Disclaimer: I don't own nothin' but the story ideas and the actual story. Characters and locations are all Joss' may we bask in his greatness.
Chapter 37
Buffy circled a grinning Spike, watching for any movement that could help her pre-empt his attack. She mentally slapped herself. How had she let this happen? How had she gotten so careless? Of course Spike would have heard about the other teams. Of course he’d take his chance to take her out. She’d become complacent about having him around. Had almost forgotten he was sworn to kill her.
‘And here I’d thought you’d forgotten all about me,’ Buffy watched him carefully as she spoke. The blonde vampire’s gaze roamed her body. Searching for a weak spot, no doubt, she thought.
‘Oh no, pet,’ his eyes took another trip over her body. ‘I couldn’t forget about you.’
Buffy frowned. What was that supposed to mean? ‘That had better not mean what I think it means or I’m gonna hurt you so bad,’ she warned dangerously. Was Spike checking her out? Eww…
‘Take it how you like it, pet,’ he oozed sleaze and Buffy recoiled instinctively. Spike was coming on to her? Please let this be a dream. A really, really, bad dream. ‘For there is no-one here but you and me. A fellow can be open.’
‘Please, don’t be,’ Buffy pled. Her gaze ticked around the area, checking to see whether Xander had left or not. She couldn’t see him so she hoped he had gotten away safely. She wouldn’t put it past Spike to have someone waiting for him.
Spike made a move towards her and Buffy hastily moved backwards. The blonde vampire laughed. ‘Retreating so soon, Slayer?’
‘Not in this lifetime,’ she countered. ‘But then again, you’ve lived through so many.’
‘You know, you should be afraid of me. I’m bad,’ he snapped his fangs at her and grinned. ‘All the popular people are doing it.’
‘What can I say,’ Buffy shrugged. ‘I’ve never been that popular.’
‘That’s not the way I hear it,’ Spike said as they continued to circle each other, neither making any moves forward. ‘Word is, Slayer, that you used to be a right popular bint back in your school days.’
‘Yeah, well, those days are over,’ Buffy was not going to talk about her past with this bleached wacko. ‘Why do you care anyway?’
‘I don’t,’ Spike denied hastily. ‘I couldn’t care less about your bleeding past, got my own to mope over.’
‘Yeah, you must have it so hard, what with your soul and all,’ Buffy jeered. ‘Oh, wait. That’s right, you don’t have one! Spare me your guilt crap. We both know you feel nothing.’
‘Not nothing, pet,’ Spike shook his head slowly. ‘Never nothing. Everyone feels something.’
‘I really don’t want to know what it is you feel,’ Buffy said in disgust. Why wasn’t he attacking her? She did not want to listen to him ramble on when she had much better things to do with her time. ‘You really don’t need to share.’
Spike looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘You’d rather fight, pet?’
‘Then listen to your voice any longer?’ Buffy asked as though he were stupid. ‘Let me think about that… how bout… yeah!’
‘Okay then,’ Spike lunged at her and Buffy sidestepped his clumsy attack. Surely he could do better.
She ducked under another bumbling attempt and pulled back confusedly. What was going on? She knew he fought much better than this. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Can’t fight you pet. I don’t want to,’ he admitted gruffly.
Enraged, Buffy stepped forward and slugged him. He fell back to the ground and she was on him instantly. She froze, hand around his neck, fist posed to strike him as he lay on the ground. ‘Fight me,’ she demanded, trying to bait him. She would not accept him not fighting. The alternative was unthinkable.
‘No,’ he shook his head, grimacing as her grip on his neck tightened. She punched him again. His cheek split, blood leaking steadily from the cut. ‘I won’t fight you, pet.’
‘Why not?’ Buffy asked furiously. She hadn’t meant to ask. Spike had goaded her into it and the question had fallen from her lips before she could stop it.
‘I don’t know.’
‘I kill your kind.’
‘And I bite yours. So how come I don't wanna bite you?’
‘Spike…’ she warned. She refused to play his games.
‘Because, Slayer, I’m bloody infatuated with you. I think I may bloody well love you,’ he cried in frustration. Buffy punched him harder. Nothing seemed to be getting through to him.
‘What part of punching you in the face do you not understand?’ Buffy punched him again. He knuckles were starting to feel a little tender. How could Spike think he was in love with her? What was wrong with him? He was evil! Didn’t that mean something?
