Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the God that is Joss Whedon. *pulls out small statue of Joss and beings chanting* Say it with me, guys. Joss, Joss, Joss, Joss…
A/N: I started this out as a lil' B/S ship fic, because I was left wanting more Buffy/Spike interaction near the end of "Lessons". Why this was the result I'll never know. Hope ya like it anyway. Review meeeee!
"It's about power," the figure of Buffy said, arms crossed, voice cool and emotionless.
Somewhere in his head Spike knew that this wasn't the real Buffy. At least, he wanted to believe it wasn't her. The real Buffy wouldn't be there to hurt him, she would rescue him. Buffy always rescued those in need. No, that wasn't true, was it? Buffy was there to help those who deserved it. Not evil vampires.
"You're right," the figure said. "I would never help you. You disgust me, Spike."
He whimpered, trying to cover his ears.
Slipping into a mask of Drusilla, it kneeled by him, gently prying his hands away, whispering into his ear. "She thinks she's better than you. She thinks she's better than all of us. You belong here in the dark with me, and not with her."
"But Dru-" he started.
"Shhh," she whispered, placing a finger on his lips. "I know what you're thinking, Spike. I always know. Shhh. Don't fret…"
"…soon everything will be righted," the Master finished, standing. "And the you won't have to worry about her anymore. Soon the Slayer will be dead."
"Noooooo!"
The voice echoed down the maze of hallways, catching Buffy's attention at once. "Spike?"
She had been looking for that room. Now she followed the scream, and pushed open the door, ready to kick ass, but found Spike crouched in the middle of the room alone.
"Spike," she said. "What's going on? I heard you scream."
He stared up at her. "Buffy…"
"Yeah, it's me," she said quickly. "Why did you scream?"
"They said-" he started, unable to finish.
"Who said what?"
He rose shakily to his feet, standing before her, tentatively trailing a finger along her cheek. She almost smiled at the soft caress, but any thought of pleasure was soon forgotten as his hands tightened around her throat.
"Ugh!" she grunted as her air was cut off. Her hands grabbed at his, but she couldn't get a grip to pull him away. "Spike!"
"You can't keep tricking me," he said with a shake of his head. "You won't kill her."
She struggled for air, unable to speak, and found herself roughly dropped to the ground as Spike cocked his head in the other direction.
Gasping, she sat up, rubbing her neck. "What the hell?"
He sank to his knees again, fists clenched on either side of his head. "Oh, God. Oh, God. Did it again. I can't stop hurting.."
She crawled carefully over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look at her. "What's going on, Spike?"
"It's here," he told her tearfully. "I can't tell. God, it wants you dead."
"What wants me dead?" she asked.
His gaze trailed to the corner, but when Buffy followed it she saw nothing. "What?"
"It does. Sometimes it's you, and I can't tell. And Dru…God, Dru," he muttered.
"Spike, you're not making sense," she said. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Go," he pleaded. "Go, it wants you."
"What does?" she repeated impatiently.
He sat back, rocking himself, humming.
"Spike!" she said more insistently, guiding his gaze to hers with one hand. "What are you going on about?"
"The beginning," he muttered. "The very beginning. Power. Power."
She shook her head and stood up. "I can't understand you, Spike."
She walked toward the door, pausing to give him time to explain, to call out, anything. When she heard nothing, she walked away, shutting the door on the mumbling vampire.
When she was gone, he stood up, sniffing, and cracking his neck. In a matter of seconds his face shifted into a mirror image of the Buffy that had just been present briefly before slipping back into Spike's visage.
"I've got the power, Slayer."
A maniacal laugh echoed throughout the chamber.
It had the power now. The advantage.
The Slayer would die.
A/N: I started this out as a lil' B/S ship fic, because I was left wanting more Buffy/Spike interaction near the end of "Lessons". Why this was the result I'll never know. Hope ya like it anyway. Review meeeee!
"It's about power," the figure of Buffy said, arms crossed, voice cool and emotionless.
Somewhere in his head Spike knew that this wasn't the real Buffy. At least, he wanted to believe it wasn't her. The real Buffy wouldn't be there to hurt him, she would rescue him. Buffy always rescued those in need. No, that wasn't true, was it? Buffy was there to help those who deserved it. Not evil vampires.
"You're right," the figure said. "I would never help you. You disgust me, Spike."
He whimpered, trying to cover his ears.
Slipping into a mask of Drusilla, it kneeled by him, gently prying his hands away, whispering into his ear. "She thinks she's better than you. She thinks she's better than all of us. You belong here in the dark with me, and not with her."
"But Dru-" he started.
"Shhh," she whispered, placing a finger on his lips. "I know what you're thinking, Spike. I always know. Shhh. Don't fret…"
"…soon everything will be righted," the Master finished, standing. "And the you won't have to worry about her anymore. Soon the Slayer will be dead."
"Noooooo!"
The voice echoed down the maze of hallways, catching Buffy's attention at once. "Spike?"
She had been looking for that room. Now she followed the scream, and pushed open the door, ready to kick ass, but found Spike crouched in the middle of the room alone.
"Spike," she said. "What's going on? I heard you scream."
He stared up at her. "Buffy…"
"Yeah, it's me," she said quickly. "Why did you scream?"
"They said-" he started, unable to finish.
"Who said what?"
He rose shakily to his feet, standing before her, tentatively trailing a finger along her cheek. She almost smiled at the soft caress, but any thought of pleasure was soon forgotten as his hands tightened around her throat.
"Ugh!" she grunted as her air was cut off. Her hands grabbed at his, but she couldn't get a grip to pull him away. "Spike!"
"You can't keep tricking me," he said with a shake of his head. "You won't kill her."
She struggled for air, unable to speak, and found herself roughly dropped to the ground as Spike cocked his head in the other direction.
Gasping, she sat up, rubbing her neck. "What the hell?"
He sank to his knees again, fists clenched on either side of his head. "Oh, God. Oh, God. Did it again. I can't stop hurting.."
She crawled carefully over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look at her. "What's going on, Spike?"
"It's here," he told her tearfully. "I can't tell. God, it wants you dead."
"What wants me dead?" she asked.
His gaze trailed to the corner, but when Buffy followed it she saw nothing. "What?"
"It does. Sometimes it's you, and I can't tell. And Dru…God, Dru," he muttered.
"Spike, you're not making sense," she said. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Go," he pleaded. "Go, it wants you."
"What does?" she repeated impatiently.
He sat back, rocking himself, humming.
"Spike!" she said more insistently, guiding his gaze to hers with one hand. "What are you going on about?"
"The beginning," he muttered. "The very beginning. Power. Power."
She shook her head and stood up. "I can't understand you, Spike."
She walked toward the door, pausing to give him time to explain, to call out, anything. When she heard nothing, she walked away, shutting the door on the mumbling vampire.
When she was gone, he stood up, sniffing, and cracking his neck. In a matter of seconds his face shifted into a mirror image of the Buffy that had just been present briefly before slipping back into Spike's visage.
"I've got the power, Slayer."
A maniacal laugh echoed throughout the chamber.
It had the power now. The advantage.
The Slayer would die.
