SquidgeWorld Archive

The Giles Sage - Tragic Losses
by Ragna (Obsessive-Compulsive Spike)

My job is so boring, Gaby thought as she watched her uncle train Buffy. I'm not even the Slayer, so I don't have the great powers, healing capabilities or anything els.

She popped another cordial cherry into her mouth. But, she scolded herself, I have this box of cordial cherries from Xander. That will do for now.

She was about to pop another one into her mouth when she encountered a cold hand reaching for one. Looking over, she breathed a small sigh of relief. "Alex, they're mine!"

Her sister grabbed one and ate it quickly. "Yuck...I'd rather have turtles, myself."

"I thought that was a Southern treat, myself," Gaby said, mimicking her older sister, who glowered.

"Who bought these for ya?" She asked.

"Xander, for Valentine's Day."

"Good for you," Alex said quietly, pretending to be preoccupied with reading some papers. "Heard anything knew about Laigos?"

Giles and Buffy stopped practicing at the mention of the name. "Well, Alexandra, now that you mention it..." Giles said, trailing off. "Yes, we have. We might know who he's after."

"That's good. Anything we can use?"

"Aren't you in a foul mood?" Buffy asked. Giles gave her a look. "What?"

"This time of year...it's not the best time to be around me," Alex answered gruffly. Buffy was about to ask more when Gaby motioned to the box of chocolate and Buffy understood.

"Well, who is this Laigos after, anyway?" Gaby asked.

"It's Laigon, dear," Giles said, avoiding Alex's eyes, pointed to a name. She read it, then visibly paled.

"Spike?"


***
The knocking at the door woke Spike up. He disentangled himself from Dru, careful not to wake her. The knocking continued, and Spike almost tossed off a line from the Porter in Macbeth.

"Dammit, Spike, open up!"

That got his attention, and he hurriedly opened the door, wearing only boxers, carefully staying in the shadows. "What the bloody hell are you doing here, Alex?"

She stammered a bit, looking at him. "Does...does the name Laigon mean anything to you?"

He stopped short. "Yes, it does. I helped imprison him...a long time ago."

Alex stepped inside the mansion. "Well, he's back. Thanks to Ethan Rayne." She took out a rolled up piece of parchment. "There's two copies of the manuscript with the spells to imprison and release him. Ethan got one, and I'm trusting you with the other."

"Why?"

"I have to go to London...Watcher's Council business. And my uncle's going to the retreat. So, I want you to keep this, and give it to Willow if Laigos gets to be a nuisance."

Spike scowled. "Why don't you just give it to Red?"

"Wow, you can associate their names with your nicknames now. I'm impressed," Alex said sardonically. "Seriously, though...I trust you, Goddess help me. I know you know firsthand the damage he can do."

Spike nodded, and took the manuscript. As Alex went back to the door, he grasped her arm slightly. "How long will you be gone?"

She blushed a bit, then looked at him. "Ummm...I'll be gone about three days. My uncle will be gone for a month." With that, she wriggled out of his grasp and out the door.

"I swear, these Americans," he muttered quietly, before sitting down and reading the manuscript. It was in Gaelic, a language Spike knew fairly well, Angelus having taught him.

His mind wandered a little, wondering what Dru was doing, and he set the manuscript down and wandered back into the bedroom. His dark Princess was still asleep, moaning softly.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Spike? Who was at the door?"

"No one, love. No one at all."

"I smell that witch on you. Did she hurt you like she hurt me?"

"No, love, she didn't. In fact, she gave me something important."

"Oh. Are you coming back to bed?"

"Not right now. I need to finish reading something, then I'll be right back."

"Okay," And Dru laid her head down again and went back to sleep. Spike couldn't help but smile a bit as he walked back to the awaiting manuscript. Hopefully, that fool Ethan would botch the spell...and loose his life in the process.

Spike leaned back for a moment, thinking back to almost a century before...

He heard the voices, hushed though they may be. The other minions, the stupid twits...dabbling in the occult. Like bloody idiots, that they were. Spike watched silently, and saw in horror what was happening.

He knew what that demon was. Angelus and Darla had been talking about it. And, being the smart bloke he was, he listened. The demon was Laigon, a vengeance demon. One of the nastiest around.

He knew what to do to imprison it. In fact he had just stolen the manuscripts, to give to Angelus. There were two copies, one in English and one in Gaelic. Spike had both, and knew he had to stop it.

