A/N: Sorry for the long wait, guys. I've been fighting with my muse.
She's a hair puller. I finally got this chapter done but it's not really
worth the wait. Sorry. I'll try to make up for it by posting the next
chapter soon!
* * * * * * * * *
Chapter Ten~
Anya was getting very impatient. She hadn't actually thought Spike's plan to talk Drusilla into backing down would work. She figured he'd be in there for a minute tops and then be frantically scratching his nose. Instead, Spike seemed to be feeling awfully chatty. Maybe he was recalling old times with Drusilla. Remembering the good old days. Holding hands. Getting very comfortable. Not that Anya was jealous. She just found Spike; that old nutcase had her chance already. Besides, Anya remembered, Spike had a soul now. He didn't act like he did but every time she was near him she could sense it. She was the one who told Buffy about it without Spike knowing. Of course Buffy didn't believe it. Spike acted the same as he had without a soul. He didn't get all broody and angelic. He said that he was sorry for all he'd done but brooding about it wouldn't help. Besides, it was the demon in him who killed people, not him, he argued. It took a long time for Buffy to accept that. She probably didn't until Jupeille came to town, Anya thought.
So, Anya reasoned, souled Spike wouldn't take Drusilla back. Unless.
* * * * * * * * *
"Do you want me to get rid of it for you?" Drusilla purred and slid her hand down Spike's body.
"Whoa now," Spike jumped back when her hand slid a little too low. But Drusilla kept a firm grip on him.
"Whore!"
Everyone turned quickly to see an equally surprised Anya standing with her hands over her mouth in the window.
"Oh, bullocks," Spike muttered.
"Bring her here," Drusilla ordered and the two closest minions to the door started out.
"Anya, get out of here!" Spike shouted.
But the minions grabbed her before she could regain her senses and run away. In a way, though, Anya was glad she finally had something to do. Sure, playing damsel in distress wasn't exactly what she would've picked but she'd get a chance to turn that around, she was sure.
"That's your demon lover?" Faith scoffed as Anya was dragged into the restaurant. "I'm guessing she's new to the concept of being covert."
"Hey missy, I'm not the one tied to a pole," Anya returned.
"Why? Who is?" Faith asked as she lifted up her arms and let the chains drop from them.
Two vampires, who were desperate to do something, rushed Faith. She was weaponless but she easily knocked the vampires to the ground. But as she searched for something to use as a stake to finish them off, Drusilla grabbed Faith's arm and turned the Slayer so she could be face to face with the vampire.
"Look at me, dearie," Drusilla purred and stared at Faith. "Be in my eyes."
"Faith, don't!" Spike shouted. He ran up behind Drusilla and pushed her away from the Slayer. "Get out of here."
"What's wrong with you, Spike?" Drusilla hissed after she regained herself. "You're covered with filth."
"Speak for yourself," Spike countered.
"Just because you have a soul now doesn't mean you're good," Drusilla continued.
"Look, if you have anything important to say, skip the fluff. I've heard it all before," Spike said impatiently.
"You know you want it all back, you know you want it to be simple again."
"It's not ever going to be simple again. What I want is something you can't give me."
"How do you know that?"
Drusilla's dark form suddenly melted away to reveal a sultry Anya in front of Spike's eyes.
"It's not the same," Spike insisted as Drusilla in her new form slinked towards him.
"But it can be. It can be however you want it."
Drusilla placed a hand on Spike's chest and looked up at him, her deep brown eyes gleaming up at him with innocence. The illusion was incredible and Spike faltered as he stared down at the hopeful face imploring him. He was forgetting everything except the look in Drusilla's eyes, even the fact that the real Anya was standing in the same room.
"Just close your eyes," Anya's voice murmured. "I can make it simple again, I can make it better."
The words melted through Spike's mind and wiped away any of his knowledge that the Anya standing before him wasn't the real one. As Spike's eyes closed and his body leaned forward, Anya cried, "Spike!"
His eyes snapped open and he pushed Drusilla, now in her proper form, away from him. Anya struggled briefly then pushed the two vampires holding her away.
"Anya, I." Spike stammered.
