Chapter Five

That bell

That you hear

That's hell

Ringing in your ears

I fear

That my dear

This ain't a warning

~ "Everybody Out of the Water" by The Wallflowers

Buffy had just finished putting away the dishes when the back door opened and Giles entered.

"Where were you? I was beginning to worry," Buffy said, turning to look at him.

"I'm afraid it took a little longer than I expected," he said, stifling a yawn.

"But it's taken care of, right? Her Watcher was told, right?"

"Yes. He is on his way to retrieve...the body."

Buffy nodded, "And her parents?"

"Both dead. Mr. Young found her in an orphanage."

She nodded again, "Poor Annabelle. I should have been able to stop it. She should be here now, Giles, not locked up in some morgue. I should have known that fledgling was a distraction. I should have been there." She looked down at the countertop, tears filling her eyes.

"Buffy. You had no way of knowing."

"But I'm the Slayer, Giles. It's my job to know. It's my job to know these things. It's my job to save people. Not watch them die."

"You did all you could. And, as tragic as it is, sometimes it isn't enough. But the important thing is to stop beating yourself up about this and continue to fight. You know Annabelle would want that."

She nodded, wiping away her tears, "But it still hurts."

"I know it does." He pulled her into a comforting hug. After a moment, they parted.

"Thanks," Buffy said.

Giles smiled, "You're welcome." He yawned, unable to stifle it, "I think I'll go back to my hotel room and catch a couple hours of sleep."

Buffy nodded, "Okay. See you later."

He nodded and left the same way he came.

Buffy sighed and looked at the basement door. Should she? Was he still asleep? If he was, she didn't want to awaken him. But she did need to check his wounds. Make sure he was healing properly. In the end, she decided to hell with it and went downstairs.

She was in luck because as she reached the bottom step, Spike's eyes opened.

"Did I wake you?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No, luv. 'Bout time I get up, anyway."

She nodded, sitting on the side of the cot. He say up, leaning against the wall, looking at her. Unfortunately, the movement caused the sheet he'd been using to conceal his new wound from her eyes to slip down.

Her eyes widened as she caught sight of it. Unconsciously, her hand moved towards it.

"Did-did you try to kill yourself?" she whispered.

"Wha'? No. Buffy, no. I didn't do it."

She looked at him, "Then who was it?" She stood quickly, "It was Xander, wasn't it? Bastard. If it was him, I'll kill him."

Spike got to his feet and grabbed her arms, halting her attempt to go upstairs. "Luv, not that I'm not flattered by your desire to kill for me and Xander for that matter," he said this part with a small smile to show he was joking with her. "It wasn't him. It wasn't anyone."

She looked at him, confused, "What are you saying, Spike? That it just appeared for out of nowhere?"

He didn't answer automatically.

"You're kidding," Buffy said. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Luv, I think you should sit down. There's something I need to tell you."

A sudden feeling of dread washed over her. "What? What is it?" she asked as the two of them sat on the cot.

"Remember last night when we were all discussing the Turok-Han and a link created between it and the sacrifice?"

She nodded, "Yeah, you said you had no idea what the link was."

"Actually, I think I do."

"What?"

He took a deep breath, "Last night, while you and the mini-me's were out patrolling, I felt this sudden feeling that something was wrong. Came out of nowhere. And, sure enough, as soon as I felt it, the girls rushed in, telling us you needed help. And when we were on our way, I felt this pain in my chest, like someone rammed a stake through my heart. And, later, you mentioned that you staked it. And I also received a nasty cut from the axe I threw at it."

"Turn around," she said quietly.

He did as she asked. Buffy ran her fingers across it. He flinched. "Sorry," she said. He nodded. He jumped again when he felt her lips on the wound. "B-Buffy?" he asked, looking back at her.

She laid her head on his shoulder, "So, what does this mean?"

"I-I don't know, pet," he replied, nervous about her display of affection. It had to be an act. Pity the poor vamp, right? "Luv," he said, his nervousness apparent in his voice.

She pulled away, "I'm sorry."

He suddenly missed the contact. He wanted it. Ached for it. But she didn't want it. "It's okay," he said quietly.

"I-I should go upstairs. Check on everyone."

He nodded, "Yeah. Go ahead."

She nodded and left him alone.

Buffy closed the basement door and leaned against it. God, she wanted to stay down there. She wanted to kiss him. Why? She wasn't supposed to be feeling this way for him. It wasn't right. It was all wrong. No right could ever come from it. Right?

She was rescued from further thought by Willow.

"Buffy?"

She looked at her best friend, "We need to call the Council and find out anything else we can about that link thing Dawn mentioned last night."

"Why? You think Spike might be danger?"

"Possibly. But we need to know for sure."

Willow nodded, "I'll call them."

Buffy opened the door when it rang. "Come in," she said, stepping aside, allowing Travers and Lydia to enter.

"Were you able to find anything?" Giles asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Travers said. He looked around the room. "May I ask where William the Bloody is?"

"He's right here," Spike said from behind the Watchers. "And, if you don't mind, I prefer to go by 'Spike.'"

"Yes. Of course."

Spike maneuvered around the Brits and took a seat next to Buffy.

Lydia stepped forward, "To verify, we need to ask you a few question first."

"Alright."

"We are correct in assuming that you were used in a ritual performed by The First that rose the Turok-Han, yes?"

Spike nodded.

"Interesting. Mister...Spike, have you recently acquired something that only one other vampire, to our knowledge, at least, has?"

"You mean my soul?"

"Well, yes."

He nodded.

"If you don't mind my asked, how did you acquire it?"

Spike sighed, "I sought out a legend. That's all I'm going to say to you Watchers."

"Very well...Now it all makes perfect sense."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"The essence of your soul coupled with the demon is what made the ritual work. If you didn't have a soul, it is a reasonable assumption to say that the Turok-Han never would have been raised."

"Great," Spike muttered.

"What about this link thing?" Dawn asked.

"They way the ritual works is that the Turok-Han, in a sense, feeds off your demon. While this is happening, a link is born. You experience each other's pain. Sometimes you can even sense what it is doing at the precise moment. That is how you knew the Slayer was in danger last night. Unfortunately, though, while it is feeding from your demon, you lose your strength and it grows stronger. And it is virtually indestructible while you remain alive."

"You mean the only way to kill this thing is to...kill Spike?" Buffy asked, worry and a hint of fear of Lydia's answer in her voice.

"Miss Summers, that's exactly what I'm saying."

End Chapter Five

A/N: Sorry for the shortness of this part....