Part 6
"He has a soul?" Dawn was incredulous. "Spike has a freaking soul?"
"Seems so." Buffy distractedly dodged a tombstone.
"How?"
Buffy inhaled deeply through her nose and looked up at the starry night sky. "He went to a shaman in Africa and went through some sort of mystical test. The short story is that he passed and won a soul."
"Wow."
"Yeah."
The girls walked side by side in silence.
"And he can walk around in the daytime?"
Buffy nodded.
"So is he human?"
Buffy stopped and sank down on a concrete bench. "No. He's still a vampire, just with a few added bells and whistles."
"Has he been in Africa all this time?" Dawn sat beside her.
"No." Buffy stared thoughtfully at her feet. "He was in Los Angeles. With Angel."
"No way! They, like, totally hate each other."
"Angel was in trouble. The Powers who gave Spi. William his soul needed his help. I guess Angel wasn't so eager to dust him after he saved his life." She glanced over at Dawn. "They helped each other out."
Dawn laughed. "I just can't see the two of them together all summer. "Do you think they fought over the hair gel?"
Buffy smiled in spite of herself. "Probably that, and a million other things."
Dawn, encouraged, continued. "Like the food. Angel gets so grossed out, and Spike eats like a pig."
"Not to mention all the gunk he likes to mix into his blood."
"Oh!" Dawn squealed. "Can you imagine Angel grabbing the wrong glass and taking a big swig? Wheetabix and Burba weed cocktails!"
"Gross!" The girls said at the same time, laughing.
They were so caught up in their conversation that they hadn't noticed the heavy footfalls of the three approaching demons. Dawn and Buffy were grabbed from behind and hauled off the bench before they knew what was happening. Buffy struggled, but the demon's arms were too strong. She glanced around to see what she was dealing with. It was a Fyarl. This was bad. She continued to thrash in its grasp, trying to find room to wiggle free.
Dawn was in the same predicament, only without the super strength. She kicked her long legs, making contact with the demon's knees, but to no avail. The third demon approached Dawn from the front, his mouth opening as he made a gurgling sound. She screamed.
Startled, the demon holding her loosened his grip and stumbled backward. He growled in surprise. Free, Dawn kicked the demon facing her between the legs. He fell to the ground and a stream of foul smelling mucous covered her feet. She rolled to find her crossbow. "Buffy!" she yelled.
"Dawn, run!" Buffy ordered her.
Dawn found that she couldn't move. The mucous had hardened into a shell, binding her feet together. She continued to roll on the ground to evade the Fyarl following her and managed to get a bolt into her bow. She was grabbed again from behind and this time a big, scaly, clawed hand was clapped over her mouth. She flailed about in earnest, but could not break free. As the third demon again approached her, she heard a dull thud and the demon stopped, wavered, and fell to the ground. There was an axe buried deep in his spine.
William rushed over to pull his weapon free. He spun around "Buffy, duck!"
She lowered her head, and the axe flew through the air, decapitating the demon that held her. She was free. The third demon dropped Dawn and lumbered away, not anxious to face two super-powered beings on its own. Buffy spared a quick glance at her ally. "Check on Dawn!" She ordered, before gathering up the crossbow and giving chase.
William bent to help Dawn free her feet from her ruined tennis shoes. He checked her over from head to foot to ensure that she wasn't injured. They were standing as Buffy returned, the crossbow dangling at her side.
"Blasted arrows bounced right off him."
"Only silver works on them pet, remember?"
They exchanged a look before Buffy glanced uncomfortably away.
"Sorry." He mumbled. ".Habit."
She nodded and turned to Dawn. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah. What were those things?"
"Fyarl Demons." William offered.
"Do you think somebody sent them?" Buffy's mind searched for whom might have organized an attack on them.
"Had to be." He answered. "They don't have the sense to plan something like this on their own. If they were hungry they could have picked easier targets than the Slayer and her little sis."
"That's what I was thinking." She watched as he moved to retrieve his axe.
"Hey, is that."
"Yep. Silver plated blade." He looked at it admiringly. "You never know when that can come in handy."
"I'll have to get one of these." She took it from him and felt the weight in her hands. "It's nice."
"You can use mine whenever you like."
There was another uncomfortable silence.
"Hey, you guys?" Dawn interrupted. "Do you think we ought to go tell Giles about what happened?"
Buffy looked up at her gratefully. "Yes, we should. But first, you need to go home."
"Buffy!" She stamped her stockinged foot.
"School tomorrow. No arguments."
"OK." Dawn reluctantly agreed. "But you're going to have to get me some new shoes. I am so not going to wear those."
***** The Fyarl Demon thundered through the cemetery and down the embankment toward the river. He lurched along the bank, staying close to the dense foliage. He finally stopped at a large oak tree, bumping around it ungainly until he reached a concealed cavern opening. His large body barely fit through the hole, and he fell to the dirt below with a hard thud. It was pitch black around him.
"You failed." The voice of his master reached to him out of the darkness.
"Strong. Fast." The demon muttered in his guttural language.
"Where are the others?"
"Dead." He grunted.
"How did two little girls armed with wood defeat three of you?" The voice was light and calm.
The Fyarl growled. "Man come. Demon man."
"Ah. So the vampire has returned." The voice had a happy tone. "This will make things easier. All three are here now. It makes up for your failure this evening."
"Hungry. Want food."
"Very well, my friend. I have a tasty morsel for you tied up in the back. Eat her quickly if you please. I don't want her screams to alert the Slayer to our location."
