Title: End of Days

Chapter: Chapter Seven – The Escape

Author: Queen Akasha

Rating: R in some chapters

Summary: B/S. Season Seven. What's with Spike's new attitude? And are they gonna get out of the stinky place?

Feedback: Yes PLEASE!!! This site or e-mail me at Queen_Akasha@telus.net

Disclaimer: OK. So I own Spike. Or I will. I'm doing some MAJOR wicca stuff to get Joss to fork him over. I'll also take Oz and, OK, Angel can come and do my yard work (among other stuff). And, OK, Lorne too. I have a very odd "thing" for the green guy. I think it's the complexion – and he's such a dapper dresser ………

Spoilers: Up to the end of Season Six

Distribution: I have no idea why you'd want to - however go ahead. Just let me know…..

A/N Have had a great deal of trouble logging in to FF.net. Sorry for the delay in posting. Please feed me, huh???? Pretty please???

_______________________________________________________

"Before you tell me what I'm sure will be a very interesting story, we have to get out of here," Buffy said to Spike. They were trapped in a cell, deep in the catacombs, by a demon Buffy thought was named Celex.

"Buffy." Spike said seriously. "There is a way out. I meant it when I told you before. Just go down the wall ten feet, find the patched spot and kick it out. I'm pretty sure the tunnel goes to the surface. You can make it – Slayer and all."

"Of course I could," she replied, "But unfortunately I think I have to take you with me. Giles said."

Spike took both of her hands in his, and looked her in the eyes. In the dwindling light of her flashlight, she could see how serious he really was. "Luv, you need to go on your own. I can't, er, well," he hesitated, " I can't, um, walk. No strength," he said shamefully, looking away.

"Spike, you're coming with me. Even if I have to carry you." She saw the look of humiliation on his face and tried to soften her words. "Though you're way strong, and I'm sure you could make it if you tried."

Spike smiled gently. "Buffy, I'm wounded and haven't eaten in about two weeks. It's an effort to even lie here – I know I couldn't walk away. Please just go without me."

"Well, I can't bandage your wounds," she said, all business-like, " but what's around here for you to eat?"

"Nothing," he replied, consciously not thinking of the blood spattered walls. "No food equals no strength. Sorry, luv, you're just gonna have to go it alone."

"No," said Buffy, thinking furiously. "Wait a minute!" she said excitedly. "Isn't Slayer's blood very nutritious for vampires?" She looked at Spike expectantly.

Spike was so repelled he actually fell backwards, away from her. "That isn't going to happen, Buffy," he said with great resolve. "You're going to go, and I'm going to stay. Remember, evil, soul-less thing here? Deserving of suffering and pain?"

Buffy looked at Spike. She REALLY looked at him. She'd seen him many times in the past, of course, but always as some type of fixture. Even during their most passionate sexual encounters, she had only seen the image, had never really seen HIM. What she saw surprised her. She couldn't equate her stereotyped image of the vampire killer with the man she saw in front of her. She didn't know when exactly he had altered his persona, she only knew that he had grown and changed in ways that she hadn't really noticed or believed until now. She thought of how Spike treated her, and how she had always treated him, as something beneath her notice, unless she needed him. Then he was always there for her. She thought of him saying *I'm in love with you *, and her replying * You're in love with PAIN. * She thought that both of them might be right, as if in loving her he had to take a hefty side-dish of suffering. She thought of how she felt the first time they'd had sex (can you call a joining of elemental forces just sex?) She remembered the naked look of surprise, love, and gratitude in his eyes as she lowered herself onto him. For the first time, she allowed herself to totally feel the surge of passion and, something else?, that had engulfed her and encouraged her to continue. She remembered the way that he had worshipped her body that night – as if he felt he wasn't worthy of her affections.

What had he ever done wrong, that was out of character? Only fall in love with her. She now believed with all her heart that he did love her. And she felt guilty, as if she was a school-yard bully that had been picking on a defenseless kid. For, Buffy had a sudden epiphany, Spike was still emotionally a child. And she, who considered herself so superior, was way more immature than he had ever been. He, at least, told it like it was. He told the truth and damn the consequences. She hid everything under a façade of normalcy, and, who was she kidding, her life would NEVER be normal.

