Chapter 23
Bad
Spike meandered aimlessly through town. He knew he needed a plan. 'For what? I don't even know what the bloody hell's going on!' he complained to himself. He tried to determine what else might be different. Obviously, Harmony was gone. Didn't figure she'd stick around too long after he'd tried to stake her anyway. No big loss there, but his crypt being taken over, 'Now that's a bloody nightmare.' A halfway decent crypt was hard to come by these days. And then he wondered just exactly what he had been doing before he woke up in the slayer's yard.
He recalled returning from L.A. after trying to retrieve the Gem of Amara. The ring he'd worked so hard to find, just to have Buffy hand it over to 'Angel the supervamp.' 'Bloody stupid profession Angel had picked up, too,' he thought. 'A vampire trying to help all those insipid humans? Stupid wanker thinking he could be redeemed after the things he'd done.' He would have had a good laugh if he hadn't thought it was such a pathetic sight. He really believed someone should have let Angel in on the secret. 'Once a vampire, always a vampire. End of the bloody story.'
So here he was, back in Sunnydale.again. His mind was still wandering, full of questions. 'What is it about this place that keeps drawing me back? The hell mouth, sure.' That was as good a reason as any, he supposed. 'Or maybe I'm just kidding myself.' He already knew the answer. He'd always been a sucker for a go at a slayer, and Buffy was a cute one at that. 'Bloody awful taste in men though. That last ponce.Parker was it? Surprised she gave him the time of day.' Suddenly, Spike realized where his thoughts had taken him and inwardly cursed himself. He shouldn't have given a rat's ass about the slayer's love life. He needed to kill her and be done with it. 'Okay, top of the to-do list' he thought, 'but maybe I'll have a drink first.'
The direction he'd been heading lead him straight to Willy's bar. A drink and some conversation with the town snitch might do him some good. Willy might even have some useful information for him. Maybe he knew about a curse, a spell, something that might explain why his mind was going so loopy. Any explanation at this point would be helpful.
He entered, heading straight for the bar and the man behind it. Willy was a slippery weasel, but he was the one person who knew everyone's business in good ole Sunnydale, demon and human alike.
"What'll it be tonight, Spike?"
"The usual. Bourbon, straight up. And keep 'em coming." Spike rested on the stool, throwing his cigarette pack onto the bar. "You heard anything lately? Something 'bout the slayer or her superfriends?"
Willy placed the shot glass in front of the vampire and sat the bottle beside it. "Nah. Not really. Why are you asking me though? Figured you knew just about everything there is to know about Buffy...from what I heard."
There was an innuendo in his voice that made Spike a bit uneasy. "And why is that, mate?" he asked, as his eyebrow rose in question. He lifted the glass, swallowed the contents, and quickly refilled it.
"I'm just sayin'.no. Haven't heard a thing." Willy wasn't in the mood to go through one of Spike's 'moods' and gave up furthering the earlier remark.
Deciding to let the man off the hook, Spike continued another line of questioning. "Any new demons in town? Someone looking to start some trouble?"
"What's bugging you? Something got you spooked?"
He downed the drink and refilled the glass again. "Things just been a bit wonky 's all. Tryin' to sort it out."
A voice sounded from behind him. "I think you should sort it out somewhere else. We don't take too kindly to traitors like you."
Spike spun around on the stool to face a vampire staring coldly at him.
"Did I ask for your opinion?" he remarked, a cocky frown pursed on his lips.
"You're not welcome here. Me and my friends over there," he stated, pointing to the several vamps in a nearby corner, "are gonna see to it that you get what's comin' to you."
Spike smiled wickedly, sliding off his seat, stepping close. "I get it. Tough guy talk. Don't think you could do much more, especially from the looks of that lot," he answered, pointing to the other vampire's 'gang'.
"Five against one. I'm sure you wouldn't have much of a chance." The other vamps stood up, making their way to stand behind their leader.
"You'd better be more than sure, mate. That's just the kind of odds I like." He smiled coyly, his tongue wrapping along the bottom of his teeth.
Catching the vamp off guard, Spike grabbed the stool he'd been sitting on. Just as his opponent struck, the blonde ducked beneath his fist, slamming the chair to the ground. He reached for the broken leg, spinning it around in his hand. Making his way back up, he plunged the wood forward, hitting the target in front of him.
"One down, four to go," he yelled, finding himself now surrounded by the rest of the group.
