Chapter 40

So Poppet, what do you want to do – shall we ask Spike and Buffy over for a pizza and a DVD tonight?” Xander asked, spreading marmalade on his breakfast toast.

“They’re going out tonight, to the Premiere of that film…I forget what it’s called, the scary one…a couple move into a house, and dig up an old tree to make way for a swimming pool or something – anyway, then their problems start – Ford did the soundtrack for it – he offered me tickets too – but I said no, I’d have nightmares!”

“Oh…The Rowan Tree, well how about we order pizza and-“

“Nuh-uh, not pizza – I think you’re right about a wheat or dairy allergy for me – we could order in a Chinese and then have an early night…”

Harmony had been keeping Xander at ‘arms length’ as regards sex, because of the pregnancy test scare – and to be fair, he hadn’t moaned because, well – she’d not totally neglected him…so tonight she thought it was about time he got his ‘reward’ for being a kind and patient boyfriend………

Xander’s brow shot up and he grinned,

“Yeah? – Oh, great!”

                                                        **********

Spike slowly pulled up outside his house, the windshield wipers going double speed to try and clear the torrents of rain. Buffy looked out of the window and frowned at the great expanse of sidewalk, and path she had to run down.

“Oh god!”

“What’s the matter, kitten?”

“My Manolo’s, they’ll be ruined” Buffy frowned

“No they won’t…” Spike got out of the car, ran round, opened the door her side and scooped her up, fire-fighter style. Buffy squealed and giggled as Spike ran with her over the sidewalk and down the path, the rain still coming down in absolute torrents!

In the covered porch, Buffy slid down from his shoulder and Spike felt in his pants pocket for his house keys. Buffy was still giggling and they began to kiss.

“Hmm…lets…get inside and………hmm mmm…out of this rain!”

Finding his keys, Spike opened up and they went inside

“Phew! WHAT a night – that wasn’t any old rainstorm, that was a tropical monsoon……… oh…god were soaked”

“My back is soaking – and you too…”

“I’ll go get us some towels, you need to get out of those wet things babe, you mustn’t catch a chill, you need your voice to be strong”

Buffy nodded and was just going to ask Spike to undo her dress when there was a loud thump from upstairs.

Buffy and Spike looked up at the ceiling, and then at each other, Spike frowned

“What was that?”

“Cat maybe?” Buffy suggested

“What? - No. Zachary died yeas ago, here – take my mobile…get ready to call 911”

Spike went over to his award cabinet, opened the one door and selected a trophy, tested it’s weight against his left hand, and then put it back, selecting a bigger one with a heavy marble base, he wielded it, satisfied it would have the desired affect of knocking whoever out in case there was a burglar upstairs.

“Baby, be careful – let me come up with you” Buffy said

“You stay well away Kitten, I don’t want anything happening to you…” Spike then went to the stairs, keeping his back close to the wall creeping up slowly, holding the award like a club.

He could see a strange light coming form his bedroom, low down on the floor. He got to the top of the stairs and heard Buffy whisper,

“Be careful, babe” she had started to creep up too.

Spike swallowed and nodded, he’d got to the landing and pushed his bedroom door open with his foot. He could see the bedside lamp was on, lying on the floor on its side.

Frowning, Spike quickly dashed into the room, putting on the main light, raising the trophy above his head and shouted menacingly,

“ALRIGHT YOU BASTARD, WHAT DO YOU THINK…Oh my god…!”

“Spike…Spike, what is it, are you okay? Spike, shall I call the police?” Buffy called, quickly trotting up the rest of the stairs.

“Um, no…no erm…there’s…………oh god!” Buffy stood in the doorway

Lying on the bed, face down was a girl in a long burgundy and black velvet coat.

“Oh f’fucks sake! I KNEW it was too bloody good to be true! Not even one week – not ONE fucking solitary week of not being bothered by you and your fucking mad antics! What the HELL are YOU doing here?” Spike demanded going over and pulling the girl up roughly by the shoulder. He put the award down on the nightstand.

His eyes went wide with shock as the girl turned her bloodied and bruised face to him. She had a black eye, a split lip and a bloody nose. Mascara had run down her cheeks to add to the horror.

“Daddy…Daddy g-got a…got…h-h-he…g-got a l-l-l-little r-rough with m-m-m-me!” Dru turned her head away back into the pillows and began to sob.

Buffy folded her arms and leant against the doorjamb.

“How the HELL did you get in?” Spike asked he turned away from her and ran a hand through his hair, sighing in desperation. Buffy walked to the side of the bed and picked up Dru’s open purse, and a key that was also on the floor.

