“Do you hear that?” Tara asked nervously.

Buffy inclined her head. There was a soft grunting noise coming from somewhere outside the crypt, and it was soon followed by a pain-stricken shriek of terror, a shriek that ended fairly quickly. Buffy looked at Tara and Willow, silently telling them to stay put before she jumped over Spike’s body and through the crypt door.

Her eyes widened when she saw the man’s body fall to the ground with a sickening thud. He had obviously been a businessman on his way home from work, because he was still wearing his suit and carrying his briefcase. Buffy watched in horror as the large, slimy black creature looming over the body lifted the businessman’s severed head to its mouth with its and tilted its own head back. The gaping maw, surrounded by small, sharp teeth and hooks most likely used for sucking, opened even wider and devoured the head whole.

After a sickening crunch and a loud gulp the beast turned to Buffy, and for the first time since watching it devour the man’s head she realized it was humanoid. Well, it had a head and four very bloated limbs sticking out of the usual places. But its mouth took up most of its face and its wide eyes looked like they were going to fall off of it.

Its face contorted slightly, as if expressing some sort of emotion that she couldn’t recognize due to its inhuman features, before it extended its long, tube-like fingers towards her. Her first inclination was to run, as it always was, but in her head she knew she had to fight it off. Based on the fact that this thing was big and black it was most likely the Leech or whatever that had attacked Spike. If she killed it now this mess would be over and done with.

Buffy jumped off the front steps of the crypt as the creature advanced and kicked it squarely in the chest… if you could call that a chest. It toppled over but recovered quickly, despite its clumsiness. It charged at her again and she was once again forced to note its swiftness when it knocked her in the head with one of its slimy appendages. Her body twisted in response and she fell to her hands and knees. Buffy touched her face where the Leech had struck her and when she pulled her hand away it was covered in a sticky black slime.

“Eww, gross,” she moaned, looking up at the demon and being further disgusted when the nearest part of it presented itself to her. Not all demons wore loincloths, and this one was apparently a he.

Buffy sent a kick to its legs and it fell to its back again, jumping up just as quickly. It didn’t attempt another attack, however. Instead it stood there, heaving as if breathing heavily and then jumped back, looking startled. Buffy watched in bewilderment as the hideous creature retreated, and it wasn’t until it was out of sight and she turned towards the entrance to the crypt that she knew why. Willow stood on the steps, hands clenched in fists at her sides, a look of intense concentration slipping from her features.

“Did it work?” she asked, looking around as if just awaking from a trance.

“Did you mean to scare it away?” Buffy asked.

Willow shrugged. “That or make its head explode. I’m kinda glad the second one didn’t happen.” Her eyes fell to the headless body lying on the ground. “Oh, god.”

“Yeah,” said Buffy sadly, stepping away from the body and towards her friend. “It looks like this thing’s a bit more dangerous that we thought.” She wiped at her face where there was still slime. “And sticky.”

“What do we do?” Willow asked, her eyes still on the man’s body. “Do we just leave him here? Should we move him, o-or…”

Buffy frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t think anybody’s going to be wandering through the cemetery at night, unless they’re me. The thing obviously dragged the man away from the street.”

“Poor guy,” Willow lamented. “It’s kind of weird to leave him here, though.”

Buffy sighed. “Well, we could move him behind the crypt? I’m sure Xander and Giles—”

“Holy…!”

Buffy looked up to see Xander jumping back in horror as he neared the decapitated body. Giles and Anya stopped behind him.

“Leech?” Giles asked, watching Buffy. She nodded. “Did it hurt you? Is it still here?”

“No, it’s gone. And we’re fine,” she assured him. “You guys are back early. Did you find something?”

“Well, it likes human heads. That’s a big detail, but you apparently know that already,” Anya replied, folding her arms across her chest and frowning at the body.

“Willow and I were thinking of moving him… or it, whatever,” she said, feeling guilty that she wasn’t more horrified or stricken by the man’s demise. She’s seen a lot of people die, though, and she couldn’t feel tremendous grief over every single death. Besides, she had to keep her head. “Someone’s going to find it at some point.”

“Well, if you must move it, move it away from Spike’s crypt. If we’re still here we don’t want the police after our heads.” Giles frowned. “Poor choice of words.”

