Chapter 27
The crew decided to take two cars to the mansion/warehouse.
Giles, Willow, Tara, and Gunn rode in the van Spike had stolen.
Angel, Xander, and Spike rode in what Spike called 'The Angelmobile (Angel's car)."
Because of the preparing mode they were in, no one mentioned or brought up Xander's choice to ride with the two vamps.
Spike, however, did remind himself that when all this was done, he was gonna harass the boy to death over it.
He smiled wickedly, just thinking about it.
"What?" Xander asked, looking over at him suspiciously.
"What...about what?" Spike asked him, feigning confusion.
"What's up with your evil little smile?"
"Oh...that. I...was just ...thinking that I can't wait to...."
Spike stopped as he realized that he had almost told Xander he was gonna mess with him later.
"Can't wait to what?" Xander asked, eyeing Spike very suspiciously.
"To..uh...kick a lot of demon ass."
Yeah, that sounds good, he thought.
Xander gave him a somewhat suspicious look, then figured that it sounded like something Spike would be thinking about, so he accepted it.
Spike smiled to himself, turning his head to look out the window so Xander wouldn't see.
He heard Buffy's voice in his head,
You are incorrigible, William. Must you mess with Xander's head so much?
You know he doesn't really mind. Besides...it's fun for me.
I know William, I know.
It's Spike luv...and I know. It's why you love me so much.
Buffy laughed.
How do you feel?
I can't wait to get you back.
Dru will feel you as soon as you enter the building. Keep your eyes wide open, hear me?"
I hear you luv...I hear you. And as I told Dawn, I'll be careful. Are you coming with me...to give us pointers and all that?
No...I'm not allowed...besides, Druscilla will notice me...as insane as she is now.
Is she really that far gone?
You saw her for yourself. Just remember that looks can be deceiving:
What looks old is really new
What looks weak is really very strong
What appears to be the end is only just a new beginning
What seems to be a disadvantage is actually a tremendous strength
Sweetheart, Slayer...what's up with the riddles?
You know me, Spikey...I love to keep you guessing.
Spike chuckled
Only you would get away with calling me Spikey. Well...you and Dawny.
Buffy winked...and then smiled when she said
You let Harmony call you that.
Oh, please don't bring in that brainless Bint.
Buffy laughed.
Spike tilted his head & looked up at her.
I love it when you laugh like that. If you were here right now, I'd grab you for a hug, Damn the pop to my nose.
Buffy caressed his cheek, smiled softly & vanished.
Her voice drifted to him.
I have to go now, your getting near & I don't want Dru to sense me before she senses you; watch out for ambushes, they didn't sense you last time, but they sensed you later & when you enter the place, keep your guards up.
I will love...I will...jeez, you nag as much as Dawn does. Now I see where she gets it from. But, hey....Dawn does it cause she cares for me. Is that the reason you do it?
Buffy let out a snort.
Please. I only want you safe so I can kick your demon ass myself.
Hah! Don't try to deny it Slayer. You want me!!
In your dreams, 'Bleach Boy'! In your dreams.
Every night Slayer. Every night...
Spike chuckled to himself as he felt her pull away. Then suddenly...
And Spike?
Yes love?
Be careful.
I will love...I will.
He felt her smile...then she said,
Oh...one more thing.
What?
You sleep...my peroxided pet vampire...during the day. The day, 'Dead Boy'. That's when the sun, big giant fireball, shines brightly in the sky.
Spike laughed.
Big giant fireball...yeah...I've 'eard of it.
So I can dismiss your comment. Right?
Oh no. See...I dream of you then too. Those dreams however, have more of me and you doing...
Stop right there!
Aww...but I didn't get to the part where I...
NO!! Spike stop.
Or where you...
Lalalala...I'm not listening.
Spike laughed.
I didn't know ghosts could blush. I may not be able to see you right now...but I can tell by your voice alone that that's what you're doing.
Why does a vampire get to torture a ghost? Isn't that backwards somewhere?, he heard her murmur to herself.
Spike chuckled.
I think it's fine the way it is love.
Figures. Anyway, back to your earlier comment. This ghost obviously can blush...and I am so going now.
Yes, toddle on home now, Little Woman. Daddy will fight the big bad monsters for you.
That remark SO qualifies you for a first rate ass kicking when I get back from the dead.
