Chapter Summary: This is the sequel to Me and a Gun written by Athenewolfe. Athenewolfeand Tasha are writing this sequel together. This chapter picks up at the end of the previous story. It would be helpful to read that story, but the summary is that right after OMWF, Buffy is caught in the cemetery, raped, shot, and left to die. Spike sees the perpetrator leaving the crypt, and then he smells Buffy's blood. He finds her inside, and the rest follows.
***Warning: There is blood play involved in a lot of this story, including claiming and feeding for vampires. There are also many sexual situations and innuendos, as well as the violence of revenge on some characters and some language. Please read with caution if any of these things freak you out.***
Disclaimer: All characters originally created by Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy belong to them by all rights. I just sneak them out of the vaults to play with them whenever I can. I do not make any money off of this. I have only the satisfaction that others enjoy the creativity and storylines that I come up with for our heroes, heroines, and villains.
'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.
"Slayer ... Buffy ... Not again, luv." Spike leaned down and cradled Buffy's head in his lap. Blood red tears ran down his face as he processed all of the damage done to Buffy's body. He tried to stop the flow of blood from her bullet wounded chest, but his heart tore apart at the evidence of Buffy's sexually violated body. 'How could anyone be so cruel?'
There was no way Spike would be able to get Buffy to a hospital in time. The sun had already started to rise, and any movement from their location would render him dusty. From the skipping and slowing of her heartbeat, he knew it wouldn't have mattered if the sun or moon were up. She had less than 5 minutes to live. "Damn him." He growled.
Spike ran his fingers through Buffy's matted hair. "Please don't hate me, Buffy." He vamped out, leaned over, and pierced her neck with his fangs. He gently supped a few sips of her blood down his throat. There wasn't much blood to spare with the wound to her chest, but it would be enough for a Sire claim. He tore his wrist with his fangs. He held it up to Buffy's mouth. "Drink, pet."
Somewhere in the distance Buffy heard Spike's command to drink. In the back of her mind she knew the cold body that cradled her was Spike. A part of her longed for the peace of heaven once more, but she knew it wouldn't be the same this time. She was leaving so much undone this time. She hadn't told Spike how she really felt about him. She would miss her sister Dawn, and she had so much still to tell the Scoobies.
"Come on, Buffy. Please." Spike pleaded with Buffy's semi-conscious form. "I promised myself and the Nibblet that I would do anything possible to keep from you dying again." He opened her mouth a little wider. The blood that flowed from his wrist simply pooled in her mouth. She wasn't swallowing it. "Don't let that wanker who did this to you, win. Fight it."
Another part of Buffy fought with every ounce of strength that remained in her body. She wanted to live. She feared that Spike's gift of "life" would end up being a curse. Something told her that if she accepted Spike's gift she would still be herself, but she feared becoming her worst nightmare. Then again after the events of that night, she held no misconceptions that soul and human meant good.
Spike started to panic. Buffy's heart had slowed to an almost imperceptible level of beating. If she didn't drink soon, there would be no hope to save her. He wouldn't force this choice on her. He's spent many hours while stuck at the Watcher's house reading his books. They all thought he was chained up, but he easily escaped the chains when he wanted to. He'd put them back in place before anyone noticed, but in the mean time he read everything he could on Slayers. He wondered just how much the Watcher read of his own books. If only he had enough time to convince her that she would still be the same.
Spike rocked Buffy's unmoving body in his lap. "Please don't leave us again, Buffy. We need you pet." His tears fell harder onto Buffy's cheeks. They streaked her pale skin red with the blood from his tears. "I love you, Buffy." He hung his head in resignation that he'd lost the love of his life again. It broke his heart to imagine life without her again.
Spike was shocked out of his morose thoughts by the suckling motion of Buffy's lips on his wrist. He looked down into her green eyes that stared back up at him.
Buffy's lips locked tightly around Spike's wrist. With her last breath she kept the promise to herself that she made while being raped. She would fight to live. What better way to live again than by Spike's side? Something told her he wasn't just making her a vampire. She was sure that he was making her his Childe. That meant a lot more in the vampire world. She pulled harder on his blood to get as much as he was offering her. Her eyes fluttered closed with the last beat of her heart. Her chest fell silent, the last breath she ever needed to breathe having been expelled from her lungs in the silence of her death.
Spike held an unnecessary breath while he watched Buffy drink from him. Normally a Sire would have already stopped the new Childe from drinking. He vowed to himself and Buffy that she would be the strongest Childe possible. He hoped she wouldn't stake him when she woke up though. The Watcher's books noted that was the most likely result of a Slayer turning. He was willing to risk his final death if it saved Buffy from hers. He caressed her cheek while she drank until her head dropped loosely back into his lap.
Spike collapsed back against the sarcophagus in the crypt. He was exhausted from the emotional and physical turmoil of the night. If Sweet's singing and dancing spell hadn't been hard enough on him, having to watch Buffy die again was enough to destroy him. Only the hope that she would rise again and be the woman he still loved, gave him any lift in his spirit.
