Chapter 18 - New Paths
The small group had made their way around town. None of Riley's old college friends seemed to even know he was in town. After that plan fizzled, the group started patrolling the cemeteries. The vampire count was still lower than normal, leaving everyone a bit bored.
"Maybe the dragon's eating um?" Dawn proposed.
"They'd just dust in its mouth." Spike pointed out.
"Not if he didn't bite the head off, ya know, bite off a limb, eat it, chomp another while they're squirming on the ground."
"Okay, enough Dawn." Buffy ceased her sister's graphic explanation. "I think we can probably call it a night. Who knows, maybe Riley's stopped by the house or called back."
"But, but... Willy's!?" Dawn asked pouting. Buffy rolled her eyes, knowing her sister was just trying to stretch out the patrol as long as she could. "Riley definitely could have stopped in. Plus, I'm starving, I haven't eaten in like 3 hours."
"You have blood at home." Buffy reasoned, but Dawn's face was pleading. "Fine, well go for one drink and ask if he's seen Riley."
"Yes!" Dawn cheered then started taking off.
"Oi!" Dawn paused at her sire's call, then he motioned the opposite direction she was headed. Dawn shrugged and changed directions, practically skipping a few paces ahead of the pair. "See, bitty Summers didn't know where to go." Spike smirked to Buffy.
"Yeah, yeah, you figured me out..." Buffy groaned.
"Always." He smirked, taking her hand in his as they walked their familiar route to the demon bar. As they approached the bar, Dawn started to pull back knowing either her sister or sire should be the first one in. As she turned to address them she couldn't help but giggle at the pair holding hands. "You think somethin's funny little bit?"
"In a good way." she smirked. "So any rules in Willy's?"
"Right, suppose you haven't been..." Spike shrugged and let go of Buffy's hand and directed his attention to Dawn. "You'll be associated with the Slayer and me, so most of the patrons ain't gonna like you, but it also means most of um will leave you be." Dawn nodded, waiting for the next piece. "No killin' inside, unless someone tries to kill you, then you just kill um right back."
"Very eloquent." Buffy snickered.
"You disagree Slayer?"
"Nope, keep goin'." She waved him on.
"Ya got more?" Dawn asked.
"Just one, stay on Willy's good side, then he won't feel the need to steer extra trouble our way."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Means Willy's friends with a lot of demons, if we're nice, give him some cash for his troubles, then he keeps us tuned in to what may be going on we need to know about. And I really only resort to threatening when I'm strapped for time or cash."
"Oh you are so much more eloquent." Spike mocked.
Buffy rolled her eyes to the cocky vamp. "Shut up."
"Alright I get it, can we go in now?"
"Right then." Spike smirked and stepped forward, opening the door for the ladies in his company.
They walked into a fairly quiet bar. As Buffy walked in a few demons visibly cowered or shielded their faces as subtly as they could. The slayer couldn't help but give a cocky grin as she took in her surroundings. Not noticing any immediate threat, she then walked up to the bar. "Hey Willy, how are things?"
"Going good, how's our newest goodie vampire doing?"
"Super, just helped take down my first big bad... kind of."
"Who's that now?" he replied coolly, already going for two different bottles of blood behind him.
"Any of your patrons burst into song as of late?"
"A few." the bartender replied. "600 pound chirago demon making like Yema Sumac. That'll stick with me." Willy shuttered a little as he handed Spike his drink and Dawn hers.
"That must've been a sight." Spike took a brief smell of Dawn's drink then nodded to her, assuring that the man did indeed give her pigs blood again, compared to his human cup.
"Can I get you anything Slayer?"
"How about a vodka cranberry with a splash of grenadine."
He chuckled a little to the request as he started to make the drink. "You trying to fit in with the cool vampires there Slayer?"
"What?" she asked, a little confused.
"That drink combos gonna look like thin blood." he commented then finished the drink and handed it to the woman. "You all toasting taking down the music man then?"
"Pretty much." Buffy shrugged. "So you got anything interesting for me?"
"Thought I'd have to tell ya about the 4 vampire that were singing like a boy band last night, but seems you were on top of that one." The group chuckled at the mental image before Willy cautiously added something else. "Oh, um your old soldier boyfriend stopped in, was pretty glum. Seemed he didn't like that you turned him down for Spike here."
