B/S Fan Fiction

A Tale of Two Hearts

By A.Price

Quentin Travers knelt between Buffy and Spike's unconcious forms. He ran one hand over Buffy's cheek, "She's quite lovely isn't she?" Quentin asked when he caught James eye in the rearview mirror.

"Yes sir, she is." James agreed hesitantly. Mr. Travers was paying him well and he needed the money if he and Maralee ever wanted to be together. He told himself that he shouldn't care what happened to the rebellious Slayer, Travers had explained that she had made fools of the Council more then once and often consorted with her mortal enemy. And as for the vampire, from what he knew about them, they were meant to be staked not studied or dallied with, as the Slayer had been known to do.

"You'll take the vampire and I'll take the slayer." Quentin told James as the van pulled into the garage of what looked like and ordinary home only two streets over from Revello Drive. But like most things in Sunnydale, looks can be deceiving and hide things - bad things.James closed the garage door and locked it, he then drug Spike from the van and unlocked a door at the back of the garage. He half carried, half drug the vampire down several steps into a very modified basement.

Quentin followed him carrying Buffy down the steps carefully. He didn't want her to know that he was involved in this situation. There were three cells in the basement, one was a regular cell with bars, a cot and small toilet in the corner. Quentin smiled as he lay Buffy on the cot. He hadn't expected to need the plumbing facilities in the cells but they now worked to his advantage. He ran his hand through Buffy's hair and left to help James.

The other two cells were soundproofed and equipped with cots and toilets also. They were cement on all sides with a small door that could be opened in the heavy door on the front of the cell for passage of food.

"Put him in here on the floor for now. I want to see how they react with each other first, before I separate them." Quentin instructed. James dropped Spike on to the hard cement floor. "We need to go into the other room now, they can't see me."

The two men made themselves comfortable in two chairs that sat in front of a console with three monitors situated on it. The screens showed to empty cells and the third which held Buffy and Spike. Spike began to move first, slowly opening his eyes and looking around the cell, as soon as his eyes fell on Buffy, his movements became quicker, within a few seconds he was at her side, her hand in his, rubbing her cheeks, calling her name.

"Buffy, Buffy, luv. Wake up." He continued calling her name. "Please pet." He looked around the cell as he continued to talk to her and try to rouse her. Where the hell were they?

After several minutes, Buffy's eye's fluttered open, "Spike?" She croaked out, her mouth felt like she had swallowed a handfull of cotton balls. Spike helped her to sit up on the cot.

"You okay?" Spike sat down beside her on the cot.

"Umm... I think so, just thirsty." She looked around the bareness of the cell, "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure. All I remember is being in the alley, you heard something, went down and I saw the dart in your back and then I felt a sting and....here we are." Spike explained as he watched her stand and walk towards the bars.

Buffy was testing the bars with both hands, "They don't look that strong, together we should be able to get out of here." She looked back at Spike with a smile.

Spike walked over to the bars and tested them, "You're right but this can't be that easy."

"Maybe we have stupid kidnappers?" Buffy grinned at him as she took a bar in each hand, Spike put his hands over Buffy's on the same bars and they began to pull - they could just feel the bars giving when they were both thrown back against the wall of the cell.

"What the?" Buffy asked as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Electric shock, I think." Spike answered as he rubbed the bump on his own head.

***

"There that will keep them in there for tonight anyway." Quentin smiled at James, "After a few days we won't need the electric shock,the drug that I mixed with the tranquilizer will weaken them both, after a few more doses mixed with their food."

"Sir, do you want me to get their food for them now?" James stood to go to the kitchen.

"Actually I'd like Maralee to take them their dinners." Quentin unlocked a drawer and handed James a vial, "Make sure to pour three drops of this into thier food, it's tasteless."

"Sir, do you think it's safe for Maralee to do this alone?" James asked wincing at the thought of the young woman alone with the captives.

"You would do well to let me worry about my neice's safety, James." Quentin told him pointedly as he closed the drawer and locked it.

"Yes sir." James took the vial and walked upstairs to the kitchen.

"James, you are back! I thought I heard the van." The pretty dark haired girl ran to greet him.

"Yes we're back." James frowned.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel, "Did you get the vampire?"

"Yes, we got him........and the slayer Buffy Summer's too."

"Buffy Summers, why?" Maralee asked confusion showing in her pretty brown eyes.

"She was with the vampire, and your Uncle decided to take her too." James sat down at the small dining table.

"I don't understand, this was just supposed to be the vampire." Maralee sat down across from him and reached across the table, placing her hand on top of his.

"I have a bad feeling about this Maralee. Your uncle would like for you to take them supper. I'm too add three drops of this," He held up the vial, "to their meals."

"What does it do?" Maralee asked frowning.

"It's only to take away their strength, to weaken them where we don't have to worry about escape."

