Nine: A GUEST FOR DINNER
Dinner had been strained. No one said very much. Buffy had attempted to keep up pleasant dinner conversation (at least in so much as talking about demons and vampire nests could be considered "pleasant"). Dawn kept offering everyone more to eat to fill the uncomfortable silence.
Buffy cleared her throat, "That was really delicious, Dawn."
"Sure was Dawnster. You outdid yourself," added Xander.
"Thanks guys," the young brunette replied happily as she stood to begin clearing the table. She noticed their houseguest needed to be rescued from his discomfort. "Spike, could you give me a hand with this stuff?" she requested with a nod to the table.
"Right. ah. Sure." He put Buffy's utensils with his own on his plate then slid hers underneath before grabbing a bowl of mashed potatoes, carrying all to the kitchen.
Buffy waited until they'd gone before beginning. "Xander. I really appreciate... "
Her friend sat across the table staring into the kitchen shaking his head. "I just can't believe it. He sure seems like the same old Spike. A bit quieter I guess --- and, so not complaining here. But I guess I pictured him... I don't know more... different."
Buffy sighed. "Just goes to show that when it comes to anything --- or anyone --- there's a whole lot more grey in the world than black and white. I mean, it used to be so clear: people good; vampires bad."
"I guess we know now that isn't always true," Xander muttered, and Buffy recognized as she looked at him, he wasn't talking about Spike anymore. His thoughts had turned to Warren and Willow and the nightmare of that past spring, which had left one of them dead, the other emotionally broken --- to say nothing of the other chaos they caused.
"So, have you heard from Will lately?" Buffy inquired gently. Although she had kept in touch with Willow via e-mail, she knew it wasn't the same as being there... seeing her, or even as talking to Willow on the phone. Computers just couldn't carry a person's real emotions.
"Not in a few weeks. She sounded better then, but still so...fragile. Helpless, you know?" he answered sadly.
After another awkward quiet period, Buffy and Xander began busying themselves with helping clear the table.
------- o -------
When dinner was put away, the four gathered in the living room for a little planning session.
"So, it's like I was saying: there was a group of vamps, not sure how many, hanging out in Spike's crypt," Buffy reiterated. "Usually a couple of vampires getting together wouldn't bother me that much, but something tells me there's more to it this time. I think we should check it out tonight." The Slayer looked at her sister. "All of us. And we should go prepared for a fight."
------- o -------
Beaming with pride at having been asked along, Dawn came armed with her favourite weapon: a Super-Soaker Water Gun loaded with holy water, plus a backpack of extra attachable reservoirs. The Slayer was still apprehensive about having her little sister going hand-to-hand with vamps, but she knew Dawn needed to feel a part of the action. The holy water gun was a compromise; she could hang back from the group and keep an eye out for any stray vamps that wanted to join in the fight.
Spike had a queer feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd gone into fights like this before but he knew things were different now that he was human. Now that he was a mere mortal, he was approaching this fight with some things he never had before: a rapid pounding in his chest, brisk shallow breaths, and a touch of fear. No problem. Just remindin' me I'm alive, he tried to assert.
Buffy worried a little about what lay ahead of them. They could be in for quite a battle if the vamps were beginning to congregate to hatch some kind of evil plan. Although she knew her three comrades had skill, she was all too aware that they didn't have the strength in their numbers they'd had when Spike was a vampire.
Crossbow in hand and very focussed on where they were headed, Xander just wanted to dust some vampire ass.
They hadn't even arrived at the crypt when Buffy realized this might be tougher than she'd anticipated. Scouting out ahead, she could see several vamps outside the crypt talking (and snacking) and was sure they'd find more inside. Can't put this off another night. Only going to get worse. Huddling the group together, she laid out her plan. "I'll get the two guys over there. Xander, do you think you could manage those other two, there. Try to get them before they can alert the others inside. You'll have to be quick reloading so you can get them both."
"I'll do my best."
"Spike, you hang back with Dawn 'til we've got those guys out of the way." Please read that as 'take care of her', she thought, not 'you're a big wimp and I don't want you to get hurt'. I can't handle your pouting just now. "When you see them dusted, we'll all take on the group inside. Stick close. Watch each other's backs, OK?"
"Right." Everyone was ready, and the assault began.
