Title: If I should die before we wake
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or situations, or concepts, or anything, really.
Summary: After the events described in Deconstructing Hell Spike, Andrew and Dana are menaced by a shadowy threat to Spike's life. You should read DH first.
Rating: T, because Spike is violent, rude, crude, and the bad guys are worse. Well, that's a lie. The bad guys are never worse than Spike.
Chapter 10: The hard way
--
There was, fundamentally, one difference between Spike and a vampire.
But right now Dana couldn't seem to remember it.
Spike was whirling his way through the soldiers and vampires, a cyclone of violence let loose on people who couldn't seem to defend themselves.
Yeah, thought Dana sarcastically. Soldiers and vampires. Helpless.
And, yes, that was more of Spike's voice rubbing off on her. Shouldn't that surprise her, or something?
Spike slammed into a vampire, sending it flying. Then he stopped, as if surprised, and executed a hundred and eighty degree spin, coming face to face with another vampire. "Can't hit me?" he asked sympathetically.
"Um…"
"Spike!" A tall rough-looking soldier with a scar was standing in the door, holding an automatic weapon. "Hold it right there!"
Illyria spun to her feet instantly. "Oh, I thought it was the other ones," she said dismissively, brushing her jeans off.
Connor pulled himself out of a corner. "Oh, crap!" he said. "I was looking forward to kicking your butts!"
Spike sighed, raising his hands in the air. "Timing is everything. Homing beacon chip?"
"Naturally," replied the soldier tersely. "I hear you've been killing again."
Spike glanced to Dana. "It's okay. She won't rat us out to the Slayers."
The soldier hesitated. "Are you sure? I mean, I went through a lot of trouble here. I broke the window for you."
Connor jumped down. "He's got some kind of trust thing going on with her. It scares the willies out of me!"
The soldier gave him a flat look. "Are you mocking me?"
"What? No! Not at all!"
"What does that mean, anyway? Scares the willies out of me? That's not how it goes. It's the ba-jeebers," said Spike.
"Stop it!" snapped the soldier. He was scowling now. "You trust her, Spike?"
"Yeah," said Spike idly. "Short round has a name and some info we stole from Wolfram and Hart."
The soldier lowered his rifle. "All right. We have a truck out back ready for extraction. You want to get to the base?"
"Yeah, we can load up for the big showdown," replied Spike. "Of course, I can't bring you lot in on this."
"Of course you can," replied the soldier. "Sam says hi, by the way."
Spike scowled. "Don't try to soften me up. I'm a nasty, horrible person, and I don't care if she cries a river of tears. Don't care! I'm still going this one alone. He's killed Slayers, you git!"
"Oh, and I certainly don't have a soft spot for Slayers," replied the soldier. "Come on, Spike."
Dana moved closer cautiously. She wasn't sure yet, but she might have to hit the soldier. If he was threatening Spike. "What's going on?" she asked.
A vampire put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you're Dana?"
She jumped. The voice was familiar, but she'd never actually met the blonde. "Aah! Harmony?"
The blonde vampire smiled. She didn't look the way Dana had pictured her. Dana had pictured someone who looked like Buffy—all harsh lines and scowls. This was a sunshine girl, with bouncy, bubbly eyes. Suddenly every harsh word Spike had said about her seemed justified just by her existence.
"What's this I hear about kissing?" asked Harmony coldly.
The soldier immediately moved between Spike and Dana. "Sam, I need an evac team. We have Slayer kissage, in a big way."
"What?" said Dana.
"Talking to my radio," replied the soldier. "Sam, I repeat, we have a code 'Spike kissed the Slayer!'" He turned to Dana. "If you want me to, I'm pretty sure I could kill him right here and right now. I'm just saying."
Dana stared at him. "Why?" she blurted.
The soldier frowned. "Okay, this seems like a weird turn in the conversation. Spike kissed you and you're okay with it? Sam, could you put a double-time on that?"
Spike scowled. "Is it so hard to believe that I could kiss somebody without world-ending ramifications?"
"Somebody, yes. Slayer, no."
Connor shook his head. "It's cool, Riley. They've got some freaky friendly bond thing going on. You know I'd have kicked his butt already if I didn't like it."
"Indeed," said Illyria. "You know that we keep an eye on him."
