Author:  PSUbrat
Rating:  PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning:  All characters, except Geoffrey, Garrick and Bronwyn, belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to...I'm just borrowing them for a while.  This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset
Website: 
Update List:
Summary:  Spike's revelation spins Giles out of control...
Timeframe:  Immediately following "Hurricane Ripper"

CHAPTER 5 – INSIDE THE MAELSTROM

The fist struck Spike's jaw with such tremendous force that he felt like he was thrown across the room even though he never left his knees.  It was time.  This was his punishment for what he had done to her.  He slumped further down to the floor in a heap of clothing and flesh.  Even when he heard Giles' footsteps come closer, he didn't flinch or try to flee, he just laid there waiting for the inevitable second blow to come.  And it did.  He grunted in response as Giles' foot connected with his mid section.  The pain was like the lightening that still lit up the room, blinding and harsh.

"You son of a bitch!" Giles yelled a second time as his right foot connected with Spike's ribcage.  He heard something crack but it didn't deter him from his duty to his Slayer, to his daughter.  "How dare you, you filthy monster!  You had no right!  She wasn't yours!  You bastard!"  Each sentence was punctuated with a blunt kick to Spike's side or face.

Spike continued to lay on the floor, writhing in pain, the only sound that managed to escape from his lips was the mangled cry of 'sorry'.  If Giles had heard it, it didn't stop him from doling out the sentence.  It was okay.  He deserved every kick, every punch, everything that was coming his way.  What he did, to her, was unforgivable.

"Get up," Giles demanded in even tones as he backed away from Spike's limp body.

Slowly, Spike looked up through the veil of blood that was now covering his swollen eyes.  The coppery taste of it filled his mouth from his busted lips.  It was a taste that he would have savored when he was a vampire but now it only reminded him of his mortality.  It was funny how being mortal now made the pain even more intense than before, even if it was just in his mind.  But it was still pain...his pain.  Oh yes, Giles was beating him right proper.

"I said get up!"

"I'm trying," Spike said hoarsely as he pulled himself to his knees.  He was already weak prior to the blows but now he wasn't sure if he had it in him to stand.  It didn't stop him from trying though, trying to take this like a man.  But it wasn't enough for Giles – he moved too slowly for the Watcher's liking.  Before he knew it, Giles had him by the shirt collar and was dragging him to his feet, his sides screaming in protest.

"I told you to get up!"  Giles growled as he slammed Spike's broken body up against the wall between the windows.  Something had snapped in him, like a lion protecting its young; he needed to kill this thing in front of him, this thing that had hurt his child.  "You think you know what pain is?  Do you?  You've never met Ripper before and believe me, I'm a hell of a lot worse than any demon or Slayer you'll ever face."

The even tone of Giles' voice was enough to strike fear into Spike's being.  "I have no doubt about that," he croaked in response.  That seemed to only further antagonize the Watcher, incurring more of Ripper's wrath.  More punches to the face immediately followed, each delivered with more strength and more painful than the last.  He wasn't sure, but it may have been the third one, maybe the fourth, when the security blanket of nothingness began to gradually cover him, dulling the pain.

Giles immediately recognized that Spike was hanging on to consciousness by a thread, and instead of hitting him again, he let him drop to the floor.  Slowly he leaned over him, bringing his face within inches of Spike's.  "I'm not through with you yet," he hissed.  "But I'll not have you passing out when I've only just begun to hurt you."

Anger began to build within Spike.  He had come here, searched out this person in particular, why?  Other than hoping for answers, he needed Giles to do exactly what it was that he, himself, couldn't do – physically.  But now, now that Giles was doing what he had hoped for; something inside of him began to yell out in protest of it all.  This was all wrong.  "If you're going to kill me, do it and get it over with."  He growled through the pain.  "I'm not some bloody punching bag for your warped amusement.  Just get it done and over."

"Don't you dare tell me what I should do to you," Giles roared in reply.  "You're lucky you're still alive at this point..."