------- o -------
Things went surprisingly as planned, at first. Buffy got her two vamps out with little more than a groan each. Xander's shooting was right on the mark, a carry-over from his night as soldier guy, dusting his two with an ease that impressed even him. When they assembled at the door to the crypt, the real fun was about to begin.
There were a lot more vampires hanging out that night than had the one before.
Xander clipped a couple early while they were still distracted.
Buffy stood tall in the entrance. "Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" Then all hell broke loose. (Well, not literally. I forget sometimes that this IS Sunnydale. Hello-o? You remember: Hellmouth. Here, a person should never say that Hell is breaking loose if it isn't.)
In prior skirmishes, Dawn had learned it is good to aim high and squirt vampires in the face. Holy water hitting the exposed flesh made for some distracting sizzling. If she got them in the eyes, all the better. Either way, with them clutching at their burning faces, dusting them was a whole lot easier. She zapped a few vamps directly and then sprayed over the crowd before reloading.
Buffy and Spike were each fighting multiple vamps at once. Initially everything seemed fine. He was giving every bit as hard as he ever had: lunging and thrusting at his opponents. But eventually, Spike began to feel fatigued. Bugger! That's something I never realized, he thought. This is bloody exhausting! He stumbled then was grabbed from behind.
------- o -------
With most of the dust now settling (literally), Buffy realized that Spike was gone. She finished off the remaining vamps then rushed to Dawn, who was still keeping guard of the door. "Dawn. Where's Spike?" Buffy demanded. "Did one of the vamps grab him? Did they get away?"
"Nothing came through here. Try the trapdoor," she motioned, her gun still at the ready.
Man, this kid really can handle herself, the Slayer noted of her sister.
The trap was open and as they stood overhead they could see a glow from below.
Cautiously descending the ladder, Buffy could hear voices.
"Well, isn't this a surprise," hissed a familiar woman's voice. "My sweet Blondie Bear... and doesn't he smell delicious."
"Ah... Harm," Spike said, trying to sound relaxed, but Buffy read it more as uneasy.
As she approached, the Slayer could see two burly vampires, each clutching one of Spike's arms while Harmony, still in human-mask, circled the now shirt-less former vamp.
Boy, even scared he looks hot. "Focus you twit," she mumbled.
"What was that, Buff?" Xander piped up as he came down the ladder.
She just shook her head and waved him off, indicating it was nothing.
"Well, what do you know, boys," Harmony sneered. "Looks like we've got more guests." Directing her commentary to the Slayer, she continued, "I'm afraid you're just going to have to wait until I've finished my entrée here, Buffy." Suddenly she was in game face, fangs poised at Spike's jugular.
Buffy couldn't move; terror overwhelmed her. At that moment, the Slayer was gone and all that was left was the woman in her, paralysed by the sight of the imminent death of the man she loved.
As Harmony went in for the kill, Spike's azure eyes caught Buffy's gaze. Through them she saw an outpouring of sadness and love that struck her to the core.
Bursting as if out of nowhere, Dawn was upon the group, firing holy water with marked precision. "Get away from him!"
At the same time, Xander fired off a bolt from the crossbow turning one of the henchmen to dust.
Harmony hissed in pain, pulling her face and fangs from Spike's bloodied throat before dropping him limp to the ground.
Abandoning their missile weapons, Dawn and Xander charged forward stakes now in hand. Xander brought a quick end to the second massive vampire, while Dawn shoved Harmony against the rough wall of the cave. Pinning her stake to the cheerleader-vamp's chest, she delivered in a low tone, "Nobody steals my sister's boyfriend!" Then with all the force in her slender body, Dawn ran the stake through her foe's heart. Turning, she saw Xander drop to Spike's motionless body.
"It's OK, Dawn," Xander replied, seeing the fearful question in the girl's eyes. "He's alive. His pulse is weak, but he's alive. Weird. Still can't believe I'm saying that: Spike's alive." Xander just knelt staring into the darkness, shaking his head in amazement that this creature so long undead was in fact alive, if only barely.
"Buffy!" Dawn called to her sister.
Buffy hadn't moved. She stood perfectly still, a look of horror and helplessness on her face.
Rushing in with a comforting hug, Dawn asserted, "Buffy, he's OK. Spike's alright."
"I think we should get him to a hospital, Dawn," Xander cautioned, lifting the man in a fireman's hold over his shoulders.
"Buffy... Buffy please. Snap out of it," cried the teen. "He's OK. He'll be OK."