A/N Hey! Been a hot minute? Really wanted to finish this episode before the year ended.

Part 3

She'd found the card that Spike had accidentally left behind.

She hadn't liked that.

She never liked her knight and her dolly having fun without her.

Spike hadn't been there, had gone hunting for his princess. Leaving Eliza alone with no one to defend her against the monster.

"I'm sorry!" Aisling cried while Drusilla forced her mind back into the night of the fire. She could feel the heat rolling around her, the smoke fillings, Drusilla's abilities could make your mind believe almost anything. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She rambled at the flames of her burning home. But her talking out of turn just made Drusilla angrier. Her parents appeared in front of her, the flesh melting off their faces. Aisling screamed at the sight, but She wasn't done.

Free from Spike stopping Her from causing little Aisling bodily harm. She grabbed her by the shoulder and raked her fingers hard down her arm. "Little Doll speaks out of turn." She hissed and smiled as she licked the blood off of Aisling's arm.

Aisling didn't notice. She was too busy crying over the awful things her parents were saying.

"You let us die. Why didn't you save us?"

That was alright, the scars weren't for Aisling anyway.

Spike had to be punished too.

Drusilla smiled as she hummed the song her mother used to sing. "Run and catch, run and catch..."

Aisling just stared at her in shock. The scars on her arm twinged, as she was reminded of the night she received them.

Her dad stiffened beside her. "No." She whispered clutching onto his arm like a lifeline.

No, she couldn't be here. Not her, please not her. Aisling could barely take notice of the fact that

Kat was saying something, but all Aisling could focus on was Her. Her mind replayed that memory.

That moment convinced Spike that he had to get her out.

(Though it would be another month and a massive fight before he succeeded.)

"We ruined all your doilies." The graceful figure said sounding almost regretful. Then she turned her gaze to Spike and Aisling and she lost her demon face, "My knight, and my dolly." She said.

"I've come to take you home again."

She wanted to move.

Move, move, move.

Drusilla hated her moving unless she was in pain, she was supposed to be still as a doll. She couldn't move.

She hated that against her will she was reverting back to the behaviours she had adopted when she was a child.

"Aisling we have to move!" Her dad shouted at her.

That broke her out of whatever trance she was in. She gripped her dad's hand and took a step behind her. Kat gripped her other hand and dragged her out of the room, unable to wait for Aisling to get her bearings.

Once she was turned around and no longer facing her old tormentor she noticed that Buffy was running with her mother a ways ahead of her.

Vampires appeared at every entryway and the group that they were running with had to improvise. Aisling pulled a stake out of her purse and staked the first vampire that got too close.

Unfortunately, it was more than one, Buffy tried to lead them to the library but the vampires converging on them forced her to change plans and Buffy, Aisling, and the rest of their group were forced to make their way into an abandoned classroom.

While two adults were doing their best to block the doorway to stop the vampires from coming, Buffy ran to the other side of the room and closed and locked it as quickly as possible.

As soon as she did that, the lights went off.

Aisling stared up where the lights should have been shining. "Must have cut the power."

"Yep," Spike said.

"Bollocks" Aisling sighed covering her face.

"Ash." Kat and Spike said at the same time.

Aisling ignored them. She'd heard Spike say worse when he thought she wasn't paying attention. Besides if you couldn't curse during life-threatening situations when could you curse?

"Who are those people? What do they want?" Someone asked.

"I didn't get much of a look, but is there something wrong with their faces? I..."

"Yes!" Aisling stared at Snyder incredulously. Did he know? Was he about to reveal the existence of vampires right here?

"PCP!" Aisling and Spike shared an incredulous look. "It's a gang on PCP! We've got to get out of here!"

"That's one strange way for PCP to deform you," Aisling whispered to Spike. "I didn't think there were drugs that could rearrange the bones in your face."

"Shh, Spike told her though she could tell that both he and Kat were hiding a grin.

Meanwhile, Snyder and another adult were panicking and trying to escape via the window. Buffy pulled him down and sternly explained that they would kill everyone in this room. "No one comes in, no one comes out unless I say so," she told them.

"Who do you think you are!" Snyder snarled.

