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Influence of Demons by gabrielleabelle
 
Caged
 
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Jigal wasn't entirely accustomed to leaving the safety of his master's base, not since he'd been taken in by Dehevret thirteen years ago. Yral demons, his kind, had souls and were therefore considered free game to other demons. Jigal had been barely a hatchling when he'd been found by Dehevret's men. Dehevret had shown great mercy by allowing him to live and serve him.

However, Jigal much preferred serving his master from the base. Tailing the vampire and the human left him exposed to other demons. Even now, he was forced to wait outside while the two went into the bar. The bar allowed vampires and humans to enter, but would not admit Yral demons.

Which was fine. Jigal had to report back to Dehevret anyway. Jigal had been pleased to get close enough to eavesdrop on the duo a couple times. He hoped the information would be useful to his master.

Fumbling in his pack, Jigal crossed to an ignored corner of the road. It had rained the night before, leaving muddy puddles scattered around the small town plaza. He sprinkled the appropriate herbs into a puddle, and recited the incantation from memory.

Dehevret's face appeared in the murky water. He smiled, displaying his sharp teeth to Jigal.

"Jigal, what news?"

Just hearing his master's voice was a comfort. "The pair have been traveling for a couple days now."

"Their destination?"

"From what I've been able to overhear, they're going to see the sorcerer, Wyver."

Devehret narrowed his eyes. "Interesting." He glanced to the side as Jigal waited patiently for his next order. "Jigal, I need you to stall them just for a few hours. I'll send a couple of representatives to Wyver and see if we can convince him to assist us with this."

Jigal frowned. "How shall I stall them?"

"I have every confidence you'll find a way to do so that doesn't arouse their suspicions."

Jigal's hands were shaking with the weight of the responsibility Dehevret was giving him. "I'll do my best not to disappoint you, Master."

"You have my favor, Jigal. Be well."

And with that, he was gone.

***

The entire day was fuzzy. Spike had had the portal dream yet again. In sleep, he'd once again vividly experienced the elation of opening the portal home, only to be met with extreme anguish when Buffy was unable to go through with him. The image of her crying, stuck on the other side was seared into his mind. The events of the dream never changed; the feelings they evoked never lessened in intensity.

Only this time, the dream struck him harder than it ever had before, such that all through the morning and the rest of the day, he'd been unable to shake the ghost of the dream. The dream hung over him, surrounding him like a coffin committing him to his fate.

It had been a hell of a day. It wasn't just the dream. It was also his traveling companion. She was keeping him constantly on edge.

She was different now.

They sat in a dive of a bar, and Spike watched as Buffy hungrily devoured her meal of barely edible bread and soup. There was something of the old Buffy in her eyes that hadn't been there before: a spark of the interminable desire for life. He almost felt he could respect her now.

His own mug of blood remained largely untouched. It had been three days since he'd drank from the Slayer, and he still felt pleasantly sated. Her powers may be sealed but Slayer blood was still Slayer blood. He imagined it would be another week, at least, before he had to feed again. For now, her blood filled his veins. He didn't want to dilute that with whatever pig swill the bar was selling.

They'd been making good time through the tunnels to Wyver's place. Spike had never met the wizard, but he'd heard of him through reputation. Wyver would be willing to help them with the translation and the sealing spell, despite Spike being a vampire. Of course, it would cost them, but Spike still had plenty of money from the Cabbas game.

Then, once the book was translated, Spike would be able to do whatever magical spell was necessary to open up the portal and go home. Away from hell and back to Sunnydale. It almost seemed too easy.

As Spike thought those words, a large pair of demons entered the bar, perusing the establishment. Spike sat up sharply, recognizing the colors they wore. They were in league with Ugvan, the bloke that had given him the glow - the bloke that he stilled owed a fair amount of money to and whose latest debt collector Spike had just dusted several days back.

Right. Spike imagined he was probably wanted for that by Ugvan now. Damn.

He grabbed Buffy's hand, interrupting her as she ate.

"Hey!" she protested.

He ignored her, pulling her to stand up with him and walked toward the back of the bar. Looking back over his shoulder, he grimaced as he realized he'd been spotted. Ugvan's demons wound their way through the tables toward him.

