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Author's Chapter Notes:
Mucho thanks again to my fabulous beta Passion4Spike for all of her help and suggestions! She’s the bestest! And congrats to her for winning Best Series (for her amazing story, ’Unexpected’) at the Sunnydale Memorial Awards :D

Banners by Edgehead and xoChantelly
Buffy's body tensed like a bowstring in anticipation of feeling his fangs pierce her skin.

Spike pulled back and laughed, amused that he finally had Buffy where he wanted her. After all this time, he was finally making the mighty Slayer quake with fear. He still had a handful of her hair, but let up enough for her to be able to raise her head to look at him. He wanted to see her face, to see the fear in her eyes.

"That's right, luv." Spike's lip twitched up into a sneer. "You should be afraid... very afraid. Took my chipped status for granted for so long, didn't you? Thought you could disregard me, treat me like dirt... 'cos I didn't pose a threat. Muzzled, I was... well, not anymore -- Big Bad's back. Shame you only see the error of your ways right before the end."

Buffy looked into his amber eyes, wishing she could see his crystal blue eyes and the caring and warmth that had been in them earlier. There was nothing but hatred and an evil sort of glee in his eyes now. "I didn't dust you after you were chipped... I easily could have, but I didn't."

"Your mistake! If you had half a brain, you would've taken me out of the picture while you still had the chance, Slayer." Spike chuckled. "Instead of opting for a quick staking, you went the slower route to destroying me, didn't you? You kept me 'round to have someone you could look down on and make you and your pals feel superior, someone you could pummel when you got brassed off, someone you could control."

Buffy shook her head, and began to deny the accusations, "That's not --"

"I usually don't enjoy playin' with my food so much... but this is special, innit, luv?" Spike ran an index finger delicately along her jawline. "I think I'll let you linger a bit. How's that sound?"

Buffy stared at him, unsure of what to think. Was he faking being under Dru's spell, after all? Was he intentionally stalling and didn't really want to 'play with his food'? If Spike was acting, he deserved an Oscar.

"Poor little Slayer..." Spike leaned in to sniff her neck and inhaled deeply through his nose. "All alone... no annoying chums to help you out of the bind you're in this time. You'll die miserable, in pain, and alone, just like all the Slayers before you have." He pulled back to smile at her and enjoy the fear in her eyes. "You smell the fear, Dru-pet?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Mmmmhmmm. Simply intoxicating," Dru replied with a shudder, closing her eyes and running her hands down her sides.

"If you could bottle that, you'd be fucking rich," Spike told Buffy, chuckling. "The vamps would be linin' up 'round the block for that fragrance -- Eau du Slayer."

Dru was enjoying the mouth-watering aroma of the Slayer's fear too, but every moment Spike delayed biting her could be costly. "The music is still playing... Why did you stop? Finish her, Spike!"

He growled and turned his head. "I'm doin' this my way, Dru. Just 'cos I haven't dined on a human for a long time doesn't mean I need to be coddled and cosseted and walked through the bloody process!"

"Spike, if you snap out of this, you're going to hate yourself for doing this later..." Buffy said when he turned his attention back to her.

"Not bloody likely, Slayer." His golden eyes moved over her, from her manacled wrists to the picture Dru had made on her stomach, then he looked back into her shiny green eyes. "I want to enjoy this... take my time. Your death won't be a quick one, luv."

Buffy gasped when he pulled her head back again. She stared up at the ceiling, wondering why she'd been dealt such a shitty hand in life. Everything had to be agonizing... falling for and then losing Angel the way she had, losing friends, Riley leaving her -- those were just some of the miserable highlights from her life. And now, Spike. It was just how she'd come to expect her life to work out: she only realized that she had feelings for Spike on the same night that Drusilla mind-fucked him into murdering her... Yep, that was Buffy's luck, alright.

Spike wrapped an arm around her, pulling her body flush against his. He pressed his tongue into the hollow of her throat, and then slowly dragged his tongue upwards, over her chin to her lips. He flicked her split lower lip with the tip of his tongue.

Buffy groaned, not knowing when the deathblow would come. But it wasn't just fear and dread she was feeling... The way Spike was holding her, feeling his tongue gliding up her neck and flicking at her mouth was making her feel tingly. 'Oh my God, how sick am I?! He's about to kill me, and he's still making me hot!'

But Buffy went quickly from being shocked by her libido acting up at a time like this, to embracing it. If she was really about to die, what was the harm of getting a few nice tingles in before the end? And she thought it might be possible that her reacting with desire to what Spike was doing might help him shake off Dru's thrall. If she could remind him that he wanted her... perhaps give him a different fragrance to concentrate on... Eau du desire.

"Mmmm, tasty neck you have, Slayer," Spike murmured, licking up the same path he had a few moments ago.

This time, when Spike's tongue swept up to her lips, Buffy opened her mouth and sucked his tongue inside. Spike's golden eyes widened in surprise, and then fluttered as Buffy's lips and tongue began mauling his.

Buffy ground her lower body against him. She felt like a wanton slut... but it was necessary. He hadn't expected her to do something like this, and she used the way he went motionless with shock to her advantage. Her bottom lip was throbbing -- but that wasn't the only thing that was throbbing. Not that she was doing this for her own pleasure... it was to bring Spike out of the trance. That's all.

Spike growled into her mouth, kissing her harder and holding her tighter. Their tongues tangled together as they plumbed each other's mouth. The traces of her blood in her mouth, combined with what just kissing her did to him, left Spike helpless to fight the urge to give in to his sudden, almost painful, desire.

"Spike!" Drusilla screamed, horrified by the display. "What are you doing?! I told you to rip her to pieces -- not snog her to death!"

