Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season 8, Episode 11
Damage
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Buffyverse, I am just a fan.
Summary: Giles has received a chilling phone call from Buffy's ex-lover, Angel asking for Buffy's help with an escapee slayer from a mental home. Buffy hesitantly agrees and catches the first plane across the country to Los Angeles, California.
Chapter 1
18 hours ago: Los Angeles, California.
The good doctor made his way towards the psychiatric unit just like he did every night. The corridor was bathed in bright lights from the ceiling which reflected off of the pasty white painted walls. Over the intercom a woman was requesting a nurse to go and pick up an electrical extension cord but the good doctor ignored this as he took a set of keys from the pocket of his long white medical coat and inserted a key into the locked fence leading to the extreme cases that the psychiatric hospital treated. He placed his clipboard under his shoulder as he shut the fence behind him and made his way towards the nurse's reception. "Hey Doc?" a nurse in the reception began, she was a plump curly haired blonde holding the newspaper crossword, "we're running low on Diazepam…again," she hummed.
"Call Jacobson over at county and see if they can spare any," he said. He looked up from his clipboard and spotted the crossword puzzle. "Give me one," he asked.
"Okay, um… in a mellifluous manor, seven letters, ends in a 'y'" the nurse read. The doctor thought for a moment.
"Give me another one," he smiled. However before the nurse could reply another nurse burst into the corridor.
"Doctor Rabinaw!" she called frantically. She came running toward the fence that separated the nurse's reception with the corridor where the extreme cases lived. Dr Rabinaw opened this fence to allow the nurse through. "It's Phillip," she told him worryingly. The Doctor and the nurse headed toward Phillip, the patients, room and found him crawled up in the fetal position on the floor with saliva dripping from his mouth. The doctor rushed to his side and checked for a pulse.
"What happened?" The doctor asked.
"I, I don't know he just started convulsing after he took his meds," the nurse informed.
"How much Lithium did you give him?" Doctor Rabinaw asked.
"Lithium?" the nurse asked confused as she looked through her clipboard papers. "No, he gets Thorazine," said the nurse.
"Thorazine?" the doctor asked, "He's manic depressive he doesn't need a sedative!"
"I'm sorry I, I must've gotten them mixed up," the nurse struggled.
"Who didn't get their Thorazine?" the doctor asked getting up from Philips side and snatching the nurse's clipboard. "Oh god," the doctor hummed fearfully.
Down the hall a loud banging erupted from the room furthest down the corridor. "Peterson!" the doctor called as he opened yet another fence with his set of keys. Along the corridor the wooden door furthest the back was receiving a serious beating from the other side. Peterson, the on call usher, arrived as Rabinaw took a needle from the pocket of his medical coat. The banging continued as the two men edged down the blindingly white corridor until suddenly silence descended.
Just as the doctor breathed a sigh of relieve the door was catapulted off of its hinges and skidded along the floor revealing a late teen girl with messy black hair draped over her face and hospital gown. The girl treaded lightly down the corridor squinting her eyes from the light. "It's alright Dana, it's me, Doctor Rabinaw," the good doctor informed. The girl continued slowly down the corridor causing Peterson and the doctor to back away. "Just take it easy, I want you to listen to me, you're very sick and we just," Peterson pulled the doctor behind a fence and locked it leaving the girl, Dana, on one side alone, "wanna' make you better," the doc continued. Dana's gaze fell to the syringe in Rabinaw's hand.
She gripped the locked metal fence by her fingers and pulled, ripping it off the wall and tossing it behind her. Peterson and another usher attacked her with sticks which she ducked and sent the other on call hurtling onto his back. She back-handed Peterson into a wall and kicked the other man in the stomach as he tried to regain balance. Peterson attempted to grab her by her torso but she kicked a wall sending them both in the opposite direction and making the wall collide with Peterson's back. She gripped the other man by the thread of his uniform and smashed his head through the glass window on a medical cupboard. Dana turned her head and her eyes found the shining metal of a sharp medical cleaver knife. As though in a trance she took the cleaver in her grasp but suffered a heavy blow to the back of the head from Peterson's cain. Her head however didn't even flinch; she spun around and sliced Peterson's neck wide-open with the cleaver. Peterson fell dead to the ground.
"Oh no," the doctor whispered fearfully as he fled the scene. Dana looked upon the man she had just killed and leaned over him. She began to cut him deeper and washed her hands in his blood. She dragged her fingertips down her face leaving horizontal stripes of blood in their place.
Present Day: Cleveland, Ohio
Buffy and Dawn got back to the manor from the Dance at about 11:00 pm. Buffy had made an apology to Chase for assuming he was the reason Dawn had fled the dance and he drove Dawn and Buffy back to the manor. Buffy was proud to say that she approved of her younger sisters love interest and that she believed her when she said he wasn't the bully he used to be. Buffy quietly closed the manor door and headed for the staircase after kissing her sister goodnight. Dawn went to the living room behind the old door and took a seat, she was extremely proud of what she had accomplished that night.
And even more so because she did it absent Slayer abilities.
She had left the door open and watched as Giles, in a grey jumper and pants, walked past the door frame. "Giles!" she called to him. Startled by the sudden sound of Dawn's voice he turned around and peered into the living room. He found Dawn lounging on the sofa.
"You're back," Giles announced.
"Yeah," Dawn beamed.
"So I take it tonight went well?" Giles asked.
"Amazing actually, zombies went cabloo-ey and I saved the day," Dawn added.
"Good. And what of the talisman?" Giles asked.
"Frozen, defiantly, why?" Dawn asked.
"Well it's been activated, if it thaws out-" Dawn interrupted him as she pulled the icy talisman from her pocket.
"I just wanna point out that I don't want that thing near the refrigerator," Dawn said.
"I'll put it somewhere safe," Giles nodded as he took the talisman from Dawn and placed it into his pocket and cast a wide glance across the room.
"Giles, you okay?" Dawn asked picking up on the fact that something other than the Halloween mishaps was on her father-figure's mind.
"Hmm?" he asked.
"I asked if you were okay…"
"Oh, um, I'm fine…do you know where your sister is?" Giles added.
"She headed up to her room about five minutes ago, doubt she's gotten there though, she will've been stopped in one of the halls because of a Slayer related minor crisis," Dawn rolled her eyes.
"I should go find her," Giles told.
"Sure," Dawn agreed confused.
"Goodnight Dawn," Giles said.
"Night," Dawn replied.
Giles left a puzzled Dawn in the living room and headed to Buffy's room on the third floor. He was hesitant to tell Buffy of the Slayer crisis in Los Angeles because the last time Buffy ventured there he feared her dead. The mansion was in uproar with the new arrivals not to mention the sunlight resistant vampires that were still giving the newbies a run for their money during day patrols. He arrived on the second floor and heard a ruckus coming from the above level. He quickened his pace in time to see Little Red Riding Hood separate a fight between Tiffany and Dina. Something over stolen hair extensions is what Giles could make out from all the shouting. He watched proudly as his Slayer resolved the issue and went into her room. Giles followed her and knocked on the door. "Come in," Buffy called. Giles entered Buffy's room. "Giles, Hey," Buffy smiled.
"Dawn tells me tonight went well," Giles said.
"Yeah, she says she stopped a Zombie hoard with Liquid Nitrogen, if you ask me somebody's been watching a little to much sci-fi and exaggerated a bit," Buffy told.
"Buffy I um-"
"Have you seen Willow? She was planning to do some mojo on Amy," Buffy said cutting him off.
"I'm afraid not, but Buffy-"
"How about Xander, he said he had a date tonight," Buffy added as she stepped into her slippers.
"No, no I haven't, Buffy while you where gone-"
"And with Xander's track record Dawn and I have a bet going on whether she's a demon or something," Buffy cut in again.
"It-it's possible-"
"Or maybe she isn't even a she, she could be a he," Buffy interrupted.
