Return to Me (continued)

Chapter 7

Mark and Willow walked hand in hand down the street, enjoying the few minutes of quiet in the warmth of the early morning. They were heading over to Buffy's so Mark could fill her in on his night, then they were going to go find something to do and leave the two vamps and the slayer alone for a while.

He also wanted to try to have a minute alone with Buffy. On his way over the night before to pick up Willow, he'd sensed something hovering around the house. He'd walked around the outside, not seeing anything, but still had that itchy feeling between his shoulder blades that told him something was up. He couldn't place it, but his highly honed sixth sense had gotten him out of a lot of trouble in the past, even saved his life a few times, so he wasn't willing to bet it was a fluke.

He hadn't told Willow about it, not wanting to worry her. He'd talk to Buffy first, then let her decide what to do. It was her house after all.

Mark's boots thudded against the stairs as they climbed to get to the door. Willow looked at him and smiled, before reaching up and knocking. After a minute, they heard the lock turn, and the door swung open, revealing a more rested looking Slayer.

"Hi, guys. Come on in. The vamps are in the kitchen already," she said, smiling.

"Are you sure? The last time Spike saw me, it wasn't exactly good," Mark asked, hesitating.

"No, it's okay. Come on," Buffy assured, before turning and walking away. The couple followed, pausing long enough so Mark could shrug out of his duster and sling it on the banister.

"Sod off, Peaches." Willow's eyes widened at the sound of the familiar voice and she hurried forward, almost afraid to hope.

"Dammit, Spike. Would you just listen for once in your miserable unlife?" came Angel's response. Buffy rolled her eyes at the bickering pair, and went back to making coffee. She smiled when Willow entered the room, her emerald eyes riveted to the vampire.

"Why the bloody hell should I? S'not like you know what you're talking about."

"Spike?" The redhead's gasp had Spike's head swiveling around, and a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes curling his lip.

"'Ello, Red." Before he had a chance to brace himself, he suddenly found his arms full of a crying female. "Hey now. No need for all that," he said, awkwardly running a hand over her back. He turned his head into her hair and inhaled her scent, letting it comfort his jittery nerves. He'd done the same when he had woken up that morning to find Buffy wrapped perfectly in his arms.

"Oh God, Spike. I'm so glad you're alright," Willow said, pulling back to look at him. She frowned when she noticed how flat his eyes seemed, and gave him a sad smile. "Maybe not as alright as I'd hoped," she said softly, leaning up to brush a kiss across his cheek.

"Don't you worry, Red. I'll be right as rain in no time." She arched a russet brow at that and grinned.

"Not if you're running around saying 'right as rain'." He snorted at that and reached up to touch a strand of her hair, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. It was then he caught the scent clinging to her, a scent he didn't recognize. Then he caught the sound of a third heartbeat, and his eyes shot to the kitchen doorway. Despite himself, he stumbled back a bit at the sight of the tall, long haired brunette with the side arms strapped to his sides.

"Oh, Spike. It's okay," Willow immediately said, reaching out and placing a hand on his arm. He looked wildly down at her hand, then back at Mark, trying to calm down.

"Spike, he's not here to hurt you," Buffy said, turning to look at him. A low growl filled the air, the deep timber causing Spike's eyes to rivet to Angel, an answering growl erupting from his chest.

"Spike, this is Mark. Willow's boyfriend," Angel explained, motioning for the hunter to come closer. He didn't miss the glare the Slayer shot at him, but chose to ignore it for the moment. He got up and placed a hand on his childe's shoulder, offering support. Spike was beyond embarrassed and tried to shrug it off, to at least maintain an illusion of dignity.

"Right, I take it you're the bloke she met 'round Halloween," the blonde said, reaching out a tentative hand. Mark smiled and took it, not maintaining the contact longer than Spike wanted.

"That's right."

"Good. Red's a good woman. Don't hurt her." Willow blushed at the protectiveness of the tone and gently slapped his arm. "Wha? Not going to treat him no different than I would anyone coming around to sniff at Dawn. Or Buffy," he said in a matter of fact way. He might not be back to himself fully, yet. But nobody hurt his girls. If he hadn't liked Tara so much, she might not have made it out of town in one piece. That, and the fact that he couldn't really blame the girl for wanting to run far and fast to get away from the Hellmouth.

"Thanks, Spike. I'll remember that," Mark said, not phased in the least. "Hi Angel."

"Mark. Good to see you." The two brunettes shook hands, then Mark turned to Buffy.

"Just wanted to tell you about patrol last night. Everybody was asleep when I picked Willow up."

"Oh, yeah. How'd it go?" Buffy brought her coffee to the table and sat next to the resettled Spike. Mark and Willow settled on the other side, while Angel busied himself with making blood for himself and Spike.

"Just a few new risers. Nothing unusual."

"You patrol? By yourself?" Spike asked, intrigued. Even Xander didn't go out alone, and he'd grown up in Sunnydale. The three humans exchanged glances, trying to decide how to answer.

"Yeah, you see, Mark's kinda in the profession," Buffy explained.

"How so?" Spike took the mug from Angel and took a sip, grimacing at the taste of pig's blood. After a steady diet of human and Slayer blood, the animal blood was repugnant. This was one of the times he really hated his sire's sensibilities.

"Well, uhm, you see," Willow stammered, not wanting to upset the blonde.

"Look, Spike. I'm a demon bounty hunter. I get paid to hunt down demons," Mark said bluntly. He didn't see any reason to dance around the subject. Angel nodded and waited to see how Spike would react. Blue eyes met black, the vampire trying to see if he needed to be afraid. He didn't think Buffy would let someone in who might take him back to that place, but she'd been fooled before. Seeing nothing, he drained the mug.

