Greater Good Part 10/27: A Strange Bond
Rated R
Wickedfox
Spoilers to Season 7.
Summary: Spike finally gets a wicked taste of his creation as a curious onlooker develops an interest in the monster.
Feedback: Live on it , love it.
Disclaimer: All ME, Joss, etc...not mine just playing in the sandbox if you will.
The shadowed streets were bare, absent of any pedestrians or cars as the gang of Potentials rounded the last corner leading to the south end of town. They paused with wonder as they reached the intersection of First and Yorkshire . For all intensive purposes, Sunnydale was a ghost town. Not one light remained lit within the abandoned shops lining either side of the street. The young ladies went nervously quiet, marching uneasily down the sidewalk as they inspected the unlit shops. The scene couldn't have felt more like an old western showdown, with the exception of an unlikely tumbleweed crossing their paths as if it were a unlucky omen.
Giles kept an attentive eye on his master of the moment, amazed at how courageous she seemed as she moved briskly out into the center of the road to get a clearer path of travel. Dawn was as much of a fighter as her sister, as her mother. He felt his stomach tense at Joyce's memory. What an amazing woman, to raise a Slayer and stay alive as long as she had managed was an astonishing feat. Slayer's families were usually the first to be targeted by enemies; something Giles unfortunately understood much too well. But Dawn continued on, defying anyone's expectations; she was as much a genuine champion as her sister.
"Move it along already," Spike strutted from around a corner and waved the gang on. "We don't want to be caught off guard here."
"Where's Buffy?" Xander asked and saw Spike noticeably upset that Dawn was in control of the vampiric Watcher.
"Just over there. Should she be...um, handling him?" Spike didn't want Buffy seeing such obvious insolence for her orders. Giles wouldn't have a chance if she saw that.
"She didn't really give us a choice," Willow explained. "Besides, Dawn seems to be doing just fine."
Spike hurried over to Dawn and went for the chain. She stepped back, protectively guarding her custody of Giles' leash.
"Don't!" Giles rumbled, low and menacingly.
"I'm trying to save your ass! Buffy will dust you if she sees you with Lil' bit," Spike reached for the chains again and Giles nudged forward to block his advance.
"She's fine!" Giles growled. "Go keep an eye on the others."
"That's your job. You're the bloody Watcher," Spike huffed. "Buffy doesn't want you near Dawn. I know you've got a death wish but I'm not lettin' you get all staked for playin' pet vamp for niblit. Just hand over the leash... before Buffy shows."
"Before Buffy shows what?" The Slayer made an acrobatic entrance, vaulting off the rooftop of a single story building and landing gracefully along side the empty road.
"I tried to stop them..." Spike stepped back, defending his weak attempt to regain control.
"Stop what?" Buffy glanced over and saw Dawn standing receptively along side Giles with a chain joining the two. Spike immediately felt the need to intercede.
"He's locked up...ok. Can't hurt a fly," Spike offered.
"Actually, Mr. Giles is just as deadly without the use of his...."
"SHUT UP!" The Scoobies ordered Andrew who seemed to shrink into some nearby shadows with the discouraging voices shouting at him. He was only trying to be a part of the gang.
After a short inspection of her young sister's spirited demeanor, Buffy's lips curled slightly and she nodded. "Enjoying yourself?" she asked Dawn, seemingly indifferent to the strange scenario.
Dawn nodded with a slight gleam of confusion at her sister's curious question and tentatively took up some slack of the chain. Giles' observed the odd exchange with an inquisitive eye. It hadn't been the reaction he'd expected from Buffy but it was encouraging to see she wasn't ready to dust him over an innocent situation. Maybe she recognized the subtle empowerment the control gave Dawn. Maybe Buffy planned on punishing him later. In any case, Giles would remain subservient to Dawn for the time being.
"Right... well then," Spike seemed suddenly relived at the lack of anger from the Slayer. "Beasties should be making their way here at any moment. Buffy, Giles and I will handle the..."
"He'll watch Dawn and the girls," Buffy stepped out into the street to take note of the layout.
