Chapter 12
Careful...
They stood there eyes cautiously observing the frantic figure in front of them. He thought the vampire was acting strangely, not sure why he was in that condition. They all had jumped back when he shot out of the chair. Buffy had grabbed Dawn and Willow, who was a little bit tired from the ordeal, instinctively at the sudden movement. When he finally backed up against the bookcase he shut his eyes tightly. Then nothing. Gile had heard Buffy whisper to Willow.
"Will what's going on with him?"
He almost hadn't caught the grief that flashed the witch's face before she answered.
"I...I don't know, he was in pretty bad shape when I found him."
Giles had seen while buff and willow were talking, Spike had opened his eyes and looked around. But when he saw Dawn and Buffy standing there he clamped them shut again and started whimpering something. A hint a satisfaction hit Giles, though he pushed it down, he was glad the attempted rapist shuddered at the sight of his would-be victim. But he knew this was not the time to feel that, he would later, but not now.
Buffy had finally noticed the sounds and turned to the form clutching the bookcase.
"Spike"
That seemed to get him back. His eyes open, he stood still for a moment, as if waiting for another word. When she said nothing he slowly turned his head toward them. They just silently observed the emotions play across his face. First confusion, recognition, then relief. With that he visibly relaxed. This seemed to calm the tense air around Giles. He could hear Dawn relax with the vampire. Buffy also released a breath that she had held.
"Spike."
Spike lifted his head and looked at Buffy with an emotion Giles could only see as relief mixed with happiness. Giles face fell as the emotions disappeared, and was replaced with a look of horror. He hadn't caught all the things that happened after that, it moved to quickly.
What's going on
Before they knew it he had his hands to his face and was whimpering again. Then suddenly Spike was scrubbing and wiping his hands furiously. Giles turned to observe the others. He could tell they were confused and frightened, not knowing what was happening. Except willow. She wore a pained expression, tears welling up as she looked at the act before her.
She must know, but she's hiding it.
I wonder why
Dawns reaction was worst of them all. He could tell her fear was building faster than anyone else's. His hand raced toward her and gripped her arm tightly as she started to move toward. She turned suddenly and shot daggers through her eyes.
"Let go giles, please I mean look at him."
He knew she wanted to help but their safety dominated his train of thought.
"I know Dawn, but we have to be careful, I don't know what his state of mind is or what he'll…"
He was interrupted by a scrambling Spike. They all moved away as he stumbled forward. But he didn't seem to be paying any attention to them. He turned then recoiled, as if something on the floor before him struck out at him. They could now hear his whimpers.
"I didn't, I didn't..."
He backed away then whirled around. Then stood deathly still, staring at the ground in front of him. Giles was shocked at the emotion on the vampire's face. Such pain and anguish. Something he had never seen on Spikes face before. He heard Willow whimper, turning to see she had the same expression. It finally dawned on him, she was in his mind, she saw whatever he saw.
He turned again to see Spike slump to his knees. Giles didn't move. He observed that Spikes body was trembling slightly, then more, then more, until it looked as if the vampire was having a seizure. Everyone jumped and cringed at the sound of the scream that ripped the tense silence. When the sound died down they uncovered there ears to see Spike totally limp, not even a twitch of a muscle. A whisper hung in the room.
"I did"
Giles almost hadn't heard it. When the limp body didn't move Dawn approached. He made no move to stop her. Giles knew what happened, he had seen it in high trauma cases before. Not like this, but similar.
"spike"
She got no response. He could sense her panic grow. She kneeled down and barely shook him.
"Spike"
She shook him harder, yelling in his face. Tears made her voice tremble.
"Spike!"
Nothing. He almost expected Buffy to gather Dawn up. But She just stood, staring, a tear sliding down her cheek. Dawn was sobbing again. Willow finally went over and pulled her away from the limp form. While she took the frantic girl to the corner, everyone stood still, completely dumbstruck at what just happened. Snapping out of it Giles motioned to Xander, they picked up the limp body and took to the training room.
Walking back, Xander spoke in a grave voice.
"Giles what happened to him, I mean, I've never seen him like that."
He thought on what to say, should he tell Xander that Spike just shutdown completely. Or should he find out first out why. Giles decided on the truth.
"He's gone, completely withdrawn. Something happened to him, something very traumatic. But I don't really know, I've never heard of it this bad and also he's a vampire, I didn't know vampires could do that."
Xander gave a confused look.
"If that's true, what could have done something like that.
"I don't know but I intend to find out."
Finally they walked into the front room. His eyes immediately went to Willow.
***********
Oh god what's wrong with him?
She stood, numb and unmoving, not knowing what to do or how to react. Her first instinct was to lurch forward to join dawn and shake Spike awake. Behind that a flurry of conflicting emotions caused her body to stall and do nothing.
