~Chapter Three~
Riley arched his back as Anichka gyrated on top of him. He had told Rupert he could take care of the brides while he went to go find Xander. Oh yes, he was taking care of them. Keeping them real busy. He pulled Maryska close and fondled her breasts and licking his lips. He arched his back to angle up into the redhead better. He sex befuddled brain idly wondered, wasn't there three brides in the Dracula legend? Maryska bit down into his shoulder and the last of his rational thoughts fled as he moaned loudly.
Elsewhere, Giles poked his head into room after room. Then he found stairs going down and figured like most castles, downstairs would be the dungeons. There was a good chance Xander would be down there, if not Buffy, too. He crept down there and squinted into the shadows. He made out a figure to the side against the wall and headed closer. When he could finally make it out, he gasped, quickly removing his glasses to polish them all flustered.
"Oh good lord, Xander?" He replaced his glasses and blinked at the young man.
Xander was shackled with his arms above his head and totally nude. There were bite marks all over his body and bruises here and there. His head hung forward limply, totally unconscious after the exhausting punishment he endured. The same could not be said for his cock which jutted out, still hard, painfully hard. There were rubber bands wound tightly around the base, cutting into him. Dracula had his fun, but did not allow Xander's release.
Giles looked up at the shackles and then around to see if the keys were nearby.
"Looking for this?" Kriszta stepped out of the shadows, pulling the key out from her cleavage. She smiled at Giles with blazing blue eyes and flashing fang. She glanced at Xander, "The master had so much fun with this one. Not as much fun as we had with our new sister, Elizabetta, but he still had fun. I am just a bit upset he didn't let us join in, I didn't get to taste this one." She pouted.
"New sister?" He gulped and thought of that name. "Elizabeth? Oh bloody hell..." His mind raced as he processed that information. Dracula had turned Buffy. He hadn't finished much research on turned slayers before Riley had called me, though he knew that turned slayers were different than turned humans. His theories so far were that it was because of the differences in physical make-up as well as the Powers That Be rewarding her for her service as well as hoping that as a vampire they would continue to do their slaying.
"You are a friend of the little slayer girl?" She smiled widely. "Just like this one was before the promise of power and pleasure..." She walked over to the unconscious Xander and stroked his hard cock idly.
"No doubt the thrall helped the betrayal along a lot." His jaw worked as he watched, then looking around unable to keep his eyes on her stroking hand.
"Oh, I do not know if he was under any thrall," she batted her doe eyes at him with a smile. "He sure seemed to be himself when he was moaning under my master's touch." She squeezed slightly and Xander moaned as if on cue, his hips jutting forward slightly into her hand.
"Yes, I make a habit of taking the word of the soulless undead." He scoffed at her.
"Then what about a souled undead... Elizabetta was here watching. Watching this one get his reward for bringing her to us." Her lips tightened.
She glanced over as her other two sisters came into the room. Maryska was licking the last drops of blood from her lips as she advanced on Giles. Their eyes all flared blue as they circled their prey. Giles removed his glasses and polished them nervously. Kriszta darted forward to kiss him and his glasses fell to skitter away while the other two joined in on trying to undress the sputtering British man.
"Bloody hell," he kept muttering as they tore off his shirt and started kissing at every inch of exposed skin they could get to.
Suddenly, all three froze and glanced towards the door as one. Giles had the absurd image of three prairie dogs and wondered where that came from. He blinked as all three rushed from the room with a cry, forgetting him and Xander. He heard something drop and couldn't see what it was. He first went to track down his glasses. Once they were on, he glanced around and saw that Kriszta had dropped the key in her rush to leave. He wondered what had happened, but didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. He glanced down and grimaced at the lipstick smears everywhere, they was surely even more on his neck and face where he couldn't see them.
He grabbed the key and went to release Xander from the chains. Xander groaned and leaned into him as Giles dragged him towards the door. The brides had sounded distraught at something and perhaps ran off to help Dracula. Had Spike went ahead and attacked him? Hopefully, the younger vampire could follow through then so they did not go from an indifferent Dracula only intent on getting a slayer for himself to a very pissed off master vampire intent on revenge.
He started down the hall with Xander and wondered where Riley had gotten off to. He kept poking his head in doors as he went along and finally poked his head into a room where there was a figure laying on the floor in the corner. He left Xander sitting near the door and went over to kneel next to Riley, checking him for vital signs. There were none. Riley was covered in bite marks, most not fresh. Giles removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a groan; he knew the bloody git would end up like this if he didn't get over his addiction. He had only hoped that it didn't hurt Buffy. He shook his head. Things were way more complicated and Riley hadn't been the one to hurt Buffy, but he would straighten out what had happened to Xander.
