Spanderverse: Dracula
Chapter12: A Night of Blood-Letting
For the Scooby-gang life returned to normal the following day. Once again a bad guy went the way of the Dodo and it was time to get back to the mundane. Earlier that morning, they'd returned to Giles' at around three a.m. in a state of excitement over the night's adventure.
Joyce had been fast asleep on Giles' sofa, while Dawn and Spike had been chatting quietly. He had been braiding Dawn's hair, a fact he'd warned them he didn't want grief over as soon as he'd seen the look on their faces. Rousing Joyce, there'd been pancakes all around, except for Spike and Xander.
Xander, of course, had to rush home and save Anya from the closet of doom (adjunct to the Basement of Doom, patent pending) and Spike offered to walk him home. As they had left, Xander filling Spike in on the details, Giles had started making batter while Riley browned sausage.
By the time Buffy, Joyce, Dawn and Riley had left it was nearly four-thirty. Once they'd gotten back to Joyce's, she had gone immediately to bed, forcing Dawn to go upstairs with her. Joyce had invited Riley to stay since it was already so late, but emphasized that the couch was pretty comfortable. So after much kissing, that was where Riley had slept, while Buffy had returned to her room. She had closed and firmly locked her window before turning in.
Xander had said goodnight to Spike at his door, the vampire returning to his crypt from there before sunrise. Xander had found Anya asleep on the closet floor and after convincing her he hadn't come back as a vampire (he thought she had looked awfully cute with her two index fingers crossed over one another trying to ward him off) they had turned in on the fold out sofa. After a quick, but passionate, round of 'relief sex' they had fallen asleep in each other's arms.
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It was several days after the 'Dracula Incident' as it had become known to the Scoobies. Xander was leaving work a bit later than usual. He had just started a construction job two days earlier, but had found himself taken by the work. He'd apparently tapped into a skill he'd never recognized he'd had and the job foreman had already taken him off scut-duty and started him on hammering two-by-fours into a future home's frame. It had taken him a long time full of dead end and demeaning jobs, but Xander was feeling good now. It felt like he'd found a niche, something that he could do that would give him the sense of accomplishment he'd been craving.
Xander couldn't believe it when he'd run into Blayne, from high school, the day after the whole 'Dracula Incident' had occurred. Having both almost lost their virginity, followed by their heads to a giant praying mantis creature had given them something to talk about for several minutes. Xander had recounted the highlights of the weird that had happened in Sunnydale since Blayne had left 'Sunny-D' to attend a private high school away from the Hellmouth. For reasons that were unclear to Xander, but seemed to have to do with a girl, Blayne was back. He'd never made it to college and was working a construction job, building a series of tract homes, and had arraigned an interview for Xander when he'd expressed an interest. It turned out that Blayne had done some growing in the last few years, and he was a lot less vapid than Xander remembered. He thought maybe they could be friends; maybe Blayne could even become a Scooby, eventually. Xander was looking forward to balancing out the estrogen power of the gang.
Xander was standing in the rapidly cooling spray of what was supposed to have been a hot shower. As he had left work with the rest of the crew, Blayne had invited him out to have a beer and Xander had accepted. As he began the walk home, contemplating getting a used car now that he was actually making some decent money, Spike had met him. After several blocks of chit-chat, Spike had mentioned going out to have a few beers. With Xander already having plans, he had invited Spike to join him, which was why the vampire was sitting on the sofa in the basement when Anya arrived.
Xander was trying to wash the shampoo out of his hair before the last bit of hot water was gone. Obviously his mother had done the bed linen in the washer a day early this week. Normally Xander would be in a mood at her inconsistent wash schedule. He never knew when he'd have hot water to shower, and when he'd suddenly find himself turning blue. Tonight though, he was feeling too good to let a little thing like cold water get to him. Even when his father, probably just to be ornery (you could always hear the water in the pipes when Xander was using the basement shower) flushed the toilet upstairs and Xander was assaulted with hot spray from the showerhead.
Jumping back with a yell, Xander muttered dark curses toward the bastard that had fathered him. They'd always had a rocky relationship full of cruel jibes and drunken slurs. Now that Xander was old enough, he realized that his father had never planned on having a family as soon as he had. It had become obvious, from his parent's drunken arguments, that Xander had been an 'accident'. Apparently there was some disagreement over whether Walter had forgotten the condoms or Peggy forgot her pill, but the bottom line was that Xander had always been resented by his father. It had been a painful upbringing, but now Xander really didn't care much what the old drunk thought.
