Seven

Watch moved his head slightly so it was facing the cage. Bum left his side and went to stand before the captive.

The vampire opened his eyes with a start. And got up even faster. He was on his feet in less than a second and he brought his fists down on the cage door hard, letting out a low growl.

"That won't do you any good." Bum said. "You won't get out of that cage."

"No?" The vampire cocked his head to the side. "Well I can sure as hell try." He began to kick the cage door and it wobbled dangerously. They were worried he might actually get out of it, even though this very cage had held captive a live werewolf for an entire night. Then suddenly Bum whipped out a cross from behind his back and pressed it to the cage bars. Vampire Watch hissed and back away with his eyes narrowed.

"Now listen to me," Bum said in a strict voice, his eyes burning. "Anya has explained to us that you want to get back to your own dimension, and we're more than willing to get rid of you. We will let you out. We are going to perform a spell to send you back to where you came from, but only if you calm down. If you don't then we'll kill you in that cage. And don't think we'll hesitate."

Vampire Watch was staring at him. "I don't think that of you. You're Bum." He said slowly as he stared at Bum. "Put up a hell of a fight. Broke one of my damn ribs. I killed you." He smiled his twisted smile. "You tasted like chicken."

Cindy made a gagging noise and turned away. Vampire Watch turned his attention on her. "I wouldn't know what you tasted like," he said lightly. "Star had you."

Star suddenly went very pale and Vampire Watch laughed insanely.

"Stop it." Watch said suddenly behind them.

The others turned to face him. He had stood up and was breathing heavily. They watched with worried eyes but made no attempt to stop him as he crossed the room and limped to the cage.

"Be careful Watch." Bum muttered.

Watch didn't seem to hear him. He was staring at the Vampire image of himself trapped in the cage and the Vampire was looking at him straight back. They almost had the same expression.

"You have something to say now?" asked the Vampire lightly. "Weren't saying much a while ago were you?"

"Quit it." Watch said sharply. "Just stop. We're not going help you if you're going to hurt us, or talk like that. It's no big deal to us to just kill you right now. Bum's offer is a good one. You should take it. You could kill us all but it won't get you home."

The Vampire seemed to consider. "How do I know you're not tricking me? How do I know you won't just kill me the second I'm out the cage?"

"If we wanted to kill you, we wouldn't need to let you out the cage to do it." Watch said softly.

The Vampire paused again. Logic only listens to logic, and this was Watch, after all. "Can you really send me back?"

Bum nodded. "We believe so. Anya has told us how the spell works. We should be able to send you back."

"And if you can't?" Vampire Watch challenged quickly.

"Then we'll kill you." Watch said simply.

The Vampire stopped again and then nodded. "Yeah I pretty much had that figured." He growled. "But you realise…" he sent a deadly look towards Sally with the crossbow. "You'll be dead before the arrow leaves the bow."

"Threats aren't really going to work in your favour right now." Watch snapped. "If you want out you'll shut your mouth and keep your fangs to yourself."

Bum moved to the cage door, still holding the cross. "I am going to let you out now, but if you try anything, we will kill you."

"Wait!" Sally said, still shaken. "Are we sure we want to let him out? The word of a Vampire is not exactly honourable."

No one was arguing with her.

But Watch limped forward until he was standing right next to the cage. He slowly reached his hand inside the cage and held it out as if offering a handshake.

"Watch!"

"What are you doing?"

"Don't!"

"Are you crazy?"

They moved towards him. He turned to them sharply. "Don't."

He turned back to the Vampire who was looking at Watch's hand with suspicion. Then very slowly he moved forward until he was right beside it. He stood there for a few seconds and everyone in the room held their breath. Then he reached out and took Watch's hand in a shake.

"You will not, or try to, hurt, or kill anyone in this room." Watch said firmly as he felt the cold hand grasp his.

The Vampire Watch nodded. "I swear."

"You will not try to escape."

"I won't."

"You won't say anything else that you know will hurt anyone here."

