CHAPTER TWELVE
 
“Well,” Giles began, I presume we can—”
 
Spike interrupted him. “Frankenstein is gathering an army. His plan is to come out no later than tomorrow night. Figures he’s got enough demons on his side to keep the Slayer busy while he sets himself up in City Hall as the boss of Sunnydale. Didn’t find out much more before I had to get out, but if we don’t hit him now, we’re going to have to fight our way through an army led by some of the second class Frankensteins he’s been manufacturing from the humans he has.”
 
“Are they as strong as Adam is?”
 
Spike shrugged. “No, but they aren’t your average half-robot man either. They aren’t as fast as we are—that’s why I was able to get away—but they pack a bloody hard punch.”
 
“Terrific. I don’t suppose they’re going to all fall down dead when I take care of their boss?”
 
“No idea, pet, but I don’t think we should count on it.”
 
Riley spoke up. “No. They are separate from him, not extensions. I... we’ll take care of as many of them as we can. Most of them are... were... my men. I owe it to them.”
 
Buffy gave Riley a sympathetic look, but said, “That’s good. One less thing for me to worry about,” and turned back to Giles.
 
“Are we ready to go tonight?”
 
He exchanged looks with Evelyn, who nodded, saying, “I believe we can pull something together in another hour or so. I would have preferred to have another day to work out all the spell details, but if Spike is correct, we will have to do it tonight.”
 
“Spike is correct,” the vampire in question growled.  “But we’re not risking Buffy in there if you lot aren’t sure of what you’re doing.”
 
“Buffy is standing right here,” she said, glaring him into silence. “If we need to go tonight, we go tonight.  You don’t get a vote.”
 
Spike’s eyes flashed yellow and his fangs slid down, causing Riley to clutch his weapon and begin to raise it. Buffy slapped it down without even looking at him and stepped up to the snarling vampire. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the door.
 
“We need to talk,” she said, opening the door and pulling him through it. When it had shut behind them, she dropped his arm and sighed, moving her hand to cup his cheek and waiting for him to fade back into his human mien. When he was staring at her with still-angry but now blue eyes, she caressed his cheek then lowered her arm. She waited until he dropped his glare and moved closer to her before leaning into him and resting her hand briefly on his chest.
 
“This is what I do, Spike. You know that. I have to face the big bad, whatever and wherever it is. It’s what I do... it’s what I am.” She waited for him to give a sigh of his own and put his arms around her before she continued. “I appreciate that you’re trying to keep me safe—and trust me, that puts you way ahead of Angel and his cryptic warnings when we were first dating—but you can’t do that.  You can back me up, you can fight beside me when that’s what we need to do, you can promise me you won’t do anything stupid and get dusted while I’m busy saving the world... but you can’t tell me what to do.” She raised her head to meet his gaze. “When it comes down to it, I’m the Slayer. You have to let me do my job.”
 
He tightened his embrace, relaxing when she put her own arms around him and squeezed back.  “I know that, love.  I know you’re the Slayer—probably the best one that ever lived—but you’re also the woman I love. You can’t expect me to just stand by and be cheerful while you risk your life. The demon in me admires the Slayer confidence and courage, the man in me just wants to have some say in the decision-making... and to keep you safe.”
 
“I can’t let you do that,” Buffy said, her voice muffled where she’d buried her face in his neck. “I’ll listen to your suggestions, but I have to make the final decision. Are you okay with that?”
 
“Am a getting a choice?”
 
“Well... you can always walk away if you—oof!” His arms tightened again to the point of pain.  “Okay, so that’s a no?”
 
“Too bloody right, it’s a no!  Not going anywhere. Not without you.”
 
“Then I think where we need to go is back inside so we can get ready for tonight’s work.”
 
Neither one of them mentioned Spike’s declaration of love, but the words lingered in the air between them as they re-entered the apartment hand in hand. Giles raised an eyebrow at them and gave a smirk that Spike found unpleasantly familiar.
 
“Is that all sorted, then?” Giles inquired, smothering a smile at Spike’s growl of assent. 
 
“Are we all set?” Buffy looked at Evelyn and Willow, noticing the small frown on Evelyn’s face and Willows tight lips.  “Is there a problem?”
 
“Just a little misunderstanding,” Evelyn said. “I think we’re all ready to play our parts.”
 
“Even if some of us have bigger parts than others,” Willow muttered so low that only Spike heard her. He stared at her until she felt his eyes and looked up. Her guilty start at realizing he’d heard what she said was quickly followed by, “Yes. We’re all ready to do our part. I know I am. Just waiting to be told what to do and when to do it.”
 
As Buffy gathered weapons, handing Spike some stakes and a sword, Giles and Evelyn quickly went over the plan, getting a roughly drawn map from Riley to help them find the closest room to the main lab. He then left to collect the rest of his men, promising to meet them at the tunnel entrance he’d indicated was the easiest way in. 
 