There was so much pain. Her mind was yelling at her to scoop Dawn up to rock her to sleep while soothing her. The voice was all but drowned out by a thousand others asking her questions and telling her to do different things.
What happened to him. Why is he so still. Should Dawn be so close to him. Is he insane.
Unable to will her feet forward and to her sister she turned her head to her friend, eyes pleading. Reading her perfectly, Willow went and picked up the sobbing girl and took her to the table in the center of the shop.
Buffy tried as best she could to keep her eyes off the limp form in the middle of the room. She failed when Xander and Giles picked him up. She caught sight of the fact he looked just like a regular corpse. Her eyes betrayed the sadness and wrenching feeling in her gut as tears began to run down her cheeks.
She finally saw that she was just standing in the middle of the shop alone, crying silently. Turning to find a very pale and worried Anya. She hadn't noticed Giles and Xanders reentrance. Questions suddenly rushed through her head, and she wanted answers. She began to walk intently towards the demon.
Her advance was ditered by the sound of the phones grating ringing. No one went to pick it up. The fear was evident in the room. The phones had stopped working when all this first began. Hesitantly she picked it up.
"Hello."
"Ms. Summers..."
That voice. It's voice.
"...I told you to leave the vampire, it would be wise for you to listen to my advice. Because now you have 22 hours 59 minutes and 30 seconds to get my prey here before I am forced to show you the color of the Watcher's lower intestine while he is still alive and conscious. So I do suggest you hurry. And I would save the questions for later. Anya doesn't really know that much."
The line clicked and there was nothing.
She stood shocked. It knew what she thought. How?
***********
The smiling seemed to never stop.
He grinned widely at the reaction he got out of the group. They were so responsive. It almost wanted Malnaroo to forgo the hunt and just torture them.
He suddenly jerked back, head searing with pain. It was not his place to decide what they did, that was the Hosts job. He just carried out the plan.
The pain didn't wipe the grin of his face. He would still have fun.
***********
The shadows shifted slightly in the corner. The Light seemed to deliberately avoid the corner. It left only a abyss. The darkness almost blocking the two burning rings.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Thanks a bunch for the reviews. I's hard trying to keep motivated, but the reviews help. I hope this chapter satisfies you for awhile. Most likely won't be updated until next weekend.
Keep Reviewing!
Careful...
They stood there eyes cautiously observing the frantic figure in front of them. He thought the vampire was acting strangely, not sure why he was in that condition. They all had jumped back when he shot out of the chair. Buffy had grabbed Dawn and Willow, who was a little bit tired from the ordeal, instinctively at the sudden movement. When he finally backed up against the bookcase he shut his eyes tightly. Then nothing. Gile had heard Buffy whisper to Willow.
"Will what's going on with him?"
He almost hadn't caught the grief that flashed the witch's face before she answered.
"I...I don't know, he was in pretty bad shape when I found him."
Giles had seen while buff and willow were talking, Spike had opened his eyes and looked around. But when he saw Dawn and Buffy standing there he clamped them shut again and started whimpering something. A hint a satisfaction hit Giles, though he pushed it down, he was glad the attempted rapist shuddered at the sight of his would-be victim. But he knew this was not the time to feel that, he would later, but not now.
Buffy had finally noticed the sounds and turned to the form clutching the bookcase.
"Spike"
That seemed to get him back. His eyes open, he stood still for a moment, as if waiting for another word. When she said nothing he slowly turned his head toward them. They just silently observed the emotions play across his face. First confusion, recognition, then relief. With that he visibly relaxed. This seemed to calm the tense air around Giles. He could hear Dawn relax with the vampire. Buffy also released a breath that she had held.
"Spike."
Spike lifted his head and looked at Buffy with an emotion Giles could only see as relief mixed with happiness. Giles face fell as the emotions disappeared, and was replaced with a look of horror. He hadn't caught all the things that happened after that, it moved to quickly.
What's going on
Before they knew it he had his hands to his face and was whimpering again. Then suddenly Spike was scrubbing and wiping his hands furiously. Giles turned to observe the others. He could tell they were confused and frightened, not knowing what was happening. Except willow. She wore a pained expression, tears welling up as she looked at the act before her.
She must know, but she's hiding it.
I wonder why
Dawns reaction was worst of them all. He could tell her fear was building faster than anyone else's. His hand raced toward her and gripped her arm tightly as she started to move toward. She turned suddenly and shot daggers through her eyes.
"Let go giles, please I mean look at him."
He knew she wanted to help but their safety dominated his train of thought.
