Subject: [BA_Gutter] Dream Once More 36 Date: Sat, 01 May 2004 00:34:14 -0000 From: "Tracy" Author: T. Claybourne Rated: Up to NC-17 Disclaimer: Fox, Mutant Enemy and all involved parties own the characters of Angel and BTVS I just use them purely for entertainment purposes. Emma is mine but the others are just over to play nice . Teaser: Buffy comes to LA, Angel is different and Spike is with some one else. Feed Back: In the fan fic game it is the vote of confidence and the reason to keep writing, so yes please. Dream Once More 36 Spike followed the faint scent of his lover until he was back at the warehouse. He didn't pay much attention to his surroundings until he was inside and could smell Emma's blood. His demon asserted itself and ridges appeared on his face. He headed into the sewer and the scent was much stronger but it was a bit different. Drusilla's intermingled with it and he could smell Emma's death. * * * * * Buffy and Willow found themselves in front of an older apartment building. No Spike in sight but no Emma or Drusilla either. Heading up the stairs in the entryway, they discovered a security door. Although Willow could have transported them up to an open window, she decided to save her magical strength. They headed up the fire escape, Willow leading and Buffy following in case Willow tripped. They were three quarters the way up when Willow found an open window to a deserted apartment. They let themselves in and sat down on the floor so Willow could catch her breath. * * * * * Wes, Gunn, and Giles pulled up outside of the apartment building. It was dark except for the hall and stairwell light. The security door hindered their entrance as well. Gunn rang all the buzzers until someone opened the door. Once inside, he looked to Wesley. "Now where?" "Perhaps the basement. That would be a good place to look for a vampire," Giles suggested. * * * * * Willow smiled at Buffy. "Any slayer sense to tell us which way?" "I don't know, but I feel like the basement would be a great place to start." "You couldn't have mentioned that before the climb? I mean it could have- no, never mind." "Sorry, Will, come on." Buffy helped her friend up and they headed out the apartment door to the building's central stairwell. * * * * * Cordelia stood behind Angel. "Oh, great, this is how you run your corporation, letting all the employees disappear?" Angel stood facing Fred, who was waiting with Lorne to talk with the incoming Lurker. "I told them to find Spike, remember?" "Don't you think updating them on where they would be going might have come in handy?" "I have the address and locator map if you want," smiled Fred. "Now see, that's a woman for you, thinking ahead." "Cordelia, this is not helping. Besides, you're vision girl. You could make with the visions." "Kids," Lorne started. "Come on now, Angel, you should be here. The scary, wish-granting demon will be here shortly. Cordy, Wes is in charge; I think we can trust him." Cordelia smiled. "Sorry. I just want some action after all of my complete inaction." As she spoke, a huge whirling mass of lights entered the room and then sputtered out, leaving a very large, very ugly demon behind. Fred stepped behind Lorne, who backed up, saying, "Good Lord of Lava, Spike faced one of these on his own?" Angel approached the beast. "Vampire but no longer one of us, you called me here," it said. "Yes, a little thing about your contract." The demon growled, but the noise came out sounding more like a groan. "Now, after one hundred and seventy-five years, your firm wants to collect. I am old and …" "Still able to grant wishes?" "Yes, depending on what they are." The large demon plopped down onto the leather sofa. It kind of blended in with the black leather, so that it looked like the demon was a part of the couch. "We heard one of your kind ensouled a vampire." The lurker actually smiled a white, toothy smile; it was enough to cause Cordy to shiver a bit. "Yes, my distant cousin did that. Said it drove the vampire crazy. What kind of vampire wants a soul anyway?" Angel ignored the demon. "I need a human changed, as in brought back from the dead, and demon-free. The human I speak of has been turned into a vampire but has not yet risen." "Is it possible?" asked Fred. "Yes," the demon replied. "But I need to be there before it rises. Souled and cursed vampire, you know where it is." It was a statement, not a question. The demon just brushed Angel's forehead; a small electrical current zapped him. The picture of Darla rising in a rooftop greenhouse came to his mind. Oh god, he should have known. They called for a van and all of them, including the Lurker, climbed in as Angel drove to the building. * * * * * Spike came up from the sewers into the apartment building and caught Wes and Gunn's scents. He continued stealthily, trying to avoid them. He couldn't let them kill Drusilla. She was his; she would pay for what she had done to Emma, and Spike wanted to extract that payment. He also worried that Wes and Gunn might stop him from taking care of Emma. Emma needed to be… He dropped the thought; he would never succeed in avoiding team Angel if he thought about having to stake her. He smelled Drusilla faintly; his nose told him to go up. * * * * * Buffy hit the stairs and stopped. "Wait." "What?" Willow asked from the step below her. "Up, we need to go up." * * * * * Drusilla smiled down at her soon-to-be-new childe. She was most beautiful; her William did know how to pick