Part Six

Buffy had disappeared into the ladies' restroom with Spike's red button-down shirt in order to wash the blood out of her tank top. The blond vampire stood uncertainly in the doorway leading to the offices, his blue eyes flitting around the room, not focusing on anything in particular. His hands were deep in the pockets of his duster, holding the material close around him as if for protection.
 

Cordelia came into the room from the hall that led to the outside, took one look at him and sniffed disdainfully before venturing out to the main gaming room. Faith trekked in a moment later, a backpack and a duffel bag slung over her shoulder, walkman in her hand. She was singing along to the music, her voice harsh, yet strangely melodic to Spike's ears.
 

"I am the city, I am the park, I am the ground and the mother-fucking dog. I am shocked and deceived. I don't want to believe no more. No more. No more," Faith sang. She dropped the duffel bag onto the floor and bent to dig something out of it. "Golgotha tenement, city of souls. Give me your down and your wicked and your dollar whores. Turn on your brother, the children are sold. The people wait for streets of gold, streets of gold. No more. I am the chosen one. I am the chosen one."
 

She stood and faced him, then tossed a pack of cigarettes at him. With a wink, she went into the main room, her voice fading as she sang. "I am the chosen one. I am the chosen one...."
 

"Spike," Angel said, coming out of the men's restroom where he had decided to hide in order to collect his raging hormones. He went over to the blond vampire who stood staring down at the pack of cigarettes in his hand. "Hey, are you home in there?"
 

Spike raised his eyes to his sire, the orbs full of pain and rage. Then, he did something completely uncharacteristic, something that went against the very grain of everything that made him who he was -- but his world was so askew, it didn't matter anymore. With a choked noise that could have been a sob, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the older vampire, pressing his face into Angel's chest as he tried to stop the images in his mind.
 

Angel was surprised, but he responded immediately by holding Spike close, as a father would his child. "I won't let her get to you, Spike," he said quietly, feeling the younger vampire trying to stifle his crying. "Buffy won't either. We'll protect you."
 

"I didn't tell her," Spike said. "I don't want her to know. I don't want her to know. I don't want her to know. I don't want her to know..." He repeated the sentence over and over, his voice growing softer and softer.
 

"Shh, it'll be ok, Spike," Angel comforted. "I won't tell Buffy. But I really think you should. She loves you and can help..."
 

"No," he replied, pushing away from Angel roughly and wiping his face with the back of his bandaged hand. "I won't drag her into this crap with Dru."
 

Angel sighed. "Very well," he said. "Why don't you go outside for awhile, let the fresh air help clear your head. I'll come get you before the game starts."
 

Spike nodded and glanced at the ladies' restroom door, then walked past his sire towards the exit. Once outside, he walked over to Xander's car and sat on the hood, lighting up a cigarette from the pack Faith gave him. Then he stared up into the night sky, the stars obstructed by the heavy, dark clouds that had prevailed all day yesterday and today. The same clouds that had prevented him from killing himself.
 

Head like a hole
Black as your soul
I'd rather die
Than give you control
 

One part of him was glad that he failed in that attempt, the part that held Buffy reverently, that cherished each moment with her sunlight. The rest of him, however, cursed the sky and the weather and Drusilla for having some sort of hold over him. He didn't remember too much of what had happened the day before, only that he had gone into the sewers and tried to force Dru from his mind. He supposed that was how he hurt his hand, which he still couldn't feel. He only wished the rest of him couldn't feel.
 

Bow down before the one you serve
You're going to get what you deserve
Bow down before the one you serve
You're going to get what you deserve
 

Angel walked back into the main room where the giant chess board was set up to see Faith dancing around to music only she could hear. Xander was engrossed in the computer console while Cordelia sat cross-legged by the wall, reading a magazine. Giles and Willow were both kneeling on the floor across from each other, an open book next to them and spell components between them.
 

His eyes traveled over the redhead and she raised her eyes as if she sensed him looking at her. She cocked her head as if asking him what was wrong, and he shook his in return, letting her know that he'd tell her later. As she went back to working with Giles, he marveled at the fact that he could easily communicate with her without words. He didn't know if that was a good thing or not.
 

Walking up behind Xander, being sure to make noise so he didn't scare the teen, he put his hand on the back of the chair and looked at the screen. "How's it going, Xander?"
 

"Ok," Xander replied, closing one screen and opening another. "I've been able to piece together what exactly I have to do. It's kind of a cross between regular chess and that scene from Star Wars, when Chewbacca and R2 are playing that whacked-out chess game and C-3PO says: ‘I suggest a new strategy, R2. Let the Wookie win.'" He pulled up the starting board and gestured to it. "You guys are going to be the ‘royalty' on the board and I control your movements by telling you, well, where to move. The object is to put the other king in checkmate, just like normal chess. The king seems to be the only one who won't get his butt kicked at any time in the game."
 

"Sounds like fun," Angel said. He glanced behind him to see Buffy enter the room wearing Spike's red shirt buttoned up to the neck. "Let us know when you want to explain more."
 

"Aye, aye, Deadboy," Xander replied.
 

Angel shook his head and went over to the blond Slayer. "Where's Spike?" Buffy asked immediately.
 

"I sent him outside," Angel replied. "How bad are the bites?"
 

"Bites? Um, well..."
 

"Buffy-"
 

Buffy sighed and unbuttoned the top two buttons, showing him her slightly ripped up chest. Long, red slices ran from her collarbones down to the tops of her breasts. A raw patch that looked like a cross between an abrasion and a scrape was on the top curve of her right breast and he could see fang marks around the wound. "Seen enough?" Buffy said sarcastically.
 

"I just wanted to make sure he didn't hurt you," Angel replied. "He's not entirely in control of himself."
 

"Why? You didn't get a chance to tell me earlier," she said, re-buttoning the shirt. "Is it something that I did?"
 

"No," he said. "It was nothing that you did."
 

"Then what?"
 

"He just has a few things on his mind," Angel semi-lied. "It's not really my place to tell you. All I can say is to be there for him."
 

"I will always be there for him," Buffy said.
 

"Guys, I need everyone over here," Xander announced, breaking into the conversation.
 

"Why don't you go get Spike," Angel told her. "And make sure you tell him you love him. He really needs to hear it." Buffy gave him a confused look, then turned and left. As he watched her go, he quietly added, "He needs to hear it more than you can know, Buffy."
 

"First I need to now how many of you have any inkling of how to play chess," Xander began. Angel, Willow, Giles and, surprisingly, Faith all raised their hands. Buffy held Spike's good hand and shrugged while the blond vampire stared off into space. Cordelia stood with her arms crossed, a peeved look on her face. "Alright, I'm going to do a quick rundown of the board, so when I give you directions, you can follow them."
 

He turned and gestured to the giant board. "The rows going across the board are called ranks. Each square is labeled ‘a' through ‘h' starting in the bottom, left corner. The rows going up and down the board are called files. Each square is given a number, one through eight, starting again with the bottom, left corner. So this square," he said, walking over and standing in said bottom, left corner square. "Is ‘a1.'" He took a step to his right. "This is ‘b1,' this is ‘c1' and so on."
 