"I know Dawn, but we have to be careful, I don't know what his state of mind is or what he'll…"
He was interrupted by a scrambling Spike. They all moved away as he stumbled forward. But he didn't seem to be paying any attention to them. He turned then recoiled, as if something on the floor before him struck out at him. They could now hear his whimpers.
"I didn't, I didn't..."
He backed away then whirled around. Then stood deathly still, staring at the ground in front of him. Giles was shocked at the emotion on the vampire's face. Such pain and anguish. Something he had never seen on Spikes face before. He heard Willow whimper, turning to see she had the same expression. It finally dawned on him, she was in his mind, she saw whatever he saw.
He turned again to see Spike slump to his knees. Giles didn't move. He observed that Spikes body was trembling slightly, then more, then more, until it looked as if the vampire was having a seizure. Everyone jumped and cringed at the sound of the scream that ripped the tense silence. When the sound died down they uncovered there ears to see Spike totally limp, not even a twitch of a muscle. A whisper hung in the room.
"I did"
Giles almost hadn't heard it. When the limp body didn't move Dawn approached. He made no move to stop her. Giles knew what happened, he had seen it in high trauma cases before. Not like this, but similar.
"spike"
She got no response. He could sense her panic grow. She kneeled down and barely shook him.
"Spike"
She shook him harder, yelling in his face. Tears made her voice tremble.
"Spike!"
Nothing. He almost expected Buffy to gather Dawn up. But She just stood, staring, a tear sliding down her cheek. Dawn was sobbing again. Willow finally went over and pulled her away from the limp form. While she took the frantic girl to the corner, everyone stood still, completely dumbstruck at what just happened. Snapping out of it Giles motioned to Xander, they picked up the limp body and took to the training room.
Walking back, Xander spoke in a grave voice.
"Giles what happened to him, I mean, I've never seen him like that."
He thought on what to say, should he tell Xander that Spike just shutdown completely. Or should he find out first out why. Giles decided on the truth.
"He's gone, completely withdrawn. Something happened to him, something very traumatic. But I don't really know, I've never heard of it this bad and also he's a vampire, I didn't know vampires could do that."
Xander gave a confused look.
"If that's true, what could have done something like that.
"I don't know but I intend to find out."
Finally they walked into the front room. His eyes immediately went to Willow.
***********
Oh god what's wrong with him?
She stood, numb and unmoving, not knowing what to do or how to react. Her first instinct was to lurch forward to join dawn and shake Spike awake. Behind that a flurry of conflicting emotions caused her body to stall and do nothing.
There was so much pain. Her mind was yelling at her to scoop Dawn up to rock her to sleep while soothing her. The voice was all but drowned out by a thousand others asking her questions and telling her to do different things.
What happened to him. Why is he so still. Should Dawn be so close to him. Is he insane.
Unable to will her feet forward and to her sister she turned her head to her friend, eyes pleading. Reading her perfectly, Willow went and picked up the sobbing girl and took her to the table in the center of the shop.
Buffy tried as best she could to keep her eyes off the limp form in the middle of the room. She failed when Xander and Giles picked him up. She caught sight of the fact he looked just like a regular corpse. Her eyes betrayed the sadness and wrenching feeling in her gut as tears began to run down her cheeks.
She finally saw that she was just standing in the middle of the shop alone, crying silently. Turning to find a very pale and worried Anya. She hadn't noticed Giles and Xanders reentrance. Questions suddenly rushed through her head, and she wanted answers. She began to walk intently towards the demon.
Her advance was ditered by the sound of the phones grating ringing. No one went to pick it up. The fear was evident in the room. The phones had stopped working when all this first began. Hesitantly she picked it up.
"Hello."
"Ms. Summers..."
That voice. It's voice.
"...I told you to leave the vampire, it would be wise for you to listen to my advice. Because now you have 22 hours 59 minutes and 30 seconds to get my prey here before I am forced to show you the color of the Watcher's lower intestine while he is still alive and conscious. So I do suggest you hurry. And I would save the questions for later. Anya doesn't really know that much."
The line clicked and there was nothing.
She stood shocked. It knew what she thought. How?
***********
The smiling seemed to never stop.
He grinned widely at the reaction he got out of the group. They were so responsive. It almost wanted Malnaroo to forgo the hunt and just torture them.
He suddenly jerked back, head searing with pain. It was not his place to decide what they did, that was the Hosts job. He just carried out the plan.
The pain didn't wipe the grin of his face. He would still have fun.
***********
The shadows shifted slightly in the corner. The Light seemed to deliberately avoid the corner. It left only a abyss. The darkness almost blocking the two burning rings.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Thanks a bunch for the reviews. I's hard trying to keep motivated, but the reviews help. I hope this chapter satisfies you for awhile. Most likely won't be updated until next weekend.
Keep Reviewing!