Eumenides

Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
Take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
but I... I'm with you
I'm with you
I'm With You' by Avril Lavigne

Angelus paced angrily around his room. He could smell him on her. Smell him. How many washes would Drusilla have to take before she stopped smelling of that runt Spike.

He knew that he was not really angry at Dru. Well, no angrier than normal. Her scent was not something that he usually cared of, she could smell of garbage and he'd still snuggle up to her for something to do. Snuggle? He felt his stomach heave. He really needed to kill someone else before he started having feelings.

The uncle's blood was still fresh in his nostrils, but so was his own as he had been inflicted with a rare injury when the old man had been struggling. Heh, but he liked pain. Long drawn-out sticky pain.

he called loudly, knowing that she would hear him and imagining her uncurling like a kitten after a nap. She stepped into the room at that moment and breathed softly,

He held out his hands and she reached forward taking them. She dug her nails into his palms just as he liked and he growled softly pulling her into a violent embrace. She pressed herself up against him and he almost shrugged as his mouth descended on hers. What the hell, he had a few hours to kill.

***

Rupert! I don't think this is a good idea.

Giles straightened momentarily, making an inventory of the weapons he had collected. His posture was tense and his glasses were placed on the table in front of him after loosing their use as a polish-able stress reliever.

I don't expect you to come along Jenny, in fact I would prefer if you didn't.

Jenny walked around to face him, she placed her hands of his and looked up imploringly into his face,

Rupert, just think about this. Besides the fact that a fight would be safer with the Slayer, Buffy has a right to know what you are attempting to do..

She'll understand. He said, her eyes never capturing his as they darted around for more holy water.

I don't think--

She is my Slayer. He is a dangerous Vampire. She'll understand.

Jenny pulled back her hands and allowed Giles to keep packing the small bag. She ran a hand through her hair before changing tact's.

Well, how will you know where he is?

Buffy told me.

She what--?

She found where he is staying and she told me.

She didn't go and stake him first? Doesn't that show you that she is not ready--

Jenny, as her Watcher I will sometimes have to do jobs that she should not have to do. That could easily have been you covered in blood tonight. I'm not going to wait for that to happen.

I'm just afraid I guess.

Giles smiled weakly, but still his eyes did not meet hers. His hand were still busy fumbling with the bag and dragging a couple of haphazard times though his hair,

Well, after I've killed him, you won't have to be.

I'm afraid of you getting hurt.

Giles held out a hand to Jenny and she crept into his embrace, resting up against his chest and settling her head just under his chin. He kissed the top of her head softly,

I might not be a Slayer but I do know how it all works... I'll be fine.

Jenny found herself being gently removed from his arms as he slung the bag over his shoulder. He replaced his glasses and sent a quick glance around his office before saying,

Now stay here until I come back. then as an afterthought, Perhaps you should lock the office door.

Without letting her answer he pulled the door closed and she heard the click of the lock. With a melodramatic sigh she settled herself down in a not-so-comfortable chair and wondered what she was supposed to do in the computer-less room while her boyfriend got killed.

***

Buffy scaled the tree outside her window with no problem at all. She'd been doing it every night since she'd got to Sunnydale so her feet and hands automatically found the right handholds. Which was good because her eyes were threatening to blur over with tears again. How come, when she's a big mystical warrior, she cries so much?

She pushed one leg through her open window and then scrambled in. If she was lucky she could get a couple of hours sleep in before school. Her room, shrouded in early-morning light, looked uncomfortable to sleep in. You'd think if the Powers appreciated her work that much then they'd make her like Santa. Endless nights, not male and bearded with a strange fetish for milk.

If you like the dark you should have just stayed in the crypt. she hissed nastily to herself as she pulled back the covers of her bed.

The job she'd done of repressing the crypt and all that had happened there crumbled and a scowl drew her brows together. It was their fault, she thought flippantly. All of them. Men. If her father hadn't left her in the beginning... And then Angel.... She wouldn't have been so needy as to kiss Spike. The thought made her stomach twitch compulsively.

It wasn't that the kiss was bad. Mental slap. It was B A D. But she couldn't blame the peroxide-wonder for his involvement in it. Except for reciprocating. What was that about? Didn't he want to kill her?

