Previously on BtMB:
Buffy and Spike met in LA before she became a Slayer and another time when Buffy was in a mental institution. Both times without knowing they would soon become destined enemies. Except when they meet later (s. 2) Spike has troubles killing her and Buffy is majorly confused. She sleeps with her boyfriend Angel, unleashes Angelus who kills Jenny and steals Dru away from Spike. Angelus and Dru kidnaps Joyce and Spike tells Buffy he'll help her get her mother back, but will he..? The last chapter ended with Spike telling Angelus' minions to attacks her...



Chapter Twenty-One - Choices

“Kill her!”

The demons looked dumbfounded at each other before one of them - the vampire called Johnny - launched at Buffy. The others were not far behind.

He had to do something right? Spike couldn’t just stand there. He saw the hurt and accusation in Buffy’s eyes as she swung her axe and he wished he could run up to her and say ‘I didn’t mean it like that’.

She could take those five demons, right? *Right, * he convinced himself.

It was the boy’s fault. Bolloxing everything up. He had to do something to avert the attention from their new guest. Spike was the only one who had spotted him, and thank heavens for that, but a human boy in a room full of demons? Wouldn’t go unnoticed for long.

Spike had recognized him as a friend of Buffy’s, or at least someone who hung around in that library with her and suddenly he found himself on a mission to not only protect Buffy and the lady but some random boy too.

*Just stake me, will ya? * Spike thought sarcastically. *Where’s my shining armour? Why don’t I just save the starving children too? Maybe help an old lady across the street? *

He had agreed to help Buffy and therefore her mother. No one else. Then why was he doing her favours? Not that she at this point was aware of it, but still?

Damn. The Slayer was really getting to him.

* * *

Xander was hiding in the wildly grown garden. Brown, dried grass was tickling his calves - it had sneaked under his jeans leg - and there was a giant spider an inch from his head. Xander didn’t bother to give either much attention, or for that matter the uncomfortable position he was in; crouching to get a good look through the dirty window.

He had followed her to keep an eye on things. To help her if he could. Spike had discovered him - that lying son of a bitch - he had cast him an angry glance, and if looks could kill, Xander was sure he would have died on the spot, the spider his only witness.

Xander had known Spike was not to be trusted. Hadn’t he told them all from the start? Now here he was with his ‘kill her!’ and Xander had to repress the urge to shout ‘ha!’ out loud in triumph.

But truthfully his victory wasn’t very appealing. The demons, Xander counted five of them, were attacking Buffy with full force and he couldn’t do anything but look.

* * *

Buffy felt the rage wash over her at Spike’s statement. ‘Kill her’?? What the hell was he talking about? Had it all been a game to him? Had he lied to her? She was taken aback, confused and shocked but in a split second she got herself together and her anger served as an excellent fuel for a fight.

The vampire Johnny came at her first, he was launching at her neck, in full game face, like an evil puppy and Buffy could easily punch his nose and send him to the ground.

Diane, the vampire from Willy’s bar, attacked her next, and from the look in her eyes Buffy suspected Johnny was really her mate. She was aggressive, pummelling Buffy with all she’d got and the Slayer answered with equal force.

Another demon joined in. The scaly one, looking like it belonged in some hot dessert judging by its thick armour of a skin and the beige colour. This one was eager, practically pushing Diane out of her way to get to Buffy. Which was fortunate for the Slayer. Her right fist was getting bloody after punching the demon’s hard chest, and she finally got the chance to use her left - holding the axe - and when Diane gave her the chance, she managed to push the top of the axe’s blade into the demon’s nose. It fell dead to the ground.

Buffy made a disgusted face at the green coloured blood that pooled around the body, but was soon distracted by Diane’s fists. Johnny was also getting himself together, grunted as he got up from the floor and joined his girlfriend in the battle. He didn‘t do much to help, instead he made her loose focus as she glanced back to check up on him. Buffy didn’t miss the opportunity; she retrieved her stake from the back pocket of her jeans and in two fast moves she had staked both Diane and her mate.

The troll and the snake-like demon were fast upon her, both at the same time. They were each other’s opposites, the troll was large, slow, but with an impressive force in its fists. The other demon was trickier - not as strong, but it was faster, ducking Buffy’s kicks and sneaking up on her from behind.

