Angel pounded on the watcher's door.

Giles opened it, bleary-eyed and half asleep. "Angel. What on earth are you doing here at this hour?"

"It's Buffy." Angel said urgently.

The sleepiness cleared instantly and Giles said anxiously, "Buffy? What's wrong with Buffy? You'd better come in, I suppose, it's getting close to dawn." He swung the door open allow the agitated vampire to enter.

"I got this note off a vampire I dusted. He must've been sent to me, he was waving it like a white flag." Angel handed it to Giles.

Peaches,

Got the girl. You know the one, nummy little blond treat. She does look tasty. Is she? Maybe I'll find out.

She's alive. If you want her back, you'll come alone to the address below tomorrow night at sunset and wait for my minion. Dru needs sire's blood and you and I are going to do a little exchange. When it's done, Dru and I are gone and you can have your Slayer.

-Spike

Giles paled and demanded angrily, "How did this happen?"

"I don't know.” Angel shook his head. “Has to be something to do with that Ford friend of Buffy's. He isn’t what he seems.”

Giles pondered the situation silently for a minute, "Do you believe him? Could Buffy be unhurt?"

Angel nodded, knowing Ford wasn’t the ‘him’ Giles was referring to. "Spike wants my blood for Dru. I can only guess that he knows I wouldn’t give it without some… incentive. Buffy's safe until tomorrow, until I see her."

"So you will go through with the trade?"

"It's the only thing I think we can do. We don't know where they're holding her and I don't have enough time before dawn to search. Dru might've led me there, I could persuade her, but there isn't enough time…" Angel sat on the couch, head in his hands. "It's the only thing we can do. Buffy will be ok until tomorrow," he repeated, as though trying to reassure himself.

"We could follow you. There's no assurance you'll both be allowed to depart safely after you've given him what he wants," Giles said.

"No. You can’t. Spike's not stupid. That's why he didn't send their location. He'll have minions ensuring no one follows. It's not safe for anyone if you follow." Angel sighed. "He's after me. He took her because of me. I'll get her out." He looked up at the concerned watcher and said again, "I'll get her out."

***

Spike was humming. Everything was coming together perfectly. His minion hadn't returned, but he hadn't expected him to. That just meant he’d met up with Angelus as planned. Tonight everything would be fixed and he and Dru could leave this hole of a town and head to somewhere more fun. 'Somewhere warm, maybe, south, to a beach.’ The warm, golden tanned meals would dance right into their waiting arms. After the gourmet slayer meal he had planned for this evening was over, of course. 'Not right to waste that,' he thought happily.

He opened the slayer's door. "Oh, Slayer!" he shouted cheerily. "Wakey, wakey, kitten. Show's about to start. Wouldn't want you to miss anything."

Buffy raised her head wearily. She'd finally dropped off to sleep again, forcing herself to get the rest she needed for her accelerated healing to work properly. She turned her head back and forth cautiously. 'Much better,' she thought. No nausea resulted from the action and she was feeling more like herself.

The sight of a cheerful Spike was almost enough to bring it back again, though. 'He’s practically skipping," she thought, disgusted.

Spike approached the cage and shifting the bundle he carried under his arm, he unlocked the door. "Why so glum, lamb? After this is over, you'll be on your merry way, twirling those little wooden toys you like to play with. All back to normal."

She shot him a disbelieving look. "You don't think I'm falling for that, do you? You'll never let me go," she said, turning her head away from him.

"Deal's a deal, luv. We'll be leaving after this, so no harm to us in letting you go. You can walk off with your brooding boy-"

"Please Spike, you told me about the spell. Can't go very far from you?" She snorted. "Besides, you told Dru she could have me for tea later, but not yet. I tend to remember things that involve me dying. Can't even keep what you told me straight, can you?"

Spike feigned hurt as he stepped inside the cage. "Now, now, spells can be cancelled, can't they? Things change. I’ve made a deal with Angelus. You'll be a free little bird in no time.” He threw the bundle of clothing at her. "Wouldn't want Peaches to think you haven't had a nice stay. We do need his cooperation, after all. Time to get all cleaned up and pretty. Make sure he's happy with what he gets out of this, yeah?"