“With this, I reckon”

“Bloody hell…I didn’t think to change the locks…you kept a key after all this time?”

“Does she need an ambulance, do you think?”

Spike scoffed.

“I’m not having an ambulance come HERE and taking HER away in that state, not from here, no way – I’m NO WAY taking the blame for, for this!”

Buffy sat on the bed and touched Dru’s shoulder. Dru turned her head and when she saw it was Buffy, she shied away huddled down into the pillows even more.

“Come on, let me look at your injuries, I won’t hurt you!” Buffy said kindly

Spike took his mobile from Buffy and pressed a number

“No, leave me alone!” Buffy could just make out what Dru mumbled into the pillows

“Don’t be silly, I only want to-“ Buffy put her hand gently on Dru’s shoulder, but she reared up and yelled,

“DON’T TOUCH ME, DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH ME! – YOU SHOULDN’T BE HERE!”

Buffy stood up

“Geez…I only wanted to help!”

“Damn…bloody Ansa-phone………oh, I know” Spike ended the one call and pressed another number, Buffy heard it ring, and then somebody answered.

“Xand – it’s me, look mate, I’m sorry to ask, but it’s an emergency…” Spike walked out of the bedroom and continued the conversation in the hall.

“Why did you come here?”

Buffy asked Dru, who was now lying on her back, staring at the ceiling, unblinking. It gave Buffy the Wiggins just looking at her.

Dru didn’t answer. Buffy heaved a sigh, and went over to the bed and said,

“Look, I’m sorry that you’ve been beaten up and all that, but you’ve got to realise that Spike is nothing to do with you anymore, you finished a long time ago. He’s with me now, and the sooner you – okay, ow…let go…OW!”

Spike came dashing back into the bedroom to see Dru holding Buffy by a fistful of hair, Buffy was holding Dru’s wrists to try and stop her pulling it out by the roots. He immediately came over and holding onto Dru’s wrist tightly, he said

“LET GO.”  Buffy then said,

“I won’t hit you because you’ve been beaten up enough already, but you better let go now – DRU, I SAID NOW!” Buffy tried to prise Dru’s fingers from her hair.

“Let go…DRU, I SAID, LET – there, you okay kitten?”

Spike cuddled up Buffy, who quickly shoved Spike aside, diving out of the way herself as Dru angrily grabbed up the statuette, and bought it down slicing through the air where they had been just standing.

She looked totally mad, her eyes wild and staring, she was screaming.

“HE’S NOT YOURS - You can’t have him, he’s MINE! MINE! Spike belongs to me!”

Spike quickly grabbed Buffy by the arm, and pulled her out of the bedroom and slamming the door shut, holding onto the handle tightly so Dru couldn’t turn it from the other side.

“She’s a TOTAL LUNATIC! She could have got in and murdered us both in bed!” Buffy shouted angrily.

“I know, babe, what can I say…I’m so sorry, I just never – shit! Sweet PROMISED me that he’d keep her away from us…” Dru had managed to open the door slightly, until Spike renewed his efforts and pulled it shut again.

“I just never gave it a thought, about changing the locks…I never thought for one minute she’d kept a key – or that she would ever come here again” Spike looked worried and sad, and Buffy went up and cuddled his head to her.

“Shush…I know love…I’m not blaming you…but you MUST get the locks changed now”

“I – I will – Jesus! For someone so skinny she’s bloody strong!” Dru was going mental the other side of the door, screaming how Spike belonged to her, and Buffy wasn’t his girlfriend she’s also begun to hit it the door with the statuette that Spike had taken up to threaten the ‘intruder’ originally.

“On second thoughts…dial 911” Spike said

“Are you sure?” Buffy took his phone and Spike held onto the door handle with both hands.

“Yeah, if they know about this, well it’ll help – I’ve got to take desperate measures to make her understand that she can’t – oh!”

The mobile had started to ring, Buffy handed it back to Spike, who answered

“Lorne, thank god it’s you…bloody hell – WILL YOU BE QUIET DRU!”

Spike yelled, and Dru’s lunatic screaming and banging stopped for a few moments, Spike continued,

“Yes, you did hear right, Dru’s very much here, at my house, she’s gone berserk. She broke in…well, no, that’s not strictly true, she used a key and was waiting upstairs on my bed … Lorne …she’s been beaten up…she said Daddy got a bit rough with her………it looks quite bad, yes……………well, a black eye, split lip, bloody nose………………no, I haven’t called them yet, I was just about to though…………………Xander’s coming over…………you don’t want me call the…no? - But why not?………(he heaved a sigh, and looked at Buffy) okay, but, well…I’ve GOT to do something to make her see that she no longer has anything to do with me…yeah, I will” he ended the call.

