His Slayer
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns all
A/N: Hi all. I'm really sorry for the long delay on this story. RL kicked into gear and getting this out was impossible. I really appreciate all the reviews. I really love this idea and hope you all continue to as well. Thank you. Skyz.
~*~
Chapter Four
It was too much to ask that things go easily Buffy mused. Too much to ask that she, and her little band of misfits could sneak into the night and disappear.
So she wasn't surprised when things didn't go exactly as planned. She'd left room for error and error there was.
For one thing Spike wouldn't shut up. His growls were loud and really, really creepy. Major case of the wiggins that had nothing, to do with Dru, and her hugely pregnant state.
Nope that was something Buffy just had to accept with a grain of salt. The truth of that little fact was glaringly obvious, and Buffy did her best to ignore it as they wandered the countryside aimlessly.
In fact she did a lot of ignoring.
Like the rain that had started to fall a few hours after they'd fled their encounter with that crazy woman.
And the chill that had settled into her bones.
And the fact that Dru had not uttered a word since before leaving the mansion. It shouldn't have worried her but it did.
She had an awful feeling about this and it wouldn't leave her alone.
Presently Buffy had managed to find an abandoned and depleted shack on a path that hadn't seen any use in years.
Kicking open the door with a wary sigh she allowed Spike and Dru to proceed her. She leaned against the door with a relieved breath and took stock.
The one room shack was dirty and cobwebs littered the walls and ceiling. Not one piece of furniture remained, but to Buffy it looked like a little slice of heaven.
Smiling she clapped her hands together to get the vampires' attention.
Spike glanced up his growls receding slightly.
Dru continued to gaze down at her belly and run her hands over it.
"Okay. Spike…" she trailed off. She didn't quite know what to say or do with him.
She knew the first thing she had to do was make this place safe for both Spike and Dru. And the baby. The little vampire baby, she thought with a dazed look, her eyes shooting to Dru then back to Spike.
Spike's gonna be a daddy, she thought with a frown.
If it's his, a little voice in her head hissed. Hadn't he come to Sunnydale earlier in the year complaining about Dru cheating on him?
Her face scrunched up in disgust.
That would make sense as to why Spike seemed to hate Dru, she thought. And ignored the relieved feeling that surged through her at the thought.
Her suspicious gaze settled on Dru another minute before she forced herself to shake her head and move.
"Help me find something to cover up these windows Spike. Dru… just sit on the floor and keep doing what you're doing," she muttered.
~*~
Angel slunk through the night, and when he reached the Summers house he paused to take a deep breath.
These days meeting any of Buffy's friends and especially her mother were a hardship he didn't need.
He was dead sure he could find Buffy without their help.
He half turned to walk away thinking about how he could save Buffy on his own, when the door was thrown open.
"We've got news," said Willow her voice excited as she tugged on his arm, and led him into the house.
If he had a heart it would have stopped.
"What? What's going on?" he demanded as soon as he entered the livingroom.
He took in the scene and felt hope spring up and well inside his soul.
Giles was on the phone and scribbling notes, while the Scoobies anxiously stood around and watched.
"What's going on?" Angel demanded again.
"Be quiet Rupert's on the phone," Joyce warned with a glare.
Angel rolled his eyes but remained quiet.
Finally after a few more minutes Giles hung up.
He slowly rubbed his eyes and placed his glasses back on.
Looking around a little bewilderedly he sighed, and then plopped down on the nearest surface.
"I was on the phone with a friend of mine in London. He happens to work for the Council as well. There seems to have been a little bit of a ruckus," he murmured looking down at the floor.
"What does that have to do with Buffy?" Angel asked impatiently. "Did you find out where she was? Why Dru wanted her? I don't see how-"
"Would you bloody well let me finish?!" Giles exploded as he glared at Angel. "The only reason you are here is because Buffy cares for you. You seem to forget that does not extend to the rest of us Angel," he bit out coldly.
It was obvious Giles had to force back his anger as he took a few deep breaths.
Angel recoiled at Giles's words, and ducked his head in shame. When no one contradicted Giles he felt the walls begin to close in around him.
He knew he should leave.
He turned to go.
