He'd been making good headway at it when Buffy rushed in with her Watcher, Xander and that other vampire, Angel. The first vampire who had dared to touch Buffy. The one responsible for her not being able to love him, Riley, no matter how much he tried to love her.

They’d started out good together and he thought she was finally falling for him. Then that damned blonde vampire showed up and Buffy had gotten more and more distracted by him. She'd even let Dracula bite her! Seemed you had to be a monster to get her to love you.

Well, he was feeling pretty damned monster-ish about now, he thought as he struggled to sit up. That damned idiot Xander had zapped him with his own taser!

                                    **************************************

It had been several weeks since Riley had kidnapped Spike. His legs were healed enough that he had only a slight limp. Spike kept reassuring Buffy that in a few more weeks, he'd be just fine. The limp would heal too.

He resumed patrolling with her every night since he was able to walk again; even though in the beginning all he could do was watch and warn her of danger.

Xander, Willow, Giles and even Anya had gone with Buffy on patrol until Spike could walk, and occasionally afterwards while he still couldn't fight.

Although he’d had to leave that first night, Angel had come back from L.A. just a couple of nights afterwards. He’d had to make arrangements on a case he’d been working. But then Angel stayed for a short time, watching over his childe, helping to care for him as well as helping Buffy patrol right after they had rescued the battered blonde vampire. Angel had also allowed Spike to feed from him on a couple of occasions, the sire blood being strong and helping Spike to heal faster.

Buffy had also given him blood, knowing the Slayer blood would help as well. The blonde vampire worried about that and neither he nor Angel would let Buffy give blood to him too often. She needed her strength for fighting.

They had seen nothing of Riley since that night.

Buffy told Spike about the threats Angel, Giles and Xander had made to Riley. That had really surprised him!

 The only good thing to come out of that torture, as far as Spike was concerned, was that Buffy finally realized after all the months they had been together, that she loved him.

Spike couldn't believe his good luck. The Slayer loved him as much as he loved her, and his Sire hadn't killed him!

Now if he just finished healing a bit faster......

                                    ****************************************

From deep inside the cover of the bushes, eyes watched the Slayer as she patrolled with the blonde vampire at her side each night.

They could wait. Sooner or later she'd be alone.

The eyes continued to watch. The chance would come.

                                    ***************************************

Buffy had just hung up the phone after her weekly report to Angel about how Spike was doing. She was really glad that Angel had accepted her being with Spike. She was equally glad that Spike was healing so well. She just wished he were back to full strength. They'd had to be very careful loving each other with him so hurt. Spike had told her it was worth a minor bit of pain, although Buffy hated to cause him any pain.

She and Angel had gotten Spike a new wheelchair in the beginning. They knew there were too many bad memories associated with the old one that had still been at the mansion.

Spike had gotten out of it as fast as he could, depending on crutches instead. Buffy thought she could understand how he'd felt.

She'd worried a lot right after they had rescued him. It was hard to believe that Riley had tortured Spike like that! Buffy berated herself wondering how she could have missed seeing that side of him while they were together. But after weeks of quiet, she had begun to think Riley'd taken the threats made against him seriously. She certainly hoped so. They had not so much been threats as they were promises. Serious promises at that.

                                    ********************************

Several months had passed since the attack on Spike. He was back to his aggravating and lovable self. He worked out with Buffy and Giles every day to regain his strength.

Spike had even suggested that Xander do some training with them. It might be a good idea for the brunette to know a bit more about fighting than he did now. Xander would rush in, so it was really for his protection too.

Angel had made the trip to Sunnydale several times to check on Buffy and Spike over those months. Everyone seemed pleased with Spike's progress.

Giles and Xander were more comfortable with both Angel and Spike now than before.

* Must have been that male bonding when they threatened Riley. * Buffy mused to herself.

"Hey Babe, ready to go out and kick some demon ass?" Buffy teased the sexy blonde vampire at her side.

"Yeah, luv. Keeps me from havin' my arse kicked by you." Spike teased back.

"Not that you could actually take me if I wasn't bloody hurt."

"Think so, blondie? I seem to remember..."

"Don't go there, Slayer!"

The two lovers still bickered like always, but now there was an undercurrent of love in their fights.

