Aren't You Grateful it's Not a Bunny?
Part 12
Merrily We Go to Hell
"This is fun it's been a long time since I've been on a bike." Buffy said into Spike ear as they sped toward the vineyard.
"Not your first time then?"
"Nope I can even drive this. Should we flip for the keys on the way back like Anya and Giles?" Buffy asked sounding incredibly carefree for pre-apocalyptic slayer.
"I thought Buffy and vehicles weren't 'mix-y'?"
"Buffy and cars aren't mix-y, this isn't a car."
"So how'd you become a biker chick?" Spike joked.
"Long story, LA, first bad boy, first high school destroyed." Buffy gave in to temptation and kissed Spike's neck. "Jealous? I promise I destroy another high school, it'll be with you." At that moment Spike saw woman directly in bike's path. He reacted instinctively swerved. His only thought after Buffy's safety was to hope he missed hitting any ill place branches. He yelled for Buffy to jump but was sliding sideways before he had the chance to do so himself. The next thing he knew Buffy was gazing at him with the now familiar concern.
"Spike, baby, are you ok? Thank God that pile of hay was there."
"This is hay? Feels like a pincushion." Spike spit some of the offending straw from his mouth. "Don't think anything broken, mostly just a road rash. Is my head bleeding?"
Buffy ran her hand tenderly over Spikes head. "I don't think so. Why, does it hurt?"
"I must have a concussion. I'm hearing things thought you just called me baby." Spike said with a grimaced laugh.
"I sounded silly didn't I? I'm not good with endearments like you. You're like the master of the pet name, maybe I just need to find the perfect one just for you. You've kind of taken them all though."
"You're the one that hit your head then."
"Nope, I landed on the grass, rolled just right. There isn't a scratch on me." Then she asked, "William, how well can you see me?"
"Um pretty well, I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt where I couldn't see."
"Good I don't want to do this the easy way; hiding in the dark. I want you to see it on my face just the way I've always seen it on yours. I know we we're taking it slow but I've got to say it. I love you."
A part of Spike wanted to ask why now? Wanted to know why his dreams were coming true. Most of his parts were all for shutting up and enjoying it. They kissed with all the passion that was in their first kiss and with all the tenderness and love that they'd been slowly letting themselves feel again. The fact that they we're on a mission, that they were out in the open lying on a pile of hay that was abusing already tender flesh faded away in the background. The lovers only came to their senses when a soft rain began to fall.
"I guess somebody up there is telling us to get back to work. I didn't notice the clouds roll in." Buffy sighed. "At least the weather waited until we were done."
"Just one time and you think we're done? You sure you didn't hit your head pet?"
"We'll call it an intermission for the mission." Buffy said. "Now annoy me or something. If we're grinning like fools when we get to vineyard it'll ruin our image." In spite of this there was much laughter as they righted clothing and tried to brush damp hay away. They decided that leaving the bike and walking the short distance left to the vineyard would be a good idea.
" Shadow Valley Vineyard - what a reassuring name. Like Sleepy Hollow or Sunnydale."
"I don't know I kind of like it. I've got my rod and my staff to comfort me after all." Buffy said swinging her stake like a Billy club."
"I take it you're in the mood to be 'bad cop' in this little confrontation love?"
"I suck at undercover. Can't we sneak in and take the bowl thingy?" Buffy said knocking loudly on the door and carrying out the original plan anyway.
The door swung open. A man in a clerical collar stood there and looked at them coldly. "We ain't open to visitors this time of night. Y'all will have to return in the mawnin'."
He tried to slam the door in their faces but Spike stuck out his hand and stopped it. The hairs on the back of the vampire's neck were standing on end. There was something odd about this priest, an emptiness in his eyes unnatural for a normal human, and Spike could detect a faint smell of blood.
"We had a little problem with our bike, need to call for a ride." Buffy improvised. She could tell by the tension in Spike's shoulders that he had sensed something wrong.
