Fix You by Enigmaticblue

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Chapter 30: Frankenstein’s Monster

Buffy winced as she tried to pull the shirt over her head. The doctors had finally decided to let her go home, with a strong warning against any kind of strenuous activity. What she hated most—other than having to spend several nights in the hospital—was that the doctors were right. She might be healing faster than the average person, but it was still a lot slower than she’d like.

One cool hand touched her bare back. “Here.”

Buffy allowed him to take her t-shirt, although she raised an eyebrow at the alternative. “Your shirt?”

“It buttons and it’ll cover you,” he pointed out. “Besides, you’ll probably need at least a day before you don’t have to worry about tearing those stitches.”

She made a face but didn’t argue, pulling on Spike’s blue button-down slowly. “How’s Faith?”

“Adjusting,” Spike replied. “And stickin’ close to Angel. I have no idea what she sees in the git.”

Buffy gave him a look. “He didn’t have to come and help, Spike.”

“No, he didn’t,” he agreed amiably. “Would have preferred it if he hadn’t.” Seeing her expression, he added, “They’re bloody well staying with me. It’s getting crowded.”

“Poor baby,” she said, teasing.

He gave her a sour look, then asked, “Where’s your mum?”

“Picking up my prescriptions,” Buffy replied. “I told her not to bother, but she wasn’t going to listen.” She sighed. “I just hope that I can catch up. I hate missing this much school.”

Spike shrugged. “Your mum already called them.” He smiled. “Speaking of, Rupert phoned this morning. The Council is calling off the goon squad.”

Buffy’s eyes widened. “What? When did this happen?”

“Last night or early morning,” Spike replied. “One of the Watchers let Rupert know. Apparently, the coven got themselves involved. Threatened to pull out of involvement with the Council if anythin’ happened to Faith, an’ it was a potent enough threat that they’re goin’ to.”

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Has anyone told Faith yet?”

“Not yet,” Spike hedged. “There’s some disagreement.”

“About what?”

“Our agreement with her was quid pro quo,” Spike pointed out. “Once she knows the Council isn’t after her anymore…”

He didn’t finish the thought, and Buffy winced. Spike was right, but the idea of letting Faith believe that the Council was still after them, just to get her help—

“We’re going to have to tell her, Spike,” Buffy said slowly. “Even if it means she takes off. We’ll make it work, but I don’t think we can start lying to her now.”

Spike nodded. “Told Rupert that’s what you’d say, but he wanted to wait a bit. He also said that he’s makin’ plans for both Willow an’ Tara to go to the coven this summer.”

Buffy’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t thought about sending Tara, too, and she had no idea what had caused Giles to come up with that idea. Willow might be happier about going if she wasn’t alone, though, especially now that Oz was back in town. “Tara too?”

“Said the head asked after her especially,” Spike replied. “Dunno why.”

Buffy shrugged. “I can’t see why it would be a bad idea. I just hope that Willow’s still willing to go now that Oz is back in town.”

“If she refuses, you might have to insist,” Spike said.

Buffy sighed, although she didn’t disagree. She hated being the enforcer; it would be a lot better if Giles managed to convince Willow to go if she balked.

Joyce stepped inside. “Ready to go, honey?”

