The Witch, The Warrior, and the Vampire

Chapter 21
Patrol II

“See kid, I told you, over in seconds.” Whistler said as he crushed the brim of his fedora in his hands.

“I don’t give a damn what kind of task I’m supposed to complete; I will not stay here and watch Angel go insane.”

“Angel hasn’t gone crazy.”

“Then what do you call trying to eat your own kid?” Cordelia stamped her foot with impatience.

“He has to assimilate.” The demon replied cryptically.

“What?”

~*~

“What’s wrong with Willow?” Dawn asked Morgaine in quiet, shaky voice. Tara was wiping Willow’s brow with a cool, wet cloth while mumbling a healing chant.

“She has absorbed an incredible amount of energy, it will take a while before her body will recover.”

“H-how long?” Dawn searched the adept’s face for clues, but she remained impassive.

“Hours, days. It depends on what she was trying to hit us with.”

“But that wasn’t Willow, not really, she was like possessed or something!” The teenager was struggling to make sense of what happened.

“Yes, she was. I suspect the only reason any of us is alive is because Willow had some idea of what was going on.”

“Morgaine’s right. I know Willow’s magick and how it feels. She released her own energy at us, not the Dark Magicks.” Tara blushed brightly at the implied intimacy of her statement. Fortunately, Dawn didn’t understand. Bridget’s eyes had widened, but Morgaine had shown no reaction.

“I thought as much. She should come back around in a few hours if that is truly the case.”

~*~

“Ryvr, whare are we?” Connor asked as he looked in wonder at the largest trees he had ever seen.

“My home, the last of the original forests.” The elf skillfully avoided the enormous roots that littered the ground as she lead Connor deeper into the forest.

“What’s wrong with Dad? Why did he try to hurt me?”

Ryvr sighed deeply as she led her charge to the base of a redwood tree. She pushed a hidden knot and an opening was revealed in the base of the tree trunk. She entered the tunnel and pulled Connor along with her. “Your Dad’s not quite himself right now.”

“No kidding, why?”

“When he performed the spell to permanently bind his soul, it was tied to his demon. Right now they’re both fighting for dominance.”

“But I don’t understand…” Connor’s words trailed off and he stared in amazement at the city within the tree. It reminded him of the villages he had envisioned when his Mom and Dad had read him bedtime stories.

“Come, I should introduce you to the King and Queen.”

~*~

“I DID IT. I KILLED THE TRAITOR, I KILLED SPIKE. I KILLED SPIKE. I KILLED SPIKE.” The vampire was bouncing around from tree to tree shouting his victory to the world.

Buffy lay immobile staring at the stake in Spike’s back, directly over his heart. In one corner of her mind she heard the victorious chanting of the vampire. She couldn’t breathe. Her heart had stopped beating; time stood still. She stared. And stared. And stared. And stared. And stared. And stared.

The stake was still there. It was still poking into his duster. Right over his heart, but she could feel his body over her. He was not dust. Not yet. Buffy growled and tensed her muscles to spring at the attacker. A voice whispered into her ear focusing her.

“Don’t move pet. Buffy, luv, Buffy don’t move.”

An inhuman howl rang in her ears. Over Spike’s left shoulder, she saw Xander pounce on his sire’s attacker. They rolled over and over vying for dominance; when they finally stopped Xander was top. Sensing the immediate danger was over, Buffy relaxed her muscles slowly.

“Spike?” She asked anxiously.

“Shh. I can feel it, brushing my heart. Whatever you do, don’t move.”

The cold hand of fear clenched Buffy’s entire being. The stake was touching Spike’s heart. He was going to die. “Should I try to pull it out?”

“NO! Call the witches. Get them to get it out. We’ll just lay here real comfy like.” Spike had consciously stopped breathing; it was one of those human habits that he really had no need for, but somehow still performed. In this case, however, even that much motion was too much.

