A/N: Okay here you guys go. An update and it didn't' take me five months either. YAY! Thank you to all the reviews. Umm... pruningshears... I don't know why people Riley Bash. I know I do it because I really didn't like the Riley character... although I wasn't that bad. I didn't make him stupid or mean or anything... or at least I don't think it did. I just had him mauled to further the plot, which it did. As to why other people Riley bash... I have no clue. Why does anyone bash... they don't like the character. Hope that answers your question. I'm not trying to be mean or anything. If you like the Riley character then good for you. He just rubbed me the wrong way that's all so I took it out on him here. All right enough of that on to the story! ENJOY!
Disclaimer: No they're not mine, but Christmas is around the corner... okay like four months... it's a really big corner.
Distribution: Go ahead if you think it's good enough. Just tell me where my baby's going.
Spoilers: BtVS season 6 'Dead Things' I know going backwards, but it works.
Chapter 10:
The smell of old gym socks filled the air. Buffy turned her head around. She could smell it as if she was buried in thousands of old gym socks. It was making her sick. Of course vampires didn't get sick, but it was... a figure of speech.
Buffy looked over at the people helping her patrol. Apparently none of them smelled the stinky gym socks smell. Buffy sighed thinking it was probably another one of her vampire enhanced powers. Smell... who would want to be able to smell things that were far away.
She had been stuck in this dimension as a vampire for a little over a week now. Things had not improved. She still had to sit at home, bored out of her mind, and no one was really talking to her. Tara made an effort, but Xander seemed wary and Willow was to interested on the spell that was used to send her here.
Spike had been angry with her as well. he only talked to her when it was absolutely necessary and that turned out to be far less then Buffy would have imagined. The whole thing that took place after that Renee girl had been mauled because of the Vampire Buffy's feelings had stung Spike quite a bit and Buffy was really wishing she could take it back.
Renee had turned out to be just fine and was actually very grateful Buffy and Spike were able to get rid of the Suvolte eggs. She hid her excitement because of the fact she had been mauled but had claimed it an occupational hazard and told Spike not to worry. He of course told her he hadn't worried because he didn't entirely like her in the first place.
She frowned and her husband Sam looked as though he was going to say something, but Spike threw him a venomous look so he didn't say anything. Sam was obviously not a stupid man, but Buffy thought he might have wanted to ask if Spike was also a vampire. He certainly acted like it on many occasions.
So here they were, patrolling in one big group all the Scoobies together. Dawn was over at Janice's and Spike had made it a point to check everything out before he let Dawn leave. Buffy would have done it, but it would seem a little weird if she went in there acting like the big sister. Spike was actually very keen on performing his big brother duties. He went over to Janice's and talked with her mom knowing for sure there wouldn't be any vampire necking going on.
No one commented on Spike's behavior having probably seen it before when he was the Slayer Spike. It wasn't entirely too hard to manage. Buffy knew Spike was very fond of Dawn and would do anything to insure that Dawn was safe. It was one of the reasons she had always gone to him when Dawn needed protecting.
"Does anyone smell that? I mean it's really rancid. Someone tell me they can smell that." Buffy said.
She had been smelling the dirty socks smell for over an hour and it just wasn't going away. Xander looked at her oddly and sniffed at the air. It was clear he didn't smell anything, but you could never go wrong with a vampire's nose.
"Um... what am I smelling for?" He said after sniffing the air and getting nothing.
"Smells like old gym socks. Really bad stinky gym socks." Buffy said.
"Hmmm... nope I think I would smell old gym socks smell." Xander said.
"It could be a demon some way off. I've never heard of a gym sock smelling demon though." Willow said.
"It's a Carrion Feeder." Anya and Spike said at the same time.
"Come again?" Xander said slightly perplexed. It was a little hard to get used to how this Spike seemed to know a lot more then the other Spike had known.
"Carrion Feeder... digs up the dead and then eats them. Prone to cemeteries a lot of them time but I've never seen one in Sunnydale." Spike said.
"Oh that's... that's just gross and sick and did I mention gross." Xander said.
"Yes you did. Don't worry Honey. Carrion Eaters don't go after the living although they do have sharp clothes to rip through flesh. It's quite a thing to see them it especially if it's a fresh kill." Anya said clearly not realizing that this did not making Xander feel any better.
