Chapter Sixteen
It’s A Tell All

Black talked for what seemed like hours on end after he came around and got cleaned up. It was understandable after he got past his reasons for being where he was now.

The question had come flying at him.

All five of them are crowded into the living room with Dawn one end of the couch with Dennis on the center cushion and Black on the other end of the couch. Spike was sitting in his favorite chair with the burgundy colored upholstery. Buffy was sitting on the air of said chair, much to Spike’s shock and delight.

"I had originally came here on a job to…”

"Please,” Spike says, “We know. Get on with it.”

Black nods curtly. “The vampire that hired me had a minion deal with when I was paid, and then again when I was…” He glances over to Dawn, and then looks back to Buffy and Spike, “Dealt with the fist time. The second time, I was taken from my motel room to the catacombs and tortured there by this vampire called Cornelius and the minions.”

“Sorry,” Buffy says, “You say ‘Cornelius and the minions’? I thought this Cornelius was the Master vampire?” She looks at Spike quickly, shrugging her shoulders.

“No. I got the feeling that Cornelius was a… hired hand or thug.” Black says before he continues where he left off.

“I’m not sure how long I stayed there, but after what seemed an eternity, Cornelius order’s the minions to clean me up. He leaves and I take my chances and got out of there. From the cave I was kept in, it’s nothing but a blur as I moved to through the catacombs. Next thing I knew I was falling to the ground.

“The next thing I knew I woke to find myself in this polished place, I’m not sure where. And there was Cornelius, leaning over me with a rag. My shirt was open, and he seemed to be cleaning me up.

“I fell back to sleep at his command, and then I woke when he was placing me on your porch. He had said, ‘Worry not, you are at the Slayers residence.’”

He shakes his head as he focuses in on his memory of that time. “I never even realized.”

“Never even realized what?” Buffy asks.

Black’s head comes up at her question. “I didn’t realize it until then, but when Cornelius brought me here, the sun was up.” He said, thinking that that answered her question.

“Wait a bleeding second.” Spike says. “I thought you said that Cornelius is a vampire? How the hell did he pull that trick without burning to dust?”

“Because Cornelius is a living vampire.” Black looks at their incredulous faces and asks, “This can’t be new to you?”

“Yes, it is. And how come I’ve never seen any, or caught any of them in the act?”

“Because they’re not the same as undead vampires, like Spike. Living vampires have warmer blood than humans, a heartbeat, and in most, they have the ability to communicate wit telepathy. They have a reflection, and they can walk in the day. The reason you don’t catch them is because they don’t kill their pray.

“Undead vampires are the opposite, all except that undead vampires are all made, and their taken over by a demon when changed. That’s why so many are very different when they’re brought over.”

“I don’t believe, because I’m a vampire and I’ve never even heard of such a thing.” Spike says as he gets to his feet and starts to pace behind his favorite chair.

“Of course you wouldn’t. They don’t like what your version of the species has done to their reputation.” Black says.

Spike turns and glares at him.

Buffy says, “We still don’t believe you, how…”

Before she can finish, however, the front down bursts open and in walks a tall, dark figure of a man. A cultured, smooth voice almost floats to their ears. “It’s all true.”

None of them are able to see what the man looks like, until he steps more into the living room. He draws back his upper lip and they all watch in amazement as his eyeteeth grow into incisors like that of cats. There are no other changes to his features.

As he closes his mouth, his teeth are all ready reforming into their human look. “I’m Cornelius, a born vampire.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” This came from Dennis as he stood from the couch as starts to make his way toward Cornelius.

Undaunted, Cornelius simply says, “Now is that any way to speak to the person who brought your father back to you?”

“He’s right Dennis.” Black says.

The house falls into silence as Buffy, Spike, and Dawn try to come to terms with what they had just learned. In the silence, Cornelius closes the door, and then comes back to stand in the entrance into the living room.

The silence is finally broken when Spike suddenly asks Black, “Why would you kill the Slayer and let those vampire’s take over?”

“There are other slayers, they could have come and take care of it. It’s not like she’s the only one, and I knew that the vampires… didn’t… know that…. And from the looks on your faces, I’m guessing you didn’t either.”

Turning to look at Buffy, Black says, “What has your father been teaching you?”

“My FATHER?” Buffy exclaims. “Don’t you mean my Watcher?”

“Oh, I see. That damn Watchers Council.” He goes onto to explain that before the Council had come along, that like other slayers, it’s a family affair with the father teaching his daughters how to slay, and all the things they need to learn.

The room falls silent again…

Chapter Seventeen
The New Big Bad

The room is silent for a long time after Black gets done with his explanations of the whole thing.

To say the least, Buffy is in a bit of a shock. Just hours ago she had thought that there is supposed to be, always was just one slayer.

And now she’s being told by an Immortal for Gods sake, that there are ‘living’ vampires, and that the council is just some power hungry cowards that wanted all the credit for themselves.

It surprises her as well because, instead of being mad like she thought she would be, she was just a little surprised that she hadn’t found out sooner with all of the other carp that she’s found on the council.

Shaking her head, she sighs as it starts to sink in. As she sat there on the arm of the chair, her mind on idle for most of the time, a thought starts to tickle the back of her mind.

All of this has to have an upside to it right? She thinks. I mean, why look at it from an… angry way. She stills her mind as the rest of the idea falls into place.

Is what it means is that I don’t… have… to be the Slayer anymore… Her thoughts are interrupted though when she hears:

“Slayer?” It’s Cornelius.

Buffy turns to him and says, “Call me Buffy.”

“Buffy, I had originally came here to warn you, not to prove something that you should already know.” His voice is still cultured, if not a little snide. However, Buffy had the feeling his snidness is directed more towards the council than it is toward her.

“What do you mean ‘warn me'?"

Buffy says. “I thought…”

“Yes, well, the vampire that hired Mr. Black here to kill is actually hired himself.” Cornelius says cryptically.

“Skip the encoding and get to the point,” Buffy says, getting impatient.

“Very well,” Cornelius says, not sure if he understood what she meant but could hear the impatience in her voice. “The vampire that hired Mr. Black is minion for The Master, who…”

“That can’t be,” Buffy says. “I killed The Master… like five years ago!”

“I know this, but you see, these vampires had ceremony done to bring The Master back.”

“What? You have ‘but’ face.” Buffy says.

Cornelius frowns but continues anyways. “However, the ceremony they had used to bring The Master back is different from your regular resurrection spells, not only because it has to work on an undead vampire, it need as well to combined the ashes from several other master vampires.”

“Wait? What will that do?” Dawn speaks for the first time in quite awhile. “Why do you sound so gloomy when you say that?” She asks Cornelius.

“Not only will he be brought back, but he’ll be stronger, faster, and harder to kill.” Buffy answers.

“There’s more,” Cornelius says as everyone falls quiet again.

“What’s more?” Spike asks frowning.

“The Master, as I recall was always a weak vampire, and, shall we say, stayed the same in shape wise. Well, as it turns out…”

“This guy talks as much as your Watcher, pet,” Spike says to Buffy. “Get on with it mate!” Spike demands.

“The Master has this new ability to morph into something more now. He grows taller, stronger than he is already, and turns into something quiet different from an ordinary undead vampire I’ve seen.” Cornelius says in his usual manner of going about things, lead back and at his own pace.

“Of course,” Buffy says as she gets up and starts to pace in front of everyone.

“What’s the matter, pet?” Spike asks.

“I knew it would happen. Not that it scares me anymore, but it does irritate me to hell. I just knew it would happen, but I had to go and listen to Giles who said, no it’s not possible, the master is gone for good…”

Cornelius and Spike share a look, as he is sure everyone else is doing as well. Turning back to the still rambling Buffy, Spike says, “Pet?”

“I knew it would happen sooner or later but he had to go…” Buffy kept going, not even hearing Spike say anything.

Finally, Spike gets up, and grabs Buffy by her shoulders and turns her to face him. Putting his finger under her chin, he lifts her head and makes her look at him as he says, “What did you know would happen, pet?”

