"Now when your girl has gone,
And you're broke in two,
You need a little bit o' soul to see you through."
'God, I love Buffy, and I'm bein' tortured as usual because of it.'
Spike's hands were bound with chains and manacled to a concrete slab. He groaned, wriggled, and tested the chains by giving a tug. They didn't budge in the slightest. 'Just bloody fantastic.'
He lay still, listening for activity. He heard low demon voices discussing something about more recruiting and how Celestial's plan was coming together. Suddenly, a door close by banged open, and Spike schooled his features into smug derision. Celestial stood in the open doorway.
Smiling, she said, "So, vampire, are you feeling ready to join my noble cause?"
Spike curled his lip in distaste. "No thanks, sweetheart. I'll stay on the sane side of things."
She lit a cigarette and tossed the still burning match onto his chest. He yelped and wiggled, managing to dislodge it. She smiled and leaned her hip against the slab and blew a smoke ring. She stubbed the cigarette out on his chest. Spike swallowed back a groan.
Smiling, Celestial murmured, "So how is your pretty blonde Slayer doing? When I defeat her, I'll make sure her death is... interesting."
Spike snarled at that, unable to control himself. "She'll rip you a new one before that could happen. You won't defeat her. She took on a Hell God and won."
"Ah yes. Glorificus. I met her once. She was no match for me."
"You can feel all bleedin' cocky and sure. Nice, innit? But in the end, Buffy will destroy you."
Celestial's eyes flashed in green fury. "You won't be on my side than, William? I'll make sure the torture is nice and long before I kill you. Or maybe I'll wait till your little slayer gets here and let her watch."
Before Spike could react, a fist plowed into his face with the force of a sledgehammer.
***
Buffy woke with a start. Groaning, she slowly rotated her neck to get the kinks out. She turned and saw Willow, her laptop still open on her lap, her head on the armrest, fast asleep.
Buffy checked the time. 7:30 a.m. She got up, picked up the phone and called the school. She talked for a few minutes and when she was done, she had a week off due to a family emergency. Dawn came down the stairs. "Buffy, we need to get moving, we have to save Spike."
"Dawnie, you need to get to school. I can take care of this."
"But..." Dawn gave her a petulant look.
"No buts, Dawn. Please. I know you can handle yourself, but I just don't want you exposed to her. She's insanely powerful. I'd feel better if I knew you were safe at school."
Dawn gave a resigned sigh. "Fine. I'll go to school, and you go save Spike. Be careful." She gave Buffy a hug.
Dawn left and Buffy woke Will up. She slowly came to and blinked sleepily at Buffy.
"Morning Will. Not to be a naggy Buffy, but did you find anything last night?"
"Yeah, I think I did. Though if I do this spell I found, we'll need the element of surprise, and you'll need to get Spike out of there FAST, because a spell I do against a sorceress will go kablooey soon after."
"What kind of spell is it?"
"It's a body-binding spell. It'll keep her from speaking, so she won't be able to do a counter curse right away. It also will bind her arms and legs so she won't be able to fight you.
"That sounds of the good. Not looking to get pummeled into Buffy jelly."
"Well, I called the coven last night – the ones who helped me control my magic – and they said they might give me an added boost to this spell. They also knew of her and they said her usual digs are mansions, so that's where we should look for her." She packed up her laptop and picked up the papers she'd need to do the spell. She skimmed over the ingredients for the potion to throw at Celestial during the spell.
"Okay Will, you go to the Magic Shop and get the supplies you need. I'm going to call Giles and tell him everything. Someone needs to know what we're up to."
Willow nodded and hurried to get dressed and grab a bagel before heading out. Buffy went to the phone to call Giles.
"Hello?" Giles answered.
"Giles? It's me. Listen, Will and I found out that Celestial prefers mansions to nest in. She took Spike last night, and Will and I are going to head out to get him back."
"Buffy, wait. We need to discuss this further, to plan our attack." Giles sounded really worried.
"Giles, Will and I were up most of the night looking for spells. I'm not going to fight her. It's a spell attack and rescue."
Giles sounded frustrated now and was getting Buffy frustrated in turn. "Buffy, I still don't think this is a very good idea..."
"Giles, I care about Spike a great deal. I'm not going to abandon him. I'm not looking for your permission, I'm just trying to be responsible Buffy about this."
She swore she could hear him clean his glasses at that. "Very well, Buffy. Please, please be careful. Do you want me to come along?"