Buffy giggled at Spike. "Oooo! Almost forgot. Giles needs you to go grab a new weapon he has for me before we head out tonight, please. I'll go on and head over to the cemetery and you can just meet me there."

"Slayer, you know I don't like you patrolling alone."

"Oh, and I did it for how long before we hooked up?"

"You had my sire watching your back even if you didn't know it."

"Well, I'm a big girl. I can handle a few minutes alone on patrol, Spike."

"Bleedin' stubborn woman..." He pulled her close and kissed her.

"You knew that about me to start with." Buffy grinned at Spike after the kiss.

"Yeah, don't know why I bloody well put up with you, pet."

"Cause you love me." She told him as she danced back out of his grasp.

"Oh, yeah. Throw that in my face, why don't you."

This was a frequent conversation between them. Both of them knew they were teasing, hiding the depth of their feelings behind the mock argument.

Spike grabbed Buffy and kissed her soundly before suddenly turning her loose.

"Go before I throw you on the bed and have my wicked way with you." Spike flashed her that smile that said he was thinking of things two people could do in the dark, on sheets that smelled of sweat, vanilla and other bodily fluids.

"Well... you could try..." She laughed at him. "I love you, Spike. Meet you in a few."

"I love you too, Slayer. I won't be long. Be careful until I get there." He growled the last at her.

They headed out the door, shared a quick kiss, then each going a different direction. Spike headed toward Gils’ to pick up the proffered weapon while Buffy made her way to the cemetery. It was a trip she could do with her eyes closed.

                                    ****************************************

The eyes watched her. They saw the vampire kiss her, laugh with her. The vampire had gone a different direction while the Slayer had continued on to the cemetery.

The chance had come finally. Now to get in position.

                                    ***************************************

Buffy walked through the cemetery gates as she had done a thousand other nights. As usual, she checked out the new graves, the usual places vamps might hide, and then sat on the bench waiting for Spike while there was nothing stirring just yet.

                                    **************************************

The Slayer sat down right in front of the watching eyes. She was alone. It was time.

                                    **************************************

Buffy heard a soft sound behind her and quickly started to turn. Her vamp sense hadn't alerted her to anything!

Before she could get a glimpse of who was behind her, excruciating pain exploded from her shoulder then throughout her entire body and darkness swallowed her world.

                                    **************************************

Spike looked for Buffy at the bench where the often sat and waited when the evening was a bit slow. He didn't see her, which was odd. There were no sounds of a fight within his hearing. He didn't smell any vamps or demons anywhere. There was a strange scent in the air, but he couldn't tell what it was.

Suddenly his mouth went dry as he saw Buffy's stake lying on the ground at the base of the bench! Spike started looking frantically trying to find her.

He covered as much ground as possible as quickly as he could yet found no sign of her. Spike went back to the bench to try and follow the odd smell, which so far was his only clue.

He traced it back into the bushes behind where she'd been sitting. There was a well-worn area where someone or something had taken shelter then often. A freshly broken branch let him know someone had been there very recently.

Someone who had been watching his Slayer, his Love.

Spike turned and ran as hard as he could to Giles.

                                    ****************************************

"Watcher!" Spike burst into Giles's door, not even knocking or slowing down. "Watcher! Buffy..."

Giles grabbed the vampire to slow him down. "Spike, what's wrong? Where is Buffy? Is she ok?"

Dried streaks and smudges of dirt begrimed the vampire's face. "I don't know. She went on to the cemetery like I told you. She wasn’t anywhere I could find and she’d know to wait for me at a certain bench. We have a good view of most of the place from there. But she wasn’t there, just her stake on the ground. I can’t find a trace of her. Bloody hell, Rupert, help me find her!"

Spike NEVER called him by his given name unless it was urgent! And Buffy was missing!

"I'll alert Xander, so he can call the others. We'll both go to try and find her."

Giles quickly called Xander.

"Xander, this is an emergency. Buffy is missing. Call everyone and come to the cemetery to help us look for her. I'm going with Spike now."

Giles slammed down the phone and ran out the door with Spike.

                                    **************************************

As soon as she cut the connection with Xander, Willow picked the phone back up and called Angel in LA.

"Angel. We need you!" Willow almost yelled at him as soon as she heard his voice on the other end.

