Chapter Thirty-One
Lost and Found, Then Lost Again
Buffy had just completed a sweep of the second floor when she huffed with annoyance. She hadn’t found anything except vamps, who at the first sight of her, ran for their lives.
She never actually experienced that before. Usually they hung around and tried to kill her. But these vamps, they took one look at her, one deep whiff of her scent and fled.
She wasn’t sure what to make of it. It was kind of cool that she could scare them away that easily, but then again if they ran she couldn’t kill them unless she chased them, and she couldn’t waste time chasing vamps when she had to find Dawn.
She walked over to a window and looked down the street. It was lined with one empty building after another. All of them just like this one. “This is crazy. I can’t search this entire area by myself.”
Her complaint was followed by a surprised snort; admitting that she needed help wasn’t so bad. A month ago there was no way she would have admitted that. She would have rather pulled her hair out strand by strand than admit she couldn’t do something alone. But the constant hum deep inside that kept her anchored to reality was a reminder that she was not alone and she never needed to be again. That feeling, that sense of love and security of…family, made her feel stronger than she ever had before.
Thinking of Angel she looked
up at the sky. It was just another beautiful sunny day in
There had to be sewers that lead to these buildings, and no one knew them better than Angel or Spike for that matter. They could easily come here and help her, while the rest of the gang searched the other buildings.
She quickly pulled out her cell phone and started to dial Giles. Her fingers halted, her eyes rose, and she snapped the phone closed. Putting it back in her pocket she sat down and leaned back against the wall. She crossed her legs and closed her eyes. Why waste money on calling when her mental phone was free. She smiled at that the thought and then began to take deep breaths. She had no idea if it would work but it wouldn’t hurt to try.
*************
After searching every nook and cranny of Sunnydale the gang all returned to the mansion. And much to Angel’s and Giles’ vexation Dawn was not with any of them.
They sat around the living room, each one recalling their own fond memories of Joyce as concern raced through their hearts at the still missing Dawn.
Wesley who never actually met Joyce felt like the odd ball out. He had no memories to filter through so he spent his time on the prophecy. Giles had privately filled him in on what Whistler said; pulling him aside the second he walked back into the mansion. His initial reaction was one of anger and betrayal…towards Buffy. A part of him felt that she gave in too easily to her darker side, that she had abandoned and sullied her sacred calling by bonding her self to a demon.
The irrational feelings confused him because they were completely unfounded, well at least now they were. Yes at one time he had felt that way and strongly. But now he had no ill feelings toward Angel. In fact the truth was that Angel was his family and Buffy well she was just an extension of that family.
He felt shame the instant he recognized those old prejudices, they also made him feel that perhaps he hadn’t changed as much as he thought he had. Giles seemed to understand his predicament because he admitted that he felt the same thing too. Then he went on to tell him the rest of what Whistler said and after hearing it those ill-favored feelings faded away. How could it be betrayal when it seemed that it was destined to happen and in fact what the Powers themselves instigated? It wasn’t.
“She made the best chocolate
chip cookies.”
“She use to make me hot chocolate.” Spike said fondly.
“Remember when all the
adults were drugged?” Cordy asked and
Giles looked up hearing that, his own memories of that night flashing before his eyes. Cordelia was right, Joyce had sparkled…brightly. That night, after the drugs had faded away, he looked back at the day’s events with a smile on his face and love in his heart. He looked back down at the papers before him, quickly wiping away the lone tear that rolled down his cheek.
“She was more of a mom to me
than my own.”
“Yeah me too. It just goes to show you that you don’t have to be the same blood to be family.” Xander added and everyone nodded.
‘Same blood.” Giles head snapped up and he looked over at Angel.
Angel stood in front of the fire place with his back facing the group. He wasn’t listening to them. He was fully and completely focused on Buffy. It was amazing all the different emotions he felt coming from her. He felt her excitement as if it was his own and the adrenaline that furiously pumped through her veins filled his own with life. It was incredibly vitalizing. Her life energy almost made him feel like he was alive and not a walking corpse. It almost brought a tear to his eye because it was a feeling he hadn’t felt since he’d been turned.
