Chapter 22
Buffy woke up in a sweat. She shot out of bed and looked around the dark room. Angel rubbed his face and sat up. The Slayer breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey.." She jumped slightly when Angel touched her shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"Bed dream." Buffy said.
"Prophetic?"
"Not that I can tell. Just.. Freaky."
"Are you sure you're ok?"
Buffy glanced out the window at the sky that was breaking into morning and the city that had been awake long before. "I don't know."
"What happened?"
"I can't really explain it. There was a lot of blood and confusion and.. I think fear." She looked at her husband. "But it wasn't mine."
Angel pulled her to his chest. "It's going to be ok."
"No it's not. We have to go to work soon."
***
"Maybe we made a mistake coming here." Buffy said to Lorne and Wesley as Fred and Gunn walked in.
"What's going on?" Gunn asked.
"Oh, Buffy's having Slayer dreams again and parasite Eve, right on out the door." Lorne said.
"You're firing her? I mean Eve."
"Well, that's one option." Angel said.
"A great one, considering she tried to kill my husband." Buffy said.
"Ok, first, the parasite she allegedly sicked on you wasn't meant to be fatal." Gunn said.
"No, just send you into a permanent hallucinogenic coma." Fred said.
"And what's with the 'alleged'?" Angel asked. "You don't believe I know it was her?"
"It's not about what I believe. It's about the evidence." Gunn said.
"This isn't a courtroom, Gunn. Things work with a bit more immediacy in the real world." Wesley said.
"She's liaison to the senior partners. You don't get to be that without serious juice. Move against her without solid proof and it could end in a long, bloody fight."
"Ok, fine. I think I liked you better when you just wanted to hit people." Angel said.
"Rational thought: it's an acquired taste."
"Wait a minute. So, we're not going to snap Twiggy into little sticks?" Lorne asked.
"Gunn's right. We can't risk it. Yet." Buffy said.
"We'll restrict her access, keep a closer eye on what she's up to. Play her like she's been playing us." Gunn said.
Harmony walked in. "Bosses, we just got a tip some looney's hatched from the bin."
"A who did a what?" Buffy asked.
"A girl over in the nuthouse went all Cuckoo's Nest, hacked up a couple of guards and went over the wall."
"Really not our department, Harmony." Angel said.
"Notify the authorities. Make sure they're on it." Wesley added.
"Ok, but they better bring a priest. Looks like this chick's gone all kinds of exorcist." Harmony said.
"Wait a minute. She's possessed?" Buffy asked.
"Duh! Didn't I say that?"
"I'll get a team together." Wesley said.
"No. Wait." Buffy stood. "I don't want to go storming in with troops until we know what we've got here."
"Buffy's right." Angel said. "I've seen a few of these possession cases. They have to be handled very carefully. Real finesse job."
***
The elevator bell dinged and Buffy and Angel walked out. They stepped off the elevators at the same time Spike did. "Oh." Spike looked at them. "Well, fancy this. Bitty slug I saved you from scramble your brains after all? Come to check yourself in?"
"Spike.." Buffy said.
"What are you doing here, Spike?" Angel asked.
"Didn't get the memo? Hero of the people now." Spike said.
"Oh, then go and annoy them."
"When I'm done. Heard one of the simples went for a stroll."
"And we'll get her back without your help."
"Goody for you, cause, uh, not offering it."
"Look, shouldn't you be out in the streets, you know, protecting the city from people like you?"
"Go where I'm needed."
"Well, which isn't here."
The nurse looked up. "Gentlemen, may I help you?" Buffy stepped out from behind the men. "And ma'am."
Buffy smiled. "Hi.."
A doctor walked out behind the nurse. "Can I help you?"
"Other way around, doc. I'm.." Spike started.
"Actually, you can ignore him." Buffy glared at Spike. "We're here to get your patient back." Angel handed a card to the doctor. "I'm Buffy and that's my husband Angel. We're from Wolfram & Hart."
"Lawyers? I already told the police everything I know." The doctor said.
"Well, can we go over it again, just in case you left out any details?"
"What she said. But with a bit more of a threat at the end." Spike said. Buffy whacked his stomach. "Bloody hell woman!"
"Shush."
"Right this way." The doctor said.