 

* * * *

Buffy and Willow entered the crypt after moving the body to the other edge of the cemetery to find it filled with living beings. The one creature inside that didn’t fall into that category was now lying on the sarcophagus/bed with a pillow under his head. Tara must’ve helped him, because Buffy doubted the others would’ve been so kind.

“OK,” said Buffy loudly, calling everyone’s attention to herself. “Body’s moved. Did you find out how we kill this thing?” she asked Giles.

“According to the text it can’t be killed—it’s invincible.”

Buffy’s shoulders sagged. “Great.”

“Well no, it can be killed,” he added, realizing that he’d led her astray. “But only by one of its victims. Most likely because it’s in some ways a parasite, or due to some odd magics that even I don’t understand…”

“So it can be killed, but…” Buffy looked over at the weakened vampire. “Only Spike can kill it?”

“’Fraid so,” Xander replied. “Unless the headless guy feels up to the challenge.”

“Nope, Spike’s our only shot, and he’s been dejuiced.” Anya watched as the vampire’s head tilted to the side on his pillow. “And it doesn’t look like he’ll be getting better anytime soon. He’s going to have to eat somebody.”

“Huh?” Willow replied.

“Well, he’ll need to be able to fight this thing somehow. And since he can barely move I’m thinking human blood’s the fastest way to cure him, which we’re interested in because the Leech is off eating heads right now and might soon come after us.”

“But… Spike can’t hurt humans,” Willow pointed out. “How are we going to get him fresh human blood if he can’t bite anybody? And, hello, letting Spike eat someone? Not a good idea. Bad idea, in fact.”

“He wouldn’t have to eat them,” Anya responded. “He’d just need to drink their blood. Vampire’s don’t have to kill their victims, you know. They just do because they’re kind of violent.”

“Right,” said Buffy. “But we’re not letting Spike hurt anybody. The Initiative even saw to that with the chip. So it’s not an option.”

Giles removed his glasses and sighed. “I’m afraid it’s our only option. Time is of the essence with this creature and if we don’t act soon there’s no telling the sort of bedlam it could produce. Spike’s going to have to drink from one of us.”

All eyes started darting around the room. “But… that’s just…” Tara began. “It’s too dangerous. He could kill whoever he drinks from, even if he didn’t mean to.”

“Of course he’d mean to,” Xander replied. “Spike hates all of us. He’d delight in the chance to kill any one of us if he could.”

“But,” Buffy began weakly, realizing the plausible outcome of this situation. “He can’t, can he? The chip…”

“It’s not impossible for him to hurt anyone, Buffy,” Giles replied. “It’s only painful. We can get him to do it.”

“What if he drinks from each of us? What if we each just give him a little bit?” Willow asked.

“I don’t think he would bite us all, not matter how much we force him to. The pain would be too great.”

“Are you sure this is the only way?” Buffy asked.

“It’s the only way I see,” Giles replied. “I’m afraid we don’t have much time to find another way to fix this, so—”

“I’ll do it.”

Giles’ eyes widened and Xander protested loudly.

“Buffy, no! We’re not seriously going to do this? I mean, do you,” he narrowed his eyes. “You don’t like getting bit by vampires, do you?”

She frowned. “No,” she replied sourly. “But if we’re going to do this, I’m not going to let him hurt any of you. Besides, I’m the Slayer. My blood might restore him quicker.”

“Yeah, but what if it doesn’t? Or even if it does, what if Spike can’t kill this thing and you’re in the hospital due to the loss of blood? You’re the strongest, Buff. You’re the only one with a hope of stopping this thing if this doesn’t work.”

“Then let’s hope it works. And let’s hope Spike kills it. Because if he doesn’t? Then I’ll make sure he’s dead in a dusty way.” She glared at the vampire lying on the sarcophagus, and despite his weakened state she suddenly felt nervous. Suddenly the little needles at the blood bank didn’t look so threatening. “OK,” she continued in a smaller voice. “I want you guys to stand around. Make sure he doesn’t go too far if I’m too weak to fight him off.”

Willow and Tara nodded in agreement. Anya stood awkwardly by one of the stone pillars and Xander and Giles both looked frightened.

Buffy watched for all of their reactions before slowly making her way to Spike. “Spike,” she said loudly.

“No need to shout, Slayer. Vampire.” He turned his head so that he was facing her. “I can’t do it.”

