Chapter Two
Buffy walked into the Magic Shop behind Dawn, closing the door as quiet as humanly possibly, despite the bell. She watched as Dawn walked further into the room and set up homework 'shop' at the other end of the table, pushing away all the magic books that scattered over most of it.
***
"Ah, Spike, good evening, I..uh..take it you have something useful for us?" Giles greeted the vampire with an odd kindness that shocked the slayer who was sitting on the bean bag in the corner of the room.
Spike held up the book and nodded, "Yeah, green, mesy, trying to munch off high-school dicks."
"Eewww!"
Spike looked over at Dawn and smiled, "Hey, littl' bit. You okay?"
"Yeah..." Dawn smiled back and gave him a cute frown, "The demon has preference."
Giles' ears perked up to the vampire's answer, "Only seen it around that hill kid's go to make out on."
"And you know this how?" Xander asked, from his place next to Dawn.
"'couse I only saw it there?" Spike suggested. "Dumbass."
"Hey! I's only asking!"
"Yes, well, interesting though this all is could we get back to the matter at hand. You say you saw it at...uh...what do you call it Buffy?"
"Make out point." Buffy called, lifting her head from the magazine she was pretending to be reading. It had been a week since she'd first spent the night at Spike's. Everynight since then the same ritual had taken place. She would arrive close to sun-up, though as the week drew on she seemed to arrive earlier and earlier. Then sleep till seven am before rushing back home to be back just before half seven when Dawn's alarm would go off for school.
They hadn't spoke of what she was doing, at night or on patrol where without fail he accompanied her. To say the least, now, with all her friends about she felt embarrassed. But for some reason it wasn't the sort of embarrassed she'd expected to feel.
Spike looked over at her, loving the soft appearance of her, longing to feel her in his arms. He hated that it could be nothing more; that she would allow him nothing more. An old saying sprung into his mind: "This is all that heaven allows." But he wanted more.
"Ingenious!" Giles muttered.
"Want me to go take a look?" She asked.
"Please, but be careful, we don't know yet how dangerous this demon is, how many there are and how they can be killed."
"Check Giles, stay alive." She looked at Spike and blushed, "You wanna come with?"
He smiled, "Sure thing."
***
"Two HOURS!!!" Buffy whined, throwing her arms out wide. "Two hours and nothing."
"Come on, pet. Let's go back maybe its for the best."
"Yeah? How exactly?" SHe looked at him incredulasly.
"Well, like the watcher said, we don't know how many, how to kill it. Might need a special sword or something..." He trailed off as Buffy's eyes widened, focused behind him.
"Big, green and slimy, huh?"
"Yeah....FUCK!" He jumped back, neatly avoiding being sliced down the middle as a sharp razer like hand shot out from the green mush.
Buffy delivered a sharp side kick to the mass of tenticles, shocked when she fell backwards and the creature barely staggared from the blow.
Spike growled, morphing as the demon moved towards the prone slayer, he shot to his feet, aiming a punch at the creature's head. This one connected and the demon bent in half, as one would if hit in a rather more..delicate..area.
The vampire hissed as some slime hit his hand, burning into his skin an intricate symbol compiled of circles and triangles.
Spike raised an eyebrow as it's stomach opened up to reveal a shrivelled up little head. It's mouth opened and it let out a shrill scream. Buffy grimaced when the head fell out and rolled by her feet. The demon's body fell to the ground and the two watched as the body shrivelled. It disintegrated into the ground. Only the head remained.
"And may I take this time out to say...eeewww!"
Spike chuckled and offered her a hand up, she took it. She blushed as she was pulled against his body. He let her go and took a step back.
She appeared to be attempting to speak when suddenly she yawned and he laughed again, "Tired, love?"
"Yeah...I wanna go to bed." She yawned again.
"Why don't you just come home with me?" He asked quietly, looking down at the ground then back at her.
"I...I...I have to take Dawnie home, she'd be worried."
Spike nodded, looking away to mask the dissappointment in his eyes, saying nothing more the two headed back to the Magic Shop.
***
Xander snorted loudly in his sleep, causing Anya to shove him harshly in her's, their movement dislodging a book on the table.
Willow snuggled further to Tara, both smiling slightly.
Giles rubbed his head down into his papers infront of him, grinding his teeth.
Dawn giggled in her sleep and muttered, "Stupid kitty."
Buffy stopped pacing and looked around the room filled with her sleeping friends, then over at Spike who was sat on the one easy couch-like chair the Magic Box had to offer, book in lap. Then back at the room.
She was tired.
"Stuff it..." She muttered and walked over to him.
"Buffy?" He questioned quietly as she pushed away the book. He lifted it up and she immediatly plopped herself down in his lap. Spike wrapped his arms around her, smiling as she sighed happily and he felt her body relax.