He wasn’t able to bask in it for long though because it was quickly interrupted by another sensation that he couldn’t quite pinpoint. His head tilted to the left as he concentrated harder on it, it was almost like a…telephone ring? He shook his head clearing it from that absurd notion. But then he felt a sense of warm playfulness fill him followed by the ringing sensation again, and he could almost swear that he heard her call his name.
He shook his head again but that ringing sensation continued, followed by a giggle, and then his name softly spoken again. He was losing his mind that had to be the answer. Was their bond that strong that they could actually speak to each other? And if it was how did she know to tap into it? He was about to pull Spike aside and ask him that question but instead of words coming out of his mouth he heard words in his head…her words. They were soft and not that clear but he understood them.
Meanwhile Giles hadn’t taken his eyes off of Angel. Something was going on. The vampire had been extremely quiet since they came down stairs to the living room. While everyone spoke about the sadness that was in their hearts and their treasured memories of Joyce he hadn’t said a word and he hadn’t moved. It was almost as if he was standing and sleeping at the same time. The only indication that Giles saw that the vampire wasn’t sleeping was the slight shake of his head.
“Angel? Is everything…okay?” he asked. His question immediately brought Spike’s sharp gaze to the other vampire.
“Angel?” Giles asked again when he didn’t respond.
Angel finally turned around to see everyone staring at him. “Sorry. Everything’s fine.” He looked directly at Spike. “It’s time to go.”
“Go? Go where?” Cordy asked.
Spike stood up and grabbed his jacket without any word he headed toward the basement.
“Where’s he going?” Xander asked.
“Buffy’s down in the industrial area and she needs help searching the buildings. You guys take the car, split up and search every building. Bring weapons, she says vamps are everywhere.”
“She says? Did I miss something here?” Xander asked looking at Giles questioningly.
“What about you and Spike?” Giles asked as he grabbed his coat completely ignoring Xander.
“We’ll take the sewers.”
Xander and Cordy stood too. “Yeah, anything’s better than sitting around here doing nothing.”
“Come on I’ll drive.” Cordy said as she headed out the door with everyone in tow.
Angel walked down to the basement, where Spike waited for him by the entrance to the sewers. “She’s learning quickly.”
Angel smiled, his face reflecting pride in his mate as they turned and headed down the dark tunnels.
*************
After her mental phone call to Angel which Buffy was still stunned actually worked, she continued in her efforts to find Dawn.
She took one last look around the second floor and then headed toward the stairs. She stopped just as her hand touched the railing. Her breath sucked in as her eyes glowed with awe. She felt Angel and he was talking to her, it wasn’t that clear but she knew what he was saying, he was on his way. They all were. She chuckled, a full smile on her face. What an amazing feeling that was and she wondered if he had felt the same thing when she did it to him. It was truly remarkable. With her heart full of phenomenal feelings of contentment she started to walk up the steps again.
Her eyes easily adjusted to the darkness of the stairwell. Her senses were alive with every single living and dead creature in the building, from the basement all the way up to the top floor.
Twenty minutes and two floors later she’d found nothing but starving vamps that immediately high-tailed it when they sensed her. Sighing dismally and disheartened at finding nothing, she made her way to the stairs again.
Her feet halted midway up the steps as the clear, crisp scent of a human filled her nostrils. “Dawn?” she whispered softly as she looked up into the darkened doorway to the floor above. Anticipation coursed through her and she moved quickly up the rest of the stairs until she stood in the hall.
Stopping she inhaled deeply, her eyes looking at each of the closed doors that lined the hallway. She smelled ten distinct scents all of which were vampire, most likely hiding behind the closed doors, but the scent she smelled on the staircase was still there and was stronger the second she reached the top of the steps.
Briskly she walked down the hall and with every step she took the scent got stronger and her pace quickened. As she neared the end of the hallway her anticipation at finding Dawn started to wane until she saw that the last door on the right was open. With hope in her heart she walked up to it and stopped in the threshold. She peered inside and heard a scuffle on the floor boards, she looked to the left.
The sight that filled her eyes put a smile of ease on her face and absolved her guilt. It was such a welcoming feeling that it inundated everything else and interrupted her honing in on Angel’s senses. Her eyes shifted back to green and she practically ran toward Dawn who sat on the floor her body pressed up against the decaying wall.
“Oh my God Dawn, are you okay? What are you doing here?” She asked as her hands roamed over her sister’s wet pale face.
