AUTHOR'S NOTE: It may look a little gruesome for Spike. Don't worry though, I know what I'm doing. :-)
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Spike’s mind was reeling. There were so many things he wanted to do to Quentin Travers. So many things that he deserved, both for how he’d treated him, and for his barbaric treatment of Buffy while she was still so young and impressionable. I mean really, Zachary Kraylic? You idiot! Do you think I don’t know what you did to her? There is so much rage, but I can bloody well use it. I’ll show you what it is you’ve done, boy. Don’t you worry.

Yeah, I’ll give him a show all right! I’ll show him just what a vampire can do. That little wanker will be sorry he ever put me in chains! I’ll make him hurt in ways he’s never dreamed possible. I’m going to make him beg me to kill him! Doesn’t he know what I am? How dare he presume to know me- to put * me * in chains! I’ll tear him apart. Angelus’s exploits pale in comparison. I’ll rip… Suddenly he stopped. And, he looked at his would-be savior, really looked at her. Spike could hear Lydia’s heartbeat increase, and the fire within him was doused. Revenge will have to wait. But, when I get my hands on him…it’s been too long. Huh. Thought the soul would have squelched that, seems not. Good to know. Now for the matter at hand…

The trembling in her hands made the key sound like bells against the metal of his shackles. She looked so small in front of him now. He could smell the salt of her perspiration suffuse the stale air around them. She was scared. And, although he knew that this little jailbreak had probably taken days, as well as all of her courage to plan and he didn’t know when, or if, he’d get another chance, he couldn’t risk her being caught aiding him if they were being watched. If he is watching, and he found her helping me, he could kill her. Or, he could move me. Change the locks, and I might never get out. I don’t know where I am. He could hurt Nibblet, or Rupert, or…Oh my God…What if…? He needed a friend on the outside, someone who might be able to tell him about Buffy, more than he needed his freedom.

I can’t believe I’m doing this. Nagging little spark of light! He could see the apprehension in her eyes, just inches from his. The metal of the tiny key as it flitted against his shackles filled his ears. That, along with the labored breath, coming short and fast because she was trying to hide it, told him what she herself would not. She didn’t have to. He didn’t need his eyes to see this, it was as obvious as anything could be- and he couldn’t let her do this. He sighed and bowed his head. I can’t believe I’m going to do this. I have got to be insane. This may never come again.

He looked up into her eyes again. He could see her anxious eyes in the dark and he knew, as he watched her eyes searching the space, that she could not see him clearly, despite the artificial light that filtered in behind her. There was no way for her to see how much he truly wanted to get out of here, and get back to Buffy wherever she was. If she was.

The spark he’d forced inside of him made him see humans as more than the “Happy meals with legs,” he’d told Buffy of years ago.

But, as he thought about it, Spike realized it started happening long before he’d gone to Africa to see that shaman. He suppressed a sigh of defeat as he discovered when this thing had actually begun.

How many give pet names- to their food?

Angel really should have warned me. He taught me everything else… It was this, and the fact that he knew she wouldn’t last should he make his escape, that made his next words easy to say, “Watcher, put the key away,” he breathed.

The tiny clanging stopped, “What?” Lydia gasped. She could hear the deep resonance of his voice. She knew that the bones of his face had shifted to accommodate the demon within him. She knew he wished to escape, “But William, there may not be another chance,” she hissed, “Quentin could be here any moment.”

Spike could feel the heat of her breath on his skin; he could almost taste her fear, “All the more reason for you not to be here when he does make an appearance,” his chains clattered as he moved to still the hands that could still open his shackles, all he need do is give the word and it would be done. I really am a wanker, throwing away my chance. But… “There is something you can do for me,” Spike hoped that she could tell how urgent this was to him and that, if she did this one thing, she really would be helping him more than she realized now, he was sure, “Find out about the Slayer,” he looked at the concrete floor and felt uncertainty begin to overwhelm him, “I don’t know if she…” he stopped, not wanting to give voice to the unthinkable. If he gave it that privilege, then it would be real- and devastating, “Find out,” his voice trembled against his will, as he swallowed the cold fear in his throat, “Find out. Then come back.”

He felt the warmth of her hand slip from beneath his grasp and heard the fabric of her skirt sing as she placed the small key safely back into her pocket. There was determination in her tone, “Are you sure?” Lydia asked.

“No,” he said quietly. The word was spoken on the edge of a breath because Spike did not want to attract attention, or give the negative word too much credence now, “but it’s the only way I can…” his voice failed him. There were no words for this. Not now. And, perhaps there never would be. He felt the ions in the air change, shifting somehow. He knew something was about to happen, and he had to get her out and away, so that he would have a reason, “Listen,” he said quickly, trying to make her understand, “You have to go,” he watched her stand and knew his freedom was slipping away, “But, promise me you will come back. When it’s safe. When you know,” he saw the sadness in her eyes as she began to back up to the security door, “You’ll be back?” he hated the that his own strength seemed to be in a state of effluxion as he saw her begin to disappear into the light and he bit back the small whimper that fought for control of his throat as well as his heart.

He saw her nod and then he couldn’t watch. His eyes pulled back to his wrists. The wrists that where still in chains, and he felt a tear slide down his face as he heard the pneumatic lock fall into place, plunging him into darkness once more.