"Willow? What's wrong?" Angel had heard the fear and tears in Willow's voice.

"Buffy is missing. Giles went with Spike to find her. Xander called me. We don't know much more than that right now. Giles didn't give any explanations. But you know if something or someone took Buffy, it can’t be good."

"I'm on the way, Willow. Let them know." Angel hung up the phone and ran for the door. He knew he'd be breaking speed limits the whole way there.

                                    *************************************

Buffy slowly became aware of her surroundings. She was lying on something hard, inside a building. Her hands were secured to something above and slightly over her head and she’d been blindfolded. Her feet were also restrained. The restraint felt like one of those plastic things the police used, but she knew it wasn't the police that had her. She wasn't a donut.

* Great, Buffy. Make jokes while you're tied up by who knows who or where or why. *

She could hear someone in the room with her. They must be human, cause her vamp sense wasn't going off, so no vamp, no demon.

She could tell that she ached all over but had no idea what had happened. Her head was pounding so bad she thought it might explode right there. Might as well get it over with and find out how much worse it was going to get. She had a bad feeling about this.

"Who's there? Where am I? Why am I here?" She called out to who or whatever was in the room with her.

A large hard hand grabbed her by the throat and a harsh male voice whispered,

" Doesn't matter where you are or who I am. What does matter is you are going to help me with a problem. I've seen you with that vampire. He'll come looking for you to rescue you. He'll bring the other one with him too. That's why you are here,"

"W-why do you want the two vampires here?"

"I want to kill them. What else?"

A fist struck her hard in the temple and the world began to vanish again as she hid behind eyelids laced with red light.

                                    ************************************

Giles, Xander and Spike had searched everywhere they could think of, yet had found no sign of Buffy. Spike had terrorized a few demons they did find but even they denied having seen the Slayer that evening. The anxiety mounted higher as they headed back to Giles’ house to wait for the girls.

Willow and Tara had tried to search magickally, but had no luck either. The two witches were still at their house and would be over very soon, they’d said.

"Spike, can you feel her at all?" Giles asked the distraught vampire.

"Yeah, she keeps coming and going in my head. But I can't bloody find her!" Spike was distraught and frustrated with ‘glimpses’ of the blonde Slayer, but never long enough for him to determine a direction to look for her.

"Coming and going?" Xander asked, confused.

"I suspect someone is knocking her out when she regains consciousness." Giles told them.

Just then, Willow and Tara burst into the room, Angel right behind them.

The larger, dark-haired vampire grabbed Spike, picking him up by his shirtfront.

" Why weren't you with her!!" Angel's game face slid down.

"Angel!" Giles grabbed the older vampire's arm. "It's not his fault! He came to pick up some weapons for Buffy as she and I had asked him. She insisted on going to the cemetery alone. She told him it would only be a few minutes."

Angel just looked at Giles. "He should have been with her!"

"Angel, no body can be with her 24 hours a day, every second. You know that. Hitting Spike won't help find her." Willow told the angry vampire, her hand on the arm holding Spike.

"She's right, Angel " Giles said quietly.

With great effort, Angel uncurled his hand out of Spike's shirt, releasing his childe, his love's lover.

Angel collapsed into a chair and put his head in his hands, shoulders shaking slightly.

Willow and Tara put their arms around him.

Spike dropped back down into the chair from where Angel had picked him up. The blonde vampire wasn’t in any better emotional shape than Angel.  Willow looked at Tara, understanding passing between them. Tara stayed with Angel while Willow went to Spike and held him.

Giles was frantic. He had two crying vampires in his living room and his Slayer was missing.

Angel finally got himself back under control and with haunted eyes, looked at Giles. "What happened?"

"Spike came by to pick up a new weapon I'd gotten for Buffy. He was less then 5 minutes behind her. She should have been fine, Angel. Spike got to the cemetery where they were suppose to meet. She wasn't there, but her stake was on the ground. Spike found no scent of vampires or demons, just an odd scent with human scent underneath it. There‘s an area in the bushes where someone has been, possibly watching her, on a regular basis as well as tonight. It appears that someone has been watching or following her for sometime waiting on an opportunity to catch her alone. This was the first time she'd been alone on patrol in months and only then for just minutes. They must have knocked her out very quickly somehow. There were no signs of a struggle."