Buffy paused with the cup at her lips, her eyes got wide. "Not quite mate." Spike swooped in, knowing the Slayer wasn't ready for the demon world to know about whatever they were just yet. "Soldier boy is just all cranky that I've stuck around and helped her and her mates when he scampered off. Wanted to get back together with her and she said no." Buffy was content with his explanation and took another drink.
"Oh, cause he made it seem like you two sang some big love song and were together and stuff."
"Riley's just bitter," Dawn piped in. "He'll say whatever to make himself look good."
"Okay then." Willy conceded, not wanting to get on any of the three's bad side. "Just hope he can find some closure going back to his roots."
"What did you just say?" Buffy asked after she finished the last of her drink.
"He was feelin down so he wanted to kinda retrace his Sunnydale journey, see where it all went wrong."
"You mean just think it over, meditate on it?" Buffy hoped.
"No, he was gonna head back into the initiative joint. See what answers he could dig up for himself. He seemed to know a way in that didn't get sealed off."
"Willy!" Buffy yelled, catching the other patrons' attention. "You forget about the dragon?"
"...Oh... Oh dear... That detail may have slipped my mind with all the musical business going on... and... but he's probably moved on by now... I haven't heard anything more of him since…" Willy searched for a happy outcome.
Spike chugged the rest of his blood and laid a 20 down before following Buffy to the door. Dawn followed suit, finishing her drink and saying a quick bye to the bartender. "Nice to see you Willy." Then she ran out the door behind her companions. "What's the plan Buffy?"
"I don't know... But I need to go after him... maybe I can catch him before he goes in... But I can't go in the initiative by myself, there's too many unknowns..."
"I'm with ya Slayer." Spike assured her clasping her shoulder.
"No, I need you to take Dawn home, then bring Willow back with you..."
"Let me go get Willow, and Tara, and call everybody. You and Spike run on ahead, save Riley."
"Dawn, you're not ready to be on your own at night yet..." Buffy started.
"You weren't ready when you started slaying, but you had to be." Dawn stepped up to her sister and looked into her eyes. "It's just a couple miles to Xander's, besides I think the vamps and demons are still pretty hunkered down so they don't go singing about." There is some logic to that theory. Buffy thought then looked to Spike. "Plus I can totally track you guys in a cave setting to help everyone find you."
"Right, smart thinking Little bit." Spike nodded to the girl then addressed Buffy. "She can do it, above all the nibblit knows when to be safe." Spike squeezed her shoulder again, then looked to Dawn again. "If you make me a liar your sis is gonna dust me."
"I won't give her a reason to, I'll be safe and I'll bring the troops." Dawn gave her sister a quick hug then shooed them off, "You two better get moving."
It didn't take the pair long to reach the caves, Spike's nose assured him that Willy didn't lie to them, Riley's scent was fresh here, and it got stronger as they started to make their way through the caverns.
"You really think Dawnie's gonna be able to lead the gang through this?" Buffy asked as they made another turn.
"She'll do fine, between yours, mine, and tin-can's smells, and it being so enclosed. It's an easy track. Couldn't have come up with an easier training scenario." Spike assured as the cave started to look very familiar, they were close to the initiative's back door. "If not I'm sure Wil will have a locator spell a brewin."
"Fair point. We almost there?" They turned another corner and they both saw the door swinging on it's hinge, just as they saw it a few days ago. Buffy nodded to the vampire then stepped into the hallway. After a minute Buffy noticed something was off from the last time they came through here. "No bodies?"
"Somethin must've come by and dragged um off to eat um, and from the blood trail..." Spike examined one of the spots with smeared blood heading the same direction they were. "... it was our reclusive friend."
"Good to know he's got an appetite." Buffy said a bit warry, before reaching down to grab a piece of rebar with crusty demon blood on the end. "I debated bringing my big ax, but I hate lugging that around when I'm not gonna use it."
"We'll be fine Slayer." He assured her. "You've gotten by with less." They walked on a bit more, soon enough they were in the secret lab. Buffy couldn't help but pause, recalling her fight against Adam. Spike noticed she was stuck in the middle of the room, and he stepped back to her. "What's wrong luv?"