“Yes,” Buffy said fervently. “Let’s get out of here.”

~~~~~

“There’s something I don’t get.”

Angel glanced over at Faith. “What’s that?”

“Why are you here? If you’re in L.A. now, and you and Buffy aren’t together, how come you’re back in town?”

“Cordelia had a vision,” Angel explained. “She said that Buffy was going to get hurt.”

“Wait. What?” Faith stared at him, her dark eyes confused. “A vision? Is she psychic now?”

“You could say that.” Angel leaned back into the cushions of Spike’s couch. “She gets visions from the Powers That Be.”

“I’ll bet she likes that. Being the center of things, I mean.”

“Not really. She tried to get rid of them at first, although I think Cordy’s getting used to the idea.”

Faith snorted, shaking her head. “I can’t believe she’s doing anything to help.”

“There’s a lot more to her than you might think.” Angel gave her a pointed look. “In fact, there’s more to you than a lot of people think.”

Faith looked away. “So, when are we doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Buffy wants us to chase down Adam and pull out his power pack. The sooner we get that done, the sooner we can leave.”

“You are coming back to L.A. with me then?” Angel asked. He’d thought she might, but he hadn’t wanted to count on it. Faith tended to do whatever she wanted, and he hadn’t wanted to push.

“For a while,” Faith replied evasively. “We’ll see. Maybe you’ll get sick of having me around.”

Angel smiled faintly. “It could happen.”

She looked surprised—and a little hurt—at his agreement, but then seemed to realize that he’d been joking. “I could get sick of you.”

“You probably will.”

A smile played around the corners of her mouth. “Yeah.”

The door opened, and Spike entered, looking a little frazzled. “We just got word that Adam killed a kid,” he announced. “Buffy wants us hunting for him tonight.”

“Do you think it’s going to be that easy to find him?” Angel asked.

Spike shrugged. “I don’t know. I remember where he was the last time. We’re meetin’ a few of the soldiers, ones we think we can trust. They’ll help provide cover or a distraction, whichever we need.”

“Is that smart?” Angel objected. “If they know what we are—”

“The one I talked to more or less said he didn’t care. Figured if it wasn’t posin’ a threat, he didn’t have to kill it.” Spike looked at Faith. “You probably should know somethin’ before you agree to go out tonight.”

Angel watched as Faith squared her shoulders, bracing herself for the worst. “What?”

“Council called off the goon squad. Turns out that the coven warned the head wanker that they’d lose the witches’ support if they didn’t.” Spike smiled grimly. “Looks like you’ve got friends in places you didn’t know about, Slayer.”

Faith blinked. “So the Council isn’t coming after me?”

“That’s what I just said, innit?” Spike asked. “The question now is whether you’re still willin’ to help us.”

Faith’s eyes narrowed. “You weren’t going to tell me.”

Spike shrugged. “Wasn’t my decision. Buffy made the call; said you should know.”

Angel watched as Faith stared at the ground for a moment, and he stayed silent, knowing that this was one more step in the journey for her. He knew that she’d convinced herself that she was helping Buffy only because of what she could get in return. Now, she was being given the opportunity to do something only because it was the right thing to do.

Faith finally shrugged. “Whatever. I still owe you one for helping me out with the Council.”

Spike’s face softened slightly. “Yeah, alright. We leave as soon as the sun goes down.”

As he headed for his bedroom, Angel called out after him, “Is Buffy okay?”

Spike stopped. “She’s fine,” he called over his shoulder. “Physically, anyway.”

Angel wasn’t sure what he meant by that.

~~~~~

“How’s the patient?” Willow asked as she and Oz entered the house.

“Better,” Joyce replied. “Although she’s getting very impatient. Did you bring her homework?”

Willow nodded. “Yep. All the professors were really nice about it, although it’s probably a good thing that we don’t have Professor Walsh this semester.” She winced. “You know, if she was still alive to care.”

Joyce smiled, although she couldn’t see the humor. She’d nearly lost her daughter, and she couldn’t find anything about the Initiative amusing. “You two can go upstairs if you want.”

“Is Spike here?” Willow asked.

Joyce shook her head. “No, I think he was going back to his place. He was planning to look for Adam tonight, along with Angel and Faith.”

Willow nodded, then proceeded upstairs with Oz in tow.

Joyce continued with her dinner preparations, although she wasn’t sure who was going to be there. She went through the mechanics of cleaning vegetables and preparing the meat without thinking, because to do so would be very dangerous.

“Joyce?”

She turned to see Giles standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “Rupert? I didn’t realize you were coming over.”

“I thought I’d drop in to see how you were doing, and to be sure Buffy was okay.”

Joyce forced a smile. “I’m fine. Did you want to stay for dinner?”