"What are you doing? I wasn't through eating!" Buffy struggled against his pull.

"Hush," he looked around for some back exit. He'd rather not fight these two buggers. They were…well…they were very large. He wasn't completely stupid.

"You!" one of them called. "Stop!"

Buffy looked over her shoulder, eyes widening as she took in the situation. She quickly shook herself from Spike's grasp and grabbed his wrist instead, tugging him behind the bar and back into the kitchens. An array of smaller, menial demons were stirring pungent stews and gutting various wildlife.

The workers - Spike hesitated to call them "cooks" - looked up at them in surprise.

"Health inspector," Buffy said. "Uh…where's your back door?"

One of the workers nodded towards the side.

"Thanks." Buffy smiled.

Spike was following her lead as they ran around the metal stoves and out the back door where the trash and scraps were disposed of. The stench almost made Spike turn around and go back in, but he knew that they needed to get back down to the tunnels if they wanted to avoid Ugvan's men.

Besides, the sun would be coming up soon.

They ran from the alley just as Ugvan's men emerged from the front of the bar. Spike pulled Buffy back behind a corner to keep from being seen. Spike didn't recognize what type of demon the two were, but he hoped they didn't have a good sense of smell.

They did.

With barely any hesitation, the two turned towards where Spike and Buffy were and began their approach. Fine. Spike would have to take care of this the hard way.

"Stay here," he said to Buffy as he stepped out from behind the corner, and walked to meet the demons.

Spike regretted having to get close to them. They reeked of some horrible odor that Spike couldn't even identity. Not only that, but they had slime dripping from their tusks.

"Spike," one of them said loudly. "Ugvan's been looking for you. You still owe him."

"Yeah, about that," Spike said, looking off to the side. Quickly, though, he lashed out, punching the first demon in the nose.

The guy was big, but he went down, stumbling back from Spike's attack. His friend moved quickly though, retaliating with a punch of his own that sent Spike to the ground. Before Spike could even stand up, he felt a sharp kick in his side. His side was still sore from being gouged open a few days ago. This wasn't helping.

Spike grabbed the demon's leg, pulling hard in an effort to knock over the behemoth. It didn't work. The demon, instead, stomped on his hand and kicked him in the face.

Fuck. This didn't seem like a winning battle.

Spike had a reprieve, then, as the demon fell over, crying out in pain. He looked up, surprised to see Buffy standing over both demons with a metal pipe. A metal pipe. How did the girl always find a metal pipe just lying around? Buffy didn't stop at merely knocking him over, though. She brought the pipe down on each of them again, making sure they were both knocked out.

Spike struggled to his feet. The air was getting warmer.

"We need to get to the tunnels," he said, licking his own blood off his fingers.

She nodded as she dropped the pipe, stepping over the two demons to join him.

It didn't take long to find the entrance back to the tunnels. Spike heaved a sigh of relief as he lowered himself down into the hole. He frowned, though, when he realized he was submerged in water up to his waist. Buffy splashed down beside him.

"What the hell?" Buffy asked, raising her arms to keep them above the water.

Spike felt the gentle laps of water rippling from the movement of a demon beside them. It was an underground demon. Probably one of the builders of the tunnel. Right now, it was clinging to the wall, inspecting it.

"Hey!" Spike called. "What's the deal, mate?"

The demon didn't turn to them, but it didn't have any eyes with which to look at them anyway. Instead, its tufted ears turned in their direction, and the demon paused in its inspection of the wall.

"Rival gang fight by the lake. One of Dehevret's wizards got overzealous and managed to flood the tunnels." The demon clucked in disapproval. "May not be stable. Wasn't built for this."

Great. They didn't have much of a choice in the matter this time. They'd have to wade through it.

Spike removed his coat, grabbing the duffel from Buffy. He wrapped the bag in his coat before holding it above his head to keep the money from getting wet. Buffy sniffed, awkwardly lowering her arms into the water.

"We're just gonna keep going?" she asked.

"Looks like," Spike replied.