What he did care about was the little shit, like this. It wasn't like he was staying here free. In fact, he hadn't since high school ended. Every month he'd scraped the $400 needed to keep his stuff unmolested and instead thrown into garbage bags and left on the curb (ok, maybe that was a little harsh; his mother wouldn't have allowed things to go that far).
You can afford to get an apartment now, you know. The thought took him by surprise. Actually, he hadn't realized until just now that, in fact, with this new job, he could move out. Xander smiled. A huge and if he could say so, beaming smile as he took a deep breath and plunged his body into the cold water (the hot spray had tapped out the last dregs of heated water) to get the last of the shampoo off of him. It's going to feel so good to get out of here. Xander had a little less than two weeks before the rent for the next month was due. He was wondering whether he could find a new place that fast…he did know he sure as hell was going to try it.
Xander was toweling his hair dry when his smile turned into a scowl. In the 'living room/bedroom' of his 'apartment', Anya was yelling as loud as she could.
"…have a life of your own, Spike! You're always here hogging the attention that should be spent on me!"
"Xander's my best friend, yeah? And I am not here 'all the time' as you put it. It's not my fault that you're so bleeding needy!"
Best friend? Xander thought, "Wow. I'm Spike's best friend? Spike thinks of me as best friend material. Hmm, I think my mind is blowing, here."
"I'm allowed to be needy! I'm the girlfriend! It would be nice if I got to spend a little time with my boyfriend that didn't include being naked once in a while. That's a little difficult with you here filling him up with beer!"
Xander decided that he needed to get in there to break up the ongoing argument. It was bad enough when Anya was fighting with him over Spike. He didn't need them spitting daggers at each other, too.
"Anya! Spike! Knock it off," Xander said exasperated. He was standing in only his boxers and was crossing the room to his dresser to pull out the clothes he'd wear tonight.
"Xander," Anya stood with her arms crossed and her toe tapping the floor, "Tell Spike that you and I need alone time," and looking at the vampire, "for a change."
"Too late for that sweetcheeks, Xander has already invited me out for a beer with the boys. Ain't that right, mate?"
"Xander!"
"Sorry, Ahn. But a guy at my new job invited me out for a few beers. We didn't have any plans, so I accepted."
"Oh. Oh, well that's alright. I mean, your networking which could potentially pay off with future employment opportunities. But Spike can't do anything for you! Un-invite him."
"Hey, now that's just rude. Tell her Xander. Tell Anya she's being rude." Spike turned to the angry woman, "You're really not getting this 'being human' thing down well at all, are you luv?"
"Oh! Did you hear that, Xander? Spike just insulted me! I want you to defend my honor. Tell him he's being a jerk. And tell him he doesn't have to stop by here so often! Oh! And also, tell him that the Billy Idol look is way-over!"
"Hey, now! Don't insult the hair!"
Xander took a deep breath before he began staking everyone in the room. "Spike, go to the Billiards & Beers on 1st and Wembley. You're looking for a guy named Blayne. Introduce yourself, don't embarrass me, and tell him I'm on my way."
"Blayne?" Spike had a look on his face as if he'd just stepped in dog poop, "So it's to be a nancy-boy night is it?"
"Spike! That's exactly what I was talking about when I mentioned that 'don't embarrass me part'."
"I'm just saying…what kinda name is 'Blayne'?"
"Well, I've got to agree with Spike on that one," Anya added. "But that doesn't negate my earlier arguments that you need other friends, Spike!"
Xander could see Spike opening his mouth to respond. He could also foresee that another episode of the 'Anya and Spike Show' was about to start, and jumped in to nip it in the bud. "Spike…go! Anya, we need to talk."
"One of the girls in the room is in trouble," Spike sang out as he left the basement and digging out a cigarette.
"Jerk," Anya muttered darkly. "Xander, really, I don't know why your trying to be friends with that soulless bleach head."
"Wait, wait, I've heard this one. Look, I wish you guys would try to give Spike a break. He's apologized for the Adam thing and he watches over Dawn and Joyce. He's trying to be a better man and it would be really nice if everyone could stop trashing him." Xander was a little mad now and he didn't want to be. This was supposed to be a fun night with a co-worker and a friend. He didn't want the whole night ruined by his being in a bad funk.
