The Zippo - March 2009
Chapter Seventeen
Buffy frantically searched the streets of LA. It had been over five hours since she had seen Spike, and she was beginning to become worried. She knew that Spike could handle himself OK, but her slayer sense was going into overdrive. So many things had happened, she just wanted to find him and tell him that she understood. She was running out of places to look, and she wasn't very familiar with the city. She finally called Angel to get some help.
"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless." Cordelia politely answered the phone.
"Cordy, it's me. Is Angel there? I can't find Spike anywhere, and he hasn't come home yet."
"Chill Slayer. Are you sure he isn't somewhere letting off a little steam? I mean after how you treated him, yet again, I wouldn't be surprised if."
"Cordelia, shut the hell up. Spike wouldn't just leave Jules with Dawn while he went and got trashed. Where is Angel?" Buffy was quickly losing her patience.
"Good point, Buff. I'll find Angel for you." Cordelia curtly replied.
After a few moments Angel answered his line to a very frantic Buffy.
"Yeah, you there? What's wrong?" Angel asked, genuinely concerned.
"I can't find Spike, anywhere. I've been looking for hours. I keep calling the apartment, but Dawn hasn't heard anything from him. He wouldn't just leave Jules. I know he hates me, but he wouldn't just leave her like that." Buffy managed to say, the panic building in her voice.
"It's OK Buffy, I understand why you're worried. I'll get Gunn, Lorne, and Wesley and we'll look around, see what we can find out." Angel responded.
Buffy was about answer, but on the ground, she saw a silver object. A silver Zippo that had Spike scratched into the casing. There was blood everywhere; it looked like a scene from a horror movie. She found the burned remnants of the T-shirt he was wearing when she last saw him. She looked down the alley that was a trail of blood. It looked as if a body had been dragged through there.
"Buffy? Buffy? You still there?" Angel called into the phone.
"Oh my God. Angel, I think Spike might be dead. You have to come here, quick." Buffy screamed into the phone.
Angel became worried. A million different scenarios went through his mind at that moment and none of them ended well. He finally said the only thing he could say to the panicked slayer.
"Buffy, stay where you are. We'll examine the scene when we get there." Angel said, wincing at the use of the word 'scene'.
********************************
Spike woke up with a hazy feeling of nausea. He opened his blurry eyes and it took him a moment to fully understand his surroundings. He was in an abandoned ware house, a pretty typical haunting place for vampires. He was sore all over. He looked down at his blood caked chest. He felt weak; the vampire that captured him didn't even bother to tie Spike up, knowing he was too weak to stand up, let alone think about escaping. Spike lay there for a few moments, trying to loosen the screaming muscles in his legs. Soon his captor entered the small room that Spike was in.
"How long you been a vamp man? You know better than to bring home doggie bags." Spike started weakly.
"I have been big plans for you William the Bloody." The vamp answered, studiously ignoring Spike's ribbing.
"You know my name, it's only fair that I know yours." Spike said.
"Name's Nick. Sorry for being so rude." Nick cordially put his hand down for Spike to shake.
Spike was thinking 'what the hell, might as well play along and stall him' as he shook the vampire's hand.
"So what are these big plans that you have in store for me? I hope you aren't going to use me as bait for the Slayer, she doesn't give a flying fuck about me one way or the other."
"Somehow I doubt that. My sources say that she and the soulled vampire have been looking for you all night. I have a totally kick ass plan though. You are going to love it."
"You have got to be kidding me. It looks as if you have problems tying your shoes, let alone coming up with a plan." Spike would have laughed, but his ribs were seriously objecting to that. "How old are you anyway? Twenty? Twenty-five?"
"Hey, I take offense to that. I'm a hundred and fifty-three. I just wear this get up so no one catches on that I'm as old as I am. Hard to get work in the underworld when you are over qualified for everything. You see, when I was turned, the slut that did it, mucked it up pretty bad. Don't have much more strength than a minion. I don't have the insight of a master vampire. I know things though. I know that you are my key to becoming powerful."
"How you figure that Nickie? I'm human now. I'm nothing in the underworld. Probably would have been dinner by know if it weren't for Peaches and the Slayer looking out for me. I can't help you. So either kill me or let me go." Spike had an inkling of where the disco king was getting at, and he didn't like it one bit.