A kick to his chest sent him sprawling into a table, and he heard the distant cries of the bar owner, begging them to stop wrecking his establishment. He laughed viciously, enjoying the release of his demon. Now adorning his vampire features to match their own, he charged back into the middle. He let loose, making quick movements, overpowering all four opponents in record time. The same splintered stool leg was used to send the victims bodies into a pile, to be swept up like leftover dirt.
Panting wildly as though he needed to catch his breath, Spike retreated back to the bar. He shook off the demon, reached for his glass, and finished the shot. "Poncy buggers thinking they could take me. Who'd they think they were dealing with?" he complained, taking a cigarette from the pack. "Bloody lack of respect is what it is."
Willy watched him with confusion as Spike lit up and inhaled. "You should know you're taking a chance every time you come in here, Spike."
"A chance at what? With the service you got in here, I'm surprised you have any clientele at all! A bloke can't even drink in peace without being harassed!"
"You have to admit they had a point." Willy argued.
Spike eyed him, his brow raised in puzzlement. "Come again?"
"I'm just saying, with what you and the slayer's got goin' on....well, you can't blame some folks for being twitchy."
Spike's expression turned to aggravation. Finishing off the last drag on the cigarette, he smashed it out on the bar, ignoring the ashtray beside him. "What are you yammerin' about?"
"You know. Working with Buffy....killing other demons. You're bound to catch some flack."
"Working with the slayer?! Has everyone in this town gone completely mad?! The only work I'm gonna do with the slayer involves cutting her up into little tiny slayer bits!"
Willy shook his head, picked up the butt and began wiping the bar, unaffected by Spike's colorful use of words. "You two fightin' again?"
Spike clenched his jaw in anger and rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. "Somebody put a stake in me.please."
Willy leaned down, pulling Spike with him, and whispered softly, "Better not say that too loud in here. Some guys most likely to take you up on that offer."
Spike pulled away harshly. "Oh bloody hell!"
"You can say that again."
Both men turned their attention to the attractive brunette who had walked in the door. She approached Spike, looking determined and on a mission.
"I was told I could find you here," she remarked casually.
He gave her the once over, his eyes slowly traveling from top the bottom.
"Uh huh. And who's to thank for that?" he asked, his voice low and husky.
"You'll find out soon enough. But you and I need to talk. Can we go somewhere a little more.Cozy?"
Taking little time to decide, he grabbed his cigarettes and the bottle beside him, turning back toward the woman. "What do you have in mind, pet?"
She motioned him with a finger, urging him to come to her. "The name's Kitara. And I believe I have the answers you're looking for. You willing to play?"
"You're talkin' my language, sweetheart."
"Then let's get out of here."
********************************
Buffy tensed at hearing Angel's words.
"He's always been obsessed with slayers and you weren't any different. He's gonna come after you."
She pondered it for a moment and forced the thought away. "I'm not worried about it. I can hold my own against Spike." Buffy glanced down, knowing she was lying to them as well as to herself. She also knew he was a better fighter now, and she hadn't had to truly go up against him in years. "We need to find him. The rest we can worry about once we do."
"Buffy, don't take this lightly," Giles demanded, stepping through the front door to join them. "Don't let your feelings cloud your judgment. Spike is dangerous."
She grit her teeth in frustration. "I said I could handle it!"
"Can you? I'm not so sure."
"Giles..."
"Buffy!" he interrupted with anger. "Think about what we're dealing with! Spike. Has. No. Chip! Nothing to stop him from killing you...or anyone else for that matter!"
"He has a soul, Giles! Somewhere deep inside he has to realize that!" she argued, only halfway convinced herself.
"Try telling that to the girl he murdered," Xander answered coldly.
Buffy glared at the man standing across the room, and blatantly ignored his comment. "All we have to do is find Kitara."
"You think it's that simple?" Anya asked. "Cuz I don't think she's just gonna fix him because you asked her to."
Buffy replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice, "Don't worry. I'll say please."
Angel stepped forward, trying to calm the tension building in the room. "Look, we're only assuming it was her because it's the only thing we have to go on. 'If' she did do this, we don't even know if it can be reversed."
"Looks like you guys need to hit the books then," Buffy stated, heading for the weapons chest in the corner of the room. She opened the lid and began rummaging through the items inside. She pocketed two bottles of holy water and several stakes. "Find out anything you can about the type of demon she is. We need to know how she does it, and if she can undo it."
"What are you going to do, Buffy?" Giles asked.
"I'm gonna find Spike and bring him back here."
Silence fell over the room, everyone looking at her as though she'd gone mad. She sighed heavily at their reactions.
"Look guys, I know what I'm doing."
