Freedom Fighter
CHAPTER 3
(the next day)
Geia ducked around a corner as two nurses walked by, oblivious to her. She let out the deep breath she had been holding and quickly made her way down the corridor. Willow was coming at one o'clock to pick her up, but Geia was now hesitant. She had always been able to take care of herself and the thought of someone helping her when she really didn't need it wasn't appealing. She knew she had about ten minutes until Willow would show and when the hospital would actually release her, so when the nurse came in the last time, she locked herself in the bathroom, pretending to be sick. The nurse left, and Geia had snuck down the hallways until she had made it to the back of the hospital where the ambulances came in...where Spike had apparently brought her last night after the attack.
A chill swept through her when she thought of that vampire who attacked her. It had been the most terrifying thing she had ever seen, and for a moment, a split second, Geia swore her heart had stopped. Fear's icy grip had wrapped itself around her heart, not enough to kill her but just long enough to leave an impression. A very big impression. And then the nightmares came last night, reliving the attack over and over again, but every time the vampire became a little more scary. And her rescue and rescuer a little more heroic.
Geia sprinted the last 50 feet to the door and out into the back parking lot...freedom. Not too many people like hospitals, and Geia was one who loathed them. She'd seen too many relatives and friends die in hospitals. The warm California sun swept over her as she walked through the wooded area behind the hospital, taking away the cold feeling hospitals always left her with. As close to death as she had come last night, this day was sunny, warm and it made Geia feel whole, as if nothing had happened. She knew the feeling would vanish as soon as the sun set, but she'd enjoy it for now.
Wandering aimlessly was her purpose now, but Geia soon found herself in a graveyard. The one that Spike lived in, strangely enough. She had overheard Buffy mutter something to Spike last night about going home to Sunnydale Cemetary after he left the hospital so he didn't get into any trouble. As truly ironic and frightening Geia found it to be that a vampire had saved her from another vampire, she couldn't help but wonder about this Spike character. The drugs had already kicked in when Buffy and company arrived at the hospital, so Geia didn't get a good look at the vamp. She knew he was blonde and wore a lot of black, but that's where the specifics ended. The only other thing she noticed was the thick British accent laced with sarcasm. A smart-ass vampire, on top of the fact that he doesn't or... can't kill people. But her curiostiy had been aroused and she wanted to know more about this place called the Hellmouth. Geia figured Spike could tell her what she wanted to know. Buffy had left A LOT of blank spots, probably on purpose, when she explained what had happened last night, plus the drugs hadn't helped her comprehension skills......
Geia stopped walking when she saw a large crypt near the back of the cemetary. If she was a vampire and couldn't walk out into the sunlight, a crypt would make a good home. She always followed her gut, and her heart for that matter, and the gut was screaming to go check out the crypt. Geia made her way through the maze of headstones to the door of the crypt. She raised her hand to knock, but then chided herself. If this was where Spike was living, he wouldn't chance opening the door in broad daylight....sunlight bad. Plus he wouldn't know who it was, and Geia wasn't too sure he'd open the door for her. And waiting until night wasn't even an option--she was never going out at night alone again. But then again...she really wanted to talk to this Spike character.
Figuring her curiosity outweighed her worries, as dangerous as it might be, Geia knocked on the crypt door. She stood still to listen for any noise and was ready to knock again when a voice yelled out to her.
"Don't even come in here, Slayer. I'm tired, cranky, and bloody mad as hell because I don't have any cigarettes. Come back when you've got a pack of Camel's on you, pet."
Pushing all worries aside, Geia stuck her head in the door and saw Spike watching a small television, his back to her. She stepped in and was ready for just about any reaction, but was disappointed. Spike didn't even glance backward, but his tone became sarcastic.
"Are you deaf or did a vamp cut your ears off? Now is not a good time for you to come here with an order for me, Slayer...go here, Spike. Find this for me, Spike. Kill this demon for me, Spike. Risk your life for me and I'll still treat you like dirt, Spike. I'm through with being ordered around. I'm my own man, or..yeah. You know what I mean."