Spike opened his eyes and jumped away from Buffy. They were both panting for breath and lightheaded from the sudden rush of lust.

Spike couldn't believe he'd let himself get caught in the Slayer's web again -- he'd forgotten what it was he'd wanted to do when she started kissing him. All thoughts of killing her had been pushed right out of his mind; the only thing he'd wanted was to keep kissing her, touching her... Obviously, part of his mind was still bewitched by the Slayer.

He spit on the ground and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his look of lust turning into revulsion. "That was a powerful spell you cast on me, Slayer..." Spike said in a low, wavering voice.

"There was no spell," Buffy responded, breathing heavily. "That was just good, old-fashioned lust."

"Kill her!" Dru shouted urgently. "Do it now!"

Spike growled and turned his head to Dru. "Yes, dear, I'm doing it, dear!" he replied irritably, imitating the henpecked character of Basil Fawlty. "Shut your gob! I'm gettin' to it!"

Dru whined. Joshua frowned and patted Dru comfortingly on the back.

Spike took a breath, ran his hand back through his hair, and hung his head for a few moments. "I'm sorry, baby... It's just... this devious cow was trying to muddle my thoughts again. I'm a bit tense, is all."

His eyes narrowed at Buffy. "Stop playin' tricks with my mind, Slayer. All you're doin' is making this harder and more painful for yourself."

Buffy's eyes dropped to his groin. "Speaking of harder..." she said, managing to cock an eyebrow and give him a naughty smile. She was playing up the lust between them, trying to put her fear and the pain she was in aside. This might be the only way she could reach Spike -- the Spike who loved and wanted her... the Spike that wouldn't kill her.

Spike gulped, pulled his duster closed and glanced guiltily back at Dru. He growled and grabbed Buffy by the hair again, his face just inches from hers. "Shut your mouth, you rancid little..."

"You know you want me, Spike," Buffy whispered huskily. "I want you, too. I've thought about being with you, wondering what it would be like..." She let out a throaty little moan. "I bet you could make me scream... make me cum longer and harder than those limp dicks I was with before..."

Spike gaped at her, not able to form words. His mind and body were captivated with what she was saying and offering.

"You can have me..." Buffy continued. "Get rid of them," her eyes darted to where Dru and the minions were standing, "and you can fuck the hell out of me -- right here, right now. You can kill me... if you still want to after you're done."

Spike swallowed and tried shaking off the trance she'd been putting him in. He sneered, "Never knew you were such a filthy harlot..."

Buffy could tell she was getting to him, despite his attempt at acting indifferent. His glazed, golden eyes kept moving between her lips and her eyes, and, despite the fact that he actually didn't need to breathe, his breathing was coming quicker.

"I can be your filthy harlot, Spike. Did you know that Slayers have special muscles? Like nothing you've ever felt before..." Buffy had gleaned that mostly from Faith's bawdy talk. Buffy, herself, had never noticed sex being enhanced in any way because of her Slayerness, and the men she'd been with hadn't mentioned anything especially-special afterwards... She might have special muscles, but she wouldn't know how to go about utilizing them. "I've never been bad before, Spike. Big Bad can teach me how to be bad..."

Spike flinched back when Buffy licked at his mouth. He was very confused again... Part of him was reacting strongly to her words (a part of his mind, and a particular part of his body). She was trying to ensnare him in her trap again, trying to bewitch him. She was still trying to break and humiliate him... Well, he'd show her who was boss.

"You want it, pet?" Spike asked, his voice deep and rumbling. He put a hand on her hip and slid it onto her ass.

"Oh yes, I want it," Buffy said breathily. "I want it so bad..."

"Let's try another kind of penetration... see how effective your magickal bugaboo is with my fangs inside ya." Spike grinned at her, flashing his sharp, white teeth, and then swiftly bit down on the crook of her neck.

Buffy gasped and her eyes went wide in panic as his fangs sliced into her flesh. 'Oh God, he's going to kill me!' her mind screamed. She thought she'd been making some headway in reaching him...

Sounds became muffled, as though she were underwater. She thought she could hear Drusilla cheering, some of the minions whistling and clapping, and one of them (she suspected was 'Dave') shout, "Awesome! Totally awesome!" But mostly, all Buffy heard was her pulse thundering in her ears, Spike's animal-like growls, and the slurping sound of him drinking her blood.

And then the pain started to transform into pleasure. It still hurt, but the signals being given by her naughty bits were overwhelming the pain and fear.

"Spike..." Buffy moaned. "Please..." She wasn't sure what she was asking him for -- a quick death, a quick fuck, or for him to let her go. 'Tell him you want him to let you go, you idiot!' her mind shouted. "Please, Spike..."

This wasn't a killing bite, Spike had chosen to bite between her shoulder and neck, just to put the bitch in her place and show her she couldn't manipulate him anymore. Spike had intended to give her a nasty bite though -- tear at her skin, make it hurt as much as possible. But for some reason he couldn't bring himself to rip at her, he didn't shake his head with his fangs embedded in her flesh like he'd enjoyed doing with some of his other victims. Something was making him hold back; he was being gentle -- as gentle as biting someone can get, anyway.

The first pull of her blood into his mouth bombarded his senses. Ambrosia, sweet ambrosia. Fireworks went off inside of him, his mind and body sang with unbridled ecstasy. A rapid slide-show of memories passed before Spike's eyes, accompanied by a flurry of emotions rushing through him. Everything, every moment he'd ever spent with or thinking about Buffy, flashed through his mind.

Spike's eyes had closed in bliss when he'd first bitten into the Slayer's tender flesh, but his eyes shot back open once the memories and emotions registered in his weary mind. Her blood flowing into his mouth (though undeniably delicious) was like a bucket of cold water being dumped over his head, awakening the startled sleeper within him. He realized that he really did love Buffy, it hadn't been a trick; it was Dru that had cast the spell, not Buffy. And now he was taking part in the murder of the woman he loved most in the world...