Dawn didn’t speak she just looked at her with wide frightened eyes. Concern overtook her elation as Buffy felt the nervous shaking in her sister’s body. Dawn’s gaze flitted up and over Buffy’s shoulders, and that’s when she heard four hungry growls.
Without even knowing it her eyes blackened as she stood up. She stood in front of Dawn and faced the four vampires that were emerging from the shadowed corners of the room. They took a step closer and Buffy did too. Her fists were raised and she was ready to fight them all, when they suddenly stopped in their tracks. She saw their noses flare and then their eyes bulging with fear, and then they ran from the room.
She stood there her mouth hung open in shock and disappointment as she watched them run away from her…again. “Jesus what is it with these vamps? I mean I know I’m a bad ass but still this is a little too easy even for me.”
The scuffle of shoes against dried wood turned the kill-switch off inside of her and all her energy centered on her sister. Her eyes turned back to green and she leaned down gently grasping Dawn’s shoulders.
She really wanted to beat her to a bloody pulp for making everyone worry, but Dawn was in no shape to take that kind of abuse right now. Her face was pale and her eyes were big saucers of tears rampantly spilling over and running down her face. She was quiet except for the slight hitch of a deep sob that seemed to be stuck in her throat not expressing itself. She didn’t even look at Buffy instead her eyes were staring at the door as if she was waiting for something or someone to come in. Buffy’s heart ached at the sight and she pushed the need to lecture her away.
“Come on Dawnie let’s get you home. How about a nice hot cup of chocolate when we get back? Angel makes the best. He puts in all the marshmallows you could ask for I’m sure he’d love to make you one.” She softly said.
Dawn still didn’t respond and Buffy’s concern increased. With her eyes on Dawn they walked over to the door to leave as she told herself that she didn’t have to worry. The poor girl had been in a room with four hungry vampires for most of the day, that would freak anyone out. In fact it was amazing she was even still alive.
Umm…why was that exactly? Why didn’t the vamps just drink her dry? These weren’t master vampires or fledglings for that matter. They were starving vamps with no strength to catch their own food and had to rely on humans coming to them. In the next second she got her answer as Dawn suddenly stopped walking. Her hand clenched Buffy’s so hard that she thought her bones were going to snap. Dawn’s bottom lip started to quiver and then she took a step back.
“Dawnie?”
Since her link to Angel’s senses were dulled by her relief at finding Dawn it took her a second to realize that they were no longer alone in the room.
“I knew you’d come, I’ve been waiting for you.”
Her head spun to the doorway and her face showed the shock she felt at seeing her ex-boyfriend standing in the doorway, blocking their exit. A small smile inappropriately graced her lips. Riley was standing before her which meant Angel hadn’t killed him. He didn’t lie to her and that pleased her greatly. But her smile was fleeting and vanished just as quickly as it appeared; what was Riley doing here?
Her instincts answered that question, quickly and sharply as her stomach cramped violently and without even tapping into it, her connection to Angel kicked in full force. Her eyes changed color and she smelled something that she never in her life thought she would smell coming off of Riley. She looked up into his eyes, they were wild and unstable, drool was collecting in the corner of his mouth and she felt…sadness.
“Riley, what are you doing here?” She softly asked.
Dawn took another step back, her hand rising to her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She released Buffy’s hand and ran back to the window, scuttling once more in the sunlight that shone through.
Buffy let her go keeping her eyes on Riley.
“I told you I’ve been waiting for you.”
He took a step inside and she took a step back. “What happened to you Riley?”
He chuckled, “divine intervention Buffy.”
“What?”
“The Gods had something more in store for me than death. Too bad He didn’t know that.”
“He? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Your lover Buffy. He meant to kill me but it seems that the Gods had other plans for me.”
Her face crinkled with anger and without even knowing it she pushed her anger forward to Angel.
****************
Angel and Spike walked briskly through the sewers getting closer to Buffy by the minute. On the way Angel told Spike what Whistler said and he quietly listened until he was done.
“Sounds like a twisted fairy tale.” Spike said and Angel grunted his agreement.
“Can I ask you something?” Angel gritted out and Spike smiled to himself hearing the chagrin in Angel’s voice.
“It really kills you to say that, doesn’t it?”
