Buffy climbed out of the chamber behind Forest and memorized where the access was. It was the exact same tunnel that she had gone past the night that she found the twelve Roses. The demons that she had seen that night were dying. The Initiative threw them down there and gave them food until they passed away and then they took the bodies through the tunnels to do autopsies on them. She had not been able to see very much of it, but what she did see proved to her that she could get Spike and make her way back to the crypt in the cemetery without being caught. He was bound to be sent down there sooner or later and by then, she should know everything she needed to know about saving him.

Orders had come a few minutes before and they were to get another Hostile and take him to chamber. Buffy was excited, looking forward to having the opportunity to ask a few more questions. Riley and Forest were talking to one another about a party that night and she tuned them out for the time being, staring at the monitors on the main floor. If everyone was having a vacation, then it was possible that the cameras in the chamber would not be activated. She could sneak back in and try to figure out what was happening at the infirmary and try to steal a couple of seconds with Spike. Alone. Her security pass had not been cleared, but she wouldn't need it now. Riley had not used his code to open the chamber.

“Buffy?” Riley tapped her on the arm and she turned, jumping a little. “So, are you coming?”

“Coming?” She followed them to the elevator and stepped inside, trying to wrap her mind around what he was asking her.

“To the party.” Riley punched a number in and then looked back at her. “The one we’ve been talking about for ten minutes.”

“Oh, the party. I don’t know. I didn’t sleep well last night and was kind of hoping for a really long nap.” It wasn’t a lie. She had not slept at all and she was hoping for a nap, but that didn’t mean she was going to have one. The sewers still needed to be patrolled.

Riley’s face fell and he sighed. "Well, if you're tired then you should get some rest.”

“I’ll definitely try to come.” She smiled as the doors opened and then her world fell apart.

Spike was leaning against the wall right next to the doorway of the debriefing room. He looked up when he saw them coming and closed his eyes, unable to look at Buffy for fear that he would reach out to her. Maggie began speaking and he forced himself to listen and not think about the Slayer. “Spike’s chip is working faster than we anticipated. Please put him at the end of the chamber, away from the other demons, and see to it that he has fresh blood dropped to him every two hours.”

Buffy’s hands were shaking and she only half listened to Riley asking why Walsh was handling the Hostile without backup. She stared at Spike, biting back the tears that were burning the backs of her eyes. He looked almost dead. His eyes seemed to have sunk back into his head and his lips were solid white and cracked open in several places. She watched Riley grip his arm and pull him along, brushing past her. ~ God, please don’t let this be happening. I’m not ready. I’m not prepared. ~

Inside the elevator, Riley and Spike stood against the back wall and Buffy stood in front of Spike. Forest was talking about the party again and Riley was laughing at something he was saying. Buffy stepped back slightly, barely moving and reached behind her, trying to find Spike’s hand. The doors opened and she swore slightly, forced to step through without getting the chance to reassure him.

Within minutes, they were on the way down into the chamber and Buffy realized that she needed to ask some very important questions. Clearing her throat, she approached it casually, “I hope that I never have to be the one sitting out here staring at these monitors all day. Watching these demons die would be really boring.”

Riley shook his head. “No one really monitors them, at least not these. Once the Hostiles go down, there’s really no need to worry about what they’re doing.”

Forest chuckled and added, “It’s not like they can get loose and even if they did, they’re dead.”

“Who will be here to feed the demons since everyone is on break?” Buffy’s eyes met Spike’s and she pleaded with him to see what she was doing. ~ I’m asking because I plan on coming back! Please see that! ~ As soon as the sun went down, she would get Angel and they would come through the entrance at the cemetery and get him out. For the time he had left, he would be aboveground and would not die alone. Of that, she was certain. If he died, he would die with her or she would die trying.

“There will be a couple of techs around and I’ll be filling out the feeding schedule” Riley motioned for Buffy and Forest to go down the ladder into the chamber and then pushed Spike through the hole.

Spike climbed down clumsily, almost falling, and Buffy gripped him, squeezing his hand as she did. His eyes shot to hers as Riley climbed down and she shook her head slightly, telling him not to make a move. Forest pointed to the end of the tunnel, to the set of chains that had held the big glob of a demon that had seen her the night she had walked past. She watched as Riley secured the chains and then mouthed, “I will be back.”

Barely nodding, Spike slumped to the ground, his arms above his head. If she would be back, then he had a reason to wait. He watched the black boy go up the ladder and saw Buffy follow, saying that she had to go home soon. Closing his eyes, he fell into sleep easily and for once, was too weak to dream.

<><><><><>

Buffy followed Forest to the table in a daze and watched him go over the names of the people who would remain in town. Her mind was unable to compute everything that had just happened in the past few minutes. Spike was dying faster than they thought. He was in the tunnel and she could save him that night. He was chained with large chains. He was dying. At that very moment, his time was almost up. She took a pen and added her own name to the list, then looked at Riley, anxious to get away and set the rescue plan into motion. “I was supposed to speak to Maggie before I left.”

“Okay, give me a few minutes to fill out the feeding schedule for the Chamber and I’ll take you. She’s probably up at the Infirmary.”

Buffy chewed her lower lip and said, “It’s okay. I know how to get there.”