“The Master. That he’d be back. Stronger, and bigger. But I had to go and listen to…” Buffy starts to go onto another rambling fest, but Spike stops her before she could get very far.

“What do you want us to do?” Spike asks.

“Do?” Buffy asks.

“Yes, pet. Do, as in research? Pumping some people for information? What do you want us to do?” Spike asks, trying to take her mind off Giles, thinking that he might have actually prevented a homicide. God, he’s a poof.

“Oh,” Buffy says as she looks down at the carpet as if looking for clues to this new big bad. She takes a big breath, and pulls away as she goes into slayer mode.

Now standing in the entry way to the living room, Buffy says, “I have to leave for work in about twenty minutes, so I’m going to make this quick. I don’t want anyone going on patrol while not with you… immortals included. However, I do want you guys to do research big time while I’m at work. Find any thing you can on resurrection spells concerning vampires and so on.

“Black and Dennis,” Buffy says, “Do you have anyone that you know that could get here by tomorrow evening?”

Black frowns as he thinks, and then says, “Yes, I think one of my siblings is in LA visiting relatives.”

“Good, call them. Cornelius,” Buffy addresses him, “I want you to take Dawn, to Anya’s and protect her with your life… and not a word from you or you get to get your permit, good grades or not.”

Dawn slumps down onto couch with a pout. Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy sees Dennis smirk. “And Cornelius?”

“Yes, Buffy?”

“If anything happens to her, I will kill you, stronger, living vampire that you are.”

Bowing his head slightly, he says, “I have no doubt.”

Clapping her hands together, she says, “Ok…. Spike? Come here.” She says as she then turns and walks into the foyer, and grabbing her coat. She turns back around just as Spike comes up to her.

“Yes, love?”

“Keep Dennis and Cornelius away from each other, I think Dennis would still like to…”

“Gotcha,” Spike says. “What time do you get off?”

“Five, and I should be home about 5:15.” Smiling, she says, “See you then,” and before Spike could protest or have any reaction at all, Buffy rises up on her tiptoes, and kisses him on the mouth.

And then, before he can pull her in for a longer when he realizes what she had done, the front door is closing behind her.

It’s awhile before Spike gets a hold of himself, and other regions of his anatomy, and turns to go back into the living room.

However, his progress it halted when he turns to see Black standing in the entranceway of the very place he was heading. Spike frowns when he thinks he sees something flash through Black’s eyes.

“What?” Spike says after a minute that lasts way to long.

“Where’s your bathroom?” Black’s voice is thick.

Spike doesn’t answer right away but instead, looks over the other man. Finally, he says nodding his head to the stairs, “Up the stairs, first door on your left, mate.”

Without bowing his head, Black says, “Thanks,” as he walks by.

Spike watches him disappear up the stairs. It’s awhile before he turns and goes into the living room to see Dennis giving Cornelius daggers with his eyes.

He could hand the fact that Cornelius just sat in his chair and acted as if the younger immortal was making civil conversation. He really needed to distract Dennis.

* * *

The Catacomb

The cave is large with many off branching tunnels that spread all over one side of Sunnydale, although, she didn’t know that is where she is.

Her long greasy hair hung in brown, dirty clumps around her head. Her fragile body is nothing but skin and bones. Dark smudges surrounded her eyes, her lips are deathly blue, and her skin is pale.

Her dark hazel-green eyes look dead, and unfocused even as they dart around the room.

The cave room hid things from her. She knew that, and they’d hurt her if she dared to wander past them. The black corners hid things, and secrets best left undiscovered, she had learned that. Yes, she had learned that.

“Yes, I learned that,” she whispers to herself, “To the creatures in the corners.”

Things, of course, are happening around her as she dazes in her imposed deluded world.

“Is it set up?” A voice bombs, causing her to duck down, and huddle on the floor.

“Yes Master,” the minion says as he keeps his eyes averted.

“Very good. When does it takes place?” The Master asks.

“Tonight, Master.” The minion says.

“Very good, now, leave,” The Master’s voice bombs throughout the caves and tunnels of the catacombs. And then, echoes right back to them.

“Yes Master.” The minion beats a hasty retreat, hoping to the devil himself that The Master wouldn’t call him back. He was glad to get out of there with his head, and heart still intact. The Master had become something of a cannibal, of late.

Minutes pass as the room falls silent; only the distant sound of shuffling feet, and small muffled cries coming from the far off caves, and tunnels where the minions where demanded to stay.

She lefts her head when the strange and foreign noises disappear for a time. She lays there, half wrapped around herself, as she listens foe anymore danger.

Her eyes are wide, unfocused as she listens, a deer scenting for it’s predator.

She jerks back in on herself when another foreign voice comes, again. A whimper comes from her dry, cracked lips.

"Soon my dear, very soon.” The voice says.

Nothing makes sense but the dark corners… the hard plans of a muscled chest….

Chapter Eighteen

Buffy looks at her pay check as she walks up the front porch and stops short of opening the front door. She had no idea how she was going to pay the land tax for the house. As it is, she barely had enough money to pay for the utilities each month and get the things necessary to live.

Shaking her head, she digs her keys out of her coat pocket, while she absently stares at the paycheck with a frown marring her brow.

Finally getting her keys out, she unlocks the door and goes into the house. As she hangs up her coat, she vaguely notices the quietness of the house, and then places her keys in her coat pocket. She walks into the living room and stops dead still in her tracks.

Everyone was passed out… or this is one major sleeping feast going on.

Black and Dennis are passed out on the couch, one man on each air of the couch.

Her eyes scan the room and come to land on Spike. He’s sitting in his favorite chair, his head lolled back with a book at his feet.

She frowns and looks back at the Blacks. Dennis had an open book and pad of paper on his lap. Black has an open book slowly sliding off of his lap.

Strange…

Scanning the room again, Buffy finds Dawn at the back of the living room sitting at the table with her head down, lap top open and running, and her arms resting along each side of her head.

Buffy frowns even harder when she notices that one person is missing. Looking around the room more thoroughly, she finally is able to find a dark lump on the floor behind Dawn.

Cornelius is lying on floor with one of his legs up on the chair he must have been sitting on when….

Whatever happened, happened.

Raising an eyebrow, Buffy moves to Spike, and lays a gentle hand on his shoulder. Slightly shaking him, she whispers, “Spike, wake up… Spike?” She gently shakes him again. “Spike, come on, wake up. I’m starting to get major-ly wigged here.”

He finally starts to stir, groaning as his eyes come open and then snap shut.

“Spike, what happened?” She asks.

“Don’t know… me head hurts like a bugger,” he groans as he raises his hands to his head and rubs his eyes with the heel of his hands.

“Can you remembering anything?” Buffy asks.

Was that concern in her voice, Spike wonders absently. “Was researching as you said, then…” He trails off, frowning.

“I can’t remember a thing either…” Black’s voice comes from the couch. Buffy and Spike turn to look over at him.

“Neither can I,” Dennis says.

A whimper comes from the table, and then Dawn’s voice says, “What happened? My head hurts really bad.”

“Yeah, like someone took out my brain and put it back wrong,” Dennis says.

“Gross,” Dawn says with her nose scrunched but immediately regrets doing it.

“Maybe,” Cornelius’s voice comes from the floor as he rises to his feet beside the table. “But a perfect description of how my head feels.”

“Bloody right,” Spike agrees.

“Can anyone remember anything? Like how you all ended up passed out in my living room, and there are no signs of break-in?” Buffy asks, not liking this one little bit. The more she heard, the less she liked it.

“The only thing I can remember is researching, then something like… a…” Black couldn’t finish.

“Like a wave hitting us all at once?” Spike finishes.

“Exactly,” Cornelius agrees for the five that had been knocked out. He takes a deep breath and then stills.

“Smells like a rat,” Spike says.

“Smells like a big, undead rat,” Buffy agrees with Spike. “But how did they get in here, and whammy you all at the same time? None of the minions or the Master have an invite.”

“It was magic,” Cornelius says. “Magic knocked us all out.”

“And how do you know that?” Dennis asks with a scowl.

“Because, I can smell it.”

