Look- Pari made me a pretty!!


A/N: So I know I lost at leat one reader for sure because Spike was able to have vengeance. Really, could you expect it any other way? Does anyone honestly see Spike saying, "Riley, I forgive you?" or something? Sorry, you won't find that here, unfortunately. I find the actions in such films as "A Time to Kill" and "An Eye for An Eye" totally justified. I warned you from the beginning this would be dark... and Spike any other way, IMHO, would be OOC.

Thanks to DoS for betaing :D

Now on with the fic...

"Goodbye..."



She honestly would have liked to have blamed it — the not even attempting to stop Spike from sinking his fangs into her throat — on the alcohol. But honestly, her little cat nap had been enough to burn off most of its effects. The only thing that was preventing her from stopping Spike was…her.

Perhaps it was the shock of seeing Riley raped, accompanied by learning of Spike's chip malfunction, that froze her muscles in place. Even so, it didn't hurt. His fangs sunk into her with as much ease as a hot steak knife into a stick of butter, leaving those neat ridge marks on the surface. And of course, he chose to bite her on the left side — the only side a vampire hadn't bitten her on.

One could assume Spike wanted a spot all his own.

Her body involuntarily trembled in his arms as she felt the hard steel of his body so close against her, and a shaky sigh escaped her lips as she went limp, a wave of warmth rolling through her at the intimate contact— him, his fangs, or both, she wasn't sure…not that it mattered, because for some reason, she was gripping the lapels of his coat. She wasn't pulling him closer, but she wasn't pushing him away either.

She just...waited.


~~~~~

Even though he felt the need to collapse, Xander soldiered on to the Magic Box. He had to get Giles. They had to help Buffy.

They had to help Riley.

He burst through the shop door, nearly collapsing as the bell hammered violently against the top of it.

"Anya! Keys! Giles," he paused to pant. "Weapons — now!"

Anya walked from around the counter to help Xander toward the table to sit down. He batted her hand away with a vehement shake of his head.

“Anya, I need my car keys. Trust me when I say I’ve gotten more than enough exercise for the night.”

Anya frowned, but did as he asked. He looked up, and saw Giles coming out of the backroom with a cross bow and a broad sword. Xander figured he probably had a few stakes on his person as well.

"What is it, Xander? What's happened?" Giles asked.

"It's...well, technically, it's Spike. His chip is broken, and he has Riley."

"His chip is broken? Are you sure?" Anya asked.

"I think the slight bruising and tenderness in my wrist makes that a definite 'yes'," he answered, holding up said slightly injured wrist.

"What? How is that even possible?"

"Well, that's great then, isn't it?" Anya asked, seemingly happy.

Xander gave his girlfriend a look that was beyond confused. "Can I say... huh?"

Giles imperceptibly shook his head "no" at Anya behind Xander's back, and her eyes widened just a fraction as realization dawned on her.

"Oh, I just meant...it'd level the playing field if they were gonna fight or something. No fight's right unless you're fighting fair, and all that," she giggled nervously.

"Trust me when I say it's the kind of fairness that's not. Spike has a little help from Harmony and some other vamp. I think they're planning to...that they're gonna...I just hope Buffy gets there in time."

"Yes, well, shouldn't we be off then?" Giles suggested, not waiting for a response as he headed out the door with the weapons to put them in Xander's car. He’d had no doubt that Spike would attempt to carry out some sort of revenge for what Riley had done to him.

He only hoped that whatever Spike had chosen to do was something that could be...remedied, easily.

He hoped it wasn't murder.


~~~~~

Spike knew before he even heard her rapid footfalls that she was there; he could smell her on the wind. He wondered what she would think of the little scene before her. Would she side with him, or Finn?

It's not as if the wanker doesn't deserve it.

But the sound of her breath hitching in her throat, and her gasp of shock said it all.

No—of course she wouldn't be pleased, or even accepting, of what was being done to Finn under his watch. Of course not, being a white hat, after all. She believed in justice, and blah, blah, blah. But how in the blue hell did she expect justice to be played out in this lil' scenario? She expected that Spike would…what? Call the police so Finn could be taken to jail good and proper?

No— of course it wouldn't happen like that.

There were only three options: forget, which was impossible without the aid of a lobotomy; forgive, which would be beyond insane, eventually leading Spike to crave a lobotomy for the sole purpose of forgetting what an incredible twat he'd become; or decimate and destroy.

He much preferred that last option.

And Finn presented him with the perfect opportunity for doing so. He'd have been a fool not to take it. He stood up slowly and turned as she uttered her quiet statement.

'Vengeance is not the way.'

And something inside of him snapped.

He refused to be pushed around on this. He didn't care if she was a white hat. He didn't care that she was the soddin' Slayer either. He had to be avenged; he had to…

And then, he could smell her blood— little droplets peaking around his fangs as they bled through to the surface. He pulled out slowly, licking the neat puncture wounds.

This was Buffy.

Sure, he could make her neck his chalice—it was the "drinking deep" part that was the problem.