“I wouldn’t mind.” He took a step inside the kitchen. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, I think I have it under control,” she replied, trying to sound cheerful. Joyce had promised herself that she wouldn’t show the terror she’d felt upon hearing Buffy had been injured, or the anxiety that still plagued her. She couldn’t quite get over the thought that she might not have much time left with her daughter, and if that was the case, Joyce didn’t want anything to come between them.

At least, she wanted to try to keep things on good footing.

“Joyce.” Giles’ voice was quiet, and he put a gentle hand on her arm. “She’s going to be fine.”

She took a shuddering breath. “I know.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Giles’ hand moved to her shoulder, and she moved towards him, resting her forehead on his chest. They stood like that for a long, silent moment. It had been so long since she’d been able to rely on another adult for comfort, particularly where her daughter was concerned. She and Rupert had been moving in that general direction before the incident with the band candy, and then—

Well, it had just been too awkward. Now, however, it felt as though they’d managed to build a comfortable relationship, almost a working partnership, with Buffy as the bridge between them.

Joyce pulled back eventually. “Thank you.”

“It helps to have someone to lean on occasionally,” was all Giles said.

“It does,” Joyce agreed, more calmly. “There are times I miss Hank for that.”

“Have you not heard from him?”

“Not recently.” Joyce sighed. “It seemed as though once Buffy turned eighteen, he decided that she didn’t need her father anymore.”

“From the few hints that Buffy’s let drop, that is probably an accurate observation.”

Joyce winced. “I hate to think that she was alone after—”

It was odd to think that her own death might be just around the corner. Perhaps she’d been able to accept the idea only because she was still in denial.

“She won’t be alone. If it happens.” Giles smiled at her encouragingly. “I find it hard to believe that Buffy would allow it to happen, if she can do anything to stop it.”

“I’m sure she’ll try.” Joyce recognized the promise for what it was, however, and she returned his smile with gratitude. “Thank you.”

Joyce went back to her dinner preparations with Giles looking on in companionable silence, feeling much less alone than she had just a short time before.

~~~~~

“Hey, Buffy!” Willow chirped. “I bring presents.”

Buffy eyed the bag she carried dubiously. “Homework?”

“Yeah, but other stuff, too,” Willow replied. She pulled Mr. Gordo out of the bag. “You left him at the dorm room, and I thought you might want him with you while you’re not feeling good.”

Buffy smiled, setting the stuffed pig next to her. “Anything else?”

Willow pulled out a box of chocolates. “What else? Chocolate.”

“Oh!” Buffy’s eyes lit up. She opened the box immediately, selected one with care, then offered Willow and Oz their choice. “Thanks!”

“Hey, you got hurt,” Willow said. “You did the same for me when I was down in the dumps.”

Buffy’s smile faltered, then became a little more fake. “What else are friends for?” She looked at Oz. “I want to hear about Tibet.”

He shrugged. “There were mountains.”

Buffy made a face. “Come on, Oz. I want to hear about the monks.”

Willow elbowed her boyfriend. “She didn’t get to hear the story the first time around.”

Oz shrugged and began to give Buffy the shortened version of the story he’d told Willow the day before. Willow still couldn’t quite believe that she had her boyfriend back, or that they were sitting in Buffy’s bedroom. It wasn’t quite like old times, since she didn’t remember ever being in quite the same position in the past, but there was the same sense of camaraderie.

“So, the wolf is under control, huh?” Buffy smiled. “That’s great, Oz.”

He shrugged. “It’s a nice change.”

Buffy hesitated before asking, “Are you sticking around?”

“That’s the plan.” Oz fixed her with one of his penetrating looks. “Is there any reason I shouldn’t?”

Buffy shook her head emphatically. “No.” She looked at Willow. “Are you still going to England?”

Willow nodded, glancing over at Oz. It had been a relief to tell him what had happened, and what she’d done. It had been even more of a relief to know that he still loved her, that he would love her no matter what she’d done. “We talked about it. It’s for the best.”

She didn’t miss Buffy’s sigh of relief. “That’s good.”

Oz stood. “I’ve got to get going.”

“Thanks for driving me over, Oz,” Willow said, accepting his kiss.

He said a brief goodbye to Buffy, then let himself out, and Willow turned to her friend. “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“What are you talking about?” Buffy asked brightly. “I’m just sick of being in bed, that’s all.”

Willow shook her head. “Give me a little credit, Buffy. I know there’s something bothering you.”

“It’s nothing,” Buffy insisted.

Willow put on her resolve face, wondering if it would still have the same effect. As it turned out, it did; she didn’t even have to say anything more.

“I couldn’t prevent Adam from killing that kid,” Buffy admitted in a low voice. “I was right there. I should have stopped him.”

Willow’s eyes widened. “Buffy! You nearly got killed trying to stop him! You can’t blame yourself for that. If you want to blame anyone, try Professor Walsh. She’s the one who created him.”

Buffy made a face. “But—”

“No, buts, missy,” Willow said sternly. “This was not your fault. You did everything you could.”

Buffy smiled faintly. “I guess.”

“Well, I know.” Willow grinned at her. “I’ve been accused of being a know-it-all before, but this time I think I’m right.”

“You probably are,” Buffy admitted with a smile. Growing serious again, she asked, “You’re really going for training?”

“I have to, Buffy.” Willow swallowed. “I saw what I was capable of. I didn’t know if Oz was going to wait, but it didn’t really matter.”

“I think Tara might go with you,” Buffy said. “Spike said something about that. I guess Giles talked to him.”

Willow smiled. “It’ll be good to have a friend with me,” she acknowledged. “So, when are you going to be on your feet again?”

“As soon as I can convince Mom and the doctors to let me up.” Buffy grimaced. “Mom’s been treating me like I’m made of glass, and Spike isn’t much better.”

“Can you blame them?”

“Not really,” Buffy admitted. “I’d probably be doing the same thing.”

Willow didn’t say it, but she thought that Spike and Joyce were being remarkably restrained under the circumstances.