Coming from his hiding spot, he opened the English manuscript and began to read. As he intoned words, the demon shrieked, and writhed. Finally, before the last words were uttered, the demon spoke.

"Thou art cursed, William the Bloody. I shall seek personal vengeance on thee..."

The voice...it was horrible. Spike still shuddered at it. But he was gone. Unless that arse Ethan could resurrect it.

And Spike thought he very well could.


***
During the entire trip to London, Alex couldn't sleep. Something was going to go down...she hoped it wasn't what she thought it was. And when she arrived to her old apartment in London, she drifted over to her bed for what she hoped was a dreamless sleep.


***
No such luck.

She saw everything that had been going on, or was going to go on. Ethan, the idiot, had freed Laigon, but had no control over him. And he was roaming Sunnydale. No one was a match for him. Willow's magic and Buffy's brawn had not helped, and both girls got injured. And with no Watchers...

Spike had given the manuscript to Willow, and when that had not worked, they were all at a loss. Even Dru had relented, and what was left of the active Scooby Gang teamed up with the two vampires.

But nothing worked.


***
Willow typed in the reply. *No, nothing's happened. Don't worry so much, Alex.*

*Willow, I need to worry. If Laigon gets free... Spike has a manuscript. It's in Gaelic, but it has the spell to cast Laigon away again.*

Willow swallowed a little at that last bit of information. *I don't speak Gaelic.*

*He does, and I taught Gaby a lot of it. Look, if you guys can't fight Laigon, if he even gets out, unfortunately Spike's going to be our last hope. And that's a truly scary thought.*

*Hopefully, it won't come to that. How'd he get the manuscript?*

*It's mine...I gave it to him. For safekeeping. Plus, he's already banished that demon once before.*

*And you neglected to tell us because...*

Alex sighed. *Because I forgot. Besides, I kinda don't think straight when I'm around him, okay?*

*I won't comment on that.*

*You just did. Have to go: Council meeting in 20 minutes.*

*Okay...I'll e-mail if anything happens. Besides, you come back the day after tomorrow. What could happen?*

*I sincerely wish you hadn't typed that.*


***
Dru tossed and turned, waking Spike up from what little sleep he had been able to get.

"Pet? What's wrong?" he asked groggily.

"Oh, you're still here," Dru said upon waking up. She clasped his neck in a death grip. "I thought my Spike would leave me."

"Never, love. Did you have a vision?" She nodded. "Tell me, duck. Maybe I can help."

She sat up, pulling the silk sheet up with her. "Well, that mean little witch's friends were fighting an awful demon. And they were losing. And you had us help them, because you have a powerful piece of paper."

"Go on," he said, realizing she was talking about the manuscript.

"And the Slayer got hurt. Not the blonde one...the dark haired one. But the witch got hurt even worse. And...I died. And you cried."

Spike nodded. Never before had Dru dreamt of her own death. "How...how did it happen?"

"I was tricked. Someone pretended they were you, and they killed me. But you won't let that happen, right?"

"Never," he said, a feeling of protectiveness overcoming him. And he had to ask the next question, if only to stay a soulless demon, he reassured himself. "And...what happened to Alex?"

"She goes in and out of a deep sleep, and she's bleeding inside. And she had to have a metal stick put into her leg. But she takes care of you."

That was a shock. "What?"

"When I die, you want to join me. But I stop you. And she helps; she takes care of you."

"How far into the future did you see, pet?" Spike asked. But all he got was the sound of Dru's head hitting the pillow. Spike was confused, and the person who really needed to hear this was in London.

He looked at his clock, and saw it was only eleven am. Six hours till sunset, and then he could track her friends down. If nothing else, one of them might be able to warn her.


***
The thoughts wouldn't leave her head, not even as Arthur droned on and on. Alex had been almost afraid to go back to sleep, or shut her eyes, afraid of what she might see.

"Miss Giles! Please, pay attention!" Arthur snapped. "I know you're suffering from jet lag, but a closed chamber Council meeting is not the place to catch up on your beauty rest."

"Watch. Your. Tone," Alex enunciated, and Arthur paled a bit. "I'm having prescient dreams again, dipwad. And I think they're going to come to fruition sooner than I thought."

"About what?" Her friend Emma prodded.

