Doesn't Anyone Stay Dead Around Here?
Chapter 14
Buffy and the others quickly realized that the vampire lying on the floor was not the annoying, chipped Spike they were used to.
"What is going on?" Buffy demanded.
"The Master." Dawn's response was whispered as realization settled over her. "He-, Doc was trying to raise the Master's demon and combine it with himself. Like a soul."
"But it went into Spike's body instead," Tara said, understanding the situation.
"Can he get out of those chains?" Buffy asked, deciding to deal with immediate concerns before confronting all the questions inherent in the situation.
"I don't think so," Dawn replied. "If he could have, he wouldn't have been lying around, waiting for the cavalry."
"Okay, so he's restrained. Let's get him back to the Magic Box and work it out from there." She moved to check the shackles herself. The creature bared his fangs and licked his lips in anticipation. As she leaned down, his head shot up and he tried to bite her. Just in time, Buffy's slayer reflexes came to the rescue, and she pulled back.
"I see we're back to being an overgrown bat." Buffy moved away from him and considered the situation.
"Buffy, don't we have some tranquilizers at the shop?" Willow asked.
"Good thinking, Wills." The slayer turned and, realizing that Dawn, Blair, and Abe were still tied up, addressed the Scoobies. "Willow and Tara, go and get the tranquilizer gun. Xander and Anya, help me untie those two." She gestured to Blair and Abe as she moved behind Dawn and began to work on the knots binding her sister.
Willow and Tara left. As soon as Dawn was free, Buffy pulled her into a crushing hug.
"Need air," was all Dawn could get out through her sister's powerful grip. Buffy released her and quickly pulled up the front edge of Dawn's shirt, examining the cuts.
"Oh, Dawnie, how are you?"
"It's okay, really," the younger Summers responded. "I mean, it hurts, but it's not like I haven't been down this road before. And they're not deep."
Buffy turned around and addressed Xander and Anya. "I need you guys to take Dawn to the hospital." She waved her hand in the direction of the television reporter and his cameraman. "Take those two, too. To the hospital or their hotel or something. After Will and Tara get back with the drugs, we'll take Spike-, or whoever he is, and meet you at the Magic Box."
"I'm not going to the hospital, Buffy," Dawn protested.
The blonde turned to look at her sister sharply. "Yes, you are. Dawnie, you're hurt!"
"It's not bad. And, and they'll tell Social Services. And they'll take me away."
"No, they won't. Dawn, we'll get in more trouble for not getting you proper medical treatment."
"Right. Cuz there's nothing suspicious about me coming to the emergency room with injuries almost exactly like the ones I had last spring," Dawn scoffed.
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked.
"That guy," Dawn pointed at Doc. "He's the one who cut me on top of Glory's tower last year. The same way he cut me today."
"WHAT?" Buffy hadn't recognized Doc. "I really am going to cut him up into little pieces!"
"And see? Not even bleeding anymore." Dawn continued to press her case. Demons and other oogly-booglies were scary, but they were nothing compared to the prospect of being taken away from Buffy. "A little Bactine and a couple of band-aids and I'll be good as new!"
Buffy looked at Dawn's cuts again. The bleeding had stopped, and they had been working awfully hard to stay below Social Services' radar…
"Okay," she said, giving in. "Drop those guys off wherever and take Dawn home and patch her up. Then, meet us at the Magic Box."
"Aye, aye, Captain," Xander said, as he took Abe's arm to help the man out to the car. Anya and Dawn flanked Blair, supporting most of his weight and the trio followed Xander.
Buffy looked once at the chained vampire, allowing her face to soften and reveal worry. When the demon felt her gaze upon him, he raised his head. As soon as he moved, Buffy's face hardened again and she sat down across the room to wait for Willow and Tara.
***
"Ironic, isn't it?" the Master's voice broke through her thoughts, reminding her that no matter how much he looked like her lover, he was not.
She ignored him, contemplating whether she should chop Doc's body into smaller pieces. *Better safe than sorry,* she decided, standing up.
"It's always your blood," the demon continued.
