Chapter 50: Killer in Me - Part 2

July 9, 2003

A shadowy figure rustled through the bushes, pumping up the volume; the vampire swooped in and pushed Rona to the ground, grabbed Vi, came in the for the kill with his fangs brushing her neck . . . and stopped.

Spike allowed his vamp face to fade away

"Okay," Dawn said loudly, "Rona and Vi are dead. Why?"

As she wiped the dirt off her overalls, Rona muttered, "'Cause the black chick always gets it first?"

"What's that, Rona?" Dawn pushed, as Spike gave Vi a little pressure on her arm, making her cry out, "Ow, ow!"

Rona frowned. "I'm dead because . . . he's a vampire. I don't have Slayer strength, Slayer speed. It wasn't a fair fight."

Still with his hold on Vi, Spike asked the redheaded Potential, "Vi, do you think I care about a fair fight?"

"Um, no. No, sir. You don't play by the rules. And I have learned a valuable lesson of some sort. Ow!"

"Okay, Spike," Buffy said. He let go of Vi, who hurried over to Molly, who was taking notes, and Kennedy. "You don't have Slayer strength. But that doesn't mean you're not strong. You have inherent abilities that others do not have."

Molly wrote something on her notepad and said, "Not like you do."

Buffy addressed them all. "No, not yet. But it's there. You have the Potential. You have strength, speed, instinct. You just have to learn to trust yourself."

"Rona, what did your instincts tell you to do just then?" Dawn asked.

As if she were reciting from a book, Rona replied, "Block his attack, keep him off balance, gain the advantage . . ." She trailed off.

"No, they didn't." Dawn looked at her, waiting for the truth.

"They told me to run," Rona confessed.

"Don't fight on his terms. Your gut's telling you to run, run. Okay?" Buffy said. "Regain the higher ground. Make the fight your own. Spike, what did your instincts tell you to do just then?"

"Hunt," he said without hesitation. "Kill."

Buffy motioned to Dawn who took center stage. "Go for Dawn at full speed," Buffy said before turning to the girls. "He needs to kill to live. That's all you need to know."

Spike vamped, growled, and charged at Dawn. Dawn smirked and opened a portal beneath her and she dropped into it. Spike sailed over where Dawn had been moments before and went head-first into a tombstone. Dawn dropped out of the portal straight on top of Spike and straddled him. She raised the stake directly over his heart.

"Instinct," Dawn told the Potentials remembering her lesson on that very subject not too long ago.

"Understand him, but trust yours," Buffy said. "You were Chosen for a reason."

Spike groaned, and Dawn murmured, "Are you okay?"

He gave her a pained smile. "I'm . . . fine, Nibblet. Couple of ribs not quite set right since . . ."

Dawn began to lift his shirt to inspect his ribs. He took her hand, holding it to stop her. "I'm going to be okay," he told her.

Vi called to her, "Careful, Dawn. Just when you think its part of the lesson, he'll hurt your arm."

Dawn stood, offering her hand to Spike who rose. "Molly, Kennedy, let's go."

"Next lesson," Buffy said.

July 10, 2003

Giles prepared to take the Potentials and Dawn into the desert on a vision quest. He was not pleased about leaving Buffy and Faith behind, and not shy about saying so. "Now, you two are sure you'll be all right here?"

"You'll only be gone for two days," Faith pointed out.

"I think we've managed without you for a bit longer than that," Buffy reminded him.

"Right." He gazed coolly at her. "Well, thank goodness I needn't worry myself with the idea of bad things happening in my absence. You getting shot, Faith, for example. Or Willow turning evil."

"Leave my wife out of it," Buffy said.

"Sorry, Buffy," Giles said realizing he had put his foot in his mouth. He glanced over and saw Vi's notebook. "Dawn, Vi left her notebook next to the TV. Would you mind taking it out to her on your way out?"

"Sure." Dawn picked it up and headed for the front door.

"And maybe whack her in the head with it as a reminder not to leave it lying all about?" Giles added.

"On it," Dawn sang. She looked back at her sister. "Don't have too much fun without me."

