RHatch89 - I had always been under the impression that the First had been free since Buffy drowned at the end of season 1 of BTVS. Remember the First tormented Angel in season 3 of BTVS. There was even a season 7 episode that referenced the season 3 episode. Which further lead me to believe the First had been free since the end of season 1 of BTVS. That's how I was going with this story the imbalance that brought forth the First was caused by the Master killing Buffy and Xander reviving her causing there to be two Slayers when Kendra was called.

WiccaWhiteWitchSmallTownGuy -On the matter of Buffy's Book of Shadows. It is more or less just a copy of the Charmed Book of Shadows. The only difference between the two Books is that Buffy's has information gained from her years as the Slayer. On why the Stillman sister's didn't look for it. They more than likely didn't know it existed. About showing Buffy's book I doubt it. It was more or less just a plot point in the two chapters it was seen.


Chapter 55: Never Leave Me

At the Halliwell House in the living room Dawn, and Willow are talking.

Dawn frowns, "So the basement was filled with bodies?"

Willow nods, "Apparently."

Dawn shakes her head, "And Spike could have sired countless others and buried them around town?" Willow nods. "And we're waiting... for what, exactly? Him to do something crazy?"

Willow shakes her head, "It's not that simple."

Paige sighs, "I think we should just dust him. Better safe than sorry I think."

Willow nods, "Buffy knows what she's doing."

Upstairs in Spike's room. Buffy is tying Spike to the bed. "We're gonna figure out what's going on. We're gonna get to the bottom of this." She works on lashing his hands to the bed posts. "We just can't take the chance -"

Spike shakes his head, "Don't..." Buffy stops. Looks at him. He nods at the ropes. "You're doing it wrong. The knots'll give." They share a look. "Pull me tight."

They stare at each other. Then Buffy yanks the ropes as tight as she can.

In Sunnydale in the Junior/Senior High School, Principal Wood sits at his desk, talking to two troublemakers, Grimes and Hoffman.

Principal Wood nods, "Now we can settle this one of two ways: You can help repaint the walls or I can suspend you and report the incident on your permanent record."

Hoffman nods, "Fine. Do that."

Principal Wood frowns, "Okay, I was bluffing... I hadn't really thought that through. The whole "permanent record" thing is a myth anyway. Colleges never ask for anything past your SAT scores and it's not like employers are ever gonna check how many days you missed of high school." He points. "Those file cabinets are filled with old Sears catalogues."

Principal Wood stands up, walks around to the front of his desk. "I could suspend you, but that would mean calling your parents, alerting your teachers, filling out paperwork, and possibly talking to the school board. All of which sounds positively exhausting to me. No, I think it would be much easier if I just called the police and let them deal with it."

The boys look at each other, unsure what to make of him.

Principal Wood nods, "In case you're wondering, now's the part where I'm not bluffing."

The boys do a double-take with each other, and then nod.

Grimes nods, "We'll repaint it."

Principal Wood smiles, "Good." There's a knock at the door. Principal Wood looks mildly perturbed. "Excuse me." He walks over and opens the door, finding Dawn. "Miss Halliwell."

Dawn smiles, "Hi. Sorry to interrupt."

Principal Wood nods, "I'm with students."

Dawn nods, "I just wanted to tell you that Faith won't be coming in today. She's really sick."

Principal Wood concerned, "Oh no..."

Dawn nods, "Yeah, last night she was vomiting and then this morning she was vomiting some more and then just when we thought she was done she started vomiting again. My mom is taking care of her."

Principal Wood nods, "We've got stomach flu going around..."

Dawn smiles, "Her exact words were, I've got stuff coming out both ends."

Principal Wood sighs, "Thank you. That's very helpful."

Dawn nods, "Sure, no problem. Hey, how's it going?"

Grimes nods, "Pretty good."

Principal Wood nods, "Tell Faith not to worry, we'll soldier on without her. She should just concentrate on getting better."

Dawn smiles, "Yeah, she'll be fine. She just needs to get some stuff out of her system."

At the Halliwell House. Buffy is on the phone. "I need to find him as soon as possible. He's not answering any of his numbers."

At the Watcher's Council, Quentin Travers is talking to Buffy on the phone. "Miss Summers…

Buffy on the phone, "Halliwell remember."

Quentin sighs, "Miss Halliwell the Council does not keep track of our... lapsed employees. Ever since Mr. Giles pulled up his stake in Sunnydale, we've not made it our business to follow his every move."

Buffy on the phone, "You don't need to get all British and dodgy, Mr. Travers. I know you have ways of finding him."

Quentin thinks about this. "I suppose, if you feel the matter is urgent, we could look into it.

Buffy on the phone, "I'd appreciate it. Thank you."

Quentin nods, "Of course. Good day." He hangs up the phone. Thinks for a moment. He looks to the others at the boardroom table. "The girl knows nothing." He turns his attention to a map on the wall. "And we need to find Rupert Giles as soon as possible."