'Oh God, no! What the bloody hell am I doing?! Stop! Stop!' Spike's mind screamed at him.

He immediately retracted his fangs and stumbled backwards away from Buffy. Buffy was reeling from being bitten, but she felt hopeful again at the look on Spike's face. He looked confused, shocked, and horrified all at once. And it was his human face looking so shocked, not the vampire.

Buffy wasn't in great shape, by any means, but she wasn't near death as she'd feared she would be when Spike stopped feeding from her. In actuality, Spike had only had his teeth in Buffy for about ten to fifteen seconds. Both the vampire and Slayer had been swept away in the sensations; seconds had seemed to stretch into hours.

Spike panted for breath as he tried to calm down, still staring at Buffy with a blank look of horror on his face. He was trembling and trying to piece together how things had gotten so out of control. Drusilla had hypnotized him... he remembered now...

Drusilla hurried over to him. "Spike, what's wrong?"

"It's just..." He closed his eyes and bowed his head, putting his hands to his head. His mind still felt foggy and confused, but the fog had cleared enough for him to be in control again. "It's a profound experience... doin' a Slayer. I'd forgotten..."

Dru had been worried that he'd snapped out of the trance, but he seemed alright. She laid her hands on his shoulders, massaging them lightly, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss the side of his neck. "Been too long since you tasted the blood of a Slayer, my darling."

Spike nodded, still massaging his forehead, not wanting to meet her eyes and take the chance that she could tell the trance had been broken.

"Don't stop now," Dru urged him. "Play with the bad Slayer some more... but no more snogging." She frowned. "I didn't care for that part... it was rancid... like Christmas pudding at Easter."

Spike raised his head, his vampire features slid back into place. "Right, definitely no more snogging... She was tryin' to work her will on me again, but I fought it." He stepped back up to Buffy, wondering if, and how, he could get both of them out of this alive.

Buffy tensed when Spike put his arms around her and held her against his body again. It wasn't as easy to read his vampire face as the human one.

"That was just a brief timeout, Buffy," Spike said slowly, subtly emphasizing her name. "I was overcome for a moment, but don't get all excited thinkin' I won't finish you off."

Buffy caught the fact that he'd used her name: he didn't say Slayer, luv, Betty (that intentional corruption of her name had especially ticked Buffy off), or one of the other less than flattering things he'd called her this evening.

Spike dipped his head to put his mouth near the bite marks he'd made on her shoulder. He whispered in her ear, "Pretend I'm hurting you..."

He plastered his mouth over the bleeding marks, feigning biting and feeding off her some more. But Spike was actually only licking the bite he'd made, which would help the bleeding slow to a stop more quickly and aid in healing. He made some angry growling noises and jerked her body to make it seem like he was getting into feeding on her.

Buffy made faces like she was in horrible pain from what he was doing. "Ugggh! Stop! Don't! You sonuvabitch, I'm going to dust your ass!" she cried, putting on a good enough act to make Dru giggle and bounce happily in place. Buffy was in some pain from the injuries Drusilla had already inflicted on her, so it wasn't hard to fake that part of it.

Buffy was almost afraid to get hopeful again -- every other time she'd let herself start getting optimistic tonight, the hope had been snatched away. It wasn't easy to stay 'in character' though, feeling Spike's body against hers and his tongue stroking her skin was making her hot again. 'Wow, I really am a sick puppy...' Buffy thought as her body reacted to Spike's touch... it seemed to have an agenda of its own.

She could only imagine how feverish and horny Spike would be able to make her feel under optimal conditions... without Dru and her stupid minions watching them, without Buffy being slashed, bitten, and in pain. Buffy's mind conjured up a picture of being alone with Spike -- she didn't know if it was in a room she'd been in before, the only feature in the room was a big, black silk-sheeted bed. They were standing near the bed, locked in each other's arms, Spike wearing only his black jeans, and Buffy wearing a satiny, red negligee. Spike was holding her and kissing her passionately, and Buffy was enjoying every moment of it. She moaned and ran her hands up his smooth, muscular arms. And then he was scooping her up in his arms, and carrying her to the bed. He set her down on the bed, and then crawled to her, lowering his body to hers and...

"Ohh Spike," Buffy said in a moan. She opened her eyes and saw Drusilla standing off to the left, and the five minions standing further back in the room. 'Oops... got a little carried away there... Damn...' Then Buffy remembered she was supposed to be acting pissed off that he was biting her. "No! No! Stop!" she panted, rattling the chains that were securing her arms. "You bastard!"

When Spike was finally satisfied that the marks would begin to heal rapidly, he backed away from Buffy. He grinned and licked his lips. "Mmmm! Nothin' like Slayer blood to make ya feel on top of the bloody world! Shame there's only one of her and we can only kill her the one time."

Buffy pretended to be a lot weaker and out of it than she actually felt. She drooped in her chains, bowing her head and moaning in pain.

Dru wrapped her arms around Spike's midsection from behind. "Ooh, I loved watchin' you drain her, my deadly boy!" She hugged him tight. Buffy wasn't dead yet, but Spike had fed from her and he was still keen on having more. "You've drank from the fountain and it has restored you, just as I knew it would."

"Dude, is it better than Thai Stick?" Dave asked from behind them. Spike slowly swiveled his head to look at him.
"I heard Slayer blood was like..." Dave trailed off at the displeased look on Spike's face.

Spike glared at him. "Y'know, it's funny... I could swear you were just speakin' to me without bein' spoken to again, Spicoli. But that couldn't be... 'cos I already warned you once about that..."

