Chapter 3
Please stop...
Her body lurched forward. It took a moment for her to remember where she was. Looking around, recognizing that she was in her room. Not on the bathroom floor. Not under a cold body. The dreams were coming less frequently. She could sleep now. But every week she would have the dreams. Her friends face, dark and hollow. Fighting someone she loved. Someone who tried to kill them all.
Deja-vue
Then there was the worst dream, on the tile floor, struggling under a cold body, someone she hated and cared for, forcing her, almost... She closed her eyes as the tears started to well up again. She couldn't say it in thought. The dreams weren't coming every night, but when they did, she would wake up scared, lurching forward, cold sweat soaking the sheets.
The fell backward against the pillow, trying to sleep. It was too early in the morning for this. Buffy felt she was alone. Not because she came back from heaven. But physically she felt she was alone.
Tara is dead. Willow and Giles went to England for her detox. Dawn had started going out more, leaving me alone in the house. Xander was either calling Willow or at home getting drunk. Anja, well she never visited before, doesn't visit now.
And then Spike, he left. He tried to do probably the worst thing imaginable to her, then left.
Her hands clutched the sheets as the anger boiled in her.
How could he...
Shedding a few tears, her body relaxed as she dived into the fog of sleep. Just when she heard a knock at the door. Groaning Buffy rolled over onto her stomach, burying her head in her pillow. Another knock and a voice behind it.
"Buffy"
It was Dawn, lately she had been going to school without the requirement common come strait "go to school come strait home" lecture . This too much of Buffy's happiness let her sleep in. Taking the pillow and wrapping it around the back of her head, she grumbling she spoke in her cave man voice.
"Go away. No one here."
The door opened and Dawn peeked in. Smiling at the fact her sister gets to know what it was like each time Buffy woke her for school.
"Buffy Giles is on the phone."
She lifted her head from the pillow. Then slamming face down into it. Continuing the Buffy caveman voice against the fabric of the pillow.
"No phone. Must sleep. Get energy. Slay. Work. Serve stinky food in funny hat."
Giggling ensued. Dawn always loved the caveman voice. It always was a contrast to Buffy character. But She kept pressing on.
"Giles says it's and emergency, I can almost hear him cleaning his glasses."
Buffy smiled against the pillow. She obviously wasn't going the get anymore down time. She lifted her head and took the phone. Rolling on her back she spoke in the most groggy voice she could muster. Not wanting to give away she had been awake for awhile.
"Giles."
***********
It had taken almost a half and hour trying to convince to Miss Mckellin that nor he or spike were a threat to her. Once convinced she helped him bring Spike in the guest bedroom to lay him down.
They bandaged his wounds as best they could. After they were done, he saw Miss Mckellins face had a shade of sheet white on her face. Politely he asked her to leave. Numbly nodding she walked out the door. Giles looked over him. Examining the wounds closer.
From the markings on he wrists and feet it seemed he had been tied up. His face had been cut carefully over the bruises over on his face. In the middle of his forehead he had a cross burn that was black. Branching out from his left eye. His arms and chest had burns that charred at certain points. His hands had been crushed, though they had set the fingers they still looked odd. The large amount of blood came from the legs. It looked like long vertical strips of skin had been cut and slowly peeled back.
Giles caught himself as his body started to heave. From the look of some of the age of the burns and gashes, it seemed this had been done to him over the course of days maybe even a week. The wounds had slowly begun to heal. He would need blood. Lots of it if they wanted him to heal faster.
As he looked over him, his eyes caught some muscles twitching as Spike regained conciousness. A soft groan cut the silence. He could tell Spike was about the lurch forward. He placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him down. Spikes eyes caught sight of Giles and the stake in his lap.
Spike laughed as well as he could. His voice was different. Hoarse, ragged.
"Bloody great, get tortured for days only to have Rip' stake me while I'm in bed."
Giles was getting annoyed, but didn't move.
"Spike, what did this to you."
Spike sat up, noticeably regretting it immediately. Spikes jaw clenched and closed his eyes trying to stay focused as the sharp pain died down to a slow ache.
"Don't know, didn't show itself. Scary eyes though."
What could do this for no reason. Anyone else would have asked him questions. Sounds like it just tortured him.
"Do you know what it wanted?"
Spikes eyes shot open, a memory coming back to him. He suddenly looked at Giles, eyes filled with fear and concern.
"No but I know where its going." His rough voice was grave and deep.
