Buffy stared at him for a moment in complete disbelief. She
finally found her tongue, then, "Son of a--"
"Now, now, Pet," Spike replied with a grin. "Is that any way to
say hi to good ol' Spike?"
"You're so dead," Buffy threatened.
"That's rather stating the obvious, isn't it?" Spike asked with a
chuckle.
"You caused this," Buffy nodded to Xander. "You are going to
pay."
"He's not looking so good, is he?" Spike taunted. "A shame,
really. It wasn't my intention to kill him. Not yet, anyway."
"You think you can kill me, you blond Billy Idol wannabe?" Xander
moved again, trying to get up.
"Xander!" Buffy yelled, her eyes begging him not to antagonize
Spike.
Xander looked at her as if to argue, but gave in and stayed where
he was.
"Spike, you promised me...." Buffy trailed off as she realized
the ridiculousness of her statement.
"Sorry, Pet," Spike said. "I would've stayed away, but Dru just
didn't cooperate. She ran off with another demon. So, I came back
to good old Sunnyhell, for lack of anything better to do. And
once I got here, I watched your pathetic little gang for a while,
figuring I'd have some fun. But then, I saw Red do a few magic
tricks, and I realized she's the answer to my problems. I take
Xander, in return for a spell. Red makes Dru come back, and I let
Xander there go.
Unfortunately, it's so hard to find good help nowadays. The
Chaion demon got a little bit too excited about the prospect of
seeing the Slayer. His intention was to kill you, as a sort of
gift to me. Too bad Xander there got in the way. Once the demon
realized that Xander wasn't going to make it--"
"Don't say that!" Buffy screamed. "He's going to be fine. You're
the one who's not going to be walking around much longer. The way
I see it, Spike equals big pile of dust." She strained against
the chains again, "I'm going to enjoy making that the case, too."
"You think you can take me?" Spike asked, boredly. "I don't. Even
if you weren't all tied up, I'd have more of my minions down here
in no time if you were remotely worrisome to me." Spike grinned
at her. "First, I'd have them hold you off while I finished off
Xander. And it wouldn't be a pretty sight. Just the smell of all
that blood, it makes me really hungry." He approached the boy
slowly, and Buffy screamed, "NO! Don't, Spike. You want to hurt
someone, come get me. I'm right here."
"Killing my fourth Slayer would be quite a boost for my
reputation," Spike said moving over toward her. "You want to test
me, Blondie? I'm begging you to just try."
Buffy just glared in response. "What happens when Willow gets
here?" Buffy asked.
"I let you and Xander leave as soon as she's done the spell,"
Spike replied.
Buffy giggled, startling Spike. "You've got to be insane if you
really think I believe that. I know you're going to kill me and
Xander anyway. Probably Willow, too, right?"
"Maybe," Spike replied. "Can't stay and chat, though. I have some
things to take care of. I'll be back later."
After he'd left, Buffy turned to face Xander "I'm so sorry," she
whispered tearfully. "I should never have let Spike and Dru leave
town. If I hadn't, maybe--"
"Don't," Xander said vehemently. "Don't you dare add this to your
list of things to blame yourself for. This is NOT your fault,
Buffy."
"You okay?" she asked, choosing to change the subject for the
moment.
"Never felt better," he said. He started coughing up blood, and
Buffy had never felt so helpless in her life. "Don't talk,
Xander. Just try to stay with me, a little while longer. You have
to, I can't lose you. I need you."
"You've got to be kidding me," Spike muttered.
Buffy looked up, she hadn't even heard him re-enter the room.
"Come back to enjoy your handiwork?" she said sadly, not even
realizing the tears streaming down her face.
Spike ignored her, still on his train of thought. "You're in
_love_ with the wanker? Bloody hell, Slayer, you sure pick the
losers."
"What are you talking about?" Buffy looked at him in irritation.
"Would you please just go away???"
"You must be able to fool yourself, but I'm not fooled. I just
saw you look at him the same way you used to look at my poof of a
Sire," Spike insisted.
"Go away or fight me; choose one," Buffy said, "But I will _not_
sit here and listen to words of wisdom from William the Bloody.
You, who know absolutely _nothing_ about love. You," she yelled,
"all you know is death and destruction. You talking to me about
love? You can't even keep Drusilla with you, the most insane
creature on the face of this earth. What does that say about you,
Spike? You're pathetic."
Spike's eyes flashed with anger, and he clenched his fists at his
sides. Just then, however, they heard a voice. "Hey, Boss! The
witch is here!"
Spike smiled, and said, "We'll finish this in a minute, Slayer."
When he'd left, Buffy looked down at Xander. He'd slipped into
unconsciousness. "Xander," she called.
No response.
