Lilac Wine (Part 8)

Disclaimers in Part 1

Part Eight: Buffy

Spike and I wait in the park where the vamps stopped Xander to give him Drusilla's message. They had told him for us to meet them back here in twenty-four hours if I wanted Riley alive. I wonder if Drusilla is so stupid as to kill her only bargaining chip for Spike, or if she even cares. I know one thing... impotent or not, if Riley isn't breathing or if his heart isn't beating, I will kill them all.

"How did you know it was her?" I ask Spike while we wait. It had never occurred to me that our kidnapper could be Drusilla.

"Her handwriting, Pet." Spike says simply. "It's eccentric and beautiful and when inked in blood-"

"I don't want to know." I cut him off quickly. His little *things* with Drusilla were his and his alone. I didn't want to know. But I turn to him and hope that maybe he'll give me some encouragement that this will be okay. "Spike, they'll show right? They won't-"

"Don't worry, Pet. Dru will follow through. I'm sure of it."

I think that Spike needed to believe that of Drusilla in his own still heart. So I nod and we wait.

Three of them converge on us. Not particularly big and way easy for me to take out with or without Spike. But I keep my cool as they slowly approach.

"Let's get this straight, Spike." I say. "We get there, you help me take care of the vamps and then you take Drusilla. Do what you gotta do with her and then you meet me back at Giles'."

"I know. I know." I can hear an edge to his voice. I know that he's nervous.

"And I can believe you?"

"Yes."

"Spike,"

"Look Slayer. You're the only person who can help me get back to normal. They did something to me and I know you'll figure it out, all right?"

I nod slowly as the vamps stop before us. "It's show time."

They lead us there. Two of them walk behind Spike and I and one takes up the lead. It is certainly no surprise that vampires die because they are such morons. I always win, that's no secret. And here they are leading me down that path one more time. I shake my head as I look at Spike. I can see in his face that he's doing nothing but looking out for Drusilla.

The vamps lead us into an old Italian Men's Club that had been abandoned for years. The owner had moved on to bigger and better things in Vegas, I heard. But that's beside the point. They lead us into the Club and through the front room. We enter a small hallway and then follow them through a door that leads to a cellar of some sort.

The cellar is dark and it takes my eyes just a few minutes to adjust. As we walk down the open stairs, I look around and assess the layout of the parts of the room that I can see and where I can find helpful aids when it comes time to stake out the enemy. After taking a quick inventory of what I can see, I move further down until I am completely in the room. My eyes scan it quickly until they find what they are looking for.

I ball my fists tightly when I see Riley chained to a wall. He looks dead. His legs are limp and the only thing holding him up are the chains. I try to regulate my breathing and control my fear. Not fear of these vamps, mind you. But the fear that Riley might be gone from me. And it will be a mighty shame to kill Spike. I'm actually starting to like him.

As if sensing my anxiety, Spike takes my hand discreetly. He squeezes it gently, and says, "For luck."

Oddly, I squeeze back. But then he quickly lets go when Drusilla emerges, looking fresh, a little thin, but gorgeous. She glides to us airily. She smiles at Spike. Then she announces to her flock,

"Look. Daddy's home."

I want to retch but hold myself off for Riley's sake and partially for Spike.

I step forward in typical fashion and comment not too nicely about her dress. She frowns and smoothes the chiffon down before she looks at me.

I meet her gaze head on and tell her flat out, "Here's Spike, now I want what's mine."
She smiles enigmatically. "Take him if you can."

First things first. I stake the vamp standing in front of me. I trust that Spike will take the two behind me. I meet up with four more who entered the room at Drusilla's side. Bigger ones. Stronger ones. I thrust my leg out towards one torso and land a punishing kick. A second one comes from behind me and I spin away, throwing an elbow into another. They come at me as I egg them forward. I leap onto a table, knocking down a vase of purple flowers. They follow me, the yutzes, and I jump down, knocking two to the floor with forceful kicks. I stomp on the wooden chair by the table and yank the wood. As one of the vamps comes from behind me, I thrust the makeshift stake under my arm and into his heart. I fell his dust tickle my neck and then continue on as they just keep coming. I kill another when I heard Drusilla, who is taken completely aback by Spike's seeming allegiance to me, call for reinforcements, surprising the hell out of me. I look at Spike who is having a time of his own with his two vamps. I get slightly anxious. But I continue on, playing cat and mouse until I see my opening.

My opening comes when I do hear the cavalry make their way down the stairs in the forms of Giles, Willow, Xander, and Anya. Willow is wielding a crossbow, which she isn't very good with but manages to knock one of my vamps off balance just long enough for me to stake him. Xander is swinging a big ass ax and Anya is sitting on the step munching on popcorn. I try to tune it all out and concentrate on my own fighting. While I used to worry about them all when they joined me in my fights, I learned that they really can take care of themselves when they work together.
Sounds a little weird and maybe contradictory but it's the way it is.

The last vamp is finally staked and Spike is left holding Drusilla back from me. She is shrieking wildly how I ruined it all and madly fighting Spike to get away. But he holds her. Holds her with a tenderness I just can't imagine him having at all. Which reminds me...
I turn to Riley, still chained to the wall.

"Hey Slayer!" Spike calls.

I turn to him and he throws me the keys to the shackles, which I'm sure he took off of one of the
vamps he slayed.

I hold the keys tightly in my hand and watch him go with Drusilla before I move quickly to Riley...

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