Making no attempt to catch the clothes, Buffy said acidly, "Oh right, Spike. I'm just going to strip off and change into what, some of the wacko's clothes? Right in front of you. Dream on."

He put his hands up, in the classic gesture used to convey no harm was intended and wrinkled his nose, "Just thought you might want to wash up. You smell a bit…ripe."

Buffy's eyes went round and she pouted. "Let's see how you'd look being locked up and… On second thought, no, let's see how you'd look as nice dust particles floating gently in the breeze. That sounds much better."

'Lovely lips, she's got,' Spike thought idly then shook his head, driving the irrelevant thought away. "Do you want a bath or not?" he asked, more harshly than intended. His musing on slayer lips had successfully jarred him out of the cheerfulness.

Buffy hesitated, then grabbed the clothes and stood up. "Fine." 'It always feels better to be clean and I do need a bathroom desperately. I'll fight better if I feel better," she rationalized.

"After you, Slayer." Spike held the door open wide for her.

***

Buffy exited the stall with a sigh of relief. Spike had led her to one of the factory bathrooms. It was dingy and dirty, but fortunately, the plumbing still worked. She couldn't help eyeing the steaming water in the claw footed tub in front of her greedily. They must've dragged it in here for their own use. Looking around the empty room, she thought longingly that it really would feel so good to clean some of the dirt off. He'd unexpectedly left her alone, after all. 'Not like I can leave, small risk for him.' She had no doubt he wouldn't have done so if there was a way to escape. Still, she tested the door. It was locked from the outside.

Wandering back to the tub, she wondered, 'What kind of weird vamps take bubble baths, anyway? It's probably some weird bubbly potion stuff that'll do horrible things to me.' She sighed. Fingering a greasy strand of hair she made up her mind.

***

Spike turned on the television and tuned in to the camera he wanted. He always had liked to watch Dru bathe. He'd had the cameras installed throughout the factory as a precaution when they'd arrived. Never hurt to be careful. He'd set up the room down the hall from his bedroom as a viewing station and only unlocked it for the vamps on sentry shifts, activating the cameras he wanted them to monitor. He hadn't survived over a century being careless and didn’t want anyone spying on HIM.

He was particularly glad he'd added the cameras now. How often did you get to see a naked slayer, anyway? He rationalized to himself. Why not, since he could. What good was being immortal if you couldn't have new experiences? Get boring, otherwise. ‘Not like Dru would care,’ he thought bitterly. She was off babbling to her dolls, excited about the party to come and had paid scant attention to him when he'd checked on her. Excited to see her "Daddy", he thought grimly. Well, it would all be over with soon and he'd have her full attention.

He settled back in the chair in front of the set and waited, would've held his breath had he had a need to breathe. Would she take the bait? He watched her try the door, 'Yeah, right, spell or no, like I'd leave a Slayer on the loose. Can't let you find out about the loophole, now, can I? You’d be dusting my minions left and right.' He caught the sheer hunger in her face as she stared at the tub where frothy bubbles floated invitingly on the surface. That stuff he'd bought to soothe Dru during her bad turns was coming in handy. "That's it, Slayer, doesn't it look good? All nice and warm and-" he crooned aloud encouragingly to her, grinning as he saw her suddenly whip her top over her head.

She stripped quickly and lowered herself into the water, grabbing the soap and shampoo he'd left out. She wasn't fast enough that Spike didn't get a good view of her however. The effect of the brief glimpse of her slender but well formed body was immediately evident to the vamp, however, and he groaned. 'All of that power in such a fragile, small, golden package,' he thought and unbidden, a word rose to his mind from his past, 'Effulgent.' He froze and shook off the attack of ponciness, leaning forward to watch the bubbly water lap at her young breasts. The small waves created by her movements attracted his gaze, revealing, then concealing again, 'Lovely.' He could see what had attracted his grandsire to this girl. She raised her arms to soap her hair and for a moment he was transfixed by the image before him, his classical education from long ago taking over his thoughts. What a beautiful subject for a sculpture or painting she'd make in that pose.