"Please don't die on me."
finally found her tongue, then, "Son of a--"
"Now, now, Pet," Spike replied with a grin. "Is that any way to
say hi to good ol' Spike?"
"You're so dead," Buffy threatened.
"That's rather stating the obvious, isn't it?" Spike asked with a
chuckle.
"You caused this," Buffy nodded to Xander. "You are going to
pay."
"He's not looking so good, is he?" Spike taunted. "A shame,
really. It wasn't my intention to kill him. Not yet, anyway."
"You think you can kill me, you blond Billy Idol wannabe?" Xander
moved again, trying to get up.
"Xander!" Buffy yelled, her eyes begging him not to antagonize
Spike.
Xander looked at her as if to argue, but gave in and stayed where
he was.
"Spike, you promised me...." Buffy trailed off as she realized
the ridiculousness of her statement.
"Sorry, Pet," Spike said. "I would've stayed away, but Dru just
didn't cooperate. She ran off with another demon. So, I came back
to good old Sunnyhell, for lack of anything better to do. And
once I got here, I watched your pathetic little gang for a while,
figuring I'd have some fun. But then, I saw Red do a few magic
tricks, and I realized she's the answer to my problems. I take
Xander, in return for a spell. Red makes Dru come back, and I let
Xander there go.
Unfortunately, it's so hard to find good help nowadays. The
Chaion demon got a little bit too excited about the prospect of
seeing the Slayer. His intention was to kill you, as a sort of
gift to me. Too bad Xander there got in the way. Once the demon
realized that Xander wasn't going to make it--"
"Don't say that!" Buffy screamed. "He's going to be fine. You're
the one who's not going to be walking around much longer. The way
I see it, Spike equals big pile of dust." She strained against
the chains again, "I'm going to enjoy making that the case, too."
"You think you can take me?" Spike asked, boredly. "I don't. Even
if you weren't all tied up, I'd have more of my minions down here
in no time if you were remotely worrisome to me." Spike grinned
at her. "First, I'd have them hold you off while I finished off
Xander. And it wouldn't be a pretty sight. Just the smell of all
that blood, it makes me really hungry." He approached the boy
slowly, and Buffy screamed, "NO! Don't, Spike. You want to hurt
someone, come get me. I'm right here."
"Killing my fourth Slayer would be quite a boost for my
reputation," Spike said moving over toward her. "You want to test
me, Blondie? I'm begging you to just try."
Buffy just glared in response. "What happens when Willow gets
here?" Buffy asked.
"I let you and Xander leave as soon as she's done the spell,"
Spike replied.
Buffy giggled, startling Spike. "You've got to be insane if you
really think I believe that. I know you're going to kill me and
Xander anyway. Probably Willow, too, right?"
"Maybe," Spike replied. "Can't stay and chat, though. I have some
things to take care of. I'll be back later."
After he'd left, Buffy turned to face Xander "I'm so sorry," she
whispered tearfully. "I should never have let Spike and Dru leave
town. If I hadn't, maybe--"
"Don't," Xander said vehemently. "Don't you dare add this to your
list of things to blame yourself for. This is NOT your fault,
Buffy."
"You okay?" she asked, choosing to change the subject for the
moment.
"Never felt better," he said. He started coughing up blood, and
Buffy had never felt so helpless in her life. "Don't talk,
Xander. Just try to stay with me, a little while longer. You have
to, I can't lose you. I need you."
"You've got to be kidding me," Spike muttered.
Buffy looked up, she hadn't even heard him re-enter the room.
"Come back to enjoy your handiwork?" she said sadly, not even
realizing the tears streaming down her face.
Spike ignored her, still on his train of thought. "You're in
_love_ with the wanker? Bloody hell, Slayer, you sure pick the
losers."
"What are you talking about?" Buffy looked at him in irritation.
"Would you please just go away???"
"You must be able to fool yourself, but I'm not fooled. I just
saw you look at him the same way you used to look at my poof of a
Sire," Spike insisted.
"Go away or fight me; choose one," Buffy said, "But I will _not_
sit here and listen to words of wisdom from William the Bloody.
You, who know absolutely _nothing_ about love. You," she yelled,
"all you know is death and destruction. You talking to me about
love? You can't even keep Drusilla with you, the most insane
creature on the face of this earth. What does that say about you,
Spike? You're pathetic."
Spike's eyes flashed with anger, and he clenched his fists at his
sides. Just then, however, they heard a voice. "Hey, Boss! The
witch is here!"
Spike smiled, and said, "We'll finish this in a minute, Slayer."
When he'd left, Buffy looked down at Xander. He'd slipped into
unconsciousness. "Xander," she called.
No response.
"Please don't die on me."