Author's Notes:
The song lyrics used are by 3 Doors DownSpoilers:
Up to and including The BodyFalling In
Be Like That
He spends his nights in California, watching the stars on the big screen
Then he lies awake and he wonders, why can't that be me
Cause in his life he is filled with all those good intentions
He's left a lot of things he'd rather not mention right now
But just before he says goodnight, he looks up with a little smile at me and he says
If I could be like that, I would give anything
Just to live one day, in those shoes
If I could be like that, what would I do
what would I do
Now and dreams we run
She spends her days up in the north park, watching the people as they pass
And all she wants is just a little piece of this dream, is that so much to ask
With a safe home, and a warm bed, one a quiet little street
All she wants is just that something to hold onto, that's all she needs
If I could be like that, I would give anything
Just to live one day, in those shoes
If I could be like that, what would I do
what would I do
I'm falling into this, in dreams we run away
If I could be like that, I would give anything
Just to live one day, in those shoes
If I could be like that, what would I do
what would I do
If I could be like that I would give anything
Just to live one day, in those shoes
If I could be like that, what would I do
what would I do
If I could be like that, I would give anything
Just to live one day, in those shoes
If I could be like that, what would I do
what would I do
Falling in
I feel like I am falling in, to this again
Part I
Spike gazed up forlornly at the lit up windows of the Summers house, his face still wet with the tears that had danced down the pale skin of his cheeks. He sniffled again and wiped his nose with the flat of his palm before turning away from the house and the pain it held.
He slowly trailed back towards his crypt, his thoughts directly focused on Joyce Summers. Her and the Nibblet had been the only humans who treated him like he had feelings. He felt new tears spring to his eyes at the realization that Dawn probably hated him as well after his performance with Buffy and Drusilla in his crypt. He pushed his hands deep into the pockets of his duster while he scoffed at his own tears,
"Peachy Keen," he said with contempt, "I'm turnin' into the Great Poofini...," He walked on in silence towards his crypt, too lost in his thoughts to notice the blond standing directly in front of him, flanked by two of her minions, until he had nearly run into her.
"Hey!" he yelled, just before his red eyes met hers and his mouth went dry. She arched one eyebrow and smirked. Immediately, he tensed up, his eyes darting from her to the two demons on her sides while he tried to formulate some plan of escape. He glanced at her again for half of a second before deciding to suck it up and run. She may not exactly look bad ass, but if this girl had been able to beat his slayer he knew she'd make quick work of him. However, before his feet got a chance to comply with his thoughts, his world went black. His last conscious thought was of how he could've missed sensing the someone who had crept up behind him in ambush.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*The Next Day - The Magic Box*
"...so that's why they call them 'Funions.'" finished Xander.
"Mmm-hmm," Dawn replied absently, still flipping aimlessly though the magazine she was reading while Xander talked at her. He shrugged helplessly at Tara, who stood behind the girl. They had been trying, over the past few days to be distracting as possible, but neither Dawn or Buffy paid much attention to any of the Scoobies.
Suddenly, Dawn let out a big sigh and tossed the magazine aside,
"Look, I'm gonna take a quick walk to the store down the street. I've read that magazine three times! I need new material! And it's mid-day!" She cut off before Xander could protest, "No vamps! Less than a block. Plus, if I don't get out of here soon - ALONE - I'm gonna go insane." She stood and watched Xander contemplate this. Reluctantly, after meeting Tara's eyes and seeing the slight nod of approval she gave, he sighed, "Fine. Ten minutes and then I'm coming after you. We still have Glory to -"
"Thanks, Xan!" she cut in gleefully as she took off for the door.
As soon as she had cleared the view of the shop's windows she took off towards the cemetery, her breath coming in pants as her eyes had already filled with tears.
They were all smothering her. She needed the simple comfort that only Spike could give her. He had always made her feel unexplainably calm and she knew that even now he wouldn't turn her away. She drew closer to his crypt and carefully opened the door and shut it behind her.
"Spike?" she called out softly. She came forward slowly, walking more deeply into his home. There had still been no answer and as her eyes drank in the emptiness of the crypt her soul filled with dread.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*45 minutes later - The Magic Box*
"And you just let her go! I ca-" Buffy's ranting was cut off by the door to The Magic Box slamming open. A terrified, heavy-breathing Dawn ran to her, tears streaming down her face, "Something's happened to him!" she cried, flinging her arms around Buffy, "I just know it! We've gotta find him!"
"Sshh Dawn..." she whispered soothingly, trying to calm her baby sister, "It's ok, Baby." She held her until her cries had subdued, "Now Dawnie," she began, using an old nickname, "Start at the beginning. What's wrong?" Dawn stared up at her with wide, sad eyes,
"Spike's crypt is empty and it's the middle of the day. I know something's happened! I just KNOW it!" Xander snorted,
"Maybe he took a noon day stroll."
"NO!" Dawn shouted, causing everyone to start. She turned to face Buffy, fresh tears running tracks down her face, "Please..." she let the question hang.
Buffy nodded and hugged her close again, I'll go weasel it out of Willie. He probably just jumped town," she said, trying to reassure Dawn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*That Night - Outside Willie's Bar*
'Ugh,' Buffy scowled at the foul smelling building in front of her, 'I cannot believe she's actually got me looking for him,' she thought. With a deep sigh she stepped forward and through the door. Wasting no time, she headed straight for the bar where Willie was drying glasses. He eyed her warily.
"Spike. Where is he?" she demanded. Willie shook his head.