"Don't I know it," Buffy sighed. Then, she continued in a poor imitation of Spike's British accent. "It's always got to be blood."
She paused, considering. "But it wasn't my blood this time. Hell must have done a number on your mind. Guess I'll just have to send you back so they can finish the job."
"Her blood is your blood. I can tell."
"What, you go in for the, what did you call it, feeble banter, now?"
Buffy finally made eye contact with the vampire, and the Master's voice became smooth and mesmerizing. "Release me, child."
Buffy changed her course and slowly crossed the room, away from Doc. When she reached the Master, she paused.
"Release me," he repeated.
She walked around to his back. Suddenly the Master felt a sharp pain as Buffy clubbed him on the head with the handle end of her sword. She looked down at the unconscious vampire at her feet disdainfully.
"Didn't I tell you to save that crap for the tourists?"
***
"So, let me get this straight," Xander said. He and the female Scoobies were gathered around the table at the Magic Box. Dawn had just finished explaining what had happened before their arrival. Their vampire prisoner was still chained and sedated. He lay in the corner of the shop, where Buffy could keep an eye on him. The amount of tranquilizer she had given him would have lasted Oz all night. However, with his vampire recuperative powers, she wasn't sure how soon it would wear off. She also knew that the Master had been much older and more powerful than Spike. She didn't know how much of that power had transferred with the Master's demon.
"Doc was trying to raise the Master's creamy demon center and take it into himself. Something went wrong, and we think it ended up in Spike? And are we sure that Doc is dead dead this time? Cuz I could have sworn I killed him the first time, but then he turned up on Glory's tower, and…" Xander continued.
"We're sure," Willow said. When she and Tara had returned with the tranquilizers they had found Buffy warming her hands over a bonfire, with Doc's body nowhere in sight. Neither had commented on the fire or the horrible stench of burned demon in the room.
"Well, we know that two demons can't exist in the same body at the same time. They'll fight, and one will…" the redhead paused, realizing what she was saying, "kill the other."
"So Deadboy, Jr. is gone?" Xander asked. "Aw, that's a shame. Let me get a stake and we'll just wrap this up."
"How do we know that two can't exist?" Tara asked, placed her hand on Xander's arm to stop his not-so-mock search of his pockets for a stake. "Are we sure?"
"There was this demon once, when we were in high school," Willow gestured between herself, Buffy and Xander.
"Oh!" Xander said, following Willow's train of thought. "The tattoo guy! Um, I-go? Iago? Ingo Montoya?" He smiled, amused by his own joke, and continued with a thick Spanish accent. "You killed my father. Prepare to die!"
"Eyghon," Willow corrected, nodding before she continued her explanation. "It was a demon that Giles summoned. Anyway, when it was evicted from a host, it would go into the next closest dead or unconscious body. We got it to go into Angel and since he already had a demon, the two fought and Angel's demon won, killing Eyghon. That would explain why it didn't take with Doc. Since he was already a demon, the two couldn't co- exist. So, the Master gave up and went looking for another host."
"So, Spike's dead?" Dawn asked in a small voice.
"No." Buffy said with certainty. "He can't be."
"Bu-but, Buffy-" Willow started, but the slayer cut her off.
"No! We saw Eyghon go," Buffy protested, shaking her head in denial. "There was big struggle and, and, and poof, and there wasn't anything like that with Spike. Plus it was faster than with Angel. Sure, the Master's strong, but so is Spike. And he doesn't give up. Not like that."
"She's right," Anya spoke up. "There's usually some kind of sign when two demons fight for control over a host and one evicts the other."
"So, he's still in there?" Dawn asked hopefully.
"But I thought two demons couldn't exist in the same host," Xander said.
"Hello? We are talking about Spike here. When's the last time he just gave up? On anything?" Dawn asked.
"Don't vampires have rules about, um, d-d-dominance and stuff? Could there be something like that happening?" Tara asked, trying to remember what she had read about vampire interaction.
