“Are you OK?”

Spike moved aside as Buffy and the rest of the gang entered Faith’s apartment the next morning. He was doing his best to avoid her eyes, but she watched him intently with concern.

“Yeah,” he replied softly, looking away from her as he fetched his t-shirt from the floor by the edge of the sofa. He hoped she didn’t notice. “’M fine.” After slipping the shirt over his head he caught Angel’s eyes. Oh, bollocks. Of course that bastard would know.

“Are you sure?” she asked, oblivious to what he was trying to hide. “Did you sleep at all?”

His guilt was apparent in his eyes, but his tone was icy. “I said I was fine, didn’t I?”

Buffy blinked and looked away as Spike brushed past her. Passing Angel he muttered in a low voice, “Don’t.”

Angel turned away from Spike in disgust as the man moved into the kitchen, and when he returned his gaze to his surroundings he locked eyes with Faith, who was leaving the guest bedroom. “Hey,” she greeted as two young girls piled out of the room behind her, both looking extremely anxious.

Angel merely glared at her in return, unsure of whether or not he was more disappointed with her or Spike. Oddly enough he was leaning toward the latter.

 

* * * *

“Faith, you said there were a dozen girls?”

“Right.”

“OK,” said Buffy, sifting through the information in her head like papers on a desktop. “They can’t all be from this area, can they? The First was trying to wipe out the Slayer line, and he… it, couldn’t do that if there were hundreds upon thousands of Potentials.”

“Well it could,” Andrew pointed out. “It’d just take a while. ‘Cause ya know, it’s…” He shriveled under everyone’s glare. “Got it. Not a time for talking.”

Angel’s eyes widened, suddenly remembering.


“If I kill you, you get off easy. You know I don’t like that.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Lilah laughed wickedly as she backed away. “You’ll see.”


Cordelia sat in front of him, staring down at him seriously.

“You didn’t get the full message that night. The vision I gave you, it was longer.”

“What’s the message?”


“Wolfram & Hart.”

Everyone turned to him. “What?” Buffy asked.

Angel swallowed before continuing. “The message Cordelia gave me–”

“Cordelia?” Giles began with confusion, but Buffy shushed him.

“–about the Circle of the Black Thorn, she said it was just the beginning, that there was more to come. She showed me something, but I wasn’t sure what it meant.”

“What did you see?” asked Connor.

“Fighting, blood, and… Buffy.”

“Me?” said Buffy, eyes widened with agitation. “You didn’t feel like telling me this sooner? Say, after you got this little vision thing? And can I for one say that I’m not a big fan of the visions?”

Xander nodded in agreement.

“I wasn’t sure what it meant,” Angel replied defensively.

“Hang on,” said Spike, moving towards Angel. “Are you saying you had heads up about Buffy that involved fighting and blood and you didn’t feel the need to tell her about it?”

“Shut up, Spike,” he spat. “Look,” he continued, turning away from the glares of the ex-vampire and focusing on Buffy. “I didn’t see you fighting. I didn’t see you bleeding. I just saw you, standing… alone.”

“Is that it?” asked Xander. “You can’t tell us anything more specific?”

“The Powers don’t like to share too much.”

“Why do you think this has something to do with Wolfram & Hart?” Faith asked, crossing her arms.

Angel didn’t look at her when he answered. “The visions were part of one message, both having to do with Wolfram & Hart. Or me, at least.”

“So you’re sayin’ that whole Circle of the Black Thorn deal was a waste of time?” asked Spike dejectedly.

Buffy watched him move towards Angel as he asked his question, and despite what she knew, this was the first time she realized how much they must’ve gone through together. Fighting side by side (more or less), dealing with each others’ issues... it was weird.

“No,” Angel replied firmly. “We hurt them bad. And I said they wouldn’t stop, didn’t I? Well here we are.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “You think this is all about you? How very fitting.”

“Shut up, Spike,” Angel warned. The more the man goaded him the harder it was to keep quiet about what he knew he’d done last night.

“Look,” one of the young Slayers said suddenly. She had short brown hair to her chin and small brown eyes, and she seemed to be shaking as she spoke, despite how strong her voice was. “I don’t know what any of you are talking about. All I know is that my sister was murdered by a bunch of crazy bitches and all we’re doing is standing around talking about cults or something.”

“Hey,” Faith said reassuringly. “We need to figure out who did this. That way we can kick their asses.”

“Your sister?” said Dawn, catching that one detail.