Geia walked down the steps and stood a fair distance away from the chair he was sitting in. "Um...it's me, Spike."
Spike abruptly stood up. "It's you. That tells me a whole 'ell of a lot-" He stopped when he turned around and saw Geia. "Oh. I guess it is you. Didn't recognize your voice." Spike came around the chair and saw her up close and awake for the first time. She looked tired, bags around her eyes, still pale and there was an exhausted air about her stance, but her eyes said differently. His eyes narrowed. "Aren't you supposed to be in the death house...I mean, hospital?"
Geia focused her eyes on a spot on the wall behind the peroxide blonde vamp. "Yeah, but I left before Willow came to check me out. I have a problem with people trying to take care of me." Her eyes quickly darted to meet his for a split second, and then returned to the spot on the wall.
"Right. So why are you here, of all places?" Stupid question, and Spike knew it because he had basically counted on Geia showing up at sometime and wanting to know about Sunnydale. He knew that Buffy or any of her followers wouldn't spill much for fear of scaring the girl any more, but Spike had also figured that if Geia was as scared as the Slayer thought, she would have left Sunnydale without a backwards glance early this morning. She also wouldn't have come to HIM, a vampire.
Her eyes met his again, and Geia saw what she had seen in her dreams-a blonde vampire with a sculpted face and a lean build, but nothing remotely close to scary, other than the fact that he was a vampire. "I thought maybe you could answer some questions for me. It's not everyday someone moves to the Hellmouth and gets attacked by a vampire and saved by another vampire within 72 hours of arriving. To think I stayed in Michigan all that time when there is so much exicitement here in Sunnydale."
That cracked a small smile from Spike. It was a luxury he didn't allow himself often, but he had to admit he liked the girl. She was a smart-ass like himself, but she had an innocent way about her that he hadn't seen in a while, being around serious mortals all the time. Geia wasn't pathetic or helpless, but slightly naive and full of curiosity. "What do you want to know?" he asked as he sat down.
Geia sat down in the chair across from his and looked around the crypt. "I think I'm just confused on the whole situation I've put myself in. And I want to help--you know, with whatever it is that Buffy and her friends do."
Spike grabbed the bottle of bourbon off the table beside him and took a swig. "Alright, we'll do the basics. Buffy's the Slayer, the almighty 'Chosen One'. She fights evil with a pointy stick, and if that doesn't work, she beats the hell out of them. There are loads of other vampire slayers, but Buffy's like the head honcho. Only if she dies does another slayer come up-I swear they breed them like there's an apocalypse coming, so pardon me for not bowing down and chanting a prayer in her name."
Geia laughed softly. "Someone's got a bit of a grudge." She received a "yeah, just slightly" look from Spike and couldn't help but smile a little. "And what about everyone else?"
Spike sank down farther in his chair, a smirk on his face. "There's the Scooby gang--Buffy's little helpers, or friends as she calls them. Willow's a witch, so she does spells and stuff to help Buffy fight whatever big bad evil comes to town. Anya is this ex-demon who used to put curses on men who had done their ladies wrong, and she and Xander are together." He made a gagging gesture. "There's nothing magic or strange about Xander other than, well, I can't stand him." Spike scowled. "Just can't stand the guy. And he's not too fond of me."
Geia saw the glint in his eyes and quickly spoke up. "Okay, so what about that shopkeeper, Mr. Giles?"
The vampire threw the now-empty bottle of bourbon on the couch close to his chair. "Forgot about him. He's Buffy's Watcher--the guy who taught Buffy how to fight vampires when she moved to Sunnydale, watches out for her, that kind of thing." He stood up and walked over to the refrigerator, looking for something else to drink. Spike pulled a can of beer out. "You want one?"
"No thanks. I'm not a big beer fan." Spike shrugged and shut the refrigerator door then sat back down. "Does Buffy have any siblings? I would think it would be dangerous for her family, her being the Slayer."
Spike downed half the beer in one gulp. "Yeah. She's got a sister, Dawn. And her mom, cause her parents split. But Dawn's not REALLY her sister." He nodded at Geia. "What time is it?"