"As I was saying something happened. Something if my friend is correct involving a Slayer and a few vampires. I believe Buffy is in more danger than we originally thought," Giles grimly admitted.
Angel swung back and let out a little growl.
"If Dru's hurt her…" he left the sentence unsaid.
Xander looked skeptical.
"You didn't kill her last time why is now any different?" he asked sarcastically as he gazed at Angel with contempt.
Angel didn't even bother to answer.
"We need to leave and get her. Now," Angel ordered.
Giles raised a hand.
"That's not all I was informed of. There seems to be another unforeseen problem. The Council has been in some sort of partnership for quite some time, and now has been taken over."
"By who?" Willow asked confused. "Who would want to take over the Council?"
"I don't know, but the woman who's taken over has an unhealthy interest in Buffy. She's looking for her as we speak. Until we have a better understanding of what exactly we're getting ourselves into we must remain here."
Giles listened with half an ear to the loud and boisterous protests. Paid them little heed as his decision was already made.
"This however doesn't mean we can't help from afar. We must do a cloaking spell immediately. Willow go to the magic shop and get me…" Giles ticked off items he would need.
He waited until Willow had left before he turned to the others.
"My informant said the woman who has taken over has ties here. Her name is Maggie Walsh. For the meantime we need to investigate her as quietly as we can. I believe if we help on the home front the better off Buffy will be."
"This is insane!" Angel yelled. "You people are just going to sit here while Buffy's half way across the world in danger? You don't even care that Dru's going to kill her and Spike will let her?! You… what's wrong with you people?" he demanded in disgust.
He glared all around before he whirled in a flash of black, and rushed out the door.
"Good riddance," Giles let out a grateful sigh.
"We could use his help…" Oz stated quietly.
Giles nodded.
"But at what cost?" he wondered aloud. "He is too hot headed at the moment to listen to reason. I did not mention this in his presence… but I think the only one in danger of Spike and Dru are the people after Buffy. My source assured me Buffy has little to fear of them."
Joyce was as confused as the rest of them at this news.
"Well did he say why? That doesn't make sense," she complained with a worried frown.
"If we research Maggie Walsh he said we would find the answers there. Shall we begin?"
~*~
Wesley hunched against the side of the building, and ducked his head against the cold wind that whipped about him.
Shame and humiliation warred within him, and he wanted to run as fast, and as far away as he could.
But being a Watcher meant dealing with all kinds of situations.
Even ones that you would never have expected.
Straightening he moved from the side of the shack, and edged along to the door. The shack was in darkness and if he didn't know any better he would have thought it empty.
But he'd trailed behind the trio as they'd made their way here. Unsure of his reception he tapped lightly on the door.
He knew it was foolish but he hoped perhaps Buffy had forgotten his frantic fleeing.
He heard the growls even before the door was opened an inch.
"B…Buffy…" he began quietly.
Wesley swallowed as an arm reached out and jerked him into the room.
He was unceremoniously shoved up against the wall, an angry vampire staring him in the eyes.
"Welcome back Wes," Buffy said from a corner.
"I've come bearing gifts," Wesley hastily announced shoving the large brown bag out.
"Well…" Buffy rubbed her hands together and watched him through narrowed eyes. "That's great. Listen up Wesley. I want you to start talking and explain to me why I shouldn't let Spike eat you. Go ahead."
Gulping Wesley stared into Spike's yellow eyes and blinked.
"Well…I…I could be of assistance Buffy. I have connections-"he ignored her snort at this and continued, "All over Europe and can get you and these vampires' to safety. I am skilled in the art of…of…demonology. I can wield a sword like no other and I must say…I make a mean cup of tea."
Buffy laughed lightly.
"I'm just kidding around with you Wesley," she announced as she moved closer to the duo.
"Oh!" Wesley exclaimed with a little strained laugh. "May I be put down please?"
Buffy paused and regarded Wesley in the darkness.
"I'm sorry but no. I want answers and you aren't going to run off again. Spike will put you down when I'm satisfied. Now tell me about that woman."
Wesley nodded vigorously.
"Of course," he muttered. "Dr. Walsh is a scientist and she performs experiments on demons and such. She became the Council's partner a few years ago when she moved her base of operations to Sunnydale. And as the Council we felt inclined to lend them the support they needed for these experiments."