Buffy looks at Spike, giving him a questioning frown. He just shrugs his shoulders, and they turn back to the conversation.

“Ok, smarty, what does it mean then?” Dennis asks.

“It might very well mean that mind reading spell was cast over us, and the knowledge of such a thing, was wiped from our minds. That would explain the intense headaches.” Cornelius says.

* * *

“So, what do they know?” The voice bombs through the caves again, causing the woman to go to the ground once more. Her body shudders as she hugs herself.

“Not much Master. The only things they do know is that you are somehow different, and Cornelius has changed sides my Master.” The minion from earlier says.

“As I thought he would.” The Master says. “Now leave!”

“Yes,” the minion quickly leaves, and thanks his lucky stars that he had made it out of there for a second time without being eaten.

“Sooner than I thought my dear.” The Master says to his captive.

* * *

“So, they’ll know what we know, and that isn’t much,” Buffy says, addressing her little group a few minutes later. They are all gathered in the living room now.

“Well, procrastination pays off. We don’t have a plan of attack yet so we’re good on that front,” Buffy says taking stock. “Cornelius, you’ll have to take Anya and Dawn somewhere else.”

“Yes, of course,” Cornelius says in his natural courtly way.

“Black, had you called your friend yet?” Buffy asks, holding her breath that he hadn’t. It’d be one more thing that The Master and his nasties won’t be expecting.

“No,” Black says.

“Good,” she says. “Call him now.”

Black gets Dennis’s cell phone, and dials a number from memory. The person on the other line picks up after only the second ring.

“Hey Carder, it’s Black…. He’s good, sitting right next to me…. Listen? Do you know where that small town Sunnydale is? …Yeah, that’s the one. I’m here, and I got myself into… Yes!” He said the word with mock-annoyance.

“You’re not business tomorrow are you?” He listens for a second. “Do you think you could be here…” He looks at Buffy for a timetable.

“Tomorrow, sometime after dark.” Buffy says.

“Did you get that?” Black asks. He’s quiet for a moment longer this time. “Great! I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says and then hangs up. He hands the phone back to Dennis. “Carder will be here tomorrow.”

“Good,” Buffy says. “Dawn? Go pack.” She watches Dawn pout all the way up the stairs, and then turns to Cornelius.

“Could you go watch her and make sure that she doesn’t go climbing out her?” Buffy asks of him.

“Of course,” he says, and disappears up the stairs, not making a sound.

“Spike, can I talk to you?” Buffy asks him.

“Sure,” Spike says then follows her into the foyer. “What’s up love?”

* * *

“Bring her here,” The Master demands.

Six minions close in on the huddled figure in the middle of the main cave. As they latch onto her, a blood-curdling scream fills the air, and echoes through the caves, and out into the tunnels. Most every minion in the cave system flinches from the sound that passes through the catacombs most every night.

They struggle as they try to drag her over to the Master, but even in her weakened condition, the minions have a hard time handling.

Getting mad, the Master finally gets tired of their incompetence, and comes up to them and snatches the girl from their clutches.

Ignoring the minions, the Master, tears open the woman’s shirt to reveal her bitten shoulders.

Smiling maliciously, the Master lowers his head, and sinks his fangs into her sore flesh.

Her scream quiets to a whimper of pain, and then her head begins to loll on her shoulders as the Master continues to drink, and drink…. The room begins to spin for her, and her dry lips part as yet another whimper escapes her.

* * *

“I need to tell you something and I’m not sure how.” Buffy says.

“You can tell me anything.” Spike assures her.

But, instead of assuring her as he had meant to, she seems to become even more nervous than she had been before he had said something.

“When you first told me that you loved me, I freaked because it scared me, and then I took it out on you because I didn’t feel the hate that I suppose toward you…” She takes a breath.

“Then I died, and I came back hating myself and everyone around me, and you were the only one that would listen to me without freaking out on me, and I really needed that at time. Then I go… and … and screw everything up, and then you leave.

“I thought you were never coming back, and then I realized that reason why I wouldn’t let myself feel… is because it felt weird after all of the protesting that I had done, and now you’re back and… and…”

Spike frowns. “What are you talking about?” He asks feeling a little confused with all of her babbling. A little light headed.

“I want to tell you… that you were wrong… that I was wrong more than anything, and that… I… love you.” She says. Her wide, wet hazel eyes stare up at him…

“BUFFY!” Dawn’s scream echoes down through the house…

Chapter Nineteen
Dirty Tricks

A booming sound pounds through the house suddenly, nearly causing everyone in it to go def. The sound is quickly followed by debris exploding from every door and widow.

Spike takes Buffy to the floor, and covers her with his body.

The booming sound swallows itself up, and any other noises close by. The eerie silence is quickly broken as a battle cry is sounded and then something like a stamped follows next.

Quickly getting to their feet, Buffy yells, “Dawn, stay with Cornelius. Black, Dennis, weapons are in the trunk.”

Spike is already there, and tosses Buffy an axe. “Cornelius, get down here.”

As Spike hands Black a board sword, Buffy turns to the first three vamps that come after her. She quickly disables one, and punches the second one as it comes running at her. The vamp quickly gets to its feet and it and the third one start to circle her.

Buffy willingly plays along.

Stepping into the middle of their little circle, she gets into a fighting stance with her axe held high. As the third vamp circles around behind her, she swings the axe around, and effectively decapitates it.

As the axe comes back around in only one of her hands, her leg comes up, and gives the limping first vamp an upper cut with the heel of her foot.

Bringing the axe to full circle, she catches the first vamp with the axe as its head starts to come back down from snapping back.

She suddenly stumbles forward as the second vamp pushes her. She turns and frowns at the vampire, incredulous. “What is this? Some school bully session? You don’t come up and push the slayer.”

The vampire looks confused for a second. “Who says you can’t?”

“I did,” she says, and then punches the vamp in the gut. When he’s still bent over, she brings the axe down and cuts the guy in half.

Dusting herself off, she stands up, and says, “Whose next?”

Her only response is three more vampires coming at her.

In the meantime…

“Hey mate, what do you want…” Spike’s question to Dennis is cut off when the immortal pulls out a gun and points it at a vampire that’s running headlong toward him. “Mate, that isn’t going to…”

Dennis looks at him as he pulls the trigger, “What was that?”

The vampire turns to dust as a strange looking bullet enters the vampire and exits through the vampire back. Dennis smiles at Spike, and then holds up the gun for him to see, “It was a gift from a slayer. She said it’d be a waist if some vamp girl got there hands on me.”

Spike chuckles at Dennis’s humor. And then quickly chokes on it as Dennis turns serious, and holds the gun up. “Hey… wait…”

However, Spike never knows what it’s like to turn to dust. The weird bullet flies past him, and into the vampire that was sneaking up on him.

Turning and watching, the vampire falls to the floor to become another pile of dust to be cleaned at a later date.

He turns back to Dennis smiling and says, “Thanks mate!”

“Think nothing of it,” Dennis says as he turns and punches a vampire that was running over to Buffy. It was a good thing to because Buffy was already fighting four vampires.

Spike absently watches Dennis fight as he himself fights a vampire and then stabs it with a stake after the vampire knocks his sword aside. Then moves on to another.

Dennis is fast, and efficient with just his hands and that gun of his. He kicks the vampire back so hard that the vamps back arches out, and his feet slide along the floor. At the same time, Dennis raises the gun and shots it.

Still, at the same time, Dennis kicks his leg out again and kicks yet another vampire that came after him. The vampire stumbles back but quickly recovers, and starts to comes after Dennis again.

And the amazing thing was, Dennis is left-handed.

He raises the gun again, but the vampire gets they’re quicker this time and bats his hand away. Dennis steps into the vampires advance and grabs it around the neck with his left arm.

He looks up as a battle cry sounds in front of him. Not even blinking, he snaps the vamps neck. As the vampire in his arm turns to dust, Dennis raises the weird gun, and fires. It’s empty though.

“Dennis,” Spike calls and throws a stake his way.

Dennis turns his back to the approaching vampire and snatches the stake from the air. Just as the vampire is about to jump on his back, he turns to complete a 360 turn, and stakes the vampire in the chest.