"Older vampires are more generally respected in Vampire culture," Anya spoke matter-of-factly. "But dominant/submissive relationships between Master Vampires usually only occur within family bloodlines."
"That's it!" Dawn nearly shouted.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"The Master is like Spike's great, great, something grandsire," she explained.
"What?" Xander asked. "Spike is related to the Master?"
"Of course," Willow said. "Darla was a favorite childe of the Master."
"And?" Xander asked, not making the connection but growing more upset by the second.
"Darla sired Angel," Willow explained. "Who sired Drusilla, who sired Spike."
"And no one is worried that we keep making with the friendly with the Master's kiddies?" Xander demanded.
"So, the Master might not have had to evict Spike, just force him into submission?" Anya asked, ignoring Xander's question.
"No," Buffy said. "Spike doesn't give up that easily."
"That's right!" Dawn said. "I mean when you dropped that organ on him, he was in a wheelchair for, like, months! And he had to live with Angel, evil Angel, moving in on Dru. But, he got his strength back, and helped you beat up on Angel and save the world!"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "He only helped because he wanted Dru back."
"Huh? When was this?" Xander asked.
"Acathla." Buffy answered quietly. "I guess I never told you guys that Spike helped me." She turned to Dawn. "How did you know?"
"Well, I was there when you made the deal with him." Dawn rolled her eyes. "Plus, Spike told me. He likes stories where he beats Angel."
"Humph. I'll bet," Buffy responded dryly.
"That's not the point though," Dawn said. "The point is, he doesn't give up. He's probably in there, saving his strength, waiting for us to do something."
Buffy tossed her pen at the chained vampire, making sure he was still unconscious. If what Dawn said was true, it wouldn't do any good to give away their advantage. It bounced off his forehead, but he didn't stir.
"So," Buffy said, "I guess the question is, how do we get the Master out of Spike's body?"
"Oh that's easy," Anya said, as if the others had to be extremely stupid to not know the answer. "Do an exorcism."
Everyone else turned and stared at the ex-demon and silence descended on the shop. It was Buffy who finally spoke.
"You want us to perform an exorcism on a vampire?"
tbc
Chapter 14
Buffy and the others quickly realized that the vampire lying on the floor was not the annoying, chipped Spike they were used to.
"What is going on?" Buffy demanded.
"The Master." Dawn's response was whispered as realization settled over her. "He-, Doc was trying to raise the Master's demon and combine it with himself. Like a soul."
"But it went into Spike's body instead," Tara said, understanding the situation.
"Can he get out of those chains?" Buffy asked, deciding to deal with immediate concerns before confronting all the questions inherent in the situation.
"I don't think so," Dawn replied. "If he could have, he wouldn't have been lying around, waiting for the cavalry."
"Okay, so he's restrained. Let's get him back to the Magic Box and work it out from there." She moved to check the shackles herself. The creature bared his fangs and licked his lips in anticipation. As she leaned down, his head shot up and he tried to bite her. Just in time, Buffy's slayer reflexes came to the rescue, and she pulled back.
"I see we're back to being an overgrown bat." Buffy moved away from him and considered the situation.
"Buffy, don't we have some tranquilizers at the shop?" Willow asked.
"Good thinking, Wills." The slayer turned and, realizing that Dawn, Blair, and Abe were still tied up, addressed the Scoobies. "Willow and Tara, go and get the tranquilizer gun. Xander and Anya, help me untie those two." She gestured to Blair and Abe as she moved behind Dawn and began to work on the knots binding her sister.
Willow and Tara left. As soon as Dawn was free, Buffy pulled her into a crushing hug.
"Need air," was all Dawn could get out through her sister's powerful grip. Buffy released her and quickly pulled up the front edge of Dawn's shirt, examining the cuts.
"Oh, Dawnie, how are you?"
"It's okay, really," the younger Summers responded. "I mean, it hurts, but it's not like I haven't been down this road before. And they're not deep."
Buffy turned around and addressed Xander and Anya. "I need you guys to take Dawn to the hospital." She waved her hand in the direction of the television reporter and his cameraman. "Take those two, too. To the hospital or their hotel or something. After Will and Tara get back with the drugs, we'll take Spike-, or whoever he is, and meet you at the Magic Box."
