Spike stared out through the glass as he formulated a plan on getting the hell out of this freaky concentration camp. The cold, white, far-too-bright walls were hurting his eyes and the growls and nattering coming from the other cells was getting on his nerves. He used the wall he was leaning against to help him stand up when he saw a man and woman in white lab coats. They were approaching the empty cell directly opposite his, carrying a slight body between them. The man took the entire, tiny weight on with ease as his companion slid a card through the electronic lock. The door of the little room slid open and the man tossed the body inside.
"Oi!" Spike shouted at them and pounded a fist against the glass. He jumped back slightly at the shock that resounded through his body. "Let me bloody well out of here!"
The pair exchanged a glance before turning back to face him, their faces split into huge, matching grins and they broke into peals of cruel laughter.
"That's, how many times, we've heard that now, Mary?" the man asked of his colleague.
"Oh, I've lost count!" Mary replied with a wave of her hand "It doesn't stop being funny, though."
Spike watched in disbelief as they turned and walked back in the direction they had come from. He snarled and flopped to the ground in frustration. Their chuckling heightened when they heard his grumbling. Spike was furious, hungry and embarrassed. He hated embarrassment with a passion; he'd promised himself that he wouldn't allow others to mock him any longer when he became a vampire. William had let people walk all over him; Spike would not make the same error.
His plan began to form when a pack of blood fell from the ceiling. He pounced on it ravenously and was about to wolf down the contents when a paranoid sounding voice reached him from the cell next door.
"Don't drink it. It's drugged."
Spike flung the bag to the ground and clenched his fists in frustration. Unclenching them again, he paced slightly for a couple of steps. "Uh-huh. And who are you, mate?"
"I'm a rat. I'm a lab rat, just like the others. They're gonna kill us, you know." the other vampire said as he twitched and cowered against the wall of his unit, his eyes darted to and fro.
"And how are they gonna do that?" Spike inquired, his angry voice not conveying the fear that was beginning to make itself known in the pit of his stomach.
"They starve you. When you're ready to bite your own arm, they shoot out one of those packets. You drink, and the next thing, you're gone. And that's when they do the experiments."
"And, uh, they are? The government? Nazis? A major cosmetics company?" he queried, getting closer to the source of the voice.
"Who cares? All I know is, one minute I'm running from the slayer, And the next thing, I'm here." the vampire revealed to Spike.
"The slayer! I knew it! I knew it!" Spike ranted.
"Yeah, she took apart my crew, and led me straight to these guys."
"She set me up, too. I always worried what would happen when that bitch got some funding." Spike raved, infuriated, as he smacked his palms lightly against the glass in annoyance. "She's wised up a bit. Fine! I'll take her apart. I don't care how brilliant she is."
The figure in the cell opposite him started to groan and moan as it started to wake up. Spike watched to see what it was that was making such cute noises. The body started to get up but was still hidden under a long stretch of black silk. The material was heaved off and Spike caught sight of what had been obscured by the stylish coat. It was a young girl around seventeen years old. Her body was lean with long, willowy limbs. She was quite petite and reminded Spike of a nymph or a sprite. Her hair tumbled around her in cascades of silky, pale pink locks. Her face was angular yet soft in the right places. Her wide grey-blue eyes were lined in smoky kohl and were fanned by long, lush lashes. She wore a knee-length, black, sleeveless dress; it was see-through lace from the bust up and from the bust down it fanned into delicate, bunched satin. Spike could easily make out her powder-blue bra under the dress.
He forgot the vampire he'd been talking to as his eyes devoured her. She was beauty, she was power, and she was grace.
She looked up and caught his gaze. "Please tell me I'm pissed out of my head and not really here." she implored him in a, difficult to distinguish yet undeniably, Irish accent. It was light and educated, nothing like Peaches' irritating brogue. The joking even in such a shitty situation made respect for the young girl blossom. Most would be freaking out, but she took it in her stride, calm albeit very annoyed.
