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Chapter 13 – Betrayal


A few weeks unremarkably passed. Buffy had been in Sunnydale for almost three months, and she and Spike had settled into a semi-comfortable relationship, with Spike spending most of his nights over at Buffy’s place. Cassidy had begun to patrol with them, and Buffy hated her even more than she had before. Whenever Spike wasn’t looking, she always threw glares at Buffy and tried to get physically closer to Spike.

When Buffy confided in Spike about her worries, he told her she was overreacting and not to worry about the woman. Buffy had agreed but secretly still kept an eye on the untrustworthy vampire. She had gone to Wesley and told him of the problems she was having with Cassidy, and Wes had been kind enough to do a little research for her. He had come up with very little, only finding out that she was over sixty years old and had always flown under the radar.

As the group was patrolling one night, Buffy kept a careful eye on the woman to her left. Buffy knew if it came down to it, she could take Cassidy in a fight. All she was waiting for was the first punch to be thrown.

Suddenly, all three heads turned as they heard a scream coming from their right. As they began running toward it, five vampires and a woman were seen in the distance. As another scream sounded from a remote location of the cemetery, Buffy glanced in that direction.

“You go,” Cassidy said. “Spike and I can handle this group.”

Glaring at her for a moment, Buffy realized that now was not the time to start a fight over a petty situation. Taking off in the direction of the other scream, Buffy ran at full-speed, seeing a group of five vampires surrounding a man who already had blood running down his neck. The man made eye contact as she got closer and silently pleaded with her to help in some way.

Slowing her pace as she got closer, Buffy idly twirled her stake from hand to hand. “Hey,” she said, with a bright smile as the group turned their attention to her. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to play with your food?”

Her question was answered by numerous growls as they all advanced on her. “No?” she asked. “Oh well." Quickly pulling a stake from under her black turtleneck, Buffy let it fly into the chest of the nearest vampire as the rest charged her.

Throwing numerous kicks and punches, she managed to stake another, letting the number dwindle to three. After several minutes of fending them off, Buffy felt herself begin to tire. Seeing a lucky break, she plunged another stake into a vamp that wasn’t paying close enough attention. As the two remaining vampires charged her, she felt a mild sense of panic as each one took an arm and threw her into a tree, never letting go of her. Feeling a pop in her back, she barely managed to ignore it, focusing on her predicament.

“Don’t take it personally,” one said, causing Buffy to shudder as he whispered in her ear. “I mean, I’d love to take out a Slayer anyway, but we’re just doing what we have to do.”

Struggling against their hold when both sets of fangs came toward her neck, she tried to bite back the panic she was feeling. Knowing that she couldn’t be killed by being drained, it didn’t dissuade the fact that she really didn’t feel like being incapacitated long enough for them to stake her. Her Slayer alarms sounded in her head as they got too close before she was suddenly released on one side. Taking advantage, Buffy threw a high kick into the face of the attacker that held her and staked him before turning to the other. She noticed that he let her go because the man they were about to kill must have hit him. Grabbing the vamp as he was preparing to sink his teeth into the man’s neck she threw him several paces away.

“What do you mean, you’re doing what you have to do?” Buffy asked as they circled each other.

“We were paid to take out the Slayer. That’s what we were doing.”

“The Slayer is a man.”

“No, you were the previous Slayer. The most powerful- you were the one chosen.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard the terminology. Who sent you?” she asked irritably.

“You think I’d tell you?”

Throwing her stake into his heart, Buffy shrugged. “Didn’t hurt to ask.” As the dust settled, she turned to the man. “Thanks for the help.”

“It was the least I could do. I mean, you saved me from five of those things.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a first for me, having the person preyed upon offer me any help.”

“How’d you do that?”

“It’s my job,” she said with a shrug.

“There were more,” he said, suddenly panicking. “My girlfriend and I got separated, and some went after her.”

“She should be okay.”

At that moment, a young woman came running at the man and threw herself into his arms.

“You should get home,” Buffy told them.

“Yeah…thank you,” he said as he led his girlfriend away.

Letting out a slow groan when the adrenaline wore off, leaving her with the searing pain in her lower back, she breathed heavily as she stood a little straighter. Twisting her upper body, she managed to pop it and release some of the pressure, but the pain still wrenched her back every time she moved.

Turning around, she saw Spike and Cassidy approaching, the woman practically hanging off of him as they smiled at something. Feeling hatred fill her, Buffy moved forward, a slight limp in her step. As she approached Cassidy, she let her fist fly to land solidly on the other girl’s jaw.

“Buffy, what the bloody hell are you doing?” Spike asked as he helped the injured vamp off the ground.

Giving him a look, she chose to ignore him, turning to face the woman. “You bitch,” she spat out. “You set me up.”

“What are you talking about?” Cassidy asked with an innocent face.

“You set all this up! You had your little gang of vamps split up the couple so you could send me to take on five at once!”

“Slayer, what are you going on about?” Spike asked, furrowing his brow as he looked at her.