"You aren't going to be human for long. You see, this is totally the best part. Most of the demon world doesn't even know that you're human now. Hell, a lot of them think that you and Drusilla reconciled and are down in Brazil or some shit like that. It was sheer luck that I found you at all. I've had some of minions following around the Slayer's kid sister for the past few years. Actually have some pictures of you and her in some pretty compromising situations. It took some work, but we found you. And we found you're little girl. Cute as a button, that girl is. She would make a nice afternoon snack."
"You stay the hell away from all of them. I'll tear you apart if you even so much as think about touching my daughter, or any of my girls." Spike was pissed now. He didn't care how much pain he was in. The thought of anyone harming Julia or Dawn sent his blood boiling.
"Don't worry. It's not like the kid is some part of some freaky prophecy. It's nothing like that. You are the only one I want. I don't even care about your precious Buffy. I just want some respect, same as any other vamp. I've done some research, because there aren't a whole lot of vampire's turning into humans. A few, but not many. I checked into it though. You see, if I turn you back, you get the same demon. You'll be the same old Spike. And I'm going to make you strong. When people find out that Spike is working for me, I'm going to be the man."
"Uh, genius. Don't mean to spoil the plotting or anything. Lord knows I've done enough of it myself. The demon world hates me. I turned my back on them. I killed them, for love and all that poofter rot. I didn't get money or fame for doing it. You take up with the likes of me and you'll be on the ten most wanted list, same as me."
"I have a few friends. There's one you might be interested in. Goes by the name of Drusilla. She said if I can get you back, the way you used to be, before any of that slayer nonsense that she would spread it around that you were kidnapped and there was a spell cast on you. It was like you had to help out the Powers or something."
"Seems like you have thought of everything." Spike said miserably. "You know that I loved Buffy without a soul. I chose to love her. My demon loved her too. She was all of me. You turn me, and I'll be just like I was before. Completely pussy whipped over the slayer and her little band of friends. So go ahead and bloody turn me. It won't make a difference. Come to find out that Buffy liked me better that way anyway."
"I thought of that too. I've had five years to plan this gem out. You're demon has been trapped in limbo for the last six years. It's pissed. You are going to be a slave to the blood lust for at least six months to a year after I turn you. You will do whatever I tell you to do. You are fucked six ways from Sunday my friend. I'm not a total prick though. Thought I'd let you watch one last sunrise before I turn you."
Nick propped Spike on one of the abandoned office chairs and tied him to it. He then rolled him over to the dock door and opened it. On the outside was the dusk. The rolling fields. The ocean in the distance. It was exquisite in first light of day. Nick left him there, he almost felt bad for Spike. He remembered what it was like to miss the sun. He still missed it from time to time. He figured it was the least he could do. Honestly, for a vampire, Nick wasn't that bad of a guy.
Spike stared at the orange ball rising in the sky. A look of defeat crossed his face. Everything he had fought for was gone. He knew Nick was right. His demon was probably a might pissed right now. He just hoped that Angel found him first and staked him on sight. He didn't want Buffy to have to do it. He didn't want to put her in anymore pain than she was already in. He shed a tear for his beautiful Dawn. His Dawn that had always accepted him for everything that he was. She would probably still love him, she had always loved the monster part of him. He had to stay away from her, especially. He knew his demon, and how many times he had fought with it about turning the then perky teenager. Most of all he wept for Julia. She was only six years old. She wouldn't even remember him. He cried for all his friends. Angel, Cordelia, Willow, Xander, Anya, Gunn, Wesley, Fred, Lorne, Clem, Dawn, and mostly his Buffy. They had spent so many years coming to terms with him, befriending him, only to be stabbed in the back so many years later. Parts of him wished that Xander would have staked him so many years ago. He thought of his reflection, the inside of a church, what it felt like to be blessed. He was going to miss the white puffy clouds, the guilt of his conscious, his soul.
Nick left Spike out there for a few hours to think about his life through a human's mind before he came back through the shadows and closed the dock door. He moved to Spike and calmly said.
"Come on, you know the drill. Hopefully you'll be good as new by tomorrow night."
Nick untied the knots and swept the still weak Spike up in his arms. He gently kissed the dirty blonde's forehead before he sunk his fangs into the warm, inviting flesh.
Spike could feel himself dying, for the second time in his existence. He could feel his heart slowing, and before he knew it, it stopped. Spike was dead, again.
