Disclaimer: All Characters are owned by Joss! I own none!!! Shouts to
all the awesome writers of the show part done without all the quotes!!!
Spoilers: Up to Wreaked
Feed Back: Please!! This is my first Fiction. Brookejaffe@hotmail.com
Summery: Spike is back after leaving Sunnydale and he is with Angel
and his group of detectives. Cordelia had a vision and now it is up
to Spike to save the day . . . Or is it? Someone comes to pay Buffy a
visit and Buffy spends the day finding out a lot more about Spike
then she has already known. Part Five will be what happened to Spike
on this day.
Title: The Long Road
Ratings PG - R

                   Part four

   Buffy knew that she was going to have to sing for him. She
was not sure if she was ready to face her true feelings toward Spike.
   "Any song?" She whispered trying to hide the shakiness in her
voice.
   "There is nothing to be afraid of sweetheart. It's just one
song, not the end of the world." Lorne pulled a chair over the where
Buffy was sitting on the couch and sat down right in front of
her. `Right,' she thought, might not be the end of the world but once
she started to sing everything was going to change.
   "It might just change for the Better." Buffy's eyes shot up
and met with Lorne's. He smiled. "Your aura was singing that tune
pretty loud." He patted her knee. "Like I said, not the end of the
world." Buffy looked around to Dawn and Willow, but their shared
smiles gave her little comfort.
   "Ok well here goes nothing." She stood up and took a deep
breath, before Buffy could even let the first note escape from her
lips the front door flew open breaking into many pieces. Buffy's
instincts had her already at the open door poised and ready to take
on the fight. She looked at the bad only to see a young girl standing
on her porch. The girl walked into the house and right up to Buffy
standing only a few feet away. Lorne and Willow came running to
assist Buffy, and with a wave of her hand the girl froze them in
place. Dawn peaked her hear around to see what was going on. The girl
noticed her standing there watching.
   "You will cause me no trouble." She flashed Dawn a look. In
that look, Dawn was told what the girl was doing here, and she knew
that it was something that Buffy would have to deal with alone. The
girl looked Buffy over and smiled. "He always picks the hard to get."
   "What do you want?" Buffy asked, "And what did you do to my
friends?"
   "Just to speak with you and to show you some things that you
could never get from singing that ditty of a song. Don't worry about
your friends, As soon as we are gone they will go back to normal. She
held out her hand to Buffy.
   "Who are you?" Buffy asked taking a step toward the girl.
   "My name is Cecily, I have some things I would like to show
you." Buffy took the girls hand, she knew deep down inside this girl
was no threat to her.
   Buffy's surroundings changed. She was no longer in her house
but now outside at night, but where and when she had no idea.
   "London, 1880. The night that changed William forever." Buffy
stared blankly at her/
   "William?"
   "I think that you call him Spike now."
   "Ohhh," Buffy paused. "I get it! This is Like all Christmas
Carrel-y." Cecily looked at Buffy.
   "Whatever you want to call it." She walked over to a building
and motioned to Buffy to follow. They walked into a room and over to
where Spike was sitting. Alone, and he was writing and talking to
himself.
   "Luminous . . . oh, no. no, no. Irradiate's better." Spike
said mumbling to himself. A waiter approached Spike and held out a
tray.
   "Care for a hors d'oeuvre, sir?"
   "Oh quickly! I'm the very spirit of vexation. What's another
word for `gleaming'? It's a perfectly perfect word as many words go
but the bother is nothing rhymes, you see." The waiter walks away.
Cecily leaned over to Buffy.
   "Look, here I come." And sure enough as Buffy looked toward
the door in walked Cecily. Buffy's attention went back to Spike.
   "Cecily." Spike had whispered. You see him jot down a few
more lines and then stand. Buffy looked at Cecily who was her guide
and noticed the pain that was forming behind her eyes. Buffy quickly
followed after Spike.
   "I mean to point out that it's something of a mystery and the
police should keep an open mind." Buffy stopped right next to the man
who had just spoke. She watched as Spike approached this group. His
head was down looking as if he was avoiding them. One of the men in
the groups turns his attention to Spike as he passes.
   "Ah, William! Favor us with your opinion. What do you make of
this rash of disappearances through our town? Animals or thieves?"
   I prefer not to think of suck dark, ugly business at all.
That is what the police are for. I prefer placing my energies into
creating things of beauty." Buffy could not help the snort that had
escaped her and she received a scowl from Cecily.
   Another man from the group snatched the papers from Spikes
hands. "I see. Well, don't withhold, William."
   "Rescue us from a dreary topic." Said the first man.
   "Careful. The inks are still wet. Please, it's not finished."
Spike said in a shaky voice. Buffy could not help but to feel bad for
the way he was being treated.
   "Don't be shy.(reads) `My hear expands / tis grown a bulge in
it / inspired by your beauty, effulgent." The all
laugh. "Effulgent?" Spike watched Cecily waled away from the group.
He grabbed his papers back and followed her. Buffy stayed, she wanted
so much to play a round of kick the aristocrats.
   "And that's actually one of his better compositions."
   "Have you heard? They call him William the bloody because of
his bloody awful poetry!"
