54

He had fought with every bit of his busted up knuckles, struggled against the bloody vampires as they hauled him across the sodding ground, tossing him into the same prison as everyone else. He'd rebounded, as fast as he could, received a shock for his troubles, a bloody solid barrier he couldn't get past. Reminded him of old days, of trapped-in-a-bloody-cell-until-they-put-a-chip-in-his-head days. Lot like that, lot of swearing, calling his captors wankers, trapped in a space way too bloody small. But this time, he had company. As he staggered back from the shock of the magic-arse wall, he felt strong arms wrap around him, lithe and warm. Something was bearing him down to the ground, off his swollen knee and broken leg, and he knew without turning his head who it was. Could smell her scent, though dirtier—days of not having a shower must have been driving her crazy—feel her heart beat in her chest as his head rested in her shoulder. Buffy's arms. He hadn't been this close to her in a while, because that was what she had wanted, but now, she was using herself as a support. She was touching his chin with one of her hands, forcing his gaze up to hers.

And it was a worthy view, bloody perfect, if they hadn't been where they were. Emerald eyes shined down at him, clear and resolute, affection, for once, shining through without obscurity. Her lips were pursed in a little 'o', slightly parted, as she just gazed down at him, uncharacteristically keeping from speaking for a minute. Her blonde hair was slightly greasy, in tangled clumps that must have been driving her crazy, but it was Spike's favorite Buffy. To see her just come from a fight, dirt still on her cheek. She even had a bruise, still, one that should have healed, by now, unless they had gotten habitually tortured within the prison. More likely, it was Pretty in Pink's handiwork, and he wasn't surprised. She hit like a bloody building crashing down. If she had been trying to cripple him, he might have had to reunite with his sodding wheelchair. As it was, that wasn't turning out to be likely. Getting out wasn't turning out to be likely. But in this moment, he was being held by the woman he loved, having her just look at him for one sodding moment.

"Saving the day, yeah?" He winced a bit, at the throbbing in his face, glancing up at Buffy. She stroked his injured cheek with unusual tenderness.

"I don't need rescuing," She responded with her usual girl power bit, although her gaze was soft, and she had spoke more out of a need for confidence than meaning it. She looked back at him, gentle. "Although I'd have accepted it this once." And she smiled, a light, desperate curl of her lips, and despite the danger, what might be happening to them, for a moment, he was content. He had Buffy's smile, as forced as it was, it was a attempt to smile despite what they were up against.

Then of course, he noticed one of her hands had left him, gripping the just as pale, but more still dead hand of Angel, as the Slayer accommodated to bring him to Buffy. No doubt her orders, to bring her loves to her. Loves. Reminding him that he wasn't the only one. Just a vampire with a soul that had a thing for Buffy, maybe it was a sodding side effect. But there she was, holding Spike and gripping Angel, though the great lug hadn't moved yet. At least the fact that he wasn't dust stood to reason that he'd wake. Actually knocked out, that wasn't the easiest thing to do to a Vampire. Took a lot of trauma, and well, Vampires didn't need air, so asphyxiation didn't work. He wondered for a moment, if it would be easier if Angel had been taken out of the picture, but immediately, he knew better. Buffy wasn't that fickle. Yeah, the chit didn't always know what she wanted, so she just tended to put it off until it fought back, but she wouldn't suddenly realise undying affection for Spike if Angel got offed. Probably just put her in a right terrible mood, really. No, the existence of Angel was not the reason for he and Blondie's rocky not-a-relationship, but it'd be nice if that were that easy.

Life wasn't, though. Easy wasn't in the guidebooks. He'd fought fang and bloody nail, and still he was tossed in here on his arse, with every other great fighter they'd brought along. And quite a few that had been captured already. The girls, nothing left to do but wait to be turned to a super-bitch beast like Mandy, except he and the misfits, who were just at Mandy's whim. And then there was Jade. Right. She hadn't been dragged away with the rest of them. He had smelled her blood, the excess of it, remembered the taste, but it had been blocked by this shield. Yet it still flowed freely, and he tried to sit up. Maybe he could try again with the wall. Smack it enough times, that'd weaken the wicca bastard. Though, his usual reasonable mind would admit that the Slayers had probably tried, he would try again. He couldn't just leave Jade out there. And though it seemed that the outside couldn't hear those trapped within the walls, he could hear every word that they said on the outside. He tensed. They were going to turn her. Of course. That had always been a danger. That's why they had left Faith behind, the rest of the Slayers. Couldn't feed them any more soldiers. Except they had, and it was Jade. Jade. It wasn't fair to her. Trapped on that side of the wall, trying to keep her insides from falling out. He tried to sit up, but he was held still by rigid muscles that tried to keep him still. Buffy. First his support, and now his restraint.