"Oh right, uh... sorry, boss-man!" Dave gave him a military salute. "Hey, you think we can order some 'za and have it delivered? We could totally eat the delivery dude."

Spike growled. "One more word outta you, and you will have eaten your last slice of 'za and delivery dude. Comprende?"

Dave gulped. "Comprend-a-mente, boss." Then he made a zipping gesture across his mouth. But then he nudged the minion next to him and whispered, "That's our thing -- me and Spike, we're, like, buds."

Spike rolled his eyes, thinking that one thing he hadn't missed since he'd been chipped was having to deal with idiot subordinates... of course, dealing with the Slayer's groupies wasn't much different.

Drusilla splayed her hands on Spike's chest, and then started rubbing in circles, downward. "Mmmm, has the Slayer's blood got you feelin' randy, sweet Spike? Do you have a big present for me, too?"

Spike caught her hands before she could move them below his belt. He turned to her, smiled, and brought her hands to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "We'll make love soon, pet. I'm dyin' to be with you again... But I ain't done with the Slayer quite yet. And this is too marvelous a job to rush."

He was afraid he'd see that look come across Dru's face, the look that told him she could see through his deception. But her smile didn't falter, she still believed he was under her influence... Spike supposed that all the excitement and the smell of Buffy's blood in the air was throwing Dru off a bit. She'd been extremely intuitive since she'd come to him at the crypt earlier tonight, it worried him that she might be able to see right through him. Had it only been a few hours since Dru had surprised him by showing up at the crypt? It seemed much, much longer than that...

Dru wanted Spike to ravish her just like he'd done after he'd gotten a taste of that Slayer during the Boxer Rebellion. But he was right, Buffy had to be dealt with before any frolicking. It was just so hard to rein in her desire for him. It wouldn't be much longer now, though...

Spike had a notion to order the minions out of the room so he wouldn't have to deal with them and Dru when his cover was blown (as it would be any minute now), but Dru would get suspicious if he suggested the minions leave, and he couldn't have her suspect anything just yet. He just had to forge ahead and hope for the best... Spike wasn't relishing what would be coming next, but getting Buffy safely out of here was the only thing that mattered.

"I want you to end it by ripping her heart from her chest, Spike. That will be the grand finale -- when the brilliant fireworks go off -- boom, pow, boom! -- and light up the starry sky." Dru brought his hands to her mouth and nibbled at his fingers. "She tried taking your heart, so we can take hers. And we'll feast on it, together... like a ripe hand fruit. Ohh, such sweet poetry..." She closed her eyes and swayed.

Spike somehow kept the smile on his face. "Lookin' forward to it, Ducks."

He pulled away from Drusilla and approached the drowsy-looking Slayer again. Music had been playing in the background the entire time, though it had been ignored for the most part. There was too much going on to pay attention to songs -- the last one he consciously remembered hearing was 'Paint It Black'.

But Spike had always liked the song that started playing.

{{

Hear the song at the following link:

With or Without You - U2

}}

It was kind of spooky how accurately the song related to how he felt about Buffy: she frequently made him feel like he was losing his bleedin' mind, she frustrated and infuriated him beyond belief on a regular basis... but, at the same time, she owned a piece of his heart. Spike would do anything for Buffy; he was her willing slave. He would prove to her that she could count on him to be on her side, he would get her out of this mansion, or die trying.

Spike only hoped that Buffy could find a way to forgive him for the things he'd said and done tonight... especially biting her. He could just imagine how revolted and angry she had to be with him for that. He might get Dru and the minions out of the way only to be staked by Buffy herself for the things he'd done to her. Maybe that's what Dru had seen in her vision? But that was a risk he'd have to take.

What he wouldn't give to be alone with Buffy right now, to share a dance with her to the song instead of the unpleasantness that was about to go down...

Spike put his hands on Buffy's hips, and then sank down to his knees in front of her. He caught Buffy's eyes as he looked up at her from the floor. Her head was still drooping, but he was relieved to see her eyes were bright and alert.

Drusilla's smile turned down at the corners, she wasn't sure what Spike was doing. She smiled again when she saw Spike begin licking lightly at the Slayer's stomach. He was just admiring the family portrait and having another taste -- no worries.

Spike sat back on his heels, shook his head and sighed. "Uh-uh, no. This just won't do."

"What won't do?" Dru asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"I've got an idea that'll make it more interesting..." Spike fished the silver key out of his coat pocket, and then quickly started unlocking one of the shackles on Buffy's legs. Yes, he'd been fast enough to pocket the key when he'd had the chance, and he was very glad for it now.

"What are you doing...?" Icy fingers of dread ran up and down Drusilla's spine. "Spike, stop! Don't unleash that monster!"

"Much as I hate to admit it, the bint was right -- I can't do her like this," Spike said coolly, unlocking the other shackle. "It just ain't in my nature; I need her comin' at me, I need a fight. I won't be like one of those so-called 'hunters' that shoot wild animals in pens -- there's no sport in that. Part of the thrill is the challenge involved in defeating a Slayer, and there's no 'challenge' in this."

Buffy flexed the muscles in her legs. She felt woozy and weak, but she thought she'd still be able to do some damage by kicking the shit out of the minions... she'd especially enjoy kicking Joshua's ass. She held her breath waiting to see if Spike would be stopped before he finished unchaining her.

Spike stood and reached up to remove the manacles from Buffy's bleeding wrists. Buffy stayed still and quiet, continuing to act dazed and weak, as she felt Spike unlocking her cuffs.

"No!" Drusilla tried preventing him from freeing the Slayer, grabbing at his arm. "No! You can't let the sow out of the sty 'til it's ready for slaughter!"

Spike growled and shoved her forcefully away from him.