“You’ll have to use the stairs. Your elevator pass isn’t activated yet.” He nodded to Forest, who had moved to the other side of the room and was slipping his jacket on. “Want Forest to take you?”

“Nah. He said he was going up top to take a nap. I’ll be fine. What better way to learn the place than walk it myself?” She kept her smile plastered on her face and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Will you be around here?”

“I’ll be here or in the locker room. I’m going to go ahead and shower while you’re gone.” He kissed her forehead and pointed at the corridors. “You’d be better off going down the Implanting Aisle. That staircase is closest to the Infirmary.”

“Gotcha.” She turned and walked away, feeling his eyes on her. Part of her, the part that wanted to be secure and have a healthy relationship, basked in the way he so obviously adored her. Another part of her, the part that wanted danger and a challenge, wanted Spike so badly she couldn’t stand it. Maybe Spike wouldn’t want her when it came down to it. She had not even considered that. ~ No, I can’t think that way. He will want me. He will want me like I want him and I am going to save him. ~

Right at that moment, her top priority was to somehow get into the Implanting Room and steal an implant. She could give it to Willow and let her play with it and see what she could do. If anyone could mess with it and stop it, Willow could. Buffy walked slowly, eyeing the various demons in their cells. Several stood and watched her make her way past and she shuddered, the sight of them being so helpless giving her a chill.

Buffy walked straight past the Implanting Room and stepped through the door of the stairwell. If anyone was watching her, they would think she was on her way to the next level and go about their business. Counting to thirty, she cracked the door a little and peeked out. She could see back up the corridor and no one was around. The blinds were closed to the room and she figured if someone was in there, she would simply apologize for walking in and tell them she was lost.

Darting across the hallway, she turned the knob and poked her head inside. It was empty. The bed that she had seen the vampire lying on had been stripped and pushed into one corner. The only light came from the various glowing power switches on the sides of the equipment. She squinted and saw a supply closet in the corner and made her way to it. It squeaked loudly when she opened it and she bit her lower lip, looking back at the doorway. ~ Please don’t let me get caught. ~

When no one burst through the door, Buffy scanned the various trays that contained instruments that she had never seen before. She didn’t see anything that looked like an implant and shut the doors with a sigh. Moving toward the cabinets over the sink, she noticed a wooden box that almost looked like an antique jewelry box. She paused and opened the doors, gasping when she saw several tiny drawers. Leaning close, she squinted at the labels and smiled. There were several different kinds of implants: universal, vampire, and sea dwelling topped the first row.

Moving fast, she plucked out two universals and three vampire models, unsure of which one Spike would have. They were tiny and each one rested inside a small bag that sealed at the top. She leaned down and stuffed them into her sock before she started toward the door again. Voices could be heard directly on the other side of the door and she scanned the room. There was a bathroom in the corner and she dashed for it, almost tripping over a pile of cables as she went.

Riley opened the door and flipped the light on, looking for some paperwork that had somehow vanished between the implanting area and the main office. He moved everything, checking the trash, lifting the tool trays and finally sighed, wondering when he would actually get the chance to shower. Rubbing a hand through his hair, he moved toward the restroom, intent on washing his face and hands at least. Turning the knob, he found it locked and knocked. “Hello?”

Buffy was leaning against the sink and she capped a hand over her mouth, wondering if he had followed her and had seen what she was doing. Giving herself a couple of seconds to concoct a lie, she flushed the toilet and opened the door.

Riley stared at her a second and said, “What are you doing in here?”

“I went to the top level and couldn’t find Professor Walsh. I came back down and saw that the restrooms all had urinals and asked some guy where another bathroom was. He sent me in here.” Buffy bit her lower lip and did the only thing she could think to do to keep from explaining any further. She moved toward him, prissing a little, and ran her hands over his chest, telling herself that it was for Spike. “But I’m here and you’re here and we’re alone. Finally.”

“Why, Agent Summers, my thoughts exactly.” His hands slid around her waist and he leaned down, kissing her neck. She smelled like flowers and something he could only identify as Buffy; strong and powerful and delicate and sweet. Smiling, he moved from her neck to her jaw and then to the other side of her neck, nipping playfully.

She arched into him, urging him to go on and he did, lifting her and sitting her on the countertop. Hooking one heel behind his leg, Buffy pulled his body to hers and scooted closer to him. Her crotch rubbed against his lower stomach and he moved his hands down to her hips, holding her even tighter against him. Their kisses intensified, drawing out longer and deepening as their breathing quickened. Hands roamed, kneading toned flesh and rubbing against the most intimate places, going further and faster than either had anticipated.

Riley pulled away and stared down at her, stared at the cleavage that was poking out of the top of her running shirt, and forced himself to say what he was thinking. “We need to stop.”

“Stop?” Buffy ran her hand through her hair and squirmed uncomfortably. Despite the reasons she had for starting the whole thing, it had still effected her. Her body was screaming for him to keep touching her and she despised herself for it. ~ What is wrong with me? I should have stopped it right off the bat! ~

“I care about you, Buffy. I’m not going to make love to you on a countertop in a place surrounded by demons. When I make love to you I want it to be in a bed where you can fall asleep in my arms and I can wake up with you.” Riley leaned against her, burying his face in her neck and exhaled, doubting that he would be able to walk for a week.

Buffy wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. He could not possibly know what it would mean to her to hear him say that he wanted to be there with her when she woke up. Her heart pounded against her chest and she sighed softly. “I understand.”