***********
God Why did I sit up
The pain was sharp and everywhere in his body. Trying not to scream and pass out. He clenched his teeth. He heard the question. Suddenly the memory came charging forward.
I'll say hi to Buffy for you
"No but I know where it's going."
His eyes were frantic, searching for a phone. He hadn't noticed the look of confusion on Giles face. He spotted one at the end table near his bed. He went to grab it. Forgetting the splinted hands. A hiss seeped through his clenched teeth as the pain ripped through his arm. Giles moved from his seat and went over to him.
"Spike stop, what do you mean, where is it going."
He kept his eyes closed. He was able to get a sentence through while he waited for the pain to die down.
"Buffy. It's going after Buffy."
Giles looked shocked. Why would it go for her. Spike tried again to reach the phone.
"Hold on Spike, you won't be able to do anything until we get some blood into you. Tell me, why is this thing going after Buffy?"
Frustration raged through his body.
Giles sees what this thing did to me. I tell him it's going after Buffy and he's asking questions.
He barked at Giles.
"Listen, I don't know what the bloody hell it wants. Either you get buffy on the phone ore I'll do it with my broken fingers. Either way I'm warning her, after that then you can get me dinner."
He hadn't meant to be so harsh, but they needed to tell her, get her out.
Giled looked angry and defeated. Silently he nodded his head and started dialing. Spikes head started spinning as the fog rolled in. Giles concerned words echoed in his head.
"Dawn I need to speak to Buffy. Something has happened."
***********
"Giles"
"Buffy... Damn he's unconscious."
There was a long pause. Dawn was right you could almost hear him rubbing his glasses over the phone. Who, who was unconscious? It sounded like he was worried.
"Giles you still there?"
"Yes Buffy, my apologies. It seems I have time to tell you some things before he wakes up..."
She was very confused at this point and cut him off.
"First of all who's he?"
There was another long pause. She was about to say something when the voice cut the silence.
"Spike is here."
Her face visibly grew pale. her mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. Emotions were twirling in her stomach. Was she happy, mad, did she need to care at all. What did this have do with me.
He's there, in England, why England. What was he doing there?
Her voice was weak.
"spike.."
"Buffy are you all right?"
She snapped out of her trance in a flash. Putting a hand to her forehead, trying to steady herself.
"Yeah, I'm fine. So what does this have to do with me?"
She tried to sound indifferent. But it came out as a concerned question.
"Well, it seems that he was captured and tortured. He doesn't know what it was and what it wanted. But he says it's coming after you. I told him that we needed to get some blood in his system soon. But Spike insisted that we call you first. Buffy he's in quite a lot of pain and..."
There was another pause. She heard some muffled voices arguing.
"Buffy listen to me..."
She could recognize the voice. It was raspy and hoarse, but it had an English accent that was all too familiar.
"Spike is that you?"
She sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. He didn't answer her just went on. She was a little concerned, she never heard him like this. He almost sounded scared.
"Listen...get out of sunnydale, take Dawn and the scoobies and get out..."
She could hear him laboring for breath.
"I don't know what it is or...what it wants...but you need to get away...now..."
The breaths were coming quicker and more frequently. She could hear the fear in his voice. The desperation was definitely there also.
What could have him this afraid.
"It's...coming..."
She heard the phone hit the ground but then there was silence. No breathing, in the background she could here Giles yelling for someone. Suddenly the phone was picked up.
"Sorry Buffy. He has been in and out of consciousness all night, and looks like he's out again. We need to get some blood in him soon."
Panic shook her voice as she spoke.
"Giles what could scare Spike like this?"
"I don't know, but from the look of his wounds, he was tortured for several days. And sadly I must agree with him. We don't know what it is or what it wants. But we do know that it was strong enough to take spike and it is coming after you. I think maybe you should go to L.A. with Dawn and the rest..."
Before the conversation could continue, her hand numbly placed the phone back in the cradle. This was not happening. She just stared at the wall. Face white as a sheet. She didn't even notice dawn had come in and was talking to her.
"...you okay?"
Pulling Buffy out of the trance and she turned her head to see Dawns concerned face. Adrenaline rushed her body as she sat up and started down the hall to get their suitcases. Dawn was trailing at her heels.
"Buffy what's going on."
Fear was painfully obvious in her sisters voice.
Flatly she said.
"We're leaving."
***********
A lone shadowed figure walked past the crooked road sign that welcomed anything that came its way. A low hum could be heard in the wind. A melody with words that left a feeling of foreshadowed dread.
"Sunnydale...Sunnydale...Buffy...I come for you..."