Anya crested the hill just in time to see Xander wrench the head off the vampire beneath him, bare handed. God she loved him, so fierce, so loyal, so cute. He was in such complete and utter fear--wait a minute. Oh God, Spike had a stake in his back.

She ran down the hill and kneeled beside Xander who had already reached his sire’s side. “What do I do?” Anya immediately offered her assistance knowing Xander would be useless in the state he was in.

“Get Tara and the others, they’re at the mansion.” Buffy said, trying hard not to move. She was staring directly into Spike’s golden eyes. The unfulfilled passion simmered in their gaze. Buffy was distinctly aware of his erection against her thigh. Not even a stake in the back could diminish the spontaneous combustion that had occurred between them moments before.

Anya nodded, and the second she was standing upright she teleported to the mansion.

~*~

Giles watched with interest as Maggie breathed heavily, fire burning in her eyes. ‘James and I will have to keep a close eye on this one. She reminds me a little too much of Faith’.

In a fluid motion, Maggie dodged left and the vamp punched right. With an upward thrust she slammed the stake into his heart. She laughed gleefully as he crumpled into ashes. Without acknowledging either Watcher, she stalked off in the direction where she felt the most vampires.

James exchanged a knowing look with Giles. They fell far enough behind the young Slayer to discuss her without being overheard.

~*~

“Tara! Willow!” Anya called out as she arrived in the courtyard of the mansion. Seeing no one, she ran inside and found the witches.

Willow was laid out on the couch, Tara holding a wet cloth to her forehead. Dawn was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, holding onto Willow’s hands. Bridget and Morgaine were thumbing through spell books still trying to find the right spell to block the Master’s call.

“What happened here?” Anya demanded.

The others jumped at the sound of her voice. Morgaine was the first to speak. “The spell we tried backfired and Willow was injured.”

“I thought so, things got crazy out there for a while. Will Willow be alright?” Anya’s voice was even more impatient than usual.

Not looking away from Willow, Tara replied, “She’ll be fine in a little while; she just needs to rest.”

“Good, I need you to come with me, there’s been an accident and Spike is hurt.” All eyes in the room suddenly snapped to her.

“Spike is hurt? What happened?” The tears Dawn had been holding back finally spilled down her cheeks.

“He was staked.”

Dawn leapt to her feet. “Is he dust?”

“No. He’s not, but the stake is too close to his heart for us to just pull it out; we need help.” The vengeance demon was starting to panic; what in the world was taking them so long to get moving?

Morgaine stood with no readable expression as usual, she put an arm around Dawn’s shoulder, hugging her tightly. “Where are they?”

“They’re on the hill between Shady Rest and the park. Can you find it? I really need to get back there. Xander’s freaking out.”

“I’ll take her.” Dawn said with her own resolve-face on. Anya smiled at the girl and immediately teleported back to Xander.

Bridget grabbed the sword she had used earlier. “I’m coming as well, there are far too many vampires out tonight for the two of you to go alone. Tara will you…”

Tara interrupted. “We’ll be fine, go. They need you.”

~*~

“Angel!” Fred exclaimed as she opened the door to Connor’s room and saw Angel out cold with an arrow imbedded in his shoulder. “Charles! Wesley! Help!” She yelled as she crouched beside her friend. Within seconds she could hear the sound of running feet. Both men reached the room at the same time.

“What happened?” Gunn demanded as he knelt beside Fred.

“I--I heard something and when I got here…” Fred trailed off as Wesley pulled the arrow from Angel’s back.

With the removal of the Elven arrow, Angel came to. He shook his head a few times to clear it. Angel grabbed Wesled bed began shaking him. “Where is my son?” Angel growled.

“Angel, calm down.” Wesley said as he tried to remove Angel’s hands from his arms. “Tell us what happened.”

“I came in here to tuck Connor in. Then out of nowhere, that crazy Elf you recommended shot me and took off with my son.” Matching expressions of shock, worry, and confusion flashed across Fred and Gunn’s faces.