Buffy frowned and crossed her arms.
Experiments, she thought with a shudder recalling the bruises on Spike's head. The deadness of his eyes.
"What kind of experiments?" she demanded not letting herself get side tracked.
"All kinds. From examining the internal organs of a Fyral demon to the inner workings of the brain of a vampire."
"What's the purpose of this? Why is she so curious about demons? Does she work for the government? She's crazy you know! If she thinks I'll let her take Spike she'd better think again," Buffy muttered angrily.
Wesley frowned.
"You can not become attached to another vampire Ms. Summers. It is not advised or even safe. Recall how your last relationship ended," Wesley felt the need to point out.
Buffy hissed out a breath.
"I am not attached to him! And there is no relationship here," she spat out a little too forcefully. "He's…. he's just an enemy. Continue on! What did she do to Spike? How'd she get him?"
"Well we know that Spike visited Sunnydale earlier in the year. Specifically for a spell to reunite him with Drusilla correct?"
"Yes."
"Well when all was said and done the Initiative-"
"The what?" Buffy asked confused. "What is that?"
"A rogue branch of your military that focuses on demons. Things that go bump in the night," Wesley replied dryly.
"A rogue branch and this didn't bring forth alarm bells in the Council? That playing with the big boys could get you in a lot of trouble?" Buffy asked incredulous.
"We were doing it for the greater good. That is until we found out about… Well when they captured William we were thrilled. Maggie kept us updated daily on his survival as they experimented on him. Yet what she neglected to tell us what else she'd been doing."
Buffy's gaze slid to Dru in the corner.
She couldn't even guess as to what else they'd done.
"What kind of experiments?" she demanded grimly clenching her jaw.
"Internal and external. They tested his pain threshold, dug inside his brain. Implanted a chip that was to keep him from feeding. It failed. But they continued to try until… he became what he is now."
Buffy swallowed back nausea.
"Jeez," she muttered. She had already disliked that Maggie chick, but now she was beginning to hate the bitch.
"Drusilla was an unforeseen occurrence I assure you. She landed in Sunnydale a few months after Spike was kidnapped, and she allowed herself to be captured. They held her for a month before she escaped taking Spike with her."
Buffy lowered her head, and wondered how all of this was going on under her nose.
How did she let this get by her?
Anger and determination struggled forth.
"Why is he like this?" she asked then voice low and cold.
"Er… well they- The chip caused electrical currents to go off when he attempted to feed on a human. Or harm one. They hadn't full proofed the chip and decided to use it on William. I believe they shocked him so much that well… he wasn't able to handle it."
Buffy's eyes narrowed.
"Wasn't able to handle it? You can't be serious! I mean he's like a walking robot. He's- they ruined him! And you let them do that to him!"
"I did not! I only know this because Quentin told me. I had no part in this."
"How come he seems to only respond to me?" Buffy asked impatiently.
"It seems… well it seems you are the only thing he recognizes," Wesley admitted reluctantly.
Buffy shook her head in disbelief.
"That doesn't make sense," she denied his words vehemently.
"Of course not but all the same it is the truth. He has it seems no recollection of Drusilla or any other person except for you. All we could come up with was that his hatred of the Slayer, sustained being wiped away only, because of the intensity behind his feelings."
Buffy shook her head unable to comprehend this.
"So you're saying of all the things in more than one hundred years of living Spike only remembers me? That the love of his unlife has been swept from his mind? Everything is gone except for me? Me? The Slayer? His mortal enemy? This is…" she broke off laughing.
It was funny.
Really it was.
Ok it wasn't funny, but Buffy couldn't help herself.
It scared her that she was the only thing Spike had to hold onto. That she was his sole anchor to the world now.
She wasn't sure she wanted the responsibility of all that.
"Are you alright?" Wesley asked in concern.
Buffy's laughter cut off abruptly.
"How is Dru pregnant?" she asked then.
"I don't know… Those other experiments I mentioned were I can only conclude impregnating a vampire. With a male vampire's sperm. And as we've all seen it worked. I can only say that we weren't aware of this line of experiments. We would never have condoned such an act."