"Wake me before they wake up." She whispered before falling asleep.
"Okay, love." Spike replied, but she was already asleep. He smiled and pressed a kiss to her neck. Bringing the book up he rested it on her lap and continued to search for the odd demon they'd encountered that night.
***
Spike was dislodged from sleep by the soft sound of paper rustling. He opened his eyes and looked over at Giles who appeared to the first to begin waking.
With a saddened sigh, he gently shook Buffy who was still curled on his lap.
"Pet, wake up."
"Noooooo...." She moaned, "I don't wanna move..."
"I don't want you to move but your watcher is waking up." Spike said ruefully.
"God, couldn't he just for once sleep past seven. Its saturday for crying out loud." Buffy moaned. With a heavy sigh she got up and then turned back to Spike, speaking quietly, "Thank you."
Spike said nothing, smiling gently at her; his features shining nothing but love.
She suddenly looked worried, "Don't you need to get back? Its past sunrise..."
"I'll have to stay here...bug Xander." Buffy returned his grin then walked over to the training room - heading for the bathroom area to wash up for the morning.
***
Spike looked and smiled when he found it was Buffy who was entering the Magic Box. It was 4pm and two hours to sunset and he was starved. From the smell of things she'd bought food but only human food.
"Hey guys, hows the research?"
"Crappy." Came the collective answer.
Buffy smiled, "Well, I bought munchies."
She set the pizza and soda out on the table and watched, amused, as the gang dove for it. A thought suddenly occurred to her and she looked over to Spike.
"Spike, I'm sorry. I didn't bring you anything."
"Nah, don't worry about it slayer."
"No, I'll go get something."
"Honestly, I'll be okay."
Buffy waved him off, "Back in a minute."
"Buff, junior said its fine." Xander spoke up, frowning deeply at the caring conversation between the vampire and slayer.
"Xander, you got food, shut up." Buffy grabbed her coat and was out before anyone could say anything.
As one they turned to face Spike.
"WHAT?!"
***
***
"Here ya go." Buffy walked over to Spike carring a hot mug of blood.
"If she says '98.6' I'm going to heave." Giles muttered in the background and the two witches frowned at him while Xander and Anya gasped, knowing his meaning.
"Thanks, pet. You didn't have to." He put down the book and reached out for the cup.
Buffy gasped and leant forward with her other hand, grabbing his. "It hasn't healed yet?" She asked worriedly.
Spike shook his head, shocked at her concern, "Not to worry..." He murmured.
"It doesn't even look like a burn anymore it...oh!" Spike took the mug and watched as she ran over to the table picking up a book, flicking through it till she found what she was look for.
She thrust the book at Giles, "Thats what the creature branded him with, what's it say? The latin?"
Giles quickly read the passage, "Oh dear lord, how stupid I've been!"
"Thats what it says?" Xander asked, frowning.
"What does it mean?"
"It means I know what the demons are and yes thats plural and I think you're correct Buffy, it is a brand."
"Hey! I'm branded? By what?"
"The Plurashck demon. It's not from this dimension. But when here it's shape is changed - that would explain the head in stomach you saw. To regain form it needs...uh...virgin...uh...parts."
"Eeewww!" Xander and Dawn put in.
"Quite." Giles agreed. "I'm afraid it has branded Spike, meaning that the rest of it's tribe will hunt for him untill he is dead."
"How do we stop it?" Buffy asked, her slayer tone on.
"To kill them you must hit where their genetalia would reside. A hit anywhere else would barely even be noticed. However, that may be different on each..."
"No. How do we break to brand?" Buffy clarified.
"Oh." Giles looked back at the text. "It says here you must kill the gang leader. The Plurashck travel in bands of twelve. The only way to disearn the leader is the gold pattern on their head. Similar to the brand."
"But we only saw it's head when I killed it."
"So I guess we kill them all." Buffy suggested, glancing at the clock. SHe turned to Dawn. "Dawnie, I want you to stay with Tara and Willow, okay? Just till its over. Evil just seems to find me where-ever I go. I don't want it finding you on its way to me. Especially concidering what it wants."
"Check, Captain."
"That okay Wills?" Buffy looked over at Willow, who nodded.
"Okay, we'll go get your stuff. I'll drop Dawn off then start patrol. Giles is there anything else I need to know?"
"Probably not..." His eyes scanned the book infront of him. "...Except the leader's aim is to devour the branded. To kill it you must decapitate it. I think thats all but I shall continue researching." Buffy nodded then turned to Spike. They spoke through glance alone and Spike nodded. Buffy smiled and her and Dawn left.
The bell tinckled as the door shut and the group turned towards the vampire.
"Bloody Hell!"
