It all happened so fast. One minute he was minding his own business, watching the television. The next? He felt white hot pain streak across his skull. Before he could register anything else, the darkness took over.
Tiny, yet strong hands pulled his unconscious body until it slumped lazily up against the wall. Watching him, her breathing sped up slightly, her heart beat increased. She wanted... no NEEDED to make sure that every word she had to say would go in.
Slowly the darkness started to blur with a faint flickering. Letting out a low groan, the familiar metallic smell of blood filled his delicate nose. Raising his head, he could feel it trickling down his sharp cheekbone, staining his pale flesh a dark red. However, when he tried to wipe the crimson liquid away, he couldn’t move. And then he realised, someone had chained him up and good. He had heavy cuffs around his ankles and wrists. At least his torturer was nice enough to sit him up.
A slight movement in the air caused Spike to raise his head. Could it be his dark beauty? His dark princess finally returned to him? Could it be true?
‘You didn’t have to go to this just to get me back, Dru.’
Silence. Then, a scent drifted to his nose. It was a mix of cherries and cinnamon. It wasn’t Drusilla. It was a human concentrating; he could hear the slightly fast heart beat and shallow breaths. His brow knitted in a tight frown. He tried and tried to get free but it was impossible.
‘Whoever you are I’m gonna bloody rip your neck off in a minute. Chip or no chip,’ he growled.
‘I don’t think you will,’ said the tiniest of voices from the shadows.
A frown marred his face. That voice. It was a stranger speaking but it almost felt like he knew the owner.
A sarcastic chuckle escaped his lips.
‘If you were so sure ‘f that, you’d come out of the shadows and face me instead of chaining me up.’
‘You won’t hurt me.’
‘You still ain’ told me who the hell you are…’
Then, footsteps echoed through the crypt, until his capturer was revealed. She was dressed in one of the longest black robes, hood up with just a bit of her blonde hair peeping through. Unfortunately for Spike, the hood was hiding her face.
‘That’s not important…at least for the time being.’
‘Why won’t you show me you’re face?’ he said, eyes narrowing.
No reply came. Jaw clenched.
‘The least you can do is show me your face, let me see who you are.’
Ever so slowly, the robed woman pulled her hood down. Hair falling gently on her shoulders. Her face was angelic. She looked so young, but at the same time she looked like she knew more than a girl like her should know. What was a girl of her age doing tying up vampires and torturing them?
She stood in front of him.
‘Firstly, you have to understand that I must do this.’
Spike watched the girl as she pulled out a long, rectangular box.
‘You’re no use to them like this…they need the old you back,’ she said as she took out a needle and a vile.
His eyes widened. She wasn’t going to use that on him, was she? Needle filled up and she walked towards him.
‘No you bloody don’t!’
But it was too late. She had already stuck the needle in. Spike cried out in pain and slouched to the floor and he could see her feet shifting. The girl bent down. The tears were like crystals in her eyes.
‘I’m sorry.’
She stroked his cheek lovingly, which he groggily frowned at.
‘Maybe one day you’ll be able to forgive me for what I’ve done.’
They were the last words Spike heard from the mysterious visitor before blacking out.
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A chirpy Dawn walked through Restfield graveyard with a smile on her face. When her history teacher had given her the task of writing a small essay on the Boxer Rebellion, she thought she was doomed until she remembered Spike was around. Killing a slayer yes, but the knowledge had come in handy. She couldn’t wait to show him.
The door creaked open, the sound echoing through the crypt and bouncing off the walls. Purple skies indicating that night fall was close. Dawn stepped inside and noticed the television wasn’t on.
Strange, isn’t Passions on about now? She thought.
Dawn took another step forward.
‘Spike?’
No reply. Maybe he had gone out? No, because he normally waits until the sun has definitely gone. Sigh. Then she walked towards the hatch that led into his bedroom. But as she went to open it up, a pair of black boots caught her eye. Frown etched on her face.
As soon as she rounded the corner, Dawn froze. Spike was lying face down in a pool of blood. All she could do was standing there while the tears fell. Who would do such a thing? She stepped closer and noticed something shiny in his hand. It was round and had a green gem in the middle.
He needed help and fast.
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The clock struck half seven and she still hadn’t returned. Buffy shut the book she was reading.
‘Where is she?’ Buffy asked.
‘Maybe she got caught up or lost track of time. If I recall, a certain blonde slayer use to
have exactly the same problem,’ Giles reminded.
Buffy frowned.
‘That isn’t the point. Dawn said she wasn’t going to be long. Just drop something off at a friend’s and that was at 6.’
A frown crossed her face she didn't remember Dawn telling her the friend’s name. The ringing of her cell snapped her out of her thoughts looking at the caller ID she saw Dawnie flashing across the tiny window.
Flipping the phone open, she brought it up to her ear.
‘Buffy... BUFFY!’ Dawn yelled.
‘Dawnie what’s wrong?’ she asked, sitting ram rod straight she could hear Dawn crying on the other end of the phone.
‘You... Y-y-you gotta-a help h-h-him p-p-please,’ she stuttered.
