"Great," Buffy said, pacing back and forth in her living room. "Drusilla."
"Who's Drusilla?" Harry asked. Grey had gotten the long version from Xander in the car.
"Do you know Spike?" He nodded. "They were together for about a century. Then, after they got here, things got complicated and they broke up. Every so often, she comes back for him. She's a vampire who can do some magic as well. She killed a friend of mine, a Slayer."
"I thought there could only be one Slayer," Harry said.
"I died and Xander brought me back. But it caused a second one to be called."
"Whoa," he said. "So what do we do?"
Buffy looked at Xander.
"Saddle up?"
"I call axe."
They brought Harry and Dawn. Grey vouched that Harry had faced far worse alone, and Dawn refused to be left behind. Xander, per his request, carried a large axe. Dawn had a squirt gun full of holy water, a short sword, and a bandoleer of stakes. Buffy carried only stakes.
They parked the Xandermobile six blocks from the mansion, and engaged in what Dawn called 'the whole sneaky thing' in order to maintain the element of surprise. Grey and Buffy ended up next to each other, leading the incursion.
"I got your message," Grey said.
"Good. Don't think I won't beat you up if you hurt her." The threat sounded funny coming from such a small girl, but he knew she could.
"Spike did a fairly good job as a substitute."
"What?" She stopped short. "What did he do?"
"Kicked the crap out of me."
"Stupid vampire," she shook her head. "I told him to threaten you, not attack you." She didn't seem especially angry to Grey.
"I think he was trying to win points for zeal. What is it you guys say? No big?" Buffy laughed as they moved on.
"That's it. How's Willow doing, though? Really."
"She's doing well. Her control has come really far in such a short time. The amazing thing is, she has more than power. She has aptitude. Those two things aren't always combined."
"So she gets it, is what you're saying."
"Yeah."
"And you like her?" He laughed softly.
"Very much. More than I thought I could like anyone a few months ago. She wanted me to give you a message, actually."
"What's that?"
"This is going to sound weird, but she said it was code. She said mine are good arms to have."
Buffy almost burst out laughing. She patted Grey on the shoulder.
"It means she really likes you, and that you're very, very nice." His heart began to beat faster. He had known it, of course, but still… "This is the house."
The mansion was enormous, white stone and ivy everywhere. When they paused, he could hear noise. The other three came up from behind and joined Buffy and Grey.
"What now?" Dawn asked.
"Garden," Xander suggested. She and Buffy nodded. Buffy explained to the other two what he meant. They readily agreed, and snuck around to the back. From the shadows, they could see Tara tied to a post. Drusilla stood several feet away, speaking to a blindfolded doll. Several minions stood in a semi-circle near the entrance to the house.
"Miss Edith," Drusilla was saying, "are you going to be a good girl? Mummy will let you watch, but only if you're good."
Grey gave Buffy an alarmed glance. The Slayer spun a finger in a circle beside her head. He nodded.
"What did you say, dear? Oh, the nasty Slayer is here to spoil my fun. We'll just have to do what Daddy couldn't, won't we?" The vampiress cast her cold glance on their hiding spot. From behind the party came several growls. They slowly turned. Several minions had flanked them. Drusilla pranced over to Tara and put her hand to the blonde's throat.
"Come out here, dearies. Drusilla would like to speak with you before dinner," she said. The minions roughly shoved the group into the garden and surrounded them. Grey counted eight, plus Drusilla. "Now, Slayer, we're going to have a talk about my Spike."
As she answered, Buffy shifted position to put Dawn and Harry in the middle of the group. Grey did likewise on his side. Glancing around, he quickly grasped that he could not use his lightsaber without endangering them.
"He's hardly your Spike, you psycho loony. Actually, I sort of think he's become my Spike." Buffy's voice dripped with contempt. Drusilla growled, bringing out her game face.
"You poisoned him. Once you're dead, he will be mine again."
"You hurt us, and he'll dust you before you can blink. This wouldn't have even happened if you weren't a total ho. And you know what else…" Mid-sentence, Buffy launched herself at Drusilla, knocking her away from Tara. Dawn spun in a circle, dousing several vamps with holy water. Xander tackled another one, breaking open the circle and allowing Harry to step out of the siege and into the shadows. He readied a curse and waited for a clear shot.
Grey, moving sharply to his left, stepped between the vampires and Tara. Two vamps advanced on him; unable to draw the lightsaber, he settled for engaging the two hand-to-hand. He sent one sprawling with an elbow-jab-jab combination, then kicked the other in the groin. The second one fell to his knees; Grey grabbed his head with both hands and twisted, dusting him instantly.
"INCENDO!" As afraid as Harry was, the energy poured forth from him and created a fireball three feet wide. Two of the minions burned immediately, freeing Xander and Dawn from the circle. One of the younger vamps charged Xander, who introduced his axe to the monster's neck. Another lunged for Dawn, knocking her down; she screamed wildly as he leaned in for the bite, his fetid breath hot on her neck.
Heedless of his own safety, Harry launched himself from the shadows and into Dawn's attacker. The two of them rolled over once, and Harry felt a shock to his wand hand. Suddenly, he was covered in dust. Mr. Ollivander's handiwork, it appeared, also made a fine stake.
Buffy rolled off Drusilla and clipped the side of her head with a vicious back fist. Her head thudded into the ground. Buffy followed up with vicious punches to her throat and face. In return, Drusilla reached up and yanked Buffy off of her by the hair. They rolled over and came to their feet.
Dawn sent a burst of water into Drusilla's face, eliciting a hiss from her dissolving skin. Buffy moved in behind the artillery with a hard right hand to Drusilla's jaw. The left hand followed it, then Buffy topped it off with a powerful kick to the stomach. Drusilla made a 'woof' sound as the kick drove unneeded breath from her lungs; she fell straight back onto the bench that held Miss Edith. Dawn sprayed another blast; the vampiress screeched and came to her feet. She grabbed for her doll and ran screaming into the mansion. Buffy took off after her.
Xander and Grey tag-teamed the remaining vampires, pinning the fiends and beheading them with the axe, and the garden was suddenly empty except for the Scoobies and company.
A minute later, Buffy returned. Drusilla had escaped. Harry and Xander slumped to the ground, exhausted. Dawn hugged Harry tightly, causing him to glow bright red from embarrassment. Carefully using the lightsaber, Grey cut Tara loose. He removed her gag by hand.
"Th-th-thanks," she stuttered, obviously relieved but still grappling with her complete terror. "Y-y-y-you m-m-must be Grey."
Drusilla sat in the ruins of the factory, alternately wailing and screaming at Miss Edith. A man in a dark robe walked out from the shadows an hour after her arrival.
"Look, Miss Edith. A treat for mummy!" Her usual child-like glee returned at the prospect of a meal.
"Actually, ma'am," said a deep British voice, "I think it might be best if you listened to my proposal first. Tell me, when were you last in England?"