Buffy walked into the Magic Shop behind Dawn, closing the door as quiet as humanly possibly, despite the bell. She watched as Dawn walked further into the room and set up homework 'shop' at the other end of the table, pushing away all the magic books that scattered over most of it.
***
"Ah, Spike, good evening, I..uh..take it you have something useful for us?" Giles greeted the vampire with an odd kindness that shocked the slayer who was sitting on the bean bag in the corner of the room.
Spike held up the book and nodded, "Yeah, green, mesy, trying to munch off high-school dicks."
"Eewww!"
Spike looked over at Dawn and smiled, "Hey, littl' bit. You okay?"
"Yeah..." Dawn smiled back and gave him a cute frown, "The demon has preference."
Giles' ears perked up to the vampire's answer, "Only seen it around that hill kid's go to make out on."
"And you know this how?" Xander asked, from his place next to Dawn.
"'couse I only saw it there?" Spike suggested. "Dumbass."
"Hey! I's only asking!"
"Yes, well, interesting though this all is could we get back to the matter at hand. You say you saw it at...uh...what do you call it Buffy?"
"Make out point." Buffy called, lifting her head from the magazine she was pretending to be reading. It had been a week since she'd first spent the night at Spike's. Everynight since then the same ritual had taken place. She would arrive close to sun-up, though as the week drew on she seemed to arrive earlier and earlier. Then sleep till seven am before rushing back home to be back just before half seven when Dawn's alarm would go off for school.
They hadn't spoke of what she was doing, at night or on patrol where without fail he accompanied her. To say the least, now, with all her friends about she felt embarrassed. But for some reason it wasn't the sort of embarrassed she'd expected to feel.
Spike looked over at her, loving the soft appearance of her, longing to feel her in his arms. He hated that it could be nothing more; that she would allow him nothing more. An old saying sprung into his mind: "This is all that heaven allows." But he wanted more.
"Ingenious!" Giles muttered.
"Want me to go take a look?" She asked.
"Please, but be careful, we don't know yet how dangerous this demon is, how many there are and how they can be killed."
"Check Giles, stay alive." She looked at Spike and blushed, "You wanna come with?"
He smiled, "Sure thing."
***
"Two HOURS!!!" Buffy whined, throwing her arms out wide. "Two hours and nothing."
"Come on, pet. Let's go back maybe its for the best."
"Yeah? How exactly?" SHe looked at him incredulasly.
"Well, like the watcher said, we don't know how many, how to kill it. Might need a special sword or something..." He trailed off as Buffy's eyes widened, focused behind him.
"Big, green and slimy, huh?"
"Yeah....FUCK!" He jumped back, neatly avoiding being sliced down the middle as a sharp razer like hand shot out from the green mush.
Buffy delivered a sharp side kick to the mass of tenticles, shocked when she fell backwards and the creature barely staggared from the blow.
Spike growled, morphing as the demon moved towards the prone slayer, he shot to his feet, aiming a punch at the creature's head. This one connected and the demon bent in half, as one would if hit in a rather more..delicate..area.
The vampire hissed as some slime hit his hand, burning into his skin an intricate symbol compiled of circles and triangles.
Spike raised an eyebrow as it's stomach opened up to reveal a shrivelled up little head. It's mouth opened and it let out a shrill scream. Buffy grimaced when the head fell out and rolled by her feet. The demon's body fell to the ground and the two watched as the body shrivelled. It disintegrated into the ground. Only the head remained.
"And may I take this time out to say...eeewww!"
Spike chuckled and offered her a hand up, she took it. She blushed as she was pulled against his body. He let her go and took a step back.
She appeared to be attempting to speak when suddenly she yawned and he laughed again, "Tired, love?"
"Yeah...I wanna go to bed." She yawned again.
"Why don't you just come home with me?" He asked quietly, looking down at the ground then back at her.
"I...I...I have to take Dawnie home, she'd be worried."
Spike nodded, looking away to mask the dissappointment in his eyes, saying nothing more the two headed back to the Magic Shop.
***
Xander snorted loudly in his sleep, causing Anya to shove him harshly in her's, their movement dislodging a book on the table.
Willow snuggled further to Tara, both smiling slightly.
Giles rubbed his head down into his papers infront of him, grinding his teeth.
Dawn giggled in her sleep and muttered, "Stupid kitty."
Buffy stopped pacing and looked around the room filled with her sleeping friends, then over at Spike who was sat on the one easy couch-like chair the Magic Box had to offer, book in lap. Then back at the room.
She was tired.
"Stuff it..." She muttered and walked over to him.
"Buffy?" He questioned quietly as she pushed away the book. He lifted it up and she immediatly plopped herself down in his lap. Spike wrapped his arms around her, smiling as she sighed happily and he felt her body relax.