"Sounds like fun. Have to tell me about it," he said, nearly snickering at the sighs of relief that sounded from his friends. Mark's lips quirked into a smile.

"Hey, whenever you feel up to it."

"Who that hell could that be?" Buffy groaned, hearing a knock at the door. She hadn't had this many people in her house this early in the morning since Dawn's last slumber party. "I'll be right back." She slid off the stool, squeezing Spike's arm before she turned and left the kitchen.

"So, what were you two arguing about when I threw myself brazenly into your arms?" Willow asked, her voice warm. "And it's nice to know some things will never change."

"Well, it seems my sire feels that since I haven't smoked in eight months, it would be stupid to start again. Course, I told him to sod off." He glared over at Angel, who gave him an unrepentant smile.

"You might not die from it, but the humans around you can."

"There's worse things they can die from and a little second hand smoke's not going to change that," Spike shot back. He jolted when he felt something hit his arm, and stared down at the Marlboro light. His eyes shot up to the innocently smiling Mark, a grateful expression on his face. "Thanks mate. Think I'm gonna like you." He was off the stool like a shot, and walked over to the basement door, his designated smoking area while the sun was up. He paused and looked at the man, cocking his head to the side. "You wanna. . .?" He couldn't quite get the rest out, but Mark got his meaning.

"Nah, just had one. And I need to ask Buffy something." A flare of relief flashed through Spike's eyes, and he disappeared downstairs without further hesitation.

"You just made a friend," Angel said with a sigh, before picking up his and Spike's mugs to put in the sink. Willow giggled, barely stifling it when the vampire scowled at her.

"Oh, come on, Angel. After everything he's been through, let him get have his nicotine," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I was just afraid he'd forget he was smoking it and set something on fire. He's been kind of spacey."

"Wouldn't you be? I'm sure he'll be fine. And it's not like you can't go down and check on him," she reminded him.

"Yeah, I know," Angel agreed. "Sorry, don't mean to be a jerk." He scrubbed his hands over his face, wishing he could just crawl back up to bed. He'd had a rough night, hearing Spike's cries as he fought nightmares. He'd wanted to rush in and protect his childe as best he could from the ghosts, but when he had gotten to the door, he sensed Buffy. She talked to Spike and assured him he was safe, her words calming him and soothing him back to sleep. Angel had just gone back to bed, still waking up each time he heard the blonde vampire, but knowing he was alright with the Slayer.

"S'okay. I wonder what's taking Buffy so long," Willow said, glancing towards the kitchen door.

"I'll go see. Got to use the facilities anyway." Mark pushed away from the table and kissed the top of her head, then left the two in the kitchen, quietly talking.

~*~*~

"I'm coming!" Buffy huffed walking towards the door. "Hold your damn horses." This she muttered to herself as she stood on tip toe to see out the peephole. She gasped when she saw who was outside, confusion slicing through her, followed by a flash of hurt. Anger hit next, but she managed to push it away to open the door, and NOT rip his head off. "Riley? What are you doing here?" she asked, standing in the doorway. Her ex gave his usual 'aw shucks' grin, and dipped his head. And to think, at one time I thought that was charming, she thought, realizing she much preferred a smirk with a cigarette dangling from it.

"Buffy. Good to see you. I just got transferred back to California, and I had to stop by and see you," he told her, his voice full of warmth. Buffy mustered a smile, but she knew it didn't reach her eyes.

"That's great, really. Thanks for stopping by." She didn't care that she was being rude. She so wasn't in the mood to deal with yet another ex boyfriend. Not when the one already in the house was annoying her to no end.

"Do you mind if I come in for a minute? I won't stay long," he promised, smiling at her again. Buffy refrained from rolling her eyes. Barely. With a sigh, she stepped away and invited him in. She then shut the door and walked into the living room. She didn't sit. She just remained standing, with her arms crossed over her chest, and waited. "Things weren't right between us when I left and I just wanted to clear the air," Riley started, coming to a stop in front of her.

"Well, maybe that's because you were getting suck jobs from vamp ho's cause you were jealous. And then, you had the nerve to give ME an ultimatum. So, yeah, I'd say the air was a bit murky when you left," she agreed, wondering why they had to rehash all this. It was long over, and she'd died and come back since then. It sort of made that whole thing seem kinda boring in comparison.

Riley's eyes dropped to the floor, cold anger snapping in them. He barely managed to keep from reaching out and punching that 'holier than thou' look off her face. Once he was sure he was calm, he looked back up at her, and put on a sheepish expression.

"You're right. I was wrong back then. I just. . .it doesn't matter now. You have your life, I have my life. I just wanted to apologize, that's all."

"Well, thanks Riley. But I haven't really thought about it in a while," she snapped angrily.

"Hey, Buffy? I need to talk to you. . .about. . .some. . .thing." Mark's voice filtered from the doorway, making Riley spin around at the interruption. As soon as their eyes met, recognition poured over them both like ice water. "Riley?" Mark gasped, the memory that had been eluding him suddenly blooming with bright clarity in his mind. Alarm bells went off in his brain, and it seemed as if the last piece of the puzzle fell into place. His face showed none of it as he reached out to accept the hand offered to him.

"Mark Lynch? What the hell are you doing in Sunnydale?" Riley grinned and pumped the other man's hand, his mind working to solve this new equation.

"You two know each other?" Buffy asked, eyeballing them both.

"Yeah," Riley answered, glancing back at her. "We met in Brazil. God, what was it, three years ago?"

"Something like that," Mark agreed, mentally kicking himself for not making the connection between Buffy's ex boyfriend Riley, and the cold soldier he'd met in South America. "I was hunting a Chaos demon, and I met up with his platoon. They were nice enough to let me share camp with them," he explained quickly.

"What the hell are you doing here? And how did you meet Buffy?" Riley asked, his tone excited at seeing an old friend.