As Dennis and Spike continue to fight, Spike asks him, “How old are you again?”

“I’m thirty,” Dennis replies.

“Pretty good,” Spike says. “For a boy.”

“Hey,” Dennis says, and then gets punched. Spike chuckles at his slip up, and then grunts himself when a fist hits him the chest. Turning he throws a punch back into his opponents face.

* * *

Upstairs…. Cornelius throws a vampire out the girl’s bedroom window quit easily, and then turns when the girl screams.

There in a flash, Cornelius picks the vamp up off the floor and says, “I’m sorry sir, but I can’t allow you to do that.” Snapping the last vampire’s neck, Cornelius reaches out and takes a hold of Dawn’s hand.

Smiling, he looks down into her face and says, “Come sherry, your sister awaits us.”

Walking out into the hall, Cornelius stops, and a vampire flies by and rams into the wall when his intended victim stops short. He walks past with Dawn, and as the vampire begins to get up, pushes the vampire back into the wall.

Something, whether it’s the vampire or the wall, crunches under Cornelius’s slight shove. The two keep moving as if nothing had happened; Dawn mainly because if she didn’t, her arm would be taken off.

Soon the two are down stairs and heading toward her sister.

However, their progress is slowed by many vampires, which Cornelius quickly and calmly takes care of.

* * *

Black reaches up and punches the vampire, sending its noise up into his skull. The board sword that Spike had given him comes up and around, taking the vampires head off in a clean cut.

He turns and delivers a backspin kick to the approaching vampire and knocks it into two others. Taking two steps forward, he lunges and drives the sword three all three of the vampires at the same time.

As he comes up, a stack appears in his hand, and is in the vampire’s chest before the vampire even knew that Black was aware of him.

The vampire hasn’t even turned to dust when Black turns away and helps Spike who has six vampires on him at once.

* * *

Some how Dennis finds himself on the front porch.

He blocks the punch the vampire throws… then they’re tumbling to the ground. The vampire lands on his shine.

Gritting his teeth, Dennis shoves the vampire off of his legs. Looking up, he sees what had pushed them off the porch. A vampire had been kicked out the front door by Buffy as she moved through the house.

Dennis sees the vampire just as his foe jumps him again. He fights him off with his hands.

* * *

The battle had taken hours to finish. Spike’s punch is blocked. The vampire he was fighting was giving him a hard time or he was just planning drained.

The vampire thinking it has the upper hand kicks Spike’s feet out from under him. What the vampire doesn’t expect is a little trick he had learned from Buffy.

Going down with movement, Spike brings up his hand with the stake in it, and shoves the thing through the vampire’s ribcage and into it heart.

Spike falls down just as the vampire turns to dust. Sighing he falls back on his elbows.

As the last vampire is felled by Buffy, everyone takes a collective sigh of relief.

When all was said and done, the five of them - Buffy, Spike, Black, Dennis, and Cornelius - had killed over one hundred vampires.

“Well, my house is officially ruined,” Buffy said.

New plans were made, the house was out in good enough order that it would be ok for tonight but no one could stay in it.

Cornelius was to take Dawn to Anya’s place.

Black and Dennis are to go where they want, and Buffy and Spike would be staying at his house.

And everyone is to meet back at Buffy’s wrecked house tomorrow evening.

They were standing outside of Buffy’s now house.

Buffy slightly smirks as she looks at Dennis as he limps after his father. “I take it this is your first fight?”

“I’m immortal,” Dennis says as if that it explained, and Buffy guessed that it actually did, but it made more sense when he said, “Just that was my first vampire fight.” He laughs at the look on Buffy’s face.

“Are you going to be able to fight tomorrow evening?” Dawn asks him, her voice quiet. She still had her hand wrapped around Cornelius’s wrist.

“No problem,” he says. “I heel faster than undead other there.” He nods his head toward Spike who is standing behind Buffy.

“Great, another whelp,” Spike mutters.

They all laugh, except for Spike, as they head off in different directions…

Chapter Twenty

Buffy walks quietly behind Spike as he leads her down the hall to his apartment. She’s feeling tense and unsure what to do. He hadn’t said a word since they’d left her house. But she that he hadn’t forgotten what she had told him at the house before the attack…

By the way, how and the hell had they gotten into her house in the first place. She didn’t go around asking vampires into her house!

Her thoughts are interrupted when she hears the jingle of keys as Spike pulls them from his coat and then inserts them into the lock. He slowly opens the door and then looking down at her, he motions her inside.

She looks at him for a few seconds then walks into the apartment, well aware that he’s behind her the whole time. She comes to the living room and stops short of entering. Her head comes down as she senses Spike moving around her and then sees him in the corner of her eye as he moves to her left.

She watches him through her lashes as he moves into the living room near the couch only a few scant feet away from her. She meets his eyes when he lifts his and they make eye contact. He watches her as he removes his coat, and she feels a distinct flush engulf her body as his intense stare pierces her.

It’s always disconcerting when he dose that; just stares at her, saying nothing, not moving… almost like he was expecting her to do something. But she wasn’t even sure that he had wanted anything…

After laying his coat over the arm of the couch, he starts to move toward her, and Buffy has to resist the urge of backing away. He had a predatory look about him as he slowly stoked toward her. He holds out his hand, and says, “Come here.”

Hesitantly, she takes his hand and follows him as he gently leads her to his room. His room, which was dark, covered with reds and blacks. It fit him perfectly. It’s a little dark for her taste, but she could deal with it…

She turns back to him when she hears the door shut.

Her eyes widen as they land on him. He’s leaning up against the door with his eyes on her. Even though the room is dark, she can feel his stare.

Spike starts to move forward, making Buffy unconsciously back up. She comes up short when the bed hits the back of her knees. She looks over her shoulder to glare at the offending thing.

Her head jerks up and her eyes lock onto his. He’s nearly touching her with his body but the only reason she knew he was there is because of the hand running down her arm, She shivers under his touch… but not from fear or disgust.

“Did I hear you correctly before?” Spike’s voice is husky.

“Yes,” Buffy says, not even trying to play coy.

“Say it again.” From the tone of his voice, she can tell that it was a demand and not a question.

“I love you,” she says.

Now that her eyes had adjusted to the very little light in the room, she can make out some of the detail of his face. She stared directly into his eyes.

“Again,” he says.

She gasps as he brings her body fully up against his. She hadn’t even realized that his arms had gone around her waist. Now, they are tight bands, holding her to him.

“I love you,” the words are barely from her mouth when he bends down and captures her lips. Where she thought he was going to be demanding, he’s gentle.

As he slowly begins to work his tongue into her mouth, Buffy lazily lifts her arms and wraps them around his shoulders.

Moving together, they quickly shed their clothes. Everything is familiar and yet altogether new for her. The only thing that would make this moment even more perfect is if she could know what he’s thinking.

"Spike?” She asks, as they briefly break apart for her to breath. Then his mouth is back at hers, working away any thoughts that try to come to mind.

"Yes love?” He gasps a few seconds later.

She breathes heavily, and as their foreheads rest against each other’s, she tries to remember what he’s answering for. Letting her mind wonder, she lazily moves her lips over his jaw and down his neck. As his hands move up her buttocks and over her back, she remembers. His hands glide into her hair and pull her face up.

Before she can ask, his mouth is claiming hers again. Sucking his lower lip into her mouth, she almost forgets again. However, before the thought escapes her, she pulls back. “Do you still love me?” Her voice is nothing but a whisper.

He stares down at her. His stare is intense and questioning. Spike’s mind reels. How can she not know? “Never stopped, love.”

Bending down, he lifts her into his arms and kneels on the bed and gently places her there. Lowering himself down onto her, his mouth takes one of her hardened nipples in and suckles. Embolden by the soft mewling sound that escapes her parted lips, he reaches between them and helps guides himself into her.

As they come together, they both gasp.

Groaning, Spike inhales sharply as he lifts his head. “Forgot how good you feel…” His words are more growled than spoken.

