Summary
Pretent Buffy never died. The portal was never opened and Buffy didn't have to jump. I'm sorta taking the idea, switching it around, and adding a twist. But, the end is sorta the same. Well, now, someone is back, and she's looking for revenge on the Scooby Gang.
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I Believe I Can Fly
"Okay, Nibblet. One more time..." Spike was helping Dawn with her math homework, which was making no since to Dawn, no matter how many times he explained it.
"But, Spike. It's just too hard. Who cares what the square root of ninety-six is?"
"Your big sister and I do because if you don't pass this test then your going to fail math and if you fail math, then you have to repeat the grade all together, and then you'll be grounded from now until you graduate, which will be a long ways away with the rate your going." He cooked his head and smiled.
"Okay. I get it. Or, I get what your saying. I still don't get the math, though."
"Why don't you get Willow to tutor you? She's the brains. I've haven't been to school for over a century."
"Ya, but you explain it better."
"Then, how come you haven't figure it out yet?"
"I don't know. You tell me."
"I'm not you, pet. Your the one on the verge of failing a grade, not me."
After Dawn managed to finish her homework, Spike walked her home. Spike decided to stay for a little visit, since the Slayer was out patroling.
"Um...do you want anything to drink. We don't have blood, but we do have beer if you feel like getting a little drunk"
"No, thank you, pet. I would prefer to be able to walk back home without passing out."
Dawn giggled and Spike grinned.
"But...you should get to bed. You have school tomarrow, and your sister would stake me if she thought I let you stay up this late."
"But, you didn't let me stay up. You left and I got up afterwards," she said with a grin.
"Oh, come on, Nibblet. Upstairs. Now." He gave her a nudge towards the stairs. When she didn't move, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the steps. She giggled and laughed the whole way. He dropped her on her bed, where she just lay there, her face turning red from laughing so much.
"Okay, pet. You're in your bed. Now go to sleep."
"But, I don't want to. I'm not sleepy."
"Well, I have to go as soon as your sister or Willow gets home. So you might as well, because all I'm doing in standing outside so I can smoke."
"Okay, fine. I'll go to sleep." She kicked off her shoes and snuggled up under the cover.
"Night, pet."
"Good night, Spike." He turned off the light and walked out of her room.
As he walked torwards the steps, he passed by Buffy's room. He had the urge to go into her room, just so he could smell the sweet, vanilla scent that filled it. But he decided against it and walked down the steps, and out of the house.
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In the Magic Box, the next day. Xander and Anya were sitting at the round table in the back. They were going over some last minutes plans for their wedding. Willow was trying out a new spell, that would make a stake go threw the heart of any vampire Buffy directed it to, no matter how far it ran. And, so far, she hadn't got it right. She was testing it on the dummy in the training room. But, the stake would go right past the dummy, if it was moved, and hit the wall.
"Dammit! Why won't this work?" she shouted in frustration. She decided to give up on the flying stake and went to the front.
"How are the plans going" asked Willow.
"Terrible. We haven't figured out what we are going to do about the dresses. Or what we're going to tell Xander's relatives, about mine, because they're demons, and-," Xander cut her off.
"Breath, Anya. We'll figure it out. Promise." Xander gave her a small kiss.
"Then, why do I feel like this is going to end up as a disaster?"
"Becasue you worry too much," Xander replied bluntly.
"Yeah. Don't stress it, Anya. Everything will turn out fine," Willow said in attempted to comfort the ex-demon's fears.
"But I can just see it. The church will catch on fire, or one of my relatives will cast a spell on someone, or everyone will get into a big fight......" she let the sentence trail.
"Like I said. You worry too much."
Just then, Buffy walked through the door, with Dawn trailing behind her.
"Hey, you guys. What's up?" asked Dawn cheerfully.
"Anya's worried the wedding is going to go up in flames," aswered Willow.
"Oh, don't worry. It will be great."
"That's we tried to tell her. But she won't listen."
"I just know somethings going to go wrong. I can feel it," spoke up a nervous Anya.
"Anya. You worry too much," said Buffy.
"Well, I'm the one planning a wedding. Not you. All you have to worry about it killing vampires and saving the world. My job is much harder."
"Yeah. Much harder," giggled Dawn. The she turned to Buffy.
"Can I go by Spike's tonight? I have to study for my big math test coming up, remember?"
Buffy stiffened at the mention of his name. She knew it was okay, but she was trying to miminize contact with him as much as possible. And if Dawn goes to his crypt, either he has to come to her house, or she has to go there.
"Well...I don't know. Wouldn't you rather have Willow help you?"
Dawn shook her head, no.
"I want to go over to Spike's place. It's easier to consentrate there. Besides, I've been studying with him all week, why stop now?"
"Um....well, I guess," she said uncertainly.
"Oh, thanks, Buffy," she gave her sister a hug. "I need to go home and get my stuff. It will be dark soon and I want be able to study long enough to actually learn something, since Spike makes me come home by ten."
"Okay. I'll see you later," Buffy called as Dawn ran out of the front door. But, Dawn turned around and stuck her head back into the door.
"Are you coming to get me or is he bringing me home?" she wanted to know.
"Um....I guess I'll come get you since I'll be patroling."
"Okay. See ya," and she ran off.
Buffy turned back around to see everyone staring at her.
"What?!"
"Oh, nothing," Xander said coming out of this daze he was in.
"How come everytime somone mention's Spike name you get all jumpy and try to change the subject?" asked Anya.
"I do not!"
"See. There you go again. You shouted at me. I detect nervousness."
"But...I...." she began, but couldn't finish.
Willow placed a hand on Buffy's arm. "Do you want me to pick up Dawn, tonight, Buffy?"
"No. That's okay. I'm a big girl. I can do it."
"Okay." This time it was Willow's turn to be uncertain.
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Later that night, while Buffy was on patrol. She was aimlessly wondering around, thinking about everything that has happened since Glory.
Dawn saying she's never around.
Giles leaving.
Xander and Anya becoming engaged.
Falling for Spike.
'No!' she screamed in her head. She was not falling for Spike. He is a soulless, mass murderer.
'But he's good now' she thought as she argued in her head.
'No. He's not good.'
'But don't you remember? He loves you.'
"No he doesn't!" she screamed out loud.
Glory had effected everyone severly. Ever since then, everyone was really...quiet. Especailly Spike. Even though, if it hadn't been for him, Dawn could have died. He had stopped Doc from bleeding her. He had saved everyone.
Ever since then, Buffy had been really appreciative of Spike. But now, she has the feeling she has other feelings for the vamp.
Then, she heard something. Her muscules tensed. She sensed a figure lurking back behind her. Her hand reached for the stake in her pocket.
Just as she turned around, ready to stake whatever vampire had dissturbed her thoughts, someone grabbed her arm.
She turned around. "Spike! God, what are you? My stalker?"
"What?! Can't a bloke take a walk in his own cemetary without being staked?" He let go of her arm.
"Not if you're a vampire. And especailly not, if you're a vampire stalking the Slayer."
"Well, I'll remember that," he said sarcasticlly. He threw down the ciggerette he had in his mouth, and crushed it with the heel of his boot.
"I just wanted to take a walk before Nibblet came over. She said she would be late, 'cause of something she had to do."
"You looked a little lost in thought, there," he pointed out." You scared the bloody hell out of me when you screamed like that."
Buffy blushed, thinking it was a good thing she hadn't screamed out his name. But she sensed, because of the smirk on his face, that he knew she had been thinking of him.
"So....what do you have to say about me? Considering you screamed loud enough to wake to undead."
"W-what makes you think I was thinking about you?" Buffy stuttered. But she isantly regreting answering his question. She should have known it was just bait to get her to lie to him. And he can see straight threw her lies.
His smirk grew wider. "Oh, I don't know," suddenly he wipped her around in his arm, circling his arms around her waist," maybe your just craving a little danger."
She crammed her lips to his, feeling his cold skin to her body. She rapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Spike licked the outsides of her lips, hoping for access to her warm mouth, which he was immediatly granted, allowing his tounge to intertwine with her's.
Just then, Dawn took that time to walk threw the cemetary, heading for Spike's crypt. She heard the commotion, and looked in their direction. She saw her sister's and Spike's lips smashed against each other. The way their bodies were moving against each other. She hid behind a tree, watching them.
Dawn had sort of figured they were into it. When Buffy would stay out until the sun was at the horizon. Her being so jumpy about being near Spike. But she had never seen them kiss. Especailly, not like this.
Buffy was the first to break the kiss. She was panting, savoring the air filling her lungs. She looked at Spike, his smirk had returned.
"I must have guessed right," was all he said. She punched him in the arm.
"You had better go. Dawn will be here soon. I don't want her to be there alone."
Dawn decide it was time she hy-tailed it to Spike's crypt, even though she so wanted to stay in case they kissed again.
"See ya, luv." And with that he dashed in the direction of his crypt, his duster flapping behind. Buffy watched him as he headed into the darkness.
"I have got to stop doing that," she said to herself.
She began to wonder again, lost in thought.
'Maybe it is something more' she thought to herself.
Suddenly, something pounced on her back.
She rolled over the grass, jumped up, and turned around, where a person was standing. A young boy of about eighteen. He had unruly, brown hair and peircing, green eyes. He was about five inches taller than her.
She ran up to him, holding him by the neck up against a tombstone.
"Who are you?" she said in a low voice.
"Are you Buffy Summers?"
"Who wants to know?"
"My boss, wants to talk to you." He grinned this sly grin. "He didn't say you would be kissing a vampire. You seemed pretty used to it.." Buffy tightened her grip on the boy's neck. His grin widened. He didn't seem fazed.
"Who's the hell is your boss? And what the hell does he want with me?"
"Like I said. She needs to talk to you."
"She?"
"What? Girls have power. She's pretty hot, too."
"You still haven't answered my first question.
"What would that be?"
"Who are you?"
Suddenly, the boy changed. He was a vampire. He gripped her around the neck.
"Your worst nightmare."
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Buffy gripped the boy's hands, trying to free herself. But, he was too strong. He lifted her off the ground by the neck and threw her against a statue. Pain shot up her back. But, she quickly recovered and stood up.
She started to throw punches in his face, which startled him, but he soon had her lieing on her back on the ground. He lifted her up by the neck, again.
"I have the power of five slayers. Everytime I kill one I get that much stronger. But, I'm not going to kill you. My boss needs you for something.....special."
Buffy was gasping for breath, her head getting lighter by each second. But, the vampire finally let her go. She collapsed on the ground, grasping her neck and gasping for air.
The vampire bent down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cloth and a bottle. He poured the contents of the bottle on the cloth. He was about to place it over her face, when she knocked the cloth out of his hand, and kicked him in the face.
He was thrown on his back, slightly startled, but not even ready to give up. He jumped back onto his feet and kicked Buffy in the stomach. She jerked back, but quikly punched him in the face, followed by a kick to the stomach. He fell to the ground.
Buffy lunged for the stake she had dropped a few feet away, but he grabbed her foot and she fell.
He grabbed the cloth just next to him and slowly placed it over her mouth and nose, being careful not to suffacate her.
She struggled to get free, but she was getting weaker. Her head was getting lighter.
She went limp.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
"Did you hear that?" asked Dawn. She had heard something.
"Yeah. Loud and clear," Spike got up and opened the door to his crypt. He strained hear anything else, but there was nothing.
"Do you think it was Buffy?" she became worried that her sister was in trouble.
"I don't know, but I'm going to check it out."