***
The doctor told them everything about what had happened. The girl's name was Dana and she's been like this most of her life. Buffy was looking over drawings Dana had in her room. They were bright, vibrant, and terribly disturbing. One picture showed a wolf-like monster growling. Another showed a cave-woman on her knees before a huge fiery monster. Spike looked around and saw the walls were covered with such drawings of monsters.
"She was a special case." Dr. Rabinaw said. "Her family was murdered in their home when she was 10. Whoever did it took Dana.. and tortured her for months. She was found one day naked and bleeding, wandering the streets. Barely functional, nearly catatonic ever since."
"Looks like she snapped out of it." Spike said.
"Several months ago her condition changed. Increasing levels of agitation accompanied by explosive outbursts of inhuman strength." That struck a nerve with Buffy.
"Right. Demon possession."
"That's ridiculous."
"You're not helping, Spike." Angel said.
"No, I'm doing. You can hang out for the show-and-tell-me-nothing. I got a demon needs repossessing." Spike grabbed a drawing off the wall and walked out. "Ta."
"Sorry. He's.. is pathological idiot an actual condition?"
"May I suggest that you stop your friend? If he finds Dana, he's gonna end up dead like the others." Dr. Rabinaw said.
"Yeah, but he'll just end up comin' back." The doctor nodded and left. Angel looked around. "What isn't he tellin' me?"
"Rabinaw videoed all his sessions with her." The nurse said, walking in.
"Show me." Angel followed the nurse out of the room.
Buffy stayed behind to examine the drawings and try to find out why they all seemed so familiar to her. After a few minutes, she touched one of the pictures and let out a scream as the picture came to life in her mind. She knew this. Dana was a Slayer! When she opened her eyes, Angel was helping her to her feet. "Oh God! It's my fault those people were murdered by her."
"What?" Angel asked.
"Dana.. She's a Slayer! That picture.. All of them, I recognize them! Do you remember me telling you about the dreams I had before I found out they were about Slayers? Those pictures are them! And last night.. My dream was about Dana!"
"I know. In the videos, she was yelling in all these different languages. Something about being Chosen. I didn't think you'd figure it out this way."
"I have a bond with that poor girl. It's only natural that I find out this way." Buffy started. "We have to find Spike! She'll kill him."
"How're we going to.."
"I'll drive."
***
Spike landed face-down on the pavement outside the warehouse right as Buffy drove up in her and Angel's car. She stopped the car and got out as Spike slowly stood up. "What happened?" Angel asked.
"Oh, I just thought I'd see what it was like to bounce off the pavement. Pretty much what I expected." Spike said.
"Stay out of it. Tactical's on the way."
"Oh, right. Sure, she'll hang around till they show up."
"You should've waited."
"Hey, keep your knickers on. Least now I know what we're dealin' with. It's a Chinese demon. Maybe a water dragon or one of those elemental thingies." Angel sighed and rolled his eyes, and walked away. "What?!"
Both vampires looked around. "Where's Buffy?"
The Slayer walked through the warehouse where Spike and Dana had obviously fought. "Dana?" She called out softly. There was no response. Buffy knew that the girl had long since left.
***
Buffy, Angel, and Spike walked out of the elevator. "A psychotic vampire slayer." Spike said.
"How many times you gonna keep sayin' that?" Buffy asked.
"Just tryin' to wrap my lobes around it. A psycho slayer."
"And you let her get away."
"At least I was tryin' to stop her."
"Oh, how'd that work out?"
"At least I know the game, now, don't I? I killed 2 slayers with my own hands and I almost took you too. Think I can handle one that's gone daft in the melon."
"You're not handling anything, Spike. Ok? Wes contacted Giles. He's sending his top guy to help me retrieve her." They walked into the conference room.
"Angel. Buffy.. We were just about to.." Wesley started.
An additional person was waiting in the conference room. He turned around in his chair to reveal that he was Andrew. Buffy and Angel started. Andrew's hair was slightly longer and he was wearing a suit and tie and holding a pipe. "Spike!?"
"Oh, for the love of.." Spike started.
"Spike?" Andrew ran toward Spike, touching his shoulders. "It's you. It's really you! My therapist thought I was holding onto false hope, but.. I knew you'd come back. You're like.. you're like Gandalf the White, resurrected from the pit of the Balrog, more beautiful than ever. Ohh.. he's alive, Frodo. He's alive." Andrew turned to Buffy. "You look really great!" He went to hug her but Buffy held up her hand.
"You touch me and I'll make you a woman." The Slayer said.
