Chapter 6
Bloody hell! Where was Giles with his mug of blood? He was bloody starving! William opened his eyes. He was tied up in a chair, but he wasn't in Giles' house, like in his dreams. It was too dark to make out details of the room he was in, but he could smell rotting wood and more than a hint of fish.. Hey...I could use some bloody light here! William's head was throbbing and he was hungry. How long had he been here? How the hell had he come to this place? He couldn't remember much...just bumping into Darla on Fifth Avenue. Darla! Had she done this to him? Why? She didn't particularly like him, but she had no reason to tie him up in a chair, did she? Bloody hell! Was this some sort of plot to get him out of the way so she could attack Buffy? William struggled against the ropes but they were tied very tightly and efficiently. Where the hell was his captor? Had she left him here to starve to death?
William heard noises in the darkness, a muffled grunting, His vampire eyes had adjusted to the dark, and he could see a person, a girl, bound and gagged on the floor in a far corner. She was evidently alive by her noise and struggles. Knowing Darla as he did, William didn't imagine that she would be alive for long. William could make out forms leaning against the walls of this small square room where he was imprisoned. From the smell of rotting wood and ancient fish, William surmised that they were old mouldering rowboats. He suddenly knew where he was. Central Park. near the lake in that old deserted boathouse he had passed a hundred times. In fact, he and Buffy had cleaned out a nest of vampires from this very place a few months ago. It was night…but which night? Was it still Friday or had time passed...eons in this place? He heard a door creak open and a lantern almost blinded him with its brightness. As his eyes struggled to make out the person holding the lantern, he heard a familiar voice; its cockney accent forever imprinted on his brain. "Spike?" She pronounced it 'Spoik'
"Drusilla?" Had he really awoken in this place with Drusilla or was this still a nightmare? "Is that you, Dru?"
Darla and Dru together. This was very, very bad, William knew. He had heard about their partnership from Angel. The gruesome twosome, Cordy called them. At least it explained Darla's interest in him. He thought desperately about his options. With Dru, in her insanity, it was always better to play along.
"My Spike. We've come to rescue you. Like a kitty up in a tree."
"Rescue me? Oh, that's lovely, pet. Untie me then."
"Oh no, Spike. I can't do that. Darla would be ever so cross. And you are our kitty. The kitty thought he was a bird, didn't he, and he tried to live up there in the trees with the other birds. But he was a cat, after all, and the other cats had to rescue him, don't you see? Miaow." Dru stroked his face as she spoke.
"Sure, Pet." The worst of it was...he did see. He had always been able to translate Dru's madness into a kind of sense.
"I couldn't help you, my Spike. You were too full of the Slayer and your science…. I couldn't fight them both. But I wanted to help you, my poor baby. So I went out and got you something to make it all go away."
"You make it sound like you stepped out to get a pack of fags, Dru…It's been 7 years, love."
"She got distracted, " Another voice, this time Darla's, "You know Dru." He could see her now. She took the lantern from Dru and placed it on the floor.
"Unfair, Darla. It took ages and ages to find those soldier boys. They moved around so...like fireflies at night. So hard to catch." She mimed catching fireflies in her fists.
"And then when you did catch them, you turned one to play with. " She turned back to William, "That kept her occupied for years."
"Well, I had to, didn't I? How else could I find out what I wanted to know? The fireflies were buzzing so around my head. I had to catch one in my hand and put him in a jar so that he could light my way."
Soldier boys! What the hell were they trying to tell him? Was this about his chip? He suddenly recalled the small device that Darla had aimed at his head.
"Listen Dru, my head hurts, I am bloody uncomfortable, and I could use a cigarette! Couldn't you tell me this lovely story someplace else? This place stinks like fish."
Darla spoke "I would have booked us a suite at the Waldorf Astoria, But we were a little low on funds. Plus we have to keep a low profile. The Slayer has seen me."
"Buffy?"
"No...the new one. I don't think she knew who I was, just that I was a vampire. But she is friends with the Buffy bitch now, so I don't want to take any chances. Personally, I wanted to leave town but Dru had her heart set on this little rescue mission. As far as I'm concerned you can stay here and be Buffy's pet vampire. What do I care?" she shook her head and said, almost to herself, " I've already tried my hand at rescue. It's not worth it."
"Yeah...with Angel. I heard all about that. Poor Darla. I mean, you shag the guy's brains out, really give it your all, and you still can't make him happy enough to break the curse. How embarrassin' for you. A big blow to the profession, too, I must say."