His hand slid off the arm of the chair and headed almost involuntarily for his jeans. He realized what he was doing and paused, then thought, 'Why not? I'm evil, aren't I? Can't an evil guy have a little fun?' He allowed himself the silent admission that this Slayer had appealed to him from the first moment he'd seen her. Subsequent sightings of her in action as she fought had intensified his fascination. Dru's earlier chattering about Angel filled his mind again and he reached for the top button.

She swept her soaked hair off of her neck and he was lost, thinking of sinking his fangs into the unmarked skin. She had fang marks on the other side, he noticed, and wondered if his soul laden grandsire wasn't entirely the washed up git he seemed. A flash of jealousy coursed through him at this and he boggled at it, thoroughly surprised. He only wished he was the first to taste her was all, he reassured himself. So she wasn't pristine, she'd still taste sweet. He'd find out tonight. The thought excited him more and his hand moved faster.

She washed up fast, moving the cloth efficiently over the rest of her body, not daring to relax into the soothing water in the den of her enemies. When she rose out of the tub, the water streaming off of her, smooth skin slick and dripping it was enough for Spike and he finished himself, smothering a cry, aware of Dru down the hall.

'Bloody hell,' Spike thought, momentarily dazed. 'Maybe I'll turn her.' The thought was unexpected and unwelcome in its faithlessness and he rolled his eyes at himself. 'Dru's been sick too long is all.'

Buffy dried her body in haste and rubbed the towel vigorously over her wet hair, running her fingers through it to smooth it as best she could. Spike caught the look of horror on her face as she picked up the dress he'd given her. She said something, but he hadn't wired the place for sound, so he couldn't make it out. The expression was unmistakable however, a teenager being forced to wear clothes not of her own choosing. Still talking to herself, she shook it out nonetheless, and pulled it over her head.

Spike momentarily regretted giving her the clothing, thinking he could've enjoyed the view longer had he left her with nothing. He could've left her there, clad only in a towel, waiting for him. He felt himself harden again at the thought. But she would've put her old clothes back on rather than go nude, he reasoned, and she did look stunning, though the dress was a bit too long. Besides, playtime was over.

***

Buffy was relieved that Spike hadn't returned mid-bath. She'd balked at the dress when she saw it. "Stupid, fashion-challenged walking relic," she muttered in disgust. Long and gauzy, the pale green dress clung to her curves as she moved. "Gonna be hard to fight in this. Guess Spike fights all her battles for her." This thought increased the dislike she had for Drusilla for some reason. "My inner feminist, I guess." She shrugged and leaned against the wall opposite the door to wait.


***

Spike gave her a good quarter hour before he arrived to let her out. Wouldn't do to make her suspicious she'd been spied upon. The key to this evening's plans was to keep her as docile and compliant as possible until he could get her properly restrained. At least he knew she believed the spell worked, she'd been startlingly cooperative since her original bout of feistiness. He snorted at the thought of the girl beside him being docile, though. The bath had done wonders for her. She strode beside him as best she could in the too long dress, defiance plain in every line of her body.

He found his eyes lingering on the spots the dress showed off so beautifully when she was in motion then pointedly tore his gaze off of her. ‘Head in the game, Spike. No distractions.’

***

For appearances' sake, he chained the Slayer to the wall of the room he'd chosen. Then, smirking slightly, he gagged her with a silk scarf. "Can't have you too chatty." He patted her on her now drying golden head. He didn't want the Slayer mentioning the spell to Angelus before he'd done what he needed to do for Dru.

She glared at him, eyes conveying what she couldn't with words.

He paused, leaning over her, inhaling. "Muuuuch better, Slayer," he purred in her ear. "Smell just…edible." She did. Impulsively, he dipped his head to her exposed neck and licked it tenderly in a line from her collarbone to just below her ear. Buffy tried to pull away, but his other hand held her head still. "Yeah. Taste delicious too." He stared into her clear green eyes, now wild with fury and…was that confusion? Was the little Slayer untouched? His grin got wider. If only she knew what she'd unknowingly assisted him with earlier. Looked like the poofy one hadn't fallen that far off the decency wagon after all. ‘Interesting.’ He placed a deliberate, mock affectionate kiss on her temple and pulled away.

"Now, I'll just get Dru and then we haven't long to wait."