CHAPTER FOUR
Spike lay on his bed watching the telly distractedly. Nothing appealed to
him, not even 'Passions'. It was just noise to help get him through the
daylight's sometime infinite-feeling stretch. He didn't know what he'd do
once night fell. How could he face the Scoobs and Angel's band from L.A.?
There weren't words for the embarrassment roiling in him. The Scoobs knew
about the Bot, of course, and that was bad enough. If he went to them now
they'd see the bruises all over his face and know how he got them, worse,
how he deserved them. He and Angel would still be fighting if not for Dawn.
Most likely one of them would be staked by now. Probably him and he really
didn't care.
There were very few things in his life Spike regretted and all of them came from him not thinking far enough ahead, or at all. The Bot was certainly one of those big regrets. How could he have not seen that the Bot would have escaped his crypt eventually was beyond him. In hindsight it was obvious that sooner or later Buffy and the Scoobs would find out about the robot. Having the Bot made was a horrible mistake. He had learned that in the first night even before her escape. She was fine for a fantasy or two but it quickly got boring. And now he couldn't even look at the insipid thing. He forced Willow, well not a lot of force was needed, to remove all its sexual programming but somehow it remained imprinted on him. He'd grown to hate it but couldn't bring himself to destroy it. It was needed to keep up the subterfuge Buffy was alive and still in their lives.
And maybe she was alive. He had to believe it. If they were wrong, he didn't know how any of them would survive the dashed hopes. Buffy's death was another of his mistakes he'd regret forever. He hadn't been fast enough, smart enough, strong enough to beat Doc and keep Dawn from harm. They all assured him he had done his best but his best hadn't even been close. In his dreams he saved Dawn and Buffy, every night, their faces haunting him. In his dreams he stopped Doc. Dawn never got cut and Buffy never died.
Worse than any of his regrets was the one that he kept deeply hidden, trying to keep it even from himself. He truly regretted coming back to Sunnydale twice. If he had never found Sunnydale in the first place with Dru he wouldn't have lost her first to Angel then to that damned Chaos demon. The mere thought of her doing it with that slimy horned thing made him ill. Afterwards, why hadn't he gone anywhere else but Sunnydale? He could have gone home to England, explored Europe or run slumming through New York city but oh no, he had to be a wanker and head to Sunnydale for revenge.
What he ended up with instead was a chip in his head and his heart captured by the Slayer. He didn't ask for either nor did he want them but there was nothing to be done for it. He lit a cigarette, shifting on the mattress listlessly. At least he should be able to sleep through the long daylight hours but ever since Buffy was gone that was a luxury that eluded him.
The door to the crypt creaked open, splashing sunlight into the areas furthest from his bed. He glanced over figuring it was Dawn. She slinked to him, eyeing up his pale bare-chested form painted with deep, dark bruises.
"Dawny, maybe you shouldn't be here." He got up and set his cigarette on the marble ledge so he could pull his shirt on. He winced as he did so.
"I wanted to be sure you're okay."
He wanted to say he was anything but; instead he shrugged. "I'll be fine. Angel and me.let's just say this isn't the first time we've fought." His lips twisted into something like a smile as he popped the cigarette back between them.
"I forgot about the Bot. How could I forget? That was so dumb. I should never had made Angel take me home." Dawn paced around the crypt, half trying to hide her embarrassment from him, half to work off the anger.
Spike crossed over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Not your fault, little bit. Every last one of us forgot. I'm to blame if anyone is."
She looked up at him. "I tried to explain to Angel about the Bot.but I think it came out all wrong."
"Just leave it be, Dawn. It's something Angel and I have to work out."
"But you two don't work things out. You fight and I won't have it. I need you both. Buffy needs you both. Once we use the books, once we have Buffy back if you two still need to kill each other, do it then." Dawn stamped her foot at him.
Spike snorted. "Tell that to Angel, just like that. It'll work. Maybe you ought to run along now, Dawn. I'll see you tonight."
She shrugged, hiding her face behind the curtain of hair. "I'm bored. I'm tired of hanging at the magic shop. Anya can drive you nuts."
