"Gone."





"Gone."
Part ten of the "What Am I?" series.
Rating: R. for the entire series.
Spoilers: I don't have the time or the energy to go through and state exactly what spoilers are contained in my fics just assume that anything that has aired in the US is fair game.
Disclaimers: Joss owns everything fun. I only borrow it for a while.
Feedback: Let me know what you think. (ladyduvessa19@icqmail.com)

They had a wonderful time after the rehearsal dinner. Buffy had done something with her tongue that drove Spike wild. He had begged her to stay the night, but she insisted that she needed to go home. He guessed that it was all right because he would be seeing her once again at the wedding.

He figured if he planned on seeing her at the wedding he better get ready to go. He knew that he should probably wear a suit, but he didn't have one. And besides he hated wearing them. He had been so happy when the fad of wearing a suit every day had ended. He went through the pile of clothes he had on the floor. There wasn't much there, but he decided that his leather pants and his blood red button down shirt was the way to go. *At least I can have fun watching Xanders parents give him disapproving looks for the people he hangs out with.* He thought as he searched for his leather duster. He found it under the bed and smiled when he remembered how it had gotten there. He put it on grabbed a sack of blood out of the fridge, put it in his pocket, and headed into the sewers.

He had been lucky that the sewers had connected to the basement of the church. He had to go down a skinny tunnel for a while to get there and it proved to be harder than he thought it would have been. It would have been easier for him if he could have just walked there, but it was day and he thought that the church was a little to far to brave under his blanket. When he had finally gotten to the opening of the basement of the church he heard voices. He pondered weather or not he should just sit there and listen for a while, but then he heard the girls talking about their dresses and decided that it could be a while before they started talking about something interesting. He lifted the hole cover of the basement floor and he had only gotten a single hand out before Willow started screaming.

"There's someone coming up threw the sewers." She stepped on his hand and recovered his entrance.

"Bloody hell woman!!"

"Oh it's you Spike. Hold on just a second." Then she yelled. "It's only Spike. Is everyone decent?"

"You gals naked up there?" He pressed his eyes against the holes in the floor trying to get a glimpse of the girls who stood above him.

"We're all good." Buffy said as Willow lifted the floor and let Spike enter the room.

"Nice little dressing room you got here." He said looking around at the dust covered boxes and the nativity scene that was stuffed in the corner.

"Yeah well Anya got the superstition of 'you can't see the bride before the wedding' a little mixed up and she's locked in the only decent room upstairs by herself." Willow said as she straightened the hideous flower on the front of her dress.

Buffy was struggling to hook the latch at the top of her dress. Spike went to her moved her hand out of his way and hooked the clasp. He realized that Willow, Dawn, and Tara were all staring at him puzzled. He tried to explain his actions. "Just got caught up in the whole wedding thing." He stepped away from her and stuck his hands inside his pockets looking at the ground.

"You should probably go find a seat Spike. The place is really filling up. Some of Anya's friends take up a row by themselves." Tara said as she opened the door for him.

"Right." He walked out the door glancing once more at Buffy. Despite the dress, she looked beautiful.

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When he got up into the church he was a little uneasy about the cross hanging on the wall behind the altar. He decided to take a seat in the back. He recognized a lot of the demons who were on the brides side of the church. He hoped that none of them would look back and see him. Demons had had it in for him these past couple of years. He really couldn't blame them. He had betrayed his kind. He didn't see Aurora. He wondered when she would show up. Anya had said that she told her she would be there, but no sign of her. It would probably be better if she didn't come. Buffy didn't need the reminder that she wasn't normal.

He sat there for a while and began to get restless. He looked around the sanctuary for a clock, but there wasn't one. He figured it was a sin to look at a clock while the word of the lord was being spoken. Finally Xander's parents entered the room followed by their son. Xander stood before the altar. "Finally." Spike said quietly looking behind him to see if the girls were entering. He saw Willow, Tara, and Dawn standing there and turned back around glad to see that this would all soon be over.

The organist started to play and a woman had started to sing some sappy love song. When the song had ended Spike noticed that Xander looked puzzled. He looked behind him and could see Dawn and Willow arguing. He tried to make out what they were saying, but couldn't quite figure it out. He thought that they had said something about not starting because someone was gone. *So Anya isn't the brainless twit I thought she was. Finally realized that life with Xander was going to be boring.* He thought just as the organist started another song. But that song ended just as the other one had. He could tell that Xander was deciding weather or not he should go and see what the hold up was. He must have decided to because he left the altar, walked down the isle to the doors in the back of the church. Spike followed him. He wanted to be there when Xander got the bad news that his bride had developed a brain.