"I can feel her, Angel. She's alive. But she keeps coming and going. They must keep knocking her out when she wakes up. She's not conscious long enough for me to find her. Damn it all to hell!" Spike slammed his fist into his other hand trying to resist the urge to break Giles’ apartment into splinters. It wouldn’t help them find Buffy and would certainly brass off the Watcher.

"Can you feel her at all? Maybe the two of us can find her... I'm afraid for her, Angel" Spike hid his face again in his hands.

They all knew what it had taken for Spike to admit he was afraid for Buffy in front of them. It meant he was much more frightened for her than he was actually saying.

"Giles, remember the spell I used on Angel before to find Spike? Would that work on both Spike and Angel to help them locate Buffy?" Willow asked, a glimmer of hope in her voice.

"It just might at that, Willow. Do you want them to try that, Angel? Spike?"

"Please, Willow." "Yes!" Angel and Spike both answered quickly.

Willow grabbed Tara and rushed up the stairs to do the spell and enhance the vampire’s connection with the missing Slayer.

                                    ************************************

Consciousness returned again. Buffy was certain someone had marched an army through her mouth while she was unconscious by the way it felt. And every damned one of them had kicked her in the head as they walked by… She was sure of it!

Buffy was also worried about Spike and Angel. She could feel Angel close by and knew he wasn't in LA any longer. Someone must have called him.

As much as she wanted to be rescued, she also didn't want this madman, whoever he was, to get his hands on either of the men she loved. But she didn't know what she could do to stop them, or to rescue herself.

"Whoever you are... Can I have a drink of water, please?

"Sure." The man whispered.

Water was poured in her face. She managed to drink some as it poured over her.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why do you want to kill the vampires?

"They took something from me. I want to take something just as important from them. You. Then I’ll rid them of their un-natural life, so you’ll know how it feels too. They took someone I loved, so

I took you from them. Then I'll take them from you."

"They couldn't have taken anyone from you. One of them has a soul. He doesn't kill. He hasn't in over 100 years."

* Except for those few months a couple of years ago. * She thought to herself. "The other one has an implant in his head from the government. He can't hurt any human at all."

"Oh, they didn't kill this person. Just took them away. They'll pay for that. So will you. But right now, why don't we have a little fun?"

"What do y...."? A hand slapped her across the face, hard.

"Shut up! Not a sound out of you until I tell you otherwise."

She felt something cold against her skin. Buffy realized it was the back edge of a knife and he was using it to cut her clothes down the middle.

*Oh, god! What’s he planning to do to me? *

She gasped in her mind, all too afraid she knew.

Once her clothes were sliced open, she felt the unknown man pull them apart. She heard a zipper and then he thrust into her, hard, dry and tearing. She couldn't stop the whimper that escaped from the pain of his assault on her.

His hand grabbed her throat in a punishing grip.

"I said not a sound!" He slapped her again with the other hand.

The unknown man continued to plunge into her. She was not dry any more, but it was her blood that helped him to slide in and out of her. Buffy bit her lip against the pain and tried to keep from calling mentally to Spike. She tried to ignore what the man was doing to her and concentrated on blanking her mind to Spike and Angel both.

                                    ************************************

Willow and Tara came back into the living room at Giles's house. "The spell is done. Can you feel her any better? Can you tell where she is?"

Angel and Spike sat facing each other, hands clasped, reaching for Buffy with their inner senses.

Pain rolled over them, hard and heavy, searing them. They gasped together, understanding that the pain they felt was Buffy’s pain. Both vampires recognized the cause, realized what was being done to her. Both felt the demon visage pulled forward by their anger.

Shaken, they released their grip on each other.

Angel forced his human face back down over his features and stood very shakily. He pulled Giles down the hallway.

"Giles, send Willow and Tara home. Buffy is being raped. I think just you, I, Spike and Xander should handle this."

"My god, Angel! I think you’re right; the girls should stay here or perhaps even go back to their apartment. I'll get them to get some clothes to take with us for Buffy. Do you think you and Spike can find her now?"

"Yeah. Spike and I can track her." Angel growled. Who ever had Buffy was in serious danger once Angel found them.