"Nothing, just... so much has happened in a year..." Spike stepped forward and hugged her. "I saved this whole place from being half-demon zombie robots. Thought that was gonna be my big challenge last year... Then Dawn came to me... Mom died..."
"I know luv." He said kissing the top of her head and held her a little tighter.
"I know you do... cause you were here, through it all... even when I told you to bugger off..."
Spike chucked a little at the girl's choice of words, then pulled her head up to face him "And I always will be. I'm yours Buffy." Spike leaned down ever so slightly, bringing his lips close to hers. Then they heard a mighty roar emanate around them. Buffy's head shot up as Spike spun around. Nothing was coming at them, the sound merely echoed from the labs ahead of them.
"Riley..." The pair bounded ahead, through 314, then paused at the door to the main floor of the initiative. They could hear talking, but weren't close enough to decipher it.
"Think they're in the pit." Spike shared, "One's soldier boy, the other... sounds like... Giles..."
"What?!" Buffy asked, confused and adding another concern in her brain. When the hell did Giles... Why would he follow Riley?
"What's the plan pet?" He looked to her before glancing around the room for a weapon.
"See if we can get a look into the pit without being noticed. Then maybe have you run a diversion? Pull the dragon away while I go for Riley and Giles."
"On it." He agreed while he found a small detached locker box with a broken door. "Chuck this across the floor should get the bugger out just in time to see me duck down to the cells."
"That'll work." Buffy nodded and slowly and quietly opened the door. The pair made their way to a damaged humvee that had crashed into the railing of the pit. Buffy ducked under the vehicle so she could look down into the shiny pit. Spike had set his distraction down gently and followed the slayer under the vehicle.
"It's really not a matter of what you can offer." Giles's voice echoed from below.
"I know that." Riley agreed, he was sitting on an exam table in the middle of the pit, facing the direction where Buffy and Spike were hiding. It didn't look like he was tied up or restrained at all. They didn't see Giles, Buffy assumed he was behind the pile of burnt rubble at the base of the wall they were peering over.
"So why try?" Giles asked.
"It's a thing we humans do, even if it seems futile, we have to try." The man explained. Humans?... Buffy questioned in her mind and looked to Spike.
"So what happens when you fail at something you were so set on?"
"That's been my everyday the past 2 years, I get a true sense of direction and purpose, then it gets ripped out from under me..." Riley huffed, as he stood up. "You try to find the next thing that gives you purpose, find your next calling... a person, a job, a mission..."
Then the pile of rubble started to shift and Buffy and Spike both realized it wasn't rubble at all. The dragon stood up and stretched, before speaking again with Giles's voice. "So what is yours?" Buffy's eyes were wide, the dragon seemed larger than when they fought it the other night, it was standing on all fours as it walked toward Riley the back of the dragon was at Riley's shoulder, while its long neck and head towered another 2-3 feet over the tall man's head.
"That's why I came back to this place, the first time I really had a mission. I was hoping to rediscover why this made sense to me, maybe find some files as to why I was chosen?"
Buffy was plenty confused, but Spike had seen enough, and he spotted his opening. He grasped the girl's shoulder, silently asking her permission. She nodded to the vampire then he kissed her forehead and silently scooted himself out from under the truck. He grabbed his noise maker and took a quick glance in the direction he was about to run. Seeing nothing he'd trip over he looked through the humvee to watch the direction the dragon was looking, the moment he looked away Spike chucked the tin box across the space, crashing into some fencing on the far side of the initiative. Riley and the dragon looked to the sound.
"Thought all your roommates were taken care of?" Riley asked.
"Apparently not. Would you excuse me a moment." The beast used its 20 foot plus wingspan to bound out of the pit and investigate the rattled cage. After he sniffed around the cage he noticed a black figured duck into the hall leading to the cells, and the reptile gave chase.
Once the room was clear Buffy quickly made her way out from her hiding place and called to Riley in a yelling whisper. "Riley lets go."
"Buffy? What are you doing here?" Riley made his way up the stairs while Buffy hurried around the top of the pit to him.
"We're saving your ass."
"But, how'd you know I was even here?"
"Willy said you went to find your roots, but he neglected to tell you your roots had dragon roosting in them. And why the hell does he sound like Giles?"