"Settled down here. Met a girl, and said why the hell not. The girl is a friend of Buffy's, so that's how I met her."

"That's just great."

"Well, isn't that cozy?" Buffy's sneered, her own mind going to work, and nothing she came up equaled good. Mark was a demon hunter, who came to town about the time Spike disappeared. Riley used to work for the Initiative, a place that captured demons for scientific study. Spike was one of those demons. Mark was paid to capture demons and take them to whoever wanted them. Riley hated Spike. Mark's face had taken on an ashen quality when he saw Riley, almost like he felt guilty. No, none of it was good.

"Wow, it's great to see you," the soldier gushed, cringing at the act he had to put on.

"Yeah, you too. Buffy, whenever you've got a minute," Mark said. He sighed at the accusation he saw flaring in her hazel eyes.

"Oh, that's okay. I was just leaving. Buffy, again, I'm sorry. I hope we can be friends." Sincerity dripped off the words, making the Slayer want to heave.

"I have enough friends, thanks. But I'll keep that in mind."

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way." The soldier looked at her with his blue eyes for a second longer, as if trying to decide something. Then, he nodded sadly and turned to leave. "Goodbye Buffy," he told her, opening the door and leaving.

The click of the door closing had barely faded when Buffy reared on Mark, murder glowing in her eyes.

"You better tell me you had nothing to do with Spike's disappearance. And make it convincing, because I would hate to kill Willow's boyfriend in my living room." She was shaking with anger, her tiny body coiled to strike. Mark held up his hands in surrender.

"Buffy, I swear to you, I had nothing to do with it. I haven't seen him since Brazil," he assured, waiting for the punch. Her eyes locked with his for a long moment, studying him.

"Then why did you get all jittery when you saw him?" she threw back, not wanting to believe he would do such a thing, but having to think it just the same.

"I think... That's part of what I have to talk to you about. I think Riley had Spike."

"Why?" she demanded.

"Call the rest of the Scoobies. You all need to hear this," he said, his eyes begging her to believe him.

"Fine. But I want answers Mark. And they better be good." With that she stalked past him to go to the phone, anger and fear vibrating under her skin. Mark stayed in the living room, wondering if the only friends he'd ever had would hate him for what he'd willingly forgotten.

~*~*~

"Sir, did you acquire the target?" The soldier that fell in to step next to Riley after he got out of his car, asked.

"Yes, captain. He's in there. As well as one other vampire."

"Sir?"

"His sire. Angelus." A sneer curled Riley's lip at the thought of having the two vampires that had ruined the Slayer. He scowled again when Mark's face filtered through his mind. "And there was another there. Someone I knew in Brazil. Mark Lynch. A demon bounty hunter."

"Was he there to collect Hostile 17?" The captain was confused. They hadn't been informed of any outside assistance. In fact, they had been told to keep it top secret.

"No," was all the Commander said, his tone telling the other man not to question it.

"Will he be a problem?"

"No more than the Slayer. He's strong and capable. But in the end, we will retrieve the subject, and hopefully have a second as well. Two master vampires, one ensouled." He was nearly giddy with the idea.

"Should we activate the chip, sir?"

"There's no need yet. We'll have him by tonight. Don't want to take him back with oatmeal for brains. Go back to your room and prepare for the mission," he told the soldier when they paused outside of his room.

"Yes sir." The man turned away and went to debrief the others, leaving Riley alone to ponder all the fun he could have with Angel and Spike. With a chuckle, he let himself into his room to get some rest before the retrieval of Hostile 17.


Chapter 8

Mark stood in the middle of the living room, arms crossed over his chest as he dealt with the weight of so many eyes on him. It hadn't taken long for the Scoobies to assemble, within a half an hour of the call going out, they were all there, knowing only that Riley had shown up, and that the hunter might have some information that was important. Now, Anya and Xander sat on the couch, after the ex vengeance demon had said her hello to Spike. Dawn sat next to them after her own tearful hello with the vampire she thought of as brother and father. Buffy sat rigidly in the rocker in front of the fireplace, her eyes blank of whatever emotion she might have been feeling. Willow sat in the recliner next to the couch, her expression worried. She had no idea what had transpired between her lover and her best friend, but she could feel that it wasn't great. Throw Riley into the mix, and it definitely equaled bad.

And finally, Angel and Spike sat next to the door, in a couple of chairs hauled in from the dining room. There had been a heated debate between the Slayer and sire about whether or not Spike needed to hear whatever Mark had to say. Buffy was afraid of what it would do to him to hear it. And Angel had insisted they shouldn't hide anything from him. It was finally settled by Spike himself, who had said he wanted to hear it, and had touched a gentle hand to Buffy's hair. She'd given in, because it was what Spike wanted. She had a feeling, however, that she and Angel were going to come to head soon, and it wouldn't be pretty.

Now, here they sat, waiting for Mark to tell them what he had witnessed in Brazil. With a sigh, Mark started to speak, his voice low and steady, contrary to the bile threatening to rise in his throat.