"I can't tell you where he is, but I can clue you into who took him," he said, glancing nervously around the barroom at the looks he was receiving from the patronage. Her eyes narrowed when what he said sunk in. Spike hadn't just taken off. He was taken.
"Why don't you tell me both, before I decide to play croquet with parts of your anatomy that I'm sure you'd like to keep," she smiled sweetly. After deciding they were staring more at the slayer than him, he quickly jotted an address on a cocktail napkin.
"Good luck. I heard this Glory chick kicked your ass more than once." Buffy grabbed the napkin and punched Willie in the face for good measure before she hopped off the bar stool on which she was perched and headed for the door.
As she slipped out the door she heard Willie yell the customary "AND STAY OUT!" Snorting with disgust, she turned to head for The Magic Box.
'So Glory has him...' She immediately threw out any idea of leaving him with her. No doubt it was only a matter of time before he sold out and let Glory know where the key was.
Without another though, Buffy switched directions and began jogging towards the address Willie had given her. The longer Spike was there, the more the chance that he would spill to Glory. She broke into a full run, knowing once there she'd have to improvise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Meanwhile - Glory's lair*
"C'mon" she whined between blows, "I only want it because it's mine! Don't you get that?! It belongs to me! All you have to do is tell me where it is so I can get it."
Spike raised his head wearily,
"What makes you so bloody well sure I know where it is?" She pouted at him,
"Well duh! You're always there when she's fighting...me. I've seen you with her family. She obviously trusts you.......hey...what if I," she paused, running her fingers down his taunt chest and lowering her voice, "give you something in return?" He looked at her disgust,
"Piss off, bitch," he spat at her. She screamed in fury.
For the past twenty-four hours she had him tied up in a similar way to which he had had Buffy only a short while ago. Beating him severely and every fifteen minutes or so, sweetly asking for the location of her key.
If he had to endure another day of this he figured he might tell her just to shut her up. He would've been more than willing to go back to being Harmony's "Blondie Bear" than have to listen to this stupid chit any longer. He knew, though, that he would never tell her. He couldn't do that to the Nibblet. He wondered how she was doing just then, what with losing her mum and all, but was pulled from his thoughts by a searing, sharp pain throughout his chest. He clenched his teeth, barely able to keep in the scream which threatened to slip through his lips, yet unable to trap the grunt of pain that came from his throat. He felt, more than saw, her neatly carving into his chest.
"You do realize she'll never love you," she stated, almost conversationally, "I mean...vampire....slayer....hello!" she laughed while she continued, "I mean, I don't know why you bother protecting her. It's so obvious she doesn't give two shits about you."
By the time she had finished, his eyes were watering, more from her words than the cuts. She leaned in, her lips next to his ear, "Ready to tell me yet?" she pulled back and gazed at him.
He gritted his teeth as he stared into her eyes with his own, ice blue, "I'd rather dig my own eyes out with a spork, you stupid bint," he ground out. Her face contorted with fury and she let out a primal scream before backhanding him with her fist.
"Fine! That's just great!" she turned and screamed for one of her minions, "Hey!" she grabbed him by the collar and dragged him over to Spike, "Watch this thing" she drilled out with contempt, "While I go out for a while," she sauntered up to Spike and pulled his head up by his hair so he was looking at her, "Don't go anywhere, precious," she sneered, slapping his face before turning on heel and stalking out.
Seconds later she returned without warning and went straight back over to Spike,
"Before I go, I wanted to give you something," she grabbed the sides of his head and pulled it to hers in a headbutt. Spike groaned and slumped down, his weight pulling on the ropes as he lost consciousness. She turned to her minion in satisfaction, "That way he won't be any trouble while I'm gone." She turned again and in a moment was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Outside*
Buffy stood hidden behind a tree, bathed in shadows while she caught her breath. She stiffened and pulled herself back, further into the darkness, when she saw Glory emerge from the building. She had the sinking feeling it was too late as she started following her, but paused in her pursuit when she realized the Goddess wasn't being accompanied by the usual brigade of demons she brought when going for the key. Buffy decided to wait until she had checked out the inside of the building before she followed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Inside*
Spike was barely aware of the fighting that was taking place before him as he stumbled back to semi-consciousness. He knew if Glory was mad enough to be taking it out on her own people he was in for a hell of a night. He merely hung his head in submission and waited.
Buffy was finished with the last one, but knew it was only a matter of time before they came out of their pain-induced slumber. She turned her attention to Spike and then gasped at his beaten figure.
Bruises covered his arms, face, and torso. He jean clad legs were hidden from sight, but she had a feeling they weren't in much better shape. His lip had been split and it was obvious that his nose had begun bleeding only a short while ago. The worst part, though, were the cuts on his chest
"SLAYER'S
PET"
was slashed in angry gashes and her brow crinkled in pain at the sight of the broken vampire. She tentatively reached her hand out and her fingertips lightly settled on his chest. She was startled when he suddenly writhed away from her touch in pain, his eyes still closed, he murmured thickly,
"I don't know where the bleedin' key is. Just cut me loose, or end it," his voice was weaker than he had willed it to be. Buffy's eyes filled with sorrow and she stepped forward to easily snap the ropes that bound him with her slayer strength,
"It's just me, Spike," she cooed, anxious to soothe him after his valiant attempt to protect Dawn. His eyes slowly opened as he slumped against her, filled with the weakness from the passed ordeal,
"Buffy? How'd you..." she merely nodded towards the door, "Can you walk if I help you?" He nodded and she half carried him out the door.
TBC...........
Chapter 2
Chapter 3