"I didn’t,” Buffy whispers as she pulls him down and captures his mouth.

This was how it was supposed to be the first time, he thinks as they start moving, slowly together.

They move together for what seems like forever and their muscles start to ache. Straining towards each other as they move easily against one another, their sweat soaked skin making it all the more easy.

"Spike?” Her voice is hoarse and breathless.

Her hands clasp his rolling shoulders, trying to pull him closer. Even as he barely raises his mouth from her chest to answer, “Love?” His voice is just as hoarse and breathless.

"Will you do something for me?” Buffy pants out as he begins to slow. It’s torture. He’s torturing her on purpose. She knows he is.

"Anything Love,” he says as his mouth starts for her other breast.

"Claim me,” she whispers into his ear. He stills all together. She groans at the feel of him motionlessly buried in her to the hilt… and pulsing.

Spike’s head slowly rises. His startling blue eyes are now black and hazed with passion. He stares at her for endless seconds, trying to decide how serious she is. She stares back, just as intensely.

Whatever he was looking for, he must have found, because the next thing she knows, she’s involved in a heat searing, toe curling kiss.

And he’s moving again, his pace steadily increasing until he reaches a driving tempo. Gasping, her hands clench on his back at the first teasing nip to her throat. She feels his face shift, hears the bones move next to her ear, and her breathing picks up.

Then she feels his second penetration with a flash-lightning strike of pain. Then pleasure so intense that she groans. She feels more than hears him growl in reply.

She moans.

Spike moves onto his elbows and cups her head in one hand as the other searches and finds her hand. Their fingers tangle together.

Three more thrusts, and he drives them over the edge.

He rises up from her neck with a growl as she calls out his name as they find their release.

* * *

She blinks her eyes and looks around the room. Or tries to. The room is just as dark as it’d been last night. Except, now there’s a three-wick candle burning in a glass bowl held by a black metal stand.

Sighing, she relaxes back into Spike’s hard chest. She smiles as she feels his arm tighten around her waist and he moves closer. His face is buried in the nap of her neck and he’s molded to the curve of her back.

Her eyes drift over the room and come to rest on the digital clock. She smiles again. It’s been a long time since she’s been able to sleep in.

The urge to have Spike awake washes over her.

Without a second thought, she turns in his embrace. Surprising her, the movement wakes him up. She smiles as she comes face to face with him. Enjoying the feel of skin against skin.

The smile that comes to his face is one of the sleepy and truly happy. She opens her mouth and is about to say something when he claims her mouth in one of the best good morning kisses she’s ever received. His hands caress up her back and into her hair. He’d seen the necklace on her last night and in an odd way, the gesture warms him.

Pulling back, he looks into her face and smiles at what she says.

"Now that’s what I call a good morning kiss.”

Lifting his hand, he draws her attention to the necklace and ring that’s strung on it. He says, “The guy that I took this from says that the twisted two metals symbolizes the lives of two people intertwining.”

Her mouth parts into an “O” shape. Her eyes dart back and forth between him and the necklace and ring. Twice. Before they finally land and stay on him. “You left this for me?”

He nods his head.

"I love it,” she says. And then whispers, “I love you.”

"Love you,” he whispers as he pulls her closer. They make love again.

After, Buffy lies in Spike’s arms. “Did you say ‘the guy you took this from’?”

Spike throws his head back and laughs.

Chapter Twenty-One

Spike mumbles angrily as he makes his way to the front door. “Why can’t people just leave me the bleeding hell alone? Always interrupting me…” Luckily, for the people outside his door, he stops his bitching just as he opens the door.

However, his frown deepens at the sight that greets him when the door swings open. Dennis, Black, and Cornelius are standing outside his door. The kid, Dennis has a smirk on his face. And if Spike isn’t mistaken, the shaking of his shoulders isn’t from tears. The boy is laughing at him.

“Come on,” Spike says stepping back to let them in. As Dennis walks by, Spike says in a whisper that is sure to be heard by the other two, “Shut up, kid.”

That only makes Dennis laugh out loud, causing his father to shake his head. “Where’s Buffy?”

“Why are you here? Thought we’re going to meet at Buffy’s?” Spike asks, instead of answering his question.

“Change of plans,” Dennis says. “We stopped by there but didn’t make it in. The Master has some demons watching the place. We thought it best that we move the meeting here.” A cheesy smile curls Dennis’s lips. “Hope you don’t mind?”

Spike opens his mouth, about ready to tell him how much he minds when Buffy says from behind him, “Of course we don’t mind.” Spike turns to look at her. She smiles at him as she shakes her head.

“What?” He asks with a frown.

Shaking her head even more, she turns to Black and asks, “Where's Carder?”

“Carder will be here… if a little late.” Black says, almost looking sheepish.

“Hey undead,” Dennis says to Spike, “You got anything to drink in this dump besides blood?”

Spike’s head comes up. “’Dump’?” He says incredulous. “Why you little…”

“Spike,” Buffy says, in way of warning.

Frowning he moves to the kitchen muttering, “Yeah, yeah!”

* * *

As they wait for this mysterious Carder to show up, they set up their plans. It’s simple. Divide and conquer. Strike fast, and drive hard.

By the time they’re finished, its sundown.

They plan to strike just minutes before the sun is to rise so that when they’re fighting, if any vampires get spooked and try to make a run for it, the sun will catch them.

However, they didn’t take all day for that. Most of the time was spent trying to keep Spike from strangling Dennis, who insists on antagonizing him at every opportunity.

“You little bugger!” Spike exclaims after another one of Dennis’s digs.

“I think he keeps stepping into them,” Cornelius says quietly to Buffy as they sit back and watch.

“I think you’re right, and Dennis is enjoying this way too much.” Buffy agrees.

“You should see Dennis and Ivan. It’s worse. And no matter how many times Joan tells Ivan to let whatever Dennis is saying go, he has to say something.” Black says.

Buffy frowns. “Who is Ivan and Joan?”

“My father and step-mother.” Black says

The three are silent as they watch Dennis terrorize Spike. Buffy would have to say that she thinks that Spike is enjoying himself, although, he wouldn’t admit it.

Turning to Cornelius, Buffy asks, “How is Dawn? She’s still at Anya’s right?”

“Don’t worry sherry, even with the fireballs nagging and bluntness about being invaded, I’m sure Dawn will be well guarded .” Cornelius says confidently.

There’s a knock on the door that has everyone quieting down, well Spike and Dennis anyway.

“That'll be Carder.” Black says as he gets up and moves to the door.

A few seconds later, Black walks back into the room with a woman at his side. She’s very beautiful. “Where’s Carder?” Buffy asks.

“You’re looking at her.” The woman says, “I’m Eva Carder. Who were you expecting?”

“Someone of the male persuasion.” Buffy says.

Eva gives Black a look.

Everyone falls silent. The woman, Eva Carder is short, shorter than Buffy by a few inches, has long black hair and emerald-green eyes that are so bright, they look as if they glow.

The staring not bothering her in the lest, Eva moves around the room and looks at the two men she doesn’t know. One is tall, lean with curly black hair and dark eyes, and the other is of average height, lean with short white hair and startling blue eyes. She looks back at the dark haired one, “You’re a cutie.”

Her eyes slide back over to the white haired one-without a shirt-and she eyes him again. “So are you.” She stares right at him.

Spike smirks as his arm comes up and catches Buffy. Eva’s eyes move from him to Buffy and then back. His smirk turns into a smile. Tension, what a lovely thing, Spike thinks sarcastically.

Black clears his throat and draws attention to himself. “Everyone, this is my older sister, Eva Carder. Eva, that is Cornelius,” he says pointing to the dark, curly haired guy. He bows his head. “And the one with the smirk is Spike.”

Spike takes over introductions, and says, “This is Buffy, my better half… sometimes.”

“British…” She says appreciatively. “Nice to meet you,” Eva says. A smile blooms on her face when she thinks she hears a growl come from the slayer. “A slayer I see.” She looks back to Spike. “Have fun, my dear.”

Black clears his throat again.

“Dad,” Dennis says coming forward, “Go get a glass of water.” He opens his arms and smiles. “Aunt Eva...”