"He has a soul?" Dawn was incredulous. "Spike has a freaking soul?"
"Seems so." Buffy distractedly dodged a tombstone.
"How?"
Buffy inhaled deeply through her nose and looked up at the starry night sky. "He went to a shaman in Africa and went through some sort of mystical test. The short story is that he passed and won a soul."
"Wow."
"Yeah."
The girls walked side by side in silence.
"And he can walk around in the daytime?"
Buffy nodded.
"So is he human?"
Buffy stopped and sank down on a concrete bench. "No. He's still a vampire, just with a few added bells and whistles."
"Has he been in Africa all this time?" Dawn sat beside her.
"No." Buffy stared thoughtfully at her feet. "He was in Los Angeles. With Angel."
"No way! They, like, totally hate each other."
"Angel was in trouble. The Powers who gave Spi. William his soul needed his help. I guess Angel wasn't so eager to dust him after he saved his life." She glanced over at Dawn. "They helped each other out."
Dawn laughed. "I just can't see the two of them together all summer. "Do you think they fought over the hair gel?"
Buffy smiled in spite of herself. "Probably that, and a million other things."
Dawn, encouraged, continued. "Like the food. Angel gets so grossed out, and Spike eats like a pig."
"Not to mention all the gunk he likes to mix into his blood."
"Oh!" Dawn squealed. "Can you imagine Angel grabbing the wrong glass and taking a big swig? Wheetabix and Burba weed cocktails!"
"Gross!" The girls said at the same time, laughing.
They were so caught up in their conversation that they hadn't noticed the heavy footfalls of the three approaching demons. Dawn and Buffy were grabbed from behind and hauled off the bench before they knew what was happening. Buffy struggled, but the demon's arms were too strong. She glanced around to see what she was dealing with. It was a Fyarl. This was bad. She continued to thrash in its grasp, trying to find room to wiggle free.
Dawn was in the same predicament, only without the super strength. She kicked her long legs, making contact with the demon's knees, but to no avail. The third demon approached Dawn from the front, his mouth opening as he made a gurgling sound. She screamed.
Startled, the demon holding her loosened his grip and stumbled backward. He growled in surprise. Free, Dawn kicked the demon facing her between the legs. He fell to the ground and a stream of foul smelling mucous covered her feet. She rolled to find her crossbow. "Buffy!" she yelled.
"Dawn, run!" Buffy ordered her.
Dawn found that she couldn't move. The mucous had hardened into a shell, binding her feet together. She continued to roll on the ground to evade the Fyarl following her and managed to get a bolt into her bow. She was grabbed again from behind and this time a big, scaly, clawed hand was clapped over her mouth. She flailed about in earnest, but could not break free. As the third demon again approached her, she heard a dull thud and the demon stopped, wavered, and fell to the ground. There was an axe buried deep in his spine.
William rushed over to pull his weapon free. He spun around "Buffy, duck!"
She lowered her head, and the axe flew through the air, decapitating the demon that held her. She was free. The third demon dropped Dawn and lumbered away, not anxious to face two super-powered beings on its own. Buffy spared a quick glance at her ally. "Check on Dawn!" She ordered, before gathering up the crossbow and giving chase.
William bent to help Dawn free her feet from her ruined tennis shoes. He checked her over from head to foot to ensure that she wasn't injured. They were standing as Buffy returned, the crossbow dangling at her side.
"Blasted arrows bounced right off him."
"Only silver works on them pet, remember?"
They exchanged a look before Buffy glanced uncomfortably away.
"Sorry." He mumbled. ".Habit."
She nodded and turned to Dawn. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah. What were those things?"
"Fyarl Demons." William offered.
"Do you think somebody sent them?" Buffy's mind searched for whom might have organized an attack on them.
"Had to be." He answered. "They don't have the sense to plan something like this on their own. If they were hungry they could have picked easier targets than the Slayer and her little sis."
"That's what I was thinking." She watched as he moved to retrieve his axe.
"Hey, is that."
"Yep. Silver plated blade." He looked at it admiringly. "You never know when that can come in handy."
"I'll have to get one of these." She took it from him and felt the weight in her hands. "It's nice."
"You can use mine whenever you like."
There was another uncomfortable silence.
"Hey, you guys?" Dawn interrupted. "Do you think we ought to go tell Giles about what happened?"
Buffy looked up at her gratefully. "Yes, we should. But first, you need to go home."
"Buffy!" She stamped her stockinged foot.
"School tomorrow. No arguments."
"OK." Dawn reluctantly agreed. "But you're going to have to get me some new shoes. I am so not going to wear those."
***** The Fyarl Demon thundered through the cemetery and down the embankment toward the river. He lurched along the bank, staying close to the dense foliage. He finally stopped at a large oak tree, bumping around it ungainly until he reached a concealed cavern opening. His large body barely fit through the hole, and he fell to the dirt below with a hard thud. It was pitch black around him.
"You failed." The voice of his master reached to him out of the darkness.
"Strong. Fast." The demon muttered in his guttural language.
"Where are the others?"
"Dead." He grunted.
"How did two little girls armed with wood defeat three of you?" The voice was light and calm.
The Fyarl growled. "Man come. Demon man."
"Ah. So the vampire has returned." The voice had a happy tone. "This will make things easier. All three are here now. It makes up for your failure this evening."
"Hungry. Want food."
"Very well, my friend. I have a tasty morsel for you tied up in the back. Eat her quickly if you please. I don't want her screams to alert the Slayer to our location."