   "It suits him. I would rather have a railroad spike through
my head then listen to that awful stuff!" Buffy heard enough and
followed Cecily to where Spike was now approaching the Cecily of his
world. She was alone in a room sitting facing the window.
   "Cecily?" Spike whispered just load enough to get her
attention.
   "Oh, leave me alone."
   "Oh, they're vulgarians, they are not like you and I."
   "You and I? I am going to ask you a very personal question
and I want and honest answer. Do you understand." Spike nodded his
head. "Your poetry, it is . . . they're . . . not written about me
are they?"
   "They're about how I feel."
   "Yes, but are they about me?"
   "Every syllable."
   "Oh God."
   "Oh, I know I'm a bad poet but I'm a good man and all I ask
is that . . . you try to see me-"
   "I do see you. That's the problem. You are nothing to me
William. You're beneath me." Buffy gasped as the room around her
faded. They were back out on the street. Buffy watches a distraught
Spike leave the house. He was in tears and was ripping the poem he
had been writing into pieces. They both followed him. Buffy watches
Spike head right into a group of people.
   `Watch where your going." Spike snapped and continued walking.
   Buffy's mouth dropped open when she recognized the group of
people. Drusilla, Darla and "Angel." She whispered. Buffy quickly
followed Spike. He was sitting on a pile of hay and he was almost
finished ripping up the remaining pieces of his poetry. She did not
see Drusilla turn and follow him, but she knew that she would. She
knew the story. Spike had told her that night at the Bronze when she
wanted him to tell her how he killed the two slayers.
   "And I wonder . . . what possible catastrophe came crashing
down from the heavens and brought this dashing stranger to tears?"
Buffy watched Drusilla work her magic over Spike.
   "Nothing, I wish to be alone."
   "Oh, I see you. A man surrounded by fools who cannot see his
strength, his vision, his glory; That and a burning fish swimming all
around your head." Spike is now standing and backs away from her.
   "That's quite close enough. I've heard tales of London
pickpockets. You'll not be getting my purse, I tell you." Buffy
could not help but to giggle. She could never imagine Spike like
this. A good thing she was seeing it first hand or she could never
believe it.
   "Don't need a purse. Your wealth lies here . . . and here.
In the spirit and . . . imagination. You walk in worlds the others
can't begin to imagine."
   Oh, yes! I mean, no. I mean . . . mothers' expecting
me."Drusilla opened the collar on his shirt.
   "I see what you want. Something glowing and glistening.
Something . . . effulgent."
   "Effulgent?"
   "Do you want it?"
   "Oh, yes! God, yes." Buffy watched as Drusilla morphed into
her game face. Buffy closed her eyes and when she reopened them the
surroundings were fading. She was no longer in the London streets
but now in a dark black room. Buffy saw Cecily standing off to the
side and she was crying.
   "What's wrong?" Buffy started to walk over to her but Cecily
held her hand up for Buffy to stop, which she did. Cecily composed
herself and turned to face Buffy.
   "It's all my fault." She plainly said.
   "No, Cecily, it was not your fault! You saw that he wanted
it." Cecily face grew cold and Dark. This made Buffy feel very uneasy.
   "No one wants it!" She spat out. "Don't you see? I made him
the way he is. Well technically that Drusilla creature did, but I
drove him to it. With my foul and heartbreaking words. And the
coldness I always showed toward him. I did not think he was good
enough. Never gave him the time of day. I drove him out into the
night, that night where he met his untimely death and was doomed to
live an eternity being something he was not. He wanted it, only
because of the way he was treated by me. It was my fault and I have a
chance to make it up to him. By showing you there are still pieces of
William in Spike, pieces that he could not bear to let go of, no
matted what evil had a hold of him. Love, and devotions and a piece
of his humanity. You need to know these things before you hurt him
they way I did and then lose him to something that can only be worse
then what he is already, death. He won't ever be coming back from
that. Not like you did. He has been fighting for you much longer then
he ever fought for me. I'm not sure how much more he can take before
he will give up, just like he did with me. Then you will regret it.
Everything. You might be scared of letting yourself love him, but
right now I would be more scared of losing him." Buffy just stared
at Cecily not know what to say to her. "I give you a choice Buffy
Summers, right here and right now. You can go home to your friends
and sing your song to the demon, or you can take a chance and come
with me to see what I'm talking about. It won't be easy and it will
change everything. It is all up to you."
   Buffy thought for a bit. "Well, I will get to see the softer
side of Spike. What the hay! I mean I'm already here. Who only stays
for half the show?" Cecily smiled and held her hand out for Buffy to
take. "Well here we go!"

   Dawn watched as Buffy and the girl disappeared. She watched
as the front door rebuilt itself and then as Willow and Lorne were
reanimated. They both feel to the floor.
   "Buff? Buffy?" Willow looked around the room.
   "What the . . . ?" Lorne Yelped as he got up from the floor
and dusted his suit off. "Brand-new suit too." Dawn giggled. Willow
rushed over to her.
   "Dawnie are you ok? Did she hurt you? Where is Buffy?" She
was frantic.
   "I better call Angel." Lorne walked over to the Phone.
   "No!" Dawn cried out and grabbed the receiver from his hand.
   "All right sunshine, tell uncle Lorne why we should not get
Angel in on this. Cause to the look of it, this is bad."