She took out the troll first. Gritting her teeth, she swung the axe and cut the head straight off the body. It fell with a surprised look on its face on the floor and rolled over to where Joyce was sitting. The woman gave out a startled scream, but the fabric in her mouth muffled it as she moved her feet as far from the head as she dared with Drusilla right beside her.

The rest of the body, the decapitated troll which looked close to a statue where it stood in the middle of the main hall, wobbled slightly, before it too, fell to the ground.

Buffy took two seconds to make sure it didn’t grow another head - you never knew on the Hellmouth - then gave the sneaky demon all of her attention.

She was getting tired. She had a large cut on her forehead from the troll’s fists, her knuckles were bleeding and she was pretty sure Diane had broken at least one of her ribs. She was panting heavily, but hadn’t given up yet. The demon circled her, animal like, and every time she swung her axe, it escaped the deadly steel, moving too fast for her tired eyes to register. She realized her sight wasn’t going to help her this time.

So she focused, stretched out her mind, using her spider sense. The wheezing sound of the creature’s breathing was what she concentrated on, how its lizard like feet tripped along the stone floor. And when it struck next, using a statue of some sort from the shelf above the fireplace, she heard it seconds before, just in time to block the punch. And the next. And before she knew it, she’d gotten the advantage and she pierced the demon’s eye with her stake. The wood pushed into its brain and another body slumped to the ground.

She tried not to look smug when she faced Angelus. She wiped her forehead with her hand and dried the blood that she found there on her pants.

If Angelus was impressed he didn’t let it show.

Spike on the other hand was grinning proudly like a single dad on his seven-year-old son’s soccer practice. Buffy had no idea what he was up to, but the anger from before had died with the slaughtered demons, and she was pretty sure Spike was trying to tell her something with the way he rose his eyebrows and tilted his head. Or maybe he was just being inappropriate, she wasn’t sure. But it told her something.

He was still in.

“That was a nice little show,” Angelus said casually.

“Let my mother go or you will be the extra number.”

“You really think you can take all of us on?” he answered amusingly. “You’re barely standing, kiddo.”

“No, I don’t. But we will.”

With that, Spike took the crowbar he had been hiding behind his back to his grandsire’s head and watched him crumble to the ground. He hit his back, again and again, making sure Angelus stayed on the floor all while muttering something sounding like “that’s for Buffy, that‘s for mum” under his breath, with each strike.

Drusilla stared at him for a couple of seconds in shock but soon rose to action. She jumped him, making them both fall to the floor and for a second Spike was buried underneath heaps of crimson satin.

Buffy was left to face Angelus. She smiled ridiculously when she thought of Spike. *I knew he would come through.*

* * *

She didn’t know who threw the first punch. It was possible they attacked each other at the exact same time because before she knew it the fight had started and their surroundings faded away.

It was obvious to her that Angelus only had used his minions to get her warmed up. As often as Angel had followed her out on patrol he had to know five demons wasn’t enough to bring the Slayer down. And she had wondered why he didn’t join in the fight immediately. Why he and Drusilla just stood there, watching.

She felt stupid. And he was so strong.

The difference between fighting Angelus and fledglings like Diane was enormous. Angelus oozed of power, every hit was coming from instinct, years of practice and it was hard to not feel intimidated by just the nonchalant look in his eyes.

But Buffy was the Slayer. Had been for more than two years now. Going up against Master vampires was something she’d only done twice before: the Master a year earlier and Spike just a week ago. She wasn’t completely sure whether to count Spike or not, she doubted either of them had gone all out that time at the Parent-teacher night. But he infused that same respect as Angelus, fought with that same intensity, if not more.

They were well matched, her and Angelus, but she was nervous. So much at stake, and she had no other option than winning. She wished she was bigger, her thin frame was not in sync with her power. Her strength felt too big, her senses, instincts overwhelmed her and she wondered if his next blow would break her just because.

* * *

Spike pushed the fabric of her dress off of him, scrambled for a limb - not sure if he caught an arm or a foot - and dragged Drusilla up with him only to throw her back on the ground.

His princess.