He pulled away as he shifted out of game face, jerking his head back as he growled at the sky in frustration…frustration at not being able to do it, and at trying to hurt the woman he loved in the first place.

Buffy, coming to her senses at the loss of the contact, forcefully pushed him away from her, knocking him flat on his ass onto the dirt. He stared up at her with hurt, silvery blue eyes that glistened in the moonlight. She swallowed, confusion dominating her features as to what had just occurred. His overt hurt, shame and distress at his actions of attempting to bite her, to drink from her, called to her very being.

But she ignored it; she had to.

Her hand flew to her neck as she backed away. She couldn't think about him and what had just happened. Not while…

She turned abruptly to the gruesome scene behind her.

"Stop it right now," she ground out, staring at the vampire leisurely pumping away.

Loud, ragged sobs emitted from Riley at the sound of her voice, from embarrassment at having her see him in such a way. Harmony had her eyes focused behind Buffy, staring at Spike with watery eyes. With a sniffle, she released Riley before running away. As soon as his hands were free, Riley swung his bound fists hard against Chris' jaw, knocking the vampire sideways. He scrambled backwards as quickly as his bruised backside would allow, furiously wiping at the tears on his face. Chris chuckled, crawling on all fours toward Riley again.

"Stay away from him," Buffy commanded.

"Make me, blondie," he commented offhandedly, his eyes focused on Riley's fearful ones.

Buffy didn't even hesitate as she removed a stake hidden on her back, hurling it towards the vampire. She hit her target good and true.

Technically.

The stake embedded itself in Chris' left shoulder—too high to pierce his heart. He whipped around, snarling viciously as he stood up, pulling up his pants as he did so.

"Do you wanna give me a second chance, or leave like I told you to? I've got a few more stakes and time on my hands," Buffy said with a hint of indifference, though inside she was totally rattled. She just...didn't miss. Her emotions didn't usually get the best of her.

That apparently didn't apply tonight.

"Slayer," Chris hissed as he slowly began to back away into the shadows.

"Who else? What, were you on a seven second delay or something?" She just didn't quite feel up to punning. She didn't feel quite up to anything, really. What she wanted to do was wish the last twenty-four hours away.

Fat chance of that happening.

"Buffy!"

Buffy turned around at the sound of Giles voice. She was more than thankful for the distraction. She wasn't sure how she should go about handling Spike and Riley.

"Oh man..." Xander murmured, hurrying over to Riley's side.

"No, it's okay. I'll be alright," Riley said, though Xander helped him up anyway. Wordlessly, Xander took off his jacket, handing it Riley so that he could attempt to cover himself, then allowed Riley to lean on him so that he could get him to his car.

"We gotta get you to the hospital."

Riley nodded his assent. But then he paused, and stopped hobbling along with Xander once they stood before Buffy. She just watched them silently as Giles kept his eyes trained on her, though every once in a while, his eyes would flicker downward to the vampire next to him.

"Buffy, are you gonna stake him now? ‘Cause I would hate to miss that," Riley said in a wavering voice, glaring at the vampire furiously.

Spike kept his eyes on the ground, his fingers gripping the earth beneath him.

"Who...who said I was gonna stake him?"

Riley was stunned into silence.

"What? You're not gonna...can we say goodbye to sanity, Buff?" Xander asked, more than perplexed as to what was going on.

"Xander, take him to the hospital please?" Buffy asked quietly, looking away.

Xander's jaw tightened, but he said nothing, continuing to walk with the wounded ex-soldier.

"Coming, Giles?" he called over his shoulder.

"Yes--just a moment," the Watcher called back to him, focusing on his charge once more. "Buffy, what happened here?" he asked, staring at the light trails of blood dripping from her two, neat puncture wounds.

Buffy put her hand back up self-consciously, not looking at Giles or Spike.

"Riley tried to attack Spike, but...Harmony and a friend of hers intervened."

"And who bit you?" Giles asked coolly.

Buffy's eyes flickered to Spike, and they both stared at each other, Spike with resignation in his eyes, and Buffy with solemnity.

"The vamp guy. Didn't catch his name. I was...too stunned for a second, and um, Spike threw him off of me."

Giles looked at Spike, noting the overt shock on his face. "Is this true, Spike?"

"The Slayer's the more honest one between the two of us, isn't she?" he replied, all the while keeping his eyes on Buffy.

"Giles, can you take Spike back to your place, please, and make sure he stays there?"

"Don't need a soddin' babysitter, Slayer. The threat's off the streets, isn’t that right?" he commented dryly, getting up from the ground.

"Didn't ask if you did, Spike. Giles, just please make sure to get him there. I...need a moment."

"All right, Buffy. But we will most certainly discuss this at greater length later."

Buffy nodded at him, watching as he and Spike walked away. She knew she had to go to the hospital to see Riley. She knew she had to go to Giles' and talk to Spike. She just didn't know how she was supposed to react to any of it. Who was the real evil here?

She felt utterly lost.

As lost as she felt, she found herself walking to familiar territory. She ended up at Spike's crypt.