"As you all know, I was in Brazil a few years ago. I was sent down there to trace a chaos demon. He'd killed a Senator's daughter, and the Senator didn't take it too well. When I got to Rio, I found out the demon took off into the Amazon Basin. He apparently heard I was coming. Well, I tracked him for a week, with no luck." The brunette started to pace and ran a hand through the long length of his hair. "I was about ready to turn around and head back to civilization. My supplies were running low, and the bastard was doing a good job at evading me. Then, I came to a small village. It had been reduced to rubble, there wasn't a soul around. Except for this small band of soldiers. Well, as soon as they saw me, they were all over me. Had my pack, my weapons, everything spread out over the ground, including me. When they found my badge, they let me up and started demanding answers. Told them what they wanted to know. Once they realized I wasn't a spy, or whatever it was they thought I was, their captain approaches me. It was Riley." He glanced over at Buffy at that and sighed at the brow she arched at him. "He offers to let me bunk with them, and gives me fresh supplies. Even offers to help me look for the demon. I tell him thanks to the supplies, no to the help. I ask him what happened to the village. He said it was infested with fire demons, I can't remember the technical name. Killed most of the villagers and destroyed everything. They'd come in to clean them out. Well, they gave me back my stuff and led me to their camp. I pretty much kept to myself. I couldn't really say why, but these guys kinda freaked me out." He could see it clearly in his mind, the exact precision in which they moved, talked, even ate. It was like they were a bunch of robots, following a specific program. "Riley tried to talk to me a few times, told me they could use a tracker with my experience and knowledge. Told him no thanks. He took it alright, I guess. Not too long after that, I turned in. Had to get up early and start tracking the chaos demon again."

They could tell, by the way his movements got jerky, he was getting to the part of the story he didn't want to remember. He itched for a cigarette, needing the calming nicotine. He just continued pacing, his long legs traversing the room quickly.

"Well, the next day, I get up and headed out well after the rest of the camp did. There were only a few soldiers left, to guard the camp. I didn't say anything to any of them, just got my stuff together and got the hell out of there. Something about them seemed off, and I really didn't want to be around anymore. I searched all day, found some evidence that he had been through there. The trail led straight to a cave. I hear all these noises coming from inside, so I drew my gun. Went in, and immediately picked up the smell of burning flesh. It was sickening. And it was everywhere." Mark's face twisted in disgust at the memory of the stench, his stomach pitching dangerously at the memory of what he saw next. "I held my breath and went further in, hoping I wasn't too late to help whoever the demon had in there. But, when I got inside, I saw that it wasn't the demon doing the burning." His eyes flicked over to Spike and he was hesitant to go on.

"Mark, what happened?" Willow asked, her heart clenching in her chest.

"Listen Spike, are you sure you want to hear this?" The vampire looked at Mark, fear lancing through him at the look on the brunette's face. What he was about to say was going to bring back memories, he could just see it. He turned his eyes to Buffy, then to Angel, and saw the support in their faces, as well as the other Scoobies. He nodded, indicating Mark should continue.

"I'll be alright." Mark didn't look convinced, but he saw the determination on the vampire's face and nodded.

"When I first went into the cave, I saw about five soldiers, and my chaos demon, with about four vampires. I was prepared to go in, collect my demon and head out. They hadn't seen me yet, and I was getting ready to let them know I was there. Then I saw Riley." Another pause, and he seemed to struggle with the words. The group of friends watched him, wondering what could have been so horrible, so unspeakable as to stilt this man, who'd probably seen the worst the world had to offer. "In the middle of the cave, there was a fire, and in the fire, were several long, sharp metal rods. Riley was holding one and taunting the vampire chained to the wall. He was a fledgling from what I could tell, and scared. It's an odd thing, to see a vampire scared." He glanced at Spike again, saw that the vampire had started to tremble, and his eyes had taken on a glassy quality. He seemed to be looking at something inside his mind, and Mark just hoped he'd be able to handle what he was about to describe. "The end of the rod he was holding was glowing, so you knew it was in the fire for a long time. At first, he just waved it in the vamp's face, laughing at the way he was twisting in his bonds to get away from it. From the burns already on his face, I could tell where the smell of burning flesh had come from. Then, he put the rod against the side of his neck, and burned off his sire's mark. The scream, jeez, the scream." He stumbled now, remembering that half shriek, half growl that erupted from the demon. "And Riley just laughed. Next thing I know, that damn rod is sticking out of the vampire's body, right over his heart. You ever seen a vampire catch on fire from the inside out?" The glowing end of the rod had ignited the dead heart it had come in contact with, incinerating him from the inside. All eyes shot to Spike when they heard him whimper. He was sitting next to Angel, his hands over his face, as if trying to ward off the images forcing their way to the front of his mind.

"I told you he shouldn't be in here," Buffy accused, pushing to her feet and crossing to the blonde. When Angel growled, she didn't even flinch, just gently took Spike's wrists and pulled them away so he could see her. "Spike, it's alright." She lifted her hand to his chin and brought his face up, so he could see her. She struggled to control the disgust waging inside of her at the monster her ex had become, and take care of Spike. "Spike, you're safe, okay?" As soon as his eyes had landed on her, they lost that glazed look, and he started to become aware of his surroundings again.

"I'm fine." Spike looked around the room, embarrassed once more. When the hell was this going to stop? He hated for them to see him weak and needy.

"Do you want to leave?" Angel asked him, placing a reassuring hand on his thigh. He shook his head, he could take this. He was surrounded by his friends, his sire, the woman he would love until he was dust. Nothing could hurt him here.

"No, go on, mate." He looked over at Mark and nodded once, indicating he could continue. It took Mark a minute to get started again, and Willow resisted the urge to go to him. He had that 'don't touch' aura around him, letting her know this was hard for him too.

"I don't know how many more details you want. I just stood there in shock. I understood killing the demons, and I didn't even get too pissed when they beheaded the chaos demon. That was all I needed to take back to the Senator. But, the utter brutality. They took them apart before they killed them. Plastic stakes dipped in holy water. Branding irons. Cattle prods. You name it, they used it. I think, the worst, was when I watched Riley force open the mouth of one of the females. She was vamped, because of all the pain. He had a pair of pliers. . ." A deep breath to stave off the nausea that threatened. The others in the room had a feeling they already knew what was coming, and they all shot looks to the vampire. "He had a pair of those heavy duty pliers, and he just reached into her mouth with them, and. . .and. . ."

