2003
Somewhere in Sunnydale
When Spike came to, he was chained to a cold stone wall. He pulled experimentally on the shackles that were locked around his wrists. The chains, which hung just above his head, allowed only a few inches of movement. His feet were chained the same way by thick chains that were anchored to the floor by cement. *This is bad...* He thought weakly, still fuzzy from the after-effects of the curse.
"Oh, good." Came a voice that was more of a purr, "You're awake."
Spike tried to speak, but found his mouth dry. Drusilla cooed and gave him a sympathetic look, lifting a glass to his lips.
"Drink up, love." She whispered, "I like it better when you can scream."
Spike glared at her, but took a long gulp of the human blood in the glass. He ignored the wave of nausea that went through him at the first taste of real human blood in over two years.
"What do you want..." He stammered, leaning limply against the stone wall.
"I want things back the way they should be." Drusilla pouted, "I want my William back." Her fingers danced along his hairline, "This--chip you call it--is nothing to our power..."
Spike growled, yanking angrily on the chains, "We've been through this before, Dru! Been there, done that, nothing to write home about, remember?"
The dark-haired vampiress snarled, grabbing him by the hair and yanking his face closer to his, "My Angel...he went away a long, long time ago. Mummy is gone forever, my Spike. The child...he gets in they way. You are all I have left. You *will* come back to me."
Spike sighed and let his eyes shut. This was going to be fun...right...
2002
Sunnydale
Faith pulled away from Wesley, wiping her eyes, "We should get going. It's late."
"Right." He agreed, clearing his throat as Faith started to walk in the direction of the cemetery gates, "I'll see you in the morning, I suppose."
"Yeah...in the morning." She said distractedly, not looking back as she hurried away.
As she turned out onto Maple Street, Faith mentally shook herself. She had allowed herself to break down, and with Wesley for God's sake. She had set out to make things better with the people she had wronged in the past, not to let them comfort her. The whole point of this thing was to *not* be weak and be forgiven. It was to be strong this time and make things right. Somehow, though, the lines were blurred and now she had no idea *what* she was doing.
Faith found herself on Revello without realizing she had gotten so far. When she unlocked the door to the house, she found the lower level empty and the house mostly quiet. She shrugged and let herself fall back onto the sofa, sighing deeply.
"In the morning..." She muttered, wondering what that even meant. Would things suddenly be different? Doubtful. But her first watcher had always prattled on about fresh starts. Usually, Faith would just pretend to listen and plan her next patrol in her head. But once in a while, she would catch a bit of what her Watcher told her. On of those things had been that every day starts over, and what happened the day before is yesterday's news. Closing her eyes, Faith tried to remember her first Watcher's face. But all she could see was Wesley, bruised and battered and tied to a chair in an old warehouse.
Faith sighed and got up, leaving the house again, knowing she wouldn't be sleeping tonight.
2003
Sunnydale
Buffy glared at Willy, hands on her hips, "You know something."
The snitch sighed, drying another glass, "I've done told you, Slayer, I ain't seen Spike in days."
The Slayer grabbed the glass from him and crushed it in her fist, "You know that means nothing, Willy, now talk. Who's been in here in the past two days? Who's been talking about getting Spike?"
"I need details, Slayer. I need to know what exactly you want to know."
Buffy crossed her arms, "Three days ago Spike got a package in the mail and sent Cassandra and I away. I went back to the house today and found the door broken down and Spike missing. Now tell me what you know."
"Speaking of Cassandra, how is that little nipper she's such a cute--" Willy stopped talking as a well-manicured hand closed around his throat.
"I have no problem with ending your sorry existence, right here, right now." Buffy ground out, "Now, talk."
Willy rubbed his neck as she released him, taking deep, shuddering breaths of air, "Alright, alright...Three vamps stopped in, talking about picking up Spike."
"When did they come in?"
"Couple days ago..."
"And who do they work for?"
Willy shuffled his feet, "Well, I mean, I don't want to be stirrin' up trouble with--"
"You have three seconds before I *kill* you." Buffy growled, leaning over the bar.
"Drusilla! For the love of---They work for Drusilla."
The Slayer's eyes widened and she stepped backwards a pace, "Tell anyone I was here, and I will feed your intestines to Spike...when I get him back."