"What did I tell you about becoming her boy toy again?" The outraged demon, who hadn't seen Drusilla's illusion, scolded
"No, see, she was you and-"
"See what your life will be like with her?" Drusilla asked darkly from behind Anya's shoulder.
While all this was occurring, Faith stood dazed. She had looked into Drusilla's eyes.
"But not now." Spike's words played in Faith's mind. What attachment did she have to Spike? None. Why should she care if he ended up in a dustpan? She shouldn't. He was just a vampire. A murdering vampire.
"I have a soul now, Drusilla. It's different and it will always be different," Spike said.
"It'll be better," Drusilla insisted.
Anya stared at Spike and contemplated what to do. Two vampires, poised for action and preventing her from attacking Drusilla, stood near her. She wished Faith would do something. But Faith had a curious glint in her eye that worried Anya. It seemed as if Faith could betray them in a heartbeat if she felt like it. Anya knew she had to do something.
Turning quickly, she found a piece of discarded wood nearby and ran to get it. But before she took three steps, the remaining vampires lunged at her, tackling her to the ground with a gasp of pain from Anya as she landed in a painful heap on her arm.
Drusilla didn't even flinch in acknowledgement to this but Spike called out Anya's name. He shook Drusilla off of him and ran towards Anya but Drusilla grabbed his arm and threw him in a heap into a corner. He looked at her, astonished at her strength. While Drusilla returned his gaze, Faith snapped back to the present. She ran at Drusilla and they struggled briefly. Just as Spike stood up to intervene, Drusilla knocked Faith into the floor. Faith lay there, motionless. Spike attempted to run to her but Drusilla held him back.
"When did you get so strong?" Spike demanded.
"I believe it was when Angel put his pointy teeth around my white virgin neck."
"But you seem so much stronger since I last saw you."
"It has been a long time since then. The dropping of the sun brings many changes."
"And what exactly were these changes?"
Drusilla laughed and said, "your women are broken and you ask of my health."
Spike averted her gaze.
"Does this situation look familiar?" Drusilla asked as she motioned indifferently to the two other women.
She placed her hands on the side of Spike's head.
"This is what you'll have with either of them. Death. Death again. Just like before."
"No." Spike protested weakly but unwelcome images already began to appear before him.
* * * * * * * * *
TBC
* * * * * * * * *
Chapter Ten~
Anya was getting very impatient. She hadn't actually thought Spike's plan to talk Drusilla into backing down would work. She figured he'd be in there for a minute tops and then be frantically scratching his nose. Instead, Spike seemed to be feeling awfully chatty. Maybe he was recalling old times with Drusilla. Remembering the good old days. Holding hands. Getting very comfortable. Not that Anya was jealous. She just found Spike; that old nutcase had her chance already. Besides, Anya remembered, Spike had a soul now. He didn't act like he did but every time she was near him she could sense it. She was the one who told Buffy about it without Spike knowing. Of course Buffy didn't believe it. Spike acted the same as he had without a soul. He didn't get all broody and angelic. He said that he was sorry for all he'd done but brooding about it wouldn't help. Besides, it was the demon in him who killed people, not him, he argued. It took a long time for Buffy to accept that. She probably didn't until Jupeille came to town, Anya thought.
So, Anya reasoned, souled Spike wouldn't take Drusilla back. Unless.
* * * * * * * * *
"Do you want me to get rid of it for you?" Drusilla purred and slid her hand down Spike's body.
"Whoa now," Spike jumped back when her hand slid a little too low. But Drusilla kept a firm grip on him.
"Whore!"
Everyone turned quickly to see an equally surprised Anya standing with her hands over her mouth in the window.
"Oh, bullocks," Spike muttered.
"Bring her here," Drusilla ordered and the two closest minions to the door started out.
"Anya, get out of here!" Spike shouted.
But the minions grabbed her before she could regain her senses and run away. In a way, though, Anya was glad she finally had something to do. Sure, playing damsel in distress wasn't exactly what she would've picked but she'd get a chance to turn that around, she was sure.
"That's your demon lover?" Faith scoffed as Anya was dragged into the restaurant. "I'm guessing she's new to the concept of being covert."
"Hey missy, I'm not the one tied to a pole," Anya returned.
"Why? Who is?" Faith asked as she lifted up her arms and let the chains drop from them.