He left Riley there and went back to the unconscious man by the door, lifting him again then heading out into the hall again. He headed for the door and shoved Xander into the back seat of his car then sped off back towards his apartment. The others were called on the way and told about the events. He hoped Spike had found Buffy, he really did.
*****
The next night, Buffy groaned and stretched, which is when she noticed she was shackled. She tugged at them and then started to struggle in earnest, completely alarmed and yet to totally remember everything from the night before. Was this another of Dracula's perverse tricks? Then she stilled and tried to remember what had happened as flashes came back to her. He had made her watch as he "rewarded" Xander for bringing her to him, taken pleasure in letting her know that Xander had kidnapped her from him, her best friend. Then there had been a visitor and they had left Xander so that Dracula could greet his guest.
She shook her head and started tugging at the chains again, not wanting to confront the memories.
"You won' be able t' break them... had them made special t' hold up against demons an' vamps... an' they work nicely against slayers as well," came a voice from above before Spike descended into the lower levels. "Sorry, pet, couldn' have you attackin' me the moment you woke."
Her eyes widened as she looked up at him and realized where she was, it just hadn't clicked until then. She had been too distressed... She swallowed as next his face sparked another round of flashbacks. He had been the guest to Dracula's castle... she had been on the floor next to his chair like a lapdog until he sent her under the table to Spike's chair. She remembered... oh gawd, she remembered... and then his face when he realized who had been under the table.
That confused her.
She would have expected the smug, triumphant smirk as he saw what she had become. But, there had been shock and worry... concern even. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. She remembered the tender touch to her cheek, though. She shook her head as her brows furrowed. He had fought for her and killed Dracula when he couldn't get the other vampire to hand her over. She was just so confused now.
He sighed and moved closer at the woeful look on her face. Sitting on the side of the bed, he touched her cheek and murmured to her comfortingly, "Shush now, he can' hurt you now, luv. I staked the big ponce an' killed him. Won' touch you ever again."
"Why?" She croaked up at him. "Why would you help me?"
"Wasn' right what he did t' you... turnin' you int' one of his whores..." He looked away. "You're a vampire now an' I jus' killed your sire. You need a new one an' I'm prob'ly the best one for the job. Wouldn' trust Peaches t' take care of you right." He rolled his eyes. "Can' jus' leave a fledge on its own, 'specially one where we don' know how bein' a slayer is gonna effect you. Heard slayer vamps are diff'rent."
"The one bride... Kriszta... said I still had my soul..." she swallowed. "It scared her."
He nodded and thought about that. "And you got the powers of the Dracula lineage instead of us Aurelian vamps..."
"I didn't know there was a difference until the other night... noticed he never got your game face..." She sighed. "I feel so stupid now... and hurt that Xander would just hand me over so he could boink a vampire... a male vampire..." She stuck out her tongue and made a face. "Those images are permanently burned into my skull..."
"It was the thrall, know he wouldn' do that t' you otherwise." He didn't know why he was defending the whelp, but if it made her feel better. When did he become such a sodding nancy boy? "Well, there might be other things diff'rent about you. We'll jus' have t' find out those things as we go along."
"Giles would do research... think we should call Giles? Does he even know what happened?"
"He an' Riley came with me t' get you. I was s'posed t' distract Drac while THEY found you... but lucky me, I found you first. Sure they got out fine, prob'ly found Xander instead." He nodded. "Not sure if its safe for you t' go see 'em... Might stake you or somethin'..." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked her over, he couldn't let her go yet.
"They wouldn't if they knew I kept my soul... I'm sure of it. But, I do know I probably should find my own place... Going back to school is definitely out of the question now and I can't stay with my mom like this. Already, I attracted too much bad stuff... now probably going to attract more once word gets out that I'm a vampire."
He almost gave a shout of joy, but remained nonchalant outwardly. "Well, you should stay with me... only natural with me bein' your new sire an' all." He lifted his wrist and bit into it, "Which reminds me... gotta do the whole blood thing t' make me your official sire." He shoved his wrist in front of her face.
She wrinkled her nose at it and glanced at him.
"Jus' do it..."