As they went out the door, Spike managed to get close enough to Willow to whisper, “Think you can keep that ego of yours under control long enough to keep my girl safe?” 
 
She glared at him, hissing, “You owe me for that ‘girl’ of yours, buddy. And I’ll be fine. I know my job, just see that you do yours.”
 
He followed the humans out of the building and to the parking lot, where it became obvious they could not all fit comfortably in Giles’s car.
 
“Spike and I don’t need to ride. We can get there just as fast on foot. You go on—but don’t get too close without us.”
 
“We’ll be all right,” Xander said, raising a sword in one hand and stake in the other.
 
Spike rolled his eyes but muttered to Buffy, “Boy’s got balls. I’ll give him that.”
 
Buffy and Spike began jogging in the direction of campus, turning into the woods where Riley had indicated the trail would lead to the tunnel.  With Spike’s eyesight, they had no trouble finding their way to a dirt road, and they arrived at the tunnel just as Riley and his men were setting up equipment. The soldiers all stiffened at the sight of Spike in game face, but they’d been warned to expect him and when he paid them no attention, they went back to what they were doing.
 
“What’s all that?” Buffy peered curiously at the growing pile of weapons.
 
“Guns, ammo, grenades, and some incendiary devices to plant in the tunnels on our way out.”
 
“Gonna blow things up?” Spike seemed much too interested in what they were planning to suit the men, and they all touched their weapons.
 
“Easy there, mates.  I just like watchin’ things go boom. Not planning to eat anybody... just now, anyway.” He licked his lips and laughed until Buffy punched him on the arm.  “Ow! That hurt, Slayer!  I’m just having some fun.”
 
“Trying to scare people who are going to help us is not my idea of fun, Spike. Be nice to them.”
 
“Spoil sport,” he grumbled as he dropped back into his human face.  Riley and his men watched the exchange with open mouths and wide eyes. The vampire that had been the only one strong enough to survive and be found worthy of a chip, and the little girl they still couldn’t quite believe was on their side were joking and shoving each other like schoolchildren.
 
As soon as they saw the headlights of Giles’s car, they all fell silent and waited to be told what to do.
 
“Let’s go, Spike,” Buffy said, walking toward the tunnel entrance. “Riley, you tell Giles to follow us. We’ll clear out any vamps or demons between us and where we’re going.  It’s up to you to make sure no more of them come in behind us.”
 
“We’ll be the rear guard,” Riley agreed. “But we’ll have to be in rear coming out too, so we can leave charges where we need them.”
 
XXXXXXXXXXX
 
It didn’t take long to get through the soon-empty tunnels to the space where they were to set up the spell. It was just a small off shoot of what appeared to be a major corridor, but only a short distance from the entrance to the main lab. Not until they were already chanting and Buffy was already feeling the effects of absorbing power and knowledge from all four participants did anything notice them. The first demon to raise a shout never finished his warning as Spike broke his neck from behind and dropped the body on the floor.  He was soon busy as more demons and a few vampires came out of the lab. A few of the vamps recognized Spike and chose to either return to the lab or try to run rather than face him.
 
 Riley’s squad was set up where they could both fire down the tunnel if necessary, and toward the lab if and when one of their former comrades came out.  They left the hand-to-hand fighting to Spike, only using their weapons when needed for back up and when they were able to avoid striking the vampire who seemed to be in perpetual motion as he took on a growing crowd of demons all trying to reach the small cluster of chanting humans.
 
Adam’s eventual approach to find out what the commotion was about seemed almost anticlimactic. As he left the lab, Buffy was poised in the corridor, waiting for him and bouncing in anticipation. It took him several seconds, and some blows that never landed on the too-fast-for-him human, before he understood he was not going to be able to bat this “slayer” away as he usually did most people or demons. He brought his cannon-enhanced arm up to aim at her, but she knocked it aside, stepped in, and trust her hand into his chest. He stared down at himself in shock, which turned to rage as Buffy withdrew her hand, his power pack held securely in her fist. She threw herself backwards, away from his powerful fists, taking the power pack with her and tearing the cables that had been connecting it.
 
She rolled away from the toppling giant and threw the glowing object as far down the corridor as she could, scrambling to her feet and following it out into the larger space. She watched Spike tossing demons away from where her friends were waiting to be told it was done. Buffy ran to them and tapped Giles on the shoulder. He exhaled in relief, relaxing and letting the spell begin to fade. As he released his mind, the others also relaxed and slumped down where they sat. They all looked more tired than Buffy, who had actually been the one to fight.  She gave them a few moments to recover, then said, “Come on, guys. Let’s get out of here and let Riley blow it up. I think Spike’s getting tired.”
 