Using his most calming and hypnotic voice Wesley defended himself. “Angel, I’m sure there’s another explanation for this. Why don’t we…”

“Yes, Wesley I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation… you did this.” Angel spat as his true face emerged

“Angel! Why would I…” Wesley was truly dumbfounded by the vampire’s accusation.

“You tell me, Wes. Are you working for Wolfram and Hart, or maybe the Watcher’s Council? Or maybe someone else we don’t know about.” Gold eyes flashed angrily.

“That’s not true, I…” Wesley involuntarily backed up a step.

“Get out! If I ever see you again, Wesley, I will not be held accountable for my actions.” Angel snarled.

“Angel, if you would just…” Confusion, and anger vied for control as Wesley slowly moved away from Angel, seeing that he wasn’t in the mood to be reasoned with.

“NOW!” Fred and Gunn both backed off from the enraged vampire. Fred watched dismayed as Wesley left the room. She turned to face the man that had rescued her from hell and brought her home. She couldn’t understand what was wrong with him. Sure, Connor was missing, but Ryvr and Wesley were trustworthy. Everyone knew that. “Angel, I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding. If you would just let Wesley…”

“So you’re in on this too? Get out. Both of you.” Fred flinched as Angel turned his wrath on her, her small frame moving closer to Gunn.

“Now, you back the fuck off Angel. We’re not goin’..” Gunn put his arm protectively around Fred’s shoulders.

“I. Said. NOW! Or maybe you’d both like to be my next meal. I’m sure Fred tastes divine.” Angel was advancing towards the couple. Gunn pushed her behind him and reached for the stake he kept on him at all times. “You too, Gunn. Both of you always smell so good. You’d the perfect meal. But Fred, what a sweet dessert she’d make. I don’t think I’ll drain her. Keep her in chains for a while and feed whenever I want a snack.”

Gunn held onto his temper, grabbed Fred and ran. Angelus called out to their retreating forms. “I’m sure she’s a delicious fuck too!” When he heard the last of the humans leave his lair, he grinned. “Hunting them is going to be such fun.”

~*~

Dawn, Morgaine, and Bridget briskly made their way through town. They met a few vampires along the way, and quickly developed a fast and effective method of dispatch. Morgaine would freeze the vampire and Bridget decapitated them.

They heard the sounds of fighting ahead and ran the rest of the way. As they crested the hill, they saw Anya and Xander fighting off a dozen vampires as Spike lay on top of Buffy, stake in his back. Dawn grabbed a stake from her pocket and Bridget hefted the sword.

Morgaine dropped her magick supplies and held up both hands. She took a deep breath and uttered a word of power. Immediately all the vampires were frozen in place, including Xander. Dawn, Anya, and Bridget took out the vamps. When the threat was gone, Morgaine released Xander and hurried towards the fallen vampire. Neither Buffy nor Spike showed any sign that they were aware of the latest arrivals.

Xander growled and spun towards the advancing humans, prepared to defend his Sire.

Anya placed a hand on his shoulder. “Xander, it’s ok. They’re here to help.” Xander stepped away from Spike, but stayed close by.

“Morgaine, is it serious?” Dawn asked, her heart seemed to be caught in her throat

“Yes, it is.” Morgaine knelt down beside the couple and quickly assessed the situation. “Anya, Xander, Bridget keep an eye out, this is going to take a while, and I can’t be interrupted. Dawn, I’m going to need your help.”

“What do I do?” The girl wanted to help, but she was deathly afraid of messing up, which could cost Spike his life.

“I’m going to levitate the stake out. I need you to visualize the stake whole. No splinters, do you understand?”

“N-no, not really.” Dawn was paying attention to her teacher, but her eyes were glued to her sister and Spike, stuck in a potentially deadly embrace.

“I can’t visualize and pull at the same time. The stake itself isn’t the immediate danger. There could be splinters or slivers of wood that have broken off. I need you to visualize the stake as one piece of wood with no fragments. Once you have it, I’ll levitate the stake out. Then we’ll take off his garments and inspect the wound.”

