Pairing: Er... Spike/Buffy sort of? In a twisted way. Rating: R Warning: Dark fic. Includes multiple character deaths, suicide. If this is not your bag, turn back now. Spoilers: Through early Season 5 Summary: Spike bags Slayer number three Date Written: 12/00 Author's Notes: This one is in response to Adrianna's challenge on You Got The Stones?. A new Slayer is called and Spike finds her before the Council does. Dedication: To Adrianna who inadvertently helped me explore my dark side. Hope you like it, Ducks. Slayer's blood. Nothing in this world is sweeter, more powerful, than Slayer's blood. I should know. I've drained two. Been directly responsible for the death of another. Yeah, I'm still the big bad. Never mind the sodding chip; there's more than one way to skin a cat, as me Mum used to say. And more than one way to kill a Slayer. I never knew Faith. Wish I had, though. Word is she was a right good fighter, not to mention the fact that she was psychotic. Always have liked that in a woman. It's what first attracted me to Dru. Still, to sum up, never knew her, didn't think much about it when I heard she died in a prison riot. Didn't figure it had much of anything to do with me. Yeah, there would be a new Slayer called, but what were the chances she'd end up in Sunnydale? Not much. Anyway, Blondie's never been able to come up with the stones to stake me. And the Watcher and Droopy Boy keep forgetting I'm evil at all. Just because I let them watch Passions with me last year when neither one had a single useful thing to do doesn't mean I wouldn't drain them both in a heartbeat if I could still bite. Sometimes I think Red is the only one of the lot who realizes I can still be dangerous. And even she doesn't know how dangerous. See, just because I can't bite, they all think I'm some sort of fluffy puppy for them to play with when they feel like it, and kick occasionally just because they can. Even after that little lesson I gave them a few months back when I got them all so pissed off with each other they wouldn't even talk other than to hurl insults, they still don't think I can hurt them. It was really funny watching ol' Rups go for that whiskey bottle so fast. Just because I said she didn't need him anymore. It's easiest, and the most fun, hurting him because we share an Achilles' heel. A certain Slayer we both want and will never bloody have. I get a special satisfaction when I can hurt someone with my own weakness. And love is a weakness. Never forget that. Anyway, Faith was dead. Still is, so far as I know, and nobody much cared. Maybe The Great Poofini, but then, he's a great, wanking nancy-boy, when all's said and done. Probably upset him so much he had to go spend a fortune on hair gel and suchlike. Doesn't really matter what he thinks, now, does it? So I was poking around outside the Slayers' house one night. I'd come over hoping they'd all be at the hospital so I could scavenge a bit. It's a predator thing, alright? Slayer's Mum was having a brain tumor sliced out of her head, and the lot of them had been practically living in the wards. But no. Blondie and her kid sister and Rupert were all there. They sent the kid up to bed, and the pair of them sat in the lounge whispering. They do that a lot these days. I must remember to say something about that to Captain Cardboard. He's already jealous of me. Imagine the fun if he thought he was fighting the Watcher for her as well! Little does he know he's already lost her. Not that Rupert or I will ever get anywhere with the chit. Bloody hell! I keep getting off track. Must be going soft. So, they're sitting in the lounge, all nice and cozy. I had to know what they were saying. Yeah, I eavesdropped. I'm EVIL, alright? It's the sort of thing I do. And vampire hearing is a very useful tool, I might add. Not everyone could have heard their conversation through the double-glazing, but I did. Seems the Watchers had been in contact with Giles. That alone was a big shocker. They don't like him 'cause he had the stones to try to protect his Slayer from one of their little tests. Still, beggars can't be choosers, and they needed every contact they could get. Seems the new Slayer, Faith's replacement, hadn't been found. She could be anywhere, but sources had lead them to believe the girl was either in or headed for Sunnydale. Now none of the Scoobies has the heart, or guts, to stake me, but that doesn't mean they couldn't train someone else to do it for them. I remember when Buffy was all new and eager. She came too damn close to getting me on a couple occasions. There was no telling if the new Slayer would be as good at the hunt as Blondie. Or even better. I therefore decided it would be in my best interests to find the girl first. Train her up the way I'd like. Maybe get her to take care of my problems, and the Council's at the same time. Funny, me and the Watchers wanting the same thing. But we all wanted Buffy and her little Scooby Gang out of the way. That way, they could get a nice, housetrained Slayer and Watcher, and I could get the damned bint out of my head once and for all. I'd make a deal with God Himself to get that. A bit later, I was out looking for a creature of the night or two to have a go at, when I see this little tiny thing taking on a nasty looking demon. All knees and elbows and flying fists, the kid was. She was raw, but there was definite talent there. I nearly pissed meself laughing. Here's the sodding