"Buffy... we might need a little help. Bringers and uber vamps are coming this way. Let's not risk anything." Spike urged.
"He will watch Dawn and the girls!" She said slow and calculatedly, making sure he recognized the decision had been made. " Willow , Xander, Anya and Andrew will watch him. Faith will help us."
"Fine," Spike shrugged it off and lit up a cigarette. "Time to put your game face on, Rupert." He glanced expectantly over at the Giles. The Watcher remained calm, staring at the unaware Slayer, completely absorbed with her. It made Spike angry. "Come on. Let's give the Little Red Riding Hoods a taste of the Big Bad Wolf. After all, they should know what they're getting into here." Giles continued to disregard his order, watching Buffy mentally map out the block and Spike grew more agitated.
All eyes fell on the preoccupied Watcher as Spike approached with a clenched fist. After a quick assessment of the fellow vampire, Spike rudely snapped his fingers just inches from Giles face, bringing his attentions back to him.
"Time to stop daydreaming," Spike ordered. "Now make with Mr. Hyde so we can get this out of the way and move on to more pressing business."
"Not going to happen," Giles stood resolved before the captive audience, unwilling to fulfill his sire's request or offer any explanation for his refusal. There was no need for him to show that face to them. He rather not make things any worse than they already were. Dawn glanced up worriedly at him and he gave her a subtle shake of his head, dissuading any fears he would ever show that side of himself.
"Oh please... still in denial, are we? They'll be seeing it soon enough, old man. Just thought you'd give em a chance to get used to it is all!" Spike puffed a few eager clouds of smoke and waved a dismissive hand toward the willful vampire.
"Spike, that's enough!" Buffy ordered. And Giles looked over with surprise that she'd offered any hint of sympathy for his situation. Or perhaps she just didn't want him to worsen an already tense scene.
"Tough crowd..." Spike chuckled. "Not one for making this easy? Hard way it is!" He stepped up to Giles and flashed a coy smile just before he planted an unprovoked and powerful upper cut to the Watcher's chin. The unexpected blow sent Giles floundering backwards toward the Potentials. He tried to catch himself but was tripped up by his binds. Andrew was flattened by the stumbling vampire, taken by surprise and sandwiched between Giles and a brick wall while the confused crowd watched on. The girls scattered apart, unsure of what to do as Dawn rushed forward to stop Spike's startling attack. Spike ignored her, strutting past her to get to the fallen Watcher and level another hard punch down just as Giles attempted to get up on his feet. Dawn went to check on Andrew who slipped to the sidewalk with a dazed expression. Xander rushed Spike and took a wild swing that the vampire easily avoided.
"No beef with you. Just trying to get a rise outta the old man," Spike explained and pushed Xander away. "Doesn't involve you."
"If it involves Giles, it involves me!" Xander moved in again and was stopped by Buffy.
"And this is helping how?" Buffy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, seeming only slightly put off by the senseless attack.
"Come on now," Spike smiled. "Show us the goods, Ripper. You know you wanna!"
"Don't do this!" Giles felt his anger seizing control and he struggled to restrain himself. As Spike's fists connected to his face, he could feel his rage spring up, threatening to boil over. "Please..." he mumbled as another blow silenced his plea and drew out a ravenous need to release his fury.
"What'd the fuck I miss?" Faith came rushing up out of nowhere, eager to get filled in on the unpredicted happenings. "What gives?"
"Spike, leave him alone." Buffy ordered and held Xander back from another rush.
"Give us peek, then," Spike taunted Giles, landing another blow.
"Spike... stop tenderizing the help!"
When the knee struck hard at his abdomen, Giles couldn't conceal his rage any longer.
Spike pulled back for another devastating punch and Dawn blocked his path, standing protectively in front of the hunched over Watcher to prevent the hounding vampire's assault. She glanced back to make sure Giles was all right and was overtaken by fear. A horrified gasp fell past her lips, she was petrified by the haunting face of her sadistic assailant staring up, yellowish eyes blazing furiously past her to the bullying vampire.
"Come out to play after all?" Spike chuckled with satisfaction. "Knew you couldn't resist."
