Part IV

Buffy held a crossbow aimed at Spike’s heart.

"Give it up, Spike. I mean it."

Spike squinted and stared at the Slayer through one eye since his hand covered the other. He was also nearly doubled over in pain. "You always mean it, yet here I am."

"Not for long. Not if you don’t turn over your victim."

"Victim?" he asked in outrage. "I don’t have a ‘victim’."

"Then who is Harmony dragging by the heels?"

Spike glanced down at the teenager on the ground.

"Frat boy," he explained. "Had a few too many."

Buffy tilted her head slightly to one side. "And you were planning to do what? Find him a taxi and send him home?"

"Well I wasn’t plannin’ to eat him if that’s what you’re accusin’. I can’t. You know that."

"Oh yeah, the chip in your head."

"That’s right."

"The one that causes you blinding pain when you try to hurt someone."

"Yeah."

"So what’s wrong with your eye, Spike?"

Pushing down a wave of nausea caused by blinding pain, Spike insisted. "I’m fine."

"Uh-huh. Just out for a midnight stroll with Harmony. I know you can’t hurt people, Spike." Buffy nodded in Harmony’s direction. "But she can. That’s why she’s here."

Harmony tapped Spike on the shoulder.

"What?" he demanded angrily.

"Spikey, maybe we should just drop this guy. Buffy’s looking really mad and the trigger on those crossbow thingies can be really slippy."

"Harmony?"

"Yes, Blondie Bear?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I’m going to be sick." She gazed up at Spike. "Blondie Bear?!"

He shot Buffy a chagrined look. "Disgustin’ isn’t it?"

Harmony glanced between the two of them, and then began to pout. "Blondie Bear, this guy’s getting heavy. Can’t we just let him go?"

Spike laughed and wrapped his arm ‘affectionately’ around Harmony’s shoulder. "Go? Now why would we have to let the bloke go when we’re only helping ‘im out. Just seein’ that ‘e makes it home safely. Friends don’t let friends drive drunk and all that."

Harmony frowned. "I thought we were going to eat him."

Spike stepped back. "Harm! I’m shocked. Truly, deeply shocked."

Buffy huffed. "Do you think I’m buying this act?"

He arched a brow. "Don’t know. Are you?"

"No." Buffy took a step closer. "Spike, you’re looking kind of green. Are you sure that chip isn’t electrocuting you?"

Spike frowned ferociously. "For the last time, I’m fine. I’m not plannin’ on killin’ the bugger. If I was, I’d be rolling around on the ground screamin’." Actually, killing HAD been the original plan. But every time Spike had allowed himself to think about it, he had found himself on the floor writhing in pain. It had only become manageable pain when he’d decided that somehow, some way he would prevent Dru from bleeding the victim dry.

Buffy seemed to understand the way his mind worked, or at least the way the chip worked. "You plan on bleeding him, but not killing him," she intuited.

Spike sighed. "Yeah." He tentatively opened his eye and found that he could see. In fact his headache had all but disappeared. "See. It’s all harmless really. No need to pull out the stake and crossbow."

Buffy circled him. "This wouldn’t have anything to do with your houseguest would it?"

"Houseguest?"

"Dawn told me."

"Bloody hell," he cursed. "Isn’t that a fine kettle of fish. Well you can just forget whatever li’l sis told you." He started to walk away.

"Spike, you can’t keep her," Buffy told him.

He faced the Slayer with bubbling outrage. "Keep her? What do you think Dru is? A bleedin’ poodle?"

Buffy lowered her crossbow and with a warning glance in Harmony’s direction she crossed the grass to where Spike stood. "If Drusilla was a poodle I’d let you keep her."

"This Slayer thing is really goin’ to your head. You don’t tell me what to do."

"Then consider it a ‘friendly’ warning. I let you live…"

"Because you can’t beat me and you know it," Spike snapped.

Buffy began again, "I let you live because you aren’t hurting people in Sunnydale." She glanced over her shoulder. "And I let Harmony live because she’s too stupid to cause much trouble. But Drusilla? She’s a homicidal maniac."

"She’s misunderstood," he defended.

"She’s insane, Spike."

"Yeah well, everyone’s got flaws. Look at your Captain Cardboard."

Buffy’s gaze narrowed. "Don’t bring Riley into this."

"Why not? That’s what this is about isn’t it? I take away your boy toy, and now you’re threatenin’ to stake my Dru."

Buffy flushed. "You didn’t take Riley. You didn’t do anything with him."

"No, I didn’t, did I? Wouldn’t know that from the way you’ve been actin’ though." Having gained the upper hand Spike began to circle the Slayer. "I didn’t send him on those midnight jaunts to the trulls. That was him and him alone. He was the one what betrayed you, so why am I the one payin’ the price? Killin’ the messenger is what you’re doin’."

"I haven’t killed the messenger YET," Buffy warned. "Besides it was you, not Riley, who got off on hurting me."

Spike frowned in confusion. "Is that what you think? No. Don’t answer. I can see that’s what you think. The fact is, no. I didn’t show you what the pathetic sod was doin’ just to hurt you. Not to hurt you at all, actually. Maybe to hurt ‘im a little, but not you."

"Right," she scoffed. "Tell that to someone who’s buying."

"It’s the bleedin’ truth, Slayer. I found out about ‘im leavin’ your bed and shackin’ up the rest of the night - several nights actually - with some vampire trull and for some reason I thought you might like to know about it. I didn’t take the farm boy from you. This was him screwin’ up a good thing."

Buffy shook her head. "It isn’t Riley’s fault."