He walked back over to the group and continued. "Each side has eight pawns and eight ‘royalty.' There are two rooks, or castles; two knights; two bishops; a queen; and a king. Now, I've decided that I want Buffy as the white queen, since that is the most powerful piece on the board. Deadboy, you and junior are to be the rooks, with you on a1. Willow, you and Cordy are the knights. I'm putting you between Angel and Giles, who is the bishop. Faith, you're the other bishop, next to me."
 

"Do we get to wear those pointy hats?" Faith asked with a grin.
 

Xander ran a hand through his recently shorn hair. "No hats. But, you do get weapons. I have no clue who's on the other side, but my guess is they aren't going to be pretty. Probably vampires, demons and other things that like to carve humans up and use their bones as toothpicks."
 

"Giles and I have cast a protection spell over everyone," Willow said, then glanced at Angel. "Well, not everyone, because it doesn't work on vampires. Sorry."
 

"The spell won't, er, protect you from danger," Giles said. "But it will offer a-a bit of extra help against whatever you are fighting, especially magick users."
 

"Let's see, what else? Oh, if you capture a pawn, I guess the piece just disappears. No fighting required. The only other thing I can think of is that you can move off the board only when you are in file one. Once moved somewhere else on the board, you have to stay there until the break," Xander said. "Are there any questions?"
 

"Yeah, why is my life in your hands?" Cordelia said. "Your knowing what you are doing is like saying that Drusilla wasn't a psycho."
 

Spike's head shot around to stare at the brunette, his hand squeezing Buffy's tightly. "Ow, Spike," Buffy said, grabbing his arm. "You're hurting my hand."
 

"Bloody hell," Spike cursed, loosening his grip. He went to run his other hand through his hair, but when he saw the white bandage he growled, dropped Buffy's hand and proceeded to rip the material off.
 

"Spike," Angel said sharply, his tone making everyone else look at him in surprise. "Stop it."
 

"But-"
 

"Now," Angel stated, as he crossed to the blond in two strides. He grabbed Spike's left arm above the wrist and held it tightly. Spike's eyes flashed in defiance, then lowered submissively when a warning growl came from deep within Angel's chest. He dropped his childe's arm and turned to see the others staring at him with confusion or trepidation. "Sorry. Go on, Xander."
 

"Um, yeah," Xander said. "There's nothing really more to say, other than where's the food, because I'm hungry."
 

The teen's joke broke the small bit of tension and everyone but Willow and Spike left the main room to raid the refrigerator. Spike stayed at Angel's side, staring at the bandage on his hand as the redhead looked questioning at the older vampire. "Angel, what's going on?" she asked, letting her concern override her feelings of unease.
 

Angel took her arm and led her off to the side, away from the blond vampire who did not even notice that they'd gone. "It's Drusilla," he answered, unable to lie to her. "She's messing with his mind."
 

"That's not good," Willow said, secretly pleased that he still held her arm. "Not good at all."
 

"No, it's not," he replied. "You may hear or see me do a few things that are...very vampire-like, for lack of better term. I'm still me, though, so don't be afraid."
 

"I won't," she said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
 

"Unless you know some spell that can block Drusilla from his mind, no," Angel said. He glanced back at Spike, who had started to pace back and forth and was chewing on his right thumbnail. "But can you sort of warn the others without alerting them to the problem. Spike doesn't want Buffy to know, for some dumb reason."
 

"Ok," Willow replied. She gave him a small smile. "Look. We're talking. With words and not uncomfortable silences."
 

Angel smiled back at her. "Looks that way," he replied. "I like it."
 

"Me, too," she answered shyly. "Um, I'm gonna go and eat something. Do you need anything?"
 

"No, I'm fine," he said.
 

"‘K," Willow said, then turned and went into the other room.
 

Angel sighed again and went over to Spike. The younger vampire stopped and looked up at him. "What?"
 

"You know what," Angel said, taking the bandaged hand and looking at it.
 

"Shove off," Spike told him. "And take that stupid bandage with you."
 

"Can you even feel your hand?"
 

"No."
 

"That's because you did quite a number on it," Angel told him as he fixed the bandage. "Now, do you need anything before this game starts?"
 

"A hard fuck and a bullet to the brain would be good," Spike replied. "Not necessarily in that order."
 

"Well, I'm not going to give you either, so you're SOL," the dark-haired vampire responded.
 

"You're no bloody help," Spike grumbled, digging out another cigarette with his good hand. He jostled one out of the pack and pulled it into his mouth. "What's up with you and the little witch?"
 

"None of your business," Angel replied as he dropped Spike's hand.
 

"That bad, eh mate?"
 

"Spike, shut up."
 

Spike chuckled for the first time in days.
 

Part Seven

End of passion play, crumbling away
I'm your source of self-destruction
Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear
Leading on your deaths construction
 

Spike sensed her before he saw her. He was pacing in his assigned square, h1, ignoring the part scathing, part scared looks Cordelia was giving him from the next square over, when her familiar presence hit him like a sledgehammer. He stopped pacing and spun around to face the other side of the board, where the opposing team was coming out of their own back rooms, his entire body coiled with tension, as if preparing for a fight.
 

He hadn't been in a good fight in awhile, and he liked violence. It was fun to spar with Buffy, but he missed being able to rip someone's arm off with his bare hands for no reason. The last big fight he'd gotten into had been in Brazil, a nice barroom brawl to christen his leaving the country to return to Sunnyhell. There had been a couple of martial artists of some sort in that fight, and he learned a few cool new moves. He loved the martial arts, especially the movies, like the Hong Kong action flicks. In fact, he wouldn't mind going to Hong Kong some day. He'd never been to the Asian world. Most of his travels revolved around Europe, mostly England, and then in America with Drusilla. Drusilla.
 

"You managed not to think of her for a whole minute, so things can't be that bad," Spike said to himself, watching the other team.
 

"What's not that bad?"
 

Taste me you will see
More is all you need
You're dedicated to
How I'm killing you
 

Spike whirled around and struck without thinking. His still-bandaged left hand connected with the Slayer's face, sending more pain to him than it did to her. "Bloody hell, that hurt," he growled, holding his hand protectively against him. He started to curse, fluently and in complete disregard for who was listening. Then, as Buffy stood there watching him with confusion, he started to pace again, saying the same sentence over and over. "You stupid bloody bitch, I hate you stupid bloody bitch, I hate you stupid bloody bitch, I hate you stupid bloody bitch, I hate you stupid bloody bitch, I hate you stupid..."
 

"Geez, Buffy, what is it with you and the psycho boyfriends?" Cordelia asked.
 

Buffy ignored her and stepped into Spike's path. When he saw her, he started again, bring his fist back to hit her until he realized who it was, or more specifically, who it was not. Instead of hitting her, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, mumbling in her hair that same sentence. "...Bitch, I hate you stupid bloody bitch, I hate you stupid bloody bitch, I hate you stupid bloody bitch, I hate you..."
 

Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
 

Buffy didn't know what to do or what to make of his words, so she wrapped her arms around his waist under his duster and just held him.
 

Willow and Angel had been sitting next to each other in their respective squares, talking more comfortably with each other than they ever had before when Angel's head suddenly shot up and he peered across the room.
 

"What is it?" Willow asked, trying to see what he did.
 

"Drusilla," Angel replied, leaning back slightly to see around Xander and the computer console. Spike was staring across the board, as well.
 

"Here? She's here?" Willow said. "This is not good. This is so very not good. Not good in the very bad sense of the words not good."
 

