Service Unit

Chapter Six – Lost

Buffy sat down on the couch and pulled her legs up, curling them underneath her. "Okay. Spill."

The demon blinked all his eyes. "Spill, madam?"

"Yeah. Tell me everything you know about Spike. How you got hold of him, who gave him to you, what you did to him… everything."

"Yes, madam. He was given into service twenty three years ago as payment of a bargain. The original term was ten years, but his owner and my employer made a separate bargain to extend that term and then gift him to you when his service was complete."

Buffy held up her hand. "Two things… first… how did you have him for twenty three years when he was in LA last week and I last saw him like six months ago? And second… Owner? He's not a puppy."

"First, my dimension's time runs differently than your dimension's time. Ten years in my dimension is approximately three days in yours. Second, Mr. Angel was the original owner, and you are a very lucky woman to be gifted such a fine slave. The payments collected for his services have made my employer one of the richest slave owners in several dimensions. You could turn a hefty profit yourself if you were to rent him out when you weren't using him." The demon nodded to the binder still sitting on the couch. "My contact information is in there should you want to contract with some of his regulars. They were extremely saddened when they learned that one of their favorite pleasure slaves was being removed from service. I'm sure they would pay double, possibly triple the normal fee to use him again, and with the time difference, they could use him for years and you'd have him back in a matter of hours."

Buffy nearly vomited all over her couch, but she managed to choke down the bile rising in her throat. She clenched and unclenched her fists and steadied her breathing before she said quietly, her voice getting louder as her anger rose. "I don't think you get it. I do not want to USE him, you slimy little creep, and I sure as hell am not going to RENT HIM OUT! I LOVE him and I swear I'll gut you like a fish if you EVER SAY THAT TO ME AGAIN!"

The demon stammered, "Yes, madam, of course. As his owner, you prefer exclusive rights. I understand. I will not mention it again."

Buffy closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "No, you don't understand. I don't OWN him, dumbass, and the only person with exclusive rights to Spike is Spike. At least in this dimension. Nobody here owns him, not even Angel… and just as soon as Spike is better, we're going to take a trip to LA and beat that son of a bitch to within an inch of his broody life, Champion of the Powers or not. I mean, I know he doesn't like Spike and they don't really get along, and even I know how freaking annoying Spike can be, but selling him into slavery because he's annoying seems just a bit harsh… you know? I'm kind of wondering if Angel's soul is still in the house. Maybe I should call Wils..."

Buffy stopped talking, but her thoughts kept careening along. How could Angel have done that to Spike? What kind of bargain had he made that would require that kind of payment? What the hell was going on at that law firm of his that would make him think that what he'd done to Spike was even kind of okay? He had to have at least guessed at what kind of shape Spike would be in when he was gifted to her after twenty three years of torture and sexual abuse, so what the hell was Angel thinking? WAS he thinking? Or had he lost his mind completely? Had telling him that she loved Spike instead of him broken his little gel-soaked brain?

She had a lot of questions and very few answers, but she swore to herself that she would get those answers. And if Angel's soul had gone walkabout again, well… this time she would have no problem dusting him. She'd ram a stake so far up his ass that he'd choke on the splinters. Let the Powers find themselves a new Champion, because she wasn't about to put everyone through another Angelus episode. Once was way more than enough.

The demon had been watching her warily as she sat there with her eyes closed. He waited what he thought was a respectable amount of time then ventured, "Madam? Are you all right?"

Buffy opened her eyes and looked over at the demon then gave a bitter chuckle. "All right? Really? No. I'm not all right. Not even a little bit." She took a deep breath then laid her head back on the couch. "I'm just trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with Angel, and since it's doubtful you can help with that, let's talk about something you can help with." She rolled her head to look over at the binder. "What else is in there besides disturbing pictures and the hood spell?"

"When ownership of a slave is transferred, the new owner…" Buffy's head lifted as she tensed and the demon held up one hand. "I know you do not wish to be referred to in that fashion, madam, I am merely explaining our procedures." Buffy nodded tightly then motioned for him to continue. "The new owner is provided with a record of the slave's entire history – his training, a list of the clients he's serviced and the services he performed, and any behavior problems and the punishments given to correct those problems. The record also contains instructions for care and maintenance… would you like me to explain those to you at this time?"

Buffy snorted. "I'm pretty sure I can take care of him without being told how to. He drinks blood and mostly stays out of the sun and away from pointy, wooden objects. Vampire 101."

"He has been modified, madam, and no longer feeds like a normal member of his species."

Buffy sighed, "You have got to be kidding me. Modified how? Can he eat normally? Can he even bring up his demon? Or did you take that away from him, too?"

"His demon is intact, madam, but he has not been fed by way of his mouth since he was given into service. A feeding port was installed and he is maintained through the use of specially formulated sustaining fluid. Would you like me to show you how to use it?"

