It quickly became obvious to Spike that the secret door had been
intentionally left open, as there were also candles lit here and there to
guide him in the right direction. He sure as hell didn't like ambushes, but
he also sure as hell didn't like people kidnapping his little Nibblet. The
fact that he still considered her such instead of demoting her to the label
of 'food' like he had everyone else annoyed Spike to no end. Still, he
figured he'd stop acting like such a bloody human as soon as Buffy's blood
ran down his throat. The thought unexpectedly made him queasy, and he had
to stop to compose himself. What was going on? He didn't love her anymore,
so why did it feel so bad that he wanted her dead? Not too long ago, the
notion that he didn't love Buffy would have been a barefaced lie, but his
time in Africa had provided him not just with a way to get rid of the chip,
but with time to think. The Slayer had treated him appallingly. She had
manipulated him, and had known she could do so, by using his own love
against him. In his eyes, that was the worst crime someone could commit.
Over the next two weeks or so, it had become clear to him that not only did
he not love Buffy anymore, but that he couldn't. If she carried on doing
what she did to him, it would kill him. So he had tried to forget about
her. But, just like those ghosts in the factory, he discovered he needed
her around to remind him of the past. To remind him of what he needed to
avoid. The queasy feeling disappeared as quickly as it had come, and it was
replaced by an anger which he decided he would take out on whatever was at
the end of this tunnel, be it a human or a demon.
Gabriel re-entered the room where he had Dawn captive about three minutes after he had first left, and he had the look of a kid on Christmas Eve. She frowned, not knowing if this was a good or bad thing seeing as she was trapped in there with him, but decided not to ask. She had learnt in her time there that he wasn't much of one for talking, at least, not to her. "Just thought I'd warn whoever's here," Spike's voice echoed through to them, making both their heads snap round. "I'm not in the best of moods, and the first thing I see's gettin' killed." Gabriel's look of excitement did nothing if not increase ten fold. He turned and hurredly unchained Dawn, again warning her to keep silent and not to make a noise of any sort. Suddenly, she saw the vampire enter the room over Gabriel's shoudler, and all her worry melted away into a smile. "Gabe?!" Spike exclaimed in utter disbelief as soon as he had turned around, Dawn in front of his chest as if she were some sort of human shield. The light of the moon would have easily illuminated the large room, but still, a sea of candles were lit. The other vampire smiled. Spike raised a scarred eyebrow and remained where he was, glancing from one face to the other. "Oh, don't worry about her," Gabriel nodded towards Dawn, sounding almost cheery. "I'm gonna let her go as soon as you move from the doorway. Keep my promises, I do." The Slayer's little sister felt pure relief as her saviour moved cautiously aside and she was flung away. "See? It's you I want." "I can't believe y'just let a hostage go." Spike chuckled, shaking his head, ignoring his Childe's last sentence completely, and beginning to walk towards him. "What did I teach you?" "Oh, she won't get out. That door y'came through shuts itself after a few minutes." Gabriel corrected him, waving a hand dismissively. Down the corridor, Dawn's eyes widened as she overheard what had been said about the door. Without another glance back, she started to run for all she was worth.
The look on Buffy's face after Clem had finished informing her about Spike was one of total and utter devastation. It looked as though not only had her entire world come crumbling down, but it had been ground into dust afterwards. She had trusted him, even after what he had tried to do to her, and this was how he repaid her? "You're certain about what you heard?" The Slayer asked him in a desperate tone after a charged silence in which Xander had been debating whether or not to say 'I told you so'. "About Willow?" "Yeah, but neither one's too keen on the other," Clem told her, hating that he was being forced to endanger his friend's life for the sake of the Slayer, her family, and, well, the world. Ok, so maybe he didn't hate it that much. "I'd guess they're gonna kill each other pretty soon, so, you know, good." He paused. "Right?" Xander and the Slayer both looked less than happy at the prospect. Neither wanted their old best friend to die, and something still wouldn't let Buffy forget Spike. "Where is he now?" Buffy queried, looking over the demon's shoulder in case the person being discussed had suddenly appeared, as he so frequently did, and overheard. "Oh, he found this trap door downstairs," Clem told her in an almost dismissive manner "He's gone to check it out." The Slayer shot him a look which clearly said 'are you a complete idiot'? "You mean whilst we've been stood here talking, a killer might be down in some secret hideaway with my baby sister?" she hissed in disbelief. Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed hold of Xander and started to drag him down the other set of stairs after Spike.