Faith turned to her. “Yeah. Amy and Melissa were twins.”

“Twin Slayers?” gushed Andrew, a dreamy look appearing on his face. “Just think of the matching outfits…”

“If it is Wolfram & Hart,” began Giles, removing his glass thoughtfully as he got everyone back on topic, “then perhaps they’ve enlisted the girls. Got to them before we could.”

“So you think they’re what, some kind of mercenaries?” Buffy asked. “Is their mission simply to kill other Slayers?”

“No,” said Willow, rising to her feet. She stared at the group with wide eyes. “They’re trying to destroy the Council.”

“The Council?” Giles replied dubiously. Willow turned to him.

“Don’t you see? Th-They want the Slayers to work for them; for evil. Their goal is probably to destroy the Council so that no one will get in their way.”

“Yeah, but how did they know that we were working for the Council?” Faith asked.

“C’mon, Faith,” Angel replied. “You fought by Buffy’s side. You’ve been in regular contact with her for the past year. And Giles is the new Head of the Council, so…”

Faith narrowed her eyes. “What? Have you guys been keeping tabs on me?”

It was Angel’s turn to feel uncomfortable. “No. Not on you, specifically. I’ve just been… keeping track. Of everyone.”

“Back to the point,” said Willow, pulling their attention back to the evil Slayers in question. “If I’m right, and that Wolfram & Hart or whoever is trying to destroy the Council, then most of the people in this room are in danger.”

“Hang on,” said Spike. “If they are trying to get the Slayers on their side, why did they kill those girls last night?”

“Yeah,” Kennedy agreed. “You’d think they’d want the girls alive.”

“Maybe because we got to them first?” offered Giles.

“What are we going to do about it?” Amy asked loudly. “If they are trying to kill us, or round some of us up to be evil, how are we supposed to stop them? She,” Amy pointed to Kennedy, “pointed out that it would be wrong to kill them.”

“We may have to,” Buffy replied. “If Willow’s right and they’re not on our side, and they come after us, killing them may be the only way to protect ourselves.”

“Do you think we could do it? Kill them?” the other girl, Patrice, asked. She was taller than Amy with much darker skin.

“If they can do it to us, we should be able to do it to them,” Amy replied.

“We’re not going to just kill them, though,” Buffy told them. “Not unless they make us. Too many girls have died because of this than need to.”

“So what’s our plan?” asked Andrew. “I mean, besides stopping the evil Slayers from killing us all. We don’t exactly know what their plan is or who they’re working for. Unless it’s Wolfram & Hart, so then we do know, but we don’t… really know.”

“You’re right,” said Buffy. “All we know is that they’re dangerous. So we need to find out more. If they are after us then they should know we’re in town.”

“So you want us to wait until they come after us?” Dawn asked dubiously.

“No. We go out and find them. Track one of them down at least. Take her hostage, get her to talk; find out what she’s willing to kill for.”

 

* * * *

Kennedy closed her eyes and took a calming breath that came out more than a little shaky. She’d played the helpless victim before, but that was for a blind assassin, not a slew of Slayers hell-bent on killing her. But Willow was watching from the rooftops, so she felt safe walking down the darkened streets of Cleveland even though it was as a walking target. Buffy and the others were hidden throughout the area as well, and as soon as another Slayer popped up on their radar they were to move in.

“Are we sure she can handle this?” Buffy asked Xander, who stood beside her in one of the alleys nearby.

“Oh, don’t worry about her. She’s played the bait before.”

Kennedy hovered around the payphone, doing her best to look nervous and afraid. Most of it wasn’t an act, which stemmed back to what she said years ago about being method.

“C’mon, girls. Come and get me,” Kennedy whispered impatiently to the night, her eyes falling on her wristwatch. 2:22.

She whirled around when she heard feet shuffling behind her, expecting to see another young girl like herself. Instead she was met with a snarling vampire over six feet tall.

“Hey there, little girl. You lost?”

Kennedy frowned. “I really don’t have time for this,” she muttered. She pulled her stake out of the back of her jeans and shoved it towards the vamp’s heart, which was practically level with her head.

He may’ve looked big and stupid, but he wasn’t slow. The vamp caught her by the wrist with one hand and backhanded her with the other, sending her sprawling across the sidewalk.

“Wait!” Angel hissed, grabbing Willow by the shoulder up on the rooftop. The witch had been preparing to do some sort of spell on her girlfriend’s attacker before he stopped her. “If there are other Slayers watching our cover will be blown.”