"Hi Angel."
"You know each other?" Gunn asked.
"Uh, yeah. Um.. We-we saved the world together. Uh, so what happened? Last I heard, you went all pillar of fire down in the Hellmouth."
"Could we save memory lane till after we contain this psychotic superpowered killing machine?" Angel asked.
"We were just about to bring everyone up to speed on slayer mythology." Wesley said.
"I'll take it from here, Pryce. Best they hear it from an expert." Andrew said.
"Oh, right. Let the top man have a go." Spike said.
"Please.. enlighten us." Wesley said.
"Gather around and attend to a most unusual tale.." Andrew said. "A tale I like to call.. The Slayer of the Vampyrs. Eons ago, on the dark continent.."
"Three creepy old guys wanted to fight evil." Buffy interrupted.
"I was telling!"
"Oh, shut up and sit down before I tie you to a chair again. They took a young girl, and they filled her with the power of a demon. The Powers figured out a way to get her powers to go down through the generations. Into every generation, a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world strong enough to fight the forces of darkness yada, yada, yada. Six months ago, Willow and I changed all of that. All the potentials become Slayers."
"An army of slayers." Wesley said, looking at Buffy proudly. "Brilliant stratagem. But with the Watchers Council destroyed, how will these new slayers receive their necessary.."
"Yeah. Sorry we didn't tell you. Giles and the others have been tracking down the newborn Slayers and training them.. But Dana, she's a glitch that no one could have predicted. Tortured, traumatized.. driven insane by Lord knows who. And then the dreams of demons and superpowers she's always had suddenly become real. The dreams of Slayers are usually just that.. dreams. But Dana's mental instability may be making them seem more real."
"Explains why that skirt was yappin' at me in Chinese." Spike said. "Must've thought she was the Slayer I took out back in the Boxer Rebellion."
"You mean the Slayer you murdered." Buffy shot back.
"Well, I didn't have a soul back then, did I?"
"Right, cause having one now is making such a difference." Angel said.
"You corporates go ahead with your talky-talk. Anybody needs me, I'll be out doin' his and Buffy's job." Spike walked out.
Angel followed. "Spike? You think this is a joke?"
"Only if you're the punch line."
"Look, we're the last 2 people that should be confronting her. Buffy should take this one. She and Dana are Slayers. Dana has every reason to hate us, and she's unstable. In her mind, there probably aren't any good vampires. She exists for one reason.. to destroy creatures like us."
"Dance of death. Eternal struggle. Right. Got it."
"You will.. when she's staking you in the heart."
"What do you want me to do? Go all boo-hoo cause she got tortured and driven out of her gourd? Not like we haven't done worse back in the day."
"Yeah, and it's somethin' I'm still payin' for."
"And you should let it go, mate. It's startin' to make you look old."
***
Buffy paced the room. "Spike's right. We should be out there!"
"Then what? Kill her? What's happening isn't her fault." Fred said.
"But it's mine. I created her."
"All right, look, we know that she's been sighted at these locations since her escape." Angel said. "Tactical's doin' a non-engagement sweep, but they'll have to cover over at least 60 blocks."
"That'll take days if we're lucky." Fred said.
"We have to narrow it down. Witnesses say it was like she was looking for something. We have to figure out what."
"Why not start at the source?" Lorne said.
"The asylum?" Wesley asked.
"No. Where this started for her. She was abducted from home. Right?"
"That was over 15 years ago." Angel said.
"Houses have long memories, Angel cakes. You just gotta know how to get 'em to talk."
"All right. Fine. Set it up. But let's get Andrew in on this, see if he knows.. anything."
"Um, I don't think he's here." Fred said.
"What? Where'd he go?" Angel looked around. "And where'd Buffy go?"
***
Buffy walked through the streets near where Dana was last spotted. She picked up the other Slayer's presence quickly and followed it. She smelled blood on the air and found Andrew laying in an alley. "Andrew!" She ran to him. "Are you ok?"
"Spike.." Andrew said. "She got.. Spike."
"Where'd she take him?"
"I don't know."
"Damn it." Buffy stood and closed her eyes. She picked up Spike's scent and started to follow. It was amazing how living with a vampire for three years made her senses really heighten to new levels. Her senses led her to an abandoned warehouse that smelled like death and blood. She heard noises down in the basement and followed them. She found Dana punching a handless Spike.