* * *

Shouts can be heard all through the catacombs as the minions try as hard as they can to move the unwilling prisoner out of the main cave and into an off shot.

She’s failing around, biting, kicking, and her screams hurt the minion’s eardrums.

The catacombs are busy with movement, as the minions get ready for the impending battle.

Chapter Twenty-Two
Setting Up

The woods surrounding the catacombs are quiet as a group of six converges on the secondary entrances into the catacombs. The usual morning noises of the forest are too quiet; they’re waiting, waiting for the damage to begin a new in the small town of Sunnydale…

They come from three directions in pairs of two, and all slip in without a noise, just as the sun comes up over the horizon in the east. The morning sun glares down on the small town, ensuring that if any undead creatures escape won’t be getting too far.

From the east come Eva and Cornelius. They slip into the quiet, cool tunnels of the catacombs and travel down the narrow, closed in passage for a couple of minutes. A few steps later, the immortal and living vampire split up; Eva goes to the northern part of the catacombs to a hidden camber.

A few minutes after she splits up from Cornelius, Eva comes to a small hole in the cave wall. The size of the hole makes her frown. The thing is only big enough to fit one thing through at a time.

“Cornelius, why didn’t you say to pack compactly… if there even is a word?” (There is)

As she grumbles, she bends down and unloads her shoulders, letting her explosives fall to the ground with a soft thud. She begins the task of shoving the very dangerous TNT through the hole.

“Damn vampires… why did they have make a come back!” Eva says under her breath.

Cornelius heads to northwest part of the catacombs, heading to the heart. He shakes his head as he catches brief snatches of Eva’s muttered words. At times, he wished that immortals would just leave vampires alone. He has the feeling that it would cut down on all of the conflict between the two species.

Walking with his spine straight, gaze staring directly in front of him, Cornelius moves through the tunnels with an easy, silent stride that carries him swiftly through the catacombs and into one of the main tunnels that shoot off the main cavern.

Easily hearing a minion coming, he ducks behind an outcropping to wait for his prey to get close enough.

From the west come Black and Dennis. They part ways just as they step into the catacomb.

Black turns a sharp corner and heads to the northeast end of the catacombs, on the other side of the main entrance. He isn’t sure about Buffy’s idea; trusting that living vampire doesn’t seem like a good thing to do.

Shaking his head, he walks through the tunnels at an easy gate and quickly comes to his spot.

Dennis moves quietly through the tunnels, remembering his days as a theft. At times, he wishes he hadn’t given that up. It kept him busy and gave him as much, or more, of a thrill as this does.

Moving to the southeast end, opposite of Aunt Eva, Dennis finds his position and waits for his queue.

From the north comes Buffy and Spike. They enter the catacombs holding hands as they make their way. They’re quiet as they move.

When they come to their split up point, Buffy kisses Spike, and turns, heading toward the main chamber of the catacombs where Cornelius said he would meet her when phase two of their invasion is about to start.

Buffy finds her spot easily enough, and bends down to wait. As she sits on her haunches, waiting for things to begin, she hopes everyone is doing all right on their end. And under that, lies a dread. Something bad is going to happen today.

Spike walks down the corridor to his spot in this whole debacle and lazily leans against the wall, right out in the open. With a raised brow, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cigarettes. Lighting up, he waits but quickly grows impatient.

His mind turns to other things…

As Dennis sits there, bored out of his mind, he pulls his neat little gun out of the back of his pants and looks at it admiringly. He frowns when he sees a piece of lint on it.

He reaches into his pant’s pocket and drags out a cloth, which he then uses to reverently wipe the gun clean with. Satisfied, he folds the cloth back up and puts it into his pocket.

Eva, on the other hand, hums away as she works on what she is starting to consider her best piece yet, and it doesn’t even bother her that she’s going to be blowing it to piece in another hour.

Finally, the slow minion comes within grasp. Cornelius reaches out from his hiding space and wraps his long fingers around the undead vampire’s throat. The creature makes a gurgling noise in the back of it throat, as if it needs to breath. Cornelius realizes that he’s trying to call for help.

Slightly frowning, he easily disconnects the head from the body and lets the pieces fall to the ground as they turn to dust.

Stepping out of the hiding space, he looks to his left where he hears some moving around, the rustle of clothing the grunt of the minions. He moves quickly, hoping Buffy is already to their meeting spot. It is time for things to begin.

He needs to show her the main cavern and get back to Dawn, as he promised.

Buffy sits on her haunches, getting more bored by the minute as time ticks by. This isn’t what she was made to do, sit and wait for the battle to come to her. She wonders idly what Spike is thinking about.

She is drawn from her musings when a slight sound catches her ear. She turns just as a tall dark figure steps out of an offshoot of the main tunnel.

“Sherry…” A cultured French accent reaches her ears. Cornelius. Her assumption is confirmed a few seconds later when he steps into the dim light. “It is time. The minions awake. I’m afraid I had to kill one, and surely they will find the remains.”

“How do you know that?” Buffy asks.

“Because, sherry, the remains are just outside their cave. Come, we must go. I’ll show you the main cavern then I must go to attend your sister.”

Buffy gets up and moves along the passageways to the main caverns.

Cornelius leads her to a grand cavern where about five or six minions stand guard. It could only be the Masters cave.

Buffy turns to thank Cornelius. Her mouth opens, and the first part of ‘thank’ gets out before it dies on her tongue. Cornelius is gone and no sign is left behind that he was even there.

Living vampires are even more creepy than the undead ones, Buffy thinks.

Spike’s mind goes back to this morning and what would’ve happened if those immortals hadn’t shown up.

Before Black and his family had shown up, Spike had been showing Buffy how talented he can be with his tongue. It didn’t take him long to get the idea out of her head that they’d needed to get out of bed.

He had started by licking up her neck, then back down between her breasts to her sternum. He stayed there until she had been withering under him, cursing his name. When he decided that it was better to comply then become a pile of dust he had moved to her breasts.

He attended first one then the other, taking special care not to touch her nipples until she was close to cursing his name once more. Then he would lick from the underneath of her breast to the hard tip of her nipple. It’d made her giggle and moan at the same.

Right then, as he stands in the catacomb halls, he decides two things. One, he wants to hear that sound as often as he can, and second…

He grunts softly as he adjusts himself. And second that he needs to stop thinking about this right now or he’ll never be able to concentrate on the coming battle.

In another part of the catacombs, a supernatural creature is thinking of bittersweet times. When he still had his wife. Her voice… it’s almost as if he can hear it…

Black leans against the catacomb wall much the same way Spike is right now, although; don’t tell him that. He cocks his head as he listens intensely to the soft notes… the person is rambling but the voice…

It sounds so familiar to him…

Pushing off the wall with his shoulder, Black moves toward the sounds, something drawing him with a strange force he hasn’t felt in far too long.

It takes him a while to find where the source of the noise is coming from. Even with his supernatural hearing, the sounds are hard to follow as they carry and bounce off the walls of the tunnels. His head tilts and turns as he listens, listens for anything to give him a clue as to where the voice is coming from.

The more he listens the more his stomach churns and rolls… The voice sounds so much like his wife’s… But that can’t be. She died five years ago in a terrible accident, a board flying through the windshield made sure of that.

His steps grow quicker as he feels himself drawing nearer the source of the voice, as does his belief that the voice does belong to someone he knows… even if he doesn’t let himself believe that it can be his wife. It’d be too hard if she weren’t.

As he draws just a few steps from the entrance of the cave where the voice is coming from he hears words, not sentences, more like phrases. “Black hair, liquid black eyes… Black…”

He steps into the caves opening, and only then does he stop in his tracks.

“Lei…”

Chapter Twenty-Three
Time to Play Ball

Shaking her head, she turns back to the entrance of the main cavern. Buffy eyes the room, trying to decide what angel to come at this sticky situation from. There are about seven minions milling around a podium where the Master lies sleeping. Buffy guesses that the minions are supposed to be guards.