"Laigon, and my friends." She went into a greater detail, as well as what she had done to help prevent it, wisely leaving out names.

Arthur shook his head. "Well, what do you want us to do about it?"

"Let me go back...we can continue this next month or so...it's not pressing business, and you know it."

After a few moments, Arthur nodded. "You're excused. But only because you are Watching Miss Summers while Rupert is at the retreat. And I want that mentioned in the Council's logs. Meeting adjourned. Everyone else be here tomorrow evening."


***
Spike started to pace around the mansion. Willy the Snitch had let it be known that Ethan Rayne had released some sort of demon, but what it was wasn't known. And Spike was understandably worried, never letting that manuscript out of his sight.

{Christ, I feel like a bloody Watcher}, he thought to himself. He stopped pacing and reread the manuscript. It was starting to fall apart, and he had had one minion on hand to write down the word for word translation.

The minion had already finished, and he read the translated text, noting that the vampire had gotten everything right. Clutching it in his fist, he was about to start pacing again when he heard a soft voice behind him.

"Spike? Are you all right?" Dru was standing there, worry evident on her face.

He simply nodded, looking at her. Still pale, and dark at the same time, the contrast gave her a Gothic beauty, one that he could stare at for hours. "Yes, pet, I'm fine."

"Miss Edith says you're lying."

Spike cracked a small, careworn smile. "Yes, I am. A bad man released a demon. But I don't know which one it is."

She sidled up to him, a determined look on her face. "Does my Spike need to know?"

"Yes, love, I do."

"It's Laigon. He's back. And he's very put out with you."

"I suppose he would be, love, considering I imprisoned him almost 100 years ago."

Dru looked right into his eyes. "But you'll protect me. Right, Spike?"

Kissing her cold forehead lightly he murmured, "Forever."


***
The library was a mess when Buffy arrived. Noticing the lack of doors, she pulled the stake she'd placed at the small of her back out, holding it up ready to strike.

The books were scattered, some torn, others burnt. And they were mostly the prophecies and other important books needed for the fight against the Hellmouth spawns.

"Why couldn't they destroy the textbooks?" she murmured to herself quietly, carefully creeping inside, and saw the culprits.

"So, decided since there were no librarians around, you could make a mess? Naughty, naughty."

She managed to stake the vampires there with an almost unnerving ease. They hadn't even put up much of a fight. Reaching for the phone, she felt a cold hand grab the stake.

"Naughty, naughty yourself." The tall figure, shrouded in a black robe and it's face hidden in the shadows, faced her. And all she could see were his eyes...and in it, she saw the faces of all those people she couldn't save.

Swaying a bit, following the slight movements of the shrouded figure, she heard the screams, felt the terror, and relived their last moments. And then, as she blacked out, she heard three words:

"Vengeance is mine."


***
Alex hadn't even taken three steps into her home when she heard the familiar accented voice say something. Her name.

"Alex? We've got trouble."

She looked at him, sitting on her couch. "How'd you know I was coming back?"

"News travels fast, especially through the Internet. Thank God some minions over at the mansion are computer literate." He stood up and walked over to her, taking one of her bags so she could shut the door.

"Ah. And who told them?"

"Vampires in London. Did you know that when you walk down the street there, some vampire piss in their pants? You're considered a force to be reckoned with."

"Uh-huh. I just wish your minions felt the same way."

Spike looked up in surprise. "Someone attacked you?"

"Yeah, but he's a pile of dust now. What's this problem we have?"

But Spike couldn't get past the first word of her sentence. "Someone tried to kill you after I told them bloody well *not* to? Heads will roll for this."

"You just quoted Alice in Wonderland, so I know you're pissed." She stood directly in his line of sight. "What is the problem?"

"Oh. Ethan, the twit, released Laigon." It was Alex's turn to be shocked, and Spike wasn't expecting the smack upside his head. "What was *that* for?" he asked incredulously.

"You should have told me that the minute I walked in." Realizing she was hungry, she headed into her kitchen, intent on getting food.

"Well, I'm sorry," he said snidely. She turned around, a large butcher knife in her hand.

"Sure you are, and I'm the Queen of England," she replied, shaking the knife at him with every syllable. Spike paled just a little bit, but that was his only reaction. "You get on my nerves more and more every time we see each other."

"Maybe it's a sign from above," Spike said in a mocking voice.