"Buffy-"
"I hope he didn't stand her up-"
"Buffy Listen to me!" Giles bellowed. Buffy turned to meet her watchers gaze; he'd never spoken to her like that before. She was lost for words. "For once will you stop your prattling on and listen to me!" Giles said angrily.
"What's happened?" Buffy asked seriously as she realised Giles wouldn't speak to her like that if thing's weren't serious.
"While you were at the school, I got a phone call…from Wesley," Giles added.
"Is Angel okay? Is it Spi-" Buffy quickly stopped talking when she realised Giles still didn't know Spike was alive. She had avoided having to have the conversation with him for months. "Spi-spies?" Buffy saved.
"What? No," Giles said confused. "It would seem Los Angeles is being terrorized by a psychotic rogue Slayer," Giles informed.
That is so 1999 Buffy thought. "When's the next flight?" Buffy asked.
15 Hours Ago: Los Angeles California
Angel stepped out of the elevator in the psychiatric hospital wearing a grey shirt, a jacket and pants. He looked to his right only to see the person he despised most in the world "Oh," Spike chuckled, "well fancy this, that pitty slug I saved you from scrambled your brain after all, come to check yourself in?" Spike laughed.
"What're you doin' here Spike?" Angel said as he walked away. Spike followed shortly behind him.
"You didn't get the memo? I'm hero of the people now," Spike said proudly as he and Angel made their way down the corridor.
"Then go and annoy them," Angel replied.
"I heard one of the simples went for a strole," Spike said ignoring Angels' comment and referring to Dana.
"Yeah and I'm gonna get her back without your're help," Angel said.
"Goody for you coz' um, not offering it," Spike retaliated.
"Look shouldn't you be out in the streets, y'know protecting the city from," Angel paused as he saw a fenced gate bent out of place, "people like you."
"I go where I'm needed," Spike replied.
"Which isn't here," Angel said.
"Gentlemen, may I help you?" asked the plump, curly blonde haired nurse from the nurse reception.
"Can I help you?" Doctor Rabinaw asked cutting the nurse off.
"I'm here to get your patient back, I'm Angel, Wolfram & Hart," Angel handed the doctor his business card.
"A lawyer?" the Doc asked suspiciously. "I already told the police everything I know."
"Well let's go over it again just in case you left out any…details," Angel intimidated.
"Yeah, what he said, but with a bit more of a threat at the end," Spike added.
The doctor took the vampires to Dana's room. Spike's infamous leather duster ripped from the body of a corpse trailed the floor. "So what're we thinking here?" Spike asked.
"Harmony seems to think demonic possession," Angel said.
"Yeah but she never was the sharpest stake in the weapons chest," Spike replied.
They turned into the wrecked room. The bed was pushed up against the wall while the mattress had been angrily thrown across the room. The walls were littered with child-like drawings of fires and violence and monsters. "She was a special case," the Dr began, "her family was murdered in her home when she was 10, and whoever did it took Dana…and tortured her for months. She was found one day naked and bleeding, wandering the streets barely functional. She's been nearly catatonic ever since."
"Look's like she snapped out of it," Spike said referring to the hole in the wall were the door used to be.
"Several months ago her condition changed, increasing levels of agitation accompanied by explosive outbursts of inhuman strength," Rabinaw informed.
"Right Demon possession, I got a beasty to catch," Spike said.
"Spike wait-" but before Angel could continue Spike was already gone out the room. "Sorry," Angel said turning back to the doctor, "is pathological idiot a real thing?" Angel asked.
"Might I suggest you stop your friend, if he finds Dana he's gonna wind up dead like all the others," the Doctor warned.
"Yeah but he'll just keep coming back," Angel whispered as the doctor left him alone in Dana's room. Angel cast his gaze around the room. "What isn't he tellin' me?" he asked the plump blonde nurse who admired him from the doorway.
"Rabinaw videotaped all of his sessions with her," she announced.
"Show me," Angel commanded.
Present Day: Cleveland, Ohio
Buffy began panicking as she dashed around her room for her typical black leather travelling bag. Giles had run down to the basement and collected as many weapons as he could find. If they knew one thing about rogue Slayers by now it was that they don't go down easy.
Once her bag was packed she sat on the bed with her watcher and contemplated the time ahead. "It's going to be fine," Giles assured her.
"Don't get me wrong Giles it's not this Dana that's worrying me," Buffy said.
"Angel?" Giles asked.
"Yatzee," Buffy hummed.
"But why Buffy? From what you've said your last visit to Wolfram & Hart wasn't all that but you never mentioned anything different about Angel," Giles said.
"It's that place Giles, it-it's changed him, he's different and not in a more broody sort of way but just…different," Buffy said.
"I'm sure whether he's the Angel you remember or not he's going to be thrilled to see you," Giles persuaded.
"Maybe," Buffy replied. Willow and Xander suddenly burst into Buffy's room.
"We saw the raid, weapons galore, what's the what?" Xander asked with a nod at Buffy's bag.
"Angel, he's in trouble," Buffy replied.
"Trouble? What kinda trouble?" Willow asked.
"The kind of trouble only we can deal with. They've got themselves a crazy Slayer, literally," Buffy announced.
"So you're just flying out there in the middle of the night because Angel clicked his fingers?" Xander scrutinised.
"Hey, don't go all superior relationship guy on me, how was your date with Julie?" Buffy asked.
"Oh god," Xander said suddenly remembering his arrangement with Julie.
"Ya stood her up huh?" Willow disapproved.
"Aw man, I gotta call her," Xander said.
"What at half past midnight?" Giles added. Xander dropped his head in his hands.
"Back to this whole Angel thing," Willow said.
"I don't want you guys anywhere near that place, not again, not ever," Buffy replied.
"No Buff, you need back up," Xander said.
"You're not getting out of talking to the hot teacher that easy Xan," Buffy smiled.
"Xander's personal life aside, you shouldn't go alone," Giles said.
"Or maybe you can go by yourself, you'll have Angel and Spi-" Willow stopped when she realised Giles was still in the dark about Spike's resurrection. "Spies," Willow awkwardly corrected. Giles looked confused at the second reference of spies he'd heard that night.
"Take Andrew," Giles suggested.
"Yes!" called Andrew's voice from out in the hallway.
"Andrew! Have you been listening this whole time?" Buffy asked.
"I get bored!" Andrew complained childishly. "Please, please can I go, I never get any fun around here."
"It's not going to be fun Andrew, it's gonna' be dangerous and-and," Buffy stopped when she saw the longing expression on Andrew's face. "Oh what the hell," Buffy gave in.
"I'll go pack my stuff!" Andrew said excitedly.
"But we're not sitting together on the plane!" Buffy called after him as he bolted from the room.
"Ah, taking the little virgin on a road trip, you should get an award," Willow joked.
"So, how are you planning to get me through customs with all these weapons?" Buffy asked Giles changing the subject.
"I'll make a few calls, shouldn't be a problem," Giles replied.
"When's your flight?" Xander asked.
"Pretty much now, you'll look after Dawn for me?" Buffy asked.
"Sure," Willow replied.
"I'll call you guys when I land," Buffy said before hugging her friend's goodbye.
14 hours and 55 minutes ago: Los Angeles, California
The nurse had taken Angel in Doctor Rabinaw's private office and set him in front of a T.V and a VCR. She inserted a tape into the machine and Angel found himself watching a restrained Dana wriggle and writhe and spurt words he assumed to be gibberish. "And that's with the Thorazine," the nurse said. Angel looked around at the office. It was full of shelves stacked with white tape cases.
"These tapes are all of her?" Angel asked.
"Most of em' yeah, Rabinaw's planning on writing a book on her, that's why he doesn't want anyone to know about the tapes," the nurse informed.
"So you're the one who called Wolfram & Hart?" Angel asked.