She looks further into the main cavern and sees that the place ends in a point at the far end to the left. That’s where she needs to get the Master to head in the next half hour or the explosion is going to be for naught…

Now I’m thinking like…

Her thoughts are stopped suddenly when the Master’s head rises and he lets off one hell of a roar.

Buffy cringes and covers her ears, trying to block out some of the hideous noise. I don’t remember the Master ever making that noise…

The sound travels through the catacombs and brings Spike into a standing position. “Time to play,” he says, an evil smile coming to his lips.

The minions start to come out of the wood… uh… rockwork. Feeling a thrill go through his body, he pulls a stake out of his coat as he turns and hits an absent-minded minion in the face and stakes the one behind the professor (the absent-minded vampire).

As he carries through with the swing, he turns again and stakes the absent-minded vampire in the back.

The roar continues on its way around Spike and his enemies to Dennis who stands just as ten minions come flying down the tunnels, heading for the main cavern.

Jumping to his feet, Dennis pulls the stake then his gun from his pockets. Turning on his heel, he shots one as he turns full circle and gets another in the chest as he turns again, barely missing the left hook that’s coming.

On his second turn, he jumps up onto the wall and runs past the many vampires, shooting them when the opportunity presents itself. As he comes down off the wall, thirty feet from where he started, Dennis turns and plunges the stake in another vampire’s chest as he’s already moving onto the next one.

He raises the gun to shot again but its empty and only clicks a complaint.

Ducking down, he reloads as the vampire’s play dog pile. He jerks as one of the vampires bite him viciously on the calf. “Goddamn it!” He roars as he stands up, effectively knocking all the vampires off of him. “Don’t! You! Know! That! Biting! An! Immortal,” he says, punctuating every word with a wooden bullet to a vampire skull, “Won’t! Do! Anything?”

The roar echoes back to Buffy and her eyes widen as the Master stands up. In retrospect, this probably isn’t the most important thing to worry about, but isn’t the master shorter than that?

Her eyes widen further, if possible, as all seven of the minions turn at once and look directly at her. As they start to move toward her, she ducks back out of the entrance and presses her back against the wall.

She breathes deeply, trying to formulate a plan. As her mind works furiously, her eyes dart from rock to rock. Her eyes suddenly stop as they land on a ledge. Her head tilts to the side as a plan starts to form in the back of her mind.

In another part of the catacombs, Spike whoops as he quite literally dives into a crowd of eleven vampires. They scramble to get out of the way, especially after seeing him deal with the last lot that had had the misfortune to cross his path.

Spike stakes three on his way down and gets a punch in the face on his way. Shaking his head to clear it, he quickly gets to his feet and starts after the other eight of them.

Jumping up, Spike twists and knocks two to the ground. As he comes down, he pulls out another stake and gets two more. The vampires bend over backward and burst into dust. Spike continues down and kneels as he pushes the stakes into the two prone vampires that he had knocked down.

Standing, he whoops again and gives chase after the remaining four. “Stupid gits,” he mutters under his nonexistent breath as he chases after the vampires.

Further down in the catacombs, at the southeast end, Dennis jumps up and executes a move much like the kick Spike had, however, it’s slightly modified for Dennis’s tastes.

As he turns in the air, coming full circle, he kicks out his other leg and gets a third party right in the nose, which is driven into it’s brain. Having brought his other leg up, he turns head over heel in the air, and lands on his hands, momentarily losing his weapons.

Dennis lets himself fall onto his back, and picks up his weapons as he goes. He rolls up and onto one side and stakes one of the vampires that he had knocked to the floor with his kick. Quickly, he turns and greets the vampire that is coming up onto his back. “Hello,” he says, just before he shots the gun.

Rolling onto his back once more, he raises his hand, and points it at the three vampires that are diving down onto him. They stop dead. He quickly shots one, and then the second one, but the gun clicks on the third one.

The vampire gets an evil smirk on his face as he comes down on Dennis. It’s quickly replaced with surprise as Dennis’s stake enters into the vampire’s chest.

“Surprise, surprise…” He sings as he rolls to his feet.

* * *

Trouble

On the very edge of town, Cornelius opens the door to his house. He walks to the alarm pad and calmly enters in the code to disarm the system. He moves quietly through the house, but makes enough noise on purpose to alert his houseguest.

He walks into the living room to find Dawn sprawled on the floor playing video games. She looks up as he comes into the room and smiles as she sees him.

“Hi Cornelius.” She says cheerfully.

“Hello, little madam. How did you fare while I was gone? No trouble…” His words are cut off as a large, yellow demon comes crashing through the floor to ceiling bay windows in the living room.

Dawn scrambles to her feet with a scream and runs to Cornelius, getting behind him. SO much better, she thinks, but rethinks it as she looks up at the monstrosity.

“May I help you, monsieur?” Cornelius asks, civil as he always is.

“You Spike?” The demon’s voice is deep with a vibrating baritone.

“No monsieur, I am Cornelius. If you leave a message, I’m sure that I could…” His words are cut off when his head is turned to the left when a big meaty hand slams across his face.

Cornelius swallows, and slightly frowns at the contact. His hands had been crossed behind his back through the entire conversation, now he brings one hand forward. Scratching his eyebrow with his finger, he looks up into the almost stunned face of the yellow demon.

“Monsieur, I would advise you not to do that again.” Cornelius’s voice is at the same level of calm as it always is; as if he had been talking with a child about a cookie. “I know that you’re not here for Spike, but us…”

Cornelius deals with the demon the only way he knows how. His hand reaches out faster than the demon can see…

* * *

Buffy watches as four of the minions step out of the main cavern and start to search for her. As they start to spread out, she inches closer to the edge of the ledge and looks further into the catacombs, looking for a break in their formation.

She sees it as one of them steps too far away from the main cavern, turning it’s back to her. Getting up onto her haunches, she silently jumps down, and just as quickly stands behind the vampire.

She raises her hand and stakes the vampire.

As the other vampires turn to see her, a wave of fifty or more minions flood the tunnels.

She curses as she watches most of them head right into the main cavern, cutting her off.

To her left she hears the hallow pop of Dennis’s gun and behind her to her right she hears Spike whoop. Sighing in some relief, she begins the hard task of moving forward.

Eva curses as she pushes the boulder up against the small hole in the catacomb wall. “You’re delaying my time table you fucking vampires. I’ll kill you, kill you all.” She mutters the last ‘kill you all’ as she looks around the small cave.

There isn’t much to it. There’s about three and a half walls; what would’ve been the forth wall, melts into the third wall, making the room slightly oval.

Her body jerks forward as, she can only guess, a group of vampires push against the boulder. How a group can get in there to push against the boulder, she has no idea.

Her eyes land on a very small piece of plastic (plas tik). A smile blooms across her face as her idea finally comes. “And not a minute too soon…” She mutters sarcastically.

Holding the boulder in place with just her butt and hand, she grabs the small plastic explosive. Straightening, she turns quickly and puts her belly to the boulder. She reaches down and digs in her pocket. “Now where in the hell… Ah!” She exclaims.

Pulling the small detonator out of her pocket, she molds the plastic around it and waits for the right second. On the next shove from the vampire’s, Eva lets the boulder come back just a hair. As she pushes it back into place, her hand reaches over and slaps the plastic onto the vampires’ side of the boulder.

As the boulder slams back into place, her hand comes back just in time to save it from getting crushed. Picking up the string that’s attached to the detonator, she takes a breath, and jumps all the way to the back of the small cavern.

Curling in on herself, she viciously yanks on the cord, and everything around her pauses for a microsecond as the air waits…

* * *

“Lei…” His voice echoes the second time he says her name. His eyes are deceiving him. And if it is actually a deception, he hopes to god that no one shows him the truth.

She slowly turns to him. Her blue-gray eyes are glossed over with craze, and he can hardly believe his eyes.

“Lei?” His voice turns desperate, needing anything from her, but most of all, he needs her to recognize him. She blinks dumbly as she stares at him; her head tilted to one side. “It’s me… Black…”

“Black?” Her voice holds no emotion, and is all question, not one ounce of recognition is in her tone.”