Back at the Halliwell House. "It's worse than I thought..." Spike sits tied to his bed. He's going into serious blood withdrawal. He's sweating, breathing hard, half-lucid.

Buffy sits across from him. "Can I do anything?"

Spike shakes his head. Tries to keep himself under control. "You should probably…" He's unable to finish, jaw clenching. He presses his face into his shoulder.

Buffy mistakenly thinks he's trying to wipe the sweat off his face. "Here…" She leans forward to help him, and as she gets close, Spike vamps and bites violently at her. She jerks back.

Spike keeps snapping and biting at the air. Pure animal. No sense of the man whatsoever. He flails in his bed. Crazed.

Buffy gets up and walks out into the hall. "He's been feasting on humans for weeks. I think he's in major withdrawal. We need to get him some blood."

Faith shakes her head, "We need to wean him off human blood."

Buffy nods, "He'll have to make do with animal blood."

Willow nods, "I'll go get some."

Buffy smiles, "You don't mind?"

Willow shakes her head, "I need to get out of the house for a bit anyways."

Buffy smiles, "Thank you."

Willow moves to leave, waits a beat. "How's it going in there?"

Buffy shakes her head, "He's in bad shape. He's past the point where he can tell me anything."

Faith shakes her head, "I don't think Red was asking about him."

Buffy considers her answer. "I'll be okay."

Willow nods, "Is Paige over at the manor?"

Buffy nods, "I think so. Why?"

Willow nods, "Well I know where to get some blood in Sunnydale, no questions asked. Not sure where to go here in San Francisco. So I was going to see if Paige would orb me over there."

Buffy nods, "Ok."

Willow heads across the street and into the manor, "Paige you here?"

Paige comes into the foyer, "Hey Willow. What's up?"

Willow smiles, "Could you orb me to Sunnydale. I'm to pick up some blood for Spike."

Paige nods, "Sure, Willow. I could do that." She calls out, "Piper! I'm orbing Willow to Sunnydale be back in a bit."

Piper calls out, "Okay, Paige."

Paige and Willow orb out.

At a Butcher shop in Sunnydale.

The Butcher calls out, "Number eighty-seven!"

Andrew looking nervous and severely out of place. He holds up his ticket, steps forward. "I'd like twelve pork chops, two pounds of sausage, Eightquartsofpigsblood, three steaks, um, a halibut... uh, some... toothpaste..."

The Butcher looks at him like he's an idiot. "This is a butcher shop, Neo. We don't sell toothpaste."

Andrew nods, "Oh. Okay. Just the other stuff, then."

"You got it." The Butcher goes to fill the order.

Andrew waits uncomfortably for a few beats. He tries to nod hellos to the handful of people waiting around him. He has guilty written all over his face.

A short time later Andrew is paying for a big paper grocery bag of meat at a cash register. He's nervous, eager to get out of there. He picks up the bag and turns fast, hurrying out of the store, not looking, and barrels full speed into a similarly unaware Willow and Paige.

Willow and Andrew go crashing to the ground. The contents of Andrew's bag go flying everywhere.

Andrew breathes in sharply.

Willow looks at Andrew as recognition crosses her face.

Andrew runs out the front door of the butcher shop.

Willow comes running out shortly thereafter, hot on his heels. "Hey! Wait!"

Paige follows behind Willow.

Andrew rounds the corner and runs into a dead end/wall. Willow's right behind him - she grabs him by the back of the neck. "Wait a minute!"

Andrew whips around, hands covering his face, cowering. "Don't kill me!"

Willow shakes her head, "I'm not gonna kill you..."

Andrew shakes his head, "Don't torture me and send me to an eternal pain dimension."

Willow rolls her eyes and looks back at Paige. "I'm not gonna…"

Andrew nods, "Warren did it. I didn't do it. Warren shot her."

Willow, who up until this point has been mostly confused and suspicious, becomes hurt, angry.

Paige frowns, "What are you doing here?"

Andrew anxious, "I'm not bad. I'm not bad anymore. I'm good. I do good things now. I'm here doing good things..."

Willow frowns "Then why do you need lots and lots of blood?"

Andrew thinks about this. "I am bad." He nods. "I'm bad. I'm evil." He frantically tries to figure out what to do. Grows some spine. "But I am protected by powerful forces. Forces you can't even begin to imagine... Little. Girl." Willow doesn't say anything. Andrew's still very anxious. "If you harm me, you shall know the wrath of He that is darkness, and terror. Your blood will boil and you will know true suffering. Why don't you do us both a favor, and turn, and walk away. Stand down, she-witch, your defeat is at hand…"

Paige shakes her head, "Shut your mouth."

Andrew shuts right up.

Willow nods, "I am a she witch. A very powerful she-witch. Or... "witch" as is... more accurate. I am not one to be trifled with. You think you frighten me? With your dress-up? With your cribbed speech? I destroy souls."

Paige rolls her eyes, "You better tells us what we want to know before Willow really gets angry."