Any misgivings Angel had, which were many, about asking the younger demon about the bond were overridden by his need for answers. He was expecting Spike’s humor in the situation but that didn’t mean he would respond to it.
Spike looked over to see Angel scowl but not answer him and he smiled. He rather enjoyed the position he found himself in, it was one of power, one that he so rarely held over his grandsire. He really wanted to delve further into the well deserved humiliation he so desperately wanted to hand out but with the situation the way it was he took pity on him instead. Still, he couldn’t hold back his mirth and he chortled. “Go ahead.”
“Could you and Dru…talk to each other, you know without actually talking to each other?”
Spike chuckled while his respect for the Slayer grew even more. “Yeah, it freaked me out the first time it happened. I thought I was going bonkers.” Seeing Angel’s facial expression he added, “you too eh?” Angel nodded again.
“Were you able to do it right away?” Angel asked.
“Pretty much, once the connection’s there everything else just falls into place.”
Angel stopped and looked at him worriedly, “Everything else?”
Spike laughed at his facial expression. “Don’t worry it’s nothing bad. Besides she’s already figured out that she can tap into your demon’s heightened senses and you’ve already sealed the bond physically. That was the extent of what Dru and I had.” He shrugged. “But from what Whistler said there may be more that we won’t know about until it happens, seeing as how you two are so bloody special and all.”
Angel noted the derisive tone in his voice and he grinned. “You’re jealous.”
Spike stopped and faced him angrily. “Jealous! Of you? I think all that gel in your hair has seeped into your brain, I’m not jealous of you.”
Angel continued to smirk at him knowingly. Spike glowered at him then turned around and started walking again with agitated strides. “You’ve got nothing that I want Angelus.”
Angel was going to laugh but his rumble of laughter was squelched by the colossal amount of infuriated energy that he felt boiling inside of him. For some reason it felt like it was all for him.
Spike stopped walking when he heard Angel not following him. He turned around exasperated. “Are you coming?”
Angel started walking again and as he passed Spike, he asked. “How do you know if what she’s feeling is directed at you or someone else?”
Spike’s eyes twinkled, “oh you know. It feels as if someone’s stomping on your innards – up and down, up and down, with both feet.”
He saw Angel’s shoulder’s stiffen and felt the tension inside of him, he ran up next to him, “Do you feel that now?” he excitedly asked. Was he going to be treated to an Angel ass-kicking? “What has your stupidness done now?”
Angel shrugged, “I don’t know but we’ll soon find out.”
****************
“Just what the hell are you talking about Riley?” She demanded.
His face turned instantly and he growled at her, his voice rising with his rage. “Angel or Angelus, whatever the hell you want to call him, he tried to kill me. He tied me down to the floor and left me for dead in a room with starving vampires to finish me off…nice and slow. That’s some guy you have there Buffy, he couldn’t even kill me himself he had to have others do it.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing and the more she heard the angrier she got. She also couldn’t stop the pity that entered her heart for her ex. She didn’t love him and she had in the past treated him badly, but she never ever wanted this for him.
“Lucky for me that one of the vamp whores took pity on me. She turned me just before I would have died.”
“I’m so sorry Riley. I never wanted anything to happen to you.”
His face softened as he looked at her, she was so beautiful and she sounded so sincere that he felt his anger at her lessen.
“I can help you Riley. What Angel did was wrong, and he’s going to pay for
doing it I promise you.” She softly said with compassion in her eyes.
But Riley didn’t see detached empathy reflecting back at him, he saw only love and devotion. He saw the woman of his dreams standing before him boldly claiming that she would mete out punishment to the one that hurt him. He was lost in an apparition of a love that just wasn’t there. His intense desire to have her at any costs fueled his illusions and all he could think about was that together they would be unstoppable.
The imagery was enthralling to his sickened mind and he tried to hold on to it. But when her voice changed and her eyes hardened, he could no longer deny the true meaning of her intent.
“I can help you Riley. I can help you find peace and comfort. You don’t need to live like this.”
Puzzled, he watched as she reached back and grabbed a stake from the back of her pants then proceeded to threaten him with a sweet honey coated voice, a voice hiding behind lies and trickery. Was this how she killed so many of her prey? By leading them on, cajoling them to believe that she wasn’t going to hurt them and then lashing out at them when they least expected it? Did she think she could deceive him like that too?