It felt as though she were running in slow motion. This had happened to Dawn before. She had been racing with some classmates in primary school for their annual Sports Day, and she had been so excited because in the usual running races they had in the playground, she always won. But when the actual official race started, it was as if her legs had turned to lead. No matter how hard she tried, when she really needed to be fast, she couldn't seem to get moving. Of course, it had all been an illusion, and she had in fact won, but that didn't stop her panicking as the door came into sight, the tinyest crack of light showing through it's hinges. From what she could see, she had about five seconds to get there and pry the thing open. That would have been plenty of time, had it not been for the sinking feeling of something pulling Dawn back. Tears welled in her eyes as the crack grew smaller and smaller still, and time seemed to amost stop altogether. "No!" she cried, reaching out her hand desperately, and crying out again in happiness as she just caught the side. Using all the strength she had left to muster, she managed to open the door a few centimetres more. Just as she was about to give up, her muscles burning, the door was flung open from the outside, and there, bathed in the light from the overhanging bulb, stood her saviours. Her sister, looking as scared as she had ever seen her, Xander, and Clem. Dawn burst out into the open and time regained it's usual momentum as she hugged everyone tightly. "Did Spike hurt you?" Buffy demanded in an infinitely worried tone. Dawn stood back from the hug and frowned, her features darkening with the expression. "Spike?" she repeated. "No, he saved me. Gabriel's the one who took me." The Slayer looked to Clem, who shrugged. "Oh my god!" Dawn exclaimed, as if remembering something of the utmost importance "Spike's still in there with him!" Buffy looked behind her, and with total deliberation, simply watched as the door closed completely. Good. Let him die. What did she care?
"So, is this saving humans thing new, or did you start that as soon as you left me?" Gabriel asked, trying to sound casual, but being unble to hide the bitterness in his voice. The pair, whether consciously or subconsciously, had begun to circle each other, their bodies tensed, ready to fight. "Me and Dru had no choice, Gabe." Spike assured him, although his tone was still dangerous. The other vampire curled his upper lip in distaste. "No choice?" he repeated mockingly. "No choice? Were you forced to abandon me, then?" Spike rolled his eyes, mentally reminding himself not to do that again as Gabriel had moved considerably by the time he had regained his usual concentration, and shook his head. "We didn't abandon you," he argued, itching to just fight, kill the bugger, and get it over with. "We just didn't like you, so we left." Spike shrugged with an evil smile. "Simple as." Gabriel for a moment looked as though he was going to cry, but that emotion was quickly replaced by rage. "Y'know, its funny," he began, his voice suggesting he was gearing up for something special. "Y'keep on saying 'we', but I don't see your precious Drusilla anywhere. From what I heard, she left you when you started sleepin' with the Slayer." Suddenly, he felt the strong hands of his Sire wrapped around his throat, and he realised bringing up Dru had been a bad idea. "Then y'heard wrong, lad," Spike growled, his fangs beared, him having switched to game-face. He increased the pressure on his neck, knowing he didn't breathe, so he couldn't choke him, but knowing he could at least disable him in the right position. "Now, what the hell are y'doin' in my town?" "I've come to challenge you," Gabriel managed to croak, absently wondering if the little brat had actually made it out or not, and twisting in his Sire's iron grip. "To a duel." To his surprise, Spike laughed. He should have known. He let his old Childe go and pushed him back. He gave the slightest nod, the smile still on his lips, and Gabe took that as an acceptance. He grinned and rushed forwards.