"Okay so how do you kill it?" Buffy asked ready for a little action.
"Well... you don't." Spike said.
"What you mean I don't. Is it like... immortal or something?" Buffy asked.
"No, Buffy it's not immortal. They can be killed by anything. What Spike meant to say is that Carrion Eaters aren't really a bother to the world. It's a known fact that they're harmless." Anya said.
"I don't call digging up dead bodies and making them their midnight snacks harmless." Xander said. "Well of course it seems... seedy, but Carrion Eaters are really peacefully. Spike's right I've never seen one in Sunnydale. They usually stay in one place." Anya said.
"And they usual travel in packs. Thousands of those smelly little buggers all chomping away. Some people use them for disposing the bodies of people they've killed and stuff like that." Spike said.
"Well we should check it out anyway. I mean what if it is one of those times. You said it yourself they don't usually come to Sunnydale although that would be a first considering demons are like drawn here. Someone could have... summoned it." Buffy finished off lamely.
"Well it doesn't feel like anyone did any magic. I'd be able to sense it, but they could have done it somewhere else and then came here." Tara said speaking for the first time that night. She had been rather quiet since the essences switch had taken place. She came over to research and that was about it. She had gone on a few coffee dates with Willow, but nothing seemed to be final.
"All right, but if I can smell that thing from her I'm sure it's going to be even worse the closer I get." Buffy said.
"Well if you would practice tuning your senses like I told you to do you wouldn't have this problem." Spike muttered in Buffy's direction. He knew it was childish not to speak to her, but he couldn't just let it go. She had said some pretty hurtful things that reinforced the idea of leaving. It had been a long time coming.
"Sorry, but I don't know how and you're never around to teach me. I didn't realize how much I work until I was on the outsiders perspective." Buffy said.
"Well... yeah okay but... oh never mind." Spike said swinging his axe over his shoulder and walking at a brisk pace in front of the group.
"Boy is he PMSing." Anya said.
"He's just pissy about not being back in his own dimension." Buffy said only partially lying.
"Yeah well we really wish we could be of more help, but I don't think the spell we're looking for is known to witches. It's too powerful to pull off." Willow said.
"So the 'Higher Being' thing is still an option then." Buffy said.
"From what I gleamed on Giles's phone call it could be any number of Higher Powers that float around the dimensions." Willow said. She had had a lengthy conversation with Giles after the Renee incident. Giles had told her he would get the local coven working on a possible solution, but in the mean time to just keep an eye on Buffy and Spike.
"Yeah that's all well and good, but do I sound selfish if I say I would like my best friend back. Not that you're not a good person Slayer Buffy, but well... I guess I miss him like you miss your other dimension." Xander said. He had opted to call her Slayer Buffy to avoid the confusion in his own head.
Buffy could understand why Xander was so anxious to get the other Spike back. The wedding was getting closer and closer and if things didn't change soon Spike would be standing in as Xander's best man. Buffy was also upset that she wouldn't be there for her Xander's wedding. She really was looking forward to being Anya's Maid of Honor despite the ugly dresses.
"It's not selfish Xan, it's normal." Buffy said. "This Spike is interesting though. I mean he's less... sanctimonious." Anya said.
"Spike's not sanctimonious!" Willow said.
"Oh sure he is. And self-righteous. I think it's a slayer thing. No offense Slayer Buffy." Anya said also opting to call Buffy Slayer Buffy.
"None taken... I think. You really think he's... okay." Buffy said.
"Yes, I mean he adds a certain... flavor that would be missing if he wasn't here. I mean the other Buffy... you know the Vampire Buffy. I always liked her. I think it was a demon thing." Anya said.
"Hmm... I never thought about it, but it's kind of true. I can argue with him and it not mean anything. I get that with Vampire Buffy. I guess I never realized that she was actually... part of the team. I mean not that I like her better then you or this Spike better then the other Spike... okay I'm going to shut up now." Xander said.
"It's okay Xander. No one's better and no ones worse. There has to be a balance. In order for Spike to be the Slayer Buffy has to be a Vampire and in order for Buffy to be the Slayer Spike has to be a vampire. It's a balance." Willow said.