"Doesn't matter! Head and heart. Keep cutting till you see dust." Dana picked up her saw, but Buffy grabbed her and threw her across the room. Dana got to her feet.
"Dana.. look, I'm here to help you. I'm just like you."
"Can't hurt me. Not weak anymore."
"That's right."
"Strong. Slayer." Dana charged Buffy, kicking her in the chest. They fought in hand-to-hand combat, but they were evenly matched. They continued to trade punches and kicks, knocking over the little furniture that remained in the room. Buffy decided to stop holding back and she grabbed Dana around the neck from behind and held her tightly in a choke hold. Dana struggled, but Buffy was stronger than she was.
Dana slipped into unconsciousness and Buffy gently laid her on the ground. "I'm sorry." Buffy stood and ran over to Spike. She touched his cheek gently and looked at his arms. "God.. Spike, can you hear me?"
"Buff.." Spike slurred.
Buffy undid his chains easily and allowed his head to fall onto her chest. She hugged him to her and pulled out her cell phone.
***
Angel and Wesley escorted Dana's gurney out of the basement along with a group of armed guards. Angel had hauled the team over to the warehouse when Buffy had called. Buffy walked up next to the gurney and touched Dana's forehead. "I'm sorry I did this to you."
"Chain her into the van. I want armed guards ridin' with her in the back." Angel said. Andrew stepped from beside the ambulance. "That's all right, boys and Buffy. I'll take it from here."
"What?" Buffy asked.
"Totally appreciate your help on this one. Never could've found her without you, but you got enough problems of your own to worry about."
"Get outta the way, Andrew."
"She's a Slayer. That means she's ours."
"Yeah. Sorry. Not how it works."
"Load her up." Angel said. "Don't hesitate to tranq her if she so much as.."
"No. I don't think you.. heard me." Andrew said, blocking the gurney. A group of young women walked out from the shadows to back up Andrew. "Think we're just gonna let you take her back to your evil stronghold? Well, as they say in Mexico.. No. We're not.. gonna.. let you."
"She needs help. And I'm not turning her over to you." Buffy said.
"You don't have a choice. Check the view screen. I got 12 Vampyr Slayers behind me, and not one of them has ever dated Angel. She's coming with us one way or another."
"You're way outta your league, Andrew. I'll just clear this with Giles and Faith."
"Where do you think my orders came from?" Buffy looked hurt, but only Angel noticed. "News flash: nobody in our camp trusts either of you anymore. Nobody. You guys work for Wolfram & Hart. Don't fool yourselves.. we're not on the same side. Thank you for your help.. but, uh.. we got it." Andrew and the girls walked away with Dana's gurney.
"So that's it? You're just gonna let him take her?" Wesley said.
"She's one of theirs." Buffy said, holding back tears. "They can handle it." The lone Slayer walked away from her husband and blended into the shadows. She let the tears flow freely now that she was away from everyone. This was the most unexpected news she had ever heard. She knew her friends and Giles didn't really approve, but she had never thought in a million years that they would stop trusting her.
***
Later that night, Buffy walked to Spike's hospital room. Angel was in there talking to him. "Andrew double-crossed us?" Spike asked. "That's a good move. Hope for the little ponce yet. Though the tingling in my forearms tells me she's too far gone to help. She's.. one of us now. She's a monster."
"She's an innocent victim." Angel said.
"So were we.. once upon a time."
"Once upon a time." Buffy cleared her throat. Angel turned to her and hugged her tightly. "There you are. I got worried. Are you ok?"
"No." Buffy said simply. She moved away from Angel and over to Spike. She gently touched his cheek with the back of her fingers. "How are you?"
"Been better. Fred says I'll have full motor skills as soon as the drugs wear off." Spike said.
"I'm sorry I didn't get there soon enough."
"Not your fault ducks." Spike smiled up at her.
"In a way it is. I unleashed the Slayer in her and she didn't know how to handle it."
"What you did.. It was amazing Buffy. I witnessed something incredible in that cavern six months ago and it was because of you. You stopped the apocalypse and gave those girls one hell of a reason to do good. You said it yourself: you couldn't have known that that girl was a looney."
Buffy smiled. "Giles and the others don't think so. Andrew said we're not on the same side anymore."
Spike shook his head. "What do they know? They haven't been around to know bloody heads or tails of what you're doing."
Buffy looked at Angel this time. "I don't know anymore myself."
