Part 3
A/N: usual disclaimers apply
Buffy turned to the crowd of Scoobies that had gathered around her, she looked at them all, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were large and round. And scared. She gazed at them all imploringly, willing them to do something, willing them to save her mother. It was Spike who broke the heartbreaking silence and made everyone move. He pushed past them and crossed the room towards the broken Slayer,
"Come on, Pet. Let's get you out of here."
He hooked his arms under her's and pulled her to her feet, she stumbled but he caught her and signalled for one of the others to help. Xander stepped in, and together he and the vampire took the Slayer to a safer place. Xander's flat.
For the whole journey Buffy's face was motionless, her mind ticking over, processing the previous events.
She must have passed out because the next thing she remembered was Spike's cold hand holding hers, his fingers on her wrist monitoring her pulse. She opened her eyes fully but made no attempt to speak. The vampire must have understood how she felt. He looked down at her and smiled faintly but declined from telling the others she was awake. Through the partially open door, she could see the others holding a much needed Scooby meeting. Wesley was there. No Cordelia. Spike squeezed her hand gently,
"Feeling any better?"
She tried to sound calm and confident,
"Kinda."
Her voice came out soft and quiet,
"Shall I go?"
"No, stay. Please?"
Her voice cracked on the last word and Spike squeezed her hand again,
"I'm here. Don't worry."
His voice was laced with concern. Concern and a little fear. He knew Angelus better than any of them. He knew what his next move would probably be. An expression of utter panic spread across Buffy's face,
"Dawn! Where's my sister?!"
"She's okay. Well, physically she is."
The Slayer began to get up,
"He'll go after her next, I know he will! Let me go!"
Spike maintained his grip on her hand and put his other on her shoulder, pushing her back onto the sofa. She'd called out too loud and the others came running. Xander was at the head,
"What's the matter?"
Spike firmly pinned Buffy to the sofa while she continued her struggle,
"Where's Dawn? Buffy's in no condition to fight, they need eachother."
Dawn came forward and the sisters looked at eachother sheepishly. Before they had been worst enemies, now they had only eachother and these few friends.
The vampire gently let go of her and crossed the room to the others, standing beside, Wesley. Dawn sat beside her sister and the Scoobies filed out, leaving them alone.
"What are we gonna do now?"
Spike was suddenly very business-like. He was like Buffy on a mission only he was a guy without a pulse.
"We have to work out Angelus' basic patterns. He's killed Joyce now his next target will be either Dawn or one of you lot. We can't take any chances with it, you have to stay out of danger...for the time being."
He suddenly realised how heartless he'd sounded when he mentioned Joyce, his face softened and he leant back in the chair shaking his head,
"I'm sorry but it's true. Angelus' is bent on one thing. He wants Buffy dead and the only way he can do that effectively is to separate you lot from her. You are her sanctuary, this you must understand. By ridding himself of you he also weakens her mentality, she's not as focussed as she was before...well..before her mother died."
The others were stone cold silent for a moment then Willow spoke,
"Well, we can just give his soul back, right?"
Spike, Wesley and Giles looked at eachother, then Giles shook his head,
"No. We can't. The more you use this spell on Angelus the more he becomes immune to it, and the more he eats, the stronger he gets. We're stuck."
Buffy and Dawn sat in complete silence listening to the conversation in the kitchen. Dawn had adopted her sister's emotionless expression and clariness of mind,
"What are we going to do?"
"We aren't. I am."
With that, the Slayer stood abruptly and grabbed her jacket. Taking a brief peek around the kitchen door, Buffy noted that they were all in deep conversation and marched out of the flat, slamming the door behind her. Dawn, suddenly realising what her big sister planned to do, called out for the others,
"Giles! Xander! She's gone! She's gone to kill Angel!"
Spike sprang into action,
"Bugger! We have to find her before she gets herself impaled on the Town Hall flagpole."
Leaping out of his chair he bolted, sprinting the way the Slayer had gone before him.
"Ohhh no. This is what you get for spoiling my fun.Angelus stood on top of the escalator in the mall. On top of it. He and the trembling vampire beside him were fast approaching becoming the jam spread across the ceiling and the escalator. Angelus smiled wickedly,
"Where's that orb of Thesulah?"
"I don't know!"
"No, I think you do."
They were metres away from being vamp-flavoured jam.
"Times running out, Matthew."
"Its...uh...oh here! Take it!"
The vampire tossed the orb to Angelus who caught it skillfully and dropped it in his coat pocket. The vampire make a mad dash for the whole in the escalator roof but was bodily blocked by Angelus,
"Sorry, pal. But this is *my* stop."