She needed to see where it all...happened. The last thing she expected to see, however, was the door standing wide open. She approached it cautiously, peering inside. There, she saw Harmony, silently sniffling to herself. Her head snapped up as Buffy walked inside the crypt.

"Come here to stake me?"

"No. I didn't even know you'd be here. You set that all up back there, didn't you?"

Harmony gave her a wry smile. "Well, yeah. It's not like your boyfriend didn't—"

"He is not my boyfriend. Not anymore," she added on Harmony's look of disbelief.

"I just wanted to clean the place up a bit after...we vamps have sensitive noses, but I'm thinking it's good we don't have to breathe cause it still so reeks in here. The incense just added to the smell. Kinda like a skunk on a hot date."

"Maybe a fan would help?" Buffy suggested.

Harmony shrugged, surreptitiously looking at the door, wondering if she could rush Buffy and make her way to freedom. Buffy sighed, sitting down in Spike's ratty, comfy chair.

"Don't look so worried, Harmony. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Oh," Harmony said, sitting across from Buffy on an upturned crate.

"So, you've been here with Spike all this time? I mean, ever since your botched attempt at trying to kidnap my sister?"

"Yeah. I asked for his help, and he agreed, as long as I agreed to have sex with him. Like it was really some sort of sacrifice. Seriously, nothing is better as far as physical activities go." Harmony completely missed Buffy's slight grimace at her for the unnecessary information, and instead became lost in her own thoughts.

"I mean, nothing would be better except for maybe...being able to make love to him. I've never known what that was like. I mean, kinda, but he wasn't really...with me." She looked up, seeing a very uncomfortable Buffy in front of her. "I'm sorry. I don't even know why babbling on like this. It's just," she paused as she stood up, pacing back and forth slowly in front of the Slayer. "Spike just makes me so...so— "

"Discombobulated?" Buffy tried to help.

"Huh?"

"He makes you crazy. Gets under your skin?"

"Oh. Right. Yeah, he does. Seems to me he gets under your skin, too."

Buffy's hand automatically went to her neck once again, and she swallowed as she looked away. "Yeah, he does that too."

"If it helps at all, you get under his. All the time. He doesn't know what to do. He gets all frustrated with his 'bloody hells' or whatever, ticking off reasons why you annoy him."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, but he's just covering. The truth is, he can't stop thinking about you. Don't know why, though. I mean, besides the whole slayer thing, I so don't get it. Sure you're not as bony as his precious Drewdsilla—"

"Hey!" Buffy yelled, slightly offended.

"But seriously," Harmony continued as if Buffy had said nothing. "You'd think after being with me he'd know that a real woman was supposed to have curves."

"I so have curves!"

Harmony didn't seem to hear Buffy's objection as she sat down once again, appearing somber as well as saddened by something.

"But I guess that's not really important when you're in love with someone."

That statement caused Buffy to sit up stiffly in her chair. "Huh?"

Harmony looked up at her, a bitter smile on her face. "I always thought it was just some sort of weirdo fascination—or maybe it's infatuation. But after tonight...I know it's love."

"Harmony, what the hell are you talking about?"

"God, Buffy. Where've you been for the past five minutes? I said, Spike's in love with you. I...saw it."

"You saw it? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Ugh! It means I saw it! When he bit you, no offense, but I was happy for him that he was finally gonna off his third slayer. Third time's a charm and all, and you'd been plaguing him—mentally. So anyway, there I was, thinking it's all over, and then the idiot just stops! He totally had you in his clutches, could've drained you dry, and all he does is growl at the sky before you knocked him on his ass. And then I saw the look on his face. The way he looked at you...it broke my heart," she finished quietly. She looked at Buffy, tears that wouldn't fall drenching her eyes.

"I knew I'd lost him. Not that I ever really had him before, but...I guess I just didn't expect it to hurt so much, you know? I thought I was over him, then we sorta hooked up, and the next thing you know, I'm back in love with him. That is, if I ever really stopped in the first place. Do you know what it's like to love someone who doesn't love you back?"

"Yeah. I do," Buffy answered quietly.

"Buffy, we were never friends, or even really on speaking terms back in high school, but...do you think you could do me a favor? I mean, I did try to help stop the Mayor, even though all I did was get turned. And help your boy- ex boyfriend get, ya know, raped or whatever. But still."

"What is it, Harmony?" Buffy asked, half-amused and half-annoyed.

"Could you not...hurt Spike? It's just, he's really sensitive and gets emotional easily, even though he covers a lot. Deep down, he's just a big ol' softy who enjoys reading poetry."

"Spike reads...never mind. Hurt him? I'm...I'm not gonna stake him."

"I figured you wouldn't, since you're sparing me and all. But I mean, hurt him here," Harmony clarified, placing her hand over her still heart.

"Even though it doesn't beat anymore, it feels so much. I just want him happy," she said with a sad smile. "I gotta go. I can't stay here anymore." Harmony got up, and grabbed a bag on the floor by the sarcophagus. "Try and get that fan if you can," she said as she crossed the threshold and headed into the night.

Buffy continued to sit, completely and utterly stupefied.