Chapter Eight
The next day, the Summers house was once again filled with the same bustle and confusion that it had before Darry died and Kellie left. Dawn seemed more chipper and talked a lot more, even if it was just about Steven. Kellie was happier as well and talked about Spike, which seemed to make Buffy stressed, to say the least.
Oz was spending a lot more time at the Summers house and Buffy was beginning to tell that he was beginning to look at Darry in a slightly different way, there was more then adoration in his eyes when he looked at her.
Buffy, however, would have liked to join in with her friends' hyperness and happiness, she found that she couldn't. Like the Slayers before her, she was beginning to get the feeling that something was wrong and that something was going to happen, and soon.
Spike paced around in his crypt, feeling a boredom that he had never felt before. Now that he was, well to put it simply his old self again, he found that he really missed a lot of things that he hadn't done before. He missed the sweet smell of fear on a meal and the sweet taste of warm blood, still beating from the vein. He missed prowling around in the dark, slinking around in the shadows, making humans look of their shoulders, cocking their heads to hear a sound they thought they heard.
But most of all he missed being evil and doing evil things for the fun of it. And now that he had an evil thing to do, it pissed him off not to be able to do it. The one bad thing about being a vampire was the whole sunlight issue; Chaos hadn't even been able to change that fact.
Spike paced back and forth, stirring up dust and watching it sparkle in the sunlight that shined through the dusty window. Chaos said that he was to put his plan into action as soon as the sun set; he was to lure the Slayer and her friends to the place where he had chosen to stay inside of the high school. The place Chaos had chosen to stay was the old Sunnydale Swim and Sports Center, which hadn't been occupied since 1998, when the entire town of Sunnydale had become worried that they would turn into 'fish monsters' like the Sunnydale High swim team had.
The building was huge, larger then most sports buildings in California; the building had to be large because when it was built, in 1987, people began telling people that they had seen a large sea monster in the beach in Sunnydale, causing people to want to get their sports needs somewhere else. But, now that the building was empty, it seemed even larger then it had when it was full of sweaty, working out people.
The swimming pool was still full of water, which hadn't evaporated like most water would have; the water was thick and clouded with dust and grim and other things that weren't even recognizable. When he and Chaos had gone into the building last night, Spike had commented that it wouldn't be a good thing to fall into the water.
Chaos had agreed and said, "But, vampire, that is my plan; the Slayer must fall into the pool because there are evil things lurking in there, things that will do my bidding." Chaos floated over to the pool and parted the waters like Moses parting the Red Sea.
Spike had seen what Chaos meant by 'evil things'; a large dragon like creature swam around in the waters, large teeth, as big as steak knives, visible in its drooling jowls.
Spike had, in amazement asked what the creature was; he had seen many things sense becoming a vampire but nothing like this. Chaos had told him that it was the Kraken, a medieval sea-monster imprisoned by Zeus himself and then later by the Gatekeeper.
When Chaos mentioned the Gatekeeper, Spike remembered Buffy telling him about the Kraken and how it had set up shop in Sunnydale when the Gatekeeper in Boston had fallen ill and the gates became open. Spike couldn't forget because he and Dru had taken the Gatekeeper's heir captive until Buffy came and took him back.
Spike was slightly shaken but more amused at the thought that the Kraken was swimming around in the pool of the old sports center, waiting to eat the Slayer up.
The rest of the building was dusty and dirty, as well as dark; the power hadn't worked sense the building shut down. Many of the light-bulbs were broken and went Spike hit the light switch, sparks showered down.
Spike had to agree that the building was the prefect place for Chaos to let up residence, until the final battle with the Slayer, which was going to be soon. Just thinking about it made Spike get antsy and caused his blood to boil in anticipation. Even if Chaos wanted the Kraken to take the bite out of Buffy, there wasn't any reason that he couldn't take a stab (or bite) at Buffy's friends.
Almost as though reading his thoughts, the door to his crypt opened and Kellie stepped in. Normally, the sight of her would excite Spike and cause him to forget whatever was on his mind.
This time, however, the sight of her upset him and caused him to get impatient, even though a single word hadn't been spoken between them.
Kellie smiled. "Hi." She said and Spike noticed the sparkle in her eyes.
"Hey." Spike said, making no move to hide the distaste and boredom that laced his voice.
Kellie frowned and looked at her vampire beau. "What's the matter?" She asked and walked over toward him.
Spike turned to face her, giving her the fakest smile possible for a human or vampire to muster. "Why would anything be wrong?" He asked.
