Giles stared at the empty space where Buffy had once stood. She would be back soon, but soon wasn't fast enough. Why was she doing this again? For Spike? He didn't understand it, but then, with Buffy, he probably never would.
He had noticed that she had been quite upset with this incident. Perhaps it was because she had been spending more time with the vampire. She had mentioned how he would meet her while she was patrolling and help out. At first she tried to act agitated, but lately it almost seemed as though she looked forward to it. It almost seemed as though...no, that couldn't possibly happen, could it?
"Oh dear Lord!" Giles exclaimed out loud as the realization struck him. "She's done it again!"
................................................................
Buffy had shut her eyes from the blinding light. As she opened them back up, she felt a little disorientated for a moment, but quickly regained her bearings. She found herself standing in a small dusty room, facing a small window that had been partially covered with a piece of plywood. She walked closer to it, being careful not to touch anything, and looked outside. She couldn't tell which building exactly she was in, but she knew what road it was. She had been this way a few times. It was practically a paradise for traveling demons, lined with abandoned houses and stores.
'Just remember the liquor shop across the street' she told herself, making a quick note in her head.
She turned to a virtually empty room, minus a broken-down, cardboard box and a mouse trap in the far corner. There was a closed door in front of her and another that was wide open off to the side. She wasn't too sure about touching the door to get through, so she figured she should see if Spike was in the other room.
She cautiously stepped into the doorway and looked into the dark room. There were no windows in this one and the only light that could be seen was what had extended from the small window. She heard a soft moan emit from her left and turned her head to see the dark figure chained to the wall. His white-blond head slumped down to his chin creating a stark contrast to his black attire. He hung limply, not yet acknowledging Buffy's presence.
"Spike?!" she whispered. She didn't think he had heard her, but he responded by raising his head slightly.
"Buffy?" It came out as a moan as though it were difficult to even say her name.
She went towards him, but as she got closer, she began to see the damage that the creature had done.
'Oh, God' she thought to herself. 'What has she done to you?'
His skin seemed even more pale than it had been and it clung tightly to him as though he had been starving to death, causing each bone to become painfully visible. His clothes hung loosely around his unnaturally thin body and one could think that he had been trying to hide in them. Buffy looked into his dark, blue eyes that seemed to sink back in his head and his one-time finely chiseled cheekbones were now jutting out awkwardly. His bony hands were the only thing holding him up and were hung through the chains. It was as though he were only a faint reminder of the Spike who had helped her just he night before. If he had until the end of the night and he already looked like this, she was terrified at what a vampire could survive through.
How could she have waited this long? It was too long. She could have made it here faster. She had wasted too much time.
.................................................................
He didn't say a word, he only looked into her pain-filled eyes as she came and stood before him. He had never wanted to see her with that much pain in them, let alone be the cause of it. He had seen it before, because of Angel, because of her mum, but not for him. It should never be for him.
She was so close now. He could feel her breath and hear her racing heartbeat. She slowly reached a hand up. So slowly, as though she were afraid to touch him. She shouldn't, he didn't want her to touch him, not now, not like this. She brought it close to his face, her eyes never leaving his.
...............................................................
"No..." A voice cried from the doorway.
Buffy turned her head the moment her hand came into contact with his face. Several things began to happen. The last thing she saw was an elderly woman standing in the open doorway. Anger covered the woman's face as she started towards them. Then Buffy's head began to spin. Her body felt like it had just been engulfed in flames and then was ripped apart. She suddenly had an image of what hell was like.
She still felt Spike's cool skin under her own. It was the one thing comforting her in that brief moment. It was over almost as quickly as it had begun.
Suddenly she was back in the magic shop, in the same place she had stood before she left. Her hand was still resting on Spike's cheek. She turned back to him to find him staring back. Was Crea right? Buffy didn't have time to think of it before Spike fell to the floor. Without the support of the chains, he didn't have the strength to stand. She was finding it difficult herself. Her head was spinning and every muscle hurt. To top it off, she felt as though she hadn't slept in weeks.
"Oh my, Xander, Willow," Giles called, getting their attention. "I hadn't realized it was this serious." He took in Spike's condition as he bent to help him sit up.
"Will he be all right?" Buffy asked, not worrying how scared she sounded.
"Well, h..he's not dead yet,.. um...I mean...well...he's still undead, which means he should be fine for now." Giles replied nervously.
'She will come here first.' Crea stated nervously, flying near the group. 'She knows this is where the magic was from. We must go someplace else, away from here. Do you have protections, for your houses? I can help too, but my magic can only do so much.'