"I'm not going to the hospital, Buffy," Dawn protested.
The blonde turned to look at her sister sharply. "Yes, you are. Dawnie, you're hurt!"
"It's not bad. And, and they'll tell Social Services. And they'll take me away."
"No, they won't. Dawn, we'll get in more trouble for not getting you proper medical treatment."
"Right. Cuz there's nothing suspicious about me coming to the emergency room with injuries almost exactly like the ones I had last spring," Dawn scoffed.
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked.
"That guy," Dawn pointed at Doc. "He's the one who cut me on top of Glory's tower last year. The same way he cut me today."
"WHAT?" Buffy hadn't recognized Doc. "I really am going to cut him up into little pieces!"
"And see? Not even bleeding anymore." Dawn continued to press her case. Demons and other oogly-booglies were scary, but they were nothing compared to the prospect of being taken away from Buffy. "A little Bactine and a couple of band-aids and I'll be good as new!"
Buffy looked at Dawn's cuts again. The bleeding had stopped, and they had been working awfully hard to stay below Social Services' radar…
"Okay," she said, giving in. "Drop those guys off wherever and take Dawn home and patch her up. Then, meet us at the Magic Box."
"Aye, aye, Captain," Xander said, as he took Abe's arm to help the man out to the car. Anya and Dawn flanked Blair, supporting most of his weight and the trio followed Xander.
Buffy looked once at the chained vampire, allowing her face to soften and reveal worry. When the demon felt her gaze upon him, he raised his head. As soon as he moved, Buffy's face hardened again and she sat down across the room to wait for Willow and Tara.
***
"Ironic, isn't it?" the Master's voice broke through her thoughts, reminding her that no matter how much he looked like her lover, he was not.
She ignored him, contemplating whether she should chop Doc's body into smaller pieces. *Better safe than sorry,* she decided, standing up.
"It's always your blood," the demon continued.
"Don't I know it," Buffy sighed. Then, she continued in a poor imitation of Spike's British accent. "It's always got to be blood."
She paused, considering. "But it wasn't my blood this time. Hell must have done a number on your mind. Guess I'll just have to send you back so they can finish the job."
"Her blood is your blood. I can tell."
"What, you go in for the, what did you call it, feeble banter, now?"
Buffy finally made eye contact with the vampire, and the Master's voice became smooth and mesmerizing. "Release me, child."
Buffy changed her course and slowly crossed the room, away from Doc. When she reached the Master, she paused.
"Release me," he repeated.
She walked around to his back. Suddenly the Master felt a sharp pain as Buffy clubbed him on the head with the handle end of her sword. She looked down at the unconscious vampire at her feet disdainfully.
"Didn't I tell you to save that crap for the tourists?"
***
"So, let me get this straight," Xander said. He and the female Scoobies were gathered around the table at the Magic Box. Dawn had just finished explaining what had happened before their arrival. Their vampire prisoner was still chained and sedated. He lay in the corner of the shop, where Buffy could keep an eye on him. The amount of tranquilizer she had given him would have lasted Oz all night. However, with his vampire recuperative powers, she wasn't sure how soon it would wear off. She also knew that the Master had been much older and more powerful than Spike. She didn't know how much of that power had transferred with the Master's demon.
"Doc was trying to raise the Master's creamy demon center and take it into himself. Something went wrong, and we think it ended up in Spike? And are we sure that Doc is dead dead this time? Cuz I could have sworn I killed him the first time, but then he turned up on Glory's tower, and…" Xander continued.
"We're sure," Willow said. When she and Tara had returned with the tranquilizers they had found Buffy warming her hands over a bonfire, with Doc's body nowhere in sight. Neither had commented on the fire or the horrible stench of burned demon in the room.
"Well, we know that two demons can't exist in the same body at the same time. They'll fight, and one will…" the redhead paused, realizing what she was saying, "kill the other."