"No. The fewer the better. I don't want to put anyone at risk."
"Call me as soon as humanly possible."
Buffy agreed, said her goodbye and went over to her weapons chest. She'd been through enough rescues to know he'd probably be chained. 'This axe will do just fine.' She also grabbed a large blanket since this rescue was during the daylight hours.
She drove her mom's car – slowly – to the Magic Shop to meet Willow. 'Driving is just SO not me.' Will was just finishing her potion. Anya stood beside her, watching with interest, and keeping tabs on the amounts Willow used to calculate the total price.
Willow capped the bottle and turned to Buffy. "Okay, I'm ready."
They headed toward the door, calling goodbye to Anya.
Anya responded with a toothy dental ad smile. "Good luck! Hope you don't die!" Willow and Buffy rolled their eyes at each other, amused.
As they drove slowly to the swanky area of town – well, as swanky as Sunnydale could be – Buffy was lost in thought. 'Please let Spike be alive.' He just couldn't be dust. He was Spike. No one was able to hurt him except her.
Willow parked along the curb, under a shady tree. They walked slowly past huge, rambling mansions, a lot of them badly tended, when Willow paused in front of an elegant, brick mansion.
"Is this it?" Buffy saw a well-kept yard, large shady trees, and oleander flowers scattered around. Willow put her hands up, and it seemed to Buffy that she was trying to feel her way out of a box.
"Um, Willow? Are you doing something other than pretending to be a mime?"
Willow chuckled. "I can feel energy here. It's cloaked, though, so I'm just testing the strength of the magic around the property. I have to get us through."
She continued to flex her hands, then murmured softly,
"From wall to wall, Ceiling to floor, Let the magic hear my plea, Let there be an open door."
Willow smiled, so Buffy assumed it worked. "We just have to remember where the door is. We can't waste any time."
They walked through and crept along in the shadows, while Willow kept her magical senses on alert for Celestial's presence. Buffy saw a low window partially opened. They scoped out the inside and slid in. Moving silently past large, abstract paintings and oak furniture, they eased out into a hallway. Hearing voices, Buffy pushed Willow back into the room and followed. Barely breathing, the two girls listened closely.
"Celestial wants us to move him down into the underground room. She only put him in this room because he put up a major struggle."
"Okay. Lets grab some weapons and then we'll get him."
Willow and Buffy slipped out of the room again. Hurriedly moving down the hallway, they listened at doors. At the second to last one, Buffy motioned Willow over and whispered, "In here." They pushed the door open and hurried in. Spike lay on a slab of stone, chained, and Buffy felt her stomach turn at the sight of his bruised face and body.
Hefting the axe, she swung it in a downward arc, breaking the chains with a clang.
"Spike, hurry. We don't have much time." Frantically, she pulled him up and propped him up with her shoulder. He leaned heavily on her.
"Buffy?" He swayed, his voice soft and throaty.
"Yeah. Come on."
"Buffy! She's coming..." Willow ducked out of sight as Celestial swung into the room.
"Well, well... what do we have here? I didn't figure you'd have the balls to come in here after my last victory, so I got a little lax on security." She grinned, hands on her hips.
Willow came forward then, chanting, eyes crackling with energy:
"Polus supremus quod abyssus subter supter Terra, ventus, incendia quod aer Totus audite lacuna EGO narro Redimio suus mens quod somes hic
Willow tossed the potion at Celestial's feet and it exploded in a shower of purple sparks and light. Buffy and Spike both blinked rapidly at the blindiness of it.
"Hurry! We have to go," Willow called out.
Buffy turned Spike around to go out the window since it was the closest exit. Celestial stood there, immobile but for a flashing in her eyes. She wouldn't be bound much longer. Buffy and Willow shoved Spike through the window and followed after, landing under a shady tree. Buffy flung the blanket over him, and they crossed the lawn as rapidly as possible. Three guards were racing toward them. Two went at Willow, one at Buffy. Buffy flung the axe in a backhanded throw, planting it neatly into the wide-eyed guard's chest. She then yanked it out.
Willow threw a pale hand up into the air and called out, "Halt!" The guards stopped, frustrated, unable to continue walking. Buffy and Willow heaved Spike back up and continued running as if the hounds of hell were chomping at their feet. They practically threw Spike into the back of the car, and took off.
By the time they reached 1630 Revello Drive, Spike was barely able to stand and the blanket was smoking. They hurried Spike into the house, and Buffy got him onto the couch in the darkened living room. Willow called Giles and Xander while Buffy got a good look at Spike. He looked like... well, like death.