Buffy grimaced yet again and reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose, wondering if her face would just freeze that way if she kept learning new and revolting things about Spike's slavery. "CAN he feed normally? Does he have to use this 'sustaining fluid' or can he drink blood like a vampire is supposed to?"

"He can drink blood if you would like, but the sustaining fluid has been formulated to accelerate the healing abilities of his species, and it also…"

Buffy cut him off. "If he doesn't need it then the sustaining fluid is going down the incinerator chute along with the toys and the crate, once I finish taking out some of my rage on it. I have blood for him in my fridge and freezer, so as long as he CAN feed normally, he WILL feed normally, and he'll heal up just fine. Now… the feeding port. Where is it and can you remove it?"

"It is located in his navel, and yes, it can be removed. The procedure is painful, so it would be best if I were to do it now, while he is still unconscious."

The demon made to stand up and Buffy held up her hand. "Is there anything else you put into him that needs to be removed?"

The demon started ticking things off on his fingers, having to move to a second hand to complete the list. "Two hearing stones, two scent stones, one vocal stone, feeding port, and…" He paused, a look of fearful trepidation slipping onto his face.

Buffy grimaced… again. "And… what? From the look on your face, I'm not going to like whatever it is, am I?"

The demon gulped and lowered his hands. "No, madam, I fear you will be quite incensed."

"Yeah, well, making me sit here waiting isn't going to make me any less incensed, so spit it out. What else did you put into him?"

"There was a stone implanted into the nerve center at the base of his skull."

"Okay. You made him unconscious by touching him there with some kind of rock… is that what the stone does?"

"No… um…" Buffy sat forward slightly and the demon hurried to continue, "It was installed to amplify the pain he feels."

Buffy yelped, "It does WHAT!?"

The demon stammered as he pressed himself back into the chair. "His species is very sturdy and not easily damaged, and a few of our clients are rather slight and not able to exert the force needed to cause the amount of pain they desire, so the stone was installed."

"So it makes him hurt MORE? How much more?"

"Approximately four to five times the normal amount. For example, something that would normally only be mildly painful, say the insertion of a needle or a small scratch, becomes nearly excruciating because of the stone. Even the lightest of touches will cause pain."

Buffy's eyes widened in horror. "Oh God… did I hurt him when I touched him? I was trying to be careful… did I?"

The demon nodded. "Your touches, especially the sharp taps, caused him pain, yes, but the pain tolerance of his species is fairly high, and is another reason the stone was installed."

Buffy looked slightly green, but she took a deep breath and tried to think. Something had been bothering her since Spike's arrival… well… a lot of somethings had been bothering her, but she'd finally figured out what this particular something was. "Okay… jumping off the topic of that stone being one more reason for me to kick your ass up between your ears… Speaking of Spike's species, why can't I feel that he's a vampire? I should have felt that even before I saw him, but I didn't. I still don't, and I could always feel when Spike was around, especially when he was this close to me. What did you do to him to make him not register?"

The demon looked confused. "Register, madam? I don't know what you mean."

"Do you know who I am?"

The demon nodded. "The shipping manifest says that you are Buffy Summers."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, but have you heard of The Slayer?"

The demon's eyes widened. All of them. "The Vampire Slayer? The Chosen One that closed the Hellmouth in California with a souled vampire?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, that would be me. And, actually, Spike closed the Hellmouth, I just helped him."

The demon's eyes flew to the bedroom door then drifted back to Buffy. "I had no idea he was THAT vampire! If I had known, I would have charged double… triple! Oh, the money he could have made! My employ…" Buffy's hand closing around his throat stopped whatever else he'd been planning to say. She squeezed until he held up his hands and shook his head violently. She let him go and backed up a step, tapping her foot while he coughed and tried to clear his throat. "I apologize, madam. I will not mention it again, I promise."

"Damn right you won't." Buffy sat back down on the couch and motioned toward the bedroom. "Now that you know who I am, tell me why I can't sense that there's a vampire in my apartment… especially one I didn't invite in. How did he get across the threshold without an invite?"

"His fangs have been removed."

Buffy arched an eyebrow. "And? He's still a vampire even if he doesn't have fangs."

"Yes, but removing a vampire's fangs sends the demon into hiding until they've nearly grown back, and if the demon stays in hiding long enough, even a vampire of his own line would be unable to sense it. It also negates the need for an invitation because the demon is suppressed. It is a rather effective tool to tame problem slaves of the vampire species. Their bodies still possess the durability and healing capabilities of a vampire, but their defiance and insolence are greatly reduced, if not eliminated entirely."

Buffy blanched. "How long will it take his fangs to grow back?"

"It takes approximately seven months for them to fully grow back in, but we remove them near the six month mark, before they've fully re-grown, to ensure the demon's continued suppression."

Buffy screeched, "You've removed his fangs every six months for the last twenty three years?!"

The demon cowered in his chair and whispered, "Yes?"

Her voice was nearly a snarl. "So when he vamps out, he won't have fangs?"