"Only if you have a brain, which means Harris is safe."
"Spike, don't be mean."
"Don't correct your elders, little bit," he shot back.
"Elders? Ha! You're more like a teenager than half the kids in high school." She lifted her chin defiantly, challenging him to deny it.
He stabbed the end of his cigarette at her. "You take that back."
She beamed. "Never! Can't I just hang out here?"
He wrinkled his nose. "This time."
"Thanks, Spike."
"Don't mention it and I mean that. I'm getting a rep for being a bloody babysitter. How am I supposed to live with that?" He gestured for her to have a seat on the couch then caught her arm. "Hang on. Listen."
"I don't hear anything."
Spike stared down at the covered opening to the bowels of Sunnydale as he pushed Dawn toward the crypt door. "Dawn, go, now. There's something down there."
He crept closer not realizing Dawn wasn't exactly obeying him. Spike lifted the trapdoor then collapsed backward with a startled cry. He lay on the floor twitching as two women came out of the crypt's 'basement,' carrying cattle prods. Dawn shrieked.
"Told you my boy would still be here," Dru cooed, running the body of her cattle prod along her cheek.
"Did I doubt you? And what do we have here?" Darla was across the crypt and had a hold on Dawn before the girl could get out the door.
"The Slayer's little sister. She's such a bad bad girl." Dru spun a lazy circle before turning her attention back to her fallen 'son.'
"You leave her alone," Spike said, trying to gather his wits.
Dru kicked him in the jaw, sending him sprawling again. "What is my boy doing with such a tasty little snack?"
"I'm just glad he didn't eat her yet," Darla said.
"Spike wouldn't do that!" Dawn cried.
"Pity. My poor boy still isn't hunting," Dru said as Dawn tried to punch Darla.
The vampire applied the cattle prod to Dawn who went unconscious with a painful cry. "Well, this was a better find that we could have hoped for, Dru. We can use the Slayer's brat sister."
"Let her alone, you bint!" Spike launched himself at Dru, knocking her to the ground. He tried to get up to go after Darla but Dru held onto him.
Spike looked into those beautiful blue eyes and did what he didn't think he could do again. He hurt her. He landed a few blows to Dru's face, listening to the cracking of metal somewhere behind him. He glanced up to see what Darla was doing but too late. Something burned into his back and deep into his body. Collapsing on top of Dru, Spike twisted enough to see Darla shoving the broken end of a metal candelabrum through his back, angling downwards through his insides so that it didn't come out his chest. There was no way for him to reach around and pull it free. Dru squirmed out from under him after licking his lips and neck.
Spike tried to get up but Darla applied the prod to the metal buried in him. The pain went beyond anything he had ever felt as she toasted his viscera. He was only vaguely aware that the screams he heard bouncing around the crypt were his own before everything darkened.
"I know my boy has to have fun toys around here somewhere," Dru said, poking around the crypt until she came up with heavy shackles hidden behind a tall armoire Spike had lugged into the crypt to hold his weaponry. She displayed them, giggling.
"Do you know him or what?" Darla grinned and started dragging Spike over to the wall so they could bind him.
Spike didn't know how long it took him to come around but when he did he found himself in irons. Dawn was trussed up on his bed with Darla and Dru watching TV.
"There you are. We were beginning to think you'd never rejoin us," Darla said, getting up to saunter over to him.
Spike tried to pull free but knew he wasn't getting free easily, especially with a few feet of metal sticking out of his back. "Let her go, Darla. Dawn has nothing to do with this."
"She has everything to do with this," Darla said
"She's a naughty girl who won't get any tea," Dru put in.
"Hush, Dru. Wolfram and Hart know Angel stole those books from them with Lindsey's help. I would have thought he was smarter than that. Wolfram and Hart know why Angel had Lindsey take the books. They want them back and the way Dru and I see it, taking the Slayer's sister is a sure way to make Angel deal with us. He needs to bring those books to the mansion. I must see it after all Dru's told me about it. Do it tonight or we kill this yummy little thing.if she's lucky." Darla gestured at Dawn who swallowed hard.
Dru licked Dawn's face. "I'm hungry now."