~~~~~

“Here,” Spike murmured. Angel and Faith stopped just behind him, and Spike looked into the darkness for the soldiers he could sense nearby. He wasn’t worried for himself, since the ring would prevent any real harm, but Angel and Faith were still vulnerable. “Better let me do the talking.”

Angel snorted. “Spike—”

“They know me, an’ Graham’s seen me in the daylight,” Spike reminded him. “I’d rather not draw their attention to either of you.”

“I’m okay with that,” Faith said.

“Identify yourselves!” a voice suddenly called from the darkness.

“It’s me,” Spike said, stepping out from the bushes. “Come out where we can see you.”

Graham stepped out, wearing fatigues, but no face paint. “Are you it?”

Spike motioned for Angel and Faith to join him. “You manage to convince anyone else to come with you?”

Graham nodded shortly. “I found a couple of guys.”

Spike hoped that the soldier knew his friends well enough to be sure that they weren’t going to be shooting at the wrong people. “Right. There was a cave in this area that Adam set up shop in.”

“How do you know that?”

The question came from Spike’s left, and he tensed. Both Angel and Faith went on alert, ready to scatter at the first sign of danger. “You don’t want to know where I got my information,” Spike said. “An’ you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.” The man emerged from the darkness, and Spike recognized him as the one who had been rather too enthusiastic about pursuing Buffy.

“I’ve seen the future, an’ it isn’t pretty.” Spike raised an eyebrow. “In point of fact, you ended up one of Adam’s little playmates last time. I suggest you keep a sharp eye out.”

The soldier glared, and Spike could see his hands tightening around his weapon. “Forrest, easy,” Graham said sharply. “We’re on board.” He looked at Spike when he said it, and Spike could see two more shapes detach themselves from the darkness.

“Right then. Here’s how this is goin’ to work. I’m goin’ to lead the way, because I know how to get there. You lot will follow—slowly. I want this to be a surprise. The only way to kill him is to rip the battery pack out of his chest. That’s Faith’s job.” Spike looked at Graham. “Did you bring what I asked you to?”