   "I can't explain it, but I know that she was here to help
Buffy."
   "Dawnie, as much as I hope you are right we have to make
sure, and that would be calling everyone and getting them involved."
A light pink wind swept into the room and surrounded Dawn. It circled
around her for a minute then disappeared.
   "Fine." Dawn said. "Call all of them. Won't do any good
though, she accepted and she is in it till the end." A wide grin
spread across Dawns face and she hopped into the kitchen for a snack.
   "I need a nap." Willow sighed
   "You and me both reds," Lorne looked off into space, "maybe a
bubble bath first, while listening to the highlights of Miss Saigon."
Willow giggled.
   "Well first thing first. You call your gang together and I
will assemble mine. We'll get to the Magic box as soon as we all can.
We have to find Buffy and there is something major-ly freaky some
about Dawn that is just giving me the Wiggins." Willow went and
picked up the phone and Lorne pulled out his cell phone. They looked
at each other and began to dial.

       Buffy and Cecily were now in a bed room. Buffy looked
around and she spotted Drusilla over in a corner, Drusilla is talking
to her bird in a cage. "You sing the sweetest little song. Won't you
sing for me? Hmm? Don't you love me anymore?" Buffy takes a closer
look, she sees that Drusilla is talking to a dead bird. Buffy turns
around when she hears a noise behind her. She watches as Spike walks
into the room.
   "Darling! I heard a funny thing just now. Lucius tells me
that you went out on a hunt the other night."
   "My tummy was growly. And you were out.(to the bird) Come on.
(Whistles) I'll pout if you don't sing."
   Spike puts his arm around her. "You, um, meet anyone
interesting? Like Angel?"
   "Angel."
   Yeah. So. . . . What might you guys have talked about,
then? Old times? Childhood pranks? It's a little off, you two so
friendly, him being the enemy and all that."
   "I'll give you a seed if you sing."
   "The bird is dead Dru. You left it in a cage, and you didn't
feed it and not it's all dead, just like the last one." Drusilla
cowers and whines. "Oh I'm sorry baby. I'm a bad, rude man. I just
don't like you goin' out, that's all. You are weak. Would you like a
new bird? One that's not dead?" They both fade from sight and Buffy
and Cecily are again back in the dark room.
   "Well, why would you show me that? I mean I know how psycho
Drusilla really is. There was no need to show me. Are you sure your
not trying to convince me that I am crazy?" Cecily shook her head.
   "There are many things that William," Buffy looked over to
Cecily. "Or Spike if that is what you prefer, many tiny things that
show there is more in their then just an evil vampire. Things that he
tries to bury away but they surface when his love and jealousy show."
Suddenly they were Spikes factory. Spike was in a wheelchair and
Drusilla was standing in front of a huge box. IT flew open and out
stepped the Judge. Buffy flinched remembering the events that
followed. She watched on.
   "You!" The Judge pointed at Drusilla.
   Buffy watches as Spike rolled over next to Drusilla. "Ho, ho,
ho. What's that mate?" He asked the Judge.
   "You two stink of humanity. You share affection and jealousy!"
   "Yeah what of it?" Spike snapped
   Again Buffy and Cecily watched the scene fade and again were
back in that oh to familiar dark room. "Do you see?" Buffy shrugged
her shoulders. "Well, I guess this has yet to convince you. Don't
worry, there is much more I can show you." They were suddenly
outside of the Bronze. Buffy watched as she and Spike fought.
   "Come on. I can feel it slayer, you know you want to dance."
   "Say it's true, say I do want to. " Buffy watched herself
shove him to the ground. "It wouldn't be you, Spike. It would never
be you." Buffy flinches as she sees herself throw the money all over
him. She lowers her head because she knows what is coming
next. "You're beneath me." Buffy watches as he picked up the money
from the ground, almost in tears. She had no idea that those three
little words would hurt him so much. Still.
   They are back in the dark room. "Ok so I can be a real bitch,
why show me that?" Cecily sighed
   "He was going to kill you. He was so hurt by your words he
was going to go to your home and kill you, no matter what the pain
that chip would cause in his head."
   "Why didn't he? At the Bronze, his face, he was so
hurt . . . "
   "You were crying. He saw the pain and suffering that you were
feeling and he pushed his anger and pain aside just to comfort you."
Buffy could not look Cecily in the eye. "Come there is more."
   They were in Spike Crypt. Buffy sees Dawn and her mother
standing there at the door. She feels a pang in her stomach seeing
her mom again. She wanted to run over to her and just hold her in her
arms. Cecily placed her hand on Buffy's shoulder and gave it a little
squeeze. Buffy looked over to her with tear filled eyes and smiled.
   "Keep Dawn here as long as you can. I'll be back soon." Buffy
looked back over to herself, who was now talking to her mom.
   "Okay."
   "I don't need to remind you, but-" She told Spike
   "Yeah, yeah. Anything happens to em' I'll stake you good and
proper. Sing me a new one sometime, eh? That bit's gone stale." She
watched herself leave.
   "I, I love what you've, um, neglected to do with the place."
Buffy smiled at her moms comment.
   "Just don't break anything. And don't make a lot of noise.
Passions is coming on."
   "Passions? Oh, do you think Timmy's really dead?"