Please stop...
Her body lurched forward. It took a moment for her to remember where she was. Looking around, recognizing that she was in her room. Not on the bathroom floor. Not under a cold body. The dreams were coming less frequently. She could sleep now. But every week she would have the dreams. Her friends face, dark and hollow. Fighting someone she loved. Someone who tried to kill them all.
Deja-vue
Then there was the worst dream, on the tile floor, struggling under a cold body, someone she hated and cared for, forcing her, almost... She closed her eyes as the tears started to well up again. She couldn't say it in thought. The dreams weren't coming every night, but when they did, she would wake up scared, lurching forward, cold sweat soaking the sheets.
The fell backward against the pillow, trying to sleep. It was too early in the morning for this. Buffy felt she was alone. Not because she came back from heaven. But physically she felt she was alone.
Tara is dead. Willow and Giles went to England for her detox. Dawn had started going out more, leaving me alone in the house. Xander was either calling Willow or at home getting drunk. Anja, well she never visited before, doesn't visit now.
And then Spike, he left. He tried to do probably the worst thing imaginable to her, then left.
Her hands clutched the sheets as the anger boiled in her.
How could he...
Shedding a few tears, her body relaxed as she dived into the fog of sleep. Just when she heard a knock at the door. Groaning Buffy rolled over onto her stomach, burying her head in her pillow. Another knock and a voice behind it.
"Buffy"
It was Dawn, lately she had been going to school without the requirement common come strait "go to school come strait home" lecture . This too much of Buffy's happiness let her sleep in. Taking the pillow and wrapping it around the back of her head, she grumbling she spoke in her cave man voice.
"Go away. No one here."
The door opened and Dawn peeked in. Smiling at the fact her sister gets to know what it was like each time Buffy woke her for school.
"Buffy Giles is on the phone."
She lifted her head from the pillow. Then slamming face down into it. Continuing the Buffy caveman voice against the fabric of the pillow.
"No phone. Must sleep. Get energy. Slay. Work. Serve stinky food in funny hat."
Giggling ensued. Dawn always loved the caveman voice. It always was a contrast to Buffy character. But She kept pressing on.
"Giles says it's and emergency, I can almost hear him cleaning his glasses."
Buffy smiled against the pillow. She obviously wasn't going the get anymore down time. She lifted her head and took the phone. Rolling on her back she spoke in the most groggy voice she could muster. Not wanting to give away she had been awake for awhile.
"Giles."
***********
It had taken almost a half and hour trying to convince to Miss Mckellin that nor he or spike were a threat to her. Once convinced she helped him bring Spike in the guest bedroom to lay him down.
They bandaged his wounds as best they could. After they were done, he saw Miss Mckellins face had a shade of sheet white on her face. Politely he asked her to leave. Numbly nodding she walked out the door. Giles looked over him. Examining the wounds closer.
From the markings on he wrists and feet it seemed he had been tied up. His face had been cut carefully over the bruises over on his face. In the middle of his forehead he had a cross burn that was black. Branching out from his left eye. His arms and chest had burns that charred at certain points. His hands had been crushed, though they had set the fingers they still looked odd. The large amount of blood came from the legs. It looked like long vertical strips of skin had been cut and slowly peeled back.
Giles caught himself as his body started to heave. From the look of some of the age of the burns and gashes, it seemed this had been done to him over the course of days maybe even a week. The wounds had slowly begun to heal. He would need blood. Lots of it if they wanted him to heal faster.
As he looked over him, his eyes caught some muscles twitching as Spike regained conciousness. A soft groan cut the silence. He could tell Spike was about the lurch forward. He placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him down. Spikes eyes caught sight of Giles and the stake in his lap.
Spike laughed as well as he could. His voice was different. Hoarse, ragged.
"Bloody great, get tortured for days only to have Rip' stake me while I'm in bed."
Giles was getting annoyed, but didn't move.
"Spike, what did this to you."
Spike sat up, noticeably regretting it immediately. Spikes jaw clenched and closed his eyes trying to stay focused as the sharp pain died down to a slow ache.
"Don't know, didn't show itself. Scary eyes though."
What could do this for no reason. Anyone else would have asked him questions. Sounds like it just tortured him.
"Do you know what it wanted?"
Spikes eyes shot open, a memory coming back to him. He suddenly looked at Giles, eyes filled with fear and concern.
"No but I know where its going." His rough voice was grave and deep.