"Spike." She whispered his name. He twitched at the sound. He had gashes, long and deep, on his chest. They were beginning to crust a bit, though, so that was good. Vampiric healing. He had an eye so swollen he couldn't open it. His face was dotted with various cuts, burns, and bruises. His wrists were rubbed raw, and they were kind of oozy. The way he cradled his side, Buffy figured he had some broken ribs. As he twitched a bit more, she noticed his side was also sporting a gouge mark that was still bleeding. His lips were puffy as well.
She felt tears burn her eyes. She put a hand out and touched his cheek gently. He stirred again, but seemed out of it.
Willow came back in with bandages and more first aid supplies. She helped wrap up his side - Buffy holding him up and Willow wrapping. They tried to do it gently, but it elicited pain-filled growls.
"It's okay, Spike," Buffy soothed. At the touch of her hand on his brow, he calmed down and allowed Willow to finish wrapping. They wrapped his wrists as well and got him more settled. Buffy went out to the kitchen and warmed up a mug of blood. She took it in, and he took a few sips, then turned away.
She frowned, but didn't push it. He fell asleep and she pulled a blanket over him.
Giles arrived then with Xander.
"Buffy? You found and rescued him? Are you and Willow all right?" Both he and Xander examined the girls closely to make sure.
"Yes, we're fine. But Spike isn't." Buffy walked back over to watch him worriedly. Giles stood next to her.
"We shouldn't worry too much. He's been through this before with Glory and he healed."
"I guess." She continued to stand there, her eyes on the prone form of the vampire. He left her alone. Buffy sat by him, entwining her fingers with his. She watched his eyelashes flutter in sleep. She traced the scar bisecting his eyebrow. Eventually she laid her head on the sofa next to his and fell asleep, exhaustion creeping in.
Giles, Xander, and Willow found her that way. Giles knew something was going on between them, and Xander suspected. He wasn't happy about it either. They all retreated to leave the slayer and the vampire alone, though. A few minutes before Dawn was to arrive home, Willow went in to wake Buffy up. Buffy gave a small groan, her neck cramped from sleeping so oddly. She went outside to get some fresh air and to wait for Dawn so she could prepare her.
And you're broke in two,
You need a little bit o' soul to see you through."
'God, I love Buffy, and I'm bein' tortured as usual because of it.'
Spike's hands were bound with chains and manacled to a concrete slab. He groaned, wriggled, and tested the chains by giving a tug. They didn't budge in the slightest. 'Just bloody fantastic.'
He lay still, listening for activity. He heard low demon voices discussing something about more recruiting and how Celestial's plan was coming together. Suddenly, a door close by banged open, and Spike schooled his features into smug derision. Celestial stood in the open doorway.
Smiling, she said, "So, vampire, are you feeling ready to join my noble cause?"
Spike curled his lip in distaste. "No thanks, sweetheart. I'll stay on the sane side of things."
She lit a cigarette and tossed the still burning match onto his chest. He yelped and wiggled, managing to dislodge it. She smiled and leaned her hip against the slab and blew a smoke ring. She stubbed the cigarette out on his chest. Spike swallowed back a groan.
Smiling, Celestial murmured, "So how is your pretty blonde Slayer doing? When I defeat her, I'll make sure her death is... interesting."
Spike snarled at that, unable to control himself. "She'll rip you a new one before that could happen. You won't defeat her. She took on a Hell God and won."
"Ah yes. Glorificus. I met her once. She was no match for me."
"You can feel all bleedin' cocky and sure. Nice, innit? But in the end, Buffy will destroy you."
Celestial's eyes flashed in green fury. "You won't be on my side than, William? I'll make sure the torture is nice and long before I kill you. Or maybe I'll wait till your little slayer gets here and let her watch."
Before Spike could react, a fist plowed into his face with the force of a sledgehammer.
***
Buffy woke with a start. Groaning, she slowly rotated her neck to get the kinks out. She turned and saw Willow, her laptop still open on her lap, her head on the armrest, fast asleep.
Buffy checked the time. 7:30 a.m. She got up, picked up the phone and called the school. She talked for a few minutes and when she was done, she had a week off due to a family emergency. Dawn came down the stairs. "Buffy, we need to get moving, we have to save Spike."
"Dawnie, you need to get to school. I can take care of this."
"But..." Dawn gave her a petulant look.
