FIC: A Murder Of Crows (7?)

"Hey!" Seeing her best friend was oblivious to her shout, probably dreaming about Susan Ivannova again, Willow broke out to a run to catch up with him, grabbing him by his arm when she did so. "Xander!"

Her friend turned towards her, a vaguely surprised look on his face. "Oh hey Will."

Willow shook her head. She runs the length of a corridor and what does she get? 'Oh hey Will.' Typical male. "Say, me and Oz were going bowling tomorrow night. How about you and Cordelia join us?"

"Oh," Xander shuffled uncomfortably. "I'd love to Willow, but I've sorta got training at Jack's."

Willow resisted the urge to yank one of Xander's ears off. It was all she heard, 'Jack this', 'Faith this'. Between him dating Cordelia and all his extra training with Jack Crow, whose attitude towards Angel was just plain heartless, she hardly saw her childhood friend anymore. "Well tough mister!" she exploded. "I've already spoken to Cordelia," she lied. "And she thinks it's a great idea!"

She gave Xander her 'Resolve-Face'. After a minute he caved. "Okay," her best friend nodded meekly.

"Good!" she beamed. Now all she had to do was find and persuade Cordelia.

"Bowling," Cordelia's face wrinkled at her suggestion. "I don't know Willow; I don't have anything in my wardrobe that matches bowling shoes."

"Oh go on," she pleaded. Knowing that Cordelia had some sort of immunity to 'resolve-face', she turned to her puppy-dog eyes instead. "It'll be fun."

Cordelia groaned. "Fine," she opened her locker with a shake of her head. "I'm in!"

"Great!" Willow's smile faded slightly as she noticed something. "That's a lot of photos of you and Xander."

"What?" Cordelia looked vaguely embarrassed before shrugging. "I looked good that day. So did Xander," the cheerleader shot her a high-wattage smile. "Only don't tell him that. He'll stop trying. Always room for improvement."

"Rrright," Willow forced her own smile to brighten. It had taken her time to warm to Cordelia, but it was obvious that the cheerleader honestly cared for her best friend. And what sort of best friend would she be if she let something get in the way of that?

"Bollocks!" Spike cursed as his classic 1958 Dodge Desoto crashed through the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign and screeched to a halt. Kicking the door open, he stumbled out, his whiskey bottle rolling off the seat and smashing on the pavement. "Oh bollocks!" he repeated. Stumbling onto his back on the back, he struggled to his feet. "Home, sweet... home."

A few minutes later and he was in the burnt-out factory that had shared as the Scourge's base before the bloody Watcher's rampage. He strolled through the area, stepping over the strewn chairs, while singing merrily to himself. He laughed as he entered the room that had served as his bedroom. "Drusilla! I'm home!" He started to giggle, his mirth turning to tears. Looking around, he saw what remained of his sire's doll collection. Striding over to the dolls, he picked one of the dolls up, snarling into its melted face. "Why did you do it, baby? Why did you leave me? We were happy here." Shaking his head, he suppressed a sob, changing into his game face. Grabbing hold of a near-by iron candlestick, he started to pound the doll's face, shouting out a word with every strike. "YOU... STUPID... WORTHLESS... BITCH!" Calming himself, he flung the stick into the wall. It clattered to the ground. "Look what you've done to me."

"Did you come in through the back?"

Spike didn't look up from his examination of the spell-books. "Yeah. I need a curse."

"A what?"

Now he did look up, glaring at the shopkeeper. "A curse! Y'know, something nasty. Boils. I wanna give him boils all over his face. You know, dripping pustules. Let's

really go for the gusto here."

The shopkeeper paled at his venom. "I'm hearing a lot of negative energy, and I bet..."

"Leprosy! Alright, a spell that makes his knob drop off. That sounds proper." Spike beamed, that'd get the prancing poofter.

"We don't carry..." the shopkeeper looked around at the sound of the front door opening, "leprosy. Would you excuse me a moment?" Spike distractedly waved the young woman away, consumed with thoughts of what curse to use. "Blessed be. Anything in particular I can help you find?"