Riley leaned back and was stunned to see her watery eyes. He had not intended to hurt her feelings. “I want you, Buffy, but not like this. I want to be able to take my time with you and do it right. We can’t do that here.”

She felt a tear slide down her cheek and brushed it away absently, unsure of where it was stemming from. It was all too much. Spike was dying and here she was being moved by Riley’s kindness when she was supposed to have been using him all along. “I know. It’s just that- no one has ever said anything so sweet to me. I want to wake up with you too.”

Looking incredibly relieved, Riley pulled her into his arms and lifted her, setting her on her feet. The door opened suddenly and Maggie paused, staring at them intently. “What are-?” When both of them turned ten shades of red, she held up a hand. “Never mind, please, never mind. Buffy, we’ll have to reschedule the meeting I was hoping to have with you. I do want to hear about the school, but something’s come up.”

“It’s okay.” Buffy replied, not meeting her eyes. “I should get home anyway.”

“I’ll call you.” Maggie gave a small smile and looked at her son. “And Riley, find that paperwork sometime today.” ~ Or none of us will live to see Christmas. ~ she added silently, hoping that the look she was giving him would speak volumes.

“I will.” He stared at the floor, missing the urgency in his mother's face, until Maggie closed the door and left them alone.

“Well, that was very uncomfortable.” Buffy said, looking up at Riley. “I’ve never been more uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable,” He pointed at the bulge in the front of his pants and blushed again. “remind me to tell you about uncomfortable sometime.”

<><><><><>

Willow was sitting on the floor in Buffy’s living room when the Slayer bounded through the door. She moved her laptop quickly and stood, meeting her halfway. “Buffy, what’s going on? I can’t access any of the Initiative’s files anymore. I keep getting this weird message on my screen. Something is definitely wrong.”

Buffy stopped walking and sat down on the foot of the stairs to slip her shoes off. “I don’t know. Maggie said something about them shutting down in a couple of days for Y2K work. She didn’t say anything about today though.”

“I think I was onto something. There’s a secondary mainframe that I was able to hack through it and found some pretty weird reports. I didn’t get to download anything though because the right clicking feature was disabled there.” Willow nodded toward the living room and led the way. She picked up her laptop and turned it so that Buffy could see the diagram on the screen. “I was able to find the programming for the implants. The design and features are absolutely amazing. The poison that they’ve built into the implant continues to regenerate itself by feeding off the vampire’s DNA. That’s why it takes so long to kill it. The chips are small and they wouldn’ t be able to put in enough poison, but once the chip breaks and the toxin is released, it gets stronger and stronger as it mixes with more blood. I wish I could-“

“Have one?” Buffy asked, reaching into her sock and pulling out the five small bags. “I brought you three vampire and two universal ones. That way you have a small margin of error. Find out how to destroy them because Spike is coming out tonight.”

Willow almost dropped her laptop and quickly shoved it back onto the coffee table, standing up so she could pace. “How did you get these?”

“I walked straight into the room that they keep them in and took them.” Buffy shrugged. “Spike was moved today. The chip is working faster than we thought it would. I know how to get down to where he is and get him out without any problem.”

“When do we go?” Willow asked, eyeing her with excitement.

“We don’t. I do.” Buffy saw her friend’s face fall and pulled her onto the couch. “Willow, I can’t even begin to tell you how dangerous this is.”

“Which is why you can’t go alone. These people make poisons that are so unbelievable and –“ Willow stopped talking and stared at the implants in her hand. “Buffy, slayer blood helped Angel when he was poisoned. It cured him. And this toxin is blood based just like the other one was.”

Buffy’s eyes widened and she leaned forward. “You don’t think-“

“The poisons aren’t the same. I know that much for certain. Look, it’s unlikely that it would even work. I shouldn’t have suggested-”

“We’ll try it as a last resort. You figure out how to stop the implants from releasing more poison. Actually, find out how to get it out of his head completely. And if you can't, he feeds.” She stood up and started out of the room. “And don’t tell Giles what’s happening.”

"Giles has to know about this. He deserves to know!" Willow shook her head. “I don’t know if I can even do anything with these implants and you can’t go underground alone. Not with so much happening, Buffy. I mean, it’s dangerous enough without the-”

“Angel’s in town. He said he would help me.”

Willow looked confused and then squealed a little. “You have Riley falling all over you and Spike on the brain and now Angel thrown into the mix? This is ridiculous. This is dangerous and this is stupid. Buffy, you are insane! Angel could get captured by the-”

“I *am* insane! This whole thing has driven me completely crazy.” Buffy’s voice rose several octaves. “Now I’m asking you to help me, Will. I don’t need to hear all the reasons it might not work because I don’t care. I have to try because it’s Spike. That’s the only reason I need.”

Willow nodded, biting back the tears that threatened to pour down her face. She had probably caused this with the spell that made Buffy and Spike fall for each other. It had to still be working. Buffy would never put Angel at risk like this if she was thinking clearly. “I won’t tell.” she lied, holding her chin up defiantly. “But you damn well better come back here safe.”

“Thank you.” Buffy sighed a little and glanced at the clock. “I’m going to lie down for a while.”