"I'm the one who knows how to stop them.

"So do I." Mr. Graves, a member of the faculty said, before pointing right at Spike and Aisling.

"Why don't we just give them to those guys."

"No!"

"You heard what she said. She told those guys to get them her knight and dolly. Maybe if we give them what they want they'll leave us alone."

"You open that door. They'll kill everyone here anyway. No one leaves this room." Buffy said as she made her way to the middle of the room.

Aisling and Spike shared a look. Drusilla couldn't be reasoned with but she did tend to stop being distrustful when she got what she wanted.

(Though what she'd likely want after getting Spike and 'Dolly' was to eat the entire student body so nothing good gained).

"Buffy, are you crazy? Look, I know you've been accused of fighting and other things, but those guys are serious. You can't go out there." Her mother told her.

Buffy exhaled annoyed but her tone was a forced calm. "I know. That's why I'm going up there.

She grabbed a stool, set it on a lab table, climbed up and pushed a ceiling panel aside. She looked down at her mom. "Don't worry, Mom." She said before lifting herself up into the vent.

"Wait!" Kat said as she hurried up to Buffy, "I'll come with you, two are better than 1."

"Thank you," Joyce said.

Buffy looked as though she wanted to say 'no' but then thought better of it and nodded her head. Buffy climbed into the vent first and Kat climbed up after her.

Listening to Buffy lasted all of two minutes before everything went wrong.

First Snyder's pacing got on Buffy's mother's nerves, which lead to the history teacher, Mr. Salvatore, stating he couldn't take it anymore. Which led to him and Snyder attempting to escape via the window.

Long story short, Mr. Salvatore was dragged out the window and then likely died.

Ms. Summers closed the window, but unfortunately, it didn't stop the panic.

"Very well," Snyder started and just by the tone of his voice, I knew I was going to regret not stopping Joyce from saving his neck. "If escaping isn't an option maybe we should give them what they want," Snyder said looking straight at Spike and Aisling.

Oh! Aisling thought savagely Galar an bháis ort. Go dtachtar le d'anáil thú.

"I mean did you see the leader, she seemed to want those two specifically, I say we give her to them."

Nára bheire an mhaidin ort She thought practically shaking with rage

"This is ridiculous," Mrs. Summers said stepping in front of Aisling and Spike. "That is the worst idea I ever heard, give the people holding us hostage what they want?"

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas. All we know is the longer we're stuck here the likelier it is that they can get in here and kill us all."

Spike and Aisling looked at each other. By the look on his face, Aisling could tell that he knew that they had a point.

The sad thing was Aisling could see the point as well.

"Maybe I should go talk to her," Spike whispered. "Sort this out with her."

"Absolutely not." Aisling hissed. "You're not at full strength, and there's an army out there."

"Ash."

"No, the second they realize that you have…"

"Have what?" Snyder cut in, "PCP? Are you a member of this gang?"

Aisling glared at Snyder, had she been a vampire her face would have transformed.

"If I was, do you think I'd let them attack this school? My daughter goes here."

"Maybe it was an oversight on your part."

Aisling scoffed, "Please if he'd known about this, he would have insisted I stay home."

"So he is part of this gang," Snyder said smugly.

"Ok, this is getting ridiculous," Joyce said stepping in again. "Blaming each other isn't going to get us out of this mess any faster."

"Whatever," Snyder said, "But mark my words, those two are involved in this somehow."

"Drink."

"Ash."

"Drink please," Aisling started unscrewing the lid. "I should have brought more…" Immediately after Snyder stopped demanding that they walk out to their deaths she grabbed her father by the hand and lead him to the back of the room.

"Don't," Spike told her tersely taking the thermos and downing it. "You didn't know."

Aisling looked at her father, deciding to stop the self-blame game now before it lasted all night. "Neither did you."

Spike rubbed the back of his neck agitated, "Should have sensed it."

"You're weakened from Prague, it's understandable that your senses would be weakened too."

"And the Slayer's here, I'm sure she can handle her," Aisling said, then she remembered what the Slayer said about Drusilla putting the whammy on her and suddenly she wasn't so sure.