Buffy woke up in a sweat. She shot out of bed and looked around the dark room. Angel rubbed his face and sat up. The Slayer breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey.." She jumped slightly when Angel touched her shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"Bed dream." Buffy said.
"Prophetic?"
"Not that I can tell. Just.. Freaky."
"Are you sure you're ok?"
Buffy glanced out the window at the sky that was breaking into morning and the city that had been awake long before. "I don't know."
"What happened?"
"I can't really explain it. There was a lot of blood and confusion and.. I think fear." She looked at her husband. "But it wasn't mine."
Angel pulled her to his chest. "It's going to be ok."
"No it's not. We have to go to work soon."
***
"Maybe we made a mistake coming here." Buffy said to Lorne and Wesley as Fred and Gunn walked in.
"What's going on?" Gunn asked.
"Oh, Buffy's having Slayer dreams again and parasite Eve, right on out the door." Lorne said.
"You're firing her? I mean Eve."
"Well, that's one option." Angel said.
"A great one, considering she tried to kill my husband." Buffy said.
"Ok, first, the parasite she allegedly sicked on you wasn't meant to be fatal." Gunn said.
"No, just send you into a permanent hallucinogenic coma." Fred said.
"And what's with the 'alleged'?" Angel asked. "You don't believe I know it was her?"
"It's not about what I believe. It's about the evidence." Gunn said.
"This isn't a courtroom, Gunn. Things work with a bit more immediacy in the real world." Wesley said.
"She's liaison to the senior partners. You don't get to be that without serious juice. Move against her without solid proof and it could end in a long, bloody fight."
"Ok, fine. I think I liked you better when you just wanted to hit people." Angel said.
"Rational thought: it's an acquired taste."
"Wait a minute. So, we're not going to snap Twiggy into little sticks?" Lorne asked.
"Gunn's right. We can't risk it. Yet." Buffy said.
"We'll restrict her access, keep a closer eye on what she's up to. Play her like she's been playing us." Gunn said.
Harmony walked in. "Bosses, we just got a tip some looney's hatched from the bin."
"A who did a what?" Buffy asked.
"A girl over in the nuthouse went all Cuckoo's Nest, hacked up a couple of guards and went over the wall."
"Really not our department, Harmony." Angel said.
"Notify the authorities. Make sure they're on it." Wesley added.
"Ok, but they better bring a priest. Looks like this chick's gone all kinds of exorcist." Harmony said.
"Wait a minute. She's possessed?" Buffy asked.
"Duh! Didn't I say that?"
"I'll get a team together." Wesley said.
"No. Wait." Buffy stood. "I don't want to go storming in with troops until we know what we've got here."
"Buffy's right." Angel said. "I've seen a few of these possession cases. They have to be handled very carefully. Real finesse job."
***
The elevator bell dinged and Buffy and Angel walked out. They stepped off the elevators at the same time Spike did. "Oh." Spike looked at them. "Well, fancy this. Bitty slug I saved you from scramble your brains after all? Come to check yourself in?"
"Spike.." Buffy said.
"What are you doing here, Spike?" Angel asked.
"Didn't get the memo? Hero of the people now." Spike said.
"Oh, then go and annoy them."
"When I'm done. Heard one of the simples went for a stroll."
"And we'll get her back without your help."
"Goody for you, cause, uh, not offering it."
"Look, shouldn't you be out in the streets, you know, protecting the city from people like you?"
"Go where I'm needed."
"Well, which isn't here."
The nurse looked up. "Gentlemen, may I help you?" Buffy stepped out from behind the men. "And ma'am."
Buffy smiled. "Hi.."
A doctor walked out behind the nurse. "Can I help you?"
"Other way around, doc. I'm.." Spike started.
"Actually, you can ignore him." Buffy glared at Spike. "We're here to get your patient back." Angel handed a card to the doctor. "I'm Buffy and that's my husband Angel. We're from Wolfram & Hart."
"Lawyers? I already told the police everything I know." The doctor said.
"Well, can we go over it again, just in case you left out any details?"
"What she said. But with a bit more of a threat at the end." Spike said. Buffy whacked his stomach. "Bloody hell woman!"
"Shush."
"Right this way." The doctor said.