<><><><><>

Angel was thumbing through the books he had left in his old apartment when someone knocked on his door so loudly that he almost jumped out of his skin. Frowning at the clock, he registered that it was almost seven in the evening and it was almost dark. As soon as he opened the door, Buffy flung herself at him. He didn’t have time to see her tear stained face, but he felt it almost immediately through the front of his shirt. “Buffy, what happened?”

She shook her head and squeezed him around the waist, unable to tell him. He pushed the door closed and led her to the leather chair that sat in the middle of the floor. “Sit down.”

Buffy complied and buried her face in her hands. Angel stared at her and made his way into the kitchen, rinsing a glass and filling it with water. “Buffy, drink some water.”

“Angel, why does everything in your apartment still work?” Buffy had composed herself somewhat and took the glass from his hand. “You have lights and water and everything.”

“I – I never sold it. I keep the bills paid in case I ever need to come back.” He didn’t want to offer more reason than that, so he changed the subject. “Now, what happened?”

“Spike is dying. He may already be dead and I dreamed- oh, god-“ She handed him the water and pulled her knees to her chest, sobbing again. “We had to move these demons into this thing called the ch-chamber. It’s a death chamber and Spike was one of them.”

“What? They kill them all together?” He put the water on the table beside the chair and kneeled, urging her to continue. “Tell me, Buffy.”

“The demons in there are in the last stages of the implant and they get really unpredictable so they put them in this network of tunnels ... thing.” Buffy leaned forward and gripped his arm. “Angel, you said that if I ever needed your help you would help me. Will you?”

“That’s what I came here for, Buffy. What can I do?”

She dried her face with sleeve of her shirt and took a deep breath. “I need you to go with me tonight.”

“Where?”

“We’re going to get Spike out if he’s still alive. I will not let him die down there, Angel.”

“Buffy, I don’t think you should risk your-“

“You said you would help and I’ve never asked you for anything. I’m asking you to please, please help me, Angel.” Buffy’s voice was shaky, high pitched and almost childlike. “I don’t want to have to go down there alone.”

Angel started to protest, but stopped himself. He had denied Buffy many things and he was not going to deny her this. If she wanted to rescue Spike, then he would damn well give her that and worry about why later. He owed her that much, and if this would make her happy, then he would do what he could. “I’ll help you.”

She grabbed her bag and mumbled, “I’ve got the supplies we need, bolt cutters for the chains, flashlights, weapons. I know the feeding schedule and we’ll work around that.”

He stood, pulling his coat on asked, “Do you have a backup plan?”

She followed him out the door and started past him. “I do have a backup plan but I can’t tell you until we get down there.”

“Why?” He grabbed her arm and stopped her, forcing her to look at him.

“Because if I tell you, you won’t come with me.” Buffy shrugged a little. “I know that you trust me, Angel. I trust you too and I think it’s going to be fine.”

“I know I’m not going to like this.” He let her go and followed her up the stairs, dread settling in the pit of his stomach.

“I know that you aren’t either.”

<><><><><>

Michael waited patiently in his car, watching for Buffy to leave the building that she had gone into a few minutes earlier. He was going to make his move tonight. With Riley and the rest of the Agents partying the night away, he wouldn't have any obstacles to stand between him and vengeance. Frowning, he stared at his watch and then back at the doorway just in time to see Buffy step out. He started to open his car door and stopped as soon as he saw a very large man step out behind her.

This was even better. She wasn't out with Riley because she was with some other man. It didn't really matter and he wasn't worried about the man presenting a problem.

After all, his gun could paralyze an elephant.

And tonight it would just work twice as hard.

Maggie Walsh stared at her computer with a furrowed brow. For at least ten minutes, she had waited for it to load completely and when it finally had, the screen went blank immediately. She was about to restart again when a window popped up, informing her of an internal system error. Glancing at the paperwork that Riley had found, she typed in the system override codes and pressed enter, watching with a frown as the hourglass moved in a circle, indicating that it was 'working'.

A new window opened, insisting that the override codes were invalid and she clicked out, trying the codes again slowly. After three tries, the screen turned white and something buzzed loudly. Maggie watched closely as a dancing cartoon monster entered from the right side of the screen and made its way across, ping-ponging back forth. “What in the hell is going on?”

She tried several buttons and was ready to smash the screen, when suddenly, the dancing character finally and began to write, red lettering splashing against the white background. It leaped up and down after each letter it wrote, leering back and forth, and Maggie watched in shock as it scribbled out, “The system has been corrupted. Files and data have been breached. Security Code Blue has been activated.”

Walsh grabbed the telephone, dialing the programming department. On the third ring, a man picked up and, very calmly, she spoke. “This is Maggie. Are you at your desk?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The reply was swift and she closed her eyes tight. “Look at Panel C and tell me if there is a light blinking.”

The technician sat his cup of coffee down on the desk and turned his chair away from the television he was watching. His eyes widened immediately and he stood, knocking his coffee onto his leg with the phone cord. “Dear God in Heaven, Maggie. Code blue is running.”

Putting her hand over her mouth, in an attempt to curb the nausea, Walsh asked, “How much time do we have?”

“It is currently at six hours and counting down. Do you want me to page the Agents?“

“Absolutely not.” Maggie snapped, not letting him finish. “The people inside the compound right now are the only people who know what to salvage. The Agents may as well be civilians in this case. Alert the Alpha team that we are to begin transporting the data that we have immediately. When that clock reaches four hours, you contact the Dean and have him evacuate the campus.”