"He ripped them out. Her fangs. He ripped them out," Spike said this, his voice matter of fact. Mark swallowed hard and nodded. She'd thrashed out with the agony that action had caused, throwing the guards holding her across the cave. When she reared on Riley, however, he merely grabbed her by her throat and picked her up, not seeming to notice the razor-like claws tearing into his flesh. He then tossed her to the side, to land on the fire. She combusted immediately, her shriek piercing Mark's stupor. He turned and ran out of the cave, not caring if they heard him, knowing he could get away. He hoped. He ran until he hit the camp again, and collapsed, not really wanting to stay there, but not wanting them to know what he had seen. He made some lame excuse about being chased by a wild cat, and kept to himself for the rest of the day.

When they returned after nightfall, Riley walked straight up to Mark and dropped a canvas bag at his feet. They looked at each other for a long minute, no words being said. Then, Riley nodded once and turned away, the meanest smile Mark had ever seen on his face. The next morning, before dawn, the hunter left the company and prayed never to see any of them again.

Mark turned and looked at the group staring at him when he was done, and held out a hand to Willow. With tears running down her face, she rushed to him, clasped him tight around the middle, her tiny body shivering against him. Xander held onto Anya as she shook in disbelief. She may have been an ex vengeance demon, but vengeance seemed so vile when it was done to someone you knew. Dawn sat next to them, silent tears leaking from her azure eyes.

Buffy stared at the couple, her mind reeling from the information. Everything Mark described coincided with the injuries on Spike's body. Anger and hate threaded through her, and all she could think of was 'destroy'. Hurt Riley the way he hurt Spike. Angel's growl was a testament to her own feelings, and she couldn't help but agree. Finn would regret the day he'd ever set foot in Sunnydale again.

"Now, do you believe I haven't seen him since then?" Mark asked, looking over at the Slayer. She nodded and gave Spike's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. He looked up at her, thankfully still clear eyed.

"Well, I think it's pretty obvious Riley didn't stop by today with just the intention of looking up an old flame," Xander said, pushing aside the horror of what he had heard and starting to think about the matter at hand.

"And I don't think he's alone. Last night, on my way over here to get Willow, I got this feeling. That something wasn't right. I didn't see anyone, but I'm not wrong," Mark told them, his tone sure.

"He was looking for Spike. But he didn't ask about him." Buffy tapped a finger against her lip while she thought, her mind kicking into gear alongside of Mark's and Xander's.

"He wouldn't. Wouldn't want to be obvious," Anya offered. "He must have some way to tell if he's here, though."

"Why do you say that?" Buffy asked.

"Because when he left, the last thing he knew we all hated Spike. There would really be no reason for him to come here."

"He knew I had fallen in love with the Slayer." Spike's quiet voice cut through their conversation, bringing all eyes to him again. Quickly, he told them about his last encounter with the soldier before he'd headed out for the wilds of Brazil.

"But still, that wouldn't automatically lead them here, would it?" Dawn asked, wanting to interject SOMETHING, so she didn't feel so useless.

"Remember when I came to town that one time, and we got into that fight? After Faith showed up in LA?" Angel asked, starting to slowly see the pieces fit.

"He was always mad I wouldn't stake Spike, after the chip got put in. And the fight with you. The vamp ho's."

"Okay, so he has a thing against vampires. Why did it lead him here?"

"Against these two particular vampires. Because of me." Guilt surged through her, that because of her, Spike got hurt so bad.

"He wasn't there, when I was first taken."

"What? Are you sure?" The Slayer kneeled down in front of the blonde and took his hand.

"Yeah. I was there two months, I think, maybe three. Time got kind of muddled after a bit. But he wasn't there. It was after he came that they took a special interest in me." He shuddered at the memories busting loose from the place where he had locked them up, and squeezed Buffy's hand to a painful degree.

"Don't worry, Spike. He won't get you again," Angel promised, barely contained violence in his words.

"So, what do we do? I think it's safe to assume he'll be back." Willow offered this, wiping her tears, and jumping into her 'action' mode.

"I think the first thing we should do, is get Spike out of here. We don't know what kind of fire power Riley has, or how many of his little buddies he brought with him." Buffy released Spike and rose to start pacing.

"What if they have some sort of homing device on him?" Xander asked, throughout this remembering the time Giles dug one out of the blonde vamp's back.

"Shit." Buffy hadn't thought of that.

"I can do that spell again. The one that charged the ions in the air and masked the signal. It's not great on the hair do's, but it worked," Willow offered.

"Wait, I've got a better idea." Mark walked over to his duster and started to search through one of the cavernous pockets. He pulled out a small device, and flipped it on.

"What's that?"

"It's a signal scrambler, to put it simply. It should interfere with a homing device, if he does have one on him." Or in him, he thought to himself. "We'll have to find it, eventually, and get it out. But this should work for now." He handed it to Angel, and let the vampire put it on Spike.

"Okay, that's taken care of for now. How do we get him out of the house without being seen?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms over her chest and waiting for ideas.

~*~*~

"Okay, remember when we took Dawn to see Harry Potter?" Willow asked, putting the rest of the supplies she'd used into her bag. Spike nodded, but didn't see how that had anything to do with his duster. He'd been touched to find out Buffy had kept it under her bed, and would wrap herself up in it when she was lonely. Willow had told him that. "Remember the Invisibility Cloak?" Ah, it made sense now.

"Yeah."

"Well, this will do the same thing, with the added benefit that all you have to do is put it on, and it'll make you fully disappear. Not just the parts it touches. Try it on." She handed him the leather and watched as he put it on. As soon as it covered his lean frame, he slowly faded, until there was nothing but space in front of her. She smiled wide and picked up Angel's coat. "Here, now you." The brunette scowled at it, obviously not happy at having to leave the house. As far as he was concerned, Finn needed to have a taste of Angelus. But Buffy had pretty much told him, either he did it this way or he could go back to LA. She didn't want either vamp in the house if-no, when- Riley came back. She wouldn't leave, and they decided Mark should stay as well. That left Angel as the last one with enough strength to protect the still weak vampire.