"I'm coming with you-"
"No! If somthing happened to you........ just stay here, and finish your homework."
"But-"
"No!" he shouted. Dawn was startled. But, she stayed put.
Spike walked cautiously around his crypt and nearby tombstones. He didn't here or see anything. He started back to his crypt, not wanting to leave Dawn alone, when something caught his eye.
It was a small bottle. He picked it up. It was empty.
'Bet it's nothing' he thought. He took a sniff of it. His head immediatly began to feel light.
"Oh, bloody hell," he cursed. He dropped the bottle and bent over, clutching his head. But the light-headedness began to fade. He straightened back up.
Then he noticed one of Buffy's stakes a few yards away. He could smell blood.
He rushed back to his crypt and stumbled inside.
Dawn looked up. "What's wrong?"
"Come on. I need you to come with me." He's voice had a certain tome in it.
Fear.
"Spike, what's wrong?" she stood up.
"I'm not sure, pet. All I know, is that I found her stake next to this," he held out the bottle.
"This stuff will paralize you, won't it?"
"Yeah."
"Well, we've got to find her!" Dawn felt afraid for her sister.
"It probably nothing, Bit."
"It's never nothing!" she began to cry. She knew something was wrong. She could tell it by Spike's voice, and the way he was, patheticly, trying to convince her everything was okay.
She ran into his arms. He hugged her as cried. He held her out at arms length.
"Listen, Little Bit. It's okay. We don't know if anything's wrong. She must have just dropped it some other time. It's okay." But he was just as scared as Dawn. He wanted to get her home so he could take another look around the cemetary to see if he could find anything.
"Okay. Let me get my stuff." She grabbed her backpack and shoved her homework inside. Spike led her through the cemetary and to her house.
"Go see if the Wicca's up. I need to ask her something," Spike told Dawn. She ran upstairs and into her Mom's old room.
Willow was perched on her bed, hunched over an old book. She looked up when Dawn entered the room.
"Your home early," Willow said.
"Something might be wrong with Buffy, Spike needs to talk to you.
"What? What's wrong?" Willow asked ergently." What happened?"
"I don't know, just come on," Dawn grabbed Willow's arm and dragged her out of her room. Spike was waiting in the doorway, smoking. He took a darg and threw it on the floor.
"What's wrong Spike? Is something wrong with Buffy?" Willow was getting angry that no one was telling her anything.
"Little Bit, go upstairs and finish your homework. If anything happens, we'll tell you."
"But, she my sister. I want to know what's-."
"Now!" Willow and Spike said in usion.
"Okay," Dawn said forcfully. She grabbed her backpack and went upstairs.
Willow then focused her attention on Spike.
"Now what's wrong?"
"I'm not sure. My and Nibblet were doing her homework when we heard a big thump. Like something being thrown into something else. I went to check it out, and didn't see anything. But this got my attention," he handed her the bottle."And as far as I know, the Slayer stakes her vampires, she doesn't knock em' out."
"But, how can we be sure it was Buffy?" Willow wanted to know.
"Well, I found her stake a few feet away. I could smell blood."
Willow looked scared. She clutched the bottle.
"What do we do? I mean, if she's in trouble, we need to try and find her, right?"
"First, I'm gonna go back to the cemetary and look around. See if I can find anything else. If she's there, I'll tell you right away. I'll only stay there long enough to look around."
"Okay. Sh-should I tell Dawn?"
"Not yet. If nothing wrong I don't want the Bit to be scared."
"Okay, just ... just come right back. Okay?"
Spike smiled to himself as he walked away. "I'll be right back."
When he reached the cemetary, he thought he would start where he found the bottle. He could still smell the blood, but after a few yards, the scent faded.
"Bloody hell," he cursed. He walked around a bit. He didn't find anything. He stopped by his crypt, to see if she was there. She wasn't. He picked a jacket that Dawn had left behind, and headed back to the house.
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Buffy started to come around. Her vision was blurred, and she had no feeling in her legs. She tried to move her arms, to find they were bound above her head by chains. When her vision started to clear, her senses started to sharpen. She was suddenly aware of everything around her.
She looked around. She was in a room. It was old and dirty. Cracks were in the wall, the carpet was stained. She was bound onto a bed. She tried to move her legs once she got feeling in them, but they were bound, also.
Then, she heard footsteps walk down the hall outside outside the room. Then something entered the room. It wasn't the vamp who she had fought in the cemetary, it was a tall demon with long claws and a horn on its forhead.
"Ahhh.... you're awake. I knew that crap would wear off soon." He leaned over her, undoing the chains from the bed, but Buffy's arms and legs were still bound. She tried to kick the demon in the face, but he blocked her manuvear, and lifted her off the bed. She struggled, but the demon was strong, he kept her from breaking free. He took her down the hallway, through a door, down another hallway. Everything was dirty. Like it was abandoned. The it hit her. They must be in some abandoned, underground, building. She knew it was underground because the walls were curved, like the sewer, and water and dirt were seeping threw cracks.
He took her to another room. It was a large, dark, old confrence room. It looked like it had been exanded, because of the sloppy walls that held the dirt back.
The demon chained her to a pole, in the middle of the room. There were many vampires standing around the room, many being young 18-year-old- looking vampires. But she noticed something. In the middle of the room, was a very large chair. Someone was sitting it, but Buffy couldn't tell who. The chair was too big.
That's when she really started to notice who else was alos in the room. There were many people, non-vampires, all around the room. They were chained to the wall. Some were playing with their hair, some were staring into space, and some were talking to them selves. Buffy had seen that kind of behavior. Tara had acted that way, when Glo- ......Glory. Suddenly, a wave of fear washed over her. She looked back at the person in the chair, who slowly turned around. Buffy immediatly saw the red head, the skimpy dress, the evil smile.
"Hey there, Buffy.......Did you miss me?" asked the hell-god.
Lost And Found
"So....what do we do?" asked Dawn. Willow, Spike, and Dawn had rounded up the rest of the Scooby gang, and they were sitting in Buffy's living room.
"I'm not sure, pet. We don't have the slightest clue where they could have taken her." Spike was trying to act sane, but he was begining to get very worried about Buffy. And he wasn't the only one. Dawn had been crying with Willow, afraid that they wouldn't find Buffy in time.
"We don't even know who it could be. Every demon kinda wants the Slayer...." Willow let the sentence trail. Dead, is what she had been thinking. But, she didn't want to scare Dawn, who was lying on the couch with her head in Willow's lap. Xander and Anya were there. Xander was acting like Spike, except Xander was sitting down with his head in his hands. Anya was trying to comfort him, but it wasn't any use. Tara was helping Willow calm down Dawn. And Spike was pacing around the room, occasionally stepping outside to smoke.
"Listen, I'm gonna go over to Willy's, see if there's any new demons in town. Maybe I can find out who took her," Spike leaned over Dawn, "I'm goona find her, pet. Don't you worry." Dawn gave him a quick hug, and he left.
When he got to Willy's bar, as he walked in, all eyes turned to him. Spike wasn't exactly the most popular Big Bad in town anymore, ever since he got with the Slayer. Many demons snarled or growled as he walked by. Spike ignored them and went strait to Willy at the counter. He became nervous when Spike sat down in front of him, hoping he wasn't going to get beaten...again.
"What's up, Spike? Can I get you anything?" he asked nervously.
"No. But I need information."
"Shoot."
"Are there any new demons around town? Any newcomers?"
"Why?" asked Willy suspicously.
Spike grabbed the collar of Willy's shirt, lifting him off the ground."Listen, mate. I don't have time for your little silent act. Now, answer my question," Spike said in a low growl.
"Okay, okay. Geez, you don't have to be so jumpy. But, um, there have been some new fledgling vampires. Um, I don't think there's anything else." But, Spike knew him to well. He could tell there was something he wasn't telling.
He grabbed Willy by the shirt, and smashed him into the counter.
"Do you like getting beat up? Or are you just going for the record of how many times you can lie to me?" asked Spike, throwing a punch at his face.
"Just wanted to see the day that I can get a lie past you."
"Well, now's not the time to be playing games," he lifted him up and slammed him against the wall. By now, every demon had their eyes on Spike, watching him throw Willy around. They had never seen Spike this mad.
"Okay.... um, there has been talk, of a new force in town. N-no one knows w-what or who it is, but it's r-really strong and p-powerful," Willy stuttered. Spike thew him on the ground and left the bar.
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"So. How did you come back?" Buffy asked Glory, trying to hide the fear inside of her.
"Oh...those minons. They are so weak, but very good with magic. They brought me back. Somehow. I didn't stick around long enough to find out. I had a score to settle." She had an evil grin on her face.
"With me." Now she was really scared. But, she dare not show it. There were so many things she could do to her. But....Buffy had a question.
"Are you still a god?" Hoping for an answer that would calm her fears.
"Sort of. I'm not a hell god anymore, but I still have god-like powers."
That wasn't what Buffy wanted. This ment that if her friends came looking for her, they wouldn't have much of a chance.
"So....how's my key doing?" asked Glory.
"She's not your key," Buffy snarled. She yanked at the chains, but the were too big for her break.
"Don't even try to break out of those. They can hold back a god." Glory got out of the chair, and wondered over to one of the walls. There were people chained up that looked like they hadn't been brain-sucked. Glory stuck her fingers into a man's head. He screamed at first, but his voice subsided once she pulled her fingers out.
"I can do that to you, too. Just don't get me agitated." She wondered over to Buffy, who was trying to struggle with the chains. Glory moved her hand over Buffy's cheek, and gripped her chin.
"I'll get your friends, I owe every one of them pain. And that old guy should be glad I don't feel like flying over there just to get to him. He's the reason I died."
Buffy was gonna try a new stratedgy, to distract her. Hoping to stall her from sending the vamps to get her friends.
"So...Glory. What happened to the minions? Why did you chose vampires?"
"Oh...I don't know," she wondered back over to her chair." I just got tired over their bickering. I wanted something....eviler. Plus, vampires don't kill easily. I recruited so fledglings, and trained them. Made them stroger with my power. I sent my strongest one for you."
That was just like Glory. She couldn't get enough evil.
"Are you......, like,....sharing..." Buffy was trying to say.
"A body." Glory finished." No. Thank god. I managed to come back as my former self. But, since I'm no longer a god, I'm stuck as a mortal." Glory almost looked like she might pout. But she turned her attention back to Buffy.
"Okay. I gave you the 4-1-1 on my life. Why don't I find out how your doing?"
Buffy got nervous. She didn't like the way she said that. She swore to herself that she wouldn't her anything that would lead her to her friends and Dawn. If Spike could do it, so could she.
" Moved, anytime soon?" Glory asked slyly. But, Buffy knew better. Glory had been to her house. And if Buffy knew her friends well enough, they would be all crowed around her living room.
"Yes." She said plainly. She didn't want to show any feeling, allowing Glory to detect her lie.
"Where to?"
"Why the hell would I tell you?"
Glory looked at her in the face. Detecting fear in her eyes. She got up out of her chair, walked strait to Buffy and backhanded her.
"Because I know you're lying."
//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\//\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Okay. So.. we know whatever has Buffy is very powerful," stated Willow.
"Ya, Red. We know this already. Which means it's more than likly a witch or a god or something like that." Spike was getting impatient. They had been over this. He wish he could go outside and smoke, but it was the middle of the day. He was very tired. He should be sleeping. Dawn had tried to coax him to bed, but he wouldn't sleep until they found Buffy.