Watcher's Council and the Scooby Gang and all hunting high and low for the new Slayer, and I find her while taking a jaunt outside Willie's Place. One look and I figured I'd better get in there and help her, or I'd lose my advantage and a new Slayer would be called. That didn't fit my plans at all. So I joined in the fight, and in no time we had the thing in pieces. Literally. It was quite a sight. Demon bits everywhere, not to mention the blood which was sort of yellowish. Cor, it was a right mess! I grabbed the kid by the hand and told her we'd better leg it before someone came around to ask questions. She went with me, just like that. Too trusting by half. This was gonna be too easy. I took her back to my crypt. Told her it was for safekeeping. I don't think she really heard a word I said to her. Just sat there shaking. At first, I thought she might have some idea that I meant her harm, but no. The next thing I know, she's turning these big, gray, soulful eyes at me and asking: "What was that thing? In the alley?" "Kalirang demon. Ugly bugger, weren't it? You're safe now." She just nodded, and I nearly blew the whole thing then and there. I wanted to laugh until I pissed myself. Here I've got a Slayer on my hands who doesn't know to be afraid of vampires. Too funny. Even Slutty was scared of Peaches at first. Before they got all gooey-eyed at each other. I lit a fag, and she gave me a funny look. "You know smoking's bad for you." "Yeah, well, I don't think it's gonna hurt me, seeing as I'm already dead." "You're what?!" "Dead. Well, undead actually. I'm a vampire. Oh, don't worry, pet; I won't hurt you. See, there were these gypsies who cursed me with me own soul back again. Now I don't drink people. Get my blood 'round the butcher's. I help people now. Name's Angel." Well if I was going to get her to trust me as a vampire, I couldn't see a better way to do it. It's not like Peaches was ever going to find out I was pretending to be him. And if the Slayers ever did run into each other, there was the added bonus that I could convince Blondie that her big, brooding babe hated her guts. Revenge is a sweet thing. And like I said, love is a weakness. Over the next few days, we got to talking a lot, Alyssa and me. That was the kid's name; Alyssa. I told her all about her sodding "sacred duty", but warned her to steer clear of the Watchers and their cronies. It was easy enough to scare her. A few stories about what the Council did when Faith wouldn't toe the line, the story of The Crucimentium - carefully leaving out the bit where Rupert saved the Slayer and her Mum, a few hints at other abuses supposedly practiced by the Watchers and their minions. See, she trusted me. It felt good, having someone that innocent trust me. Made it a hell of a lot easier to mess with her mind. Oh, and if you're wondering where I got the fairy tales to tell her, well, let's just say ol' Rups has been known to talk in his sleep when he's having nightmares. He has them constantly, too. Couldn't bloody hear myself think some nights when I was chained up in his bathtub. At least I knew he wasn't any happier than I was. Oh, and for future reference, he's also awfully talkative when he's plastered. That happens a lot more than any of them know, too. Anyway, I had the poor kid convinced that if she ever met up with the Council, they'd have her beaten, raped, hypnotized, and kidnapped off to England for brainwashing, more raping and beating, and probably a good being killed besides. She honestly thought I was her only hope of escape. Of course, that was true, in a sort of way. No fear the Council'd want her once I'd finished with her. So we spent our days training her, and me telling her all the sort of half-truths and outright lies that scare a kid most. Evenings, we'd sit around and watch the telly while she painted the most amazing things on her fingernails. Kid was regular Van Gogh with nail varnish. I took to nicking a couple pots for her whenever I went out for ciggies. It was a little thing and it made her happy. Even let her paint a bloody Union Jack on my thumbnail. In honor of my Britishness, she said it was. I know what you're thinking: "Ooh, Spike's going soft on the chit. He wants her to have something that makes her happy." Well you can kiss my undead arse if that's what you're thinking. It was a device to retain her fucking trust, and don't you forget it! Means to an end, mate; that's all she ever sodding was to me. Besides, while she painted these tiny masterpieces, she would really open up. Rule of thumb number one: you can't play on somebody's fears until you know what they are. And you can't learn them from somebody who won't open up to you. Like I said; necessity. That's how I learned that her Mum had been bitten. That's how the kid ended up alone. So, Mummy dead, Daddy hadn't been seen in years, and she grabs the first Greyhound out of town. The furthest she could get with the money she had turns out to be Sunnydale. Talk about your cosmic irony! Anyway, she's taking to the training like a duck to water, and I decide it would be a good idea to take her hunting. Excuse me, patrolling. That's what Blondie calls it so she don't sound like a killer. She is, but she doesn't like to be reminded of that particular fact. A Slayer is a preditor. She likes to pretend she's a super hero from one of those comic books Droopy Boy is so fond of. But that's neither here nor there. So, patrolling with the