"Gotta try the bloody wall again," He muttered. She had both hands on him now. He should be glad. Buggering Angel didn't get to hold her hand. But he wasn't, trying in vain to struggle anyway. And even if he did get past Buffy, there were all her Slayers that had nothing left to do but follow Buffy's orders, and he doubted she'd let him continue to throw himself against the wall, since it hurt like a son of a bitch each time. But still, it was Jade, and she was alone. Super-Bitch and Got-No-Balls were just arguing anyway, ignoring Jade's existence while she continued to bleed out. Wasn't right. Wasn't bloody right, and he had to do something.

"Spike, there's no point." Buffy spoke in a tone that was trying very hard to be level and reasonable. Bet she'd been doing that soldier act for a while now, ever since her and her girls were packed into this cell like cattle. Told them to hold onto hope, to wait for a chance to attack. But it was just words, just some orders to keep them from giving up, even when there was every reason to. And now, she was telling him to let it go, let Jade go. Bloody hell, even if he couldn't do anything, he still had to try. She'd do it for him. She'd do it for him. She only came here to sodding help him. For the big rescue, to save the ones he cared for, not because anything was in it for her. And what had he done for Jade, exactly? Got her killed almost, way too many bloody times to count already, and here it was, about to do it again, this time for bloody real. Wasn't right. And he couldn't shake the feeling that she was only doing it for more reason than just good ol' nonexistent bloody friendship. She had kissed him. Kissed him, and he'd stood there like a sodding idiot with his brains in his feet. Because all he could think about was surprise and uncertainty, because she wasn't Buffy, and was that good or bad and he hadn't bloody known. And now he wouldn't.

"Let me up, sodding bint." He had undone the tenderness they had experienced with each other only moments before, his voice descending into a snarl, a desperate one. She was his responsibility. He couldn't watch her die. "Got to give it a go."

"No. I'm not going to let you throw yourself at the wall until you're paralyzed. Like we haven't tried. Over and over. Think that was easy for me, to watch you and Angel fight my battle for me? Not a chance. We woulda busted out of here by now if it was possible, dontcha think?" Her tone was irritated, on a short leash, but her eyes were sympathetic, softer than her brusque words. But she was being kind to him still, instead of lashing back with her snippy tongue, which only cemented the likelihood that there was no hope. A cold day in hell when Buffy wasn't taking any chance she had to play kick-the-Spike, verbally or physically.

Instead, she was holding him, almost like a lover, trying to soothe him back into acquiescence. Wasn't like her, to just sit back and admit defeat. Wasn't like him, either. He was a fighter, and though he could tell when there was a hopeless fight, sometimes that just made that more fun. But Buffy, she always believed that there was a way, the obstinate chit. Never gave up, even when there was every reason to. Fighting the First? She didn't use the word survive, she used the word win. And they had, for a little while. But though they had defeated the First Evil, there was always a Another Evil to eagerly take its place. There was always something coming up to fill the void, some kind of deplorable desire to balance. Good never won for certain, it was a never ending battle. And Buffy was always there in the thick of it. She always would be, Spike knew that by bloody now. And he'd never ask her to stop completely, all he had wanted was her to take a break, every once in damn while, with him. But that'd never happen, and so this was inevitable. Facing down death together, and being unable to turn from it. He didn't mind it for him. He'd lived a long time, been undead longer than that. He could stand it being the last time. But he didn't want it for Buffy. She was the longest lived Slayer, with a decade under her belt and he still wanted more for her. Sure, she had a lieu of accomplishments under her belt, but she never got to live, settle down like a normal girl. Which Spike had never wanted, to be a real boy, all domesticated and working nine to five. Nah, not his thing, but he knew Buffy. That was what she had wanted. Be a normal, overly girly valley girl who got to shop for shoes without worrying about the world ending. She'd never gotten that. Hell, none of these kids had.