“Maggie? What could have caused this? It would take someone with the pass key to infiltrate the system.” The tech ignored his scalded leg and sat down again, shaking uncontrollably. “Is this really happening.”

“This is not a drill.” Maggie cradled the receiver and gave the line time to clear before she picked up again, dialing Riley’s cellphone.

“Agent Finn.” Riley answered and plugged one ear. He cocked his head to the side, trying to hear over the noise of the party and hoped that he would hear Buffy's sweet voice on the other end. He had been trying to channel party thoughts her way for over an hour.

“Agent Finn, I have a special mission for you.” Maggie picked up a tissue and blotted her eyes, trying to remain composed until she could give him his orders. “I want you and Forest to round up Buffy and go get a delivery that is waiting for me in Los Angeles.”

“What!?” Riley shouted, walking up the stairs two at a time so he could find a quieter place. “You do realize that this was supposed to be a vacation?”

“Just do it. If the package isn’t at our Post Office Box then you stay there until I call you.” Maggie’s voice sounded strained, even to her, and she prayed he wouldn’t notice it.

He did. “What’s going on? Mom, what’s really happening?”

“Nothing, son. You go and do this. Get the others and go.” She hung up quickly and leaned her head against the desk, hoping Los Angeles would be far enough away to keep them safe.

<><><><><>

“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Angel carried Buffy’s bag over his shoulder, watching her closely as she led him through the cemetery. She was wearing blue jeans, something he seldom saw her wear, and a t-shirt that fit snugly; exposing her belly when her jacket blew open. Her hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, indicating that she was expecting trouble. “I need to know, Buffy.”

“I’ll tell you soon enough.” Buffy stopped walking and scanned the cemetery, going so far as to jump onto a headstone so she could see better. She felt like she was being watched and she had felt that way since she left Angel's place.

“What is it?” Angel found himself even more unnerved and glanced around as well.

“We’re here. I was making sure no one is around.” She leaped off of the Rose headstone and crouched behind it, flipping the button.

The door to the small crypt made a clicking sound and she motioned for him to hand her the bag. She pulled out two flashlights and shoved a stake into her pants before she stepped through the door.

Angel had to crouch to step inside and he let his demon slip free so he could see better. “What is this place? Something doesn’t feel right.”

“It’s only going to get worse.” The lawnmower was back over the manhole cover and she said, “Help me push it aside.”

Angel moved to her side and together; they exposed the grate. Buffy pulled it open and asked for the rope from the bag. As soon as she had the knot secured, she dropped it inside and leaped down into the tunnel. Angel was right behind her and he eyed the structure suspiciously. “This isn’t the sewer.”

“Yay, you just won the jackpot on brilliant deductions. Don't spend it all in one place.” Flipping her flashlight on, she led the way. She was well aware that the faster they made it, the more time she would have to spend with Spike.

And every second counted.

<><>

Michael had seen Buffy leap onto the headstone and had hidden himself behind a large stone sculpture. She was a bright one, this girl. This, what was it that Maggie had called her, a Slayer? Whatever she was, she had somehow figured out a way to get around the security and was probably leading the man she was with down there to sabotage the Initiative.

She was far too late. He had taken care of that too.

He remained behind the statue until he heard a door open and close, then got to his feet and walked slowly toward the crypt. Giving them plenty of time to get out of the earshot, he tugged the door open and slid his night vision goggles into place. Just as he suspected, the entrance was open and a rope had been lowered. Agent Summers was taking the man inside the facilities and had not come here to have sex with him.

Putting the gun strap around his neck, he stuck his head into the hole, checking the tunnel both ways. Seeing that it clear, he dropped inside and pulled an instrument from his pocket, putting one end into his ear and holding the other in front of him. Buffy was leading the man, who wasn’t registering on his heat seeker, straight to the base.

Grinning, he followed their trail.

<><>

“I can’t believe this place.” Angel said in a low voice. He and Buffy had gone so far underground that the air had dropped several degrees and the tunnels just kept going; an underground labyrinth. The cement looked new and had no cracks that he could see and the walls had small lights every few feet that were not on, but impressive nonetheless.

She paused at the first juncture and tried to remember which way she was supposed to go. “If you think this is impressive, you should see what they have on the inside.”

“No thanks. I got the distinct feeling that these people aren’t very vampire friendly.” He pointed to the right. “I feel something down there.”

“That’s the way then.” She picked up her pace, thinking how hard it was not to run now that she was so close to getting Spike out.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, until they came to the next juncture and she took a deep breath, flipping off her flashlight. Spike was right around the corner and she was terrified of what she would find. “We’re here.”

Angel had not bothered with his flashlight and when he saw the lights flickering from the tunnel ahead of them, he let his demon fade. He waited for her to make a move, but she didn’t. “Do you want me to go first, Buffy?”

“What if he’s already dead?” She swallowed hard and shook her head, replying to her own question. “No, he’s not dead. I’ll go.”

He watched her step out ahead of him and stayed back a few feet, letting her have a few seconds alone to digest whatever she would find. None of what was happening made any sense, but he knew better than to keep asking. When she was ready to explain her friendship with Spike, he would listen. When he heard her talking in a low voice, he stuck his head around the corner and his eyes widened.