“OK, I can do this. I can.” Using the techniques Morgaine had taught her, Dawn cleared everything from her mind. Focusing on the stake, she envisioned it in one piece.

Neither Buffy or Spike had acknowledged the presence of the others. They were too lost in each other’s eyes.

~*~
They were in that place again. Where they were split into their three selves. She could see Elizabeth and William in the sunny meadow, the Slayer and the Demon facing off with each other, and Buffy and Spike patrolling.

“Luv?” She tried to turn towards his voice but couldn’t.

“Spike? Why can’t I move? Where are you? Why are we here?”

“I’m right here, luv.”

“Where?”

“On top of you actually.”

“Huh?”

“We’re in the park, there’s a stake in my back, and I’m lying on top of you.”

“Oh. Then why is this like our training? Why are the three of them here, and why can’t I move?”

“Epiphany time maybe?”

“Again with the huh?”

“Just watch luv. We’re here for a reason.”

As she watched the action in front of her, she began to understand. In the meadow William dropped to one knee in front of Elizabeth. In his hands he held a small jewelry box. He opened it and Elizabeth squealed with delight as she said yes. He slowly slipped the ring on her finger, then pulled her in for a kiss.

In the cemetery Buffy and Spike took out a gang of vampires. Before the last of the dust fell to the ground, Buffy jumped Spike. They tore at each other’s clothes as they rolled on the ground vying for dominance. Spike pulled Buffy’s pants down to her thighs and thrust two fingers into her. She cried out at the feeling and shoved his pants down far enough to free his erection. He spun her around and forced her down on her hands and knees. “Now, Spike, it has to be now. I need you.”

“Ah –ah-ah Slayer, not so fast.” Spike brushed the tip of his head across Buffy’s clit and smirked at her groan.

“Please, Spike, please.” Buffy panted. She lovedhatedloved it when he made her beg. Without any warning, he buried himself to the hilt in her heat. Buffy screamed in pleasure.

“I love you Buffy.” Spike chanted as he thrust into her hard and fast. Just the way she liked it.

Between her panting gasps and moans of pleasure, Buffy whispered. “I know you do.”

~*~

Morgaine tapped into Dawn’s energy and waited until the girl had perfectly envisioned the stake as one piece. the the background she could hear the sounds of fighting as the others kept new vampires at bay. She focused her energy on the stake Dawn pictured and began to slowly pull it from the back of the vampire.

~*~
“You are a worthy opponent.” The Slayer said as the demon yet again evaded her attack.

“As are you. Getting tired?” He asked as the Slayer’s attacks were noticeably slower than they had been.

“Never.” The Slayer exclaimed and tackled the demon to the ground. In a move so fast she didn’t see it, the demon reversed their position and pinned her to the ground.

“Don’t you see? Neither of us can win. We are equals.”

With her last ounce of strength, the Slayer pushed the demon off her and struggled to her feet. “I will never concede defeat to you!”

“Did I ask you to?” The demon looked quizzically at her.

“What?”

“Have I ever asked you to admit defeat?”

“No.” The Slayer said with a sigh.

“Look at them.” The demon commanded and pointed at William and Elizabeth. “They’re in love.”

“Emotions are a weakness that I cannot entertain. It interferes with my duty, my mission.” The Slayer crossed her arms over her chest, effectively closing herself off to the world.

“Emotions and ties to the world are what have enabled you to exist as long as you have in this form.” The demon wasn’t fazed.

“That’s not love.” The Slayer indicated Buffy and Spike in the cemetery screwing each other senseless.

“It is. He loves her and gives her everything in his power to make her happy.”

“What she feels is lust, not love.”

“Maybe so, but she has acknowledged his love, and returns his passion. What kind of life would you have without passion?”

“The life of a Slayer.” She retorted coldly.