   "Oh!" Spike gestures to his armchair. He and Joyce each sit
on one arm. "No, no, she can just sew him back together. He's a doll
for gods' sake."
   "Um, what about the wedding? I mean, there's no way they're
gonna go through with that." Buffy saw Dawn roll her eyes at both
Spike and her mom. She was surprised how comfortable her mom got with
Spike so quickly.
   The crypt was gone and she was standing outside her house.
She saw willow and Xander leaving and Spike walking up with flowers
in his hand. Xander walks up to him.
   "You have to be kidding."
   "I'm not going in."
   "And your not leaving those." Xander points to the
flowers. "You actually think you're gonna score points with Buffy
this way?"
   "This isn't about Buffy."
   "Bull. We're all hip to your doomed obsession."
   "They're for Joyce."
   "Like you care about her!" Willow stepped in between the two.
   Guys, guys, not here." She said to them both.
   "Care? Joyce was the only one of the lot of you that I could
stand."
   "And she's the only one with a daughter you wanted to shag.
I'm touched."
   Spike was getting angry. "I liked the lady. Understand,
monkey boy? She was decent. She didn't put on airs. She always had a
nice cuppa for me. And she never treated me like a freak."
   "Her mistake." Xander snapped. Spike scoffs.
   "Think what you want." He throws the flowers to the ground
and leaves.
   "Un-believable!" Willow looked at Xander and she bends down
to pick up the flowers. "The guy thinks he can put on a big show and
con Buffy into being his sex monkey."
   Willow looked at the flowers. "Xander . . . He didn't leave a
card." Buffy watched the two exchange looks of sadness.
   They were back in the dark room again. Buffy was still
shocked at what she had just seen. "I had no idea that he was there.
They never told me." The walls were already fading again. She was in
Glory's apartment.
   Spikes hands were tied together over his head. He was
standing in the middle of the room with demons all around. His shirt
is torn and is face was covered in blood.
   "I have a riddle for you, precious. How is a vampire that
won't talk . . . like an apple?" She walks up to him grabs his hair
and yanks his head back. His chest is bloody and had a wound from
glory's finger imbedded there. She is holding a dagger which she
uses to cut him with her free hand. Spike yells in pain. "Think I
can do you in one long strip?"
   "Enough. No more. I'll tell you who the sodden key is.
Buffy's eyes widened in shock.
   "He said that he didn't tell . . ." She looked over to Cecily
who chose to ignore her comments and continues to watch.
   "It's that guy . . . on TV . . . what's his name?"
   "On the television."
   "That show . . . the prize show . . . where they guess what
stuff costs.
   " The price is right?"
   "Bob Barker!"
   "We will bring you Bob Barker! We will bring you the limp and
beaten body of Bob Bark-"
   "It is not Bob Barker, scabby morons!" The key is new to this
world . . . and bob barker is as old as grit. The vampire is lying to
me." Buffy let go of her help breath.
   "Yeah . . . but it was fun. And guess what, bitch? I'm not
telling you jack. Your never gonna get your sodden key, `cause you
might be strong, but in our world, you're an idiot."
   "I am a god!"
   "The god of what? Bad home perms." Buffy smiled
   "Shut up! I command you, shut up!"
   Yeah, okay, sorry, but I just had no idea that Gods were such
prancing lightweights. Mark my words, the slayer is going to kick
your skanky, lopsided ass back to whatever place would take a cheep,
whorish, fashion victim ex-god like you." Glory kicks spike in the
chest sending him flying backwards crashing threw the apartment's
door and into the hallway outside. He tried to sit up. "Good plan,
Spike."
   "Bring him back." The room dissolved around her.
   "Oh, what he went through for me. I told him I would never
forget." Buffy glanced at Cecily.
   "Did you?" Buffy looked down to the floor. "Well maybe you
can make it up to him. Have a seat. There is only so much magic I can
use at one time. Don't want to use it all up before we are finished.
A huge screen appeared before Buffy.
   "Oh, a movie! Do I get to have some popcorn?" Buffy looked
back to find Cecily gone. "Hello?" The lights dimmed. She saw
herself at the top of the tower with Dawn. She watched as she jumped
to save her sister and the world. She saw the pain in her sisters
and in her friends eyes. She saw Spike buckle and fall to the
ground. "Oh." She whispered and watched as Spike covered his face
with his bloody hand and sobbed. Buffy felt a jab in her heart. She
wanted more then anything to reach out and comfort him, comfort them
all. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. The scene
on the screen changed.
   The cemetery. She saw the whole gang there fighting, and
there was Spike, working with them side by side even after she was
gone. He was helping them. Not for any money, and not to win her
affection, but to help. Buffy felt the quilt creep over her, all her
accusations about his reasons. Maybe everyone was right. He had
changed and she was just too scared to accept it.
   Suddenly she was in her kitchen. "Is that it?" She looked
around, no Cecily. Suddenly Spike and Dawn appeared. "Hey!" She
started to walk over to them but walked into an invisible wall that
was not letting her get any closer. It seemed like they were in the
middle of a conversation.
   "Makes sense."
   "It does?"
   "Yeah, she responded to the Buffy Bot because a robot is
predictable. Boring. Perfect teachers' pet. That's all schools are,
you know. Just factories, spewing out mindless little automatons. Who
go on to be . . . very . . .very, valuable and productive members of
society, and you should go. Because Buffy would want you to."