Spike tried to soften his features and spoke gently, "Dru, baby, don't hurt her. Let me go and we'll work something out."
"Can't do that. My poor Spike, still all blue inside, all hurting and sad. Should have come with me when I asked you too," Dru purred, sashaying over to him.
"I'll go with you now, love. Just let Dawn go."
Dru brushed her lips to his. "Spike tells me such sweet lies. Do you still love me?"
He tried to touch her but couldn't move his hands enough. "Yes."
"Lies like honey." She kissed him more deeply, rubbing her hands over sensitive parts of him.
"Enough of that, Dru, unless you think the kid sister needs that kind of education." Darla tossed a look Dawn's way. "Though I'm sure we could teach her a thing or two."
"Leave her alone, Darla," Spike said, spitting her name out like an obscenity. "If you let Dawn go, Dru, I'll get those books for you and I'll join you two."
"You're the last thing we need," Darla said, jerking his head back to expose his throat. "Have a drink, Dru, if you're that hungry." Darla helped herself first then took a step back so Dru could have a sip. Licking her lips, Darla glanced over at Dawn who watched with huge horrified eyes. "You have no idea how good we taste to each other. Enough Dru. If we kill him, he won't be able to give Angel our message."
Darla crossed back over to Dawn, dragging her to her feet. "I think you took a bit too much, Dru," she said seeing Spike's head loll.
"My boy is strong. He'll be back around soon," Dru protested.
"Good enough. Those shackles aren't so tight he can't slip free if he's willing to lose a little skin. Come on girl, don't make us knock you out again," Darla said forcing Dawn toward the underground.
"Spike," she shrieked but he didn't move, dangling by his arms from the chains. Darla and Dru dragged her below and off into the labyrinth under the city.
* * *
Spike regained consciousness, regretting every second of it. Pain beyond anything he had experienced in recent times racked him. The last time he hurt this bad, Buffy had dropped an organ on him inside a burning church, leaving him paralyzed. He wasn't sure he was all that mobile at this point as he stumbled along toward the magic shop, its lights drawing him forward like a welcoming friend.
He lost count of how many times he had fallen as he struggled to reach his companions in arms. Hotwiring a car was out of the question with the huge length of metal sticking out of his back and he had no leverage to pull it out. He fell again just a block from the shop, scraping his face even more. With bloody hands he forced himself back up. He had shredded his wrists pulling out of the shackles. He even had to gnaw away some of the flesh of his thumb in order to do it but he had gotten away. He had to warn the others about Dawn.
That in mind, he forced himself the final steps into the magic shop. He tripped over the doorsill and went down again, the candelabra stand whacking into the door, shattering glass all over him. He heard several startled screams but couldn't really focus on any of them. Strong hands dragged him inside, Angel then. Spike lifted his head, trying to find the strength to talk, an odd burnt taste in his mouth distracting him.
"Get this bloody thing out of me!"
Angel grabbed the metal and pulled, feeling it grind against bone and get stuck. Spike screamed. Angel yanked harder and the candelabra slid free, spraying a trail of blood as it did. He tossed the metal aside and hunkered down by the fallen vampire. His large hands went to Spike's neck. "Vampires had at him."
"Any other time I'd say that it was poetic justice but we need him," Xander said, frustrated and more than a little disgusted.
"Spike, what happened?" Wesley asked, moving closer but staying well out of reach.
"Dru and Darla. They have Dawn," Spike said, trying to sit up.
"What?" Angel hauled Spike up and flung him into a chair.
"They took her," Spike said, nearly flopping back onto the floor as he tried to steady himself. "I hurt so much."
"How could you let them take her?" Willow asked, stomping up to him.
"Let them? Do I look like I let anyone do anything, Red?" Spike growled.
"I'll get the first aid kit. You tell them what happened," Wesley said.
"Dawn came to see me. I thought I heard something coming up from below. I tried to get Dawn out of the crypt but Dru and Darla surprised me. They came up through the tunnels and hit me and Dawn with cattle prods. I fought with Dru and Darla impaled me. She put the prod against the metal.bloody hell. That hurt like a bitch."