She rolled her eyes and started drinking, eventually latching her mouth to his skin hungrily. He chuckled and stroked her hair until he decided she had had enough, withdrawing his arm. Maybe it wasn't a good idea, but he pulled out the key to the shackles and freed her. She didn't look to be ready to attack him or anything. Also, the anger from her treatment had gone out of him when he had seen what Dracula had caused. He had definitely gone soft and it galled him to no end.
She sat up and rubbed at her wrists. Looking down, she saw she was in one of his shirts and her emerald eyes shot to him. "You undressed me?"
"Pet... you were covered in my leavin's... an' your poor body was dirty with his abuse... Jus' figured you wouldn' want that on you any longer." He shrugged and glanced away. "You never said anythin' about what I suggested... you stayin' with me an' all."
She sighed and looked down at her hands for a moment, letting her mind process both things before she responded. Now was not the time to just go off half-cocked. "As to the first part... I guess I'll thank you... for taking care of me. Sure didn't deserve it as I went all Bitchfest 2000 on you. Surprised you didn't try and take advantage of it all to do something bad. Take revenge."
"Wanted t'... just couldn' bring myself t' do anythin'..." He rolled his eyes at himself and stood, pacing away. "You gonna let me take care of you or not... wanna know before I go gettin my hopes up..."
"You mean the staying with you offer," she wrinkled her nose and looked around, almost considering it. "As appealing as a crypt sounds..."
He rolled his eyes and cut her off, "Not here, you dense bint! I'll get us a proper place... an apartment downtown or somethin' like that. Got money stashed away somewhere that I never care t' use, but this is as good a reason as any t' finally go get it."
"What, you got hidden riches somewhere?" She smirked and arched a brow, finding the whole idea absurd.
"Actually, yeah... old family money back in England... that's why I don' care t' touch it. I'll get it wired over here, though. Haven' use it in so long... prob'ly has loads of interest on it by now. Could take care of you right proper."
She eyed him, thinking the Twilight Zone just took over again. "So what... I'm like your kept woman then?"
He snorted. "Havin' a mistress usually includes the privilege of touchin' her." Another shake of his head, "Jus' want t' give you a place t' live an' make sure you're taken care of all proper like, with nothin' t' worry 'bout. I'm your sire... an' should take care of you the best I can. Can' jus' let a fledge, 'specially a turned slayer, like you toddle 'round on your own."
This was still sounding a bit off center to her... but it was the best offer she had gotten so far for where to go now. The only offer, but hey. She wrinkled her nose as she actually started to consider the offer. It might be tolerable if she set up some ground rules and made sure her friends didn't totally flip out at it. They were so going to want to lock her up in the nut house. Maybe she would just lie to them, say she got her own place... didn't need to know her roomie would be the bleached menace in front of her.
"We can try for a bit, I guess. But I am laying down ground rules. Serious ground rules," she pointed a finger at him and gave him her best Stern Buffy face. "And I mean it. If they aren't followed completely, I'll leave... and actually, breaking some of them will probably get you staked on the spot."
"Wouldn' expect any less, luv," he smirked and motioned for her to get up. "Now lets toddle off t' your house so you can get some of your things an' let Mum know you're safe so she'll stop worryin'."
"Ohhhh, my mom..." she groaned as she got up, looking around for something else to pull on. She didn't particularly want to put that whore dress back on, though. Her eyes went back to Spike worriedly. "What is she going to think... of me?"
"Here, pet," he shrugged out of his duster and set it around her shoulders. "An' you know she'll love you as much as ever. Your mum is a wonderful woman an' wouldn' turn her back on you for somethin' so slight as this. Still her daughter an' still got your soul. Prob'ly still take you in even if you didn' have one... doesn' seem t' mind I don' got one." He shrugged.
"Yeah, never could figure out how she put up with you," she rolled her eyes and slipped her arms into the jacket. "Thanks." Her tongue darted out to lick her lips. "I'll fill you in on my rules on the way there then." She smiled faintly and followed him up the ladder to the upper level to leave.
They arrived at the familiar house on Revello Drive and stood looking up at it a moment before approaching the front door. Spike opened the door and started in, with Buffy moving to follow him. Except, she hit the invisible barrier and fell backwards. She looked up shocked and rubbed at her sore nose.
"Guess I should've figured as much... just so not used to that bit," she chewed her bottom lip. "This so going to take some getting used to."
Joyce came out of the kitchen to see who was at the front door and looked down at her. "Buffy! I've been so worried about you!" Then she paused, looking between them, "What's wrong?"