"Very true," he replied. The other team, that was coming out of their own back rooms, was definitely made up of non-humans, and not just vampires. The black king, who had come out first and was now seated at the other computer console, looked like a troll or perhaps a gnome. It was hard to tell under the heavy, black robe he wore.
 

Angel heard Spike growl and turned to see him start pacing, his mouth moving as if he were saying something, but Angel could not hear it. He saw Buffy step into his path, then the blond vampire wrap his arms around the Slayer and hold her.
 

"There she is," Willow said.
 

Master, Master, Where's the dreams that I've been after?
Master, Master, You promised only lies
Laughter, Laughter, All I hear and see is laughter
Laughter, Laughter, laughing at my cries
 

Spike knew the second she entered the room, because he felt himself almost being physically pulled towards her, as if he were still attached to the wires of his dreams. Her voice echoed in his head, calling to him, and he held Buffy tighter in response, his voice getting louder as he tried to block Drusilla out. "...Hate You Stupid Bloody Bitch, I Hate You Stupid Bloody Bitch, I Hate You Stupid Bloody Bitch, I Hate You Stupid Bloody..."
 

Buffy was scared. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what was wrong. She didn't know how to make things better. She felt helpless. She was scared.
 

"Shit," Angel swore, causing Willow to look at him oddly.
 

"What's wrong?" Willow asked.
 

"Remember what I told you about how I might act?" Angel said, rising to his feet.
 

"....YOU STUPID BLOODY BITCH, I HATE YOU STUPID BLOODY BITCH..."
 

"Oh goddess," Willow said, watching as Angel quickly crossed the back of the board, behind his confused somewhat-friends. She stood as well, following behind him until she was standing with Giles near Faith and Xander.
 

Angel went up behind Spike and put his hands on both shoulders, physically yanking the younger vampire around. Spike let go of Buffy as he was turned, his fists flying out, his face changing into that of his demon. Angel blocked them both easily, then took hold of his childe's upper arms and pulled him within inches of his face. "Spike," Angel ground out, his gaze meeting wild yellow eyes. "Look at me."
 

Spike tried to get away, snarling at his sire and Angel shook him harshly. Then, he started walking forward, pushing the blond vampire back with each step until Spike was against the wall of the main room. Angel closed his eyes a moment as Spike continued to snarl, and when he reopened them, his fierce, commanding yellow eyes met his childe's.
 

Hell is worth all that, natural habitat
Just a rhyme without a reason
Never-ending maze, drift on numbered days
Now your life is out of season
 

He let go of Spike's arms and grabbed him with one hand by the throat, raising him slightly off the floor. A low, powerful growl rolled across the floor to where the other five were standing, watching the two vampires. They each stiffened visibly with the sound, even Willow, who was prepared because of what Angel had told her.
 

Come crawling faster
Obey your Master
Your life burns faster
Obey your Master
 

Spike suddenly stopped struggling, as if the strings controlling him had been cut. He closed his eyes tightly against the tears that started to fall, unheeded, down his cheeks. When he opened them again, his human mask was back in place and he stared at Angel unseeingly, his blue eyes reflecting complete fear.
 

Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, `cause I'll hear you scream
 

Angel let his own human mask return and he lowered Spike to his feet. He let go of the younger vampire's throat and put his hands on both shoulders. "Spike, look at me," Angel commanded in a quiet, but firm tone. When Spike didn't, he enunciated each clipped word. "Look. At. Me."
 

Finally, recognition flitted across Spike's face as he looked Angel in the eyes. "Cor, Angelus, make her stop," he whispered, his voice closing as he became choked up. "Make her stop."
 

"Buffy," Angel raised his voice slightly so the blond Slayer would hear him. Spike's eyes were still locked with Angel's as she hurried over to them, her face expressing her worry and fear over what was happening to her love. "Spike, Buffy's here."
 

"Hey," Buffy said quietly, taking Spike's good hand in hers. "Are you ok?"
 

Spike dropped his eyes to Buffy as a feeling of calm stole over him from her action. He nodded slightly to answer her question, squeezing her hand.
 

A loud bell sounded, startling everyone, and a voice came over the loud speaker. "Players. It is now midnight. Welcome to the Endgame. The bell you just heard will signal the end and beginning of each round. White moves first. May the best team win."
 

Angel looked over his shoulder and met Willow's gaze, Buffy and Spike continued to look at each other, and the others exchanged nervous glances. "Well, gang," Xander said. "As Caine once said in Mortal Kombat: ‘Let the games begin.'"

Part Eight

Eight black and eight white pawns appeared from beneath the floor as the squares slid back and the knee-high, metallic pieces were put into play. Since they were free to move while still in rank one, Buffy stayed with Spike, sitting on the floor of his square with their backs to the opposing team, holding hands. The others returned to their respective spots on the giant chess board and Xander loaded up the main screen.
 

Using his mouse to click on the pieces, Xander said, "e2 to e4." In response, the pawn in front of him moved forward two spaces on little wheels.
 

"That's pretty cool," Faith said from his right side. "Can you make them roll over and play dead, too?"
 

Across the room, they saw the black pawn at e7 move forward two spaces to e5, so the white and black pawns were in connecting squares facing one another. "Cordelia, move to f3," Xander said, repeating the action on the computerized board. Cordelia huffed and moved to the square two in front of Faith, with only a pawn separating them. The black team repeated the action with their troll knight, moving him from b8 to c6. "Faith, toddle on across the board to c4."
 

"Oh man," Faith grumbled, doing as told. "Now I don't get to see what you're doing."
 

The next few moves were standard. The black bishop at f8, a really ugly green demon, moved to c5; the white pawn at c2 moved to c3; the black knight at g8, just a garden-variety vampire, moved to f6; the white pawn at d2 moved to d4. Then, black team performed the first capture of the game. The pawn at e5 moved on Xander's white pawn at d4. The group watched as the floor opened up and the white pawn disappeared beneath it, then the black pawn took its spot. Xander retaliated by having his white pawn at c3 capture the black pawn that just took d4. The floor, once again, opened and the black pawn disappeared beneath it.
 

"This is really exciting, Xander," Cordelia commented, looking over at him. "I am so glad I gave up my time to help you losers out."
 

"Why don't you pay attention, Cordy?" Xander replied, watching as the green demon black bishop of c5 moved to b4, putting him in check. "You might actually learn something...oh, wait. I forgot, your brain is already full with trying to remember whether it's still safe to wear white or not. Willow, move to c3."
 

Willow pouted because of the interruption in her conversation, causing Angel to chuckle, and she moved to the correct spot, two in front of Giles and next to Faith. She immediately struck up a conversation with the bored, brunette Slayer. Next, the black pawn moved from d7 to d5, Xander moved his white pawn at e4 capture it, then the vampire black knight at f6 captured Xander's newly moved white pawn at d5, putting the vampire catty-corner to Faith. They both stiffened and watched each other in a predatory fashion. All of these movements took three hours of Xander using a part of his brain that few people knew he had, leaving only one hour to go before the first break.
 

"Dang," Xander said, studying the computerized board. "Spike, we're castling." Spike and Buffy looked at Xander in confusion as the teen stood and began pushing the console to the right. "Get up and move to the other side of me," Xander instructed. "Buffy, get back to your spot, please."
 

"Yes, sir, Xander, sir," Buffy teased, letting go of Spike's hand and returning to her spot at d1. Spike ended up at f1 with only one empty square between him and Buffy, and Xander was now at g1.
 