Riley sighed. "That's not too reassuring, guys. I mean, I appreciate it, but A, I don't know the blue lady, and B, Connor, you're what, eighteen?"
"Nineteen," grumbled the teenager.
"No way you understand the complexities of the human heart. I didn't at your age. I didn't when I was eight years older than you!"
"I didn't when I was a hundred years older than him," said Spike glumly.
"See!" said Riley. "Matters of the heart are complex. And, in this case, life-threatening. Sam, I could really use that backup."
Dana glowered at him. "What'll he bring, more guns? A lie-detector? What?"
Spike chuckled. "She'll bring a beating heart, pet, and a working knowledge of the human heart—something quite of a few of us here are deficient in."
Illyria sniffed. "At least I have an excuse."
--
Andrew carefully adjusted the bow-tie, squinting into the mirror. It looked straight, but he knew that it was inevitable that a female would stop him and adjust it at some point. He wasn't even sure it had to be crooked for that to happen. They had some inner sense of whether you had tied it yourself, he was pretty sure.
Living in large communal quarters with large numbers of them had made him paranoid.
He advanced past the secretary's desk with a nervous smile. She didn't even flinch or make a move for his bow tie, which was a good sign.
As he swung open the large double doors, he reflected that the builders had put a lot of effort into intimidating people who walked in.
Invaders into the good guy's lairs seldom showed any fear. Maybe they needed some awesomely evil drapes like this, or a intimidating set of doors that just exuded raw fear-inducing power. That might cut down the number of times they were attacked in their own homes.
"Ah, Mister… Wells, was it?" purred the man behind the desk. "What can we do for you?"
Andrew cleared his throat. "First of all, I think you can call me Andrew," he said, fighting to keep his voice level as he sat down. The seat was so small he felt like an oversized child in it, having to look up at the desk. "Our organization has done you a number of favors over the years, and I'm here to call a few markers in."
--
Dana wasn't exactly sure how you told a good touch from a bad touch. All touches elicited the same desire to grab a stake and do some heart-searching, as far as she was concerned.
(well, besides Spike's touches)
But somehow she knew instinctively that needle-touches were not good touches.
The doctor was choking and gagging, and she knocked him against the wall a few times with her elbow against his throat, just to make sure that he got the idea.
Spike, on the other hand, was being very calm about this. He was touching her shoulder, the one on the arm holding the doctor there. He was just letting his hand sit there, but it still made her very uncomfortable.
"Now, love," said Spike, very calmly. "He was just trying to help you."
She couldn't speak. It was hard enough just to hear Spike's words. Why would he pull out a needle and move towards her arm? He hadn't even come close, of course. She was fast, and she was strong, and she wasn't going to let the needle near her arm.
She was strong.
And her hands were shaking so hard.
Spike put his other hand on her other shoulder and gently eased her back. She let the doctor fall to the floor, still shaking. The doctor made some wheezing noises, and Harmony darted in to look at him, checking his pulse quickly, as only a vampire can.
"We have a survivor, boss," she said to Riley.
Riley was standing at the door with Illyria and Connor, both of whom had reacted to keep him and the other soldiers out. Dana ignored them, continuing to back up until she had pushed past Spike and had her back to the wall.
"I could have helped," said Riley patiently.
"You could have had your teeth handed to you," corrected Connor.
"And you might have done irreparable harm to the girl's psyche," said Illyria. "Not that I care or anything. That's Spike. He cares. I don't. I'm just doing what he wants. Not that I care what he wants."
"Right, cuz you're evil," said Connor, grinning at her.
She frowned back at him. "If that leer is at all suggestive I will wipe it from your face."
"Oh, come on," he scoffed. "I could take you."
"What was that needle?" Spike asked the doctor, keeping one hand on Dana's arm.
The doctor coughed. "It was just a broad-spectrum immunization… according to our charts she hasn't had any. She hasn't even seen a doctor in years!"
"If you'd stopped to think you might have realized there's a bloody good reason," said Spike, keeping his voice soothing. He turned to face Dana, being careful not to crowd her. "Bad memories, love?"
She wondered if it was possible to want to throw up and to want to see why people on TV smooshed their lips together all at the same time. Well, obviously it was possible, but she wondered if it was normal.