them. Drusilla heard the stars and moon rejoicing in her choice. They told her they were happy to have this girl join the night. Drusilla had planned to dress her childe as she would a doll, in white with blue ribbons, after she lay her on the dirt in the greenhouse where her grandmother had become her childe as well. It was sad that Angel had destroyed all the lovely raised flowerbeds; she had to place her baby on the ground. Seeing Emma there on the dirt-covered floor, Drusilla changed her mind about the white dress. The black and William's coat were perfect. If she couldn't have her Spike, she'd have this part of him. Drusilla smelled that the dawn was only about an hour off. She hated to cover her little one with dirt, but it must be done. Slowly, with precision, she covered Emma until only her face showed. Kissing her on the mouth, Drusilla whispered, "Don't worry, little one, I will return and bring you your first meal. You will be very hungry and I will take care of you." She covered the dead slayer's face, making sure no sunlight would penetrate the dirt. Turning, Drusilla skipped out of the fallen glass building. There were a few more moments to dance to the stars' song. Drusilla stood atop the wall at the very corner of the roof; leaning backwards over the edge, she smiled up at the moon. * * * * * Buffy and Willow reached the door to the roof quickly and ran out to see Dru in her moon-observing position. They couldn't see Emma when they glanced around. Willow stayed back as Buffy silently approached the crazy vampire. "Bad slayer!" Drusilla looked at her. "Interrupting my music, oh such beautiful music, what with the celebration." Willow felt herself being moved gently to the side and, glancing over, saw Spike move up behind Buffy, his game face on. "What celebration would that be, love?" Spike smiled, none of the venom he felt sneaking out into his voice. "Oh, my pretty knight, you've come to dance with me in the moonlight." Buffy stepped back but grasped his hand briefly. "Spike, I know you have to, so I've got your back this time." He didn't look at her but squeezed her hand back. "No, my lovely, not that kind of dance." "Dru, pet, what are you on about? I'm here to join, I want to be a part of it, but I need to know our childe is safe." "Bad, naughty. Not ours, mine." "Yes, you're right, love, she is yours, but you said we'd share." "Liar, oooh you lie. The stars are whispering the truth to me. Go away, you will not play, it will be only me and my baby." Drusilla was getting visibly distraught. She swayed back and forth in front of Spike. The wind caught her hair, blowing it in her face. "You think I can't see but I do. You want to hurt her. I won't let you. You have to go soon; the sun is about to mark the day." "Dru, pet, remember; the sun burns you as well." "Yes, I am going. It is time. You are mean, keeping me away from my little one. I can't tell you a word; you will only hurt her, and I so wanted to be there when she awoke. Now, without me, there will be no finding her." Drusilla stepped up on the wall and stepped back over the side of the building. Spike ran and grasped her hair, stopping her briefly until the silky tresses slipped through his hand. Drusilla fell and lay flat against the pavement five stories down. He let out a howl like Buffy had never heard. She rushed to his side and saw Drusilla get up and limp away into the dark. Suddenly the roof was filled with the others. Spike looked at the Lurker demon. Buffy saw his jaw muscles flex. His eyes seemed to glass over a bit as if he was remembering his time with the other Lurker demon. The pain she felt coming from him was overwhelming. The dark demon gave his toothy grin again. "So, the vampire we spoke of is not so crazy anymore. Shame to put a soul in one of the evilest." Angel didn't stop but moved to the greenhouse. Memories of trying to save Darla haunted him. The bed of dirt looked so perfect, with flowers at each corner. Spike followed him and saw the dirt and knew Emma lay there. He took a deep breath. Taking a stake from his back pocket, he approached the dirt. Buffy stopped him by grabbing his arm and twisting him around. Taking the stake from him, she looked deep into his eyes. "Let me. I want to do it for you. You and Angel need to go. Sunrise is near." "I don't care," both vampires said together. "Just wait!" Angel demanded, stopping Buffy. The Lurker approached the flowerbed. Spike watched as the demon leaned over the makeshift grave. Suddenly the dirt moved and a hand moved to brush the dirt from a face. Emma sat up, the ridges on her forehead prominent. Only Spike saw the pain of her hunger in her eyes. Angel was looking at the Lurker, then at Emma. "Fix it! She has risen early. Fix it!" demanded Angel. "Too late to make alive again," replied the Lurker. "You have to fix it or..." Angel growled, changing into game face. "No!" Emma interrupted. "I'm good. Perfect, in fact. I look perfect to you, don't I, Spike?" Spike couldn't move. He knew he should take the stake from Buffy and sink it into this demon who looked like Emma, but he couldn't. "It won't be the same," shrugged the Lurker. "I said do it!" Angel hollered, almost in a panic as Emma began to stand. The Lurker reached out and touched her on the chest, only centimeters from her arrow scar. Electric arcs flowed into and around Emma. She screamed in pain, and then fell to her knees. TBC Are you still reading this? Feedback is much appreciated!