He used to think that. Turned out he was only a suitor holding her hand until the king returned. *Bastard.*

Drusilla was strangely similar to a cat when she fought. Her skinny body flexed easily to escape his punches and she hissed when he landed a full punch in her gut instead of grunting like Spike did. She had everything a good fighter needed, including the lack of sanity, but Spike knew her moves by heart.

When you’d worshipped someone for a hundred years you had to pick up on something.

And when she was not expecting he knocked her down. This time she stayed on the floor, passed out.

Spike was just about to join Buffy in the fight against Angelus when the garden door opened.

“Uh Ang- Master.”

The voice came from the garden entrance. Another vampire, a new appearance for both Buffy and Spike joined them holding a startled looking Xander in a firm grip around the neck.

“This one was snooping, “ he said and grinned. “Whaddya think we should do ‘bout it?”

Buffy froze. Xander. What was Xander doing there? Well, she was surprised but it did made sense. Xander to the rescue, right? The thought of Jesse crossed her mind for the second time in the last couple of days. Stupid boy. Stupid Xander. He was going to get himself killed.

“Well, well, well. This is an interesting turn of events. Decided to bring some back-up?” Angelus commented mockingly. “I’m quaking in my boots!”

Buffy stiffened visibly, glared angrily and gritted out a ‘let go of him’ to the newly arrived vampire. She took a menacing step towards him, but was stopped by Angelus’ hand on her neck. She had not seen it coming, too distracted by Xander messing up. Buffy tried to push his hand away, but he held on strong as he walked up to her from behind and pressed the length of his body against her back. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“Now why don’t we go and make this even more interesting?”

“Get away from her Angelus.” Spike growled threateningly. He was itching to punch Angelus in the face but the other vampire’s fangs were too close to Buffy’s neck. It was driving him crazy, but Spike couldn’t take any chances.

“I’m a decent fella-” Buffy could feel Angelus leering against her skin. “-I’ll let you choose. Your mom. Or the boy. One gets to live, the other ones dies.”

Xander whimpered and looked back and forth between Buffy and Joyce, in panic. Joyce didn’t make a sound but her eyes were as large as saucers when she looked at her daughter.

Buffy was obviously not fond of Angelus’ games and showed him just that by putting her elbow in his gut with a loud grunt. He lost his grip on her for a second and she spun around to punch him in the face.

Angelus took few wobbly steps backwards but regained his composure before Buffy was able to land her second hit. He grabbed her wrists, there was a quick fight and they were back in the same position, Angelus getting the upper hand and holding her in a firm grip from behind, his fangs just gracing above her neck.

Glancing at Drusilla’s body, unconscious on the floor, made Angelus take a couple of precautionary steps backwards, the fireplace now closer to his back, serving as protection. He had not yet mentioned Spike’s little scheme, but he kept his narrowed eyes steady on his grandchilde as he tilted his head to whisper in Buffy’s ear.

“Bad girl. Didn’t anyone teach you manners, young lady? Just because of that, you get to choose. Which one I’ll kill first..”

Buffy‘s voice was shaky, but strong when she answered: “I promise, if you so much as touch either one of them I will-”

She was cut off by his fangs against her throat. It was shallow but the tips of his teeth were easily cutting through her skin, leaving a small red wound where the blood started to pour out. Buffy let out a hiss.

Spike was growling. He could smell her blood from where he was standing and he lost control. He attacked his grandsire and sent the three of them to the ground in a heap of limbs. Angelus still held on to Buffy, as Spike sent fist after fist into his face in rage. Buffy squirmed, trying to get loose in the commotion, but Spike’s body was heavy on top of her and Angelus’ arms tightened around her midsection and locked her arms into place.

It was an ugly fight, legs kicking and fists flying, they were not getting off the floor. Angelus was laughing, spit blood onto Spike’s face, and when Buffy whimpered ’Spike’ weakly and Spike for an instant let his focus travel to Buffy, Angelus took a chance.

His fangs slipped into her flesh like she was made of butter and he smirked against her skin as she gasped for breath.

It was messy. But he was the one in control.






A/N: Feedback/con crit makes my day and puts a smile on my face. And I always answer my reviews ;)

A huge thank you to my betas, Luxferi and Amarysso. *squishy hugs*