Drusilla went pinwheeling backwards, landing on the floor several feet away from Spike and Buffy. Joshua was at Dru's side in an instant, the other minions were just kind of shocked and watched the scene play out.

Dru pointed a trembling hand at Spike. "Stop him!" She whimpered, realizing what was going on now... Her Spike was gone again -- he was the Slayer's whipping boy once more. Dru was dumbfounded by it... Drinking the Slayer's blood should have reminded Spike of who he was meant to be -- not revert to being the Slayer's lickspittle.

The minions charged at Spike. They were afraid of him -- Spike had the reputation of being one of the best of the worst vamps ever to walk the planet -- but there were five of them and only one of him. Those odds made them feel a bit more brave.

"Bugger!" Spike muttered and spun around to face his attackers. He'd been able to free Buffy's left hand, but not the right.

Buffy stopped playing possum, raised her head and braced her legs apart to help her stand up straight. She hoped she'd be able to help Spike somehow. She held tightly onto the chain still attached to her right wrist; Buffy was actually glad that she had something to keep her upright. If it weren't for the chain, she might have just slumped to the floor to watch the fight from down there.

Spike reached behind him thrusting the key at Buffy. She grabbed the key from his hand, sucking in air at the bolts of agony that raced up her arm from trying to use her dislocated fingers. She couldn't hold onto the key and it fell to the floor. "Shit!" Buffy cursed.

Spike didn't know she'd dropped the key, he had to shift his focus to Dru's underlings running at him. He dropped into a fighting stance, cocking a fist back. But then he surprised the minions by letting out a roar and launching himself at them. He came down in the middle of the pack, bringing four of them down to the floor with him.

Buffy tried bending down to pick up the key, but the remaining chain wouldn't let her bend that far. She strained and grunted, but decided to give up before the cuff bit any further into her already aching wrist.

Even though she and Spike were still in a lot of danger, she couldn't help pausing to admire what an enthusiastic and powerful fighter he was. He was outnumbered, but he'd dived right into the midst of the oncoming foes. He was on his feet again, punching and kicking furiously. He was getting hit too, but he seemed to absorb the blows and just kept going.

Spike glanced over at Buffy, growling at seeing she was still chained. "What'd you do with the sodding key?!" he asked as he ducked under a minion's swing.

"My damn fingers don't work! I can't hold it!" Buffy defended, holding up her wounded hand.

Spike kicked a minion in the stomach, and then brought his joined fists down on the back of the minion's neck when it doubled over, knocking that one out of the fight for at least a few minutes. "Can you fight, Slayer?"

"If I wasn't stuck over here in left field? Yeah, I think so," Buffy replied, looking up at her manacled hand. Her adrenalin was pumping, helping to temporarily decrease her pain and give her an energy boost.

Joshua swung a fist at Spike. Spike leaned back to avoid the punch (reminding Buffy of that neat thing from 'The Matrix'), then he straightened up as Joshua's momentum carried him past Spike. As Joshua passed, Spike grabbed him by the back of his jacket and pants and threw him toward Buffy.

Buffy smiled evilly as he came skidding at her. Time for a little payback for hanging the bows and other crap on her, and for that punch to her face, too -- can't forget about that. Joshua gasped, trying to stop when he saw he was heading for the 3/4 unchained Slayer.

Buffy turned to the side, put her weight on her right leg and kicked out with the left. Her foot struck Joshua in the center of the chest. He flew through the air, landing all the way across the room on top of the buffet table. The table collapsed under him, leaving him groaning and rolling around amongst the debris.

Drusilla mumbled nonsensically as she rose to her feet. Her dreams were shattered, she would never have her darling Spike back again. Her happy family was lost forever... Spike was now fated to die, thanks to the Slayer and her wicked powers of seduction. Spike had chosen the Slayer...

But Dru could still dip a fly in the ointment by killing Buffy. Dru wouldn't permit her Spike to couple with the Slayer -- she knew Buffy would welcome him into her bed eventually. She'd seen those nauseating scenarios too many times in her mind's eye.

Dru went to the table that held the sharp knives she'd used on Buffy. She hummed 'A Doll's Funeral' by Tchaikovsky as she picked up a dagger with a jagged edge, and tested its sharpness on a fingertip.

{{

Hear the song at the following link:

The Doll's Funeral - Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky

}}

Another minion had found a machete-type weapon and was swinging it in a frenzy at Spike. The blade swooshed through the air as Spike dodged it again and again -- ducking, bending backwards (that neat 'Matrix' thing again), dodging to the left and right. Spike was frankly astonished that he was able to thrust and parry as well as he was. Tonight, he'd: been beaten about the head and shoulders with a crowbar, been through emotional hell, and mind-fucked by Dru. His brain felt mushy from getting worked over so much. But he was still fighting as if he were in tiptop condition. Spike knew he was fighting so well because of what he was fighting for. How well he fought would decide if Buffy lived or died. Failure was not an option; he had to fight more ferociously than he'd ever fought before. For her.

And, of course, thinking about what he was doing (and how vital it was that he not fail), instead of just letting his instincts direct him, made Spike react a tad too slow to a swing. He didn't back up enough and the minion got a lucky slash in at Spike's stomach. Spike hissed, more angry at himself for losing his concentration than in pain, and refocused on the fight.

Spike ducked under a high swing, grabbed the minion's arm and then swung him face-first into another minion who was getting ready to attack Spike from behind. As those two minions collapsed to the ground, Spike turned to see who was next on his dance card.

The first minion he'd knocked out had gotten back up and was coming at Spike. Spike swooped down to pick up a sharp piece of wood from the broken buffet table as his foe jumped at him. Spike plunged the stake through the minion's chest, and then shook his head to shake off the vamp dust that rained down on him.