   "Check. One mindless automaton coming up."
   "So, uh, what do you fancy, bit uh gin rummy?"
   "Well, uh, Willow and Tara said they'd be back early. You
don't really have to hang. I mean, if you're board."
   "I'm not, and yeah, I do."
   "But I'm fine alone. It's not like anyone's coming after me.
I'm not the key. Or if I am, I don't open anything any more. It's
over remember?"
   "I'm not leaving you here by yourself, so forget it!"
   "We'll I'm just saying." Spike slams the cards down hard on
the table, Dawn jumps.
   "No! I am not leaving you . . . to get hurt. Not again, now
deal." They both disappeared leaving Buffy alone in the kitchen.
Cecily walked in. Buffy's mouth hanged open. She knew right there at
that moment that she loved Spike. Seeing everything, he had done for
her and for her family and friends. She more then anything wanted to
go back to tell him. To make everything right again, and to make sure
that they all lived threw whatever big bad was still on its way.
   "The powers tell me my work here is done. You can go back to
your friends, sing a song if you want, but know that something is
coming, something big, and not even the powers can predict the
outcome." Buffy shook her head.
   "Yes I know." She smiled at Cecily. "Thank you."
   Cecily smiled back. "Nice to have met you Buffy Summers. Good
luck, with everything." Cecily vanished. She was still in her kitchen
the day had passed her by and it was now night.
   Buffy stood there thinking about the day she just had. "Oh,
God. The door!" She ran to the foyer and found the door back on the
hinges and in one piece. "Thanks Cecily!" She walked to the bottom
of the stairs and called up. "Anyone home? Hello?" Buffy walked into
the living room. She sat down on the sofa not realizing how tired she
really was. She closed her eyes. The front door opened and a stream
of people walked into the house. None of them had noticed her yet.
   "We'll, whatever took Buffy, must have taken Spike as well."
Buffy eyes shot open and she jumped to her feet. `No! Not now, not
when I just figured out all my feelings!
   "What! Spike is missing?" Everyone pilled into the room, all
asking her questions. Willow ran up to her.
   "Buffy! Thank God! Are you all right? What happened? Where
were you?"
   "I will explain everything later. We just have to find Spike!
He was not taken by Cecily!"
   "Who?" Everyone asked at the same time.
   "Angel came over and took Buffy's hand in his. She wanted to
pull away from his touch, for some reason it felt wrong, she felt
that she was hurting Spike just by letting Angel comfort her. But,
she has feelings for him, but not like she use too. Those feelings
were gone. "Buffy, I think that you need to tell us where you have
been, it might help us figure out what happened to Spike, if
something actually did take him." Buffy took her hand away from Angel.
   "He would never leave again, not now, not unless he was
forced." She turned away and began telling them everything. When she
finished the only person who was not left with their mouth hanging
open was Dawn who carried on her face a huge smile.
   "Told you so." All eyes moved to Dawn. "What? I did!!"
   "Ahhhhhh!" Everyone looked at Cordelia. She was grabbing her
head. Angel ran to her side. Cordelia open her eyes and looked at
Buffy. "It started."
TBC
       


                    Part 5
    Spike bursts through the crypt door he was smoking from the
newly risen sun. Thirty more seconds out in the open like that he
would have been dust for sure, like anyone would really care. He
slammed the door and threw himself into the chair.  Why did he always
let her get to him like that?  He suddenly took notice that something
else was in the crypt.  He couldn't see anything but he felt
something was watching him. He stood up and took a cautious step
forward. "I know there is someone here.  Show yourself."  Out from
the corner of the room Drusilla appeared from the shadows. "Dru."
    "The stars told me a little secret." She Whispered and walked
closer to Spike.
    "And what's that, pet?"  He answered with little enthusiasm.
    "I can't tell you." She giggled.
    "Dru, pet, what are you doing here?" She walked over to the
table and picked up Miss Edith.
    "Would you like to join our tea party? Miss Edith has been a
good girl and she wants you to come, she will be very cross if you
don't." Spike sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was too much. First
with Buffy and now he has to deal with Dru, Now he will need to
convince her to get out of town before Buffy finds her.
    Dru, luv. Tell daddy, what are you doing back here in
Sunnydale? You know if Bu-" he stops himself.  "You know that if the
slayer catches you here she will kill you." Drusilla head snaps up
and she smiles at Spike.
    "Do you still love your princess?" She paused, "Of course you
do. You would never let the slayer hurt me." She walked over to where
Spike was standing and ran her hand across his back. "But you are
letting her hurt you."  She came to face him. "Don't worry my Spike.
Princess has a plan. Your slayer will never take you away from me
again."
    "What plan would that be Dru?" Spike had not noticed the
other vampires coming up behind him.               
                   
    "But if I told you, you would try to spoil all of my fun. We
can't have that now can we Miss Edith?"  The two vampires grabbed
Spike from behind and a third one knocked him out cold.
    Spike opened his eyes. He had no idea how much time had
actually  passed by. What he did know, he was no longer in his
crypt.  He looked up toward the ceiling and he saw a tiny window. He
could see that the sun had already begun to set.  He was not sure
what was going on around him but there was something in the works. 
