A/N: This is Part Fourteen of the CLOSURE series. This is a sequel of the ENOUGH series, so please read that one first or this won't make any sense.

Disclaimer: You should know that this belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in getting the show on the air.

Feedback: As you wish.

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Old Wounds

Ever had that feeling of everything rushing down your body?

 As if your every sense of being was like a tidal wave that washed all that was inside of you away?

As if your mind broke down and all the jagged pieces shattered your focus, your concentration, your mind itself?

Spike did at that precise moment. His mind and emotions rushed and hit him full force.  And it all happened because of the sight of one person.

"Slayer" He said. Buffy and the brunette both crossed their arms and stared at him.

"Yeah," Buffy said, "and not just one."

Buffy's words were true. Spike's instincts told him that the brunette standing next to the blonde was also a slayer. Two warriors whose purpose in life was to exterminate his kind were standing in front of him.

Needless to say, he felt he was at a serious disadvantage, and not because of strength or fighting skills, but because of his state of mind.

The two girls were saying something. They were advancing on him and soon they left the safety that the house provided. How had they hid themselves? He hadn't been able to feel them, and it had been their scents and their heartbeats the thing that gave them away. Another thought inside a tornado of thoughts. Serious confusion got hold of him and his instincts dictated that he should fight. That he should destroy that which was disturbing his mind.

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"Have you heard anything we've said so far?" Buffy asked, uncrossing her arms and looking intently at Spike. He didn't look as menacing as she had thought he'd look. Instead, he seemed confused and lost, almost like a cat after a car has hit it.

"Spike?" Buffy asked, not certain of what she was feeling at the moment. The vampire reacted to the sound of her voice but he didn't seem to acknowledge her. His eyes were yellow, just as she remembered watching them the last time. But they were unfocused, as if he was somewhere else or as if his mind was not entirely there. Jean waved her hand in front of Spike but it seemed as if he was completely lost in thought.

"He doesn't look that threatening." Jean said, "It's like the lights are on but no one's home."

Jean kept waving her arm but Buffy stopped her.

"Don't do that." Buffy said, "Don't ever let your guard down in front of him."

Jean weighed the situation and tucked her hands in her pockets. From the little things she had heard about William the Bloody, it was best to know when to be calm.

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Jean had meant it as a joke but Spike was indeed lost somewhere else. His mind and his gut told him vaguely about the danger he was in, but his memories and feelings were doing something else entirely.

All he could see were the old memories that he had tried so hard to avoid. The things he had done to the slayer and the things she had done to him. He remembered so clearly the way he had tried to kill her before, and the way it had confused him to see her so broken on so many different occasions.  He recalled as well the way she had been with him. The harsh words between the two of them. The broken bones and all the blood between them. The crushing of his feelings every time he showed them to her. Where there had been anger now there was only a feeling of loss. He remembered now that he always felt angry after she did something to him, but now there was nothing.

He had walked away from all those feelings and images. He had once told himself that he wouldn't leave her, no matter what, but now he was just like everyone else. He had also left her.

But then again, he was the only one who had a true reason for leaving. Maybe it was a selfish reason but she had driven him away. 

And why was he thinking that at the moment?

The young brunette was waving her arm in front of him, trying to attract his attention. The blonde woman took her arm and said something. Spike couldn't take it anymore and he just broke down.

He howled.

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The sound took the two slayers by surprise. They had never expected for the vampire to just howl like an animal in the middle of the night. Both of them took on their fighting positions and got ready for anything. Spike soon calmed down and he focused on the two girls.

"Two slayers." He said, "One giant mistake."

"What?" Buffy asked.

"It seems I had something to do with this… development." Spike said, "I'll have to fix it."

"Fix it? We're not an accident!" Jean said.

"Just a lapse of thought, kid." Spike stated, "Simple to be discarded."

"Enough of these games, Spike." Buffy interrupted, "You've hurt my friends for the last time."

"Oh, and I feel so bad about it."

"You should."

"Care to tell me why?"

"I'm going to kick your ass."

"Couldn't before."

"This time I've got help."

"Oh yeah, like the junior league will be of much use."

"Hey!" Jean interjected, "I'm not the junior league."

"Don't let him get to you, Jeannie." Buffy said, "He just wants to bait you."

"Bait?" Spike asked, allowing his fangs to grow, "I don't need any tricks, slayer."

"Well, you always were a trickster." Buffy answered.

"Not anymore." Spike growled and began circling around. Buffy and Jean noticed and immediately realized that the time for talking was over.

The fighting would begin.

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An hour later and the battle had not diminished its intensity. Two slayers couldn't seem to take the ring off of Spike's fingers. The vampire was indeed a strong opponent and the two years he spent fighting and killing demons had only increased his skills.