His fantasy instantly shattered into a million pieces. He growled at her, his eyes flashing with resentful anger. He shook his head at her, his tongue clucking with shame. “What happened to you Buffy? It wasn’t that long ago that you didn’t give a shit about anything or anyone. You were only about the kill. You only wanted to hunt! I didn’t understand the beautiful poetry of that before, but I do now. We’re the same now you and I. We can hunt and kill together don’t you see? You’re darkness matched with my own,” he looked up at the ceiling a crazed smile on his face. “We can take it all! No one could stand in our way. We can kill and feast on our bounties together!”
He started to pace back and forth and Buffy watched with rapt attention as he slipped further into his fabricated reality.
“But no you had to go and ruin it all! You had to go and be the good little Slayer again. Don’t you see Buffy? You don’t have to be good anymore. I know how much you’ve sacrificed and how hard it’s been for you. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can live in the darkness as long as you want to and I’ll be by your side for eternity living it with you. I’ll give you everything you need and desire. I will be your master, just as I always should have been. Once I turn you, you’ll belong to me and no one else!”
He was shouting with hysterical glee by the time he was done and Buffy stood there speechless. She snuck a peak over her shoulder at Dawn who seemed to shiver with more anxiety-filled shock as she stared at Riley. Buffy couldn’t blame her Riley’s mental state was a little unnerving even for her. Her eyes frowned slightly as she pushed more anger toward Angel. He was really going to get it for this deed.
She turned back to look at Riley, he was staring at her hungrily. He had a look on his face as if he expected her to jump his bones and thank him. She shook her head sadly. He was leaving her no choice she was going to have to kill him. Yes she had whipped out her stake but she didn’t really think she would have to use it, and truth be told she wasn’t looking forward to killing him. She was the reason he was the way he was maybe not directly but that didn’t lessen her culpability.
“Riley, just listen to me okay…”
She softly entreated him but he swung his hard gaze to her, his voice rising with his fury. “NO YOU LISTEN TO ME! I’m tired of being treated like a low-life farm boy by you!”
The rapid switch of his emotions was proof that he would not understand anything she said. He would twist everything to suit whatever his warped mind thought. She knew that yet she still felt obligated to try and conciliate some of the hurt that she had caused.
“Riley, I never thought that.”
He madly shook his head at her, “Yes you have, you and all your stupid little friends. I was just one big joke to you.“
“That’s not true Riley, in the beginning I did feel for you. Maybe it wasn’t love but it was something. It’s just…circumstances change Riley. Things happened that you couldn’t possibly understand. I’m sorry about the way I treated you. It wasn’t right, but I treated everyone that way. It was nothing personal against you.”
Once the words were spoken the light went off in her heart. She had recognized it before with Dawn but for some reason seeing Riley now was what really hit home. The consequences of her cold behavior stared her right in the face with lunacy and mocking disdain. The worst part was that she knew he wasn’t the only one that felt like that. Her day of reckoning was just over the horizon, she would have a lot of apologizing to do to all the people in her life.
“I’m sorry Riley, I truly am.”
Her eyes misted with the honesty of the remorse she felt in her soul but Riley didn’t see that. “Sorry? You’re not sorry. You used me like some…fuck toy until your precious Angel came back!”
Buffy was trying to be understanding and take responsibility for her actions by validating his pain but the more he spoke the clearer it became that he wasn’t listening to her. The fact that he brought up something that she herself already admitted doing just aggravated her and strained whatever little amount of patience she had inside of her. “I know that Riley. In fact I already admitted that to you…remember.” She gritted out.
“Yeah but I was blind then. Before I was nothing but a stupid mortal but now, now I’m so much more. Now I can and will take back what’s mine. Now I can finally kill that son of a bitch for good!” he shouted at her.
If he thought he was going to scare her he was wrong. His words infuriated her. Patience and compassion were gone. Her eyes blackened with bloodlust as she started to stalk him twirling her stake between her fingers.
“Riley, let’s look at the big picture here okay. First off I don’t like the fact that you kidnapped my sister to get me here, that’s one strike against you. Secondly…” her voice lowered and her eyes burned into his with zeal. “…for your own well being I think it would be a good idea if you did not threaten Angel.”
