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Chapter 4

“Stop it! Both of you,” Buffy snapped. Her head was bowed so that she was unable to see them. But she knew. Knew they were staring at her. Like some lab rat under a microscope.

Lifting her head from the magazine, she fixed her gaze on the two vampires clustered by the desk. One sitting behind the massive structure, the other with his hip perched on its edge. It was that one that gave her a snarky look, scarred brow quirking as if guessing her pique and daring her to call him on it. She did.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” Buffy grouched, eyes narrowing intently.  

The two shared a look, neither having said a word in the last five minutes, although their pointed glances and silent gesturing had communicated their concern for the Slayer, and what, if anything, they could do to help her get through this latest trial.

“Wot?” Spike questioned.

“I can practically hear the conversation floating around in both of your heads.” Her voice changed to a saccharine-sweet pitch. “Poor Buffy… what can we do? We need to research this. Find out why she keeps losing it around the slayers.” Her voice returned to normal and she continued with her rant. “Look, I’m feeding, aren’t I? And no episodes the last few days. I want to go home.”

“You don’t like it here?” This from Angel. The tone of his voice unable to completely mask his hurt.

Buffy tossed the magazine aside, rising to her feet in one fluid motion to cross the office and stand before her family.

“It’s not that, Angel. You know we enjoyed ourselves over the holidays. Spike and I… both of us… we loved the visit. It’s just… this place… can’t you feel it? Pulsing all around you?”

Both vampires looked at her questioningly.

“Evil… almost like The First. Manipulating us. Don’t tell me you can’t feel it!”  

“Can’t say that I do, luv,” Spike replied. However, he did sense her anxiety, and reached out and pulled her between his legs to hold her close. Buffy relaxed in his arms, laying her head against his chest. Finally, she turned towards Angel and she could see the confusion and wariness in his gaze, and felt a little better that she’d managed to get him thinking.

“If we hadn’t come back, who knows what might have happened to you, Angel.”

“She’s got a point, mate.”

“This place breeds evil. It’s just a matter of time before it starts affecting us. We should just go… leave this place… go back to Rome.”

“I can’t, Buffy. I’ve got… there’s things you don’t know… things I can’t tell you about. It’s complicated. You’re just gonna have to trust me for now,” Angel told her.

The Slayer closed her eyes and hugged her mate tight, nodding as she resigned herself to staying here. In Los Angeles. She’d done her best to break the chain of events Lorne had foretold, but fate didn’t seem to be cooperating at all. At least she’d been able to get to Fred and just prayed the Texan had heeded her warning.  

Maybe she could do the same for the rest of it. For them…

~*~*~*~*~

“What do you mean it didn’t work?”  

“Just what I’m saying. I had all his little minions working on something else, keeping them distracted from their boss. But, then they came back.”

“They?”

“Spike… and Buffy. From what I’ve heard, she came in and sliced the thing in two. Apparently, Fred and Wesley are going over the remains in the lab. It’s just a matter of time before they start piecing things together. They didn’t see me, but they’ll connect the dots soon enough.” Eve leaned up on her elbow, gazing down at her lover, her brow marred with concern. “When are you going to be ready to implement your plan?”  

Lindsey wrapped his arms around the petite brunette and hauled her on top of his bare frame. He brushed her hair behind her ears, the gentle touch oddly misplaced on him.

“Don’t worry, baby. Even with the blond pest and his girlfriend back, they’re gonna be no match for our little secret weapon.” He kissed her, just a mere brush of his lips across hers. A gentle caress meant to soothe. “Inside a week we’ll be ready to show our hand. You just go back to the offices and lay low. ’kay?”

Eve nodded, happy that all wasn’t lost now that Spike and Buffy were back in the fold. Her fingers reached out to caress the markings on her lover’s bare chest, soon forgetting about Angel and the others as Lindsey rolled her beneath him and began nibbling on her ear.

~*~*~*~*~

“What have you got, Wes?” Angel asked the former watcher.

“It was a Selminth parasite. Its teeth inject an anesthetic, making the host oblivious to its presence. You’d never know you had it on you. It pumps neurotoxins into the body causing paralysis, hallucinations, fever dreams.”

“And if we hadn’t shown up?” Buffy interjected from her seat on Angel’s right.

“He would have been stuck in a permanent vegetative state.”

Spike prowled around behind his grandsire, upset with where this train of conversation was going. It wasn’t the first time he wished he had a cigarette in his hand, but Angel had been adamant about his office and the boardroom adjoining it – where they were all currently ensconced – remaining a smoke-free zone. He was ready to put his fist through the wall. That someone had dared to hurt Angel. And here.

Right in the old man’s stronghold.

If Buffy hadn’t had her little episode, he shuddered to think what might have happened. He came to a stop behind his elder, his eyes flashing yellow as he took in the others in the room. Gunn, Wes, Fred, and Lorne all had problems meeting his gaze; Buffy snorted at her mate antics, difficult to do while trying to hide a smile; she was secretly pleased with Spike’s outrage. It meant that he was softening in his attitude towards his sire.  