"I just wish you'd be more careful around him. Just because he has that chip, doesn't mean he's changed, Xander. If it ever stops working, or he finds a way to get it out, do you really think he won't kill you? He would. Even if for no other reason than because you're the Slayer's friend."
Xander sighed. They just don't get it. This chip is really allowing him to see us differently. He could totally turn himself around, like Angel, if everyone would just show a little bit of support.
"Look, you better run along to your work friend. Try to get to know as many co-workers as possible. Especially, if their in management. If you can suck up to the CEO you'll have a job for life." With that Anya gave him a kiss on the mouth. "I'm going to call Buffy and see if she wants a patrol buddy, tonight. I'll see you tomorrow."
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Spike was sitting in the bar surrounded by yuppies. He believed he might actually be getting physically ill from the concentrated contact with so many twits in one room.
Spike had expected to be meeting this Blayne fellow in some rough, dingy, macho place. A place where construction workers stood in dirty jeans and leather coats drinking beers with whiskey chasers. Instead, he was trapped in a roomful of shirt and ties, pastel sweaters, and women who wore too much perfume that they had spent too much money on. It was revolting. Worst of all, of course, was that instead of the place being lost in a heavy haze of smoke, the establishment was non-smoking.
'Course with a name like Blayne, I guess I should be glad we're not ordering fruity drinks with umbrellas in them, Spike thought to himself. He looked over at the guy that Xander had cozied up to at the construction site. He was alright looking, not the rough and tumble construction sort, but he didn't come off as being too light in the loafers either. He was clean shaven, seemed to laugh easily, and was dressed down in simple jeans, one of which had a hole in the knee. When Spike had seen that, he'd felt a little better. He was afraid he'd be having beers with some priss, seeing the rest of the clientele here.
"So, uh, you've known Xander a while?" Blayne asked the bleached blond across from him at the table. For some reason, Blayne had never pegged Xander as being friends with the leather-wearing punk sort, but he wasn't sure why. It wasn't like he actually knew a whole lot about Harris. It had just been nice to see a familiar face now that he was back in town.
"Oi, yeah. Well, I guess it's only been two years, actually. I saw him around a few times before that, though. Only been friends for less than a year, though. You?"
"Oh, um, I don't really know him, per se. We just had this 'Sunnydale experience' back in school. I left town after that, but I came back. Anyway, I bumped into him and we started talking. I got him to come and apply at the construction company I work for. I thought, you know, familiar face and all that. You gotta start building your circle of friends, somewhere. So, uh, 'Spike's' gotta be some sort of nickname, right?"
"You could say that, but it's the only thing I go by these days. Listen, Xander should be here any second, so I'm just gonna run out and grab a quick smoke first."
"Oh!" Blayne's eyes lit up, "I'll join you. I can't believe we can't smoke in this dump!"
Spike thought that maybe this Blayne-guy might not be a bad sort after all.
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Xander saw 'Billiards & Beer' ahead of him and quickened his pace. He was afraid of what he might find in the bar. Possibly, a complete absence of Blayne who would never speak to him again after Spike was done being his usual Spike-self. Why the hell did I send Spike here to meet Blayne without me? Please Spike, please, please don't say anything too insulting!
As Xander approached the bar, he was thinking about how good a cold one was going to taste. As he walked, Xander passed an alley next to the bar when a familiar and accented voice called out from deep within the alley between the bar and the building next to it.
"Stop," the voice said and Xander obeyed. "Come to me." Xander also obeyed this command, though he didn't want to. He already knew that his master would be very angry even before his red-rimmed eyes conveyed the fact. The Master had failed to acquire the Slayer and Riley had killed two of his favored. Xander himself had killed one of the brides, a complete betrayal of his Lord.
"M…Master. The Slayer said she had killed you. I'm so relieved…" he never got to finish his sentence.
Dracula seized Xander roughly by his arm, very much as Xander had seized Anya. Using his vampiric strength on the unresisting young man, Dracula flung him face first into the brick façade of the building next to him.
The smell of blood was immediately thick in the air from the broken nose that Xander now suffered. Whimpering, he tried to plead with his Master, knowing it would do no good, "Master, please! Forgive me… I tried to stop them, I did!"
"You are a liar and a failure! You've gravely disappointed me. Let's see how much fight the Slayer has in her when she finds your corpse."