Spike gave her a pitying gaze, "You and I both know, that Drusilla doesn't need strength to win a fit, Sweetie," Spike told her.

Aisling hung her head back. "Can we just pretend to believe that Buffy has this handled, for five minutes? Please?"

Spike stared up at her, and even in the dark, he could see the terrified look on her face. Spike inwardly cursed himself, of course, Aisling needed to believe the Slayer had it covered. After what Drusilla did to her it made sense that she would be hoping that Dru was taken care of before the two of them met again. Spike gripped her hand and pulled her toward him. "I'm sorry." He whispered hugging her. "You're right, I'm sure the Slayer is fine."

Aisling took a deep breath, and nodded, "We're fine, she's fine." She said nodding earnestly willing herself to believe it.

Spike kissed her temple. "Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral…" He started to sing in her ear.

Aisling let him; hearing him sing helped calm her down.

Of course that lasted only a few moments while they heard someone trying to kick down the door.

Aisling stood in front of Spike though Spike gripped her by the waist to move her out of the way. "Perhaps you should…" Spike started moving her in the direction of the vent that Buffy had climbed through.

Had Spike been at full strength her resistance would have meant little.

Had Spike been at full strength he would have had her halfway up the vent in an attempt to keep her safe.

Had Spike been at full strength, she wouldn't have resisted… much.

But Spike wasn't at full strength and Aisling refused to be moved away from the father who had taken care of her for the past 8-9 years. It took very little, for Aisling to remove his hand from her waist

Outside the door, they heard scuffling, and then someone knocked on the door and Buffy's unmistakable voice.

"Mom? Everyone? Wait a few minutes for me to check if the coast is clear and then I'll lead you all out."

Aisling took a deep shuddering breath and leaned against Spike. Spike rubbed her shoulders. Buffy and Kat were back which meant that soon they would be free and they could leave and go home.

There was a small scuffle, the sound of a vampire being dusted, and footsteps running away, before Buffy knocked on the door again, announcing that the coast was clear.

Everyone bolted for the door, spike and exited the lab last. Aisling stopped and looked around for Kat.

"Where's Kat?"

"She stayed behind to hold off that crazy V - Lady," Buffy said. She pointed to some point behind her.

Aisling froze and stared at Buffy in shock. "You- what?"

"It's fine, she's a witch, right? I'm about to go back and get her."

Distantly Aisling knew that Joyce was trying to get her daughter to go with her and that Spike was trying to force Aisling to keep moving, but all she could think of was the woman who helped raise her, who took care of her while Spike was new to being a soul-having vampire, was now, possibly, under the same thrall Aisling had been for a full year.

Aisling didn't even think.

She bolted.

If it hadn't been for Buffy chasing after Aisling, staking the vampires in our way. Aisling likely would have been eaten or turned long before she got to Nanna Kat.

Aisling found them just outside the library, Kat swaying side to side as she was caught in

Aisling's former tormenter's thrall.

Aisling's fear for her safety overrode her fear for herself and she shouted. "Kat watch out!"

Drusilla paused and turned to stare at Aisling she gave a smile like a child who had just found their favourite dolly to play with.

It made Aisling want to heave. She picked a stake up from her pocket. "Leave her alone." She said.

"Dolly," Drusilla said walking forward as though in a trance. Behind her, Kat blinked rapidly as she came out of the trance that Dru had put her under. "My precious dolly has come back to me."

"I'm not yours," Aisling said just barely able to step back as fear tried so hard to lock her body in place. "I was never yours."

Drusilla pouted. "Naughty dolly. There'll be no cake for you."

"What is she talking about?" Buffy asked Aisling, but she was too focused on Drusilla to answer.

Drusilla looked at Spike and pouted. "Naughty boy, my knight in black armour, has let the spark in and now will burn from the inside out."

"What – what the hell is she talking about."

"She's nuts Buffy," Aisling said her voice cracked.

Drusilla stepped forward almost dancing toward me and mercifully away from Kat.

Spike pushed Aisling behind him. "Drusilla, leave." He said.

"I would have given you the world," Drusilla said.

Buffy pulled out her own stake and raised it up, Aisling pulled her back. "Don't," she said. "She'll hypnotize you into staking yourself."