"If he bites something and doesn't kill it he can communicate as it does."
"Since he bit Giles he can talk like him?"
"Yeah, he uses that to talk and avoid fights as much as he can."
"Wait, what? Avoid fights?" Buffy questioned, "The dragon's a pacifist?"
"No, but more intelligent and peaceable than you'd guess."
"So the dragon's a good?" Buffy asked confused.
"Yeah."
"But we fought it off on patrol, it almost got Dawn and gourd Spike."
"Did you attack him?"
"Well, yeah." She said dumbfounded that it was even a question.
"There you go, he likes to keep to himself, unless you threaten him, then he's a bit less tolerant."
"Shit..." Buffy took off in the direction the vampire had led the beast away, Riley followed the concerned girl. "Spike's gonna taunt him into getting his head bit off..."
"Come on Nancy!" Spike hollered as he ducked around another corner.
"Why have you come to bother me blood sucker?" The dragon asked as he pursued him.
"Just out for a jaunt." The vampire asked in his slightly more Victorian accent, "And why you sound like you're from merry old England?"
"Just happened to be the first blood I tasted." The dragon sniffed, closing in on the vampire.
"Interesting little quirk ya got, but you couldn't have chomped on a duller sod." Spike quickly turned the corner and punched the dragon's head then ducked under his wing, running past him in the tight corridor. The dragon growled and spun around as quick as he could in the tight space. Buggers got a keen sense of smell, no hiding from it... hopefully Buffy's had enough time to get soldier boy out... Spike took as many turns as he could, mazing his way back to the open floor of the initiative. He had managed to make some space between him and the dragon as he turned down the last corridor before the main room, but was nearly tackled by a fimiliar blonde figure. Spike caught the girl stopping her momentum. "What are you doing luv?"
"Finding you." She stated looking up to him with a sense of relief. "Riley said the dragon is a good, but pissing it off may not go so well." They heard a roar close behind them.
Riley ran up behind them adding, "Come on get behind me out in the open and I'll calm him down."
Buffy nodded and grabbed Spike's hand for him to come with her. Once they were in the open Riley backed them up to by the broken computers and stood in front of them. After a moment the dragon came bursting through the door ready to fight, then paused when he saw Riley standing between him and his target, plus an additional woman. "Easy Draco, it's okay, they're here for me."
The dragon calmed slightly, closing his wings, "They've attacked me before! Who are they?"
"This is the slayer and her annoying pet vampire." Riley explained motioning to them accordingly. Spike growled at the boy's discriminatory remark, but Buffy merely squeezed their still adjoined hands and he instantly ceased his snarl and let his face go back to its human form.
"He punched me in the face." Draco stated walking up to the group.
"He'll do that." Buffy explained. "It's fun to punch him back."
Spike's eyes got wide looking to her, then quietly commented, "He'll sock my head clear off, didn't think you wanted that pet?"
"They came cause they thought I'd be in danger here."
"These are the allies of who you sought then ran from?"
"Well Buffy's an ally, Spike... you can eat him."
"Riley!" Buffy scolded.
"I don't much care for vampires, they crumble to dust in my mouth. No matter what I bite off."
Knew I should'a bet the nibblit… "Sure seemed like you were ready to take a piece of me."
"Out of defense I assure you." Then the dragon perked up, turning his attention to the door of 314. "Unless I've been lured into a trap." He smelled and heard more voices intruding on his home.
"You expecting back-up?" Riley asked quickly.
"Wasn't expecting it quite so fast but yes, the gang was following."
Before Riley could interject the beast slashed his claws at the door, tossing it across the room and revealing Xander holding a crossbow with a fanged out Dawn at his side.
"Another human and vampire pair?" Draco observed teeth still beared. "This is an odd dimension."
"Dawn, run." Xander commented, aiming his crossbow at the beast's eye.
"I'm not leaving you to get eaten."
The dragon roared and Xander loosed his bolt into his mouth, causing it to skrill even louder. The rest of the scoobie ran out of the hole they were pinned in as the dragon ripped the bolt out of his mouth and threw it at the gang, just missing Anya's leg. Riley, Buffy, and Spike ran them, while Draco flailed in frustration. Xander reloaded a bolt into the crossbow and looked to Giles who also carried one, ready to fire they aimed for the beast. Buffy quickly stood in front of them pointing their weapons up. "Stop shooting him."
