Title: Abandoned, chapter 12
Author: Jennifer Campbell
Fandom: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Spoilers: Through "Tabula Rasa"
Pairing: Spike/Buffy
Rating: R -- for language and nongraphic sex
Disclaimers: Not mine. Belong to Joss.

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For one interminable moment, no one moved. Buffy couldn't take her eyes off Spike, who slumped against his chains as blood spilled from his neck wound and into the Hellmouth. The rest of the Scoobies stood paralyzed under the gaze of hundreds of vampire eyes. The vampires, for their part, stared in dumb amazement at the party-crashers, unable to comprehend that a rag-tag group of humans dared to challenge them with nothing more than holy water and stakes.

The moment stretched on, until the Big Man broke from his fury and surprise at the interruption and yelled, "Kill them!"

The words released Buffy from her immobility, and she dived into the mass of undead. Willow and Dawn's force field pushed bodies out of her way before she could pummel them. They went sprawling after colliding with the field, opening an easy path. She took advantage of it and raced across the room toward Spike.

Dawn half-watched her sister's progress but worried more about the sudden rush of vampires coming at the rest of the group. They huddled together under the second force field as vamps clawed at the invisible wall and roared in frustration. Dawn screamed as one jumped at her from the side and was halted only inches from her shoulder. Willow had taught her a smaller defense spell at the magic shop, how to spark a fire; she wanted to use that now but the necessary words had flown from her head.

So she clung to Willow's hand, the only thing keeping her grounded, and fiercely concentrated on the primary spell. Her job was to supply energy and power, and it seemed to be helping Willow keep up her strength against the onslaught. Still, all color had drained from Willow's face, and she seemed to be standing by determination alone.

"Can we throw things at them through the force field?" Anya yelled over the din.

"Yes!" Willow said through gritted teeth.

"Right then. Here goes."

Anya and Xander started hurling vials of holy water. The vampires that were hit clutched at their blistered faces and bodies and ran screaming. But where one was defeated, another took his place. When the holy water ran out, Xander grabbed a small pouch and waited for Anya to spark it with a lighter before he lobbed it into the fray. It exploded and set fire to several vamps, who bumped into others and spread the flames. A couple of the more unfortunate vampires quickly burned into nothing.

Anya did a little hop of satisfaction. "That worked well. Let's do it again."

At Anya's side, Willow cried out and dropped to her knees. Dawn followed her down and held her steady.

"Can't ... hold ... it," Willow rasped. "Buffy ... too far ... away ..."

Dawn looked out and caught a glimpse of golden hair. Buffy had almost made it to Spike, but the vampires were hardly paying her any mind now. They seemed more interested in running from Xander and Anya's flying fire bombs. Dozens of undead were fleeing past the Scoobies and toward the exit.

"Just a few more seconds!" Dawn said. Once Buffy reached Spike, Willow would have to drop the force field anyway so Buffy could free him.

"'M trying ..."

Willow doubled over, her breath coming in short gasps.

Dawn strained to re-locate her sister but couldn't. "Xander, where is she?"

"She's reached Spike!" he answered as he let loose another fire bomb.

"Now, Willow," Dawn yelled. "Let it go now!"

Buffy felt it the moment the force field went down, right as she stood at Spike's side. Thank God Willow had held on that long. She hated to think what the effort had cost her friend and her sister, but she didn't have time to worry about it right then. Spike's chin lolled forward onto his chest, and he didn't look to be conscious. Blood still flowed from his neck.

"Spike!" she screamed, and kicked at a vampire who rushed her from behind. "Spike, can you hear me! Look at me!"

He didn't move. She slapped his face, and his head jerked up. He looked even more pale than usual. Almost translucent.

"Buffy ..." he murmured, then passed out again.

"Dammit!" Buffy kicked back at another charging vampire, then grabbed hold of the chain around Spike's chest and pulled. The metal gave slowly, and finally one link broke and Spike fell forward into her arms. She eased him down, propped him against the wall. They had to stop the bleeding. She ripped off his shirt and pressed it against his neck.

She slapped him again, an Spike's eyes opened.

"Stay awake this time," she ordered, and moved one of his hands over his wound. "Hold the shirt there. Understand? Stop the bleeding."

"Got it," he slurred.

Buffy didn't have time for more. Her Slayer senses screamed danger, and she spun around, only to find herself facing the child-vampire who had slit Spike's throat. The vampire growled and -- though he only reached in height to Buffy's chest -- he charged her. Buffy swatted him back easily.

"You must be the Big Man," she said. "I thought you'd be ... well, bigger."

"You've ruined it all!" he yelled.

"Good."

"I might not get the Hellmouth, but at least I can still kill you, Slayer."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, can you be any more cliche? I mean, at least think of something more original to --"

The Big Man gestured, and something stabbed Buffy from behind. She screamed. Hot pokers seared her skin. She clawed at her back but encountered nothing. Magic. Had to be. The unseen attack stabbed at her stomach, and she whimpered and doubled over.

"Buffy's in trouble!" Dawn screamed, pointing across the room as her sister fell to her knees before the child-vampire. The look on her face was agony. "We've got to help her! Willow, do something!"

"Can't. Gotta ... hold the force field ..."

"Xander," Dawn pleaded, "throw one of your bombs!"

He tried but came up short. "They're too far away."