‘Buffy?’ Buffy’s head jerked back, almost giving her whiplash as she heard Willow calling her name. ‘Buffy?’
Spike threw her off while she was distracted. They both got to their feet, warily watching each other. Buffy wondered what the blonde’s next move would be. Would he punch or go for the kick? Would he aim high or low?
Quick as lightening, Spike reached out and pulled Buffy roughly up against him, arms tightening around her like steel clasps. ‘Things are about to get very interesting Slayer,’ he said smugly. He snapped his fangs at her once again then let her go.
Buffy watched as he backed away from her, his gaze never leaving her. He disappeared into the shadows of the graveyard, blending in easily with the black of the night, a feat almost impossible due to the brilliance of his hair.
Willow appeared from behind a tree. ‘There you are,’ she sighed with relief. Buffy gathered herself and clambered to her feet, brushing dirt and grass from her pants as she righted herself. ‘Where have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.’
‘Sorry, got caught up,’ Buffy didn’t know why she didn’t immediately tell Willow about her confrontation with Spike. It was what she should do, tell Willow, her best friend, everything, but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She needed to think about some things first.
‘Buffy?’ Willow started in a small voice.
‘Yeah, Wills?’ Buffy asked slowly, wondering what Willow had to tell her.
‘About the Angel and Cordy thing…’
‘I don’t want to know, Wills,’ Buffy cut her off instantly. Angel could do what he wanted, he was a big boy. He was old enough to look after himself.
‘But-’
Buffy began to walk a little faster, childishly trying to put some distance between herself and the redhead. ‘I’m telling you, Willow, I don’t want to know. Did Angel send you to talk to me? Ugh, that is just so typical of him. Never could fight his own battles,’ Buffy ranted.
‘No, Buffy,’ Willow said over the top of her ranting. Buffy stopped and sulkily listened to what the witch had to say. ‘I did something I shouldn’t have after you left.’ Willow explained to the Slayer what had happened after she’d left; the talk in the kitchen, Xander’s departure, Willows visit to Angel and her trapping him in Buffy’s room.
Buffy eyes widened in amazement. How had her friend gotten so strong in such a small amount of time? She asked as much of the redhead. Willow smiled guiltily. ‘I, uh, I “borrowed” more of Giles’ books than he thought I did. A-and the internet is full of fascinating information… Did you know that in 1878-’
‘Something happened… don’t care,’ Buffy halted Willow’s no doubt boring little fun fact session. ‘Did Xander make it back okay?’
‘I didn’t see him but he could be at the mansion,’ Willow offered.
‘Let’s go,’ Buffy started for the exit. ‘We have some things to discuss.’
‘Buffy?’ Buffy stopped and looked enquiringly at her friend. ‘For what it’s worth, I’m on your side.’
‘It never crossed my mind that you weren’t,’ the Slayer smiled. ‘Now let’s go.’
******************
‘Wills, Buff, thank GOD you’re okay,’ Xander was on them the moment they entered the door. ‘We were just about to come searching for you,’ he shot a dirty look at Giles, who stood by the door to his office. ‘Well, some of us were.’
Giles straightened, pulling away from the doorjamb, looking highly affronted. ‘I would have!’
‘Can you guys excuse us for a moment, I need to talk to Wills alone,’ Buffy practically dragged Willow from the room. The two girls ran to Buffy’s room, Buffy dreading what they would find there. Angel still knelt exactly where Willow had left him. Buffy knelt in front of him. ‘Rethought that call yet?’ she asked wryly.
Angel stared emotionlessly back at her. ‘Wills, take it off him, it’s far too creepy.’
Willow obligingly waved her hand, releasing Angel from the spell. The vampire fell solidly to his knees, the impact made Buffy wince in sympathy. That had to have hurt. She reached out and helped Angel get shakily to his feet. The vampire knees wobbled for a few moments before he grounded himself once more. His grip on her arm tightened as he shook the last of the tremors form the offending limbs.
‘Buffy,’ he began as he finally regained control but Buffy didn’t want to hear it.
The fact that he had just dismissed her claims out of hand had hurt her deeply. He hadn’t even thought about it, just said “no, Cordy wouldn’t do that”. Did he even know what the seer was like when she lived here? If he loved her as much as he claimed to, then why didn’t he trust her like she trusted him?