She glanced down at her watch. "Almost two. Why?"
The crushed beer can was tossed beside the empty bourbon bottle. "Cause as soon as the sun sets, I'm going out. But until then, I'll tell you about why Dawn isn't Buffy's sister and maybe if you're good, a story about Buffy and her first boyfriend, Angel. Let's just say Buffy's life is what people write bloody books about....."
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"She left a message on my machine saying she had left the hospital early and that she'd be fine. No one in the hospital remembered seeing her leave, and she didn't check out." Willow threw Buffy a concerned look. "I'm really worried, Buffy. She shouldn't be out there, alone. It's almost sunset.
Buffy stood up from her chair and started pacing the room after hearing Willow's story. The entire gang had been called to The Magic Box when Willow had come back without Geia. "We know it's not a vampire-it's still day out, and I haven't heard of any demons in town."
Giles walked around the table and sat down beside Xander. "Is it possible that she just wanted to be alone? She did go through an awful lot."
Buffy let out a sigh. "It's possible, but this is Sunnydale, home of all things evil. I hope it's something as simple as Geia wanting time to herself, but..."
Anya spoke up from the front counter after her customer had left. "Maybe a couple of us should just go out and look for her. She won't want to be alone forever, plus it's going to be night soon, and if I had just gotten bit by a vampire, I'd want to be home before dark."
Giles slapped the table and stood back up. "Anya's right. Xander, you and Willow go over to Geia's house tonight and check up on her. Just see if she needs anything, even if it is just some company." He turned to Buffy. "In the meanwhile, we need to find these hit-and-run vampires before they kill anyone else. Anya and I will stay here in case anything shows up, and I want you to find Spike, Buffy. He can help you fight these vampires. And make sure your mom and Dawn stay inside tonight. They'll be safe at home."
Everyone left except for Anya and Giles, knowing what they had to do. Willow got into Xander's car and glanced at the darkening sky. "I hope we find her, Xander. It's too dangerous out at night."
Xander patted her hand and then shifted into drive. "We'll find her, don't worry. And if we don't, then Buffy or even the bleach-blonde boy may." His brow furrowed with worry and his voice was shaking with nervousness. "But the best thing to hope for is that she's at home. I'd kind of like to meet her."
It wasn't long before Xander's car turned onto the street Geia lived on, and they drove slowly, looking for anyone walking on the sidewalks. Willow nudged Xander and pointed over to two shadowy figures on the side of the road. Xander took the hint and followed behind, still unable to make out who the two where. He parked the car near Geia's house, where the figures were headed, and he and Willow raced to catch up.
Geia unlocked her front door and then gave Spike a grateful smile. "Thanks for walking me home. I felt a lot safer having someone with me."
Spike choked at her words. This girl was an odd one, and did Buffy know how to pick new friends. She actually felt safe with him! Now he could brag to the Slayer that he wasn't the monster she thought he was. But then again, she might want to banter with him and say something like the girl had a bad taste in character. Hell...he'd take his bloody chances to prove the Slayer wrong. "Yeah. No problem. I was heading this direction anyways."
Geia smiled slightly. "Do you want to come in, Spike?"
Spike's eyes nearly popped out of his head. The broad was without a doubt weird. But the vampire had to admit that she had guts, and it was nice to be seen and referred to as a person. "You sure you want me in your house?" He glanced upward and looked at the two-story house. "Why does one person need a house this big anyway?"
Geia's ears picked up a noise near the side of her house and she looked in that direction, but saw nothing. Had it been lighter out, she would have seen Xander and Willow hiding behind the bushes, watching and hearing everything. "Come in, and I'll tell you why."
Intrigued, Spike followed her inside, shutting the door behind him. Willow exchanged a wide-eyed look with Xander. "He just...she just...Xander, what do we do?"