Giles walked back into the living room with the older vampire. Spike was still sitting on the sofa, still in game face, growling low in his chest.

"Willow, I want you and Tara to go home please. If you can go by and pick up some of Buffy’s clothes as well as some first aid supplies, we’ll be by your apartment in a few minutes to get them from you." Giles tried to convince Buffy’s best friend to wait at home for them.

"Giles.... This is not good! You want us to leave. Spike is all grrr, but Xander gets to stay. What did you pick up, Angel?" Willow walked over to the vampire and grabbed him by his shirt.

"WHAT!?"

Angel's face morphed again.

"Just go. Please, Willow." He growled through his fangs.

Willow determinedly hung onto Angel's shirt, looking right into his golden eyes.

"Buffy's being raped isn't she!" Willow demanded in a low voice Angel wasn’t familiar with. He could feel the rage in the redheaded witch like an almost tangible force that threatened to spill from her skin.

"Yes!" Angel and Spike both growled.

Tara pulled Willow's hand away from Angel's shirt.

"Willow, let's go get her some clothes, blankets and some other first aid supplies as well."

Tara pulled Willow out the door, a firm expression on her face. Willow's face was as hard as stone.

Xander got up from where he'd been sitting quietly and walked over to Angel and Giles, now standing next to Spike.

" Do you know where she is?"

"Yes."

"What do you need me to do?"

" Get us four knives from the weapons chest. We have no idea what we’re up against."

"Make it three." Angel said. "I have my own weapons."

"Angel...." Xander started in a dangerous voice none of them had ever heard before.

" Three, Xander."

Xander looked at Angel for a long hard minute. He turned and looked at Giles and Spike. He saw no contradiction in their face.

"Three it is." The young brunette headed up the stairs for the requested weapons.

                                    ******************************************

The driving punishment had finally stopped. Buffy lay bleeding, sticky with blood and semen. She could tell her enhanced Slayer healing was helping to stop the bleeding, but she still felt weak.

Suddenly there was a wash of cool wind that flowed over her and through her, calming her, helping her to heal. It filled her with strength as it played over her skin.

Inside of her head, she ‘heard’ Willow calling her name.

** Buffy, the men are coming to get you away. We know what has happened to you. Do you know where you are or who took you? **

Buffy tried to gather her thoughts, using the meditation techniques Giles had taught her.

** Willow, I don't know where or who. Building. Trap for Spike and Angel. Wants to kill them. **

It was all Buffy could manage, before she finally passed out.

                                    *******************************************

Willow, still in trance with Tara as her anchor to the physical world, reached out for Xander's mind. They'd kissed, they had a long history, Willow thought she could reach him through that link, instead she was surprised to find herself in contact with Giles.

** Willow? **

** Giles, sent healing to Buffy. In a building, trap. Wants to kill Spike and Angel.**

** Willow? Get back before you get lost. Will tell them and protect. **

** Ok. Needed to know and tell. Out now **

Willow collapsed once the trance ended. Tara had suspected this would happen and had prepared for it with blankets and hot tea waiting for her partner.

Giles told the other three what had just happened.

"If he knows about us and knows what we are, he'll be prepared with the right weapons to kill us."  Angel summed up the situation they were facing. "We'll have to be careful."

"I'll go in first." Xander told them, hard determination in his voice.

"Xander...." Angel and Giles both said at once.

"I SAID, *I* go in FIRST!" This was a Xander that none of them had ever seen before. A Xander that was confident, assured and perhaps even a bit ruthless.

"Alright. I have something for all of us then." Giles reached in a chest and pulled out 4 bulletproof vests. “If they’ll stop bullets, hopefully they'll stop stakes as well.”

Each of the men donned their vests before getting into Giles’ car and heading over to Willow and Tara’s for the waiting clothing and supplies.

Once there, a still weary Willow had questions for the older Watcher.

"Giles, why did I get you instead of Xander?"

She explained her reasoning to Giles about contacting Xander, but clearly didn’t understand what had happened.

"I suspect it's our previous work together and my past magickal background." The older man explained hurriedly to the younger witch.

"Oh, right. We can figure it out later. Hurry, and get her." She said quietly.

"We will, Willow."