Buffy laughed.

Dawn left, and Giles turned to Buffy and Faith. "I'm just a bit twitchy about leaving you two alone with things in such a state of flux."

"We know," Buffy said, "but you should go. It's important for the girls to understand the source of their power, and to know how to use it. Especially Dawn since she is new to being a Slayer."

"Dawn I am sure understands the gravity of what we're undertaking. After all you witnessed your first death if you remember," said Giles.

"I remember that night very vividly," said Buffy with a sigh. "And so, does Dawn. In fact, I would suggest not bringing that night up to her, ever."

"I take it someone did just that and it was bad?" asked Giles.

"That's an understatement," said Buffy.

"Anyways do you think the others understand the gravity of it?" Giles asked Buffy since she was the only current Slayer to have gone on the vision quest. "It's frightening, and it's difficult. And apparently, someone told them that the vision quest consists of me driving them to the desert, doing the hokey pokey until a spooky Rasta-mama Slayer arrives and speaks to them in riddles." He gave Buffy his patented Giles Look.

Faith snorted. "You said that?"

"That's not exactly how I put it," Buffy said.

Then Xander came in with a weather report from the car—Dawn was trying and failing to keep the girls from arguing over who got to drive first, since Giles had let his California license lapse and Dawn didn't turn sixteen for another couple weeks.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy went down to the basement after Giles left, to visit with Spike. The vampire had insisted upon being chained up in his spot as before, and he sat on his cot, now, smiling as they talked about the glories of being free of the kids.

"Gives us all a chance for a breather, eh?" he observed. "From the constant pitter-patter of clomping teenage girly feet?"

"Well the teenage girly feet may be gone. But we still have teenage boy feet," Buffy said as Spike laughed.

"Touché," he said.

"You know I enjoy my responsibility as mentor, role model, life guide . . . oh my God, I cannot believe I have my bathroom all to myself for two whole days," she finished, flopping down beside him. "Have you seen the kitchen since they've been here?"

"I'm just trying to stay out of their way."

She regarded the chains. One hung across his back; he was manacled. "I've noticed."

"This is better," he said. "Believe me, it's safer."

She shrugged. "Okay, but you've been fine."

He looked at her hard. "With you, Dawn or Faith by my side, yeah. And that's the way it's going to be until we're sure The First is done making me its bitch. Either we're together, or I'm on the leash."

"We just need to make sure the trigger's deactivated then. We've got a couple of days, lack of girly pitter-patter and all."

Spike leaned forward and gazed earnestly at her. "Buffy," he said. "Ow."

"Ow?" she echoed, puzzled.

His face contorted, twitching. "Ow, ow, ow!" He leaned back, thrashing against the wall.

"What's wrong?" she cried, as Buffy pressed his hands to his head, clearly in pain. "Spike, what is going on?"

"The chip," he groaned. "God. Why would . . ." And then he screamed and writhed in agony.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Sirius and Faith sat at a table at the Bronze.

Band playing, boozy drinks with the little umbrellas and cherry garnishes . . . it was almost like a date.

Which Faith got. She was just not used to the touchy-feely stuff. But Sirius had been there and stayed all year with her and she had slowly begun to realize she was actually beginning to fall in love.

"Want to dance?" Sirius asked.

"Do you know how to?" Faith replied.

Sirius turned and looked at the dance floor. "Probably not. I see muggle dance is way different now than it was before James and Lily died. Lily and James took me to a club once. Lily even had me dance with her. It's different than what I was used to. The wizarding world does more formal ballroom dancing."

"I just ... I don't get it, Sirius." Faith moved her shoulders. "Why you like me."

Sirius was incredulous. "Have you seen you?" he asked.

Faith's cheeks reddened.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy had called for Harry to help her with Spike. When she went back to check on Spike, she saw he was lying on his cot with his head on a pillow. His nose was bleeding and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked awful.

"He just said he thinks he popped another blood vessel," Harry said as he wiped blood from Spike's nose

"There's got to be a reason why the chip is going all wonky," Buffy said. "Maybe it's related to the trigger or maybe it has something to do with the new soul . . ."