Spike had no idea what he was going to tell the Scoobies. They were going to want to stake him for sure. He had to keep Buffy away from them until she had time to deal with her new status and the pain that she'd suffered before her death. Who could he trust? The first person that came to his mind was Glinda. She was a true motherly type, despite the fact that her current relationship choice did not make becoming a mother as easy as it would be if she were dating a guy. She seemed like she needed or wanted to be motherly. She would be the right person to help him, and she wouldn't stake first - ask questions later.
Spike closed his eyes. He had time for just a little nap. Buffy wouldn't awaken for a day or two due to how severe her injuries were. Her body would need to fully heal before she would awaken. He had many things to take care of before she arose, including securing the wanker that did this to his love. So, he was going to need his rest.
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Buffy floated about in a surreal dreamland. People and places from her past and present visited her in the darkness and light of this in-between state of being. She felt the anger and pain that her friends were bound to have over her new status. Even in her dreams Xander and Giles lectured her over how demons were bad and humans were good.
The worst of those who chastised her in this state was Angel. He treated Buffy like she was a cast off or abnormality that he should put down. She begged and pleaded with him to understand that she was still the same Buffy that she always was. She had her soul, and somehow she knew she always would. It wasn't some curse. It was a gift from the powers that be because of her previous Slayer status.
A half-broken Buffy cried out in the dark for Angel to understand. He left her alone in the dark. She felt several pairs of arms surround her. One set was cold, and the others were warm. She turned her face into the cold chest of her Sire. This was the man who loved her no matter what. He loved her when she was the killer of his kind, and he still loved her now that she was a vampire.
"This isn't the end, Buffy." The soft and warm voice of Joyce Summers penetrated Buffy's fogged brain.
"Mommy?" Buffy looked up at her mother.
An ethereal light surrounded Joyce. She knelt beside Buffy. She hugged her tightly. "Hello, sweetie." She tucked loose golden tresses of Buffy's hair behind Buffy's ear.
"Where am I?" Buffy looked from Spike to Joyce. This wasn't how heaven was last time. She knew that.
"You're healing so you can awaken again." Joyce explained. "The powers sent me to tell you that they are still very proud of their warrior. They haven't given up on you yet."
Buffy started to cry. Her body shook with the sobs. "Mommy, it hurt so bad. I couldn't stop him."
Spike rubbed Buffy's back in soothing circles. He said nothing, but he gave his support with every touch and caress.
"I know. There are bad people in this world, and they don't have to be demons." Joyce's voice soothed Buffy's frayed nerves. "Don't listen to anyone that tells you otherwise."
"I know that now." Buffy sniffled. "That man had a soul, but it didn't stop him from ... from ... violating me."
"Evil comes in many forms. So does goodness and love." Joyce looked over Buffy's head at Spike. "You need to listen to Spike, sweetie. It's going to be hard to start with, but I trust him."
Buffy turned in Spike's arms. "You always have liked him, haven't you?" She looked up into Spike's water filled eyes. "He loves me." She muttered softly.
"That's right, Buffy. He loves you." Joyce wrapped her arms around Spike and Buffy. "What he did, he did out of love. Never forget that, no matter what any of your other friends say." She turned Buffy's face to look at her again. "Your time wasn't done. The powers couldn't stop the evil man from doing what he did, but they sent you a different kind of salvation. It will protect you in the end from another purer evil that would have arisen if you had remained "alive" as a human."
"I understand, Mommy." Buffy hugged Joyce tightly. She instinctively knew that her Mother didn't have much longer to stay. She wanted to cherish every moment with her. "I'll make you proud of me."
Joyce stepped back away from Buffy. "I've always been proud of you, Buffy. Always." She turned her gaze to Spike. "Take care of my little girl, Spike."
Spike nodded then looked down at the top of Buffy's head. He kissed the top of her head. "With all my heart, Joyce."
As Joyce disappeared into the golden mist before them, Tara stepped forward. She wrapped the two of them in a protective embrace of warmth and enchanted protection. "Rest. We've much to do."
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Tara sat up straight on the couch at the Summers' house. She was panting and sweating. The sun was out, but she felt the chill of death down her spine still. She wriggled off of the couch she fell asleep on the night before. After finding out about Willow's spell she couldn't make herself sleep in bed with Willow. Now she had this weird dream to think about as well.
Tara headed into the bathroom. She looked at her worn face in the mirror. The events of the last few weeks had taken their toll on her. The last couple days had been the worst. What was she going to do about Willow? What did her dream mean? Were Spike and Buffy in trouble? She sighed. She had to get ready for school. She'd try to sort it out later.
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Spike tightened his grip on Buffy in the crypt where he found her. He was still asleep, but his dreams shifted from one place to another with plans that needed to be made. His body attempted to rest while his mind raced from one thing to another. He'd need to find Tara when he woke up. He realized from the dream he shared with Buffy that Tara would be the one to help him for sure. He hoped she really would understand. Buffy's "life" depended on it.
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(To Be Continued)