***
The doctor told them everything about what had happened. The girl's name was Dana and she's been like this most of her life. Buffy was looking over drawings Dana had in her room. They were bright, vibrant, and terribly disturbing. One picture showed a wolf-like monster growling. Another showed a cave-woman on her knees before a huge fiery monster. Spike looked around and saw the walls were covered with such drawings of monsters.
"She was a special case." Dr. Rabinaw said. "Her family was murdered in their home when she was 10. Whoever did it took Dana.. and tortured her for months. She was found one day naked and bleeding, wandering the streets. Barely functional, nearly catatonic ever since."
"Looks like she snapped out of it." Spike said.
"Several months ago her condition changed. Increasing levels of agitation accompanied by explosive outbursts of inhuman strength." That struck a nerve with Buffy.
"Right. Demon possession."
"That's ridiculous."
"You're not helping, Spike." Angel said.
"No, I'm doing. You can hang out for the show-and-tell-me-nothing. I got a demon needs repossessing." Spike grabbed a drawing off the wall and walked out. "Ta."
"Sorry. He's.. is pathological idiot an actual condition?"
"May I suggest that you stop your friend? If he finds Dana, he's gonna end up dead like the others." Dr. Rabinaw said.
"Yeah, but he'll just end up comin' back." The doctor nodded and left. Angel looked around. "What isn't he tellin' me?"
"Rabinaw videoed all his sessions with her." The nurse said, walking in.
"Show me." Angel followed the nurse out of the room.
Buffy stayed behind to examine the drawings and try to find out why they all seemed so familiar to her. After a few minutes, she touched one of the pictures and let out a scream as the picture came to life in her mind. She knew this. Dana was a Slayer! When she opened her eyes, Angel was helping her to her feet. "Oh God! It's my fault those people were murdered by her."
"What?" Angel asked.
"Dana.. She's a Slayer! That picture.. All of them, I recognize them! Do you remember me telling you about the dreams I had before I found out they were about Slayers? Those pictures are them! And last night.. My dream was about Dana!"
"I know. In the videos, she was yelling in all these different languages. Something about being Chosen. I didn't think you'd figure it out this way."
"I have a bond with that poor girl. It's only natural that I find out this way." Buffy started. "We have to find Spike! She'll kill him."
"How're we going to.."
"I'll drive."
***
Spike landed face-down on the pavement outside the warehouse right as Buffy drove up in her and Angel's car. She stopped the car and got out as Spike slowly stood up. "What happened?" Angel asked.
"Oh, I just thought I'd see what it was like to bounce off the pavement. Pretty much what I expected." Spike said.
"Stay out of it. Tactical's on the way."
"Oh, right. Sure, she'll hang around till they show up."
"You should've waited."
"Hey, keep your knickers on. Least now I know what we're dealin' with. It's a Chinese demon. Maybe a water dragon or one of those elemental thingies." Angel sighed and rolled his eyes, and walked away. "What?!"
Both vampires looked around. "Where's Buffy?"
The Slayer walked through the warehouse where Spike and Dana had obviously fought. "Dana?" She called out softly. There was no response. Buffy knew that the girl had long since left.
***
Buffy, Angel, and Spike walked out of the elevator. "A psychotic vampire slayer." Spike said.
"How many times you gonna keep sayin' that?" Buffy asked.
"Just tryin' to wrap my lobes around it. A psycho slayer."
"And you let her get away."
"At least I was tryin' to stop her."
"Oh, how'd that work out?"
"At least I know the game, now, don't I? I killed 2 slayers with my own hands and I almost took you too. Think I can handle one that's gone daft in the melon."
"You're not handling anything, Spike. Ok? Wes contacted Giles. He's sending his top guy to help me retrieve her." They walked into the conference room.
"Angel. Buffy.. We were just about to.." Wesley started.
An additional person was waiting in the conference room. He turned around in his chair to reveal that he was Andrew. Buffy and Angel started. Andrew's hair was slightly longer and he was wearing a suit and tie and holding a pipe. "Spike!?"
"Oh, for the love of.." Spike started.
"Spike?" Andrew ran toward Spike, touching his shoulders. "It's you. It's really you! My therapist thought I was holding onto false hope, but.. I knew you'd come back. You're like.. you're like Gandalf the White, resurrected from the pit of the Balrog, more beautiful than ever. Ohh.. he's alive, Frodo. He's alive." Andrew turned to Buffy. "You look really great!" He went to hug her but Buffy held up her hand.
"You touch me and I'll make you a woman." The Slayer said.