"Savvy."

Watch paused. Hearing the old Irish slang brought something home to him and he shared a different kind of look with the vampire. "Savvy." Watch said softly and he slowly let go of the cold dead hand and went back a few steps. "Let him out."

Sally looked like she was going to protest but Watch silenced her with a look. She sighed and picked up Star's crossbow, and held it poised. No one stopped her. The Vampire's threat still hung in the air, but they just hoped it wouldn't come to it…

Bum slowly undid the lock and opened the cage door. He stepped out of the way and made the others do the same. The Vampire stepped out of the cage silently looking very like an aggravated lion but not showing any signs that he was going to attack them. They all breathed a sigh of relief.

"OK, Star, Anya, get the spell stuff set up, let's get this over with." Bum said.

The Vampire Watch went over to a far wall and leaned against it with his arms folded, looking bored. Sally covered him still from the other side of the room.

"Right," Star muttered, dragging her eyes away from both Watch's and going over the Anya to start getting the circle ready.

"I am so sick of human's and all their baggage." Anya muttered, laying out crystals. "When I get my powers back you will all cower before me."

"Yeah right," both Watch's muttered in unison, rolling their eyes, the exact same expression on their faces.

Watch went over to the wall where the Vampire was standing, watched closely by almost everyone in the room. He gave them all a look and they all turned away and pretended to be busy with something else.

Watch faced the Vampire and squinted at him. "I need to ask you something." he said in a low voice "What's that?" the Vampire asked.

"Where did you put my glasses?"

The Vampire came very close to laughter as he pointed Watch in the direction of where he had thrown the offensive glasses.

"I always thought I looked better without them." Vampire Watch muttered as Watch put on the glasses with relief.

"Yeah, well maybe as a Vampire you don't need them, but I'm still partially blind." Watch reasoned.

The vampire shrugged. "I offered you a way out."

Watch paused and looked his counterpart in the eye and held his gaze. "Yeah. And I'm sorry you'll never find another way."

Star walked over to them at that moment. "We're ready for you now." she paused as she looked at Vampire Watch. She seemed ambivalent, and had a strangely blank expression. "Sorry that I shot you with an arrow."

The Vampire smiled. It wasn't as warm or human as their Watch's but it was the most human one had shown all night. "Think nothing of it. It's not like my Star didn't impale me with a few things in our life time."

Watch shook his head but a smile was playing at his lips. "I don't think we wanna hear about it."

The Vampire shrugged. "Suit yourself." He said. "But you guys don't know what you're missing."

Star glanced back at their friends briefly. She had seen the other dimension, the conditions in which the vampire had come from, and felt a stab of pain. This boy in front of her would never know the love and compassion Watch had found in his friends. She gave the vampire a compassionate look. "Neither do you." She said softly.

Watch suddenly put his hand on the Vampire's shoulder. "Good luck. Try not to, uh, eat people."

The Vampire smirked again. Then Star suddenly hugged him. The vampire was stiff, and Watch tensed immediately, but then the he smiled again and relaxed.

Star pulled away suddenly. "Hands!"

The vampire continued to smirk and even the real Watch smiled a little.

Before the vampire took his place he took a moment to stare at his counterpart and then the rest of them one by one. "I hope you understand," he growled. "It's in everyone's best interest – especially mine, or believe me I would not still be here - that I go back where I came from without any tragedies. But I hope, and I just can't stress this enough, that I'm extremely clear when I say that I ever see one of you again and I will kill you." He said and smiled brightly.

Unsure exactly how to react to this, the gang said nothing, but Star started moving a bit faster. They all just wanted to get rid of him.

Star, Anya and Vampire Watch formed a circle and Star and Anya started to spell. All the others saw was a very bright flash of light. The next thing the Vampire knew he was back where he remembered. In amongst the fighting and chaos in the old factory. He smiled. Until Bryce grabbed him from behind and Buffy staked him.

"Aw fu - " he moaned before he turned to dust.