"Lucky?  You think this is luck?  Are you daft?"

"Shut your mouth, Spike!"

"Or what?  You'll shut it for me?  Please do.  That's why I came here.  I expected you to kill me, not torture me for your pleasure.  Who was the demon in this room anyway?"

Giles kicked Spike's side with as much force as he could muster.  Another satisfying crunch of bones snapping like dried twigs filled the air.  He smirked as Spike howled out in pain.  "You were the demon, you filthy ponce.  I should have killed you as soon as I first laid eyes on you.  You've been nothing but trouble to Buffy, to me, to the world."

Before Giles could administer yet another grueling kick to Spike's side, Spike reached out and grabbed the older man's ankle, halting the punishment.  Despite the pain, he refused to let go even as Giles tried to wriggle free.  Slowly, and determinedly, he pulled himself up to his knees, his gaze never leaving that of the Watcher's.  "I may have almost done the unspeakable to her, but that gives you no right to do this.  Either kill me or beat me well and true, but don't you dare keep me hangin' around just to satisfy some sick inner need to lose control.  I may have been a whippin' boy once, but I'll not be again.  So do it, now, one way or the other."

"Let go of me, Spike, before I strangle the life out of you."  He lunged for Spike's neck but found himself just short of his mark.  Now Spike was standing and had hold of his arms.  How had he moved so fast?  He wasn't a vampire anymore...

"Like you did to that Ben fellow?"  He paused as he let his words sink into Giles' head.  "Yeah, that's right.  Know all about that.  Saw it when no one else did.  So I know what you're capable of, killing humans.  Why else do you think I came here?"

"Why did you come here, Spike?  What did you expect me to do?"

"Mostly I came for answers, but seeing as how you didn't have any I expected you to kill me, outright and proper after my confession.  None of this dilly-dallying around.  But I think I've changed my mind.  I've decided that I want to live, so this little thing here, between you and me...it's over.  You've had your say."

"You must be joking," Giles replied, incredulity creeping into his voice.

"This is no joke, Watcher.  I'm not your soddin' punching bag.  Got it?"

"I will not have you talking to me like…"

"And I will not have you beating me for pleasure," Spike roared as he brought his face just centimeters from Giles'.  "Where's your humanity?"

Giles' reacted physically before his brain could catch up verbally.  It was instinctual, fast, done without any type of conscious thought, and his fist should have connected with Spike's face instantly.  But it didn't.  Instead of fist meeting jaw, his fist met with Spike's hand.  While his mind was trying to process Spike's amazingly quick reflexes, he suddenly felt himself airborne – the result of being on the receiving end of an incredible blow to the abdomen.


"Bloody hell!" Spike bellowed, grabbing his head as Giles' back met with the side of the sofa.  Lightening flashed through the flat as he writhed in pain, not from the blows he had received, but from the chip that was obviously still present and active in his brain.  "Make it stop!"  He wasn't sure if the brilliant flashes of light he was seeing were caused by the chip or from the storm.  Either way, it was blinding…and excruciatingly painful.  He dropped to his knees and then curled himself into a fetal position, hands on either side of his head and eyes tightly screwed shut, praying for relief.

Giles sat in a heap next to the sofa, blinking rapidly, trying to catch his breath.  It took him a few moments to wrap his mind around what was happening.  "Spike?"  He asked tentatively as his mind began to clear.  "Are you alright?"

"Soddin' hell, Watcher!  What do you think?" He managed to snark as the lightening flashed again and his brain continued to explode.  "Arrrhhhh!"

"Spike," Giles said again, pushing himself up from the floor, one hand instinctively going over his sore abdomen and the other out to his side as he tried to steady himself.  "What's wrong?"

"Head's exploding!"  Spike gasped through the pain, pausing between each word as new waves of pain enveloped him.

"Is…is it the chip?"  Giles questioned, already knowing the answer before he continued.  "Is it still there?"

Spike groaned.  Sometimes Giles could be such a stupid git!  "Bloody hell, man!"