"But, why would they want her? Is there something big coming up that they would need her for?" Willow looked over at Xander. He was in a daze. He snapped back to reality when he noticed Willow staring at him.
"What?"
"Would you go to the Magic Box and do some research? Maybe see if anything's coming up that we should be aware of."
"Yeah, sure." Xander wold do just about anything to help find Buffy.
Willow turned back to the group." Now, while Xander is doing that, we need to think of places where we can get info on this new....thing. Whatever it is."
"I don't think Willy knows anymore. He knows I'll beat the hell out of him if he doesn't tell me everything," added Spike.
"So.. we don't have anyway to get anything. This is crappy." Dawn sulked. She had stopped the tears hours before, but she was still afarid. Suddenly, she got a thought.
"What about Glory?" Everyone turned towards her.
"Isn't that skank dead?" asked Spike.
"Ya, but that doesn't mean she can't be brought back. Right, Willow?"
Willow thought it over. As she began to relize what Dawn said could be true, fear washed over her. "Ya, it's possible."
"Oh, bloody hell. Didn't we get enough her when she wanted Dawn?" Spike shouted standing up.
Then, another thought accured to Dawn.
"You guys. I just thought of something." Spoke up Dawn.
"What is it, Dawnie?" Willow said softly, putting an arm around.
"I spent a lot of time with Glory, and I know what she's like. If she is out for revenge, she's gonna want everyone who hurt her. I mean, she's probably mad at you, Willow, cause you went out and tried to kill her when she bain-sucked Tara. And she'll be mad at you Spike, because your the reason the poratl didn't gt opened. And she'll probably go after everyone else just for her own sick, twisted pleasure."
"Bit's got a point. If we're gonna look for Buffy, we need to do it in hiding. Glory could be sending an army over her right now. I'll stay her until dark. But, you two," he pionted to Tara and Willow," need to get Lil Bit, Anya, and the welp to a safe place. Willow, you can do one of those barrier spells."
No one was exactly pleased by Spike bossiness, but he was making a piont. They needed to hide. Fast.
"But, where do we go? There aren't that many places that we can hide," pionted out Tara.
"For right now, just go to my crypt. Maybe she won't think to look there. Hide on the bottom level. I'll be there as soon as the sun goes down. Like I said, Red. Put a barrier around it. Just be waiting for me so I can get in. And I don't want Dawn to be by herself at anytime. We don't need another bleedin' repeat of last year."
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Dawn was amazed at how Spike was taking this, but still cared about the safety of the others. Especailly her.
"Okay. Go now. Get the welp from the Magic Box, and go to my crypt. Don't leave until I get there."
They got up to leave. As they walked out the door, Willow stayed back to get some stuff she would need to make the barrier. She looked at Spike.
"I won't let anything happen to her. She's safe. Promise." Willow tried to reasure him.
"I know, Red. Just nervous. Buffy's with that wench, and god only knows what Glory's doing to her. I swear I'll beat the bloody hell out of her if she hurts Buffy."
Willow placed a hand slowly on his arm. Spike looked into her eyes. Willow could tell he was hurting inside. She could see the pain on his face and in his eyes.
"Just don't let them get Dawn. I don't think I could stand to lose both of them. They mean to bleedin' much to mean."
"Don't worry. We're not losing anyone."
Just then, Dawn stuck her head back into the house.
"Willow, you coming?"
"Yeah. I'm coming," she gave one finale look at Spike, and headed out the door.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\//\\//\//\\\///\\\//\\\//\\\//\ \/\/\/\/\/\/
Buffy was starting to get nervous. She couldn't stall Glory much longer. All she could do was make her mad. Which then Glory would hit her, or punch her, or something.
Glory was getting impatient also. She wanted to know more about what had happened sice she had been gone. She was getting ready to send her toughest vamps for her friends, when she had an idea.
"Oh...I'm good. I am so....good." Glory taunted.
Buffy looked at her suspicously.
"What?"
"I'll use you as bait. But, not here. I'll lure them out with you, them take them when they least expect it. But, I won't kill them. That would be too quick. I want them to suffer, just.........like........me."
Buffy knew her friends, if they saw her, they would come running, not thinking it might be a trap. She just prayed they wouldn't fall for it.
"You know," spoke Glory," I haven't heard you scream in a while. Maybe I should hear it for once." Glory walked over to Buffy, and backhanded her. The slap didn't phase Buffy, Glory punched her in the jaw. Buffy grunted, but she wouldn't give Glory the satisfaction of her pain.
"Oh, you gonna suck it up. Well, I geuss I'll just get a little rougher." Glory grabbed her by the neck, holding her in the air. Buffy gasped for air. Her head was getting light. Then Glory dropped her. Buffy fell to the ground. Glory kicked her in the ribs with her sandals, digging the heel into her side.
Buffy cried out.
"Ahh. That's better. It's no fun if you don't scream." Glory walked back to her chair, flipping her legs over the arm, spining the chair in a circle.
"You know.... that vampire guy. The one I tried to get to me where my key was. He was really stubborn. He never told me anything. But, at least he screamed. It was fun torturing him."
Buffy could recall what Glory had done to Spike. His face had been all swollen, and he had cuts and bruises all over him. But, then, if Glory hadn't done that to him, Buffy wouldn't have figured out the she could trust him. Then, if they hadn't had Spike, Dawn might have died. She just relized hw much she owes him.
"Oh, what. You look all distant," Glory said with a smirk." Got feelings for the vamp? How sweet. But, not my problem."
"I think I have given your friends long enough to hide or something." Glory walked over to Buffy, undoing the chains from the pole. She pushed Buffy into the arms of another vampire.
"Follow me."
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
After Willow set up the barrier, Tara, Anya, and Dawn went down to the lower level. Xander decided to wait for Spike with Willow.
"So. What's the deal?" Xander asked, rubbing his hands together. They had came by a gottne Xander, but no one had filled him in on their thoughts and conclusions.
"Well. We think that Glory's got Buffy. And that she's gonna come after us....for revenge."
Xander winced.
"Not exactly what I wanted to hear." There was a silence. Willow was listening for Spike. Xander was thinking about Buffy. Then, he finally registered that Willow had said Glory had Buffy.
"Whoa, wait a minute. Glory's alive! How the hell is she not dead?!"
"Well, we're..not..sure. We just think it's her. And it is possible for Glory to come back. If your that into black magic, that is."
"Oh, god." Xander flopped onto Spike's chair.
"Oh, and you never told me why we're at Dead Boy Jr.'s crypt. I mean, why here?"
"Well, we don't want anything to happen to Dawn. And we all know that Glory knows where Buffy lives."
"Ya, but she also knows where Spike lives. Remember, I got punched and those minions took Spike to get his ass kicked by Glory."
"Ya, but we thought, she wouldn't think to look here. Or, at least she wouldn't look here first. But, Spike is gonna be here when the sun sets. Then, we're gonna look for a better place to hide."
"And we're just gonna forget about Buffy! What if Glory is hurting her? What if she's killing her?" Xander almost choked on his words. Willow put her hand on Xander's arm, like she had Spike.
"We're just hiding until we know what we're dealing with. And we've got to protect Dawn. Remember? She's more helpless than Buffy, right now. And we need to do everything in our power to keep her safe."
"Yeah. Almost forgot." He gave Willow a smile, and she returned it.
"Don't worry. It will be okay."
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Back at Buffy's house. Spike was pacing around, waiting for the sun to set. He had been chain smoking for the past hour. He knew Buffy would be brassed off at him for smoking in the house, but he had no choice. He was nervous. It calmed him down. He tried to lay down, but he didn't want to sleep to long. So he just settled for pacing around the house.
He walked upstairs and into Buffy's room. He sat down on her bed, inhaling the sweet scent of her room.
He was scared. He knew what Glory was like. He had had an upfront experiance. He just didn't want Buffy to have to suffer that kind of pain.
He wondered back downstairs. He tried to watch the television, but his mind kept wondering.
Then he heard the knock at the door. His head jerked up. He slowly wondered to the front door and looked through the peep-hole.
What he made him gasp. A lump formed in his throat. Buffy was sitting in the fornt yard, chained up, on her knees. She looked so helpless. He just wanted to run outside and scoop her up in his arms. But, he knew better. It was a trap.
'Good thing the others aren't here,' he thought to himself. ' They would run out there in a heartbeat.'
He knew there was something going on. He could sense it. He made a dash for the basement, and just before he closed the door, the front door flew open. People. He Spike could smell their fresh blood. Normal people marched in. Spike hid behind the dryer. He heard them searching the house. Then he heard a familar voice call out.
"Come on! Cant't you go any faster. There here. I know it. Where else would they be?" Glory had Buffy, with a knife to her throat and her still chained up. Spike thought the people must be under some kind of mind control of her's.
"There not here, Great One. They must have hid somewhere," reported one person.
Buffy sighed in relief. She knew her friends were safe. At the moment.
"But where?" Glory questioned herself. Then a smile spread across the her face."The vampire. His crypt. I bet that's where they're hiding." She turned back to the human," get the others, we're going to the cemetary.
Spike had heard everything. He looked out the small window, just above ground. The sun was down enough that he could go outside. He climbed through the window, and followed behind Glory and her army.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Hey you guys. Spike not back yet?" Dawn asked Xander and Willow. They were all really tired. They had been up since yesterday. Dawn had managed a quick nap on Spike's bed. Tara and Anya talked to each other about Anya's plans for the wedding.
"Nope. Not yet," aswered Willow.
"Maybe you should take a nap. You look beat."
"No. I can't. I have to be up incase Glory decides to pay us a visit. I'm the only one who can stop her." Willow almost had pride in her voice as she said that. Dawn knew she took pride in the fact that she could hurt Glory.
"Shouldn't Spike be here by now. It's a few past sunset, and I don't think Spike would leave us here much longer if he could help it. What if something happened?" Suddenly, Dawn had a new fear.
"What if Glory already tried Buffy's house? What if something happened to Spike?" Dawn started asking franticly. She could fell fresh tears fill her eyes. She couldn't stand losing both of them. That would be too much.
Willow ran over to her, trying to comfort her. But, her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden disturbence in the barrier. She couldn't see who, but she knew it wasn't Spike.
"Willow? What's wrong?" asked Dawn, who had noticed how Willow had gone completly stiff and staring into space.
"Dawn. Go downstairs. Xander, go with her. Tell the others to take cover. I think she's here." Xander grabbed Dawn's arm, pulling her down the ladder.
Spike had followed them, but at one point he had to hide and wait, because he knew Glory could sense him. He couldn't chance getting caught. When he came out of hiding, they were out of sight, but he knew they were headed for the cemetary, so he caught up quickly. When he reached his crypt, he saw Buffy on the ground, again. Alone. The others were no where in sight.
Then, he saw the door open and Willow peek out. She saw Buffy and let out a scream.
"Buffy! Oh god." She ran to her side. Buffy was trying to tell her to stay back, but they had put tape over her mouth.
Responding to Willow's screaming, she rushed up the ladder with Xander, Tara, and Anya at her heels. They all rushed outside around Buffy. That's when Spike noticed a movment in the shadows. Glory came out, rope in hand. She came up behind Dawn.
"Dawn! Look out!" Spike shouted, running as fast as he could. Dawn turned around long enough to see Glory before she rapped a roped tight around her neck. Dawn began to choke.
"Seperate!" shouted Willow. Glory flew back against the wall. Then, vampires started to come out of the shadows. Starting to fight, Tara and Willow started to conjure a spell under their breath. Xander tried his hardest to help Spike fight the vampires, while Dawn and Anya dragged Buffy into the crypt.