Xander sat down on the ground. "Well, we can bust in and make ourselves look like idiots or wait for a while and be worried 'til we're not paying attention and a vampire or some other evil thing kills us, or we could-"
Willow sat down beside him. "Or maybe we're worrying TOO much. I say we sit here and wait for a while, but not get so worried a bad guy sneaks up on us and...yeah." She saw a light come on in a nearby window and smiled. "Or we could go see what they're doing without them knowing."
Xander glanced between Willow and the window before getting up. "Well, let's do it before I start thinking I'm a peeping tom or something."
They crept over to the ground-level window and looked over the bottom to see Geia hanging her jacket on a coat rack near the front door and Spike standing awkwardly in the middle of the large living room. "Can you hear them?" Willow whispered.
Xander shook his head. "Nope. Can't you do a spell and make stethascope appear or-?"
Willow cut him off. "I'm not a genie, Xander. And besides, that would be invading their privacy."
Xander snorted. "What privacy? She let a vampire in her house. Now he can come in whenever he wants."
The witch watched as Spike sat down and Geia left the room. The vampire looked slightly uncomfortable being in the house. "He can't hurt anybody, silly. And you heard him ask if she really wanted him in her house. Apparently it doesn't freak her out. And he did save her life."
Xander kept his eyes on Spike. "But that doesn't mean we should trust Spike. He's a cold-blooded killer."
"Was a cold-blooded killer." Willow corrected. "I honestly think Buffy dying the second time changed him for good. You saw how he helped take care of Dawn, and how caring he was. I honestly think, in some way, he's able to feel a full range of emotions like we do." She saw Geia come back in the room and say something to Spike that made him, very hesitantly, follow her into another room. "Uh-oh. Now we can't watch them."
"And I'm the one who wanted to invade their privacy?" teased Xander. "Maybe she's showing him around or something." The hopeful tone in his voice didn't match the worry in his eyes. "Let's go back to the car and wait. If one or both of them doesn't come out in five minutes, we'll go in." The duo headed back to the car and waited anxiously for five long minutes to pass.
Spike followed behind Geia as she led him upstairs. He noticed she had pulled her hair up, and he saw that underneath the strap of her thin tank top on her left shoulder blade was a tattoo of an angel, its wings open. Below the angel was a smaller, very evil-looking figure, but Spike couldn't recognize it He got a closer look as they rounded the top of the steps and back a hallway--there was writing around the angel, very small, but it looked like Latin to Spike. And the figure below the angel was some sort of demon. His Latin was too rusty to even try to remember, and he could frankly give a bloody damn about the demonic figure, so he shrugged it off.
Geia went into her bedroom and flipped the light, motioning for Spike to follow. Spike stopped at the doorway and peered inside. Looked normal--furniture, paintings on the walls, but his eyes were drawn to a decoration on the farthest wall made up of sparkling blue glass balls. He tore his eyes away from the wall hanging when he saw Geia expected him to come in the room. "I think I'll be going now. Gotta go stake some vampires so Buffy doesn't get on my ass."
Geia stopped and turned around. "You saw my tattoo, I'm assuming?"
Spike's eyes narrowed in suspicion. This broad was really starting to freak him out. "Yeah, so what? Thought it was..different."
She sat down on the bed, a slight smile on her face. "Did you read the words around the angel?"
Spike shook his head and took a step backwards when he saw her eyes glint dangerously and turn a dark green. "Nope, afraid I didn't. My Latin isn't exactly, well, remembered." The vampire swore her eyes were burning holes in him better than sunlight could.
Just as fast as the look in her eyes appeared, it vanished. "That's too bad. Sorry I dragged you up here for nothing. Thanks again for walking me home." Spike assumed he was dismissed, so he left, not knowing what to make of Geia. As soon as he stepped out on the street, he was confronted by Xander and Willow, and he related the story about Geia coming to him with questions, but not about what had happened in the house. He figured Geia was just a weird broad, and he didn't want Buffy or any of her friends going all "gotta see if Geia's evil" trip. As the three left to go find Buffy and tell her what had went on, they didn't notice a figure going inside Geia's house, and that all the lights in the house simultaneously came on, and then went off when the front door closed.
