Chapter Five: Seeing Things?

Spike gazed at Buffy as they strolled down the dark alley towards the Magic Box. It didn’t matter that they disagreed, he couldn’t help but admire his woman. He frowned as he thought about their problem.

“He’s been here two weeks, taking up space and sniffing after her. I want him gone.”

“Give it a rest, Spike. He’s fine. And Dawn’s been good for him.”

Buffy dismissed his complaints as she had earlier and Spike gritted his teeth. He wasn’t about to give it a rest, until she saw it his way.

“He’s the bloody spawn of two vampires, pet. Nothing good will come out of this.”

Buffy chuckled humorously. “God, do you know how much you sound like Giles?”

“Oh!” Spike’s face twisted in apparent agony. “That’s…that’s just a low blow.”

“Well, it’s true. That’s what Giles said about Angel when I started dating him.”

Spike threw his hands up. “I rest my bloody case! There’s an underlying insanity in Connor. He will turn on her.”

“This is so different from Angel and me. She was created by monks and he’s not a vampire. Besides, they may not even last another two weeks.”

“Damn right it’s not going to last. Junior Vamp-Boy is getting an escort back to papa tonight!”

Stopping at the back entrance to the new Magic Box, Buffy placed a hand on Spike’s chest. “He’s not going anywhere. He’s doing well here and we’re going to keep helping him.”

Spike leaned closer, snarling at her. “Then I won’t be responsible for my actions if I catch him trying to snog her again.”

The door opened and Giles sighed in relief. “Oh, good. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Still locked in a heated glaring match, they ignored him.

“I said, ‘I’m glad you’re here.’ There’s something wrong with Andra.”

“Where is she?” Spike asked.

“In my office.”

Buffy followed Spike as they headed for Andra’s temporary home. Giles was not happy to have to share his office space with her, but they’d placed the cot at the far end of the long and narrow room, between the conference table and a bookshelf. It was the best they could do when Andra suggested that it would be good if she found somewhere else to live. Spike and Buffy had jumped on the idea when Faith suggested the Magic Box. Giles only agreed after Buffy had taken him aside and pointed out that it would be easier to keep an eye on her there than if she found some other place to live.

Andra sat on her cot, staring blankly at one of the bookshelves.

Pushing past Spike and Giles, Buffy approached the unkempt vampire, her normally perfect hair stringy and lackluster. Buffy gingerly sat down on the end of the cot and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m losing my grip on reality.”

“Huh?”

Andra looked up and noticed the men just standing there. “I need to talk to Buffy alone.”

Glad to get out of dealing with a depressed female, they both turned on their heels and made sure the door closed behind them.

“Now tell me what the problem is?” Buffy scooted closer, worried about the expression on her friend’s face.

“I’ve been hallucinating.” Andra waved a hand in front of her eyes. “You know, seeing things.”

“What things?”

“Torch.”

Buffy gasped and gripped Andra’s hand.

“Where?”

“When I’m out patrolling. Started two nights ago.”

“Didn’t you go out with Faith again, two nights ago?”

“Aye, and when I thought I saw his orange hair in the midst of some trees, I told Faith to look, but by the time she did, it was gone.” Andra tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Last night, I was out alone and I saw him three times.” She shook her head and fought back tears. “There was something wrong with him though. His eyes were haunted and there was something covering his mouth.” She sobbed. “What’s wrong with me that I’m seeing him like that? Can a vampire go crazy?”

Visions of Drusilla came to Buffy’s mind. “It’s possible for a vampire to be cray, but something’s off. You haven’t had any hallucinations before this, have you?”

“I’ve had some dreams. Some horrible ones that relive the nightmare of what happened to him, but most of them are with the two of us, happy together. None with him looking so…so horrified…so beaten down.”

“But now you’re seeing him?”

Andra nodded, her eyes still haunted.

“We’ll get to the bottom of this.” Buffy reached for the other vampire’s hands and clasped them in her own. “We should let the others know and then—”

“No!” Andra shook her head wildly. “Please, don’t say any anything. I just need to clear my head. Maybe do something different.”

“Why don’t you come over tomorrow night after the sun sets? Spike and I are going with Dawn and Connor to see a movie and Spike plans to glare at them while they eat dinner.”

This brought a small smile to Andra’s face. “It would be a nice change to go out, and Spike is very entertaining when he’s growly.”

“Yeah, he’s a real hoot.” Buffy rolled her eyes heavenward and stood up. “He’s driving me crazy!”

“He does take looking out for your sister very seriously, doesn’t he?”

“He’d better chill. He’s just making it worse.”

Andra nodded. “Denton tried to keep Torch and I apart and that didn’t end so well. Best to let them just run their course.”

“Tell that to Spike.”

~ * ~ * ~

Spike was on high alert as their group left the movie theater, his eyes scanning the shadows around the exit. Trying to keep an eye on Connor and look out for some vampire posing as Torch was enough to keep him in a frazzled state. So far, he’d seen nothing and as soon as he got Buffy alone, he’d tell her that his theory was probably right.