“Well?” Buffy asked

“He asked me not to call the police…the bad publicity, you know” Buffy rolled her eyes and turned away from him angrily, and then she turned and faced him, waving her arm in the air towards the bedroom door.

“So Little Miss Looney-Tunes gets away with it – terrific! – Spike, she could have killed us both, or at least killed me!”

“I don’t think-“ Spike began

“Look, Spike, she wants you back, pure and simple, and as far as she’s concerned, the only fly in the ointment as regards that, is me – and she isn’t about to listen to reason………a…a-a-a-a – ATISHOO! – Shit! NOW I’ve caught a chill!”

“Baby, get out of those wet things and-“

“No Spike…I’m going home…I’ll………I’ll see you tomorrow………maybe.”

“Buffy! BUFFY! Please, come back! I daren’t let go of this handle, else she’ll be out and – Buffy…please love…BUFFY!”

Buffy ran downstairs, opened the front door to see Xander running down the path with his jacket over his head. The rain had slowed a little, but not much, it was still bucketing it down.

“Buffy! Everything okay?”

“No. Just after he rang you, well…Lorne phoned him back. Spike had phoned Sweet’s mansion before he phoned you, but got the Ansa-phone…Dru’s been beaten up by Sweet apparently, or so she says, when we came in, she was upstairs on his bed waiting for him. What she hadn’t reckoned on though, was me”

“BUFFY…PLEASE BABE! I’M, I’m begging you, please don’t go” Spike shouted

Buffy sighed and closed the front door, throwing her purse on the chair. Xander had run up the stairs three at a time.

“Oh thank god you’re here Xand…she’s flipped this time, ‘cept now I’ve got her trapped in my bedroom, but don’t go in there for Christ’s sake, she’s got a deadly weapon” Spike said in a pained voice, and then he continued,

“Be a mate, and keep a tight hold on this handle for me please, I MUST go see Buffy”

“Deadly weapon? What sort of – Great Merciful Zeus…………what have I got myself into now…hurry back Spike…”

Xander nodded and took hold of the handle, Spike raced down the stairs, and to his relief he saw Buffy sitting on the sofa wrapped up in his towelling robe.

He quickly went over to her and sat next to her and pulled her close.

“Kitten…I’m so sorry! – Please tell me you forgive me” Buffy looked at the puppy-dog eyes and she instantly forgot her annoyance.

“Come here…of course, I’m sorry too, there’s nothing to forgive. I know none of this is your fault…” Buffy held him close for a moment, then leaned out of the embrace to look at Spike while he said,

“Only, well, you see, the other night, at Sweet’s party, well Lorne bailed me out a couple of times at least to my knowledge dragging her away from me and that, and he asked me as a special favour not to call the police. But I’ll say that if there’s one more thing she does, then bang – that’s it, I’m calling 911, sod the publicity – I’ll have her done for stalking me – Sweet promised me he’s keep her away from us………”

“Spike…Spike…she seems quiet enough now…can I come down – what’s this weapon she’s got?” Xander called. Spike looked back at Buffy and asked,

“Will you be okay babe, I won’t go into the room, I PROMISE, Lorne should be here any minute now” Spike said to Buffy, who smiled

“I trust YOU babe, it’s HER I don’t trust!” Buffy cupped his cheek, leaned forward and kissed him softly.

“Spike…SPIKE  - can I come down now –“ Xander called again, Spike interrupted him and said,

“’S’ok Xand, I’m coming up, just don’t let go until I – oh, hang on”

The doorbell rang, and Spike veered off from walking to the stairs to answer it.

“Quick Lorne, come in…filthy night!”

Lorne came inside, delicately closed his umbrella and said,

“I’m SO sorry about this Spike…I didn’t know she was out -.” Spike lead the tall guy up the stairs, to where Xander was leaning back holding the door handle with both hands as Dru had started to try and pull it open again, screaming her head off.

“Good, is it safe for me to let go now? – And what was this bloody dangerous deadly weapon she’s got?” Xander asked, with more than a touch of anxiety.

Even Lorne quirked an eyebrow at Spike, who said

“My TMM. Top Music Manager, 2001. It’s got a heavy marble base see, and I thought that, well, it might have been a deterrent you know, before we found out who it was…

“Well, she SEEMS quiet enough, maybe I won’t HAVE to use this now”

Lorne went to re-pocket the syringe full of Valium. But Spike said,

“Actually Lorne, I’d give it to her anyway, she’s quiet now, but when she learns that I want nothing whatsoever to do with her, she might freak out again on you – you might be driving, she’s totally unstable, if you ask me, she needs locking up – for her own safety, let alone anybody else’s”

Lorne thought about what Spike had said, and agreed. She HAD pulled a stunt like that on him a few years back, suddenly pulling on the steering wheel, trying to force them to crash into a bridge support.