How was he going to get out of this?  Buffy. She's the Slayer. She
will find this bad like every other time and save the day. Who was he
kidding? The one and only poof was back in her life, they have
probably already forgotten all about him.

    "Ok, first things first. Angel, are you sure that Spike is
missing? I mean he could just be out. We can't just assume that he
was taken." Buffy was trying hard to hide her feeling from the group.
Everyone had to have a clear head to find him.
    "Does anyone one else see no problem with Spike being all no
show?" Xander asked, as Angel raised his hand.
    "Xander, please, not now." Buffy looked around the room,
hoping for someone to come to her assistance.
    "You know Xander is right . . ."
    "I'm not to found of you either pal, so if you were the next
to go missing I would not get a search party together and so not
break a sweat." Angel glared at Xander and Anya came up and put a
protective arm around her man.
    "Ok, Xander, Angel and anyone else who might feel a bit of
bash the Spike coming on, listen up! If, you do not want to look at
Spike as a  friend, who has saved your ass, more then once, Xander
Harris. Look at it from Cordelia's vision where he is the one to take
on the big bad and save the day! Any way you look at it we need him."
She looked strait at Xander. "I need him. We need to start
thinking . . ."
    "I might have been a little off on my first vision. I mean it
is still the same gist, but now there is something else, something
that was not there in the first vision that was there in the second. 
You both will take on the big bad. Together. If not, and he takes it
on alone he dies, and vice versa. Something tells me that even if
Spike had to take it on alone he would never be able to defeat it."
Cordelia walked over to Angel. She slipped her arm threw his and lead
him into the other room.
    "Cord?" Angel looked at her. She was making sure that no one
had followed or listened.
    "There is something else. Something I'm not sure I should
tell Buffy." She looked to make sure that Buffy was far from hearing
her. "Drusilla is here. And I think she is the one who has Spike. But
Right now I'm not sure if it is against his will or if he is there
willing."
    "He would never go willing!" Angel and Cordelia both jumped.
    "Dawn? Were you spying on us?" Angel walked over to where
Dawn was standing and saw a bottle of water in her hand.
    "No, I was not, and, and for one thing this is my home, not
yours and where I choose to go in my home is not up to you." Dawns'
yelling was making both Cordelia and Angel a bit uncomfortable and
brought Buffy into the room.
    "What is going on in here?" Dawn looked at Buffy and then at
the other two who looked away from her.

    Spike was trying disparately to keep conscious but the pain
that was coming from his legs was almost unbearable. He heard someone
moving around behind him. All he could do to stay focused was to
concentrate and to think of Buffy. 
    "Dru? Pet?" He saw her out of the corner of his eye. "Baby,
untie me."
    "You so like this game, remember?" She circled around
Spike. "Miss Edith says that you are all gone to me and that you are
never coming back." She whimpers.
    "Dru . . ." He was almost pleading with her.
    "But," She cut him off. "I think I can find my lost Spike and
bring him home.  Miss Edith! You have no faith in your Mummy. 
Therefore, you will not be able to see my surprise for our daddy."
Drusilla walked over to Spike, she cradles his face between her hand
and gently kisses him.
    "I'm a bad, bad man, Dru, untie me and I . . ." She slapped
him across the face.
    "Naughty Spike! No more Slayer for you, as soon as she is
dead, you will be mine. Forever."
    "Dru. Do you possibly think you can take on the slayer
alone?"
    "Not alone, never alone." Drusilla looked up to the ceiling
and waved her arms to music that was not playing, or only playing in
her head. "Soon, soon you will know my secret, and everyone will know
my secret." She giggled. Spike let his head fall forward. He had no
strength left to hold it up. Dru rolled his head to the side. She
thought for a moment.  She ran her hand threw his hair. "You must be
hungry. I will have to boys go out and fetch you something nice,
young and pure." She walked away from him singing a nursery rhyme to
herself.  She closes the door. For the second time in his life Spike
was afraid. He had no idea what he was going to do.

    "Ok. I don't need this whole lets beat around the bush game
we are about to play, so you both need too, fess up. Cause, I have
had it up to hear with both of you." Buffy challenged Angel with a
glare.
    "Drusilla." He walked passed her and into the other room.
Cordelia just stood there.
    "What? What does she have to do with any of this?"
    "She took Spike. I'm not sure if he was taken by force or
went willingly. I thought it best not to tell you, seeing that it
already began to cloud your judgement. Listen Buffy, I know this is
not what you need to hear right now and I'm the last person who
should be giving you any advice. Except you should always take my
fashion advice, you do know your shoes are so last year, anyway
moving forward, You have to go into this fight with a clear head, you
don't know if you are there to fight side by side with Spike as a
team, or side by side as enemies. Be prepared to do anything and
everything." Cordelia walked out of the room leaving Buffy to second
judge all of her feelings yet again.
    "Buffy, he would never." Dawn walked further into the room,
reading her sisters expression. "He was going to kill her for you.
You said so yourself.  He held a steak to her heart."
    "I don't think he ever planned too or would be able to
Dawnie. She was his love for over a century, and she made him."
    "But he loves you now!" Dawn Protested.
    "Is that enough?" Buffy walked away and up to her room. She
needed a shower she needed to think.