Her heart was speeding along, and she knew the vampire could hear it. She didn't want to show weakness in front of the vampire. Especially if she was in some strange way competition.
And she wasn't even sure what that meant, really, except that Connor had made a dark comment. One that Illyria hadn't corrected. What did that mean?
Harmony straightened up. "You know, I say we just lock her back up. She's completely batty."
Spike rolled his eyes. "If we judged people by their appearance and first impressions, you'd be on the business end of a stake, Harm." He took his hand off Dana's arm, and she felt a little like crying because it was gone.
She was strong. She made herself stop shaking, crossing her arms and holding her hands under her armpits, holding them still. "I didn't mean to hurt him," she blurted out. "He should have asked. That's what you always say. Ask before you do. You don't know what other people don't like. Ask first."
Spike nodded. "Too bloody right. A'course, I have broken that rule on occasion."
Dana nodded. "Next time ask!" she insisted.
"I will," he said. She could tell he was amused, but she wasn't.
"Can we leave? I don't like this room."
Spike nodded. "We'll just assume she passed the physical, right?"
Harmony shook her head. "No, we won't. We'll let the doctor finish—without needles! Without needles! Ah! I'm a good vampire! I've got a chip and everything!" She rushed away.
Dana wasn't sure whether it was the look she had given the vampire or the look Spike had given her. Either way, it seemed to have worked.
Riley stepped into the room. "Okay, doc?"
The doctor coughed. "Yeah, I think I'll be fine."
"I meant, can we just call that done?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure." He clearly didn't want to spend any more time with Dana. That was fine with Dana; she didn't want to spend any more time with him.
Spike rubbed his hands together. "All right, then, let's see if we can't straighten this all out."
Riley sighed, backing out the door and gesturing for them to follow him. "I don't know why we even bother with protocols and regulations when we let you back on the base. First it was 'oh, I don't like surrendering my weapons at the door.' Then it was 'oh, I don't want to let your psychics probe me to make sure I'm really me.' Then it was 'oh, I don't like the Demons-must-be-chipped-on-the-base rule.' Now the doctors?"
"I gotta be me," said Spike with a smirk.
"Much as we all wish he could be a good-looking and popular movie star instead," said Connor. "Mm. And female."
Spike glanced back at Connor with a horrified look. "If you ever even imply that you might have the hots for me ever again I'll bloody kill you. Not that you don't have good taste, but still… you're my uncle, my grand-uncle, my nephew, my cousin, my brother, my … no, I think that covers it. That's gross, mate!"
Connor shrugged. "It runs in the family."
They walked through a large set of double doors into a large room with a big table. There were chairs around the table, and a female soldier sat at the head of the table reading the papers Connor had brought along.
"What is this note? Possibly male Slayer? That's bull," she said, looking up at Connor. "There's no such thing. According to our resident Slayer/Watcher combo-kit, it's impossible."
"But look at the clues!" insisted Connor, sitting down beside her. Riley crossed over to sit on her other side, and put one arm on the back of her chair to lean over her shoulder and read the report.
Dana thought that his proximity to her was a bit much. She would probably kill anybody (except Spike) who tried to get that close. It was almost threatening and possessive, the way he violated her personal space.
Spike absently pulled out a chair for Dana. She wasn't sure exactly how you were supposed to sit down with somebody holding a chair for you, so she grabbed the chair next to it and sat down.
Spike didn't move, and Illyria moved forward, standing there regally and gracefully while Spike moved the chair back in. She sat down as if Spike had meant the chair for her all along.
Dana was blushing, but nobody else seemed to have noticed. They were all arguing about whether Boris was a male Slayer.
Spike sat down next to Dana. "What about the other note about possible suborning my free will?"
"The trigger note? That did worry me a bit," said Riley. "But I can't see anywhere he's tried that. Mostly he seems to have harnessed your vampire half, which I thought you killed."
"I did," said Spike. "Twice now. It's not me, it must just look like me. According to the report it had strength greater than a normal vampire. That's not me. And I think there may have been some thrall going on, although the only vampires I ever met who could do that were Dru and Dracula."
"You've met Dracula?" asked Connor, whipping his head around.
"Gypsy ponce still owes me money," grumbled Spike. "This guy has more power than me. Bottom line, it's some master vampire tricked out to look like me. There are glamours that can do that."