Buffy had been frozen in place, convinced he was dead, when she saw him at first. He hadn’t moved at all and she kneeled beside him lifting his face. “Spike?”

His eyes opened slowly, trying to focus on her, and unable to. He registered dimly that she looked like something seen through a kaleidoscope and wondered if he was hallucinating. “Slayer, is it you?”

“It’s me.” She kneeled beside him and pulled him against her as best she could. His arms were still chained and his head lolled, rolling back a little.

Angel dropped the bag and pulled out the bolt cutters, quickly snapping the links closest to Spike’s wrists. Spike realized that someone else was there and looked up, grimacing when he realized who it was. “Bloody hell.”

Angel made no reply. He couldn’t have replied if he had to. Spike’s arms had fallen over Buffy’s shoulders and he hugged her lightly, burying his face in her neck. “I’m dying, luv. I kept waiting for you to come.”

“I know. I waited forever to get here. I'm so sorry that I hit you the other day, Spike. I-I came here for you, to get you out. That's all.” Buffy choked a little and pulled away, running her palm over his pale face. The circles under his eyes had grown larger, shadowing all the way down to his cheekbones and she brushed her thumb there, remembering how chiseled and perfect he had been just days before. “But I have an idea, okay? Angel’s going to have to help though.”

Too sick to object, Spike simply growled lightly and Buffy stood, reaching for Angel’s hand. She laced her fingers through his and looked up at him, her eyes big and panicked. “The implant in his head is releasing a blood based toxin. Willow thinks that my blood might save him, like it did for you.”

Angel’s grip on her hand tightened and he shook his head. “No. Absolutely not, Buffy. I am not going to stand here and do nothing while he bites you. I know him. He doesn’t know how to stop.”

Buffy closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them again, tears were streaming down both sides of her face. “He can’t bite me anyway. Angel, I need you to bite me and let him bite you. He can bite another demon and my blood will be fresh inside of you, right?”

“Are you insane?” Angel gripped her upper arms and shook her a little. “If I did bite you and he bit me, that would make you drain faster. It would be like two vampires on you at once, pulling your blood. I can’t do that.”

“You have to.” Buffy pleaded with him, glancing back at Spike, who was staring at them intently.

“Don’t I get a say?” He rasped, his voice a whisper. “Angel’s right, Slayer. No.”

“Willow just thinks it might work? She doesn’t know for sure?” Angel asked, his heart aching for the Slayer and breaking for what had become of Spike. He vividly remembered the time that Spike had been his most prized possession, more so than Drusilla, and more so than the thrill of the hunt. The only thing he derived pleasure from for years had been Spike. Not just sexually, but watching his eagerness to torture and destroy had been overwhelming. The memory was intoxicating, the pleasure, the pain, the gory gratification. The bond they had shared was unimaginable.

Buffy turned back to Angel. “You have to at least try. I couldn’t go on living if I didn’t try everything.”

The admission caused him to narrow his eyes, realization dawning on him suddenly. Buffy wanted Spike to live because she wanted him. She wanted Spike in a romantic way. “He’s a vampire. I left you so that you could have a real life with a human. Vampires don’t deserve to be saved.”

“I saved you.” Buffy replied quickly. “I didn’t question it or second guess it. I did it because it was you and you were worth it.” She pointed a shaking finger at Spike and then added, “You can’t tell me that he isn’t worth it too.”

“Yes, I can. He tortured me for that damn Gem of Ammara, Buffy. He tried to kill you with it and-“

“And you made him what he is.” Buffy hissed loudly, pulling her jacket off and grabbing a knife from her boot. “Now, you can either do this, or you can watch me cut myself and bleed into my hand and feed him. I think I'd lose more blood that way, but if that's how it has to be then that's fine." She stared at Angel in anticipation, willing him to move and deciding to piss him off when he didn't. "How can you be so selfish? You created him and you should help save what you created. Oh, who am I fooling? I'll always have to clean up your messes."

Her words stung Angel. There was seldom a day that went by that he didn’t remember those that he had turned. Killing them was one thing, but damning their souls was another. How dare she say this to him? He watched her lift the front of her shirt and position the knife and stepped forward, taking it from her hand and dragging it over his own wrist. He kneeled, not saying a word and morphed, sinking his fangs into the tender flesh of her lower abdomen.

Spike was horrified that Angel had actually done it and cringed when Buffy cried out in pain. He reached for her, wanting to knock her away from his sire, but he couldn’t find the strength. Buffy watched Angel lift his wrist, offering it to Spike and whispered, “Eat it, Spike. You’re so weak.”

~ Eat it, William. You’re so small. ~ Groaning out in shock, Spike was blasted back to his childhood and the way Elizabeth had always offered him her bread with almost the same words. He had to live. He had to survive for Buffy. He latched onto Angel’s wrist and sucked deeply, pouring what was left of himself into the familiarity of his sire’s blood and the power of the Slayer’s blood.

With one of her hands on Angel’s shoulder and the other on Spike’s head, which was leaning against her hip, Buffy threw her head back and willed herself not to faint. The room was spinning and her breathing was coming in jagged spurts. She wanted desperately to tell Angel to stop, that she couldn ’t give any more, but the sound of Spike’s hunger kept her silent. He drank deeply, noisily, and she would die before she would deny him that.