"Yeah." Spike's ears perked at the sound of the voice of the Slayer's Wicca friend. "It's all here on the list. Skink root, essence of rose thorn, canary feathers..."

"Aha!" The shopkeeper giggled. "A love spell. Want that old lover to come back to you? Are you sure you know what you're doing, hon?" Spike grinned slowly as an idea occurred.

"No. Oh, I mean, yes!" It was the Wicca again. "I... I know how to do a love spell, but this is more of an anti-love spell. Yeah. Uh, kind of a de-lusting of an unwanted admirer. The supplies are basically the same, right?"

"Basically. Although raven feathers tend to breed a little more discontent than canary. Let me just get some things..." Spike watched intently from behind the bookcase as the shop-owner gathered some bags of herbs, jars of root powders, and a feather, and brought them all to the counter. "Okay. Mm-hmm." The shop owner added everything up as she bagged it. "That'll be $15.80 for the lot."

The red-haired witch beamed as she handed over the money. "Thanks!" Taking the bag the red-head hurried out of the shop.

The shopkeeper came through to the back, smiling. "Did you find a spell book?"

Spike vamped out and grabbed the paling shopkeeper around the throat, his powerful grip cutting off any attempt at screaming. "Forget the book." He bit down and fed. When he'd sucked her dry, he flung the corpse to the ground and looked in the direction of the front door. "I just got a better idea."

"Whoa!" Xander stopped as he entered the darkened school lab, smiling at his friend grinding a paste into a ceramic bowl. "It smells like church in here." He stopped and sniffed. "No, wait... Evil church."

"It's just chemistry stuff. An experiment." Willow explained.

"So you said when you called. Why do I have to be here?" Xander queried.

"It'll help you on the exam. You're way behind." Willow passed him a raven feather. "Hold this."

"A feather. And who will I be tickling?" he ran it across Willow's cheek only for his friend to glare at him.

"Hush." Willow looked down at her instructions. "Okay. Bring mixture to a boil..."

She lit the Bunsen burner below a flask of liquid.

Xander fought back a yawn. "I assume this isn't going to make us late for our evening of bowling magic?"

Willow started. "There's no magic! I mean, bowling, yeah. Cordelia and Oz are gonna meet us here later."

"Great." Xander turned the lights on. His eyes widened as he noticed something familiar about the book Willow was working from. "Is that a spell book?"

Willow put a hand over the book. "No, no, no! Chemistry book."

"Wait a minute. This is love spell stuff! You're doing a love spell?" Xander stepped back. "Willow, what are you doing?"

"No! Of course not! This is a purely scientific..." Xander picked the book up and showed the apprentice witch its title: 'Witchcraft'. " ...de-lusting spell I know. I thought it would go better if you didn't know."

"Are you nuts, or have you forgotten that I tend to have bad luck with these sorts of spells?"

"I'm not just going to stand about and watch you cheat on Cordelia!" Willow shot back. "She makes you happy. But I've seen the way Faith looks at you and you at her! This is for your own good!"

Xander blinked. Was the world going completely mad? Hadn't he proven with the loyalty he'd shown both Willow and Buffy over the past two years how completely out of character it was for him to cheat on anyone? "I'd never cheat on Cordy!" he defended. Sure, he'd noticed Faith, he'd have to be blind not to, but cheating wasn't in him. Taking a breath, he spoke. "We better clean this place up before the others get here and start asking questions."

Suddenly Willow paled and screamed his name. The next second he felt a strong hand around his neck. "I need to borrow the little girl. You don't mind, do you?" a voice he spine-chillingly recognised as Spike's whispered in his ear. Xander responded by kicking out with his legs against the wall, shoving him and Spike across the room and into a metal shelf. Spike growled before pushing him to the floor. He tried to get up but Spike smashed him in the head, knocking him back down. Out of the corner of his dazed eye he saw Willow lunge at the demon with a microscope only for him to snatch it out of her hand and push her to the ground. "Threatening me? That's not nice. We're all gonna be best friends." The vampire turned to him and swung the microscope into his temple.