Glaring at him as she looked pointedly to where he still held Cassidy’s elbow. “What I’m going on about is your little friend here decided to set up an ambush for me. I would be dead right now if that guy hadn’t stepped in and helped me.”

“That’s kind of a stretch that Cassidy had anything to do with it.”

“You don’t believe me?” she asked disbelievingly. “You think she’s just Little Miss Innocent with a soul? She’s not,” she said, getting angrier. “I am standing here today because for half my life, I have trusted my instincts. And right now, they’re telling me not to trust her. Please, believe me, Spike.” Her eyes looked into his, pleading with him.

“Buffy, I’d like to, but there’s no reason to suspect anything.”

“I think those vamps telling me someone paid them to take me out is a pretty damn good reason to suspect something!”

“Buffy,” Cassidy spoke up. “I would never do anything to get you hurt.”

“Shut it, princess.”

“You help Spike,” Cassidy said, turning her adoring gaze toward him. “And I would never put him in any danger.”

Buffy glared at the girl before turning her attention to Spike. “Do you believe me or not?”

“Love, I want to, but I can’t without-”

“That’s all I need to hear,” she said, pushing past him to painfully walk away.

“Buffy, wait, baby!”

“No!” she cried, spinning around to face him. “You don’t believe me. You obviously don’t trust my judgment, so why do you need me? You have my doppelganger right there, whispering sweet nothings in your ear all the time! I can’t be with someone who doesn’t have faith in me.” Buffy turned and began walking away again.

“Buffy!”

“Oh, and for the record,” she said, turning to face him once more, sarcasm lacing through her voice. “I’m the one with the potentially broken back, and you have your arms around her! Don’t worry about me- thanks for the concern, but I’ll be fine!” Buffy quickly walked away, trying her best to ignore the agonizing pain in her back as she slipped a hand behind her to offer herself some support.

Spike nearly chased after her when he felt pressure on his arm. Looking down at Cassidy, she spoke, “You should let her cool off. Will you help me home?” Softly batting her eyelashes, Spike looked at her and then to the path Buffy had disappeared to.

“Yeah, pet. I can do that.”

* * * * *

Making it home faster than she anticipated, Buffy couldn’t believe Spike didn’t trust her. Calling a cab, not wanting to walk anymore than she had to, she quickly pulling a suitcase and a large shoulder bag from her closet. Filling them with as many belongings as she could, Buffy emptied most of her closet and dresser before going into the bathroom and began toiletries out of the cabinets. Throwing them into a small carrying case, Buffy threw the case into her suitcase and packed a few more possessions, pausing to look at the picture of herself with Willow and Xander, taken when they were in high school. She finally let the tears flow as so many memories and
feelings came crashing down on top of her.

Packing the picture, she looked at another one that Fred had taken a few weeks ago at the Bronze. Buffy was sitting in Spike’s lap, and they were both looking into each other's eyes and laughing at something that Buffy couldn’t even remember. Leaving the picture on the table by her bed, Buffy hoisted the suitcase and bag off the mattress and headed for the door as she heard the cab honk.

She knew it was the cowards way out, but she had to leave. She couldn’t stick around and watch as Cassidy and Spike grew closer together. Grabbing a black ski cap from the table at the door, Buffy tucked her long blonde hair underneath it and headed outside, gently shutting the door behind her.

* * * * *

Helping Cassidy to the small house she was renting on the other side of town, Spike waited until she was through the door before turning to find Buffy.

“Wait!” she cried from inside. “Don’t you want to stay for a while?”

Watching skeptically as Cassidy made her way back to his side and put her arms around his neck, Spike narrowed his eyes.

“I thought we could have some fun,” she whispered as her lips came closer to his, pulling him down to meet her. Snapping out of it at the last second, he disentangled himself from her arms.

“I’m sorry. I can’t do this. I can’t hurt Buffy this way.”

“She’s already mad, Spike. What difference does it make if she knows or not?”

“The difference is that I would know, and I’m not going to do that to her,” he replied, walking down the front steps.

“She doesn’t want you. Don’t you see that? She left you and I together for a reason.”

“No, she didn’t. She’s hurt, and I’ve gotta go.”

Slamming the door behind him, Spike jogged through town, stopping at a grocery store that sold flower arrangements to buy a half-dozen red roses in an apology.

Walking up to Buffy’s apartment a few minutes later, Spike knocked on the door and waited. When there was no answer, he tried the knob and was surprised when it opened without resistance. Slowly walking through the doorway, he laid the flowers on the kitchen bar. Looking through the apartment, something felt off.

“Buffy?” he called, making his way to her bedroom. “Buffy? Answer me, baby.”

As soon as Spike opened the bedroom door, he felt sick. The room was practically stripped. The closet door hung open, showing its few remaining contents. Dresser drawers were left open haphazardly, and he saw that the picture of Buffy and her friends was gone. Feeling slightly lightheaded, he walked over to the nightstand and saw the picture of the two of them, sitting crookedly on the surface. Suddenly gasping for air, Spike sat on the bed.

Buffy was gone.





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