Summary:Spike suffers a terrible loss, and decides to make the one that caused it pay.
Disclaimer:Joss Whedon, the WB and Fox own the characters.
Willow Rosenberg switched off the computer, rose, and stretched. She'd gotten so involved in the research she'd been doing for Giles that she'd never even noticed how late it had gotten. She'd have to hurry if she was going to meet Oz at the Bronze. She dashed out of the library- unaware that she was no longer alone in the stacks.
Oz finished loading the band's equipment into his van; and headed back into the Bronze. But he was restless and kept watching the door- it wasn't like Willow to be late for their date. Nobody else seemed worried; Xander was dancing with Buffy while Cordelia watched them jealously. Oz sighed; and decided to check the alley one more time.
Willow was feeling distinctly uneasy- almost as though she was being
followed.
But that's silly, she told herself. Why would anyone follow ME?
She rounded the corner to the Bronze.
"Hello," the voice was soft- almost childlike. "Do you want to play?"
Willow turned- and saw a dark-haired young woman with mad eyes. With a sudden lurch of fear, she recognized Drusilla.
Drusilla took a step towards Willow. At one time she'd never have ventured near a popular haunt like the Bronze; but the kill- of a Slayer, no less! had given Drusilla confidence.
She smiled at Willow. "Won't you come to tea? Miss Edith will be so pleased."
Willow tried backing away slowly; but Drusilla followed. "Look at me," she said insistently. "Be in me."
Willow stopped. Her feet felt planted to the ground.
Drusilla smiled a terrifying smile- and reached for Willow.
There was a yell of outrage- and Oz launched himself the full length of the alley. Drusilla was momentarily distracted- but she swatted him away like a pesky fly.
Oz lay stunned. Painfully he gathered himself together- in time to see Drusilla sink her fangs into Willow's neck.
Willow screamed; and the sound galvanized Oz.
One instant he was a scared teenager- the next, a howling, furry-skinned
mass of bone and sinew. His teeth met in Drusilla's shoulder.
Shrieking in pain, the vampire shook him off; Oz hit the ground so hard he was shocked back into human form.
But- he still had Joey's drumsticks in his pocket, where he'd placed them while loading the van.
As Dru charged him, Oz seized a drumstick and held it out in front of himself in a feeble effort at protection. And Willow, reeling and faint from loss of blood, managed somehow to trip the vampire.
Dru fell onto the drumstick.
There was an unearthly screech- then nothing. Nothing but a pile of ashes.
Willow crawled over to her boyfriend. "Oz?"
He managed to hug her. "It's ok, baby," he murmured. "It's all over now."
But he knew it was only beginning.
The vampire roared in agony.
Spike blundered through the graveyard, hurling aside the weighty tombstones as if they were cardboard boxes. Rage swept through him in a tidal wave. Relentlessly, he set himself to track the werewolf.
Willow sat next to Oz, clutching his hand and wishing for Buffy. But Buffy was out on patrol.
With the loss of any real leadership, Sunnydale's vampires were growing reckless...Buffy couldn't afford to stop patrolling. But she'd promised Willow to guard Oz as much as possible.
"Don't worry, baby," Oz kept trying to reassure his terrified girlfriend. "He can't get in unless he's invited. And I'm not planning to extend an invitation any time soon."
But Willow's fear didn't diminish. Sooner or later, Oz would need to leave his house at night. And- what if Buffy couldn't get there on time? What if...worse...Spike defeated Buffy? Then Willow would lose both of them- her boyfriend and her best friend. She shuddered in misery.
Spike prowled around and around the house...crazed by his inability to gain entry. But there was no way...
* * * * *
Oz burst into the library, slamming the doors against the wall. Giles dropped his book; Cordelia smeared her mascara; Xander knocked over his chair; and Buffy reached for a stake.
But Oz was oblivious. "Willow," he yelled, "he's got Willow!"
Giles recovered first. "What happened, Oz?"
Oz looked at them in despair. "It was still light when she left to go home; but there was this big car...with tinted windows..."
"Of course," Buffy closed her eyes. "I should have thought of that. He has that car for emergency getaways."
"But why take Willow?" Xander demanded, as upset as Oz.
"He doesn't want Willow," Giles said thoughtfully. "He wants Oz. She's ...um...the bait."
Buffy was less certain; it might occur to Spike to kill Willow so that Oz would suffer. But she didn't want to mention that to the distraught werewolf.
* * * * *
The burned-out warehouse looked deserted; but Buffy's instinct told her Spike was near. For a second she thought she could find Willow- and make her escape...but then she saw the tall, lean figure of the blond vampire.
He spoke first. "Stay out of this, Slayer."
Buffy walked towards him. "Sorry, Spike...I know I'm not invited to this particular party, but..." abruptly she dropped the flip tone and said simply, "I won't let you hurt my friend."
Spike stared at her coldly. "I don't care about her...I just want the werewolf."
Buffy met his eyes. "That was the friend I was talking about."
"He killed Dru!" Spike's voice rose to a shout. Then he repeated in a hoarse whisper, "He killed Dru."
Buffy gave him a look that was akin to compassion. "I know; but Spike...he had no choice!"
"No choice?" Spike's vampire visage glowered. "He dies anyway!"