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Giles stated as he reached Spike's side and gingerly bent down to examine him.  "Take a deep breath and explain to me, slowly, what's going on."

"Chip.  In my head.  Exploding!"

"Yes, I sort of gathered that, Spike.  But is it a constant voltage or just intermittent?"

Taking deep breaths, Spike slowly opened his eyes and scowled at the Watcher.  "Does it make a difference?"  he demanded, as another wave of pain shook his body.  "Arrrrhhh!!"

"Spike, look at me," Giles demanded.  "The chip shouldn't be going off since you're not trying to harm me at the moment…"

"Tell this soddin' piece of metal that!"

"Alright, do try to calm down."  Suddenly a thought crossed Giles' mind.  "Spike, I need you to answer this truthfully…are you thinking about doing me harm?"

"Watcher, if you don't shut your trap and find out how to fix this I will strangle you!  Arrhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!"  The pain became more intense.  If this kept up, he was sure he would be dead by the end of the hour.

"Just what I suspected.  Spike, listen to me, you have to calm down."

Spike scowled again as he gripped his head in his hands.  The white light was being replaced by multi-colored splashes.  Oh yeah…definitely dead within the hour.  "Calm?  You want me calm?  How in bloody hell…?!?"

Giles knew he had to work fast.  There was no telling what kind of damage that chip was doing to Spike's now human brain.  "Spike, please, listen to me.  Concentrate on my voice…"

"Arrrhhhhh!!!"

"Or maybe not…" Giles said wincing.  "I want you to think of something comforting, without the violence.  I know it will be difficult but you must try."

"You…want me…to concentrate on…hugs and puppies…or something?  You're out of your bleeding mind!  Arrrrhhhhh!!!"  The pain was getting worse; he could almost feel the chip in his brain, melting the tissue around it.  After everything he'd done, come all this way, this was how he was going to go out – killed by some stupid, sodding government piece of crap.  The Fates really weren't kind, not in the least.

Giles knelt down next to Spike and tried to put a comforting hand on the pained man's shoulder.  It felt odd and somewhat familiar at the same time.  "Spike, please…" he stopped as Spike's body spasmed again.  He had to do something or Spike was going to die, and as much as he thought he wanted that earlier, he didn't want to see him suffering so, no one deserved that.  "Spike," he demanded.  "Listen to me.  Buffy and Dawn, they're doing really well at the moment.  They're living at Xander's…"

"At the whelp's?  Why?  Arrrhhhh!"

"Alright then, maybe not the best thing to say…"

"You think?"

"They're living at Xander's because Warren destroyed the front of the Summers' home.  Xander's not there.  He and Willow are currently in the hospital."

"What?  Why?"  Spike asked, trying to focus on the sound of Giles' voice so that he could think.

"Warren stabbed Willow, and Xander was gored by a Toth demon.  It was all very messy.  Willow will heal just fine, but Xander, well, he's in a coma.  The doctors aren't giving him much hope I'm afraid.  In fact, I expect a call from either Dawn or Tara any moment now for their daily update."

"You're serious?"

"I am," Giles replied gravely, as visions of the battle between them and Warren passed through his mind.  "It was, not easy."

"I'm sorry," Spike said with a sigh.  "I should have been there.  Should have helped."

"It was probably best that you weren't.  You certainly wouldn't be human right now if you had been there.  We managed."

"But at a price," Spike replied, finishing the thought that he was sure Giles had going through his mind.  "You said Dawn and Buffy are okay though?"

His idea was working.  He could see the pain receding from Spike's face as they continued to talk.  Best to keep him focused on Dawn.  "Yes, quite.  Actually, Dawn is a little more than alright." 

Spike looked up at Giles from his position on the floor, eyes large and wondering.  "What do you mean 'more than alright'?"  He struggled to sit up so that he could continue the conversation from a more normal perspective.

"Well you see," Giles started as he helped Spike into a sitting position, guilt beginning to tug at him for causing so much damage to the man.  "She seems to be experiencing some Slayer-like qualities."