Faith slid under the vampire's attack with pantherish grace and punched the statuesque red-head under her armpit. The demon shrieked and dropped stone-like to the ground. Faith reached down to hit the vampire only for her opponent to kick her in the stomach, momentarily winding her.

That moment was all it took for the demon to reach her feet and charge her. Faith responded with a heel kick to the vampire's legs. The red-head screamed in concerto with her left knee cracking and her falling flat to her face. Faith grabbed the demon's collar and flipped her onto her front before raising her stake for the killing strike. "Spike has your friends!"

"Say what?" Faith held her strike, confused by the demon's outburst. Who the hell was this Spike dude? "What the fuck you talking 'bout bitch?"

"William the Bloody," Faith's stomach hollowed, she'd heard that name from her first Watcher. "He was in Willy's before, half-drunk, boasting about getting his hands on the Slayer's Witch friend, getting her to cast a spell for her."

"Fuck," Faith slammed her stake home. "Thanks." She looked up at her father. "What do ya think?"

"I think the demon shouldn't have caught you with that kick," her dad pulled out his mobile. Faith scowled at the admonishment. "I also think we need to warn Rosenberg." After a minute her dad grimaced. "No answer. Best contact the others."

"Oh bloody hell." Giles' curse broke the hushed silence. Looking around, he saw Buffy, Faith, Cordelia, and Oz looking ashen-faced and to him for guidance. Angel, well the murdering bugger looked as inscrutable as ever, not that he'd ever shown that he gave a toss about anyone bar himself and Buffy. Crow on the other hand looked controlled, almost as if he was casting a judging eye over him during the crisis.

Which rankled like bugeree. Quelling his temper, he took a calming breath before continuing. "Angel, you and Buffy work together. Jack, you and Faith. Oz, go with Cordelia, but on no account," he glared at the last duo, "attempt a rescue without back-up. Understood?" After a second the werewolf guitarist, where else in the world could one find one of them, nodded. "Good. I'll stay here and co-ordinate things. Has everyone their mobile?" A series of nods followed his question. "Good, then what are you waiting for?"

Willow stared nervously at Xander's body crumpled beside her on the bed in the factory Spike had dragged them into. The aforementioned vampire dumped a box on the bed, the other side of Xander. "A spell. For me. You're gonna do a spell for me."

"Uh, what kind of spell?" Willow hated herself for the undeniable fear she heard in her voice.

"A love spell! Are you brain dead?" The vampire took a swig of his beer. "I'm

gonna get what's mine. What's mine. Teach her to walk out on me." Spike spun around to face her. "What are you staring at?"

Willow stared down at the dusty ground. "Nothing."

"You can do it, right? You can make Dru love me again? Make her crawl!" Spike demanded.

"I-I can try," she stutteringly replied.

Spike grabbed her around the neck. "What are you talking about, trying? You'll do

it!"

"Yes, I'll do it!" Willow screamed.

"You lie to me, and I'll shove this through your face!" Spike shattered his glass and waved a shard in her face. "You want that? Right through to your BRAIN!"

Willow shook her head. "No, please, no..."

Spike sneered before pushing her aside. "Alright. Get started."

Still shaking, Willow stepped around the bed to where Spike dumped the box of supplies. "I'm not a real witch, you know. I-I don't know if this is gonna work right away."

Spike smirked. "Well, if at first you don't succeed, I'll kill him," Willow's heart fluttered when the loathsome demon indicated Xander, "and you try again."

Heart beating an irregular rhythm, Willow looked through the supplies. "This isn't enough."

"What?"

Willow recoiled at the demon's approach. "Well, there are other ingredients, a-and a-a-a book. I need a, a spell book. This isn't it."

"You've got one, though, at home?"

Willow's eyes widened, this monster couldn't go to her home. "Not at home. I left it somewhere."

"Where?"

"We've gotta find them," Buffy declared as she and her Angel-sized care bear hurried out of the school. She might be very disappointed in Xander's bigoted narrow-mindedness towards Angel's return, but she didn't want to see him dead at Spike's hands. She was a bigger person than that.