Graham hefted his weapon, and Spike could see that it was a military-issue assault rifle, and not one of the energy rifles the Initiative soldiers normally carried. The rest of the team carried similar weapons, and Spike gave a satisfied nod. “Good.”

“Why not the regular weapons?” Forrest asked.

“I told you,” Graham said, an edge of impatience in his voice. “I tried it, and he ate it up. Give me some credit, Forrest.”

Spike could hear the other men stifle sniggers, and he guessed that Graham was the sort who made a very competent second-in-command, but who rarely insisted on leading. Forrest, on the other hand, was clearly itching to be in charge, and was irritated that he wasn’t.

On this occasion, however, Graham was clearly the one in command, and Spike wanted to keep it that way. The boy had a decent head on his shoulders.

“What are we supposed to do?” one of the other soldiers asked.

“Soften him up,” Spike said promptly. “I don’t know if bullets will hurt him, but they’ll sure as hell annoy him. Just watch where you’re shooting.”

When he saw he had their attention, Spike nodded. “Let’s go.”

Spike knew that it was a calculated risk to allow the soldiers to help at all, but he was certain that even with Angel and Faith there, it would be impossible to stop Adam. His main concern was that the soldiers would wait until Adam was dead, then turn on them.

There didn’t seem to be another choice, however.

Spike led the way to the entrance into the tunnels. Adam’s lair lay in one of the caverns deep down, and he and Angel had worked out a contingency plan. If the soldiers turned on them, they would lose the men in the caves and make their way out another way. Spike knew the tunnels well enough to do so; he didn’t think that the same could be said for the soldiers.

Wanting to keep their ace in the hole safe, Spike directed Faith and Angel to follow the soldiers. That also would serve to prevent the soldiers from trying to get the drop on them.

The darkness closed around them, and they all moved as silently as possible. Nothing could be heard except for the rustle of cloth, and the occasional thump of a boot. Spike remembered that Adam moved silently, and he didn’t make any of the usual noises associated with life—or unlife, for that matter.

After about ten minutes of feeling his way through the tunnels, Spike saw the first glimmer of light, and he reached back to tap the man behind him on the shoulder. The signal would be passed from one to another down the line, to let everyone know that their target was near.

Spike began running as soundlessly as possible as soon as he’d given the signal, knowing that Adam’s senses were even better than his. The cyborg had probably already sensed someone’s presence, but Spike didn’t want to give him any more time to prepare than they had to.

He burst into the dimly lit cavern, striking out at the vampire nearest to the entrance. The stake found its mark, and dust scattered. Graham entered just behind him, bringing up the rifle and firing. Spike took care of the only other vampire in the room, allowing the soldiers to take out the demons, since the bullets would actually do some damage there.

“You.” Adam’s gaze dismissed the soldiers after a passing glance, clearly not finding them a threat. “You should not have come here.”

Spike smiled. “You hurt what’s mine.”

“She got in the way,” Adam responded.

Spike glanced at Graham, and the man nodded. The barrage of bullets drove Adam back a step, but little more than that. Out of the corner of his eye, Spike saw Faith and Angel enter, staying behind the soldiers, then edging along the side of the cavern.

As soon as they were as close as they could get without being hit by a stray shot, Spike called, “Now!”

The rain of bullets abruptly stopped, and Spike and Angel sprang forward, catching Adam on either side. The force of their momentum, plus the added strength that the ring gave Spike, allowed them to bowl the cyborg over.

Faith was right behind them, and she jumped, landing with her feet on either side of Adam’s chest. She dropped to her knees before he’d had an opportunity to recover and plunged her hand into his chest.

Spike watched Adam’s eyes go wide, and then lifeless, as Faith yanked the uranium core out of his chest.

It should have been over, but Spike felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and he moved quickly to shelter Faith with his body, just in time to prevent her from getting shot.

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