Chapter Seventeen
Buffy frantically searched the streets of LA. It had been over five hours since she had seen Spike, and she was beginning to become worried. She knew that Spike could handle himself OK, but her slayer sense was going into overdrive. So many things had happened, she just wanted to find him and tell him that she understood. She was running out of places to look, and she wasn't very familiar with the city. She finally called Angel to get some help.
"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless." Cordelia politely answered the phone.
"Cordy, it's me. Is Angel there? I can't find Spike anywhere, and he hasn't come home yet."
"Chill Slayer. Are you sure he isn't somewhere letting off a little steam? I mean after how you treated him, yet again, I wouldn't be surprised if."
"Cordelia, shut the hell up. Spike wouldn't just leave Jules with Dawn while he went and got trashed. Where is Angel?" Buffy was quickly losing her patience.
"Good point, Buff. I'll find Angel for you." Cordelia curtly replied.
After a few moments Angel answered his line to a very frantic Buffy.
"Yeah, you there? What's wrong?" Angel asked, genuinely concerned.
"I can't find Spike, anywhere. I've been looking for hours. I keep calling the apartment, but Dawn hasn't heard anything from him. He wouldn't just leave Jules. I know he hates me, but he wouldn't just leave her like that." Buffy managed to say, the panic building in her voice.
"It's OK Buffy, I understand why you're worried. I'll get Gunn, Lorne, and Wesley and we'll look around, see what we can find out." Angel responded.
Buffy was about answer, but on the ground, she saw a silver object. A silver Zippo that had Spike scratched into the casing. There was blood everywhere; it looked like a scene from a horror movie. She found the burned remnants of the T-shirt he was wearing when she last saw him. She looked down the alley that was a trail of blood. It looked as if a body had been dragged through there.
"Buffy? Buffy? You still there?" Angel called into the phone.
"Oh my God. Angel, I think Spike might be dead. You have to come here, quick." Buffy screamed into the phone.
Angel became worried. A million different scenarios went through his mind at that moment and none of them ended well. He finally said the only thing he could say to the panicked slayer.
"Buffy, stay where you are. We'll examine the scene when we get there." Angel said, wincing at the use of the word 'scene'.
********************************
Spike woke up with a hazy feeling of nausea. He opened his blurry eyes and it took him a moment to fully understand his surroundings. He was in an abandoned ware house, a pretty typical haunting place for vampires. He was sore all over. He looked down at his blood caked chest. He felt weak; the vampire that captured him didn't even bother to tie Spike up, knowing he was too weak to stand up, let alone think about escaping. Spike lay there for a few moments, trying to loosen the screaming muscles in his legs. Soon his captor entered the small room that Spike was in.
"How long you been a vamp man? You know better than to bring home doggie bags." Spike started weakly.
"I have been big plans for you William the Bloody." The vamp answered, studiously ignoring Spike's ribbing.
"You know my name, it's only fair that I know yours." Spike said.
"Name's Nick. Sorry for being so rude." Nick cordially put his hand down for Spike to shake.
Spike was thinking 'what the hell, might as well play along and stall him' as he shook the vampire's hand.
"So what are these big plans that you have in store for me? I hope you aren't going to use me as bait for the Slayer, she doesn't give a flying fuck about me one way or the other."
"Somehow I doubt that. My sources say that she and the soulled vampire have been looking for you all night. I have a totally kick ass plan though. You are going to love it."
"You have got to be kidding me. It looks as if you have problems tying your shoes, let alone coming up with a plan." Spike would have laughed, but his ribs were seriously objecting to that. "How old are you anyway? Twenty? Twenty-five?"
"Hey, I take offense to that. I'm a hundred and fifty-three. I just wear this get up so no one catches on that I'm as old as I am. Hard to get work in the underworld when you are over qualified for everything. You see, when I was turned, the slut that did it, mucked it up pretty bad. Don't have much more strength than a minion. I don't have the insight of a master vampire. I know things though. I know that you are my key to becoming powerful."
"How you figure that Nickie? I'm human now. I'm nothing in the underworld. Probably would have been dinner by know if it weren't for Peaches and the Slayer looking out for me. I can't help you. So either kill me or let me go." Spike had an inkling of where the disco king was getting at, and he didn't like it one bit.
