Part 10
"Spike?"
Buffy and Spike looked toward a side tunnel as Drusilla's voice
drifted toward them.
"We'll finish this soon, Slayer," Spike growled, and then ran down
the tunnel. Buffy wanted to go after him, but she couldn't risk
Angel's life over it. She ran over to Angel and pulled him up against
her chest. "Angel?" she stroked his cheek with one hand. He was pale
and fighting for breath, and losing way too much blood from the knife
wound. She shrugged off her jacket, and pressed it against the wound,
trying to stop the bleeding. "Stay with me," she urged. As he closed
his eyes, she yelled "Angel!" and breathed a sigh of relief as he
fought his eyes back open. "That's it. Stay awake. Can you stand if I
help you? We need to get you to the hospital right now."
"I'm ... fine," he gasped.
"Like hell you are," she said, glad that her voice sounded calmer
than she truly felt. "Don't argue with me, you're going to the
hospital." She helped him to his feet, and looked at the nearby
ladder worriedly. *How am I going to get him up that when he can
barely stand?*
She heard footfalls, and helped him lean against the wall, as she
turned to face whoever was coming. "Oh thank God!" she said, as Anya
and Xander ran up. "Spike stabbed Angel, and then ran off. I've gotta
get Angel to the hospital."
"Between the two of us--"
"Hey!" Anya frowned at Xander, "What am I, chopped beef?"
Xander tried very hard not to laugh at Anya's failed metaphor. "Um.
Three of us," he said, "We can get Angel out of these sewers. You go
up the ladder, and pull him up, and Anya and I'll help support him so
he doesn't fall."
Buffy decided she'd be shocked later. She knew Xander was slowly
getting over his distrust of Angel, but couldn't help being surprised
that he'd actually try to help _save_ Angel's life.
"Buffy? Time's something we're short on," Xander nudged her gently,
and let Angel lean on him as Buffy climbed the stairs. Buffy checked
the street quickly for demons, since daylight would prevent the
vampire problem. Convinced the coast was clear, she laid on her
stomach, and reached her uninjured left hand down to Angel. "Take my
hand, Angel. I'll help you up here."
He looked up at her, and she was even more worried at the glazed look
she saw in his eyes. "Angel! Take my hand!" she yelled. She watched
as Xander helped him over to the ladder, ignoring Anya's, "What
should I do?" She breathed a sigh of relief when Angel managed to
grip the ladder with one hand and reach his other hand up to her. She
braced herself against the pavement with her other hand, and with the
left, pulled as hard as she could to help him get up to the street.
With Xander close behind to keep Angel from falling, and after what
seemed like a lifetime, Buffy finally pulled Angel up onto the
street.
"Xan, one more favor--"
"Give me the keys," Xander said.
"I owe you big time," Buffy said gratefully, handing him the keys to
Angel's car.
"No you don't," Xander shrugged. "Just helping a friend," he added as
he ran down the street to get Angel's car.
*********
Sunnydale Sewers
Spike ran down a side tunnel in the direction of Drusilla's voice. He
found her without much difficulty. "Why didn't you stay put?" he
growled at her. "My good-for-nothing fledglings haven't shown up yet?"
"No, and I was too hungry to wait for them," she returned with a
pout. "Why do _you_ get to have all the fun, and I have to stay in
that dark, wet room? I heard voices calling me, so I started
following them. They stopped, just a moment ago. I thought I
sensed..." she drifted off, and frowned, looking around as if
searching for something. "Angel," she finally said. "He's here!"
"He's not," Spike said insistently. "Your voices are off this time,
Pet, let's get you back," Spike grabbed her by the arm, and pulled
her back toward the spot he'd claimed for their hideaway. "And when
those fledglings get here they're going to have one angry sire to
deal with," he added darkly.
Drusilla eyed his hands, seeing the drying blood on them. A flash of
recognition passed over her face, but Spike didn't see it. She eyed
him suspiciously, but decided to follow him back to their room.