"I'd be lying if I did, pet." he answered softly. He watched as she shivered appreciatively at his accent, he knew the effect it had on women.
"Great." she muttered "Where exactly is 'here'?"
"I wish I knew."
She rooted around in the jacket she had shed and pulled out empty hands. "Those fucking assholes!" she snarled and looked up to see Spike's confused face "They took all my stuff!"
Spike stuck his hands in the numerous pockets in his own duster. His cigarettes and Zippo lighter were both gone, as well as the money and small weapons he had previously had on him.
"Those wankers!" he exclaimed. The girl nodded in agreement and slumped to the ground.
"I'm Brody." she said, playing with a lock of her hair.
"Spike." he returned with a smirk.
They sat in silence for a few moments. "So, what do they bleedin' want with us anyhow?"
"Apparently they're doin' experiments on demons."
"That's…that's just sick!" Brody glanced around her and grimaced "This place gives me the willies."
"I'd have to agree with you on that." Spike shuddered.
"You have any ideas as to who our merry captors might be?" Brody asked as she shifted herself to sit cross-legged.
"I'm thinkin' it's the Slayer." Spike growled "That bitch."
"The Slayer? I can see the Council doing this but a Slayer? They're not that twisted." Brody stated.
"Maybe." he griped "So what kind of demon are you?"
She raised a delicate brow at him. "I can't smell you through this glass." he explained.
"Oh," she allowed "I'm a siren, well, I'm half."
"Siren? 'splains a lot. Too pretty to be completely human."
"Awww, thanks."
"So, siren, ey?" Spike settled himself on his stomach, crossed his arms on the ground and rested his chin on them. He could see her easier this way and, God, looking at her seemed such a privilege that she should charge people for it.
"I know what you're thinking." she warned with slight pout.
Pouting!
Was the bint trying to kill him?
That lip, so full and beautifully shaped, was taunting him with want. And the easy banter that they'd established within seconds of knowing each other was a welcome distraction to his current predicament.
"Yeah? What am I thinking, luv?"
"God, I love your voice." she murmured absentmindedly "But, beside the point. Anyway, you're thinking; siren equals whorish behaviour, luring and destruction. But I am not some ridiculous stereo-type, kindly remember that." She was pouting even more now.
As they spoke a camera nearby twisted from one to the other, ominously.
"What does it look like these two hostiles are doing, soldier?" Maggie Walsh asked of Graham who stood nearby, fiddling with the controls to a misbehaving camera.
He gazed at the screen as he walked up behind his boss. "They seem to be flirting, ma'am."
"Yes, they do. Don't they?" Maggie drawled as she stretched back in her chair, contemplatively. "Almost acting like humans."
"She is very pretty." Graham said staring at the television screen.
"Hmmmm." Maggie muttered "This is interesting. Imagine, we could breed super-soldiers for our proud nation."
"But ma'am, vampires can't procreate." Graham reminded her.
"True, but maybe…maybe somehow we could solve that. Hostile 17 and 19 would be perfect candidates to undertake such a project. Both strong, in their prime…yes, this is a thought to dwell on. Graham, get me the hostiles' case files."
"Yes Ma'am." Graham nodded and scurried out of the room to do her bidding.
"Super-soldiers…bullet proof, strong, fast, non-breathing…Maggie, you're brilliant." she spoke to herself with a delighted grin.
It was two days later and Graham had been sent by Ms. Walsh to do a sweep of the holding cells while she spoke to some of her experts about the possibility of achieving her plan. The whole idea of breeding more demons freaked him out, it wasn't right, it wasn't natural but he was a soldier; who was he to disagree with his boss? With Block A checked he moved to Block B.
Graham rounded the corner and to the entrance to the corridor lined with holding units. He heard the sound of a female's cry of anguish and hurried along the narrow hall. He stopped in front of Hostile 19's cell and saw her writhing in pain on the ground.