"Yeah I-"
"Wait, pause that," Angel said as he began to understand some of the words Dana was spouting in the tape.
"They're pretty much all like that, monkey gibberish if you ask me," said the nurse.
"It's Romanian," Angel hummed.
"You understand what she's saying?" asked the nurse.
"Yeah, I know what she's saying," Angel said with a fearful look washing over him.
Soon after, Angel left the mental home and climbed into his sleek black Aston Martin. He dialled Wesley's number with one hand and held the wheel with the other. "Wyndam-Pryce," Wesley said as he answered his phone back at the office.
"Wes, I need Dana's last known sighting, I need a tactical team ready and waiting for my signal," Angel ordered.
"Do you think that's wise? I've been brushing up on my knowledge of demonic possessions," Wesley warned.
"That's not what's happening," Angel said. "Look there were drawing of demons in her room, hundreds of them, some had a little girl in them, I thought they were of Dana but the girls are all different, s'not her."
"Are you sure? Multiple personality manifestations are often associated with cases of possession," Wesley told.
"It's not just the drawings; I saw a tape of her. She was speaking a half dozen languages; one of em' was Romanian. She was yelling about being Chosen, she's not a demon Wes, she's a Vampire Slayer," Angel said.
Chapter 2
12 hours ago: Los Angeles, California.
Dana had stumbled into a market on the busy streets of peak-time L.A. She received numerous funny looks from passers by because of her messy hair and hospital gown; she subconsciously kept the metallic cleaver hidden as she headed toward the food isle. She was so hungry that her gut was begging for sustenance. She crashed into one of the stacks and began tearing off the wrappings to chocolate, cookies, candy and cereal; anything she could get her hands on, she devoured animalisticly.
A fair haired man who was busy stacking the shelves on the opposite side of the isle spotted the dark-haired girl as she tore into another caramel bar. "Um, Miss? Hey, are you gonna, pay for those?" he asked awkwardly. Dana completely ignored him as she tossed the wrappings to the floor. "Excuse me," the man tried again, "miss you can't just eat those like that, you have to pay for em'." The man didn't like being ignored. "Hey c'mon," he said as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder, "knock it off-" before he could continue Dana had grasped him by the fore arm and pulled. His arm snapped and he fell to the floor like a sack of bricks clutching at his arm in pain. Dana grabbed her weapon from the shelf and continued down the isle.
She found herself at a rack of clothes. Once again she placed the knife on the shelf and picked out a pair of dark jeans from the rack. Her gaze fell upon a dark t-shirt and she was bathed in fear. She began to remember a man in the same colour shirt walking through a dark room, her mind, weak as it was, also forced her to see a shelf of bloodied knives and weapons, she remembered the man picking up one of the dirty knives and turning to a girl chained to huge pipes, the girl was her when she was 10 and taken away by the man who killed her family.
"Alright now," said an aged dark skinned man in a police uniform pointing a gun at the slayer which snapped her out of her terrifying memory, "you just stay right like that, I don't wanna have to hurt cha'," he wavered.
Dana left the store without her hospital gown but with her cleaver even bloodier than before.
Somewhere over Indiana: Present Day
"I can't believe Giles didn't book us separate seats," Buffy said as she turned her gaze from Andrew who had just bought almost everything off of the planes duty free trolley and charged it to Giles's credit card.
"Hey, I'm not so thrilled either sister," Andrew snapped as he slurped his drink loudly.
The plane was a blinding white tube of to many small blue seats to count. The falsely happy stewardess's patrolled the narrow corridors with their painted on smile as they indicated the security exits to every passenger. Buffy fiddled with her uncomfortable seatbelt. She pulled the latch and released the uncomfortably tight material from round her waist. "M'am, you have to keep your seatbelt on at all times," said a tall blonde steward.
"Right, sorry," Buffy said as she fastened her seatbelt. Somewhere down the long intimidating cylinder a baby wailed deafeningly.
"Oh, on every plane!" Andrew exclaimed.
"Andrew!" Buffy snapped as she punched him in the arm. Passengers' heads turned to Buffy and Andrew's seats because of Andrew's angry outburst. "Are you drunk?" Buffy asked seriously as she spotted the empty bottles on Andrew's tray.
"No...Maybe…Just a little, but those wine coolers are delicious, try one!" Andrew insisted.
"No I don't want a wine cooler and you can't have any more either!" Buffy scolded under her breath.
"Hey, you're not the boss of me!" Andrew shouted. Buffy shot Andrew a look. "I'll be good," he added with a weak smile.
"And what's with the suit?" Buffy scrutinised as she gave a glance to Andrew's attire.
"Uh, we're going to a law firm, y'know…I wanna look the part," he beamed.
"Whatever," Buffy whispered as she sighed loudly and pressed the back of her head to her chair.
"Are you okay?" Andrew asked.
"Fine," Buffy lied.
"You've never flown before have you?" Andrew asked.
"No," Buffy admitted.
"Well taking off is the hard part, the rest is just like y'know, a bus or train," Andrew helped. Buffy nodded and the next few minutes fell silent.
"You tell anybody I'm afraid of flying, and I will kill you," Buffy sounded.
"Got it," Andrew said as he mimed zipping her lips together and throwing away the key.
6 hours ago: Los Angeles, California
Spike had spent hours tracking Dana's scent and he had finally reached the market. Flashing red and blue lights washed the surrounding area as police cars and ambulances hurried to the scene. A security officer with a sliced neck wound and an employee of the market were being loaded into ambulances while police took out note pads and pens to take witness statements. Spike strolled around the scene and found a faint trail of blood. He knelt down to the pavement and dipped his fingers in the, almost dry, red fluid that he craved and held it to his nose.
Dana entered the main room of a large tobacco warehouse not far from the market with her metallic cleaver-like weapon in hand. She looked around the room and found wooden crates, some in better condition than others, chains that hung from the ceiling and faulty huge glass windows that overlooked the back alley of the building. Dana stepped toward one of the windows and gazed out upon the unfamiliar city. "Liking the view, are we?" called an unfamiliar voice from behind her. She spun around to find a blonde haired man in black clothes and a black leather duster eyeing up her mask of blood that she'd drawn onto her own face. Spike stepped toward her cautiously. "What's say we have a nice, quiet chat about mistreating little girls," Spike paused as he shook his head to activate his game-face, "demon to demon." Dana smiled devilishly at the sight of her vampire enemy. "What're you grinnin' at?" Spike asked puzzled.
Dana thought actions spoke louder than words and so lunged toward Spike with her weapon. He dodged her swift attacks cunningly before backing away to create room. "Oh yeah, look at the big bad demon hidin' inside the helpless little girl," he taunted. Dana launched forward again with her cleaver but it instead collided with Spikes' foot. The cleaver shot out of the Slayer's hand and skidded along the floor amongst some barrels and crates. Spike grabbed Dana by the thread of her chequered shirt and tossed her into pieces of broken debris which she landed on heavily. "Why don't you come on outa' there, let's have a proper go mate," Spike sounded. Dana got to her feat and grabbed a loose piece of wood from a broken crate and held it firmly. "Or you could do that," Spike hummed. Dana hurled herself at him with the stake many times but once again the vampire was too quick for her. He ducked under one of her attacks but didn't account for a back-hand punch that sent him hurtling toward the wall. Dana jumped for him and landed on his lap with her stake above his chest, however he caught her hand and together they struggled to subdue the other.
"我會殺了你的吸血鬼," Dana exclaimed.
"Sorry love, I don't speak Chinese," Spike chuckled. He knocked the stake from her hand and kicked her to the side of the face. She stumbled backwards and the two enemies began trading blows. "You've got no chance love, thanks to my little power boost a few months back I'm stronger than ever, now I'm going to take you back to the loony bin whether you like it or not," Spike told. Spike raised his leg to kick her but she ducked under him, Spike lost his balance for a moment but a moment was all she needed to grab him by the leather of his coat and thrust him through one of the enormous windows; shattering the glass. Spike was sent tumbling out into the city and began falling at an incredible speed. He hit the ground of the alley with so much force that strands of his bleach blond hair made it through the mounds of Gel he used to keep it back.