Xander whimpered as Dracula pressed the front of his body roughly against the young man's back. His crotch was grounded against Xander's ass, though there was nothing sexual about the action. That didn't stop Xander's dick from reacting and Xander was horrified to realize he was being turned on by Dracula's being so near to him. He was also very afraid.
Dracula leaned in close to Xander's ear, "No one fails me." Grabbing Xander's hair, he pressed his head against the brick in front of them. "Or if they do," he continued, "it's only once." With this he placed his mouth against Xander's neck and bit deeply into the flesh.
Xander cried out as the vampire's fangs sought his neck, and immediately came in his boxers as Dracula bit down. Hearing the suctioning noises so close to his ear, Xander knew that he was being drained. Breaking from the mental hold that the vampire had held over him, he struggled to break the vampire's physical grip on him. But he was weak and the world was beginning to go dark around him. His head began to pound with an unearthly headache and Xander could feel himself dying. Just as Xander's bladder let go, from a great distance away, came the sound of Spike's voice yelling out. Xander thought it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard.
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Spike and Blayne walked out of the front entrance of 'Billiards and Beer' as they both reached for their respective cigarettes. Blayne took a deep breath through his nostrils of the cool night air, "Smell that air. I love the autumn. Everything is so crisp and clean."
Spike decided to play along before lighting up, and made a show of taking a deep breath of the air as well. He smelled some wet leaves, car exhaust, Blayne's aftershave and a strong scent of Xander. Turning his head toward the direction of the scent, he'd expected to see Xander standing right there, but the young man wasn't within eyesight. Spike quirked a brow in confusion and took another breath. His already pale features turned as white as snow when he caught the unmistakable scent of blood, it was drowning in Xander's pheromones, which could only mean one thing…
Spike reacted instantly, leaving a stunned Blayne standing with his mouth hanging open as Spike took off at a mad dash around the corner of the bar into an alley space. Blayne threw his cigarette half smoked onto the pavement with a 'what the hell?' and followed Xander's friend into the alley. There he could see Spike wrestling with some freak in a cape. Near the two grappling men, Xander lay unmoving on the alley's dirty ground.
"Xander!" Blayne dashed forward, having not moved so fast since he'd played football back at Sunnydale High. Reaching Xander, he saw blood streaming from his neck from what appeared to be small holes. Reaching out, he could feel a pulse, but it didn't seem very strong to Blayne's untrained touch. Taking a quick look over his shoulder, he saw Spike had whoever had attacked Xander down on the ground and was rapidly beating at his foe. Spike's arm was flying back and forth so fast, it was just a blur.
Blayne turned his attention back to Xander. Shaking him in an attempt to rouse him, all he received was a pathetic moan. Xander's eyelids fluttered briefly, but remained closed. Blayne was just about to begin dragging Xander toward the street and call for help, when a harsh and powerful hand gripped his shoulder painfully, yanking him up as if he weighed less than a toddler.
Blayne looked into the eyes of a 'Sunnydale creature'. Though it may have looked like a man, the eyes were red with menace and it sported a vicious set of incisors. They were far more like fangs than teeth. As the creature hissed at him, Blayne looked over its shoulder trying to find Spike. He saw the platinum blond lying against the wall with a gash on his head. His face looked weird too, like he'd taken a beating and the area above his eyes was swollen out of shape. Spike was sporting a nasty gash on his misshapen face, and blood ran down over his left eye. He appeared conscious, but was stunned or something. It appeared he was having trouble focusing on where he was. Blayne was about to cry for help, at the same time balling his fists to fight off the 'man' who had him held several inches above the ground, when he met the creature's eyes. In a moment, Blayne felt all the muscles in his body go lax. Though he knew he was in trouble, he couldn't so much as raise an alarm, let alone his own fists.
Dracula looked at the mortal who came running into the alley with that cur, William the Bloody. Behind him he could hear William groan, trying to shake off the impact his head had taken against the alley wall. "So, you're a friend of Xander's and William's," he hissed at the human, "give them a message for me?"
And with this, he grabbed Blayne's hair with a powerful hand. Giving a violent yank, he dropped the mortal to the alley floor.