"Anya! Get an ax. We have to get these chains of Buffy." Dawn reached down and pulled the tape of the Slayer's face.
"Dawn, you have to run. Glory, she'll get you. Run. Hide. Now."
"But-"
"Now!" Dawn ran down the ladder to the lower level. She hid behind the dresser.
Anya tried to break the chains. It took a couple of good solid hits, but Anya managed to free Buffy's hands. Then her legs. Buffy was still a little drugged, but she immediatly ran outside to join the fight. She glanced over to the spot where Willow had thrown Dawn. She wasn't there.
Then, Buffy looked around. Tara was missing, Xander was too. And Anya was no where to be seen.
"Willow! Where's Tara? And Xander?"
"I don't know. I can't find them anywhere." She shouted as she sent a stake flying threw the heart of the vampire she had been fighting, and went inside.
Then, the vampires started to leave. They just ran. Spike looked at Buffy. Then they both said," Dawn." at the same time. They ran inside. No one was on the top level.
"Willow!" Called Buffy.
"Down here. Dawn's safe, but the rest are gone." Buffy let out a small sigh of releif that her sister was not harmed, but she knew her friends would be if she didn't at soon. Willow and Dawn climbed up the steps. Then, they just ran into her arms.
"Oh, Buffy. We didn't know what had happened. We thought something bad had happened to you." Dawn started crying, while Buffy and Willow comforted her.
Spike just sort of hung back. He wasn't into the big group hug. But he did just want to take the Slayer into his arms and tell her how much he worried about her and how much he loved her.
Buffy looked up, noticing Spike back in the shadows. She leaned Dawn onto Willow, and walked across the room. She rapped her arms around his waist, and he did to her. She just stared into his eyes for just a few moments.
"I missed you," was all he said.
"Me too."
"I was worried. I know what it's like to be held captive by that skank."
She gave him a half-smile. He leaned down and kissed her. She rapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.
Willow and Dawn watched them make out from across the room. Willow leaned over and wisphered into Dawn's ear," If Xander was here, he would be going 'eeewww."
Dawn giggled, but never took her eyes off her sister. She looked so happy with Spike. They way they kissed kinda gave it away that they loved each other.
Buffy pulled back first. She gave him a smile and a quick hug, then stepped back and went back to sit next to her sister.
"So. What do we do? Glory's got Tara, Anya, and Xander," said Willow
"I'm not sure. I know where Glory's little lare is. But, we need to find a way to dust all of those vampires."
"Yeah, but don't direct any of your spells at me. I would like to live another century or two," spoke Spike.
"Okay. I can do that. But, then it will have to be a direct spell, which means one vamp at a time. But, that's okay. Just don't get in my way."
"Oh....I forgot to mention something," said Buffy.
"What's that, luv."
"Glory's mortal. I mean, she still has god-like powers, but she can be killed as easy as any human."
"Oh....good," Willow perked up.
"But she'll still be just as hard to kill with her powers still availible to her," Buffy said.
"So, while Red works her voodoo on the vampires, you and me will try and free the others."
"What about me?" asked Dawn.
"You should stay here. It's too dangerous. I don't need you hurt."
"But, Buffy-"
"No, Dawn. I won't let you get hurt." Dawn turned to Willow and Spike. Willow just shrugged. Spike nodded his head in agreement.
"Your sister's right, LilBit. It would be too dangerous for you too come."
"But...I could....be a diversion. You know.....keep her occupied while you sneak up on her." Dawn started to get hope when the three started to exchange looks. Buffy looked really reluctant. But, finally, she nodded her head in agreement.
"Okay. You can do it. But, I mean it. If there is any reason for me to think that you're in any danger, I want you out of there. Spike, keep an eye on her while we're in there. Don't let Glory try to hurt her. And Dawn, don't let Glory back you up against a wall, or let her get under your skin."
"Okay. I can do it." Dawn smiled at her, letting Buffy know it meant a lot to her that she was letting her do this.
"Okay. I've got the spell. Just a simple word, and their dust. Just remember not to in my way, Spike. Or you'll be dust."
"Sure, Red. You ready, luv?" he asked Buffy.
"Yeah. Let's rock!"
===========================================================
The Battle _
"So....your little friends ever gonna get here? I expected them an hour ago," said Glory.
She had Tara, Anya, and Xander chained up with their hands above their heads, and tape over their mouth. And since she couldn't speak, Tara couldn't do any spells. But she could try and use telepathy to communicate.
'You guys, if you can hear me, nod,' she thought.
They nodded. Xander started to struggle with the chains, trying to break free.
'Stop, Xander. Your just wasting your strength. Buffy will be here in a little bit, don't wear yourself out.'
Xander stopped. He looked around. Nothing. 'Right now, I would even be happy to see Spike,' thought Xander.
"Okay. Your since your friends aren't here, I'll just have to start without them," spoke Glory. She walked up to them. She looked Xander in the eye.
"Your the guy that hit me with that wrecking ball. Well, how does this feel," she punched him in the stomach. Xander groaned. Glory punched him in the jaw.
"How do you like it, huh? The pain isn't all that great, is it? Don't you wish I would stop," she taunted as she puched him in the stomach . Xander groaned again.
"And you," she said as she moved to Tara," I had your brain. But your little bitchy friend had to go and take it away from me." She slapped Tara. Tara just glared at her in the eyes. Tara was tempted to telepath to her, but Glory might knock her out so Tara couldn't communicate with the others.
She looked at Anya. She just stared at her for a second. Like she was considering her. Then, she slapped her.
"That's for living." Glory walked back to her chair and sat.
Right outside the building, Buffy was looking for the entrance. She wasn't completly awake when they had brought her out, so she was going by pure instinct. She felt her hands around the wall, looking for the entrance.
"We don't have all day, luv. Why don't you let me just knock the thing down?" complained Spike.
"Because I want to be able to get in here without making ourselves known." She went back to feeling the wall. Then, she felt the crevice, pushed up and pulled. A door swung open. She caught it before it hit the wall.
"Okay, Dawn, Spike, don't say a word. I'm gonna try to come up behind her. But be quiet, she has vampires surrounding the place and her."
They slowly crept in. They went down the hall Buffy remembered being brought through. Turned left. Then right. They came to a door. There was a vampire gaurding it. Buffy crept up behind it, and staked it before it had a chance to look at her. She made a motion for them to follow her. They slowly opened the door. Buffy saw her friends and Glory in the middle of the room.
She slowly made her way around the room where there were no vampires. She pulled Dawn right next to her face.
"Dawn, I want you to go around the room. Stay in the shadows. Don't let yourself be known until your right behind Glory. Then...just talk to her. Get her attnetion focused on you. Don't let her get near you. Don't listen to her. If you get into trouble, just scream. I won't let her hurt you." She gave Dawn a quick hug, then let her go. Dawn circled back behind Glory, waiting for Spike, Willow, and Buffy to get behind the rest of their friends. Dawn waited for Buffy to give her the signal to speak. She didn't know what to say, so she just decided on something simple. When Buffy gave her the signal, Dawn stepped out of the shadows.
"Hey,Glory. Miss me much?" Glory stopped talking and turned to Dawn. Her eyebrows up to her forehead.
"Dawnie," Glory said in a sing-song voice.
"I thought I told you not to call me Dawnie...bitch." Dawn saw Spike raise his eyebrows at what she said. Dawn had to remind herself not to smile.
"Long time, no see. And no, I didn't miss you. I'm just mad that you made me miss my ride home." She got out of her chair. She started to approach Dawn, but Dawn took a few steps back.
"Oh. Are we scrared now?" Glory smiled at the fear in Dawn's eyes.
"No. I just don't want you to touch me."
Just then, there was a commotion behind Glory. The vamps had seen Buffy, Willow, and Spike, and were going in for the kill. While Glory was turned around, Dawn ran up behind her and shoved her to the ground.
"Hey...you know. That hurt." said Glory," And now....I'm mad." Glory ran up to Dawn and grabbed her by the neck.
"Buffy!" Dawn cried out. Buffy looked up at her sister being strangled by Glory. She staked the vamp she was fighting and ran over, then did a round kick to Glory's head. Dawn and Glory fell to the gorund. Buffy helped her sister up, just as some vampires started to try and attack them. Dawn hid in the shadows while Buffy fought. She saw Glory start to come to. She took a brick a brick and broke it over her head. Glory fell back to the ground. Then she noticed her friends. Xander and Anya were free, but Tara was still chained. Willow was trying to free her. Dawn rushed over to help, but a vampire grabbed her from behind. Willow saw this and said her vampire spell.
"Destuchie." She waved her hand at the vamp and it burst to dust. Dawn, free from the vampire, ran the rest of the way to her friends. She hudled in a corner with Xander and Anya. When Willow finally got Tara free, Tara came with them. Willow started dusting vampires with her spell, while Spike and Buffy fought them off by hand, until they were gone.
Glory stood to her feet, an evil grin on her face.
"You think because I'm mortal, you can beat me any easier?" asked Glory to Buffy.
"No. But the fact that I have more people on my side, I have the advantage."
Just then, a fight broke out between the two. Spike and Willow stood back while the two fought. They punched and kicked and slapped and smacked. First Glory was down, then Buffy, then Glory. It went on like this. Buffy didn't seem to need help, so Willow and Spike stayed back, not wanting to be caught in the struggle. But what they didn't notice, is that Glory had managed to grab a sharp peice of medal. Buffy went to charge at her. Dawn noticed the sharp object one second too late.
"Buffy! Look out!" Dawn cried as Glory drove the peice of metal into her stomach.
"Noooooo!" Dawn wailed as she saw her sister be stabbed. The others had seen this, and they were just shocked. Dawn ran up to Buffy's body. She was still breathing.
Spike and Willow ha taken care of Glory. Spike drove the same metal object through her chest.
"Go to hell, bitch!" He was angry. So was Willow. Everyone crowded around Buffy. Dawn was hugging her.
"Dawn. I am so.... sorry." Her breaths were getting farther and farther apart. Dawn was crying uncontrolably. Slowly, Buffy's eyes started to close. Her breaths became short, as she breathed her finale breath. Dawn watched her eyes close, her heartbeat cease, and her breathing stop. She grabbed the person closest to her, which was Willow. Everyone was crying. Willow was holding Dawn, Spike caressed Buffy's face as tears rolled down his cheek.
Anya held Xander, Willow held Dawn, Tara placed a hand on Spike's arm. Spike looked into her eyes, she saw....pain.....darkness....fear. She gave his hand a small squeeze, and he turned back to Buffy's lifeless body.
Then.....the room started to brighten. Everyone looked up. Their tears ceased.
I beleive I can fly.
I believe I can touch the sky.
They watched two figures slowly float down. They moved away from Buffy's body.
I think about it every night and day.
Spread my wings and fly away.
Dawn clutched Willow's hand as the two figures took form. Human form. Angels.
I beleive I can soar.
You see me runnin' through that open door.
They watched one of them reach down to Buffy's lifeless body, only to have their hand grabbed by a glowing arm. They watched, what they guessed, Buffy's soul be brought to her feet.
I beleive I can fly.
I beleive I can fly.
The angles slowly floated back up to the sky, with Buffy in tow. Buffy's soul gave them one last glance, as it was brought through the ceiling, and the light was gone. Dawn gave Willow a smile.
"She's in heaven."