Buffy pulled off her boots and socks, engaging in the menial task so that she did not have to think for a moment, especially along the path she had been travelling. She shrugged off her jeans and hauled the skin-tight top over her head, leaving the clothes in a pile beside her bed. It wasn't as if she was normally clean-girl anyway.

Clad only in her underwear she slid into bed and pulled the covers up over her shoulders. The bed was comfortable, and relaxing, but she couldn't feel even the slightest pull of sleep past her eyelids. Usually when she was trying to drift off she'd think bout something or someone with the hope that the thought would then carry on into her dreams with more unexpected consequences. But the things on her mind now she really did not want to dream about.

It had had nothing to do with Spike. If Xander had been lying there she'd probably have kissed him as well. Which was the best argument she'd heard for kissing Spike that she knew. At least kissing him didn't make things complicated. Yeah, right. Who exactly would he tell? And who'd believe him? That's it Buffy, repress it.

She curled up glumly beneath the covers, desperately trying not to dwell on that moment as her eyes closed.

***

Spike walked though the events of that night in his head. One, Angelus and Dru. Two, fight with Slayer. Three, fight with Angelus. Four, kiss with Slayer?! That was the one that he was having the most problem believing. Had he hit his head when he passed out? Perhaps his blood stained face had reminded her of Angelus. No. She'd kissed him.

The idea was... Well... Revolting. Of course it was revolting, how could it be anything else. She was the Slayer and he was a Vampire. But then why had she saved him? She didn't try to save you from Angelus though.

Ah, a nasty voice said, but she was about to.

Was it even possible for the Slayer to be attracted to a Vampire? Of course, Angelus. But... Well, Spike was more naturally handsome, she'd obviously just decided to upgrade.

Spike bit his lower lip in confusion. His jaw was already mostly healed, as was his nose and the cut above his eye that had proved to be an orbital fracture. It would take a couple more days before he returned to his naturally' handsome self.

He played over that last event in his head, even if it was disgusting. His eyes had opened, and his vision blurry he had seen a face close to his, she had swum into clarity and... Then she'd ran away! For the third time in the last couple of days. For someone who was supposed to be killing him she wasn't doing a very good job.

Then again, wasn't he supposed to be killing her? That was the preferred option. But he had tried! If Angelus hadn't appeared then he'd be on a blood-high and she'd be just another dead body to in Sunnydale.

Maybe she was just trying to lull him into a false sense of security. Always almost staking him but never doing it. Saving his life. Kissing him. Seemed like a pretty elaborate mind-game to him. Why not just get it over with? Had she been taking lessons from Angelus?

He sat up on the sarcophagus and glanced around at the floor for an exit. The Slayer was having the last laugh as it seemed that he was trapped inside this crypt thinking of her until the sun set again. Was that what she wanted? Bitch.

***

It hadn't been hard for Giles to find the mansion, dark curtains fitted in the windows and apparently no tenants was enough to have him sneaking around the back-way to look for an entrance. Preferably a door that he could pick the lock of.

Soon enough he found one and began forcing a small strip of metal into the mechanisms. The handle twisted and the door swung inwards revealing Drusilla in all her red-and-black rose-and-thorn lace, standing a few steps away from the doorway where the morning-light graced the doorstep. She looked down at him with genuine curiosity, her head tilted to one side,

Vampire's don't lock doors.. a grin curved her lips, Unless someone's on the inside.

Giles stared up at her, frozen to the spot and mute. She reached out, her bare arm smoking at the brief contact with the sun, and fixed her grip around his shoulder. At the last moment he thought to pull back but she was much stronger, and instead he found himself being dragged inside the mansion with careless violence.

Almost as an afterthought Drusilla turned and closed the door, flicking a latch closed. Her humour made Giles's mouth dry and he weakly tried to escape once more.

Nu uh, bad Librarian. Trying to leave when the party's only just started. Don't you want to see your friends?

Let me go. Giles growled, realising too late that he had left his bag-of-weapons outside. He felt a small stake pressing against his chest pocket, but other than that he was unarmed. Drusilla, strangely lucid, shook her head and pushed Giles out in front of her as they walked the corridors of the mansion.

