My Immortal

Chapter Four.

The tree that sat outside the house was perfect camouflage and it overlooked her bedroom. He threw his fourth fag down from the branch he now sat on and listened to her heart beat. It had settled down since she had returned from her Watchers and he guessed that she must be asleep by now. He glanced towards the sky and sniffed. He could smell her tears from his vantage point and he closed his eyes. She sighed and he couldn't stop himself, he needed to get closer, to see her properly. He leapt silently from his branch to the overhang. He sat on the window ledge and watched as she turned over in her sleep. He looked around her room and there on the pillow, discarded by her twist in the bed, was the damn pig. It's stuffing had been replaced and it's pink and fluffy throat had been sewn up.

Buffy turned over again and instinctively touched the bite mark. Spike felt the pull of it and almost forgot about the barrier that kept him separated from her. He leant against it and felt the ripples run through his being.

Sunrise threatened to catch him still out in the open. He leapt from his spot on her ledge and made a run for his crypt.He slammed the door shut and dropped down into the lower level. It was bare and had no comforts to speak of. He opened the coffin and grimaced. This was degrading , to sleep in a coffin like the vampires in movies, how soddin cliché can you bloody get! Still, it offered safety while he slept and so, Spike shifted the dried and shrivelled corpse over and laid down. He shut the lid and sighed. There was no way he could sleep in there, so he started counting sheep. William the Bloody was counting fucking sheep now!

"Sod this "

He got up and stomped around , not caring that his heavy boots were making enough noise to wake his bed partner downstairs up. He dug out a bottle of whiskey and gulped down half the bottle before he pulled it away from his lips. He dried them on the back of his hand and sighed through the burn.
The alcohol numbed him enough to climb back in to the coffin. It made him laugh, to think that he was huddled in a coffin next to Mabel, not that that was her name, but it was rude not to know the name of the bint laying next to you! So, Mabel it was. He closed his eyes and stopped the unneeded breathing , the smell wasn't helping the queasiness he felt.

Buffy woke to find that her Mother had already left for work. On the upside, Joyce had left her a stack of blueberry pancakes, so she heated them and sat watching television until she had eaten the lot. She went around the house taking note of all the things that Hank had taken or that he preferred to leave. In the room that he had shared with Joyce ,Buffy spotted the change holder that she had made in pottery class when she had been five and inside it was the tie pin that she had saved up to get him when she was eight. She picked them up and threw them at the wall opposite. He must have thought about them, after all he had put the tie pin in the change holder. How could he be such a bastard? When he had been given them he had beamed the hugest smile and had picked her up and smothered her in kisses, how could they mean so little to him now?

Buffy was now in a foul mood and needed to vent, so deciding this anger could be out to good use, she went and changed, ready for midday patrol. There were nests of vamps that needed dusting and this was the day to do it.

Giles couldn't sleep. He had neglected to tell Buffy the rest of the story relating to Spike. Where he goes, the rest are sure to follow, meaning that Angelus, Darla and Dru wouldn't be far behind . Angelus hadn't been heard of for a while as it happened but both the females had, and it was well documented that Drusilla and William the Bloody were mates, therefore she would not take too kindly to the Slayer wearing his mark. Darla was a vicious killer in her own right and had a taste for causing more than just a few drained bodies. No, this vampire had a yen to end the world.

Buffy stood before the boarded up house and focused her Slayer sense, eight signatures sang out to her. Eight would be hard work for her, but not impossible. She yanked at the heavy wooden door and entered the house. Dust whirled up from the floor and created a mist as it danced in the sunlight that seeped through from the door. The smell hit her and her eyes watered as she fought back the urge to throw up. What is it with vamps? Why do the keep the kills around ?

She walked from the kitchen area through to what would have been the lounge. Four vampires were asleep there and were completely oblivious to her presence. All the better for her. Buffy crept to the nearest one and staked him. He exploded into dust as two woke. They leapt at her, one got a stake to the chest ,the other pulled Buffy over and landed on her, he smirked and went in for the bite.

He pulled back and scuttled away from her and snarled . He growled loudly and that alerted the rest. Footsteps came from upstairs and they were all stood watching her. The vampire that attempted to bite her , looked up and smirked .

"Seems we got us a Slayer in our crib boss" he looked at her with hatred "One that has been marked"

The 'boss' walked to her side and pulled her hair out of the way, Buffy let out a small cry as he roughly yanked on her hair again and called his second in command over.

"Dimitri, get over here, who do you think did this?"
"Looks like Spikes sir, know his bite anywhere "
"S, William the Bloody's here is he, well well , he kinda owes me one, he killed my sire for attacking that crazy bitch of his back in '67"
"What you thinking then Silas?"
"That we keep this , his toy and get him here, she'll be bait for the prick"

Silas let go of Buffy's hair and pulled her up , holding her arms tightly.

"Looks like you just been upgraded from food to captive, not sure how long it will take him to find you, best hope it's quick. Not all my men have the patience I do. "

He snarled into her hair and laughed as Buffy flinched away.