Just the fact that Andra didn’t want the others to know that she was seeing her dead lover was enough to make Spike believe she was only seeing things. Andra was just going through some wishful thinking. It had happened to him the summer after Buffy jumped off that tower to her death. It had been horrible for him because he’d had to deal with seeing the Buffybot as well as imagine seeing her in every crowd.

Dawn’s high-pitched laughter brought his attention back to the group. All three of the girls were laughing at some witty comment that Angel’s spawn had thrown out. Spike clenched his fists and refrained from saying anything. The wanker was a problem that he would have to deal with on his own. The sooner the better. He’d come in, charmed Dawn and caused a rift between Spike and Buffy. He had to go.

Spike had called Angel and insisted that he come and collect the git, stating that father and son needed to bond, but Angel was perfectly happy to leave his little problem on Spike’s doorstep. He even sounded hopeful because Connor was showing interest in a girl near his own age.

With an irritating giggle, Dawn threw some leftover popcorn at Connor who grabbed his own handful and starting throwing it back. Dawn squealed and took off running with Connor in hot pursuit. Spike started to run to catch up to them, but Buffy grabbed his arm.

“Let them get ahead of us. They know the way home.”

Spike pointed in their direction. “I’m not going to let them just go off. This is Sunnydale, remember?”

Andra frowned at him. “We’re right behind them. They’ll be fine.”

Spike was ready to argue back, when Andra suddenly stopped and turned a full circle, her head tilted as she listened intently.

“What is it?” Buffy asked, glancing around nervously.

Andra inhaled, let the air out slowly and then shook her head. “Nothing. I thought that…but…” She shook her head more firmly. “It was nothing. Let’s get going. We shouldn’t let them get too far ahead of us. Spike is right. It’s not safe.”

Spike and Buffy exchanged worried looks before they rushed to catch up with her. A slight breeze had picked up, but Spike didn’t think that was the reason Andra was walking with her arms crossed over her chest.

Buffy caught up to her first and Spike could hear her whisper, “Did you see him again?”

“No. But I sensed something. It’s passed now,” Andra said, not slowing down.

“Buffy!” Dawn’s scream pierced the quiet.

The three vampires raced off in her direction, with Spike cursing under his breath. If Connor had tried something, he was going to kill him! They got there in time to see a vampire being beat down by Connor. It landed flat on its back, Connor stomped on its chest with a booted foot and glared at it. Dawn stood just a few feet away, holding out a stake from her purse for Connor. Andra was still going forward, but the vampire turned to dust before she could get to them.

“Great job, boy,” she told him.

Spike cursed louder, but everyone ignored him. This was all he needed. Now Dawn was staring at Connor with hero worship in her eyes. He could hear the falsetto voice in his ears, though she didn’t say the words. You saved me!

His ears pricked when the leaves on the bush rustled behind him. The others were still in awe over Connor’s kill, but he turned and nearly lost his jaw to the ground at the sight before him. The blood covering the vampire’s face and dripping down on to his soiled white t-shirt could not mask his identity.

“Andra,” the vampire whispered hoarsely, holding out his arms. He took one more step towards them and collapsed.

“Bloody hell!” Spike shouted, once his voice came back to him, and hurried to pick Torch off the ground.

“Don’t touch him!” Andra was there just as quickly, pushing Spike away.

Buffy came up behind Spike and peered past his shoulder. “It’s really him?”

As Andra went to her knees and tentatively reached out to touch his face, Spike swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. “I’m pretty sure.”

Torch sat with his legs tucked in, looking down, his body shaking uncontrollably.

Dawn approached them with Connor by her side. The boy was clutching a stake and looking ready to do battle again. Spike stood and gestured towards the weapon. “Unless you want to find yourself torn apart by Andra, I suggest you put that stake away.”

Andra’s head snapped up and in an instant, she was on her feet, growling at Connor. The boy had enough sense to back away, with both hands now behind his back.

“Take Dawn back to the house,” Spike ordered. “But don’t touch her, or I’ll kill you myself.”

Connor’s eyes narrowed, but Dawn yanked on his jacket. Buffy said, “Please, just go. We’ll take care of this.” Connor and Dawn walked off, looking back every few seconds and whispering with their heads close together.

“I don’t understand,” Buffy said quietly to Spike. “We all saw him turn to dust in London. This can’t be happening.”

“You’ve come back, Angel’s come back. It can happen.” Spike couldn’t take his eyes off the scene before him. He’d been there, where Andra was now. Seeing the love of his life back from the dead. Unable to control his emotions, he grabbed Buffy and hugged her to him, taking in the smell of her hair, memorizing the feel of her.

“We have to help him,” Andra said with a clear voice. “There’s something wrong with him.”

Torch repeated Andra’s name a few more times, but he didn’t seem to be able to say anything else. He hadn’t stopped shaking either. Andra got him on his feet and they both hurried to help her.

“Where can I take him?” Andra asked, a wild desperation in her eyes.

“The crypt,” Buffy said.

“To Restfield then,” Spike said with a short nod, pulling Torch’s other arm around his shoulder and hoisting the feather light vampire’s feet off the ground.