Angel could hear Buffy’s pulse weakening and pulled his fangs free, gently stroking the puncture wounds with his tongue. He was about to ask her if she was okay when something bright flashed through the darkness and hit him in the back. He was aware of falling to the side, aware of Buffy’s strangled scream, and then it went dark.

Spike, who was still feeding, was jolted as well. The current that passed through Angel struck him, sending him against the wall. It wasn’t enough to knock him out, but it was enough to immobilize him. He could only watch as Buffy swayed dizzily and clutched her bleeding stomach.

“Who’s there?” Buffy cried, laying a hand against the cement for support.

“Agent Summers.” Michael stepped out of the darkness and shook his head. “I wouldn’t have believed this if I had not seen it myself. Two vampires, a bitch in heat and some blood letting. And you call yourself a Slayer?”

“You don’t-“ Buffy’s world tilted and her ears began to ring. “You don’t understand.”

“Oh, I understand perfectly well. This is even easier than I figured it would be. You’re already half dead.” He set his gun’s voltage to the least possible amount, so she wouldn’t be knocked out for the entire night, and aimed. “The next time I see you, we’ll be having a private party.”

The rays were blinding, but Buffy visualized them snaking her way in slow motion, slicing the air and reaching for her like blue fingers of death. They struck her in the stomach and she fell back, her hand almost reaching Spike’s. Her mind tried to force her to fight, to see that the others were okay, but her body slept and soon her mind followed it into the black.

<><><><><>

Willow paced frantically, the cordless phone clutched in her palm. She had called Giles a million times and he was not answering. Xander and Anya were looking for him and she was stuck at Buffy's house, unable to do anything other than wait. Her heart had leapt into her throat, causing blind panic, thirty minutes before that. She had been trying to reload her computer so she could look at the Implant program she had downloaded before the wackiness. As soon as it booted, a tiny monster, some kind of crazy animated .gif, had danced across her screen and typed a very disturbing message. To make matters worse, the candle she had lit for Buffy’s protection had suddenly gone out, and there wasn’t a draft in the room. Her skin tingled and she knew that something dark was looming on the horizon.

She was staring at the laptop screen again when someone knocked on the door. Yelping, she dropped the phone and scrambled to open it. “Buffy?”

Riley and Forest stood on the porch and both of them stared at her for a second before Riley spoke. “Isn’t she here?”

“No!” Willow started to cry and Forest moved past Riley, pulling her to his chest. She clutched him, scared to death, and said, “She’s gone. Something’s wrong. Very wrong.”

“What happened?” Riley stepped in as well and shut the door behind him. “She told me she was staying here.”

“I can’t tell you.” Willow brushed her the tears off her face and looked at him apologetically. “Buffy would kill me.”

“If she is in some kind of danger then we need to know.” Forest replied, massaging her arms.

“Willow, you know how I feel about her. I would do anything I could for her.” Riley moved closer to her. “Please?”

“I can’t.” She whimpered and hid her face in her hands.

Riley watched her and then glanced up at Forest. Forest nodded and Riley took a deep breath. “Willow, Forest and I are –“ He shook his head and looked back at Forest, unable to say it.

Forest forced her to face him and cleared his throat. “He’s trying to tell you that demons are real, Willow. Buffy is a vampire slayer and we’re demon hunters.”

“Duh!” Willow threw her hands in the air. “I’ve known about Buffy for four years! You guys are in the Initiative and Buffy joined to save Spike and now she is on her way down there to —oh, I didn’t just say that.”

“To save Spike?” Riley’s eyes had widened and he moved to sit on the stairs, his heart thumping against his chest. Buffy had lied to him. No, that couldn't be right. “She was planning that all along?”

Willow made a small noise in the back of her throat and nodded slowly. “He’s sort of like, a friend, of ours. One that you dread seeing because he’s so vile and mean. After he broke free from you guys, he came to us for help and he and Buffy are – friends.” She emphasized the last word, more for her own benefit than his, telling herself that Buffy would have told her if it was more.

“How do you know about us?” Forest asked slowly.

“We found a disk in the dumpster behind the Bronze. I uploaded it and –oooh!” She raced into the living room and grabbed her laptop, then returned to the two stunned men in the foyer. “I was trying to figure out how to disable the Implant in Spike’s head because I messed up two of the ones that Buffy gave me-“

“She stole implants?” Riley’s head snapped up and he gripped the banister, willing himself to calm down. “When?”

“Just today.” Willow replied quickly, thinking that was a good thing.

Riley bit his lower lip and nodded, not bothering to speak. He had probably caught her stealing the implants when he found her in the bathroom. He had been stunned by how she reacted to him, kissing him, groping him, and now he knew why. For Spike. She would have slept with him for Spike.

Forest closed his eyes, trying to imagine how severely he would be punished for the disk being stolen. “You can’t disable the implants. We made it impossible.”

“Well, I would have figured that out if this hadn’t appeared.” She turned the laptop around and pointed at it. "What does it mean?"

Taking it from her, Forest read the words out loud. “The system has been corrupted. Files and data have been breached. Security Code Blue has been activated.”

Riley shot to his feet and grabbed the computer, reading the words himself. He yanked his phone from his pocket and dialed the secure line inside the Initiative. The operator informed him that the number was no longer in service and he slammed his fist against the wall. “It’s real. The phone lines are already dead down there.”