Blayne was trying to answer the fanged guy's question when he'd felt talon like nails scrape his scalp. The stranger grabbed hold of his head and Blayne was wondering what he was going to do to him, when he'd heard/felt a snap that reverberated throughout his body. There was a sudden white light exploding behind his eyes and then Blayne was floating, light as a balloon in the wind, he simply drifted up and up…
Dracula stood in the alley for a moment, trying to sense if Angelus was in the area. It was easy to take out his little companion, but Angelus was more of a handful and with him being so weakened yet, he didn't believe he'd have the magical might to stop him. The delay cost him.
Spike shook his head clear and gazed toward the street. Dracula was standing near the alley's entrance scenting the air for something. Without delay, Spike took up a broken piece of crate lying next to him and rushed the fellow vampire. With a powerful thrust, the shard of wood pierced Dracula's back and elicited a great screech from the Romanian.
Dracula had just decided that Angelus wasn't in the area, and was turning back to finish off William, when he'd felt the wood dig deeply into his back. If he hadn't been in the act of turning around, it would have easily pierced his heart. Even missing that vital target, it hurt! The pain seared its way deep inside his chest, and he reacted more out of instinct than a plan, lashing out with a fist.
Spike was caught right in the side of the head by Dracula's blow. Once again, he flew face first into a brick wall, and fell to the alleyway floor.
Dracula, injured, took off running at the preternatural speeds that vampires could move for short sprints and was gone from sight by the time Spike had once again recovered. Minutes later and Dracula was deep in the woods surrounding Sunnydale and prying at the piece of wood lodged in him.
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Seconds after Dracula made his exit, Spike was kneeling next to Xander. In addition to the heavy scent, Spike could tell that Xander had lost a lot of blood by his pallor. His skin was pasty and moist his breathing, labored. In addition, a quick listen to his heart rate told Spike that the muscle was struggling to maintain its regular beat.
"Jesus, Xander, hold on! Please, just hold on!"
Spike cradled Xander into his arms. Shifting him, he placed one arm around his back, the other around his legs and lifted him against his chest. Spike looked around to find Blayne, his head lying at an unnatural angle staring at him with wide and shocked eyes. "Sorry, mate."
Spike took an unneeded breath and focused his will. A few seconds later, he had transferred his energies where he needed them. In a flash, Spike was moving at a preternatural sprint. The world flashed by in a blur as Spike and Xander moved faster than any mortal eye could follow.
In only minutes, Spike's reserves were spent and he lapsed back into 'normal speed' still running toward Sunnydale General Hospital. He knew he was going to pay for that stunt, but he also knew it was worth it. The exhaustion and physical pain of moving at the speeds he had just ran would fade and it had gotten him almost three miles closer to the hospital in a matter of minutes.
Running the last several blocks at normal human speeds, he ignored the wild eyed stares of the people he passed. Tears were prickling at his eyes as he heard Xander's heart flutter in his chest. Too late! Fuck, I'm going to be too fuckin' late!
Spike burst into the emergency room of the hospital with his burden still breathing, but fading fast. He screamed for help and nurses and orderlies ran toward him with a gurney.
"He was attacked by something! It…It, uh, grabbed hold of his throat!"
An emergency room doctor had joined them by this time. "We've got two puncture wounds here! Looks like major blood loss, we need to cross match and type for four units, stat!"
"Did you see what did this," he yelled back at Spike as the group hustled down the hallway.
"Uh, no. It was just this, uh, large shape. It, uh, yanked him into an alley, it did. By the time I'd gotten to him, it had let go and took off."
An older lady, a nurse, gave him a funny look, "And it smashed you in the head on its way out," she asked skeptically.
Spike realized he must look like a wreck from the vicious fight with Dracula. Shit! I've got to call Buffy!
"Phone?"
"Waiting room," replied the same nurse. To the doctor she said, "I'll get a tetanus ready."
Another doctor ran up to assist, "Another one? What is this, five in the last few days?"
"Yeah, but we might be able to save this one."
Spike was just turning to go to the phone, when one of the doctors yelled for a crash cart. "We're losing him!"
As Spike watched in horror, they applied paddles to Xander's chest. It wasn't like on the telly though. This wasn't some gripping drama. It was just violent and sickening. One moment Xander was laying on the gurney in repose, the next his body was violently jerking. As the orderlies rolled Xander into a curtained off area, Spike heard the ER doctor yell, "Again!"
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Spike had to dial three times before he could control his shaking fingers enough to punch the correct series of digits. On the second ring a warm voice answered, it was Joyce.
"Hey, Joyce. This is Spike, is uh, is Buffy there or is she patrolling?"