"There's a pay phone just down the road. We don't believe in modern conveniences, they distract us from our work."
"Your work making wine? That what's on your hands?" Spike said, looking at the man's knuckles. They were stained with red, thin smears extending down his fingers, and Spike didn't think it was wine at all. He sniffed. Nope, definitely not wine.
"None of your business." The priest began to shove the door closed; Spike resisted, but to his astonishment found himself driven backwards.
Buffy saw his eyes widen, saw his feet sliding backwards, and she kicked the door hard. The man was knocked aside and the door flew wide open. She could see into the dim cellar beyond and movement caught her eye. Harbingers. She leaped forward, past the phoney priest, and ran into the cellar. A hooded monk, a real one, was tied to a chair on the far side of the room. Three 'bringers surrounded him. Others lurked in the shadows between stacks of wine barrels.
Spike dodged past the other side of the priest and followed Buffy. A 'bringer jumped to meet him with a wicked curved knife raised to stab; Spike met it with a left jab, stopping it in its tracks and sending it crashing to the floor. Another one came forward more cautiously to take its place.
Buffy sized up the situation. Seven Harbingers and the man with the clerical collar. "Who are you, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?" She caught the arm of an attacking 'bringer, twisted its knife out of its hand, and used it to stab another charging 'bringer in the chest. "Make that six dwarfs."
"Do not mock me, harlot," the man scolded. "For I am Caleb and I bring purification. You are just a dirty girl and must be punished for your insolence and your sins." He stepped forward and swung a punch at Buffy.
She swung her captive 'bringer into the path of the blow. Caleb hit it in the head and it collapsed limp in her arms, its neck broken.
"Five dwarfs," Buffy exclaimed triumphantly. She was shocked by the force of Caleb's punch but wasn't going to let him see that.
"Four," Spike chimed in, breaking the neck of a 'bringer and taking its dagger. The one he'd dropped with his first punch picked itself up from the floor and came at him again, and he emulated Buffy by planting his newly-acquired dagger in its chest. "Three. I've caught you up, Buffy. No, passed you, that second one of yours was an own goal by that Caleb git."
"No fair. I caught it, it was my kill," Buffy pouted. "We're tied." She drew a sword out from under her jacket and whirled around, extending the weapon in a lunge that caught an approaching 'bringer in the throat. "Now I'm back in the lead."
Spike ducked under a slash from a Harbinger's knife, came up inside its guard, and stabbed it in the neck. "Level again. How do these buggers see without eyes, anyway?"
Caleb had made his way to Spike as he fought the 'bringer. He lashed out powerfully as Spike was engaged with the eyeless creature and caught the vampire solidly in the face. Spike was thrown through the air, collided with a wine barrel, and bounced off to fall to the ground. He let go of the knife and it skidded away across the floor.
"Y'all weren't supposed to make it past the highway. How lucky for me. I get to kill you myself." Caleb strode to where Spike lay and stared down at him.
"Wouldn't count on that, padre," Spike spat defiantly, crawling after the knife. "You've just run out of your Stevie Wonder impersonators." Buffy was running the final 'bringer through as he spoke.
"They're nothing. Tools. Like you. You're worse than Samson, William, any real strength you ever had was cut off long ago."
"Still took out three of your blind mice, though, didn't I?" Spike pointed out. His fingers touched the dagger. He snatched it up and drove it down into Caleb's foot, piercing all the way through and driving the blade into the wooden floor, and then rolled out of the way of the priest's retaliatory punch.
Caleb didn't even seem to register any pain. "My unfortunate friends were mice; hardly threatening at all, while I am the serpent." He took one step after Spike but was brought up short by the knife pinning his foot to the floor. He hissed in annoyance and bent down to pull free the knife.
"Lucky me," Buffy said from behind him. Her sword whistled down in a shining arc and separated his head from his shoulders. "I know just what to do with snakes. For the record," she said to the rolling head, "no one calls him William any more but me."