Down on the street, Kennedy jumped back to her feet and lifted her stake high in the air. “Sorry, pal,” she said dryly, kicking the big loaf in the chest. “If you wanted fast food you should’ve gone to Wendy’s. I hear they’re open late.”

Buffy winced in the shadows of the nearby ally. She really needed to teach that girl a thing or two about punning on the job. Her thoughts took a more serious turn when the vamp put Kennedy in a headlock. She flipped him over easily. She was a Slayer, after all.

The vampire landed on its back and reached towards her to pull her down, but before his fingers could reach her Kennedy shoved the stake into his chest and he exploded in a cloud of cinder and ash.

Kennedy stood up straight, panting, and looked around. It was as if she’d been waiting for this moment. The young girl appeared out of the shadows, her long, vibrant red hair shining in the streetlights. If Kennedy didn’t know any better she’d think it was Willow stalking towards her, but she could feel it in her gut – this was another Slayer.

“Do we wait?” Patrice asked Buffy quietly, watching as the girl approached Kennedy. Buffy nodded.

“Let her make the first move.”

The redhead stopped twenty paces away from Kennedy and stared at her, and everyone watching frowned. What was she doing?

“You one of them?” Kennedy asked when the girl didn’t make another move.

She didn’t answer. The Slayer merely stood there, arms hanging loosely at her sides as she stared at Kennedy.

“What is she waiting for?” Andrew asked nervously. Giles was too focused on about what was going to happen to shush him.

Suddenly a dagger went flying through the air, and Kennedy barely saw it in time to knock it away. The girl charged at her then, another dagger clenched in her fist as she flung herself at Kennedy. She seemed to slam into an invisible wall mid-flight before slamming back onto the concrete, the dagger flying from her hand. Up on the rooftop Willow held her hand steady, her protective field requiring much of her concentration.

Buffy and Connor helped Kennedy hold the girl down while Giles prepared the sedative. The redhead’s eyes widened in realization when she saw the needle and she began shouting loudly in Russian.

Buffy sighed deeply as Giles thrust the needle into the girl’s neck. This wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought.

 

* * * *

“So, anybody here speak Russian?” Dawn asked, looking at the redheaded Slayer’s unconscious form. The girl was tied to one of the kitchen chairs with her chin resting on her chest as she snoozed unconsciously.

“Great,” Spike muttered, watching Buffy as she paced the length of the kitchen. “Of all the Slayers we nabbed one who doesn’t even speak English.”

“You don’t know that,” Patrice offered timidly from the living room. “She could speak English. It’s like the international language, isn’t it?”

“Well, what do we do while she’s out?” Andrew asked. “What did you hit her with?”

“It was a mild sedative, as far as Slayer’s are concerned,” Giles answered. “She should rouse before dawn.”

Kennedy sighed with relief. “Good, only a few hours then.”

Faith looked up at Buffy as people shuffled between the kitchen and the living room. “Hey, B, do you think I could talk to you for a minute? Outside?”

Buffy’s brow furrowed in confusion momentarily before she turned to Willow. “Will, look after the girl?”

Willow nodded and Faith followed Buffy outside. Once the door closed behind them Faith started shaking. Buffy instantly became uneasy.

“Faith, what’s wrong?”

Faith smiled nervously. “A lot of shit’s happened the past couple of days. Everything’s kind of a blur, ya know? It’s like time was supposed to stop but instead it’s fast forwarding and I can’t really keep up.”

Buffy bowed her head in understanding. “Yeah. I remember what it’s like to lose someone. I’ve been worried about you. I know how close you were with Robin and you really haven’t had time to grieve.”

“I pretty much do that all the time,” Faith confessed. “It’s just that I know I can’t lose it, ‘cause if I do I’ll become that girl again who doesn’t care about anybody but herself and I don’t want to be that. I don’t want to be all about hate and pain and I… I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Me?”

Faith inhaled deeply. “Look, I know you and Spike had a thing. I don’t know exactly where you stand now that he’s all human and stuff but… I don’t want to lie to you. And I don’t want you to think I’m trying to take something from you. You’re my friend, B. I want you to trust me.”

“Faith, what are you talking about?”

She bit her lip. “Spike and I kinda had sex last night.”