The moment Buffy dropped his hand, Spike felt as though he stuck his finger into an electric socket. All of her calming influence instantly evaporated, leading him to tense up. His eyes traveled unwillingly across the room to where Drusilla regally stood as the Black Queen. His Black Queen. Memories sprang up anew of his times with her -- deliciously, wicked memories that enticed him to turn his attention fully on the vampiress.
 

Drusilla's lips were curled up in a small smile and she held his eyes, despite the distance between them. She began to sway slightly, back and forth, like a cobra getting ready to strike. Spike felt everything slipping away as he began to sway with her, hypnotized by her eyes and her voice in his head.
 

Buffy had turned to Giles, who was next to her, and had began a conversation while Angel was busy staring at Willow, so no one noticed what was happening to Spike. He started to remove his bandage as the coy voice in his mind instructed, never breaking his swaying, as the white and then blood- stained material pooled on the floor by his feet. Unnoticed by him, the green demon black bishop at c8 moved to e6 as he took his lighter out of his pocket. The cheap, black zippo flamed easily as he depressed the button with his right hand.
 

"Giles, move to g5," Xander called over to the Watcher, not raising his eyes from the computer screen.
 

"SPIKE!" Buffy's screech suddenly filled the air, making everyone jump as she tackled the blond vampire to the floor, the black lighter skidding away as it flew out of his right hand. She beat at his flaming left hand with the edge of his duster as Angel ran over to them. Spike stared blankly at what Buffy was doing, his face an expressionless mask.
 

Angel glared over at Drusilla, who was laughing evilly, then turned his attention back to Spike. He backhanded the younger vampire across the face. "Spike, break it. Break her hold," he ordered as Buffy looked in horror at Spike's hand. What little flesh was left on the hand had melted together with the ripped and raw muscle, the bones showing clearly. His knuckles were now black instead of white where the flame had charred them and the hand twitched involuntarily as the nerves that weren't severed reacted.
 

"Now, isn't this a cozy little picture," Cordelia commented from her spot. "I-"
 

"Cordelia, go suck someone so your mouth isn't moving in vain," Xander shot at her.
 

"And I bet you'd like that to be you," she replied.
 

"Sorry, but no. There's no telling what your mouth has been around, Miss Hoover," he said sweetly.
 

"Dammit, Spike!" Angel growled, grabbing his childe by the lapels of his duster and shaking him roughly. "Snap out of it!"
 

"Angel, what's wrong with him?" Buffy's voice was high pitched as she repeated the question. "What's wrong with him? Tell me, please. What's wrong?"
 

"She's got him in a trance of some sort," Angel snarled in reply. He let go of Spike's coat, trying to think of what to do as he sat back on his heels, but his fury was preventing him. He looked up and met Willow's eyes across the few squares separating them, and felt her concern, worry and support wash over him, letting him calm down slightly so he could think clearly.
 

Buffy leaned forward and put her hand on Spike's cheek. "Spike?" she said in a trembling voice.
 

Spike suddenly inhaled sharply, although unnecessarily, as if he'd been drowning and he broke through the waves. He blinked rapidly, his blue eyes gaining focus on the slight blond leaning over him with a very fearful look on her face. "Slayer?"
 

"Yeah, sweetie," Buffy replied, tears filling her eyes, her fingers caressing his cheek. "It's me."
 

"That's it," Angel said suddenly. Buffy glanced up at him in question, but quickly returned her attention to the downed vampire. "You're the connection, Buffy."
 

"I'm the what?" she asked, helping Spike to sit up.
 

"You're blocking her," he told her. "When you touch him, you block her manipulations enough that he can mostly keep control."
 

"Who?" Buffy said. "You keep saying ‘her.' Who's her?"
 

"Dru," Spike answered in a rough voice, his eyes straying across the game board to the vampiress. He tried to grab Buffy's hand, but found that he couldn't seem to work it. "Slayer, please."
 

Buffy followed his gaze to where he was looking and emitted a growl equal to a vampire at Drusilla before straddling his legs so she was blocking his view. She put both her hands on either side of his face and pressed a gentle kiss on his lips. "I'm here, Spike," she whispered. "I'm here."
 

Giles, seeing that everything was under control, made his move across the board to where Xander instructed. The green demon black bishop practically mimicked his movements by going from b4 to e7. Xander looked over at the three. "Are we good to go, guys?"
 

"Yeah," Angel answered, rising to his feet, glaring the whole time at Drusilla. "Go ahead, Xander. The sooner we get this game finished, the better."
 

"Right," Xander nodded. He studied the pieces on the computer screen, then a sly smile crossed his face. "Hey Faith!"
 

"Hey Xand!" Faith replied with equal inflection.
 

"See that vampire that's catty-corner to you on d5? The one who needs an orthodontist?"
 

"Yeah," Faith said.
 

"Kick his ass."
 

"With pleasure," she replied with a wicked grin.
 

The brunette did not hesitate in launching herself at the vampire in a powerful side kick. She followed it up with a spin kick to the jaw, then had to duck and block as the vampire retaliated. She grabbed his next swing and twisted his arm, using her left fist to punch him in the face. Stomping down on his foot, she whipped out her stake from the waistband of her pants and thrust it home. The vampire black knight disappeared in a cloud of dust leaving Faith to occupy his square.
 

Xander looked back at the computer console after the fight and saw that there was a large countdown clock counting down from five minutes. "Looks like we get a short reprieve," he said to the others. "Although I don't think it takes five minutes to clean up a pile of dust."
 

"Now what?" Faith asked.
 

"It's their move," Xander answered. "If that troll catty-corner to you on e6 moves to capture you, kick his ass, too."
 

Faith smiled brightly and it was obvious to everyone that she was on an adrenaline high from the fight. "That's five by five," she replied.
 

"What planet are you from?" Cordelia said.
 

"Not Planet Gold Card, like you," Xander said.
 

"That is just so original, Xander," Cordelia replied. "Where do you come up with material like that?"
 

As Xander and Cordelia continued their insult-fest, Willow turned to Angel, who was still standing near Buffy and Spike, and made a very obscene gesture with her hands in regards to the former couple. Angel burst out laughing, making the redhead smile hugely and the others look at him strangely. Ignoring them, he shared an intimate grin with her, relaxing despite the problems Drusilla was causing.
 

Buffy turned back to Spike and gave him a small smile, her hands still on his face. She met his clear, blue eyes and read his love for her in them. She slid her hands around the back of his neck and leaned forward, initiating a slow, loving kiss which blocked out everything around them, including Faith's violence against the troll bishop. Cool against warm, their lips tasted and caressed, their tongues joined together in a gentle dance that filled their hearts with warmth and happiness and love.
 

They didn't separate until a loud bell sounded, signaling the beginning of the first two-hour break.
 

Part Nine

"I don't know, Will," Buffy said as she sat next to the redhead, waiting for Spike to emerge from the men's restroom where he was getting his hand re-bandaged by Angel. "This is the most vulnerable I've ever seen him, even when we were in those caverns. He was scared then, but right now he is terrified. We're talking Hellmouth-reopening fear."
 

"So, what are you going to do?" Willow asked.
 

"I'm going to take him into one of those offices and make love to him for the next hour and a half," she replied.
 