The heavy sound of the door slamming to a final close vibrated off the walls of the cellar beneath the Magic Box and Dawn whirled around. For a second, she couldn't speak, and she simply pointed dumbly towards the blocked entrance, wondering why no one was trying to re-open it. "Spike's in there!" she finally cried, a pleading look in her eyes which was replaced by confusion when nobody made a move. "We have to get him out!" she elaborated. Again, nobody moved except Clem, who leant forwards as if to tell Buffy something. "I know he's strong, but that guy in there, he's like half-vampire, half-something else! He'll kill him!" Dawn screeched, stopping the demon from informing the Slayer that it was now eight o'clock. "So?" Buffy shrugged, her voice tight with emotion. "What do I care?" Xander apprehended Dawn's total shocked outcry, and decided to just explain why Buffy was acting like she was. "Dawn, he's got the chip out." he told her in his most level tone. "Spike's made a truce with Willow. They were going to kill everyone tonight." For a moment, her young face was expressionless, but then it was filled with so many emotions, it was hard to count. She couldn't believe it - didn't believe it. "No, he saved me," she told them, not willing to accept that he would ever try to hurt her. "He came and he saved me, and no one even cares?" Tears began to stream down her cheeks. "This is Spike we're talking about! He would never hurt me!" There was a hint of a question in her voice which was heartbreaking to hear. Everyone knew how much affection she felt for the vampire. "Look, he betrayed me - again," Buffy told her in the sternest voice she could manage to put on over her devastation. "And we aren't going in there to save him!" Clem leant forwards again. "Actually, you may be right," he informed her, and motioned to behind them all where, stood proudly on the bottom steps they had just come down, was Willow.
It immediately became clear to Spike when he and his Childe had begun to fight that there was something different about him. He was finding it difficult, and he had just gotten back from that hell in Africa all revitalised and full of neat new tricks in the art of fighting. But the way Gabriel was fighting, whilst still in the style he had been taught, was amazing. He blocked everything Spike threw at him, except for a few choice roundhouse kicks, and came right back at him. "This isn't how I taught y' to fight." Spike grunted just as a punch connected with his face, almost complaining about the fact. Gabriel laughed. "Oh, did I forget to tell you?" He taunted, blocking Spike's response to his punch easily. "Had myself a little encounter with a Brukjat." On cue, he slid into his own special game-face, and watched in amusement as his Sire recoiled, a look of shock on his face. "Bloody hell," Spike muttered, glad for a break in the fight so he could have time to think of a new plan of attack. Brute force obviously wasn't going to get it done, so he would have to resort to Angel's stlye; all full of the fancy moves and that. "When did that happen, then?" "Do you care?" Gabriel sneered, the bitterness back in full force when he spoke. "Honestly?" His Sire took a step forwards and took another survey of his surroundings. "Not in the slightest." With a grunt of exertion, he leapt up to grab an overhanging bar and used it to propel his feet into Gabriel's stunned face. The blow sent the other vampire staggering backwards until he fell against the furthest wall, his nose bleeding and a look of disbelief on his now throbbing features. "You'll pay for that." he growled, beginning to stalk forwards again.
"Good line," Spike commented dryly, the sarcasm obvious. "Not at all cliched." That was then a single hit from Gabriel left him on the floor, struggling for consciousness. Bugger.
Gabriel re-entered the room where he had Dawn captive about three minutes after he had first left, and he had the look of a kid on Christmas Eve. She frowned, not knowing if this was a good or bad thing seeing as she was trapped in there with him, but decided not to ask. She had learnt in her time there that he wasn't much of one for talking, at least, not to her. "Just thought I'd warn whoever's here," Spike's voice echoed through to them, making both their heads snap round. "I'm not in the best of moods, and the first thing I see's gettin' killed." Gabriel's look of excitement did nothing if not increase ten fold. He turned and hurredly unchained Dawn, again warning her to keep silent and not to make a noise of any sort. Suddenly, she saw the vampire enter the room over Gabriel's shoudler, and all her worry melted away into a smile. "Gabe?!" Spike exclaimed in utter disbelief as soon as he had turned around, Dawn in front of his chest as if she were some sort of human shield. The light of the moon would have easily illuminated the large room, but still, a sea of candles were lit. The other vampire smiled. Spike raised a scarred eyebrow and remained where he was, glancing from one face to the other. "Oh, don't worry about her," Gabriel nodded towards Dawn, sounding almost cheery. "I'm gonna let her go as soon as you move from the doorway. Keep my promises, I do." The Slayer's little sister felt pure relief as her saviour moved cautiously aside and she was flung away. "See? It's you I want." "I can't believe y'just let a hostage go." Spike chuckled, shaking his head, ignoring his Childe's last sentence completely, and beginning to walk towards him. "What did I teach you?" "Oh, she won't get out. That door y'came through shuts itself after a few minutes." Gabriel corrected him, waving a hand dismissively. Down the corridor, Dawn's eyes widened as she overheard what had been said about the door. Without another glance back, she started to run for all she was worth.
