Chapter 12: All Torn Up
The two vampires in the alley kept their eyes directed on Buffy.
"Doesn't she look tasty?" one of the vamps said to the other.
"Ya…" the other vamp laughed, "I love it when they're all helpless and seem to walk right to me…sort of like they want to die."
Buffy coughed a couple more times. She covered her hand over her mouth as she coughed, and when she drew her hand back she saw that she had coughed up blood. Her eyes widened at the sight of her own blood stained on her hands.
"What's the matter? Sick?" one of the vampires yelled down to Buffy.
Buffy looked up and down the dark alley and saw two vampires advancing to her.
"Ya…." The other vampire laughed, "You need a Kleenex? Some medicine? With can take your temperature if you like."
Both of the vampires laughed. Buffy leaned up against the brick alley wall and slide down it to the ground.
One of the vamps crouched down to Buffy and ran his hand through her hair, "I know what you need…just the right antidote." The vampire tucked Buffy's hair behind her shoulder and let Buffy's bare neck be revealed. He leaned forward, "Just let me help you…" he said softly.
"I think you are going to be the one that will be needing the help." Angel's voice came out of no where.
The vampire jumped up and turned around to be faced with Spike and Angel. The vamp looked to the side and saw his vampire partner backing away slowly. Spike, out of no where, pulled a crossbow from behind his back and aimed it at the drifting vampire and fired perfectly into the heart. Once the one vamp was dust, Spike turned back to the other vampire that was about to bite Buffy. Spike slowly raised the crossbow at the vamp.
"Step away from her." Spike's words were like pure evil.
The vamp snickered, "Why? You guys are vamps too…she's just a worthless—" the vampire didn't get another word in. Spike fired the crossbow and the vamp was dust in seconds.
Spike's face changed to from murderous rage to worry when he saw Buffy. He kneeled down next to her and took her hand, "I'm here luv, let me help—"
"No…" she said. Her breathing was heavy and rather horsy. "I-I can do it myself." Buffy grabbed the wall behind her to support herself and got up. It took her some time, but she managed to get up on her own two feet. Angel and Spike watched her with a frown.
"I-I can't be like this." Buffy said, "I-I need to kill what did this to me." She started to go down the alley but Spike stopped her before she could take a step.
"Buffy you need rest." Spike said with begging eyes.
"No I need to slay. That's what I do….that is how I fix problems…" Buffy said.
"Whatever is happening to you, we will a way to stop it. I swear." Angel said and looked at Buffy.
"I need to work the problem Angel." Buffy said while looking Angel straight in the eye. After a moment she started to cough and get shaky.
"Buffy you need to lie down." Spike said.
Buffy stopped cough and cleared her throat, "No!" she burst, "I am not going to be the victim in this. I am not the case! I am not going to be cut down by some flu. I am better than this! I fought through seven apocalypses, died twice already and somehow I'm still standing!"
Buffy's shouts turned to cries. She looked up at Angel and Spike and whispered, "In all my years of fighting…I've never been so scared." A few tears fell down her cheek.
After a few moments Buffy's legs gave out and she started to collapse to the ground. Spike caught her and shifted her in his arms and looked to see if she was conscious. She wasn't.
Spike turned to Angel, "She's starting to feel colder."
Angel peeked in the hospital room and saw that Buffy was laying safely in one of the beds. Spike was also in the room, sitting in a chair near the bed.
"Angel!" Wesley called out.
Angel turned around and saw Wesley coming towards Angel with a book in his hand.
"I found more information on the Deeper Well." Wesley started.
"Tell me." Angel stated.
"Seems it's a burial ground for the old ones. It's located in England, in the Cotswolds. When Spike said Buffy's body temperature was getting extremely colder than usual….well that's to be expected. Her body will stay cold so it can harden and become…well like a shell." Wesley glanced up at Angel and noticed no emotion, so he continued, "She is being hollowed out so this thing…Illyria. Everytime that Buffy is feeling now is because she is being prepared for Illyria's presence. And once all of this is complete…Buffy will—Angel, she's going to die."
There was a moment's pause between them. Angel glanced back into Buffy's room and saw Spike at Buffy's side, looking as if he would never leave her.
"Not today." Angel mumbled while looking at Buffy in the bed. Angel turned back to Wesley, "Not to them." Wesley was surprised that Angel was referring the 'them' part to Buffy and Spike.