And that left Dave as the last minion standing. Dave got amped on violence and bloodshed like any good vampire did, but he didn't like actually being in the brawl himself. He would be happy just to sit on the sidelines, smoking a blunt and drinking a pint of blood, while watching others engaged in life-or-death struggles.

Spike emitted a leonine roar and bared his teeth, his shoulders heaving with exertion.

"Whoa..." Dave held his hands up and walked backwards farther away from Spike. "This shit has seriously harshed my buzz. I, like, quit, man. I am sooo fuckin' outta here... Aloha, dudes!" And with that, Dave ran out the door and there was one less minion to contend with.

Spike thought about chasing down the tosser, but he decided to let that one get away. Protecting Buffy was his main concern, so if the minions hightailed it and ran, that just meant less of them he'd have to waste his time combating.

The two minions got up again, they should have run away too, but they were pissed off and wanted to kill Spike for besting them. They started tussling with Spike again, trading punches and kicks with the older and more skilled vampire. They would rather be on Spike's side in a fight than against him, if only he wasn't on the stupid Slayer's side... He was a little guy, couldn't be more than 5'10", but -- damn! -- he could kick some ass!

Dru looked to make sure Spike was still busy fighting with the minions before she made her way to Buffy.

Buffy was waiting for Spike to throw another minion her way when she noticed Drusilla walking slowly toward her. Dru seemed to be floating along the parquet floor, coming at Buffy with an insane smile, tears on her face, and brandishing a huge, wicked-looking knife. Buffy's eyes went wide with fear -- but she wasn't defenseless this time, she reminded herself. Doing any punching with her injured hand wasn't an option, but Buffy's legs still worked well enough, and she could actually use the manacled hand for greater leverage.

Buffy grit her teeth and kicked clumsily at Dru when she came close enough to strike. But Dru was able to get out of kicking range before Buffy's foot could connect.

"Come on, try it! I'll literally kick your skinny ass!" Buffy declared, still trying to kick Dru. She didn't want Dru getting close enough to stab or try using her hypno powers on her again.

"I don't have to get close to get you with this, Slayer," Dru said, fingering the tip of the knife. "I can just throw it at one of your vitals. I'll throw it good an' hard so it'll stick good an' proper."

The two minions Spike was fighting happened onto the area of the floor near where the punch bowl had been knocked over while they fought with him. One slipped in the pool of blood and pulled the other one down with him. They scrambled and fell on their asses over and over again.

Spike had to resist the urge to stop and laugh at their antics. It was like a really dark Three Stooges short -- vampires and humans alike enjoyed slapstick humor. But the sooner he got them out of the way, the sooner he could get Buffy out of here. Spike put one of the minions out of their misery with his stake, being careful not to slip in the blood himself.

As Spike was about to dust the last remaining minion, he heard Dru and Buffy exchanging words. Fear gripped Spike's heart like a fist -- he should have been concentrating on Drusilla, not her underlings. He should have stayed near Buffy to protect her...

During the fight, Joshua had gotten back up and run outside to round up the minions that were guarding the house, only to find that they'd taken off. The others had left when they heard the fighting start inside the mansion, they thought the Slayer had gotten free, and they were not sticking around to incur her wrath. He swore he'd dust those assholes if he ever saw them again. How could they leave Mistress Dru?! He ran back to the house to protect her from Spike and the Slayer if he could.

Spike looked over and saw Buffy straining to kick Dru, who was laughing and stabbing a large knife in the air at Buffy.

Buffy was rapidly losing what little energy she had left with the frantic kicking she was doing. She knew she should just try calming down and getting focus-y, to make her strikes count, but she was just so worn down by everything she'd been through. She was nearly out of strength, and that made her feel more panicky.

She needed Spike's help, but she didn't dare take her eyes off Dru to see how Spike's fight was going. "Spike!" Buffy called.

And then he was there, as if he'd just materialized right in front of her.

Spike captured Dru's arm and shook her by it until the dagger fell from her hand. Dru snarled and started punching and scratching at him. Spike gave her a hard shove to get her away from Buffy, and then pursued her. They kept exchanging blows as they moved further away from the exhausted Slayer.

“You’ll regret it, Spike!” Dru growled. “You’ll regret choosing the Slayer over me! She'll be your doom... ashes, Spike... you'll be ashes!"

Spike grabbed her by the throat, pushing and holding Drusilla against the wall and shutting her up. “You should've let us walk out of here, Dru... It didn’t have to come to this!”

Dru gripped his arm that was holding her against the wall, showing her teeth. “I’ll wriggle free, and I’ll rip her heart out. See how much you can love her once she’s just a lifeless shell!” She grinned evilly, looking past Spike at Buffy.

“I’m sorry,” Spike whispered, and then clenched his jaw and raised the stake in his hand.

“Stop!” Joshua shouted from the other side of the room.

Spike froze and turned his head. He wouldn’t have let that stop him, except that the voice was coming from where Buffy was still chained up. Spike had thought Joshua had run off...

Joshua had an arm wrapped around Buffy’s body from behind and was holding the dagger Drusilla had dropped a minute ago to Buffy’s throat.

"Drop the stake, Spike, or I'll cut your whore a new smile!" Joshua growled. He'd always wanted to use that 'cut someone a new smile' threat, and this was a perfect occasion for it.

Buffy groaned in pain and frustration. The stupid minion had snuck up on her while she’d been resting and had her eyes closed for only a few seconds. And now the tables were turned in Dru’s favor again...

Spike looked at Buffy, then at the knife Joshua was holding against her neck, calculating how fast he could move.

“If I give the word, he’ll cut her deep,” Dru panted. “Not even you could make it to her in time to stop her blood from gushing like a geyser. We can put on our bathing suits and run through the sprinkler!”