Angel took the coat and slipped it on. The same results occurred, and Willow smile brightly.

"Well, do we have two inviso-vamps?" Buffy asked, walking back into the room, carrying a wicked looking hand ax.

"Bloody right." Buffy couldn't help the small squeal that escaped her at the sound of Spike's voice in her ear. She rolled her eyes at the chuckle he let out.

"Glad to hear some of your obnoxious humor is back." She reached out in the direction his voice had come from, and pressed her hand against the solid wall of his chest. "Cool," she said with a giggle. "So, do we all know the plan?"

"Yeah, Angel and Spike will head out as soon as the sun sets. They'll wait in Spike's crypt until we signal them that it's safe to come back."

"What happens if anything goes wrong?"

"We separate and meet at the Hyperion in two days." This came from Inviso-Angel.

"I guess we're ready then. Mark and Xander are making sure they can't get into the house without us knowing. Dawn and Anya are making sure you two have supplies. Then, they and Xander are heading back to the Magic Box to wait. Mark and Willow will stay here with me, in case I need help." She heard Angel's growl and shot a glare in his general direction, since she wasn't entirely sure where he was and she didn't want to take the time to figure it out.

"I guess all that's left to do is wait," Willow said, finishing her clean up and wiping off her hands.

"Yep. That's all that's left." A surge of adrenalin shot through her at the promise of an impending fight. It was payback time, for every sin Riley Finn had ever committed. She just hoped he'd last long enough for her to beat him for just General Principle, as well as all the pain he'd caused Spike.

"Buffy?" She turned in the direction of Spike's voice, and smiled as he came back into view.

"There you are," she said with a smile. It felt kind of weird to be playing a game of peek-a-boo with a vampire.

"Be careful. He's not the same Captain Cardboard that left." She smiled again, hoping to reassure him.

"I could handle him then, I can handle him now," she assured, frowning when he didn't look convinced. "Hey, don't worry. We have a plan. And our plans usually work." Cheer infused her voice, making him give her a tight smile. "Now, why don't you two go get some blood and get ready to head out. Sundown's in about two hours," she said as Angel reappeared to view as well.

"Let's go Spike." Angel dropped his coat onto a chair and went to lead his childe to the kitchen. Spike gave Buffy a long look before he left, his eyes unusually open and expressive. Worry for her safety was written all over his face.

"I'll be careful," she finally promised, hoping to put him at ease.

"Thank you," he said, then let Angel take him out of the room. Willow and Buffy looked at each other and mentally seemed to be preparing for the night ahead.

"Do you really think he'll show back up tonight?" the witch asked after a minute. She suppressed a shiver at the cold curtain that dropped over her friend's eyes.

"Oh, I hope so, Will. I hope so."


Chapter 9

"Bloody hell, would you quit? You're makin me dizzy, going 'round in circles like that," Spike snapped, glaring at his sire. Angel was stalking around the crypt, edginess and anger rolling off him in waves. He wanted to be back at the house, shoving a few plastic stakes into some strategic places on Riley Finn, not sitting here doing nothing. He glanced over at Spike, and sighed. The younger vamp was as tense as a coiled snake, and he wasn't helping. He walked over to the sarcophagus, where his childe was sitting, idly banging his heels against the stone. A cell phone was clutched tight in hand.

"I'm sorry, Spike," he said, resting his palm against Spike's cheek. The blonde gave him a tight smile, and went back to staring at the cell phone. He seemed to be willing it to ring. "Worried?" A curt nod was his answer. Angel slid onto the stone next to him, and wrapped an arm around the younger vampire's shoulders. Spike leaned into the comfort, hating himself for needing it. "I'm sure everything's alright. Buffy can handle Finn. She's beaten our asses more than once." Spike snorted at that.

"Maybe yours. I give as I good as I get."

"Uh huh. Who was stuck in a wheelchair for five months?" Spike scowled at that, and gave a low growl, to which Angel chuckled.

"Ponce."

"Love you, too, Spike." They lapsed into silence after that, each imagining what could be happening back at the Summers house. Each hoping this nightmare would be ending soon.

~*~*~

When the knock on the door came, the three sitting in the living room almost couldn't believe the predictability of it. But, then, Riley was a soldier, and routine was his God.

"Showtime," Buffy murmured, pushing to her feet. Adrenalin sang under her skin, making her heart trill with excitement. She glanced over at Willow, before pulling the door open to face the smiling face of her ex.

"Hello Buffy," He said, ducking his eyes. *Still playing the game, huh?* she thought, pasting on a nasty smile.

"Riley. What are you doing back here? I thought we said everything we had to say earlier," she told him, crossing her arms over her chest. She arched a brow at the chuckle that erupted from his lips.

"Well, not really." She saw the change in him the second it occurred, even though she couldn't really pinpoint what it was. All of a sudden, he seemed. . .bigger. His eyes turned cold, his stance rigid. The hard mask that fell over his face caused an unnoticed chill to race up her spine. Spike's words from earlier, about how Riley wasn't the same, skidded through her memory as she stared at the proof.

"Done with lying, are you? You didn't come here today to make amends. You were looking for Spike." She felt rather then heard Mark and Willow come up behind her, to present a unified front to Riley. Anger bloomed fresh in her heart at the fact that Riley merely looked bored.

"Can't we skip all this, Buff? Why don't you just hand him over? And I'll be on my way," he suggested, his eyes barely flicking up to acknowledge the witch and the hunter.

"Did you take too many shots to the head? Why would I turn him over? In case you forgot, I was pretty active in NOT letting the Initiative get their hands back on him."