 

* * * *

Giles watched the girl with rising interest. The sedative should wear off at any moment, so he contented himself by examining her as he waited for her to awaken. The girl’s face was dirty, which led him to believe that she wasn’t living in the best conditions. Unlike Buffy, who’s always appeared slim yet wielded great power, this girl had long, muscular limbs that gave her opponent a good glimpse of the power she possessed.

Her eyelids started to flutter. “Buffy!” Giles called out, calling everyone’s attention. Several people started crowding into the small kitchen area, but no Buffy. Spike frowned and moved towards the door to get her.

He opened the door and her back was to him. “Hey, Buffy, the girl’s wakin’ up.”

If looks could kill. Spike blinked in surprise at the glare she sent his way until he saw Faith. Buffy stormed past him into the apartment and Spike turned away from Faith angrily. “Bloody hell,” he swore under his breath as he followed Buffy inside.

“Can you understand me?” Giles asked slowly, looking into the Slayer’s half-opened eyes.

It took a moment for her waking state to register, but once the girl realized where she was she started fighting against her restraints. Luckily Faith had tied the rope tight.

“Look at me,” Giles said. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

She spat in his face. Giles stood slowly and pulled off his glasses, moving towards the nearest cabinet to retrieve a hand towel. The girl started rocking in the chair and shouting endless strands of Russian curses.

“I guess that sedative wore off,” Xander observed.

Buffy approached the girl and put both hands firmly on her shoulders.

“Shut up and listen to me. You may not understand what I’m saying, but you sure as hell understand the way I’m saying it.”

The girl stilled, save her heavy breathing, and met Buffy’s glare. Kennedy tapped Willow on the shoulder.

“Remember when we captured that Bringer who couldn’t talk? Maybe we do a spell like last time so that we could understand what she’s saying?”

“That’s a good idea,” Willow told her, moving towards her backpack.

“Yeah,” said Andrew. “Except for the part where I almost get my throat ripped out!”

Willow frowned impatiently at him before she unzipped her backpack. “I’m sure there’s a spell for that in one of the books I brought.”

Everyone waited as Willow leafed through her spell book, skimming the pages as she went. Spike braved a look at Buffy, but she didn’t look up. Her eyes were focused on the girl, but he had a feeling she wasn’t really looking at her. Spike could tell she was simply not looking at him.

“Got it,” Willow finally announced, walking back into the kitchen from the living room. “Good thing this one’s in English.

“Words of time and change and place
These I henceforth do erase
Let misunderstood no thought be
Speak, now, I challenge thee.”

“Nifty spell,” Andrew commented once she was finished, mostly to make sure that he wasn’t possessed by the Slayer’s voice. “Sounds like Yoda-speak.”

“Shh,” said Buffy. “Can you understand me?” she asked the girl.

The redhead nodded.

“What’s your name?”

“Pola,” she replied, her voice unaffected by an accent. In fact, she sort of sounded like Willow. “I’m a Slayer.”

“Yeah, we know what you are. And we’re fairly certain you know who we are, otherwise you wouldn’t have been out so late at night hunting for a kill.”

“I saw her in the street,” she said with disgust, inclining her head towards Kennedy. “She killed one of the monsters. She had to be stopped.”

“Why is that?” Buffy asked.

“Why do you think? This power is an abomination. We all know it.”

“Wait, who’s we?” Faith asked, feigning ignorance. “You sayin’ there are others?”

The girl stared at her. “You know there are others. You’ve seen them.”

Angel held Faith back as she moved the strike the girl. “Don’t.”

Pola laughed. “You think you’re fighting some great battle, that you’re doing the right thing. The truth is you’re polluting the world with your ways, and there’s only one way to stop you.”

“Destroy the Council?” Buffy suggested. “Kills us all? What exactly is your plan?”

“We’ve been hiding for days in the old church south of town.”

Buffy’s eyebrows shot up in confusion. That was random. They didn’t even ask where the others were, it seemed odd that she’d just give that information up.

“We’ve been waiting for you. We had to get your attention, so blood needed to be spilled. Now that you’re here we can finally achieve our goal.”

“Which is?”

She grinned. “To stop you.”

 

* * * *

Buffy paced back and forth in the guest bedroom, avoiding Amy and Patrice’s things that were scattered along the wall. She needed some time alone to think. Pola purposefully told them about the church outside of town, and everything inside of her screamed that it was a trap. She also couldn’t help but wonder if going there would be a good plan. These Slayers might be ready for a handful of Slayers, but would they be prepared for the most powerful Wicca in the Western Hemisphere? Or Eastern, really, it all depended on where Willow was. She reigned supreme over all hemispheres.

