"Master Of Puppets"

"End of passion play, crumbling away
I'm your source of self-destruction
Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear
Leading on your deaths construction
Taste me you will see
more is all you need
you're dedicated to
how I'm killing you

Come crawling faster
obey your Master
your life burns faster
obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master

Needlework the way, never you betray
life of death becoming clearer
Pain monopoly, ritual misery
chop your breakfast on a mirror
Taste me you will see
more is all you need
you're dedicated to
how I'm killing you

Come crawling faster
obey your Master
your life burns faster
obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master

Master, Master, Where's the dreams that I've been after?
Master, Master, You promised only lies
Laughter, Laughter, All I hear and see is laughter
Laughter, Laughter, laughing at my cries
Hell is worth all that, natural habitat
just a rhyme without a reason
Neverending maze, drift on numbered days
now your life is out of season
I will occupy
I will help you die
I will run through you
Now I rule you too

Come crawling faster
obey your Master
your life burns faster
obey your Master
Master
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
Master
Master" Metallica (Master Of Puppets Album of the same name 1986)


The week following his revelation in Angel’s office had past by in what seemed to be a permanent awkward state. Spike had avoided Buffy at all cost. He knew she felt bad about their encounter but didn’t have the energy to hold the conversation he knew they needed to have. Dawn, Fred and Lorne had tried to keep things normal for him but he could still see the worry in the way they constantly watched him. Charlie and Wesley just didn’t know how to handle the whole situation so they tried to help out from behind the scenes. Spike really did appreciate all that they were trying to do for him, but the one thing he wanted no one could possibly give him.

Now Spike spent most of his time sitting quietly in the lab watching Fred work. Now she was trying to get a start on some project Angel had given her. It seemed that the wanker was going to be out of town for a few days and wanted to be sure that the department heads knew which projects were a priority while he was gone. When Angel had entered the room, he had seemed way to cheerful for Spike‘s taste. Angel had even gone so far as to whistle to himself as he left the room. The whole scene set Spike’s nerves on edge. In his experience a happy Angel was a sign that something awful was about to happen.

No sooner had the thought filter through his mind , did Spike fall over grabbing onto his head. The vision hit hard and fast. He could barely make out the images that he was seeing. He could feel the misery of the people he was seeing and also felt an agonizingly painful ripping sensation centered right behind his eyes. It felt like something vital was being forcefully torn out. A small part of Spike could feel something sticky and warm slowly trickle down his face. He felt like he was dieing all over again and a large part welcomed the peace that death would bring.

Hearing Spike’s agonized scream, Fred ran over to catch him before he could fall to the floor. She held tightly to his shaking form as the vision filled his mind. They usually lasted only a few seconds but when Spike screamed again and began to thrash around, Fred knew something was very wrong.

Laying Spike gently to the floor, Fred sat on his stomach in order to try and keep him from hurting himself. Trying to pin his arms to his sides, tears fell from her eyes as she used what little weight she had to hold Spike down. The blood that was spilling from his ears, nose and eyes cause Fred to scream so loudly her throat felt raw. A she watched one of her frightened lab techs run from the room in search of Wesley, Fred began to pray. Spike was her friend and she would not lose anyone else. Fred didn’t think that she could survive it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Staring down at Spike’s slightly twitching form, it was hard for Wesley not to get a sense of déjà vu. Many years ago, Wolfram and Hart had called forth Vocah in order to trap Cordelia inside her visions. If Angel had not gotten the scrolls back from the lawyers, Cordelia would have died.

There was no such mark on Spike even though his symptoms were similar. The small trails of blood worried everyone and the whole company had been ordered to work twenty-four hours, non-stop until a solution could be found. Despite his personal feelings on the subject, Wesley was relieved that Buffy had called the Council before Giles could leave and demand that he bring Willow. She had then made sure that the Council and the coven in Devon were also working on finding a way to help Spike.

What was strange was the fact that no one could get a hold of Angel. He had left early that morning for a last minute business trip and Wesley thought it odd that Eve insisted that there was no way to contact him.
Dawn was currently sitting quietly with Spike while Wesley observed the two. If anything happened, the young woman would call Fred, so it was safe for Wesley to leave. With that thought in mind, Wesley stalked down the hallway. He had a liaison to find.