"But we have to do something!" Dawn said as Buffy rolled to the floor and went into spasms. Behind her, Spike was struggling to move but was too weak. "We have to help her or she'll die!"

Willow rasped, "Dawn, the other spell ... I taught ... fire ..."

"But I can't remember the words," she said helplessly and started to cry.

"Yanma ... dogmus ..."

Willow's words brought it back to her. Dawn focused on the child- vampire and yelled out, "Yanma dogmus onem benim arzu!"

At first nothing happened, and Dawn feared she had said the words wrong. After all, she didn't even know what they meant. Then she saw a tendril of smoke snake up from the rocks below the boy's feet; he did not notice as he continued his magic torment of Buffy. Suddenly, the ground around him exploded into green flames, and he screamed and jumped away. The fire quickly extinguished, leaving hardly a mark on the boy, but his concentration had been broken.

Spike watched the entire scene in anguish, unable to do anything. He had stanched the bleeding, but his limbs felt rubbery and useless. Finally, he managed to struggle into a crawl position and started inching toward the Big Man, who was oblivious to all except torturing Buffy. Then the fire exploded from nowhere, and Big Man jumped directly in front of Spike.

With his only reserve of energy, Spike shoved out with both hands and connected with the Big Man. The boy yelled in surprise and went stumbling backward, unable to catch his balance. Spike's momentum carried him forward, and his face slapped painfully against the floor. He couldn't rise again, but he didn't need to. He watched from his helpless position as the Big Man slipped backward on the rain-slick rock and plunged into the Hellmouth.

"Take that you bloody poof!" he yelled, but the Big Man was gone.

Those few vampires who hadn't already burned up or escaped the melee thought better of hanging around after their leader's fatal fall. They raced past the Scoobies and away from the Hellmouth. The battle was over.

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At first, Buffy didn't realize that the torture had ended, only that she hurt all over and couldn't stop her muscles from shaking. She heard screaming that wasn't her own. The Big Man. Then it stopped. Something had made him stop. She couldn't bring herself to move for a long time.

"Slayer. Buffy ..." she heard Spike's voice from far away. "Open your eyes, luv."

She obeyed with great effort. The world came into focus, and she found herself not lying beside the Hellmouth but on something soft. Her bed, with lots of pillows. Spike sat in a chair beside her night stand, his chin resting on his folded hands. He wore a ridiculous Hawaiian shirt -- probably a loan from Xander -- and gazed down at her in obvious relief.

"Welcome back, pet."

"How long ..."

"About six hours since you and your pals saved the world. It'll be sunrise soon."

"Oh."

Six hours. It had never taken her that long to recover from a battle before -- except of course for her summer in the grave. Buffy rolled over to stretch her aching body and bumped into something large. She looked back, only to see her sister curled up on the edge of the bed with Mr. Gordo. Sound asleep, drooling on Buffy's pillow.

"Your sis had a long night, too," Spike said. "From what I'm told, we wouldn't have gotten out alive if not for her."

"She's not hurt, is she?"

"She's fine. In better shape than you are."

"And what about you?"

Spike quirked a smile. "Got some blood back in me. You owe me another shirt, but I'll be fine, too."

"Willow? Xander and Anya?"

"Red is out cold. Xander and his demon girl are with her in the other bedroom. I guess the magic was a bit much for her."

"I should check on them," Buffy said, and sat up too quickly. A wave of nausea washed over her, and she clutched at her stomach.

"Careful, luv. You shouldn't push yourself."

"I'm fine. Just help me up."

Spike took her outstretched arms and gently lifted her to her feet. She knew if she let go, she would go sprawling. So Buffy leaned heavily on him, and they took it slowly across the hall.

"Hey, the hero is awake!" Xander exclaimed as Buffy and Spike entered the room. Xander sat beside Willow on the bed, and Anya was asleep in a chair in the corner.

Buffy grimaced. "I'm not the hero. I needed you guys to save me this time."

"Which we did. Well, Dawn and Spike did. It was a team effort."

At her side, Spike puffed out his chest a bit. Funny, she thought, how a soulless demon would enjoy playing the part of the hero. She liked him like that. He helped her to the bed, and Buffy gratefully eased onto it.

"How's Willow?"

"Asleep. There's been no change. I think she just needs to recharge her batteries. Those force field spells took a lot out of her."

"But she pulled through," Buffy said, proud of her friend. "You all pulled through."

"Yeah, even Spike there --" Xander looked behind Buffy and his eyes widened. "Hey, where did he go?"

Buffy twisted around, to see that Spike indeed had vanished. She struggled to her feet, feeling a bit stronger and with Xander's help stumbled out to the hallway. The vampire was nowhere in sight. While Buffy stayed with Willow, Xander searched the rest of the house and came back up a few minutes later to report.

"He's gone. Slipped out, I guess. You don't think he's decided to leave again, do you? I would have thought after all that went down tonight that he was going to hang around. Besides, he can't leave until he gives back my shirt."

Any warm relief Buffy had felt at their victory drained away, leaving her feeling cold and hollow. She had told him to leave, that night in the cemetery. Now that the danger was over, she and Dawn weren't in peril any longer ...

Buffy curled up beside Willow, fresh tears welling forth.

"He could have just gone back to his crypt," Xander said. "He might have wanted to get there before the sunrise."

"No. He would have said something. Not just vanished." She looked helplessly at Xander. "He's gone."

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