The look on Buffy's face after Clem had finished informing her about Spike was one of total and utter devastation. It looked as though not only had her entire world come crumbling down, but it had been ground into dust afterwards. She had trusted him, even after what he had tried to do to her, and this was how he repaid her? "You're certain about what you heard?" The Slayer asked him in a desperate tone after a charged silence in which Xander had been debating whether or not to say 'I told you so'. "About Willow?" "Yeah, but neither one's too keen on the other," Clem told her, hating that he was being forced to endanger his friend's life for the sake of the Slayer, her family, and, well, the world. Ok, so maybe he didn't hate it that much. "I'd guess they're gonna kill each other pretty soon, so, you know, good." He paused. "Right?" Xander and the Slayer both looked less than happy at the prospect. Neither wanted their old best friend to die, and something still wouldn't let Buffy forget Spike. "Where is he now?" Buffy queried, looking over the demon's shoulder in case the person being discussed had suddenly appeared, as he so frequently did, and overheard. "Oh, he found this trap door downstairs," Clem told her in an almost dismissive manner "He's gone to check it out." The Slayer shot him a look which clearly said 'are you a complete idiot'? "You mean whilst we've been stood here talking, a killer might be down in some secret hideaway with my baby sister?" she hissed in disbelief. Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed hold of Xander and started to drag him down the other set of stairs after Spike.
It felt as though she were running in slow motion. This had happened to Dawn before. She had been racing with some classmates in primary school for their annual Sports Day, and she had been so excited because in the usual running races they had in the playground, she always won. But when the actual official race started, it was as if her legs had turned to lead. No matter how hard she tried, when she really needed to be fast, she couldn't seem to get moving. Of course, it had all been an illusion, and she had in fact won, but that didn't stop her panicking as the door came into sight, the tinyest crack of light showing through it's hinges. From what she could see, she had about five seconds to get there and pry the thing open. That would have been plenty of time, had it not been for the sinking feeling of something pulling Dawn back. Tears welled in her eyes as the crack grew smaller and smaller still, and time seemed to amost stop altogether. "No!" she cried, reaching out her hand desperately, and crying out again in happiness as she just caught the side. Using all the strength she had left to muster, she managed to open the door a few centimetres more. Just as she was about to give up, her muscles burning, the door was flung open from the outside, and there, bathed in the light from the overhanging bulb, stood her saviours. Her sister, looking as scared as she had ever seen her, Xander, and Clem. Dawn burst out into the open and time regained it's usual momentum as she hugged everyone tightly. "Did Spike hurt you?" Buffy demanded in an infinitely worried tone. Dawn stood back from the hug and frowned, her features darkening with the expression. "Spike?" she repeated. "No, he saved me. Gabriel's the one who took me." The Slayer looked to Clem, who shrugged. "Oh my god!" Dawn exclaimed, as if remembering something of the utmost importance "Spike's still in there with him!" Buffy looked behind her, and with total deliberation, simply watched as the door closed completely. Good. Let him die. What did she care?