"Don't worry," Angel growled. "I can smell my childe out."

"Good," Buffy nodded. That was good news. "Lead the way."

Buffy grimaced as she noticed the yellow police tape stretched across the room, separating the counter and the shelves of merchandise from the entry area. And the peroxide blonde demon stood by the counter. "Your work?" she demanded.

The vampire stiffened. Turning, he smirked at them. "Hurt me and you'll never get your friends back." Buffy yanked down the police tape and tossed it aside. "All I want is a spell and you can have the pair back."

"And we should trust you because?" Angel put in.

"You can come with me," Spike shrugged. "But I'm not talking."

Buffy exchanged helpless looks with Angel before snatching the ingredient list off Spike, her heart catching when she recognised Willow's so neat hand-writing. "We'll do it. 'Essence of violet, cloves...' Angel?"

"Right." Angel started to look it.

"'Set of runic tablets.' Spike can get the rat's eyes." Buffy ordered.

"Bossy bloody woman," Spike mumbled. "I used to bring her rats. With the morning paper."

"Great. Moping. That's gonna get her back," Buffy commented sarcastically.

"The spell's gonna get her back."

"Lot of trouble for somebody who doesn't even care about you," Angel needled.

"Shut your gob!" Spike vamped out.

"She really is just kind of fickle," Angel continued.

"SHUT UP!" The vampire lunged at Angel who easily knocked aside his grand-childe's rush, flinging him into the wall. ""What do you know? It's your fault, the both of you! She belongs with me. I'm nothing without her."

"That I'll have to agree with. You're pathetic, you know that?" Angel commented.

"Yeah. You're one to talk," Spike returned to looking for stuff.

"Meaning?" Buffy demanded.

Spike turned to face her, a mocking glint in the demon's eyes. "The last time I looked in on you two, you were fighting to the death. Now you're back making googly-eyes at each other like nothing happened. Makes me want to heave."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Buffy blustered.

Spike snorted. "Oh, yeah. You're just friends."

"That's right," Angel confirmed.

Spike laughed. "What a load of bollocks!"

Willow shouldered the door, grunting with each blow. Hearing Xander moan from the bed, she hurried over to check on him. She winced at the dried blood on his forehead. "Xander?" she sat on the bed. "Are you okay?"

Xander tried to sit up. "Dizzy." He winced. "Kind of nauseous, too. Do I remember having a fight with Spike?"

"You do."

Xander felt at the caked blood on the side of his face. "I won, right? Kicked his ass?"

"You were real brave. Do you need to barf?"

Xander grimaced. "Real brave, uh? That bad, uh?" Xander looked around. "Where are we?"

"Spike's factory," Willow replied. "We're locked in the basement."

"That burnt-out place in the middle of nowhere? So we're pretty much in a 'scream all you want' scenario."

"Pretty much." Willow agreed.

"Why didn't he just kill us?" Xander asked.

"He-he wants me to do a love spell."

"What?" Xander queried.

"Drusilla broke up with him."

Xander chuckled. "Gee, and we had all hoped those crazy kids would make it work. Emphasis on crazy."

"He's out of control."

"So what are our options?"

Willow bit her bottom lip. "Well, I figure either... I refuse to do the spell and he kills

us, or I do the spell and he kills us."

"Give me a third option."

"He's so drunk he forgets about us, and we starve to death. That's sort of the best one."

"You're quiet Faith."

Lost in thought, Faith started at her father's voice. She glanced across the pick-up cab to her father. "Thinking about X, pop."

Crow nodded. "Worried about your bud, huh?"

Faith shrugged. Growing up, she'd never had any friends, the people around her had all been users, and she'd grown up knowing that the only person she could rely on was herself. And then she'd met and lost her first Watcher all in a few short months and the pain she'd suffered had caused her to swear she'd never let anyone in again. But her pop, JL, and Xan had managed it and now her guts were twisting like hell. "A little," she admitted.

Her dad shot her a knowing look. "He'll be-, damn it!" Crow hit the brakes. "That vamp said Rosenberg was casting a spell for her."

"So?"