Kellie gave him a once-over. "There's something the matter; is it something I did?" Kellie asked, her brow etching with concern.
Spike turned away from her, putting his back to her. "As a matter of fact, pet, it is something you did: you came here. Came uninvited, as always, just assuming that I wanted to see you. Now, to tell you the truth 'darling', I really don't want to see you. In fact, I really never want to see you, or Buffy or any of your other sad excuse for friends." Spike said. He turned around and was in full vampire face, his teeth cutting into his lips as he made sure Kellie could see his teeth.
Kellie took a step back, surprised by Spike's change. Spike walked closer to her, making the girl back up until she tripped over something and fell to the ground. Spike dropped onto the ground in front of her, pressing his face to hers until their noses were almost touching.
"Stay away from me, I'm too busy to waste my time with humans and diddling debutantes like you. Get out." Spike growled and backed off, letting Kellie get to her feet and run out of the crypt, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Spike let out a satisfied sigh as he went and sat in his chair, propping his legs up on the 'coffin table'.
Kellie ran back to the Summers house and opened the kitchen door, colliding with Buffy as she tried to run upstairs. Buffy and Kellie fell to the floor and that's when Buffy noticed that Kellie was crying.
Buffy put her hands on Kellie's shoulders to keep her from doubling over. "Kellie, what's the matter?" Buffy asked.
Kellie looked up at the Slayer, blinking the tears from her eyes. "I went to see Spike..." She set, letting the sentence fall as she looked away, as though ashamed.
"What happened?" Buffy asked.
Kellie looked up at her. "What does it matter anyway?" Kellie said, with a sniff and a quiet whisper. "Hearts are broken everyday so why does mine matter?" Kellie asked and stood up, brushing away Buffy's hands.
Kellie ran upstairs to her room in the attic and left Buffy downstairs to think about what Kellie said. Then, she decided to pay Spike a little visit.
Buffy didn't bother to knock or even wait a beat before storming into Spike's crypt. As the vampire turned around, Buffy grabbed his shoulder and shoved him into the wall of his crypt.
"What the bloody hell?" Spike asked, his face becoming contorted as it transformed into his true face.
Buffy pinned him against the wall. "What did you do to Kellie?" She asked, making sure it was clear to Spike that she wasn't in the mood to hear his lies.
Spike shoved Buffy off him, surprising her with his fierceness. "I told her to stay away from me because I was tired of her always hanging around me." Spike answered. He walked over to her and shoved her onto his coffin table. "I mean, we all know that she wasn't exactly anything more then a 'crush'." Spike said.
Buffy kicked Spike in the stomach and pushed him off her. "Spike, you truely disgust me." Buffy walked away from Spike and toward the door. Without a glance back, she opened the door and walked out.
Buffy returned to the Summers house to see Darry, once again, consoling her cousin. Buffy walked into the living room and sat beside Darry on the couch. Kellie looked over at her.
"I went to go see Spike, to see what the hell was the matter with him this time." Buffy began. Both Kellie and Darry looked over at Buffy. "I don't think Spike is himself; Kellie, you'll agree with me when I see that Spike isn't himself. I don't know what's wrong with him but something is, for sure." Buffy said. She rested her hand on Kellie's shoulder. "It's not you, believe me, it's Spike or whatever has got a hold of him this time." She reassured.
Darry looked at the Slayer and then to her cousin. "Buffy'll figure it out." Darry told her cousin.
Spike was surprised when Chaos came to his crypt to pay him a visit. And Chaos was less then pleased with the vampire.
"You realize, foolish undead one, that you have just messed up our entire plan. Was it really that difficult for you to understand? You just needed to lead the Slayer to the center and that was all, but now they don't trust you; know they won't follow you to the center." Chaos said.
"Don't worry, I'll think of something." Spike said and grinned. "There was really nothing like seeing that look on her face though." Spike muttered, running his tongue along his teeth. He touched the tips of his teeth with his tongue, grimacing when his pricked his tongue. "However, there will probably be nothing like the taste off her blood either." He added.
Chaos whirled on him. "You will taste no blood if you do not bring the Slayer and friends to me." Chaos growled, shocking Spike, who was not shocked by anything.
"I know." Spike said, trying not to show how he felt.
Chaos floated over to him and leaded his almost gaseous hands upon Spike's shoulder. "Do you know, ignorant one, that you possess a very powerful gift inside your hapless mind. A gift that only demons can possess? You got it from a old vampire flame, did you not?" Chaos said, looking down at Spike. Spike seemed not to know what he was talking about.