Two vampires, who were desperate to do something, rushed Faith. She was weaponless but she easily knocked the vampires to the ground. But as she searched for something to use as a stake to finish them off, Drusilla grabbed Faith's arm and turned the Slayer so she could be face to face with the vampire.
"Look at me, dearie," Drusilla purred and stared at Faith. "Be in my eyes."
"Faith, don't!" Spike shouted. He ran up behind Drusilla and pushed her away from the Slayer. "Get out of here."
"What's wrong with you, Spike?" Drusilla hissed after she regained herself. "You're covered with filth."
"Speak for yourself," Spike countered.
"Just because you have a soul now doesn't mean you're good," Drusilla continued.
"Look, if you have anything important to say, skip the fluff. I've heard it all before," Spike said impatiently.
"You know you want it all back, you know you want it to be simple again."
"It's not ever going to be simple again. What I want is something you can't give me."
"How do you know that?"
Drusilla's dark form suddenly melted away to reveal a sultry Anya in front of Spike's eyes.
"It's not the same," Spike insisted as Drusilla in her new form slinked towards him.
"But it can be. It can be however you want it."
Drusilla placed a hand on Spike's chest and looked up at him, her deep brown eyes gleaming up at him with innocence. The illusion was incredible and Spike faltered as he stared down at the hopeful face imploring him. He was forgetting everything except the look in Drusilla's eyes, even the fact that the real Anya was standing in the same room.
"Just close your eyes," Anya's voice murmured. "I can make it simple again, I can make it better."
The words melted through Spike's mind and wiped away any of his knowledge that the Anya standing before him wasn't the real one. As Spike's eyes closed and his body leaned forward, Anya cried, "Spike!"
His eyes snapped open and he pushed Drusilla, now in her proper form, away from him. Anya struggled briefly then pushed the two vampires holding her away.
"Anya, I." Spike stammered.
"What did I tell you about becoming her boy toy again?" The outraged demon, who hadn't seen Drusilla's illusion, scolded
"No, see, she was you and-"
"See what your life will be like with her?" Drusilla asked darkly from behind Anya's shoulder.
While all this was occurring, Faith stood dazed. She had looked into Drusilla's eyes.
"But not now." Spike's words played in Faith's mind. What attachment did she have to Spike? None. Why should she care if he ended up in a dustpan? She shouldn't. He was just a vampire. A murdering vampire.
"I have a soul now, Drusilla. It's different and it will always be different," Spike said.
"It'll be better," Drusilla insisted.
Anya stared at Spike and contemplated what to do. Two vampires, poised for action and preventing her from attacking Drusilla, stood near her. She wished Faith would do something. But Faith had a curious glint in her eye that worried Anya. It seemed as if Faith could betray them in a heartbeat if she felt like it. Anya knew she had to do something.
Turning quickly, she found a piece of discarded wood nearby and ran to get it. But before she took three steps, the remaining vampires lunged at her, tackling her to the ground with a gasp of pain from Anya as she landed in a painful heap on her arm.
Drusilla didn't even flinch in acknowledgement to this but Spike called out Anya's name. He shook Drusilla off of him and ran towards Anya but Drusilla grabbed his arm and threw him in a heap into a corner. He looked at her, astonished at her strength. While Drusilla returned his gaze, Faith snapped back to the present. She ran at Drusilla and they struggled briefly. Just as Spike stood up to intervene, Drusilla knocked Faith into the floor. Faith lay there, motionless. Spike attempted to run to her but Drusilla held him back.
"When did you get so strong?" Spike demanded.
"I believe it was when Angel put his pointy teeth around my white virgin neck."
"But you seem so much stronger since I last saw you."
"It has been a long time since then. The dropping of the sun brings many changes."
"And what exactly were these changes?"
Drusilla laughed and said, "your women are broken and you ask of my health."
Spike averted her gaze.
"Does this situation look familiar?" Drusilla asked as she motioned indifferently to the two other women.
She placed her hands on the side of Spike's head.
"This is what you'll have with either of them. Death. Death again. Just like before."
"No." Spike protested weakly but unwelcome images already began to appear before him.
* * * * * * * * *
TBC