“Your show of loyalty is so touching Buffy.” He circled her, his eyes raking down her form. The passion in her stance was heated and thriving with life and his body responded to it. “Your ardent need to protect him is so…disgustingly appealing that it makes you that much more attractive.”
She smiled sweetly at him. His threats against Angel destroyed any humane feelings she had toward him and all she wanted was to kill him. “That’s because I love him.” She stressed, tormenting him with her admission.
“No you only think you love him, he’s bewitched you. Once he’s dead you’ll be released from his web of lies and you’ll be able to see what’s truly in your heart. Me! God I can see it now. You’re lithe body clinging to mine as you declare your love for me to the world right before you beg me to drink you…just like you begged him.”
Her eyebrow rose at his absurd comments as the other night in the graveyard came to mind. Angelus had sensed someone there, someone watching them. She, of course, hadn’t sensed a thing she had been so wrapped up in the moment and she thought that he was just being paranoid. She should have known though because her mate was ever so diligent when it came to her safety. “Voyeurism Riley, I never thought you were into that. You really are a sick puppy.”
He didn’t hear her he was living deep inside his own warped sense of reality.
“I never thought you would take pleasure from a demon sinking his fangs in your throat. But now that I know you enjoy it, I’ll be sure to sink mine in so deep that you’ll scream with pleasure.”
She watched his tongue come out and lick his lips. She shivered with revulsion as his words sparked unwanted images in her mind. Unknowingly the disgust that she felt from them was sent through the connection, and like a bolt of lightening a roar of incensed protectiveness came shooting back inside of her. She inhaled sharply, her eyes closed briefly and her body came to life with a hungry passion for her protective lover.
Riley heard her breath quicken and her pulse rate increase. He looked at her funny confused by her actions. Her eyes opened and looked directly into his. She smiled at him, a fleeting chuckle of laughter spilling from her lips. “Riley you wouldn’t know the first thing about turning someone and you really are insane if you think for one minute that I’d give you the gift of my blood. That right is for one demon only, and…” she looked toward the door, “…he should be here any minute.”
He snorted and smiled at the same time. “You know Buffy I never noticed before how cocky and arrogant you were.”
“That’s because you were nothing but a stupid farm boy!”
Riley chided her comment with a deep angry grunt. “Let him come then I can kill him and be done with him. Then you’ll taste my possession.”
She smiled at him, her eyes flashing brilliantly bright with excitement - an oddity considering that they were as black as night - as she waited for him to make the first move. She knew he would because she knew him. He was a decent fighter and he had skills but he let his emotions control him and being a vampire now didn’t change that fact.
He proved her right as he ran at her at full speed roaring loudly and drool dripping from his sharp fangs. Effortlessly she jumped straight up in the air and Riley ran underneath her and into the wall next to Dawn.
Dawn jumped startled by the close impact of Riley next to her but her eyes were on Buffy. She was motionless in mid air, her arms spread out to her sides as if she were floating. Her face was turned over her shoulder, her black eyes deadpanned on Riley and a smile of pure spite on her lips. She looked so different that Dawn wasn’t sure what to think or feel, she only knew that she didn’t want to be there anymore.
Riley turned around to see Buffy gracefully landing back on her feet in the middle of the room. Like Dawn he was taken aback by her ethereal actions but he didn’t reflect on it instead he ran after her again, and this time she met him in the middle.
They started to exchange punches but in reality it was Buffy inflicting pain and Riley missing with every shot he threw. He was getting frustrated and his sloppy maneuvers proved that.
“You can’t beat me Riley. I’m stronger than you. I’m more experienced than you. Face it, I’m better than you.” She happily said as she instigated his anger even more.
“Shut up!” He growled back throwing a right hand. Buffy ducked and threw her own landing it on his face. His head snapped back and she threw another one. This time Riley ducked and finally landed a solid punch in her stomach.
Buffy stepped back with a smile on her face. “Oh that’s one for you.” Then she rushed him, landing one, two, three, four solid punches in his face. “And that’s four for Buffy.”