"Buffy's house has the most protections on it, you know, 'cause of her mom and stuff," Willow chimed in, ready to help. "Me and Tara can bring a bunch of stuff with us too."
"Yeah," Tara added. "We've actually been practicing protection spells a lot lately. We've gotten really good."
"Wait a minute," exclaimed Xander. "have you guys forgotten? How are we supposed to get vamp man here, all the way to the Buffster's without going poof?" He made a hand gesture with the last word, and the others seemed to think about his question as well.
'You can leave that to me,' Crea offered. 'So it is decided then?'
Everyone looked to Buffy, who could only silently nod her head in agreement.
'Let us hurry then.' Crea flew to Spike and hovered over his head.
While they had been talking, he had passed out completely and Giles was still kneeling down next to him, holding his shoulders. She began to speak words in the language they had heard earlier and again she began to grow brighter. It was a different kind of light, however, and not half as brilliant.
A red glimmer surrounded her as she touched the top of the bleached-blond vampire's head. The glow flickered from her and passed into him until it had surrounded his whole body. When it had completely engulfed him, it disappeared, leaving no trace.
'We can go now.' She declared.
"'right then, Xander, would you mind helping me," suggested Giles as he motioned to Spike's legs.
"Sure thing," the young man replied, taking his share.
"Oh, fine then! Just let the men do the men's work," Anya remarked as she followed them out the door into the sunlight. "Don't think about the fact that we women may want to help carry him too! Just let us follow like obedient little servants."
"Um..Anya..." interrupted Willow who had started walking behind her.
"What?"
"I...I don't think you would want to carry him, he's probably really heavy a...and stuff. And I'm all for women power, but isn't it a good idea for them to do work and us not."
"Hm...I suppose it is. Okay then. Well, keep up the good work, men. We'll be there in no time."
Buffy sighed. She just couldn't wait to get home, then she could get some sleep. She felt as though she would drop at any minute, but she had to stay awake. It was only a little further.
....................................................................
The old woman was seated on the floor, chanting in an ancient language, her eyes closed. She stood up, still reciting, and raised her hands in the air. As she brought them down, she suddenly stopped chanting and her eyes flew open. Before her was an outside image of Buffy and the scoobies entering her house, carrying Spike with them.
She grinned evilly as she saw a small ball of light seem to fly past the inside of the window.
"A fairy," she cooed, her golden eyes flashing with desire.
He had noticed that she had been quite upset with this incident. Perhaps it was because she had been spending more time with the vampire. She had mentioned how he would meet her while she was patrolling and help out. At first she tried to act agitated, but lately it almost seemed as though she looked forward to it. It almost seemed as though...no, that couldn't possibly happen, could it?
"Oh dear Lord!" Giles exclaimed out loud as the realization struck him. "She's done it again!"
................................................................
Buffy had shut her eyes from the blinding light. As she opened them back up, she felt a little disorientated for a moment, but quickly regained her bearings. She found herself standing in a small dusty room, facing a small window that had been partially covered with a piece of plywood. She walked closer to it, being careful not to touch anything, and looked outside. She couldn't tell which building exactly she was in, but she knew what road it was. She had been this way a few times. It was practically a paradise for traveling demons, lined with abandoned houses and stores.
'Just remember the liquor shop across the street' she told herself, making a quick note in her head.
She turned to a virtually empty room, minus a broken-down, cardboard box and a mouse trap in the far corner. There was a closed door in front of her and another that was wide open off to the side. She wasn't too sure about touching the door to get through, so she figured she should see if Spike was in the other room.
She cautiously stepped into the doorway and looked into the dark room. There were no windows in this one and the only light that could be seen was what had extended from the small window. She heard a soft moan emit from her left and turned her head to see the dark figure chained to the wall. His white-blond head slumped down to his chin creating a stark contrast to his black attire. He hung limply, not yet acknowledging Buffy's presence.
"Spike?!" she whispered. She didn't think he had heard her, but he responded by raising his head slightly.
"Buffy?" It came out as a moan as though it were difficult to even say her name.
She went towards him, but as she got closer, she began to see the damage that the creature had done.
'Oh, God' she thought to herself. 'What has she done to you?'
His skin seemed even more pale than it had been and it clung tightly to him as though he had been starving to death, causing each bone to become painfully visible. His clothes hung loosely around his unnaturally thin body and one could think that he had been trying to hide in them. Buffy looked into his dark, blue eyes that seemed to sink back in his head and his one-time finely chiseled cheekbones were now jutting out awkwardly. His bony hands were the only thing holding him up and were hung through the chains. It was as though he were only a faint reminder of the Spike who had helped her just he night before. If he had until the end of the night and he already looked like this, she was terrified at what a vampire could survive through.
