Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the original characters, Joss and Mutant Enemy are the lucky ones.
Summary: Angel and his group took out the Thorn, but they opened up a whole new can of worms.
Pairings: Spuffy, Fresley, D/OC. Others might present themselves.
Warning: There will be cursing, violence and a smidgen of sex in this story.
Chapter Twelve: Bat out of Hell
Alleyway - Seven weeks ago
"Okay, not to look a gift tank in the mouth, but what took you so long?"
To say Buffy was tired would be redundant, for as far back as she could remember things had always been at the breaking point. Before Sunnydale collapsed it seemed the only time she could find rest was when Spike was near. Something about his presence comforted her more than she could vocalize, to him or herself. Even though he wasn't as powerful as her somehow she knew that she could ease up just a little when he was close; because he was looking out for her. The fact that she didn't know his fate made her want to scream and lash out. She hadn't even had time to mourn his death before she had lapsed...make that plummeted into her coma.
"...and I wanted to look at John Wayne's star."
Buffy's attention was brought back to Riley as he attempted to pun.
'Spike's good at punning...although let's face it; there are so many better uses for that tongue.'
Riley and Dawn both frowned at Buffy as she turned a bright shade of crimson and had to look away. She turned back briskly and attempted to compose herself. Finally she nodded at the tank and sighed lazily.
"So how many more of those are on the way, because that thing..."
Buffy pointed to the remnants of the dragon Riley had just obliterated.
"...that was probably the runt of the litter."
Riley smiled as he unclasped his walkie-talkie.
"Like I said, I've got cool toys too."
Grauman's Chinese Theater - Same Time
Faith looked to the sky as she braced herself against the brick wall behind her. That last vamp had almost ripped her arm off. It hung limp at her side as she felt around the shoulder, definitely dislocated. Funny how the bastards only seemed to put up a real fight when they were this close to getting their asses handed to 'em. She glanced around to see if any of the girls wouldn't mind giving her a hand. She heard a sound coming from the alleyway to her left; using her good arm she unsheathed her knife and waited. Right as the footsteps neared the mouth of the alley she hesitated. The last time she had attacked on instinct alone it hadn't gone so well. She kept her stance tight and decided to give whatever was coming a fighting chance. As the figure appeared she nearly laughed with relief.
"B, you really are missing out on all the fun."
Buffy looked at Faith and cringed; her second in command had definitely been taking on the brunt of damage for the slayer side in this fight. Without even thinking Buffy grasped Faith's arm and pulled while rotating it. She let go the second it popped back into place with a slight crunch. Most humans would pass out from the pain it caused. Faith merely looked like she'd just spilt hot coffee in her lap.
"Fucking bitch!"
Buffy managed a small smile as she eased Faith down to a sitting position.
"Yeah, well your welcome."
Faith used her good arm to grab her pack of cigarettes out of her coat, feeling inside she pulled out the only one which hadn't been completely crushed.
"So what's up, we just gonna call it a night?"
Faith pulled out her zippo and lit her smoke, nodding upward.
"Cause I think were about to get some party crashers!"
Buffy looked up, seeing the flock of dragons as they descended from the sky. She simply smiled at Faith and crossed her arms.
"I don't think they'll be a problem."
Faith held her smoke in her mouth as she took her hurt arm and laid it in her lap.
"What, you got wings now too, cause I doubt either of us can jump that high."
Buffy turned and nodded to someone down the alley. She pressed her back against the wall and gave a tired smile to faith.
"You're forgetting, My ex happens to be G.I. Joe."
Buffy put her hands over her ears as Riley's voice blared out across the street.
"Slayers, take cover!"
Most of the demons were so startled by the booming voice that they didn't even react when the slayers ran for shelter. As the dragons over head came within fire breathing distance of the theater; another sound in the sky made itself known. The dragon closest to the street reared it's head towards the sound just as the helicopters started firing. At least a dozen Apaches armed with hellfire missiles and 30-millimeter chain guns. There had to be at least fifty or more dragons in the air. Sadly for them they weren't equipped with laser targeting.
The demons on the ground finally snapped out of their stupor and advanced on the slayers in hiding. The girls were forced to leave the respite of the buildings and engage the enemy on the ground. Dodging the occasional burning dragon carcass as they thinned the enemy ranks. Riley came running out of the alley as dragon confetti fell from the sky. He looked to Buffy and questioned her with his eyes.
