Chapter 3
Angel reacted quickly. He punched Drusilla in the face, following through with another. With Angel occupied, however, Spike was able to pinch Buffy from her bed.
"Let's get out of 'ere, Dru!" he shouted as he leaped out of the window, dragging a struggling Buffy with him. Angel tried to grab Buffy's ankle, but Spike suddenly pulled, hard, at her wrist. Unaware and surprised by the force he'd put into the pull, he let go. Buffy's limp form rolled down the roof and fell through the air, landing on the moist grass with a dull thud.
Angel, Drusilla and Spike all pushed to get through the window at once. Spike dragged a dagger from his boot and swiped at Angel's face, drawing blood. Angel staggered back, leaving room for his children to leap from the roof.
Together, Spike and Drusilla sprinted towards Buffy's limp form. Each grabbing an arm, they dragged her away, into the misty darkness of the night.
Angel knew they had too great a head start, and that the best thing he could do now was go to Giles. But his brain was not able to fully process what had just happened. So he didn't go.
Instead, he screamed.
* * * * *
"Willow, seeing as you're in on the magic scene rather more than me, perhaps you could research the spell I believe gas been cast on Buffy. I'll look for anything else that might induce her. symptoms. Xander, could you research into any illnesses with similar symptoms? It's unlikely you'll find anything, but." Giles' voice trailed off.
"On it," confirmed Willow. "Oh, I almost forgot. No, it can wait until another time. I should probably talk to Angel first, anyway."
"It concerns Dead-Boy, then?"
"Uh-huh. And Buffy. But, Xander?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell Buffy. It may not be good news, and I don't want to get her hopes up."
"My lips are sealed." Xander whipped his hand across his mouth, as if zipping it shut.
Cordelia grimaced.
* * * * * Joyce heard Angel shout from upstairs. She dropped the T.V. remote to the floor, not noticing when the door to the battery compartment broke and the batteries bounced onto the fluffy new carpet. Dashing up the stairs, she shoved Buffy's bedroom door open.
"Buffy.What happened?"
* * * * * Angel heard Joyce thunder up the stairs, but was barely aware of the door being pushed open.
"Buffy. What happened?"
"Buffy's not here, Mrs Summers. I'm sorry. Did she tell you about Spike and Dru?" Angel queried, adding, as an afterthought, "-Silla?"
"Yes. But - what have they got to do with it?"
"I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop them. They just-"
"You. You mean." Joyce was angry, more than anything, and searching for someone else, someone other than herself, to blame. "You just- just let the take her? But, you said you. How could you?"
Joyce burst into tears, but struggled on. "Buffy trusted you more than anything, loved you with a depth I doubt even I know. But that friend of hers, the one that was killed. Kendra. She was right all along." She crossed the room, furiously searching Buffy's drawers, before finding what she was looking for.
"Mrs Summers, please, calm down!" Angel agreed wholeheartedly with most of Joyce's words, but the weapon she brandished was the easy option. And the ease with which she held it was unnerving.
"You are a monster! You should be killed!" she yelled hysterically, before making her final move.
She raised the stake and ran at him.
* * * * * "I'm not sure why it causes pains to the abdomen. The book doesn't say. Headaches I could understand, but. I think you're right about the spell, though, Giles," Willow reported.
"The most tender part of a woman's anatomy, certainly from a magical point of view, is the womb. Yes?"
"So, you're saying the magic's directed there because it's easier to reach than the brain?"
"Precisely. It then mixes with the blood and travels to the brain."
"Okay, I'm gonna ask the dumb and probably really obvious question, here, but, why do the pains keep coming?" Xander asked.
"The magic is constantly pulsing into the body via that point. The build up of pain - and magic in the body - places the victim in even more danger. So much so that witches have been known to intentionally use this particular spell as a. well, as a murder weapon."
Angel reacted quickly. He punched Drusilla in the face, following through with another. With Angel occupied, however, Spike was able to pinch Buffy from her bed.
"Let's get out of 'ere, Dru!" he shouted as he leaped out of the window, dragging a struggling Buffy with him. Angel tried to grab Buffy's ankle, but Spike suddenly pulled, hard, at her wrist. Unaware and surprised by the force he'd put into the pull, he let go. Buffy's limp form rolled down the roof and fell through the air, landing on the moist grass with a dull thud.
Angel, Drusilla and Spike all pushed to get through the window at once. Spike dragged a dagger from his boot and swiped at Angel's face, drawing blood. Angel staggered back, leaving room for his children to leap from the roof.
Together, Spike and Drusilla sprinted towards Buffy's limp form. Each grabbing an arm, they dragged her away, into the misty darkness of the night.
Angel knew they had too great a head start, and that the best thing he could do now was go to Giles. But his brain was not able to fully process what had just happened. So he didn't go.
Instead, he screamed.
* * * * *
"Willow, seeing as you're in on the magic scene rather more than me, perhaps you could research the spell I believe gas been cast on Buffy. I'll look for anything else that might induce her. symptoms. Xander, could you research into any illnesses with similar symptoms? It's unlikely you'll find anything, but." Giles' voice trailed off.
"On it," confirmed Willow. "Oh, I almost forgot. No, it can wait until another time. I should probably talk to Angel first, anyway."
"It concerns Dead-Boy, then?"
"Uh-huh. And Buffy. But, Xander?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell Buffy. It may not be good news, and I don't want to get her hopes up."
"My lips are sealed." Xander whipped his hand across his mouth, as if zipping it shut.
Cordelia grimaced.
* * * * * Joyce heard Angel shout from upstairs. She dropped the T.V. remote to the floor, not noticing when the door to the battery compartment broke and the batteries bounced onto the fluffy new carpet. Dashing up the stairs, she shoved Buffy's bedroom door open.
"Buffy.What happened?"
* * * * * Angel heard Joyce thunder up the stairs, but was barely aware of the door being pushed open.
"Buffy. What happened?"
"Buffy's not here, Mrs Summers. I'm sorry. Did she tell you about Spike and Dru?" Angel queried, adding, as an afterthought, "-Silla?"
"Yes. But - what have they got to do with it?"
"I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop them. They just-"
"You. You mean." Joyce was angry, more than anything, and searching for someone else, someone other than herself, to blame. "You just- just let the take her? But, you said you. How could you?"
Joyce burst into tears, but struggled on. "Buffy trusted you more than anything, loved you with a depth I doubt even I know. But that friend of hers, the one that was killed. Kendra. She was right all along." She crossed the room, furiously searching Buffy's drawers, before finding what she was looking for.
"Mrs Summers, please, calm down!" Angel agreed wholeheartedly with most of Joyce's words, but the weapon she brandished was the easy option. And the ease with which she held it was unnerving.
"You are a monster! You should be killed!" she yelled hysterically, before making her final move.
She raised the stake and ran at him.
* * * * * "I'm not sure why it causes pains to the abdomen. The book doesn't say. Headaches I could understand, but. I think you're right about the spell, though, Giles," Willow reported.
"The most tender part of a woman's anatomy, certainly from a magical point of view, is the womb. Yes?"
"So, you're saying the magic's directed there because it's easier to reach than the brain?"
"Precisely. It then mixes with the blood and travels to the brain."
"Okay, I'm gonna ask the dumb and probably really obvious question, here, but, why do the pains keep coming?" Xander asked.
"The magic is constantly pulsing into the body via that point. The build up of pain - and magic in the body - places the victim in even more danger. So much so that witches have been known to intentionally use this particular spell as a. well, as a murder weapon."