"So, is this saving humans thing new, or did you start that as soon as you left me?" Gabriel asked, trying to sound casual, but being unble to hide the bitterness in his voice. The pair, whether consciously or subconsciously, had begun to circle each other, their bodies tensed, ready to fight. "Me and Dru had no choice, Gabe." Spike assured him, although his tone was still dangerous. The other vampire curled his upper lip in distaste. "No choice?" he repeated mockingly. "No choice? Were you forced to abandon me, then?" Spike rolled his eyes, mentally reminding himself not to do that again as Gabriel had moved considerably by the time he had regained his usual concentration, and shook his head. "We didn't abandon you," he argued, itching to just fight, kill the bugger, and get it over with. "We just didn't like you, so we left." Spike shrugged with an evil smile. "Simple as." Gabriel for a moment looked as though he was going to cry, but that emotion was quickly replaced by rage. "Y'know, its funny," he began, his voice suggesting he was gearing up for something special. "Y'keep on saying 'we', but I don't see your precious Drusilla anywhere. From what I heard, she left you when you started sleepin' with the Slayer." Suddenly, he felt the strong hands of his Sire wrapped around his throat, and he realised bringing up Dru had been a bad idea. "Then y'heard wrong, lad," Spike growled, his fangs beared, him having switched to game-face. He increased the pressure on his neck, knowing he didn't breathe, so he couldn't choke him, but knowing he could at least disable him in the right position. "Now, what the hell are y'doin' in my town?" "I've come to challenge you," Gabriel managed to croak, absently wondering if the little brat had actually made it out or not, and twisting in his Sire's iron grip. "To a duel." To his surprise, Spike laughed. He should have known. He let his old Childe go and pushed him back. He gave the slightest nod, the smile still on his lips, and Gabe took that as an acceptance. He grinned and rushed forwards.
The heavy sound of the door slamming to a final close vibrated off the walls of the cellar beneath the Magic Box and Dawn whirled around. For a second, she couldn't speak, and she simply pointed dumbly towards the blocked entrance, wondering why no one was trying to re-open it. "Spike's in there!" she finally cried, a pleading look in her eyes which was replaced by confusion when nobody made a move. "We have to get him out!" she elaborated. Again, nobody moved except Clem, who leant forwards as if to tell Buffy something. "I know he's strong, but that guy in there, he's like half-vampire, half-something else! He'll kill him!" Dawn screeched, stopping the demon from informing the Slayer that it was now eight o'clock. "So?" Buffy shrugged, her voice tight with emotion. "What do I care?" Xander apprehended Dawn's total shocked outcry, and decided to just explain why Buffy was acting like she was. "Dawn, he's got the chip out." he told her in his most level tone. "Spike's made a truce with Willow. They were going to kill everyone tonight." For a moment, her young face was expressionless, but then it was filled with so many emotions, it was hard to count. She couldn't believe it - didn't believe it. "No, he saved me," she told them, not willing to accept that he would ever try to hurt her. "He came and he saved me, and no one even cares?" Tears began to stream down her cheeks. "This is Spike we're talking about! He would never hurt me!" There was a hint of a question in her voice which was heartbreaking to hear. Everyone knew how much affection she felt for the vampire. "Look, he betrayed me - again," Buffy told her in the sternest voice she could manage to put on over her devastation. "And we aren't going in there to save him!" Clem leant forwards again. "Actually, you may be right," he informed her, and motioned to behind them all where, stood proudly on the bottom steps they had just come down, was Willow.
It immediately became clear to Spike when he and his Childe had begun to fight that there was something different about him. He was finding it difficult, and he had just gotten back from that hell in Africa all revitalised and full of neat new tricks in the art of fighting. But the way Gabriel was fighting, whilst still in the style he had been taught, was amazing. He blocked everything Spike threw at him, except for a few choice roundhouse kicks, and came right back at him. "This isn't how I taught y' to fight." Spike grunted just as a punch connected with his face, almost complaining about the fact. Gabriel laughed. "Oh, did I forget to tell you?" He taunted, blocking Spike's response to his punch easily. "Had myself a little encounter with a Brukjat." On cue, he slid into his own special game-face, and watched in amusement as his Sire recoiled, a look of shock on his face. "Bloody hell," Spike muttered, glad for a break in the fight so he could have time to think of a new plan of attack. Brute force obviously wasn't going to get it done, so he would have to resort to Angel's stlye; all full of the fancy moves and that. "When did that happen, then?" "Do you care?" Gabriel sneered, the bitterness back in full force when he spoke. "Honestly?" His Sire took a step forwards and took another survey of his surroundings. "Not in the slightest." With a grunt of exertion, he leapt up to grab an overhanging bar and used it to propel his feet into Gabriel's stunned face. The blow sent the other vampire staggering backwards until he fell against the furthest wall, his nose bleeding and a look of disbelief on his now throbbing features. "You'll pay for that." he growled, beginning to stalk forwards again.
"Good line," Spike commented dryly, the sarcasm obvious. "Not at all cliched." That was then a single hit from Gabriel left him on the floor, struggling for consciousness. Bugger.