"This is very bad," Wesley said, coming back with the kit. Cordy helped Spike out of his bloody clothing, used to patching up Angel at this point.
"Of course it's bad. They got Dawn," Willow snapped.
Wesley gently prodded the hole in Spike's back. The flesh around the wound was blackened and bubbled. Spike moaned as the ex-Watcher assessed the damage. "What I meant, Willow, is that we need Spike to cross those dimensions after Buffy and we need him to get Dawn back but he's not going to be able to help. Darla effectively cooked him from the inside out. He'll heal but it's going to take time.more time than we have."
"I can help.we'll get Dawny back," Spike protested.
"I don't know how you even got back here. You probably should be dust between the electrocution and the draining," Wesley said.
"Cordy, warm up some blood for Spike. He's going to need it," Angel said and she hustled off. "What do they want with Dawn, Spike? Did they tell you?"
He nodded, regretting it. He touched his bruised, scraped face. "They want to trade her for the books Lindsey and Wesley stole from Wolfram and Hart."
"They said my name?" Lindsey asked sharply. "They know? I'm screwed! Thanks a lot, Angel. I knew you were going to get me killed."
"You're still alive Lindsey but not if you keep annoying me," Angel snarled. "Spike, where do they want this trade to go down?"
"Our mansion tonight," Spike said, holding out a shaking hand seeing Cordy approach.
Cordy put the mug of blood in his hand, waiting to make sure he had a good grip. "They really worked you over," she said.
"They had some help," Spike canted his eyes up at Angel who looked thoroughly unapologetic.
"You had that coming," Xander said and Spike didn't argue.
"Spike, did they say I was to come alone?" Angel asked.
Spike drained the mug and looked into it disappointed. "Could I have more?"
"That's probably a good idea," Wesley said, waving Cordy back over. She went to get him a refill.
Spike licked his swollen lips. "They didn't say came alone. They probably didn't trust you to keep that promise."
"Or they have a trap waiting for us," Xander said.
"Dru's nuts. She might come up with a devious plan given time. They didn't know Dawn would be in my crypt. They were coming to.maybe take me hostage, like you'd ransom me for those damn books. Dawn was a lucky find. Dru couldn't come up with too much of a plan on short notice. I'm not sure Darla's smart enough to. But then again, they don't have to have a great plan. They have Dawn's life in their hands. They have us over the bloody barrel."
"But they're making a mistake," Angel said, his eyes lighting up as a plan dawned on him.
"L-Looks like they have things under control to me," Tara said.
"They've dismissed everyone but me and Spike as a threat to them. They must know the Slayer's gone or they would have wanted Buffy to do the trade. The rest of you are just fodder to them," Angel said.
"They don't know about my and Willow's magic," Tara said, understanding where he was going.
"Hey, that's true!" Willow's face screwed up. "Darla. That name sounds familiar."
"She's the vampire who turned me. I killed her for Buffy, remember? Lindsey and his buddies brought her back, using one of the scrolls we brought with us," Angel replied, gesturing to Lindsey.
"And we're trusting him to help us?" Xander asked.
"He's a lawyer. Never trust him," Angel said.
"I don't need this abuse. I should have told you to go play in the sun when you came to me. I helped and now I have Wolfram and Hart after me and all my allies do is rip me up," Lindsey snarled.
"Lindsey, relax. We still need your help so we aren't likely to let Darla eat you because if Wolfram and Hart wants you dead surely they sent her to do it. Willow, you and Tara work out what you might need spell-wise. Wesley, Gunn, Xander and Anya, you already know how to kill vampires so get the weapons you need. We'll be ready for this," Angel said.
"What do you want me to do?" Spike asked.
"Nothing. You stay here. You're in no shape to do anything," Angel said.
"I can help, at least with Dru. No one knows her better, not even you, Angel. I know what she wants. I can handle her," Spike argued, not telling his elder that the blood he drank had sickened him. He wondered if his stomach was toast.
"You're weak. You'll be a liability," Wesley said.
"Only if you try to help me. If I'm in trouble let me go. I don't matter. Dawn does," Spike said, trying to stand. Angel's help was needed. Spike clung to his grandsire's arm for a brief moment, steadying himself.