Andrew stands there, eyes wide in terror

Willow nods, "You want to play games? I'm begging you to play games with me. When I'm finished with you, you'll be on your hands and knees praying for Warren's fate, pleading for Warren's fate. I am Willow. I am Death. If you don't do exactly what I say, I will bring your nightmares to reality. Now what say you to that?"

At the Summers House in Sunnydale Willow shoves Andrew through the front door by the scruff of his neck. He's carrying the grocery bag from the butcher's shop.

Paige follows them in, "Give me the bag." Andrew hands her the bag and she orbs out.

Willow smiles, "Look what I found."

Xander frowns, "Oh, this can't be good."

Willow nods, "Guess who was buying massive amounts of blood at the butcher shop?"

Andrew's beginning to suspect he's been had. "Your hair's not even black anymore..."

Xander annoyed, "What are you doing back in town?"

Andrew meek, "You'll get nothing out of me, carpenter."

Xander rolls his eyes, "We'll see about that."

Xander tosses Andrew into a chair and begins to tie him up.

Anya stands nearby, holding Andrew's coat, going through the pockets.

Andrew frowns, "Careful with my coat. It's expensive."

Anya nods, "Is it new?" She stares at him, drops his coat on the ground. Steps on it.

Andrew frowns, "Hey…"

Xander shakes his head, "Now we can do this the hard way if you want…" He pulls the ropes tight.

Andrew frowns, "Ow! Ow ow ow ow…"

Xander nods, "But believe me when I tell you this'll be much easier on all of us if you just tell us what you know."

Andrew shakes his head, "You're barking up the wrong asparagus, man. I don't know anything."

Xander pulls up a chair, straddles it backwards. Anya stands behind him, arms folded, glaring. "Here's the thing - I don't believe you."

Andrew frowns, "I haven't done anything wrong."

Xander nods, "Then you won't mind if we ask you a few questions."

Andrew thinks about this. "Yeah... okay."

Xander frowns, "What were you doing buying blood at the butcher's shop?"

Andrew spits his answer out way too fast, as though he's been rehearsing it for the last half hour. "I-fell-in-love-with-a-beautiful-vampire-girl-down-in-Mexico-and-now-we're-trying-to-make-a-go-of-it-on-the-straight-and-narrow-and-put-our-lives-back-together-here-in-Sunnydale."

Anya explodes. "You think this is a game, junior!?" She grabs him, starts shaking him. "People are dying, our friends are in danger…"

Andrew whimpers in fear. "Ahhhh…"

Xander looks genuinely surprised at Anya's behavior. "Hey…"

Anya nods, "And you want to waste our time with deceptions? Not on my watch!" She slaps him, hard, across the face. Andrew screams in pain.

Xander shoves himself in between the two of them. "Hey! Anya." Anya breathes hard, fury splashed across her face. "Can I talk to you outside for a second?"

Anya breathes. Andrew whimpers, tears starting to flow.

At the Halliwell House… Paige hands Buffy a bag of blood. Buffy holds the bag up to Spike's mouth. He's bitten straight through the bag and drinks from it hungrily, a starving animal.

Buffy's face betrays no emotion.

Back at the Summers House… Xander and Anya hurry into the bathroom, each bursting with excitement. Willow follows a moment later.

Anya smiles, "Did you see that? I actually made him cry."

Xander nods, "You were perfect. I was worried I overdid it with the whole easy way/hard way thing."

Anya nods, "No, that was great." She shakes her hand like it's stinging. "I wasn't sure if I should slap him, but then he made me want to slap him so I thought, Slap him."

Willow rolls her eyes.

Xander nods, "He'll be singing in no time."

Anya sighs, "What do we do now?"

Xander nods, "Now we let him stew in his own juices for a bit, then we give him the hard brace."

Anya smiles, "Right."

Buffy orbs in.

Anya doesn't miss a beat, nods to her, all tough and NYPD Blue-like. "What's the status with your guy?"

Buffy smiles, "It's fine. He hasn't started talking yet. Faith and I have been talking though and we're going to move him to Sunnydale." She leans up against the wall, rubs the back of her neck. "But we'll get there. How's your guy?"

Anya smiles, "The weasel wants to sing. He just needs a tune."

Xander goes with it. "He's primed. He'll be ready to pump in no time."

Anya and Buffy look at each other.

Xander looks at the ground. "He will give us information soon."

Back at the Halliwell House… Faith walks in.

Spike looks exhausted, beaten, but coherent.

Faith nods, "Better?" Spike nods. "Good."

Spike looks around. It seems hard for him to talk. "I don't remember anything."

Faith sighs, "You were in pretty bad withdrawal."

Spike nods, "No. Not that. I don't remember... what I did."

Faith sighs, "Oh. Nothing?"

Spike shakes his head, "Flashes here and there. Like I'm watching someone else... do it. Kill people. I've been losing time for a while now. Waking up in strange places..."