Oooh baby...your turning me on.
Oh God!!!
That was the last thought he heard from her.
He burst out laughing.
When he looked up, he noticed both Xander and Angel watching him.
He shrugged and smiled and then said,
"Buffy said for us to be careful when we get there, there could be an ambush waiting for us."
Angel nodded.
Spike continued before either one of them could ask him anything,
"She also gave this phrase:
What looks old is really new
What looks weak is really very strong
What appears to be the end is only just a new beginning
What seems to be a disadvantage is actually a tremendous strength
Xander was looking excited.
"Could that be from the 'lost soul' Giles was talking about? Is that the chant? Why are you guys looking at me like that? Sometimes I pay attention to Giles...it's not like it's never happened before."
Both vampires shook their heads ruefully.
"As I was saying..."
"No," both Angel and Spike replied together.
"Why not?"
"'Cause Buffy's not 'lost' in the true sense, 'Whelp'. A 'lost soul' is so confused & muddled & LOST it appears that they are crazy, insane. Besides, what Buffy gave was a warning...watch everything because some things are not what they appear to be."
"Kind of like a soulless demon in love with a Slayer."
"No Whelp...that's true."
"Oh...you mean like you being the Big Bad."
"I am the Big Bad."
"Hah!! You mean you were."
"I still bloody well am."
"Hah!! Dawn's badder than you...you've gone all soft."
"That's it...I'll tear your bloody limbs off."
Angel intervened pushing them apart.
"Behave," he growled at both of them.
"Now isn't time for your squabbles."
Spike growled at him.
"Calm down Spike...fighting Xander, as satisfying as it would be, isn't going to help us tonight. We need cool heads, not hot ones. Xander...stop tormenting him. We know he has a quick temper...you don't need to enrage him for kicks."
Both boys, although still upset...knew their situation, so they nodded their agreement to get along, at least until after the fight.
Angel said that he would call Giles and relate Buffy's last minute
"Now...pull yourselves together...we're almost there."
Both nodded again...pulling themselves together, finally, for they had a task to do.
Reaching the designated parking spot, they waited for Giles's crew to arrive.
When they did, they split themselves according to their game plan.
They all set their phones on vibrate.
They nodded to themselves and moved in.
As they got close to the mansion/warehouse, the sky streaked with lightening and rumbles were heard in the background.
Giles wrote everyone:
Okay, I could have been wrong.
Maybe the shaking of the world
could be interpreted as a
gigantic storm instead of a
tremendous earthquake. Sorry,
but you know these interpretations
don't always portray an accurate
measure of what one might deem
correct in the true sense of the word.
Xander wrote:
So we see. No points for Giles.
And again. Too many words.
I was wrong. Big rumble...comes
from sky, not ground. End of
message...would have been
good.
Giles wrote:
Once again Xander, you've managed
to break down everything to the simplest
words.
Xander:
Yep. That's me. Less words.
More play.
Spike:
In a way...I agree with Xander. Too
many words Dad. But, for my own evil
heart...this must be done. I think the
Whelp phrased it like that Rupert, cause
he forgot how to spell...enough....and he
probably couldn't quite remember what
the word sufficed stood for. So he
couldn't say it again.
Everyone flashed smiley pics on their phones, minus Xander, whose face was flaming...for Spike had guessed the truth.
He merely cut his connection and put his phone back into his pocket. Glad that he was nowhere near the peroxided vampire at the moment.
I could just imagine his joy, he thought to himself, if he knew what I was thinking.
Thankfully, his humiliation was interrupted by the sky sounding like it was cracking and the tremendous shaking of the sky as the heavens opened up and rain came down in drenching buckets.
All the members merely shrugged.
They did however, get closer to the building and moved farther into their next positions.
Angel sent everyone the message:
Everyone move in. Let's get this
started.
Spike wrote:
Alright people. You heard the Souled
Wonder. Let's Rock and Roll.
Everyone wrote in variations of :
Lets get this done. We're ready.
Then they all moved into their entrances and entered the building.
**********
They had decided to move in on different levels.
They had split into three teams: The two vampires, Giles & Xander, and Gunn and the two witches.
Giles and Xander entered the basement, wielding their axes and holy water filled squirt guns. Not to mention their stakes, crosses, and Giles's crossbow.
