"Another double O-neg and a bottle of whiskey."
"Spike, you've already had twelve O-negs, all double, and this is your sixth bottle of whiskey. I personally don't care if you drink until you're unconscious, but don't you think you've had enough?"
"Another double O-neg and a bottle of whiskey... NOW!" Spike growled low in his throat. "And stop the social workers' talk. Go Florence Nightingale someone else, before I rip youre throat out."
Willy shrugged.
"Fine, whatever." He put the order in front of Spike and left.
Spike threw the O-neg inside, threw some money on the counter and left, carryingthe bottle of whiskey nonchalantly under his arm. Outside, he opened the bottle and put it to his mouth. Before he had tasted one drop, someone bumped into him and caused him to drop the bottle.
"You're going to pay for that... with youre life" he snarled, showing his game face.
"You want me to pay? I'll pay you alright!"
Before he recognised the voice he felt a sharp pain in the center of his face. He let go of the girl and grabbed his nose instead. "Shit! You bitch!"
He looked up.
"Oh no, not you, not again!" he grunted angrily, jaw cleched.
"Spike, it's always a pleasure seeing you." Buffy sneered.
"What are you doing here Slayer?"
"I got word there is a new group of vampires on the block. I thought I'd go find them and welcome them to the neighbourhood."
"Thanks, I'll tell the others you stopped by" a dark voice said.
Both Buffy and Spike jerked their heads to see who was talking. On the other end of the short alley they distinguished a figure standing in the shadows. The figure was most definately a man, and a tall one at that. As Buffy abserved him she could fewel his eyes run over her body and a shiver ran down before she could control it.
"And who are you?" she asked, seemingly calm, but already mentally checking her pockets for stakes.
The giant slowly stepped into the light, revbealking his demonic visage. His eyes were staring mockingly into hers as he said:
"I am known as Darius, the Master of Masters. And this..." he gestured around to reveal five more vampires, all tall and violent-looking like gladiators "... this is my family."
"I thought you looked familiar" Spike announced. "I remember now. I had the pleasure of er... seducing your lover of that moment when you were in Germany, fighting alongside Hitler. What was her name again?" He grinned. "Oh yeah, that's right, Evelynne. It's a poity she talked so much. I couldn't stand that, so you see I had no choice but to seperate her head from the rest of that beautiful body of hers."
"You bastard" Darius scowled. "You and the little girl are going to pay for this."
Spike chuckled and cocked his head at Buffy.
"Now why do they always say that?"
Buffy shrugged.
"Maybe it's that time of the month again? That always makes me grumpy and no fun to be around."
"It must be the time of the month all year round for you then."
"Are the two of you going to chat or fight?" Darius grumbled.
Spike and Buffy looked at eachother, raising their eyebrows and charged. Before they reached Darius and his gang, Buffy quickly gave Spike a stake. The next moment she slammed her fist into the head of one of Darius' minions. As she pulled out a stake and kicked the vampire in the stomach she could see that Spike had already dusted one of the other vampires.
"Come on Slayer, what's taking you so long?" he grinned.
Buffy staked the vampire right in front of her and turned around just in time to let another vampire impale himself on the stake she was holding in her outstretched hand.
"I'm way ahead ahead of you, Spikey-boy" she answered.
"You may be now, but not for long." Spike had to duck to avoid being hit in the face. He kicked the feet away from under his opponent and staked him with a quick move.
"I'm back in the game babe."
He looked around.
"Hey, where's the fifth minion?"
The answer came when he heard something behind him. As he turned around he prepared to fight, but in his hurry to be the first to stake the vampire, he failed to see the bow the minion had in his hand. With a soft whizzing an arrow slashed into Spikes chest, about three inches under his heart. Spike cried out in pain and fell to the floor.
"Spike!" Buffy screamed.
"Just kill him" Spike groaned as he tried to pull the arrow out. "Damn, the damn thing's stuck!"
Buffy could barely jump away when an arrow came her way. She took a brick off the ground and threw it at the vampire. It landed on the bow, which fell on the ground and broke. With a quick move she threw a stake at the vampire and it hit him right in the heart.
When Buffy turned around to help Spike up she heard someone clap.
"That was a nice show Slayer" Darius said amused.
"But now it's time for the real work."
"Finally."
Spike crawled up, the arrow still sticking out of his chest. The wound kept on bleeding and Spike was swaying a bit, but he still had a smirk on his face.
"You're dust, old D."
"We'll see about that."
Darius made a quick gesture with his hand. The next moment a pile of boxes and trash cans collapsed on top of Spike.
Darius laughed evilly. "One down, one to go."
Buffy didn't wait for him to finish his words, but attacked Darius instead. She planted her boot in his face. Darius collapsed and fell to the ground. However, before Buffy could make her next move she felt she was being thrown back by an invisible force. She landed on her back with a loud thump and gasped for breath. With wide eyes she watched as Darius unsheathed a katana, running towards her. At the last moment she rolled away from the sword, which landed next to her. She scrambled up and turned around, only to see Darius grinning menacingly, slowly coming closer. Buffy slowly walked backwards until she felt something hard and cold behind her. She turned her head to see. A wall. On her left: another wall. On her right: a huge pile of junk. In front of her: Darius.
"Do you have any last words, little one?"
"Yeah, see you in Hell, bastard."
The next moment, Darius was dust and Buffy was looking into Spikes grinning face.
"Hi there Slayer."
"Spike." It sounded surprised.
Spike opened his mouth to say something, but almost lost his balance instead.
"Is the arrow still in you?"
He nodded.
"We have to get it out."
"It's stuck. It can't be pulled out. You'll have to push it through."
Buffy checked Spikes back. He was right, if she would pull the arrow out she would only tear more of his flesh.
"I need to get some tools to get it through in one time. Besides, I'll have to check you for splinters."
She put her arm around his back and let Spike lean on her all the way home. There, she took the tool box her mom had bought a few months before and opened it. She took a saw and rubber-headed hammer.
"Sit down."
Spike sat down on a kitchen chair.
"Isn't your mother home?" he asked.
Buffy swallowed. "She's in hospital. Brain tumor." She started sawing off the feathers of the arrow.
"I'm sorry."
Buffy looked up.
"Yeah, so am I."
"Isn't there anything they can do?"
Buffy put the saw aside and took the hammer.
"No, nothing. Okay, hang on, this will hurt."
She took the arrow in one hand and lifted the hammer. With a quick move she hit the arrow right through Spikes chest. Spike screamed and cursed.
"Sorry about that."
"There was no other way."
"No, I guess not."
Buffy started putting things back into the tool box.
"You know what the worst thing is?" she asked.
"Not being able to do anything" Spike answered.
"I've been there. A long time ago, but I've been there. My mum was lethally ill. No one knew what it was at the time. Turned out to be malaria. I took care of her all the time. But she still died in the end. Maybe it was for the best. If she would have lived she would have seen me change. And then I'd probably have killed her myself. Might as well be dead before that."
He got up and put on his duster.
"I'd better go."
Buffy stopped him at the door.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, pet. And thanks for the stake."
"I didn't mean that. I meant: thanks for the talk."
Maybe she was wrong, but she thought she saw his eyes soften as he whispered:
"Anytime, Slayer, anytime."