Faith nods, "When did your chip stop working?"

Spike shrugs, "Wasn't aware that it had, you know. Not 'til now."

Faith sighs, "How about the losing time? How long's that been going on?"

Spike thinks about it. "Things have been wonky for me ever since I got back. Ever since..."

Faith nods, "You got your soul."

Spike nods. "Figured that's what it was like. Been so long since I had it."

Faith nods, "How'd you do it? How'd you get it back?"

Spike laughs. "Saw a man about a girl."

Faith nods, "Buffy said you got it for her."

Spike nods, "Sought this legend out. Went to the other side of the world. Made a deal with a demon."

Faith nods, "Just like that."

Spike shakes his head, "No. Not like that. There was a price. There were trials... torture. Pain. Suffering. Of sorts..."

Faith frowns, "Of sorts?"

Buffy orbs in out in the hall.

Spike nods, "Well, s'all relative, innit?"

Faith sighs, "Meaning?"

Spike hesitates, then decides to say it. "Meaning I've come to redefine the words "pain" and "suffering" since I fell in love with Buffy."

Buffy walks in, "How can you say that?"

Spike shrugs, "Apparently I've just slaughtered half of San Francisco, pet. Not really worried about being polite anymore."

Buffy sighs, "You feeling sorry for yourself, Spike? That what this is about?"

Spike nods, "Feeling honest with myself."

Buffy nods, "Ok Spike we're going on a little trip." She walks over to him and grabs his hand and Faiths and orbs them to the Summers House in Sunnydale.

Spike frowns, "What are we doing here?"

Buffy sighs, "I can't watch you all the time. I'm gone most of the time. Faith is home more than I am as her work schedule is less than mine. She can watch you far easier than I can."

In another room Andrew sits, red-faced, apprehensive. Xander walks in carrying a glass of water. He sets the glass down on the nightstand, walks to Andrew, who flinches when Xander gets near him. Willow watches from the doorway.

Xander begins to untie him. "How's your face?"

Andrew looks at Xander warily, rubs his wrists once they're free. "Okay."

Xander nods, "Sorry about that. She shouldn't have hit you." He picks up the glass of water, offers it to Andrew. "You thirsty?"

Andrew sizes him up, not knowing what to think... but then takes the glass and drinks. He keeps his eyes on Xander. "That chick's psycho."

Xander exhales. "You don't know the half of it. She's a Vengeance Demon, you know. She's bad news."

Andrew nods, "One time I saw her have sex with Spike."

Xander tries very, very hard not to let this shake him. "She's killed more men than smallpox."

Andrew frowns, "Do people still die of smallpox?"

Xander nods, "She's killed a lot of men. She tortures them. Anyone who incurs her wrath. One time she... No. Never mind."

Andrew shakes his head, "What?"

Xander sighs, "It's not important."

Andrew frowns, "What did she do?"

Willow smiles, "Well, there was this one guy..."

Xander nods picking up on Willow's train of thought, "There was this one guy... he broke her heart... so she paid him back. She killed him. But she did it real slow. See, first she stopped his heart. Then she replaced it with darkness. Then she made him live his life like that. He still had to go... do his job and see his friends and get up in the morning and go to bed at night but he had to do it all... empty. With nothing to look forward to. Ever."

Andrew unsure, "Sounds... bad..."

Xander snaps out of it, "Well, then she tore his intestines out and rubbed 'em in his face and took pictures of it."

Andrew horrified, "Oh my god."

Willow nods, "But she's downstairs now. Don't worry about her."

Andrew nods, "What…"

Xander smiles, "See, the thing is, we've all been a little on edge lately. Some bad things have been happening, and the girls are all looking for someone to blame."

Andrew shakes his head as he looks past Xander to Willow, "I didn't do anything."

Xander nods, "I know. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I get that. But they don't. They need answers. It does seem suspicious, you know, you buying blood."

Andrew frowns, "That blood wasn't for me. I was just buying meat."

From outside the door they hear Anya, "YOU LYING SON OF A BITCH!"

Anya comes charging into the room like a bull brushing past Willow. Andrew starts yelling in fear. "You're gonna tell us what we need to know and you're gonna do it right now…"

Xander shakes his head, "Anya, no!"

Anya goes for Andrew's throat, knocking him over backward in his chair. Xander mock-tries to break them up. "Get off me Harris!" She shoves Xander back and slaps him hard across the face.

Xander grabs his face in pain and gives her a look: Ow! What the hell are you doing?

Anya winces. Sorry about that. Then she puts her mean face back on and turns and pounces on Andrew. "C'mere, pipsqueak!"

Andrew screams under her assault. "Get her off me! I'll tell you! I'll tell you what you need to know!"

In Buffy's old room… Buffy and Spike hear Andrew's muffled cries and some violent thumps pour through the walls into the room.

Buffy frowns. "Excuse me a second."

Spike nods.

Buffy gets up, opens the door, leaves the room. Followed shortly by Faith.