Buffy was sure that once Spike realized what he was doing, he’d excuse his behavior away… somehow. But she knew.  

“Guess it was a right good thing we showed up when we did,” Spike ground out to Angel’s team members. “’Twer’nt for me and the Slayer showin’ up when we did, who knows what might have happened. I mean really…”

“Will…” Angel growled just loud enough for the other vampire to hear.

Spike glanced down at his grandsire, still upset on his behalf. He pointed at the others, turning on the elder vamp to rid himself of his worry. His rage. “They’re your gang. They should know your habits. An’ you sleepin’ for days at a time should have set off some type of warning signal. They shoulda’…”

“That’s enough, Spike. It’s over.” Angel’s voice softened then, taking the sting out of his words and conveying his pleasure at his childe’s ire on his behalf. “You guys got to me in time, so let it go. ‘m fine. What we need to concentrate on is who might have done it.”

“Well, I didn’t detect any new scent. Who has access to your private rooms?” Buffy asked.

“Everyone in here. Cleaning staff, personally vetted by me. Eve— EVE! She was in one of my dreams, actually had the thing in her hands. I’d put it out of my head, because I assumed it was just another dream that I was having. But, it had to be her!”

“She’s dead,” Spike growled.

“Now hold on,” Gunn interjected. “You go in there half-cocked, there’s gonna be hell to pay. You don’t get to be the liaison to the senior partners without some serious juice.”

“Sod off, pup. ‘s family business.”

“Hey! Don’t get mad at me. I’m just interjecting a little rational thought into the conversation, or what passes for one,” Gunn defended.

“I think I liked you better when you just wanted to hit people,” Angel complained.

“Yeah, well, someone has to be the brains behind the brawn now. And it looks like my position was given away,” Gunn replied, looking at both Spike and Buffy huddled near Angel.

“Fine. We’ll play this your way for now. But I want her watched. I want to know every move she makes inside this law firm.”

“It’ll be tough—”

“Just do it,” Angel growled.

“Wait a minute. So, we’re not going to snap Twiggy into little sticks?” Lorne inquired, just catching on to the gist of the conversation.  

“Gunn’s right. Although, I’m certain beyond a shadow of a doubt it was Eve that planted that thing in my room… on me. I don’t have proof. And, right now, I can’t take on the senior partners to have her removed. But, we’re on to her. It’s just a matter of time before she slips up and we become wise to her game. For now, we watch… and wait.”

~*~*~*~*~

Buffy was in their suite’s kitchen fixing a mug of blood, both Spike and Angel sitting on the couch arguing good-naturedly over what to watch – when she felt a stillness come over her. Putting the mug down before she dropped it, she stretched her senses and allowed whatever it was she was feeling to wash over her.

Twitching…

Weak…

Bound…

Straining…

Have to get free.

They can’t hurt me… won’t let him… them hurt me anymore…

Metal door…

Pounding… pounding…

Free.

Revenge.

Blood.

Buffy shook herself free from the images and shot out the bedroom door, oblivious to the shouts of both her mate and Angel. Not bothering with the elevators, she raced for the stairs, her feet a blur as she flew down the numerous flights of steps. Her only thought to reach her girl before she did more damage.

~*~

The two male vampires eyed one another for a brief second before rushing to their feet and dashing towards the open door and Buffy. Caught completely off guard by the Slayer’s abrupt change in attitude, they watched helplessly as she easily left them in the dust. Spike had a moment to catch Buffy’s panic before being closed off to her. The door to her emotions slamming shut just as quickly as she’d departed their company.

“Bloody hell! She’s done it again! Fuck!” Spike roared, racing after her. The two had just passed the door’s threshold, trying to determine which way the Slayer went.

Spike pointed left, towards the door that led to the stairs.

“What the hell just happened?” Angel demanded as the two raced after Buffy.

“Dunno. One minute, everything’s fine and dandy. Then, a moment of panic, like she was scared or something… then nothin’.”

They slammed out of the staircase door on the ground floor, the sudden bang of metal against the wall causing several people to jump in fright thinking a gun had gone off. Once outside the main glass doors, Spike paused for a moment, sniffing the air to pick up a trace of the Slayer.

“This way,” he announced, pointing towards the seedier side of downtown Los Angeles. Angel nodded, matching the other vampire step for step.

~*~*~*~*~

Buffy wasn’t familiar with the layout of Los Angeles, but she knew, instinctively, to head towards the docks, the warehouse district. To get there, she just followed her nose until the scent of stale fish and seawater assaulted her nostrils, not slowing her pace until she’d gained her destination.

Senses attuned to the slightest disturbance along the warehouse waterfront, she walked slowly along the street, a predator stalking its prey. Only, not prey, one of her own. A slayer. Abused and tormented at an early age, the girl’s recent awakening to her new status was too much for her brain to handle. Buffy could practically feel the girl’s fear and confusion.

At a deserted building, Buffy paused. She eyed the structure, assessing the different flavors that wafted in front of her. Something… an innate rightness told her that this was where the girl was. Easily breaking the lock, she cautiously made her way inside and allowed her demon features to come to the fore, enabling her to effortlessly find her way about the near pitch-black interior.