"What's going on guys? When the music starts you're supposed to mosey on down the isle." Xander was nervous.

"Xander." Anya's voice came from behind the door.

"An. I was beginning to think that you had second thoughts."

"No. I'm just waiting here for the 'here comes the bride'. That is when I'm supposed to walk down the isle and make everyone jealous of me isn't it?" Spike could tell that it made her happy that she would be the center of attention.

"Well if it isn't you then what's the hold up? I don't think I can take those people in there staring at me for much longer. The guy with the four eyes is giving me the heebie jeebies."

"Oh that's just Caleb. He wouldn't hurt a fly. Well except for the fact that he eats flies." Everyone had the 'eww gross' look on their faces after Anyas declaration.

"It's Buffy. She's gone." Willow stated.

"What do you mean she's gone? Where the hell did she go?" Spike couldn't believe it.

"Nobody knows." Tara said.

"Well where did you last see her?" there were all kinds of terrible thoughts running through Spikes head.

"In the bathroom. Buffy and I went in to do a final hair and make up check." Dawn was twirling her hair around her fingers.

"And you left her there?"

"She said that she needed to straighten her nylons and that she would be out in a minute."

"We checked the bathroom. She's not there anymore." Said Willow.

Spike walked down the hall towards the bathroom yelling Buffy's name. There was no answer. He opened the bathroom door only to find nothing just like Willow had said. He walked down the hall farther. He stopped suddenly when his hair started to smoke. "Bloody Hell" He shouted putting the flames out. The windows in the church were all stained glass except for the ones in the lobby. They had done a pretty good job of blocking out the sun from turning him into a big pile of ash. The one directly above where he stood had been broken. He could smell blood. Buffy's blood. She had been cut by the glass as she was dragged out.

He was furious. Someone had taken her while he was there. He should have watched her more carefully. He shouldn't have just sat there waiting for the ceremony to start. He should have stayed by her side, but there was nothing he could do about it. She was gone. He knew that it had been Aurora who had taken her. After the things that Angel said about Aurora wanting to put an end to the chosen one he should have tried to find her, but he hadn't. He was going to have to now.

He went back to where the others were standing. "Buffy's bloods on the window just past the bathroom."

"I didn't even notice that there was a window." Willow said.

"I wouldn't of either if it hadn't been for the sun trying to barbeque me."

"Do you think someone took her?" Dawn was worried.

"Looks that way 'lil bit."

"Who?" Xander asked.

Spike didn't answer Xander's question. Instead he began pounding on the door of the room Anya was in. "Open the door."

"No. No one is supposed to see me before the wedding."

"You open this door or I'll make sure you don't have anyone to marry."

"Hey." Xander yelled after he realized Spike had just threatened him.

"Oh all right." Anya said as she opened the door.

"Where's your friend?" Spike moved closer to Anya cornering her against the wall.

"What friend?"

"Aurora. You said she was coming. Was she here?"

"Yes. She wished me good luck and said that she was going to go find a seat."

"Well she never showed up in the sanctuary and now Buffy's gone." Spike's jaw was clenched so tight it looked like it might break in half.

"And you think Aurora had something to do with it? Honestly Spike." Xander couldn't believe it.

"She bloody well had something to do with it. Been following Buffy for weeks now. Taking pictures and what not. Angel said there's been talk about her wanting to kill the slayers." Spike was yelling.

"She's been following Buffy?" Anya was shocked over what Spike was saying about her friend.

"Yes. Now would you just tell me everything you know about her? Where is she staying? Did she ever give you a reason as to why she was in town?" Spike was trying to stay calm. He needed to be able to put everything together if he was going to find Buffy.

"She said that she had a sister in Sunnydale she was visiting. I didn't ask her about it. I never really understood how the vampire family tree worked. To many sires and stuff. As for where she's staying she said that she was at the hotel up the street from the magic shop."

Spike walked towards the front door of the church. He stopped just before he hit the lobby realizing that it was the middle of the day. He grabbed one of the quilts that were sitting on the table labeled 'quilts for the needy'. *I'm going to hell anyways.* he thought as he headed out the door. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to find her, but he sure as hell was going to die trying.



Part 9 || Part 11