Buffy had never been accused of not being impulsive. All of these thoughts flashed though her mind in a moment. Still looking at Spike, she walked over to the portion of the wall he had indicated. "Here?" she said to him, pointing to a discoloured area. When he nodded, she let fly with a tremendous kick to the rock. It only took four times before she had a hole through the wall. Ignoring the pain in her leg from kicking such a solid object, she booted it again, this time causing a minor rock slide. When the dust cleared a bit, she could see that there was a hole big enough to squeeze through. She shone her failing flashlight into the blackness, confirming that it did indeed seem to be a tunnel. Buffy reached out and broke a jagged rock from the wall. She sliced her left wrist with it, deeper than she had meant to, as the blood started to flow rather copiously. She held it to Spike's lips. "Drink," she said.

Spike looked at Buffy's wrist, the rich, coppery blood flowing from her self-inflicted wound. The scent of it almost drove him wild, beyond control. It didn't smell like food, though, but of love and power. This was the scent that he had hoped they would create together. With his last ounce of self-control, Spike grabbed her wrist, trying to force it away from himself. "No," he said quietly, "I just can't, Buffy. Please just leave me here."

Buffy had never been so surprised in her life. SPIKE – turning down SLAYER blood? *Like bongs for vampires , * she thought inappropriately. Well, she'd deal with the ramifications of this later. Right now, she had to get them out of there – BOTH of them. And she needed him at least on his feet. "Sorry, Spikey, can't do that," she whispered, slipping her uninjured arm behind his head, and placing her bleeding wrist directly over his mouth. "Just drink a little, OK?"

Overwhelmed, and unable to fight both Buffy and his nature any more, Spike opened his lips and allowed the first drops of the live-giving substance to slide down his throat. Its heat burned him on the way down, exploding in the pit of his stomach with a strengthening fire. He tentatively wrapped his lips around the wound, and gently sucked. Buffy felt as if an electric spark was running through her whole body. Her nipples hardened, and she felt a tingling in her groin. * If this was how it felt to be feasted on by a vampire, no wonder there were vamp groupies, * she thought dreamily. Spike sucked harder, causing her to moan. The almost sexual sound spurred him on. His canines involuntarily elongated, and he grabbed her wrist with both hands and continued to feed more forcefully.

Buffy closed her eyes. The feelings that Spike was creating in her were almost too strong. She never wanted him to stop. She wondered if it was always like that for victims – she didn't think so, though. She resolved to ask Spike about it AFTER they had gotten out. Speaking of which, she really should stop him. She wanted him able to move, but she didn't want her strength too depleted. * Just, one more minute, * she thought, and sighed deeply. Spike immediately removed his lips from her flesh.

"Are you OK, Buffy?" he asked with concern. "Did I hurt you?" He sounded very sorry and contrite. She was again amazed at his control – his ability to stop when she was sure his whole body was crying for sustenance.

"No, I'm OK," she said. *Very OK, indeed, * she thought. She felt good, very slightly light-headed, with an almost sexual afterglow. Strange, and worth exploring in the future. "How about you. Do you think you could walk now?"

Spike experimentally sat up. "Actually, I do think I could. Slayer blood is very potent." He reached down and ripped a strip from the bottom of her shirt, and pressed it against her wrist. "Put some pressure on that, luv," he said. She sat until the bleeding had stopped, and then Spike bound the cut.

Buffy stood and gave Spike a hand up. He stood on his feet, swaying a bit. Buffy bit her lip at the extent of his injuries. It was difficult to tell how badly he was damaged, since one whole side appeared to be blackened and scorched, and of course his whole frame was covered in dried and congealing blood, but there was for sure a very deep and probably painful gash on his left upper arm.

Spike reached behind him and picked up his duster, which he had been lying on to try and cushion his injured body from the rocks. "Smartest thing I did was take this thing off for the battle. If I hadn't, it would have been toast."

