Notes: This is in an AU season 4. Dawn's around just cause, and the Gem of Amara works a tad differently.
The fires along Revello were too much for the fire department to control even without the vampires and demons openly killing anyone that fled their blazing homes. Buffy had gotten her mother and sister to safety, but she couldn't fight so many demons at one time and no one else had made it that night. Firefighters and residents alike were nothing more than bodies littering the ground and there were demon bodies among the dead. Buffy felt ready to drop after a fight that made the Mayor look breezy, but it was about to get worse despite the sun being already half up. A shadow in the smoke materialized into Spike.
Buffy knew which ring was the Gem of Amara. It spread diamond spiderwebs up his hand, arm, and over part of his chest, back, and neck, weaving in and out of his skin. While it allowed him free movement, her attempts to cut it off his body proved that she had no blade strong enough to break it. And she knew it wasn't actual diamond, diamonds can cut each other and her new axe had a diamond blade and didn't even dent the material.
He hit her hard enough to crack a tooth. She tried to run, but her battered body wasn't fast enough. Spike grabbed her hair, yanked her to his chest, exposed her throat and bit… hard. She knew he wouldn't kill her. This was the latest of his bites, all designed to make her submit, and this time she had to. When he let her go, she fell to the ground without his support.
"Do you give in yet? If the answer is no, then you need to consider that I know where your family is. They're staying with the Watcher. So do you give up?" Spike asked as he thumbed the blood on the corner of his lips into his mouth.
She panted as she tried to stand, only to fall and scrape the heels of her hands on the concrete. With tears in her eyes, she screamed, long and painful, "Yes."
"I'll expect my prize to be delivered to the mansion before dark. And I can't wait to see who you give me. I'm all a tingle with anticipation."
The door to Giles' apartment loomed, and she had the worst news to give them all. The gang was inside, Giles, Willow, Xander, Mom, Dawn, Oz. If she had her way she'd give up Anya, but she had disappeared weeks ago.
Buffy limped into the apartment, dripping blood from a myriad cuts and scrapes. Giles and Willow had waited up all night and jumped into action like a well coordinated machine. Willow sat Buffy down and peeled away destroyed clothes, while Giles retrieved soapy water, gauze, tape, and antibacterial cream.
"Sss, that's the worst so far," Willow said as she pulled Buffy's hair out of the congealing blood on her neck. "Spike?"
"Who else, ah." Buffy winced, a hair creating a funky sensation as Willow removed it from the wound. "But that's the only thing from him."
"We watched the news until the reporter and camera person were eaten. Your mom tried to stay up, but Giles drugged her to keep her from going after you." Willow took a wet soapy washcloth from Giles, and dabbed at the bite mark.
"She's a parent, and any good parent would want to help their child. I did what you would have wanted, yes?" Giles took his own cloth and wiped at a cut just above Buffy's elbow. "This needs some butterfly bandages. I'll be right back."
"Giles?" Buffy said, pushing Willow's hand away. "It's time."
"I see. Once we have you patched up, I'll wake everyone. Might as well tell them all at one time." Giles ducked down the hall toward his bathroom.
"Tell us what?" Willow asked, forehead creased.
The conversation had started to wake those sleeping on the living room floor and couch. Buffy closed her eyes. "You'll find out in a few minutes."
Willow nodded and continued to clean out Spike's bite.
Everyone, except Buffy's mom, had been in the living room, and they were awake now, mulling about and talking in hushed tones as they ate breakfast. When Willow and Giles were finished bandaging Buffy's wounds, which included a gash over the eye and another under, deep claw marks on her back and stomach, and a puncture in her thigh, Giles told the children to gather around him in the living room.
Joyce joined them then. "What's going on?" Oz left his spot on the couch and moved to stand next to Willow. Joyce took his seat and asked, "What's the matter?"
"I have something to tell you. Something about Spike. As you know he has the Gem of Amara, and that despite our extensive research, we cannot remove it from him. He's become invulnerable and has acquired startling new abilities. He can shape-shift, teleport, and if he concentrates, he can read minds. We all know this. And we all know that he's become increasingly violent in his strategic attacks against the residents of Sunnydale." Giles cleaned his glasses.
"Why are you telling us stuff we already know?" Willow asked.
"Because I need to remind all of you what's at stake. Spike's made an offer, a truce of sorts. He'll stop the attacks and help guard the Hellmouth for a price." Giles rubbed his forehead and tried to clear his mind.
"What's the price?" Xander asked. "Can we charge it?"
"The price… is giving up one of our own. To Spike, to become his pet, forever." Giles wished he could find Xander's falling face amusing.
"We can't do that!" Dawn exclaimed. "We can't."
"And how many more would you let die?" Giles snapped.
"I'll go." Willow stepped forward, resolve face firmly in place. "When Spike kidnapped me and Xander last year, I gained some of his respect, stood up to him and got him to not bite or rape me. I know I won't be so lucky this time, but I'd fare better than anyone else."
"Willow?" Oz touched her elbow. "Talk to me."
"Oz, I have to do this. I can't let my home burn and watch my family die when I can keep it from happening."
Buffy stood up and hobbled into the circle. "We found a way to make sure Spike keeps his promise. There's a blood oath, but if we demand that, he will want something else."
With a squeeze to Willow's hand, Oz said, "Give him me too then."
Willow and Oz pressed their foreheads together, gazes locked. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
With a sniff, Willow straightened. "We need to pack. How long do we have?"
"I need escort you to the mansion before dark."
Xander jumped up. "You mean you agreed to this before even telling us? It looks like you and Giles knew about this for a while now. And you decided to give one of us up to him without even a warning? Why don't you give him you?"
"I tried," Buffy said on a sob. "Don't you think I tried?"
The room fell quiet. Dawn cried into her mother's shoulder, Joyce kept her face toward the window, Xander punched a hole in the wall but said nothing else, and Giles hugged Willow, while Buffy shuffled outside to cry in private.
"We should go," Oz said.
In a shaky voice, Willow explained the worst part of the deal. "I have to tell you, make sure you know. We'll have to do everything he asks? That may include killing or hurting innocent people? You know that right? Can you handle that?"
"I'm good."
Willow wiped her tears away. "I'll explain the pet ritual to you on the way."
"How?" Giles asked.
"I read it in the Watcher's Diaries."
"So you were fully aware when you agreed to this." Giles was stunned and morbidly proud.
"Yes."