‘Wills, we need to talk... alone,’ Buffy glanced meaningfully at Angel. The vampire took the hint and left, head hung, closing the door firmly behind him. The moment the door closed, Buffy turned on Willow. ‘Spike’s thinks he’s in love with me.’
'He, uh… what!’ Willow gaped, her mouth opening and closing periodically as she was rendered speechless. Buffy almost laughed at the dumbstruck look on her friend's face.
‘In the cemetery tonight,’ Buffy explained. ‘He told me he’s in love with me.’
Buffy stopped as her bedroom door opened. Thinking it was Angel, she whirled around to give him a piece of her mind and came face to face with a stern looking Xander. ‘Continue,’ he said grimly and Buffy knew he had heard the start of what she had been saying.
With no other choice, she told her two best friends what had happened from when Xander had left the cemetery.
When the story was done, no one knew what to say. ‘I had a feeling,’ Willow said after a while. ‘Not in the sense of actually having any idea, but I knew something wasn’t right. He was way too nice to you.’ Xander and Buffy both stared at her. ‘Well, okay not nice, but not as mean as he is to everyone else… and I’m not helping so I’ll shut up now…’
‘No, don’t!’ Xander said in mock outrage. ‘Where would we be without the Willowness that is you?’ Willow beamed at the compliment.
‘What am I going to do, guys?’ Buffy flopped down on the bed beside Xander and pulled a pillow over her head. Xander gently pulled the offending head rest away from the frustrated Slayer. ‘Spike’s in love with me. Can I say Eww… enough times to show just how I feel about that?’
‘There’s nothing you can do, Buffy,’ Willow said softly. ‘If he loves you, he loves you. As awful as it is...’
‘Yeah Buff,’ Xander patted her head consolingly. ‘You’re just a demon magnet.’
Buffy swatted at his hand. ‘You know, that is very demeaning.’
‘Besides, this may come with some perks,’ Xander stood and paced the room. ‘Of course, if he ever touches you or comes anywhere near you, I will kill him with my bare hands… but I digress…’
‘You digress?’ Willow asked.
‘My word for the week. I digress,’ he repeated. ‘If the disgusting old vampire is in love with our beautiful young Slayer, then he will do the manly thing and defend his lady love. Think about it Buff,’ Xander stopped in front of Buffy. ‘He’ll kill anything that comes near you, just like Deadboy does when he's here.’
‘I highly doubt that Xander,’ Buffy shook her head. Thinking about that, she realized something that should have been completely obvious to her. The night before, when she went to save Angel and Xander, there had only been piles of dust all over the floor. Buffy suddenly suspected Spike may have arrived there first.
‘Nah, it’s true,’ he insisted. 'Guys'll do anything to impress a girl,’ he continued grimly. ‘I once drank an entire gallon of Gatorade without taking a breath.’
Willow nodded jerkily. ‘It was pretty impressive. Although later there was an ick factor.’
‘I need to kill Spike,’ Buffy came to her own conclusion. ‘If I don’t, Angel will. I’ve seen Spike's obsession with Drusilla and it won’t end well. I’ll kill them both if I have to.’
‘That could work too,’ Xander agreed. ‘Let’s go with that plan. Kill Spike. Any one got a flamethrower handy? Or not…’ he amended off Willow's glare.
‘I can’t let this continue. I have to stop it before it becomes destructive…’ Buffy had her mind made up. Spike had to die. He was evil. He’d killed thousands of people and, according to Giles, two Slayers. She would not let him go.
‘Wait,’ she sat up quickly. ‘You drank a gallon of Gatorade?’
************************
As Buffy and the others conversed, Giles answered the tolling doorbell. He opened the door and found Ms Calendar waiting patiently on the front step.
‘Uh,’ Giles spluttered unattractively. ‘Mrs. Calendar, what are you doing here? I mean, can I have you- help you?’
‘It’s Ms Calendar and I need to speak to Buffy actually,’ Ms Calendar smiled at the Watcher.
Buffy, having heard the door bell, came running down the stairs. She skidded to a stop in front of the door then smiled at the nicely dressed technopagan. ‘Hi.’ Jenny Calendar always looked good, no matter what she was wearing but Buffy liked what she had on at the moment. The teacher wore one of her many ankle length skirts, a deep purple with embroidered black flowers and a figure hugging black camisole with a thin sweater tied around her neck. It was warm enough out to not have to wear it.