Giles at first thought about memorising the passages they took, but as ten became twenty and left-right-left became more than that he gave up. Finally he found himself in a comfortable looking room, red wall hangings and padded chairs. At the opposite side of the room, sitting on one such chair with his back to Giles, was the unmistakable form of Angelus.

Giles strained forward in Drusilla's grip, but did not move a step closer than she wanted him to. Angelus spoke with his back to them still, his familiar voice still full of taunting and sarcasm though.

Ah. Rupert. Glad you could turn up. Something told me that you would.

He turned the chair around smoothly. Clutched within his arms was a bound and gagged woman.

Or someone. he smirked.

Giles called, his eyes widening to an impossibly large size. He weighted his possiblities and came up with only one idea that might work.

Let her go. Take me instead.

Oh, now, really Rupert. Its nice that you're so chivalrous, but you don't even know what I want her for yet...

Angelus stood, taking Jenny with him. She stood weakly on her feet and a large bruise surrounded one of her eyes. One of the Vampire's hands roamed freely and perversely down her front and her eyes flickered shut to accompany the grimace on her face.

It might be a purpose that a man couldn't fulfil...

Giles couldn't think of a strong enough word to shout at Angelus, so a long stream of below-par ones exited his mouth. Disgust and anger plain on his face.

Now, really Rupert, is that any way to speak when we're in the presence of ladies..

Angelus's eye darted to Dru,

Or at least, one lady.

He tiled back Jenny's head, hair falling away from her neck. As he hooked one thumb under the gag and removed it from her mouth, his canines descended on her neck. He liked the screams.

No, no, no, no. NO!

Giles's cries were just background noise to the sound of her screams as the blood was drawn out of her neck. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her body convulsed spasmodically. Slowly she became limp. Then lifeless.

Angelus dropped the body of the dead teacher to the ground and ran a finger around his mouth to catch any missed drops of blood. He watched the distraught Librarian analytically for a few moments before speaking.

Don't feel so badly about leaving her alone, Rupert, she was next on my To Kill' list anyway. Do you know that she was looking for a way to make me all soul happy again? Heh.. the things they teach in school these days...

Giles's gaze dragged off of Jenny and he stared at Angelus blankly for a few moments. Then in one swift movement he pulled the stake out of his pocket and charged towards the Vampire.

YOU'RE GOING TO DIE! YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!

A few steps away from the immobile Angelus he was tackled to the floor by Drusilla and pinned to the ground. The stake rolled out of his grip and he was left panting and helpless. Angelus knelt down and stared at him.

Now, I really don't want to kill you Rupert... he smirked, Well, not yet. But another outburst like that and you're going to have to be punished...

Angelus straightened up and nodded to Drusilla. The mad Vampire mistress pulled Giles up to his feet and a few steps back for good measure.

I could kill you Rupert, Angelus's voice was silky and almost friendly, I could torture and defile your body for days until you begged for death, and then I could do it all over again. But, he indicated an open door, That passage leads straight outside, when Drusilla lets you go you have a choice. I believe men should be masters of their own destinies. No fun otherwise. When she lets you go, you can run towards me and prolonged dead, or you can run towards safety and the Slayer. You get to choose.

Giles felt Drusilla's grip loosen and then disappear and he was left with that choice. His heart told him to attack, and his head, filled with fear, told him to run. Angelus, seeing the conflict on the Librarians face growled,

Do you want to die Rupert?

You're the one who's going to die. Giles snarled back, but instead of his legs taking him forward, he found himself turning and running into the passage. He was surprised to see that Angelus had been telling the truth and that the passage really did lead to freedom. But...

Giles had run, and fear and shame crippled every step that he took away from the them.

(Author's Note: Thank you everyone who has reviewed so far, I'm glad you're enjoying it. This extra-long violence-ending chapter is just for you :-) I'll try for at least one more chapter today, I'm visiting my grandmother but all she ever talks about is peppermints and Alan Titchmarsh so I should be able to take a pen, paper and my 'I'm-listening' face and write another chapter.)