"No, she's here along with Willow and Anya. Hold on just a second."
"No! I…I, uh, I just need them to come to the hospital." Spike realized he had begun to cry. What the hell has happened to me? I used to be a cold hearted killer, now here I am falling apart over someone I'd have gladly killed myself not so long ago.
"Spike? Are you crying, Spike? What's happened?"
In the background at Buffy's, Spike could hear Dawn trying to find out what was going on.
"Joyce…it's Xander. It's…it's bad. Please hurry. I, uh, someone has to call his parents. I don't have that number."
"Oh God. We're on our way, Spike. Just stay there until we arrive. Oh! Call, Giles!" There was a click and Spike was standing alone again, facing a life without the mortal that was the closest he'd come to having a best friend since the chip was installed.
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At the Summer's there was controlled pandemonium. Joyce had had Willow call Xander's parents to tell them Xander was hurt and was at the hospital. Joyce didn't have details, but she told Willow what Spike had said and that had caused an immediate bout of tears. Buffy had immediately gotten on her cell phone with Riley and asked him to meet her at the hospital. As Willow hung up the phone from trying Tara's dorm room, Joyce was rushing Dawn toward the closet door.
"Grab your coats! We're out of here!" Joyce had taken control of the situation and was in full mom-crisis mode. Making sure that no one fell apart, that they all had their coats and that they'd called everyone that needed to be called, she shepherded them out to the Jeep. Joyce drove twenty miles over the speed limit all the way into the hospital's parking lot.
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As the group invaded the waiting room, Dawn ran full tilt into Spike throwing her arms around him and squeezing hard. She was tearing up again, and looked as if she had probably cried all the way over. Hugging her back, Spike was a little embarrassed to realize that he was crying again too.
"What happened, Spike?" Buffy, full of righteous anger strode over to him. Spike could see the worry in her eyes, but she wasn't going to let herself drown in it. Almost by instinct, she'd gone into combat-Slayer mode, looking for something that she could pound.
"It was Dracula, Slayer," Spike said, angry. She'd told him that Dracula was gone, "He didn't leave after all. Looks like he's looking for some payback."
"Oh, God." Buffy sat down heavily in one of the hard, plastic chairs. "Oh, God."
The Harris' arrived next with Giles and Riley close behind. Spike wasn't able to tell them anything. Despite the fact that he'd brought their son in, the hospital staff still wouldn't tell him a thing about what condition Xander was in. For all he knew, Xander Harris was dead. Don't you think that you bastard, Spike yelled at himself in his mind. Don't you fucking dare!
As the Harris' went to seek out someone who could tell them what had happened to their son, the police arrived and took Spike off to the side. He needed to make a statement about what had happened. Spike tried his hardest to tell a coherent and convincing tale, while leaving vampires out of things. The truth was, he was so distracted by worry that he wasn't sure he was making the slightest bit of sense. He must have done alright, however, since they nodded sadly, gave their condolences for his friend's injury and were folding up their notepads.
"So you didn't know the deceased? Ah, this Blayne Thomas?" A female officer was asking.
"Huh? Oh, no. No, like I said I just met him tonight. I think Xander and he were, uh, workmates or somethin' from what I gathered."
"Well, thank you, Mr. er Williams. We'll be in touch if we have more questions."
As Spike left the officers behind him, both of them conferring on his story with each other, Spike saw the Harris' once again seated in the emergency waiting room. A doctor came in and everyone stood up and looked expectantly. Spike joined the rest of them as the doctor addressed Mr. and Mrs. Harris.
"Your son came in with extreme blood loss due to puncture wounds to the throat. His carotid artery had been nicked, probably by some sort of wild animal. Anyway, we were able to repair the damage. Now, your son is in serious condition, still, but he's stable. While we were working on him, his heart stopped and we had to use shock to re-start its beating. We've given him a transfusion and we have him sedated. I'll allow you to go see him for a few minutes, but only the parents. He needs rest and quiet. I want to warn you that he's hooked up to a lot of monitors and IVs. It's going to look to you much more serious than it is, although it is plenty serious. We feel he is going to make a full recovery in a few days."
As the Harris' left the waiting room to follow the doctor, followed by the sympathetic murmurings of Joyce and Giles, Buffy had called the rest of the crew to her. "Spike, did Dracula say anything about what his next plan might be?"