"Try not to die," Angel said. "We may need you once we handle this and go across after Buffy."
"Dru won't kill me. She still loves me. She'll just hurt me a little more." Spike found the strength to smile.
"All right then. Let's do this," Angel said.
There were very few things in his life Spike regretted and all of them came from him not thinking far enough ahead, or at all. The Bot was certainly one of those big regrets. How could he have not seen that the Bot would have escaped his crypt eventually was beyond him. In hindsight it was obvious that sooner or later Buffy and the Scoobs would find out about the robot. Having the Bot made was a horrible mistake. He had learned that in the first night even before her escape. She was fine for a fantasy or two but it quickly got boring. And now he couldn't even look at the insipid thing. He forced Willow, well not a lot of force was needed, to remove all its sexual programming but somehow it remained imprinted on him. He'd grown to hate it but couldn't bring himself to destroy it. It was needed to keep up the subterfuge Buffy was alive and still in their lives.
And maybe she was alive. He had to believe it. If they were wrong, he didn't know how any of them would survive the dashed hopes. Buffy's death was another of his mistakes he'd regret forever. He hadn't been fast enough, smart enough, strong enough to beat Doc and keep Dawn from harm. They all assured him he had done his best but his best hadn't even been close. In his dreams he saved Dawn and Buffy, every night, their faces haunting him. In his dreams he stopped Doc. Dawn never got cut and Buffy never died.
Worse than any of his regrets was the one that he kept deeply hidden, trying to keep it even from himself. He truly regretted coming back to Sunnydale twice. If he had never found Sunnydale in the first place with Dru he wouldn't have lost her first to Angel then to that damned Chaos demon. The mere thought of her doing it with that slimy horned thing made him ill. Afterwards, why hadn't he gone anywhere else but Sunnydale? He could have gone home to England, explored Europe or run slumming through New York city but oh no, he had to be a wanker and head to Sunnydale for revenge.
What he ended up with instead was a chip in his head and his heart captured by the Slayer. He didn't ask for either nor did he want them but there was nothing to be done for it. He lit a cigarette, shifting on the mattress listlessly. At least he should be able to sleep through the long daylight hours but ever since Buffy was gone that was a luxury that eluded him.
The door to the crypt creaked open, splashing sunlight into the areas furthest from his bed. He glanced over figuring it was Dawn. She slinked to him, eyeing up his pale bare-chested form painted with deep, dark bruises.
"Dawny, maybe you shouldn't be here." He got up and set his cigarette on the marble ledge so he could pull his shirt on. He winced as he did so.
"I wanted to be sure you're okay."
He wanted to say he was anything but; instead he shrugged. "I'll be fine. Angel and me.let's just say this isn't the first time we've fought." His lips twisted into something like a smile as he popped the cigarette back between them.
"I forgot about the Bot. How could I forget? That was so dumb. I should never had made Angel take me home." Dawn paced around the crypt, half trying to hide her embarrassment from him, half to work off the anger.
Spike crossed over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Not your fault, little bit. Every last one of us forgot. I'm to blame if anyone is."
She looked up at him. "I tried to explain to Angel about the Bot.but I think it came out all wrong."
"Just leave it be, Dawn. It's something Angel and I have to work out."
"But you two don't work things out. You fight and I won't have it. I need you both. Buffy needs you both. Once we use the books, once we have Buffy back if you two still need to kill each other, do it then." Dawn stamped her foot at him.
Spike snorted. "Tell that to Angel, just like that. It'll work. Maybe you ought to run along now, Dawn. I'll see you tonight."
She shrugged, hiding her face behind the curtain of hair. "I'm bored. I'm tired of hanging at the magic shop. Anya can drive you nuts."
"Only if you have a brain, which means Harris is safe."
"Spike, don't be mean."
"Don't correct your elders, little bit," he shot back.
"Elders? Ha! You're more like a teenager than half the kids in high school." She lifted her chin defiantly, challenging him to deny it.
He stabbed the end of his cigarette at her. "You take that back."
