Catching up: "Buffy I have some news," Giles came in the room. "That demon that Spike rose had been having a little bit of fun.""What kind of fun?" Buffy asked looking up at him."Countless murders, minions, possible apocalypse, the usual." He took off his glasses and cleaned them.
Tell the Devil I say Hey.
"Slayer," a voice whispered from behind Faith.
She turned around smiling, she'd missed the fight. There hadn't been a good one since the First. Face to face now with a demon that looked very much like a vampire, Faith kicked her hard into a wall.
"I need you slayer." The demon said dryly. "I need your help."
"Oh yeah?" Faith said kicking her shoulder. "And why do you need my help? Don't you have a bunch of annoying little minions running around?"
The demon launched itself at her, wrapping her arms around her neck, and legs around her waist, and then sucks the air painfully from Faith's lungs. She tried to escape the attack, but the no oxygen problem made her incapable of almost anything. Her eyes were wide and livid, trying to rock the demon away. It didn't work.
When Faith was barely able to move, the demon laid her down on the hard concrete floor of the deserted road. "Pass a message to the other for me?" She smiled, petting the slayer's hair.
"Who?" Faith gasped a breath.
"Buffy, the other slayer." She cocked her head to the side, eyes twinkling madly. "Tell her… Tell her to tell the devil I say hey." Lips curling into a cruel smile, she left Faith there, possibly to die, maybe to escape back to Sunnydale. Either way the message would be passed.
It was Angel to found her, hours later, nearly a full day of lying on the hard ground, struggling to breath even still. She'd been there since the Succubus left her the last night, and then throughout the day in the pouring miserable rain, and now it was dark enough for the vampires to walk about.
"Faith?" He said worriedly, sitting her up and leaning her against him. "What happened, Faith?"
Her head lolled back against his shoulder, and she tried to speak but couldn't force the air out between her lips. She sucked in a few painful breaths while Angel held her, waiting, and then tried again. "Buffy," she gasped. "Take me to Bu-" She exploded into a fit of coughs, blood soaking her tongue.
Angel lifted her into his arms, and ran, ran like hell for the car he'd only just gotten, thanking any god who was listening for the luck of it. He laid her on the back seat, not bothering to strap her in. She would be alright there for a while. Then he jumped in the front and the engine roared to life as the car began speeding down the highway towards Sunnydale.
He didn't begin to worry about the other's reaction to his appearance until they were nearly there. Faith was nearing unconsciousness in the back, he'd get her to a doctor soon. It was a little after one in the morning by the time he'd pulled up in front of the Summers' house. He carried Faith up to the door, kicking it instead of knocking – he had no usable hands. Dawn opened the door, stunned to see Angel, and even more so to see a half dead slayer in his arms. Her first instinct told her that it was Angelus she was staring into the eyes of, but the sheer terror in his eyes told her otherwise.
"Angel? Come in!" She pulled them inside and motioned them into the living room.
Angel rested Faith on the couch, supporting her head against the arm rest. "Buffy," Faith pleaded.
"She was attacked, I found her not long ago on a road. She keeps asking for Buffy." He explained briefly. He didn't know the details.
"Buffy!" Dawn called towards the upstairs.
After a couple of distant Spike stay here's and William don't let him leave's, Buffy appeared at the top of the stairs with Spike hot on her heels, and a ghost following them miserably. Buffy looked aggravated beyond belief, but didn't say another word to either of the males behind her.
"Oh god, Faith!" She dropped to the floor beside Faith's head, and Faith looked weakly at her.
"Succubus," She explained faintly. Spike growled behind her. "A message for you." She panted for breath for a few seconds. Buffy took her hand and stroked the back of it with her thumb, and brushed Faith's hair from her face in a sisterly concern. "She said tell the devil I say hey." She looked into Buffy's eyes for a moment, her own filled with the fright of a thousand revisited memories, and then rolled back into her head and Faith was gone – for now.
Buffy pursed her lips for a second, still holding onto Faith. "Giles?" She called to her watcher, who appeared in a matter of seconds. "Succubus attack, magic healing or a hospital?" She kept her eyes trained on the girl in front of her. Watching her lips turn a murky shade of blue. She was still breathing though – barely.
"I'll get right on it." Giles muttered and disappeared out the door.
"Hello Buffy," Angel said quietly, and then with more venom, "Spike." Spike answered him with a snarl.
"Leave Angel." William's ghost said furiously. All fear of Angelus gone for the moment.
It was the first time Angel noticed the ghost, and he gaped wide eyed between them. William – Spike, Spike – William.
"He'll stay William." Buffy said in her I'm in charge tone. William glared at her, but decided he could do nothing without a body and let the matter drop.
Spike on the other hand wanted Angel out. He let out a snarl and stepped towards the vampire. Buffy wondered for a second how it would play out, a vampire versus a vampire's demon. But she decided she'd better not find out. Leaping to her feet and silently apologizing to Faith for leaving her, she slammed Spike into a wall and glared up to him coldly. He still snarled at Angel, and when she shoved his shoulders back he snarled at her.
"Buffy," Angel put his hand out to her. "Get away from him." He was afraid of what Spike might do to her. An untamed demon, clearly without a soul, chip, or conscience, could easily snap her neck if she refused to fight back as he assumed she would.
She ignored Angel, keeping her eyes locked on the yellow ones in front of her. After a few seconds he whined pitifully and glanced between Angel and Buffy. Understanding, she squeezed his hand gently and pulled him over to Faith with her. She sat down at Faith's head and took her hand again, and then leaned back against Spike. He leaned his forehead against her hair and sighed. He couldn't imagine what she'd be feeling then.
When Buffy finally realized what the message the Faith had passed on had said, all of the blood drained from her face and her hand that held Faith's dropped limply to the floor. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell opened slightly, a tragic sound escaping her lips.
William came over to her, brushing his cool hand across her face. She almost didn't feel it.
The words were swirling around in her head. Tell the devil I say hey. Over and over and over. She felt herself sliding away, retreating into the safest corner of her mind. Spike felt the change, her temperature dropping, her mind slipping from grasps. He whimpered in her ear and pulled her against him. William remained crouched in front of her, and kissed her forehead. The scene might have been funny, it sure looked ridiculous enough.
William decided he needed to help her, he couldn't do it since he had no body, and Spike couldn't do it because he had no humanity, no words, nothing to make her feel. He had to try, to get back inside his body. But how? He went around Spike, behind him, and then moved inside of him. Spike roared as an electric current ran through him. He through his head back and cried out to the ceiling. Buffy remained motionless in front of him. He continued to snarl about until his eyes turned back to their normal shade of blue, and his fangs retreated and his face became slowly more human. Exhausted from pain he slumped against her, panting. It worked? That was all? He only had to go back inside his body? Internally slapping himself from his stupidity, he leaned back against the couch and turned Buffy to face him, pulling her onto him.
"I'll let nothing happen to you love." He whispered to her, eyes determined. "Ever." He leaned up and kissed her forehead, the same way William had a moment ago.
"Hey," She said shortly, staring at the devil.