"No buts, Dawn. Please. I know you can handle yourself, but I just don't want you exposed to her. She's insanely powerful. I'd feel better if I knew you were safe at school."
Dawn gave a resigned sigh. "Fine. I'll go to school, and you go save Spike. Be careful." She gave Buffy a hug.
Dawn left and Buffy woke Will up. She slowly came to and blinked sleepily at Buffy.
"Morning Will. Not to be a naggy Buffy, but did you find anything last night?"
"Yeah, I think I did. Though if I do this spell I found, we'll need the element of surprise, and you'll need to get Spike out of there FAST, because a spell I do against a sorceress will go kablooey soon after."
"What kind of spell is it?"
"It's a body-binding spell. It'll keep her from speaking, so she won't be able to do a counter curse right away. It also will bind her arms and legs so she won't be able to fight you.
"That sounds of the good. Not looking to get pummeled into Buffy jelly."
"Well, I called the coven last night – the ones who helped me control my magic – and they said they might give me an added boost to this spell. They also knew of her and they said her usual digs are mansions, so that's where we should look for her." She packed up her laptop and picked up the papers she'd need to do the spell. She skimmed over the ingredients for the potion to throw at Celestial during the spell.
"Okay Will, you go to the Magic Shop and get the supplies you need. I'm going to call Giles and tell him everything. Someone needs to know what we're up to."
Willow nodded and hurried to get dressed and grab a bagel before heading out. Buffy went to the phone to call Giles.
"Hello?" Giles answered.
"Giles? It's me. Listen, Will and I found out that Celestial prefers mansions to nest in. She took Spike last night, and Will and I are going to head out to get him back."
"Buffy, wait. We need to discuss this further, to plan our attack." Giles sounded really worried.
"Giles, Will and I were up most of the night looking for spells. I'm not going to fight her. It's a spell attack and rescue."
Giles sounded frustrated now and was getting Buffy frustrated in turn. "Buffy, I still don't think this is a very good idea..."
"Giles, I care about Spike a great deal. I'm not going to abandon him. I'm not looking for your permission, I'm just trying to be responsible Buffy about this."
She swore she could hear him clean his glasses at that. "Very well, Buffy. Please, please be careful. Do you want me to come along?"
"No. The fewer the better. I don't want to put anyone at risk."
"Call me as soon as humanly possible."
Buffy agreed, said her goodbye and went over to her weapons chest. She'd been through enough rescues to know he'd probably be chained. 'This axe will do just fine.' She also grabbed a large blanket since this rescue was during the daylight hours.
She drove her mom's car – slowly – to the Magic Shop to meet Willow. 'Driving is just SO not me.' Will was just finishing her potion. Anya stood beside her, watching with interest, and keeping tabs on the amounts Willow used to calculate the total price.
Willow capped the bottle and turned to Buffy. "Okay, I'm ready."
They headed toward the door, calling goodbye to Anya.
Anya responded with a toothy dental ad smile. "Good luck! Hope you don't die!" Willow and Buffy rolled their eyes at each other, amused.
As they drove slowly to the swanky area of town – well, as swanky as Sunnydale could be – Buffy was lost in thought. 'Please let Spike be alive.' He just couldn't be dust. He was Spike. No one was able to hurt him except her.
Willow parked along the curb, under a shady tree. They walked slowly past huge, rambling mansions, a lot of them badly tended, when Willow paused in front of an elegant, brick mansion.
"Is this it?" Buffy saw a well-kept yard, large shady trees, and oleander flowers scattered around. Willow put her hands up, and it seemed to Buffy that she was trying to feel her way out of a box.
"Um, Willow? Are you doing something other than pretending to be a mime?"
Willow chuckled. "I can feel energy here. It's cloaked, though, so I'm just testing the strength of the magic around the property. I have to get us through."
She continued to flex her hands, then murmured softly,
"From wall to wall, Ceiling to floor, Let the magic hear my plea, Let there be an open door."
Willow smiled, so Buffy assumed it worked. "We just have to remember where the door is. We can't waste any time."
They walked through and crept along in the shadows, while Willow kept her magical senses on alert for Celestial's presence. Buffy saw a low window partially opened. They scoped out the inside and slid in. Moving silently past large, abstract paintings and oak furniture, they eased out into a hallway. Hearing voices, Buffy pushed Willow back into the room and followed. Barely breathing, the two girls listened closely.
"Celestial wants us to move him down into the underground room. She only put him in this room because he put up a major struggle."