"You aren't going to be human for long. You see, this is totally the best part. Most of the demon world doesn't even know that you're human now. Hell, a lot of them think that you and Drusilla reconciled and are down in Brazil or some shit like that. It was sheer luck that I found you at all. I've had some of minions following around the Slayer's kid sister for the past few years. Actually have some pictures of you and her in some pretty compromising situations. It took some work, but we found you. And we found you're little girl. Cute as a button, that girl is. She would make a nice afternoon snack."
"You stay the hell away from all of them. I'll tear you apart if you even so much as think about touching my daughter, or any of my girls." Spike was pissed now. He didn't care how much pain he was in. The thought of anyone harming Julia or Dawn sent his blood boiling.
"Don't worry. It's not like the kid is some part of some freaky prophecy. It's nothing like that. You are the only one I want. I don't even care about your precious Buffy. I just want some respect, same as any other vamp. I've done some research, because there aren't a whole lot of vampire's turning into humans. A few, but not many. I checked into it though. You see, if I turn you back, you get the same demon. You'll be the same old Spike. And I'm going to make you strong. When people find out that Spike is working for me, I'm going to be the man."
"Uh, genius. Don't mean to spoil the plotting or anything. Lord knows I've done enough of it myself. The demon world hates me. I turned my back on them. I killed them, for love and all that poofter rot. I didn't get money or fame for doing it. You take up with the likes of me and you'll be on the ten most wanted list, same as me."
"I have a few friends. There's one you might be interested in. Goes by the name of Drusilla. She said if I can get you back, the way you used to be, before any of that slayer nonsense that she would spread it around that you were kidnapped and there was a spell cast on you. It was like you had to help out the Powers or something."
"Seems like you have thought of everything." Spike said miserably. "You know that I loved Buffy without a soul. I chose to love her. My demon loved her too. She was all of me. You turn me, and I'll be just like I was before. Completely pussy whipped over the slayer and her little band of friends. So go ahead and bloody turn me. It won't make a difference. Come to find out that Buffy liked me better that way anyway."
"I thought of that too. I've had five years to plan this gem out. You're demon has been trapped in limbo for the last six years. It's pissed. You are going to be a slave to the blood lust for at least six months to a year after I turn you. You will do whatever I tell you to do. You are fucked six ways from Sunday my friend. I'm not a total prick though. Thought I'd let you watch one last sunrise before I turn you."
Nick propped Spike on one of the abandoned office chairs and tied him to it. He then rolled him over to the dock door and opened it. On the outside was the dusk. The rolling fields. The ocean in the distance. It was exquisite in first light of day. Nick left him there, he almost felt bad for Spike. He remembered what it was like to miss the sun. He still missed it from time to time. He figured it was the least he could do. Honestly, for a vampire, Nick wasn't that bad of a guy.
Spike stared at the orange ball rising in the sky. A look of defeat crossed his face. Everything he had fought for was gone. He knew Nick was right. His demon was probably a might pissed right now. He just hoped that Angel found him first and staked him on sight. He didn't want Buffy to have to do it. He didn't want to put her in anymore pain than she was already in. He shed a tear for his beautiful Dawn. His Dawn that had always accepted him for everything that he was. She would probably still love him, she had always loved the monster part of him. He had to stay away from her, especially. He knew his demon, and how many times he had fought with it about turning the then perky teenager. Most of all he wept for Julia. She was only six years old. She wouldn't even remember him. He cried for all his friends. Angel, Cordelia, Willow, Xander, Anya, Gunn, Wesley, Fred, Lorne, Clem, Dawn, and mostly his Buffy. They had spent so many years coming to terms with him, befriending him, only to be stabbed in the back so many years later. Parts of him wished that Xander would have staked him so many years ago. He thought of his reflection, the inside of a church, what it felt like to be blessed. He was going to miss the white puffy clouds, the guilt of his conscious, his soul.
Nick left Spike out there for a few hours to think about his life through a human's mind before he came back through the shadows and closed the dock door. He moved to Spike and calmly said.
"Come on, you know the drill. Hopefully you'll be good as new by tomorrow night."
Nick untied the knots and swept the still weak Spike up in his arms. He gently kissed the dirty blonde's forehead before he sunk his fangs into the warm, inviting flesh.
Spike could feel himself dying, for the second time in his existence. He could feel his heart slowing, and before he knew it, it stopped. Spike was dead, again.