She beamed. "Never! Can't I just hang out here?"
He wrinkled his nose. "This time."
"Thanks, Spike."
"Don't mention it and I mean that. I'm getting a rep for being a bloody babysitter. How am I supposed to live with that?" He gestured for her to have a seat on the couch then caught her arm. "Hang on. Listen."
"I don't hear anything."
Spike stared down at the covered opening to the bowels of Sunnydale as he pushed Dawn toward the crypt door. "Dawn, go, now. There's something down there."
He crept closer not realizing Dawn wasn't exactly obeying him. Spike lifted the trapdoor then collapsed backward with a startled cry. He lay on the floor twitching as two women came out of the crypt's 'basement,' carrying cattle prods. Dawn shrieked.
"Told you my boy would still be here," Dru cooed, running the body of her cattle prod along her cheek.
"Did I doubt you? And what do we have here?" Darla was across the crypt and had a hold on Dawn before the girl could get out the door.
"The Slayer's little sister. She's such a bad bad girl." Dru spun a lazy circle before turning her attention back to her fallen 'son.'
"You leave her alone," Spike said, trying to gather his wits.
Dru kicked him in the jaw, sending him sprawling again. "What is my boy doing with such a tasty little snack?"
"I'm just glad he didn't eat her yet," Darla said.
"Spike wouldn't do that!" Dawn cried.
"Pity. My poor boy still isn't hunting," Dru said as Dawn tried to punch Darla.
The vampire applied the cattle prod to Dawn who went unconscious with a painful cry. "Well, this was a better find that we could have hoped for, Dru. We can use the Slayer's brat sister."
"Let her alone, you bint!" Spike launched himself at Dru, knocking her to the ground. He tried to get up to go after Darla but Dru held onto him.
Spike looked into those beautiful blue eyes and did what he didn't think he could do again. He hurt her. He landed a few blows to Dru's face, listening to the cracking of metal somewhere behind him. He glanced up to see what Darla was doing but too late. Something burned into his back and deep into his body. Collapsing on top of Dru, Spike twisted enough to see Darla shoving the broken end of a metal candelabrum through his back, angling downwards through his insides so that it didn't come out his chest. There was no way for him to reach around and pull it free. Dru squirmed out from under him after licking his lips and neck.
Spike tried to get up but Darla applied the prod to the metal buried in him. The pain went beyond anything he had ever felt as she toasted his viscera. He was only vaguely aware that the screams he heard bouncing around the crypt were his own before everything darkened.
"I know my boy has to have fun toys around here somewhere," Dru said, poking around the crypt until she came up with heavy shackles hidden behind a tall armoire Spike had lugged into the crypt to hold his weaponry. She displayed them, giggling.
"Do you know him or what?" Darla grinned and started dragging Spike over to the wall so they could bind him.
Spike didn't know how long it took him to come around but when he did he found himself in irons. Dawn was trussed up on his bed with Darla and Dru watching TV.
"There you are. We were beginning to think you'd never rejoin us," Darla said, getting up to saunter over to him.
Spike tried to pull free but knew he wasn't getting free easily, especially with a few feet of metal sticking out of his back. "Let her go, Darla. Dawn has nothing to do with this."
"She has everything to do with this," Darla said
"She's a naughty girl who won't get any tea," Dru put in.
"Hush, Dru. Wolfram and Hart know Angel stole those books from them with Lindsey's help. I would have thought he was smarter than that. Wolfram and Hart know why Angel had Lindsey take the books. They want them back and the way Dru and I see it, taking the Slayer's sister is a sure way to make Angel deal with us. He needs to bring those books to the mansion. I must see it after all Dru's told me about it. Do it tonight or we kill this yummy little thing.if she's lucky." Darla gestured at Dawn who swallowed hard.
Dru licked Dawn's face. "I'm hungry now."
Spike tried to soften his features and spoke gently, "Dru, baby, don't hurt her. Let me go and we'll work something out."
"Can't do that. My poor Spike, still all blue inside, all hurting and sad. Should have come with me when I asked you too," Dru purred, sashaying over to him.
"I'll go with you now, love. Just let Dawn go."