"What?"  Spike asked, quirking an eyebrow.  His little Niblet a Slayer?  No.  She was much too sweet and innocent for that.

"The monks did make her from Buffy's blood and she was the Key.  We have no idea what powers she has or what more she might get."

"Bloody well take them away then!" Spike shouted as he tried to get up from the floor.  His limbs were much too weak to cooperate and he slid the length of the wall back to a sitting position.

Giles put Spike's arm around his shoulders and his own around Spike's back, as he gently helped him over to the couch.  "Try not to get too excited, Spike," he said as he tried to help make Spike as comfortable as possible.  "You're still weak.  Besides, we cannot take back Dawn's powers.  I'm afraid that her capabilities are only just beginning."

"I guess she's not going to need me to protect her anymore then," Spike added with a sigh.  Why did she have to grow up so fast?

"On the contrary, I believe she's going to need us now more than ever.  She's at a difficult time of life as it is, being a teenager.  Trying to fit in, to be normal.  That's not going to happen now."

"But Buffy did alright…"

"No, she didn't.  When you were around the first time, all you saw was the Slayer.  You weren't around when she struggled with it all, wishing all the while that she were a normal teenaged girl.  I expect that Dawn will probably go through much of the same."

"Not so sure about that, mate," Spike responded as he rubbed his temples.  The pain was starting to subside, as was the storm.  "Dawn has always wanted to be someone special.  Living in big sis's shadow hasn't been easy for her."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Giles said with a sigh.  "How is your head?"

"Feel like a Polgara demon just skewered my brain and is slowly trying to rip it out of my skull."

Giles winced at the description.  "Let me get you an ice pack.  Perhaps it might help."

"Whatever," Spike replied as he took the bag of ice from Giles when he returned to the lounge room.  "I don't think anything's going to help with this, short of beheading me.  And no smart comebacks from the peanut gallery are required."

"Right.  Spike, you cannot continue to live with this thing in your head.  It most assuredly will kill you."

"You think?"  Spike snarked, placing the cold pack on his forehead.  Nothing like having the Watcher state the obvious.

Giles took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose.  "I'm just trying to be helpful…"

"I'm sorry.  It's just that…I can't believe the demon didn't remove the chip when he made me all living like.  It was the least he could have done."

"Yes, and making you human was no large feat at all.  Spike, what exactly did you ask from the demon?"

Spike closed his eyes as he tried to recall those specific memories.  "I asked him to make me what I was, to give Buffy what she deserves.  So I guess he made me human 'cause I wasn't exactly specific about the 'make me what I was part' and then he left the chip in my head to 'give Buffy what she deserves'."

"How so?"  Giles questioned with a frown, not understanding Spike's line of thinking.

"Well, think about it Watcher.  This is my punishment for what I tired to do to her."

"No," Giles responded, slowly shaking his head.  "I don't think that's true.  Spike, there's more to you than meets the eye.  Don't interrupt me right now," he said holding up his hand as Spike began to question what he meant.  "You have reflexes that only two others in this world possess: vampires and Slayers.  You're no longer a vampire.  You're human – with a chip in your head – but nonetheless a human."

"What are you trying to say, Watcher?  Spit it out already.  My brain's been fried and I'm not capable of higher level thinking at the moment."

"Right.  Well, I'm not quite sure of my theory yet.  We would have to test it further, but until we get that chip out of your head we're not going to be able to do that."

"There's an awful lot of 'we's' in that sentence.  Does that mean you're going to help me?

"As much as it pains me to say this, yes, I will help you."

Spike smiled weakly.  "Right then.  How do your propose we get this hunk of metal out of my brain – without killing me?"

"Very good question, but I have an idea."

"As long as it doesn't involve your Council buddies, I'm all for it."

"Right," Giles replied softly as he stood up and made his way to the phone by the chair, never looking back at Spike.  "I'm just going to make a phone call to a friend."