Buffy didn't say anything. It did seem like it was a balance, but that didn't mean she and Spike balance each other... did it. Buffy stopped thinking when she saw a big, hairy, brownish green demon looming over what looked like a girls body. The girl wasn't moving and the demon smelled like old gym socks that Buffy assumed that it was the Carrion Eater.
"You didn't say it was ugly on top of smelly." Xander joked.
"Well I thought ugly and smelly went together naturally." Anya said thinking he was serious. Spike was standing a bit closer then Buffy and the rest were and he was looking around to see if there was anyone. He didn't see anyone and he walked over to the group.
"I don't see anyone and I can't sense anyone although I wouldn't considering I haven't got my vampire abilities. Buffy... see if you can sense anyone around." Spike said.
"What how?" Buffy asked.
"Well just closer your eyes and try to focus on the heartbeats near you." Spike said. Buffy sighed and closed her eyes. She took a few unneeded breaths before she could here five distinct heartbeats and the blood rushing through them.
"Okay I've got five right now... what now?"
"Well let your brain wander a little further. You should be able to hear them if they're pretty close." Spike said and Buffy did what she was told. It was a very odd experience and one she hoped she never had to relive, but soon she could hear three heartbeats in the distances.
"Okay I hear three over by that tree." Buffy said pointing over to the trees facing the Carrion Eater.
"Good looks like some people did summon that smelly little bugger. Let's go." Spike said walking off past the Carrion Eater who was to intent on its meal to even realize that they were walking by. He walked into the thicket of trees and looked around for people.
Buffy was trying to use her smelling sense to find the guys and the rest were just looking around. It didn't take them long to spot Warren, Jonathan and the other guy the recent pains in the Scoobies collective asses.
"Well, well, well if it isn't my arch nemesises." Buffy said although they were looking at her worriedly.
"Oh right Spike's arch nemesises." Buffy corrected herself.
"So are you the gits that summoned the Carrion Eater?" Spike asked.
"Yeah so what of it. You can't take us were Gods." The other guy said.
"What are you going to do Slayer... kill us?" Warren said challengingly obviously ignoring the other guy. He was looking at Spike who was looking at him as though he were a tinker toy.
"You have no idea what you're messing with little boy." Spike said.
"Yeah and neither do you." Warren spat back.
"Hey guys shouldn't we stop that thinking from eating that poor girls body. I don't think her parents would be keen on the fact that she's dead much less mauled." Xander said.
"Yeah but they'll take satisfaction that her killer is behind bars and hopefully becoming someone's bitch." Anya said.
"Yeah we should do that. Tara maybe you could do some sort of..."
"Already on it." Tara said interrupting Buffy as she began to chant. The Carrion Eater looked up and for a few seconds held Tara's gaze before thumping away from the body. Xander went over to the girl and carried her body over to the group.
"Well the good thing is she's not that badly mauled. Bad news is... well she's dead." Xander said. Buffy glanced over at the body and saw that it was Warren's ex-girlfriend Katrina.
"You sick bastard! What she wised up and left you so you killed her!" Buffy yelled as she launched at the three men that were standing in front of her.
She was prevented from kicking their asses by Spike who was holding on to her jacket collar. She looked up at him and glared.
"You can't kill them remember. Chip." Spike said. Buffy looked at him sullenly and Spike let go of her collar.
"Okay here's how this is going to work. Me and Buffy here are gonna escort your sorry asses to the jail. Then you're going to make a nice little confession while Xander and Anya take the body to the hospital or file a report or something. It'll be nice and hopefully not bloody." Spike said and this surprised Buffy. She thought Spike would be all for gore. He of course was looking a little worn around the edges and a simple save of the day would be nice.
"You think I'm just going to let you take me to jail. I'd die before..." "Oh shut it Warren. We did something wrong and we deserve to pay. I won't give you any trouble I swear." Jonathan said and Buffy was glad to see that one of them had sense.
"Well I'm not going to go down like that. Andrew... summon the big guns." Warren said.
The Andrew guy began to chant and Buffy and Spike looked slightly worried as did the rest of the Scoobies.
"Tara can you stop him?" Buff said looking over at Tara.
"No one can stop us..."