"Besides inviting a recently dechipped vampire into your house for his own personal all-you-can-eat buffet?" Xander asked.
She eyed him angrily. "This is not up for debate! I'm going to find Spike and bring him home," she stated, taking each word slowly so no one could misunderstand. "We have to help him. I think we all owe him that much."
Anya hesitantly looked toward Buffy. "What if he doesn't want to be helped and just kills you? Then what?"
"I guess you'll figure that out if it happens, huh?"
Giles shook his head. "Buffy. I hope you do realize what you're doing. If Kitara is unable to change things....recover his memory...you know what you'll have to do."
She rested her eyes on Angel, the hurt of past memories flooding their way in. "I know, Giles. I've been there. If it comes to that...."
"You should wait until dark and let me go with you," Angel interrupted. "We'll have more of a chance with the two of us. Besides, he'll probably be holed up somewhere waiting for night. Gonna be hard to find in daylight."
"No. It'll drive me crazy waiting here. I have to do something."
"Angel's right, Buffy. Don't be stupid," Giles hissed. "Spike's not going anywhere. You're not up to your full strength and you're going to need someone to back you up."
Her eyes found the carpet, staring motionless as she debated what to do. Giles stepped closer, placing his hands on her shoulders, waiting for her to look at him.
"Buffy," he urged, his voice softer and filled with concern. He continued when her eyes finally glanced up to meet his. "Please do me this one favor and wait until Angel can go with you."
As much as she wanted to rush out the door, she saw the deep down care and fatherly love Giles usually tried to keep hidden from her. She crumbled, feeling the need to give him something back.
"Okay. I'll wait," she answered in defeat. "I'll bury myself in pages of old and dusty books and try to pretend Spike's just out for a walk, okay?"
"I know this is hard. I won't pretend to understand how you feel about him. But I promise, if we get him back, I'll stand behind you if it'll make you happy."
She smiled. A genuine smile that expressed without words how much she appreciated his trust in her. She pulled away, heading off the threatening waterworks before they began.
Giles grabbed her hand, pulling her back to face him. "When you go, be careful. The First is out there, too. Don't let Spike deter you from the bigger picture," he warned.
"Giles, to me Spike is the bigger picture. Everything else....The First, the ubervamps, just another day on the hell mouth."
***************************
TBC
Bad
Spike meandered aimlessly through town. He knew he needed a plan. 'For what? I don't even know what the bloody hell's going on!' he complained to himself. He tried to determine what else might be different. Obviously, Harmony was gone. Didn't figure she'd stick around too long after he'd tried to stake her anyway. No big loss there, but his crypt being taken over, 'Now that's a bloody nightmare.' A halfway decent crypt was hard to come by these days. And then he wondered just exactly what he had been doing before he woke up in the slayer's yard.
He recalled returning from L.A. after trying to retrieve the Gem of Amara. The ring he'd worked so hard to find, just to have Buffy hand it over to 'Angel the supervamp.' 'Bloody stupid profession Angel had picked up, too,' he thought. 'A vampire trying to help all those insipid humans? Stupid wanker thinking he could be redeemed after the things he'd done.' He would have had a good laugh if he hadn't thought it was such a pathetic sight. He really believed someone should have let Angel in on the secret. 'Once a vampire, always a vampire. End of the bloody story.'
So here he was, back in Sunnydale.again. His mind was still wandering, full of questions. 'What is it about this place that keeps drawing me back? The hell mouth, sure.' That was as good a reason as any, he supposed. 'Or maybe I'm just kidding myself.' He already knew the answer. He'd always been a sucker for a go at a slayer, and Buffy was a cute one at that. 'Bloody awful taste in men though. That last ponce.Parker was it? Surprised she gave him the time of day.' Suddenly, Spike realized where his thoughts had taken him and inwardly cursed himself. He shouldn't have given a rat's ass about the slayer's love life. He needed to kill her and be done with it. 'Okay, top of the to-do list' he thought, 'but maybe I'll have a drink first.'
The direction he'd been heading lead him straight to Willy's bar. A drink and some conversation with the town snitch might do him some good. Willy might even have some useful information for him. Maybe he knew about a curse, a spell, something that might explain why his mind was going so loopy. Any explanation at this point would be helpful.
He entered, heading straight for the bar and the man behind it. Willy was a slippery weasel, but he was the one person who knew everyone's business in good ole Sunnydale, demon and human alike.
"What'll it be tonight, Spike?"
"The usual. Bourbon, straight up. And keep 'em coming." Spike rested on the stool, throwing his cigarette pack onto the bar. "You heard anything lately? Something 'bout the slayer or her superfriends?"