Dru brushed her lips to his. "Spike tells me such sweet lies. Do you still love me?"
He tried to touch her but couldn't move his hands enough. "Yes."
"Lies like honey." She kissed him more deeply, rubbing her hands over sensitive parts of him.
"Enough of that, Dru, unless you think the kid sister needs that kind of education." Darla tossed a look Dawn's way. "Though I'm sure we could teach her a thing or two."
"Leave her alone, Darla," Spike said, spitting her name out like an obscenity. "If you let Dawn go, Dru, I'll get those books for you and I'll join you two."
"You're the last thing we need," Darla said, jerking his head back to expose his throat. "Have a drink, Dru, if you're that hungry." Darla helped herself first then took a step back so Dru could have a sip. Licking her lips, Darla glanced over at Dawn who watched with huge horrified eyes. "You have no idea how good we taste to each other. Enough Dru. If we kill him, he won't be able to give Angel our message."
Darla crossed back over to Dawn, dragging her to her feet. "I think you took a bit too much, Dru," she said seeing Spike's head loll.
"My boy is strong. He'll be back around soon," Dru protested.
"Good enough. Those shackles aren't so tight he can't slip free if he's willing to lose a little skin. Come on girl, don't make us knock you out again," Darla said forcing Dawn toward the underground.
"Spike," she shrieked but he didn't move, dangling by his arms from the chains. Darla and Dru dragged her below and off into the labyrinth under the city.
* * *
Spike regained consciousness, regretting every second of it. Pain beyond anything he had experienced in recent times racked him. The last time he hurt this bad, Buffy had dropped an organ on him inside a burning church, leaving him paralyzed. He wasn't sure he was all that mobile at this point as he stumbled along toward the magic shop, its lights drawing him forward like a welcoming friend.
He lost count of how many times he had fallen as he struggled to reach his companions in arms. Hotwiring a car was out of the question with the huge length of metal sticking out of his back and he had no leverage to pull it out. He fell again just a block from the shop, scraping his face even more. With bloody hands he forced himself back up. He had shredded his wrists pulling out of the shackles. He even had to gnaw away some of the flesh of his thumb in order to do it but he had gotten away. He had to warn the others about Dawn.
That in mind, he forced himself the final steps into the magic shop. He tripped over the doorsill and went down again, the candelabra stand whacking into the door, shattering glass all over him. He heard several startled screams but couldn't really focus on any of them. Strong hands dragged him inside, Angel then. Spike lifted his head, trying to find the strength to talk, an odd burnt taste in his mouth distracting him.
"Get this bloody thing out of me!"
Angel grabbed the metal and pulled, feeling it grind against bone and get stuck. Spike screamed. Angel yanked harder and the candelabra slid free, spraying a trail of blood as it did. He tossed the metal aside and hunkered down by the fallen vampire. His large hands went to Spike's neck. "Vampires had at him."
"Any other time I'd say that it was poetic justice but we need him," Xander said, frustrated and more than a little disgusted.
"Spike, what happened?" Wesley asked, moving closer but staying well out of reach.
"Dru and Darla. They have Dawn," Spike said, trying to sit up.
"What?" Angel hauled Spike up and flung him into a chair.
"They took her," Spike said, nearly flopping back onto the floor as he tried to steady himself. "I hurt so much."
"How could you let them take her?" Willow asked, stomping up to him.
"Let them? Do I look like I let anyone do anything, Red?" Spike growled.
"I'll get the first aid kit. You tell them what happened," Wesley said.
"Dawn came to see me. I thought I heard something coming up from below. I tried to get Dawn out of the crypt but Dru and Darla surprised me. They came up through the tunnels and hit me and Dawn with cattle prods. I fought with Dru and Darla impaled me. She put the prod against the metal.bloody hell. That hurt like a bitch."
"This is very bad," Wesley said, coming back with the kit. Cordy helped Spike out of his bloody clothing, used to patching up Angel at this point.
"Of course it's bad. They got Dawn," Willow snapped.
