Title: Past Glory Author: Sandy Rating: NC-17 Pairing: Spike/Buffy Spoilers: S5 up to Tough Love, AU after that although elements of S6 will appear throughout the story. Disclaimer: Alas, not mine, I just borrow them occasionally Feedback: Gives me the warm fuzzies A/N: For the purposes of this story, the Knights of Byzamtium, although suspecting that the Slayer is protecting the Key are not aware that Dawn is the Key. Chapter 14 Over the next week there was a rash of demon activity that kept Buffy hopping. She was falling behind in her studies due to the increased demonic activity and she and Spike hadn't been able to be together since the night before The Swarm hit town. It'd taken several days for the garlic juice repellent to completely dissipate from Buffy's skin and then her time had been taken up by demon slaying and studying. Now at last it was Friday night. Hoping to carve out some time for themselves, Buffy and Spike had decided to split up patrol. With each covering half of town, they figured they'd be able to have an hour or so for themselves. Buffy hoped so. She'd gone a year without sex after Riley left, but she was ready to climb the walls after just one week of being denied Spike. Walking past the Espresso Pump, she glanced in and stopped dead in her tracks. Entering the cafT, she approached a table and asked sternly, "What are you doing here?" Dawn jumped and looked at her sister guiltily. "Just having a cup of hot chocolate with Janice." Buffy looked coldly at the two boys who were also at the table. Looking back at her sister she said, "Let's go, Dawn." Dawn started to protest but one look at her sister's angry face and she gathered up her jacket and hurriedly said goodnight. "Well, that certainly ruined my social life," she hissed furiously. "It'll be all over school Monday that little Dawnie Summers' big sister fetched her out of a coffee shop cause she was sitting with *boys*." "That isn't why and you know it," Buffy snapped. "The demons in this town are running wild and you're not supposed to be out after dark. Are you trying to get hurt or killed?" "No," Dawn pouted. "I just wanted to have a little fun. You remember fun, don't you, Buffy?" "Barely," her sister answered dryly. "Where's Spike?" Dawn asked suddenly. "I thought he always accompanied you on patrol." "We split up tonight hoping to finish patrol faster so we cou... I mean, so I could go to bed early tonight." "Oh. I guess it has been a rough week for you. You must really be ready to hit the mattress." "You have no idea." As they walked up the street, Buffy slowed down as she saw someone entering a restaurant halfway up the block. "What is it?" Dawn inquired. "You wait here, Dawn. That was that Warren creep. I'm just going to check out what he's up to." "Oh, come on, Buffy. He was probably just going to dinner. Let's go home, okay?" "Wait here." Hurrying up the street, Buffy entered the restaurant. Telling the hostess that she was meeting someone, she slipped past her and quickly spotted Warren. He was talking to a girl at the bar, a girl who did not seem happy to see him. When the girl turned her head slightly, Buffy realized that it was Warren's old girlfriend, Katrina. As Buffy approached, Katrina gathered up her purse talking as she stood up. "...looking at you makes me want to vomit." "You sure about that?" Warren asked, slipping on a pair of red sunglasses. "I don't know, Warren, but I'd think the vomit line was a clue that she's way sure, wouldn't you?" Buffy asked mockingly. Warren jumped up and glared, "You!" "Me." "I know you, don't I?" Katrina asked. "Yeah, we met at Warren's last Spring when his sexbot tried to kill you." "Oh, yeah. You aren't dating him now, are you?" "Me? God no. Except for punching his face in, I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole." "Smart girl." Turning back to Warren, Katrina added, "Just stay away from me, Warren, or I'm taking out a restraining order." With that she sailed out of the bar. "You bitch," Warren growled. "You think you've stopped me, but you can just take Katrina's place." Opening his hand, he revealed a small silver orb that flashed with red and gold sparkles. Within seconds, Buffy was entranced. Putting the device back in his pocket, Warren removed his sunglasses. "Follow me, slave," he ordered. "Yes, master." *** Spike walked into his crypt. He'd managed to finish patrol even sooner than he'd hoped and now had time to prepare the bedchamber for Buffy's arrival. Lighting candles and pouring a glass of wine, he removed his tee shirt and donned a red silk button down that he left hanging open. The bed was turned down and soft music was playing from his CD player. Spike reached down and rubbed at his already turgid shaft. He hoped she arrived soon or he'd have to take the edge off. *** Dawn watched in confusion as Buffy followed Warren into a black van. There was something strange about the way her sister had been walking and when the van pulled away with a squeal of tires, Dawn knew her sister was in trouble. Running to the restaurant, she pulled some coins from her pocket and made a quick call. She was waiting anxiously outside the restaurant when a vehicle pulled up at the curb. As Xander exited the vehicle, Dawn ran up to him. "We have to find her, Xander. He did something to her. She'd never have just left me here like this and gone off with him." "Okay, Dawn," Xander soothed, "it's okay. We'll find her. Do you know where Willow is? I tried calling the house but just got the answering machine. I left a message." "She and Tara were going to some girl's house for a wicca meeting or something. I don't know where though." "Okay, that makes it more difficult. We needed Willow to do a location spell for us." Dawn looked at Xander in concern as he furrowed his brow in thought. Snapping his fingers he said, "Spike!" "Spike?" "When Buffy was invisible, he said he'd try to sniff her out. Maybe he can follow her trail." "He's out patrolling. Buffy said they split up so she could have an early night." "Well, we'll just have to try his crypt anyway. Maybe he's home now. I hope so anyway." Getting into the car, they sped off towards Spike's cemetery. *** "This is a bad idea, Warren," Jonathan was saying in near panic. "Buffy's the Slayer. She's