He looked around at the Slayers. Some he recognized, some he didn't. He could observe the more solitary, lone qualities, the solo Slayers that had been captured, not part of the Organization. Some might have known what they were, some might not. Some were in their twenties, on the older side of the Slayer scale, where some were just kids, 'bout the same age as Niblet when he first met her. They were there, gaunt and stoic, dirty and bloody, waiting for their chance that they probably wouldn't bloody get, so they go like lambs to the slaughter. And then there was Connor, who was kneeling by his dad, unblinking, as he waited for his undead father to rise. His smirk was lost, a serious expression on his face. Now he knew why Angel had strongly opposed him coming along, but it was too little too bloody late. 'Least he'd be with family. And there was Illyria, resisting offers of assistance, wiping the blood from her light blue skin. She was alive, but it was more of an oversight than a lasting state of being. He doubted Mandy was the one to play nice with other chits, seeing as she was going through all this effort to make them into her bloody slaves.

He turned his helpless gaze to Jade, frustrated, but no longer struggling against Buffy. He couldn't get past the blonde, and even if he could, she was right; no getting past that wall. So all he could do was watch as, unbelievably, the Rogue Slayer lowered her shaking, bloody arm to the ground, trembling as she used it as a pillar to hold her weight and push herself up with. Mandy and Derek were bloody oblivious, more useless banter Spike had done his best to tune out. But now, he was grateful for it, moving his upper body towards her, towards Jade, as if he could break through and lend her his strength. This time, Buffy let him move, probably sensing he wasn't about to anything, as she would say it, stupid. And he wasn't. He was just watching as Jade, who he, in that moment, referred to her as 'his Slayer', rose up. She managed to stand. Managed to bloody stand. Slayer strength was part of it, resolution, that was another. He'd told Jade that before, she didn't have a single backbone in her body when it was defending her own honor, but she'd fight bloody tooth and nail for someone else. Fighting for them. Yeah, he knew it was sodding hopeless, but he was proud as a strutting peacock regardless. She wouldn't wait for the end.

And oh, he winced at how easily Mandy deflected her blows, gritting his teeth and making a 'tch' sound, shaking his head as Jade was so hardily negated, but the chit had all the gumption in the bloody world, which should have mattered more than it did. But it didn't. As soon as the blonde bitch was tired of playing, she had grasped Jade around, immobilizing her with pain and strength. And Jade, barely cried out, though she had nearly nothing left. Spike's fingers twitched. Wasn't right, for her to do this alone. It'd be happening to the rest of them soon, to Buffy, and it sure hurt as hell watching this first time around. Super-bitch held Jade, letting some bloody random Vampire out of the herd come up to her. Stoic to the end, like a bloody Slayer, she held eye-contact with the Vampire until he sunk his fangs into her neck.

"Bloody hell!" Spike snapped, a force of rage and helplessness. She had stopped struggling, like most victims did. She was a Slayer, but she was only human. The euphoria of feeding—for both parties—Spike knew only so well. And the numbing of pain that followed, she must have been bloody grateful as hell for it, and he couldn't blame her. Then the lackey was backing off, and here was the final bell call. Jade's eyes, half lidded and barely focus, sought out Spike. And he couldn't do anything but stare. Nothing comforting, no words, no gestures. Just stare, like a bloody useless git. Then, Mandy, god-awful idiotic Mandy, with her bloody vamp-face, stuck her fangs in, electing to turn Jade's neck the other way around so she could start sodding fresh. It was infuriating, their use of her as a damned blood bag. Spike had done the same thing so many times before, but he had his soul. And it was Jade. He could barely stand to watch, barely registering that Buffy had one hand on his head, trying to stroke his stiff blonde hair for comfort. Then, Mandy, as the more euphoric qualities of Slayer blood kicked in, was beckoning her pathetic lover over so that they could feast together, relentless in their haste to suck the small Slayer dry. Jade was nearly unconscious when Mandy finally slowed, ripping her fangs free. With a sadistic, cloying smile, she cut her wrist and waved it in front of Jade's face.