Drusilla was right, from this distance, he wouldn't be able to prevent Buffy's throat from getting slashed. Spike slowly lowered his arm, let go of Dru’s neck and stepped away from her, letting the stake clatter to the floor.

Dru shoved him away. “Bad doggie! You’ve lain with a flea-ridden cur and need to be put down!” She smoothed down her dress and tried to compose herself. "Joshua, when you cut her throat, make sure you press real hard, and don’t stop ’til you hit her hard bony bits." Dru giggled crazily as she moved around Spike, walking backwards toward Joshua and Buffy. She smiled wickedly at Spike, but spoke to her best minion, "Make her look like a Pez dispenser! Sweet, sweet candy..."

“Alright... let’s calm down now...” Spike said, holding up his hands, as he slowly made his way over to the archway. “Let her go. You want a fight? Fight me.”

Joshua yelled, “Stop right there!”

Spike halted, not wanting to spook the twitchy blighter into cutting Buffy.

“Are you okay, Mistress?” Joshua asked.

“My world has crumbled,” Dru moaned, her voice shaking. “My sweet William has gone away... only the creature she created remains.”

The minion who'd been slippin' and slidin' in the pool of blood was finally able to move away from it and get his bearings. Blood dripped off of him as he hurried over to where Dru and Joshua were. "Sorry, Mistress Dru, I just got hung up in the blood back there," the minion said, jerking his thumb back at the pool of blood.

Dru rolled her brown eyes and sighed at the bloody minion -- Spike was right about so many of them being daft. "Never mind, you've arrived in time for the coup de grâce... You get to see the Slayer's throat become a lovely, crimson fountain. Do you remember Rome, Spike? We played in the Trevi Fountain at midnight under a crescent moon... we can play again, my Spike... here, now."

“Stop this, Dru!” Spike pled, at his wit’s end. “Haven’t we all suffered enough tonight?!”

She shook her head. “Oh no, never can be enough suffering. Not for her.”

“Just kill them, Spike!” Buffy said wearily. “I don’t care what happens to me -- as long as you kill them!”

“Shut up, Slayer!” Joshua pressed the knife harder against her throat.

Spike looked between Dru’s, Joshua’s and Buffy’s eyes. He could almost hear the theme from ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly’.

{{

Hear the song at the following YouTube link:

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly theme

}}

“You realize...” Spike inched closer to them, his blue eyes boring into Joshua’s, “that I’ll rip you to pieces if you cut her, don’t you? I’ll save your head and heart for last so you don’t die too quick... I promise you immense suffering...”

“Yes, but she’ll still be dead,” Dru said bitterly. “It doesn’t matter to you that following her will lead you to your own destruction... Are you really that tired of this world, pretty Spike? Are there no more fountains for you to play in?"

“I would die to protect her... I’ve known that for a while now.” His eyes set on Buffy for a moment. “If that’s my fate... at least I’d go out doin’ something I believed in.” He sniffed and smiled slightly at Dru. “Who wants to live forever, anyway?”

Dru whined and put her hands to her face. It was worse than she’d ever imagined... Spike was completely lost.

Despite the dire circumstances, Buffy managed a small smile for Spike. It completely blew her away that he could say (and mean) something like that. Tonight had shown her that Spike had changed, he had a lot of good in him -- it seemed that his feelings for her brought out the best in him. Buffy swore to herself that she would have a nice talk with Spike about everything... if they could only walk out of here alive.

Spike moved a little closer. All he needed to do was get close enough to grab Joshua’s arm before the blade could be dragged across Buffy’s throat. “If you let the pillock kill her, Dru... I’ll dust you. You won’t have but five seconds to enjoy your victory.”

"I take no joy in this, Spike... All my joy's been gobbled up and swallowed... just like the Slayer’s gobbled up my Spike -- all that’s left of him are memories and shadows. You’re not the same, you’ve changed in terrible, awful ways... You were going to do it... goin’ to kill me to protect her," Dru pouted, her big brown eyes swimming with tears, her chin trembling.

Spike remembered a time not long ago when that look would have made him do whatever Dru wanted. He couldn't bear seeing her sad and unhappy. And even now, after everything she'd done, it broke his heart. But his mind was made up. "I'm sorry, Dru. I wish it didn't have to be like this. Why couldn't you just stay away from this sodding town?”

Drusilla closed her eyes and wobbled on her feet, seeing the bad things that would happen to Spike again because of his devotion to the Slayer. The visions were sad and disturbing... but there was a finality to them that she hadn’t felt when she’d had them before. Spike had gone too far down the path, without even a breadcrumb trail to follow back home to her: his destiny was out of Drusilla’s hands now.

Dru opened her eyes and let out a tremulous sigh, coming to an unhappy decision. “Your fate is written in the stars now, Spike.” She touched Joshua’s arm. “Let her go.”

Joshua did a double-take. “W-what? We’re just... going to give up? But...”

The bloody minion (who was wringing out his shirt) also did a double-take. Things seemed to be going Mistress Dru's way, so why was she backing down?

Dru shook her head and tugged on his arm. “The universe has other plans for them. The pixies will be cross if Spike or the Slayer dies right now. The pixies are ill-tempered, they’ll nibble at your bits while you sleep if you rile them.”

Joshua was confused, but he released Buffy and jumped quickly away from her, in case she tried kicking him. But Buffy didn’t have any energy left to kick him. She did narrow her eyes and give him an intense scowling though.

The moment Dru and her minions moved away from Buffy, Spike rushed to Buffy’s side. He wasn’t sure what it was that made Dru give up so suddenly, but he was glad that it happened, for whatever crazy reason she had for doing it. Buffy looked like she was about ready to pass out. Spike put his arm around her waist to help support her. Buffy threw her free arm around him, sagging against him.