After a quick circuit of the lower level reveled nothing, she made her way towards the stairs. The creaking steps were a dead giveaway to her approach, but it couldn’t be helped. At least this way, the girl wouldn’t be startled by her presence.  When she crested the top, Buffy was surprised to see the girl standing calmly in the corner waiting for her. Not saying anything, her body was tense in anticipation of danger.

Wearing a plaid shirt over a nondescript tank top and a pair of pants, she looked like a second-hand store refugee. The wicked saw she held loosely from her hand belied the skill she possessed wielding the instrument.

“It’s okay now. You’re safe,” Buffy told the girl, her voice soft in an attempt to calm the other’s emotions.

It didn’t work. No sooner had the words left Buffy’s mouth than the other attacked, arm raised as she brandished her weapon expertly.

Buffy easily evaded the girl’s charge. After all, she had Spike for a sparring partner, and her twisted mate never went easy on her… not that she wanted him to or anything. It made dealing with distractions like this – and the dark-haired slayer, for all her power and strength, was nothing more than a trying nuisance against her skill – just a workout. The biggest challenge was for Buffy not to harm the girl while disarming her at the same time. It required a certain finesse. 

The girl went sailing into the wall, momentarily stunned from the impact, glancing back at her vampire adversary with evil intent. Shaking herself off, she charged the blond-headed demon, intent on her kill. Again, before her saw could make contact, her wrist was grasped, and she found herself flipped ass over end, losing her weapon in the process. No matter. She was a weapon in and of itself. A killing machine. Gifted with skills made to take out the thing that stood so calmly before her. The smile she gave her adversary was in no way meant to be welcome.

As the two women began exchanging punches and kicks, timed so perfectly their moves appeared choreographed, Spike and Angel chose that moment to barge into the warehouse and race up the stairs.

~*~

Spike reached the top of the steps, his blue eyes taking in the scene at a glance, and he visibly relaxed. His girl was a sight to see, engaged in hand-to-hand combat with another slayer. Poetry in motion, he thought, smirking as the clichéd words crossed his mind. But, it was true. She was the ultimate dance partner, her true talent able to shine through whenever her opponents bore even a tenth of her skill.

Realizing the Slayer had everything in hand, he relaxed against the wall and watched the show, confident as to the outcome. When Angel made to interrupt his girl’s dance, he put a restraining hand on his grandsire’s arm, halting his intent.

“Wot? She’ll be fine. Wouldn’t be sporting to interrupt her before she’s finished her number. And, ‘m nothin’ if not a gentleman.” Spike ruined the moment by flashing his teeth. Angel snorted, but did as Spike requested and leaned against the wall to watch Buffy battle with the unknown slayer.

In the end, it was no contest. For all the girl’s gifted ability, she had no discipline, no training. Just raw talent that was no match against Buffy. The dark-haired slayer made a desperate attempt to take out her rival, but Buffy easily countered the move, pinning the girl to the floor with an unbreakable hold. Angel, seeing that it was over, pulled out his cell phone and called the office.

“I need a cleanup crew, and something to transport a slayer,” Angel barked into the phone to one of his security leaders.  

“No!” Buffy barked, eyes flashing yellow in defiance.

Angel couldn’t prevent his features from shifting at her tone, a menacing growl emanating from his throat. Spike pushed away from the wall, his body suddenly alert; although, he made no move to interfere.  

“She’s mine. She belongs to me. Call Giles. He’ll know what to do.” Buffy looked down at the defeated slayer, broken in more ways than just losing the fight. Her voice softened, almost pleading with her elder. “She… she’s been through enough. It’s time for her to rest. Giles can give her that. Better than anything you could do at Wolfram and Hart.”

“Alright, Buffy. We’ll do it your way. But there’s no way we’re moving her without her being sedated. I’ll not risk…”

“Fine.”

Before the astonished eyes of the two male vampires, she lowered her fangs to the slayer’s neck and bit into her pale flesh. Spike’s demonic visage couldn’t be contained as the scent of slayer blood slammed into his senses. Watching his mate drink from the slayer, even if it was only to incapacitate her…

Bloody hell!

Spike’s cock strained against his jeans, his arousal almost instantaneous. He licked his lips in anticipation of feasting from his childe, knowing that tonight they’d be lucky if they got any sleep at all.

The young slayer finally began to lose consciousness, and Buffy quickly removed her fangs, licking at the wounds on the girl’s neck to stem the flow of blood. After having a taste, she was surprised she’d been able to stop, and so easily. The girl’s blood had been marvelous, almost as good as her sire’s.

Her head lifted, eyes instinctively seeking out those of her mate’s, the smell of slayer blood suddenly overwhelmed by that of Spike’s arousal. Her eyes glittered, promising of delights to be had once they were back home, the slayer safely tucked away until Giles could send for her.

Crawling off the girl’s back, she bent down and easily lifted her lax form into her arms, carrying her like a mother would a babe.

‘You’ll find your peace, my girl. I promise.’ 

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