"Shut up. When did he release it?"

"Yesterday, supposedly. There is yet to b--" But he got cut off as the phone rang. Reaching over, he picked it up. "'Allo?"

"Who's this?"

"Red? Is that you?"

"Spike! What are you doing at Alex's house?"

"Watching her make something to eat," he replied conversationally. "Why, you want to talk to her?"

"GIVE HER THE PHONE!" Willow yelled, causing Spike to pull it back from his ear. "It's Red. She needs to talk to you."

"No shit." She took the phone from him. "Pardon Spike, Willow. He's always an ass."

"Buffy's in the hospital," she said quietly. "Something attacked her. And she's in a coma. She keeps mumbling 'Vengeance is mine' and moaning."

Alex nodded slowly. "I'll be there in twenty minutes." Hanging up the phone and grabbing her sandwich, she pointed to Spike. "You are coming with me. To the hospital. I need you to tell me if it was Laigon that attacked Buffy."


***
As the Watcher and the vampire walked out of the hospital, both had solemn looks on their faces.

"So it's true," Alex said quietly. Spike simply nodded in agreement. "Now what?"

"Will your friends be able to research some things?" Alex nodded numbly, the image of Joyce comforting her daughter haunting her.

"Love? Alex?" Spike looked at the woman walking in step with him. She had a lost look on her face, and that wasn't a good thing...

Alex barely registered much until she felt the slap on her cheek. "What the hell did you do *that* for?"

"You weren't paying attention."

Alex stopped in her tracks, glared at him for a moment, then turned around and headed towards the library. Unable to do much else, he followed her.

"Leave me alone, Spike. Take Dru and get the hell out of town," she said, her hand moving up to her scarlet cheek.

"I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

"Right, Spike. I've just made your life hell and you didn't mean to hit me that hard."

"What are you talking about?"

"You, Dru, everyone is this whole freaky town...we're all in trouble. I did some research as I was flying back." He finally caught up with her, and she looked right at him.

"And what did you find out?" he asked gruffly, his eyes lingering on the large red mark on her cheek.

"That we're royally screwed. Unless we can find a certain spell. If Ethan released him before the spring solstice, then...the manuscript we have is worthless."

Spike nodded again, then grabbed her arm. "Come on...we have to do more studying." And with that he pulled her the rest of the way to the library.


***
Alex, Spike, Gaby, Xander, Willow and Oz sat in the library, plowing through the documents. Finally, Alex slammed a book down and glared at Spike. Her cheek was still a bit red.

"Spike, if I have to look through one more book, I'll throw it at your head."

"You think I'm enjoying this?"

"Would both of you shut up?"

"Make us, Xander!"

"Where's a stake?"

"Xander, knock it off."

"But Gaby--"

"She's right."

"Oz, mind your business and talk to Willow."

"It is partly his business, Xander."

"True," Xander conceded.

"I don't know how that bloody librarian could put up with any of you."

"Spike, if you don't knock it off I'll cram this book down your throat."

"I'd love to see you try, Lexie."

"I told you *never* to call me that!"

"Lexie? That's a new one."

"Shut up, Xander."

"A bit touchy, sis?"

"No. Not really."

"Alex, don't you dare try to cram that book down my throat. It won't fit!"

"Oh, but Spike, I wasn't going to try..."

Spike looked on in utter shock as Alex muttered a spell and the book started to shrink. "Would someone restrain her?!?"

"I think I'd like to see her do this."

"Thanks a lot, wolf-boy."

"Alex, back off. He knows more about this demon than we do." Sighing, she stopped the current spell and reversed it.

"Thank you, Red."

"Willow."

"Huh?"

"My name is Willow."

"Whatever. Are you done with that, Slayer?"

"Ga-- Never mind. Yeah. Why?"

"I'm going to hit your sister upside the head with it."

"Try it and you're dust."

"Oh, but Le--Alex, it's so much fun to torment you."

"You want a soul?"

"I'll shut up now."

They remained quiet for about thirty seconds. "It's almost sunrise, you know."

"Really...what's your name?"

"Oz."

"Oh. How much longer?"

"An hour."

"And I walked around town, no car. Alex..."

"No."

"And you didn't even know what I was going to ask, love."

"The answer's still no."

"I just want a ride home in a half-hour. If we stop bickering, maybe we'll learn something."

"Fine. Jerk."

