Title: Fear
Author: Joy
Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com
Buffy gasped loudly throwing her head back and reaching for her neck. "Buffy!" Willow called. "Buffy…" Buffy puddled on the floor passed out.
"What happened?" Spike asked fearful rushing to her side, having just walked up the stairs to the lobby.
"Haven't a clue," Willow contended. "We were standing here reading and she leaned on the desk saying her eyes hurt. She gasped, grabbed her throat and fell to the ground."
Spike slid into game face and promptly picked Gabriel up by the throat and pinned him to the closest wall. "GET OUT OF HER HEAD OLD MAN!!!" he screeched. "I have no qualms about killing you!"
"Don't!" Wolf jolted more awake by the goings on.
"I am not in her mind," Gabriel gasped seeing the hatred in the vampire's eyes despite the soul.
"You're lying!"
"On the lives of my congregation I am not," the Father swore.
"Than who is?" Spike ground out.
"I do not know."
Spike threw the priest at Angel. "Watch him," he snarled. Angel nodded.
Spike gathered Buffy into his arms. He reached through what was left of the claim to Buffy's mind. There before him was the scene Buffy was experiencing. Her eyes were nearly rolled back as the other Spike was draining her. "Buffy!" he called to her. "Buffy!"
She moved her eyes slowly. "This isn't real, luv," he soothed from a far. She would have to trust and believe him to make the creature stop. "You're in a heap on the floor of the Hyperion. Someone is in your mind. You know I would never do this to you." Buffy's eyes began to focus on the Spike who was being comforting. "Do you honestly think William would allow me to do such a think to the mother of my child?"
"William," she mouthed slowly. Soon she realized she didn't feel like she had been drained. She didn't feel weak…she felt strong. Buffy pushed with all her might the creature draining her. She glared at him defiantly no longer seeing Spike completely but something dark and invasive.
"You're worst fear, pet," it whispered in Spike's voice. "What does that say about your love?"
"That it's been a month since this relationship really started. Some thoughts die hard… some things too!" she said as a stake appeared in her hand just as she dusted the imposter. She watched it explode as it began to cackle.
Spike smirked and clapped like he did the first night he met her, "Nice job, luv."
Both Spike and Buffy opened their eyes in the real world. "Nice job, luv," he whispered to her before he kissed her lightly. Buffy began to cry. Tears started to stream down her face. Spike kissed each tear at the top her cheek. "I got you…"
"It felt so real," she whimpered in his ear. "If you hadn't come…what would have happened?"
"It doesn't matter, pet," he said clenching his eyes shut.
"Yes it does…" she said strong and confident. "What would have happened?"
"You'd have gone into a coma," he whispered. "It would have been an eternal hell of me drinking from you and you never quite dying." He couldn't find his voice after that in tears at the thought.
"I'm sorry…" Buffy cried.
"For what?"
"For not being able to push the thought away," she whispered.
"Look at me," he commanded. She met his eyes, "A few years ago your worst fear was being bitten and drowned by the Master. You told me you dreamed the Master tried to kill you in the form of Giles. Then the fear was Druscilla would kill Angel. Later it was Angelus sucking you dry and turning you. That was a real fear because you loved him so much. Last year your worst fear would have been to see Glory kill Dawn. It's always bound up in the thoughts of someone you love being hurt or hurting you. That's everyone's worst fear baby."
Buffy leaned forward onto Spike's chin. He kissed her forehead and cuddled her to him. "You knew I couldn't do that to you the moment you saw me. It took a few seconds to give you the strength to push it away… I'd have been hurt if you didn't believe me and it took a long time to convince you… I love you and you know I love you."
She nodded. "I love you too."
Spike smiled, "So lets try to find out who did this, okay?" She nodded again.
Spike stood and raised Buffy to her feet. He let Willow lead her back to Wesley's office. Spike turned back to Angel and Gabriel. "Did he react?"
Angel shook his head. "If it had been him, there would have been some movement or shutter. It wasn't him." Angel glared at the priest, "But I'm not convinced he doesn't know more then he's saying."
Father Gabriel looked at both vampires. "Gentlemen… I would not be so stupid to not tell you if I knew what happened to your dear slayer. I can only imagine the forces wanting to kill the child are looking for the easiest way to kill the mother."
Spike and Angel closed in on the man a little more. "And who would these forces be…who do you know that could pull this off?" Spike snipped.
Angel thought for a second, "You always refer to Buffy not as the slayer but our dear slayer. Why?" Spike blinked a few times as did Gabriel who began to gape. "What have you done to the other slayer?" Angel snarled.
"Nothing!" Gabriel said with great fear. "But wouldn't it make a lot of sense for the council to kill the other slayer so they could train another girl. Then they would have a slayer they could control… Wouldn't she be the perfect person to take the baby?"
"How do you know this?" Spike snarled.
