Xander's head hurt. He could feel a bump beginning to form on the back of his skull. "Ouch!" he mumbled. Slowly, he opened his eyes, allowing time for them to adjust to the bright light. His eyes struggled to focus on his surroundings.
Xander felt his breath catch. "No, it couldn't be," he didn't want to believe what he saw. He was tied up in a room almost as familiar to him as his own. It was Anya's.
"But I don't see why you had to bring him here," Xander heard Anya whine from the next room.
"Well, I couldn't take him back to my place," Spike argued. "That would have been too bloody easy."
"And how will they know to find him here?" Anya asked. The vampire only growled in response. He stormed into the next room toward his captive.
Xander closed his eyes and dropped his head back down, hoping he looked unconscious. He heard Spike's heavy footsteps as he crossed the room. Xander was not prepared for the blow. Spike's hand flew forward, snapping Xander's head back.
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," Spike sang, glee evident in his voice. He was tired of sitting by, watching good battle evil. This past year had been torture for him. He had itched to be the one out there, taking on the Slayer. But he had only been able to fight demons, those he believed he deserved to lead. Spike smiled cruelly at the boy in front of him. He was back in the game. No more Mr. Nice Guy, baby. The big bad is back.
Xander stared up at Spike, defiance in his eyes. "Go ahead, Spike. Kill me. That won't help you get Elisa," he said, his voice low, dangerous even.
Spike was furious. He slammed his fist into Xander's face and then kicked his gut. Xander doubled over, his body pulling on the restraints. He remained in that position for a moment, gathering his composure. Slowly he lifted his head, staring Spike down once more. They glared at each other for a few moments before Xander's eyes shifted to a spot just over the vampire's shoulder.
Anya stood two feet back, conflicting emotions crossing her face. She wanted Spike to be happy, that is why she was helping him. But Xander was her first love. He had helped her through the rough times when she was getting used to her mortality. She may have chosen to be with Spike, but she couldn't bear to see Xander in pain.
"Ahn," Xander whispered. He had heard her voice a few minutes ago, but seeing her made it all too real. Anya saw the hurt in his eyes. Unable to look at him any longer, she turned away.
Spike slipped into his demon's visage and prepared for another round with his unwilling opponent. He pulled his fist back, but stopped when he felt a small hand on his arm. Spike turned and looked at Anya, his face showing his human mask once more.
"Please," Anya begged. "Don't hurt him."
Spike sighed and turned back to Xander. "You're lucky, boy," he growled. "But you better hope my sister shows up. Or else. . .your days are numbered." With that, Spike turned and left the room, pulling Anya behind him.
"Great," Xander muttered, thinking about his situation. He knew what Spike wanted. "Elisa, stay away," he closed his eyes against the unwelcome thoughts. "Please, save yourself."
Across town, the Scoobies were preparing for battle. Giles and Willow gathered weapons as Buffy explained Spike's fighting style and possible weaknesses. Once they were all ready, Buffy reached for the door. She hesitated and turned around.
"Any idea where to start?" she asked the others.
"Well, I do think we could use more people," Willow mentioned. "With Riley out of town, Tara home sick, and Xander missing, we're short a few people. And Spike has to be itching to exact his revenge after being harmless for the past year."
"Well, they do say that sometimes there is strength in numbers," Buffy agreed, not entirely sure why she was willing to go along with this. Normally, more people just meant more liabilities. "Who could help us, though? It's not like we have a long list."
Willow thought about it for a moment. "It would take too long for Angel to get here and. . ."her voice was despondent. Then she jumped, excited now. "I know!" she screeched. "How about Anya?"
"Anya?" Buffy raised her eyebrows. Buffy had never cared much for the ex-demon. But she was Xander's girlfriend, although they hadn't seen her in awhile. 'I wonder if something happened with them,' Buffy silently wondered.
"Who's Anya?" Elisa asked.
"Oh, Um…" Willow began. "She's a friend. And she knows about the Slayer thing. Plus, she cares a lot about Xander."
Buffy rolled her eyes. She really didn't want to involve Anya. She hadn't seen the ex-demon in the past few days and had to admit that she kind of liked the quiet. "If that's the best we've got. . .do we have to?"
Giles shook his head at his Slayer. "Any better suggestions?"
Coming up empty, Buffy sighed, "All right, I guess it's off
to Anya's then." And the group hurried once again into the night.