The First, in the form of Spike walks over and addresses Spike in the chair. "Well, we've got ourselves a problem."

In Dawn's room. Buffy sticks her head inside. "Everything okay?"

Dawn's room is trashed. Furniture flipped over. Willow and Xander, sitting against the wall, holding his face. Anya, on top of Andrew on the ground, one hand around his neck, the other arm in mid-strike, about to hit him again. Andrew, wide-eyed, looking at Buffy for help, shaking his head frantically - no, everything's not okay.

Anya nods, "Fine."

Buffy nods. "Okay." She shuts the door.

As soon as the doors closed, the muffled sounds of violence begin again. Andrew screaming, glass-breaking. Faith heads downstairs.

Buffy walks to her old room, places her hand on the doorknob... and stops. Realizes she can hear Spike talking to someone on the other side. She puts her ear up to the door.

Spike nods, "…what do I do job half-done never send a boy to do a man's job…" He laughs. Then his ramblings turn into singing. "…Oh don't deceive me, Oh never leave me, How could you use a poor maiden so…"

Buffy walks in. Spike's changed completely. Where he was once exhausted, jaded, broken, he's now sunny, pleasant. He sits up straight in this chair, smiles when he sees Buffy. "Who are you talking to?"

Spike shakes his head, "What's that?"

Buffy nods, "I heard you talking in here. Who were you talking to?"

Spike nods, "Oh, nobody. Just keeping myself company."

Buffy's totally weirded out. "Are you okay?"

Spike smiles, "Fine. How are you?"

Buffy sighs, "Spike..."

Spike nods, "I'm fine, Buffy. Really. Just feel a bit... peckish, I suppose." He nods to the blood bags on the nightstand. "Would you mind?"

Buffy's on guard, This is weird... She keeps her eyes on Spike, crosses over to the nightstand. She reaches down to pick a bag up, takes her eyes off Spike momentarily, and as soon as she does he explodes off the bed, shattering the bed posts. He attacks Buffy, punching her and knocking her across the room. She hits the wall and goes down hard.

Screaming in animal rage, Spike turns toward the wall separating Buffy's old room from Dawn's room...

In Dawn's room… Anya's got Andrew up against the wall. He's spilling his guts.

Andrew nods, "But we needed more blood to activate the Seal of Danzal…"

Wham… Spike's arm comes blasting through the wall, right near Andrew's head. Anya jerks back in surprise. Wham…Spike's other arm comes tearing through. He grabs Andrew by the throat/chest and yanks.

Spike tears Andrew completely though the wall into Buffy's old room. He holds Andrew's body up and bites deep into his neck. He feasts on Andrew in the middle of the room.

Buffy struggles to get to her feet. She rights herself, runs over, and tears Spike off Andrew. She throws Spike across the room.

Faith comes running in, "What's going on B."

Andrew drops to the ground, holding his neck.

Xander and Anya rush in. Anya looks to the fallen Andrew, Xander stands on guard, backing up Buffy.

Spike's crazed, insane. He rushes at Buffy, his moves aren't thought out. He's a cornered animal. She parries his attack, dodges, and uppercuts him, sending him flying back. His head hits the wall with a dense thud and his body drops to the ground.

Buffy steps forward. Spike is on the ground. He's dazed, bleeding. He doesn't seem to know where he is. She kicks Spike brutally right in the face.

Later downstairs… Buffy debriefs a concerned Willow and Dawn in the living room. "He didn't seem to want anything to do with me. He just knocked me aside and charged at the wall."

Dawn nods, "Are you hurt, Mom?

Buffy shakes her head.

Xander and Anya walk down the stairs into the room.

Dawn nods, "How's what's-his-name?"

Xander nods, "He's got a good chunk taken out of his neck, but he'll be all right. Had to tie him up again, but mostly just to keep him from scratching at his bandages. What the hell happened up there?"

Faith comes in, "Spike's tied up again."

Buffy shakes her head. "I don't know." She looks to Faith, "Thanks." Faith nods. "Spike and I were talking, and he was fine - well, he wasn't fine, but he was... Spike - and then I went to check on you guys and when I came back it was like he was... a completely different person..."

Willow frowns, "Like "different" William the Bloody type different?"

Buffy shakes her head. "He was talking to someone up there… I heard him through the door. He was having a conversation... And then he started singing."

Anya nods, "Maybe it's another musical. A much crappier musical."

Buffy sighs, "Spike mentioned a song when we were in the cellar. He changed there, too. Instantly became another person."

Xander nods, "Trigger."

Everybody looks at him.

Anya frowns, "The horse?"

Xander shakes his head, "No. In his head. It's a trigger." He starts thinking about it. "It's a brainwashing term. It's how the military makes sleeper agents. They brainwash operatives and condition them with a specific trigger – like a song – to drastically change their personalities at a moment's notice. I'm fairly certain it's how Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated."

Willow nods, "This left over from your days in the Army?"