CHAPTER 3
(the next day)
Geia ducked around a corner as two nurses walked by, oblivious to her. She let out the deep breath she had been holding and quickly made her way down the corridor. Willow was coming at one o'clock to pick her up, but Geia was now hesitant. She had always been able to take care of herself and the thought of someone helping her when she really didn't need it wasn't appealing. She knew she had about ten minutes until Willow would show and when the hospital would actually release her, so when the nurse came in the last time, she locked herself in the bathroom, pretending to be sick. The nurse left, and Geia had snuck down the hallways until she had made it to the back of the hospital where the ambulances came in...where Spike had apparently brought her last night after the attack.
A chill swept through her when she thought of that vampire who attacked her. It had been the most terrifying thing she had ever seen, and for a moment, a split second, Geia swore her heart had stopped. Fear's icy grip had wrapped itself around her heart, not enough to kill her but just long enough to leave an impression. A very big impression. And then the nightmares came last night, reliving the attack over and over again, but every time the vampire became a little more scary. And her rescue and rescuer a little more heroic.
Geia sprinted the last 50 feet to the door and out into the back parking lot...freedom. Not too many people like hospitals, and Geia was one who loathed them. She'd seen too many relatives and friends die in hospitals. The warm California sun swept over her as she walked through the wooded area behind the hospital, taking away the cold feeling hospitals always left her with. As close to death as she had come last night, this day was sunny, warm and it made Geia feel whole, as if nothing had happened. She knew the feeling would vanish as soon as the sun set, but she'd enjoy it for now.
Wandering aimlessly was her purpose now, but Geia soon found herself in a graveyard. The one that Spike lived in, strangely enough. She had overheard Buffy mutter something to Spike last night about going home to Sunnydale Cemetary after he left the hospital so he didn't get into any trouble. As truly ironic and frightening Geia found it to be that a vampire had saved her from another vampire, she couldn't help but wonder about this Spike character. The drugs had already kicked in when Buffy and company arrived at the hospital, so Geia didn't get a good look at the vamp. She knew he was blonde and wore a lot of black, but that's where the specifics ended. The only other thing she noticed was the thick British accent laced with sarcasm. A smart-ass vampire, on top of the fact that he doesn't or... can't kill people. But her curiostiy had been aroused and she wanted to know more about this place called the Hellmouth. Geia figured Spike could tell her what she wanted to know. Buffy had left A LOT of blank spots, probably on purpose, when she explained what had happened last night, plus the drugs hadn't helped her comprehension skills......
Geia stopped walking when she saw a large crypt near the back of the cemetary. If she was a vampire and couldn't walk out into the sunlight, a crypt would make a good home. She always followed her gut, and her heart for that matter, and the gut was screaming to go check out the crypt. Geia made her way through the maze of headstones to the door of the crypt. She raised her hand to knock, but then chided herself. If this was where Spike was living, he wouldn't chance opening the door in broad daylight....sunlight bad. Plus he wouldn't know who it was, and Geia wasn't too sure he'd open the door for her. And waiting until night wasn't even an option--she was never going out at night alone again. But then again...she really wanted to talk to this Spike character.
Figuring her curiosity outweighed her worries, as dangerous as it might be, Geia knocked on the crypt door. She stood still to listen for any noise and was ready to knock again when a voice yelled out to her.
"Don't even come in here, Slayer. I'm tired, cranky, and bloody mad as hell because I don't have any cigarettes. Come back when you've got a pack of Camel's on you, pet."
Pushing all worries aside, Geia stuck her head in the door and saw Spike watching a small television, his back to her. She stepped in and was ready for just about any reaction, but was disappointed. Spike didn't even glance backward, but his tone became sarcastic.
"Are you deaf or did a vamp cut your ears off? Now is not a good time for you to come here with an order for me, Slayer...go here, Spike. Find this for me, Spike. Kill this demon for me, Spike. Risk your life for me and I'll still treat you like dirt, Spike. I'm through with being ordered around. I'm my own man, or..yeah. You know what I mean."