Soon after they entered the area, demons came rushing out at them.
Thankfully they weren't overwhelmed.
And the demons they were fighting were under skilled.
After Giles had gutted a few of them and Xander had squirted at and staked a good deal of the vampires, the rest attempted to flee into the underground tunnels.
Just about then, the earthquake struck and the dynamite filled tunnels exploded, trapping and crushing demons in the underground tunnels.
Giles merely looked at Xander with a smug look on his face.
"Okay, Okay G-man. You were right. There was a earthquake. Is that enough?"
"No...but I'll be sure to need more praise later."
Xander sighed,
"There are times when one would wish to be killed, if only to avoid the humiliation of bending down to a gloating British Guy."
After he said it, and ax was flung at him, imbedding itself in the wall inches away from his head.
"And then there are these moments when such a wish is completely and utterly revoked," he said, jumping up and looking the way it had been flung from.
Druscilla stood on the far end, grinning evilly at him.
"Xannnderrr," she hissed.
They could both see how her eyes glittered unnaturally and dangerously.
"Oh dear God," both Giles and Xander said.
Her smile was full of death as she advanced on them.
She was halfway across the room, when she stopped and turned.
She lifted her head to the ceiling, as if listening to voices.
They heard her whisper," Spike...Daddy."
Then she turned and ran back out of the room, leaving it empty except for them and the slain bodies of their demon enemies.
Xander and Giles both sank to their knees.
"I thought she was gonna kill us."
"She was."
"What stopped her then?"
"Spike...and Angel."
"We've got to warn them."
"They already know Xander. They already know."
"Come on...we've got to go help the others first...and then go help and find them."
Xander nodded and after they helped each other up, they headed out the hallway and up to the first level. Hoping to catch up with Willow, Tara, and Gunn.
**********
Willow, Tara, & Gunn had entered the mansion/warehouse on the first floor. They had quickly staked, magically disintegrated, and as Gunn liked to say, 'Cleaned House', of the demons there.
Of course, it helped them out that Willow and Tara had formed a movable magical barrier that surrounded them, keeping them safe from any attacks the demons made, while still allowing them to strike out, injure and kill those same demons.
They were doing great, they thought as they advanced up the stairs to the second floor.
Once they reached that level, however, they realized that the battle hadn't even truly begun until that moment.
Demons poured from the rooms & all the dark corners of that floor...or so it seemed.
They had their hands full!
Willow and Tara, when not staking or firing holy water at the vamps, or firing crossbows at the other demons, were using their magic to lift and blast demons with fire, water, or air. They were also using their magic to heft battle-axes and launch them and arrows at the demons. Their combined powers made short work of sending their weapons spinning & beheading demons left and right.
Gunn was busy swinging his sword & machete.
The way he was moving & the little quips he was saying as he landed each of his blows reminded Tara of a 'living Spike.'
I wonder if Willow noticed, she thought.
She turned towards her love to ask her & was surprised to see a new person enter the room from the stairs behind and to the side of them.
Had she not been looking, she would have never had heard her approach.
It wasn't until Willow turned and saw the new person, that she knew who she was, for Willow breathed her name, fear shuddered through each syllable,
"Druscilla."
Druscilla, who had been watching them murder her minions & thoroughly enjoying the show, now started forward, reacting instinctively to the musical and glorious feeling Willow's fear created within her demon.
"Oooh," she said as she recognized Willow," It's the 'Lil Red Witch. I don't like you, Lil Red Witch. Even though I do like the color of your pretty hair...reminds me of yummy, pretty blood. You always try to spoil my fun...you and the nasty slayer. That's why I don't like you, you know. Cause you all love the nasty slayer, who keeps my Spike and my Daddy away, even when she's gone. But now it's just you and me," Dru giggled wickedly before continuing.
"I bet my Mrs. Edith would love to see the insides of you."
She stopped short, touching the barrier that kept her away from harming them. Then she noticed Tara staring at her.
"Oooh....kindred."
Before Willow or Tara, who was looking puzzled, could question her, she focused Tara's eyes on her.
"Look at me. Look at my eyes. Be in me."
Tara started to slump forward, slipping into Dru's trance. The more she slipped in, the less the barrier held together. It began to disintegrate around them, allowing the demons targets they could attack.