"Battle?" Buffy said, raising her eyebrows. "I'm dying to hear about it, but perhaps we should…..?" she indicated the hole in the wall.

Spike gingerly shrugged on his duster, and motioned at the opening. "After you," he said politely.

Buffy looked at him sideways, and then shimmied through the hole, enlarging it as she went to accommodate Spike's larger frame. Once through, she turned and gave Spike her hand. She had to do considerable pulling – apparently she hadn't made the hole quite big enough. She worried that he was going to be injured more from her than he already was, but Spike stoically didn't make a sound as she tugged. She saw his face grimacing though, and made a heroic last effort. He popped out of the hole like a cork from a champagne bottle, and flew into Buffy with some force, causing her to fall over and take him with her. She smiled at their compromising position – her on her back with him between her legs. They'd been here before. Spike, though, immediately got to his feet, and, apologizing, helped her up.

*Weird, * she thought. *Any other time he'd have been grinding against me, saying trashy things. * She sighed wistfully, and then checked herself. *And of course that would have been disgusting. Grinding is bad. * And she made a mental note to discover why Spike was doing things that were so out of character – as soon as they got a chance.

Buffy's little flashlight was almost drained. Luckily, Spike had vampiric sight, and could faintly see when Buffy shut off the light. He sniffed the air, glancing at Buffy strangely, before deciding that fresh air and escape was likely to the right.

They followed the tunnel, sometimes backtracking as Spike deemed necessary. They didn't speak, but Spike held her hand to lead her, as if crossing a little tyke across the street. The blood he had consumed, even though it was Slayer's blood, was rapidly being used up by his undernourished and battered body, and he hoped that he'd be able to get them out before he collapsed. He looked back at Buffy, who was following him trustingly. When they had fallen getting him out of the cell, he was surprised to scent the musk of her arousal. This was an interesting addition to the mix. He loved her, and was pleased that her body still responded so strongly to his. However Spike wanted the whole package, body, heart and soul. At the very least, though, this gave him hope.

Sensing more than scenting that the tunnel opening was near, Spike gave Buffy's hand a warning squeeze. She squeezed back as they hunkered down, scoping the area for any guards. * Lucky it's evening * Buffy thought. * It would suck to save him and then turn him into a crispy critter.*

When Spike deemed it safe, they proceeded. Walking out into the fresh air, Buffy breathed deeply. She had become used to the stench of the catacombs, and it was a treat to breathe the clean air. Spike was becoming obviously weaker, and she slung his arm over her shoulder to help him down the side of the mountain to the road that her eyes could pick out in the starlight.

Buffy avoided any major obstacles in their descent, but did stumble a few times, as Spike no longer had any strength and was leaning heavily on her. As they made it to the road, a pair of headlights unexpectedly sprang to life. Buffy thrust Spike behind her protectively. He was unable to protest, just stood there swaying with weariness.

Suddenly, a familiar deep voice spoke out. "Buffy, is that you?"

"JB?" Buffy cried, feeling weak at the knees. "Thank God you're here."

"You found him then, did you?" JB said to her, coming around the vehicle into the light. "I had a feeling that you would be here. Let's get him into the car. It's much too dangerous to stand around here."

JB walked to Spike's side and lifted him off his feet with the ease of picking up a child. Spike looked up at him through blurred eyes.

"YOU!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Buffy, get away, he's……." Spike's head lolled to the side as he finally passed out.

"He's WHAT?" Buffy said to JB. "What's going on here? How did you know we'd be here? And why does Spike want me to get away?"

"Buffy," JB sighed. "You do deserve an explanation, but right now we really HAVE to get out of here. I promise I'll tell you everything as soon as we're safe and your vampire is all right. OK?"

His presence and demeanor made Buffy feel comforted and safe, much like she felt with Giles. She decided to go with her first instinct and trust him.

" OK, JB," she said. "But you're gonna have some major explaining to do."

************************************************************

TBC

OOH!!! What's the scoop with JB? Let me know if you're enjoying so far …… )