Geia walked down the steps and stood a fair distance away from the chair he was sitting in. "Um...it's me, Spike."
Spike abruptly stood up. "It's you. That tells me a whole 'ell of a lot-" He stopped when he turned around and saw Geia. "Oh. I guess it is you. Didn't recognize your voice." Spike came around the chair and saw her up close and awake for the first time. She looked tired, bags around her eyes, still pale and there was an exhausted air about her stance, but her eyes said differently. His eyes narrowed. "Aren't you supposed to be in the death house...I mean, hospital?"
Geia focused her eyes on a spot on the wall behind the peroxide blonde vamp. "Yeah, but I left before Willow came to check me out. I have a problem with people trying to take care of me." Her eyes quickly darted to meet his for a split second, and then returned to the spot on the wall.
"Right. So why are you here, of all places?" Stupid question, and Spike knew it because he had basically counted on Geia showing up at sometime and wanting to know about Sunnydale. He knew that Buffy or any of her followers wouldn't spill much for fear of scaring the girl any more, but Spike had also figured that if Geia was as scared as the Slayer thought, she would have left Sunnydale without a backwards glance early this morning. She also wouldn't have come to HIM, a vampire.
Her eyes met his again, and Geia saw what she had seen in her dreams-a blonde vampire with a sculpted face and a lean build, but nothing remotely close to scary, other than the fact that he was a vampire. "I thought maybe you could answer some questions for me. It's not everyday someone moves to the Hellmouth and gets attacked by a vampire and saved by another vampire within 72 hours of arriving. To think I stayed in Michigan all that time when there is so much exicitement here in Sunnydale."
That cracked a small smile from Spike. It was a luxury he didn't allow himself often, but he had to admit he liked the girl. She was a smart-ass like himself, but she had an innocent way about her that he hadn't seen in a while, being around serious mortals all the time. Geia wasn't pathetic or helpless, but slightly naive and full of curiosity. "What do you want to know?" he asked as he sat down.
Geia sat down in the chair across from his and looked around the crypt. "I think I'm just confused on the whole situation I've put myself in. And I want to help--you know, with whatever it is that Buffy and her friends do."
Spike grabbed the bottle of bourbon off the table beside him and took a swig. "Alright, we'll do the basics. Buffy's the Slayer, the almighty 'Chosen One'. She fights evil with a pointy stick, and if that doesn't work, she beats the hell out of them. There are loads of other vampire slayers, but Buffy's like the head honcho. Only if she dies does another slayer come up-I swear they breed them like there's an apocalypse coming, so pardon me for not bowing down and chanting a prayer in her name."
Geia laughed softly. "Someone's got a bit of a grudge." She received a "yeah, just slightly" look from Spike and couldn't help but smile a little. "And what about everyone else?"
Spike sank down farther in his chair, a smirk on his face. "There's the Scooby gang--Buffy's little helpers, or friends as she calls them. Willow's a witch, so she does spells and stuff to help Buffy fight whatever big bad evil comes to town. Anya is this ex-demon who used to put curses on men who had done their ladies wrong, and she and Xander are together." He made a gagging gesture. "There's nothing magic or strange about Xander other than, well, I can't stand him." Spike scowled. "Just can't stand the guy. And he's not too fond of me."
Geia saw the glint in his eyes and quickly spoke up. "Okay, so what about that shopkeeper, Mr. Giles?"
The vampire threw the now-empty bottle of bourbon on the couch close to his chair. "Forgot about him. He's Buffy's Watcher--the guy who taught Buffy how to fight vampires when she moved to Sunnydale, watches out for her, that kind of thing." He stood up and walked over to the refrigerator, looking for something else to drink. Spike pulled a can of beer out. "You want one?"
"No thanks. I'm not a big beer fan." Spike shrugged and shut the refrigerator door then sat back down. "Does Buffy have any siblings? I would think it would be dangerous for her family, her being the Slayer."
Spike downed half the beer in one gulp. "Yeah. She's got a sister, Dawn. And her mom, cause her parents split. But Dawn's not REALLY her sister." He nodded at Geia. "What time is it?"