‘Hello, Buffy,’ she smiled pleasantly. ‘You’re just the person I need to see. I know it’s late but I have some information for you. Something I think you’ll find invaluable.’
Intrigued, Buffy moved aside. ‘Come on in. My casa you casa or something to that effect,’ she said brightly. The group moved into the lounge and Willow and Xander joined them. Angel appeared from Giles’ office.
‘So,’ Buffy eyes Jenny curiously. ‘Whatcha got for me Ms Calendar?’
‘Call me Jenny, all of you,’ Jenny removed a small file from the handbag hanging from her side. ‘Since I met you,’ she directed her speech at Buffy. ‘I have kept an ear out for anything suspicious or unusual happening within the area should you ever be needed. A few weeks ago I had a hit. I couldn’t understand what I had found so I sent it to some relatives up north, to see what they could make of it.’
Jenny handed Buffy the file but the Slayer didn’t open it immediately, sensing Jenny had more to say. ‘It took a while to get back to me and even then the meanings have been unclear. What I managed to decipher what that someone had set something or someone against you, in order to take you out of the picture.’
Angel came forward and stood protectively behind Buffy. Jenny smiled at the gesture. ‘My first instinct was to bring you the information but something made me read on. It was then that I first saw the name of what it was; Slayerfest.’
Willow gasped and everyone else sat up a little straighter. Buffy’s grip tightened on the file. Jenny eyed the group. ‘I figured the name would ring a bell. That file gives every detail about Slayerfest: who the teams were, what their missions were their tactics were and the weapons they possessed. I gathered, from what my sources said to me, that you had defeated every team bar one and had captured the last to come against you. Is that right?’
Everyone nodded. ‘Right,’ Jenny nodded too. ‘Which one have you captured?’
‘Arya,’ Buffy said hoarsely. The mouth had gone dry and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.
‘Ah,’ Jenny cringed momentarily.
‘What is it?’ Giles sat forward.
‘There is only a small passage in there about that woman and none of it is good. Arya possess a great deal of magic,’ she explained.
‘Already knew that,’ Buffy shrugged. ‘Wills here kicked her butt majorly.’
Jenny sat back in her chair. Buffy got the feeling something was coming and they weren’t going to like it. ‘That is not the only thing about the hussy,’ the teacher said apologetically. 'She also has the power to remove souls and I believe she was drafted onto the Slayerfest, unlike the others who volunteered.’
‘You mean someone made her do this to get Buffy’s soul?’ Willow asked, horrified for her friend. ‘That’s just…mean.’
‘No, not Buffy,’ Jenny shook her head. She looked to Angel, as did everyone else.
Xander looked confused. ‘What, Angel?’
‘Yes, Angel,’ Jenny confirmed. ‘There is one more thing. Do you know who created Slayerfest? Do you know who set them after Buffy?’
‘Cordelia,’ Buffy murmured knowingly.
Jenny looked surprised. ‘Cordelia Chase? No, not at all.’
‘No?’ Xander repeated, surprised. ‘You sure? ‘Cos it kinda fits. She’s pure evil.’
‘Cordelia may be a bitch, Xander,’ Jenny smiled. ‘But she’s not evil.’
‘Yeah? You try going to school with her…’ he muttered. Buffy frowned. Not Cordy? Then who?
‘It was-’
A loud pounding on the mansion doors had everyone shooting out of their seats. Buffy ran to the heavy wooden doors and pulled them open. She jumped in surprise as a body fell into her arms. Thinking quickly, Buffy gently lowered the person to the ground then slammed the doors shut. She returned to the person’s side as the others gathered around.
Upon inspection, Buffy found the body was female, and very much alive. The dark haired woman stirred and Buffy rested a hand on her forehead. ‘Hey,’ she said softly. ‘Are you okay?’
The woman cracked one brown eyes open. ‘Five by five.’
Guess who.
Thanks for all your reviews guys. I'm glad you still like it. I'm amazed you haven't given up on it, actually.
Things are starting to wrap up now, but i still have a long way to go yet.
This chap was over 3000 words. How cool is that!
Any guesses on who is the bad guy or girl?
Well, thanks for reading. Leave me reviews... Tell me your opinions.... i WANT to hear them..
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