Spike hesitantly went to the redhead. He'd not managed to pull his human face back on yet.

Willow just looked at his ridged and fanged face before trailing a gentle finger across a brow ridge.

"Thank you for reassuring her and helping her." Spike managed to tell the young witch before lowering his demon-faced visage to kiss her cheek.

"I love her too, Spike."

He could only nod at her, before they left in search of Buffy.

                                    ***************************************

Buffy struggled her way back up through the darkness to consciousness again. She felt somewhat better, thanks to Willow's help. The bleeding from her wounds had stopped but she was in serious pain from the brutal attack

"Back again? How long before you think your monsters will come to save you?"

"I- I don't know." Buffy didn’t know if she should try to stall the person or answer truthfully.

"They can take their time. There might even be something left of you when they get here."

She screamed then, as she felt something hot and burning like a cigarette pushed against her breast.

                                    ************************************

Giles drove where Angel and Spike told him and soon located a building off the road, back under a thick stand of trees. The road was completely empty except for the one structure. Giles cut the engine of the car and pulled quietly into the high grass edging the trees.

The four men and vampires emerged from the car, carefully closing the doors to prevent any noise that might betray their presence. Fanning out from each other, they scouted the area around the building seeking the best way inside as well as any potential dangers

 Xander saw the door first and motioned the others to stop.

"Ok. I'll pull the door open and go in first. You wait. He may think I'm alone. Give me 30 seconds, then come in. I'll have a chance to see what kind of weapons he's got." Xander explained his plan to them quickly but quietly, his voice barely more than a whisper on the night air.

" Angel and I will take whoever it is. Giles, you get Buffy loose, then Spike can take her to the car. We may need you then, Giles, depending on how many there are or what they are.”

"I'll kill him for this." Spike growled back in a whisper of sound.

"You can't. You still have a chip in your head and Buffy will need you with her. You can get her out in a hurry and protect her better by getting her away from more danger in here. Try to kill him and the chip may kill you." Xander might not like Spike even now, but the brunette knew the blonde vampire loved Buffy and would risk himself for her.

"I'll kill him.." Spike growled softly again.

"Spike!" Angel growled quietly in his 'Sire' voice.

"Xander’s right. You take Buffy to safety. She'll want you with her."

"He won't leave here alive, Spike. I promise you that." Xander and Angel turned to look at the Watcher, hearing something unusual in his voice.

Ripper was all the way out. None of them had ever seen Giles like this. They didn't know if they ever wanted to after tonight.

Spike finally nodded in agreement, knowing they were right but not liking the situation at all..

Huddled to the sides of the doorway, they waited while Xander made his move, pulling the door quickly open and stepping inside. The younger man almost faltered as he saw who had kidnapped Buffy, but caught himself quickly. In another glance, he took in the blindfold, blood and wounds on Buffy. His anger nearly got the best of him as he tried to speak, yet could only manage one word.

"You!"

The man just grinned evilly at Xander and raised the stake-loaded crossbow.

"Turn her loose."

"Not likely. Not until the vampires get here."

The man said, still keeping his voice disguised.

"They aren't coming. We know about the trap, so the crossbow won't help you."

Giles, Angel and Spike heard the remark as Xander had meant for them to do. Now they knew what type of weapon they’d face initially.

" Angel, stay low..” Giles/Ripper started to tell the older vampire. “Bloody hell, you know what to do better than I do. Just get her out, Spike and watch out for the cross bow."

"This seems to be someone we might know from they way they are talking, but Xander isn't letting on to Buffy who it is. I think he’s a reason for that. Let's keep it that way." Angel whispered.

At the agreed signal, they rushed the building. Angel threw the knife Spike couldn't use, catching the man in the shoulder and knocking him to the floor. Xander and Angel tackled him before he could struggle back to his feet and secured him.

Several feet away, Giles quickly cut Buffy's bonds as Spike scooped her into his arms and ran from the building to Giles’ car before he paused.

                                    ****************************************

Having gotten Buffy away from the building, only then did Spike take time to remove the blindfold that obscured her vision. He understood why Xander hadn't given the man away. Buffy needed some illusions. Besides, the man was going to die anyway.