***********
God Why did I sit up
The pain was sharp and everywhere in his body. Trying not to scream and pass out. He clenched his teeth. He heard the question. Suddenly the memory came charging forward.
I'll say hi to Buffy for you
"No but I know where it's going."
His eyes were frantic, searching for a phone. He hadn't noticed the look of confusion on Giles face. He spotted one at the end table near his bed. He went to grab it. Forgetting the splinted hands. A hiss seeped through his clenched teeth as the pain ripped through his arm. Giles moved from his seat and went over to him.
"Spike stop, what do you mean, where is it going."
He kept his eyes closed. He was able to get a sentence through while he waited for the pain to die down.
"Buffy. It's going after Buffy."
Giles looked shocked. Why would it go for her. Spike tried again to reach the phone.
"Hold on Spike, you won't be able to do anything until we get some blood into you. Tell me, why is this thing going after Buffy?"
Frustration raged through his body.
Giles sees what this thing did to me. I tell him it's going after Buffy and he's asking questions.
He barked at Giles.
"Listen, I don't know what the bloody hell it wants. Either you get buffy on the phone ore I'll do it with my broken fingers. Either way I'm warning her, after that then you can get me dinner."
He hadn't meant to be so harsh, but they needed to tell her, get her out.
Giled looked angry and defeated. Silently he nodded his head and started dialing. Spikes head started spinning as the fog rolled in. Giles concerned words echoed in his head.
"Dawn I need to speak to Buffy. Something has happened."
***********
"Giles"
"Buffy... Damn he's unconscious."
There was a long pause. Dawn was right you could almost hear him rubbing his glasses over the phone. Who, who was unconscious? It sounded like he was worried.
"Giles you still there?"
"Yes Buffy, my apologies. It seems I have time to tell you some things before he wakes up..."
She was very confused at this point and cut him off.
"First of all who's he?"
There was another long pause. She was about to say something when the voice cut the silence.
"Spike is here."
Her face visibly grew pale. her mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. Emotions were twirling in her stomach. Was she happy, mad, did she need to care at all. What did this have do with me.
He's there, in England, why England. What was he doing there?
Her voice was weak.
"spike.."
"Buffy are you all right?"
She snapped out of her trance in a flash. Putting a hand to her forehead, trying to steady herself.
"Yeah, I'm fine. So what does this have to do with me?"
She tried to sound indifferent. But it came out as a concerned question.
"Well, it seems that he was captured and tortured. He doesn't know what it was and what it wanted. But he says it's coming after you. I told him that we needed to get some blood in his system soon. But Spike insisted that we call you first. Buffy he's in quite a lot of pain and..."
There was another pause. She heard some muffled voices arguing.
"Buffy listen to me..."
She could recognize the voice. It was raspy and hoarse, but it had an English accent that was all too familiar.
"Spike is that you?"
She sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. He didn't answer her just went on. She was a little concerned, she never heard him like this. He almost sounded scared.
"Listen...get out of sunnydale, take Dawn and the scoobies and get out..."
She could hear him laboring for breath.
"I don't know what it is or...what it wants...but you need to get away...now..."
The breaths were coming quicker and more frequently. She could hear the fear in his voice. The desperation was definitely there also.
What could have him this afraid.
"It's...coming..."
She heard the phone hit the ground but then there was silence. No breathing, in the background she could here Giles yelling for someone. Suddenly the phone was picked up.
"Sorry Buffy. He has been in and out of consciousness all night, and looks like he's out again. We need to get some blood in him soon."
Panic shook her voice as she spoke.
"Giles what could scare Spike like this?"
"I don't know, but from the look of his wounds, he was tortured for several days. And sadly I must agree with him. We don't know what it is or what it wants. But we do know that it was strong enough to take spike and it is coming after you. I think maybe you should go to L.A. with Dawn and the rest..."
Before the conversation could continue, her hand numbly placed the phone back in the cradle. This was not happening. She just stared at the wall. Face white as a sheet. She didn't even notice dawn had come in and was talking to her.
"...you okay?"
Pulling Buffy out of the trance and she turned her head to see Dawns concerned face. Adrenaline rushed her body as she sat up and started down the hall to get their suitcases. Dawn was trailing at her heels.
"Buffy what's going on."
Fear was painfully obvious in her sisters voice.
Flatly she said.
"We're leaving."
***********
A lone shadowed figure walked past the crooked road sign that welcomed anything that came its way. A low hum could be heard in the wind. A melody with words that left a feeling of foreshadowed dread.
"Sunnydale...Sunnydale...Buffy...I come for you..."