"But monster." Xander refuted.
"Menacing, yes, but he wasn't dangerous until you shot him in the mouth."
"But he gored Spike." Dawn reminded. "And bit Giles."
Draco bounded toward the group, swinging around with his tail and knocking all but Spike and Dawn to the ground as they were able to jump and avoid it. Then the beast slashed its claws at Dawn, but Spike ran in between them grabbing the largest claw mid swing and pinning it down to the ground. "Not gonna get me again Puff." The dragon looked to the demon restraining his arm and bared his teeth as he wound up to swipe his other forearm at him. But this time Dawn intercepted, pinning the talons down as Spike did. Dang she catches on quick! Spike thought as he kept one eye on his charge.
Riley stood up then helped Buffy to her feet. After she was standing she saw the position the vampires were in, and looked to the boy pleading. "Help them." Riley nodded, then walked toward the Dragon.
"Thought vamps were too crumbly for you mate?"
The dragon snapped its jaws over the vampire, blood dripping from inside his mouth. "I will kill what threatens me."
"And I won't let you kill what I protect." Spike sent his foot upward, landing in the soft underside of the jaw, causing the dragon to pull free, stepping back in pain. "Dawn!" he yelled to her gesturing for her to get behind him. Then he called over to Riley. "Oi! Tin Can, you gonna get your pet under control?"
"Shut it Spike!" Riley hissed as he stepped toward the dragon. "Draco, it's okay... really." He started calmly, holding out a hand. "These are more allies, you just scared um."
"And they shot me!"
"And you've bit and slashed them. I'd say you're about even." Riley pointed back to Giles and the dragon ceased his growling. "The man with the glasses is Giles, that's who your voice came from."
Draco walked slowly up to the man, then paused noticing the weapon still in his hand and bared his teeth again. "Guys!" Buffy looked to her friends, "Drop the weapons."
"Oh, quite right." Giles acknowledged setting the crossbow down and kicking it away. After the rest of the group had done the same with their own weapons the dragon relaxed and continued stepping forward toward Giles. "Your name is Draco?" Giles asked the towering creature.
"That's what this one calls me." The dragon motioned to Riley who had walked up beside him. "My true name merely sounds like a growl to him."
"Why are you here?" Giles questioned.
"Frankly, I'm not quite sure." The dragon laid down in front of the group, but his head still hovered over them, even Riley. "I was flying off to find a meal, then got pulled through an odd rippling in the clouds. Wandered around for a while until I found this place of solitude... that is after I ate its inhabitants."
"Umm, so why is it you sound like Giles?" Dawn's human face was very quizzical.
"Simply a trait of my kind." the dragon divulged. "If we taste the blood of another we can commune as them, so long as they are still breathing."
"So if Giles died you couldn't talk like him anymore?" Anya asked warily, yet bolder than anyone else seemed to be.
The dragon merely nodded to the understanding and looked over the group. "You." He paused at Dawn, Spike instinctively took a step in front of her. "You seem familiar little one."
"Well, um, I was with him and her in the graveyard last night." Dawn informed pointing to Spike and Buffy, not sure if it was best to jog his memory. "Oh, and plus we were in the tunnels singing the other day..." Dawn guessed.
"I see. I will say that was a lovely song of independence, and it did drag most of my pesky squatters from their hiding places." Draco laid down in front of the vampires. "But no, I've seen you both before our skirmish in the graveyard..."
"When you came flying into our world there Draco." Spike finished for him. "Me and the bit were atop the tall tower where you popped out."
"Of course!" he realized. "But you were human then little one..."
"How could you have possibly known that?" Giles inserted.
"I'm more perceptive than I look." The beast snapped a little.
"Yeah, had to die so no more nasties got out of the portal."
"Nasty?" The dragon cocked his head. "Is that what I am?"
"The gaping holes you made in my chest would suggest yes." Spike almost growled.
"You jumped into my claws, I showed you mercy when I did not bite your head off."
"You know what mercy is?" Buffy more so stated. The dragon nodded to her. "Well, you got a one up on most of the demons I slay." The woman stepped past Spike walking up to the beast. "So here's my deal, I'm the slayer. It's my job to kill things that try to kill innocent things."