Spike murmured in her ear, "It's alright now, luv. It's over."

Buffy nodded, hoping he was right... she was a little afraid to even think that thought, every other time tonight she'd thought it was over she'd turned out to be gravely mistaken.

Spike raised his hand to Buffy's head, running his hand lightly over her hair and fighting the urge to kiss the top of her head. He was afraid to give her even a gentle touch; he could tell she was in pain just from him holding her around her middle.

Dru, Joshua, and the bloody minion backed away, going toward the front door of the mansion. It pained Dru to see the way Spike was tending to the Slayer, she could feel his love and devotion pouring out onto that blonde jezebel. Those emotions used to be reserved for only Dru... She had to get out of this cursed town as quickly as she could before it poisoned her mind, as it had poisoned and infected her sweet Spike.

Spike surveyed Buffy's wounds as she leaned on him for support. Blood was flowing from her lip, her wrists, and torso; bruises spotted her visible skin, one of her eyes was swelling and turning purple... The sorry state she was in made Spike want to cry. But there was another emotion building up rapidly within him: rage.

His eyes welled with tears, his nostrils flared, and the muscles in his jaw ticced as he tried to contain the tempest howling inside of him.

Drusilla and her idiot minions had done this to his Buffy. And worst of all, Dru had gotten into Spike's mind and made him hurt Buffy too. Seeing the bite mark on her shoulder filled Spike with shame and regret, not the pride and jubilation he would have felt just a few short years ago.

Dru had given up on trying to kill Buffy... But what if a pixie whispered in Dru's ear tomorrow and told her to come back and finish the job? After all, Spike hadn't expected Dru to ever come back to Sunnydale for him. She could change her mind yet again. There was only one way to prevent anything like this from happening to Buffy again: Dusting Drusilla.

“Bring me Miss Edith,” Dru instructed Joshua. She wouldn't be leaving her faithful companion behind this time. “She’s weeping for what’s been lost... Can’t you hear her? I need to comfort the poor lass...”

Joshua nodded and dutifully retrieved Dru’s favorite doll.

Spike wasn’t letting his guard down yet, he stayed with his arm around Buffy while shooting daggers at Drusilla with his eyes. He divided his attention between looking at Buffy (he was terribly worried about her) and keeping an eye on their retreating foes. If only he could manage to stake Dru before she left...

Just as that thought formed in his mind, Spike's foot bumped into an object on the floor. He looked down and saw a sharp, stake-sized piece of wood by his foot. His eyes moved slowly from the stake to Dru as a plan started to form in his mind.

Spike whispered to Buffy, "Can you stand on your own for a minute?"

Buffy wondered why he wanted to let her go, but she gripped the chain tighter and nodded, pulling herself upright again. She was a super-strong Vampire Slayer, but after the night she'd had, it felt so good just to have Spike hold her.

Spike saw his opportunity when Drusilla and her minions turned to leave through the door. He quickly crouched down and snatched the stake from the floor. It felt like he was playing a deadly game of darts, a game he was bloody good at.

It all happened within seconds, but time seemed to standstill from his perspective. Spike saw his life with Drusilla flash before his eyes -- good times, bad times, rotten times. Part of him would always love her, but that chapter of his life was over: Dru had slammed that book shut in his face long ago. Buffy might not be his future, but Spike wanted to make sure Buffy had a future. Dusting Dru, making sure she could never come back and hurt Buffy again, would help guarantee that. He would be protecting Buffy and serving up some good ol' fashioned revenge at the same time. Spike wanted some payback for what had been done to his beautiful, proud Slayer.

Spike cocked his arm back and then flung the stake as hard as he could, grunting with the force and at a twinge of pain in his left shoulder (from getting hit by that damn crowbar).

Dru could feel Spike's rage (which was sadly now directed at her), she knew he was thinking of doing something very naughty. Dru spun around just as Spike let the stake fly from his hand -- his face was a mask of determination and anger.

Being a Master vamp had its benefits -- one of which was the ability to think quickly with a stake zipping through the air at your heart. Dru didn't have enough time to move, but she did grab the bloody minion and used him as a shield, to let him take the stake meant for her.

The minion gasped as the stake struck him in the back and pierced his heart. "Aw shi--!" he exclaimed, and then exploded into dust.

"Bollocks!" Spike shouted, punching the wall in frustration. He readied himself for battle, moving in front of Buffy and going into a fighting stance.

But Drusilla didn't run at him. She looked more shocked and sad than anything else.

“Poor Spike... so lost.” Drusilla sniffled. She cuddled Miss Edith, looking dejectedly at Spike. “You've gone too far down the rabbit hole... you've drunk the potion and shriveled up. Even I can’t help you now...”

"Don't come after her again, Dru," Spike said, his jaw set. "Never come back here. I will kill you if you do."

Joshua growled and started toward Spike, but Dru put her hand on Joshua's arm and shook her head.

"No. Leave him be. The Slayer will make him suffer far worse than anything you or I could do to him..."

"But he tried to kill you -- twice, Mistress!"

"I said, leave him be," Dru said harshly, giving Joshua a look that told him she wouldn't allow it.

Joshua huffed, but he stood down, settling for glaring at Spike.

Drusilla cast one more doleful look at Spike, and then she and Joshua turned and went through the door, leaving Spike and the Slayer to their fates.

And then, at long last, Spike and Buffy were alone in the mansion. They both let out heavy sighs and their shoulders slumped with relief for a few moments, grateful that the longest night of their lives was finally over...


Chapter End Notes:
Additional dialogue from the episode 'Fool For Love', written by Douglas Petrie; and the episode ‘Crush’, written by David Fury



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