The First

"Come on Spike, wake up for me!"

Even on the edge of consciousness Spike could never deny Buffy, and at her voice, he forced his eyes open. His happiness in that instant was abruptly cut to an end.

"Was I too hard on you baby?" Buffy asked him.

He could hear the deep concern in her voice, but it didn't reach her eyes; her eyes didn't look a bit sorry. It was then that he fully realized that something was seriously wrong. He suddenly became aware of the restraining sensation that pulsed unpleasantly through his arms. He gave them an experimental tug and realized they had been cuffed by thick leather straps to a wooden X, as had his ankles.

"Are those uncomfortable Spike?" Buffy asked in that same concerned voice, but by now Spike knew it wasn't as real as it appeared.

"You're not Buffy."

He stated calmly, trying not to be affected by the hurt that quickly filled those all-to familiar green eyes. Buffy came right up to him then and kneeled beside him. She was so close he could almost touch her, but she made no effort to touch him. Her eyes gave off a calculating glint and she smiled.

"You know that actually hurt." Buffy said as her hand flew over her heart. "After all we've been through, after I spared you, fed you, washed you even."

Spike snarled. It had been intolerably embarrassing for him at the time, or at least when he was fully coherent. It was, in fact, what drove him to his brief comatose state, and to hear it brought up again, with her voice none too gently mocking him was enough to drive his demon wild. Pretending to be Buffy was sure not going to help this, demon creature, whatever it was, when he got free.

"Ew! Ew Spike! Vampire phlegm!" She whined and wiped her arm over face.

"That is no way to treat a lady William, or have you forgotten?"

Spike snarled even more viciously as his human name was brought up and Buffy backed off laughing. Unbeknown to Spike, shadows began to slowly gather towards them.

"Ok enough of this, it's time you stopped playing Spike." Spike snorted in disbelief.

"I've got to stop playing? I'm not the one imitating the Slayer and prancing around like some giant poof, luv."

Buffy's face darkened for a moment, before it brightened eerily.

"Who said I was an imitation? No Spike, you're playing this little reformed vampire act! It's sickening and that's all it is Spike, an act. You're not reformed; you have more than two centuries worth of blood on your hands. You think you can ever make up for that?"

Buffy asked her tone incredulous. "It's time you accepted once and for all what you are, what you always will be, a Master vampire, a Master killer."

Her voice, full of such conviction, cut deeply into Spike. "I thought you understood, you know. I thought you knew but you're just like her. It's not about good or evil, it's about power. Power Spike and we have that. You've played your little reformed game, you touched your loved one's heart but it's time to stop pretending. There's a war coming and you know it. You can feel it in your veins, feel it rushing through your body you know what's coming. It's time you took your place."

Buffy moved up to his face, her fingers ghosting down the side of it. Though she didn't actually touch him, he shuddered all the same.

"Join me Spike. I need you." Buffy whispered her voice full of sincerity.

Spike closed his eyes and Buffy smiled wickedly at the struggle that appeared clearly on his face, but her smile fell at his words.

"Luv…get bent."

It was then that the shadows fully emerged. They weren't shadows at all; they were Bringers, the ones who had brought Spike to his captivation in the basement of the school in the first place. Sensing more company, Spike's eyes opened warningly. His anxiety increased as a look of pity covered Buffy's face.

"I guess you need more persuading. You're going to wake up a friend of mine Spike. He'll show you what a true vampire looks like."

Like a swarm of flies, the bringers descended upon him, tearing his blue top from his chest, ignoring Spike's furious growls and snarls.

"Then again, I like this plan better; you look great with your shirt off."

The look of pure hunger Buffy sent him caused all the blood to flow down to Spike's groin till he frantically reminded himself that this couldn't possibly be Buffy. He needn't have bothered as a deep sharp sword with a print at its blade, ruthlessly cut into his stomach. The sudden pain made Spike choke on his own scream, as a strangled noise tore through his throat. He scarcely had time to recover as another sword with another print slashed through him and Spike cried out without restraint.

Betrayal, despite his belief that it wasn't Buffy flooded his eyes, and he looked brokenheartedly at her.

"Oh don't look at me that way. It's your fault. All you had to was join the winning side, but no you had to be the stupid stubborn vampire you are. Oh perfect, you're ready."

Suddenly his cross was pulled into the air and he was outstretched over a most peculiar symbol on the basement floor, that he realized must have been dug up whilst he had been out of it. Spike hissed in pain as blood flowed in a continuous stream from his wounds and directly onto the symbol. Spike felt sure he had seen that symbol before but the pain stopped his mind from working clearly. A white light began to shine from the symbol and to his horror, the lines that had looked like a trap door moved apart, confirming it was exactly that. A horrible snarl came from the darkness and as Spike's vision blurred from his blood loss he saw a truly monstrous creature rise up, a true vampire.

"B-Buffy," Spike whispered weakly before his whole body went limp, and the wooden cross creaked at the sudden dead weight.

"Bring him down; Spike has a friend to meet."

Sorry for the wait, what do you think ?