"Spoiled brat."

"Asshole."

"Bitch."

The other occupants had had enough. "KNOCK IT OFF!!!"

"Sorry," A sheepish Watcher and vampire replied.

"Jerk," however, was muttered under someone's breath.

"Alex..."

"Dipwad."

"Spike, that goes for you too."

"Hey, love, we're older than the rest of you, we'll do what we damn well please. Maybe shag like crazed bunnies, if she's up to it."

"With you? Never."

"And why not?"

"You're dead. And Dru would kill me."

"Well...I suppose. Ever?"

"Ever. I will never, *ever* sleep with you."

Gaby rolled her eyes. "Why don't we all go home and get some sleep?"

"I second the motion," Xander said, getting his things.

"We'll be leaving now," Oz said as he and Willow stood up.

"Bye," Alex replied. Staring back at Spike, she continued. "Twit."

"Smeghead."

"Anorak."

"Being in London has improved your vocabulary, I see. Fuckwit."

"And yours has gotten worse, trainspotter."

"Goppin' nutter."

"Pissant."

"We done yet?"

"Why not...I learned many new insults. We can try them out later."

"I still have at least 100 years on ya, love."

"So? It's a challenge."


***
Spike was actually grinning like a Cheshire Cat by the time him and Alex had stopped bickering. Strangely enough, those pointless little fights made him feel better.

"It's almost as though it's foreplay," he murmured to himself. Fighting the blond Slayer was no longer a challenge. They both knew they were too evenly matched, and it was no longer fun. And he didn't dare try and fight the dark-haired Slayer in training.

The only person in the whole bloody town who gave him any sort of challenge was Alex. Surprisingly, the more he thought he knew about her, the more she proved him wrong. They had a one-upmanship type of game going on...see who could out curse, or out fight, or even out surprise, the other.

And there were things about them that weren't evenly matched. She had an ample knowledge of magic, which he had seen her use. And use well, he had to admit. And she was a telepath...he surmised she cheated a lot when fighting. But it kept him on his toes.

She was almost Dru's total opposite: witty, charming when she wanted to be, just as ruthless as he was, and...sane. The sanity was a big deal. And she was scarily intelligent. Reminded him of his time as a student at Oxford, all those years ago...

Shaking his head, he stood in the shadows of the doorway. There was still 45 minutes until sunrise, and he decided to wait outside and smoke a cigarette. Leaning back against the cold wall, he closed his eyes and just let the thoughts flow by.

And he noticed, subconsciously at least, he thought about the girl a lot. She wasn't bad looking. Rather trim, with some muscle. Short red hair, about chin length, which he knew for a fact was not it's natural color...she was naturally a darker redhead. She wasn't tiny, like the blonde Slayer, or leggy like the dark haired one. And while she didn't wear extremely tight clothing, she never hid herself like...Willow.

And he liked that, he supposed, because it left things to the imagination, things he had yet to see. He imagined what she'd look like, every sensuous detail. He'd seen pictures of her in magazines and newspapers...they never did her justice. But he kept them anyway. One particular one was close, though.

She'd been attending some formal affair, some banquet in London where she was being honored. When he'd gone to look for Dru, he'd stopped there, checked up on her. It was in a weekly mag, she was on the cover. He bought it and took it to the dingy place he'd been staying.

And inside was a beautiful picture. She was standing there in a spaghetti strapped black dress, with a small skirt on it, but hugging close to her body. She had many earrings in, all of them sparkling. Her hair had been longer then, and had been pulled up and back, small ringlets framing her face.

But...her face. While happy and excited, there was a sadness in her eye. Like something was missing. He shook his head and cleared his head of it, noting that he was getting aroused just by thinking of that one picture.

It made him...almost worried, that he had a crush on that Watcher. Nothing would ever come of it, not while Dru was still alive. Finishing off the cigarette, he crushed the last of it with the heel of his boot and walked inside the mansion.


***
Alex walked through the next day in a sleepless daze. She was exhausted, and all she could think about was sleep. She'd even drifted off in one of the many summer meeting Principal Snyder had been making the faculty attend, but Malcolm Vaughn, the English teacher she was friends with, had woken her up before the troll noticed.

Finally, she was home. No manuscripts to read, no researching to do, no Spike to put up with. Not that that was always a bad thing... Grabbing two bottles of water from her fridge, she headed upstairs. It was only noon, and she was just now going to get some sleep.