    Dawn was furious! Buffy needed to stop doubting Spike and go
find him! Instead she was going to take a shower.  Dawn looked into
the livingroom and saw everyone talking and planning. Well, if Buffy
was not going to go find Spike. She was. She walked quietly into the
kitchen, opened the back door and crept out into the night.
    Fred, had seen Dawn poke her head into the living room and
look around. She saw the look on Dawns face and knew that she was up
to something. She excused herself from the room and walked into the
dinning room.  She saw Dawn leaving the kitchen through the back
door. She was not sure if she had time to tell everyone that Dawn was
gone and still be able to follow her, so out into the night she went,
making sure that she kept a good distance from Dawn so that she would
not know that someone was following her.
    Dawn knew how crazy it was to go off alone, especially at
night. So many bad things would be lurking about. As soon as she
reached the cemetery, she was starting to think that this really was
a bad idea and decided that she was going back. She turned around. 
    Fred watched as Dawn stopped at the gate of the cemetery. She
hid behind a parked car. Fred was hoping that Dawn was changing her
mind and was going to head back to the house. 
    Dawn heard a rustling noise, not sure from where it was
coming. She began to walk slowly backwards.  She was scared. She knew
something was there, watching her. She backed up and hit something.
She spun around. A hand reached out and closed around her neck.
    "Well, well. What do we have here?" Dawn struggled against
the vampires hold. He lifted her up and inspected her. "You seem
young and pure enough, I think you will do." Dawn started kicking and
she tried to scream.
    Fred did not know what to do. She searched the ground for any
kind of weapon. She spotted a stick on the ground that looked like it
could be used as a steak. She had never killed a vampire before.
Well, no time like the present. She figured he would hear her if she
snuck up, so instead, she ran as fast as she could and drove the
spike into the back of the vampire. He let out a howl and dropped
Dawn to the ground. Fred ran around him and grabbed Dawns hand.
    "Come on!" She and Dawn started running. They could hear the
vampire running after them.  Fred looked back to see how far away he
was. Dawn stopped in her tracks and Fred ran into her knocking her
down. "What?"
    "Look." Dawn pointed toward a crypt that was a few yards in
front of them. There were three vampires coming toward them. Fred
looked all around them. There was no way out. Fred backed up to a
crypt that was next to them holding Dawn behind her, trying to
protect her.  The Vampire came up to Fred and slapped her across the
face. The vampire threw her to the group that had gathered behind
him. He grabbed Dawn.
    "Lets go." They walked off carting Fred and Dawn with them.

    Spike knew that he had to get loose. Get to Buffy. Tell her
the plan. She would walk right into whatever trap Dru had set for
her. He struggled with the chains that were holding him. He heard the
chains give way from the wall behind him. His stomach churned as hope
began to form. They were giving way! He pulled and yanked and
twisted. Still, to any avail the chains did not move any
further.  "Sons of a bitch!" He yelled and slumped to the floor.
    "Now, now, Miss Edith does not like that kind of talk." Dru
walked into the room followed by two vampires.  She threw a set of
keys to one. "Unchain him." The vampire looked at her and
hesitated. "Now!" The vampire walked over to Spike and took hold of
the chains. He unchained him and took a giant step back. Spike lunged
at the vampire and threw him into the other. While Dru looked on with
enthusiasm and clapped her hands and giggled.  This was too easy but
he had no time to think what Dru was planning. He ran toward the door
but was thrown back a few feet as soon as he reached it.  He looked
around confused at what had just transpired. He got back up and
limped over to the door. He tried to place his hand threw and it
bounced off some kind of an invisible wall.
    "So many fun new toys!" Drusilla danced around the room
clapping her hands. Spike limped over to a table with a chair and
slumped into it.  She looked over at the two vampires who were
brushing themselves off. "Bring them in." The vampires left and
Drusilla walked over to him. She ran her hand threw his hair. "Did
you think I would make it that easy? Your playing my game now, no
cheating!" She waved her finger at him.
    "Dru, baby . . . please. You want me back, fine I'm yours,
lets go. Forget this stupid thing with the slayer and we will leave
here forever. Just you and me pet, like the old days." She caressed
his cheek.
    "Do you remember China? The rebellion? The pain . . . the
fear  . . . all that blood? It was so," She pauses then
giggles. "Intoxicating! Don't you just miss it?" Spike saw the
longing in her eyes then sorrow. "I'm so alone now." She was quiet
for a while. Then looked at Spike. "We can make it right again! Just
you wait!" She smiled an evil grin.
    "Dru . . ." Spike was cut off by the two vampires who were
dragging in Dawn and Fred.
    "Spike!" Dawn cried and ran into his arms.
    Drusilla came up to Dawn and ran her hand through her
hair. "No need to be afraid little girl, I promise it won't hurt."
Dru grabbed a lock-ful of Dawns hair and yanked her out of Spike arms
and onto the floor. Fred ran over Dawn and helped her up. Spike tried
to get up to defend Dawn but was pushed down by Dru.
    "Naughty Wicked Spike, trying to help the human. Tisk Tisk."