‘Please B-B-Buffy.’
Taking a deep breath, Buffy stood up.
‘Dawnie, I cant understand you. Where are you and what’s wrong?’
‘I-I-I-I-I,’ Dawn stuttered.
Buffy heard her sister suck up a deep breath of air.
‘I’m at S-Spike’s...’
She heard Dawn sniffing.
‘He’s... he’s really hurt Buffy. P-please help... he’s my b-best friend.’
Dawn managed to choke out before crying again. Buffy could hear her talking.
‘It’ll be ok Spike... it’ll be ok.’
Feeling the blood drain from her face, Buffy stalked across the room and grabbed her jacket.
‘What’s wrong with him?’ she snapped.
‘He won’t wake up... Buffy there’s so much blood.’
Dawn whispered, sounding like a little girl ‘Why won’t he wake up?’
Buffy couldn’t help the grimace across her face she was thinking the same thing.
‘I’m on my way Dawn, keep the door closed the blood will attract the others.’
Snapping the phone shut, she paused at the door.
‘Dawn’s at Spike’s, he won’t wake up, something’s happened to him. Giles, can you drive your car to the cemetery?’ she asked, thinking how she was going to get the blond vampire somewhere halfway safe in this hell mouth.
Xander jumped up, almost knocking Anya to the floor.
‘Why again are we helping the blood sucker?’
Clenching her jaw, Buffy tightened her grip on the door handle.
‘Maybe because we owe him? I mean he only let himself be tortured to keep Dawn safe. It’s the LEAST we can do to help him.’
Taking a deep breath, she felt a soft hand on her shoulder.
‘Quite right, I will get the car.’ Giles said softly.
‘I’ll meet you there,’ Buffy said as she opened the door and ran with all her speed towards the cemetery.... towards her sister... towards Spike.
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Buffy had finally reached the crypt. People had given her strange looks but she didn’t care.
Dawn stood facing the old, wooden door which led inside. She felt a pair of petit arms wrapping themselves around her. A soft kiss planted on her head.
‘I’m here now,’ Buffy muttered into Dawn’s hair.
Dawn sniffed before turning in her sisters arms and holding her tightly Buffy softly whispered
“It’s gonna be OK Dawnie I PROMISE”
After a moment dawn felt Buffy tense up and pull away with a weird look on her face looking down she saw her hands lightly coated in Spikes dried bloody hearing a noise she looked in time to see Giles and Xander running as fast as they could. Sadly, by the time they reached them, they had lost all use of speech. The ex-watcher waved the first aid box in the air.
‘Just in case.’
Buffy nodded.
‘Let’s get inside.’
The three of them walked towards the door but Buffy stopped as she noticed Dawn wasn’t following.
‘I’m not going inside,’ Dawn stated
Buffy sighed. She understood why she didn’t want to go in but at the same time she couldn’t stay out there. A free meal for any pa
ssing creature of the night. She took her sister’s hand in hers.
‘It is much safer inside with us, Dawn,’ Giles said.
Fear took over Dawn’s facial features as the thought of going back inside ran around.
‘You don’t have to go over to him you can just stand at the door, okay?’ Buffy suggested.
A minute past and then Dawn replied ‘Ok.’
Everything was normal. All possessions in place and it was even tidier than the last time she had dropped in. Buffy looked around.
‘Where is he?’
Dawn pointed the way. Buffy headed over to the spot, while Giles followed, Xander took a moment to make sure the youngest scoobies was ok. When they approached his unconscious body, all of them thought that it didn’t look too bad. That was until Buffy turned him over and saw the massive gash on the left side of his temple what little blood he had left still slowly leaking out. A gasp left Buffy’s lips. Xander covered his mouth in horror and Giles cleaned his glasses.
‘Well, there are no signs of any type of struggle, which is very strange and makes me wonder why,’ Giles commented.
Xander jingled the chains that were hanging on the wall.
‘Maybe our attacker had themselves a good time torturing him…’
Giles clenched his jaw. There were only two people that would do this. Both of whom had, at one point a very close bond to the vampire in question.
‘We need to get him somewhere safe,’ Dawn said tears running down her face again.
‘Dawnie’s right. He’d be an open buffet, especially with all that…blood,’ Xander said, paling as he spoke of the crimson liquid.
‘Besides, bleach boy is looking a little paler then usual,’ he continued.
Buffy picked up the first aid kit.
‘Giles bring the car as close as you can. Dawn, Xander and you grab a blanket from downstairs we can use it like a stretcher,’ she said, kneeling next to Spike’s limp body and started pulling out bandages and gauze nodding everyone left to do their respective jobs.
Carefully pulling Spike’s head into her lap, Buffy held a thick bunch of the gauze to the wound ignoring the fact his blood was sinking into her clothing. Spike was hurt and when she found the one responsible for hurting him she was going to make them pay; she silently promised.
Using her free hand, she gently brushed a lock of hair off his forehead. Her heart was pounding as she saw the wad of gauze soaked through. White-hot panic rushed through her veins as she grabbed another handful yelling for Xander and Dawn to hurry up. She was suspired by the ferocity in her voice when she turned her attention back to Spike.