Forest ran his hand over his head and nodded, “I think Maggie knows. That’s why she was trying to get us out of town.”

“Definitely.” Riley agreed, still staring at the screen. “Oh, fuck! Willow, you said Buffy was heading to get Spike?”

“Yeah. She found a way into the tunnels through the cemetery somewhere. Giles has the map.”

Forest put the laptop on the table and said, “Willow, where is your coat?”

Willow pulled her coat off a hook behind the door and held it up. “Why?”

“Put it on. You have to come with us.”

“No.” Willow and Riley said in unison.

“The hell she doesn’t.” Forest shouted, grabbing her coat and helping her put it on. “We’re going to go get Buffy and get as far away from here as we can.”

The front door opened and Giles walked in, followed by Xander, Anya and Joyce. Riley stepped forward and spoke quickly. “Ms. Summers, I need you and your friends to take Willow and leave town.”

“What?” Joyce dropped the grocery bag she was holding and scanned the room. “Where is Buffy?”

“She went down to get Spike.” Willow said in a small voice.

Giles’ voice boomed when he shouted, “What in the hell was she thinking?”

“My thoughts exactly.” Riley commented, allowing himself to be sidetracked into thinking about the things Buffy had done.

“Who are you?” Giles demanded, pointing from Forest to Riley.

“We’re friends of Buffy’s. I’m Forest Gates and that's Riley Finn.” Forest held out his hand and then pulled it back when Giles simply glared at him. “Listen, you people have got to get out of here. Get on the highway and drive as fast and far as you can.”

“Why?” Xander asked the question on everyone’s mind.

“They all know the truth too.” Willow offered Riley, who was already looking incredibly tormented. The truth couldn't hurt. The truth could have spared all the trouble to begin with.

“Fine.” Riley shrugged slightly and stood up tall. “There is a lab below the Sunnydale campus, underground. It’s furnished with the most complex technological devices you can get. It is also stocked with enough arsenal to blow up the whole structure and take half the town with it.” He motioned for the laptop and turned it so that they could see the screen. “Code blue has been activated. The system saw a breach in security and is disabling itself. Phones go first, the entire compound locks down and the cells can’t be opened. We have six hours to evacuate.”

“Then what happens?” Anya asked, enthralled with all the possibilities.

“It explodes.” Riley watched their faces and was stunned when they didn’t panic.

Xander sighed and stretched a little. “That’s kind of a really big build up for such a small bang.”

“It won’t be small.” Forest stepped toward the door and looked the boy in the face. “It will be big enough to ruin the college and possibly more.”

“Been there, done that.” Xander narrowed his eyes. “Buffy will stop it. She always does.”

“Buffy doesn’t know.” Willow offered.

“Oh dear.” Giles began to clean his glasses and then shoved them back in place. “How do we stop it?”

“The only way to stop it died with my father.” Riley crossed his arms, shoving the memory aside and going into business mode. “Time is wasting. Agent Gates and myself will do a search and rescue for Agent Summers. I need the information on where she will be accessing the tunnel system.”

“The information stays with me.” Giles replied, digging the keys to his car out of his pocket.

“Sir, I have to insist-“ Riley began.

Giles held up a hand. “You may come with us, er, Initiative people.”

“You can’t all just go traipsing through the tunnels. It’s dangerous and stupid.” Forest didn’t know what to do about the situation and tried to point out the obvious.

“Yes, being in the Scooby Gang is often dangerous and stupid.” Xander clapped his hands together and plastered a goofy grin on his face. “But the Scooby snacks we get as reward make it worthwhile.”

Willow grimaced and said, “What he is trying to say is that where Buffy goes, we go. It’s gotten us into trouble before, but we’re family, and if this town is going to blow up. We all go or none of us go.”

“We’ll take two cars.” Giles stated as he headed out the door.

Anya giggled a little. “We’d be better off in a horse and buggy as opposed to that thing you call a car.”

“That is quite unnecessary, Anya.” Giles replied. “However, since these Initiative people have a nice big vehicle and Joyce has her car, we’ll take those two.”

“Was that an admission that I’m right about you car?” Anya asked, walking beside him toward Joyce’s car.

“Quite right.” He opened the back door and watched as she and Xander climbed in and then turned toward Willow. “Willow, are you coming?”

“You can ride with us.” Forest took her hand and smiled a little.

“I’m riding with Forest.” Willow told them, following Riley toward his Four Runner.

Giles narrowed his eyes and said, “Joyce, I shall accompany Willow with these large men.”

“Ohh! Can I come?” Anya poked her head out the window.

“No.” Xander and Giles said together, both adamant for their own reasons.

“Damn!” Anya sank back into the seat and crossed her arms. “But just so you know, Xander. If it looks like we’re going to get blown up, I want to die fucking.”

“I’m so proud. You’ve made it to ‘F’ section.” Xander draped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her tight.

“I made it to ‘G’ too. Gangbang sounds interesting.”

Xander pulled his arm off her shoulder and said, “Is that what you were thinking about when you wanted to right with those guys?”

“No. It was more like a foursome. Without Willow, of course.”

Joyce stared in her rearview mirror in shock and turned the radio full blast. If they all survived this night, then she was going to see to it that she had a nice long talk with Anya. Poor girl.