"Oh, I remember. Vividly. It was always about him, wasn't it Buffy?" He tilted his head to the side and looked at her with such contempt, it made her bristle.

"Why don't you just get out of here, Riley? We're not going to let you have him." Willow took a step forward and pinned him with her eyes. The black that flashed over her green orbs didn't even phase the soldier.

"You can't hurt me, Willow," he told her, sneering.

"No? Well, I think I might be able to do a pretty good job. Why don't you come in and find out?" Buffy challenged, tensing.

"Come on, guys. Why do we have to do this? You can't stop me. Mark, help a guy out." He turned his eyes to the demon hunter, an amicable smile on his face. Mark rolled his eyes in disgust, but didn't answer. "So, that's how it is, huh? Do you two need to be reminded just what it is you do? Buffy, you're the VAMPIRE slayer. And Mark, you hunt demons for a living. Why are you trying to protect this one? I NEVER understood that." Riley shook his head in wonder, as if he was trying to solve a puzzle.

"You wouldn't. You don't have an ounce of mercy in your body," Buffy said through clenched teeth. Her hands had fisted, and she was more than ready to plow them into his sanctimonious face. In this minute, she truly didn't understand what she had ever seen in him. His eyes hardened to chips of ice, and anger ticked a vein in his jaw.

"I have mercy for those that deserve it. And some disgusting vampire doesn't." Riley's head whipped to the side with the force of the blow the tiny Slayer visited on his jaw.

"Get the fuck out," she managed, her voice barely a whisper. Her body shook with rage and disgust, and she thoroughly expected him to leave. Her eyes widened in disbelief when he started to laugh. She took an unconscious step back when he slowly turned his head back around. Mark gasped when he saw Riley laughing, not even phased by the punch that would have shattered the hunter's jaw. He immediately reached for his gun, and trained it on the soldier.

"Oh, you don't want to do that, Mark," Riley said, his voice amazingly calm. When he reached into his pocket, the click of the gun being cocked echoed through the room.

"Get your hand out of there, you fuck," the brunette warned, his hand never wavering.

"Relax, I just wanted to show you something." His hand emerged from the inside pocket of his jacket, revealing a small tube filled with a clear liquid.

"What the hell is that?" Buffy asked, brandishing an ax. Riley chuckled when he saw it.

"All this for me? I'm touched." He reached into his other pocket and pulled out a slim, black device. "Well, you see Buff. This is why I need Spike back so bad. This little bottle of liquid is the latest innovation in demon hunting, currently only used by the US Army." Another chuckle, this one bordering on maniacal, filled the air. "And this?" He twisted the electrical thing in his hand, and stared at it almost lovingly. "Is going to help me find the bleached wonder."

"You really think we'd make it easy?" The Slayer eyeballed both hands, trying to figure out just what both things did.

"No, Buffy. Nothing's ever easy with you."

"What does that stuff do?" Willow asked. She felt a little lost. She didn't know why Riley felt so confident, or how he had managed to get strong enough to take one of Buffy's hits.

"This stuff?" He tilted the vial, and watched the liquid swirl around inside. "Let's just call it 'Essence of Vampire', shall we? For when you want to kick it up a notch." He laughed at his own joke, and tossed it in the air.

"So help me, if you say 'BAM', I'm going to knock your teeth down your throat. Not that I'm not going to anyway. It'll just make it more satisfying," Buffy told him. "A lunatic that watches the Food Network is more than a little disturbing."

"That's your problem, Buffy. No imagination." She didn't see it coming, until she was flying back into Willow. Her stomach convulsed with the force of the hit, and she had to fight the urge to lose the contents of her stomach. The two girls looked up from the heap they landed in when the gunshot went off.

"MARK!" Willow screamed, trying to shove Buffy off her, so she could help her lover. Blood seeped from the wound in Riley's arm, but that hadn't slowed him down. Mark's gun skidded across the floor when Riley grabbed his wrist and slammed it over his knee, effectively breaking his wrist. The hunter didn't let out a sound, just clenched his teeth and swung with his good hand. The other man ducked easily, then grabbed Mark around the throat and picked him bodily off the ground. Mark clawed at the hand crushing his larynx, and kicked out with his heavy boots. "SEPARATE!" the witch yelled, confusion and fear gripping her when nothing happened.

"See, Will. I told you there was nothing you could do." He ripped open his shirt to reveal an amulet resting against his chest. It was the size of a half dollar and had intricate words in an ancient writing all over it. "It's the charm of Tacken. No magic can be used against me," he explained, as easily as if he was talking about the weather. A war cry filled the air, and Buffy surged off of the floor, wielding the ax in front of her like some Amazonian warrior. She leapt around Willow, and swung the deadly instrument at the hand holding Mark. She was knocked out of the air with no more effort than would be used to swat a fly, and flew through the air to land hard against the door jamb.

"Willow, get out," Mark managed around his desperate gasps for oxygen. With a desperate kick, he landed a blow to the groin of the soldier, and began sucking in air when he hit the ground. Riley stumbled back a step with the pain, but quickly recovered. He straightened and looked at the three in front of him. Buffy had pulled herself up, her breathing labored from the cracked rib she'd incurred when she landed. Willow was tugging on Mark, trying to get him out of harm's way, and Mark was trying to push himself up to his feet, his gun clutched in his good hand.

"Well, since you're not going to cooperate, I guess it's time to see just what the chip will do to Spike." Three sets of eyes shot to him as he held up that black device he had been holding. He pressed the button on the side and waited. After a second, he started to shake it, wondering what went wrong.

Meanwhile in the crypt, Angel was trying to calm Spike, who was writhing on the dusty floor in agony, a silent scream twisting his features.