While she was obviously unhappy with the situation, she remained silent and they sloshed through the high water through the tunnels.

A sudden tremor caused Spike to brace himself against the side, holding onto the duffel carefully.

Buffy looked up. "More fighting, I guess."

Spike nodded. "Playing around with magic." Why was he the only person who ever seemed to pick up on the fact that magic was bad?

Although the tunnel continued to shake around them at various intervals, they started walking again. Buffy was breathing heavily beside him from the effort of walking through the deep water. She didn't complain, though. Not like she would have before her recent change in attitude.

In the corner of his senses, Spike had a distant awareness that someone was following them. He wasn't certain as to where this individual was, or even how he knew they were being followed. His instincts were signaling for him to investigate and track down the presence. However, every time he extended one of his senses to pinpoint where it was, he found nothing. This ghost of a stalker drove him to distraction.

"Um…," Buffy said as they reached a dead end.

Spike frowned. Wrong way. He'd taken them down a wrong turn somehow. Distracted by the presence.

"You do know where we're going, right?" Buffy said. Her lips were pinched in annoyance.

Spike was about to reply when the tunnel shook again. No, it did more than shake. It rearranged, throwing them against the stone walls as the entire structure moved around them. Spike shoved Buffy to the safety of the dead-end wall as the ceiling fell around them. A piece of debris hit him in the head, and his world became a mix of rushing water, dirt, and stone.

When he came back to, Buffy was holding him above the water as the tunnel became stationary again. She was staring in dismay at the pile of rubble blocking their way back.

She wasn't the only one.

He stood up, shaking off Buffy's grip on his arm. He touched his forehead gently, feeling the bleeding wound he'd just gotten courtesy of the cave-in. Great. Licking the blood off his fingers, he made his way to where the duffel bag floated still wrapped in his duster.

He just wanted to get home. That's all. Why the fuck did everything in this world have to be so fucking complicated? The portal, the glow, the whore, the fucking cave-in. His first instinct was to start attacking the pile of rocks blocking their way, using his demonic strength to force their way back out. He knew that would be a mistake, though. He needed to take things slow, inspect the structure, make sure everything was stable.

Was a fucking bitch to have to be so careful about everything. He was tired of it. Tired of being the responsible one. Tired of making the plans that never seemed to work right. He was fucking sick of getting stuck in corners, unable to get out. Stuck. Trapped. He was always trapped.

"We'll have to dig our way out," Buffy said, breaking through his thoughts.

He turned to her. The water had risen in the tunnels to just above her breasts. She leaned against the wall, looking as if she had no inclination to do any digging.

"Yeah," he sighed. That is, if he could dig them out without causing another cave-in. He groped through his duster's pockets, pulling out his lighter and tossing it to Buffy. She fumbled the catch, but managed to keep from dropping it. "Hold the light while I take a look at the rubble here, pet."

Moving slowly, Buffy flicked the lighter on, moving to Spike's side. She held the flame unsteadily as he experimentally tried to move some of the stone pieces. They weren't going to budge easily.

Fuck.

"Spike," Buffy said. "Why do you think I was able to come through the portal with a soul?"

The question shouldn't have surprised him, but it did. They were trapped in a flooded tunnel and she was worried about that? Bloody bint needed to get her priorities straight.

Spike shrugged. "Told you, didn't I? I don't know."

"You don't know, but you probably have a guess, don't you?"

"Sounds to me like you're the one who has a guess, luv."

She was silent. Spike stayed facing the rubble, careful not to look at her. He'd rather not have this conversation now.

When she did speak, it was in a quietly vulnerable voice. "I don't think I'm who I used to be."

He looked at her then, holding back a laugh. "Portal doesn't change who you are, Slayer."

She was looking down, fidgeting with the lighter. She'd shut the lid, extinguishing the flame, only to flick it back on. Over and over again. "But this isn't me." She glanced up for only a second. "I don't do these things."

"Obviously, you do. If you're not 'you', then who are you?"

"I don't know. I just - " she stopped abruptly. She was still looking down at the lighter, and Spike couldn't see her face. Her throat was tensing up, though, and the halting sound of her voice told him that she was fighting tears. "What if I lost my soul somehow?"