Wesley gently prodded the hole in Spike's back. The flesh around the wound was blackened and bubbled. Spike moaned as the ex-Watcher assessed the damage. "What I meant, Willow, is that we need Spike to cross those dimensions after Buffy and we need him to get Dawn back but he's not going to be able to help. Darla effectively cooked him from the inside out. He'll heal but it's going to take time.more time than we have."
"I can help.we'll get Dawny back," Spike protested.
"I don't know how you even got back here. You probably should be dust between the electrocution and the draining," Wesley said.
"Cordy, warm up some blood for Spike. He's going to need it," Angel said and she hustled off. "What do they want with Dawn, Spike? Did they tell you?"
He nodded, regretting it. He touched his bruised, scraped face. "They want to trade her for the books Lindsey and Wesley stole from Wolfram and Hart."
"They said my name?" Lindsey asked sharply. "They know? I'm screwed! Thanks a lot, Angel. I knew you were going to get me killed."
"You're still alive Lindsey but not if you keep annoying me," Angel snarled. "Spike, where do they want this trade to go down?"
"Our mansion tonight," Spike said, holding out a shaking hand seeing Cordy approach.
Cordy put the mug of blood in his hand, waiting to make sure he had a good grip. "They really worked you over," she said.
"They had some help," Spike canted his eyes up at Angel who looked thoroughly unapologetic.
"You had that coming," Xander said and Spike didn't argue.
"Spike, did they say I was to come alone?" Angel asked.
Spike drained the mug and looked into it disappointed. "Could I have more?"
"That's probably a good idea," Wesley said, waving Cordy back over. She went to get him a refill.
Spike licked his swollen lips. "They didn't say came alone. They probably didn't trust you to keep that promise."
"Or they have a trap waiting for us," Xander said.
"Dru's nuts. She might come up with a devious plan given time. They didn't know Dawn would be in my crypt. They were coming to.maybe take me hostage, like you'd ransom me for those damn books. Dawn was a lucky find. Dru couldn't come up with too much of a plan on short notice. I'm not sure Darla's smart enough to. But then again, they don't have to have a great plan. They have Dawn's life in their hands. They have us over the bloody barrel."
"But they're making a mistake," Angel said, his eyes lighting up as a plan dawned on him.
"L-Looks like they have things under control to me," Tara said.
"They've dismissed everyone but me and Spike as a threat to them. They must know the Slayer's gone or they would have wanted Buffy to do the trade. The rest of you are just fodder to them," Angel said.
"They don't know about my and Willow's magic," Tara said, understanding where he was going.
"Hey, that's true!" Willow's face screwed up. "Darla. That name sounds familiar."
"She's the vampire who turned me. I killed her for Buffy, remember? Lindsey and his buddies brought her back, using one of the scrolls we brought with us," Angel replied, gesturing to Lindsey.
"And we're trusting him to help us?" Xander asked.
"He's a lawyer. Never trust him," Angel said.
"I don't need this abuse. I should have told you to go play in the sun when you came to me. I helped and now I have Wolfram and Hart after me and all my allies do is rip me up," Lindsey snarled.
"Lindsey, relax. We still need your help so we aren't likely to let Darla eat you because if Wolfram and Hart wants you dead surely they sent her to do it. Willow, you and Tara work out what you might need spell-wise. Wesley, Gunn, Xander and Anya, you already know how to kill vampires so get the weapons you need. We'll be ready for this," Angel said.
"What do you want me to do?" Spike asked.
"Nothing. You stay here. You're in no shape to do anything," Angel said.
"I can help, at least with Dru. No one knows her better, not even you, Angel. I know what she wants. I can handle her," Spike argued, not telling his elder that the blood he drank had sickened him. He wondered if his stomach was toast.
"You're weak. You'll be a liability," Wesley said.
"Only if you try to help me. If I'm in trouble let me go. I don't matter. Dawn does," Spike said, trying to stand. Angel's help was needed. Spike clung to his grandsire's arm for a brief moment, steadying himself.
"Try not to die," Angel said. "We may need you once we handle this and go across after Buffy."
"Dru won't kill me. She still loves me. She'll just hurt me a little more." Spike found the strength to smile.
"All right then. Let's do this," Angel said.