Willy placed the shot glass in front of the vampire and sat the bottle beside it. "Nah. Not really. Why are you asking me though? Figured you knew just about everything there is to know about Buffy...from what I heard."
There was an innuendo in his voice that made Spike a bit uneasy. "And why is that, mate?" he asked, as his eyebrow rose in question. He lifted the glass, swallowed the contents, and quickly refilled it.
"I'm just sayin'.no. Haven't heard a thing." Willy wasn't in the mood to go through one of Spike's 'moods' and gave up furthering the earlier remark.
Deciding to let the man off the hook, Spike continued another line of questioning. "Any new demons in town? Someone looking to start some trouble?"
"What's bugging you? Something got you spooked?"
He downed the drink and refilled the glass again. "Things just been a bit wonky 's all. Tryin' to sort it out."
A voice sounded from behind him. "I think you should sort it out somewhere else. We don't take too kindly to traitors like you."
Spike spun around on the stool to face a vampire staring coldly at him.
"Did I ask for your opinion?" he remarked, a cocky frown pursed on his lips.
"You're not welcome here. Me and my friends over there," he stated, pointing to the several vamps in a nearby corner, "are gonna see to it that you get what's comin' to you."
Spike smiled wickedly, sliding off his seat, stepping close. "I get it. Tough guy talk. Don't think you could do much more, especially from the looks of that lot," he answered, pointing to the other vampire's 'gang'.
"Five against one. I'm sure you wouldn't have much of a chance." The other vamps stood up, making their way to stand behind their leader.
"You'd better be more than sure, mate. That's just the kind of odds I like." He smiled coyly, his tongue wrapping along the bottom of his teeth.
Catching the vamp off guard, Spike grabbed the stool he'd been sitting on. Just as his opponent struck, the blonde ducked beneath his fist, slamming the chair to the ground. He reached for the broken leg, spinning it around in his hand. Making his way back up, he plunged the wood forward, hitting the target in front of him.
"One down, four to go," he yelled, finding himself now surrounded by the rest of the group.
A kick to his chest sent him sprawling into a table, and he heard the distant cries of the bar owner, begging them to stop wrecking his establishment. He laughed viciously, enjoying the release of his demon. Now adorning his vampire features to match their own, he charged back into the middle. He let loose, making quick movements, overpowering all four opponents in record time. The same splintered stool leg was used to send the victims bodies into a pile, to be swept up like leftover dirt.
Panting wildly as though he needed to catch his breath, Spike retreated back to the bar. He shook off the demon, reached for his glass, and finished the shot. "Poncy buggers thinking they could take me. Who'd they think they were dealing with?" he complained, taking a cigarette from the pack. "Bloody lack of respect is what it is."
Willy watched him with confusion as Spike lit up and inhaled. "You should know you're taking a chance every time you come in here, Spike."
"A chance at what? With the service you got in here, I'm surprised you have any clientele at all! A bloke can't even drink in peace without being harassed!"
"You have to admit they had a point." Willy argued.
Spike eyed him, his brow raised in puzzlement. "Come again?"
"I'm just saying, with what you and the slayer's got goin' on....well, you can't blame some folks for being twitchy."
Spike's expression turned to aggravation. Finishing off the last drag on the cigarette, he smashed it out on the bar, ignoring the ashtray beside him. "What are you yammerin' about?"
"You know. Working with Buffy....killing other demons. You're bound to catch some flack."
"Working with the slayer?! Has everyone in this town gone completely mad?! The only work I'm gonna do with the slayer involves cutting her up into little tiny slayer bits!"
Willy shook his head, picked up the butt and began wiping the bar, unaffected by Spike's colorful use of words. "You two fightin' again?"
Spike clenched his jaw in anger and rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. "Somebody put a stake in me.please."
Willy leaned down, pulling Spike with him, and whispered softly, "Better not say that too loud in here. Some guys most likely to take you up on that offer."
Spike pulled away harshly. "Oh bloody hell!"
"You can say that again."
Both men turned their attention to the attractive brunette who had walked in the door. She approached Spike, looking determined and on a mission.
"I was told I could find you here," she remarked casually.
He gave her the once over, his eyes slowly traveling from top the bottom.
"Uh huh. And who's to thank for that?" he asked, his voice low and husky.
"You'll find out soon enough. But you and I need to talk. Can we go somewhere a little more.Cozy?"
Taking little time to decide, he grabbed his cigarettes and the bottle beside him, turning back toward the woman. "What do you have in mind, pet?"