The End
Pretent Buffy never died. The portal was never opened and Buffy didn't have to jump. I'm sorta taking the idea, switching it around, and adding a twist. But, the end is sorta the same. Well, now, someone is back, and she's looking for revenge on the Scooby Gang.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------
I Believe I Can Fly
"Okay, Nibblet. One more time..." Spike was helping Dawn with her math homework, which was making no since to Dawn, no matter how many times he explained it.
"But, Spike. It's just too hard. Who cares what the square root of ninety-six is?"
"Your big sister and I do because if you don't pass this test then your going to fail math and if you fail math, then you have to repeat the grade all together, and then you'll be grounded from now until you graduate, which will be a long ways away with the rate your going." He cooked his head and smiled.
"Okay. I get it. Or, I get what your saying. I still don't get the math, though."
"Why don't you get Willow to tutor you? She's the brains. I've haven't been to school for over a century."
"Ya, but you explain it better."
"Then, how come you haven't figure it out yet?"
"I don't know. You tell me."
"I'm not you, pet. Your the one on the verge of failing a grade, not me."
After Dawn managed to finish her homework, Spike walked her home. Spike decided to stay for a little visit, since the Slayer was out patroling.
"Um...do you want anything to drink. We don't have blood, but we do have beer if you feel like getting a little drunk"
"No, thank you, pet. I would prefer to be able to walk back home without passing out."
Dawn giggled and Spike grinned.
"But...you should get to bed. You have school tomarrow, and your sister would stake me if she thought I let you stay up this late."
"But, you didn't let me stay up. You left and I got up afterwards," she said with a grin.
"Oh, come on, Nibblet. Upstairs. Now." He gave her a nudge towards the stairs. When she didn't move, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the steps. She giggled and laughed the whole way. He dropped her on her bed, where she just lay there, her face turning red from laughing so much.
"Okay, pet. You're in your bed. Now go to sleep."
"But, I don't want to. I'm not sleepy."
"Well, I have to go as soon as your sister or Willow gets home. So you might as well, because all I'm doing in standing outside so I can smoke."
"Okay, fine. I'll go to sleep." She kicked off her shoes and snuggled up under the cover.
"Night, pet."
"Good night, Spike." He turned off the light and walked out of her room.
As he walked torwards the steps, he passed by Buffy's room. He had the urge to go into her room, just so he could smell the sweet, vanilla scent that filled it. But he decided against it and walked down the steps, and out of the house.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
In the Magic Box, the next day. Xander and Anya were sitting at the round table in the back. They were going over some last minutes plans for their wedding. Willow was trying out a new spell, that would make a stake go threw the heart of any vampire Buffy directed it to, no matter how far it ran. And, so far, she hadn't got it right. She was testing it on the dummy in the training room. But, the stake would go right past the dummy, if it was moved, and hit the wall.
"Dammit! Why won't this work?" she shouted in frustration. She decided to give up on the flying stake and went to the front.
"How are the plans going" asked Willow.
"Terrible. We haven't figured out what we are going to do about the dresses. Or what we're going to tell Xander's relatives, about mine, because they're demons, and-," Xander cut her off.
"Breath, Anya. We'll figure it out. Promise." Xander gave her a small kiss.
"Then, why do I feel like this is going to end up as a disaster?"
"Becasue you worry too much," Xander replied bluntly.
"Yeah. Don't stress it, Anya. Everything will turn out fine," Willow said in attempted to comfort the ex-demon's fears.
"But I can just see it. The church will catch on fire, or one of my relatives will cast a spell on someone, or everyone will get into a big fight......" she let the sentence trail.
"Like I said. You worry too much."
Just then, Buffy walked through the door, with Dawn trailing behind her.
"Hey, you guys. What's up?" asked Dawn cheerfully.
"Anya's worried the wedding is going to go up in flames," aswered Willow.
"Oh, don't worry. It will be great."
"That's we tried to tell her. But she won't listen."
"I just know somethings going to go wrong. I can feel it," spoke up a nervous Anya.
"Anya. You worry too much," said Buffy.
"Well, I'm the one planning a wedding. Not you. All you have to worry about it killing vampires and saving the world. My job is much harder."
"Yeah. Much harder," giggled Dawn. The she turned to Buffy.
"Can I go by Spike's tonight? I have to study for my big math test coming up, remember?"
Buffy stiffened at the mention of his name. She knew it was okay, but she was trying to miminize contact with him as much as possible. And if Dawn goes to his crypt, either he has to come to her house, or she has to go there.
"Well...I don't know. Wouldn't you rather have Willow help you?"
Dawn shook her head, no.
"I want to go over to Spike's place. It's easier to consentrate there. Besides, I've been studying with him all week, why stop now?"
"Um....well, I guess," she said uncertainly.
"Oh, thanks, Buffy," she gave her sister a hug. "I need to go home and get my stuff. It will be dark soon and I want be able to study long enough to actually learn something, since Spike makes me come home by ten."
"Okay. I'll see you later," Buffy called as Dawn ran out of the front door. But, Dawn turned around and stuck her head back into the door.
"Are you coming to get me or is he bringing me home?" she wanted to know.
"Um....I guess I'll come get you since I'll be patroling."
"Okay. See ya," and she ran off.
Buffy turned back around to see everyone staring at her.
"What?!"
"Oh, nothing," Xander said coming out of this daze he was in.
"How come everytime somone mention's Spike name you get all jumpy and try to change the subject?" asked Anya.
"I do not!"
"See. There you go again. You shouted at me. I detect nervousness."
"But...I...." she began, but couldn't finish.
Willow placed a hand on Buffy's arm. "Do you want me to pick up Dawn, tonight, Buffy?"
"No. That's okay. I'm a big girl. I can do it."
"Okay." This time it was Willow's turn to be uncertain.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Later that night, while Buffy was on patrol. She was aimlessly wondering around, thinking about everything that has happened since Glory.
Dawn saying she's never around.
Giles leaving.
Xander and Anya becoming engaged.
Falling for Spike.
'No!' she screamed in her head. She was not falling for Spike. He is a soulless, mass murderer.
'But he's good now' she thought as she argued in her head.
'No. He's not good.'
'But don't you remember? He loves you.'
"No he doesn't!" she screamed out loud.
Glory had effected everyone severly. Ever since then, everyone was really...quiet. Especailly Spike. Even though, if it hadn't been for him, Dawn could have died. He had stopped Doc from bleeding her. He had saved everyone.
Ever since then, Buffy had been really appreciative of Spike. But now, she has the feeling she has other feelings for the vamp.
Then, she heard something. Her muscules tensed. She sensed a figure lurking back behind her. Her hand reached for the stake in her pocket.
Just as she turned around, ready to stake whatever vampire had dissturbed her thoughts, someone grabbed her arm.
She turned around. "Spike! God, what are you? My stalker?"
"What?! Can't a bloke take a walk in his own cemetary without being staked?" He let go of her arm.
"Not if you're a vampire. And especailly not, if you're a vampire stalking the Slayer."
"Well, I'll remember that," he said sarcasticlly. He threw down the ciggerette he had in his mouth, and crushed it with the heel of his boot.
"I just wanted to take a walk before Nibblet came over. She said she would be late, 'cause of something she had to do."
"You looked a little lost in thought, there," he pointed out." You scared the bloody hell out of me when you screamed like that."
Buffy blushed, thinking it was a good thing she hadn't screamed out his name. But she sensed, because of the smirk on his face, that he knew she had been thinking of him.
"So....what do you have to say about me? Considering you screamed loud enough to wake to undead."
"W-what makes you think I was thinking about you?" Buffy stuttered. But she isantly regreting answering his question. She should have known it was just bait to get her to lie to him. And he can see straight threw her lies.
His smirk grew wider. "Oh, I don't know," suddenly he wipped her around in his arm, circling his arms around her waist," maybe your just craving a little danger."
She crammed her lips to his, feeling his cold skin to her body. She rapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Spike licked the outsides of her lips, hoping for access to her warm mouth, which he was immediatly granted, allowing his tounge to intertwine with her's.
Just then, Dawn took that time to walk threw the cemetary, heading for Spike's crypt. She heard the commotion, and looked in their direction. She saw her sister's and Spike's lips smashed against each other. The way their bodies were moving against each other. She hid behind a tree, watching them.
Dawn had sort of figured they were into it. When Buffy would stay out until the sun was at the horizon. Her being so jumpy about being near Spike. But she had never seen them kiss. Especailly, not like this.
Buffy was the first to break the kiss. She was panting, savoring the air filling her lungs. She looked at Spike, his smirk had returned.
"I must have guessed right," was all he said. She punched him in the arm.
"You had better go. Dawn will be here soon. I don't want her to be there alone."
Dawn decide it was time she hy-tailed it to Spike's crypt, even though she so wanted to stay in case they kissed again.
"See ya, luv." And with that he dashed in the direction of his crypt, his duster flapping behind. Buffy watched him as he headed into the darkness.
"I have got to stop doing that," she said to herself.
She began to wonder again, lost in thought.
'Maybe it is something more' she thought to herself.
Suddenly, something pounced on her back.
She rolled over the grass, jumped up, and turned around, where a person was standing. A young boy of about eighteen. He had unruly, brown hair and peircing, green eyes. He was about five inches taller than her.
She ran up to him, holding him by the neck up against a tombstone.
"Who are you?" she said in a low voice.
"Are you Buffy Summers?"
"Who wants to know?"
"My boss, wants to talk to you." He grinned this sly grin. "He didn't say you would be kissing a vampire. You seemed pretty used to it.." Buffy tightened her grip on the boy's neck. His grin widened. He didn't seem fazed.
"Who's the hell is your boss? And what the hell does he want with me?"
"Like I said. She needs to talk to you."
"She?"
"What? Girls have power. She's pretty hot, too."
"You still haven't answered my first question.
"What would that be?"
"Who are you?"
Suddenly, the boy changed. He was a vampire. He gripped her around the neck.
"Your worst nightmare."
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Buffy gripped the boy's hands, trying to free herself. But, he was too strong. He lifted her off the ground by the neck and threw her against a statue. Pain shot up her back. But, she quickly recovered and stood up.
She started to throw punches in his face, which startled him, but he soon had her lieing on her back on the ground. He lifted her up by the neck, again.
"I have the power of five slayers. Everytime I kill one I get that much stronger. But, I'm not going to kill you. My boss needs you for something.....special."
Buffy was gasping for breath, her head getting lighter by each second. But, the vampire finally let her go. She collapsed on the ground, grasping her neck and gasping for air.
The vampire bent down. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cloth and a bottle. He poured the contents of the bottle on the cloth. He was about to place it over her face, when she knocked the cloth out of his hand, and kicked him in the face.
He was thrown on his back, slightly startled, but not even ready to give up. He jumped back onto his feet and kicked Buffy in the stomach. She jerked back, but quikly punched him in the face, followed by a kick to the stomach. He fell to the ground.
Buffy lunged for the stake she had dropped a few feet away, but he grabbed her foot and she fell.
He grabbed the cloth just next to him and slowly placed it over her mouth and nose, being careful not to suffacate her.
She struggled to get free, but she was getting weaker. Her head was getting lighter.
She went limp.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
"Did you hear that?" asked Dawn. She had heard something.
"Yeah. Loud and clear," Spike got up and opened the door to his crypt. He strained hear anything else, but there was nothing.
"Do you think it was Buffy?" she became worried that her sister was in trouble.
"I don't know, but I'm going to check it out."