Gunn found this out when a blade from a big ugly demon, to his left, sliced through his shirt & into his upper left arm.
"Hey," he shouted," What in the Hell? Willow!!!"
Willow snapped over to look his way, taking in the situation within seconds, before refocusing her attention back to Druscilla. She refused to let Tara get lost again...and that gave her new strength, over her tremendous fear of Dru. She then grasped Tara's hand. Both Witches heads snapped up, Tara's eyes refocused while Willow's grew dark & black with tremendous power.
Willow and Tara moved as one, raising their unbound hands, snapping the barriers back into place & causing Druscilla to fly backwards across the room.
Dru tucked & rolled & sprang back up.
She laughed wickedly.
"Oooh...Lil Red Witch has been learning some new tricks, I see. But so have I...so have I. I'm sorry I cannot stay to play more with you now, kindred. I must go greet my Daddy & my wicked Spike. Grandmummy says that after tonight, we'll all be a family again."
She turned away & started down the hall, where she stopped and ran up the next staircase to the top level.
Her voice drifted back down to them.
"Please have fun with my new pet, however. I'm sure you'll love her...and you'll play such wonderful games with her."
Her laughter trailed off as she reached the next level.
Xander & Giles, who had reached their level right after Willow & Tara had sent Dru flying, witnessed the entire scene and had heard Dru's words. They both wondered, as did the others, what Dru had meant by 'new pet'.
Willow & Tara used their combined powers to encompass Giles & Xander in their barrier.
Then all the members of the team, went to work on clearing that level of the warehouse/mansion of the remaining demons.
When all the demons in the room had been taken care of, they moved as one towards the stairwell, further down the hall.
Just then, the building seemed to shake & they stopped.
"What in the heck was that?" Xander asked.
"An...another earthquake...maybe?" Tara asked hopefully.
It stopped almost as soon as it had started.
They looked at each other wildly.
"Okay...definitely NOT another earthquake...and this so cannot be good news."
"I agree," Willow & Giles said together, agreeing with Xander.
Tara & Gunn just nodded their agreement.
"Let's get moving guys," Gunn said," I wanna help out Angel & Spike."
"Yeah," Willow said," lets go help them out. The sooner we get this done, the sooner everyone will be safe, and we can get Buffy back."
"Okay...boss...lead the way."
Willow smiled. Xander had been calling her boss for a few days now & it made her laugh. Xander had never really been like most men she knew. He would gladly give up being the leader, cause then he wouldn't be able to crack those stupid jokes of his and be all confusey.
That's why Xander's so wonderful, she thought as they moved on.
They were walking down the hall when they spotted a small, cloaked figure near the stairwell.
It looked like a little girl.
"Aww...is she lost?" Xander asked, starting to step closer to the little girl, when Willow grabbed his arm.
"First let me say...OUCH! Second...what's up, Wil? Third...OUCH!"
"Sorry Xand...but remember the warning that Buffy & Spike & Angel gave?"
At Xander's comically blank, dazed and confused look, she said,
"...What seems weak is actually very strong..."
"Oh! Right! I got ya...I remember."
He turned to the small figure.
"See that...evil...tricky...child...thing. I know your aren't a little lost girl...now. You can't fool me....again."
The cloaked figure turned & laughed evilly. Then it disrobed, allowing them to look upon...a little girl.
"But I am a little girl," the child said, her voice had a British tilt to it and it was pleasant to listen to.
"However...as you can plainly see, even from your distance...I'm not all that human."
They could truly see that.
Her human features, that they could see, were her form, for she was shaped like a little girl, in a nice, pretty green velvet flowing type dress, and her hair, which was jet black in color and cascaded down her shoulders, held in place by the bright blood red colored headband.
Her skin however, was milky white. And so smooth, they could almost see right through it. Her skin reminded them of Angel, Druscilla's and Spike's. But she couldn't be a vampire, could she? They were stumped. She had no ridges on her forehead and her eyes weren't a primal yellow color. They were, in fact, a brilliant, glowing, blue. They truly glowed and the color didn't stop at just the pupil. Her entire eye was the glowy blue color. It gave her a spooky air.
She smiled at them then, obviously knowing what they were looking for and why they were so puzzled.
While she smiled, she opened her mouth, further, and showed off her amazingly sharp fangs.
They shuddered.
