Title: Forbidden, 4th Chapter

Author: . sLaYeReTTe .

Disclaimer: It was all Joss…

Setting: Taking place after the 3rd chapter

Summary: After a slaying incident, Spike takes up amnesia and his chip hits a malfunction…

Rating: PG-13 to R

[Chapter 4: Amnesia]

The ally reeked of vampire, and Buffy Summers wrinkled her nose, disgusted with such a fetid odor.

"What are you turning your nose up for?" Spike chided.

"I can smell you," Buffy replied blandly.

"I don't smell that bad do I love?" He chuckled with amusement.

"Hmm…," she cogitated sarcastically.

"Well for your information, I happen to smell quite good for a vampire," he snorted in a 'thank-you-very-much' tone.

"I bet you d-," she was cut off, "Spike look out!"

The sickening thud of the crate hitting Spike in the head made Buffy cringe. She lunged at the demonic culprit and tackled it to the ground. It roared with ferocity into her intense countenance, causing her features to shrivel with repulse.

"Gross, you need a breath mint!" She growled, driving the wooden instrument into its heart.

"One down…whoa! Two to go," Buffy chanted, leaping from the clutches of the second vamp and dodging its pitiful attempts to strike her with its balled fists.

"You're going to have to try harder than that," she advised, twisting and twirling, coming closer only to stop dead, steak rammed to the torso to watch the crumbling entrails.

"You're next," Buffy awaited the third to strike…but the brute fled, coward to the regnant slayer.

"Oh my God Spike!" She went down upon her knees and kneeled by the fallen vampire, attempting to lift the crate.

With much strain on her part, she eventually rid his skull of the pressure and sat him up.

"Spike…speak to me," she gazed intently at the peroxide blonde.

"Mmph," he muttered in a daze.

"Spike…it's me Buffy," she stared quizzically.

"Who are you?" He managed, rubbing over the soar spot on his head, "You're very pretty," he added.

"Spike? It's…it's Buffy," she answered, horror sinking into the slayer.

"Buffy…Buffy…Buffy," he repeated her names until she thought her name would be worn out.

"And…who am I?" He asked.

"You…oh Spike," she held his skull close, gingerly felt depleted and jaded.

"Spike? That's a cool name," he mumbled, looking perplexed as Buffy held him close.

"Spike, come on, we have to get you home," she whispered, aiding him as he stood, wobbling and insisted upon clinging to her apparel to keep him steady all the way to her home

* * *

"Willow! I'm home, get down here now!" Buffy shouted as she and a clinging Spike trounced into the dwelling.

"What is it Buffy? Oh what happened to Spike?" Willow exclaimed, examining the elevating bump on the right side of his head.

"Come in here," Buffy grunted, encumbered by the weight of the burly vampire.

She drug Spike into the living room and stationed him on the couch. Then she rushed to the kitchen, returning quickly with a cold compress.

"Here, put it on your head," Buffy instructed, handing the delusional Spike the cloth.

"Thanks…Buffy," he spoke her name again.

Buffy rolled her eyes skyward.

"Okay Wills…we were in the ally looking for those vamps, and one hit him over the head with the super heavy crate…and I'm pretty sure he's got amnesia…he couldn't remember my name or who he was either," Buffy explained, breathless and flustered by the time she was finished.

"Oh my," Willow breathed, grabbing the cold compress as Spike attempted to put it in his mouth, "No Spike, up here…he must be having momentary brain malfunctions," Willow added dryly.

"Ugh! I don't know what to do!" Buffy moaned.

"I'm hungry," Spike interrupted.

Buffy averted her gaze to the vampire, eyes narrowing a look of apprehension crawling across her embellished features. Spike's ensnaring optics took on a lustful shade and Buffy shuddered, having a revelation. She stood up.

"Willow…get behind me," Buffy commanded, eyes never wavering from Spike's hungry gaze.

Willow obeyed and cowered behind the slayer.

* * *

Something in Spike's head snapped. Hunger…and need. Desire…intense desire. His tongue elicited, protruding from his parched labrums and he laughed an evil laugh. He watched as the victim of choice hid behind this…Buffy character and he grinned, fangs visible as he took on demonic visage.

"Come now…I won't bite," he promised.

"Stay away," Buffy warned.

"I have a craving for blood…and right now…you two look quite…delicious," Spike laughed maliciously and jumped up, clairvoyant vision finding a sensuous, addicting pulse there…that must be his target.

The bloodlust multiplied and his whole body screamed 'now'! He lunged, only to be punched back by Buffy, and he groaned as he hit the floor with a thud! He glared miscreant and insanely ailed by the intense hunger. With a horrific roar, he darted from the ajar door and into civilization.

"Oh shit," Buffy groaned, her forehead smacking listlessly against her palm.

"I guess we need to warn everyone," Willow suggested.