Angelus jumped through the whole and watched with satifaction as the minor vampire was crushed. Stepping out of the escalator, Angelus wiped the blood from his face and licked it from the back of his hand,
"Hmm, not bad. But the kid was stoned."
"And that would take the edge off the taste then would it?"
"Sure would, sweet thing." Angelus turned to face Buffy, laughing sinisterly,
"Your mom wasn't stoned and she tasted juuuust fine." He winked at her and she faltered momentarily, letting the crossbow lower a few centimetres.
This gave Angelus the chance to make the first move. He steeped back, balled his fist and dealt her a sound blow to the solar plexus, completely winding her and sending her to the floor. She dropped the crossbow and pulled herself to her knees, struggling for breath. Grabbing hold of the back of her collar, he hauled her to her feet - choking her at the same time. He tightened his grip on her collar and swung her, sending her headfirst into the wall. He stepped back a little and watched as she tried to pull herself together then went in for the kill. This girl had annoyed him for years now he was going to end it.
"Sorry, mate. 'fraid I can't let you do that."
Grabbing Angelus' shoulder and whirling him around, Spike punched hiw full weight, his fist coming into contact with his adversary's face and kncoking him back into the Slayer who was still in the process of standing up. She backed away, letting the elder vampire crash into the wall. She drew herself to ber full height then kicked him in the ribs. Hard. And more than once,
"This is for Mom!...This is for Miss. Calendar...This is for the girl Drusilla used to be!...and this, this, and *this* is for everything you've ever done in the past to hurt anyone ever!"
Spike stood back as the Slayer let fly, ignoring her own injuries she was bent on destroying him, weapons or no.
Angelus lay out cold on the floor, Buffy giving as good as she got until Spike stopped her. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back,
"S'enough, Pet. He'll be out for a while now."
He watched as she glanced at him briefly then turned on her heel and marched out, her broken arm and cracked ribs not affecting her performance or determination. He watched her leave then turned his gaze back to the unconscious vampire by his feet. Clenching his teeth, Spike glared at the fallen vampire and balled his fists. Brow furrowed with anger and frustration, Spike released his pent up rage. He released it on Angelus. Hauling the unconscious vampire upright, he punched and kicked, using the vampire as a punchbag. As angelus began to come around, Spike dropped him to the floor and stormed out calling after him, his voice dripping with menace,
"Leave them alone, this is my league now."
A/N: usual disclaimers apply
Buffy turned to the crowd of Scoobies that had gathered around her, she looked at them all, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were large and round. And scared. She gazed at them all imploringly, willing them to do something, willing them to save her mother. It was Spike who broke the heartbreaking silence and made everyone move. He pushed past them and crossed the room towards the broken Slayer,
"Come on, Pet. Let's get you out of here."
He hooked his arms under her's and pulled her to her feet, she stumbled but he caught her and signalled for one of the others to help. Xander stepped in, and together he and the vampire took the Slayer to a safer place. Xander's flat.
For the whole journey Buffy's face was motionless, her mind ticking over, processing the previous events.
She must have passed out because the next thing she remembered was Spike's cold hand holding hers, his fingers on her wrist monitoring her pulse. She opened her eyes fully but made no attempt to speak. The vampire must have understood how she felt. He looked down at her and smiled faintly but declined from telling the others she was awake. Through the partially open door, she could see the others holding a much needed Scooby meeting. Wesley was there. No Cordelia. Spike squeezed her hand gently,
"Feeling any better?"
She tried to sound calm and confident,
"Kinda."
Her voice came out soft and quiet,
"Shall I go?"
"No, stay. Please?"
Her voice cracked on the last word and Spike squeezed her hand again,
"I'm here. Don't worry."
His voice was laced with concern. Concern and a little fear. He knew Angelus better than any of them. He knew what his next move would probably be. An expression of utter panic spread across Buffy's face,
"Dawn! Where's my sister?!"
"She's okay. Well, physically she is."
The Slayer began to get up,
"He'll go after her next, I know he will! Let me go!"
Spike maintained his grip on her hand and put his other on her shoulder, pushing her back onto the sofa. She'd called out too loud and the others came running. Xander was at the head,
"What's the matter?"
Spike firmly pinned Buffy to the sofa while she continued her struggle,
"Where's Dawn? Buffy's in no condition to fight, they need eachother."
Dawn came forward and the sisters looked at eachother sheepishly. Before they had been worst enemies, now they had only eachother and these few friends.
The vampire gently let go of her and crossed the room to the others, standing beside, Wesley. Dawn sat beside her sister and the Scoobies filed out, leaving them alone.
"What are we gonna do now?"
Spike was suddenly very business-like. He was like Buffy on a mission only he was a guy without a pulse.