"Oh shut your gob." Spike said backhanding Warren who fell to the ground. Andrew flinched but kept chanting.
Spike was about to hit him as well when he was stopped by a big demon that merely flicked at Spike and Spike was sent flying backwards. There were two of the very large demons. They had long pig snouts and sharp horns on their heads. They were an ugly gray color and their skins seemed to be slimy. It also had what looked like talons for fingers. They had to have been at least six feet tall and they were drooling heavily and grunting Andrew seemed pleased with himself.
"Holy Shit what are those things!" Xander asked.
"I'm not sure... I think they're Dev'shink demons, but I can't be sure. They look like a cross between Dev'shink demons and a pig." Anya said.
"Well we gotta fight them." Buffy said.
"Are you crazy we're down a Slayer and I don't think we're going to do much damage." Xander said.
"Well we can't just let these things roam wild. We've got to kill them... and don't you dare try to escape!" Buffy yelled over to Andrew who was helping Warren to his feet. Andrew didn't seem too concerned with Buffy's yelling and still made his way to escape using the big demons as cover.
"Okay we've got to kill these demons and not let those two get away. Willow, Tara do some sort of spell to hold them. Okay Xander, Anya let's try and kill these things." Buffy said.
"Shouldn't someone go see if Spike's all right? He hasn't gotten up." Anya said.
"Okay yeah you do that." Buffy said suddenly remembering spike was very human and could have been very hurt. Anya shook her head and ran over to were Spike was lying limply on the ground. Xander took a cross bow suddenly wishing he had more weapons. Buffy could understand the feeling although she had let Spike talk her into carrying an axe.
"All right... let's do this." Buffy said charging at the big demons. They seemed utterly confused after their first intial attack on Spike. The obviously were waiting for some kind of order from Andrew, but Andrew had suddenly become very still.
Buffy ventured a glance over to where Willow and Tara were sitting. Tara looked as though she were concentrating very hard about something and Willow was most likely acting as her anchor. Buffy assumed she had put some kind of whammy on Andrew and Warren to keep them from moving or talking. It was easier for Buffy and Xander to surprise attack the demons although it didn't take long from them to realize the threat and start attacking back.
Punches and kicks were thrown and Xander stood a little ways away shooting a bolt at them every once in awhile although it just served to make them angry. Buffy wasn't having much luck with the axe. Although their skin seemed slick and easily penetrable it was just a smoke screen. Their skin was actually hard under all the ooze. Buffy was hacking and slashing, but wasn't leaving much more then scratches. At one point Anya had stepped into to help. She seemed to have gotten a sword from somewhere and Buffy took a second to try and remember who had brought it before going to attack the demon again.
Spike and Xander weren't having much luck with their demon although he was riddled with crossbows and swaying slightly. Spike began to hack more away with the axe, but he found the same resistance Buffy had encountered. The demon hit him throwing him a little ways away. Spike lay on the ground for a few seconds before scrambling to his feet. Xander was still loading his crossbow and shooting them at the beast. It seemed the demon no longer thought Spike a threat and was going after Xander now.
Xander tried his best not to be terrified, but the words 'I'm going to die' were running through his head. Spike saw the demon and saw how close it was to Xander and leapt in front of Xander to stop the demon's attack. Spike let out a sharp cry of pain when the demons claws dug into his chest. Spike tried to muster up the strength to fight back, but the demon kept on it's assault.
Xander watched on in horror as the demon mauled at Spike and tried to get in a clean shot. It was useless. Spike was in the way and the demon wasn't moving until it thought Spike was dead. Spike kept trying to hack his way into the demons chest just like the demon was trying to do to him. Finally Spike, after losing a lot of blood during the assault put his hands up and tried to break the demons neck.
It was tough considering the demon was keeping its head up avoiding attack. Spike knew it was his only option and when his hands connected with the demons neck he twisted it violently. When the demon fell to the ground dead Spike fell to. He could vaguely hear someone calling his name. It sound like a few people, but he was to drained to care. Xander run up to him.
"Oh God, man. Okay it's not that bad. Really it's fixable." Xander started to babble.
"No... just... take this... go help the other... help Buffy." Spike said as he coughed up some blood. It had been a long time since he had a heart beat and now he could fell it slowing. He knew he was dying. Xander took the axe and nodded his head.