She looked up at him finally. Her eyes were large and wet, and her mouth twitched in her effort not to cry. She was silently imploring him to give her the answer she wanted to hear. He couldn't remember many occasions where he'd seen the Slayer cry. Just once, not too long before they'd gotten stuck in this world. It was very long ago, but he still remembered it clearly. She had been crying about her mum then.

He couldn't help it. He laughed, putting a hand against the rubble to steady himself. He shook his head. "What, your soul just fall off or something, Slayer? Don't think it works like that." He looked back at her. "Though you'd like it if it did, wouldn't you? Be easy to say it's all just 'cause you don't have a soul. Easier to fix that way.

"But no, pet. Fuck, a person without a soul wouldn't cry at the thought of not having a soul. Like it or not, you got one. Everything you've done, all the fucking and drugs and batshit insanity have all been with that glimmer of righteousness inside you. Soul might be a little stained now, but it's there. Otherwise you wouldn't feel guilty for being a whore."

Her face changed as he spoke. Reserved desperation turned into indignant anger. Spike was too busy talking to realize what she was doing as she held out the lighter to his shirt. He yelled as his sleeve caught fire, and he quickly patted it out.

Buffy kept a hold of the lighter. "I'm not the only one who feels guilt, you know," she said, reminding him of his own souled state. His glow agreed with her.

Fucking bitch.

He snatched his lighter from her, shoving her against the wall harshly. "Why don't you just keep your mouth shut while I work on our little problem, yeh?"

He expected her to relent and slink away like she would have done when he'd first found her. But he'd forgotten. She was different now.

She shoved him back as best she could in the high water. Spike didn't even have to step back. She didn't exactly have much strength in her. He laughed. "Like an ant, pet," he said. "You're not the Slayer right now, remember?"

Buffy stepped towards him, pressing her body against his and grabbing his crotch underneath the water. "I am still the Slayer, actually." She unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, taking his cock in her firm hand. "Don't forget what I can do to you if I want."

Fuck. Bitch played dirty. She stroked him quickly, watching his face with a devious grin. Spike's wet hand trailed down her chest, playing with a nipple through her shirt. Wet shirt. Wet Buffy. That was a delicious thought. His body ached to be inside her. His glow was screaming in protest, but he ignored it. She wanted him.

"What about what you can do for me, luv?" he whispered in her ear.

As soon as he did, she stopped stroking and squeezed his cock painfully hard. He yelped as Buffy grabbed his hair with her free hand and yanked his head back, forcing him to look at her. "Now, now," she said. "None of that. I'm not your whore." She squeezed even harder. Spike gritted his teeth, putting a hand to her shoulder to push her away, but she shook his head to warn him against it. "Who am I?"

He rolled his eyes. "You're the Slayer, okay? Just…not so tight, pet."

"What was that?" She didn't relax her grip.

"Fuck, you're the Slayer."

She smiled. "Again."

"You're the Slayer. The bloody Chosen One. You make vampires quake in fear and all that shit."

Finally, his cock was released from the vice grip she'd had it in. He breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped back. That is, until he realized she was done with him. He was still fuck hard and throbbing, and she wasn't gonna finish him off.

Buffy turned to the rubble. "Put your dick away. We need to work on moving these stones and getting out."

He growled. He wanted to lash out at her. Make her finish the job she'd started. His entire body was pulsing with frustration and a desire for release.

However, something told him that that would be a bad idea. Something more than just the glow.

Spike stood still while Buffy began to work some of the rocks loose. She moved with intense determination, her focus entirely on the job at hand. If he squinted, she might actually seem like she used to be.

He sighed, ignoring the calls of his body, and zipped up. He reached a hand to help her. "Hope you realize how bloody frustrating you are," he commented.

"Let me guess. You'd kill me if you didn't need me to get home, right?"

"No," he said. "You're useful for getting me off on occasion."

Her hands halted in their work, but only for a few seconds before she continued. "Yeah. I'm good at that."