"I'm the slayer I can't just-" Buffy said.

"Is this vampire you told me about this morning?" Aisling asked. "You told me she hypnotized you and the next thing you knew you were in front of your house."

Aisling heard Spike take an intake of breath in front of her, and would have been more worried about it if it hadn't been for Drusilla standing in front of her.

Drusilla smiled, "Look down," Aisling said, "avoid her eyes."

"No fun." Drusilla pouted. "Does the dolly still sing, about broken bones, and stealing men?"

Aisling bristled, but Spike. "Leave her alone Drusilla." He snarled, Aisling could hear the cracking of bone as he brought forth his vamp face.

Aisling eyed Buffy, and when she saw Buffy raise her stake she grabbed Buffy's arm and shook her head.

Drusilla pouted, "My precious boy. Ashes and Dust are what await you." She said. "Come back, and I can take away your spark. I can make the dolly our daughter and we'll be a happy family."

Spike growled as only a vampire could. "You leave her alone. Or I'll rip your head off."

"Then you'll never be what you once were," Drusilla said, with a grin.

"What do you mean," Aisling said.

Drusilla smiled and for a moment she seemed far more lucid than she ever had when Aisling was younger. "Du Lac knows what I'm talking about."

"That's it," Buffy said stepping forward. "I don't know what's going on but…"

"If dolly lets the sunshine kill me then our precious prince will never be healed," Drusilla said.

Aisling hated that Drusilla knew her, and knew exactly how to get Aisling to comply.

Aisling didn't have time to think, she just reacted, she pulled Buffy's hair back before she could stake Spike from behind.

That escalated into a fight. Buffy was strong and faster than Aisling, but Aisling had far more experience than Buffy did. She knew how to stop a being stronger than her from getting the upper hand. Buffy attacked Spike knocking him to the ground, but Aisling grabbed a stake from her pocket and stabbed Buffy hard in the leg. Buffy screamed.

"You would let a vampire escape? You have been living with one-"

"He has a soul." Aisling cut in.

That stopped Buffy in her tracks. "What?"

Drusilla pouted, "He got the spark, and it will consume him whole. But I can make it right. I can undo it. And Then I can make you my girl, and we'll be a happy family." Drusilla said.

"Spike got a soul when I was 8 years old." Aisling stood and helped her father up. "And If you ever attack him behind his back again, you will get far worse than a stake in the leg."

Then things went from bad to worse. Because that was when Angel showed up.

He took one look at Spike had had him shoved up against the lockers before Aisling could blink.

"I knew you were in danger Ash."

"Ash?" Spike sputtered. "You know Angelus?"

Drusilla giggled happily, "Daddy!" She laughed, then as suddenly as she could she pouted. "Not daddy, but the bad man who holds daddy on leash."

"Drusilla," Angel said. "I'm sorry love, I'll be with you in a moment. I'm still your bad daddy. I just need to put your Childe in his place. Go wait for me outside lovely."

Spike had often told Aisling that Angel had a hold on Drusilla that not even Spike could break. Drusilla with a soft grin turned and left.

The moment she was gone, Angel turned back to Spike. "What you thought you could come into my tone, and ruin everything? I see you've taken in a child. How depraved are you that you would-"

"Stop!" Aisling cut Angel after she grabbed a cross from her purse and slammed it into Angel's face.

The resulting pain caused Angel's demon to surface and he turned around.

Before Spike could do anything, both Angel and Spike were repelled by each other, and Spike slammed back into the lockers.

Aisling turned to see Kat standing with her hands outstretched, and she breathed a sigh of relief, before hurrying to Spike. She pulled out a thermos and handed it to Spike.

Before standing up in front of Spike.

"He's a vampire," Buffy said limping forward her hands tight around her stake.

"He is." Aisling nodded, "With a soul."

"He's lying to you, Ash," Angel told her.

"He's not." Kat said stepping in, "I was the one watching Aisling when he went to get it. I performed the spell after he got to make sure he had one."

"And he did."

"Obviously," Kat said her eyes flashing.

"We're leaving," Aisling said done with this whole evening helping Spike up. "Now."

"You can't just…" Buffy started then he fell to the ground in pain.