"I do not attack the innocent." The dragon scoffed.
"Good, then I won't have to slay you."
"You could not slay me if you tried girl."
"Trust me mate," Spike stepped closer, placing a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "This little woman has killed things much bigger than you." Buffy smirked at the compliment, and reached up to place her hand on top of his on her shoulder.
"Very well," the dragon shook his head feeling the fresh wound in his mouth and growled a little.
"Um... may I?" Tara inched forward. Draco looked at her quizzically. "Mm-mm-my name is Tara, I'm a witch, I uu-uuse earth magic, I'm good at healing spells."
"You wish to aid in healing the wound your friend gave me?"
"Yeah, sorry about that..." Xander apologized. "Was told Riley went and ran into a dragon's den, sounded like a heap of trouble."
"Riley came in cautiously, and humbled himself. Gave me no reason to consider him a threat." He explained then looked to the witch again. "I will accept your aid." Tara nodded and gestured for them to step away from the group, Willow followed to help.
"Sure, now you'll offer to heal the possibly homicidal dragon, not the reformed vampire with a hole in his chest." Spike raised to the witch who waved her hand behind her shrugging him off.
"Reformed vampire?" Riley scoffed.
"I'm workin on it. By the by, what the hell did you do to gain the dragon's trust so fast?" Spike questioned Riley.
"I didn't hear anything knocking about when I came in so I figured everything was dead, then he walked up to me." Riley explained, "I had no weapon, so I didn't think I had a chance unless I could run, but then he started talking, and we just talked."
"Well he's clearly dangerous when provoked." Giles made clear.
"You think we're in danger having him here?" Buffy questioned her watcher's point.
"I'm not sure what he'll do now that he's cleared out his food supply."
"You fancy feeding your patrol scraps to a pet dragon luv?"
"I killed my goldfish, there's a reason mom never let me get a pet." Buffy reasoned. "Hell, only reason Dawn's still standing is cause she can feed and water herself."
"Isn't that kind of all in one now?" Anya pointed out.
"Suppose it is." Dawn snickered.
"Okay, then what are we gonna do, tell him to move along? Hope he don't go after any humans he'll scare the bejeebers out of." Xander questioned, but the group was drawing a blank.
"I would presume he'd like to return to his home dimension, but I don't believe we could help him much there."
"I'm not opening another damn portal." Dawn butted in, mostly joking.
"I don't think you work that way anymore Nibblit." Spike lightly shoved her. The group was quiet for a bit yet, trying to think of what to do with their guest.
"If he'd come, I'll take him with me." Riley offered before anyone else came up with an idea. "Clearly he's comfortable with me, and he seems a bit lost too..." The man looked over to the dragon, jaw open and Tara was holding a hand in his mouth while a bluish-green glow emitted from it. "I was going to move on soon, maybe we can find our way together?"
The group pondered the offer. Dawn was the first to add to it, "You two could make your way to L.A. I'm sure Angel's crew could use your help."
"I don't know Dawnie, Angel wasn't the biggest fan of Riley." Buffy added.
"Don't know, Dawn might have a point. Big and broody deals with a lot of demons. Hell, they may even know a bit more on dimension jumpin'." The group looked to the vampire a little dumbfounded. "He doesn't go around just killin demons, he works with um, helps um sometimes."
"And you know this how?" Giles questioned.
"Word does travel in the demon world." Spike pointed out. "Plus, when I ran down to try and reclaim my gem, he had a half demon workin for him."
"I see." Giles acknowledged. "However, I wouldn't advise that route if you're not comfortable with gray areas."
"Well black and white hasn't exactly been working in my favor." He shrugged, then saw the witches walking back over with the dragon in tow. "I'll talk to my new best friend, you all should get on home, the vampires don't got much dark left."
"No!" Dawn blurted, the group looked to her confused, then it occurred to Dawn that Buffy may not want everybody to know about Spike's condition. "Umm... Buffy, you needed to talk to Riley about... umm that thing..."
Buffy looked confused a moment then saw her sister's eyes flick to Spike. "Right!" Buffy concurred then took Riley by the arm leading him into the hallway the dragon had chased them out of not long ago.
"What's going on?"