Giles bolted upright and snarled threateningly at Spike who seemed much too pleased with his accomplishment. That's when Giles heard the disconcerted mumbles from the girls. He glanced over to see the Potentials grimace with shock and dread at the sight of him, the exposure of his demon taking them all by surprise. But it was when he saw the panicked look in Dawn's eyes that Giles understood just how hideous he was. He gently extended his hands, wanting to console her but the once courageous girl scampered desperately over to Buffy, seeking protection from him. The chains she'd been so possessive of fell discarded and rattling to the pavement, and Giles winced at the aching sound of desertion ringing in his ears.
Buffy's eyes remained cool and distant, watching him as Dawn retreated behind her. Giles knew he'd done exactly what the Slayer had expected; she'd anticipated his release of the beast. He was instantly ashamed of permitting Spike to rouse the monster from him. But his disgrace paled in comparison to the uncontainable rage that dominated him in that instant and he craved nothing less than retribution. He longed to punish Spike.
"That is who you are now, Giles. You are a vampire. Deal with it!" Spike said simply and looked over at the potentials. "Don't just stand there," Spike ordered the girls as his face changed to the vampire he usually masked. "Get your weapons. We have."
Faith sneaked stealthily up and knelt down beside Giles, unnoticed by Spike, and pulled out a small set of keys. She worked to unlock the handcuffs as Giles glared feverishly up at vampire barking out orders. The restraints clicked open and Faith gave Giles a playful nudge. The demon Watcher growled as he glared over, unaware of his sudden freedom and waited for an explanation of her intrusion. His radiant eyes finally fell the handcuffs twirling playfully on the end of the dark Slayer's finger.
"I'll save these for later," She winked naughtily at Giles. "Go get em, G!"
Giles charged Spike, driven by his wrath, moving so quickly that the ripple of breeze caused by his swift rush brushed Spike's face only after Giles had grasped his shoulders and pinned him against the metal grate of a deserted storefront gate.
"Is this what you wanted?" Giles snarled furiously as he slammed the back of Spike's head into the gate and gripped the vampire's collar. "Satisfied with your work?" With the second taunt, Giles thrust his knee up into Spike's midsection and followed it with an elbow to the back of the stooping vampire's neck. "You want me to deal with it? Deal with this!" Giles stomped down his hard soled boot to the base of Spike's spine, grinning agreeably with the faint snapping he heard.
"So... was that what you were laughing about earlier?" Willow asked as Faith joined her and Xander for the show.
"Bleach Bum's not the brightest bulb in the batch, huh?" Faith chuckled. "Lifted the keys back at the house. Figure G's got a bit of payback coming."
"You know about Spike then?" Willow asked curiously.
"Huh... what? Don't know 'bout Spike?" Faith was starting to get annoyed by the conversation, she just wanted to watch Giles go at Buffy's fang boy. "Let's just say I can relate to the song Giles is singing."
Xander and Willow shared a confused glance at the offbeat comment.
"Handy little talent you got there," Xander complimented.
"Yep. Little something I picked up while in Stark County Corrections," Faith said plainly. "Sometimes all you have is what you can take from others."
"Well, it was... was nice. In a deviant, morally delinquent kinda way," Xander smiled favorably as his attentions were drawn back to the fight.
Faith ignored the compliment, shutting out the distraction of conversation. She was busy taking in the essence of the unfolding drama. A wave of adrenalin poured through her as she watched Giles beat Spike down. She could see the exhilaration on the vampire's face, smell his passion for the action. It was something she knew all too well, the thrill of battle. But to be witness to a normally reserved man like Giles finally letting go as he savagely tore into the clueless vampire; it was enthralling. Faith was captivated by Giles' intensity and couldn't help but let her mind wander as she looked on, mesmerized.
"We don't have time for this..." Spike wheezed and tried to get to his feet. He never made it; Giles landed a devastating upper cut that sent Spike flying past the Scoobies, crashing through the window of the accompanying hardware store.