"Okay...I'm stumped. G-man? What the hell is she?"
"I honestly have no idea Xander."
"Okay...that is so not good...and should she be glowing like that?" Xander asked, turning their attention fully back on the creature across the hall.
As they watched, a dark red color started to pulse and glow and grow behind the girl. She didn't move, which meant she was either controlling it or not interested in it.
The color began swirling around her until it made some sort of cocoon. Then, just when they weren't sure what they should do, the color shot away from her, barreling toward them with rapid speed. It was so fast, they didn't have a chance to move out of its way, by much, but it wasn't aimed at them, but at their barrier.
Once it hit it, their barrier gave a shudder and then collapsed, making Tara and Willow fall to the floor gasping as their energy appeared to be sucked out of them. Xander and Giles dropped to the floor immediately, seeing to both girls. They explained that it was just the suddenness of the barrier's disappearance and they were fine. The two witches were then helped up by the men and they all looked towards the little girl, who was now watching them most curiously again.
The girl looked at them and smiled.
"Before I have my fun with you all. I'll appease your curiosity. They call me Ashta Millani. I look as if I'm but a child, but I assure you ...I'm over three hundred years old."
"Wow," Xander whistled.
The child laughed.
"Yes...I carry my age well, don't you think?"
She stopped and looked at them ...waiting for an answer.
They all, minus Gunn, nodded their heads.
She noticed the slight.
"What about you, tall, dark and handsome. What do you think?"
"You just look like a demon without a soul or a good deeds list to me."
The girl giggled and flicked her wrist.
Gunn was picked up & hurled through the air at the far wall by some unseen force.
The rest of them ran to check on him, but he was already getting up, pretty much unhurt, although stunned by the force and how easy it had been for it to throw him.
"I'm fine," he told them.
Ashta said," He's fine. I wasn't trying to hurt him. I was merely showing him I do not tolerate such behavior from a BOY much younger than me. You should treat your elders better than that, Boy!"
"My elders yes. Demons, however, can kiss my big black..."
"Gunn!" Giles interrupted,"...While I understand how you may be feeling...I don't think that telling this creature how you truly feel or ticking it off in anyway will help us in our current situation."
Gunn merely nodded...his only hint he was going to go along.
They turned their attention back to Ashta, who was now smiling largely at them, showing off her pearly white teeth and very sharp fangs.
"Would you appease my curiosity and answer a few questions about yourself," Giles asked her.
"Yes...you amuse me...and precious little does that. Other than playing childe for the daft vampiress, that is. She likes to dress me up. Sometimes I let her. What did you want to ask me?"
"Where were you...reborn?"
"In England."
"What happened, did something go wrong?"
"What a very astute man you are. Something different happened, but nothing went wrong. It appears that when I was changed...there was something about my blood that made the change, off somehow. Looking back into my lineage, it appears that there were plenty of witches and demons already in my ancestry."
"So you have lots of mixes going on?"
"Your a very strange boy."
Xander merely smiled," I get that a lot."
"Yes...and we mostly ignore him," Giles commented.
Ashta laughed.
"I'm going to be sad, for the first time in hundreds of years when I have to kill you off. I promised her I would you know."
"Do you always keep your promises? Your very interesting...and you don't appear to be all that evil."
"It's true, I fight a battle constantly. But the demon half of me wants to rip you all to shreds, and it is only my amusement of you that keeps it from tearing you all apart."
"You don't think we could take you," Xander asked.
Ashta merely laughed.
"I'm figuring that was a no," Gunn muttered to Xander.
Xander nodded.
Ashta's head snapped up...her eyes glowed and then she looked at them.
"Oohhh...."
"I...is she al...alright?" Tara asked Willow.
"You're asking me?" Willow looked as bewildered as everyone else.
"A...are you alright," Xander asked.
"Oohhh....your here to return a warrior," Ashta said, bowing her head and stepping backward.
"I will not cause you trouble...please go and help the souled and the adversary. They will need your assistance to win this battle."
"Aren't you gonna attack us," Xander asked, a little worried.
"No...my battle wasn't with you...only they didn't know it. Please go. If you wait too much longer...something else will come to bar your way. If I fade out...you will not be able to pass."
"No more hints needed, "Xander said as he sprinted past her and up the staircase.