"Hi Angel."
"You know each other?" Gunn asked.
"Uh, yeah. Um.. We-we saved the world together. Uh, so what happened? Last I heard, you went all pillar of fire down in the Hellmouth."
"Could we save memory lane till after we contain this psychotic superpowered killing machine?" Angel asked.
"We were just about to bring everyone up to speed on slayer mythology." Wesley said.
"I'll take it from here, Pryce. Best they hear it from an expert." Andrew said.
"Oh, right. Let the top man have a go." Spike said.
"Please.. enlighten us." Wesley said.
"Gather around and attend to a most unusual tale.." Andrew said. "A tale I like to call.. The Slayer of the Vampyrs. Eons ago, on the dark continent.."
"Three creepy old guys wanted to fight evil." Buffy interrupted.
"I was telling!"
"Oh, shut up and sit down before I tie you to a chair again. They took a young girl, and they filled her with the power of a demon. The Powers figured out a way to get her powers to go down through the generations. Into every generation, a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world strong enough to fight the forces of darkness yada, yada, yada. Six months ago, Willow and I changed all of that. All the potentials become Slayers."
"An army of slayers." Wesley said, looking at Buffy proudly. "Brilliant stratagem. But with the Watchers Council destroyed, how will these new slayers receive their necessary.."
"Yeah. Sorry we didn't tell you. Giles and the others have been tracking down the newborn Slayers and training them.. But Dana, she's a glitch that no one could have predicted. Tortured, traumatized.. driven insane by Lord knows who. And then the dreams of demons and superpowers she's always had suddenly become real. The dreams of Slayers are usually just that.. dreams. But Dana's mental instability may be making them seem more real."
"Explains why that skirt was yappin' at me in Chinese." Spike said. "Must've thought she was the Slayer I took out back in the Boxer Rebellion."
"You mean the Slayer you murdered." Buffy shot back.
"Well, I didn't have a soul back then, did I?"
"Right, cause having one now is making such a difference." Angel said.
"You corporates go ahead with your talky-talk. Anybody needs me, I'll be out doin' his and Buffy's job." Spike walked out.
Angel followed. "Spike? You think this is a joke?"
"Only if you're the punch line."
"Look, we're the last 2 people that should be confronting her. Buffy should take this one. She and Dana are Slayers. Dana has every reason to hate us, and she's unstable. In her mind, there probably aren't any good vampires. She exists for one reason.. to destroy creatures like us."
"Dance of death. Eternal struggle. Right. Got it."
"You will.. when she's staking you in the heart."
"What do you want me to do? Go all boo-hoo cause she got tortured and driven out of her gourd? Not like we haven't done worse back in the day."
"Yeah, and it's somethin' I'm still payin' for."
"And you should let it go, mate. It's startin' to make you look old."
***
Buffy paced the room. "Spike's right. We should be out there!"
"Then what? Kill her? What's happening isn't her fault." Fred said.
"But it's mine. I created her."
"All right, look, we know that she's been sighted at these locations since her escape." Angel said. "Tactical's doin' a non-engagement sweep, but they'll have to cover over at least 60 blocks."
"That'll take days if we're lucky." Fred said.
"We have to narrow it down. Witnesses say it was like she was looking for something. We have to figure out what."
"Why not start at the source?" Lorne said.
"The asylum?" Wesley asked.
"No. Where this started for her. She was abducted from home. Right?"
"That was over 15 years ago." Angel said.
"Houses have long memories, Angel cakes. You just gotta know how to get 'em to talk."
"All right. Fine. Set it up. But let's get Andrew in on this, see if he knows.. anything."
"Um, I don't think he's here." Fred said.
"What? Where'd he go?" Angel looked around. "And where'd Buffy go?"
***
Buffy walked through the streets near where Dana was last spotted. She picked up the other Slayer's presence quickly and followed it. She smelled blood on the air and found Andrew laying in an alley. "Andrew!" She ran to him. "Are you ok?"
"Spike.." Andrew said. "She got.. Spike."
"Where'd she take him?"
"I don't know."
"Damn it." Buffy stood and closed her eyes. She picked up Spike's scent and started to follow. It was amazing how living with a vampire for three years made her senses really heighten to new levels. Her senses led her to an abandoned warehouse that smelled like death and blood. She heard noises down in the basement and followed them. She found Dana punching a handless Spike.