"I'm coming with you-"
"No! If somthing happened to you........ just stay here, and finish your homework."
"But-"
"No!" he shouted. Dawn was startled. But, she stayed put.
Spike walked cautiously around his crypt and nearby tombstones. He didn't here or see anything. He started back to his crypt, not wanting to leave Dawn alone, when something caught his eye.
It was a small bottle. He picked it up. It was empty.
'Bet it's nothing' he thought. He took a sniff of it. His head immediatly began to feel light.
"Oh, bloody hell," he cursed. He dropped the bottle and bent over, clutching his head. But the light-headedness began to fade. He straightened back up.
Then he noticed one of Buffy's stakes a few yards away. He could smell blood.
He rushed back to his crypt and stumbled inside.
Dawn looked up. "What's wrong?"
"Come on. I need you to come with me." He's voice had a certain tome in it.
Fear.
"Spike, what's wrong?" she stood up.
"I'm not sure, pet. All I know, is that I found her stake next to this," he held out the bottle.
"This stuff will paralize you, won't it?"
"Yeah."
"Well, we've got to find her!" Dawn felt afraid for her sister.
"It probably nothing, Bit."
"It's never nothing!" she began to cry. She knew something was wrong. She could tell it by Spike's voice, and the way he was, patheticly, trying to convince her everything was okay.
She ran into his arms. He hugged her as cried. He held her out at arms length.
"Listen, Little Bit. It's okay. We don't know if anything's wrong. She must have just dropped it some other time. It's okay." But he was just as scared as Dawn. He wanted to get her home so he could take another look around the cemetary to see if he could find anything.
"Okay. Let me get my stuff." She grabbed her backpack and shoved her homework inside. Spike led her through the cemetary and to her house.
"Go see if the Wicca's up. I need to ask her something," Spike told Dawn. She ran upstairs and into her Mom's old room.
Willow was perched on her bed, hunched over an old book. She looked up when Dawn entered the room.
"Your home early," Willow said.
"Something might be wrong with Buffy, Spike needs to talk to you.
"What? What's wrong?" Willow asked ergently." What happened?"
"I don't know, just come on," Dawn grabbed Willow's arm and dragged her out of her room. Spike was waiting in the doorway, smoking. He took a darg and threw it on the floor.
"What's wrong Spike? Is something wrong with Buffy?" Willow was getting angry that no one was telling her anything.
"Little Bit, go upstairs and finish your homework. If anything happens, we'll tell you."
"But, she my sister. I want to know what's-."
"Now!" Willow and Spike said in usion.
"Okay," Dawn said forcfully. She grabbed her backpack and went upstairs.
Willow then focused her attention on Spike.
"Now what's wrong?"
"I'm not sure. My and Nibblet were doing her homework when we heard a big thump. Like something being thrown into something else. I went to check it out, and didn't see anything. But this got my attention," he handed her the bottle."And as far as I know, the Slayer stakes her vampires, she doesn't knock em' out."
"But, how can we be sure it was Buffy?" Willow wanted to know.
"Well, I found her stake a few feet away. I could smell blood."
Willow looked scared. She clutched the bottle.
"What do we do? I mean, if she's in trouble, we need to try and find her, right?"
"First, I'm gonna go back to the cemetary and look around. See if I can find anything else. If she's there, I'll tell you right away. I'll only stay there long enough to look around."
"Okay. Sh-should I tell Dawn?"
"Not yet. If nothing wrong I don't want the Bit to be scared."
"Okay, just ... just come right back. Okay?"
Spike smiled to himself as he walked away. "I'll be right back."
When he reached the cemetary, he thought he would start where he found the bottle. He could still smell the blood, but after a few yards, the scent faded.
"Bloody hell," he cursed. He walked around a bit. He didn't find anything. He stopped by his crypt, to see if she was there. She wasn't. He picked a jacket that Dawn had left behind, and headed back to the house.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/
Buffy started to come around. Her vision was blurred, and she had no feeling in her legs. She tried to move her arms, to find they were bound above her head by chains. When her vision started to clear, her senses started to sharpen. She was suddenly aware of everything around her.
She looked around. She was in a room. It was old and dirty. Cracks were in the wall, the carpet was stained. She was bound onto a bed. She tried to move her legs once she got feeling in them, but they were bound, also.
Then, she heard footsteps walk down the hall outside outside the room. Then something entered the room. It wasn't the vamp who she had fought in the cemetary, it was a tall demon with long claws and a horn on its forhead.
"Ahhh.... you're awake. I knew that crap would wear off soon." He leaned over her, undoing the chains from the bed, but Buffy's arms and legs were still bound. She tried to kick the demon in the face, but he blocked her manuvear, and lifted her off the bed. She struggled, but the demon was strong, he kept her from breaking free. He took her down the hallway, through a door, down another hallway. Everything was dirty. Like it was abandoned. The it hit her. They must be in some abandoned, underground, building. She knew it was underground because the walls were curved, like the sewer, and water and dirt were seeping threw cracks.
He took her to another room. It was a large, dark, old confrence room. It looked like it had been exanded, because of the sloppy walls that held the dirt back.
The demon chained her to a pole, in the middle of the room. There were many vampires standing around the room, many being young 18-year-old- looking vampires. But she noticed something. In the middle of the room, was a very large chair. Someone was sitting it, but Buffy couldn't tell who. The chair was too big.
That's when she really started to notice who else was alos in the room. There were many people, non-vampires, all around the room. They were chained to the wall. Some were playing with their hair, some were staring into space, and some were talking to them selves. Buffy had seen that kind of behavior. Tara had acted that way, when Glo- ......Glory. Suddenly, a wave of fear washed over her. She looked back at the person in the chair, who slowly turned around. Buffy immediatly saw the red head, the skimpy dress, the evil smile.
"Hey there, Buffy.......Did you miss me?" asked the hell-god.
Lost And Found
"So....what do we do?" asked Dawn. Willow, Spike, and Dawn had rounded up the rest of the Scooby gang, and they were sitting in Buffy's living room.
"I'm not sure, pet. We don't have the slightest clue where they could have taken her." Spike was trying to act sane, but he was begining to get very worried about Buffy. And he wasn't the only one. Dawn had been crying with Willow, afraid that they wouldn't find Buffy in time.
"We don't even know who it could be. Every demon kinda wants the Slayer...." Willow let the sentence trail. Dead, is what she had been thinking. But, she didn't want to scare Dawn, who was lying on the couch with her head in Willow's lap. Xander and Anya were there. Xander was acting like Spike, except Xander was sitting down with his head in his hands. Anya was trying to comfort him, but it wasn't any use. Tara was helping Willow calm down Dawn. And Spike was pacing around the room, occasionally stepping outside to smoke.
"Listen, I'm gonna go over to Willy's, see if there's any new demons in town. Maybe I can find out who took her," Spike leaned over Dawn, "I'm goona find her, pet. Don't you worry." Dawn gave him a quick hug, and he left.
When he got to Willy's bar, as he walked in, all eyes turned to him. Spike wasn't exactly the most popular Big Bad in town anymore, ever since he got with the Slayer. Many demons snarled or growled as he walked by. Spike ignored them and went strait to Willy at the counter. He became nervous when Spike sat down in front of him, hoping he wasn't going to get beaten...again.
"What's up, Spike? Can I get you anything?" he asked nervously.
"No. But I need information."
"Shoot."
"Are there any new demons around town? Any newcomers?"
"Why?" asked Willy suspicously.
Spike grabbed the collar of Willy's shirt, lifting him off the ground."Listen, mate. I don't have time for your little silent act. Now, answer my question," Spike said in a low growl.
"Okay, okay. Geez, you don't have to be so jumpy. But, um, there have been some new fledgling vampires. Um, I don't think there's anything else." But, Spike knew him to well. He could tell there was something he wasn't telling.
He grabbed Willy by the shirt, and smashed him into the counter.
"Do you like getting beat up? Or are you just going for the record of how many times you can lie to me?" asked Spike, throwing a punch at his face.
"Just wanted to see the day that I can get a lie past you."
"Well, now's not the time to be playing games," he lifted him up and slammed him against the wall. By now, every demon had their eyes on Spike, watching him throw Willy around. They had never seen Spike this mad.
"Okay.... um, there has been talk, of a new force in town. N-no one knows w-what or who it is, but it's r-really strong and p-powerful," Willy stuttered. Spike thew him on the ground and left the bar.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
"So. How did you come back?" Buffy asked Glory, trying to hide the fear inside of her.
"Oh...those minons. They are so weak, but very good with magic. They brought me back. Somehow. I didn't stick around long enough to find out. I had a score to settle." She had an evil grin on her face.
"With me." Now she was really scared. But, she dare not show it. There were so many things she could do to her. But....Buffy had a question.
"Are you still a god?" Hoping for an answer that would calm her fears.
"Sort of. I'm not a hell god anymore, but I still have god-like powers."
That wasn't what Buffy wanted. This ment that if her friends came looking for her, they wouldn't have much of a chance.
"So....how's my key doing?" asked Glory.
"She's not your key," Buffy snarled. She yanked at the chains, but the were too big for her break.
"Don't even try to break out of those. They can hold back a god." Glory got out of the chair, and wondered over to one of the walls. There were people chained up that looked like they hadn't been brain-sucked. Glory stuck her fingers into a man's head. He screamed at first, but his voice subsided once she pulled her fingers out.
"I can do that to you, too. Just don't get me agitated." She wondered over to Buffy, who was trying to struggle with the chains. Glory moved her hand over Buffy's cheek, and gripped her chin.
"I'll get your friends, I owe every one of them pain. And that old guy should be glad I don't feel like flying over there just to get to him. He's the reason I died."
Buffy was gonna try a new stratedgy, to distract her. Hoping to stall her from sending the vamps to get her friends.
"So...Glory. What happened to the minions? Why did you chose vampires?"
"Oh...I don't know," she wondered back over to her chair." I just got tired over their bickering. I wanted something....eviler. Plus, vampires don't kill easily. I recruited so fledglings, and trained them. Made them stroger with my power. I sent my strongest one for you."
That was just like Glory. She couldn't get enough evil.
"Are you......, like,....sharing..." Buffy was trying to say.
"A body." Glory finished." No. Thank god. I managed to come back as my former self. But, since I'm no longer a god, I'm stuck as a mortal." Glory almost looked like she might pout. But she turned her attention back to Buffy.
"Okay. I gave you the 4-1-1 on my life. Why don't I find out how your doing?"
Buffy got nervous. She didn't like the way she said that. She swore to herself that she wouldn't her anything that would lead her to her friends and Dawn. If Spike could do it, so could she.
" Moved, anytime soon?" Glory asked slyly. But, Buffy knew better. Glory had been to her house. And if Buffy knew her friends well enough, they would be all crowed around her living room.
"Yes." She said plainly. She didn't want to show any feeling, allowing Glory to detect her lie.
"Where to?"
"Why the hell would I tell you?"
Glory looked at her in the face. Detecting fear in her eyes. She got up out of her chair, walked strait to Buffy and backhanded her.
"Because I know you're lying."
//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\//\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Okay. So.. we know whatever has Buffy is very powerful," stated Willow.
"Ya, Red. We know this already. Which means it's more than likly a witch or a god or something like that." Spike was getting impatient. They had been over this. He wish he could go outside and smoke, but it was the middle of the day. He was very tired. He should be sleeping. Dawn had tried to coax him to bed, but he wouldn't sleep until they found Buffy.