"I need a favor."
"Course, anything." Riley smiled happy he could be of use to her.
"Well, actually Spike needs it..."
The smile ran away from his face and he crossed his arms. "What?"
"It's his chip. It keeps going off over nothing, firing hard."
"And what exactly constitutes 'nothing'?"
Then she counted off the occurrences on her fingers. "He shook Willow's hand, gently. He was sparring with Dawn, vampire. And..." Buffy paused a moment, coming up with the best way to say it. "And he flashed his fangs at me, no intent to harm, just joking around." Riley didn't respond, merely stood there thinking on it. "Spike thinks the chip's deteriorating."
"Walsh was never too concerned with long term, just results. At least in the time I knew her."
"So it's possible?"
"Course it is, it's what happened with me." he sympathized. "I apparently had more than the one piece to my chip, and it wasn't shutting down, constantly telling my body to pump out adrenaline. That's what the doc pulled out last year, made it stop giving me a constant adrenaline boost."
"So Maggie's bag of chips has expiration dates." Riley nodded to the simplification. "Okay, so how do we get Spike's out before it kills him?"
Riley hesitated, staring off toward the platinum nuisance. "...I could probably arrange for someone to repair it."
"Just for it to degrade again. No thank you." She insisted.
Riley huffed out, clearly frustrated. "Buffy, I know you and him have some kind of thing going... and frankly I don't want to understand why or what it is." Riley set a hand on her shoulder, looked to her seriously. "But he's a soulless, opportunistic, and not to mention evil vampire... or have you forgotten?"
"He's changed Riley." Her face was stern.
Riley scoffed a little before asking, "What does Giles think of you wanting to remove Spike's chip?"
"I haven't told anyone else about it yet, we came looking for you after I found out about it." Buffy admitted, then said with more conviction in her voice. "But Giles trusts Spike now, the whole gang has fought beside him and he's protected them all, more than once."
"They trust him because he's chipped and can't turn on them or you." Riley pointed out
"I already told you he's different now. The monks did something to him, it's like they gave him all the qualities a soul gives, but no soul itself..." Buffy started to explain.
"He can talk his way into anything, I'm surprised you would fall for a story like that." He scoffed, turning away.
Buffy shrugged her shoulder away glaring at the tall man. "Willow figured that bit out, not Spike. She's even got a spell ready to prove her theory and everything... We've just been a bit busy as of late. Come to the shop, we can show you he's changed." Riley huffed then looked back to the girl, her face had softened. "Please Riley… Dawn needs him… I need him, we can't lose him… Not like this…" Buffy held her sides, knowing begging for Spike's life was not the way to get Riley to help, but it was all she had.
"I seem to remember a time not too long ago when you needed me with you."
"Riley..." Buffy looked to the man pleading. This was pointless... there's no reason I can give where he'll agree... Maybe Wil can find a way to inhibit it... or we can convince an actual brain surgeon...
"I'll do it." Buffy looked up at him, shocked by his answer. "If you can prove there's a difference between him and a normal soulless vampire... I'll do it."
"Thank..." She started but he cut her off.
"Not for him. Not even for you." He assured her, "For Dawn. She needs a vampire to help her through this. And it would seem Spike is both willing and able. Plus, as much as I hate to admit it, there's a reason he's still alive after 100 some years."
"Thank you." Buffy smiled to the man, amazed he agreed.
"I can't promise anything, but I'll make some calls."
Buffy stepped forward and reached up to place a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."
Riley nodded then gestured them out toward the group again. "I'll stop by the shop tomorrow, let you know what I find out." Then Riley looked to Draco who had stepped up beside him as they approached the gang.
"Your allies wish to depart."
"Yeah, gotta get the vampires to bed before the sun comes up." Buffy smiled, "Thanks for understanding and not killing my friends Draco."
"Son of a bitch woulda killed me if I were human." Spike balked.
"That would've been a good time."
"Xander!" All of the ladies scolded at once. The older vampire smirked at his relatively new support group.
"That wasn't nice Xander." Anya even defended. "Buffy clearly has feelings for him." Riley looked instantly hurt again, Spike looked smug, and Buffy refused to look at anyone for the moment.
"And just like that the awkward tension returns." Willow stated. "Let's go home."