Chaos took his hands away from Spike. "Yet you do not even know what it is." Chaos scoffed. "You have the gift of Second Sight, yet you cannot use it because you do not know how." Chaos said.
He looked out the dusty window of Spike's crypt. "Foolish one, it is almost dark; bring the Slayer and her friends to me." Chaos commanded and left the crypt, almost like a ghost would. However, Spike wasn't exactly sure what Chaos was, or what he, himself, thought he was.
When the half-moon appeared in the sky, a week from being full, Spike left his crypt and headed to the Summers house. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do but decided he was going to make it up as he went along.
He stood in front of the Summers house, trying to decide what to do; he didn't have long to stand because the front door opened and Xander peered outside at him. Xander made a face and then ducked back inside the house.
Buffy appeared at the door; Spike guessed that everyone was over at the house because he could see Anya and Dawn peering outside the windows.
"What do you want Spike?" Buffy asked.
Spike decided to come out right and tell them, with a little lie; he dropped to his knees and acted as though he was in pain. "Buffy...I need your help; I know I was cruel earlier today but I'm under a...spell. I need your help Buffy; you need to break the spell." Spike said, surprised by his acting talents.
Buffy looked down at the vampire. "Is that so?" Buffy asked. "Where is this big bad thing that put this spell on you?" Buffy asked.
This was more then what Spike had been hoping for, Buffy was stepping right into the trip. "Come with me, I'll take you." Spike said.
Against her better judgement, Buffy and the other members of the Scooby Gang followed Spike. Everyone, even Dawn, held some sort of a weapon; Spike had spun a tale that the thing that had put a spell on him couldn't easily be killed so they'd better bring whatever weapon they had.
Spike stopped when they reached the Sunnydale Swim and Sports Center. "This is the place." Spike answered.
Darry looked up at the building and grimaced as she read the sign. "Ugh, I hate the water." She muttered. She looked over at Oz with a slightly embarrassed look on her face. "I can't swim." She muttered to him.
Oz put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, this place has been closed for years; we won't be doing any swimming." Oz said. Darry, as usual, felt better by his words.
"Come on, let's go." Spike said. Buffy stepped forward and pushed the door open.
The next day, the Summers house was once again filled with the same bustle and confusion that it had before Darry died and Kellie left. Dawn seemed more chipper and talked a lot more, even if it was just about Steven. Kellie was happier as well and talked about Spike, which seemed to make Buffy stressed, to say the least.
Oz was spending a lot more time at the Summers house and Buffy was beginning to tell that he was beginning to look at Darry in a slightly different way, there was more then adoration in his eyes when he looked at her.
Buffy, however, would have liked to join in with her friends' hyperness and happiness, she found that she couldn't. Like the Slayers before her, she was beginning to get the feeling that something was wrong and that something was going to happen, and soon.
Spike paced around in his crypt, feeling a boredom that he had never felt before. Now that he was, well to put it simply his old self again, he found that he really missed a lot of things that he hadn't done before. He missed the sweet smell of fear on a meal and the sweet taste of warm blood, still beating from the vein. He missed prowling around in the dark, slinking around in the shadows, making humans look of their shoulders, cocking their heads to hear a sound they thought they heard.
But most of all he missed being evil and doing evil things for the fun of it. And now that he had an evil thing to do, it pissed him off not to be able to do it. The one bad thing about being a vampire was the whole sunlight issue; Chaos hadn't even been able to change that fact.
Spike paced back and forth, stirring up dust and watching it sparkle in the sunlight that shined through the dusty window. Chaos said that he was to put his plan into action as soon as the sun set; he was to lure the Slayer and her friends to the place where he had chosen to stay inside of the high school. The place Chaos had chosen to stay was the old Sunnydale Swim and Sports Center, which hadn't been occupied since 1998, when the entire town of Sunnydale had become worried that they would turn into 'fish monsters' like the Sunnydale High swim team had.
The building was huge, larger then most sports buildings in California; the building had to be large because when it was built, in 1987, people began telling people that they had seen a large sea monster in the beach in Sunnydale, causing people to want to get their sports needs somewhere else. But, now that the building was empty, it seemed even larger then it had when it was full of sweaty, working out people.
The swimming pool was still full of water, which hadn't evaporated like most water would have; the water was thick and clouded with dust and grim and other things that weren't even recognizable. When he and Chaos had gone into the building last night, Spike had commented that it wouldn't be a good thing to fall into the water.