"Yea…um…you call Xander and Anya…keep Dawn here at home, lock the doors and meet me at the Magic Box in an hour…bring ropes and binds, I'm going to bring Spike," Buffy instructed, authority in her tone ruling over Willow as she scurried to the phone.

* * *

The blonde vampire scanned the crowds and was impressed by the number of heartbeats and pulses he picked up. So many victims…and so little time! How idle and amusing he found this. A derelict male ducked across the traffic and into a back ally. Bingo. Spike moved swiftly, nimbly delivered within five sweeping strides at the back of his first subject.

The boy sensed something at his back and he froze, turning to see the pernicious creature at his back.

"Wh-wh-what do you want?" The boy stammered, unable to keep the horror from his tone.

"What do I want? What I want is blood," Spike answered, "I'm a killer…and I've gone quite a while without such a promising elixir."

"Now easy there big guy," the boy held up his hands in surrender.

"I think not," Spike growled, lunging forward and savoring the succulent flavor as his fangs penetrated the vulnerable flesh, extracting the crimson fluids, which flowed within the victim's veins.

At last! He felt as if he had retaliated and his own vitality had been restored. He dropped the shriveled, frail corpse and left it in the ally before darting after yet another…

* * *

Buffy walked downtown into the rush of evening traffic and realized that the streets were semi empty. Her heart increased beats and she was so certain everyone within five miles of her could hear it. Then a scream, shrill and cacophonous filled the air, causing Buffy to jump. She headed at a dead run, stake out, towards the ally. There Spike was, two other bodies littered at his feet while he drained a third, the droplets of the thick fluid dripping down his lips as he greedily sucked.

"Spike, stop it," Buffy threatened, waving the stake around her head.

The vampire subsided, but finished his meal and eyed the slayer.

"Buffy?"

"Leave them alone," she repeated.

"What do you want?" He growled, carelessly wiping the blood from his chin.

"I want you to stop," she answered.

"Oh really…well I'm hungry too! And besides…," he grinned devilishly, "What are you going to do with that?"

"I'm going to drive it through your heart and make you dust at my feet," she replied, nonchalant the screaming pang in her head which urged her to put the weapon down…that she was in love with this…this monstrosity.

"Is that how this blood sucking process works?" He chuckled pointedly.

"Spike…," she warned, forcing herself to choke back the hurt in her voice…this is like Angel all over again.

"Buffy…come now pet," he grinned playfully.

"Spike, I'm counting to five," Buffy threatened, "One…"

"You couldn't take me," he scoffed, moving in a circle around the slayer.

"Two…"

"In fact, I know you couldn't."

"Three…"

"You don't have the guts do you?"

"Four…"

"I can see it in your eyes…fear Buffy…fear," he smirked.

"Five…that's it Spike, you asked for it," she lunged, fist jabbing him in the jowl, and when he lowered his head to touch gingerly at the pained jaw, she kicked him over the head and winced as his body hit the asphalt.

"I'm sorry 'lover'…I didn't want to hurt you," she whispered, still in defensive poise.

"Well you did….bloody hell!" he cursed.

She landed a right hook on the side of his head and knocked him out, intentionally devising her plan to get him 'willingly' to the Magic Box.

* * *

The door to the Magic Box swung open and the Scoobies watched intently as the slayer dragged the limp figure through the doorframe. She grunted against the burly weight of the male vampire and finally came to a rest in front of a chair. She struggled for air, panting in short gasps.

"A little help here please?" She motioned breathlessly to the fallen Spike.

"Oh, yea, sure," Willow jumped up and together they heaved the unconscious blonde into the binds and security confinements of the plush seat.

"Whoa…how'd you manage that Buff?" Xander commented, eyeing Spike as his pate lolled upon his shoulder.

"I, I don't know. A, and I don't want to know," she stammered, turning from the sight of the flaccid figurine.

Xander and Willow exchanged glances, aware of the situation.

"Come on Xander, I think there's a book on Amnesia in the back room," Willow motioned.

"Um, yea, right," Xander nodded, picking up quickly and following her back.

They arrived within the recesses of the shady room and huddled near a few of the shelves which held a number of miscellaneous bits and pieces, detected here and there from their previous odysseys.

"What are we going to do?!" Willow exclaimed, stricken with panic.

"Okay, first we need to calm down and think," Xander advised.

"Okay…calm down…calm down. I cant!" Willow replied, attempting to regulate her shaky tone to a moderate whisper.

"Well…if Spike doesn't get his memory back soon…or the chip kicks back into gear, there's no way we're going to be able to keep him chained and tied like an animal," Xander reasoned.

"But poor Buffy…," Willow softened.

"Yeah I know…she's been through this with Angel," Xander recalled, reminiscing upon the past when the vampire's soul had been erased.

"We can't let it happen again," Willow pleaded.

"I know…but how?" he puzzled.