"Spike, you're here, you're here...." Buffy broke into wracking sobs, clinging to Spike as he eased her into the back of the car, and wrapping her with the blanket. Clothes would have to wait. He pulled her into his lap, demon face out once more. Spike held her, a sound somewhere between a growl and a purr coming from his throat.

"Mine. Mine. I love you."

Buffy managed to reach one hand up to touch his face. "I love you too. And you're mine." She would have giggled if the situation hadn’t been so horrible and her so injured. The sound Spike was making sounded like someone trying to gargle a cat. Instead Buffy took a deep breath and leaned into his shoulder.

                                    ***************************************

"You were told not to come back after what you did to Spike. You claimed to love her so how could you treat her like this?" Angel snarled through fanged teeth.

"She couldn't love me because of you. Because of what you are and I’m not, after what you put her through. Then that other vampire came around. He wanted her too, even after I threatened him before I left. He's still with her now, even after I tried to beak him apart. But no..  She couldn't love me, just used me. You two took her from me... so I tried to take her from you. Now, I'll still try to take you from her. Let her feel what it's like to lose someone you love.  Besides, what are you going to do about it? You have a soul, you can't kill me." The man sneered at the dark haired vampire.

"Wrong guess." Angel said very quietly. "And she knows better than you what it feels like to have someone she loves taken away…  By her own hand."

Giles and Xander held Riley down as Angel sank his fangs into him. He stopped long before he drained him. Then he traded places with Xander, holding Riley.

"You raped her, you burned her. She had trusted you. You said you loved her."

Xander got his knife out and cut Riley’s pants open. “Let’s see.. This was the ‘weapon’ you used on her wasn’t it?”

Without waiting for the answer Xander knew would not be forthcoming, he used that same knife to castrate the man he had once admired. Angel kept his hand over Riley's mouth to muffle the screams.

Xander took Giles’ place helping Angel to hold Riley. Not that Angel really needed the help, especially wounded as Riley was now.

"You only thought you knew me, Riley. Otherwise, you'd have listened after you tortured Spike and got away with your life." Ripper quickly carved several symbols in Riley's chest. They would start to work after Riley was dead.

"I get to finish now. No, I won't turn him." Angel said at a look from the other two men. "But you might want to leave now. This is going to be messy."

Xander and Ripper nodded, turned their backs and walked out.

Behind them, came the sound of wet, tearing flesh, the pop of bones and the muffled tearing thud of joints breaking.

                                    *****************************************

Outside, Xander stood with Giles as the older man managed to push ‘Ripper’ back down inside of himself.

It seemed only moments later that Angel came out behind them, human face on like nothing had happened. He carried a jug of water with him.

"You guys might want to wash up a bit before we go to the car." Angel suggested, glancing at Xander and Giles’ arms and hands. The shirt fronts would have to do as they were..

While not nearly as bad as Angel, each of them was wearing a share of Riley’s blood.

"Good idea." "Yes, quite."

The three men, a bit damp but much cleaner, walked back to the car. Angel climbed into the back with Spike and Buffy. He was worried not only about Buffy, but his childe’s earlier actions gave him some concern too.

Spike still rocked Buffy in his arms, making that growling purr. He let Angel slide next to Buffy, putting an arm around her but only because Angel was his sire. Spike still looked hard at the older vampire as he tightened his arm around Buffy ever so slightly. The blonde vampire only uttered one word to his sire. "Mine."

"Yes, Spike. She’s yours."

                                    *************************************

Buffy healed slowly. Her body was well long before her emotions. She had nightmares and could not stand being alone, or in the dark.

At first Angel and Spike took turns guarding her or simply keeping her company so she’d not be alone. However if neither vampire could be with her, they made sure that someone was at all times.

When Buffy was better, her spirit and emotions finally healing, she began to ask questions about who had kidnapped her and why they had done such horrible things to her. No one had good answers to give her without telling her the truth as to the man’s identity. They wanted to preserve that illusion for her and tried to tell as much of the truth as possible otherwise.

"It was a man who had gone insane, Buffy. He'd lost someone he'd cared for and for some reason you reminded him of her. He was insane, Buffy. Remember that." Giles reassure her. It was basically the truth, just not all of it.

"What happened to him?" She asked in a quiet, quivering voice, afraid he'd come back.