Dru looked over to the two girls holding onto each other. Both
terrified.  "Which one first. Ennie meanie miney moe!" She pointed at
Dawn.  "I think you will be the first to go!" Fred stepped in front
of Dawn. "How Heroic, but to quote my Spike, just first and second no
instead . . . "
    "Dru." She turned and looked at him. "That's the slayers'
sister. You should hold onto her for leverage. You know for your big
surprise? Always good to have a back up plan." Drusilla giggled. 
          "My Spike is coming home!" She points at the vampires. "Take
her now and go lock her up."
    "Spike?" Dawn looked at him like he had just betrayed
her. "Why?" The vampires dragged her out of the room.
    She looks at Fred. She wrapped her hand around her neck and
brought her over to Spike. She smiles. "Dinner time." Drusilla face
morphed. Spike had to think fast or Dru was going to kill her.
    "Pet, but she's with Angel. When the poof finds out that you
killed her. He will kill you. Remember the fire? What he did to you
and Darla" Drusilla cringed and her face changed back. She dropped
Fred to the ground. She gasped for air. She looked at Spike. 
    Spike held out his hand toward Dru. She took his hand as he
brought her into his lap. Dru put her head onto his shoulder.  "My
Spike, always protecting his princess." Spike motioned to Fred to go
to the open door.  Fred got up and she disappeared through it. Spike
could only hope that he would keep Drusilla distracted long enough
for Fred to get out and to get back to Buffy.
   
    Buffy turned on the shower and stepped in. The hot water beat
against her body. She sighed and closed her eyes.  Spike was all she
could think about.  She was so scared that he would go back to being
big bad and decide to be with Drusilla.  He was furious with her when
he had left that morning. `Oh God!' if he did, it would be her fault.
She would have driven him to her. At first she did not hear the
knocking on the bathroom door. She turned off the water and she heard
it again. She wrapped the towel around herself and walked over and
unlocked the door.
    "Angel?" He looked down at her body that was wrapped in a
damp towel. He cleared his throat. "Is there something you want?"
    "Yeah . . . um, see . . ." He cleared his throat again and
turned around so his back was to her. "We can't find Fred or Dawn.
They are not in the house." Buffy felt all the blood drain from her
face. She rushed passed Angel and into her room where she slammed the
door and tore threw her closet for clothing. She quickly got dressed
and tied her hair back into a ponytail. She opened her door and ran
to the stairs. She turned around and saw that Angel was still
standing exactly where she had left him minutes before.
    "Hello! Are you coming?"
    "Oh right. Yes." He followed her down the stairs.
    "Ok when was the last time anyone saw Dawn?" Buffy asked
everyone who was in the room.
    "When we told you about Drusilla." Angel answered and he sat
down onto the sofa.
    "Drusilla? When did psycho un-dead women get involved?"
Xander got up and walked over to where Buffy was standing.
    "She was in the last vision I had." Cordelia whispered.
    "And you did not mention it because . . ." Xander snapped at
Cordelia.
    "This is not her fault." Angel said.
    "Like Hell. Maybe if Princess here has told us the whole
vision, it would not have caused Dawn to go all a-wall, and run off."
    "Hey, I though it would complicate things if I told Buffy,
how I was I supposed to know that Dawn was going to run off? Maybe if
Buffy decided to go look for Spike in the first place and not go for
the hour long shower she might not have taken off too, so, not my
fault."
    "Well how convenient of you. Anything else that your royal
highness has left out? I mean, is the master back too? Hell how about
Glory?" Xander was yelling now. "How are we supposed to know what we
are up against if you don't tell us?"
    "Xander, please." Buffy whispered. Willow came over and put
her hand on Buffy's shoulder.  "Fighting is all no help right now."
    "We are not even sure that she is in any danger, yet. She
could still be out looking. And Fred must have seen her leave and
gone with her." Wes offered his opinion. Buffy looked at Wes.
    "At least one of us is all level headed. Ok, so lets say they
have been gone for almost two hours now.  We will split up and look
all over town. We will find them.  We have to." She looked at
everyone. "Please, Dawn is my family." She whimpered and pulled
herself together.
    They all filed out onto the porch. "Ok everyone's cell Phones
on? Be careful." Angel squeezed Buffy's shoulder. "Don't worry. We
will find them, all." Buffy smiled up at him and squeezed his hand
that was still on her shoulder.
    "I know." She turned around to close the door when the Phone
rang. She looked at everyone.  "Who?" She ran into the house and
grabbed the phone. "Hello? Yes this is Buf . . .
When? . . .Now? . . .Yes . . . All right  . . . On our way . . .  Is
she alone? Ok. Thank you." Buffy cradled the phone in her hand, then
hung it up. She walked back out onto the porch.
    "Buffy? Who was it?" She walked over to Willow and Xander.
She turned and faced the group.
    "Fred. She is at the hospital. She was brought in just a few
minutes ago and she was hysterical. She made them call us first." She
looked at Xander.
    "Dawn?"
    "I don't know. She was alone." It was all Buffy could take.
She started crying. Xander wrapped his arm around her.
    "All right. Lets go. Fred might know where Dawn is." Angel
threw Wes the keys to his car. He ran inside and grabbed the set to
the second car they had brought. He closed the door. "Lets get a move
on it."
    "Don't worry Buffy, Dawn will be fine." Xander lead her to
the car and they all climbed in and drove off to the hospital.
TBC


 

Next