"Patofi."






"Patofi."
Part two of the "What Am I?" series.
Rating: PG-13. For this part of the series anyways.
Spoilers: I don't have the time or the energy to go through and state exactly what spoilers are contained in my fics just assume that anything that has aired in the US is fair game.
Disclaimers: Joss owns everything fun. I only borrow it for a while.
Feedback: Let me know what you think. (ladyduvessa19@icqmail.com)

It kept flowing from her body, through his fingers, to the ground where it was absorbed by the soil. He couldn't think. Part of him longed to bring his hand to his mouth and lick it off his fingers, but the man in him wanted nothing more than to erase the pain in her eyes and destroy the thing that had caused it.

"A message. To show that you are not above us." A cold empty voice spoke from behind Buffy. The pain in her eyes shifted to anger and she rolled off Spikes body wincing in pain and pressing her hand against the stab wound.

"What the hell kind of message is that? Can't you people ever just write a note?" she had begun to stand and was planning on fighting the demon who had attacked her, but Spike made it to his feet faster than she could and helped her up.

"We need to go." There was a frightened tone to his voice, but Buffy didn't seem to notice. He put his hand on her back trying to lead her away, but she pushed it away.

"I'm not going anywhere. This guy thinks he can get away with what he just did. I plan to show him otherwise." Her arm pulled back and she pushed her fist quickly to the demons face. It never made contact. Spike had caught her fist mid punch, picked her up, and threw her over his shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing?" She tried to struggle, but it only made the wound in her back send searing pains to her brain.

"Saving your life." There were no more words after that. She just lay limp as he carried her away from what he feared was the beginning of her end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He had to take her somewhere. The magic shop had been closed for hours and her house was empty, so reluctantly he found himself knocking on the door of the apartment that belonged to Xander and Anya. He had pounded on the door for a good five minutes before a groggy Xander opened it.

"I know this is a different concept for you, but people tend to be sleeping at one in the morning." Xander was clearly annoyed by his rude awakening and normally Spike would have exchanged nasty comments with him, but he just stood there waiting for him to realize that there was a girl hanging over his shoulder. When Xander saw the tear in Buffy's shirt and the blood that was underneath it his mouth fell open.

"Oh that's helping." Spike said in reference to Xander's state of shock.

"Right. The couch. Lay her on the couch." Xander didn't know what to do. It seemed like getting her comfortable was a good start.

Anya had come over to them and was yawning. "Xander that's a new couch." She said disapprovingly.

"An." Xander shrugged apologetically.

"But she'll get blood all over it."

"ANYA." This time Xander was more angry than apologetic.

"It's OK. Really I'm fine." Spike had lowered Buffy off his shoulders and she was standing next to him.

"You know you don't always have to be Super Girl, Buff." Xander pulled out a chair and Buffy sat in it glad to be off her feet.

"You got any towels, bandages, and what not to stop the bleeding?" Spike began rummaging through Xander and Anya's things before he had even finished the question.

"I'll get them." Anya had returned with the towels immediately.

"You're going to have to take your shirt off." Spike said as Anya placed a bowl of water on the table so Spike would be able to clean Buffy's wound.

"Take my… wha???" Buffy had turned a bright shade of red.

*Minds always in the gutter.* Spike thought just before reassuring her. "So I can clean the bloody hole in your back."

She lifted her shirt just far enough so that Spike could get at the wound. Xander and Anya gasped at the sight of the wound and Buffy spoke up. "It's not that bad. Honestly, Spike's more worried about it than I am."

"It's not the cut I'm worried about. It's the demon who made it." Anya had brought him gauze and medical tape. It only took him three tries to cover the gash in Buffy's back. His fingers kept getting caught in the tape.

"What are you talking about? I could've taken him out if you hadn't have thrown me over your shoulder and dragged me away." Spike couldn't believe she didn't know what the demon was that attacked her. How could Giles have not mentioned them to her? She should have been looking out for them.

"And that's exactly what he wanted you to do. Wanted you to kill him with his own knife." The three in the room gave him a puzzling looks. It was Xander who broke the silence.