Present Day: Los Angeles Airport, California
Buffy and Andrew got off of the plane and made their way as casually through the airport as they could. They received Buffy's bag of weapons from a mysterious looking flight attendant who nodded at her seriously. They stepped outside into the brisk night air of California and found a stretch limo and a chauffeur waiting for them. He asked if they had been sent by Rupert Giles and before the Slayer knew it, she was on her way to the place she hated more than high school.
25 minutes ago, Los Angeles California
Spike lay there amongst the glass for quite some time. He woke when the blinding light of Angel's car headlights and the roar of the engine appeared in the alley. Spike rolled his eyes before shakily getting to his feet. "What happened?" Angel asked angrily as he got out of his car.
"Just thought I'd see what it was like to bounce off the pavement," Spike said sarcastically as he shook the glass from his precious coat.
"Stay out of it, tactical's on their way," Angel told.
"Oh right, I'm sure she'll hang around until they show up," he replied. Angel advanced towards Spike.
"You should have waited," Angel spat.
"Keep ya' knickers on; least now I know what we're dealing with, it's a Chinese demon, maybe a water dragon or one of those elemental thingies!" Spike informed eagerly. Angel sighed and headed back toward his car. "What?" Spike asked confused.
"Just get in the car Spike," Angel ordered. Spike rolled his eyes before complying with The Nancy Boys' wishes.
Present Day: Wolfram & Hart: Los Angeles, California
"A psychotic vampire slayer," Spike said as he and Angel emerged from the elevator into the main lobby of Wolfram & Hart.
"How many times are you going to keep saying that?" Angel asked annoyed.
"Just trying to wrap my lobes around it, a psycho slayer," Spike repeated.
"And you let her get away," Angel jibed.
"At least I was trying to stop her," Spike retaliated.
"Oh yeah and how'd that work out?" Angel replied.
"At least I know the game now don't I? Killed two Slayers with my own I hands, I think I can handle one who's gone daft in the melon especially since the almighty forces made me stronger," Spike said proudly. Angel still hadn't came to grips with the fact that Spike was able to walk about in the day and he was stuck imagining the feel of the sun's warmth upon his pale face through the windows of Wolfram & Hart.
"You're not handling anything, Spike, okay? Wes contacted Rupert Giles and he's sent his top guy to retrieve Dana," Angel informed. By now they had reached the doors of Angel's office. Angel was about to walk in when Spike pulled him back by the forearm.
"Top guy? You mean Buffy?" Spike asked.
"I dunno," Angel said defeated. "Maybe, but after what happened last time it's probably some new watcher in training," Angel replied.
"Guess there's only one way to find out," Spike said. Angel pressed his hands on the doorknobs of his office and pushed the two wooden doors open. Angel turned to the long meeting table to the left of the entrance to his office in the hopes of seeing the girl of his dreams, the girl whom he dreamt of night after night, but instead he found Wesley, Fred, Gunn and Lorne sitting around the head of the table joined by a post-pubescent male in a suit. Spike was doing the same; he scanned the heads of everyone present in the hopes of seeing that shade of sunlight blond he remembered all to well. But both vampires were whacked with disappointment when Buffy Summers was nowhere to be seen.
"Ah Angel," Wesley greeted formally, "We were just about to-" before Wesley could continue the boy in the suit turned around in his chair and stared wide-eyed at the bleach blonde vampire.
"SPIKE!" he chimed excitedly as he rose from his seat.
Spike began, "oh for the love of-"
"SPIKE!" Andrew exclaimed again in disbelief. Andrew grabbed Spike by the shoulders and looked eagerly at each of his features. "It's you, it's really you!" Andrew said as he threw his arms around the vampire. "My therapist thought I was holding onto false hope but I knew you'd come back," Andrew sobbed into Spikes' shoulder. "He's alive Frodo, he's alive," Andrew sobbed.
"You two know each other?" Angel asked. Andrew awkwardly backed away from Spike, wiped his eyes and fixed his suit.
"Uh, ya, w-we saved the world together, I mean Buffy helped but it was mostly…us," Andrew hummed.
"Hey!" called the angelic sound of a familiar voice from behind the fray of people. Both Spike and Angel suddenly realised that that familiar enticing smell wasn't a new perfume of Freds', but the scent of the woman they loved. Their heads turned to meet the proud original Slayer standing behind them wearing a denim jacket, jeans and white t-shirt underneath. She wore her hair tied back in a pony tail.
The vampires continued to stare in awe and Buffy did the same.
"Buffy," both vampires whispered at the same time under there breath. They gave each other a look before returning their gaze to Buffy. Freds' romantic spirit began to sing as she smiled happily for her boss and her friend.
"S-so what happened, last I heard you were all pillar of fire down in the Hellmouth," Andrew said breaking the silence. Spike's head turned back to Andrew as he furrowed his brow.
"What? You never told em' bout me, not even Andrew?" Spike said turning back to Buffy.
"Hey!" Andrew added a little offended.
"Oh yeah because that's a topic that frequently comes up in conversation, 'Buffy we're out of milk' 'okay I'll ask Spike to run it over from the store y'know because he's alive in L.A and all'" Buffy said a little angry too.
"Can we save memory lane for later, for you know, after we've contained the psychotic super-powered killing machine," Angel cut in. Buffy gave Angel a look which he dodged. She knew this was going to happen.
"We were just about to bring everybody up to speed on Slayer mythology," Wesley said as he too picked up on Angel's change of attitude. "Buffy if you would," Wesley offered. Buffy opened her mouth to speak but Andrew cut in.
"I'll take it from here Pryce, it's best they here it from an expert," Andrew asserted.
"Oh right, let the top man have a go," Spike added.
"Please, enlighten us," Wesley mocked as he took a seat next to Fred.
"Gather round and attend to a most unusual tale, a tale I like to call The Slayer of The Vampyres. Eons ago on the Dark Continent, three wise elders decided to fight evil with a taste of it own medicine. They took a young girl," he grabbed Fred by the shoulders and she jumped slightly in shock, "and they infused her with the power of a demon, thusly the first Slayer of the Vampyres was born. But alas the existence of a slayer is often brutal and short-lived. And the Primitive, as she was called, boasted no exception. But the elders had foreseen this inevitability and devised a way for her power to live on," Andrew told proudly.
"In every generation one is chosen," Fred said.
Andrew continued, "yes attractive slender woman, indeed so. There are many potentials as we experts call them-"
"Hundreds," Wesley interrupted, "maybe thousands per generation."
"Each of them experiencing vivid dreams, some say nightmares of the heroics of past Slayers…but only one can be chosen," Andrew said.
"That's really great, we actually…know all that," Angel mocked unnecessarily. Buffy gave him another disapproving glance.
"You think you know my good man, you think you know," Andrew said as he lit a pipe her bought on the plane and inhaled from it sending himself into a coughing fit.
"Wait," Lorne interjected, "if there's only one Slayer being the gorgeous girl behind me, what is miss 'whack your head off' doing scampering around?" Lorne asked. Buffy smiled to Lorne who returned the smile with a wink.
"A little Sunnydale surprise," Spike added.
"A few months ago," Buffy perked up adding to the conversation, "I had Willow make with the magics to activate all the potentials in waiting so we could beat back The First and save the world," Buffy told.
"An army of Slayer, brilliant stratagem," Wesley credited. "But I've heard of all these Slayer training facilities all over the world, why did nobody pick up on this Dana's activation into a Slayer?" Wesley asked.