"Right because you're so righteous and moral," Buffy bit out sarcastically as she shook her head. "You shouldn't have been surprised. I mean this Maggie sounds like a real whack job."
Wesley chuckled.
"Well as you so eloquently put it she is. Do you realize this baby… Well there's never been anything like this before. We must get Drusilla to Quentin immediately. He will want to-"
"No! We aren't going anywhere near the Council. Neither are you. Right now Wesley the only thing you need to worry about is surviving. I have no intention of letting anyone near Spike. And once he gets his memories back he'll want Dru around. And… the baby. Spike put Wesley down," she ordered.
Spike dropped Wesley and turned from him to face Buffy.
"Pillock," Spike managed to get out.
Buffy smiled sadly.
"What'd you bring us Wesley?"
Wesley got to his feet.
Buffy stood beside Spike as Wesley showed them the various items he'd brought. Not much in the way of clothing or even hygienic goodness.
What he did bring though were a number of canned goods and a good amount of blood bags.
Buffy smiled at that, she had been wondering how she'd feed Dru and Spike tonight.
"Well… although not the most thought out of supplies you did good Wesley. Spike time to eat."
She tossed him a bag of blood. Watched as he wrinkled his nose in distaste, as he caught the cold bag in his hand.
"Don't look that way. It's blood and you need it so eat up," Buffy scolded.
Not looking convinced Spike sunk his fangs into the bag and began to drink.
Buffy turned to Dru who sat still in the corner.
"Dru-"she broke off as she watched in amazement as Dru's stomach moved and began to grow bigger.
"Well I'll be!" Wesley exclaimed in astonishment. "Do you see that? It appears that by Spike eating the baby grows, and her pregnancy increases. Amazing! How… incredible odd," he mused excitedly.
Buffy refused to comment.
She'd already managed to figure that out on her own. Her eyes remained on the bulge of Dru's stomach and stayed there.
She didn't like the feeling she was getting in the pit of her stomach. Didn't like the weird sense of protectiveness she felt for Spike. Or the odd bit of compassion she felt towards Drusilla.
This was not of the good.
Nope.
Not at all.
She closed her eyes.
What had she gotten herself mixed up in? Why couldn't she just let Maggie have them and walk away?
She didn't want to die and certainly not for these two vampires. But even as much as she wished she could wasn't going to.
What the Initiative had done to Spike and Drusilla was wrong. And she was going to make sure Maggie was put out of the demon experimentation business for good.
She started when Spike nudged her with his shoulder.
Glancing up she met his pale blue eyes and hitched in a breath.
It was the first time she'd actually let herself see what was in his eyes.
Recognition and the most shocking of all trust.
He trusted her.
And that scared her more than anything in the entire world.
"Done," he announced holding up the empty blood bag.
And when he smiled a slight tilt of the lips she could have sworn her heart stopped.
Alarm bells started blaring wildly in her head.
She took a step back and watched as confusion settled over his handsome features.
Her eyes slipped away.
This was not good.
He nudged her again.
"Done," he repeated.
She did not enjoy this, she told herself. She did not enjoy the fact that Spike only remembered her.
She wasn't smug in the knowledge that he trusted her implicitly and would do anything she told him.
No she wasn't even remotely feeling the urge to gloat.
But what she was feeling like doing was smiling up at him.
Which she did and he returned it hesitantly.
Taking his hand she gave it a squeeze.
She wasn't feeling her stomach dip and roll as emotions she'd only associated with Angel raced through her.
Nope she wasn't feeling anything, but pity she assured herself.
Pity it was a lie and she knew it.
She grinned then content to live in denial for a little while longer.
"You did good Spike," she praised him surprising herself as she gave him a hug.
He was as surprised as she.
But soon she found herself wrapped in a tight embrace with her one time mortal enemy.
~*~
Angel had done this a thousand times, and was used to the cramped space, of the cargo area of the airplane he was currently on.
But it was worth it.
Because in a few hours time he'd be in London and on his way to rescue Buffy.
He smiled thinking about his golden girl.
Imagined her reaction to him sweeping in and saving the day.
Oh yeah, he thought with a grin. He'd be her hero then, and would bask in the glory of his soulfulness.