Chapter 4
Willow lay on the couch with Jenny holding a pack of frozen peas on the bruise under Willow's eye. Giles, Jenny and Buffy looked at each other as Willow finished telling them what little she had seen, just before she blacked out after being struck by Drusilla.
"Oh no" said Jenny. "It's going to be a trap" and looked over at Giles who was nodding.
"Yes that would make sense. Rather than confront you head on, Spike and Drusilla kidnap Xander and force you into a situation of their choosing" said Giles.
"No way. I'm not going to let them hurt Xander" said Buffy. "Don't worry Will, I'll get him back. What we need to do is find out where they are and pay Spike and Drusilla a visit before they are expecting us."
"So what are you planning?" asked Giles.
"First, I need to get Angel. If anyone would know where Spike is hiding out, he will. Wait here, get some rest, I'll be back as soon as I can" and with that Buffy left and sprinted off into the night.
Her plan had worked perfectly. Drusilla had convinced some eager but stupid vampires to take on the Slayer while she absconded with her love, Xander. The fact that she had told them the Slayer was unarmed mattered not to her. She ran off, her lover safe now in her keeping.
Drusilla headed back to the vampires nest that was now conveniently empty, and headed straight up the stairs to the first floor. She opened the first door she came to and on seeing an old bed, laid Xander upon it and shut the door behind her.
As soon as he hit the bed Xander was up and trying to open the window, but Drusilla was too quick for him and he felt her strong arms envelop him and deposit him back on the bed.
Drusilla laid on her side next to Xander and began to softly stroke his chest.
"My love, trying to make a hasty retreat. Bad boy!" said Drusilla, her eyes aflame.
Xander was trying to make sense of all that had happened in the last couple of minutes. They had heard a scream, Buffy had run to investigate, and before he could say 'boo' Drusilla had appeared, knocked out Willow and taken him captive. But why?
Xander had expected to be tortured or at least tied up and held as bait, while Drusilla and Spike laid a trap for Buffy. But that didn't seem to be happening here. Then there was that kiss from Drusilla when he was expecting to be bitten. Xander was thoroughly confused. He remembered Angel saying that Drusilla was mentally unstable, but he never mentioned that she was just completely nuts.
Buffy was still running hard when she reached Angel's mansion. Buffy flung open the door and ran straight to Angel who was alarmed at the sight of her, and could tell something was wrong just by the look in her eyes.
"Buffy, what is it? What's happened?" said Angel, suddenly concerned.
"Xander, it's Xander. Drusilla has taken him and we need to find her and Spike NOW!" said Buffy in between deep breaths.
"Hold on Buffy. Slow down and tell me everything that happened" said Angel, more calmly than he felt.
Buffy narrated what had happened quickly and concisely, at the same time trying not to panic at the thoughts running through the back of her mind about Xander's welfare.
"So Spike was nowhere to be seen?" asked Angel rhetorically. "That's unusual. If he and Dru were involved in something I would expect Spike to be right in the thick of it. You know him Buffy, he's not the type to sit back and not get involved, especially when it comes to Slayers. He obsesses about them, seeks them out. If Xander was taken as a lure to trap you, it doesn't make sense that Spike wasn't there taunting you or doing the kidnapping himself."
"Look Angel, we can examine the motives later. Right now I just want to find Xander and get him home, safe" said Buffy, rather impatiently.
"Don't lose hope Buffy. Look at it like this. If what you say is true, then Drusilla had all the time in the world to kill both Xander and Willow. Yet she left Willow lying there defenceless and took Xander away unharmed."
"You're right" said Buffy. "But I'll still feel a whole lot better once we find Xander and get him back safely. If they hurt any part of him I'll kill them so painfully they'll beg like dogs to be put out of their misery."
Angel and Buffy made their way back to Giles' apartment as fast as they were able. When they arrived they found Willow had recovered from the blow, but would have a souvenir of it for several days to come.
Giles had brewed some tea and once Buffy had poured herself a cup she joined everyone else around the dining table. They poured over a map of Sunnydale trying to find a likely area where Spike and Drusilla would have taken up residence. Even in a town of Sunnydale's meagre size there were too many places to be searched in one night.
It was quickly decided to stick together and search the most likely places first. Before everyone stood up to leave, Angel asked them to hear him out for just a minute.
"Look, you all know that Xander and I aren't the best of friends, I don't want anything to happen to him more than you do. I wouldn't wish this situation on my worst enemy, but you have to be careful. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. And the worst is that Xander has been turned. I won't go into details, but some can be sired the same night and others rise the next day after sunset. If Xander has been turned, he won't be like any normal vampire, ok? He knows about the Slayer, and he's been fighting demons etc for about 2 years now. He won't be some easybeat that you can stake quickly and head home for tea and biscuits. I suggest that we all take a spray bottle filled with Holy Water. If we come across Xander, spray him with it. If he's ok, it won't matter, and if he's not - then at least you know."
"That's good advice Buffy" said Giles.
"Yeah, ok. I hope it doesn't come to that, but it makes sense. Can you see what you have in your laundry Giles, and I'll grab your Holy Water from the cupboard" said Buffy, still trying to hope for the best.
Five minutes later the gang was ready to leave, and they crowded into Giles' tin can for the ride to their first destination.