"But, why would they want her? Is there something big coming up that they would need her for?" Willow looked over at Xander. He was in a daze. He snapped back to reality when he noticed Willow staring at him.
"What?"
"Would you go to the Magic Box and do some research? Maybe see if anything's coming up that we should be aware of."
"Yeah, sure." Xander wold do just about anything to help find Buffy.
Willow turned back to the group." Now, while Xander is doing that, we need to think of places where we can get info on this new....thing. Whatever it is."
"I don't think Willy knows anymore. He knows I'll beat the hell out of him if he doesn't tell me everything," added Spike.
"So.. we don't have anyway to get anything. This is crappy." Dawn sulked. She had stopped the tears hours before, but she was still afarid. Suddenly, she got a thought.
"What about Glory?" Everyone turned towards her.
"Isn't that skank dead?" asked Spike.
"Ya, but that doesn't mean she can't be brought back. Right, Willow?"
Willow thought it over. As she began to relize what Dawn said could be true, fear washed over her. "Ya, it's possible."
"Oh, bloody hell. Didn't we get enough her when she wanted Dawn?" Spike shouted standing up.
Then, another thought accured to Dawn.
"You guys. I just thought of something." Spoke up Dawn.
"What is it, Dawnie?" Willow said softly, putting an arm around.
"I spent a lot of time with Glory, and I know what she's like. If she is out for revenge, she's gonna want everyone who hurt her. I mean, she's probably mad at you, Willow, cause you went out and tried to kill her when she bain-sucked Tara. And she'll be mad at you Spike, because your the reason the poratl didn't gt opened. And she'll probably go after everyone else just for her own sick, twisted pleasure."
"Bit's got a point. If we're gonna look for Buffy, we need to do it in hiding. Glory could be sending an army over her right now. I'll stay her until dark. But, you two," he pionted to Tara and Willow," need to get Lil Bit, Anya, and the welp to a safe place. Willow, you can do one of those barrier spells."
No one was exactly pleased by Spike bossiness, but he was making a piont. They needed to hide. Fast.
"But, where do we go? There aren't that many places that we can hide," pionted out Tara.
"For right now, just go to my crypt. Maybe she won't think to look there. Hide on the bottom level. I'll be there as soon as the sun goes down. Like I said, Red. Put a barrier around it. Just be waiting for me so I can get in. And I don't want Dawn to be by herself at anytime. We don't need another bleedin' repeat of last year."
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Dawn was amazed at how Spike was taking this, but still cared about the safety of the others. Especailly her.
"Okay. Go now. Get the welp from the Magic Box, and go to my crypt. Don't leave until I get there."
They got up to leave. As they walked out the door, Willow stayed back to get some stuff she would need to make the barrier. She looked at Spike.
"I won't let anything happen to her. She's safe. Promise." Willow tried to reasure him.
"I know, Red. Just nervous. Buffy's with that wench, and god only knows what Glory's doing to her. I swear I'll beat the bloody hell out of her if she hurts Buffy."
Willow placed a hand slowly on his arm. Spike looked into her eyes. Willow could tell he was hurting inside. She could see the pain on his face and in his eyes.
"Just don't let them get Dawn. I don't think I could stand to lose both of them. They mean to bleedin' much to mean."
"Don't worry. We're not losing anyone."
Just then, Dawn stuck her head back into the house.
"Willow, you coming?"
"Yeah. I'm coming," she gave one finale look at Spike, and headed out the door.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\//\\//\//\\\///\\\//\\\//\\\//\ \/\/\/\/\/\/
Buffy was starting to get nervous. She couldn't stall Glory much longer. All she could do was make her mad. Which then Glory would hit her, or punch her, or something.
Glory was getting impatient also. She wanted to know more about what had happened sice she had been gone. She was getting ready to send her toughest vamps for her friends, when she had an idea.
"Oh...I'm good. I am so....good." Glory taunted.
Buffy looked at her suspicously.
"What?"
"I'll use you as bait. But, not here. I'll lure them out with you, them take them when they least expect it. But, I won't kill them. That would be too quick. I want them to suffer, just.........like........me."
Buffy knew her friends, if they saw her, they would come running, not thinking it might be a trap. She just prayed they wouldn't fall for it.
"You know," spoke Glory," I haven't heard you scream in a while. Maybe I should hear it for once." Glory walked over to Buffy, and backhanded her. The slap didn't phase Buffy, Glory punched her in the jaw. Buffy grunted, but she wouldn't give Glory the satisfaction of her pain.
"Oh, you gonna suck it up. Well, I geuss I'll just get a little rougher." Glory grabbed her by the neck, holding her in the air. Buffy gasped for air. Her head was getting light. Then Glory dropped her. Buffy fell to the ground. Glory kicked her in the ribs with her sandals, digging the heel into her side.
Buffy cried out.
"Ahh. That's better. It's no fun if you don't scream." Glory walked back to her chair, flipping her legs over the arm, spining the chair in a circle.
"You know.... that vampire guy. The one I tried to get to me where my key was. He was really stubborn. He never told me anything. But, at least he screamed. It was fun torturing him."
Buffy could recall what Glory had done to Spike. His face had been all swollen, and he had cuts and bruises all over him. But, then, if Glory hadn't done that to him, Buffy wouldn't have figured out the she could trust him. Then, if they hadn't had Spike, Dawn might have died. She just relized hw much she owes him.
"Oh, what. You look all distant," Glory said with a smirk." Got feelings for the vamp? How sweet. But, not my problem."
"I think I have given your friends long enough to hide or something." Glory walked over to Buffy, undoing the chains from the pole. She pushed Buffy into the arms of another vampire.
"Follow me."
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
After Willow set up the barrier, Tara, Anya, and Dawn went down to the lower level. Xander decided to wait for Spike with Willow.
"So. What's the deal?" Xander asked, rubbing his hands together. They had came by a gottne Xander, but no one had filled him in on their thoughts and conclusions.
"Well. We think that Glory's got Buffy. And that she's gonna come after us....for revenge."
Xander winced.
"Not exactly what I wanted to hear." There was a silence. Willow was listening for Spike. Xander was thinking about Buffy. Then, he finally registered that Willow had said Glory had Buffy.
"Whoa, wait a minute. Glory's alive! How the hell is she not dead?!"
"Well, we're..not..sure. We just think it's her. And it is possible for Glory to come back. If your that into black magic, that is."
"Oh, god." Xander flopped onto Spike's chair.
"Oh, and you never told me why we're at Dead Boy Jr.'s crypt. I mean, why here?"
"Well, we don't want anything to happen to Dawn. And we all know that Glory knows where Buffy lives."
"Ya, but she also knows where Spike lives. Remember, I got punched and those minions took Spike to get his ass kicked by Glory."
"Ya, but we thought, she wouldn't think to look here. Or, at least she wouldn't look here first. But, Spike is gonna be here when the sun sets. Then, we're gonna look for a better place to hide."
"And we're just gonna forget about Buffy! What if Glory is hurting her? What if she's killing her?" Xander almost choked on his words. Willow put her hand on Xander's arm, like she had Spike.
"We're just hiding until we know what we're dealing with. And we've got to protect Dawn. Remember? She's more helpless than Buffy, right now. And we need to do everything in our power to keep her safe."
"Yeah. Almost forgot." He gave Willow a smile, and she returned it.
"Don't worry. It will be okay."
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Back at Buffy's house. Spike was pacing around, waiting for the sun to set. He had been chain smoking for the past hour. He knew Buffy would be brassed off at him for smoking in the house, but he had no choice. He was nervous. It calmed him down. He tried to lay down, but he didn't want to sleep to long. So he just settled for pacing around the house.
He walked upstairs and into Buffy's room. He sat down on her bed, inhaling the sweet scent of her room.
He was scared. He knew what Glory was like. He had had an upfront experiance. He just didn't want Buffy to have to suffer that kind of pain.
He wondered back downstairs. He tried to watch the television, but his mind kept wondering.
Then he heard the knock at the door. His head jerked up. He slowly wondered to the front door and looked through the peep-hole.
What he made him gasp. A lump formed in his throat. Buffy was sitting in the fornt yard, chained up, on her knees. She looked so helpless. He just wanted to run outside and scoop her up in his arms. But, he knew better. It was a trap.
'Good thing the others aren't here,' he thought to himself. ' They would run out there in a heartbeat.'
He knew there was something going on. He could sense it. He made a dash for the basement, and just before he closed the door, the front door flew open. People. He Spike could smell their fresh blood. Normal people marched in. Spike hid behind the dryer. He heard them searching the house. Then he heard a familar voice call out.
"Come on! Cant't you go any faster. There here. I know it. Where else would they be?" Glory had Buffy, with a knife to her throat and her still chained up. Spike thought the people must be under some kind of mind control of her's.
"There not here, Great One. They must have hid somewhere," reported one person.
Buffy sighed in relief. She knew her friends were safe. At the moment.
"But where?" Glory questioned herself. Then a smile spread across the her face."The vampire. His crypt. I bet that's where they're hiding." She turned back to the human," get the others, we're going to the cemetary.
Spike had heard everything. He looked out the small window, just above ground. The sun was down enough that he could go outside. He climbed through the window, and followed behind Glory and her army.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Hey you guys. Spike not back yet?" Dawn asked Xander and Willow. They were all really tired. They had been up since yesterday. Dawn had managed a quick nap on Spike's bed. Tara and Anya talked to each other about Anya's plans for the wedding.
"Nope. Not yet," aswered Willow.
"Maybe you should take a nap. You look beat."
"No. I can't. I have to be up incase Glory decides to pay us a visit. I'm the only one who can stop her." Willow almost had pride in her voice as she said that. Dawn knew she took pride in the fact that she could hurt Glory.
"Shouldn't Spike be here by now. It's a few past sunset, and I don't think Spike would leave us here much longer if he could help it. What if something happened?" Suddenly, Dawn had a new fear.
"What if Glory already tried Buffy's house? What if something happened to Spike?" Dawn started asking franticly. She could fell fresh tears fill her eyes. She couldn't stand losing both of them. That would be too much.
Willow ran over to her, trying to comfort her. But, her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden disturbence in the barrier. She couldn't see who, but she knew it wasn't Spike.
"Willow? What's wrong?" asked Dawn, who had noticed how Willow had gone completly stiff and staring into space.
"Dawn. Go downstairs. Xander, go with her. Tell the others to take cover. I think she's here." Xander grabbed Dawn's arm, pulling her down the ladder.
Spike had followed them, but at one point he had to hide and wait, because he knew Glory could sense him. He couldn't chance getting caught. When he came out of hiding, they were out of sight, but he knew they were headed for the cemetary, so he caught up quickly. When he reached his crypt, he saw Buffy on the ground, again. Alone. The others were no where in sight.
Then, he saw the door open and Willow peek out. She saw Buffy and let out a scream.
"Buffy! Oh god." She ran to her side. Buffy was trying to tell her to stay back, but they had put tape over her mouth.
Responding to Willow's screaming, she rushed up the ladder with Xander, Tara, and Anya at her heels. They all rushed outside around Buffy. That's when Spike noticed a movment in the shadows. Glory came out, rope in hand. She came up behind Dawn.
"Dawn! Look out!" Spike shouted, running as fast as he could. Dawn turned around long enough to see Glory before she rapped a roped tight around her neck. Dawn began to choke.
"Seperate!" shouted Willow. Glory flew back against the wall. Then, vampires started to come out of the shadows. Starting to fight, Tara and Willow started to conjure a spell under their breath. Xander tried his hardest to help Spike fight the vampires, while Dawn and Anya dragged Buffy into the crypt.