"Shouldn't we stop this?" Anya asked Buffy who shrugged off the question and smiled with pleased recognition of the unblocked entrance to the store. Spike tumbled back out through the cracked and splintered glass, falling flat on his face in the middle of the road as Buffy peeked curiously into the dark shop.
"Hey... free for all at the local goodies shop," Buffy crunched through the shattered glass blanketing the sidewalk and disappeared within the depths of the abandoned store. Xander's eyes darted between Willow and Anya, utterly bewildered by his friend's actions.
"The Buffster seems a bit distracted by the pretty hardware store," Xander shrugged. "And I'm not getting in-between those two." Besides, he was enjoying the show, watching Spike being pummeled pitilessly by a very deserving Giles was just the breath of fresh air he needed.
"God... look at him go..." Faith mumbled with a gratified smile.
Spike gradually lifted himself up from the road, leveraging his elbows under him just as his gut was battered by a powerful kick thrusting him further off the ground. He managed to plant his feet under him as he landed and finally took a defensive stance. Giles swiped at him with a wide punch and Spike blocked in time to counter with an uppercut of his own. Giles stumbled back; much to the disapproving hisses of the crowd and Spike cocked a bothered brow at the negative reception. Were those selfish brats actually rooting for the old man?
"This isn't the time to settle our differences..."
"Revenge is never convenient," Giles sneered at Spike's feeble attempt to discontinue the fight. The increasingly heated vampire rushed towards him, ignoring Spike's pleas for reason. Giles heaved a few wild punches that Spike easily outmaneuvered and then went on the offensive, attacking with a succession of kicks. Giles expertly blocked each strike with alternating forearms and telegraphed Spike's final kick, catching his leg and holding it as a wicked grin played along his lips.
"Are we having fun yet?" He swung the hapless vampire around, sending him crashing through another retail store window. There was a restrained rumble of cheers from the audience and Giles fed off the audible support, using it to further fuel his antagonism for Spike. The young faces of the anxious crowd enthusiastically lit up with awareness of what opportunity was just given to them. Sunnydale Sweets and Chocolate was open for business, or for looting anyway and the girls didn't waste any time rushing into the shop as Spike spilled clumsily back out into the street.
Dawn remained disturbed by the scene, standing just outside the hardware store and keeping a watchful eye on the ensuing battle of the vampires going on in front of her.
"How 'bout the sporting goods store?" Xander snickered as Giles stormed forward after Spike, not giving the vampire a moments rest as he landed a few quick but precise jabs. Spike tried to block and punch, managing a few weak blows as he shuffled back to avoid the onslaught being returned to him.
"Hey G, I could use a crossbow or a shiny new hunters knife!" Faith agreed, mirroring miniature strikes of her own at each hit Giles landed, as if willing him on. Spike tried to block and Giles countered with a surprise left that sent him shattering the sporting goods storefront window.
"I could use a few software upgrades myself," Willow felt weird joining in on the game but didn't know what else to do. It seemed somehow appropriate to propose suggestions, almost as if they were showing their support to Giles though offering their wish lists. Willow caught a glimpse of Dawn's distraught expression and she went over to her, keeping watch of the raging battle.
"It's still him, Dawn," she urged with a creasing brow. "It still Giles." Dawn just stared forward, watching the vicious fight with rising apprehension. Buffy returned outside with her arms full of various items, double sided axes, a sledgehammer, machetes, and a bulky nail gun. Xander excitedly rushed to her and he took the nail gun as his weapon of choice.
"Wow...a combustion nailer, this could be useful," Xander noticed the snickering reaction of his friends and shrugged. "So I'm a tool junkie."
"Hey, you know how to use it, that's of the good. Pass these around," Buffy handed off the other tools and noticed Dawn completely engrossed by the vampire brawl. Willow , Xander and Anya rushed over to the candy shop to hand out the new weapons to the sugar-filled and now wired Potentials.
"Dawn, you ok?" She didn't answer and Buffy took a moment to watch the clash of the titans laying waste to the small block of shops. Giles was mercilessly ripping into Spike, scratching wildly at him as the blonde vampire tumbled towards the center of the road again. She considered the notion of letting the two demons obliterate each other, leaving the two Slayers to fend off the forces of the First. But Spike was right; she could use the help and the expendable strength both presented. Buffy wrapped her arm around Dawn and pointed to the irritating combatants.