Buffy had been fighting the other demon with a little trouble but Anya's help was proving to be a good thing. Somewhere in the middle of the battle she and Anya had traded weapons because Anya was better with the axe and Buffy was better with the sword.
She didn't hear anything from Xander and Spike and didn't bother to look over there because she didn't want to be distracted. She did turn when she heard Spike's name being screamed by Xander and Willow and Tara. Buffy and Anya turned around to see that Spike had fallen to the ground and he was bleeding... badly.
"Oh no!" Buffy said as she kicked the demon she was fighting. The demon soared through the air and she made her way over to Spike not concerned with Anya or the other demon. She was almost half way there when she felt it... when she heard it.
No... NO! You can't let him die again. You were here and you let him die again! NO! He can't die! Not again. I can't go through this again! SHIT! I have to help him! Have to save! No! He can't die... hecan'tdie... HE CAN'T DIE!!!
Buffy fell to the ground. She thought she was going to be sick for the second time that night. She looked over at Spike who wasn't moving on the ground. She could feel something. Something the other Buffy was trying to get through to her. It was some feeling she was having. Buffy knew one thing for certain was that the other Buffy didn't want Spike dead. She could almost call the feeling love.
It was so strong and so real and Buffy wondered if this was how Spike felt when they were on patrol and a vampire got to close. If he waited everyday for the day that might take her away again, but it couldn't be because Spike couldn't love like this. These emotions couldn't be real, but the voice in her head kept telling her to get up and help him. It kept chanting that Spike couldn't die. the feelings were real enough, but they couldn't be.
"Buffy watch out!" Someone screamed.
Buffy turned around to see the demon charging at her. She turned around and waited for it to come closer. When it was so close she could feel its breath she rammed the sword through to where it's heart should be if it was in the same spot a humans heart was. The demon roared when it was stabbed and drool and a little demon blood fell onto Buffy.
The demon swayed a bit before falling on top of Buffy. Buffy rolled the demon off of her and went over to Spike. She checked his pulse. It was weak, but it was still there. There was still a chance that he might live. This wasn't going to take one of their homemade jobs though. He had to get to a hospital they could blame it all on Warren and Andrew and Jonathan. Buffy was sure Jonathan would go along with whatever story they came up with.
Buffy picked Spike up and walked over to the rest of the Scoobies.
"He's alive, but we have to get him to a hospital." Buffy said urgently. Xander walked over to Andrew and shook him.
"If he dies know that even the safest place in the world won't keep you safe. I swear if he dies..." Xander trailed off, but Andrew got the general picture as did Jonathan and Warren.
"Willow, Tara take these dead men walking to the jail. Anya go with them. Me and Buffy will take Spike and the girl to the hospital. We shouldn't leave the girl here considering the demon corpses. Let's go." Xander said picking up the girls body and walking of in the direction of the hospital.
Anya, Willow and Tara didn't argue as they shuffled Warren, Andrew and Jonathan to the jail.
Buffy followed after Xander. She looked at Spike's wounds. They weren't as bad as she had seen. She had gotten worse sometimes. He was still bleeding though and he was unconscious. He had obviously lost a lot of blood, but he was in a Slayer body so he would probably make it.
The feelings had calmed though and Buffy was trying not to focus on how broken the voice in her head sounded. She focused on getting to the hospital as fast as she could. Getting Spike fixed was the only thing she would allow on her mind.
"Well that went ass up." Maddy said.
"Yes I guess it did." The Voice said.
"Okay so we're stepping in right. I mean she's got all that emotion and she still doesn't believe it. We have to do something. you did say that the next time it went south we'd step in." Brian said.
"Yes and I am true to me word. we must wait until he is healed though." The Voice said.
"Oh goody another trip through dimensions."
A/N: Okay I couldn't let the Warren Katrina death thing have already happened. So I brought it back and did it my way. How did Tara know about the Buffy/Spike romance? Let's just say that happened, but not the dead body thing. Okay, so don't worry, it's too early to kill off Spike... not that I'm killing off Spike. No that would be bad. Just know he ain't gonna die. all right so please REVIEW. I LOVE REVIEWS!