"Wish I could do that with Angel," Willow muttered to herself. Unfortunately, it was loud enough for the Slayer to hear.
 

"You want Angel? As in, getting him naked and having your way with him?" Buffy said in surprise.
 

Willow started to blush. "It would be nice," she replied. "After all, I didn't get to see anything last time." She suddenly clamped her hand over her mouth, not believing what she said.
 

"Last time?!" Buffy practically shrieked. "There was a time before when he was naked with you?!"
 

Giles, the only other current occupant of the room, felt his ears start to burn and he quickly made his way into the main game room.
 

"Um...yeah," Willow admitted. "In the house. When we were trapped in that room for days."
 

"Oh my god!!" Buffy exclaimed. "This is so great! Unless you didn't like it. Did you like it?"
 

"Oh yeah," she replied, her blush deepening and a grin crossing her face. She ducked her head to hide behind her hair.
 

"Wait, that was, like, months ago," Buffy said. "Why haven't you two done it since then? Angel hasn't done anything I need to stake him for, right? Like, ditching you."
 

"No!" Willow protested. "No, nothing like that. It's just, with that happiness clause attached to his soul..."
 

"But his soul is permanent," Buffy said, confused. "Giles told him in May. He was going through Ms. Calendar's last journal and found that information out. He made me go over the restoration spell with him a million times, verifying it."
 

"What?" Willow gasped. "You mean he knew?" Angel and Spike exited the men's room at that moment and the hacker saw red. "Will you excuse me a minute, Buffy?"
 

"Um, sure," Buffy replied.
 

Willow stood and walked over to Angel. Without a word, she reached up and grabbed his ear, then practically dragged him towards the hall leading to the offices.
 

Spike looked over at Buffy, who shrugged. "Don't ask me," she told him as she stood and took his unbandaged hand. "Come on, we have time to kill and I know just how to do it."
 

Leading him into the same hall that Willow and Angel had disappeared down, they could hear Cordelia and Xander shouting at each other from behind a closed office door.
 

"...Because I was afraid to get hurt, dammit!" Xander yelled. "I wanted to give you a reason to leave me, rather than you doing it because you came to your senses and figured out I wasn't good enough for you!"
 

"That has got to be the stupidest thing you ever did!" Cordelia yelled back. "Everyone knew I was in love with you but you!"
 

"Yeah, well, I never claimed to be all that smart!" Xander retorted. "All I knew was that I loved you and that it was only a matter of time before you split with me!"
 

"I wasn't going to break up with you, idiot! I was going to convince you to try and get into Sunnydale U, so we could continue to go to school together and help Buffy!"
 

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!"
 

"Because I thought you knew I loved you!"
 

Xander's response was cut off as Buffy shut the door to the office she led Spike into. "I really don't know why those two don't just get back together," she commented. "They belong together. She makes him less of an idiot and he makes her less of a bitch."
 

"Uh-huh," Spike replied, not paying attention. He felt as though he'd taken a holy water bath, then had to fight a Slayer who wanted to kill him, rather than love him. His emotions were all jumbled; the thread that held him to his sanity was tied to him with barely-holding knots that threatened to come undone at any moment; and he felt open, defenseless, unprotected. "I wish I was back at the mansion between them," he said, unknowingly out loud.
 

"You mean, between me and Angel?" Buffy asked. When he didn't answer, she tugged on his hand. "Hey, you still with me?"
 

"What?" Spike said, turning to face her.
 

"I asked if you meant between me and Angel," she repeated, releasing his hand to settle onto the floor.
 

He sank down next to her and rubbed his face tiredly before putting his bandaged hand on her upraised knee. "Yeah," he answered. "Though I hate that I feel that way."
 

"Why?" she asked.
 

"Because I don't want to put myself in that position again," Spike replied, scowling at the opposite, bare wall. "I'm a master vampire, for bloody sake. I don't want anyone to have that sort of power over me." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Angelus use to...control me like that, keeping me in his bed and dependent on him. You don't know the sort of power my sire has over his favorite childer. It took me a long time to break his hold on me. A bloody hell of a long time."
 

"But Angel has his soul now," Buffy said. "He doesn't want to control you, he wants to protect you and help you."
 

Spike sighed. "I know that, Slayer. But it doesn't make it any easier for me to deal with," he said. "Besides, there are probably a friggin' lot of things he'd rather be doing than playing sire to a sod like me."
 

In fact, Angel would rather be playing sire to Spike than facing the fury that emanating from a redhead named Willow.
 

"I cannot believe you! You...you...pig! You liar! You vampire gigolo!" Willow was pacing back and forth after having thrown him into an office and slamming the door. "If you just wanted to have no-strings sex, you should have told me!"
 

"Willow-"
 

"Don't you say anything, Angel!" she growled at him. "There is no way to apologize for lying about your soul. I am so...'grr' with you right now."
 

"When did I lie about my soul?" Angel asked, confused.
 

"Giles told you that it was permanent," Willow sneered. "And yet you made me believe that you needed to leave Sunnydale because you were afraid to lose it. Ooh, I have an urge to turn you into the rat you are!"
 

Angel grabbed her shoulders and stopped her pacing, turning her to face him. "Giles told me what?"
 

"That your soul was permanent," she replied, scowling at him. "But you already knew that."
 

The dark-haired vampire could only stare at her, dumbfounded. "My soul is permanent?"
 

"Duh," Willow said sarcastically.
 

"I didn't know," he said in a stunned voice. He was trying to comprehend the fact that no matter how content he became, he never had to fear losing his soul again. He could be with Willow in all ways and not lose his soul.
 

"What do you mean, ‘I didn't know'?" she asked. "Buffy said that Giles told you in May."
 

"He didn't," he answered. At her skeptical and still angry look, he added, "I swear, Willow, I didn't know."
 

"Oh," she replied.
 

"Yeah, oh," Angel repeated. Suddenly, a huge smile crossed his face as reality hit him. "Willow, I can't lose my soul!"
 

She frowned. "Didn't we just...Angel!" she exclaimed as he picked her up and spun her in a circle. "What are you doing?!"
 

"Nothing yet," he replied with a devilish grin.
 

"I don't underst-"
 

Willow's sentence was cut off when his mouth descended upon hers.
 

"Hey, Giles," Faith said as she joined her and Buffy's Watcher in the main room, freshly cleaned from the troll blood that had coated her after the second fight, when the black bishop had tried to capture her square. "Where'd everyone go?"
 

"Actually, I'd prefer not to know," Giles replied, closing the book he was reading. "I'd like to keep my delusions that you children are, er...not..."
 

"Fuck-happy?" she finished.
 

"Precisely."
 

"I bet if you asked Angel, he'd disagree about ‘playing sire' to you," Buffy said. "He seemed to be really worried, especially earlier today -- uh, yesterday - back at the mansion."
 

"Maybe," Spike replied. He opened his eyes and looked at her. His blue orbs seemed haunted and troubled, making Buffy's heart ache.
 

Silently, she went from her sitting position up onto her knees and moved between his legs. She pushed the duster from his shoulders and he let it slide down his arms onto the floor around him as he sat up straight. She then pulled the black T-shirt over his head and set it next to them before unbuttoning her borrowed, red shirt. It soon joined the slowly growing pile of clothing as Spike removed his shoes and socks, then undid the fastenings on his jeans.
 