She motioned him with a finger, urging him to come to her. "The name's Kitara. And I believe I have the answers you're looking for. You willing to play?"
"You're talkin' my language, sweetheart."
"Then let's get out of here."
********************************
Buffy tensed at hearing Angel's words.
"He's always been obsessed with slayers and you weren't any different. He's gonna come after you."
She pondered it for a moment and forced the thought away. "I'm not worried about it. I can hold my own against Spike." Buffy glanced down, knowing she was lying to them as well as to herself. She also knew he was a better fighter now, and she hadn't had to truly go up against him in years. "We need to find him. The rest we can worry about once we do."
"Buffy, don't take this lightly," Giles demanded, stepping through the front door to join them. "Don't let your feelings cloud your judgment. Spike is dangerous."
She grit her teeth in frustration. "I said I could handle it!"
"Can you? I'm not so sure."
"Giles..."
"Buffy!" he interrupted with anger. "Think about what we're dealing with! Spike. Has. No. Chip! Nothing to stop him from killing you...or anyone else for that matter!"
"He has a soul, Giles! Somewhere deep inside he has to realize that!" she argued, only halfway convinced herself.
"Try telling that to the girl he murdered," Xander answered coldly.
Buffy glared at the man standing across the room, and blatantly ignored his comment. "All we have to do is find Kitara."
"You think it's that simple?" Anya asked. "Cuz I don't think she's just gonna fix him because you asked her to."
Buffy replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice, "Don't worry. I'll say please."
Angel stepped forward, trying to calm the tension building in the room. "Look, we're only assuming it was her because it's the only thing we have to go on. 'If' she did do this, we don't even know if it can be reversed."
"Looks like you guys need to hit the books then," Buffy stated, heading for the weapons chest in the corner of the room. She opened the lid and began rummaging through the items inside. She pocketed two bottles of holy water and several stakes. "Find out anything you can about the type of demon she is. We need to know how she does it, and if she can undo it."
"What are you going to do, Buffy?" Giles asked.
"I'm gonna find Spike and bring him back here."
Silence fell over the room, everyone looking at her as though she'd gone mad. She sighed heavily at their reactions.
"Look guys, I know what I'm doing."
"Besides inviting a recently dechipped vampire into your house for his own personal all-you-can-eat buffet?" Xander asked.
She eyed him angrily. "This is not up for debate! I'm going to find Spike and bring him home," she stated, taking each word slowly so no one could misunderstand. "We have to help him. I think we all owe him that much."
Anya hesitantly looked toward Buffy. "What if he doesn't want to be helped and just kills you? Then what?"
"I guess you'll figure that out if it happens, huh?"
Giles shook his head. "Buffy. I hope you do realize what you're doing. If Kitara is unable to change things....recover his memory...you know what you'll have to do."
She rested her eyes on Angel, the hurt of past memories flooding their way in. "I know, Giles. I've been there. If it comes to that...."
"You should wait until dark and let me go with you," Angel interrupted. "We'll have more of a chance with the two of us. Besides, he'll probably be holed up somewhere waiting for night. Gonna be hard to find in daylight."
"No. It'll drive me crazy waiting here. I have to do something."
"Angel's right, Buffy. Don't be stupid," Giles hissed. "Spike's not going anywhere. You're not up to your full strength and you're going to need someone to back you up."
Her eyes found the carpet, staring motionless as she debated what to do. Giles stepped closer, placing his hands on her shoulders, waiting for her to look at him.
"Buffy," he urged, his voice softer and filled with concern. He continued when her eyes finally glanced up to meet his. "Please do me this one favor and wait until Angel can go with you."
As much as she wanted to rush out the door, she saw the deep down care and fatherly love Giles usually tried to keep hidden from her. She crumbled, feeling the need to give him something back.
"Okay. I'll wait," she answered in defeat. "I'll bury myself in pages of old and dusty books and try to pretend Spike's just out for a walk, okay?"
"I know this is hard. I won't pretend to understand how you feel about him. But I promise, if we get him back, I'll stand behind you if it'll make you happy."
She smiled. A genuine smile that expressed without words how much she appreciated his trust in her. She pulled away, heading off the threatening waterworks before they began.
Giles grabbed her hand, pulling her back to face him. "When you go, be careful. The First is out there, too. Don't let Spike deter you from the bigger picture," he warned.
"Giles, to me Spike is the bigger picture. Everything else....The First, the ubervamps, just another day on the hell mouth."
***************************
TBC