Dawn closed her eyes to the scene before her, her hands raised over her ears shutting out the sickening sound of flesh slapping hard against flesh. She could swear she heard bones breaking and when she snuck a peek she saw a pool of blood at Riley’s feet. But that wasn’t the reason why she turned away. It was hard to watch simply because Buffy seemed to be enjoying herself way too much. It was like she was just toying with him, drawing out her own pleasure instead of just humanely killing him. It was a side of her sister that she had never seen before and it made her uncomfortable.
She must have made a sound because Buffy suddenly turned and looked at her with concern. “You okay Dawnie?”
The question caught Dawn off guard because she didn’t even think Buffy remembered she was in the room. She opened her eyes and looked at her sister blankly nodding her head.
Buffy smiled at her. “Good. I’ll get you home soon, I swear, just as soon as I take care of good ole Riley here.”
She turned back to Riley and picked him up throwing him across the room and into the wall. He fell to the ground and Buffy walked over to him, she reached down and grabbed him by the hair pulling his head up. “Had enough Riley? Doesn’t that offer of peace and comfort sound good right about now?”
“It sure does honey. I’ll be sure to do that as soon as get home…with my key.”
She dropped Riley and spun around to face Glory and Dreg who walked into the room.
Glory looked around the room with distaste on her face. “My, my Buffy you really need to find a new hang out. I mean this place is so…blah.” Her eyes traveled down the slayer’s dirty dust-ridden attire. “It’s now wonder you’re such a dirty little thing. Makes a Goddess wonder how you keep that gorgeous hunk of a demon around.”
Dismissing the pissed off Slayer that angrily growled at her comments she looked to the left and spotted Dawn shaking in the corner.
Dawn’s heart stopped as she looked up. Glory was not what Dawn was expecting. She wasn’t old or ugly. She wasn’t hunched over with a big knot on her back. And her hair wasn’t long and straggly looking. She was the complete opposite of all those things. She was tall, she was trim, she had beautiful flowing red hair, and there wasn’t one wrinkle on her flawless skin. In fact if it weren’t for the cold empty eyes that stared back at her Dawn would have thought she was a nice lady that lived down the block. She scooted back against the wall fear filling her as her eyes skirted back to Buffy. “Buffy?”
“Ah, is this my key Dreg?”
“Yes mistress.”
Buffy took a step forward, “She’s nothing to you. Get away from her!”
Glory ignored Buffy and walked over to Dawn. Leaning down she surprised Dawn by gently taking her arm and lifting her to her feet. “Don’t be afraid of my sweetie, I won’t hurt you.”
“Buffy?” Dawn’s quiet voice pleaded for help and Buffy screamed with rage, running toward the threat to her sister.
Glory turned around and put her arm straight out. She connected to Buffy’s chest at that right moment and the momentum coming from Buffy acted like a spring board and she went flying back and into the same wall that Riley hit.
Buffy landed on her back, and before she could jump up Riley jumped on top of her and pinned her arms to the floor. But all her attention was on Glory and not the newly turned vampire. She strained her head back to see Glory pulling a non-cooperative Dawn toward the door.
“Come little one we have a ceremony to prepare for. So long Buffy it’s been nice knowing you.”
Buffy was frozen as deep feelings of anguish and failure consumed her. She couldn’t react. She was blinded by the fear on Dawn’s face. Her mother’s accusing voice once more berating her for failing to keep her sister safe, rang in her ears.
“BUFFY! PLEASE HELP ME!” Dawn screamed. Her eyes stared at her sister as she struggled to get free from Glory’s hold which tightened mercilessly into her flesh. But she got no reaction from Buffy who was sucked into her own personal hell that her raging emotions created.
Angry, Glory grabbed Dawn by both arms and pulled her closer. “Aren’t you a whiney little thing,” she said right before she punched Dawn in the face. “I hate kids.”
Dawn’s limp body fell into the waiting arms of a smiling Dreg and Glory smiled. “Come along Dreggie.”
“Yes Mistress.” He answered as he threw Dawn over his shoulder.
Her long brown hair fell forward almost touching the floor, swinging back and forth. It waved gloriously like a beacon before Buffy’s face, bringing her out of her stupor and finally eliciting a response.
“NO! DAWN!” She screamed at the retreating figures as they left the room. She was completely engrossed on them and not on the position that she was in or the hungry insane vampire that hovered above her.
“Now I have you right where you belong…beneath me.” Riley said just as he swooped down and sank his fangs in her throat.