How could she have waited this long? It was too long. She could have made it here faster. She had wasted too much time.
.................................................................
He didn't say a word, he only looked into her pain-filled eyes as she came and stood before him. He had never wanted to see her with that much pain in them, let alone be the cause of it. He had seen it before, because of Angel, because of her mum, but not for him. It should never be for him.
She was so close now. He could feel her breath and hear her racing heartbeat. She slowly reached a hand up. So slowly, as though she were afraid to touch him. She shouldn't, he didn't want her to touch him, not now, not like this. She brought it close to his face, her eyes never leaving his.
...............................................................
"No..." A voice cried from the doorway.
Buffy turned her head the moment her hand came into contact with his face. Several things began to happen. The last thing she saw was an elderly woman standing in the open doorway. Anger covered the woman's face as she started towards them. Then Buffy's head began to spin. Her body felt like it had just been engulfed in flames and then was ripped apart. She suddenly had an image of what hell was like.
She still felt Spike's cool skin under her own. It was the one thing comforting her in that brief moment. It was over almost as quickly as it had begun.
Suddenly she was back in the magic shop, in the same place she had stood before she left. Her hand was still resting on Spike's cheek. She turned back to him to find him staring back. Was Crea right? Buffy didn't have time to think of it before Spike fell to the floor. Without the support of the chains, he didn't have the strength to stand. She was finding it difficult herself. Her head was spinning and every muscle hurt. To top it off, she felt as though she hadn't slept in weeks.
"Oh my, Xander, Willow," Giles called, getting their attention. "I hadn't realized it was this serious." He took in Spike's condition as he bent to help him sit up.
"Will he be all right?" Buffy asked, not worrying how scared she sounded.
"Well, h..he's not dead yet,.. um...I mean...well...he's still undead, which means he should be fine for now." Giles replied nervously.
'She will come here first.' Crea stated nervously, flying near the group. 'She knows this is where the magic was from. We must go someplace else, away from here. Do you have protections, for your houses? I can help too, but my magic can only do so much.'
"Buffy's house has the most protections on it, you know, 'cause of her mom and stuff," Willow chimed in, ready to help. "Me and Tara can bring a bunch of stuff with us too."
"Yeah," Tara added. "We've actually been practicing protection spells a lot lately. We've gotten really good."
"Wait a minute," exclaimed Xander. "have you guys forgotten? How are we supposed to get vamp man here, all the way to the Buffster's without going poof?" He made a hand gesture with the last word, and the others seemed to think about his question as well.
'You can leave that to me,' Crea offered. 'So it is decided then?'
Everyone looked to Buffy, who could only silently nod her head in agreement.
'Let us hurry then.' Crea flew to Spike and hovered over his head.
While they had been talking, he had passed out completely and Giles was still kneeling down next to him, holding his shoulders. She began to speak words in the language they had heard earlier and again she began to grow brighter. It was a different kind of light, however, and not half as brilliant.
A red glimmer surrounded her as she touched the top of the bleached-blond vampire's head. The glow flickered from her and passed into him until it had surrounded his whole body. When it had completely engulfed him, it disappeared, leaving no trace.
'We can go now.' She declared.
"'right then, Xander, would you mind helping me," suggested Giles as he motioned to Spike's legs.
"Sure thing," the young man replied, taking his share.
"Oh, fine then! Just let the men do the men's work," Anya remarked as she followed them out the door into the sunlight. "Don't think about the fact that we women may want to help carry him too! Just let us follow like obedient little servants."
"Um..Anya..." interrupted Willow who had started walking behind her.
"What?"
"I...I don't think you would want to carry him, he's probably really heavy a...and stuff. And I'm all for women power, but isn't it a good idea for them to do work and us not."
"Hm...I suppose it is. Okay then. Well, keep up the good work, men. We'll be there in no time."
Buffy sighed. She just couldn't wait to get home, then she could get some sleep. She felt as though she would drop at any minute, but she had to stay awake. It was only a little further.
....................................................................
The old woman was seated on the floor, chanting in an ancient language, her eyes closed. She stood up, still reciting, and raised her hands in the air. As she brought them down, she suddenly stopped chanting and her eyes flew open. Before her was an outside image of Buffy and the scoobies entering her house, carrying Spike with them.
She grinned evilly as she saw a small ball of light seem to fly past the inside of the window.
"A fairy," she cooed, her golden eyes flashing with desire.