Basement

"Demon's there?" Spike asked, looking at the red spot that was blinking on the map showed by the computer screen.

"Yep." Angel replied. "It's rather small and doesn't know we're coming. It's fast, though."

"Shouldn't be too difficult." Was Spike's assessment of the situation.

"There is one thing you should probably know." Angel told Spike as they were making their way towards the demon's location.

"You know, I think I know this place." Spike mused aloud, ignoring what Angel had said.

"Well, yeah, that's what I'm trying to tell you."

And suddenly they were standing at the entrance, at the top of the staircase to a basement and Spike stopped in his tracks.

"This is where…" he murmured, memories flashing through his mind, pictures of the time when the psycho Slayer, Dana, had tortured him there. Spike swallowed unconsciously.

"Are you gonna be ok?" Angel asked, his eyes moving from the entrance of the stairwell to Spike's face.

Mentally shaking himself out of his stupor, Spike assured "Gonna be just peachy."

"Then let's go." Angel suggested and led the way.

They were half way down when Spike suddenly slowed down. He felt like the walls were closing in on him, choking him, although he didn't need to breathe. But it was something he had never stopped. He seemed to have kept on breathing even after his death.

Spike suddenly felt the irresistible urge to make sure his hands were right where they belonged, at the end of his arms.

Stopping dead in his tracks he leant against the wall, backing into it as far as he could.

It was only after a few more paces that Angel noticed Spike wasn't following him anymore. So he went back and found the younger vampire, pressed against the wall, his eyes shut tight and breathing hard.

"Spike…?" Angel asked tentatively.

Spike opened his eyes a little to see Angel's soulful brown ones staring at him with concern.

"I'm fine." He said shakily, nodding, as if to reassure himself as well.

Angel frowned sceptically and Spike quickly tried to argue, but the dark-haired vampire cut him off.

"You know I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, right?" Angel said, his voice reflecting his sincerity.

Spike inhaled deeply. "I know." He said. "Let's get this over with already."