“You have to. You’re the only one who can kill this thing,” she replied, her voice not as strong as it was before the prospect of a vampire latching himself to her throat was presented. Spike didn’t respond, he merely blinked at her as if he were slowly falling asleep. Buffy rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the shoulders, lifting him so that he sat on the edge of the sarcophagus. “Spike, just do it.” She pulled her hair away from the side of her neck where Angel and the Master had bitten her. Buffy didn’t like the idea of having bite marks on both sides of her neck.

Spike stared at her exposed flesh, hunger shining in his yellow-tinged eyes. “But…”

Buffy winced, almost unable to stomach the fact that she was forcing a vampire on herself. She grabbed him by the back of the hair and pulled him to her. “Do it.”

Spike looked past Buffy to where Xander and Giles stood. They both watched uneasily, waiting for it to be over while at the same time hoping it wouldn’t happen.

“Spike!” Buffy demanded, and slowly his demon guise distorted his features. His elongated fangs sank into her neck and they both cried out in pain.

Xander moved forward, but Giles held him back. “Wait – it’s already done. We’ve got to…” his grip on Xander’s forearm tightened as he felt rage boiling inside of him at the sight of a vampire drinking from his Slayer. “Just wait.”

Spike moaned loudly into her neck as the pain overwhelmed him, but Buffy held onto the back of his head so that he couldn’t pull away. His moaning died down slightly as he began to drink, and soon it was gone completely. Spike slid off the edge of sarcophagus and stood as he slowly drank her, his hands moving to grip her shoulders and still her as she instinctively started backing away. Another moan passed his lips in response to her weak cry of pain. Buffy was glad this was hurting him as much as it was her.

“Buffy?” Willow called, watching as her friend’s eyelids started to droop.

Spike pulled Buffy’s body closer to him as he continued to drink. It had almost been a year since he’s tasted fresh human blood, and it had been over a hundred since he’d tasted the blood of a Slayer. All he could think of was how good it felt to have a warm body pressed against his as he drank the life from a helpless victim. The thrill of it sent the blood he was drinking straight to his groin.

But in an instant he realized that this was no a helpless victim. Any thrill he’d felt at this potential Slayer slaying died away when he remembered that she’d practically forced him to drink her, and that she wasn’t stopping him because she wanted him to do this. She wanted him to do it so he could stop a demon from killing them all.

He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes, feeling the strength returning to his muscles as it faded from hers. Buffy’s eyes slowly closed and her head drooped forward, her pale lips parting as a small gasp escaped them. She was passing out.

This is wrong, Spike thought, panicking slightly. He didn’t want this. This weak defeat of the Slayer wasn’t right, she deserved more. He realized with horror as she fell forward against his chest that he didn’t want her to die.

“Buffy!” Xander exclaimed, running towards her and pulling her roughly away from Spike. “Oh god, why did we do this? Buffy!”

Spike stepped back, his eyes raised to the people surrounding him. He’d nearly killed her and they’d all seen it. Spike watched as everyone crowded around the Slayer, checking to see if she was alright. He wanted to know himself, but he was slightly distracted by the residual bits of migraine caused from harming her and the first place. Plus he was suddenly overwhelmed with the memory of what had happened prior to waking up on the floor with the Slayer staring down at him, and the confusion in response to said memory only made the migraine worse.

Buffy had come to his crypt, all silent and big-eyed and stake-free. He’d stood and faced her, prepared for the confrontation that would inevitably ensue, but instead of quipping or bitching at him she’d placed her small, delicate hands on his chest. It was only then that he thought of them in a nonviolent manner, what with them usually clenched in fists and flying at his face and all. Spike’s brow had furrowed, and he’d murmured something incoherent as her hands moved slowly up his chest and then around his neck, her face becoming dangerously close to his. It was only when he realized that her warm breath wasn’t hitting his face due to the lack of breathing that she started to change. She wasn’t the Slayer, she was something large and black and strong. Those were the only thoughts he had before it’d covered his mouth with the hole that served as its own and his world had gone black.

“Kill it, Spike.”

Spike blinked as he was called out of his thoughts by the witch’s low voice.

Willow glared at him when he didn’t respond. “Go now.”

He took one look at the Slayer’s pale face and slack features before running out the crypt door. He was going to find this thing and kill it for what it did to him, for what it made him do. Then he was going to figure out what the hell was wrong with him.