She glanced down at her watch. "Almost two. Why?"
The crushed beer can was tossed beside the empty bourbon bottle. "Cause as soon as the sun sets, I'm going out. But until then, I'll tell you about why Dawn isn't Buffy's sister and maybe if you're good, a story about Buffy and her first boyfriend, Angel. Let's just say Buffy's life is what people write bloody books about....."
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"She left a message on my machine saying she had left the hospital early and that she'd be fine. No one in the hospital remembered seeing her leave, and she didn't check out." Willow threw Buffy a concerned look. "I'm really worried, Buffy. She shouldn't be out there, alone. It's almost sunset.
Buffy stood up from her chair and started pacing the room after hearing Willow's story. The entire gang had been called to The Magic Box when Willow had come back without Geia. "We know it's not a vampire-it's still day out, and I haven't heard of any demons in town."
Giles walked around the table and sat down beside Xander. "Is it possible that she just wanted to be alone? She did go through an awful lot."
Buffy let out a sigh. "It's possible, but this is Sunnydale, home of all things evil. I hope it's something as simple as Geia wanting time to herself, but..."
Anya spoke up from the front counter after her customer had left. "Maybe a couple of us should just go out and look for her. She won't want to be alone forever, plus it's going to be night soon, and if I had just gotten bit by a vampire, I'd want to be home before dark."
Giles slapped the table and stood back up. "Anya's right. Xander, you and Willow go over to Geia's house tonight and check up on her. Just see if she needs anything, even if it is just some company." He turned to Buffy. "In the meanwhile, we need to find these hit-and-run vampires before they kill anyone else. Anya and I will stay here in case anything shows up, and I want you to find Spike, Buffy. He can help you fight these vampires. And make sure your mom and Dawn stay inside tonight. They'll be safe at home."
Everyone left except for Anya and Giles, knowing what they had to do. Willow got into Xander's car and glanced at the darkening sky. "I hope we find her, Xander. It's too dangerous out at night."
Xander patted her hand and then shifted into drive. "We'll find her, don't worry. And if we don't, then Buffy or even the bleach-blonde boy may." His brow furrowed with worry and his voice was shaking with nervousness. "But the best thing to hope for is that she's at home. I'd kind of like to meet her."
It wasn't long before Xander's car turned onto the street Geia lived on, and they drove slowly, looking for anyone walking on the sidewalks. Willow nudged Xander and pointed over to two shadowy figures on the side of the road. Xander took the hint and followed behind, still unable to make out who the two where. He parked the car near Geia's house, where the figures were headed, and he and Willow raced to catch up.
Geia unlocked her front door and then gave Spike a grateful smile. "Thanks for walking me home. I felt a lot safer having someone with me."
Spike choked at her words. This girl was an odd one, and did Buffy know how to pick new friends. She actually felt safe with him! Now he could brag to the Slayer that he wasn't the monster she thought he was. But then again, she might want to banter with him and say something like the girl had a bad taste in character. Hell...he'd take his bloody chances to prove the Slayer wrong. "Yeah. No problem. I was heading this direction anyways."
Geia smiled slightly. "Do you want to come in, Spike?"
Spike's eyes nearly popped out of his head. The broad was without a doubt weird. But the vampire had to admit that she had guts, and it was nice to be seen and referred to as a person. "You sure you want me in your house?" He glanced upward and looked at the two-story house. "Why does one person need a house this big anyway?"
Geia's ears picked up a noise near the side of her house and she looked in that direction, but saw nothing. Had it been lighter out, she would have seen Xander and Willow hiding behind the bushes, watching and hearing everything. "Come in, and I'll tell you why."
Intrigued, Spike followed her inside, shutting the door behind him. Willow exchanged a wide-eyed look with Xander. "He just...she just...Xander, what do we do?"