Spike knew, as he felt the creature inside him boiling with rage, that he would never see the outside of this cell. It would, for good and all, become his final resting place.
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HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA-

As Dawn May Summers packed her bags for Devon, England, she wondered what had happened in Africa. The last she’d heard of Spike, he’d attacked her sister. Now, he was supposed to have saved her life.

That was new. Vampires historically aren’t known for heroics.

News of what happened in Africa should have been surprising. And as Dawn went through her dressers, pulling out random articles of clothing and stuffing them into her carry-on bag, she knew that, with any other vampire that wasn’t Spike, it would have been.

But this was Spike. She was beginning to realize that, the night he’d hurt Buffy- that had been the surprise.

Spike had been a brother to her. He protected her, when no one else would. She remembered the times when they were alone that summer.

Most of that summer he’d been drunk. Not just once, but all the time. But there was one day she would always remember. The one day that, thank God, he wasn’t drunk.

She walked out of the woods, barely able to stand. It still hurt. She’d been gone a month. A month had never gone by so slowly before. A month. God, was it only a month ago?

She couldn’t see where she was going because of the tears in her eyes, but that didn’t matter. She knew where she was going. She could have walked this path blindfolded. She was headed to Spike’s crypt.

He was the only one that understood how much it hurt. He was the only one who cared.

She wasn’t even aware of the vampire until he was right behind her. She felt his icy breath, and fingers, on her neck. His breath was putrid as he spoke, “Well, dinner doesn’t often walk right into this neighborhood, especially lately,” Dawn felt his fangs at her neck, and she froze in fright. “Mmmm… it’s warm too. Can’t beat that. Who am I to turn away a free meal, even if it is just a snack.”

She closed her eyes, ready to be with Buffy and her mom. She heard the growl as it sang through the air, and then she heard his voice.

“Wouldn’t do that if I were you, mate,” Dawn opened her eyes and saw Spike standing in front of her, his eyes steely and clear, “Trust me, you touch that one,” he shook his head in warning, “It won’t agree with you.”

Spike! Oh my God, thank you! I didn’t mean to, I swear. I was just… When did you…? Oh. I’m gonna die, aren’t I? Wow…

“…Why?” the vamp was saying, “Everything in this town belong to you? If you wanted her so bad, shouldn’t have let her get away. I found her. This one’s mine.”

Spike walked up slowly, his left hand hidden behind his back. Blue eyes turned to amber. His eyes filled Dawn’s vision, “No mate. Not everything. Just…I’ve taken a liking to this one. That’s my Nibblet…”

Yes! Spike, please, help me.

His eyes twinkled a little, he understood.

Spike’s voice carried a power she hadn’t heard before, “I’ll show you. Nibblet,” the fingers of his right hand folded inward, gesturing toward his body, beckoning her to come to him, “Come this way.”

And, she did. She walked to him, as if she were being pulled- attached to him by an invisible string. She ducked under the vamp’s hold and came to him. She felt his comforting hand against her neck, “Good girl,” the tremor in his voice was unnoticeable, to anyone but her. He gave her a light kiss on her cheek, “Go back to my crypt,” he said as he put himself between her and the other vampire, “Stay there, all right?”

“See mate? Mine,” Spike gave a dismissive wave of his hand, turning to her in profile, “Now be a good bloodsucker, and run along.”

The vamp’s eyes widened a bit, as if in awe, and he turned to leave the cemetery. Suddenly, Spike’s bow hand came out from behind his back. The twang of the trigger sounded, and an arrow was sent through the air.

Dawn knew the arrow had hit its mark when she heard the swish of wind and dust.

Dawn turned. The sight of yellow, saddened and angry eyes had never been so beautiful to her, “I’m sorry Spike,” she sobbed into the softness of his leather coat, “ I didn’t mean to…”

Spike sighed heavily and held her tightly, “Don’t ever do that again, Dawn!” Spike growled as he held her, his hands trembling with repressed emotion, “I can’t lose you too!”

He’d saved her life. How could I have been so blind?

Dawn blinked to see through the tears that covered her eyes, as she zipped up her carry-on bag, and went out to Aunt Darlene, who was in the car, waiting to take her to the airport.
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KENYA, AFRICA- TENWEK HOSPITAL

Buffy shook her head again. Why was this so hard for him to understand? “No Giles, I’m not leaving Africa until I know where Spike is. Could the Council have taken him somewhere?”

“I don’t know, Buffy.”

“What do you mean, ‘You don’t know’? Aren’t you supposed to know everything? You sure acted like you did! Made me feel like a moron. Well, who’s the moron now, Giles? Find out!” she hissed.

Panya spoke up, unable to stand seeing Shujaa in such distress, “There was that woman. Perhaps she may know where Simba is.”

Buffy’s eyes narrowed at Giles in suspicion, “What woman would that be, Giles?”

Giles cast his eyes down in shame, “Lydia Chalmers. She found William mere seconds before the boy and I did. She said that the Council was very interested in…”

Buffy waited for him to go on. When he didn’t, she prompted hotly, “In what, Giles?”

Giles cleared his throat, uncomfortable with what he was about to tell her, “…Studying him,” his own voice was shaking with the horror of what the Council was capable of, “Buffy, once they break him, the Council would want to… dissect him…”

“Why?” Buffy gasped.

“Spike is…unique. The Council cannot tolerate that.”

Buffy’s voice was hollow as she said, “Dissect. You mean- cut up? Not just dust?”

Giles nodded, gravely, “Yes, Buffy. I’m afraid so.”
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