A/N: Beta'd by dawnofme and Mabel Martsers. Enjoy! :)






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Chapter 29


By the time Buffy reached the apartment, her lungs were burning from the exertion of running all the way across town. She slowed her step as she strode down the driveway and bent over to pick up a fallen branch, snapping it in two to use as a weapon. The stake she’d been holding was now somewhere on the floor of Spike’s flat so this would have to do.


Her heart thudded against her ribcage, the sound of it roaring in her ears as she noticed the door had been opened. She slipped through the crack, trying to make as little noise as possible as she entered the living room, the carpet muffling her footsteps. When she closed her eyes in concentration, the back of her neck signaled a vampire’s presence within the house.


All the lights in the apartment seemed to be on, but she couldn’t see anyone and her stomach tightened with dread. She quickened her step, honing in on the direction where she sensed the vampire lurking. Makeshift stake gripped firmly in hand, Buffy kicked down the door to Faith’s room.


“Here she is. The bad Slayer came to our party,” said the dark vampire that Buffy immediately recognized as Drusilla.


Faith was tied to the bed in a similar fashion as Spike had been, while Giles was tied to the chair next to it. Buffy spotted a set of bite marks on his neck but then breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed the steady rise and fall of his chest. They were both still alive. The door behind her suddenly slammed close, and she whirled to come face to face with Darla.


With a sinking feeling, she realized that seeing Faith and Giles had distracted her so much that she failed to notice the presence of another vampire.


“Well, hello, darling,” Darla said. “So glad you could make it.”


Buffy backed away so her back was to the wall instead of Drusilla and gulped, but met Darla’s eyes dead on. “I’m always up for a bit of fun. I can’t wait to see you choke on your dust… doesn’t get funnier than that.”


Darla laughed and circled the room, sweeping the surface of the dresser with a tip of her forefinger. “You talk big for someone who doesn’t stand a chance.”


“You know… I think I’ve heard that before.”


“Of course you have… from fledges. Drusilla and I are vampire royalty. So is Spike. You’re no match for the two of us.”


Drusilla stepped behind Giles, her arms slinking down to caress his chest as she licked the shell of his ear. Buffy was about to move forward when Darla said, “Take one step and Dru will snap his neck.”


At that, Drusilla purred and started to comb her fingers through Giles’ hair. “I like him. He smells like tea and books. It was so nice of him to invite us in. His heart stank of sympathy when he thought I was a helpless little child. Smoke and mirrors, smoke and… mirrors. They never see past the illusion.”


Darla smirked. “She may be crazy, but Dru is really good at thrall.”


So that was how they’d got inside. Buffy had never really believed a vampire could thrall someone, but it made sense because Giles would never have let a vampire into the house and nor would Faith. It was obvious it would be stupid to underestimate the two old vampires and her mind whirled with trying to figure out a way out of the mess they were all in.


Without casualties.


Instinct told her it was to keep them talking to buy some time. “Why did you do that to Spike? I thought you were supposed to be like a family or something.”


“I knew I smelled him all over you the minute you stepped into the room. The Slayer in love with a vampire… how… pathetic.” Darla grinned. “It’s not like we haven’t done that to him before. See, William… he gets difficult sometimes. But he does learn quickly.” Darla’s eyes gleamed with amusement as she trailed her hands provocatively down her body. “He knows how to please when we make him. Isn’t that right, Dru?”


Drusilla looked up from where she was nibbling on Giles’ earlobe and smiled. “Oh yes. My William is so passionate… loves to taste the mommy’s cream.”


Everything in Buffy screamed to kill and maim at those words, at them saying William’s name as if he belonged to them. William had always been hers.


“Anger doesn’t become you, Slayer,” Darla said with a leer. “But it is amusing to see. If you could only hear the way he screamed both our names, begging us to hurt him a bit more… mmm… I wonder if we should make your dark-haired friend here one of us.”


Fire burned Buffy’s skin and she saw red as Darla stepped closer. With a flurry of motion, Buffy leaped forward and backhanded Darla across her face. The mocking glint melted into yellow rage as she punched Buffy in the face. The strength of the hit almost made Buffy black out, but she fought through the pain and planted a roundhouse kick to the side of Darla’s head. The next few seconds passed in a mad blur, and Buffy found herself behind Darla’s back. She didn’t hesitate and locked one of her arms around her neck while she pressed the tip of the stake against Darla’s chest.


She was about to plunge it in when Drusilla screamed, “No!”


Buffy started out of her murderous haze and glanced towards Drusilla, noticing with panic that Drusilla had untied Faith and she was now pressed against Drusilla’s chest just like Darla was to hers. Buffy’s eyes widened at the blade resting against Faith’s neck and stilled her hand.


“Dust me and your friend dies too,” Darla said.


Drusilla slightly moved the blade to the side and drops of blood trickled down Faith’s throat. Faith was pale, but her lips were set in determination.


“Do it, Buffy!” she yelled, and Buffy didn’t hesitate. She plunged the stake into Darla’s chest, feeling her body slowly disintegrate as Faith stomped on Drusilla’s foot.


Faith seemed to get out of the dark vampire’s clutches, but as Buffy closed the distance, Drusilla suddenly seized Faith’s arm, twisted it and sneaked behind Faith.


With a long steady gaze, she lifted the knife and slit Faith’s throat.


Blood poured out of the wound and Faith fell to her knees, clutching at her throat in an effort to stave the blood flow. Drusilla rushed out of the room, but Buffy didn’t pay her any attention. Tears were threatening to blind her vision as she watched another person she loved bleed to death.