‘You better not leave me!’ Buffy said.
She could feel a slight burn of tears in her eyes.
‘You DONT leave... you hear me Spike... You NEVER leave me.’
Hearing the sound of Giles car and the sound of Dawn and Xander scrambling up the ladder, Buffy quickly wrapped a large bandage around the gauze, before adding a second.
‘Where are we going to take him?’ Giles asked.
There was a brief pause before Buffy answered.
‘To my house.’
‘Buffy, I am not entirely sure that is a good idea,’ Giles said.
‘He’d be much safer with a slayer watching over him. What would happen if we took him to yours or Xander’s if whoever did this decided to return?’
‘We take him to mine and that’s final,’ she finished, the stubbornness evident.
They all nodded in agreement.
Buffy took one side of the stretcher while Xander took the over. Giles walked with Dawn out of the crypt.
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They eventually arrived at the Summers’ household. Buffy instructed Giles to fish out her keys from her coat pocket. Once the front door was open, Xander and Buffy rushed Spike inside.
‘On the sofa,’ Buffy said.
They tried to make him as comfortable as possible, but of course they couldn’t know if he was at all.
Dawn watched as they set him down. So many things had gone through her head.
‘Thanks guys.’
‘Not a problem. I’d better get back, Anya will be home by now.’
‘Yes and I need to check on the magic box. I am just a phone call away if you need me,’ Giles said.
Buffy nodded, seeing the men out.
As the door shut, she noticed Dawn was stood by the sofa, looking down at Spike.
‘Why don’t you go to bed?’
‘I don’t want to. He needs me…this is all my fault,’ Dawn choked.
Now Buffy frowned. Her sister did this?
‘Dawn, what do you mean?’
‘Maybe if I was there earlier, instead of going for an ice cream with Janice...maybe I could’ve stopped this.’
Buffy took her sister to one side, stroking her soft brown hair.
‘This isn’t your fault, Dawnie. I mean, why were you there in the first place?’ Buffy questioned.
‘I was going to show him the A I got on my essay about The Boxer Rebellion. He helped me so I thought it was only fair.’
‘You got an A?’
Dawn smiled.
‘I’ll keep a watch on him, you go to bed,’ she continued.
Dawn nodded and headed for the stairs. Pausing halfway up, she turned back round to face her sister.
‘If anything happens will you come and wake me?’
‘Yeah.’
Then she was gone. And Buffy was alone.
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Buffy noticed that the blood had crusted on his forehead and in his hair. She frowned as she peeled off the band-aid. Whatever was used to cause this sort of damage must have been something pretty big.
She unravelled the cotton wool and dipped it in the disinfectant. Starting with the fore head, Buffy made her way round to the open wound, wincing as she touched it.
‘Sorry,’ she said.
Satisfied that the wound was clean enough, Buffy then began to get the blood out of his hair, smiling as a thought crossed her mind.
‘Don’t want you waking up in the morning with red streaks in your hair.’
His hair was mostly clean, because it would be impossible to get it out properly without washing all of his hair and to do that would mean getting him in the shower. The thought of a butt naked Spike in her shower made a slight blush come to her cheeks.
Buffy shook her head.
Now his head was properly bandaged with antibiotic cream, Buffy packed the stuff away and headed upstairs.
A few minutes later, Buffy returned with a blanket and Spike hadn’t moved an inch. She walked over to where he lay and placed the blanket across his body. That was when something caught her eye. She got closer and frowned. It was a needle mark. Why would someone inject him? And what with?
It can’t be…please, not the same as Angel, she thought.
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One hour later…
Buffy sat on the two seater sofa, which was opposite Spike. Mug of coffee steaming away in her hand. She didn’t want to go to bed and leave him. Partly because if he woke up in the middle of the night and found himself on HER sofa, he would freak out and mostly because she was scared that she was going to lose him.
Buffy knew her feelings towards the bleach blond had changed but never really took note of it; until now. The moment she heard he was badly hurt, her heart jumped into her mouth, making her feel powerless. And that was when she realised how much she really cared for him. Admitting these feelings to herself was hard enough but admitting them to him or any of her friends? That would be even harder and probably would never happen.
Buffy sipped her coffee, watching him in silence.
1 AM…
Spike was still in the same position, this worried Buffy. Sitting at his side, she stroked his hair, freeing some of the unruly curls. A soft smile played on her lips. His hair felt like silk under his tips.
‘I don’t know why you never wear your hair like this, it suits you.’
Her fingers trailed down towards his cheekbones. Buffy had never felt anything like it. So defined, and so beautiful for a man.
‘These should be illegal. Most women would kill for cheekbones like yours. I know I would…’
4 AM…
Buffy didn’t feel tired. In fact, she was wired. The sun was fast approaching and to avoid her new house guest from becoming dust, she pulled the curtains shut, preventing any little rays from getting through.
Whatever was in his system could be killing him.
TBC…
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!