"We have to work out Angelus' basic patterns. He's killed Joyce now his next target will be either Dawn or one of you lot. We can't take any chances with it, you have to stay out of danger...for the time being."
He suddenly realised how heartless he'd sounded when he mentioned Joyce, his face softened and he leant back in the chair shaking his head,
"I'm sorry but it's true. Angelus' is bent on one thing. He wants Buffy dead and the only way he can do that effectively is to separate you lot from her. You are her sanctuary, this you must understand. By ridding himself of you he also weakens her mentality, she's not as focussed as she was before...well..before her mother died."
The others were stone cold silent for a moment then Willow spoke,
"Well, we can just give his soul back, right?"
Spike, Wesley and Giles looked at eachother, then Giles shook his head,
"No. We can't. The more you use this spell on Angelus the more he becomes immune to it, and the more he eats, the stronger he gets. We're stuck."
Buffy and Dawn sat in complete silence listening to the conversation in the kitchen. Dawn had adopted her sister's emotionless expression and clariness of mind,
"What are we going to do?"
"We aren't. I am."
With that, the Slayer stood abruptly and grabbed her jacket. Taking a brief peek around the kitchen door, Buffy noted that they were all in deep conversation and marched out of the flat, slamming the door behind her. Dawn, suddenly realising what her big sister planned to do, called out for the others,
"Giles! Xander! She's gone! She's gone to kill Angel!"
Spike sprang into action,
"Bugger! We have to find her before she gets herself impaled on the Town Hall flagpole."
Leaping out of his chair he bolted, sprinting the way the Slayer had gone before him.
"Ohhh no. This is what you get for spoiling my fun.Angelus stood on top of the escalator in the mall. On top of it. He and the trembling vampire beside him were fast approaching becoming the jam spread across the ceiling and the escalator. Angelus smiled wickedly,
"Where's that orb of Thesulah?"
"I don't know!"
"No, I think you do."
They were metres away from being vamp-flavoured jam.
"Times running out, Matthew."
"Its...uh...oh here! Take it!"
The vampire tossed the orb to Angelus who caught it skillfully and dropped it in his coat pocket. The vampire make a mad dash for the whole in the escalator roof but was bodily blocked by Angelus,
"Sorry, pal. But this is *my* stop."
Angelus jumped through the whole and watched with satifaction as the minor vampire was crushed. Stepping out of the escalator, Angelus wiped the blood from his face and licked it from the back of his hand,
"Hmm, not bad. But the kid was stoned."
"And that would take the edge off the taste then would it?"
"Sure would, sweet thing." Angelus turned to face Buffy, laughing sinisterly,
"Your mom wasn't stoned and she tasted juuuust fine." He winked at her and she faltered momentarily, letting the crossbow lower a few centimetres.
This gave Angelus the chance to make the first move. He steeped back, balled his fist and dealt her a sound blow to the solar plexus, completely winding her and sending her to the floor. She dropped the crossbow and pulled herself to her knees, struggling for breath. Grabbing hold of the back of her collar, he hauled her to her feet - choking her at the same time. He tightened his grip on her collar and swung her, sending her headfirst into the wall. He stepped back a little and watched as she tried to pull herself together then went in for the kill. This girl had annoyed him for years now he was going to end it.
"Sorry, mate. 'fraid I can't let you do that."
Grabbing Angelus' shoulder and whirling him around, Spike punched hiw full weight, his fist coming into contact with his adversary's face and kncoking him back into the Slayer who was still in the process of standing up. She backed away, letting the elder vampire crash into the wall. She drew herself to ber full height then kicked him in the ribs. Hard. And more than once,
"This is for Mom!...This is for Miss. Calendar...This is for the girl Drusilla used to be!...and this, this, and *this* is for everything you've ever done in the past to hurt anyone ever!"
Spike stood back as the Slayer let fly, ignoring her own injuries she was bent on destroying him, weapons or no.
Angelus lay out cold on the floor, Buffy giving as good as she got until Spike stopped her. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back,
"S'enough, Pet. He'll be out for a while now."
He watched as she glanced at him briefly then turned on her heel and marched out, her broken arm and cracked ribs not affecting her performance or determination. He watched her leave then turned his gaze back to the unconscious vampire by his feet. Clenching his teeth, Spike glared at the fallen vampire and balled his fists. Brow furrowed with anger and frustration, Spike released his pent up rage. He released it on Angelus. Hauling the unconscious vampire upright, he punched and kicked, using the vampire as a punchbag. As angelus began to come around, Spike dropped him to the floor and stormed out calling after him, his voice dripping with menace,
"Leave them alone, this is my league now."