The others followed and Ashta planted herself at the bottom of the staircase and pulled up barriers behind them, effectively sealing them off from the rushing demons that they heard coming up the stairs.
"Who knew we'd find an ally here," Xander said as they climbed the stairs.
No one answered him, but silently they all thought, Not me.
They continued to rush up the stairs, even though they knew that this was gonna be the hardest level...for not only Dru, but Darla was up there, and both were stronger than before.
********
Angel and Spike had entered the building from the balcony on the third floor. They had gotten there by jumping up part of the way and then scaling the wall with ease. They knew before they entered the room, that they would be surrounded by would be bad asses.
Spike gave them his patented wicked smile and looked at Angel,
"Are you up for a decent spot of violence, Pop?"
"But of course my childe," Angel said, with a wicked grin of his own, his face switching into its demon form.
Spike laughed, also allowing his human mask to slip away, revealing the true demon underneath.
"Well let's rock and roll."
Angel and he advanced, launching into attack mode.
******
Minutes later, they were done, demon parts and scattered dust layered the floor at their feet.
"Well now," Spike said to Angel, " I don't know about you, but I'm a little disappointed."
"Why is that?"
"Cause that wasn't even a decent spot of violence at all. I feel like I lowered myself."
Angel laughed.
"It's true! Those blighters weren't worth my time & effort. I could have been out killing more worthier opponents than them."
"I agree," Angel said as they started farther into the chamber.
"Well son," Angel said as he caught a glimpse of something moving stealthily in the shadows along the walls, "maybe things will start to pick up for you shortly."
Spike nodded, for he had seen the same glimpse as well as its twin that was inching around on the other side of the room.
He then gave Angel a boyish gleam,
"I think so, I think so!"
"You sound like a kid with his first toy."
"I thought it was more a hopeful prize rewarding sort of one?"
Angel laughed.
"We're all gonna get a prize when we're done Spike-My-Boy remember?"
Spike's grin became softer & a light went on in his eyes.
"Yeah!" he said softly.
"Slayer!" he said in that same soft tone.
His thoughtful & happy expression was interrupted because their supposedly stealthy stalkers chose that moment to attack them.
While they were in mid-flight, they figured that by attacking at the same time, they would have the greater advantage and catch him off guard.
They were wrong in their assumptions.
Spike smiled widely, turned slightly and grabbed Angel's sword, pulling it from him with a low & muttered,
"Can I borrow this?"
He then stepped back into place & brought both his ax and Angel's sword up & expertly sliced both demons in half before they knew what was happening.
Angel's only words were,
"Nice job!"
"I thought you'd appreciate the moves."
Angel laughed and then gestured at the darkened hallway.
"Shall we?"
"We shall," Spike said with a wicked gleam in his eye & they walked thru the archway.
******
In a room at the end of the hallway, a blonde vampiress lifted her head from her pre-battle snack and whispered one word, delightedly," Angelus."
Then she walked over to the bed her minions had set up for her.
She sat down on the bed & waited for him to come to her.
******
Spike & Angel felt her before they reached the end of the hallway.
When they were almost there, Druscilla popped out of what seemed like nowhere, but was actually a hidden staircase.
Angel & Spike stopped in their tracks.
Now Darla had to be dusted....Dru's survival, however, depended entirely upon her.
As Spike had told the gang earlier in one of their many discussions,
"Now even thought I don't love her anymore, I don't particularly WANT to kill her. Doesn't mean I won't do it....I won't have her endanger any of you. But, if she can live her unlife, then that's fine with me."
Angel had felt pretty much the same way. He was loathe to have his children dead, but since Darla had been dead before, he could get over her final death.
Druscilla smiled at them.
"Daddy...precious Daddy. Is it you?"
"Druscilla..." Angel started, but Dru interrupted him saying,
"Nope...not Daddy. It's never Daddy. It's not the Shadow man that set me and Grandmummy on fire neither. Oh no," she said, peering into his face," it's the Angel Beast!"
Despite himself, Spike laughed at that.
Angel smacked him upside the head.
"What was that for?"
"Your on my team...your not supposed to laugh or find it funny when she calls me names."
"But it was a good one."
"Spike!"
"Oh come on!! What should it matter if I laugh at their jokes or phrases. I'm still on your side...doing the 'GOOD' thing...and not really getting lots of rewards, but that's a whole 'nother thing. The point, however, is that I call you lots of names far worse than that."