"Doesn't matter! Head and heart. Keep cutting till you see dust." Dana picked up her saw, but Buffy grabbed her and threw her across the room. Dana got to her feet.
"Dana.. look, I'm here to help you. I'm just like you."
"Can't hurt me. Not weak anymore."
"That's right."
"Strong. Slayer." Dana charged Buffy, kicking her in the chest. They fought in hand-to-hand combat, but they were evenly matched. They continued to trade punches and kicks, knocking over the little furniture that remained in the room. Buffy decided to stop holding back and she grabbed Dana around the neck from behind and held her tightly in a choke hold. Dana struggled, but Buffy was stronger than she was.
Dana slipped into unconsciousness and Buffy gently laid her on the ground. "I'm sorry." Buffy stood and ran over to Spike. She touched his cheek gently and looked at his arms. "God.. Spike, can you hear me?"
"Buff.." Spike slurred.
Buffy undid his chains easily and allowed his head to fall onto her chest. She hugged him to her and pulled out her cell phone.
***
Angel and Wesley escorted Dana's gurney out of the basement along with a group of armed guards. Angel had hauled the team over to the warehouse when Buffy had called. Buffy walked up next to the gurney and touched Dana's forehead. "I'm sorry I did this to you."
"Chain her into the van. I want armed guards ridin' with her in the back." Angel said. Andrew stepped from beside the ambulance. "That's all right, boys and Buffy. I'll take it from here."
"What?" Buffy asked.
"Totally appreciate your help on this one. Never could've found her without you, but you got enough problems of your own to worry about."
"Get outta the way, Andrew."
"She's a Slayer. That means she's ours."
"Yeah. Sorry. Not how it works."
"Load her up." Angel said. "Don't hesitate to tranq her if she so much as.."
"No. I don't think you.. heard me." Andrew said, blocking the gurney. A group of young women walked out from the shadows to back up Andrew. "Think we're just gonna let you take her back to your evil stronghold? Well, as they say in Mexico.. No. We're not.. gonna.. let you."
"She needs help. And I'm not turning her over to you." Buffy said.
"You don't have a choice. Check the view screen. I got 12 Vampyr Slayers behind me, and not one of them has ever dated Angel. She's coming with us one way or another."
"You're way outta your league, Andrew. I'll just clear this with Giles and Faith."
"Where do you think my orders came from?" Buffy looked hurt, but only Angel noticed. "News flash: nobody in our camp trusts either of you anymore. Nobody. You guys work for Wolfram & Hart. Don't fool yourselves.. we're not on the same side. Thank you for your help.. but, uh.. we got it." Andrew and the girls walked away with Dana's gurney.
"So that's it? You're just gonna let him take her?" Wesley said.
"She's one of theirs." Buffy said, holding back tears. "They can handle it." The lone Slayer walked away from her husband and blended into the shadows. She let the tears flow freely now that she was away from everyone. This was the most unexpected news she had ever heard. She knew her friends and Giles didn't really approve, but she had never thought in a million years that they would stop trusting her.
***
Later that night, Buffy walked to Spike's hospital room. Angel was in there talking to him. "Andrew double-crossed us?" Spike asked. "That's a good move. Hope for the little ponce yet. Though the tingling in my forearms tells me she's too far gone to help. She's.. one of us now. She's a monster."
"She's an innocent victim." Angel said.
"So were we.. once upon a time."
"Once upon a time." Buffy cleared her throat. Angel turned to her and hugged her tightly. "There you are. I got worried. Are you ok?"
"No." Buffy said simply. She moved away from Angel and over to Spike. She gently touched his cheek with the back of her fingers. "How are you?"
"Been better. Fred says I'll have full motor skills as soon as the drugs wear off." Spike said.
"I'm sorry I didn't get there soon enough."
"Not your fault ducks." Spike smiled up at her.
"In a way it is. I unleashed the Slayer in her and she didn't know how to handle it."
"What you did.. It was amazing Buffy. I witnessed something incredible in that cavern six months ago and it was because of you. You stopped the apocalypse and gave those girls one hell of a reason to do good. You said it yourself: you couldn't have known that that girl was a looney."
Buffy smiled. "Giles and the others don't think so. Andrew said we're not on the same side anymore."
Spike shook his head. "What do they know? They haven't been around to know bloody heads or tails of what you're doing."
Buffy looked at Angel this time. "I don't know anymore myself."