Buffy stood and took off the rest of her clothes as he spread the duster out on the floor; then he shed his jeans and pulled her down with him to the well-worn leather. His mind drifted back to the first time he'd made love to her in that small cave in the jungle. Everything had changed that day, for it was the first time he'd felt the sun in two hundred years.
 

Their lips met and they tenderly kissed each other as if it were that first time. His unbandaged hand skimmed over her body, barely touching her, yet sending shivers down her spine. She brushed her fingers over his face and neck before running them down his lean, muscular chest. He broke away from her mouth to kiss down the column of her throat, his lips cool against her hot skin.
 

"Oh, Spike, I love you so much," Buffy whispered, her hands moving around his waist to dance over his back.
 

Spike raised his head and looked her deep in the eyes, as tears of love and happiness, not pain, filled his own. He caught her mouth again as he moved over her, her body ready to accept him. As he entered her, his world shifted, becoming more focused and clear as though the past month and a half never existed. He knew, deep down, that this feeling wouldn't last, so he savored it.
 

He brought her over the edge again and again, capturing her cries of pleasure with his passionate and loving kisses. When his own climax came, the earth shattered into a million pieces, sending his undead heart skittering to the brink before falling over into bliss. Heavenly bliss.
 

"God, Willow, I've been aching to do that for months," Angel said as he set her onto her feet.
 

"Wait, I'm confused," Willow told him as she took a step away to help try and calm her pounding heart. "You mean, you really didn't know your soul was a permanent fixture in your life?"
 

"If I did, you wouldn't have left my bed for...well, you'd still be there," he replied with a rakish smirk. The redhead blushed the color of her hair. Suddenly, he pulled her into an impromptu jig, dancing with her around the small office.
 

Willow giggled as she tripped over her feet, trying to keep up with him. The expression on his face was priceless, a combination mischief and complete joy. He yanked her to him again and swooped down to grab her lips in another searing kiss. Her toes curled and her body tingled in places she didn't realize could tingle.
 

"Willow, Willow, Willow," he murmured after he broke away from her mouth. "The things I'm going to do to you as soon as we're out of here..."
 

"But aren't you leaving for LA on Monday?" she asked, hating to rain on her own happy parade. It sucked being logical all the time.
 

"Depends," he answered, letting the word dangle.
 

"On?" she finally said.
 

"On whether you're coming with me or not."
 

Willow's mouth dropped open. "You-you want me to go with you?" The end of her question came out as a high squeak. "But school, a-a-and the Hellmouth, and research girl. School."
 

"You said that already," Angel teased, then put a serious expression on his face that was betrayed by the light in his eyes. "I'll pull a few strings and get you transferred to UCLA. You can be research girl by email and the phone. And the Hellmouth ain't gonna explode if you're not here."
 

"Goddess, you have me all moved in with you already," she said, stunned. "I think I need to-to-"
 

"Willow, I love you."
 

"-to pass out from complete lack of oxygen to my brain," she finished in a rush, her eyes wide. She pushed away from him and walked to the other side of the room, then turned to say something, but paused. She had no clue what to say. She never expected this turn of events. She had convinced herself that Angel was forbidden fruit that she got to taste once before being banished from the Garden of Eden. And he loved her. **Oh goddess, he loves me!**
 

Angel was watching the emotions play across her face. He was unsure of her reaction to his admission of love. And love her he did. Being forced to stay away from her had done nothing but make his love for her increase, for he was able to see her dedication, loyalty, intelligence and strength, as well as her sexuality, change over the past four months since he first noticed her as more than a friend.
 

He remembered that first time as if it were yesterday instead of back at the end of April. She had been dressed in her red overalls with a Hello Kitty shirt under them. She had been on patrol with him and Buffy that night, and was giddy from a sugar rush because of the mochas she'd brought for them. In one instant, when a vampire ran at her out of nowhere, he felt like he'd been hit by lightning.
 

He and Buffy had been too far from her when the vampire attacked and it had caused him to panic. However, he watched, stunned, as Willow arched one brow at the vampire, then calmly stepped to the side at the last second. The vampire ran headlong into a broken, wooden fence she had been standing in front of, staking himself. She had then turned to them and grinned, her red hair blowing around her face from the breeze.
 

Willow's thoughts were revolving around her own feelings for the dark-haired vampire with a soul. She'd thought of him day and night since their adventure in the last game. The funny part was that she missed talking with him and his company on patrols and such more than anything physical, although that played a part as well. She loved her friends dearly, but they couldn't seem to fulfill her need for intellectual stimulation, nor could they always understand her bizarre thoughts. Angel, however, proved that he could do both way back when he started becoming part of the group again, and she slowly found herself falling for him.
 

She caught herself on that thought and her eyes shot to his. When their gazes met, she felt a sense of rightness wash over her, causing her to smile. "I wonder what my parents will say when I tell them I'm going to UCLA?" she said casually.
 

Angel's laughter echoed down the hallway before being suddenly cut off as a certain redhead snatched it away with a kiss.
 

Part Ten

Willow suddenly found herself pushed up against the door of the office they were in with a very aroused vampire on his knees in front of her. "Angel, what are you...oh! Angel!"
 

Angel grinned devilishly at her as he undid her shorts and pushed them and her panties down to her ankles. "Sorry, Willow, I'm hungry for something sweet," he said, rolling up the hem of her T-shirt and then nuzzling the nest of curls.
 

"I, uh, didn't know I was, mmm, on the menu," Willow said as he separated her silken folds with his fingers and lightly blew on her clit.
 

"You're the appetizer, main course and dessert," he told her, then leaned forward and flicked her nub with his tongue.
 

"Oh boy," she gasped, her hands grabbing the material of his shirt, as he began to bathe her in long, wet licks. He traced all around her most sensitive spot, darting in and out of her core, tasting her. She was breathing sharply, her head falling back against the door as he teased her. He was making a low, satisfied sound deep in his chest as he tasted the juices already spilling from her.
 

"Angel!" Willow cried involuntarily when he latched onto her clit. He began to suck her, moving his jaw and tongue over and over her small, hard nubbin as she arched her pelvis to bring her closer to his mouth. Her hands moved from his shoulders to his hair, her fingers entwining in the dark locks as she moaned in pleasure. She felt a pressure building inside of her and she began to rock against his face, his name tumbling from her lips repeatedly, in rhythm with his ministrations. "Angel, Angel, Angel, Angel, Angel, Angel..."
 

A tingling feeling started in her toes, rose up her legs and engulfed her body as she flew into orgasm. She bucked against him, her head thrashing wildly, wanting him to stop, yet never wanting the exquisite feeling to end. A scream of pleasure erupted from her throat, her hands tearing at his hair as he held her firmly against his mouth, drawing her climax out.
 

Down the hall, Spike's head suddenly raised and the first smile in what seemed like forever crossed his face. "What are you smiling at?" Buffy asked, stretching luxuriously beneath him.
 

"Nothing, luv," Spike replied, leaning down to kiss her. "Nothing at all."
 

"Willow, you're blushing and smiling like a mad-woman," Buffy commented as she finished cleaning herself up in the ladies' room. "I take it you're not mad at Angel anymore."
 

"Nope. Not mad," Willow replied. "Definitely not mad. He has in no way made me mad, unless you count making me wait until we get out of here for the good stuff. If you mean that, then I'm mad."
 

"The good stuff?" Buffy asked. Willow's blushed deepened. "Willow! You were doing naughty stuff with Angel in that office!"
 