"Shut up Spike." Darla had produced the small device again. "I was glad to see that you actually regained consciousness...I was afraid that I might have turned the dial up too high. Of course, I don't know if this could actually kill you, but you might wish it could."
"What is that bloody thing?"
Dru piped up, "Why that's your Birthday present Spike. We've had a terrible time finding you. Your crypt in Sunnydale was all empty. I was afraid we'd missed your special day."
"My birthday? I don't even remember when it bloody is, Dru."
"Then we are just in time. I got you something special, Spike. "
"I'd enjoy it much better if you would untie me, love."
"No. I'm so afraid you might not want our present, Spike. I don't want you to run away before you try it out."
"Well Dru, I guess that all depends on what it is."
"The firefly told me all about your chip, Spike. I had him in a jar and he buzzed and buzzed. He showed me all the secret places where they keep the machines. It was awful, Spike. I don't like machines...they are so cold and full of wires and sparks."
"That's why she needed me. Machines are just peachy with me."
"All right, ladies. You've obviously gone to a lot of trouble to lay on this lovely surprise party. As the guest of honor, I'm delighted, but I don't think I want to play any more. Let me go and I won't tell the Slayers where you are. You can get out of town, and we'll all forget this ever happened."
"Right." Darla laughed scornfully. "I told you. Dru has her heart set on this. And what Dru, wants. Dru gets, right honey?"
Drusilla had picked up the struggling girl and brought her over to William. "Besides, Spike, it's almost time for cake!"
William looked at the girl, the look of terror on her face. Did she even know what Dru and Darla were? What he was? Did she know she was going to die?
"Ladies, I'd love to oblige but eating people gives me a headache these days. I'll pass."
"Oh but that's the Birthday surprise, Spike. Darla, can we unwrap it now?"
Darla held the device up to William's face. It was black plastic, with dials and buttons. It resembled a television remote control only smaller. William remembered seeing something just like this on a table somewhere in the Initiative headquarters. If this little piece of plastic did what he thought it did, he should have grabbed it at the time.
"I guess that thing controls my chip."
"Very good, Spike. With this little remote, I can program the chip to hurt you badly; you've already seen that feature in action…or I can just turn it off. It's really up to you."
Dru clapped her hands, "Aren't you excited, Spike?"
William was totally stunned. This was something he'd have given his left arm for 9 years ago! Now, it was 9 bloody years too late! What was he going to do?
"Ladies. I'm touched, really. That was damn thoughtful of you. But I think I'll pass. Come back in another 7 years or so, and we'll talk. Now just untie me, okay?"
"See, Dru? I told you. It's not just the chip anymore…it's all those years of conditioning. If a cow gets a shock every time he touches the electric fence...he will stop going near the fence. Will stop dreaming of escape. Start being happy in his own little pasture! Until the farmer, who loves him so much turns him into hamburger."
"Mooo, " said Dru.
"And I'll bet you've been living on animal blood too, haven't you?"
"Well…yeah. What difference does that make? They don't sell human blood here."
"Bullshit, Spike. They sell it. I've seen the bars where they do. But you know that human blood makes you aggressive, so you stick to nice safe animal blood. Cow, pig…chicken!"
This was true. When William had first come to New York, he had found some demon bars that served human blood, but it did make him aggressive...he was always picking fights with people, which given his chip was a really stupid thing to do. He had stopped going to those places years ago.
"Look, Spike luv, I've got a nice tasty girl for you right here," Dru plopped the helpless girl down on Spikes lap. He could feel her terror. Her neck was inches from his mouth.
"Get her off me! I don't want her!"
"Spike…remember when I said that we were giving you a choice here? Well, I lied. Dru and I want you back with us. It's nice to have a man around…even you. And Dru wants her family back, so without further ado…" Darla aimed the device at William, "gee I sure hope I programmed this correctly…I'd hate to see your head explode."
"Boom!" added Dru
Darla pushed the button. William felt nothing. No change. But then again after his original operation he hadn't felt any different either…he had attacked Willow fully expecting to kill her, only to be thwarted by that hideous pain. He looked at the girl huddled against him on his lap. He could smell her blood rushing through her veins, spiked with adrenaline. Can I really just kill her now? Just sink my fangs into her neck? Am I really Spike again? Well, Goddamn Happy Birthday to Me!