Slipping into her long, comfortable silk nightgown, she crawled into bed, sipping her water and listening to whatever song on whatever CD she'd put in the night before. All that mattered was that it had a soothing sound and was lulling her to sleep...

{Three days of spirits
Tell me now
I'm here like a spell
That's bearing me to drive}

The dream she'd had before, it came now. The Bronze was deserted, with two lone exceptions. She always knew he was there even before she turned around. The mood was always the same: sad, bittersweet, but with a romantic sheen to it.

He approached her, his blue eyes looking into her hazel ones, looking almost into her soul. If he had one, she probably would have seen the same thing. Dimly, the song playing on repeat on her CD player drifted through the empty club.

{Tell me now
That there are three days in a week
Tell me now
To make it so
Make it so I can't speak
Make it so I can't speak}

The songs always changed, but the feel of his cold body pressed against her warm one had the same reaction. She tensed at first, till her stroked her hair back, calming her, soothing her. He never spoke as they swayed, never.

She would always lean her head onto his shoulder, and start to kiss his neck silently. He would groan softly, and she would feel him become a bit more possessive, a bit more like the instinctual being he was.

When he finally couldn't take anymore, he'd pull back, a devious grin on his face, before kissing her, pushing his tongue into her mouth and letting it roam, eliciting a moan of pleasure.

{Well I'm here like a spell
That's bearing me to drive}

They continued this way, whether the song was ending or a new one was beginning; tonight, though, everything moved in slow motion, except them. The music, the lights, but they were hungry, passionate.

They wanted what they couldn't have.

{Eyes of blue
Sea of red
Take me to
Where I've never been dead
Where I've never been dead}

Normally, when he was about to leave he kissed her softly, a full 180 degree turn from the savagery that had enveloped them before. But tonight was different.

Tonight, salty tears coursed down his face as he pulled away to leave. She brushed them away, tenderly, as though she had felt his pain before, and hoped to lessen it with a single touch, a softly spoken word.

{Hey, it's between myself and me
It's a very lonely place
Between myself
It's lonely
Between myself
It's a lonely
Place
Crimson red
Yourself
Back up to me}

And he spoke, finally, for the first time. But they were not filled with longing, nor any remotely lustful or even remotely good feeling. The words; they were filled with despair.

"I promised I'd take care of her forever. And I failed."


***
Waking up, one phrase was stuck in her head. "Eyes of blue, sea of red, take me to where I've never been dead, where I've never been dead..." she said softly. It was the first time a prescient dream had invaded her dreamscape, the place she went to to escape those horrible nightmares.

She wasn't surprised to hear the phone ringing, and she picked it up. "Hello?"

"Alex? It's Spike."

He'd never called before, so she figured it must be important. "What?"

"I think I've found Laigon's weakness."


***
"'Eyes of blue, sea of red, take me to where I've never been dead, where I've never been dead.' That's the only set of lyrics I remember hearing from that song."

Gaby nodded. "Mazzy Star, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I had it playing when I went to sleep. But...why would I just remember those lyrics?"

The two girls, as well as Spike, were gathered in her living room. They had decided it would be safer to leave the others out of it, noting that these three had more experience and were better fighters.

"So, you're saying you dreamt of me telling you that phrase about forever, and those song lyrics? Must have been a short dream."

Alex flushed slightly and looked at the book Spike had handed her when he walked in. "Well, according to this, those lyrics might mean something. Look here. 'In the sea of crimson blood, the blue eyed demon shall overcome the green eyed monster, but loose something valuable in the process.' And if this ties in with what Dru told you..."

"I take it I'm the blue eyed demon. And I suppose the green eyed monster would be jealousy?"

Gaby nodded. "That's what it sounds like to me. Who are you jealous of?"

Spike leaned back and thought about it. "Too many people. But here in Sunnydale, I'm a bit jealous of your sister, what with her magic. And I'm jealous of humans in general. But, it might mean I'm jealous of Dru."

"Why?" Alex asked.

"Well, she's complex but yet so amazingly simple. It's mind boggling, really. And, sometimes, I sit back and think about how much I wish I could be like that."

"Insane?" Gillian asked, getting a glare from Spike.

"Gaby, watch it," Alex admonished. "Speaking of Dru, does she even know you're here?"