"Anya! Get an ax. We have to get these chains of Buffy." Dawn reached down and pulled the tape of the Slayer's face.
"Dawn, you have to run. Glory, she'll get you. Run. Hide. Now."
"But-"
"Now!" Dawn ran down the ladder to the lower level. She hid behind the dresser.
Anya tried to break the chains. It took a couple of good solid hits, but Anya managed to free Buffy's hands. Then her legs. Buffy was still a little drugged, but she immediatly ran outside to join the fight. She glanced over to the spot where Willow had thrown Dawn. She wasn't there.
Then, Buffy looked around. Tara was missing, Xander was too. And Anya was no where to be seen.
"Willow! Where's Tara? And Xander?"
"I don't know. I can't find them anywhere." She shouted as she sent a stake flying threw the heart of the vampire she had been fighting, and went inside.
Then, the vampires started to leave. They just ran. Spike looked at Buffy. Then they both said," Dawn." at the same time. They ran inside. No one was on the top level.
"Willow!" Called Buffy.
"Down here. Dawn's safe, but the rest are gone." Buffy let out a small sigh of releif that her sister was not harmed, but she knew her friends would be if she didn't at soon. Willow and Dawn climbed up the steps. Then, they just ran into her arms.
"Oh, Buffy. We didn't know what had happened. We thought something bad had happened to you." Dawn started crying, while Buffy and Willow comforted her.
Spike just sort of hung back. He wasn't into the big group hug. But he did just want to take the Slayer into his arms and tell her how much he worried about her and how much he loved her.
Buffy looked up, noticing Spike back in the shadows. She leaned Dawn onto Willow, and walked across the room. She rapped her arms around his waist, and he did to her. She just stared into his eyes for just a few moments.
"I missed you," was all he said.
"Me too."
"I was worried. I know what it's like to be held captive by that skank."
She gave him a half-smile. He leaned down and kissed her. She rapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.
Willow and Dawn watched them make out from across the room. Willow leaned over and wisphered into Dawn's ear," If Xander was here, he would be going 'eeewww."
Dawn giggled, but never took her eyes off her sister. She looked so happy with Spike. They way they kissed kinda gave it away that they loved each other.
Buffy pulled back first. She gave him a smile and a quick hug, then stepped back and went back to sit next to her sister.
"So. What do we do? Glory's got Tara, Anya, and Xander," said Willow
"I'm not sure. I know where Glory's little lare is. But, we need to find a way to dust all of those vampires."
"Yeah, but don't direct any of your spells at me. I would like to live another century or two," spoke Spike.
"Okay. I can do that. But, then it will have to be a direct spell, which means one vamp at a time. But, that's okay. Just don't get in my way."
"Oh....I forgot to mention something," said Buffy.
"What's that, luv."
"Glory's mortal. I mean, she still has god-like powers, but she can be killed as easy as any human."
"Oh....good," Willow perked up.
"But she'll still be just as hard to kill with her powers still availible to her," Buffy said.
"So, while Red works her voodoo on the vampires, you and me will try and free the others."
"What about me?" asked Dawn.
"You should stay here. It's too dangerous. I don't need you hurt."
"But, Buffy-"
"No, Dawn. I won't let you get hurt." Dawn turned to Willow and Spike. Willow just shrugged. Spike nodded his head in agreement.
"Your sister's right, LilBit. It would be too dangerous for you too come."
"But...I could....be a diversion. You know.....keep her occupied while you sneak up on her." Dawn started to get hope when the three started to exchange looks. Buffy looked really reluctant. But, finally, she nodded her head in agreement.
"Okay. You can do it. But, I mean it. If there is any reason for me to think that you're in any danger, I want you out of there. Spike, keep an eye on her while we're in there. Don't let Glory try to hurt her. And Dawn, don't let Glory back you up against a wall, or let her get under your skin."
"Okay. I can do it." Dawn smiled at her, letting Buffy know it meant a lot to her that she was letting her do this.
"Okay. I've got the spell. Just a simple word, and their dust. Just remember not to in my way, Spike. Or you'll be dust."
"Sure, Red. You ready, luv?" he asked Buffy.
"Yeah. Let's rock!"
===========================================================
The Battle _
"So....your little friends ever gonna get here? I expected them an hour ago," said Glory.
She had Tara, Anya, and Xander chained up with their hands above their heads, and tape over their mouth. And since she couldn't speak, Tara couldn't do any spells. But she could try and use telepathy to communicate.
'You guys, if you can hear me, nod,' she thought.
They nodded. Xander started to struggle with the chains, trying to break free.
'Stop, Xander. Your just wasting your strength. Buffy will be here in a little bit, don't wear yourself out.'
Xander stopped. He looked around. Nothing. 'Right now, I would even be happy to see Spike,' thought Xander.
"Okay. Your since your friends aren't here, I'll just have to start without them," spoke Glory. She walked up to them. She looked Xander in the eye.
"Your the guy that hit me with that wrecking ball. Well, how does this feel," she punched him in the stomach. Xander groaned. Glory punched him in the jaw.
"How do you like it, huh? The pain isn't all that great, is it? Don't you wish I would stop," she taunted as she puched him in the stomach . Xander groaned again.
"And you," she said as she moved to Tara," I had your brain. But your little bitchy friend had to go and take it away from me." She slapped Tara. Tara just glared at her in the eyes. Tara was tempted to telepath to her, but Glory might knock her out so Tara couldn't communicate with the others.
She looked at Anya. She just stared at her for a second. Like she was considering her. Then, she slapped her.
"That's for living." Glory walked back to her chair and sat.
Right outside the building, Buffy was looking for the entrance. She wasn't completly awake when they had brought her out, so she was going by pure instinct. She felt her hands around the wall, looking for the entrance.
"We don't have all day, luv. Why don't you let me just knock the thing down?" complained Spike.
"Because I want to be able to get in here without making ourselves known." She went back to feeling the wall. Then, she felt the crevice, pushed up and pulled. A door swung open. She caught it before it hit the wall.
"Okay, Dawn, Spike, don't say a word. I'm gonna try to come up behind her. But be quiet, she has vampires surrounding the place and her."
They slowly crept in. They went down the hall Buffy remembered being brought through. Turned left. Then right. They came to a door. There was a vampire gaurding it. Buffy crept up behind it, and staked it before it had a chance to look at her. She made a motion for them to follow her. They slowly opened the door. Buffy saw her friends and Glory in the middle of the room.
She slowly made her way around the room where there were no vampires. She pulled Dawn right next to her face.
"Dawn, I want you to go around the room. Stay in the shadows. Don't let yourself be known until your right behind Glory. Then...just talk to her. Get her attnetion focused on you. Don't let her get near you. Don't listen to her. If you get into trouble, just scream. I won't let her hurt you." She gave Dawn a quick hug, then let her go. Dawn circled back behind Glory, waiting for Spike, Willow, and Buffy to get behind the rest of their friends. Dawn waited for Buffy to give her the signal to speak. She didn't know what to say, so she just decided on something simple. When Buffy gave her the signal, Dawn stepped out of the shadows.
"Hey,Glory. Miss me much?" Glory stopped talking and turned to Dawn. Her eyebrows up to her forehead.
"Dawnie," Glory said in a sing-song voice.
"I thought I told you not to call me Dawnie...bitch." Dawn saw Spike raise his eyebrows at what she said. Dawn had to remind herself not to smile.
"Long time, no see. And no, I didn't miss you. I'm just mad that you made me miss my ride home." She got out of her chair. She started to approach Dawn, but Dawn took a few steps back.
"Oh. Are we scrared now?" Glory smiled at the fear in Dawn's eyes.
"No. I just don't want you to touch me."
Just then, there was a commotion behind Glory. The vamps had seen Buffy, Willow, and Spike, and were going in for the kill. While Glory was turned around, Dawn ran up behind her and shoved her to the ground.
"Hey...you know. That hurt." said Glory," And now....I'm mad." Glory ran up to Dawn and grabbed her by the neck.
"Buffy!" Dawn cried out. Buffy looked up at her sister being strangled by Glory. She staked the vamp she was fighting and ran over, then did a round kick to Glory's head. Dawn and Glory fell to the gorund. Buffy helped her sister up, just as some vampires started to try and attack them. Dawn hid in the shadows while Buffy fought. She saw Glory start to come to. She took a brick a brick and broke it over her head. Glory fell back to the ground. Then she noticed her friends. Xander and Anya were free, but Tara was still chained. Willow was trying to free her. Dawn rushed over to help, but a vampire grabbed her from behind. Willow saw this and said her vampire spell.
"Destuchie." She waved her hand at the vamp and it burst to dust. Dawn, free from the vampire, ran the rest of the way to her friends. She hudled in a corner with Xander and Anya. When Willow finally got Tara free, Tara came with them. Willow started dusting vampires with her spell, while Spike and Buffy fought them off by hand, until they were gone.
Glory stood to her feet, an evil grin on her face.
"You think because I'm mortal, you can beat me any easier?" asked Glory to Buffy.
"No. But the fact that I have more people on my side, I have the advantage."
Just then, a fight broke out between the two. Spike and Willow stood back while the two fought. They punched and kicked and slapped and smacked. First Glory was down, then Buffy, then Glory. It went on like this. Buffy didn't seem to need help, so Willow and Spike stayed back, not wanting to be caught in the struggle. But what they didn't notice, is that Glory had managed to grab a sharp peice of medal. Buffy went to charge at her. Dawn noticed the sharp object one second too late.
"Buffy! Look out!" Dawn cried as Glory drove the peice of metal into her stomach.
"Noooooo!" Dawn wailed as she saw her sister be stabbed. The others had seen this, and they were just shocked. Dawn ran up to Buffy's body. She was still breathing.
Spike and Willow ha taken care of Glory. Spike drove the same metal object through her chest.
"Go to hell, bitch!" He was angry. So was Willow. Everyone crowded around Buffy. Dawn was hugging her.
"Dawn. I am so.... sorry." Her breaths were getting farther and farther apart. Dawn was crying uncontrolably. Slowly, Buffy's eyes started to close. Her breaths became short, as she breathed her finale breath. Dawn watched her eyes close, her heartbeat cease, and her breathing stop. She grabbed the person closest to her, which was Willow. Everyone was crying. Willow was holding Dawn, Spike caressed Buffy's face as tears rolled down his cheek.
Anya held Xander, Willow held Dawn, Tara placed a hand on Spike's arm. Spike looked into her eyes, she saw....pain.....darkness....fear. She gave his hand a small squeeze, and he turned back to Buffy's lifeless body.
Then.....the room started to brighten. Everyone looked up. Their tears ceased.
I beleive I can fly.
I believe I can touch the sky.
They watched two figures slowly float down. They moved away from Buffy's body.
I think about it every night and day.
Spread my wings and fly away.
Dawn clutched Willow's hand as the two figures took form. Human form. Angels.
I beleive I can soar.
You see me runnin' through that open door.
They watched one of them reach down to Buffy's lifeless body, only to have their hand grabbed by a glowing arm. They watched, what they guessed, Buffy's soul be brought to her feet.
I beleive I can fly.
I beleive I can fly.
The angles slowly floated back up to the sky, with Buffy in tow. Buffy's soul gave them one last glance, as it was brought through the ceiling, and the light was gone. Dawn gave Willow a smile.
"She's in heaven."
The End