Squirt. I tell you, this one was smaller than Buffy. Minuscule thing with these huge gray eyes that looked right through you, but didn't see a damn thing. If they were worth anything, she'd have seen through me. Still, we went patrolling in the graveyard my crypt is in. Figured the Slayer had been there the night before, so she wasn't likely to be back that night. She almost never does the same cemetery two nights running. Course, she's got, what is it, eleven I think, to choose from. Variety is the spice and all that. Yeah, I know, I'm taking my time with this part. I want to savor it. Is that quite all right with you? It's my bleedin' story; I'll tell it in my own bleedin' time. I'm building the, whadyacallit, suspense. Yeah, suspense. That's right. Anyway, we're out walking, looking for something to kill when we see two people come into the graveyard. The joke's on me, because it's Blondie and Rups out for a stroll. I grab the Squirt and we hide behind a monument before they can see us. See I'd told Alyssa if those two ever found her, she'd be on a slow boat to England and life imprisonment faster than you can say 'Watcher'. I'd told her the only way to escape would be to take out the other Slayer. And she believed me. She trusted me. While the two of them are walking, they're talking about stuff. I can hear 'em but Alyssa can't. Vampire hearing, like I said. Slayer's talking about how sick her Mum is and how Captain Cardboard's gone AWOL on her, and such-like self pity, and Rupert's pretending to be all fatherly to her. Sympathizing about the boyfriend like I'd never heard him wanking in the shower over her. Pitiful. Anyway, Squirt wants to know what those two are up to, so I tell her they heard she's around. They're hunting her. I said the Council has decided they want her dead, and there's the hit squad. Figured that would make her hide back in the crypt, but I'd misjudged her. Next thing I know, she's leaping out of the shadows onto Buffy, pummeling away like there's no tomorrow. I should've just legged it right then and there, but I couldn't look away. Not every day a fellow gets to watch two Slayers take each other on. Fuckin' poetry in motion. Good poetry too; not like the drivel I wrote when I was alive. There's fists and feet and elbows going every which way, not to mention they're jumping over headstones and swinging from trees. No holds barred. Just the kind of fight I like. Of course, the Watcher can't sit back and observe. He's got to bloody go in there and try to sacrifice himself for his Slayer. Squirt knocks him down with his back bent the wrong way over a grave marker. Well that's what the wanker gets, trying to fight a Slayer. Especially one that's been specially trained to fight dirty. Giles getting hurt really motivated Buffy, though so it was a miscalculation on Alyssa's part. One I've even made myself. Blondie really got into the fight after that. Finally, skill and experience, combined with serious anger, won out over the talented newcomer and Buffy had the kid pinned. "Don't kill me!" The kid yells, crying her little eyes out. And Blondie goes all still and confused. "What are you talking about? You tried to kill us." "Angel said you were going to kill me. He said!" Buffy was so shocked at that one that she sat back on her heels staring. Went white as a sheet. Told you that would be the icing on the cake. "Why would we want to hurt you? You're a Slayer." So She'd figured it out. Always did say that one had brains underneath it all. "Angel told me. He said you and the Watcher would kill me. He said you would torture me and kill me." About this time, a lightbulb went off in Buffy's head. "Oh God, Giles!" She forgot completely about the kid and ran for her Watcher. He was lying on the ground looking about half-past dead. She just sat there yelling for somebody to call an ambulance and weeping over him like she'd ever paid a blind bit of attention to him before. As for Alyssa, she took her chance and ran. I didn't want to crowd the kid after a traumatic experience like that, so I took a walk elsewhere for a bit. When I got back to the crypt, there she was. Well, her corpse, anyway. Stupid girl sliced her wrists open over the mess. Didn't even bother to find out what happened next. Stupid cow. Mindless, fucking bint. Still, waste not, want not. Her heart had stopped beating, so it wasn't going to hurt her or me if I had a drop or two. Drank all I could get. Then grabbed a bottle of whiskey and had a drop or twenty of that. I hate to lose. It's been about a month since then. Not a good one for the Slayer. Giles did survive, but he probably wishes he hadn't since the doctors don't think he'll ever walk again. Lost a big chunk of his memory too, they say. He's more pathetic than he was last year. At least then he could pretend it was going to get better. About the time they figured out Giles would make it, Buffy left his side for one day. Took a little trip to Los Angeles. Dusted Angel. After all, she thought it was his fault. That was the sweet part for me. As for Buffy herself, it's a matter of time. Turned into a zombie, she has, just waiting to die. She told me once I wouldn't be the one, but she was wrong. I may not have the dance, but I bloody well called the tune for it. And when she has her final waltz, I'll be there. And when her heart finishes its final beat, I will taste the sweetest, most powerful Slayer's blood of all time. And she will be mine.