Promises
Chapter Twenty Four
Warren was sitting on a chair in front of Buffy panting, he had just spent the last half an hour pumbling Buffy. He used her as a punching bag, her body was battered and bruised.
The shackles used to chain her wrists had chaffed so severely that they were now raw and bleeding.
"What do you think princess?" Warren said smirking "You up for another round?"
Buffy whimpered in response
"Oh c'mon… where's that Slayer stamina?" He laughed "See me? I could go all day, then again you'd know that sleeping with the bleach blond vamp right?"
Buffy tensed at the mention of Spike. Warren approached her, he circled around her like a vulture.
"I wonder what he said" he smirked menacingly "I wonder what moves he put on you to give it up for him"
"You're disgusting" Buffy spat
Warren backhanded her "You've got a smart mouth you know that?"
One of Warren's minions entered the room "Boss, we've got them" he said
Warren smiled "It's your lucky day Slayer… I'll be back later"
Buffy held it together just long enough for Warren and his minion to leave before she completely lost it. She sobbed hard, she tried once again to break free of her restraints but it was no use. Without her Slayer powers she was just an ordinary girl. She was terrified about what was going to come next.
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Tara had managed to get Spike back to Sunnydale. He was a little worse for wear, she got him squared away in the basement on a cot that Xander had set up for him. She ascended the stairs and was met by the gang huddled around the kitchen island.
"Is he okay?" asked Dawn
"He's exhausted, I was thinking we need to get him some blood… he said to give him an hour and then he'd go get Buffy but honestly? I think it's a bad idea, he needs to rest" said Tara
Willow bounced Connor on her hip "I can go get some blood from the butchers shop"
"He'll need more than pigs blood, he's been through trauma" said Anya
"I'll swing by the blood bank" said Xander
"Are you sure?" asked Tara
"Sure, we need to get to Buffy" said Xander
"Even with Spike here, we still don't know where she is" Anya reminded them
"We could do a locator spell? I mean Tara could" said Willow
There was a panicked knock on the front door, the gang looked at each other bewildered for a second before Xander went to answer the door.
He swung the door open to reveal Jonathan standing there.
"Hey! Shouldn't you be in prison?" Xander yelled
"Let me explain" Jonathan panicked
The rest of the group joined Xander at the front door.
"Please let me in" said Jonathan
"Yeah, we're not falling for that one Buddy! Y'know seeing as how your friend has come down with a case of the forehead bumpies!" said Willow
"Willow, please… his minions broke us out of jail. He bit Andrew and I ran… I swear I'm telling the truth" said Jonathan
Willow looked at Xander "No Will, it could be another trap"
"I promise I'm telling the truth, I know where he is… where he's keeping Buffy" Jonathan told them
"You've seen her?" asked Dawn
Jonathan looked at the teenager with sad eyes "I have… she doesn't look good. Warren's been pumping her with some kind of drug that strips her strength"
"Cruciamentum" Willow whispered horrified
"His aura is clean" said Tara still looking at Jonathan intensely
"Where is she?" Xander demanded
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A short time later the gang were loading up on weapons. They'd decided that they couldn't wait for Spike, they had to go in now before Warren had his fill and killed Buffy.
"He's toying with her" Jonathan grimaced "I never wanted it to get this far. I swear! I just wanted…"
"You wanted friends" Tara finished
Jonathan nodded shamefully "I never had friends before. Not really… I didn't think Warren would take it this far"
"Well he did!" Xander yelled
"I never wanted anybody to get hurt" said Jonathan
Xander softened a little, he remembered how meek Jonathan was in high school. How he had locked himself in the clock tower and planned to end his life. He wasn't a villain, he was just easily led. "I know… Now show us where to go"
Jonathan nodded and lead them out of the front door. Leaving Dawn with Connor.
Dawn saw a glimpse of Spike as he came through the door, he looked weak and beat up. She dug through the freezer and saw some leftover blood. She placed the pack in the microwave and defrosted it before emptying it into his special mug and along with Connor padded down the stairs.
"Hey" she called out to him
He sat on the cot staring into space. She walked over and placed the mug into his hands and sat down next to him placing Connor on her knee.