"Or maybe it wasn't meant to last this long," Spike said. "One more thing you and I have in common, eh, pet?"

"Pet?" Harry asked.

"Spike used to have a thing for me," Buffy said. "The nickname kind of stuck. Kind of like the ones he has for Dawn, which are usually either Nibblet or L'il Bit." She looked toward Spike. "We'll fix it. We'll hit serious research mode . . ."

"Good. Try 'Behavioral Modification Software Throughout the Ages,'" Spike quipped.

She sighed. "Okay, you're right. Not a book thing. It's a phone thing."

"Who you going to call?" Spike asked her, then, "God, that phrase is never going to be useable again, is it?"

"Doubt it," she said as she saw Harry look at her puzzled. "It's a tagline from a movie called Ghostbusters. I was three years old when it came out. So, I've only seen it on video. Maybe I'll rent it for you sometime. Help him upstairs while I go make a call."

Buffy went and dialed a number that Faith had given her. She had learned that sometime during the last school year that Riley had come back to Sunnydale chasing a demon. After Faith helped him with it, he had given her a number in case of emergencies. "Tell him we're having a problem with Spike's chip. No, his chip. Spike."

Spike shook his head as Harry helped him onto a bar stool. "Listen, pet . . ."

"No, no," she said into the phone. "Finn is his last name. Yeah. Well, did he used to work there and then he got transferred? Is this actually a flower shop, or is this one of those things where I'm supposed to play along and show that I know it's really secret ops? Oh, maybe I shouldn't have said that."

"Buffy," Harry said as he watched as Spike held his head in a paroxysm of pain.

Buffy looked back at Harry and Spike. "Okay well, I guess if some guy named Finn shows up to buy flowers . . . right. Thanks." She hung up. "Wrong number. Now how bad was that one?"

Spike didn't get the chance to answer as he screamed, holding his head.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy and Harry helped Spike moved through the woods.

"Are you sure you want to go back in this place with me?" Spike asked.

"Eh, nothing good on TV tonight," Buffy ventured. She found the place they were seeking beneath the bushes and the dirt. "You think the stuff's still good?"

Harry dug through the dirt with Buffy as he remembered that the Initiative was part of Buffy's story, it had taken place during the year before Buffy had learned about Dawn and the Key.

"Worked pretty good when the Initiative held me captive here," Spike said. "Every time I'd get a little . . . rambunctious, the chip would kick in. I'd feel like my head was going to explode. They'd dope me up, and everything would be all daffodils and teddy bears. For a couple of hours, anyway."

"Maybe we should search for files and stuff," Buffy said. "Find out everything we can about the chip. Shelf life."

"I'll take whatever I can get," Spike said flatly.

Harry grabbed the chain to the grate. He and Buffy pulled together, hoisting it up. Then they jumped down into the exposed shaft.

They had just reentered the Initiative complex, years after the government guys had said they had poured concrete into it and sealed it up.

It reeked of death . . . they had left the dead behind, both human and demon.

"I thought you said this place was supposed to have been sealed," Harry said trying to hold his breath. "Why would they just leave bodies around to…"

"No idea," Buffy gritted, "Though I'm thinking brief stay."

Then they found the door to the med lab, and Buffy walked in first. The room was bathed in a dull red light. As they walked through slowly, they heard something shuffling around.

They heard the rustling sound again, followed by a scraping sound. They stopped and moved into defensive posture, scanning for it.

"Think something survived?" Buffy asked.

"Sounds like," Spike replied.

Harry slid out his wand and held it aloft.

Something moved behind them. They turned to look, but saw nothing there. Walked on.

Then something attacked Buffy. She dropped her flashlight as she fought with it. It was a demon, and Spike joined in . . . and then the chip misfired again.

"Not now!" He grabbed his head and fell to the floor.

The demon dropped Buffy and went for Spike.

"Stupefy!" Harry called out and the demon slid to the floor unconscious.

"Spike, are you still with us?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah," he managed.

