Gem here faster, and make him sloppy at attempting an ambush.

Antonia had used the earthquake as a little nudge... Reverse psychology: If Spike believed Elizabeth was in danger because of the Gem of Amara, he'd work harder to find it.

And then he had.

The witch smiled, then let it fall. She didn't really mind that he had just heard as well as felt everything thrown at his young mate. Elizabeth would live, Antonia could sense her soul from here.

And Flora... Well, maybe this had gotten something out of the child's system, perhaps she'd be more patient now.

A draft caught at the hem of her golden dress, and Antonia frowned. She looked to her left and then her right before standing up. She walked over to the table where the glass of water Flora had left behind sat in a ring of condensation.

The cool glass felt almost soothing against her hot skin. She'd been using more power than she should lately trying to get a glimpse of the Gem. It wasn't working, unfortunately, and she truly had no idea what the stone looked like. She'd seen two pictures of it, but they had the Gem shown in different inlays. One was a necklace, the other a crown, in black and white both. She couldn't know what type of jewelry it had been turned into since those drawings were completed. Very annoying.

Antonia opened the heavy stone wall which acted as a door by pulling the lever at her hip, then walked in to see a gasping human lying on the floor and Flora with her fist risen above both their heads. "Enough."

The vampire spun around. Her cell phone hadn't disconnected, and now, in the silence of the room, she heard demands being shouted from the other line, desperation as clear as crystal.

"Spike..." Buffy groaned. Reassurance felt like a wet coffee stain in her mind, a weak stamp of comfort. Maybe he could simply hear her words through the phone if she told him she was okay, maybe he'd sense her feelings.

The jump at Flora in the darkness hadn't gone well.

Buffy had her stake and she'd planned to just ram it into the vampire's chest, quick and to the point (pun intended). Needless to say, her plan hadn't worked.

Flora was faster than she could have guessed. Buffy was thrown to the floor after knocking the other woman down and banging her fangy face into the ground merely once. She thought she might have broken Flora's nose, but that was about all she'd done before she'd gotten the crap beat out of her.

Now, beside coughing and waning agony, she felt Spike. He was suffering with her, nearly splitting at the seams of control. Sensing his screams through the claim made her feel sick. She should have had a better plan before attacking a vampire. Buffy had never felt foolhardy before in her life, but as Antonia took Flora's arm and hauled her up, she wanted to cry. Not because of the pain, but because she'd really screwed up.

"Get yourself cleaned up," Antonia said, disgusted as she stared at Flora's nose, all bloody and crooked. "You let a human get the jump on you. Very nice."

Vengeful eyes directed at her attacker, Flora stormed off, leaving Buffy with the witch.

Antonia picked up the shouting cell phone from the ground, setting the glass of water in her hand beside Elizabeth's head.

"I want the Gem," she said into the speaker, "Bring it to me in two hours or Elizabeth isn't going to live past midnight. I'm sure Spike can feel she isn't being harmed anymore, don't you all wish to keep it that way?"

***

Ace breathed against the phone like he'd just run a mile. "You'll get your Gem, give us your location."

Spike rose from the floor, dizzy and his demon snarling. "Give me the phone," he demanded, in such a gravel that Ace swallowed hard before handing it to him. Everyone in the room stared, while Spike picked up a pen and jotted the directions down on a stray piece of paper.

"I'll see you in two hours."

Before she could hang up, he said, "I want to talk to her."

Antonia considered. "Alright. Hang on."

He heard nothing but two footsteps. Spike knew Flora was no longer in the room with Buffy, but such comfort was little.

"She's quite battered," the Witch claimed.

Spike growled. "Put her on the phone. Now."

A second later, it was Buffy's voice he heard. "Spike?"

"Pet, you okay?" he croaked, a catch in his words. He wanted to sound casual, considerate, and damn the feelings inside him. He knew she felt them as surely as he felt his own blood boiling, and she didn't need to go through his agony as well as her own. "Are you okay?" he repeated quickly, when she didn't answer fast enough.

"I'm... I'm sorry." Buffy was nearly whispering, but her tone screamed of shame. "I shouldn't have tried to stake her, Spike. That's why she went after me, I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare."

"I know how this is all hurting you-"

"Stop! This wasn't your fault, you hear me?" His anger got the better of him but he didn't care. She could not believe she was to blame, he wouldn't allow it. "You just stay strong for me, yeah? Don't be jumpin on anymore vamps' backs, right? We'll get you outta there."

"Spike..." Her voice was tight, and controlled, but weak all the same. "I love you. Don't get hurt. Please. I couldn't- You can't-"

"I'm not gonna get hurt, I'm gonna come an get you. I won't let anyone lay a hand on you again, that's a promise." It had to be, for himself as well as for her. "I love you, too, kitten. I love you."

Spike brushed a hand along his cheek as Buffy let a stubborn tear fall from her sore eyes. She coughed and leaned her face against one propped up knee. "I love you," she said again, no longer sounding so small. "We'll both be fine. I'm coming home, Spike."

"Bloody right you are."

Antonia snatched the phone back before another breath could be taken . "Two hours. Bring me the Gem, or I'll burn her." The return of the dial tone was like a gunshot fired.
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