"Drink up" she smiled
"You shouldn't be here Nibblet, nor should he" said Spike
"Why not?" Dawn frowned
"I'm a bad man" he whispered
"No you're not" she said grabbing his hand "You're my brother"
"Dada" Connor called out happily
"And you're his Dada, evidently" Dawn laughed
"The things I've done…" Spike whimpered
"The good you've done" she reminded him "Spike, I know this hurts… remembering but we need you, Buffy needs you"
"She doesn't" he told her
"She so does! Right now she's helpless, chained up with a disgusting geek of a vampire torturing her" Dawn cried
"What?" Spike seemed to snap
"Warren he's gone all creature of the night, he's stripped her of her Slayer strength and the gang have gone to rescue her"
Spike didn't utter another word, he grabbed his coat that was hanging over the rail of the stairs. In a flash of leather he launched up the stairs and out of the house.
"Dada has gone to get mama" Dawn said to Connor placing a kiss on his head
XXXXX
Jonathan lead the group to an abandoned warehouse in download Sunnydale.
"He's in there" said Jonathan, backing away
"You're not coming in?" asked Anya
"I'm getting as far away from Sunnydale as possible" said Jonathan making a run for it.
"I think that's the smartest thing he's ever said" Anya smiled
"You guys ready?" asked Willow
The others nodded. They entered the warehouse and looked around on high alert for an attack. They heard Buffy scream out in pain and rushed toward her screams.
As they got close several vampires sprung into action. Xander begins to fight them off with a series of punches. Willow attacked one of them with a baseball bat hitting him repeatedly. Tara punched a vampire in the face, knocking it down.
Warren heard the commotion coming from the other side of the door. He looked at Buffy with a devilish smile. "Looks like we've got guests"
"Leave them alone" said Buffy mustering up sole strength to stand up straight
"You want me to spare them?" Warren chuckled "Not really how this works Sweetheart"
"You don't want them Warren. What satisfaction are you gunna get out of killing defenceless humans?" She asked
"You'd be amazed" said Warren
"I knew it…" said Buffy
"What's that?" He asked
"You don't have the balls to kill me" Buffy spat
"Oh I don't?" He asked angrily
Without another word he spun around kicking her hard in the stomach. So hard that her chains broke and she was sent flying across the room. She landed on her back, wincing from the impact.
Within seconds of her landing, Warren scrambled over to her. He laughed loudly as he slowly climbed on top of her. He slipped into game face but hesitated for a second just long enough for Buffy to grab a nearby piece of wood and smack him around the head with it.
It didn't do much damage but it stunned him for a moment. "You're gunna pay for that bitch" he growled pressing her down to the floor.
Buffy screamed out as his fangs broke the skin on her neck. She closed her eyes and waited to be drained.
Suddenly she felt the weight of him disappear. She opened her eyes to find Spike lifting Warren off of her and throwing him across the room. She smiled a little before passing out from the blood loss.
Spike growled as he flew at Warren, pinning him down and punching him repeatedly. Xander burst through the door and ran over to Buffy followed by Willow.
"Oh my god" Xander said horrified at the state that Buffy was in
Willow bent down and grabbed Buffy's hand "We're here Buffy" she cried
Buffy slowly opened her eyes "Hi guys" her voice cracked
"Can you sit up?" asked Willow
"Give me a sec" she mumbled
Spike carried on punching Warren, his face was barely recognisable now. A loud groan from Warren alerted the others to the painful onslaught of punches that he was enduring.
Buffy got to her shakily got to her feet, she shrugged off Xander and Willow's helping hands and shuffled her way over to them.
"Spike" she called out to him
He still didn't stop, he continued beating Warren.
"Spike… Spike" she said hysterically. Before grabbing his hand to stop him from punching Warren again.
Spike turned to face her. She was badly beaten, her eyes were black she had cuts across her face and chest. He gasped as he took her injuries in.
"It's okay… I'm okay" she tried to reassure him
Spike stood up and she pulled him closer to her "it's all okay" she whispered
Warren groaned in pain. He rolled over and spat blood out of his mouth before he began to chuckle. "I get it now" he muttered
Buffy and Spike turned to face him.
"I've tasted her. I get it now Blondie…" Warren said sadistically "She screamed for me too"
Buffy looked at Spike perturbed. Spike launched himself at Warren again, punching him repeatedly
"Spike!" Buffy cried
Spike pulled a stake from his boot and plunged it into Warren's chest. Warren laughed as he exploded into dust.
Willow and Xander looked on at the scene before them horror-struck.
"Spike, let's go" Buffy choked through her tears
Spike got up and put his arm around her helping her out of the warehouse, Willow and Xander exchanged looks and followed on behind them.