The glow shook its head at the statement. He knew why. Buffy's tone was resigned. Spike knew what she'd meant that had gone unsaid: Yeah. That's all I'm good for. It was written across her stoic face as she attempted to move past the moment. He couldn't let this stand. The journey would be unbearable with the two of them constantly battling each other. Might as well swallow his pride on this one.

"Sorry," he said. The glow approved.

She looked at him in surprise, looking down before nodding in acknowledgement.

They worked in silence after that, concentrating only on the wall of rocks in front of them. Spike kept a careful ear out to make sure they weren't going to cause another cave-in by removing the supporting rocks. Everything appeared to be stable, however, and they managed to work for a few hours with no problems.

Buffy pulled a large rock off the pile, dropping it abruptly into the water as the weight caught her by surprise. She rubbed her hands together, flexing her fingers as she did so. "This would be so much easier with my Slayer powers," she muttered.

"Yeah. Would be helpful if we have to go up against Ugvan's men again, too," Spike said.

"I thought we handled the fight pretty well out there."

He glanced at her. "And with your powers back? We'll be doing much better than 'pretty well'. Nothing better than having a Slayer fight by your side."

She grinned. "That'll be kinda fun."

Actually, Spike knew it would be fun. He'd almost forgotten what it'd been like before, fighting side by side with the Slayer. Well, they hadn't really fought together often, 'cause Buffy hadn't liked him patrolling with her. But when they had, it had been fantastic.

He heard it before he felt it. A distant rumbling noise that indicated another earthquake. Spike grabbed Buffy, ducking just as the tremors started, and covered her head as best he could.

The world didn't shake as long this time. It still left him rattled and disoriented when everything stilled, though. It took Buffy pushing against his hold on her to prompt him to open his eyes and survey the new situation.

Buffy stepped back slightly as he released her, staring at him in confusion briefly. Spike was more concerned with the pile of rubble. It was gone.

Well, not gone. But the rocks that had been blocking their path had conveniently been knocked loose, opening a passageway back to the main tunnels.

"That was lucky," Spike said.

Buffy nodded, hesitating for a moment before walking through the water to fetch the duffel bag.

She handed it off to Spike. "Guess we're hitting the road again, huh?"

"Looks like. Best get out of this area before the fucking wizards start back up."

Spike didn't look back at Buffy as he held the bag over his head and stepped back into the main tunnel. He was eager to finally reach their destination.

***

Jigal quickly scampered away from the pair, clinging to the wall in order to not disturb the water and give away his presence to the vampire. He'd been afraid that the vampire had sensed him before the initial cave-in, though he was sure he was just being paranoid. This was an important task that Dehevret had given to him. Jigal didn't want to disappoint.

A small ledge lay ahead that led up to the surface. Large puddles of water covered it, courtesy of the recent flooding and earthquakes. Just what Jigal needed.

As Jigal reached the ledge, he waited until the sounds of splashing had disappeared to ensure that he would not be heard by them before taking out his herbs and calling his master.

He couldn't help the sigh of relief when Dehevret's face appeared in the puddle. Jigal was unused to being on his own for so long.

"Jigal, I trust you've done as I asked?" Dehevret inquired.

Jigal nodded. "Of course, Master. I delayed them for several hours, as you requested."

"Good. I've sent my representatives ahead. They should get there first to discuss the situation with the sorcerer. I'm pleased with your work, Jigal."

"Thank you, Master. There's something else. I overhead the two talking when they were trapped in the tunnels. The girl…they called her the 'slayer'."

Dehevret's eyes widened as he frowned. Jigal began to tremble. He had somehow angered his master.

"Perhaps I misheard," Jigal said quickly.

"No," Dehevret said. "I believe you heard correctly. The Slayer…that would explain a lot," he mused to himself. He brought his attention back to Jigal. "Continue to follow them for now until they get to Wyver's. Then check in with me again."

Jigal bowed eagerly. "Yes, Master. I am at your command."

Dehevret grinned. "I'm well aware of that, Jigal. Be well."

Jigal watched as his master's face disappeared from the water in front of him. He had hoped to have been able to return home now. However, his master wished for him to continue his work, so Jigal would happily obey. For him.

tbc...

 
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