"What the fuck is wrong with this thing?" Riley wondered aloud. He wasn't paying attention to the Slayer or the others as he cursed to himself. Suddenly, the device went flying from his hand, after the Slayer's tiny foot connected with it. She did a flip over his head, barely managing to stay out of his grasp, and picked it up. She depressed the button, then threw it on the floor, shattering it. She stomped the little bits of wire and electrical parts for good measure, and glared up at the man she used to love.

"What happened to you?" she asked, shaking her head.

"You did," he answered, before he rushed her. She neatly back flipped away, stopping and ducking just in time for him to try to tackle her and miss. The crash was immense when he landed in her mother's china cabinet. She was up and running for the door, screaming for Mark and Willow to get out, before he had a chance to pick himself out of the debris.

The witch and the hunter were out the door in the second before her, rocketing towards the sleek, black car parked on the street. Buffy pulled her cell out of her pocket, before sliding into the backseat, and hitting speed dial for Angel's.

"Get out of there, NOW," she yelled, bracing herself when Willow pealed out into the street. The distant sound of sirens could be heard, indicating the neighbors had called the police. *Good, that ought to keep him away for now,* she thought, while she waited for the Magic Box phone to be answered. She breathed shallowly, to offset the pain lancing through her from her rib. Mark sat slumped in the front seat, holding his shattered wrist in his good hand, and staring unseeing out the window.

"Back up plan," she said when Xander picked up, hanging up before he could answer. She threw the phone across the seat, and sat back. Tears burned her eyes, and worry clutched her heart. What if they didn't make it? What if Riley's men did something to the others? They were obviously not at the house, or else they would have been attacked before they ever reached the car. She hated separating, but they hadn't been able to think of any other way. She really hated leaving the house, not knowing what Riley was going to do in there with them gone.

"We need to get you two looked at," Willow said, as she tore out of town.

"No hospitals," Buffy and Mark answered at the same time.

"Just drive until we're almost out of gas, then find a hotel." There were bags in the trunk, just in case it came to this. Buffy waited until Willow nodded, then shifted in her seat to get more comfortable, if possible. She closed her eyes and silently prayed that the others would be alright.

~*~*~

Riley burst out of the back door just as the police cars pulled up front. He cursed violently in his head when he had to duck down into a bush to avoid being seen by the neighbors. Rage raced through his blood, clouding his vision. He knew better than to underestimate an enemy. And Buffy had always shown herself to be resourceful in the past. Why had he thought it would be any different now?

"Sir," the communicator squawked, just as he made it out of the backyard, and started down the street.

"Go ahead," he snarled, still in the process of yelling at himself.

"We lost the signal to Hostile 17's chip."

"I know," was all he said in explanation. "Are you still watching the Magic Box?"

"Yes sir. There has been no activity for over an hour." Riley stopped walking at that. *That's odd,* he thought. He would have sworn that the others would have been on the move as soon as Buffy contacted them.

"You're sure?"

"Yes sir. Nobody has come in or left."

"Have you checked the tunnel access?"

"Yes sir. As I said, no one has left."

"Send a man inside. I don't believe they're still there. Then, meet me back at the hotel," he ordered, deftly changing direction and avoiding the oncoming police cruiser. He didn't need the annoyance of dealing with the police, and trying to explain the already healing gunshot wound in his arm.

"Yes sir."

~*~*~

Five minutes later, a silent figure slipped easily into the basement of the magic shop. He moved silently past the jars of exotic herbs and talismen, without seeing them. His super sensitive hearing was tuned to any sound, searching out any signs of people inside. He walked stealthily up the stairs, and hovered just outside of the door, listening. It didn't take long to realize there was nobody on the other side.

He pushed through the door, and did a quick search of the premises, just to be sure. With a sigh of disgust, he pulled out his communicator.

"They're gone," was all he said, before he shoved it back into his pocket and turned to leave. He didn't relish getting back to the others and dealing with the backlash of this.

~*~*~

Three blocks over in an alley, a manhole cover clattered loudly as it was flung aside. Shuffling could be heard from the depths of the sewer, as well as female voices softly muttering. The sound of feet landing on the pavement and scurrying across the street to the waiting SUV filled the air. Anybody around would have sworn there was no one there to make the sounds, and that the alley must be haunted.

"Come on," Xander called urgently.

"Xander, we're already here," Anya's annoyed voice told him.

"Oh. Dawn?"

"Here, too," the teen answered. "Now, open the doors." As soon as the click of the locks was heard, the doors opened and admitted its invisible owners.

"Well, Xander. Drive."

"Don't you think it will look a little odd, an SUV driving ITSELF through town? Isn't that kind of like having a neon sign 'hey, soldier guys. We're right here?' " he asked, contemplating taking off Mark's duster.

"This is the Hellmouth. How weird could it be?" Dawn hissed.

"Can we just go? The longer we sit here, the longer we're risking them showing up," Anya urged.

"Fine. I just hope the others got out," the brunette said, pulling off into the night.

~*~*~

"Hold on, Spike. We'll be at the car in a minute," Angel whispered to his childe. He held the blonde in his arms, cradling him gently as he moved. Whatever had happened in the crypt was over as quickly as it started, but it left Spike only semi-conscious and unaware of his surroundings. When the call from Buffy had come, he'd wrapped the younger vampire up in his duster, and picked him up. The car was parked on the other side of the woods, and barring meeting any nasty, they would get there in one piece.

He started to walk quicker when the car came into sight, breaking into a sprint when the trees thinned out. He was thankful he owned a convertible, since it made getting Spike inside easier. He laid him in the backseat, leaving the duster on just in case. However, he shrugged his off before climbing in, not wanting to raise suspicion. Then, within five minutes of Buffy's call, the two vampires were en route to the Hyperion, to await the others and figure out what to do next.

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