"He wanted her to kill him? Just when I think I have them figured out they throw a curve ball that knocks down all my theories."

"It's ok honey." Anya said patting Xander on the back. It looked to Spike like Xander wanted to tell her that he was only kidding, but he kept quiet.

"I'm with Xander on this one. What kind of demon would want me to kill him? Kinda thought it was supposed to be the other way around." Spike was annoyed by the fact that Buffy didn't understand.

"How is it that you aren't dead?? Did you not see the bloody tattoo on his neck?"

"You mean the black knife tattoo thing?" Spike was trying really hard not to yell. It didn't work.

"Yes the bleedin' tattoo. It's the mark of Patofi." Spike could tell that this meant nothing to her so he continued to explain. "Years before I was a vamp there was a guy from somewhere in England by the name of Count Patofi. Apparently he found out what gave the slayer her strength. He got involved in some heavy Wiccan mojo and round up some demons and marked them with a tattoo. Then he gave them each a dagger to match the one on their tattoo. The daggers had all been cursed, you see, to make the demon loose to the slayer and drain her of her strength."

"It would take away my strength?" Spike knew that this was the one thing that would bother her and it did.

"Only temporarily. You would have it back in about a day or so." Anya had chimed in apparently knowing a thing or two about Patofi.

"Why would they die to drain me of my strength? They can't do much to me if they're dead." Buffy's face was scrunched up from thinking too hard. Spike loved that look. So involved.

"They're only the tools. Count Patofi made them that way. They don't know how to win you. All they know is to let you kill them with their own weapon. That's what takes away your strength, their death. Patofi is still alive and he keeps adding more demons to his line. You have to pay him a fair amount to use one of them." It looked like Anya could have gone on for another hour about these demons and Spike was grateful when Xander interrupted her mid-story.

"And that's why I love her so much. Top of the line information on all the things you hoped weren't living under your bed."

"But why haven't they come after me before now? No power slayer equals big demon party." Buffy didn't seem in the least bit concerned. It worried Spike. If she wasn't careful she was going to end up dead before sunrise.

"Patofi went a little crazy in his old age. Charges ridiculous prices and will only lend those of his line to demons who he thinks could really pull it off. Long story short there aren't a lot of eligible candidates. Last time I even saw the old bat was when he came to see Angelus." Spike knew that Buffy would take notice to this.

"He.. he came to see Angel."

"That's right. He thought the Poofter would be able to kill you. But Angelus didn't want you powerless. Wanted to take you out knowing that you really lost." Spike hated the way she still reacted to Angel.

"I have to go." Buffy had quickly stood up and grabbed her coat. "Thanks for the quick mend Xand."

"Where the hell are you going? You're not going to call Peaches are you?" she didn't answer him. Just kept walking towards the door. "Buffy!" as he yelled her name she turned to face him.

"What difference does it make Spike? Last time I checked this was still my life. You can't tell me what to do." She always got touchy about Angel.

"No I guess I bloody well can't. That doesn't stop you from telling me what to do." Xander and Anya were watching them fight. It looked like Xander was about to bust out laughing.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Buffy was getting mad.

"It means what it means. You know I'll do anything for you and you use that. You bloody use ME! Would you even come to me if there was anyone else?" the anger was rising in her eyes, but she didn't speak. "WOULD YOU?"

She turned away and stormed out the door. She never answered him. Whenever there was a question that she didn't want to answer she either left or made it hard for him to even remember what his question was. Spike felt Xander and Anya staring at him and decided that he better leave. He thought about following Buffy, but he knew that he would just say something stupid. He was so furious at her. No matter what he, or anyone else for that matter, did she was still hung up on Angel. He had said it himself once. They'll never be friends. Well he would make her forget. Anything it took. He would make her forget Angel. And the best way to start would be to figure out what was after her. So he found himself at the spot where she was attacked. As he looked at the spot where they had laid. Thinking of nothing but how she felt and how the night could have ended. As much fun as they had had in the past, and as much fun they would have had if she hadn't have been attacked, he couldn't help wondering if he would ever be her first choice.



Part 1 || Part 3