going to kill us." "She's our slave now, Frodo," Warren sneered. "The bitch isn't going to do anything but serve our needs." Buffy was dressed in a French Maid's outfit and stood stiffly in front of the three men holding a bottle of champagne. Walking up to her, Warren ordered, "Serve us the champagne, slave." "Yes, master," Buffy said and obediently poured the wine. Jonathan nervously sipped at his drink. He hoped when Buffy came to she didn't punch him too hard. *** Spike jumped when his front door burst open. Looking up in surprise from his chair, he raised his eyebrows when Xander and Dawn rushed into his crypt. "What's wrong?" "Spike, Buffy's in trouble. You have to find her before he does something to her." "What? Who, Niblet? Who's going to do something to Buffy?" "Warren has Buffy," Xander explained, filling Spike in on the story. "Wait here," Spike told them. Jumping down to the lower level, he changed back into his tee shirt and picked up his duster. Rejoining the others, he headed for the door. When Dawn started to follow, Spike turned to her. "You stay here, Bit. Bar the door and don't let anyone in unless it's one of us. There're weapons in that chest, so protect yourself if you have to." "We can't leave her here alone," Xander protested. "And I'm not taking her anywhere near that bastard Warren. If he can do something to Buffy to make her go with him, he can do something to Dawn. We're not taking that chance. She'll be safer here." Xander didn't like it but he reluctantly acquiesced. When they reached Xander's car, Spike said, "I have an idea where he might have taken her. If I'm right, we'll save a lot of time tracking her." "And if you're wrong?" "Then I try to track her from the restaurant." "And we've wasted precious time." "Yeah, like we're going right now while you argue with me." Xander scowled but started the car. "Where to?" *** When Warren had finished his glass of champagne, he said, "Now the fun begins. Come with me, slave." "Wait a minute," Jonathan said nervously. "Where are you going with her?" "I told you," Warren sneered. "This bitch is going to serve us. And right now she's going to service me." "You can't do that," Jonathan protested. "You going to try and stop me?" Warren asked, a dangerous edge to his voice. Jonathan swallowed and backed down. He hated himself for his cowardice, but Warren was really scaring him. Andrew had watched the whole exchange in wide-eyed silence. As Warren led Buffy into the back room and closed the door, Jonathan felt like he was going to throw up. *** Spike and Xander arrived at Warren's house to find a black van parked in the driveway. "She's here," Spike growled. *** Warren stood with his back braced against a wall and looked down with contempt at a kneeling Buffy. "You know what I want you to do, bitch. Now get to it." "Yes, Warren." "What? What did you say?" Buffy sat back on her heels, a confused look crossing her face. *** Getting out of the vehicle, Xander had to race after the rapidly moving vampire. "Hey, Spike. This is a house. You can't go in without an invitation, remember?" "Already been invited." Following Buffy's scent he headed around to the rear of the house. Lifting a foot, he smashed open the basement door. Andrew and Jonathan jumped and watched as a vampire in full game face and a pissed-off carpenter raced down the stairs. Without even looking at them, Spike headed directly to a closed door at the back of the room with Xander following closely on his heels. Spike kicked in that door also and the two men entered. Jonathan and Andrew stood frozen as they heard a horrible growl from the vampire, a cry of fright and pain from Warren, a scream of anguish from Spike and then the sounds of fists meeting flesh and more cries of pain. When at last things quieted down, they eased over to look inside the room. Spike was kneeling on the floor hunched over, holding his head as if in terrific pain. Buffy was kneeling beside him, holding his shoulders and talking softly to him. Xander was standing over a thoroughly thrashed Warren occasionally kicking him in the ribs as he watched Buffy and Spike. Finally Spike rose to his feet with Buffy's help. Her arm around his waist in support, he stood looking over at Warren's crumpled form. "I'm not sorry I tried to kill him." "I know, Spike," she said softly. "Let's go." As the three headed towards the door, Buffy suddenly halted and then went to where Warren lay. Searching through his pockets she pulled out the orb, laid it on the floor and stabbed the heel of her shoe into it smashing it to pieces. Returning to Spike's side they exited the room. The two boys stood together in fear awaiting the Slayer's retribution. "Where are my clothes?" she asked grimly. They heard another growl issuing from Spike's throat and hurriedly retrieved Buffy's garments. Buffy looked around at all the computers, texts, equipment and computer disks and printouts. "You boys look like you've been busy. I think it's time you found something else to do with your time. Xander, Spike, gather up the books, disks and printouts. Then help me." As the two men did as she'd ordered, Buffy began to systematically smash every piece of equipment she saw. Andrew cried out in protest when she picked up his didgeridoo-like device. "This important to you?" Andrew nodded nervously. Buffy looked at the instrument in her hand and then used it as a club to smash all of Jonathan's vials and jars. When she had finished, she broke it over her knee, threw the pieces on the ground and dusted off her hands. "Now it's not," she said calmly. Warren stood leaning in the doorway of the back room holding his hand against his ribs. His face was a bloody mess and there was a wound in his neck from an obvious vampire bite. He glared his hatred at the Slayer as she and her two friends destroyed all his hard work. When they'd finished, Buffy turned to look coldly at him. "Leave town, Warren." "Fuck you, Slayer." Spike growled and lunged at him, but Buffy stopped him. "Don't, Spike, he's not worth the pain." "Buffy's right, Spike," Xander said calmly. Walking up to Warren, he punched him in the face again sending him to the floor. "Fortunately, it doesn't hurt me." Picking up the boxes of items they'd confiscated, the three walked out. tbc...