"I won't let him hurt you," Buffy said confidently. Dawn broke from her daze and shot Buffy an intense glare, swiping her sister's arm off her shoulders. She followed it up with a very familiar offensive gesture that took Buffy by surprise and Dawn ran out to stop the fight.
Giles was caught off guard by a swift jab to his midsection and swung around to counter with an elbow. He stopped cold, mere centimeters from connecting with Dawn's stern features. She stood her ground, not showing any concern for herself, determined to end the reckless skirmish. Giles' anger washed away at the sight of her, vanishing with the brave interjection from the unwavering young lady. He felt his demonic visage morph back to his acceptable more appearance and he smiled down at her.
"As you wish," Giles stood down, willing to temporarily concede the battle a draw.
"Had enough then?" Spike spit out a bloody tooth to the cracked pavement and chuckled as he straightened up to stretch out his tired muscles. "Not bad, Rupert. I can always do with a bit of a warm up."
The slight breeze caught the vampire's attentions and Giles and Spike suddenly went quiet, remaining motionless as their concentrated stares scanned the darkened streets and alleys.
Spike glanced over at Giles. "You smell..."
"Yes... about three blocks north," Giles nodded, listening carefully for the approaching strangers.
Buffy saw the serious expressions donning the feuding vampires faces and knew they'd caught scent of the local baddies.
"There's more than I thought," Spike whispered.
"Hard to tell. But I think we're outnumbered," Giles glanced over at Buffy who acknowledged his alertness.
"Get the girls!" She motioned to Faith who immediately hurried off to gather up the potentials. "Dawn, you, Willow , Anya, and Xander take shelter inside the hardware store with the others. Don't come out unless I call you. Got it?" Dawn hesitantly agreed, gesturing with a slight nod and the group followed her orders, disappearing within the hardware store. The Potential Slayers started shuffling across the street to take up positions in the hardware store.
"Spike, I want you hiding in the shadows. I'll call you when I need you."
"I'm not leaving you alone," Spike refused to budge.
"Just do it! Wait for my order," Buffy gave him a forceful shove towards a darkened alley. "I want to surprise them. Go!"
Spike glanced over at Giles who offered a gentle nod of reassurance. The vampire ran off into the shadows leaving Giles and Buffy standing alone together in the center of the empty street. They scanned the streets for any sign of the approaching trouble, nothing yet.
"And me?" Giles asked softly, glancing down and dutifully awaiting her command. "What do you want..."
"Protect the Potentials. No matter what happens, keep them alive."
"Buffy, are you sure you can..."
"Giles, don't." She paused; appalled that she'd slipped and called him by that name. How quickly she'd forgotten her own stubborn assertion that the demon wasn't Giles and would never be Giles. But as she looked over at the genuinely concerned emerald gaze of the man standing firm beside her, she wanted it to be him; she wanted it to be Giles. "Watch over the them, protect them."
"With my last breath," Giles nodded and she raised a questioning brow.
"But you don't breathe." Buffy corrected with the slightest hint of a smile curling the edge of her lips.
"Um... right. You know what I meant," Giles concluded with a worried grin, recognizing the faint echo of the friendship they once shared. "If you need me..."
"I won't," She turned her back to him and marched a few paces away. And like that, the brief sparkle of camaraderie was gone. But Giles understood and would accept anything she'd offer to him, even if her words stung worse than the purifying sunlight he attempted to accept just days before. He kept a remorseful eye on her as he moved to take up his post protecting the future Slayers.
A small gang of Bringers marched from around an intersection two blocks from Buffy and Giles immediately felt something was off. His gut churned nervously as four uber vamps rounded the same corner and weaved eagerly back and forth along the road as they made their way toward the solitary, brave Slayer.
"I recognize the steroid vamps and the eyeless wonders..." Kennedy whispered to the uneasy Watcher. "But who the hell is the preacher guy?"