However, someone had to lose, and this time, experience won over strength.

Jean was left unconscious after a good placed punch into the side of her head. She flew to crash against the porch's steps and she lied there unmoving. Buffy wanted to see how she was but she couldn't let her guard down. Not now, when she had lost her partner.

Yet, her friends reacted almost immediately and dragged the injured slayer into the house, where she would be safe. Worry was etched on their faces as they realized that now Buffy was all alone against Spike. They wanted to help but it was not a very smart thing to do, considering that the two fighters seemed lost on the violence.

Spike seemed more feral by the minute, and Buffy seemed to grow tired. She wasn't accustomed to such an extended fight. Usually, she fought with the vampire for a while and then staked him. This time, the task was harder, because she had to defeat him first in order to take the ring off his hand.

Obviously, Spike did his best to guard his left hand. He was also tired as hell and he felt like giving up as the battle continued. He saw no point to continuing and he was feeling more confused by the minute.

Also, the proximity to the slayer was also bringing back more painful memories. The same that had plagued him when he finally got the chip off his head, three years ago. Every memory brought back the old feelings and there was a sense of loss and despair every time they touched.

His attack was slowly losing interest and power. His speed was affected as well and Buffy soon managed to get in more punches than before. She noticed the lack of responsiveness from the vampire and saw that as her opportunity. She tackled him and kneed him as they landed. They rolled over and she slammed her fist into Spike's face and drove her elbow into his throat. Spike growled and tried to get her off, grabbing her hair and twisting her head. Buffy grunted painfully but she slapped him in the eyes with her open palm, forcing him to close his eyes.

She immediately went for his left arm, trying to break it above the elbow, but it wasn't as easy as she thought when he tried to bite her. She rolled over but she never let go of his arm. She rolled over, which caused Spike's arm to twist and he had to roll as well in order to be in a comfortable situation. Those moments gave Buffy the chance to stand on her arms and bring her knees down on Spike's trunk. The impact was enough to crack some ribs and make Spike cough some blood. It seemed that the ring only made him impervious to sunlight and getting killed, but not from getting hurt. Spike's mind was now operating on a very primal level, and his mind told him that the blonde girl on top of him was the main cause of all his pain.

Such primitive thoughts indicated him that he should eliminate that which was hurting him. He growled once more and struggled to stand up. Buffy pinned him down and placed her knee on his throat, then using both her hands to try to get the ring. The only problem was that Spike's right arm was left unattended and he again grabbed her hair and pulled. Hard.

She cried a bit but she kept tugging at his left hand. Spike reacted as a desperate animal and pulled even harder. Buffy was then forced to move her head a bit back, which shifted her weight and allowed Spike's head a little liberty. He then bit down on Buffy's leg, making her jump back and leaving his arm alone. She checked and her leg was only bleeding a little, but her main concern was if he had blood on his mouth. Fortunately, she didn't see any trace of the red liquid on his face. He slowly stood up and grabbed his arm. He seemed to be in pain and his eyes were not focusing fully on Buffy. No coherent thoughts indicated him what to do. The only things that were on his mind were memories of pain and hurt, all of them delivered by the pretty girl in front of him.

Something had to be done about it.

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Buffy noticed something weird on the vampire as his attacks lost force. He seemed to be lost somewhere else and she found it unnerving. If he could hold her off while not even focusing, what could he do when he fought with his mind on it?

She decided not to worry and tried to get that ring once and for all. Buffy ran and flipped until both her feet connected with Spike's jaw. He tumbled backwards but he didn't fall. Buffy pressed on the attack and struck at his feet. She thought that maybe she'd have a better chance if he was on down. She punched him repeatedly, trying to make him lose focus and use that as her advantage.

After a few minutes, Spike stopped moving and she saw that as her only chance. She moved quickly and grabbed is left hand, lifting it off the ground and she tried to get the ring.  However, Spike wasn't unconscious and he punched her as hard as he could. Buffy couldn't stop the punch and she stumbled back. She had fallen on the trap and it seemed that Spike was not playing. He kicked her head as soon as he stood up and jumped on top of her. He landed flat on her stomach, which caused her to lose her breath and he punched her repeatedly. Spike was beyond any known reason and he only wanted to destroy her.

Buffy's desperation grew and she tried to get him off her, managing to turn around and she tried to crawl away. Spike didn't allow her to do so and pushed her face into the ground. Buffy tasted dirt and grass before spitting and coughing a bit. She spat some blood and it was all that Spike needed to lose control completely. He hit her once again and acted the way his instinct told him.

He didn't even bother to take the hair off the way.

He just grabbed her head and her left arm to get it out of the way.

The vampire that had tried so hard to control his instincts and his impulses lost the fight with himself.

Spike bit Buffy's neck with all the force he could.

End of Chapter.