"So one of the vamps Spike sired is doing the killings?"

"Yes!"
She didn't even stop arming herself.

"And this vampire has Dawn?"

"Probably," a mere whisper.

"But why take Spike, wouldnt it be better to try and find another way? A locatorspell perhaps."

"Willow already tried that, she came up with nothing. Seems whoever took Dawn, hid her from it somehow."

"Or Dawn could be already dead."

"No."

"Buffy..." She slapped off the watcher's hands.

"She's alive, she has to be."
Spike shuddered at her fear, at sharing it.
"And I'm taking Spike because he might remember something from his dreams, some kind of clue. Maybe he could even sense where this vampire is or something."

"Buffy..."

"No discussion Giles. Spike is coming with me and that's final."

Spike stood up, backing Buffy as they left. He could almost feel their glares in his back If only it were as easy as she made it sound. But they were both too desperate to back off.
Yet anywhere he might htink of going, noone was home. They managed to dust some vampnests, got a few demons, but ohterwise zilch.

He knew there was only one way to get more clues, one thing he could... But she'd already disagreed with him on that one. He insisted again. She struggled, refused, but finally she caved.

She made some jokes as they entered the hospital. About this being easy on her, the whole sneaking in places stuff; she had more than enough experience in that field. But the joke fell flat for the both of them. She surprised him though, 'convinced' a doctor to help them. Spike worried for a second about the glee he felt in seeing her scare the guy. Was he going evil again?
But he didn't dare discourage her and let out a smile as he lay down on the table.

"Come on doc, shoot me up."

"One two three I want to be sedated."
He glared up at Buffy, she just stuck out her tongue.

The doctor was still protesting even now. His hypcratic oath urging him to insist how dangerous a dose like this could be. Spike made it easy on him, showed his true face.
"Thank God I'm not a man then is it."
He arced up as the anesthetic was injected.

*****

He was walking through near empty hallways. An elderly woman was cleaning the floor but he wasted no time on her. His lips curled up to a smile and he forced the door open. Buffy stood next to a table. A blond vampire was struggling on it. Fighting something. Just perfect. She stood up as if to greet him, but he stopped her before she got that far. Cupping her face gently in his hand, letting their eyes meet for a second as his fingers brushed through her hair.
She was just a second too late to avoid the chloroform he had in his hand. There was a struggle but he'd outwitted her. Damn he was good.

He took another step, touching the vampire on the table.
"Spike."
His hand reached out to the vampire, messing up the carefully gelled up hair.
"Why did you have to mess it up like that."
He left a kiss on the vampire's lips.
"My little traitor."

Another wince from the body, incapable of fighting him now. Oh god how easy they'd made it for him.
Buffy was still lying on the ground. He grabbed her up by the hair. Now how to show the bitch his appreciation?
Her lips so shiny, he grabbed them in a hold, kissing her, too bad she wasn't responding yet, but all too soon she would.
He cradled her in his arms, smelling the brief grasp of vanilla and wondering how she'd smell all mixed up with blood.

*****

Spike woke up on the table. The doctor lay dead on the ground. Buffy was gone. No god no.
He touched the man's head to be sure. Feeling the blood on his fingers.
"I'm so sorry."
For him, for Buffy, for everyone.

"Freeze."
He stared up, straight in a cop's face.

tbc