It had been surprisingly easy to find Eve. Wesley was slightly disappointed. Staring down at her rather bloodied and bruised form, he was surprised to found he felt very little guilt at his actions. It was just too bad that Eve would not give them any information. Wesley would simply have to wait until she woke up so that he could continue.

“I knew you had it in you.” A silky voice sounded from behind Wesley. It was a voice he would know anywhere. They had done things to each other that he could not name and despite being on separate sides, there was a bond between them that Wesley felt no one could possibly understand. Except maybe Spike.

“Lilah.” Wesley spoke softly in the bare interrogation room. Some how he was not surprised to find her standing behind him.

“Long time no see.” Lilah smirked. “I see your getting to know our little Eve rather, intimately.”

“Certainly not as intimately as I got to know you.” Wesley replied with a smirk of his own.

“Of course not.” Lilah laughed. The sound simultaneously sent shivers of pleasure and a cold chill down Wesley’s spine. It reminded Wesley of why he had hated and loved Lilah so much. “She’s just a cheep knock off.” Wesley’s smirk only grew at her words.

Gliding into the room, Lilah sighed with feigned impatiens. Circling the small woman, she turned sparkling eyes on her one time lover.

“She can’t tell you anything.” Lilah grinned.

“And why not?” Wesley asked, eye brow raising.

“A certain someone made sure his plans could not be revealed.” The grin grew. “Though what he failed to notice was that the Senior Partners had their own ideas. They simply took advantage of his pride.”

“Angel.” Wesley growled.

“Could be….” Lilah laughed as she faded from his sight. Wesley turned and walked out of the room. He had to find Fred, Lorne and Gunn. They needed to know what Angel had arrogantly set in motion. The Wolfram and Hart cleaning crew could take care of Eve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Giles and Willow finally cleared customs they were tired and clearly very anxious. Buffy had called back right before Giles could leave for his flight. She had been hysterical, saying that something bad was happening to Spike and that Willow needed to come to L.A as well.

Now they were both faced with a pale nervous slayer pacing the floors of LAX. Despite all of their questions, Buffy refused to answer any until they had arrived at their location. Following the harried blonde through the maze of Wolfram and Hart’s hallways, the trio came to a stop outside of a small hospital room. A tall black man, whom Giles remembered as Charles Gunn, seemed to be standing guard.

“They here to help Spike?” Gunn asked, nodding at the two standing behind Buffy.

“And why exactly does Spike need our help?” Giles asked with a hint of disdain. No matter what Spike did, he would only ever be another demon to Giles.

“He needs our help because someone, somehow has locked him inside of his visions.” The cold voice of Wesley Wyndham-Pryce could be heard from behind Gunn.

The man standing in the door way was a far cry from the man who had shown up in Sunnydale, fresh faced and arrogantly believing that the Council’s ways were the right ways. The man before them now was cold, hard and had the look of someone who had been through hell and had yet to make it back out.

“Rupert.” A slight nod. “Willow.” Then another.

“How is he?” Buffy asked wring her hands. She felt useless. This was not something she could beat up. This took books and magic, two things Buffy was not good at. She hated waiting, but knew that if a solution was to be found it would be found in some dusty old book or spell.

“The same.” Fred said, coming to join the others in the hallway. She was carrying a bloody rag in her hands, evidence of the urgency of Spike’s situation. Seeing the blood soaked cloth caused Willow to pale noticeably. She had known that Spike needed help but had foolishly thought that since he was still a demon that they would have some time to figure things out. From how much blood she could see covering the rag and Fred’s hands, Willow knew that her first guess had been wrong. If they didn’t find a way to help Spike soon then he would die, again.

Down in the Wolfram and Hart infirmary, a lone brunette lay on a small hospital bed. She was attached to monitors and wires. An I.V drip allowed vital nutrients to fill her motionless body. She had not moved in several months and the doctors believed that she never would. Slowly, a bright glow filled the tiny hospital room. When it faded, the girl’s eyes were open and silent angry tears fell down her cheeks.