"I dunno, maybe because she's whacky? Could that have thrown Willow off?" Buffy asked.
"Possibly, Dana's mental instability would make her dreams seem more real and maybe that's why she's terrorising the city," Wesley suggested.
"My hypothesis exactly Pryce," Andrew chimed.
"Explains why the girl was yappin' at me in Chinese, must'a thought she was the Slayer I took out back in the Boxer Rebellion," Spike sounded.
"You mean the Slayer you murdered," Angel added.
"Well I didn't have a soul back then did I?" Spike defended.
"Oh yeah, because it makes such a difference now," Angel replied.
"Whatever, anybody needs me I'll be out there doing his job," Spike said as he turned to leave.
"Look we're the last two people who should be confronting her, she's a Slayer!" Angel warned as he followed Spike into the lobby.
"Which is why I'm going," Buffy said entering the lobby.
"Oh yeah, and how do you plan to find her love? Slayer's intuition?" Spike asked.
"You've got her scent right?" Buffy asked. Spike nodded, "then you're coming with me," she said.
"Then I'm coming too, I don't trust him with you Buffy…not after what he did to you," Angel said. Both Spike and Buffy were reminded of a night they both wished could be wiped from history and Buffy was enraged that Angel would use it as a weapon to hurt Spike, not realising that there were two people in that bathroom that night.
"Mr Angel!" called and executive from across the lobby, "I need you signature on these documents," the exec said.
"I trust that man with my life," Buffy said pointing to Spike, "besides, your duty calls," she said shaking her head at the man she loved before entering the elevator with the second man she had feelings for no matter how hard she tried to convince herself she didn't.
Chapter 3
After her adventure at the market Dana found herself at the docks. She was searching for something, shooting glances into every corner, under every rock and at the gravel below her stolen shoes. She began to travel back into her memories, to the memory of a man descending a dust-ridden staircase in heavy boots. She remembered him pulling on an air vent in the room, the room where her cries where the only sound. Her abductor inserted his hand into the vent and pulled out a small wooden box. Dana came back to reality and began losing her balance; she shakily sat on a formation of long pipes and quivered in fear. "Miss?" asked a burly dock worker who spotted the distressed girl. "Are you hurt?" he asked worried. "Miss? Do you need some help?" Dana ignored him, her sense of sound felt so far from her body that it was likely that she was oblivious to the dock workers' presence. Like the market worker, the docker put a hand on Dana's shoulder and she turned to him, he was aghast at the streaks of blood down her face; he took his hand away.
"Maybe Spike was right, y'know we should just get out there and find her," Angel suggested to his co-workers and friends…and Andrew.
"And then what? Kill her? What's happening isn't her fault," Fred objected.
"She is mentally unstable, not that it'll matter when she's stakin' ya' in the pump," Gunn added.
"Alright well look, we know that she's been spotted at these locations since her escape, if tactical were to do a sweep they'd have to cover at least 60 blocks," Angel informed.
"That'll take days if we're lucky," Fred said.
"Witness's say it was like she was looking for something, we have to figure out what," Angel replied.
"Well why not start at the source?" Lorne suggested.
"The asylum?" Andrew butted in.
"No, where all this started for her, she was abducted from home, right?" Lorne asked.
"Yeah but it was over 15 years ago," Angel added.
"Houses have long memories Angel cakes you just gotta know how to get them to talk," Lorne smiled.
"Alright, set it up," Angel ordered.
Dana had already fled the docks by the time Spike and Buffy arrived. They had avoided conversation topics that they both were eager but worried to have and focused solely on Dana. Spike followed the scent of blood and they arrived at the bloody body of a blue sweater wearing burly dock worker. Buffy exhaled. "I see your tracking skills are as good as ever," she said.
"She's long gone, moved on maybe 20 minutes ago," Spike said.
"You do know I was being sarcastic right?" Buffy asked.
"This way," Spike said pointing further down the docks and ignoring Buffy.
"Lead the way," Buffy hummed. They kept walking, eyes and ears on alert and watching the perimeter for any swift Slayer like movement.
"So, how's red? Y'know after her whole amnesia stint?" Spike asked without making eye contact.
"Fine, she's uh, back on her feet," Buffy replied.
"Well good," Spike nodded.
"And what about you? After your power boost and whatnot," Buffy asked.
"Good, great actually, nice not havin' to worry about gettin' pissed and waking up to my noggin' on fire," Spike said.
"I'll bet," Buffy smiled. "I kinda' have some bad news," Buffy said.
"What?" Spike said as he stopped walking.
"Wood's dead," Buffy announced.
"Nikki's boy?" Spike asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That's the one," Buffy replied.
"How?" Spike asked.
"It's a long story," Buffy replied.
"Oh, and what about Faith, she holdin' up?" Spike asked.
"Y'know I don't remember you being this considerate," Buffy smiled.
"Things change love," Spike smiled back.
"She's okay, I mean she's not Martha Stewart okay but she's alright," Buffy told. Buffy spotted Spike's spider senses tingling. "What is it?" she asked.
"The scent, it's getting' stronger," Spike replied.
"Hardwood floors, central air, original Wayne's coating throughout, she's a real charmer from top to bottom," the real estate agent hummed. Lorne had brought Angel to the house Dana was abducted from along with a creepy bald psychic in a red and gold cloak.
"The walls scream…with the blood of the innocent," the psychic said as he traced his hand along the staircase banister. The agent looked at the creepy man nervously.
"I'll be in the car if you have any questions, and remember, it's a seller's market," she charmed. Angel smiled half-heartedly and watched her leave.
"You sure this guys reliable?" Angel asked Lorne referring to the psychic.
"Oh yeah, Burgan's top draw," Lorne replied.
"What're you picking up?" Angel asked Burgan as his expression changed when he touched the fireplace.
"Fear," Burgan said as he saw, in his mind, Dana's mother being murdered by a man. "Anguish," he continued, "pain, he needed them to suffer." Burgan went deeper into the houses memories and saw the man move further into the house.
"He? Who?" Angel asked.
"She's doesn't know him," Burgan said as he saw 10 year old Dana terrified but remaining perfectly still under her bed as she watched unfamiliar legs enter her room. "She tries to be still, tries to be invisible, but he senses her," Burgan chimed as he watched the abductor fling up Dana's mattress and lay eyes on the girl. Dana screamed. "And then…he's gone," Burgan finished.
"Where?" Angel asked, "Where did he take her?"
"Dark, floor is cold, the air is thick with dust, with a sickly sweet smell like... molasses," Burgan told. "A basement," Burgan cried, "that's where her pain thrives."
Dana descended the basement's stairs, she'd found the place she was looking for. She looked around at the all too familiar environment. Barrels were stacked about the room, huge pipes stood tall in groups and the floor seemed to breathe ice into Dana's shoes. She saw a mess of chains around a group of pipes near the back of the basement that her abductor had used to restrain her; she then spotted the air vent. She crouched down but even with her heightened Slayer senses she could not see into it. She gripped her seemingly delicate fingers around the grate and pulled. She dropped the grate on the floor and pulled out several hammers and nails and remembered seeing them in the hands of her attacker as he tortured her years ago. She placed the weapons onto a wooden crate and inserted her hand in further until she found the small wooden box. She opened the lid and found the familiar tubs of coloured drugs and needles. The sight of the familiar objects sent her back into her memories. She was tied to the pipes and was staring into the face of her abductor. He knelt down and revealed bright bleach blonde hair.
"Let's try the blue one this time," Spike said as he placed the needle into young Dana's arm.
Spike and Buffy still followed Dana's scent down the docks and struggled to hear themselves think over the foghorns of the passing boats and ships. "Did you mean what you said back there Slayer?" Spike asked sincerely.
"About what?" Buffy asked.
"Trusting me, with your life," Spike said.
