In the Name of Love
By Tales of Spike
Spoilers: Story started just prior to As You Were and runs through to the end of Hells Bells. From there on the story goes AU, so Normal Again, Entropy etc haven't happened and won't.
Disclaimer:
US government facility for the rehabilitation of young ladies.
Los Angeles
Dear Slayer,
I have a plan to get you out of where you are.
It has recently been brought to my attention that you, me and all the other people in Sunnyhell are owned by some pillock called Joss Whedon (who appears to have brought us all forth fully formed from his imagination) and by the various companies that he formed or that bought bits of us from him, like ME, UPN and Fox.
I would imagine that life isn't too great for you where you are. Round here things have been pretty miserable. My theory is that this Joss wanker is going through some sort of depression and it's feeding through to all the things that are happening round here. Just one more person who likes to cheer themselves up with a round of "Kick the Spike."
Now I reckon that a bit of "Slayer lovin'" would do wonders to improve the emotional inadequacy of this Joss guy, and I'm sure that after a couple of years in there you're feeling the need for some masculine company. Failing that you may be able to slip some sort of mood enhancing drug into his coffee. He would surely then arrange for you to get probation or something.
In addition he would almost certainly give us here on the Hellmouth a bit of a break from the pit of despair that Sunnyhell seems to have become.
Please reply if you think you can help us out with this problem.
Tarrah for now, pet.
Spike a.k.a. William
PS I would ask Buffy to do it, but when we're on speaking terms I prefer to keep her to myself, and when we're not then she wouldn't do a damn thing for me anyway.
Feedback: I'd really like feedback, I get all insecure without it and start to think no one's reading this crap I produce, so bring it on at Sandy.Osborne@blueyonder.co.uk.
Chapter 10
Spike continued his walk. Three hours later he was still following no set route, but now moving in the general direction of home. He planned to make the final approach to the crypt via the underground tunnels just in case the cemetery was once again under surveillance but for the moment he was taking a zigzag path through alleys to reach the tunnel entrance he preferred.
She was still thinking about it, and that gave him some hope. He was also disappointed, saddened that when he asked for so little it would take her so long before she'd even concede that much. He saw an empty can lying in the gutter and swung at it with his foot, launching it fifty yards down the road. He was slightly startled when he realised he had almost hit someone coming in the opposite direction. The back alleys of Sunnyhell were generally avoided by all but the city's bravest denizens at this time of night. Even with superhuman eyesight, with few streetlights he was pretty close when he realised that the figure was neither human nor vampire, but demon.
As he moved closer, he raised a hand in greeting. "Sorry 'bout the can. Din't see you were there, mate."
The demon was about half a head taller than Spike. Its skin was a pinkish red shade with large dark coloured sores and it had a mouth full of pointed yellowing teeth that almost resembled a muzzle. The hair on its head was thin and straggly. Getting closer, Spike was almost sure it was female. He was sure it was holding a stake. With a growl, it lunged toward him, and Spike countered with a roundhouse kick that knocked the wood flying from her hand. Spike tried to place the demon, knowing that there was something important he needed to remember.
Now that the demon was disarmed Spike felt far better about his chances. As long as the stake stayed lost and the fight finished before sunrise all he had to worry about was having his head pulled off or fire. Spike traded a couple of punches with the demon, neither really gaining an advantage, each equally strong. Spike watched the large almost tentacled hand come towards his face and as he twisted aside to avoid the blow something clicked in his brain. "Bloody Hell! What goes around comes around." He aimed a couple of kicks at the creature and waited for his opportunity.
As the demon threw another left-handed punch towards Spike's head, he grabbed the incoming fist in his right hand, ducked under the blow and moved round behind the demon forcing her arm behind her back. Then with the help of her own momentum he pushed her headfirst towards the nearest wall. He used his left hand to ram her head repeatedly into the wall to no apparent effect, whilst keeping her left hand twisted behind her back. Still he tried to remember just what it was about this particular type of demon that lay just beyond his mental grasp. With some effort he managed to pull the ring from the oversized fingers. Releasing his grip on the hand he had been holding, he sprang backwards before the demon could turn to continue the fight.
Spike couldn't believe it. Despite six or seven vampire-assisted head-butts to the wall the demon's face was unmarred. Realisation came. It was a Parov demon. It could only be killed by drowning. Spike struggled to maintain his defence whilst searching frantically for any accumulation of rainwater large enough to drown the creature. For once in it had been raining solidly for two days; somewhere there must be something. The flow of water in the gutters was shallow, and no other possible solution presented itself. Hoping that the creature was at least dazed from its collisions with the wall, Spike took to his heels, listening intently for any sounds indicating a pursuit.
It appeared that either the creature had been dazed by his attack or it knew that it couldn't match his pace. Spike reached an entrance to the tunnels under the town without further incident. If he had a Parov demon after him, he was going to stick to the sewers and the storm drains. No travelling above ground unless absolutely necessary.
He made his way back to the magic shop. It was less likely they'd have it staked out than Buffy's place. Whoever wanted him out of the way had just upped the ante. He needed to leave Sunnydale tonight and he couldn't take the de Soto.
He took a seat at the research table and opened one of the bottles he'd bought. Remarkably both had survived the fight, one in either pocket of his duster. His carton of cigarettes however had been abandoned in the gutter. He took a couple of swigs from the bottle and then loosely replaced the cap, making sure it could be quickly removed. Then he repeated the process with the second bottle. He stripped off his top half, wadding up his T-shirt before replacing his shirt and coat. He replaced the bottles in the coat pockets and pushed the T-shirt in around one of them. At least now if he ran into the Parov again if he could pin it down he could soak the T-shirt and hold it over its nose and mouth. It might work.