"What now General?"
"Where's Dawn, tell me you locked her in the tank?"
At that moment Dawn came barreling out of the alley and bumped right into Riley's back.
"Oof, hey watch it you giant."
Riley smiled first at Dawn and then Buffy.
"Are you kidding, I know how Summers women are with vehiciles."
Buffy and Dawn both scowled at the same time right before they cried out in unison.
"Hey!"
"Buffy, seriously, what do we do now?"
Riley gestured to the fighting in the streets and pulled his walkie out of it's holster.
"Whatever you need I got it."
Dawn noticed her new "friend" and his group moving towards them along the side of the building. She moved past Riley and met him halfway. She tried to appear annoyed but somehow her query came out worried at the last second.
"Where have you been?"
"Around, in case you hadn't noticed there's an apocalypse going on!"
Dawn crossed her arms and grinned boastfully.
"Please, I've been through like three of these."
The pest had the nerve to smirk as he sidestepped around her.
"I'm not sure a date with you qualifies, but I'll take your word for it."
As she turned around to continue their exchange Buffy's voice made her presence known.
"Dawn, who is this guy and why are you hanging out with him?"
Dawn started to speak but the young man beat her to it.
"I'm the guy that saved your sister from becoming a big gulp earlier; these are my friends and we're circus folk trying to find the yellow brick road to grandmas house."
Buffy's face turned into a mixture of confusion, humor and audacity.
"Who, what and where?"
Dawn stepped up and met the pain in her ass shoulder to several inches below his shoulder.
"There demon fighters and he's like an ultra-butch Xander."
Buffy shrugged her shoulders and started to speak before "Mega-Xander" turned to Dawn and asked straight faced.
"So you do think I'm cute?"
Buffy snapped her fingers to get everyone's attention; she addressed them all urgently.
"Listen, right now the coven is waiting to teleport in, without Willow here we don't have anyone strong enough magic wise for them to lock onto."
As Dawn's bodyguard signaled to his group to move up, Buffy moved forward and offered him a slight smile.
"You know, I appreciate what you did earlier, but I still haven't gotten your name; and if you're hanging out with my kid sister I think I should know it."
He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair and gave her an apologetic look.
"Don't have one."
Buffy looked to Dawn, who was just as bewildered as she was.
"What do you mean you don't have one?"
"No-name" simply waved it off and pointed to the young boy and girl as they came to stand next to him.
"It's a long story and halfway through you'll already be snoring, just call me Jack; everyone does. If you need magic done the wonder twins here are up to the task."
Buffy avoided the whole not having a name thing and looked doubtfully at the pre-teens.
"But how can two littl..."
He interrupted and tossed one hand up in a non committed shrug.
"It's some kind of Escape from witch mountain type deal, whenever they make physical contact they're like Jean Grey gone dark phoenix."
Dawn looked at Buffy and smirked knowingly as she mouthed.
"See, Xander; only man-sized"
Nowhere
Spike hadn't allowed himself to fantasize about Buffy the entire time he'd been in L.A.; in reality or his dreams. When he'd been made corporeal his first thought was of course finding Buffy and seeing how much of what happened between them those last few weeks in Sunnydale had been wishful thinking on his part. The fear he'd felt at thinking that Buffy might spurn him or take back her last words should he show up on her door had been what convinced him to stay put with Angel. Being here though, stuck in his own mind with this illusion of Buffy; he found he lacked the strength to resist.
With a grunt of male pride Spike picked up Buffy and held her in his arms. Fluidly he stepped over the hole in the floor and landed neatly in the lower level. As he made his way to the bed Buffy began kissing her way up his throat; starting at his collarbone. He laughed wholeheartedly as he found himself craning his neck, increasing the amount of contact between them.
"Can't wait a second, can you pet?"
Buffy simply brought her face up and rested her forehead against his; the fever like heat which he felt there searing it's way into his flesh causing his knees to wobble slightly as he set her down on the bed. She put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him in close as she whispered.
"I need you with me Spike."