"Phfaw! Course it is."

"No," she insisted. "It’s mine. I pushed him away. I didn’t give enough. I... I..."

"Had a real mind screw played on you. Who sold you this drivel about it bein’ your fault?"

"No one!"

"Bet it was Soldier Boy. Must’ve been a good li’l speech to convince you that his infidelity is your fault."

"It wasn’t like that!"

"Wasn’t it? Let me guess, he was goin’ to ‘er because she was gave him somethin’ you wouldn’t or couldn’t. If only you gave just a little bit more, paid just a bit more attention, not been stronger than him, or more interesting than him, or the Slayer, then he wouldn’t have strayed."

Spike shook his head in disgust. He grabbed Buffy by the shoulders and for once she didn’t shake him off. "Let’s get one thing straight, Slayer. Soldier Boy’s choices were HIS choices. His peccadilloes weren’t your fault. They weren’t my fault either. He’s a big boy, and he made his own mistakes. He’s responsible, him and no one else."

Spike bent a little so that the two of them stood nose to nose. "Now, do we have that straightened out once and for all?"

Spike thought he saw a hint of tears in Buffy’s eyes as she nodded.

"Right then." He straightened. "Time to go."

He was no more than three steps away when Buffy said: "You still can’t keep her."

"Bloody hell! Are we back to Dru again? Thought we got that straight. I didn’t take your boy and you can’t take my girl."

Buffy climbed the small knoll where Spike stood.

"Do you know why she’s here?"

"She’s here because Angel set ‘er on fire."

Buffy blinked and staggered backwards. Spike caught Buffy before she tumbled down the hill.

Spike looked at her curiously. "Didn’t know about that, did you?" He let Buffy go when she had regained her balance then shoved his hands into his pockets.

Buffy didn’t back down. "Dru killed half a law firm in LA."

Spike shrugged. "So she’s done ‘er good deed for the decade."

"This is serious, Spike. She has to be put down."

Fury lit within him. "She’s not a soddin’ dog! She’s hurt and scared, and she’s come here for my protection. And Slayer or no Slayer, that’s exactly what she’s going to get."

"You can’t fight me, Spike."

"The hell I can’t. I don’t care if it splits my noggin’ in two. You harm one hair on my Dru’s head, and I’ll add one more Slayer to my list of kills."

Buffy caught her breath.

"Um... hey, guys!" Harmony called. "This guy’s getting awfully heavy, and I think he’s waking up. Ohmigod! I think he’s going to puke!"

And he promptly did.

"Ew! Gross!" Harmony whined and dropped the kid. Obviously the frat boy had regained his senses enough to know that a graveyard in Sunnydale was a dangerous place to be. He scrambled to his feet and ran away without a backward glance.

Spike huffed and glared at Buffy. "See what you did. You ruined Dru’s dinner."

"No, I didn’t," Buffy corrected. "You decided a few minutes ago to let the guy go."

Spike crossed his arms. "And how do you pretend to know that?"

"Because your headache went away." She walked down the hill then glanced up at him. "I mean it, Spike. Get Dru out of town or I’ll stake her."

"Spikey!" Harmony called. "The human ran away!"

"I noticed that, Harm."

"Are we going to have to catch another one?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Because one’s standing right here."

"Xander!" Buffy cried, but Xander didn’t seem to hear her. He appeared to be busy glaring at Harmony.

"What?" Xander demanded, looking offended. "I’m just any old human now? Harmony, we went to high school together."

"Yeah, well, but I never liked you," Harmony said.

"Well, I never liked you either, but I know your name."

Harmony tossed her lustrous blonde hair over her shoulder. "Well of course you knew me. Everyone knew me. That doesn’t mean I have to acknowledge you. You’re beneath me."

"Harm!" Spike bit out harshly. "If you know what’s good for you, you will shut the hell up."

"Why?"

Buffy raised her crossbow. "Because I might kill you for insulting my friend."

Harmony’s jaw fell, and she turned pleading blue eyes toward Spike. "Blondie Bear, won’t you help me?"

Xander mouthed, "Blondie Bear?"

Buffy nodded. "Sick isn’t it."

Spike gazed dispassionately at his sometimes lover.

"You’ve dug your own grave, Harm."

"Blondie Bear!" she cried. "You’re being mean again."

Spike closed his eyes and worked very hard to control his frustration. "Harm, apologize to Xander and maybe the Slayer will let you live."

"Apologize?" Harm asked in disbelief. "To him?!"

"Harm." Spike’s patience was running out. He started to wonder if he could borrow Buffy’s crossbow.

"Alright, alright, Spikey." She turned to Xander. "I’m sorry for... well whatever it is you think I should be sorry for, though I’m not sure what that’s supposed to be."

Xander frowned. "That’s an apology?"

"Best one you’re going to get, mate," Spike warned.

"Why?" Xander questioned. "Because she’s a vampire?"

"No, because she’s a conceited, air-headed bint."

"Oh."

"Blondie Bear," Harmony called plaintively. "Mean again."

"Well at least you took the time and energy to notice," Spike muttered as he made his way down the hill to where the others stood.

Buffy asked Xander, "What are you doing here?"

Xander raked his hand through his hair. "Oh, I forgot. No one can find Dawn. I thought you should know."

"She ran away?" Buffy looked worried.

"Well, not so much," Xander clarified. "She’s just missing at the moment. No reason to think she won’t be back. She left a note. Something about fixing something she broke."

Spike looked back at the cemetery with its statues and headstones. "Bloody hell," he groaned and started to run.