Spike nodded. "Yes, she does. I told her I needed to stop the bad man who was out to get me. I think she understood."

"Well, you're the one who rudely woke me up. Start explaining this demon's weaknesses."

Spike started to say something, then shook his head. "He's a demon of vengeance. Supposedly, he's supposed to exact vengeance on those who have hurt his master. Well, to do that he uses his eyes."

"Mind if I ask huh here?" Gaby said.

"While staring at the intended victim he shows hem their greatest fear. And it's my guess that the Slayer saw hers as he said those three words she's been muttering."

"So," Alex said slowly, "how do we beat him?"

"His own greatest fear. That someone will thwart him. Reciting the spells and such. That, and we stab him through the heart."

"Good," Alex said. "Gaby and I will do the spell, you do the stabbing."

"And just how did you suddenly become the leader?" Spike asked.

"Well, I'd have you cast the spell and Gaby stab him, but she knows more about spellcasting than you do."

"Good point."


***
"Alex, love, much as I know this was my idea...why are you making *me* carry the holy water?"

"Because I'm carrying everything else, Spike."

"Well, sis, not everything."

"Shush, little one. And big one, too."

"I resent that, Alex."

"Really, Spike? I don't care."

"Are you PMSing?"

The sound of dropped weaponry is heard throughout the school. "I'm going to massacre you, Spike. Tie you up to the flagpole and let the sun hit you directly in the chest. After dumping massive amounts of holy water all over you."

"Damn. Slayer, can she really do that?"

"Uh...yeah, I think so."

"Do you really want to find out?"

"Alex, what's wrong?"

"I have had no sleep, Gaby, not much anyway. And blondie over here is insisting on making my life a living hell."

"You two like each other."

"We do not!"

"I have to agree with him on that one."

"Besides, I have Dru."

"And I have...well, no one. But I don't like him."

"Sure... We gonna kill this demon soon?"

"Yes. Spike, you can walk."

"It won't help if you're there and I'm not, Alex."

A sigh escaped her lips. "Fine. You go in Gaby's car. I'm driving alone."

"Fine with me, love."


***
Alex glared at the car in front of her. Or rather the blonde headed vampire in the car in front of her. Who was turning around and looking right at her.

{Oooh, I hate it when Gaby's right,} she thought to herself. But she pushed that out of her mind. There was a demon to fight, and it was just the three of them to fight it. {What the hell have I gotten myself into?}


***
Dru walked around quietly, waiting for Spike to come back. She hummed to herself, an old lullaby her mum had sung to her, all those many years ago.

"Dru? I'm back," Spike said.

"Where is my Spike?" she asked.

"In the foyer, love. Come here and see me. I have a present."

Her eyes lit up at that. She loved the presents Spike brought her. "I'm coming..." She walked into the foyer slowly, and saw Spike sitting in the corner.

"Ah, ducks. There you are. Come over here."

She looked at him for a few moments, and stayed where she was. "You're not my Spike. You're the bad man."

He shifted to his normal guise, that of an ugly green demon. "You're so very perceptive, Drusilla. I'm going to hurt your love...he imprisoned me, you know. For almost 100 years."

"No, you won't...he'll stop you."

The door opened, and the Slayer, the Watcher and the vampire walked in. "Dru..." Spike spotted her in the foyer. "Dru! Get out of there! Now!" he said quickly, watching as Laigon advanced on her.

She looked at him with a sad smile on her face as Laigon grabbed her before she had a chance to move. He pulled out a stake and held it above her heart.

"William the Bloody, I get my revenge," he said, plunging a stake through her heart. She shattered into dust, before their very eyes.

Spike vamped out and lunged at Laigon. He started to fight, but ended up hurting himself more than Laigon.

"Gaby! We have to start the incantation!" Alex said, grabbing the necessary supplies out of her bag. Gaby nodded and pulled out the spell that would rid them of the demon and began chanting in almost flawless Gaelic.

Laigon had picked Spike up by then, and dropped him in a heap as Alex started to intone her part of the incantation. Spike watched in horror as he approached the two girls, unable to move.

Thinking quickly, Gaby grabbed the final thing for the spell and moved away from Laigon. Alex continued her chant, backing away from Laigon, towards the still open mansion door.

"You have to help her..." Spike said when Gaby approached him.