"Want a taste? Oh I know you do," Mandy purred. She brought it to Jade's lips, and for a surprisingly long heartbeat, the near-dead Jade hesitated. Spike knew how strong the allure was. The human's instinct to fight to live, the calling of the blood, her only chance to come back. And for a heartbeat, Jade resisted. But then she, like every other, latched on, first reluctantly and slowly, and then with more fervor. The cycle was complete. And as much as Spike wished, in every second before that, that at any second, more cavalry would burst through the door, there was no-one coming. No fantasy that would save them now, save Jade. And now, as if dumping trash, Mandy opened her arms, letting the lifeless body fall to the ground. It infuriated him. Jade, who was once a living, breathing human, was now nothing but an piece of dead meat, until she rose.

Unless she didn't. Spike recalled what Jade had told him about the necklace. That it would keep her from rising again. So that was it, then. He either held onto the sadistic hope that she would be 'alive' again, in one form or another, or never come back. Either be controlled by a ruthless demon or just be gone forever, those were her bloody choices. Spike couldn't look anymore. He'd never been overly in control of his emotions, a bloody loose cannon if there ever was once, and now he rested his head in the palm of his hand. If Willow's spell worked, Jade wouldn't come back. And if it didn't, well she wouldn't be her anymore, Spike had no qualms about that. Nothing stayed. His caring, lovely mum had turned into a sex-crazed sadist. Still gave him shudders to think about. And it could happen to her, if she rose. So he hoped for the lesser of two evils; that she'd stay dead. Bloody great.

But now they'd wait, wait for her to rise. Didn't happen during the day, so if it didn't happen in the hours remaining before sunrise, they'd have to wait a whole 'nother day. That bought them time, of course, but didn't matter much. No-one coming to rescue them. Just more waiting, watching, unblinking as Mandy dragged Jade's body over to a bench and slung her there. She turned, giggling then, to her boyfriend, and after some flamboyant gestures and more giggles to her Vampires, Mandy bid them to watch the Slayers carefully and stalked off, no doubt to indulge in the full aphrodisiac qualities of Slayer blood. Fine. Get her bloody out of here. As if Spike wanted to listen to her moaning, seeing them shagging near Jade's body. Bloody unbearable. Everything was unbearable, and the waiting was the worst.

They were the longest hours of his life. He'd thought the plane ride had been a drag and a half, but at least he'd had cards and Jade to distract him. But now, he just had Buffy, trying to convince everyone that it wasn't bloody over when it was. And Angel had woken, and someone else had filled him because Spike couldn't bear to. Buffy had let go of him at some point, and he'd woven his way to the back, leaning against the rock wall. The Slayers had avoided him, letting him bloody brood as his eyes had barely left Jade's still body, where he had to bloody hope that it would never move again, as bloody unfair as it was. Illyria had sat beside him, lamenting, for a while, Mandy's stolen power, and how she thought she was a Goddess and was mistaken, and Spike was so far in his head he didn't even tell Illyria to shut her gob, just letting her inane babble fill his head so he didn't have to think, or listen.

Mandy and Derek returned after a while, coyly looking at each other, shooting looks and remarking how good Slayer blood was, and how hard it had been to wait this long to have a taste, but they had done it. Bloody bints. Spike wanted to rip their heads off and churn them into dust. He hated hearing them, hated Mandy's eventual whining that it was taking too long, which turned into incessant complaining, and then bickering with Derek to keep herself occupied.

It was by then, that the girdle had been officially de-magicked, and up to its full capacity. There was no more waiting, after they tested it on Jade, they would begin to change everyone else. The Slayers exchanged stricken looks, their last hope drained away into a void. With Mandy's wanting to test the thing, she had begun barking orders at her vampires, and soon most of them were either singing or doing incessant jumping jacks.

"Sodding torture," Spike muttered to himself.

"I will kill them all," Illyria promised, and for once, Spike wished she had been restored to her earlier strength so her words weren't just empty, wishes and horses. Be a bloody sight better than this, having Illyria with her powers and time slowing. If she had been capable of that, well he wouldn't be sitting in this goddamn cell, now would he? Wouldn't be watching Jade's dead body.

And wouldn't be watching it move.

