A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. Even the one that told me this story was boring – THANKS! As for me dragging out the Spuffiness…hell yes! I'm around to torture you. Must be doing something right.
"Would it kill you to have some social graces?" Spike asked Illyria as they walked down another alley.
The ex-God regarded him silently for a moment "Coming from your insolent mouth, I find that humorous. It is not my purpose to show compassion and politeness to a Slayer, or anyone. She is far below my status"
"And what status is that? Dried up ex-God?" Spike questioned arrogantly.
Illyria grabbed him in a vice-like grip around the neck unexpectedly. She shoved him against the wall and lifted him up so his feet dangled in the air. Her fingers pushed into his windpipe with crushing force and Spike was glad he didn't need to breathe as he clawed lamely at her arm. He growled but it came out sounding gurgled and weak. He looked into her all-blue eyes and saw nothing there. She would crush him like a bug if she so desired. Spike had the sense to be afraid. He tried to kick out at her with his legs but could not get the leverage.
"You forget your place, vampire," She said calmly but through gritted teeth "You are nothing to me but a pet, a nuisance of a pet at that. Nothing more than a…a dog, as you call it"
Spike gurgled an answer.
She frowned and released her grip on his neck slightly.
"You know what they say," Spike rasped "A dog is for life not just for Christmas"
Illyria pulled him towards her then slammed him into the wall again. Spike winced as pain shot up his back and brick crumbled around him. He grabbed at her arm trying to use all of his strength of pull her away from him.
He spoke through gritted teeth now, a vein bulging in his forehead "You know…you say I'm nothing to you…a dog…but you get pretty worked up about one little comment…so, I guess you are concerned with what lesser beings…think of…you"
Illyria's eyes narrowed and she squeezed tighter on his throat again. Spike's eyes bulged and he began to splutter and he dug his nails into her arm without much effect – especially with the leather cat-suit thing she had on.
Suddenly the radio in Spike's pocket squeaked and squealed. Illyria looked down in the direction and Spike tried to struggle free again with no avail.
"Guys, its Dawn…we got trouble…Buffy…fighting…" Dawn's voice sounded ragged and out of breath "Alley…help now!"
Spike looked at Illyria. He struggled harder. Illyria looked back.
A moment passed.
The ex-god dropped him so suddenly he fell to the floor. Spike was in a crouch rubbing at his neck and groaning. He looked up and found himself alone in the alley. The vampire stood and ran back out into the street. He vamped out and sniffed at the air for Buffy's scent following it to an alley across the street and to the left. He ran down it full force, duster flailing behind him, he rounded the corner and stopped in his tracks.
Something was coming towards him. No, someone.
They weren't walking or even running. They were flying. Spike put his arms up just in time to brace himself for impact as the body careened into him and sent him and his assailant slamming into the wall behind him.
He fell to the floor and the other person fell on top of him.
Spike shook his head. Blonde hair had fallen in his face; the scent of vanilla overwhelmed his senses.
Buffy lifted her head up and met his eyes as she lay half on him "Well, ow"
Spike smiled "You all right, love?"
Without thinking he reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Buffy jumped back like she had been shocked and sat up on the ground. They locked eyes; Spike tilted his head as he scanned every inch of her face. Buffy looked away, let out a long, ragged breath. She nodded slowly.
"Yeah, I'm...I'm good" Buffy stood "We found us a Kraal"
"Worked out as much" He replied as he stood too and tried not to think too much about what had just happened.
They started running towards the end of the alley when Spike could see Illyria punching an ugly looking demon into the wall and then pummeling it repeatedly in the face. The demon looked to be about six feet tall, with the build of a bodybuilder. It's skin was a off-green, sort of like mushy peas. The head was bald and there didn't actually seem to be any hair on it at all from what Spike could tell – the demon was wearing some blue jeans and a sleeveless muscle shirt. It had no nose, a small mouth with sharp teeth, which gleamed in the light and pure white eyes with no visible pupil.
"It's strong," Buffy informed him as the continued to near "Try not to get punched out across the alley like me"
"I'll bear that in mind" He replied, raising an eyebrow.
"I made Dawn hide between that Dumpster and that pile of boxes. Don't let the Kraal get anywhere near that" She demanded before increasing her speed in time to jump on the back of the Kraal as it punched Illyria to the floor.
Spike watched as Buffy clubbed the demon on the back of the head sending it to the floor next to the ex-God. He ran up to it and stamped it in the face.
"Don't kill it" Buffy instructed "We can use it for questioning"
Spike nodded and kicked it in the face again "Any idea how we're supposed to get it to go beddy-byes?"
Just as he said that a bolt of what looked like electricity surged through the Kraal's body and caused him to shake and spasm. Spike recognized that as he had been on the receiving end of it. Sure enough there was a wire leading off from the demon's chest that led to Angel standing a way away, with Nina and Wes on point. In Wesley's arm was a taser gun.
"I got a few ideas, yeah" Buffy said then looked at Angel "Thanks for the assist"
Angel smiled back "I've always got your back"
Spike turned his back so they couldn't see him and put a finger down his throat indicating he was going to gag.
However, as Dawn crawled out from her hiding place she saw it and chuckled. Spike grinned back.
Wesley fired the taser a few more times until the Kraal was well and truly out. Then he walked over and secured it's hands behind it's back with reinforced handcuffs.
"It would be a good idea if we got him back to Wolfram and Hart's holding cells as soon as possible," Wesley noted "We have no idea how long the effects of the taser will last on him while he is high on Speed Beads"
Dawn giggled at the name.
"Angel, Spike, Buffy," Wesley looked at them each in turn "I think it best if you three carry him. If he wakes up it will be less likely he can make an escape"
"Uh, good idea, Wes" Spike said, pointing at him "But incase you haven't noticed we're not really all the same height – to carry him like a coffin and all that."
The ex-Watcher nodded "Good point…Carry him at your side, holding him like a ladder, or a rolled up carpet. Should do the trick." He smiled
Spike, Buffy and Angel all moved towards the body and then timed it before picking it up and wrapping their arm around him. Angel had the shoulders, Buffy the midriff and Spike the legs. Between them it was pretty evenly balanced.
Illyria and Wesley started off in front of them, Dawn stuck with Nina probably too afraid to be near Illyria.
"Atten' hut!" Spike grinned "Let's get this show on the road"
Angel muttered "It's gonna be a long walk home…"
A/N: You got some Spuffy, be happy! More next chapter, I solemnly swear.