The door opened as her mind wandered on a tangent. She looked up to see who the intruder was and froze in place when she saw Spike closing the door behind him.

“We need to talk.”

“This is so not the time,” she retorted.

“Listen,” he said, moving towards her slowly. “I gather Faith told you about what happened the other night.”

“Yeah, she told me,” Buffy spat. She backed away from him when he came close to her.

“Hey, I don’t know what you’re so angry about. You and me? We’re long over. You made that clear.”

Buffy stared at him. “What?”

“An’ it’s not like we’re together or anything. You’ve got your own life now, one that clearly doesn’t involve me, whatever it is I am. Whatever it is I mean to you.”

“Oh, cut the crap, Spike! Don’t act like what you guys did didn’t mean anything.”

His eyes softened with what appeared to be hope. “Why should it?”

Buffy’s face fell at his words.

“You know I’ll always love you,” he told her flatly, letting his words hang in the air before he continued. “And I know you’ll never love me. It’s just how it is.” He bowed his head momentarily gravely before looking up at her, as if doing so made him more honest somehow. “I’ve changed, Buffy.”

She rolled her eyes at that.

“I have, and yet I’m still the same as I was before all this. I don’t know what that means to you, but I know it doesn’t matter. Because no matter how I change, or how I try, you will never love me. So why do I even have to apologize for anything?”

“Gee, I don’t know,” Buffy replied, her voice calm but at the same time shaking with rage. “I guess there isn’t a problem. Why don’t you just sleep with all of my friends? Kennedy and Willow are gay, but hey, I’m sure they’d push that little detail aside for you.”

Spike clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, trying to restrain himself from saying something stupid.

“What about Illyria? Have you two already had a bit of the ‘rough and tumble?’ But why even stop there? Dawn’s legal now, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, since that’s all you seem to care about—”

“Don’t say that!” he shouted. Buffy drew the last straw when she mentioned Dawn’s name. Especially given the context… “I’m not like that, you bloody woman! If you would stop thinking about yourself for one minute you’d realize that I’m not all about you!” He stared at her in shock, as if he couldn’t believe the words that just left his mouth. “Not anymore.”

“Then what are you about, Spike? Why are you even here? You can’t fight. You’re not exactly the brains of the operation. What do you have to offer? What can you possibly do to help?”

His eyes narrowed. “Hey, you asked me to come, remember? Back in LA, you said you would protect me.”

“Oh? So I’m your bodyguard, is that it? Well, I wasn’t watching you too closely the other night.”

“Christ, Buffy! You want to know why I slept with her? Do you?” he asked, closing the distance between them. She backed up until she was against the wall, unable to distance herself farther from him. “I slept with her because I realized that I could give her something, even if it didn’t mean anything to her the next day. She looked into my eyes, and I saw the pain in there, and I wanted to make it go away. Even for just a little while.” His eyes fell away from hers. “’Cause that’s all I’m good for, innit?”

Buffy glared at him. “God, Spike. You know it’s a sympathetic ear, don’t you?”

“Should be askin’ you the same question, pet. As it seems, I like being used. It’s why we used to get along so well.”

“We didn’t get along.”

“No, we didn’t,” he quickly agreed. “That’s because I was in love with you and you treated me like dirt, all because I was an evil, soulless, thing. Now I’m not evil, soulless, or a thing, and still… and still you won’t love me.” He laughed bitterly. “So I ask myself, why is she so angry? Maybe it’s because she wanted my love, my endless devotion. Maybe I was nothing more than a doting, lovesick puppy to her. Maybe she thinks that I don’t love her anymore, and it scares her because if ol’ Spike won’t love her, then who the hell will?”

Buffy stared at him, tears stinging the corners of her eyes, but she wasn’t going to let them fall. She wasn’t going to show him how his words affected her. “What kind of man sleeps with another woman if he’s in love with someone else?”

Spike didn’t answer, he merely kept his eyes on her, unwilling to look away. Unwilling to show his shame.

“And what makes you think I don’t love you?” she asked. “Because I’ve never said it? Because I’ve never followed you around or thrown myself at you and begged you to love me?”

Spike shook his head. “Can’t say you’ve never done the last one, love.”