"Which brings me back to my point, you don't come on base without a scan from a psychic," said Riley.
"Idiot. The vamps will know if it's me or not. If I'm not a human, and trust me, they can tell, they'll let you know."
"What if the glamour masks that? I can't take that chance, Spike." He made a quick motion with one hand, and a short fat man in a robe entered through the double doors.
"No psychics in my head," said Spike shortly, crossing his arms. "I'm here with Illyria, aren't I? We share a psychic bond. She can tell if I'm me."
"What if it's not really Illyria?" Riley shot back.
Spike glowered. "All right, fine. But in, and out!"
The seer gave a scream and clutched his temples. "Ow! Ow! That was unnecessary," he said.
"Is it really Spike?" asked Riley.
"Yes, it is. Ow!" The Seer turned and waddled away.
Riley watched him go with a frown. "Did you just try to break my psychic?"
"I can't help it," said Spike defensively. "My mind is very defensive. I don't like people poking around in there!"
Riley sighed. "Back on topic. So we have an uber-Spike out there somewhere? Does anybody have any ideas on tracking it down?"
"Find the master, find the servant," said Spike.
"Not the bait idea again!" said Illyria, slamming a fist onto the table. It made a creaking noise.
Connor crossed his arms, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hold up a bit. Just a minute ago you said—?"
"Bloody woman! It's my risk to take!"
"I could take it," said Dana.
"No!" said Spike.
"And how is your no any different than her no?" asked Dana.
Spike's jaw dropped. "No fair using logic," he said sullenly, lowering his head into his hands. She had a sudden insane urge to grab him and hold onto him. Or maybe it wasn't so insane, compared to the other urge to start hitting people. She was pretty sure that was more insane.
"Hold up!" said Connor forcefully. "Didn't you just say—?"
Riley cut in. "Actually, that might be a good idea. We could stand by with a counter-strike team of vampires and soldiers, ready to help you out."
Connor stood up, shoving his chair so it fell to the ground. "You have a Slayer here?" he demanded.
Riley nodded mutely.
"And you didn't think that maybe this Slayer might not be working towards the same goal as you?" asked Connor.
"I, um, I didn't tell her I was bringing you here," said Riley. "I'm not stupid, you know. If she was here I'd have you guys in chains."
"Problem!" said Connor. "I'm a reasonably intelligent guy. Kind of high on the charts, you know, in math and stuff. Pretty good with strategy. I could smell this particular plan coming a mile away. Spike?"
"Um, us showing up here? Yeah, I'd have bet money on it," said Spike.
Riley scowled at them. "You guys think in twisty sideways thoughts that nobody else gets, you know that, right?"
Illyria shook her head. "Strategy is a matter of arranging allies and toppling enemies. It is clear that you are one of Spike's allies, and it was only a matter of time before he would turn to you."
"I really don't like hearing that," muttered Spike.
Illyria smiled suddenly, turning to Dana. "Would you like to know something of Spike that he has not shared with another living being?"
Dana stared at the demon. "Um… shouldn't he tell me those, not you? I mean, I'm pretty sure…"
"No, no, no," Illyria said dismissively. "This isn't one of those petty relationship things. This is something you need to know to survive. Spike has survived so far by being a step ahead of the bad things… and the good things. And although you can't see it, his little mind is racing away feverishly."
"S not little," said Spike, offended.
Illyria leaned closer to Dana, so close that Dana felt intruded on. "Do you understand what I am saying?" hissed the bluish demon, her appearance shifting. Her street clothes turned to leather armor, and her skin was suddenly very blue, her eyes shifting and changing, her hair itself becoming blue.
Spike jumped up, kicking the table up into the air. "Move, Connor!" he yelled, grabbing the table in mid air and whirling it through the air.
Connor pushed off, knocking his chair over backwards and somersaulting backwards. The table passed over him and smashed into the doors. Dana could hear someone being knocked backwards.
Riley picked up his radio. "Base security is compromised. All units stand down. We have a friendly fire scenario. I repeat, all units stand down. Do not fire a single shot or I will have your heads!"
Now Dana could hear helicopters overhead. "Who ratted us out?" she asked Spike.
He smiled wanly. "I'm not going to fight Slayers, pet—that means running. You okay with running?"
"I can run," she said.
"Good. We're going to have to do that now."