"Every word," Buffy admitted. Spike smiled to himself proudly but Buffy dodged the awkward conversation once more. "So is Angel always like that, Mr. Broody but only more so?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, remember Eve? Pretty little trollup who sold you out to the Kunari's?" Spike asked.
"How could I forget," Buffy replied.
"Well last week she tried to kill Nancy Boy and he's been pissy ever since, thought seein' you might perk him up a bit but swing and a miss aye love," Spike told.
"Seriously re-thinking my whole 'no killing humans' for that tramp," Buffy said seriously.
"Me and you both Slayer," Spike said.
"Spike?" Buffy asked, she'd given in fighting her urge to ask him the difficult questions she'd been thinking of since they spoke last.
"Yeah?" he said as he took another sniff to stay on Dana's trail.
"When you came back, w-why didn't you try to contact me-us?" Buffy asked.
"Told you didn't I? Angel told me you were in Rome," Spike replied.
"But even so, if you're the guy I remember that wouldn't have stopped you, you could have called, even maybe sent an e-mail," Buffy added.
"Well y'see when I first got back I wasn't as touchy feely as I would've liked love, Senior Partners brought me back as a ghost…dicks," Spike said.
"But last time I was at Wolfram & Hart I seem to remember you more Jackie Chan than Casper," Buffy said. Spike exhaled heavily, he'd run out of false excuses.
"Truth is love I didn't know what to say, 'Hi Buffy, Spike here, I didn't burn up like you thought, why don't you take time out of rounding up the Slayer brigade, come to Wolfram & Hart and wisp me away to the far off land of happily ever after'," Spike imitated himself. "Life's not a fairy tale love," he said.
"'Life's not a song, life isn't bliss, life is just this, its living. You said that," Buffy said.
"I remember," Spike beamed.
Angel and Lorne stepped into Wolfram & Hart lobby and found Wesley and Gunn anxiously waiting for their return. "Hey, how'd it go?" Gunn asked.
"I wanna find the guy who killed Dana's family, his name where he lives everything down to the last detail," Angel announced.
"The police never caught him," Gunn said puzzled.
"Yeah but we're not the police, raise the dead if you have to," Angel said. "Lorne I wanna know where he took her after he abducted her, psychic narrowed it down to a basement that smells like Molasses," he added.
Buffy and Spike neared the end of the docks when Spike suddenly stopped. "What is it?" Buffy asked.
"The scents different, stronger," Spike said as he ran to the corner and began investigating a dark small alley filled with spare boat parts. Buffy followed him. They continued down the alley until they came across the metallic rim wall of the fishing building.
"It's a dead end," Buffy said. Spike placed his hand on the wall, it was covered in blood. He showed his bloodied hand to Buffy.
"It's her blood," he said.
"Trap," Buffy announced, "looks like not all of her screws are lose," Buffy said.
Dana suddenly dropped from the roof of the building and smacked Buffy over the head with a long grey pipe. She fell to the ground with a thump. "Buffy!" Spike shouted. He grabbed Dana and threw her at a wall. He went for her with a kick which she dodged and tripped him up. He hit the ground hard but recovered fast and scissor kicked Dana to the stomach. She blocked his next attack and threw him to the ground. As Spike recovered he watched Dana set off around the corner. He spotted Buffy stirring back into consciousness and set off after the crazed rogue Slayer. He followed her scent around to the other end of the docks and found himself entering an unfamiliar building. He jogged down the corridor and found himself in the basement Dana was tortured in as a child. He confidently descended the stairs and saw her near the back of the room. "Alright pet, no getting away, got your scent locked in now, can track you for miles," he asserted.
"No escaping," Dana stammered.
"That's right, no escaping. All the same, I don't wanna have to hurt you," he said as he stepped towards her.
"It doesn't hurt if you hold still," Dana spoke.
"Right," Spike replied confused.
"Heart…and head. Have to get home, doesn't hurt if you hold still," Dana mumbled.
"You're a real sack of hammers aren't you," Spike said. "Hey, don't worry, I used to date a girl who wasn't all there," Spike smiled at the memory of Drusilla.
"Heart and head, stab the heart and cut off the head," Dana mumbled, "only way to be sure."
"That's Slayer talk isn't it," Spike said.
"Keep cutting till you see dust," Dana said as she advanced slowly toward the man she believed to be her abductor.
Spike began, "right, let me explain, you got visions right? Vampire and Slayer memories kicking around in your head, which is tough, because it sounds like your past midnight on the crazy clock anyway-"
"Please don't, I have to get home to my son, to my Robin," Dana said.
"Robin? Hey, you're talking about Nikki! The Slayer I offed back in- yeah you probably don't wanna think about that pet," Spike advised.
"William the Bloody," Dana announced.
"No, no, no, that's not gunna lead to anywhere good, you need to focus on what's real," Spike advised again.
"Head and heart, don't be scared, keep cutting until you see dust," Dana exclaimed as she whipped Spike up with her legs and he crashed to the floor. She dived onto him and jabbed a needle with a yellow substance right into his neck. Spike wailed in shock and pain. He spun Dana off of him and attempted to scramble to his feet.
"Y-you little minx, what d-did you do to me?" he asked as he fell to the floor again.
"Yellow's make you weak, but I'm not weak anymore," Dana said as she kicked Spike to the stomach.
"Alright, now you've made me mad," Spike slurred.
"Don't cry, they can't hear you," she replied. She ripped his coat from his almost unconscious body and dragged him along the floor.
She hurtled back into her memories and saw herself struggling in Spike's arms as he tied her infant self to the pipes with chains.
She came back to reality and tossed Spike into the chains and began to tie him up. "Daddy's gone, he can't hear you," Dana said as she headed toward the air vent and pulled out the box of drugs. She crouched next to him and inserted the needle into a bottle and began to suck the liquid into the syringe. "Piece by piece, yellow makes you weak," she inserted the needle into a second container, "brown makes you sleepy."
She inserted the syringe into Spike arm and he began to drift to sleep. "You can't hurt me anymore," she announced.
"You crazy little-I never hurt you-" Spike slurred but was interrupted by the Slayer.
"Hold still; count backwards, 10, 9, 8, 7…"
Angel and the gang were still in Angel's office. Gunn was laying out a map of where Dana had been spotted and the sightings where all centred around the docks. "So she's staying in the area, good, get tactical to do thermal imaging and helicopter surveillance, the works," Angel ordered.
"Not sure you're gonna have much luck boss, this is an industrial area, most of the buildings will have a basement of some sort," Gunn said.
"Lorne, anything knew with the psychics?" Angel asked.
"No," Lorne said as he hung up the phone, "Still dark, creepy and smells like Molasses."
"Whiskey!" Fred announced excitedly.
"God bless you kitten I was just about to suggest the same thing," Lorne smiled.
"No, I mean when you're cookin' up whiskey it makes the whole room smell Molasses!" Fred said.
"Look for a distillery in the area, it's likely that'll be where we'll find Dana," Angel said.
"And Spike," Buffy announced as she stepped into Angel's office with a nasty gash on her head where she'd fallen unconscious after being whacked over the head.
"Buffy?" Fred asked.
"You're hurt," Angel said sincerely.
"I've been worse, trust me. We were tracking Dana, it was a trap she jumped me and took Spike," Buffy told.
"I'll go get some clean cloth and water and stuff," Fred said. Buffy nodded in thanks.
"But why Spike? Of all people it should be you that she'd recognise," Angel said confused.
"Never been much for the why in these situations. I just wanna find this girl and fast," Buffy said.
"You mean you wanna find Spike," Angel added.
Chapter 4
Angel stood proudly with his hands at his waist and stared at Buffy from head to toe, taking in her details and figure like it was the last time he was ever going to see her. His last statement rang in her eyes as she stared at him too, except she stared with confusion and anger. "You mean you wanna find Spike," he had said. She scrutinised him and wasn't afraid to let it show. Lorne, Gunn, Wesley and Andrew shied away from the awkward moment by pretending to take phone calls and engaging in false conversation. The air was thick with fury.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked angrily.