"That, guys, was . . . just the beginning," Buffy said, as the lights blazed on the room. Harry quickly stowed his wand moments before a half a dozen army guys trained their rifles on them.

"Miss Summers," said one of the soldiers. "Agent Finn reported that you tried to contact him today."

"I knew it!" she cried. Then she whispered to Spike and Harry, "Government conspiracy."

The soldier made a soldierly gesture and the other army guys lowered their weapons. "We're to provide you anything you need to help assface here," he continued. "Those were his exact words, ma'am."

They took Spike to an examination room. Buffy and Harry paced, waiting to find out what was wrong, when the solider finally came up to her with the diagnosis.

"Med team tells me they took a look at the chip. You were right," he said. "It's degraded. Leave it as it is much longer, it'll be fatal to him. Agent Finn said it was your call, ma'am. All decisions regarding Hostile 17 are to be left in your hands. The chip—we either repair it, or remove it."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn smiled enjoying the vision quest outing. It was better than what Buffy had told her it had been. There had been s'mores and campfire songs, which Giles had obviously dreaded. And now only Dawn and Giles were awake talking quietly as they kept watch.

And then Giles was attacked—tackled and thrown to the ground.

Dawn held up her wand intending to stun whoever or whatever when she recognized Xander, Anya and Andrew.

"Touch him! Touch him!" Xander shouted.

Anya grabbed him by the shoulder and said, "Oh, I feel him, I feel him."

"I feel him, too," Xander said, feeling his chest.

"Me, too," Andrew said.

Giles said, "We all feel each other. Including some of us who don't know each other well enough to take such liberties, thank you." He gave Andrew a look. "And I assume there's a perfectly reasonable and not at all insane explanation here."

Anya said helpfully, "We thought you might be non-corporeal evil."

"We got a call," Xander added in. "We couldn't remember you touching anything. We had to make sure you were okay. We were worried."

"Oh. That's very sweet." He pondered a moment, then added, "Now wait a minute. You think I'm evil if I bring a group of girls on a camping trip and I don't touch them?"

"Giles does have a point," Dawn said.

July 11, 2003

Giles had brought Dawn and the Potentials back from the desert, including the newest one Chao-Ahn, and as they patrolled through one of Sunnydale's cemeteries he was explaining to them how he had managed to survive the Bringers' attack back in London—the same attack that had felled his colleague, Robson.

"It was extraordinarily good luck, of course," he said with typical British modesty. "And training. Years of training." To the new girl, he said, "Chao-Ahn, keep up. You're new here, Chao-Ahn, so take note. Remember about the training. But I honestly feel the largest part of it was instinct. Instinct and reflexes. There's a sort of watchfulness I've developed over the years. It's like another sense—"

And from out of nowhere, completely catching the watchful Watcher by surprise, Spike tackled him and threw him to the ground.

"Spike!" Buffy cried, as both Watcher and vampire shouted, "Hey!"

"You're not in pain," Giles said with astonishment.

"You're not The First," Spike said in like fashion.

"What?" Giles demanded.

"Anya said you were The First," Spike told him. "Said you were evil. You're supposed to be all go-through-able." He stood and walked over to Harry and Buffy.

Giles stood as well, regaining his composure as he said, "Then what the hell did you tackle me for, you berk? What's that supposed to do?"

Spike was abashed. "I, uh, didn't think of that."

"More importantly," Giles continued, "you just hit me. Why didn't your chip go off?"

"Yeah, well . . ." Spike looked down.

Buffy stepped up to the plate. "Well, uh, when we were the Initiative . . ." She glanced at Spike, who looked back at her.

"There was a choice . . ." he ventured.

Buffy turned her attention back to Giles. "Right." She bobbed her head.

"Either repair the chip, or to remove it."

Giles was astounded. "You . . . had it removed . . . you removed the chip?"

"Yes, Buffy had it removed," Harry said. "She had to make a choice."

"It really is okay," Buffy assured Giles.

"What's a chip?" Amanda piped up.

"They removed the chip?" Kennedy put in.

In Chinese, the new Potential, Chao-Ahn, said, "I don't understand a word any of you are saying."