Death Wish

Chapter 3
by Miss Binks

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Chapter Three

The bell that hung over the door of the magic shop rang as Spike entered.   He had been watching the place for the last few hours, waiting for Buffy to show.   He walked in and moved towards the back room where the sounds of fists hitting a punching bag were clearly audible.   Spike had always wondered what customers thought about this place.   Well, you could never underestimate the people of Sunnydale ability to deny what they see and hear.   He ignored Anya’s dirty look, opened the door to the training room, and walked in.   Almost immediately, Giles had moved away from where he was watching the Slayer train and had stepped towards him, blocking Buffy from his view.   Spike found it almost amusing that Giles actually thought that he had to protect the Slayer and not the other way around, which is usually how it worked.  

“You are not welcome here, Spike.   Leave now.”   Spike was expecting his type of reception.   I guess that Buffy has told the crew about our little fight last night.   Spike looked around the room.   Buffy had stopped pounding the bag and was now watching Spike and Giles.   Xander was over in the corner, somehow managing to look both smug and furious at the same time.   There was no sign of the Witches or Little Sis.  

“Calm down, Watcher.   I have official business for the Slayer.”

“We don’t need your help Spike.   There is nothing that you can offer us.”   The Watcher quickly shot forward and grabbed Spike by the lapels, slamming his head against the door.   Spike took a deep unnecessary breath and calmed himself.   It took every inch of his willpower to not rip the man's head clean off his shoulders.

“How about the lives of a bunch of kids.   Is that worth your time.”

Buffy finally spoke up.   “What are you talking about, Spike.”   She moved toward Giles and Spike.

“There’s a new group of demons in town.   Grakdoos.   Nasty buggers.   I assume that the Watcher here has heard of ‘em.”

Giles finally released Spike and step back.   “Yes, I’ve heard of them.   They are in town?”   Giles pushed Spike to the side and walked out of the training room, heading towards the bookshelves.   Buffy gave Spike a nasty look, and then walked past him, following her watcher.   Spike sighed, and then followed the two.  

“Let’s see.   I seem to remember that there was a listing for them in the Annals of Demetrius.   Oh, yes.   Grakdoos.   Large vicious bipedal demons whose major food source is the flesh of small children.   They are extremely strong and can only be killed by using the essence from the Nightshade flower.”

“So what, these demons have hay fever.   Are they going to sneeze until their heads explode?”   Buffy smirked at Giles.

“Not quite, Buffy.   You see, the essence of these flowers have both magical uses and are extremely poisonous to humans.   The poison is known as belladonna.   Really, Buffy, you should know these things.   It is interesting that Grakdoos seem to be affected by these poisons as well.”

“Well, the Watcher finally seems to get it.   Now get some of that flower and me and the Slayer here will go and kill them.”  

“Spike,” Buffy punctuated her words with not so gentle pushes out the door.   “We are not going anywhere.   I am going to go kill these demons, and you are going to get your undead ass out of my town.   Did you not understand me last night?   I don’t want you here anymore, and if you think that I will never stake you because you are helpless, you are very wrong.”   To punctuate that last statement, Buffy pulled a stake from her back pocket and pressed it into the skin covering his heart.

Spike fought to remain calm and keep his human face.   “Buffy, you have to be delusional to think that I am staying here for you.   What happened last night was a momentary lapse of sanity.   It won’t happen again.   And while you’re threatening me with your pointy stick, children in your precious town are getting very dead.   Now I thought that because I know where their hideout is and I know how to kill them, I’d come and lend a hand.   There is no way that you are going to be able to take on ten of those demons and live, pet, but you are welcome to try.”   Spike turned and strode briskly to the door, opening it with a crash and slamming it behind him.

As he walked away from the store, he lit a cigarette and tried unsuccessfully to suppress a smile.   Buffy and the Watcher were really quite predictable.   Spike wagered that in about an hour, Buffy would be at the door of his crypt, asking where the hideout is.   And Spike would be waiting there, ready to show her.   Spike chucked to himself as he returned to the cemetery.   With any luck, Dawson’s Creek would be on, and Pacey still had no clue.   Just a spot of telly before the Slayer comes.

Continued...