“Now you lie. Even in your first incarnation, you enjoyed passion. The passion of the hunt, the kill, the release you searched for in the human males you tried to enjoy.” The demon was beginning to get more than a little frustrated.

“I did enjoy them and I found release.”

“You lie again. The only release you have ever found was with my kind.” He didn’t say it as an accusation, merely a statement of fact.

“But it goes against what I am! What I was created to do. The mission…” The Slayer had just started to trail off when she was interrupted.

“Enough! I tire of your stubbornness.” The demon began to retreat.

“Where are you going? “To “To find another who is worthy of what I offer. You are obviously not who or what I thought you were. I cannot believe the time and energy I have wasted on someone as ignorant as you.” The demon turned on his clawed foot and stalked away.

“Wait!” The Slayer cried. Slowly the demon turned to face what he had believed was his perfect mate. Their eyes locked. A moment passed. Then two. Finally the Slayer lowered her gaze.

“I’m tired. I’m tired of being alone. If you go, I will be alone again.” The words were simple, but heartbreakingly telling.

“I don’t care if you’re alone.”

“But, you said you--” She protested

“Slayer.”

“Tell me what I have to do.” The Slayer said as she finally met the demon’s gaze again. He stared deeply into her eyes as he slowly walked towards her. Finally, he saw what he was looking for and reached out to push a stray tendril of hair from her face.

“You have to accept me.”

“That’s it?” She tilted her head as she stared up at him, waiting for the rest of the statement.

“That’s it, they...” He indicated the two couples behind him. “Will do the rest.”

The Slayer took a deep breath and grabbed the hand that had been stroking her hair. She gazed into the saffron eyes of the demon for a long time before she whispered the words he’d waited so long to hear. “I accept you.”

~*~

The stake slid out of Spike’s back with a final sucking pop. “Why aren’t they moving?” Dawn asked in a worried voice.

“They will. Let’s help the others with our new vampire problem.” Dawn grabbed a stake as Morgaine once again froze the group of attacking vampires.

Eyes blinking, Buffy and Spike woke. “That was…” Buffy began.

“Yeah, it was.” Still they didn’t move, riveted by the other’s gaze.

“The stake’s gone, Spike.” Buffy noticed. Slowly the couple stood.

The final vampire was dusted and Xander hurried towards his sire. He helped him out of his duster and shirt. Morgaine inspected the wound on his back. “He’ll be fine in a day or two. Dawn, you did good work.”

Xander pushed the witch away from Spike and inspected the wound himself. Relief flooded through him, he wrapped an arm around his sire’s waist and molded himself against his back. “We need to get him home.”

“Dawn!” Buffy exclaimed when she finally realized her sister was there. “What are you doing here?”

“I helped save Spike.” The teen proudly stated, a defiant look on her face.

“Thanks, nibblet.” Spike flashed her a genuine grin of gratitude

“What time is it?” Buffy demanded. Spike looked at the moon. “ ‘bout 1:30 I’d say.”

The Slayer nodded. “I need to finish patrol. Dawn, get Spike home.”

“Luv, I can fight, I’m fine.” Spike protested weakly.

“No, you’re not. And you’re staying at my house from now on. Xander and Anya too, if you guys need to be near each other.” Buffy said, mentally rearranging the sleeping arrangements in the house to fit the others in.

“What’s wrong with our apartment?” Anya demanded, offended that her home wasn’t good enough.

“No one there is human; anything can come in and attack you at any time.” Buffy looked at the group around her. “We’ve got vampires to kill.”

“Bridget and I should get back to the mansion, Willow is injured.” Morgaine interjected.

“Will she be alright?” Xander demanded, still not releasing his hold on Spike.

“She will be.”

“Good.” Buffy stated. “Xander, Anya back to the Bronze. Dawn, Spike; our house. Morgaine and Bridget the mansion. I’ll see you at dawn.” Buffy didn’t look behind her to see if her orders were being followed. She knew they were. She fivefive hours to kill as many vampires as she could and figure out how to tell Spike she was ready for the bond.