"Any questions you have I'll answer tomorrow," Aisling said. "I think you'll want to get that looked at."

Then before they could say anything else Aisling helped Spike up and then they walked away.

"Aisling!" Angel called, "Aisling wait-" But whatever he said was cut off as Kat waved her hand and tossed him backwards.

"You've been in school for a month," Spike said as all three of them marched through the door. "When did you meet Angelus?"

"He goes by Angel know," Aisling said.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Not the question I asked."

Aisling pursed her lips. "Since the first week."

"And I didn't know this because…"

"I didn't tell you?" Aisling said. "I knew you'd freak."

"I have every right to freak out. Do you think I want you to be in the same town as Angelus!"

"He has a soul now," Aisling said. "Like you. He seems to be trying to make amends" She looked up at him, "Like you."

"I am nothing like that - "

"True." Aisling cut him off. "You sought your soul out, so you could be a tiny bit more human for me, Angel was cursed. He had his soul forced upon him after killing a beloved Romani child. 100 years ago. Does it ring a bell?"

Spike thought about it for a moment, "The Kaldarash clan." He groaned, "I thought Darla was a little too upset to see the head's family killed, and a little too eager to see the entire clan destroyed when I ate them…"

Aisling rolled her eyes.

"No, but I met him in the 40s and he was partaking in..." Spike frowned, "He turned someone."

"He did?"

Spike nodded,

"Why?"

"Boat was damaged, and the guy who could fix it was bleeding out, so he turned him," Spike said. "He… he did seem different now that I think about it." He told her, "I don't know Ash, Angelus here with Dru?" Spike shook his head. "This practically spells trouble."

"I know," Aisling said. "But you're still too weak for us to move. I don't like the idea of being in the same town as her either, but…"

Spike shook his head, "Angelus having or not having a soul aside…. Drusilla is here. That is dangerous."

"I won't go out after dark anymore," Aisling said. "I promise. We can't move. You are already looking a mite stronger. If we leave now we could undo everything."

Spike looked at Kat as though begging for her help.

"I'll necrotemper the glass so you can better traverse the apartment." Kat said. "besides, It's not like Drusilla can enter this apartment while Aisling lives here. Her name is on the rent agreement."

"See?" Aisling said. "We'll be safe."

"Drusilla can still manipulate you." Spike, "You froze up today when you saw her."

"I can make more necklaces, that stimy hypnosis," Kat said, "And if Ash freezes when she sees Drusilla if she's inside the house she won't be capable of inviting anyone in."

"Thanks," Aisling said with a glare at Kat.

Kat grinned, "On the plus side. St. Vigeous is probably cancelled given the number of Vampires we had to kill."

"That's true," Kat said.

Aisling looked at her father, "We have to stay. At least until you're healed." Aisling said.

"You two make a hard Bargain." Spike groaned. "Fine. But anything else goes wrong and I'm sending you to New York with Kat."

Aisling opened her mouth to argue. But Spike cut her off. "No," Spike said looking stern. The last time she'd seen him that stern was just before he fought Drusilla to get her out of the house. "That is final," Spike said. "I won't have you here if being here risks your life. By Sundown you better be either here, or in another invitation-protected building. Do I make myself clear?"

Aisling looked down. "Yes, Da'"

"Good." Spike said before he relaxed, "Head on off to bed, we'll discuss the whole "Angelus has a soul' thing tomorrow.

"He prefers the name Angel now," Aisling said.

"I really don't care what that ponce prefers," Spike said.

Aisling pursed her lips before she hurried off to bed.

Spike looked at Kat. "I know." He sighed. "Was I too harsh?"

"I think you don't want a repeat of Cleveland," Kat said. "Or of what happened when she was 7," Kat said. "But she's not a child anymore."

Spike looked out the window. "She's not an adult yet either. She's still so young, I know that when she's 18, I'm going to have to let her go, but I want her to reach her 18th birthday first."

"She will," Kat said. "You taught her well."

"I hope so," Spike said. "And I have a feeling that before this year is out, she's going to need to use everything I taught her to survive."

End of Chapter 5

A/N And that's School Hard. I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you thought.