"He is unable to call forth his demon, but if he could, his fangs would be shorter than usual because he was due for removal nearly a week ago."

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, he is unable to call forth his demon. He can't vamp out? Why not?"

"The continued removal of his fangs has suppressed his demon to such a degree that it is unable or unwilling to surface."

Buffy's hands were clenched into fists and her voice was very quiet when she asked, "So… how in the hell do you remove a vampire's fangs, anyway?"

The demon gulped again at the malice in her tone, but he managed to stammer, "W..when his demon could still surface, they were pulled. When he stopped being able to call it forth, they were cut out."

Buffy's voice was still very quiet, and that was somehow more frightening than if she had been screaming in rage. "I see. And how long has his demon been hiding?"

The demon gulped… again. "Approximately twenty-one years, madam."

"Uh-huh. And when Spike's fangs grow back in, will the demon come out?"

The trainer started to shake his head then thought better of it and shrugged instead. "It may come out of hiding enough that you would once again be able to sense it, but after being suppressed for so long, it's extremely unlikely that it will ever surface."

Buffy bolted off the couch and ran for the kitchen, barely making it to the trash can before her breakfast rocketed out of her. She knelt by the trash can, resting her head on the cupboard, and started crying. Tears splashed down onto her breakfast as she sobbed and she finally pushed away from the can when the stench started getting to her. She slid across the floor and leaned against the wall by the fridge, her mind whirling as it tried to absorb yet more disturbing information.

Spike's demon was buried so far down that it might never be able to dig its way out, and it had probably dragged what remained of William along with it when it went into hiding. That had to be why Spike had shown no signs of recognition when he'd finally been able to see her. Everything that made him who he was had been buried and the vampire in her bedroom was nothing but an animated corpse, more so now than it had ever been.

Spike had always been dangerous, even when he'd been chipped, and now… he wasn't. He was as helpless as a half-starved kitten. Without his demon, he wouldn't be able to fight his way out of a wet paper bag. He was an empty shell… a life sized, pose-able action figure. She giggled hysterically as she wondered if he had a Kung-Fu grip.

Back in Sunnydale, when he'd made sure to be underfoot just as much as possible, she'd been annoyed whenever he'd shown her his demon. One instance in particular flashed across her mind. They'd been in the Bronze, just after she'd nearly been gutted with her own stake, and Spike had been telling her how he'd killed two Slayers. He'd grabbed her wrist, not nearly hard enough to hurt but just enough to get her attention, then he'd slid into game face, saying something about always having his weapon… and now that weapon was destroyed.

She hadn't really heard what he'd said because even though one part of her had been annoyed at being reminded of what he was; a secret, deeply buried part of her had been admiring his exotically handsome demon features. Yes, his human blue eyes, sharp cheekbones, and full lips made for hours of viewing enjoyment as the butterflies in her stomach fluttered around, and even though she wouldn't admit it to herself at the time, she'd thought he was beyond hot and her body had reacted to his presence even as her mind had tried to deny it.

But, as she'd realized far too late, it was his amber eyes, ridges, and the tips of his fangs peeking out from those full lips that made the butterflies in her stomach flutter like they'd been mainlining Red Bull. She'd reacted the same way every time she'd seen his demon – her heart had sped up, her skin had flushed with heat, and her panties had become suddenly damp and sticky. Spike, using his amazingly accurate powers of observation, had told her as much after they'd brought that house down. He'd said, "Vampires get you hot," and she'd jumped right into that river in Egypt and had started paddling for all she was worth, burying those feelings just as deep as she could, because knowing that she was turned on by the demon had horrified her. She'd considered those feelings to be an abomination; contrary to everything she was… everything she stood for.

She banged her head on the wall behind her as she chuckled bitterly at the irony of it all. She'd spent a lot of time since the cratering of Sunnydale figuring herself out, and the news that Spike had survived had come just when she'd given herself permission to feel whatever she chose to feel. She'd accepted that getting all hot and bothered by his demon was just fine, actually, it was normal considering that she wasn't exactly human herself, a fact that had been proven conclusively the one time she'd let herself go while having sex with Riley and had nearly squeezed his penis into pulp with her super-powered Slayer vagina… but now…

Spike had been a Champion, even before he'd gotten his soul and sacrificed himself to save the world. He'd let himself be tortured to protect her sister, he'd thrown himself into fights to protect her and her friends, and he'd even let her vent her rage and frustration on his extremely durable body and fragile heart. But he wasn't a Champion anymore. He wasn't a demon or even a man. He was a slave. He'd been reduced to nothing but a thing… a toy… and her stomach suddenly lurched again at how unfair that was. To both of them. Just when she'd been ready to accept ALL of him, demon and man, and let him fully into her heart, giving him the love he so desperately craved… this had to happen.

She choked down the bile as she reached up to snag the dish towel draped through the handle of the fridge. She pressed it to her mouth, briefly trapping the sob that was trying to force its way out, then gave up and buried her face in it, crying for everything that Spike had lost and might never get back.