“You died before I could figure out exactly what it was I felt for you. You were the only person I trusted! You were the only person I felt safe with! And then you were gone.” Buffy looked at him now, the tears in her eyes threatening to fall as she remembered what it was like when he died. She felt like she did back in the Hellmouth – like any minute he would turn to ash. That didn’t do away with her anger, or her confusion. Which were basically the same thing, if you think about it. “Now you’re back, a-and you’re human and I’m supposed to pick up where I left off like I haven’t lived a year without you in my life? I’m confused, Spike! I don’t know what to think about anything, especially with all that’s going on, a-and you, you just…”

Buffy was silenced as his lips hungrily pressed against hers. Her eyes widened and a small squeak escaped her throat as she tried to protest, but eventually she found herself kissing him back. Spike’s arms wrapped tightly around her as a moan passed through his lips and hers, causing Buffy to shudder in response.

He’d been waiting for this moment ever since he’d gotten his soul. Her lips were as soft as he remembered, as was her hair and her skin. Spike smiled as he pulled away for air.

He didn’t remember that.

Buffy’s lips sought his out and they were kissing again, their hands tangled in each others’ hair as they tried to pull themselves closer together.

Spike was the first to pull back. “What am I doing?” he asked himself aloud. Buffy looked away, breathing heavily and asking herself the same question.

She shook her head as if trying to erase the memory of what had just happened and answered his question. “Just making everything worse, like usual.” She pushed him away from her, using the amount of force she would normally use against a vampire. Yet Spike was human, so he fell to the ground, his elbows slamming hard into the carpeted floor. Buffy wiped at her lips angrily as she stepped over him on her way to the door.

“By the way,” she spat. “I hope you used a condom, ‘cause you never know where she’s been.”

With that the door slammed behind her, almost falling off its hinges.

Spike licked his lips, savoring what he was sure would be the last taste of her. Stupid bitch. Didn’t she care about what he was feeling at all? Was all that mattered how he hurt her? She obviously didn’t care about how she hurt him. She couldn’t see his pain.

 

* * * *

“Buffy,” Angel greeted her with concern as she loudly exited the guest bedroom. Everyone was staring at her, because it wasn’t exactly like Faith’s apartment had super thick walls. “Are you—”

“Gather the weapons,” she said in a heavy voice. “We’re going to find them and we’re going to be ready.”

She walked past Angel and over to her bag, lifting the scythe from inside of it.

“Whoa, Buffy,” Xander began. “We don’t know what’s waiting for us there. It could be a trap.”

“I know.”

“Clearly you don’t,” Kennedy contested. “Last time we walked into a trap two girls died and Xander lost an eye. Why risk going after them before we know more?”

“Oh please,” Buffy replied, her voice a shaky, angry sort of calm. “Pola here’s not going to give us much information. Besides,” she stared at the edge of the scythe and watched it glint in the light as she tilted it away from her. “I’m ready for this to be over.”

“Who’s going to stay here with the hostage?” Dawn asked. “We can’t all go.”

“No, we can’t. That’s why you’re going to stay here. You, Xander, Andrew and Giles keep watch on her, while the rest of us go to the church.”

Dawn gaped at her sister. She was almost eighteen-years-old and she wasn’t going to let her fight? Xander wasn’t too pleased either, but he could see what she was doing. She was leaving the weak, powerless humans behind while the superheroes went out and did the saving. He didn’t like being left out, especially when the only other option was to wait and see how many of his friends made it out alive.

Giles didn’t seem to have a problem with it. He knew better not to contest Buffy’s strategy, especially after all that’s happened in the past, but her emotions were running high. He looked up in time to see Spike exit from the guest bedroom.

“Everyone else? Grab your weapons. We leave now.”

“Uh, Buffy.” Angel pointed to the window. The sun had risen.

“Fine, you stay here as well. Watch the others. As you know, the best traps aren’t always for me.”

Spike grabbed an axe from Faith’s weapons chest and followed the others towards the door.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Buffy asked him.

“What, you expect me to stay here? I’m going to fight, Buffy.”

“No you’re not. In fact? You shouldn’t stay here, either. Why don’t you leave? Go… find yourself or something.”

“Buffy,” Dawn gasped disappointedly as she slammed the door in his face.

Spike stood stunned for a moment, staring at the door like he almost couldn’t believe what had just happened. Soon his anger kicked in, and with a loud growl he threw the axe into the wall. He took one last look at the others before grabbing his jacket and walking out the door.

“Wait, Spike!” Dawn called, but Angel held her back. He wasn’t trying to be cruel, but he knew how Spike felt. He knew what it was like to be left behind.