*******
"Spike?"
Buffy and Spike looked toward a side tunnel as Drusilla's voice
drifted toward them.
"We'll finish this soon, Slayer," Spike growled, and then ran down
the tunnel. Buffy wanted to go after him, but she couldn't risk
Angel's life over it. She ran over to Angel and pulled him up against
her chest. "Angel?" she stroked his cheek with one hand. He was pale
and fighting for breath, and losing way too much blood from the knife
wound. She shrugged off her jacket, and pressed it against the wound,
trying to stop the bleeding. "Stay with me," she urged. As he closed
his eyes, she yelled "Angel!" and breathed a sigh of relief as he
fought his eyes back open. "That's it. Stay awake. Can you stand if I
help you? We need to get you to the hospital right now."
"I'm ... fine," he gasped.
"Like hell you are," she said, glad that her voice sounded calmer
than she truly felt. "Don't argue with me, you're going to the
hospital." She helped him to his feet, and looked at the nearby
ladder worriedly. *How am I going to get him up that when he can
barely stand?*
She heard footfalls, and helped him lean against the wall, as she
turned to face whoever was coming. "Oh thank God!" she said, as Anya
and Xander ran up. "Spike stabbed Angel, and then ran off. I've gotta
get Angel to the hospital."
"Between the two of us--"
"Hey!" Anya frowned at Xander, "What am I, chopped beef?"
Xander tried very hard not to laugh at Anya's failed metaphor. "Um.
Three of us," he said, "We can get Angel out of these sewers. You go
up the ladder, and pull him up, and Anya and I'll help support him so
he doesn't fall."
Buffy decided she'd be shocked later. She knew Xander was slowly
getting over his distrust of Angel, but couldn't help being surprised
that he'd actually try to help _save_ Angel's life.
"Buffy? Time's something we're short on," Xander nudged her gently,
and let Angel lean on him as Buffy climbed the stairs. Buffy checked
the street quickly for demons, since daylight would prevent the
vampire problem. Convinced the coast was clear, she laid on her
stomach, and reached her uninjured left hand down to Angel. "Take my
hand, Angel. I'll help you up here."
He looked up at her, and she was even more worried at the glazed look
she saw in his eyes. "Angel! Take my hand!" she yelled. She watched
as Xander helped him over to the ladder, ignoring Anya's, "What
should I do?" She breathed a sigh of relief when Angel managed to
grip the ladder with one hand and reach his other hand up to her. She
braced herself against the pavement with her other hand, and with the
left, pulled as hard as she could to help him get up to the street.
With Xander close behind to keep Angel from falling, and after what
seemed like a lifetime, Buffy finally pulled Angel up onto the
street.
"Xan, one more favor--"
"Give me the keys," Xander said.
"I owe you big time," Buffy said gratefully, handing him the keys to
Angel's car.
"No you don't," Xander shrugged. "Just helping a friend," he added as
he ran down the street to get Angel's car.
*********
Sunnydale Sewers
Spike ran down a side tunnel in the direction of Drusilla's voice. He
found her without much difficulty. "Why didn't you stay put?" he
growled at her. "My good-for-nothing fledglings haven't shown up yet?"
"No, and I was too hungry to wait for them," she returned with a
pout. "Why do _you_ get to have all the fun, and I have to stay in
that dark, wet room? I heard voices calling me, so I started
following them. They stopped, just a moment ago. I thought I
sensed..." she drifted off, and frowned, looking around as if
searching for something. "Angel," she finally said. "He's here!"
"He's not," Spike said insistently. "Your voices are off this time,
Pet, let's get you back," Spike grabbed her by the arm, and pulled
her back toward the spot he'd claimed for their hideaway. "And when
those fledglings get here they're going to have one angry sire to
deal with," he added darkly.
Drusilla eyed his hands, seeing the drying blood on them. A flash of
recognition passed over her face, but Spike didn't see it. She eyed
him suspiciously, but decided to follow him back to their room.
*******