Xander shakes his head, "No, this is left over from every army movie I've ever seen, but it makes sense." He walks around, he's on a roll. "We've had ghosts haunting us, right? Well, what if Spike's ghosts have figured out how to do more than just haunt him? What if they've figured out how to control him?"

Buffy frowns, "Spike's been saying he's been seeing things since I found him in the basement..."

Dawn nods, "He gets his soul back. He starts seeing ghosts. He goes extra, extra crazy."

Buffy nods, "This trigger... how do we holster... or I mean, safety... I don't know guns. How do we make it stop?"

Xander nods, "Well, usually the operative completes his task and then either blows his head off or steals a submarine."

Buffy nods, "All right - I need information. If Spike's a bomb I need to know how to diffuse him." She turns to Willow and Dawn. "You two – I want to know what did this to him. Spirits, ghosts, demons - search the lot of 'em. Look for anything that might haunt or control people like this. I need to know exactly what we're up against." Buffy turns to Faith, "You and I are on guard duty. One of us is always in the room with him."

Faith nods, "I'll go take the first watch, B." Buffy nods as Faith heads downstairs.

Later in the basement Spike's on the ground, somewhere between conscious and unconscious. He's been chained to the wall, manacles attached to each wrist and ankle. His face has dried blood on it from his encounter with Buffy.

Buffy comes down the stairs carrying a rag and a bowl of water.

Faith nods to Buffy and heads upstairs.

Buffy crouches down next to Spike, sets the bowl on the floor, and begins washing the blood off Spike's face with the rag.

Spike starts to regain consciousness, looks around a little, shame, fear on his face. He doesn't say anything for a while, just looks at Buffy, watches her wash him. "Did I hurt anybody?"

Buffy sighs, "Well, you took a good bite out of Andrew…"

Spike frowns, "Who?"

Buffy nods, "Tucker's brother."

Spike nods, "Ah."

Buffy smiles, "But he'll live."

Spike thinks about this. He's scared, not in control. "I don't remember..."

Buffy nods, "It's okay."

Spike sighs, "Buffy - I don't know... why..."

Buffy nods, "We think we know what's wrong with you." He stops her from washing him, becomes a little more coherent, and tries to sit up. "Something's messing with you. Some ghost, or some demon - we're not exactly sure what - has figured out how to control you." Spike's mind starts racing. "I've got the gang researching it right now. Xander's got this theory that you're being triggered…"

Spike nods, "Kill me."

Buffy frowns, "What?" She looks at him.

Spike's serious. No emotion. Just cold hard logic. "Buffy, you have to kill me."

Buffy shakes her head, "No, you don't understand. When I left the room earlier, I heard you talking to…"

Spike nods, "Do you have any idea what I'm capable of?"

Buffy starts to understand what he's saying, grows somber. "I was in the cellar with you. I saw what you did."

Spike nods, "I'm not talking about the cellar. The people in the cellar got off easy. I'm talking about me. See, you don't know me. You only met hamstrung-Angel-Spike. You only met conditioned-chip-Spike. You never met the real me."

Buffy frowns, "Believe me, I'm well aware what you're capable of."

Spike nods, "You got off easy, too. Do you know how much blood you can drink from a girl before she'll die? I do. See, the trick is, if you drink just enough... if you damage them just enough... you can keep them alive for weeks. You can make yourself a plaything." Spike steps forward until the chains are taut. "I used to set up shop in their houses... I used to be so good at it – I knew how to damage them just enough so that they could still cry when I... Because it wasn't worth it if they couldn't cry."

Buffy frowns, "Something is playing with you, Spike. This isn't your fault. You're not doing this."

Spike nods, "I already did it. It's already done. Do you know what I used to do to girls Dawn's age?" He rattles her. "This is me, Buffy You have to kill me before I get out."

Buffy softly, "We can keep you locked up. Give us time and we can…"

Spike shakes his head, "Have you ever stopped to think about why you can't kill me? After everything I've done? To you. To the people around you. Have you ever wondered why you keep me alive? It's not love, we both know that."

Buffy nods, "You fought by my side. You helped me to protect Dawn from Glory. You've saved lives, helped…"

Spike sighs, "Don't. Don't do that. Don't rationalize this into some noble act. You don't get to do that." He paces back and forth. He falls in and out of shadow. "We both know the truth, you and I." He falls into full shadow. "You like bad men." He begins to pace again. "I don't mean troubled men. I don't mean brooding men. I mean, you like men who hurt you."

Buffy shakes her head, "No..."

Spike nods, "You need the pain we cause you. You need the violence inside. You need the hate. It gives you the strength to do what you have to do. To be the Slayer. But it's killing you."

Buffy frowns, "You don't have any idea what you're talking about."