"Dimitri? Put her in the basement and chain her. I trust you to watch over her, make sure no-one decides to taste her. We'll need her intact if this is going to work"

Dimitri snatched her to him and marched her downstairs, slamming her into the wall and chaining her up. Buffy slumped to the floor, crying. This was such a dumbass thing to do and just about topped off her crappy week. Not that it could get any worse. Now her fate rested on the Slayer of Slayers and she knew, no good was going to come from it. She opened her tear filled eyes and watched as Dimitri pulled an old chair over and sat in it. He smirked at her and then started to hum a tune that would soon drive her crazy.


Spike woke , lifted his head an inch and then groaned. The hangover hit and Spike laid back down. He turned over and came face to face with the skeletal remains of Mabel. He grunted.

"What you looking at? "

He smirked at himself for talking to the corpse, and shifted the lid of the coffin. The crypt was darkened and he slung the lid off and rose out of it. He looked for the bottle of whiskey and drank the rest.

"Hair of the dog, nothing better than that, 'cept maybe the blood of some innocent little girl that has a habit of killing your kind"

He scratched his head and ruffled his hair. Now he was fully awake and feeling better he looked around the crypt. It would make a good lair and he drooped back down to the lower level, seeing a thin gap leading to the sewer system, he grinned. Couldn't be better, he thought. Spike walked back from the tunnel and back up to the upper level. He was about to put his duster on when he stopped dead, he clutched his head and let out a whimper. He knew this sensation. It was Buffy, she was in danger and needed him. He fell to his knees and gasped. He roared as the sensation grew and he staggered to his feet again. He had to find her. He opened the door to the crypt and clutched at it as he struggled to gain some composure, breaking some of the wood from the door and throwing it in temper. How could he have been stupid enough to allow a Slayer to live with his mark?

"Stupid bitch! I'll save her sorry ass and then kill her for this!"

The sun was low and held the promise of setting soon, Spike ran for his car and once inside , sat gasping for breath. The sensation had died off enough for him to drive and so , he pulled away. First thing he had to do was find where her Watcher lived. As much as he hated the idea, he would need his help. He drove the streets of Sunnydale and caught the faint scent of her in an area of condo's. He pulled over and breathed in deeply. He exited his car and walked in the direction her scent emanated from. He stood in front of the heavy wood door and snarled.

"Watchers place"

Spike rolled his head and shoulders building himself up for what he had to do next. Hating it. He knocked on the door and readied himself for the confrontation. The door opened and the middle aged man narrowed his eyes. When the Watcher registered who it was that was in front of him, he gasped and picked up the crossbow that sat on the side board , just inside the door.

"William the Bloody, so what do I owe the displeasure of your company for then? Killed my Slayer and now your here for me?"

Giles aimed the crossbow at his heart and stood firmly in the doorway.

"Don't try being a hero til you hear me out. Your Slayers very much alive, for the time being, M'not here to kill you, don't bloody tempt me though. I'm here to tell you that she's in danger , I ... look she's connected to me, did she tell you? "

Spike patted his coat and got out his cigs , he held them up to show Giles as the Watcher acted twitchy , then Spike retrieved his zippo and lit up.

"She told me , so your telling me that Buffy's in danger and your here to what?"
"Warn you and to help find the ... her"
"Why in gods name would you do that?"
"Nothing to do with god, look I'm not fucking white hat , you know what and who I am and what I'm here for, but if you want your girl back, you'll need me."

Giles contemplated what Spike had said and knew that he was right. He just didn't want to admit it or to take him up on his offer.

"I'll find her without you then, don't say I didn't bloody warn you"

Spike turned and made to leave, Giles stepped out of the safety of his home and dropped the aim of his crossbow. That was all Spike needed . He lunged at the Watcher with his preternatural speed and caught him round the neck and backed him against the wall. His feral face was nose to nose with the Watchers , Giles blinked as he smirked.

"I should just twist your neck or drain you, call yourself her fucking Watcher? You wouldn't know that she's in danger if I hadn't come here. Ask yourself , if I want her bloody dead, why bother telling you? "

Giles blinked hard

"Just as I thought, took your time to catch up, now, where are the nests in this bloody hell hole?
Don't matter much, I'll just use the bond between us to find her, might be a tad bloody quicker too. "

Spike focused on her and then opened his eyes again, looking straight at the Watcher.

"You play nice, you live. Try and take me out and I'll see to it that your Slayer gets a new Watcher. Might be doing a favour if I did"

Giles dropped to the floor clutching at his throat. He glared at Spike and slowly stood, leaning against the wall until feeling reached his shaking legs again.

"So you have no desire to kill Buffy ?"
"Won't lie to you and say that I don't, but I'm not going to watch a bunch of fledges that got bloody lucky , do it. I want a fair fight and the glory that comes from it. Only then will I kill her"

Giles' mouth tightened and for a second ,he thought of staking the son of a bitch for saying that.

"Thoughts like that will end in your neck snapping, now quit being a ponse and get your weapons"

Spike flicked his cig into the bushes and sighed. What the hell was he doing?