"So, a spell needs ingredients." Crow did a u-turn in the deserted street. "Let's check out the magic shop, the vamp might be there!"

"Uh, uh," Spike stepped away from the window and the vampires crouched outside it.

"Who are they?" Buffy looked towards Angel.

Her boyfriend didn't turn his gaze from the window and the group of vampires outside. "Lenny used to run this place before Spike and Dru turned up. I'm guessing they're here about territory."

"This is nothing to do with us," Buffy declared.

"You leave. You don't get your friends," Spike sneered.

The vampires charged the shop, leaping through the window. Buffy threw her shopping bag at one vampire, catching him off guard, and snap kicked him in the gut. He fell immediately. Another vampire rushed her, and she roundhouse kicked him in the face. Seeing another demon charging her, Buffy used her momentum and her leverage to fling the demon face-first into the wall before slamming a stake in its back.

Buffy rolled over the counter, snatched up the shopkeeper's chair and snapped its legs off, throwing the makeshift stakes to her companions.

Oz slowed the car down. "I can smell Willow, she's scared."

Cordelia looked at her companion, eyes widening. "You're not gonna all wolfie on me?" she quavered.

"Not right now, too busy."

The head vampire swaggered in, standing in front of the vampire. "Yeah. I heard you'd gone soft. Sad to see it, man."

Spike's eyes widened at Lenny's words. "Soft?"

Lenny smirked. "Like baby food."

Spike's eyes narrowed. "Well, then, let's give baby a taste."

Lenny threw a punch, but Spike ducked and punched him instead. Ducking a second punch, he grabbed onto his fellow vampire's jacket, pulled him around and smashed his face into the table. "Baby like his supper? Baby like his supper?" he taunted as he repeatedly smashed his fellow demon's face into the table before flipping him onto his back. "Why doesn't baby have a nap?" He thrust his stake into Lenny's chest.

Lenny looked stunned as he burst into ashes. Looking around, he saw his companions had wiped out the rest of the vampires. "Now, that was fun." Seeing his comrades' disbelieving looks. "Oh, don't tell me that wasn't fun. Oh, God! It's been so long since I had a decent spot of violence. Really puts things in perspective."

"Could we just do the damn spell now?" Buffy snapped.

"Oh, sod the spell." Spike waved dismissively. "Your friends are at the factory."

Spike smiled. "I'm really glad I came here, you know? I've been all wrongheaded about this. Weeping, crawling, blaming everybody else. I want Dru back, I've just gotta be the man I was, the man she loved. I'm gonna do what I shoulda done in the first place: I'll find her, tie her up, torture her until she likes me again."

Buffy watched in disbelief as the demon walked out. She was rocked by the sound of a shotgun boom. Rushing out, she saw Spike toppling to the ground and Faith crashing a stake into his chest. "We had a deal with him!"

"Guess what," Crow shot her a wolfish smirk, his shotgun as always pointed at Angel. Narrow-minded bigot. "Don't care. You might be simple-minded enough to make deals with demons," she glared at Faith's snicker. "But I'm not." The demon-hunter glanced at his daughter. "Let's get in the car and get Xan and Rosenberg."

"We're coming with you," Buffy put her hands on her hips and pouted.

Crow chuckled. "Let that," Crow nodded at her silently-fuming boyfriend, "in my car, near my daughter? Not going to happen. See you."

"Bye B," Faith blew her a mocking kiss before following her father into the shadows. "Been fun."

"This it?"

"Yeah!" Faith leapt from the still-moving pick-up and charged towards the building, stake in either hand. Finding the front door locked, she opened it with a hinge-tearing kick. Moving inside, she saw X and Red sat on a bed. A smile illuminating her face, she stepped towards her friend. "Hey Xan, Red."

Xander beamed back at her. "Fai-."

"XANDER!" Suddenly Cordelia was rushing past her to throw herself into Xander's arms.

Engulfed by a feeling of loss hollowing out her stomach, Faith just stood by the doorway until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into her dad's face. "Let's go home."

She forced a nonchalant expression and nodded. "Sounds like a plan big guy."