How come you can't feel the pain in your dreams? Why does it always come crashing in wave upon wave when you come back to consciousness? Right now I can feel a fake throbbing in the back of my head. I say fake because I really don't have a pulse to make the blood rush in that direction.

So here I am. Hmm. Where am I? I don't remember being hit or even what I was doing before then. But I'm here. Someplace. With an ache. All in all, this is not good.

They got Spike, too. I can see him sprawled on the ground a few feet from me. Probably will be waking up to feel the pain soon enough. No doubt he was knocked out as well. Oh look, he's moving now.

"Uhhghh"

Oh yeah. He's feeling it.

"Blooooody hell..." Now his eyes are scanning the room. A quick glance at me then back to scanning. I'm sure he's thinking of ways to blame me for this. Was I with Spike when I was attacked? No telling.

"Any idea where we are? Who brought us here?" I ask him.

A look of disgust and 3..2..1.. "Why don't you tell me since you're the one that got us into this mess!" A snort and wait... a flare of his nostrils. Why didn't I think to sniff out the place. Hmm.. maybe I shouldn't by the look on his face. Looks like he smelled something extremely unpleasant by the way his brow is wrinkling up and....his eyes are bugging out? What? And tears?

I sniff.

Sterile. Maybe alcohol or some antiseptic? For a dingy room like this, it can hardly be as clean as it smells in here. Oh, and electricity. Air's heavy with that. I can't seem to find what's got him all upset though.

He's looking at me. He shaking. What the hell? "Spike? What is it?"

"Angel..." Whispering? Why's he whispering? Kinda getting me worried here. "Angel.... Oh god..." And now rocking? "Please, no..."

"Spike?" Shit, this is freaking me out. "What the hell is it?!" Yeah, that's got his attention.

"Please, Angel..." He's crawling towards me, reaching his hand out like he's trying to touch heaven. "Don't let them get me."

I grab his hand only to keep it from hoovering in front of my face. "Who Spike? Where are we? What is this place?" No answer. He's staring at our hands. I let go quickly. "Answer me damnit! What the hell's got you shaking like this!?"

Oh, now there's a look. Something jumps inside of me. Pure panic in his eyes, behind the endless tears streaming out. Is he pleading for something? Those eyes are terrified and begging. "Wha.." I'm interrupted by a loud click from the heavy metal doors. I stare at the darkened silhouette revealed in the doorway. I can feel Spike turning to look too. I can feel Spike shaking.

"Hostile 17. Pleasure to have you back." It's a cold and mocking voice. I can almost make out the sneer on the man's face. "Maybe we should refamiliarize you with what we do to those who try to escape."

"Angel!" He's tugging on my shirt frantically, nearly ripping it off of me. "Angel, please!!! Help me!! Don't let them! Sire!? Please.. please please.. Please Angel.. Oh god!" I can barely make out the words from the choked sobs tearing through his frame.

"Spike? What?" He's crawling into me. He's scaring me. Really scaring me. I
have the second deadliest vampire in history trying to curl himself into my
body for protection. He's begging me with words of... of... well words he's
never said to me before. Something bad is going to happened. And now I'm
terrified.

Spike jerks his head away and looks at the man again. And I can hardly tear
my eyes off of him to see what's got his attention. The man has raised his
arm, his hand, and he's pointing something in our direction. Too small to be
any sort of weapon that I can think of. It simply looks like a cigarette box
to me.

Spike's keening now. "Master! Angel... my master, my sire... please, my everything.. I'll give anything.. please please... don't let it happen!!! Don't let it Angel..." I'm doing everything in my power to keep him from clawing right into my chest. I can't even manage to speak to tell him to be calm and talk to me. My throat is painfully constricted by the sight of him.
What's happening to him?

"Angel.." he's whispering again. "Siresiresiresire...."

"He can't save you." A demonic laugh and then pregnant pause. I'm going to rip his head off. "Say goodnight Hostile 17."

"Please.... Angel..??" He's looking at me. His eyes inches from mine..... I can see his soul, his.... heart....  "ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

"SPIKEEEEE!!!!!!" Whatthefuck! Holy fucking hell!!! Spike!??! Ohshitohshit! I can't stop him shaking!!!! He's shaking and screaming and clutching his head. Ohfuckohfuck... I don't know what to do. "SPIKE!!?!?! SPIKE NO! OH GOD.. WHAT'S HAPPENING!?!?"

Blood is leaking out of his nose and mouth. His body is convulsing like an electric current was having it's way with him. And I'm laying on top of him, desperately trying to hold him steady with my arms and legs wrapped around him. "Spike!?? Oh God! Snap out of it please!??! SPIKE!! You little shit!!!" I know I'm crying now. I can feel the wetness of his blood on my cheek along with my tears. "You're scaring me damnit. Spike!"

His screaming has stopped but I didn't notice when. He couldn't have passed out because his body's still shaking as strong as ever. And I'm still holding on to my precious burden.

I hear that wicked laugh again but I can't bear to let go of Spike to look. I can hear a tiny click and before I know it my arms meet no resistance in the body beneath me. He's gone limp.

"That was most.... interesting." And by the time I turn my head to the bastard, face full of fangs covered in blood and tears, he's already left and closed the door behind him.

"Spike?.... He's gone..." There's a vacant look to him. Breathing in slightly I can smell that electricity again and... burning flesh... "Spike?! Come on now, wake up? I'll get you out of this. We'll be alright." Please no. I can feel the pain and agony wrapping itself around my dead heart. It already knows something my brain won't admit. "Spike please, we don't have much time..." My eyes are burning, wells of tears blocking my view. "Spike...." It's getting harder to talk. Why do I feel like I can't breathe? "Come on you annoying little bastard!!! WAKE THE FUCK UP!!!!!!" Wake the fuck up Spike. Please, just look at me and call me a poof or a pansy for sitting here and holding you. Crying over you. I'm shaking so hard now. Just open your eyes. Let me see your soul. Let me see you. "Spike?..." It's only a whisper, it's all I can manage. I hope you can hear me.

I pull him closer to me. Feel those hard muscles and soft skin against me. Something I once knew so intimately. I cradle his head in the crook of my neck and turn to kiss him gently on the forehead. I strain with everything I've got to say what I know won't be heard. I grasp him tighter and can feel the burn of my icy tears as they once again spill forth. I know I won't ever cry again. "Goodbye.... Will."