He crouched in front of the glass and addressed her. "Miss?"
"Ugghhnnn!" she moaned and rolled to face him. She scrunched her pretty little face. "I…There was…something on the ground, and I didn't notice. It was sharp and I fell on it."
Graham looked unsure of what to do; should he get one of the scientists? Or maybe it would be best to get Professor Walsh? He stared as the girl in the cell burst into tears. Before the third drop could slide down her cheek he was opening the door and stepping inside.
He walked over to her supple body and lifted her slightly by her teensy wrists. Once she was sitting he looked her in the eye "Where did it get you? Are you hurt?"
"No" she said and he looked at her in surprise.
"What? But you…" Graham trailed off and made a quick perusal of her body.
"I'm not hurt…" she continued shoving him off of her and jumping onto him. "But this might smart a bit for you."
Straddling his mid-section she leaned down and brushed a kiss against his forehead. "Thanks, couldn't have done it without you, you're a doll…" she leaned back again and read his name tag "… Graham."
She smacked his head against the ground, just enough to knock him out and hopped gracefully to her feet. She bent down and grabbed his key card before stepping out of her cell. The growls and excited shouts echoing through the area were deafening and alarms had begun to screech shrilly. She looked across at Spike. Evil as he was she couldn't leave a friend behind.
"Pet?" he called out to her, hope clouding his gorgeous baby blues.
"Wanna blow this joint?" she asked.
"Oh God, yes!" he replied. She opened the door to his cell, grabbed him, yanked him to his feet and tugged him out of the unit. Spike grabbed her hand and squeezed it comfortingly.
"Let me out!" the vampire Spike had been talking to earlier yelled at them.
"Bit busy right now." Spike retorted.
"Look, I know where the exit is. You spring me, you're free. You don't, you're dead." the vampire continued to wheedle.
Brody and Spike exchanged a glance, considering the vampire before them.
"Hurry! Hurry!" he was yelling frantically.
"We don't know how big this kip is." Brody shrugged.
Spike sighed heavily, took the key-card from her and moved to let the vampire out.
"This way!" the vampire screeched and led the way down the corridor.
They ran down the hall and quickly rolled under the closing heavy, metal security door. They righted themselves now in the next room where commandos were spilling out of an elevator.
"New plan! We split up. You go that way." He shoved the vampire in the direction of the soldiers and clamped his large hand around Brody's tiny, elegant one before fleeing. They rolled under another closing door and out of the soldiers' reach.
Spike dragged Brody along behind him as he desperately looked for an exit. He was so preoccupied that he didn't sense the soldier sneaking up to his side but Brody saw. She kicked at his chest and he flew back into a wall. As the man slid down the wall and sank to the ground he looked up with a dazed expression. Promptly his head slumped forward; he was out cold.
Spike gazed at the distance she had flung the heavy looking man with ease. Over two hundred feet, it was astonishing and a crazy turn-on. But he didn't have time to dwell on that now; they had to get the fuck out of this hellhole. "Thanks, pet."
"'S okay." she shrugged and nodded in the direction of a door marked 'exit' "They wouldn't seriously be that stupid, right?"
"Dunno, let's find out." Spike said as he approached the door. He opened it ever so slightly and peered around the heavy metal.
"Well?" Brody asked, bouncing nervously on the balls of her feet.
"It is a sodding exit!" he exclaimed.
"Morons."
"Gits."
Spike and Brody smirked at each other at the synchronized outbursts. "Ladies first, Miss." Spike said waving her out the door. She turned and quickly pinned her silk coat around him.
At his lifted eyebrow she explained with a grin. "Don't want my partner in crime tuning into dust now."
"Thanks, pet. But this coat of yours is going to be destroyed."
"I can buy another. Let's go!"
"Where can we go and be safe?" Brody asked, having only been a visitor to the town when she had been captured, as they trudged through the slimy sewers.