"True...well...as long a you don't add this one to your list, I'm guessing it's cool."
"Hell no I'm not calling you that. Same phrase...taken out of context...No telling what some Poofy Blighters will think it means. You needn't wonder, O Souled One, that I'll use that one...EVER!"
Angel raised his eyebrow, puzzled at what Spike meant, until his meaning dawned on him. Then his face lit up & he couldn't stop himself from bursting out with laughter.
Spike, hit him upside his head,
"Enough already."
Angel didn't even take offense.
In fact, if anything, he laughed even harder.
Then he remembered that Dru was there and calmed down.
Dru, during their discussion, had been swaying back and forth, enjoying them both.
When their attention was on her she said,
"Grrr....Smack it Daddy 'til it pulls the chains & licks you all over like a puppy!"
Spike chuckled.
Angel held back a smile.
"Druscilla..." Spike began softly.
"Oh....my darling, wicked Spike. Why won't you be with me? Your heads still full of that Nasty Slayer. More so than before. My Spike's not mine anymore."
Dru didn't seem that upset over her admission, however.
She looked at Angel & said,
"The Angel Beast isn't as full of the Slayer as My Spike is, but he's got enough in there to make me feel ill."
Spike and Angel both smiled, sometimes Dru was just fun to be around, you always wondered what she would say next.
Dru then blanked out.
Her face became trance-like and she quoted,
"Key shall be guide
Blood will help revive
Ashes..."
Dru stopped & looked up, snapping out of her trance-like state.
She then looked towards the end of the all, to the room they all knew Darla waited in.
"I fear Grandmummy's time has come to an end."
She then sunk down to her knees wailing,
"The voices, the voices...why must pixies torture me.
Dancing, dancing in my head.
Singing songs of peace and happiness
that which shall never satisfy my demon."
Spike stared down at Dru, his brows drawn in deep thought.
There's something I'm supposed to figure out about Dru. Something important. I know it, but I can't grasp it. For the unlife of me...I don't get it, he thought.
His thoughts were suddenly cut off by the sound of footsteps on the stairs.
Angel and he braced themselves for attackers, but they didn't move. They weren't at the mouth of the stairs, for they had move back when Dru came up them so suddenly, earlier.
Whoever was coming, would have to come a bit down the hall to get at them, and by that time, it would be too late.
Their moving back, turned out to be a good thing.
A giant glowing fireball came up the rest of the stairs, sending Druscilla leaping up & dashing past them, sheltering herself behind their backs.
The Scoobies came up the rest of the stairs & Druscilla sank back down to her knees once more, not interested in attacking any of them, for she was too busy lamenting over her faerie tortured circumstances.
Angel & Spike relaxed, seeing the gang all together and well.
"It's good to see you both, still on the side of the Good," Xander said, with a weary glance towards Angel.
Angel sighed," Look, not this again. I haven't been Evil for a VERY long time. Can we not go through this every time we're separated for more than a few hours? Please?"
Xander gave him his goofy grin & said,
"I think I'll have to take your suggestion under consideration...I'll get back to you."
Spike chuckled.
Angel gave Spike a look & then turned back to Xander.
"I'll tell you what Xander. You can stop worrying. If I were to turn back into 'Evil Angelus' ever again," he said, his face morphing into his demon form," You'll be the first to know."
Xander shivered and moved closer to Spike, unconsciously.
Spike snickered at him.
"What's a matter, Wanker boy, someone walk over your grave?"
Xander glared at him and then gave Angel a good glare for scaring him.
Angel, whose face had now morphed back to his human mask, gave him an 'I'm Innocent', angelic smile.
The rest of the group cracked up and then, some of the tension now gone, Willow asked,
"Where's Darla? Or have you two already taken care of her?"
Spike pointed at the double doors at the end of the hallway,
"Not yet, Red. She's through there."
"Well...let's get going then. Got a Slayer to revive and a party to throw," Xander said.
They groaned, but started down the hallway together.
Before they got any closer.
Angel said,
"Spike, do you feel that?"
"Yeah...she's calling you mate."
"Alright then...everyone armed."
There was a chorus of 'Yes's.
"Let's go get Buffy back."
Everyone nodded, and Angel kicked in the door.
**********
TBC…