Spike nods, "You have to let it go." He rages at his chains. "You have to kill me. I am destroying everything around you. I am killing off every piece of you that is good and pure. And in the end, after everything is gone and you have nothing else... I will come for you and I will…"

Buffy shakes her head, "I don't hate myself, Spike. Not anymore. You think you have insight now because your soul's drenched in blood? You don't know me." She begins to pace. "You don't even know you. Was that you who killed those people in the cellar? Was that you who waited for those girls?"

Spike shakes his head, "There's no one else…"

Buffy sighs, "You're not alive because of pain. You're not alive because of hate. You're alive because I saw you change. I see your penance."

Spike sighs, "Window dressing."

Buffy gets close enough to him so that when he strains as hard as he can against his chains he's only inches away from being able to touch her. "There's a man in there underneath that monster. A man who - even when he had no soul…"

Spike shakes his head, "…It's window dressing …"

Buffy nods, "…struggled to find redemption. You're alive because I know he's in there…"

Spike sighs, "…I'm killing you…"

Buffy nods, "…and I believe in the man he can be."

Buffy's words take Spike by surprise. He falls back, his chains go slack. Suddenly the lights go out. A basement window explodes inward. A black hooded figure comes crashing into the room.

Before Buffy has time to react, he's on her hitting her across the face with the staff he's carrying, sending her flying across the room.

Spike frowns, "Buffy!"

Upstairs in the living room. More hooded figures come crashing in through the living room windows. The front door is kicked in off its hinges.

Willow screams as she and Dawn are suddenly showered with broken glass.

Dawn jumps up, "Faith! Mom!"

Faith comes running downstairs as hooded figures swarm around them.

In the kitchen… Xander and Anya are already on the move toward the screams in the living room when a figure comes crashing through the kitchen door and hits Anya right in the back of the head with his staff. She drops to the ground.

Xander wheels to confront him and he's hit from behind by another hooded figure running in from the other way. Xander drops, the two hooded figures step forward. Their hoods fall back.

In the living room… One of the dark hooded figures, a Bringer, rushes Willow while another one goes after Dawn.

The Bringer swings his staff at Willow as she dodges, does a spell. "Propel." She blasts the Bringer across the room.

Dawn raises her hands as a Bringer charges her. A jet of fire hits the Bringer sending him crashing into the wall.

Another Bringer comes in through the window. Before Willow has time to react he hits her with his staff, two-handed, across the throat. She flies back, hits the wall, drops to the ground.

Buffy comes flying through the door to the basement, shattering it to pieces. She lands hard in the hallway between the Kitchen and living room.

The Bringer she's fighting comes jumping through the hole in the door, staff in hand. He swings at her on the ground. She rolls, flips up to her feet . As he charges her again, she's ready for him. She uses his momentum, slams him hard against the wall, catches his staff as he's dropping it and hits him across the face. Just as he drops, two more Bringers come flying through the front door and hit Buffy from behind, driving her hard into the stairs.

One keeps running, heading straight upstairs, while the other raises his staff and hits Buffy right across the face.

Faith chases after the one heading upstairs.

Dawn battles another Bringer. He swings his staff at her, she catches it and elbows him hard across the face. She brings her hands up and sends the Bringer flying with another jet of fire.

Upstairs in Dawn's room. A terrified Andrew works frantically on the bed to untie his ropes.

The Bringer comes into the room, sees Andrew, and drops his staff. Andrew's eyes go wide. He starts to scream.

The Bringer reaches into his robe and pulls out two knives. He is suddenly brought around as Faith grabs him.

Downstairs… The Bringer on the stairs hits a dazed Buffy again across the face and then takes off running up the stairs.

Buffy rolls, regains her balance, sees him running away up the stairs and chases him.

The Bringer runs into the upstairs hall, Buffy hot on his heels. She grabs him from behind, he wheels around, strikes out at her. She dodges and kicks him right in the face and then spins and elbows him across the jaw... He goes down hard. Buffy raises her hands and a bolt of lightning hits the Bringer vanquishing it.

Buffy runs into Dawn's room to see the Knife Bringer lunge at Faith. Faith dodges at the last possible second. The Knife-Bringer rears back, tries to stab her again.

Buffy catches his arm, spins him around. He swipes at her, kicks her, knocking her back.

Faith gets up and nods to Buffy. "Hey beanpole I'm not done with you." The Bringer faces Faith as Buffy raises her hands.

Andrew is working frantically to untie his feet.

Buffy smiles as she aims at the Bringer as she strikes him, vanquishing him with her electrokinesis.

Downstairs Dawn approaches the Bringer she's knocked to the ground. She's holding his staff. She spins it up, ready to crack him across the head, and he sweeps her legs out from under her. She hits the ground hard. He's on her in a second, holding her down by the throat. She's choking, clawing, trying desperately to get away. She stares up at him in fear. He reaches into the folds of his robe, pulls out a knife.

The Bringer raises his arm, stabs down, when a groggy, pissed-off Xander cracks him across the back of the head with a staff.

The Bringer drops, Xander hits him again right across the face. "Buffy!" Xander runs upstairs into Dawn's room.

