Preludes:

CH 3: Finn

Riley Finn crossed the cemetery with a purposeful stride. The crescent moon ducked and weaved behind clouds that drifted lazily overhead in the dark sky. He tried to focus on the night sounds around him, listening; searching. His thoughts however, as so often, were on Buffy Summers.

Ever since that afternoon when he had admitted his doubts about Buffy's feelings for him to Xander Harris, he'd been doing nothing but obsessing on her. He knew in his heart that somewhere along the line, her feelings had begun to change. He had no doubt she truly cared for him, of course, but when he compared what his mother and father had and what Buffy gave him…

He sighed, picking up a loose stone from the ground and throwing it off into the distant woods. Frustrated, angry, and a bit sad; his mind kept returning to the same thought like an old LP with a scratch: How can I break through to her? How can I make her fall in love with me again?

He was just considering turning around and marching back to Buffy's house; her 'I'm just kinda tired' excuses be damned when he heard the sounds of wood being split and a heavy grunting that sounded in no way human. He immediately crouched to the ground, listening intently while remaining as quiet as was possible. His breathing was shallow and gentle as he'd been taught by the military and when he duck-walked in the direction of the noise there was no sound from him.

Lifting his head to peer over a chest high monument he saw a large shaggy creature snuffling and rooting through a dug up and overturned casket. The dark coat was shiny and even from where Riley crouched barely fifteen feet away it smelled heavily of sweat and grime. The creature was on all fours, its heavy front claws ripping at the mottled and tattered dress of the occupant of the coffin. That occupant had been a woman at one time if one were to judge by the dress and by the heels it wore on its now non-existent feet. Whoever she may have been clearly she'd been buried a long, long time ago. As Riley watched, the demon bent its muzzle forward and snapped a femur in two.

Riley's memory worked to identify the thing, for he was sure he knew what it was. Seconds later the name came to him in Dr. Walsh's voice: The Vulcart; a bear like HST. This specimen is a specialized carrion eater. Its exclusive diet, as far as we can determine, is bones. Specifically, old and brittle bones. Look for them in cemeteries while you're on patrol. Engage with caution; despite the fact it won't eat you, its claws and powerful bite are more than enough to inflict severe injury or death. Our analysis of two of the creatures here in the labs shows a remarkable ability to absorb electrical shocks as well. You're usual weaponry will be of limited effect…

Riley came back to himself as he saw the creature hesitate, its large triangular head raised, scenting the air. He ducked down and tried to listen for signs that the creature had smelled him and was even now stalking toward him. As he listened intently his hands were busy checking his various pockets for weapons. His cargo pants held six pockets in total, convenient for holding a multitude of small fighting instruments. Unfortunately he'd been helping Xander and Anya move today…not exactly a 'come prepared for battle' sort of endeavor.

His search turned up four wooden stakes and his military-issued fighting blade. Whoop-de-doo…surely you'll have it quaking in its paws…

As he heard the thing return to its munching of Ms. Bones, he raised his head again above the gray, square monument to some dearly departed. Riley weighed his options. The thought of leaving the thing to continue desecrating and devouring the residents of the cemetery galled him. On the more practical side, however, the beast was easily twice as strong as a man and he didn't even have his gun on him. He didn't often carry it around town. First because he didn't have a concealed-carry license but more because they were just about useless against vampires, the demon of choice around the Hellmouth. Right now however, he was mentally kicking himself for not having it.

Riley was unaware of the amount of perspiration that was accumulating in the folds and threads of the sweater he wore. The amount of adrenaline that rushed into his veins as he debated the fight or flight response increased dramatically. Unknown to him, the chemical alterations begun by Walsh and enhanced by the now-degrading and malfunctioning back-up Physio-Stimulation chips in his main adrenal glands were, in effect, taking away his choice.

What he was aware of, is that he wasn't interested in just leaving this beast here to defile the resting place of innocents. His anger grew exponentially at the thought of families finding their deceased so abused. His grimace of outrage deepened and a haze of red seemed to descend over his vision. The beast was an abomination and it had to be stopped.

Riley leaped over the square stone he'd hid behind and rushed the monster as it made short work of the digits on the skeleton's right hand. Scenting the human rushing it, the creature bellowed at Riley. It stood up briefly on its hind legs; eight-feet of muscled terror. Then it too was rushing, angry that its supper had been interrupted. Foam began spewing from the toothed maw, enzymes designed to help break down the bone it broke apart with its heavy jaw while feeding.

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Spike rolled over and grabbed the last cigarette from his pack on the nightstand. He'd have to go out and score another before dawn. There was no way he was going through a whole day without the drug the cigarette so kindly supplied.

Directly behind him, Harmony molded herself to his back. One hand kneaded his ass as her fangs lightly scraped against his back above his shoulder bone. She sighed with satisfaction.

"Hmm…Spike, that was fabulous."

"Thanks, luv. Afraid I've got to nip out, though. I'm out of fags and that's not going to work. Not even with you here to distract me so."

"I understand, sweetie. Believe me, the last thing I want to deal with is a grumpy Spike. Besides, I'm really hungry again."

"Blood's in the fridge."

"Ew! That animal crap? I don't think so. You may be stuck eating at the butcher's, but I'm gonna go out and get some real food. Listen, you want me to bring you back something? I could, I don't know, order a Super-Gulp at the Buy-N-Go."

Spike looked at her a little confused, causing her to clarify. "You know! I'd dump the pop out of it and maybe drain the clerk into it. Or maybe I can snatch someone off the street if the store is busy. Whatever, y'know?"

"Sweet thought, pet. Not like I wouldn't like it, but I'm trying to stay off the human stuff. Makes it too hard to grab beer and chips with Xander if I'm craving human."

Harmony rolled her eyes, her lips twisted in a grimace of distaste. "Really, Spike! If you just have to hang around with a human being; which is just twisted and sick, by the way. The least you could do is pick someone worth hanging around with. Like, maybe Anya…she was pretty cool in high school. And with her being ex-demony, it'd be almost like drinking with your own kind, at least."

"Anya's a cow. And Xander has more depths than you give him credit for. He's really a pretty funny bloke once you get to know him."

"The only thing I want to know about Xander-oh so lame-Harris, is how deeply I have to bite to reach an artery."

Harmony barely had the words out of her mouth, when Spike's clenched hand was under her throat, her head being twisted to the side painfully and her face being pinned to the hard rock wall at the head of their bed. Spike loomed close to her face. His own features were fully vampirized and a look of undiluted violence was in his eyes.

"You don't even think," Spike said in as low and cold a voice as Harm had ever heard, "of feeding on him. That's a notion that shouldn't even be crossing your pretty, little head."

Harmony swallowed self-consciously as Spike released her. "God, Spike... relax. It wasn't like I was gonna hurt your little playmate. I know the rules, okay? Besides, I remember that Harris' intel is what's keeping Buffy off of my trail. Although, you haven't really been giving me anything useful, have you?"

"That's 'cause I've been working the other side of the fence," Spike lied smoothly as he re-dressed himself. "I've fed them disinformation about you heading toward New York. As long as no one gets a hint of you out hunting at night, there's no reason for Buffy to even think you're still in California, forget about here."

"Oh, Blondie," Harmony gushed, "you are so clever!"

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End Ch 3