*******


Spike started awake and glanced around to find himself alone. Although he was partially healed, various bruises still marred his skin and he felt as if he’d been run over by a truck. Darla and Drusilla had really done a number on him the past two days.


There was only so much whipping and humiliation even a vampire could take


A strange ache spread through his chest and he frowned, rubbing it absentmindedly as he struggled to rise from the bed. Something had happened, something had changed, but he couldn’t pinpoint the source of it as he searched the floor for the pants. He needed to see Buffy, needed to know she was all right. His mind was kind of blurry as to what had happened, but he knew for a fact she’d been in his flat.


The sweet heady taste of her blood still raced through his system, however small the amount.


He dragged the tight jeans up his legs, wincing every time they chafed a wound. With how much he’d bled out, it was a wonder he didn’t pass out as he dressed. A shirt seemed to be a better choice as he didn’t have to raise his arms to put it on and he gratefully slid into it. He slipped into the duster next, reveling at the feel of the worn leather sheltering him as he made his way towards Buffy’s home.


*******


As soon as he crawled through the window into her empty room, the stench of blood hit him full force. The demon inside him demanded to be let out and his mouth watered despite his stomach churning with worry. He knew it wasn’t Buffy’s, but there was a lot of it and he followed his senses into a room next to hers.


He heard her frantic heartbeat before he opened the door and as he walked inside; she whipped around to stare at him. Before he could ask what was going on, he had his arms full of a crying girl. Unnerved, he closed his arms tightly around her and kissed the top of her head. He never knew what to do when she cried.


“Are you alright?”


She hiccupped and sniffed before she shook her head.


“What happened?” His legs were beginning to shake, and he gritted his teeth to suppress the weakness.


“It’s my f-fault. Always m-my… wherever I a-am, death follows m-me. And t-they-”


Spike grasped her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Tell me what happened.”


She breathed in and out to calm her voice and then he noticed her blood tinted hands and the bucket of pink stained water on the wooden floor, the scrubber next to it.


“It was them… Drusilla and Darla. It was a trap and I… there was no way out of it and I killed Darla.”


Spike’s eyes widened as he realized the ache in his chest probably meant the loss of his Grandsire. He didn’t exactly know how he felt about that, but what was important was that Buffy was alive and well. “And Drusilla? Are you sure you’re alright?”


“She ran away. But… Giles, he’s in the hospital but he’ll be fine and Faith-” She let out a choked sob and buried her face in his neck. “She almost died… she still might. The doctors say she lost too much blood and she’s in a coma. They don’t know if she’ll ever wake up. They wouldn’t let me stay with her.”


“Oh, Buffy. I’m sorry.” He tightened his embrace. “I don’t think you should stay in this house.”


“It’s all my fault.” She pulled out of his arms, dropped to her knees and lifted the scrubber. Watching her start washing the blood-stained floor broke his heart, and he sank to his knees next to her, grunting at the pain caused by the movement.


“Buffy… stop.”


She wiped her forehead and continued cleaning. “I have to make this right. Can’t let her come home and see this.”


Spike sighed and gently took the scrubber from her grasp. “I’ll do it alright, love? Just not now. We have to get you out of here. Drusilla has access to the apartment now.”


“There’s something… Giles! H-he told me once that there’s a way to disinvite a vampire. He’s got a book. Maybe we can…”


He nodded. “Let me do it. It can’t be too difficult.”


*******


An hour later, Spike gratefully sank into the cushions of a worn couch in the living room and dropped the book on the seat next to him.


“Think it did the trick, luv?”


“I hope so.” She scrunched her nose. “Magic stinks.”


Spike chuckled and licked his dry lips, wondering if was going to pass out. What he needed was blood and he needed it soon.


“You don’t look so good.”


He turned his eyes to look at her and shrugged. “I’ll be fine. Just need to… uh… never mind.”


She scooted closer to him and tentatively brushed a stray curl away from his forehead. “You need blood.”


He glanced away.


“I know what you are, Spike. And I also know that you lost a lot of it. We need to get you something to eat.”


His eyes snapped to meet hers. “You’re not actually suggesting-”


“No! But… when I was at the hospital, I… umm… I might have taken a few bags of blood.”


Was she serious? Did she steal blood from the hospital? For him? “Why?”


Buffy squirmed under his gaze. “It’s not like anyone needed it. I took the ones that were a while after expiration date. I knew you’d need to eat, and I wanted to bring it to you but then I… I came here and it all hit me. How close I came to losing them both and I just… I’m sorry I forgot.”


“No, don’t be sorry. I get it, luv. And I’m here now, yeah?”


She nodded and stood from the couch. “I put it in the fridge. You sit here and rest. I’ll be back in a while.”


His eyelids closed against his own volition and as he relaxed, the pain from his wounds returning with a vengeance. The blood had stopped flowing from the injuries but it refused to heal and he could feel his cut skin sticking to his clothes. To distract himself, he listened to the sound of her footsteps as she walked around the kitchen, the beep of the microwave and the beats of her heart.


Buffy’s scent suddenly surrounded him and he forced his eyes open.


“I didn’t know if I should warm it but it was too cold so I did. Hope I didn’t mess up.”


“I’m sure you didn’t,” he said with a smile and took the mug from her hands. “But to be honest, I’ve never done it this way.”


“Right.”


“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”


“No, it’s okay. It’s not like I don’t know you’re a vampire.” She smiled slightly, and he let out the breath he’d been holding in.


Spike lifted the mug and put his lips to the rim, closing his eyes as the scent of human blood wafted to his nose. He hadn’t realized how starved he was until it did and as he took the first sip, he could feel the bones in his face shift to reveal the demon inside.


Gulping down the blood, he was scared to open his eyes. Terrified to see her face contorted in disgust.


TBC