First it was a twitch of a finger. Spike hoped he had imagined it, but he knew better. His spirit fell. So she would arise again. To be a Slayer-Vampire like Mandy. Made an ache in his chest just to think about it. She didn't deserve that. Didn't deserve to have a demon take over her strength, her thoughts, her feelings. Didn't deserve to die there, to come back. But it was sodding happening. Never bloody ended, did it? Every good thing, such a damned short life but all the bad things lived forever. Mandy, who had been making cooing sounds and giggling at her apparently brain-controlled minions, clapped her hands and with a harsh snap, told them all to be quiet.

"Our first is waking!" She shrilled with glee. "What should I make her do?" She turned her head to Derek. "More jumpin jacks? Oh, pole dancing. Damnit, why don't we have a pole?"

"You don't have anything better than that?" Derek asked with a bit of dismay, then scorn. "What if she just pretends she can do jumping jacks, moron. That's easy."

"Well… I don't have a… oh it goes red if they're brainwashed button, now do I!" Mandy called back, distressed. "Hey, you'd tell me if you weren't brainwashed, wouldn't you?" She cooed at one of the vampires.

"Of course, Goddess." It answered in a monotone.

"There. Don't you see? It worked on the vampires," She nodded back curtly, towards Derek.

"He could be pretending too. Or, if you really aren't paranoid, then—" Derek was rolling his eyes, and the Rapunzel bitch turned her head away with a huff, curling her arms under her chest.

"Just shut up! Shut up. I am brilliant, you know!" She shot back, stiffening, as expecting an earful. When she didn't get it, she turned back towards her idiotic half, seeing that he was quite silent, and joy spread over her face. "Oh!" She called out happily. "That's right. That is right. I got the belt, I got the powah. Now you can't yell at me anymore." Finding that a happy conclusion, she turned back expectantly to Jade's twitching corpse.

"Sodding bints," Spike hissed under his breath. Of all the people to best them, they were all power and not a drip of intelligent in their craniums. As if it never occurred to the sodding boyfriend that he'd be controlled as well. After all, it was likely that he was only there because he wielded more power than an ordinary vampire, with his magics and all. But now Mandy had her strength, his magic and his will. Sodding perfect. Miss Priss could rule the world.

"Hurry up," Mandy began whining to the moving corpse, that Spike had to stop calling Jade because it wasn't her anymore. Wasn't her, even as her chest began to rise and fall, out of habit rather than necessity. She was pale, even more than normal, and the blush on her cheeks that Spike had come to expect was gone from her cheeks, just a pallid tone remaining, whites and yellows and a light blue. The bruises on her body had healed, cuts were dissipating. From where her hair parted, fanned out and draping beneath her, he could see that the bite marks on her neck were gone as well, where the vampires had devoured her greedily and carelessly. Sodding hell. But then, there it was, she sat up in one smooth motion, her blue eyes finding Mandy. Still blue, her vampire face not yet taking affect. There was a look of fury, and Mandy, remembering just in time, had flounced back a step, tying the belt effectively around her torso.

"S-stop. Stop." Mandy said, first uncertainly, then with a shrill confidence as Jade quit moving, looking at her with the same acrimony in her expression. The demon didn't like being ordered around, especially not one with the contempt and narcissism of a Slayer, although those were traits that Jade had demonstrated to a lesser scale compared to her fellow sister Slayers, at least in Spike's opinion. She had been humble and giving, and now she was a corpse waiting instruction. "Now. You're under my control, aren't you? Don't lie."

"Under control, Mistress." Jade spoke, but it wasn't her voice at all. No inflections, no emotion, just deadpanned.

"Goddess." Mandy corrected, though a victorious smile was twisting her simpering lips. She placed her hands on her hips, prancing around like a pony. "Show me your true face, minion."

Jade looked at her calmly, bitterness and resentment still hiding in her blue eyes and then they weren't blue any more. A bright yellow, a sight that used to be normal, almost comforting to him, and now filled him with nothing but dread, as her pale forehead was over-taken with bumps, and her fangs were displayed prominently. Spike rubbed his hands violently against his own forehead. He saw, through the Slayers, Angel and Buffy were looking at him, Angel with sympathy and Buffy's, more carefully tucked away.

"I'm sorry Spike," Angel said, quietly, as if he'd be the one to bloody comfort Spike. "I know that you—"

"You don't know bloody anything," Spike protested hotly. "Just piss off." He glanced to Buffy as he said it, whose lips had opened to say something, but she closed it firmly, the tiniest of nods as she deemed not to say anything at all. And he yearned to yell at her, in that moment. Tell her that she never liked Jade anyway, so if she was going to pretend to be all broken up she could bloody stuff it, but words caught in his throat. He didn't expect to feel this way, this bloody empty.