Chaos had agreed and said, "But, vampire, that is my plan; the Slayer must fall into the pool because there are evil things lurking in there, things that will do my bidding." Chaos floated over to the pool and parted the waters like Moses parting the Red Sea.
Spike had seen what Chaos meant by 'evil things'; a large dragon like creature swam around in the waters, large teeth, as big as steak knives, visible in its drooling jowls.
Spike had, in amazement asked what the creature was; he had seen many things sense becoming a vampire but nothing like this. Chaos had told him that it was the Kraken, a medieval sea-monster imprisoned by Zeus himself and then later by the Gatekeeper.
When Chaos mentioned the Gatekeeper, Spike remembered Buffy telling him about the Kraken and how it had set up shop in Sunnydale when the Gatekeeper in Boston had fallen ill and the gates became open. Spike couldn't forget because he and Dru had taken the Gatekeeper's heir captive until Buffy came and took him back.
Spike was slightly shaken but more amused at the thought that the Kraken was swimming around in the pool of the old sports center, waiting to eat the Slayer up.
The rest of the building was dusty and dirty, as well as dark; the power hadn't worked sense the building shut down. Many of the light-bulbs were broken and went Spike hit the light switch, sparks showered down.
Spike had to agree that the building was the prefect place for Chaos to let up residence, until the final battle with the Slayer, which was going to be soon. Just thinking about it made Spike get antsy and caused his blood to boil in anticipation. Even if Chaos wanted the Kraken to take the bite out of Buffy, there wasn't any reason that he couldn't take a stab (or bite) at Buffy's friends.
Almost as though reading his thoughts, the door to his crypt opened and Kellie stepped in. Normally, the sight of her would excite Spike and cause him to forget whatever was on his mind.
This time, however, the sight of her upset him and caused him to get impatient, even though a single word hadn't been spoken between them.
Kellie smiled. "Hi." She said and Spike noticed the sparkle in her eyes.
"Hey." Spike said, making no move to hide the distaste and boredom that laced his voice.
Kellie frowned and looked at her vampire beau. "What's the matter?" She asked and walked over toward him.
Spike turned to face her, giving her the fakest smile possible for a human or vampire to muster. "Why would anything be wrong?" He asked.
Kellie gave him a once-over. "There's something the matter; is it something I did?" Kellie asked, her brow etching with concern.
Spike turned away from her, putting his back to her. "As a matter of fact, pet, it is something you did: you came here. Came uninvited, as always, just assuming that I wanted to see you. Now, to tell you the truth 'darling', I really don't want to see you. In fact, I really never want to see you, or Buffy or any of your other sad excuse for friends." Spike said. He turned around and was in full vampire face, his teeth cutting into his lips as he made sure Kellie could see his teeth.
Kellie took a step back, surprised by Spike's change. Spike walked closer to her, making the girl back up until she tripped over something and fell to the ground. Spike dropped onto the ground in front of her, pressing his face to hers until their noses were almost touching.
"Stay away from me, I'm too busy to waste my time with humans and diddling debutantes like you. Get out." Spike growled and backed off, letting Kellie get to her feet and run out of the crypt, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Spike let out a satisfied sigh as he went and sat in his chair, propping his legs up on the 'coffin table'.
Kellie ran back to the Summers house and opened the kitchen door, colliding with Buffy as she tried to run upstairs. Buffy and Kellie fell to the floor and that's when Buffy noticed that Kellie was crying.
Buffy put her hands on Kellie's shoulders to keep her from doubling over. "Kellie, what's the matter?" Buffy asked.
Kellie looked up at the Slayer, blinking the tears from her eyes. "I went to see Spike..." She set, letting the sentence fall as she looked away, as though ashamed.
"What happened?" Buffy asked.
Kellie looked up at her. "What does it matter anyway?" Kellie said, with a sniff and a quiet whisper. "Hearts are broken everyday so why does mine matter?" Kellie asked and stood up, brushing away Buffy's hands.
Kellie ran upstairs to her room in the attic and left Buffy downstairs to think about what Kellie said. Then, she decided to pay Spike a little visit.
Buffy didn't bother to knock or even wait a beat before storming into Spike's crypt. As the vampire turned around, Buffy grabbed his shoulder and shoved him into the wall of his crypt.
"What the bloody hell?" Spike asked, his face becoming contorted as it transformed into his true face.
Buffy pinned him against the wall. "What did you do to Kellie?" She asked, making sure it was clear to Spike that she wasn't in the mood to hear his lies.