Furiously, he backhanded her across the face. Buffy crashed into the wall. But she was up in a moment, countering with a punch to his stomach and a kick in his jaw as he doubled over. He seemed to welcome the physical pain...he hit her again, charging her as she fell backward...but she was quicker and flipped him neatly over her head.
As he crashed onto the floor, she straddled him- the stake a fraction away from entering his chest.
Their eyes met.
"Get it over, Slayer," Spike hissed.
Buffy shrugged. "Maybe I don't feel like doing you any favors." She pulled the stake away from him; but she didn't move.
"Dru came after Willow," she said quietly. "Maybe she thought it would be an easy kill; but Oz got there first."
"I'll bloody kill him," Spike swore. "There's no way you can stop me, Slayer- unless you use that stake."
"Let him go, Buffy." The voice startled them both- Oz was standing there.
"Take Willow home, Buffy," Oz instructed. "Tell her- I'll come as soon as I can."
"Oz," Buffy protested, "You can't..."
"It's my fight." Oz was inflexible.
"No way," Buffy stood up, grabbing at Oz's arm. "Spike will kill you!"
Oz considered. "Maybe, but...hey- there's Willow!"
Buffy turned her head; and Oz hit her. As she crumbled, Oz caught her and looked at Spike. "I'll fight you," Oz said quietly, "but let the girls go free."
Spike nodded. "Agreed...you're the one I want to kill today."
"Where's Willow?" Oz demanded.
"Give the Slayer to me!" Spike ordered, holding out his arms. Oz hesitated; then gently placed Buffy into them.
Spike looked down at the unconscious Slayer. "You didn't have to hit her so hard," he muttered.
"She's a Slayer; she's not hurt," Oz responded. "Willow?"
Willow was tied to a chair and gagged; but she was unhurt. Oz knelt beside her, swiftly loosening the bonds.
Willow flung both arms around him. "Oz! Oh my God...Oz!"
"It's ok, baby, " Oz soothed, "I'm here...right here with you."
"Buffy!" Willow screamed. She jumped to her feet and confronted Spike. "What did you do to her? "
"Buffy's all right, Willow," Oz promised. "But..you have to take her home now. I have...something to settle, here."
Comprehension flashed in Willow's eyes. "I'm not leaving without you."
"Baby, listen," Oz begged, "we have to deal with this, here and now. Because- I don't want you hurt- no matter what. Now, if you want to do something for me, the best thing is for you to leave with Buffy. I'll...be along, later."
"No!" Willow's eyes filled with tears. "I won't leave you!"
Oz's punch took Willow by surprise- she dropped silently. Spike stared...Oz shrugged. "Must be my day for knocking women unconscious."
Glancing around, he saw a battered couch; gently he placed Willow's inert body there, dropping a kiss on her forehead.
He turned to face Spike. "I'm ready now."
Wordlessly, Spike walked over and carefully deposited Buffy next to Willow.
He looked at Oz. "If I'd killed Willow...that would have caused you more pain than anything I could possibly do to you."
"That's true," Oz met his eyes, "but your quarrel's with me; not with her."
"I'd have done anything for Drusilla," Spike was staring into space.
"And I would for Willow." Oz said gently, "I'm sorry."
"Sorry?!! You expect me...to accept that?"
Oz shook his head. "No. But...it was her...or Willow. What would you have done?"
Spike stared at him. "I...I would have..." He stopped, frowning. Glancing down, his eyes fell on Buffy; and almost absently he brushed back her tumbled hair.
"You shouldn't have hit her," he said again.
"I had to," Oz responded. "If you'd managed to kill us both- me and Buffy- Willow would never get over it."
"Do you ever think about anything but her- and what she wants and needs?" Spike demanded curiously.
Oz smiled. "What she wants is what I want. The French have a saying, it goes- 'I love you more than myself.' That's the way I feel about Willow."
Spike studied him. "I know the feeling."
Abruptly he turned and stared down at Buffy. "I think...you should take your girlfriend home now."
Oz stared at him in shock. "What about..."
"Killing you wouldn't make it right, " Spike said somberly. " It would just...balance the scale, for Drusilla. And- there isn't any balance! None!"
He looked up at Oz, his face changing back to normal. "Go on- get out. Before I change my mind."
Buffy stirred as Oz carried Willow out to the van. Oz hurried back to her.
"Buffy...I didn't mean to hurt you...I just..."
"I know," Buffy patted his arm, "You couldn't think about anything but Willow. It's ok, Oz. You'd better get her home."
"What about you?" Oz asked anxiously.
Buffy smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about me...tell Willow I'll call her later."
She waited until she was sure he'd left; then took a deep breath and walked toward Spike. He kept his back firmly turned towards her.
She stopped and waited.
Finally he spoke, gratingly. "Why didn't you go with your friends?"
"They don't need me," Buffy answered honestly.
"And- you think I do?" The vampire turned to face her.
She said nothing; watching him silently. Then- she took the final steps towards him.
Her arms reached out, wrapping around him. Just for an instant he stood rigid in her embrace; then his arms came up around her. Wordlessly he strained her to him; and began to cry.
"I know," Buffy whispered, holding him tightly as her own tears spilled over. "I understand...what it's like. I...understand."
Her soft murmurings died out; and there was nothing in that vast empty space except the sounds of a vampire and a Slayer- mourning lost loves.
Locked in a tearful embrace.
The End