"She's got t' be invited in, mum." Spike told her and motioned to the blonde sitting on her butt on the porch.
"Invited... like a..." her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh baby..." She went to kneel beside her daughter and hug her tight. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Come inside and have some cocoa. You can tell me all about it and have a good cry if you need it."
Spike chuckled and shook his head. "Might want t' let her up so she can walk. We came t' get her things so she can come along with me... gonna see that she's taken care of. Needs another vampire about t' show her the ropes and watch out for her. Figure I'm the best t' fill that job so you don' have t' worry, mum." He smiled at Joyce.
"You better take care of her," she lifted a brow and gave her own stern face, so close to Buffy's. "Or I'll come after you with that axe again."
"Expect as much." He followed them into the kitchen and hopped onto the counter to watch them as Buffy gave her mom a very edited version of what had happened to her. As he looked at Joyce, he finally figured why he had went soft and decided to take care of the slayer as his own. Besides the bint looking so pathetic that he didn't have the heart to do anything but comfort her, he also couldn't disappoint Joyce. Not after all she's done to take care and comfort him as well. What was it with Summers women and having him wrapped around their little fingers?
*****
They were both upstairs later packing and Buffy had found some jeans to pull on. Spike leaned in the doorway and watched her quietly as she moved about. He had offered to help, but she had muttered something about him pawing her personal things. He had just chuckled and backed off. He frowned as he heard a strange noise downstairs, glancing over his shoulder briefly.
"Hey, I'm ready to go," Buffy approached him with her suitcase in hand. "What is it?"
"Not sure... thought I heard somethin' downstairs..." He grabbed her suitcase and turned to head down the stairs, pausing at the bottom again. "We're headin' out, Mum." He called out tentatively, then when there was no response he set the case down and headed for the kitchen. "Mum?"
He stopped in the doorway and Buffy looked around him. She gasped and hurried around him to the crumpled form of her mother on the kitchen floor. "Oh my god, oh my god! Mommy!" She started screaming frantically and touched her mom's neck. There was a faint pulse, but she didn't feel much relief. She looked up at Spike with lost, wide eyes.
"Callin' an ambulance," he nodded and grabbed the phone so he could dial the paramedics. He moved around the corner to talk to them. After a moment, he hung up the phone and went to kneel beside her. "Gonna be here in jus' a few minutes, pet. Jus' try an' calm down a bit before you pass out yourself." He pulled her into his lap. "It'll be all right."
She tucked her head under his chin and let herself take comfort from him. Her eyes remained on Joyce, though, as she waited for help to come. Her teeth worried her bottom lip as she wondered what had happened? Stress... fatigue? Her mom wasn't sick... just couldn't be that. Her mind refused to accept that possibility.
*****
Buffy sat in the chair in the waiting room with her legs drawn up, balancing a cup of coffee Spike had brought her on her knees with her pale hand. She was staring at it morosely as she waited for the doctor to come out to tell her any news on what was wrong with her mom. Spike was beside her, sitting there stiffly. Unsure of what to do. He kept casting furtive glances towards the slayer, a bit worried at her silence.
Finally, the doctor approached them and Spike jumped up quickly. As eager for word on Joyce as her daughter. The doctor cleared his throat and looked between them. "Seems I have a bit of bad news. We obviously didn't get all of it during the surgery and it has come back, bigger than last time. We can try chemo, but it doesn't look good."
"The... the surgery? Didn't get what... what came back?" Her green eyes blinked rapidly, utterly confused. She slowly stood beside Spike and leaned into him for support without knowing what she was doing.
"She has had brain cancer for some time now. A few months ago we performed surgery on it to remove it and thought we got all of it, but as I said, we obviously didn't. We are going to do a scan, because often it can spread to other organs. As far along as she is, it is likely it probably has here."
Buffy frowned and looked up at Spike shocked. He looked just as shocked, squeezing her hand almost painfully. "Can we see her yet?" He asked finally.
"She's just coming around," the doctor nodded and turned to lead them towards her room. "Not for too long, though, she needs her rest. We will need to keep her a few days to do tests and keep her under observation."
Joyce pushed herself to sit up a bit straighter as she saw them walk in and offered Buffy a reassuring smile. "Hey there, honey. I'm feeling better already, I'm so sorry to have scared you like that."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Buffy stood there, staying at a distance and feeling a bit betrayed. Over the last few days it had just seemed to be one bad thing after another... she had thought she had finally caught a break... but no... "How could you keep something like this from me? Brain cancer? He says its pretty bad... were you going to tell me some time before you... you..." She turned to the thing closest to her, which happened to be Spike. She buried her face into his shoulder and started crying again.