"She can fight back...she'll be fine." Alex stopped the incantation, where Gaby was supposed to speak again. "She can fight him...you have to take over her part so she can concentrate."

As Spike nodded, Alex started casting small spells, some of which caused small balls of fire to gather in her hand, while others protected her. Gaby picked up the incantation where she was supposed to.

Alex and Laigon continued to fight, and Spike got the knife ready to plunge into the demons heart. Turning his attention back to Gaby, he started the incantation. Suddenly, a scream was heard.

Briefly, Spike turned his head. He wasn't prepared to see Laigon beating Alex senseless. He closed his eyes and continued the memorized incantation. The dagger in his hand grew warm, and he looked back at the scene.

Alex wasn't fighting back anymore, wasn't moving at all. Gaby was finishing the incantation, fighting back tears and the need to lash out at someone. When she finished, Spike tossed the dagger.

It landed directly in Laigon's heart.

The demon screamed, then slowly started to disintegrate. As soon as he was completely gone, Gaby scrambled to her sister's still form.

"Alex? Come on...wake up. It's all done...you did good." Gaby let the tears flow now.

"Check for a pulse, Slayer. And is she still breathing?"

Gaby checked quickly. "Yes, to both. But the pulse is faint, and her breathing's shallow."

"Damn," Spike muttered, limping towards the two girls. "Stop crying. Right now, we need to get her to a hospital. Fast. And I'm not in the mood to wait for a bloody ambulance."

"I'll drive," Gaby said. "Should we move her, though?"

Spike nodded, softening a little. "Well, I couldn't stop him from killing Dru. But I'll be even more damned than I am if I'll let your sister go, too."


***
"The prognosis isn't good. She's in a coma. She is also bleeding internally and had to have a rod inserted into one of her legs," the doctor said to Gaby quietly. "However, if you hadn't gotten here as fast as you had...she'd be dead."

Gaby nodded stiffly. "Will we be able to see her soon?"

"Family only, unless you want to allow others to see her."

She nodded again. "Yeah, I do."

"Are you her next of kin?"

"No, I'm her sister, though. I think she had our uncle down as that."

"How old are you?"

"I'm seventeen."

The doctor frowned. "Technically, you're not supposed to have the authority to make any decisions. But I'll let it slide. Give me the names of those visitors she'll be allowed to have, and I'll let all of you see her now."

Gaby told him quickly, then went back to the waiting room. Xander, Willow and Oz had been with Buffy, who had woken up, and had decided to come comfort Gaby.

"Is she okay?" Xander asked, taking Gaby's hand.

She shook her head. "She's in a coma. And she's bleeding internally. Where's my uncle?"

Oz looked up. "We called as soon as you told us she was admitted. He won't be here for a few days."

"You might want to tell him, Gaby, so he'll stop pacing," Willow said quietly, pointing to Spike.

"When did he start doing that?"

"When you went to go talk to the doctor. I think he's worried about getting his soul if she dies," Xander said a bit contemptuously.

"Xander, hush," Gaby admonished weakly. She let go of his hand and walked over to the vampire. "Spike?"

He whirled around and looked at her. "Is she alive? Will she be okay? What the bloody hell did that demon do to her?"

"She's...she's in a coma, and she's bleeding internally."

Spike looked at her. "Can they stop it?"

"The doctor didn't say."

He nodded. "It's almost sunrise. I need to leave." He went to the reception desk and used a pen and piece of paper that were lying there. "Call. If anything changes."

"And I thought you two despised each other," Gaby said softly.

"Even if we do, I don't want my best opponent to disappear without a fight." And with that, he walked out of the waiting room and outside, towards the mansion.


***
Spike sat in the empty foyer. Willy the Snitch had been told what had happened, and that no vampire were allowed back at the mansion that day.

He had gathered Drusilla's ashes carefully. There wasn't enough time left to do anything proper with them, so he put them in a nearby vase and held it, trying to forget the events that had happened.

It was only when he was alone that he had cried. Sobbed like a baby, actually. The only thing that kept him from walking into the nearest ray of sunshine was his concern for Alex.

But he missed Dru even more when he was alone. No one was there to deter his thoughts, no one was there to ease the pain. As he thought that last thought, he felt a comforting presence drift by him, briefly.

Shaking his head, he carried the urn to their old bedroom, fully intent on getting drunk and passing out into a hopefully dreamless stupor.

end