Xander sat down on the ground. "Well, we can bust in and make ourselves look like idiots or wait for a while and be worried 'til we're not paying attention and a vampire or some other evil thing kills us, or we could-"
Willow sat down beside him. "Or maybe we're worrying TOO much. I say we sit here and wait for a while, but not get so worried a bad guy sneaks up on us and...yeah." She saw a light come on in a nearby window and smiled. "Or we could go see what they're doing without them knowing."
Xander glanced between Willow and the window before getting up. "Well, let's do it before I start thinking I'm a peeping tom or something."
They crept over to the ground-level window and looked over the bottom to see Geia hanging her jacket on a coat rack near the front door and Spike standing awkwardly in the middle of the large living room. "Can you hear them?" Willow whispered.
Xander shook his head. "Nope. Can't you do a spell and make stethascope appear or-?"
Willow cut him off. "I'm not a genie, Xander. And besides, that would be invading their privacy."
Xander snorted. "What privacy? She let a vampire in her house. Now he can come in whenever he wants."
The witch watched as Spike sat down and Geia left the room. The vampire looked slightly uncomfortable being in the house. "He can't hurt anybody, silly. And you heard him ask if she really wanted him in her house. Apparently it doesn't freak her out. And he did save her life."
Xander kept his eyes on Spike. "But that doesn't mean we should trust Spike. He's a cold-blooded killer."
"Was a cold-blooded killer." Willow corrected. "I honestly think Buffy dying the second time changed him for good. You saw how he helped take care of Dawn, and how caring he was. I honestly think, in some way, he's able to feel a full range of emotions like we do." She saw Geia come back in the room and say something to Spike that made him, very hesitantly, follow her into another room. "Uh-oh. Now we can't watch them."
"And I'm the one who wanted to invade their privacy?" teased Xander. "Maybe she's showing him around or something." The hopeful tone in his voice didn't match the worry in his eyes. "Let's go back to the car and wait. If one or both of them doesn't come out in five minutes, we'll go in." The duo headed back to the car and waited anxiously for five long minutes to pass.
Spike followed behind Geia as she led him upstairs. He noticed she had pulled her hair up, and he saw that underneath the strap of her thin tank top on her left shoulder blade was a tattoo of an angel, its wings open. Below the angel was a smaller, very evil-looking figure, but Spike couldn't recognize it He got a closer look as they rounded the top of the steps and back a hallway--there was writing around the angel, very small, but it looked like Latin to Spike. And the figure below the angel was some sort of demon. His Latin was too rusty to even try to remember, and he could frankly give a bloody damn about the demonic figure, so he shrugged it off.
Geia went into her bedroom and flipped the light, motioning for Spike to follow. Spike stopped at the doorway and peered inside. Looked normal--furniture, paintings on the walls, but his eyes were drawn to a decoration on the farthest wall made up of sparkling blue glass balls. He tore his eyes away from the wall hanging when he saw Geia expected him to come in the room. "I think I'll be going now. Gotta go stake some vampires so Buffy doesn't get on my ass."
Geia stopped and turned around. "You saw my tattoo, I'm assuming?"
Spike's eyes narrowed in suspicion. This broad was really starting to freak him out. "Yeah, so what? Thought it was..different."
She sat down on the bed, a slight smile on her face. "Did you read the words around the angel?"
Spike shook his head and took a step backwards when he saw her eyes glint dangerously and turn a dark green. "Nope, afraid I didn't. My Latin isn't exactly, well, remembered." The vampire swore her eyes were burning holes in him better than sunlight could.
Just as fast as the look in her eyes appeared, it vanished. "That's too bad. Sorry I dragged you up here for nothing. Thanks again for walking me home." Spike assumed he was dismissed, so he left, not knowing what to make of Geia. As soon as he stepped out on the street, he was confronted by Xander and Willow, and he related the story about Geia coming to him with questions, but not about what had happened in the house. He figured Geia was just a weird broad, and he didn't want Buffy or any of her friends going all "gotta see if Geia's evil" trip. As the three left to go find Buffy and tell her what had went on, they didn't notice a figure going inside Geia's house, and that all the lights in the house simultaneously came on, and then went off when the front door closed.