"The proper authorities took care of him. He'll never bother you ever again, Buffy." Angel told her, knowing what she was really asking.

* I recognized some of those symbols Ripper used from when I was in Hell. Oh, yeah, the proper authorities got Riley. * Angel thought to himself.

Buffy looked at Angel, seeing no clue of prevarication in the vampire’s expression. She looked at Spike, reaching for his hand.

"So I'll be ok?"

"Yes, Luv. He'll never hurt you again. We're here. I love you." Spike leaned over to kiss her forehead.

Angel and Spike had done her patrols for a week before Angel had to return to LA.

He had a talk with Spike before he left.

" You claimed her as yours. You know I expect you to take care of her. You also know I'll always love her too."

"I’ll always take care of her, or at least as much as she’ll let me or I can get away with doing. Yeah, I do know a part of her will always belong to you. I don’t have to like it, but I know it’s there. Bloody hell, you're my Sire; a part of me will always belong to you too. She's mine, but I know she's also ours."

Angel smiled at the younger vampire and hugged him before he left.

"Be sure I get an invitation."

Spike looked at the older vampire puzzled as to what Angel meant.

                                    **********************************

Spike wished he could resurrect Riley and kill him all over again. Buffy’s internal injuries had been much worse than they had imagined.

*The bastard used more than himself on her. The doctors aren’t even sure if she'll ever be able to have children, not that I can give her a child anyway. *

Buffy’s nightmares lasted for several weeks. She'd wake them all as the night echoed with her screams. Whoever braved her trashing limbs to wake her would hold her, murmuring words f comfort and reassurance until she was calm again. Most often it was Spike since he slept next to her and she couldn’t really hurt him with a misplaced fist.

Even thought he slept next to the abused Slayer, it was even longer before she could bring herself to allow any intimacy with the vampire she loved.

After a couple of weeks, Buffy was able to get out of bed although none of her friends let her go out of the house or do very much. She didn't seem to have much desire to do so anyway.

Spike reassured her over and over of his love. He held her during the night, cursing the man who'd hurt her because of him; and cried silently while he held her, keeping the nightmares away from both of them.

                                    ************************************

Buffy was finally better. It had been weeks since her attack. She still didn't like being alone, didn't patrol alone at all. She learned from Willow how frantic Spike had been ad her loss and had to smile. She understood how he’d felt because she’d gone through the same thing when he’d been taken before. She shook her head remembering that it had taken something so drastic to make her realize how much she loved that blonde idiot of a vampire.

On a night soon after those thoughts, Slayer and vampire came home to find the living room overflowing with their friends.

"What's going on? Major baddies?" Buffy asked as Spike almost ran up the stairs to their bedroom for something..

"Naw, Spike just asked us over to catch a movie with you guys. Since you were feeing better we thought it might be nice."

Willow told her best friend as she entered the room with a large bowl of popcorn, followed by Tara with a tray of hot chocolate and all the fixings.

Spike had returned to the living room and sat next to Buffy, carefully taking her hand and making sure he had her attention.

"Buffy, I have a question for you."

"Yes, Spike?"

* What IS going on? They’re all acting wiggy. Spike has been like a coiled spring all evening. *

 "I thought I'd lost you when... I don't want to ever feel that way again." Spike told the petite blonde at his side.

"Will you marry me, Buffy?"

Buffy looked at him with shock as their friends, even Xander, watched, silly grins on each face that surrounded them, hanging on every word.

* They KNEW! Every one of them knew what was going to happen. *

She looked at Spike sitting next to her, and thought about how much she loved him, how much he loved her. She gave him the only answer she could.

"Yes, Spike. I will. With all my heart."

"I never thought I'd say this, Spike. But with pleasure."

I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy.

I'll be your hope, I'll be your love be everything that you need.

I love you more with every breath truly madly deeply do..

I will be strong I will be faithful 'cos I'm counting on

A new beginning.

A reason for living. A deeper meaning.

And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,

I'll make a wish send it to heaven then make you want to cry..

The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty.

That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of..

The highest power. In lonely hours. The tears devour you..

I want to stand with you on a mountain,

I want to bathe with you in the sea.

I want to lay like this forever,

Until the sky falls down on me...