"Okay. Lets grab some weapons and then we'll get him."
Willow and Buffy slipped out of the room again. Hurriedly moving down the hallway, they listened at doors. At the second to last one, Buffy motioned Willow over and whispered, "In here." They pushed the door open and hurried in. Spike lay on a slab of stone, chained, and Buffy felt her stomach turn at the sight of his bruised face and body.
Hefting the axe, she swung it in a downward arc, breaking the chains with a clang.
"Spike, hurry. We don't have much time." Frantically, she pulled him up and propped him up with her shoulder. He leaned heavily on her.
"Buffy?" He swayed, his voice soft and throaty.
"Yeah. Come on."
"Buffy! She's coming..." Willow ducked out of sight as Celestial swung into the room.
"Well, well... what do we have here? I didn't figure you'd have the balls to come in here after my last victory, so I got a little lax on security." She grinned, hands on her hips.
Willow came forward then, chanting, eyes crackling with energy:
"Polus supremus quod abyssus subter supter Terra, ventus, incendia quod aer Totus audite lacuna EGO narro Redimio suus mens quod somes hic
Willow tossed the potion at Celestial's feet and it exploded in a shower of purple sparks and light. Buffy and Spike both blinked rapidly at the blindiness of it.
"Hurry! We have to go," Willow called out.
Buffy turned Spike around to go out the window since it was the closest exit. Celestial stood there, immobile but for a flashing in her eyes. She wouldn't be bound much longer. Buffy and Willow shoved Spike through the window and followed after, landing under a shady tree. Buffy flung the blanket over him, and they crossed the lawn as rapidly as possible. Three guards were racing toward them. Two went at Willow, one at Buffy. Buffy flung the axe in a backhanded throw, planting it neatly into the wide-eyed guard's chest. She then yanked it out.
Willow threw a pale hand up into the air and called out, "Halt!" The guards stopped, frustrated, unable to continue walking. Buffy and Willow heaved Spike back up and continued running as if the hounds of hell were chomping at their feet. They practically threw Spike into the back of the car, and took off.
By the time they reached 1630 Revello Drive, Spike was barely able to stand and the blanket was smoking. They hurried Spike into the house, and Buffy got him onto the couch in the darkened living room. Willow called Giles and Xander while Buffy got a good look at Spike. He looked like... well, like death.
"Spike." She whispered his name. He twitched at the sound. He had gashes, long and deep, on his chest. They were beginning to crust a bit, though, so that was good. Vampiric healing. He had an eye so swollen he couldn't open it. His face was dotted with various cuts, burns, and bruises. His wrists were rubbed raw, and they were kind of oozy. The way he cradled his side, Buffy figured he had some broken ribs. As he twitched a bit more, she noticed his side was also sporting a gouge mark that was still bleeding. His lips were puffy as well.
She felt tears burn her eyes. She put a hand out and touched his cheek gently. He stirred again, but seemed out of it.
Willow came back in with bandages and more first aid supplies. She helped wrap up his side - Buffy holding him up and Willow wrapping. They tried to do it gently, but it elicited pain-filled growls.
"It's okay, Spike," Buffy soothed. At the touch of her hand on his brow, he calmed down and allowed Willow to finish wrapping. They wrapped his wrists as well and got him more settled. Buffy went out to the kitchen and warmed up a mug of blood. She took it in, and he took a few sips, then turned away.
She frowned, but didn't push it. He fell asleep and she pulled a blanket over him.
Giles arrived then with Xander.
"Buffy? You found and rescued him? Are you and Willow all right?" Both he and Xander examined the girls closely to make sure.
"Yes, we're fine. But Spike isn't." Buffy walked back over to watch him worriedly. Giles stood next to her.
"We shouldn't worry too much. He's been through this before with Glory and he healed."
"I guess." She continued to stand there, her eyes on the prone form of the vampire. He left her alone. Buffy sat by him, entwining her fingers with his. She watched his eyelashes flutter in sleep. She traced the scar bisecting his eyebrow. Eventually she laid her head on the sofa next to his and fell asleep, exhaustion creeping in.
Giles, Xander, and Willow found her that way. Giles knew something was going on between them, and Xander suspected. He wasn't happy about it either. They all retreated to leave the slayer and the vampire alone, though. A few minutes before Dawn was to arrive home, Willow went in to wake Buffy up. Buffy gave a small groan, her neck cramped from sleeping so oddly. She went outside to get some fresh air and to wait for Dawn so she could prepare her.