"Nothing, forget I said anything," Angel said as he shook his head and sat back in his seat sheepishly.
"This is so not the time for that conversation," she whispered. Fred returned with a bowl and a warm damp cloth. She dabbed it against Buffy's wound and squeezed the soaked up blood into the bowl. "Thanks," she said to Fred warmly.
"Sure," Fred smiled.
"Here," Andrew called from behind the screen of Gunn's laptop.
"What did you find?" Angel asked.
"Distillery Warehouse down by the docks," Andrew replied proudly showing the room the map.
"Good work Andrew," Buffy said.
"Score one for Andrew while the superheroes are yet to score," Andrew celebrated. Buffy and Angel shot him a look, "I'll be quiet now."
"Wes, call Harmony and get her to bring the car around I can be there in 10 minutes," Angel ordered.
"I'm coming with you," Buffy said.
"I can handle it," Angel said.
"Not without my help, you'll get yourself killed," Buffy protested as she stood in front of the door blocking his path.
"Buffy I appreciate the concern but it's not necessary," Angel said.
"Angel this girl took down Spike and he's stronger than both of us now," Buffy stated. Angel's eyes dropped as he felt a sting of anger behind them. "If we go together we'll have a shot," Buffy persuaded.
"Get out of my way Buffy," Angel sounded as he dodged passed the Slayer and entered the lobby.
"What do you have to prove here Angel?" Buffy called after him.
"I have to prove that I'm not second best to Spike for you, I'm the guy you should be with, not him," Angel called back.
"What about Nina?" Buffy shouted. Angel stopped abruptly.
"How do you know about Nina?" he asked referring to his werewolf girlfriend.
"Does it matter? What does matter is that you're with somebody and I'm not, and I'm not ready to be, can you just get over yourself for a couple of hours so we can save this girl from doing something she'll regret?" Buffy asked.
"I'll prove it to you Buffy, I'm the guy for you," he said as he stepped into the elevator and began to descend into his personal parking lot. Buffy headed straight for the stairs. She crashed into the lot just as Angel's red viper speeded out onto the L.A streets. Buffy pulled out her cell phone from her back pocket. She dialled Giles' cell.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Giles, it's me," Buffy replied.
"Buffy? What is it?" Giles asked.
"I think I'm gonna need some help," Buffy admitted.
Spike dazedly began to wake up from his reluctant slumber. His eyes where fogged as he looked around the dark basement. He could make out silhouettes of the objects but nothing more. His ears activated as he heard the sound of shoes stepping to the ground. He spotted, through the mass of barrels and pipes in front of him, Dana's slender profile. "Piece, by piece," she echoed eerily.
"W-what did y-y-you do t'me-" Spike slurred.
"Shh," Dana commanded, "stay quiet, I'll let you go," she said still remaining out of the light of the single buzzing light bulb.
"What did you do to me?" Spike asked drowsily as he felt something wasn't right.
"You're losing all your pieces," Dana said as she stepped toward him. Spike saw the rim of her metallic medical cleaver gleam in the light and reflect the blood of her victims.
However fresh blood was dripping from the handle.
He looked into her face and felt her anger and fury. "You can't touch me, anymore," she spat with every word laced with venom. Spike raised his arms to his face as he realised his hands were numb. However he found that his hands weren't numb at all, they weren't there. Instead were two fleshy stumps wrapped surgically in bandages. His eyes widened in shock. He felt the pain then; I guess it's true that what you don't know doesn't hurt you. Dana looked as his body wrapped in chains on the floor and shot a glance to his severed hands on the desk amongst her abductors weapons.
"Oh G-God, y-you," he stammered as he began to pass out. Dana hurled a punch at him and he was jolted awake.
"No more daddy, no more mommy, no more hands, can't touch me ever again," Dana said as she remembered Spike tying her up in chains when she was 10.
"I never touched you," Spike said confused. Dana hurled another punch to his face. Spike suddenly realised what was happening in Dana's mind. "Stop, y-you've got it wrong, your brains all jumbled, I never hurt you. It wasn't me, I've done my share of bad but you're not one of em'. It's someone else," Spike said exasperated as he fought the pain in his arms and struggled to stay awake.
Dana thought deeply about the man who had abducted her, she saw his bleach-blonde hair, no, his black hair, bald in parts. She saw his muscular physique, no, she saw his weighted belly hang over his pants in rolls.
"You've got me confused with another man," Spike added. She remembered the bleach-blonde man tying her to the pipes, no, the weighted man with thin retreating dark hair was tightening her restraints. Dana shot back to reality in realisation that the man and vampire she had lured back to her place of torment to exact revenge wasn't the man whom had harmed her and killed her family. "You're visions are messing with your real memories," Spike said, "all that stuff jammed in your head, other slayers, other places, New York, China-"
"請不要停止," Dana interrupted him.
"That's what you're remembering, other Slayers," Spike told. Dana crouched beside him sombrely.
"Y-you killed her, you killed them both" Dana stated mournfully.
"Yes," Spike admitted, "but I was never here."
"Doesn't matter!" Dana exclaimed as she laid into the vampire with continuous hefty punches, "head and heart! Keep cutting till you see dust!"
Dana raised her weapon but was projected backward by the other vampire with a soul. She hit the ground hard but quickly got to her feet.
"Dana, look I'm here to help you," Angel began, "the man who tried to hurt you, his name is Walter Kindell, he tried to rob a liquor store five years ago and the police shot him, he's dead Dana."
"Hold still," Dana mumbled.
"He can't hurt you anymore," Angel continued.
"Can't hurt me, not weak anymore," Dana added.
"That's right," Angel said as he stepped toward her.
"Strong…Slayer," Dana cried as she launched a kick at Angel. He dodged it but received a blow to the stomach. She connected her fist to his jaw and he was sent toppling over a barrels and crates. He got to his feet and ducked a punch and collided his elbow with her face. She recovered and forcefully catapulted him toward a wall. She went to grasp him from the floor but instead he whipped around to her back and grabbed her by the neck.
"Now!" he exclaimed. Before Dana had the chance to struggle she was shot in the chest three times with silver red tailed tranquilizer darts. She fell unconscious to the ground and Wesley and a team of tactical ops hurried to her side. "Get the med team down here," Angel ordered when he spotted Spikes' severed hands. Spike lay unconscious and bleeding on the ground chained to the pipes.
"Get him prepped, get surgical on standby we'll be there in 10 minutes," Fred said down a phone as she helped pull Spike toward an ambulance in a gurney outside the distillery building, "oh for god sake, tell the Shaman no cadavers!" Fred ordered. She spotted a medical ops worker carrying a box labelled Anatomy Transport. "We've got his hands," she added.
Angel followed closely behind as he, Wesley and a team of tactical ops pulled Dana's gurney out of the basement and up onto the docks. "Chain her into the van and I want armed guards riding with her in the back," he ordered.
"That's alright boys I'll take her from here," Andrew said as he stepped into the clearing.
"What?" Angel asked.
"Totally appreciate your help on this one big guy, never could've found her without you but you got enough problems of your own to worry about," Andrew replied. Angel stared at him unphased.
"Get out of the way Andrew," Angel ordered as he moved around Andrew. He stepped in front of Angel confidently.
"She's a Slayer, that means…she's ours," he added.
"Yeah sorry that's not how it works, load her up and don't be afraid to tranq her if she stirs," Angel said turning his attention to the tactical ops guys.
"I don't think you heard me Angel," Andrew said. Before Angel could reply girls ranging from their teens to their late 20's started stepping out from corners of the docks and surrounding Angel's team. Kate, Alicia and Chris were amongst them. They stood behind Andrew strongly and confidently. Wesley's watcher senses began tingling in amazement at the ten-twelve Slayers he was amongst. "You think that we're just going to let you take her back to your evil strong hold? Well as they say in Mexico…no…we're not gonna…let you," Andrew added.