"I don't think I like this either, James." Maralee stood and walked to the refrigerator, pulling out the makings of a salad and a packet of blood, "Buffy Summer's has a family and friends, my father told me about her before he died. And for all the bad things Uncle Quention says about her, I think there is much more too it. As for the vampire, he represents what killed my father ....." She began to prepare a chef salad in a large bowl. James poured the drug into the salad and then into the large glass of blood on the tray next to it.

"I know, Maralee. I know how terrible that was for you and to never be able to give him a proper burial." James pulled the girl close to him.

"Uncle Quentin said there was nothing left when they got to him." Maralee wiped away a tear as she readied herself to go feed the Slayer and the vampire.

"Just push the tray through the bars. We'll be watching on the monitor if anything goes wrong." James kissed her forehead and watched her balance the tray as she walked down the steps.

***

"So any ideas why we are here?" Buffy chewed on her bottom lip as she paced in front of Spike sitting on the cot.

"Only one, I was thinking maybe you've ticked someone off?" Spike shrugged.

"Me? Why would you think...?" Buffy asked irritation in her voice.

"Hmmmm.....slayer - lots of enemies?" Spike gave her a half smile.

"Oh...well actually it's been pretty slow lately. I can't imagine who would be after me, unless it's someone after my glamourous job at the Doublemeat." She sighed as she sat down by him.

"So - no new big bads?"

Buffy shook her head, "Nope."

"Your're still working at that grease trap?" Spike asked rolling his eyes at her.

"Well, yes Spike. Food, water, gas all have to be paid for." She stood up again and glared at him, "Anyway thats not exactly what is important now, we need to find out who is behind this!" She raised her arms and motioned to the bars.

***

Maralee cautiously walked towards the cell.

"Hey!" Buffy called out as the girl began to pass the tray through the small door in the bars.

"I brought you some food." Maralee told her nervously.

"Who are you? Where are we?" Buffy shouted at the girl on the other side of the bars.

Maralee took several steps back, "I can't tell you anything! I don't know."

Spike stepped forward, and put his hand on Buffy's back, "Scaring her won't help, pet."

Buffy stepped up to the bars, "I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's just that I don't know why I'm here. And you can surely understand why I'm upset."

Maralee nodded at the petite blond, she was as pretty as her father had described her. "I know you are upset, but I really can't tell you anything. I'm just suppose to bring food."

"Thank you for the food, but I really need some answers." Buffy smiled at Maralee.

"Is there someone we can talk to who has answers?" Spike asked from behind Buffy.

Maralee glared at him, "I won't speak to your kind. You killed my father."

"I haven't killed anyone in a very long time." Spike replied soflty as he approached the bars.

"I know it wasn't you personally that killed him, but it was your kind. My poor father, he was only trying to help and he died for it." She spit the words out at him before she ran out of the room.

Buffy watched as Spike sat down on the cot, his face was the picture of despair. It was as if he really cared about this girls pain, she knew Spike was quite capable of caring, he had shown it many times towards herself, her mother, Dawn, even her Xander on the rare occasion, but she'd never seen it towards a complete stranger before. "Are you okay?" She asked sitting beside him once again.

"I'm fine." Spike lied as he studied the blanket on the cot intently, "You better eat somethng, keep up your strength." This was not the time to go into the story of his new soul.

"Okay, but you need to eat too." Buffy told him as she picked up the glass of blood and handed it to him.

He looked at the blood in the glass and almost gagged, that girl was right, it had been his "kind" that killed her father, he once killed people for their blood, for his food. He had learned early after receiving his soul how easy it was to brood over things he had done, he had made a choice to accept his past and try to move on to a better future. Occasionally though, something would bring the guilt to the surface and make him think about it, the girl who had brought the food had done just that.

Buffy glanced up from her salad and smiled wearily at him. He smiled back , he had wanted his soul so he could attempt to be worthy of her, so this bit of guilt was worth that. He drank his blood like a good vampire, no need to add his brooding to her worries.

Buffy finished her last sip of water and placed the salad bowl and two glasses by the bars. "So who do you think she is?"

"I don't know Buffy, but I have a feeling she's telling the truth she really doesn't know the whole story here. I have a feeling whoever is behind this will show soon." He stood up from the cot, "Here you look tired, take the cot."

Buffy covered a yawn with her hand, "Are you sure?" She asked as she lay down and fluffed the small pillow.

"Yeah, I'll stay up for awhile, keep watch." Spike turned to face the bars.

"Spike." She called sleepily.

He turned to her, "Yes."

"There's room for two, you can keep watch from here." She scooted closer to the wall and patted the cot beside her.

"Are you sure?" He asked soflty.

"I'm sure. You'll keep me awake with all of that pacing." She grinned at him as she pulled the covers up over them and turned to face the wall. He slipped in to the cot beside her and pressed his back to hers, a soft voice behind him whispered, "Goodnight, Spike.

Despite their desperate situation, he smiled, "Goodnight, Buffy." Then he made a silent promise to get her out of this mess.