"So Deadboy, Jr. is gone?" Xander asked. "Aw, that's a shame. Let me get a stake and we'll just wrap this up."
"How do we know that two can't exist?" Tara asked, placed her hand on Xander's arm to stop his not-so-mock search of his pockets for a stake. "Are we sure?"
"There was this demon once, when we were in high school," Willow gestured between herself, Buffy and Xander.
"Oh!" Xander said, following Willow's train of thought. "The tattoo guy! Um, I-go? Iago? Ingo Montoya?" He smiled, amused by his own joke, and continued with a thick Spanish accent. "You killed my father. Prepare to die!"
"Eyghon," Willow corrected, nodding before she continued her explanation. "It was a demon that Giles summoned. Anyway, when it was evicted from a host, it would go into the next closest dead or unconscious body. We got it to go into Angel and since he already had a demon, the two fought and Angel's demon won, killing Eyghon. That would explain why it didn't take with Doc. Since he was already a demon, the two couldn't co- exist. So, the Master gave up and went looking for another host."
"So, Spike's dead?" Dawn asked in a small voice.
"No." Buffy said with certainty. "He can't be."
"Bu-but, Buffy-" Willow started, but the slayer cut her off.
"No! We saw Eyghon go," Buffy protested, shaking her head in denial. "There was big struggle and, and, and poof, and there wasn't anything like that with Spike. Plus it was faster than with Angel. Sure, the Master's strong, but so is Spike. And he doesn't give up. Not like that."
"She's right," Anya spoke up. "There's usually some kind of sign when two demons fight for control over a host and one evicts the other."
"So, he's still in there?" Dawn asked hopefully.
"But I thought two demons couldn't exist in the same host," Xander said.
"Hello? We are talking about Spike here. When's the last time he just gave up? On anything?" Dawn asked.
"Don't vampires have rules about, um, d-d-dominance and stuff? Could there be something like that happening?" Tara asked, trying to remember what she had read about vampire interaction.
"Older vampires are more generally respected in Vampire culture," Anya spoke matter-of-factly. "But dominant/submissive relationships between Master Vampires usually only occur within family bloodlines."
"That's it!" Dawn nearly shouted.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"The Master is like Spike's great, great, something grandsire," she explained.
"What?" Xander asked. "Spike is related to the Master?"
"Of course," Willow said. "Darla was a favorite childe of the Master."
"And?" Xander asked, not making the connection but growing more upset by the second.
"Darla sired Angel," Willow explained. "Who sired Drusilla, who sired Spike."
"And no one is worried that we keep making with the friendly with the Master's kiddies?" Xander demanded.
"So, the Master might not have had to evict Spike, just force him into submission?" Anya asked, ignoring Xander's question.
"No," Buffy said. "Spike doesn't give up that easily."
"That's right!" Dawn said. "I mean when you dropped that organ on him, he was in a wheelchair for, like, months! And he had to live with Angel, evil Angel, moving in on Dru. But, he got his strength back, and helped you beat up on Angel and save the world!"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "He only helped because he wanted Dru back."
"Huh? When was this?" Xander asked.
"Acathla." Buffy answered quietly. "I guess I never told you guys that Spike helped me." She turned to Dawn. "How did you know?"
"Well, I was there when you made the deal with him." Dawn rolled her eyes. "Plus, Spike told me. He likes stories where he beats Angel."
"Humph. I'll bet," Buffy responded dryly.
"That's not the point though," Dawn said. "The point is, he doesn't give up. He's probably in there, saving his strength, waiting for us to do something."
Buffy tossed her pen at the chained vampire, making sure he was still unconscious. If what Dawn said was true, it wouldn't do any good to give away their advantage. It bounced off his forehead, but he didn't stir.
"So," Buffy said, "I guess the question is, how do we get the Master out of Spike's body?"
"Oh that's easy," Anya said, as if the others had to be extremely stupid to not know the answer. "Do an exorcism."
Everyone else turned and stared at the ex-demon and silence descended on the shop. It was Buffy who finally spoke.
"You want us to perform an exorcism on a vampire?"
tbc