Willow lay on the couch with Jenny holding a pack of frozen peas on the bruise under Willow's eye. Giles, Jenny and Buffy looked at each other as Willow finished telling them what little she had seen, just before she blacked out after being struck by Drusilla.
"Oh no" said Jenny. "It's going to be a trap" and looked over at Giles who was nodding.
"Yes that would make sense. Rather than confront you head on, Spike and Drusilla kidnap Xander and force you into a situation of their choosing" said Giles.
"No way. I'm not going to let them hurt Xander" said Buffy. "Don't worry Will, I'll get him back. What we need to do is find out where they are and pay Spike and Drusilla a visit before they are expecting us."
"So what are you planning?" asked Giles.
"First, I need to get Angel. If anyone would know where Spike is hiding out, he will. Wait here, get some rest, I'll be back as soon as I can" and with that Buffy left and sprinted off into the night.
Her plan had worked perfectly. Drusilla had convinced some eager but stupid vampires to take on the Slayer while she absconded with her love, Xander. The fact that she had told them the Slayer was unarmed mattered not to her. She ran off, her lover safe now in her keeping.
Drusilla headed back to the vampires nest that was now conveniently empty, and headed straight up the stairs to the first floor. She opened the first door she came to and on seeing an old bed, laid Xander upon it and shut the door behind her.
As soon as he hit the bed Xander was up and trying to open the window, but Drusilla was too quick for him and he felt her strong arms envelop him and deposit him back on the bed.
Drusilla laid on her side next to Xander and began to softly stroke his chest.
"My love, trying to make a hasty retreat. Bad boy!" said Drusilla, her eyes aflame.
Xander was trying to make sense of all that had happened in the last couple of minutes. They had heard a scream, Buffy had run to investigate, and before he could say 'boo' Drusilla had appeared, knocked out Willow and taken him captive. But why?
Xander had expected to be tortured or at least tied up and held as bait, while Drusilla and Spike laid a trap for Buffy. But that didn't seem to be happening here. Then there was that kiss from Drusilla when he was expecting to be bitten. Xander was thoroughly confused. He remembered Angel saying that Drusilla was mentally unstable, but he never mentioned that she was just completely nuts.
Buffy was still running hard when she reached Angel's mansion. Buffy flung open the door and ran straight to Angel who was alarmed at the sight of her, and could tell something was wrong just by the look in her eyes.
"Buffy, what is it? What's happened?" said Angel, suddenly concerned.
"Xander, it's Xander. Drusilla has taken him and we need to find her and Spike NOW!" said Buffy in between deep breaths.
"Hold on Buffy. Slow down and tell me everything that happened" said Angel, more calmly than he felt.
Buffy narrated what had happened quickly and concisely, at the same time trying not to panic at the thoughts running through the back of her mind about Xander's welfare.
"So Spike was nowhere to be seen?" asked Angel rhetorically. "That's unusual. If he and Dru were involved in something I would expect Spike to be right in the thick of it. You know him Buffy, he's not the type to sit back and not get involved, especially when it comes to Slayers. He obsesses about them, seeks them out. If Xander was taken as a lure to trap you, it doesn't make sense that Spike wasn't there taunting you or doing the kidnapping himself."
"Look Angel, we can examine the motives later. Right now I just want to find Xander and get him home, safe" said Buffy, rather impatiently.
"Don't lose hope Buffy. Look at it like this. If what you say is true, then Drusilla had all the time in the world to kill both Xander and Willow. Yet she left Willow lying there defenceless and took Xander away unharmed."
"You're right" said Buffy. "But I'll still feel a whole lot better once we find Xander and get him back safely. If they hurt any part of him I'll kill them so painfully they'll beg like dogs to be put out of their misery."
Angel and Buffy made their way back to Giles' apartment as fast as they were able. When they arrived they found Willow had recovered from the blow, but would have a souvenir of it for several days to come.
Giles had brewed some tea and once Buffy had poured herself a cup she joined everyone else around the dining table. They poured over a map of Sunnydale trying to find a likely area where Spike and Drusilla would have taken up residence. Even in a town of Sunnydale's meagre size there were too many places to be searched in one night.
It was quickly decided to stick together and search the most likely places first. Before everyone stood up to leave, Angel asked them to hear him out for just a minute.
"Look, you all know that Xander and I aren't the best of friends, I don't want anything to happen to him more than you do. I wouldn't wish this situation on my worst enemy, but you have to be careful. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. And the worst is that Xander has been turned. I won't go into details, but some can be sired the same night and others rise the next day after sunset. If Xander has been turned, he won't be like any normal vampire, ok? He knows about the Slayer, and he's been fighting demons etc for about 2 years now. He won't be some easybeat that you can stake quickly and head home for tea and biscuits. I suggest that we all take a spray bottle filled with Holy Water. If we come across Xander, spray him with it. If he's ok, it won't matter, and if he's not - then at least you know."
"That's good advice Buffy" said Giles.
"Yeah, ok. I hope it doesn't come to that, but it makes sense. Can you see what you have in your laundry Giles, and I'll grab your Holy Water from the cupboard" said Buffy, still trying to hope for the best.
Five minutes later the gang was ready to leave, and they crowded into Giles' tin can for the ride to their first destination.