They heard sobbing from the interior of the shop. Xander and Willow once again exchanged apprehensive glances and darted quietly towards the door. There they saw Buffy, sitting directly across the motionless male, desperately raking at her sun-kissed features, ridding them of the brackish liquid.

"Oh Spike…I'm so sorry," she apologized, burying her face in her cupped palms.

Willow turned to face Xander.

"We have got to do something…we can't let her go through this again," she declared and gingerly stepped over to the choked slayer.

"Sh Buffy…it's okay," she assured her, laying a hand on the violently jerking shoulder.

"No…it's not," Buffy heaved.

"Well…okay, maybe it's not…but it's gonna' be okay," Willow attempted a smile.

"I'm going to have to kill him aren't I?" Buffy whispered sullenly.

"No! It's not going to be like last time Buff…we're gonna cure Spike! I, I promise!" Willow encouraged, confidence dripping from her words.

"No…there's now way…no way he can be cured unless miraculously he regains his memory…God Willow…I shouldn't have let him come patrol with me," Buffy blamed herself.

Not that I could have stopped him though…

"Don't say that Buffy…you didn't…you couldn't have known."

"Well I should have considered it."

Now she really sounded pathetic.

Spike stirred and both females diverted their pensive gazes, and fixated them upon the vampire.

* * *

"O…Ouch. Where am I?" He muttered as the pain hit him in a wave of frenzied intensity.

No one answered his question.

"Buffy…you sodding bitch," he bristled, and enjoyed the sight as she winced at his beastial words.

He was delighted to find his hands untied by the bondage and he meekly fumbled for the tie.

"Spike…," she breathed, and he could tell he was tearing her up.

"What do you want from me slayer?" He growled, "I know what I am…I've tasted it."

"You know what you are…but you don't know who you are," she whispered softly.

"Oh but I do…I am a brutal killing machine," he said coolly, admiring the sad look which settled in on the slayer.

"No…you're not. Try to remember Spike…you and me," she urged, a note of desperation in her innocent tone.

"Remember? There's nothing to remember slayer," he snorted defiantly.

But then pain came again, a sudden jolt to his head and he howled, writhing within the manacles of the chair. The pain subsided as quickly as it had come, and he lay limp once again, panting, and gasping for breath after the small episode.

"Chip…bloody hell, there's a chip in my head!" He screamed, horrified.

"Yeah…do you remember?" Buffy perked inevitably.

Her interest in him sparked something within the vampire…but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

"Just a chip…," he murmured, clearly perplexed.

"Oh," she looked disappointed.

"Well slayer…our game is over," he smiled cynically.

"What are you talking about Spike?" she demanded.

He stood up, holding the broken and unraveled binds within his pallid fingers.

"And now it's my turn," he hissed, lunging at the slayer in a lightening-quick reflex, pinning her to the ground, finding her useless and vulnerable.

"I've been craving a taste of you since I laid eyes on you," he chuckled maliciously and lowered his head, looming hungrily above her neck.

"Spike…no…," she struggled to free herself of the fatal situation.

"Yes slayer…," he replied huskily.

"Ow! Oh bloody hell!" He shrieked as the pain paralyzed him for a second, and he flew back, ailed by an unknown pain.

* * *

It sunk in. Spike's chip had re-activated. Buffy breathed a sigh of relief and let her eyes drift upon the contracted breaths, which emitted, labored by the pain.

"Willow, Xander hurry!" Buffy motioned to the ropes as she struggled to reconfirm what had just happened.

* * *

Spike awoke once again, this time finding himself in…a bathtub! Devoid of water…and for that matter anything. Just an empty bathtub…he went to get up, but was surprised to find himself shackled to the depression in the tub.

"What the devil?" He grumbled, ripping desperately at the chains.

He looked around the cavernous area and found it strangely…familiar. Déjà vu, intense and haunting, stirring a memory as it struggled to pass the seemingly inexorable surface of where the amnesia lay, embedded in his brain. He saw the slayer. She sat solo upon the couch, features scrunched diligently, wistful stare into nothingness once again igniting a commencing retrospect. Then the vision faded, and he growled in frustration.

She looked up, startled by the eliciting sound and eyed him with a gaze of pure adoration. It made him soften somewhat…and he wondered why.

"Slayer," he rasped, "Get me out of here."

"Sorry Spike…no can do," she replied, "Not until you shape up."

"Bloody hell woman, get me out of here now!" he roared.

"No Spike…I can't," she answered firmly, leaving the crypt-like haven and exiting without so much as a backward glance.

[Notes: Okay…there. –sticks tongue out- how's this? I wrote it without the goddamn thesaurus! Keep in mind, I refuse to restrict myself from using some words…because you see, I am an RPG'er, and I've grown accustomed to some…'larger words', if you will…and so I will use some here and there. Thanks for the constructive critisism…I admit it will be a hard habit to break, but I'm working on it 0.o]