She looked over her shoulder where Spike was still snarling and snapping at anything that tried to approach, but she could see that one arm was hanging awkwardly at his side and he had several bruises on his face. She stepped up beside and picked up the sword he’d dropped.
 
“Mind if I cut in?” she quipped, slicing the head off a demon that thought he was going to take advantage of Spike’s momentary inattention. 
 
“Be my guest, pet. Think I’m about danced out.”
 
“Can you make it back out?” She frowned at him as he swayed. Before she could say anything else, Xander surprised her by slinging Spike’s arm over his shoulder.
 
“Let’s go, fangface. I’m getting all claustrophobic in here.”
 
With Buffy in front, clearing any remaining demons out of the way, and Riley’s men bringing up the rear and laying down rapid fire to discourage anything from following them, they all made their way to the entrance and collapsed on the ground.
 
“Thanks, Harris,” Spike said, slumping against a tree. He watched as Xander stretched out on the ground beside him. 
 
“Don’t get used to it,” Xander said. “Doesn’t mean I like you or anything.”
 
“Wouldn’t expect it.”
 
“Just so we’re clear.”
 
“Crystal.”
 
They rested in silence for several minutes, then without looking at him, Xander said, “I saw you.  I mean, I couldn’t move because I was all spell-bound and stuff, but I could see you.  It was pretty impressive.  You saved our lives like – fifty times.”
 
“Fifty-five, but who’s countin’,” Spike said, hiding a smile. “Impressed you, huh?”
 
“In a totally that’s what Spike looks like when he’s fighting for something important to him and I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side, kind of way.”
 
Before Spike could respond, Buffy wandered over and sat down with them.
 
“How are you?” She brushed her fingers over one of the bruises on his face.
 
“Been better. But I’ve been a lot worse too.  I’ll be fine by tomorrow night. Some blood, some kip, and I’ll be good as new.”
 
Buffy turned her gaze on Xander who was sitting up watching them. “Thanks for helping him get out of there, Xan.”
 
“No problem. Glad to help,” he replied, turning his head to where Willow and Evelyn and Giles seemed to be having a heated discussion. “What’s going on there?”
 
Spike answered for Buffy. “Red threw some fireballs at a vamp and rolled a rock down on a demon. Think the good witch there didn’t like what she saw.”
 
“How do you know?”
 
“I was closer to them than you were. Caught it from the corner of my eye, and I can hear them now. Seems like they think Red might have stepped off the reservation a little.”
 
XXXXXXXXX
 
When the soldiers had joined them and suggested everyone get back from the cave entrance, they all picked themselves up and walked to the car. Once again, it was barely big enough for four people, but when Buffy tried to say she’d walk by herself, Xander pulled Willow onto his lap and moved over so Buffy and Spike could both fit into the narrow back seat.
 
“Giles, drop us off at Restfield,” Buffy said as they neared Spike’s cemetery. “Spike needs blood.”
 
Giles opened his mouth to reply, causing Buffy to narrow her eyes in preparation for an argument, but Evelyn reached across the console to touch his arm, saying softly, “They’ve earned the right, don’t you think?”
 
In silence, Giles drove all the way into Restfield, stopping when they were close to Spike’s crypt.  “Ta, Watcher, Good Witch,” Spike said as he climbed out of the car. A terse nod was Giles’s only reply, but Evelyn gave him a small smile.

After thanking Xander and Willow, Buffy followed Spike out, pausing before shutting the door to thank Giles and Evelyn.  They nodded. She closed the door and began walking with Spike, moving slowly to accommodate his slight limp. The humans watched them walk away, silent until Evelyn said, “I wish you could see what I do, Rupert. You would worry so much less about her.”
 
“What do you see?” Willow’s voice came from the backseat.
 
Evelyn frowned. “I’d have thought you would be able to see it also,” she said.  “They have very distinctive auras, but they blend together beautifully. Spike’s aura is unusual for a vampire—although the demon is quite visible in it—and Buffy’s, of course, is pure and shining. Together they create a powerful and brilliant blended aura. One that surrounds them both. Quite unusual.”  She looked back at Willow. “You really can’t see them?  You should be able to pull that bit of power up quite easily.” She shrugged. “Oh well. We can work on it tomorrow. Perhaps you’re just still tired from tonight’s work and need to be standing on the earth in order to use it.”
 
“What difference would that make?” Willow sounded more curious than disgruntled, but she was clearly not happy to be unable to see the auras.
 
“The only way to see auras is to be using earth magic. The Hellmouth would not provide the right kind of energy for it. Since you’ve just been part of a fairly strong earth-magic fueled spell, I would have thought you’d have noticed the auras while we were walking through the tunnels.”
 
“Unless,” Giles said quietly as he put the car in gear, “you were not using the earth as your power source when you were throwing fireballs and rocks....”