He couldn't decide whether this was torture or ecstasy; to have Buffy with him like this, and for it to mean nothing. As she slid her mouth down his throat and playfully bit at the skin there he suddenly found it was both.
Hospital - Present
Angel had went back to looking out the window for several minutes, numb and unresponsive he simply allowed himself to brood.
'Guess no one gets cookies then.'
At thinking that he felt supremely ashamed, but that's what their relationship had ultimately boiled down to hadn't it. Wanting and not having, leaving when he should have stayed. Even after everything with Cordelia, part of him couldn't let go of Buffy. Even when he'd found out that her and Spike were together, he still felt that part of him that was waiting to be with her.
'But you weren't the one in her heart anymore; he was. If anyone deserves to mourn her right now it's him.'
Angel felt a stab of agony in his heart at the realization that he would have to tell Spike about her death.
'He'll probably stake himself before I get three words out.'
Because Spike would know the second he saw Angel's face. They had spent over a decade at each others side; the need to know what the other was thinking becoming a necessity for survival. Angel turned to Nina and asked the question both himself and William needed answered.
"What happened?"
Grauman's Chinese Theater - Seven Weeks Ago
Shortly after the helicopters arrived the dragons had started dispersing themselves wider across the sky, attempting to use their advantage in numbers to keep the helicopters from dominating them. Over twenty dragons had fallen compared to only two helicopters. Those two having been taken down by kamikaze dives made by the faltering beasts.
Buffy grabbed Faith's good arm and helped her to her feet. Nodding to Dawn and pointing at the crossbow slung around her shoulder she questioned Faith.
"Do you think you can shoot with one arm?"
"Hell no, but let's just get to it."
Dawn handed the bow to Faith and grasped the sword she'd found earlier; looking to Buffy she hefted it back and forth.
"How are we gonna do this Buffy?"
Buffy stepped forward and brought the scythe above her head, approaching the back of her first demon she slashed straight down; the blade cutting through it's body before it even noticed her presence.
"The only way I know how."
Riley signaled to a squad of his men situated down the alley, along with "Jack" and his team, the group made their way to the center of the battle.
Buffy looked to all of them and nodded.
"Move them back as far as you can!"
Starting from a tight bundle the warriors spread out, killing demons and advancing as far outward as they could. Dawn kept a cautious eye on Jack as she hacked and slashed at the imposing monsters in front of her.
'How can he not have a name, that is so lame; oh look at me I'm all mysterious and good looking!'
As if he read her thoughts Jack turned toward her and winked in that oh so aggravatingly sensual way.
'Okay, if we make it through this fight I am definitely not falling for the dark stranger, I am not Buffy.'
Nowhere
Spike kissed his way down Buffy's abdomen, paying special attention to the area just below her belly button. Just like real life she purred in appreciation and arched her back. She ran one hand down her toned stomach and lifted his chin. He couldn't resist looking into her eyes, hoping to see more than just lust peering back at him.
The lust was there of course, making her eyelids heavy and her eyebrows lowered; but her mouth was curved upwards in what could only be described as a loving smile.
"Honey, stop teasing me!"
Spike snickered as he used his tongue to circle her belly button, causing her to hiss and grab at the blankets.
"Patience is a virtue luv."
Buffy looked down at him with a mix of desperation and appreciation.
"William the Bloody, if you don't stop talking and get back to work; I am gonna punish you."
Spike rubbed his nose across the patch of skin right above her panty line. Easing his hands up her legs he grasped the fabric on both sides and eased it down.
"Keep talking like that slayer, and I might just drag this out all night."
Buffy made a slight cooing sound as she shimmied her hips back and forth, helping him remove her underwear.
"You know pet, I'd hate you bothering with wearing these things if it wasn't so much fun getting them off you."
As she started to reply he shushed her by using two fingers to stroke her sex. He raised one eyebrow and spoke crisply before his mouth lowered itself to the task at hand.
"What was that you were saying about honey?"
He latched his lips onto the button at the top of her folds and applied as much pressure as she could take.
Nothing even half resembling a coherent word came out of Buffy's mouth for the next twenty minutes.
A/N: And that's that chapter; I promise by the next one we will see the conclusion of the battle, along with what's going on with Spike's fantasy land. Review if you wouldn't mind; it will increase chances of speedy updating ten fold.