"Um…" Spike desperately thought, he needed somewhere close by and near to a sewer entrance, he could sense the soldiers hot on his tail. Suddenly it came to him and he knew of the one haven where he'd be safe in this town. "Follow me." he said to Brody as he grasped her hand.
She stumbled a few times; the lack of food affected her more, being a creature that could not live without sustenance, unlike him. "Are you okay?" Spike asked with genuine concern.
"Yeah, I'm good. It's just, I'm tired, ya know?" she replied with a courageous smile.
Spike felt unreasonable quantities of pride at her warrior's attitude. She didn't give up; she just kept on fighting, slogging on. He gave her a gentle smile and wrapped a steadying arm around her waist. With a sigh of relief she leaned against him but refused to slow her pace. "Thanks" she murmured her breath warm against his ice-cold neck "So where are we headed?"
"Somewhere safe, I promise you that."
Ding! Dong! Joyce stood up from the sofa with a frown, now who would be calling at this hour, it was almost twelve. She cautiously approached the silhouetted figures outside her door. She peeped through the frosted window and made out the male to be Spike, the vampire she'd grown to like and feel oddly maternal towards. She opened the door without much thought, had he wanted to hurt he could have barged in so why worry?
"William?"
"Joyce! Oh thank God!" Spike gasped out and sent a joyous look down at the bundle in his arms. Joyce looked to see that he was cradling a young woman in his embrace; they both looked starved and gaunt, extremely haggard and exhausted.
"Come in, come in!" Joyce exclaimed and bustled them into the living room. Spike flopped onto the armchair after carefully laying the girl out on the sofa. "What happened to you? And who's this?"
Spike smiled gratefully at Joyce's whispers and indicated to the kitchen. When they were both in the other room they sat at the table and Spike wearily wiped a hand across his face. "Well?" Joyce prodded, wanting desperately to know what had happened.
"I was captured. By a government agency 's far 's I can guess. Shoulda seen it Joyce, barbaric it was. They'd thousands of demons in cages, even peaceful ones, all bein' poked and prodded like animals. Was scared out o' my mind. And then…she arrived. A God send is what she was. She could 'ave left my evil self there when she escaped but she's too good, too pure. Hauled me out of there, she did, even though she's anti-evil."
"Good Lord, Spike, did they hurt you?" Joyce cried.
"As far as I can tell, no. But who knows what those bastards might have done when I was down and out?"
Joyce laid a hand over Spike's. "It's going to be okay Spike, I promise. How about I scoot off to the twenty-four hour butcher shop and you get cleaned up. Then when I come back I can feed you, get you some hot chocolate and you can sleep for a while."
"Sounds bloody brilliant, thanks mum."
"That's quite alright Spike. Any preferences, other than human, that is?" Joyce asked with a wry grin.
Spike shook his head and laughed gently "No, whatever's perfect."
"Okay, and your 'friend'?" Joyce continued.
"She's jus' about human so no blood for her."
"Right. I'll be back in twenty minutes. Shower's upstairs and there should be some men's clothes in the hot press."
"Joyce, you sly dog!" Spike smirked.
Joyce smacked him lightly on the arm "They're presents that I never gave people!"
"Sure!" Spike rolled his eyes mock-sarcastically.
Brody woke up in a strange house on a strange sofa. She sat up speedily and took in her surroundings. Where was she now? And where was…Spike!
"Spike!" she called out in a lost little girl voice. She was tired, emotionally drained, confused and alone goddammit!
There were a couple of thumps upstairs and then footsteps pounded down the staircase. Spike zipped into the room, doing the top button of the jeans slung low on his lean hips and topless. Brody's tongue darted out and licked suddenly dry lips unconsciously. "Pet?" he queried.
She blushed crimson as she looked up from his marble chest to his angelic face. With a gulp she looked away and rushed in a babble "Sorry…got confused…woke up alone…such a baby…sorry."