"Oh, lovely. Okay, okay, Derek. You can stop glaring at me. You may speak again. For now." Mandy sighed, sending a look of impatience at her partner.

Derek's face, which had been directing a glower at her, was now forced to drop it, although he regained his voice all too quickly. "H-Hey, you can't use the belt on me, that isn't fair!"

"Who said we played fair, baby?" Mandy directed back, her lips drawn in a wicked smile. "Besides, I can do what I want now. Got my first lieutenant," She gestured to the still sitting Jade. "Now, do that shock thing you do so that we can get the real second in command." Her eyes centered on Buffy. Spike felt that ache in him double in size. Oh God, no. He'd watched it happen to Jade, now he got to watch it happen to Buffy, too? His momentary hope that if they expected to get anyone out of this cage they'd have to lower it faded with the confidence in Mandy's voice. Obviously, that hadn't been one of the many things the idiot couple had overlooked.

He didn't have much time to think on it, for suddenly the wall was gone, but before any of them could move, an incapacitating shock shot through him, and from the cries and grunts around him, he knew it was happening to all of the captors. Through his blurred eyes he could just barely make out Jade, walking among the Slayers and pulling Buffy, who couldn't resist the pain or Jade's massive strength, and Angel, who was trying to force himself off his knees, was shrugged aside as if he was paper. Jade pulled Buffy from the other Slayers, and then the pain was gone, the wall sliding back up. Trapped again. Watching, this time, Buffy stand before Mandy and Derek, held here by Jade, who stood still, the unwilling servant. Derek and Mandy looked upon Buffy as if she was their next meal. And she bloody was. Spike's Buffy.

"Any last words?" Mandy asked, licking her lips.

"Yeah. Your dress is terrible, your hair is messy and your make-up, don't get me started," Buffy sassed, bringing out her younger, valley girl side for one last snarky defiance. Oh god, his Buffy. For the last time. Then she'd be like Jade. A Slayer-vampire. A soulless Slayer Vampire.

"Ew. Rude. And I'm sorry I asked. Ugh. Hey. You. I get first bite, remember?" She snapped at her boyfriend, who, while he still couldn't frown, managed a sigh that filled in the blanks. "And hold her still," Mandy said in a sing-song voice to Jade as she leaned in towards Buffy. Spike couldn't watch, but he couldn't look away either. Connor had a hand on his father's back, trying to comfort him, and Illyria was staring at Spike, unsure of what to do to deal with his grief. He couldn't look. But he did anyway.

Saw Mandy vamp. Saw her fangs come out.

Saw her lean towards Buffy.

Saw it happen so slowly, each and every detail. Waited for his ex-lover to call out and succumb.

Watched Mandy's fangs brush Buffy's bare neck.

Didn't get to see them sink in.

Didn't get to see them sink in, because suddenly, there was a blur of awesome speed. As if in two places at once, Jade had released Buffy, sidestepping to the jealous Derek. Her fingers flat, she had shoved it at brutal speed and wicked strength, straight into Derek's larynx. Her other arm, which had snatched out to steady his shoulder, kept him from moving backwards as her hand went through his neck, severing his head from his body. Before it could topple to the ground, there was dust. In the same instant, Jade had twirled back, wrapping an arm around Buffy's torso and swinging her away from Mandy, leaving Jade inbetween her and the Super-bitch. Those things had happened in a span of a heartbeat, with Mandy, confused, perplexed and then shocked.

Then, in the span of her confusion, the barrier shimmered, and then fell. Silence emanated through the cavern, Slayers and Vampires, for one moment, stricken with surprise. And then that spell was over as well, the Slayers jumping to their feet, vampires jumping to the offensive, and through the clamour, Spike could see Jade shoving Buffy back away from her and Mandy, yelling, "You get the vampires; I've got Mandy."

She wasn't under their control. She was still there. How? He had no idea. He must have been loopy, driven barmy by Mandy's insane bloody banter to see Jade there, somehow protecting the Slayers as she moved in on the other Slayer-Vampire. How did this happen? He was bloody raring to find out. But first, they had a fight to win.