"Wake me before they wake up." She whispered before falling asleep.
"Okay, love." Spike replied, but she was already asleep. He smiled and pressed a kiss to her neck. Bringing the book up he rested it on her lap and continued to search for the odd demon they'd encountered that night.
***
Spike was dislodged from sleep by the soft sound of paper rustling. He opened his eyes and looked over at Giles who appeared to the first to begin waking.
With a saddened sigh, he gently shook Buffy who was still curled on his lap.
"Pet, wake up."
"Noooooo...." She moaned, "I don't wanna move..."
"I don't want you to move but your watcher is waking up." Spike said ruefully.
"God, couldn't he just for once sleep past seven. Its saturday for crying out loud." Buffy moaned. With a heavy sigh she got up and then turned back to Spike, speaking quietly, "Thank you."
Spike said nothing, smiling gently at her; his features shining nothing but love.
She suddenly looked worried, "Don't you need to get back? Its past sunrise..."
"I'll have to stay here...bug Xander." Buffy returned his grin then walked over to the training room - heading for the bathroom area to wash up for the morning.
***
Spike looked and smiled when he found it was Buffy who was entering the Magic Box. It was 4pm and two hours to sunset and he was starved. From the smell of things she'd bought food but only human food.
"Hey guys, hows the research?"
"Crappy." Came the collective answer.
Buffy smiled, "Well, I bought munchies."
She set the pizza and soda out on the table and watched, amused, as the gang dove for it. A thought suddenly occurred to her and she looked over to Spike.
"Spike, I'm sorry. I didn't bring you anything."
"Nah, don't worry about it slayer."
"No, I'll go get something."
"Honestly, I'll be okay."
Buffy waved him off, "Back in a minute."
"Buff, junior said its fine." Xander spoke up, frowning deeply at the caring conversation between the vampire and slayer.
"Xander, you got food, shut up." Buffy grabbed her coat and was out before anyone could say anything.
As one they turned to face Spike.
"WHAT?!"
***
***
"Here ya go." Buffy walked over to Spike carring a hot mug of blood.
"If she says '98.6' I'm going to heave." Giles muttered in the background and the two witches frowned at him while Xander and Anya gasped, knowing his meaning.
"Thanks, pet. You didn't have to." He put down the book and reached out for the cup.
Buffy gasped and leant forward with her other hand, grabbing his. "It hasn't healed yet?" She asked worriedly.
Spike shook his head, shocked at her concern, "Not to worry..." He murmured.
"It doesn't even look like a burn anymore it...oh!" Spike took the mug and watched as she ran over to the table picking up a book, flicking through it till she found what she was look for.
She thrust the book at Giles, "Thats what the creature branded him with, what's it say? The latin?"
Giles quickly read the passage, "Oh dear lord, how stupid I've been!"
"Thats what it says?" Xander asked, frowning.
"What does it mean?"
"It means I know what the demons are and yes thats plural and I think you're correct Buffy, it is a brand."
"Hey! I'm branded? By what?"
"The Plurashck demon. It's not from this dimension. But when here it's shape is changed - that would explain the head in stomach you saw. To regain form it needs...uh...virgin...uh...parts."
"Eeewww!" Xander and Dawn put in.
"Quite." Giles agreed. "I'm afraid it has branded Spike, meaning that the rest of it's tribe will hunt for him untill he is dead."
"How do we stop it?" Buffy asked, her slayer tone on.
"To kill them you must hit where their genetalia would reside. A hit anywhere else would barely even be noticed. However, that may be different on each..."
"No. How do we break to brand?" Buffy clarified.
"Oh." Giles looked back at the text. "It says here you must kill the gang leader. The Plurashck travel in bands of twelve. The only way to disearn the leader is the gold pattern on their head. Similar to the brand."
"But we only saw it's head when I killed it."
"So I guess we kill them all." Buffy suggested, glancing at the clock. SHe turned to Dawn. "Dawnie, I want you to stay with Tara and Willow, okay? Just till its over. Evil just seems to find me where-ever I go. I don't want it finding you on its way to me. Especially concidering what it wants."
"Check, Captain."
"That okay Wills?" Buffy looked over at Willow, who nodded.
"Okay, we'll go get your stuff. I'll drop Dawn off then start patrol. Giles is there anything else I need to know?"
"Probably not..." His eyes scanned the book infront of him. "...Except the leader's aim is to devour the branded. To kill it you must decapitate it. I think thats all but I shall continue researching." Buffy nodded then turned to Spike. They spoke through glance alone and Spike nodded. Buffy smiled and her and Dawn left.
The bell tinckled as the door shut and the group turned towards the vampire.
"Bloody Hell!"