"'S okay." he said with a smug smirk, yet a twinkle of understanding and compassion in his eyes.
"I'll just go back to sleep now." she muttered.
Spike watched as she shuffled in embarrassment on the couch and turned to face away from him. He shook his head at her in amusement and walked gracefully across the room. He slipped onto the sofa and spooned comfortingly against her back. She flipped to face him and regarded him with wide eyes. Spike massaged the frown from her face and traced her beautiful features; his fingers gently caressed her huge eyes, perfect nose and rosy, juicy lips. He removed his fingers and kissed the corner of her mouth then brushed his lips to her forehead before grasping her left hand and holding it to his chest above his unbeating heart. Brody let out a shaky breath and relaxed against him, leaning her head against the crook of his neck. She looked up at him through her lashes and the pair stared at each other until sleep claimed them. Joyce arrived home to find the snuggled pair and 'awwwed' at their cuteness before ensuring the curtains were tightly closed. She left out a flask of warmed blood and a cheese sandwich then headed upstairs to bed with a smile on her face, it was nice to have someone to look after for a change.
Buffy hefted the bag of laundry with ease and chatted with the gang about the eventful Thanksgiving's the day before. Giles was getting specific with the descriptions and Buffy and the others chatted among themselves as he talked away to himself. They walked into the Summers home, Buffy wanted to check in with her mom, who had arrived home late the night before, and get this cleaning done.
What no one expected was a bunch of breathing noises and purrs coming from the living room. Buffy frowned and put her sack of laundry down. Her mother came out of the kitchen and Buffy watched her eyes widen comically. As Buffy's vamp tinglies went off she stared suspiciously at the darkened living room and marched inside.
"Buffy!" Joyce hissed but her daughter continued on. Buffy heard Joyce desperately trying to hush the others but ignored it all when she spotted what was happening on the couch. Spike! Spike was lying asleep on her mother's couch, shirtless and curled around a beautiful girl that set off slightly different demon tinglies.
"What the HELL is HE doing HERE!" Buffy screeched, whipping out a stake.
Spike's and the girl's eyes snapped open and two sets of wary blue eyes stared at her. The girl placed herself between Spike and Buffy and before Buffy knew it the stake was flying across the room. She hadn't even seen the girl move and yet there was her stake in the dining room doorway. Joyce rushed into the room just as Buffy prepared to pounce on the girl.
"Hey! Stop that right now, Buffy!"
"But, Mom! You've got Spike and some demon girl in the house!" Buffy explained as if it were obvious.
"Yes. And your point is? It's my home, Buffy, and these are my guests."
"But they'll hurt you!" Buffy protested.
"Dear, Spike has an invite, he could have done that if he'd wanted to the second he rolled into town."
Damn logical woman! Buffy tried to pick something else out to complain about when the girl fainted slightly. Spike rushed forward and caught her.
"Sorry" she smiled meekly at Spike.
"'S okay, luv. How long since they last fed you?" Spike asked with concern in his voice, Buffy gaped, he cared? And jeez, that was one gorgeous body!
"A couple days? I think." she replied.
"Oh, God! Sweetie, come with me right now!" Joyce rushed to the girl's side and hustled her towards the kitchen. Once in the kitchen Joyce sat the girl down, pulled the curtains and beckoned Spike inside. The speechless Scoobies trailed after them. Spike knelt in front of the girl and whispered softly to her.
She nodded and giggled slightly at something he said. He beamed the first genuine smile any of them had ever seen. There was no snark or smirk in it, just genuine amusement and happiness. Joyce placed a plate of pancakes in front of the girl who devoured them in two bites, literally.
"Good?" Joyce asked with a laugh.
"Whoa yeah!" the girl nodded vigorously. "Thanks, big time, for everything."
"No problem, dear." Joyce smiled then frowned as a weird sensation swept over her. She slumped into a chair and when she looked back up her eyes were flooded with moisture.
"Mom?" Buffy said uncertainly.