“It’s me…” His voice cracks. He swallows hard, and blinks his eyes. He moves cautiously toward her, making sure not to make any real sudden movements. “Don’t you remember me?” He pauses in his words. And his steps as he comes within arms reach of her.

Her eyes blink again, and it looks as if she’s trying to remember something, but can’t find anything to bring it together.

“Your Everett…” He says, a tear sliding down his face.

She stares at him for a long time, her eyes darting over his features, as if she’s looking at them for the first time. He stands in front of her, looking her over.

She’s too thin, and her hair is so oily, he beat that if he reached up and pulled it into a ponytail at the nape of her neck that it would stay that way. There are bags under her…

His thoughts stop and he gasps as he stares into her eyes…

Recognition shines in her eyes like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. And love. Her hand reaches up, ever so slowly, and touches his cheek, gently wiping the tear from his face. Her eyes fill and over flow with tears. “Everett…” Her voice breaks on his name.

As if no time at all has passed, she falls back into his arms… and screams, trembling violently as a shockwave rocks the catacombs. He holds her closer to his body, hunching possessively and protectively over her.

After she calms down, Black pulls her up and holds her away from him so that he can look at her. A while passes before he finally says, “Come on. Lets find Dennis…”

“Dennis?” Her voice, again, holds no recognition.

“Damn vampires never give up… its like they’re rabbits… or insects… That’s it, they’re insects,” Eva mutters as she stumbles out to the front of the small… um… opened chamber where she had set up.

The hole that had been big enough to only fit one of her through at a time is now big enough to fit twenty vampires through at once.

Turning her back to the hole, she looks at her work, which is now covered in rubble from the blast. “Just great!” She says, sighing as she bends down and begins to clean the mess up. “Great big old dent in my time table!”

Hefting a big rock out of her way, she glances over her shoulder and mutters one last time, “Damn vampires.”

* * *

After what seems like hours, they finally get into the main cavern and actually start to make some progress. The vampires actually seem to multiply the further they get into the cavern.

Moving around the room, the three of them get most of the minions beat back, but things just seem all up hill.

Spike roars as he jumps up and dives into another group of vampires. He’s making a habit that he’s starting to like. The minions don’t expect it, and he can take down two or three of them in all of the confusion. And while he’s at it, he gets in a few good blows that make room for more dusting.

Jumping up in the middle of them, he quickly dusts another and then turns and punches another one. Thrills race through him as he gets into the fight. Nothing like it in the world. Then he gets to go home with his slayer…

With that thought, he gets punched in the jaw as his attention is drawn to her as she fights only a few scant feet away from him. Letting the blow carry him, he falls back and lands on three vampires that had been coming up on him. He stiffens after they land as he lies on top of them. Turning, he looks down at them with a shocked expression.

“Oh bugger…” He says, the sarcastic tone in his voice lost on the vampires beneath him. “I’m such a gauche. Here, let me help you up.” Spike pulls back and holds out his hands.

The three vampires look at each other as if he’s crazy and then the stupid bastards reach out to take his hands.

“Idiots,” Spike mutters as he pulls them to their feet and then ducks down and rolls onto his side, knocking the vampires forward as three more minions rush him from behind. Where they thought he was going to be ends up to be the other three vampires that get staked by their brethren. Continuing with his roll, he hops to his feet and faces the three flummoxed vampires and smiles evilly as they look at him questioningly.

“Blokes, it helps if you have an IQ above the vocabulary of ‘how high’.” Spike says just before he lunges forward and catches the first to notice his movement. Holding that one by the throat, he stakes the second one and turns around as he goes after the third one. Said third one’s disappearance hardly fazes him as he sees it running for the entrance. Even as he turns back to the one in his hand, he throws the stake.

He raises a brow as he looks down at the smaller vampire. “You wouldn’t happen to have a stake on you would you? I seem to have run out,” Spike asks conversationally, eyes serene.

The minion’s yellow eyes widen at his question. He shakes his head vigorously, hoping that this means he gets to go… to where, he didn’t care.

Spike shrugs and says causally, “No matter, just do it the old fashioned way,” just before he rips the vampires head from its shoulder’s. Taking an unneeded breath, he looks over at Buffy in his second’s worth of a reprieve.

Buffy swings a punch and lands it squarely on the vampire’s nose, sending him back to the ground for the third time. “Damn it, stay down. This would be much faster it you would just cooperate with me.” She says as she drops to her knees and stakes the vampire. “There, see how easy that was?” she asks as she gets to her feet, asking the other vampires that immediately start to converge on her.

She looks at them skeptically as they advance on her and won’t go down easily. “I…” she grunts as she shoves one away and punches another, “guess you…” she pauses as she kicks the other into a back flip that lands him on his stomach with a loud smack, his head bobbing as it hits the ground, “not!” She finishes as the one on the ground and the two in front of her disintegrate.

Turning, she slams her palm into the approaching vampire and hears a satisfying crunch when her hand connects with its nose. Her other hand comes forward and she rams the stake into its chest and then quickly turns as she sees another one advancing to her right.

Going up onto the ball of one foot, she lifts her other leg and spins the vampire around with her kick. She turns as her leg comes down and slams the heels of her hands into the chests’ of two advancing vampires. Turning in a full circle, she raises her stake, ready to do in the one she had first kicked. She’s briefly surprised when the vampire smacks the stake out of her hand and comes at her.

Leaning back, she looks up into his face, as he gets right in hers. “Excuse me, but I don’t kiss anyone that I haven’t known for at least twenty hours…” Her words trail off as she sees the surprise in his eyes as a stake suddenly appears and is in his chest. “Also, I only date one vampire… and that’s not you,” she finishes as he disappears.

Turning, she faces what seems to be the thousandth vampire of the night… morning.

“So, whose next?” She asks, raising her hands, one fisted and the other loosely grips a stake. They don’t disappoint.

Spike’s attention drifts to the kid but he quickly turns his full attention back to the fight. The kid is handling himself very well, if a little unorthodox.

Dennis clenches his teeth as a vampire jumps on his back and starts kneeing him in the kidneys. As it is, he has two in front of him and more on the way.

Growling low in his chest, he reaches up and grabs the vampire by the shoulders of the shirt and rips him from his back and throws the minion at his companions. Bending down, he picks up his gun and quickly straightens and shots off three rounds and quickly deals with four vampires.

He raises his eyebrow at that. On the third round, the bullet runs through the vampire’s body like butter and goes into the one running up behind it. Nodding his head in approval, he moves onto the next one.

Four down, hundreds more to go… make that six down and hundreds to go.

Punching a vampire in the face, he jumps up, jerking his foot, a wooden blade ejects from the tip of his boot. Stepping up on the vampire as he goes into the air, he twists and kicks a vampire in the chest. As he turns in the air, he pulls a stake from his jacket, and aims it at the vampire under him. As he falls to the ground, the stake is driven into the vampire’s back and into it heart.

Dennis fallows through and falls to the ground with a soft grunt.

He looks up as he sees movement out in the main tunnel but is soon distracted as another vampire jumps on his back… Clenching his teeth, he turns to deal with yet another vampire that has a death wish.

Out in the catacomb halls, Black pulls Lei tighter to him as he moves back out of the opening of the main cavern. He moves her under a ledge in the tunnel wall and gently sets her down. He bends down in front of her and smoothes her hair out of her face.

Silent tears run down her face, as she trembles and reaches her hand out to cup his cheek. An achingly familiar gesture. Right then, Black knows everything will be all right. Leaning in, he gently brushes his lips across her cheek. He goes to move away but she’s wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Lei… shh, it’s ok. I’ll be back. I need to help my friends.” His voice is deep and smooth, quiet. Her arms loosen slowly as his words gradually make there way to her. He leans back, and gives her a rare smile. “That’s my girl…”

She reaches out and lays her hand against his cheek again. He presses into her palm as he holds her smaller one in his hand and then steps away, hating himself as she whimpers at him.

Anger quickly replaces his guilt, and he rushes into the main cavern with a war cry that he hasn’t let loose in over two hundred years.

The vampires never know what hit them.