"Dana's psychotic and I'm not turning her over to you," Angel said furious that he was being intimidated by a kid.
"You don't have a choice, check the view screen Yoda, I have 12 Vampyre Slayers behind me and not one of them has ever dated you," Andrew replied, "She's coming with us…one way or another."
"You're way outa' your league, I'll just clear this with Buffy," Angel said as he crossed his arms.
"Where do you think my orders came from?" Andrew asked. Angel's face dropped. "Newsflash, nobody in our camp trusts you anymore! Nobody. You work for Wolfram & Hart, don't fool yourself, we're not on the same side. Thank you for you're help but uh, we got it," Andrew smiled as he gave the signal to Chris, Kate and Alicia who grabbed Dana's gurney and began wheeling her away.
Angel exhaled and watched as the last ambulance pulled away.
In its space revealed a slender blonde in a denim jacket and jeans with her hair tied up. Her face was masked in flashing blue and red light but Angel knew it was her, without doubt his Buffy was standing at the edge of the docks. Wesley saw her too as she turned from his gaze and disappeared into the world.
Chapter 5
Buffy headed to a bus that Giles had convinced the watchers council to loan to the Slayers. Chris and Kate loaded Dana's gurney into the wheelchair portion of the bus and the rest of the Slayers and Andrew took a seat while a demonic driver drove the vehicle. Chris and Alicia offered to stay by Dana's side while Buffy rested; it was going to be a long drive back to Ohio. If they kept a constant speed without stopping they would be back at the manor in 24 hours time, but when is anything ever that easy. The Slayers had gotten to L.A that fast because of a risky spell cast by the coven that only works one way. Buffy said her thanks to the Slayers that had offered to make the journey to L.A to help her out. Kate and Buffy had never seen eye to eye so she said as special thank you to her out of earshot of the other girls. Chris had said, and I quote, 'it was either this or cleaning the warehouse'.
They had been driving for about ten minutes when Dana began to stir. Buffy had been called to the back of the bus. "Andrew how long are the tranquilizers supposed to last?" Buffy asked.
"They're for transport and considering she was only supposed to be going to Wolfram & Hart and not across the country I'm guessing she's gunna be opening her loony peepers pretty soon," Andrew said.
"It's too dangerous to have her awake in a contained environment," Buffy stated.
"I'll call Angel," Andrew offered as he took out his cell phone.
"No!" Buffy cut in. She took Andrews phone and dialled a number.
"You're on with Lorne," sang Lorne's voice through the speaker.
"Lorne, where are you?" Buffy asked
"Buffy? Kitten am I glad to hear from you, how's little miss whack your head off?" Lorne asked. Buffy shot a glance down at Dana.
"She's had better days, I need you to do me a favour," Buffy said.
Buffy had asked Lorne to meet her on the outskirts of the city with extra tranquilizers far away from Wolfram & Hart. Lorne had cautiously agreed and before they knew it they where walking up to each other warmly. Lorne opened his arms and Buffy embraced his bright orange suit. He had brought Fred with him because she was the only one who knew how the tranquilizers worked except for Wesley and Buffy wasn't keen on seeing him either. "You're Slayers know that I'm a good demon right?" Lorne asked after a threatening stare from Kate.
"Yeah," Buffy smiled.
"Here are the tranquilizers and a syringe. I thought a needle was better than carrying around the gun," Fred said as she handed over a black bag.
"Thank you guys, I really appreciate this," Buffy said.
"Ah don't worry about it," Lorne said.
"So how is he?" Buffy asked. Buffy didn't need to say their names, she knew they would tell her about both Angel and Spike.
"Angel stormed up to his private loft above his office and disabled the elevator and the medics managed to reattach Spikes hands. He should be fine in a week or two," Fred informed.
"Good," Buffy said sincerely.
"And how are you munchkin? I know our Angel didn't show you the warmest hospitality and our blonde rescuer…well things didn't go to well for him either," Lorne said.
"I'm okay, Angel's moved on and maybe it's time I did to," Buffy said.
"I hope it all works out for you Buffy," Fred announced.
"Dana's going to be a handful…but we'll deal," Buffy sighed.
"I wasn't talking about Dana," Fred smiled. Buffy smiled too.
"Thank you," she said.
"Come here you!" Lorne said as he took Buffy into a hug. She hugged him tightly and then hugged Fred.
"Don't hesitate to call if we're needed," Buffy offered.
"You too," Lorne replied, "look after yourself kitten."
"Take care," Buffy smiled before returning to her borrowed bus and leaving L.A for what she hoped would be the last time for a while.
But the universe had other plans.
Over the next day the girls and Andrew stopped off at many gas stations in order to eat and use the bathroom. Dana was never left unwatched throughout the journey. She stirred in her sleep, spoke words and once even shot bolt up right but every three hours Andrew would insert the sedative into her arm and to somebody who didn't know any better, she was dead to the world.
When it got to Tuesday afternoon the girls were getting restless so Buffy gave them an hour off the bus to eat and some even patrolled the streets. Buffy pointed out it wasn't likely that they would find any sunlight-resistant vampires in the area because a lot of the Slayers in North America lived in Cleveland and the rule with the new vampires was that there is one for every newly activated Slayer and when you kill one of the new vampires another one takes its place and the vampire is often gifted with the new abilities when it lives and hunts near the Slayer, but they insisted on doing a sweep.
Buffy exchanged a phone call with Faith to ask her to get one of the first floor teaching rooms changed into a bedroom for Dana. Buffy guessed Faith had probably just had Vi or Cody do it but as long as it was done she was happy. Buffy attempted to start a conversation with the demon driver but he remained silent and robotic at the wheel. They pulled onto the private estate the manor was located upon late on Tuesday night. Although Buffy missed her home in California, she had grown accustomed to Ohio, Cleveland's sights and scenery. She enjoyed that her room overlooked Ohio's Lake Erie. Giles, Willow and Faith met Buffy at the Manor porch. "Girls, get Dana up to the first floor and put her on the bed. Tie the restraints, I'll be up in a minute," Buffy told Alicia and Kate. Cody signalled them from the doorway to show them which room it was. Buffy strolled over to Willow, Faith and Giles.
"She's going to be a handful isn't she," Giles said as she watched the Slayers carry the gurney over the porch steps.
"Understatement," Buffy replied.
"B you look exhausted, go take a nap or somethin' G-man and I got this," Faith offered. Willow looked up a little offended.
"Faith's right Buffy, I can't imagine you've had much sleep on that thing," Giles said indicating the bus.
"Good thing about Slayers, sleep isn't extremely necessary…yet," Buffy yawned.
"Maybe you should use one of those sedatives on yourself," Faith said pointing out Buffy's black bag. Willow slapped Faith on the arm. "What? Just tryna' help," Faith said.
"Maybe we should keep the newbie sedated till the morning?" Willow offered.
"Even still, the last thing she remembers is fighting Angel in a basement and then waking up in Ohio tied to a bed? It's like we're giving her excuses to go on a killing spree," Buffy argued.
"Well we'll take shifts to watcher her through the night," Willow said.
"Yeah okay," Buffy agreed as she began walking to the manor with her friends.
"So how was Wolfram & Hart? Still as evil as ever?" Willow asked chipperly.
Buffy shot Willow and exhausted look.
"That bad huh?" Willow guessed.
Author's Note: Thank you to all the reviewers and subscribers. Some of the scenes and dialogue from this episode are not of my own creation and belong to the writers of Angel and Joss Whedon.
If you have enjoyed My Season 8 so far and wish to read the second half them I encourage you to do so, I would really appreciate it. It is available on my profile, give it a shot, please.
Thank you for reading.