Buffy's still in fight mode, ready to move. She looks at Xander. "Dawn?"

Xander nods, "She's okay. Is that it? I thought there were more of them…"

Buffy realizes what they were after. "Spike…"

Buffy, Faith and Xander rush down the stairs into the basement. The room is empty. The chains that held Spike are lie broken on the gorund.

Upstairs in the living room. Dawn's tending to Anya on the couch, Willow's tending to herself and assessing the damage to the house. Buffy, Faith and Xander come walking through the living room.

Xander frowns, "They were so fast, organized…"

Buffy nods, "They were going after Spike all along." She walks over and examines the body of the Bringer Xander offed. She crouches down next to it.

Xander frowns, "We were just in the way."

Buffy takes a good look at the Bringer's face. A chill runs down her spine - her worst fears being confirmed. "I know these guys..." She stands up, thinks. "I've fought them before..." Her mind races. "We aren't being haunted. This isn't some demon. It's all the same thing… Spike's ghosts, the people you guys saw, from beneath us... It's all the same thing. I know what we're up against."

Buffy pauses, scared. She has everyone's full attention. "The First."

In England at the Watcher's Council. The place has been ransacked. Maps are torn off walls, file cabinets are emptied, overturned.

Some of the Watchers look as though they've been beaten up, subdued, others are cleaning up the mess, talking on phones excitedly, and just generally looking English and grim.

Through this all walks Quentin. He surveys the damage, a grave look on his face.

A fellow Watcher, Blake, briefs him. "...they took our files, wiped out our records. We've lost contact with operations in Munich, Switzerland, and Rome and we've got casualty confirmations coming in from as far away as Melbourne."

Blake looks at Quentin, fear apparent on his race. "Sir... we are crippled."

Quentin looks at him, tries to calm him. "It's all right, Blake. We are still masters of our fate, we are still captain of our souls."

Winston Churchill's words give Blake resolve, as they do all British people. "Yes sir."

Quentin surveys the room, steps forward. "Ladies and gentlemen..." He gets everyone's attention. "Our fears have been confirmed. The First Evil has declared all out war against this institution, and its initial volleys have proved to be most effective. I, for one, think it's time we struck back." The Watchers nod in agreement. "Get me confirmations on all remaining operatives. I want visuals and tacticals - highest alert. Get them here as soon as possible." He paces, he's on a roll. "Begin preparations for mobilization. Once we're accounted for, I want to be ready to move."

A watcher nods, "Sir?"

Quentin nods, "We'll be paying a visit to the Hellmouth." Everyone looks at him, nods grimly. "My friends, these are the times that define us. Proverbs, 24:6. For by wise counsel, you shall make your war." Everyone seems strengthened, resolved. "Now let's get moving. We've got work to…" As he talks, he turns and opens up the map cabinet behind him. As he does so, there is an audible click and…

The Council Building explodes in a big fiery mess.

In the Sunnydale Junior/Senior High Basement. Bringers throw Spike's shirtless, battered body down onto a carved, wooden/metal symbol.

The First/Spike smiles, "You'll have to excuse the imagery..."

Torches light the space. Bringers work industriously over a contraption they've assembled around the Seal of Danzalthar.

The First, in the form of Spike, surveys the scene with pride. The Bringers pull Spike's arms out at his sides as they secure him to a contraption."

The First/Spike nods, "But I've always been a bit of a sucker for the ol' classics."

Bringers place large metal nails up against Spike's wrists. Other Bringers raise hammers... They nail Spike's arm to the symbol. Spike screams in pain.

First/Spike smiles, "Hey, don't look at me that way. I wanted to do this more subtle like. My Harbingers have a tendency to call attention to themselves." They nail Spike's other arm. Spike screams and screams. "You're the one who couldn't hold his end of the bargain. You're the one who couldn't take care of what's-his name, you're the one who had to make breakthroughs and learn something about himself."

First/Spike circles around. Shrugs. "So now here we are." He morphs into Buffy.

First/Buffy smiles, kneels down close next to Spike on the ground. "I have to admit, though. This way's much more fun."

The Bringers working on Spike pull out knives, begin to cut down his chest. Spike screams, his terror reaching crescendo.

The Bringers pull chains and begin to HOIST the symbol up into the air.

Spike is lifted upright and then begins to rise as the Bringers pull the chains tight. He rises up, up directly above the Seal of Danzalthar. Blood begins to flow from his wounds.

First/Buffy looks up at him. Smiles. "To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of subtle." Spike's blood begins to drip down onto the Seal. As it does, the Seal begins to illuminate. "I think it's time we brought some authority to our presence."

The Seal, illuminated, begins to shift and then opens up. There seems to be nothing down there but a deep, black hole... The Bringers begin to chant.

Magical light begins to shine up through the hole in the ground. The Bringers continue their chant. And then from the depths rises a horrible, terrifying Ubervampire.

The Ubervamp comes fully out of the ground and roars in fury.