"I don't… I've had someone on the inside leaking information to me for a while… I understand the way they work. They were ready to kill her a few years ago. I know she'll be dead in the next six months just for logistics of the birth."
"Okay new plan… Get Faith out of prison and protect her and Buffy with everything we have," Spike said to Angel.
"Good plan… Sundown we start the outing part," the older vampire responded. Gabriel sighed a breath of relief. "Don't get too comfortable old man…we still need to know who could invade Buffy's mind."
"It would have to be someone close," Tara said absently as she walked by.
Spike spun around, "Why?"
"It would have to be an incredibly strong witch or warlock to tap into Buffy's mind and use images from her life against her… Or its someone who can reach across the bridge like you did earlier," she answered.
"Bloody Hell!" Spike swore.
"What?" Angel asked.
"When I was in the Nothing I tried to reach out with my mind so I could get help. I finally got through with Connor… But I did get some recognition from Dru; she just didn't want to help… That's who did this…Druscilla," Spike said biting the inside of his mouth. "She would have no problem picking my brain for what was happening with me. With the claim she could have easily reached across me to Buffy."
"What's going on?" Buffy said shakily reentering the room.
"I think Dru's the one that messed with your mind. She's done it before…sort of. When I was in the Nothing…"
"…You tapped into her which then tapped into me," Buffy said as Spike nodded in agreement.
Angel cleared his throat, "Gabriel thinks that Faith is probably endanger too. Kill the slayer a new one is called."
"And if she's anything like Kendra willing to follow orders to the tee, like take our baby," she said tracking with the line of reasoning.
Dawn raised her hand like she was in school; "Tell me why I'm awake for this?"
"Oh…Oh right… Well?" Buffy said looking at Spike.
"Now that I know he's not trying to take the baby or screw with your brain I'm up for it," he responded.
"Do I have to be here?" Angel whispered to Spike.
"No… If you want to fry yourself in the afternoon light, go ahead. Otherwise you're stuck in the hotel," Spike answered. "Ya want to have me ready to help with Faith tonight or not?"
"I hate this…"
"I know…Go be with Cordy and your son. I promise it will hurt less. Who knows maybe Cordy would be up for a double ceremony."
"I think not… In the last few hours I've bitten her, nearly eaten my son, stake claimed on an ex-lover, and had her slam a door in my face. I don't think purposing marriage is what I need to do."
Spike smirked, "Suit yourself… At least you know a good priest now."
"Shut up!" Angel quietly barked.
"Are you two done with the whispers, cause it's creeping me out?" Cordelia said from a few feet away.
The vampires looked at one another and realized how closed they were standing. Each quickly jumped back and headed for their own woman. "Coming dear," Angel said sauntering up to the prom queen.
"Shut up!"
"Once again with the 'why am I awake?'" Dawn asked.
"Buffy and I are getting married," Spike announced.
"You're already married," she said sleepily.
"No…married married not vampire married," Buffy corrected.
All eyes shot up in the lobby. "I'm sorry, I misheard that," Xander said. "I could of sworn in the midst of that 'married' statement you said something about actually getting married."
"We did whelp," Spike snapped.
"Why?" Xander asked Buffy.
"Hey!" Spike fussed. "I'm a right good catch." Angel started to laugh. "Don't start Peaches."
"Sorry," he smirked at his childe. "Ego bruises so easily," Angel whispered to Cordy.
"Like you're one to talk. Xander calls Spike Dead Boy and you get all possessive. What's up with that?" Cordelia answered. Angel simply rubbed the tip of his nose to hers and kissed her lips lightly.
Everyone still looked pretty weary of the announcement. "Look…everyone we love and would want at the wedding is already here except Giles," Buffy said plainly. "No 'keeping up with the Jones.' We want to get married and we've talked about it before. We have the chance now. With the baby and the impending doom, it just makes sense."
"What impending doom?" Willow asked.
Spike and Angel looked at each other. "The prophecy you are looking for would validate some things Gabriel has told us. If it's true then the Council is a little more evil then we thought and they will try to take Hope… We're already on Druscilla's radar and who knows about the rest of the demon and vampire community," Buffy explained. "Look guys you've been on board with us so far…Just stick with us," she pled.
Xander walked up to her and put her arm in his. "I think since Giles isn't here I get to walk you down the aisle." Buffy smiled through tears at her friend.
"Thank you."
Spike whistled, "Wolf."
"Yeah?"
"Come stand beside me…Nibblet you stand across from him," Spike instructed.
All eyes turned to Gabriel who shook himself a little. "You're not going to keep threatening to kill me are you?" he asked Spike.
"As long as you don't give me reason to," he responded.
"Fair enough… Here we go," the father said as Xander led Buffy forward. The lobby quieted for another absolutely bizarre twist of Fate for the day.
TBC…