After some internal debate, he decided to risk phoning Buffy. Part of him didn't want to do it but common sense told him it was his best option.
* * * * *
Buffy was making herself some hot chocolate when the phone rang. It was quarter past two in the morning. She ran to reach the phone before it woke anyone else.
"Summers residence?"
"Slayer, is that you?"
"Spike, do you know what time it is?"
"Well, according to the little clock on my phone it's half five, but I don't think that's ever been set. I know I didn't set it."
"Have you been drinking?"
"In the strictest sense of the question, yes, but if you're asking whether I'm drunk, then no, not by a long shot, pet."
"So why are you ringing at this time?"
"Maybe I just wanted to see if you've come to any decision about the little talk we had this morning."
"And it couldn't wait till morning?"
"No. Actually. It couldn't. So do we have a verdict?"
Buffy sighed. "Stunts like this don't exactly tip the balance in your favour, but yeah I'll hear what you have to say."
"Good. The only problem is I've got to get out of Sunnydale tonight, and clear some ground before sun-up. Do you think if you concentrate on it you would be able to tell if your place is being watched?"
"I can pick up on vamps if they were close enough, but not really if it was humans or anything else."
"In that case I can't risk coming over there. If you don't mind I'd like to borrow yer mum's car. I'll need to paint out the windows, but I promise I'll scrape 'em clean once everything's all sorted."
"What is going on?"
"Buffy, there's just too much to tell you over the phone. If I tell you what I need, then when you bring it over we can cover the basics, but for now, for once, can you just trust me?"
There was a pause of several seconds before Buffy replied. "Yeah, I suppose so."
"Right then, love. I'm going to need the car. If you've got any paint I can use for the windows that would be handy because I don't know anywhere that's open this time of night. Emulsion would be easier to get off afterwards but the darker the better. I need to look different as well so if you've got a couple of sweatshirts and maybe a jacket preferably with a hood that'll fit and aren't pink, I'd be grateful."
"So once I sort out this little lot where am I supposed to take it assuming I'm still not allowed near your home."
"Don't mention any place names over the phone just in case, but remember you found me looking for a weekend place?"
"Hmph! Yeah I remember. I'll meet you there."
"Buffy, if you're followed, love, just turn back. I'll sort something out. I think it's probably only me they're after, but I don't think extra casualties'll bother them too much. Don't do anything silly on my account."
"You seem pretty spooked what are we talking about?"
"I thought you were going to trust me. I'll talk to you when you get here. Just don't take any chances. Ask Niblet for the phone I gave her, that way if you have to turn back or anything you can let me know."
"You gave Dawn a phone?"
"Well, I promised to look after her, she had to be able to reach me if she needed to…"
"Okay, see you in a bit."
"Fine. If you get there first, just wait or ring, but I don't know if the phone will work all the time. Oh and if you run into a big red bint with straggly hair and a mouth like an orthodontist's worst nightmare then remember the only way to kill her is drowning, so don't bust a gut trying to beat her into submission.
Bye, love."
"Bye."
* * * * *
Buffy poured the hot chocolate she'd been making into a Thermos flask. She grabbed a packet of marshmallows from the cupboard and put them next to it. She had a couple of grey sweatshirts and a hooded tracksuit top in a bag by the counter. She'd looked round the basement for some paint, but after the flood, there had been a lot of stuff thrown out and it didn't look as if they had any paint left. She grabbed a couple of heavy blankets from the closet in her room instead. He wasn't going to like it, but he'd just have to live with it.
She went to her sister's room. "Dawnie?" She shook her gently until she woke up. "Dawnie?"
"Mmm?"
"Dawnie, Spike's been on the phone. He's in some sort of trouble. I'm going to go meet him and get him out of town. He said I should borrow the phone he gave you. Now, I want you to do two things for me. Get yourself to school on time, and ring work. Tell them I've got a stomach bug or something. If I'm not back by tomorrow morning ring and tell them I'm no better. I'll try to be back no later than tomorrow night, but I'll ring you tonight anyway. Think you can manage that?"
"Mm. Sure. You are coming back though, aren't you? Both of you?"
"Yeah. You bet. I'll be back as soon as we can get him somewhere safe, and I don't know what sort of trouble he's in but he'll fix it somehow and when he does, he'll come home. You're his home, Dawn. He'll always come back to you." She realised as she said it that it was the truth. He would always come back.
* * * * *
"You are not bloody well coming with me!"
"You don't have a choice. Unless you want to sit here and wait for them to find you?"
"Buffy, give me the keys."
"No way, and don't even think about hot-wiring it or I'll report it stolen."
"You wouldn't."
"If you leave me behind, sure I would. You need me. For one thing I have ID that matches the registration documents. I can drive through the day without having to black out the windows. You can stay out of sight under the blankets in the back. There's less chance of anyone seeing you."
"And who's looking after Dawn?"
"She'll be okay until we can get you somewhere safe."
"What if they realise you're helping me and try to use her as a bargaining piece? What then? Go. Home."
"The longer you stall and the louder we argue the more chance there is of that. No-one was following me. If we're gone before they know it then they've got no reason to go near Dawn, and as soon as you're somewhere safe I'll go back home."
Realising that arguing wasn't getting him anywhere, he tried pleading. "I just don't want anything to happen to you or Dawn, and if you leave her she's in the house alone with Willow. Are you sure that's safe?"
"Okay, I'll cut you a deal, whichever way we go, by this afternoon you can stick me on a bus back to Sunnydale, provided by then we've got the paint for the windows sorted out. I'll be home by tonight."
Spike sighed. "Done."
She tossed him the car keys. "And while you're driving you can tell me what on earth is going on…"
End of chapter 10