"No. I heard him tell that guy, Blayne, that he wanted him to give Xander a message, but that was it."
"Blayne?" Anya said, "The same Blayne you were supposed to have beers with?"
"The same, yeah."
Buffy nodded her head in determination, "Then I need to speak to this Blayne."
"No need, Slayer. Dracula snapped his neck in front of me. The message seems pretty clear."
Buffy paled, but pulled herself together. "Okay. Will, you and Tara are back on spell duty. This time we make sure…Dracula is so going down. Spike, I need you to stay here…hang out and make sure Dracula doesn't try to finish the job. Riley, we'll go hunting then I'll need you to relieve Spike before dawn. Giles, those diaries…if there's any way anyone else fought this bastard, I need to know it. Bring them to my house tomorrow morning; Mom and Dawn can help look through them. Get some rest, Giles, I'll want you here tomorrow to relieve Riley. We have to make sure that Dracula doesn't send any human minions to… (Buffy audibly swallowed over the lump in her throat)…to kill Xander during the daylight hours."
"I'll stay here with Spike," Anya offered. "I need to stay close to Xan." Her eyes were tear-reddened and her voice unsteady.
"I figured you'd want to stay here, Anya. Call me on my cell if there's any hint that Dracula is sniffing around the hospital, okay?" After Anya had nodded her understanding, Buffy gave her a warm hug. Taking Anya by the arms in a brief embrace, Buffy told her, "I'm going to get him this time, Anya. I promise you, he's not getting a second chance at Xander or any of us."
As the Harris' returned from the brief visit to their son's bedside, attention turned to providing them with support and sympathy. As everyone began leaving the hospital, Spike and Anya started plotting a way to get into Xander's room, or at least as close as possible.
The Harris' started their return home. Peggy's eyes were red and swollen, her whole body shook and she desperately needed a drink. For his part, Walter was also shaken to his core. Sure he'd always resented being saddled with a family when he should have been out making his fortune and screwing everything in a skirt, but Xander was his son. The fact he'd come so close to being killed tonight had the elder Harris rethinking his entire relationship with his him. He couldn't wait to get home and pour a vodka over ice for himself.
Giles followed Joyce and Dawn back to his place where he stocked them up with the Watcher's journals. He'd warned Joyce that some of them could have disturbing passages in an effort to head off Dawn coming across anything that would hurt her young psyche. Dawn was a clever girl however, and told both of the adults that she lived on a Hellmouth. It wasn't like they could protect her from the things that went on in the world, and fore-knowledge was being fore-armed in this town. Even after loading the volumes in the Jeep, Giles insisted on following them back home to make sure they arrived safely before returning to his apartment.
He knew he needed to sleep despite his worry over Xander's health and the safety of all of them. Dracula had shown an amazing talent for survival. With his misting ability, there didn't seem to be any way to insure that watching him dust meant that he was in fact vanquished. Giles resolved to take some of the more obscure books to the hospital with him tomorrow when he relieved Riley. There must be a spell to keep him from discorporating into mist and Giles was going to do his best to find it. He'd taken a few (well, four) stiff shots of bourbon, and then spent the night tossing and turning in bed.
Buffy, Riley and Willow were walking back to the college campus. The Slayer and the former soldier wanted to make sure the witch made it back to the dorm safely. Willow had tried Tara's dorm room again, but Tara was out on a group study date so it wasn't strange for there to be no answer. Still she was deathly afraid that Tara was out there without a clue that Dracula was prowling. The three walked as quickly as they could, kicking themselves that they hadn't had Giles drive them to the campus first before returning to his apartment. Willow was also annoyed that Tara still didn't have an answering machine. Willow was going to pick one up for a Christmas gift this year since just because she, herself, was Jewish didn't mean she couldn't celebrate the season for Tara's sake. She was angry at herself for waiting; she should have bought it already for times like this. In fact, she was angry that neither Tara nor she could afford cell phones, or she wouldn't be here like this; scared to death that Tara was wandering around campus ignorant. The only thing that kept a full blown panic attack at bay was that Tara knew all about the vampires and demons around Sunnydale, so she'd be careful as a matter of course. In addition, she wasn't totally helpless. Tara was an accomplished Wiccan witch, after all.
As it turned out, Tara had already left her study group and returned safely to her dorm room after Willow's last attempt to call. She was working on her advanced statistics coursework when Dracula paid her a visit.
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End CH 12