"Yeah," she answered. "Very nice naughty stuff. Stuff I wouldn't mind having him repeat soon." The hacker leaned closer to her best friend and whispered, "I was Angel's midnight meal."
 

Buffy giggled as she slid her cleaned and finally dry tank top on. "So, does this mean you two have a thing?"
 

Willow nodded enthusiastically, her hair swaying wildly with the movement. "He's my new snuggle- vampire."
 

"Care Bear with fangs, eh?" Buffy said. She surveyed herself in the mirror, then made a face at herself. "Come on, my naughty friend, let's go win this game so you can go home and get to the good stuff."
 

"Well?" Spike asked, leaning up against a sink in the men's restroom.
 

"Well what?" Angel said, drying off his face with a paper towel.
 

"Are you still all soul-having?"
 

"Would I be standing here talking to you if I wasn't?" Angel replied with a smirk. Spike continued to stare at him with a tense expression on his face. The older vampire sighed. "Yes, Spike, I still have my soul. It's just something I'm going to have to deal with on a permanent basis for the rest of my unlife."
 

"Good," Spike said, turning to face the mirror. "I like this you better."
 

"I thought you didn't like me at all," Angel commented as he studied the younger vampire.
 

"I don't," he replied. "You're annoying and pompous and smug and egotistical. You brood too much. You take no time out to have a little fun. You're too serious. You care too bloody much about others, even when I don't want you to care about me..." Spike's voice became softer as he continued, staring at the lack of reflection he made in the mirror. "You don't want to see me hurt and want to protect me. You are glad that Buffy loves me, even though that means she doesn't love you. You think a pathetic demon like me is worth the trouble of going against Dru." His voice hitched on her name, silent tears rolling down his cheeks.
 

Angel put his hand on Spike's shoulder and turned him until they were facing each other. "I need to know what you want me to do about her," he asked seriously.
 

"I don't know," Spike said, wiping his face with the palm of his right hand. "I just want her to leave me the bloody hell alone."
 

"Are you prepared for me to kill her?" Angel said. Spike flinched. "You know she's not going to stop until she has you back or you're dead."
 

"I know," Spike replied, slumping his shoulders as an air of depression settled around him. "Cor, why did it have to come down to this?"
 

Angel pulled his childe into a comforting embrace and was not surprised when he felt Spike's arms around his back, holding him closer. The ties of blood and history between them were re-woven with this small action, becoming stronger as his soul and Spike's uncommon depth of emotions merged with the strands.
 

"Giles, can I talk to you a second?" Willow asked.
 

"Certainly, Willow," Giles replied, rising to his feet. "What can I do for you?"
 

"Why didn't you tell Angel his soul was permanent?"
 

Giles frowned. "What do you mean? I told him back in-in May after I confirmed that it was indeed permanent."
 

"Don't lie, Giles, it's not nice," Willow scowled.
 

"I assure you, I am telling the truth," Giles said, offended. "I remember distinctly picking up the phone and dialing Angel's new number a-and...oh dear."
 

"Oh dear what?"
 

"And then Faith came into the library a-after fighting that Kairneo demon," he continued, shaking his head with defeat. "We immediately got to-to work and I plum forgot to tell, er, him."
 

Willow folded her arms across her chest and gave him a patient look. "I think you owe someone an apology, Giles."
 

"Er, y-yes," Giles replied, nervously playing with his glasses. Angel walked into the main room at that moment and over to them, his hands going to rest on Willow's shoulders. "Um, Angel? I, er, must a-apologize for my absent-mindedness. It seems that I neglected to-to tell you about the condition of-of-of your soul."
 

"Don't worry about it, Rupert," Angel said, shaking his head.
 

"Yes, right. Well, um, right," Giles said. "Do you know how-how Spike is doing?"
 

"He's ok for now," the vampire replied, pulling Willow back to lean against him. "I don't know how long that will last, though. Drusilla is really working a number on him."
 

"Be sure to let me know i-if there is anything I can do," Giles said.
 

Angel nodded and looked over his shoulder as Spike and Buffy entered. Faith was sharpening a knife, her foot tapping to a beat that came over her walkman, as she waited for the game to continue. "Where are Xander and Cordelia?"
 

"You don't think they killed each other?" Willow asked, looking up at Angel with a grin. "I hope, I hope."
 

"That's not nice, Willow," Angel scolded before dropping a kiss on her lips.
 

"Hey, no PDAs in the gaming room," Buffy said, smiling as she and Spike joined them.
 

"And what did you call that small display earlier?" Giles asked. Buffy wrinkled her nose at her Watcher.
 

Three short bells rang in the air before a voice came over the loud speaker. "Players, the game will continue in one minute. This is your one minute warning. Thank you."
 

"Geez, you'd think we'd have more than one minute to get back into place," Willow said as the black team filed out of their own rooms. "What if we were busy doing...stuff?"
 

"Then you'd have to finish really, really fast," Angel whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Cordelia and Xander entered the room together and all eyes turned to them.
 

"I still hate you," Cordelia said as she moved towards the giant board.
 

"I still hate you, too, Cordy," Xander replied, a small smile on his face. "Very, very much."
 

Faith turned to the five standing together with a pout on her face. "How come everyone has someone to play hide the salami with but me?"
 

Everyone retook their places on the board and Xander surveyed the computer console to ensure each ‘piece' was in the correct spot. He was in square g1 with Spike still next to him in f1. Buffy was suppose to be two over from the blond vampire in d1, but she was standing with him instead and Angel was in his starting square at the end of the rank at a1. There were still six white pawns on the board, at a2, b2, f2, g2 and h2, and a lone pawn was at d4 catty-corner to Willow, who was at c3. Cordelia was two in front of Spike at f3 and Giles was in his spot at g5. Finally, Faith had taken over the square at e6 because she won the challenge from the last round of play and the funky rules of the game permitted her to stay in her original spot or take the challenger's spot.
 

On the black team, Xander noted that the black king was still at his starting spot at e8 with Drusilla next to him as the black queen at d8. Both black rooks were in the corners at a8 and h8 respectively. The black pawns were set up like the white paws at a7, b7, c7, f7, g7 and h7. The ugly green demon bishop was between Faith and the black king at e7 and a lone black knight, another vampire, was in square c6.
 

It was Xander's turn to move again and he whistled tunelessly as tried to map out what he wanted to do. "Spike, move one over," he finally instructed the vampire.
 

Spike took the square at e1, enabling Buffy to stand in her own square, d1. They were both facing away from the opposite team, holding hands, but not speaking to one another.
 

"Ho-boy," Xander breathed as black made their next move. He raised his head and looked across the board at Giles. "Um, Giles? You might want to kill that ugly green demon coming at you."
 

"I see him, Xander," Giles said.
 

"What?" Buffy said, rising to her feet to see what was happening. "Oh god, Giles."
 

Giles watched as the ten-foot tall, green, disgusting-looking creature came towards him. His mind searched for any sort of relevant information on how to defeat such a demon. "Beheading, yes. But I don't have a-a sword handy. Knife to the heart, but where is it? Er..."
 

The demon snarled and the Watcher reeled back from the stench. "Ee-gads. Haven't you ever heard of a toothbrush?" Giles muttered as he drew his knife in one hand, a stake in the other. Suddenly, a light went on behind his eyes and he smirked.
 