"Buffy..." Joyce shook her head and wanted to hold her baby, make everything okay. "It was while you were off at college. I didn't want to worry you, honey. I got the surgery and hoped that would be the end of it."
"I am sick of people doing that to me..." Buffy grumbled and wiped her nose on Spike's jacket, earning her an exasperated look. She rolled her eyes back up at him. "Sure you've gotten worse on it, sheesh."
"Prob'ly," he sighed and went to get a paper towel.
Buffy moved over closer to Joyce. "It's all my fault... the stress of me coming home like this... probably what made you pass out..."
"Which is a good thing because now we know the tumor came back," she smiled softly and took Buffy's hand, patting it gently. "Relax, it'll be fine. If something happens to me, I know you will be taken care of, Spike promised me." She chuckled.
"That is so not comforting..." her tongue came out and she made a face. "You need to work on the pep talks." She scuffed her shoe. "I just wish you had told me sooner. Wouldn't have stayed away so much if I knew my days with you were numbered."
"I was sort of hoping they weren't, though, honey," Joyce chuckled and squeezed her hand. "I knew you had more important things to deal with, anyways. As for now, I will keep fighting, I haven't given up just yet, honey. But for now, we both could use some rest. Big hectic night... nights, actually."
"I'll come back and visit again tomorrow... and the day after that... and for however long you are here." She nodded eagerly.
"No, Buffy, I appreciate it, but no. I know you hate hospitals as much as I do, more even. You also have things to deal with and I'm a big girl, I can take care of this. I'll call you if I need anything and the hospital has everyone's numbers, so surely one of them will get hold of you if anything happens." She patted Buffy's hand and looked around her as Spike came back in. "Take my daughter to get some rest, Spike. Don't let her haunt the hospital thinking it will help any and make sure she eats well."
"You do realize that means blood, mom, right? You just told him to gorge me on blood..." She blinked at Joyce as if she had lost it.
"Yes, I do. You're a vampire now and you need to feed to stay well. You can't very well starve yourself because you think its icky."
"Geez, I know that, mom..." She blushed faintly. Gawd, she was getting vampire tips from her mother... "Fine, I'll go. Just promise me you'll call when you get out to tell me what's what."
She hugged Joyce and turned back to head towards the door where Spike was waiting. He waved at Joyce and stepped back, keeping his jacket a safe distance from the snotty nosed slayer with bad manners. He followed her towards the door and glanced up.
"Guess we'll go back t' the house an' get your suitcase. I made some calls an' had Clem look for an apartment in town. He'll call me when he finds somethin'... told him a two room like ya said." His jaw started working as he walked with her towards Revello Drive. Bloody annoying bint and her million rules... he would just have to wear her down until she saw the error of her ways.
*****
Willow headed into Spike's crypt after no one answered her knock. Giles had come back with Xander the night before and she had gotten to work on making sure he wasn't still under a thrall. Xander was all thrall free, which reinforced their idea that Spike might have went ahead and killed Dracula. Xander was being fawned over by Anya while Giles, Tara, and her had continued to research turned slayers. Giles said one of the brides had told him that Buffy still had her soul for one. They hadn't found much, though. Probably most demons and vampires just simply killed the slayers they attacked so turning them was really rare. They would just have to see when they found Buffy. Giles will surely want to ask her a million questions.
They assumed that if Spike killed Dracula, it must have been because he had found Buffy and that he must have took her and run. They had waited for word from Spike or Buffy. They had gotten nothing.
So now, Willow was here to see for herself. She glanced around before heading to the ladder leading down to the lower level, poking her head down into the hole. There was still no sign of either of them. No sign of a struggle either. Though... there were shackles on the bed... She blinked and glanced around again. There was a dress on the floor. Unless Spike had a secret life they didn't know about... that seemed to point at a girl, probably Buffy, having been there.
So, she took this as a good sign and straightened, dusting her hands off before heading for the door again. They were obviously out. Maybe Spike was all showing Buffy how to be a vampire. She paused as she was about to leave when the thought struck her to leave a note. There wasn't a pen and paper around. She grinned and lifted a finger, the tip lighting before she began writing her note on the door. Buffy, We're worried and want to hear from you as soon as possible. ~Willow
tbc...
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