Spike shoved Buffy off him, surprising her with his fierceness. "I told her to stay away from me because I was tired of her always hanging around me." Spike answered. He walked over to her and shoved her onto his coffin table. "I mean, we all know that she wasn't exactly anything more then a 'crush'." Spike said.
Buffy kicked Spike in the stomach and pushed him off her. "Spike, you truely disgust me." Buffy walked away from Spike and toward the door. Without a glance back, she opened the door and walked out.
Buffy returned to the Summers house to see Darry, once again, consoling her cousin. Buffy walked into the living room and sat beside Darry on the couch. Kellie looked over at her.
"I went to go see Spike, to see what the hell was the matter with him this time." Buffy began. Both Kellie and Darry looked over at Buffy. "I don't think Spike is himself; Kellie, you'll agree with me when I see that Spike isn't himself. I don't know what's wrong with him but something is, for sure." Buffy said. She rested her hand on Kellie's shoulder. "It's not you, believe me, it's Spike or whatever has got a hold of him this time." She reassured.
Darry looked at the Slayer and then to her cousin. "Buffy'll figure it out." Darry told her cousin.
Spike was surprised when Chaos came to his crypt to pay him a visit. And Chaos was less then pleased with the vampire.
"You realize, foolish undead one, that you have just messed up our entire plan. Was it really that difficult for you to understand? You just needed to lead the Slayer to the center and that was all, but now they don't trust you; know they won't follow you to the center." Chaos said.
"Don't worry, I'll think of something." Spike said and grinned. "There was really nothing like seeing that look on her face though." Spike muttered, running his tongue along his teeth. He touched the tips of his teeth with his tongue, grimacing when his pricked his tongue. "However, there will probably be nothing like the taste off her blood either." He added.
Chaos whirled on him. "You will taste no blood if you do not bring the Slayer and friends to me." Chaos growled, shocking Spike, who was not shocked by anything.
"I know." Spike said, trying not to show how he felt.
Chaos floated over to him and leaded his almost gaseous hands upon Spike's shoulder. "Do you know, ignorant one, that you possess a very powerful gift inside your hapless mind. A gift that only demons can possess? You got it from a old vampire flame, did you not?" Chaos said, looking down at Spike. Spike seemed not to know what he was talking about.
Chaos took his hands away from Spike. "Yet you do not even know what it is." Chaos scoffed. "You have the gift of Second Sight, yet you cannot use it because you do not know how." Chaos said.
He looked out the dusty window of Spike's crypt. "Foolish one, it is almost dark; bring the Slayer and her friends to me." Chaos commanded and left the crypt, almost like a ghost would. However, Spike wasn't exactly sure what Chaos was, or what he, himself, thought he was.
When the half-moon appeared in the sky, a week from being full, Spike left his crypt and headed to the Summers house. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do but decided he was going to make it up as he went along.
He stood in front of the Summers house, trying to decide what to do; he didn't have long to stand because the front door opened and Xander peered outside at him. Xander made a face and then ducked back inside the house.
Buffy appeared at the door; Spike guessed that everyone was over at the house because he could see Anya and Dawn peering outside the windows.
"What do you want Spike?" Buffy asked.
Spike decided to come out right and tell them, with a little lie; he dropped to his knees and acted as though he was in pain. "Buffy...I need your help; I know I was cruel earlier today but I'm under a...spell. I need your help Buffy; you need to break the spell." Spike said, surprised by his acting talents.
Buffy looked down at the vampire. "Is that so?" Buffy asked. "Where is this big bad thing that put this spell on you?" Buffy asked.
This was more then what Spike had been hoping for, Buffy was stepping right into the trip. "Come with me, I'll take you." Spike said.
Against her better judgement, Buffy and the other members of the Scooby Gang followed Spike. Everyone, even Dawn, held some sort of a weapon; Spike had spun a tale that the thing that had put a spell on him couldn't easily be killed so they'd better bring whatever weapon they had.
Spike stopped when they reached the Sunnydale Swim and Sports Center. "This is the place." Spike answered.
Darry looked up at the building and grimaced as she read the sign. "Ugh, I hate the water." She muttered. She looked over at Oz with a slightly embarrassed look on her face. "I can't swim." She muttered to him.
Oz put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, this place has been closed for years; we won't be doing any swimming." Oz said. Darry, as usual, felt better by his words.
"Come on, let's go." Spike said. Buffy stepped forward and pushed the door open.