Ducking under the creatures first swing, Giles let his alterna-persona loose and let the magick he'd long ago used to create chaos come back to him. "Janus, god of mischief, hear my calling," he chanted under his breath. "I bid you to work your magicks through me." The demon tried to grab him and he quickly darted behind it.
 

Giles felt the power of dark magick start to burn under his skin as he cut the black bishop across the back of the knee. He loosed his tightly controlled Watcher nature and let the words of magick flow. "A demon like this is a creature of might, change this demon into a sprite."
 

A purple light formed around the demon, first faint and then growing brighter and brighter as the magick engulfed it. The black bishop roared in anger, but the sound was suddenly cut off in a flash of blinding white light.
 

Giles blinked rapidly, his knife ready as he tried to clear his vision. "It worked," he murmured as he searched the air around him for the little creature that should be in the giant demon's place. His gaze drifted down to the floor in front of him and he let out a loud, un-Giles-like snort. "Dear heavens, this is one for the books."
 

Instead of a little creature he expected called a sprite, sitting before him was a green and white can of Sprite.
 

After everyone, save Spike, stopped laughing and the five-minute allotted time for clean-up of the remains, which consisted of Faith popping the top of the can of Sprite and guzzling the soda down, the game resumed. "Mr. Magic, if you'd please move to f4," Xander instructed with a grin.
 

Giles moved so that he was now in front of Cordelia, who gave him a patronizing shake of her head. "Only you would turn a demon into a can of soda and only Faith would drink it." Faith let out a loud belch in retort and the former cheerleader sighed. "Why do I put up with you people?"
 

"Must be our charming wit and sparkling personalities," Xander commented as the black king moved from his spot at e8 to f8. The teen frowned at the action. It was the first really bad move either team had made thus far. "It would have been smarter for the black king to castle with the black rook...wait, what am I saying? Please, play bad and make more mistakes," he muttered to himself as he surveyed his options. He raised his voice and called out to the brunette Slayer, "Faith, move catty-corner and make that pawn disappear at f7."
 

"That's no fun," Faith grumbled as she stepped towards where she was instructed. The black pawn vanished beneath the floor before she got into place. She eyed the black king hidden behind his computer console and dark robe with an evil glint in her eyes. "Hey, Xand. Can I kill the king?"
 

"No," Xander called across the board to her. "But you can taunt him mercilessly."
 

"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries," Faith said, deadpan.
 

The result -- all hell broke loose. For the black king moved the black queen from d8 to d4, capturing the white pawn.
 

Drusilla was now catty-corner to Willow, one square away from Giles and two squares in front of Buffy. Her eyes met Spike's, who had turned to look when everyone gasped, and she smiled evilly. "Hello, Spike. Would you like to play a game with mummy? I promise it will be such fun."
 

Spike was frozen in his spot, his hand clutching Buffy's tightly as he fought against her pull in his mind. He started growling deep in his chest, the sound slowly filling the room. Then he suddenly stopped as Buffy stepped in front of him and yanked his face down to hers, pressing a hard kiss on his lips. When she broke it, she stared into his eyes and he could see her fire and anger at what was happening.
 

"Buffy," Xander interrupted, nervously running his hand through his short hair. He looked up and met Cordelia's worried gaze, then looked over at the blond Slayer. "Move to capture d4."
 

"With pleasure," Buffy replied, a hard look coming over her features. She turned to go, but Spike's unbandaged hand shot out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back roughly against him. His mouth descended upon hers and she was swept away in a violent, possessive kiss which was over as swiftly as it began.
 

"I love you," Spike whispered harshly.
 

"I know," Buffy replied with a small smile. She squared her shoulders and turned to face her opponent. "Drusilla, you've messed with my men for the last time. It's time to say goodnight, Gracie."
 

Striding across the floor, stake in hand, the tiny, blond Slayer met the tall, brunette vampiress. Willow moved to the very edge of her square, trying to give them as much room as possible as the fight began. Without another word, Buffy shot her leg out, trying to clip Drusilla in the knee. Drusilla stepped back and avoided the blow, lashing out with a clawed hand.
 

Buffy caught her wrist and twisted it back, but had to drop it as the vampiress' other hand came up to strike. She blocked the attack and dropped down into a fighting stance, bringing up her wrists for another block. Spinning, she kicked at Drusilla's head, catching her across the face. Drusilla reeled with the blow, but did not falter as her eyes flashed an eerie green.
 

The vampiress' hand shot out faster than a cobra strike, her nails ripping across Buffy's exposed cleavage where the as yet unhealed marks from Spike's earlier mating with her still lie. The Slayer grunted in pain as new blood began to flow, her fist flying out to connect with Drusilla's mid-section. As she bent over, Buffy went to grab her hair, but Drusilla latched onto both of her wrists and flung her head upwards, clipping Buffy under the jaw with her head.
 

The Slayer's teeth clacked together, sharply biting into her tongue, as her head flew back on impact. Her mouth filled with her own blood and she had to blink away her tears of pain. Throwing her foot up in a snap-kick, she pushed Drusilla back a few steps in order to gain control.
 

That's when the images started.
 

In her mind, she saw Drusilla and Spike entwined together in front of a fireplace, the glow from the embers highlighting their pale skin as he moved in and out of her. The Spike in her mind was telling the vampiress over and over that he loved her and only her with each thrust. He climaxed, calling out Drusilla's name, then he tenderly cradled his mistress in his arms, placing loving kisses all over her face.
 

Buffy tried to shake it off as she barely dodged Drusilla's next attack. She swung her legs around, trying to knock the vampiress off of her feet, but once again she was unsuccessful. Rising quickly, she threw her hand out to grab Drusilla's swinging arm and yanked her closer, sending a palm strike up towards the vampiress' nose. Drusilla moved swiftly out of the way, then ducked under the hand that was holding her arm, bringing Buffy's up sharply behind her.
 

Angel moved behind Spike while the fight was happening, never removing his eyes from the two combatants. He could hear his childe muttering something over and over as he got closer. "She's let go of me, she's let go of me, she's let go of me, she's let go of me, she's let go of me, she's let go of me..."
 

He put his hand on Spike's shoulder. "What do you mean?"
 

"She's fucking let go of me," Spike replied in a harsh voice. "She's not in my head anymore."
 

"Oh God," Angel said, dread washing over him.
 

A new picture formed in Buffy's head, this one vicious and cruel. Blood and bodies were everywhere and she watched as Spike cut people down left and right, his fangs gleaming in the night, his face and chest covered with gore. She could hear the victims' screams in her mind, agonizing wails of death and misery. Spike held one blond girl, that looked almost exactly like her, by the back of the neck and savagely ripped out the girl's throat with his fangs. He then shared a hot, passionate kiss with Drusilla, the girl's life blood pumping from her neck and bathing them with the thick, red substance.
 

Buffy let out a cry of rage as she forced the vision from her mind. She spun out of Drusilla's hold and sent a back kick to her, followed quickly by a powerful drop kick. The vampiress was knocked back with the blows and the Slayer kept after her, sending punches and kicks flying, the stake still clutched in her hand. With an expert twist, Buffy managed to grasp Drusilla's arm and send her over her shoulder where she landed on the ground with a thud.
 

Buffy dropped down on one knee next to Drusilla and was about to plunge the stake home when a shot rang out.
 

Next