Xander slowly pushed the door open; all three men stood back, and then peered in to see Dru lying on the bed again.

“Okay, shall we see if…oh look, she’s asleep – thank god!” Xander breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door fully. Lorne strode in and leaned over her saying,

“Come on honey…let’s get you home, hmm?” Pushing the coat sleeve up her thin arm, Lorne located the vein and inserted the needle, depressing the plunger slowly.

“Hmm, Sp-Spike!” Dru threw her other arm around Lorne’s neck.

“No Dru, it’s not Spike, it’s me. I’ve come to take you back home” He removed the needle, rubbed her arm and pulled down the coat sleeve.

“Um, is that wise, do you think – don’t you think that Sweet might be even more angry with her now…what are you going to say to him, about her whereabouts” Xander asked

Well, there’s one thing I can tell you for sure.” Lorne said

“What’s that?” Xander asked

“Daddy didn’t do this to her” Lorne stated, indicating Dru’s facial injuries

“No? Are you sure, I know he can be a sick bas-“

“Definitely sure, he’s having dinner with his accountant – on his boat. He flew out to the Florida Keys this morning. He hasn’t seen Dru since breakfast. These wounds are a couple of hours old at most – and I haven’t a clue how she got them – or even who did it to her – she was with me watching TV, I must have fallen asleep”

“So she’s a lying little bitch on top of everything else too…” Spike said. Dru stirred in Lorne’s arms, and she mumbled

“You promised…promised you wouldn’t leave me”

Spike felt nothing. He’d been through this sort of scenario with her dozens of times before. One time, a long time ago, those words were like twisting a knife in his gut, but now he had had every last trace of remorse and sympathy wrung from him years ago.

Of course, last time it culminated in Dru threatening to throw herself off the roof if he didn’t promise to take her back, until trained negotiators talked her down. But this time………  this time it was different, he was with somebody, he had Buffy to think about as well.

“Get her sorted out Lorne. I mean it, she needs to be taken a long, LONG way from here, because if she pulls a stunt like this or anything like it to try and get me back – or if she goes anywhere near Buffy – well, put it this way, I won’t be held responsible for my actions – I’m letting her off this time as a favour to you – but if anything happens again, I mean ANYTHING, a silent phone call, a note on my windshield – I’ll have her done for stalking – I MEAN IT”

 Lorne nodded, thanked him and left, Dru lolled groggily in Lorne’s arms as he carried her down the path in the pouring rain to his car.

“Thanks for coming Xander…I didn’t want to call an ambulance from here, I thought that Lorne was out as I got the Ansa-phone. I didn’t interrupt anything, well you know, between you and Harmony, did I?”

“It’s okay mate, Harm understood. When I told her what you said, she said to get over here quick…”

“Xander…Xander” Buffy called

“Yes Buffy?”

“It’s Harmony on the phone, she wants to know how long you’ll be?”

“Tell her I’m on my way back now, will you please – well Spike, I better be off”

“Yeah, and thanks again my friend, I appreciate you coming over so quickly” The two friends exchanged a back-slapping hug

“You know, you’re REALLY going to have to sort something out, it’s getting beyond a joke”

“Yes, I know, I’ve got some long hard thinking to do – Night Xand”

“Night Spike – Night Buffy!” Buffy waved from the sofa, still talking on the phone to Harmony.

“………Yes, he’s just left…okay then, I better go, I want a nice hot bath before I go to bed…really – oh sorry…well yes. Good night then Harmony see you tomorrow”

Spike came over to Buffy after locking up.

“You okay Kitten?”

Buffy nodded and said,

“I’d love a nice hot soak…with you?” Buffy looked wide-eyed at him and he smiled

“Sounds like a plan…come on then kitten, lets go up, we’re all locked in safe and secure, and first thing in the morning, I’m onto the locksmiths – and I want the whole place burglar alarmed too” Spike turned off the lamp and followed Buffy upstairs.

                                                        **********

“There, there………ooh…is that an ouchie cup-cake…how did you do this anyway?” Lorne winced himself as he gently sponged Dru’s face with warm soapy water with a touch of antiseptic in it. He carefully patted her battered face dry while Dru sat there impassively, staring dead-eyed into space.

“What were you doing over at Spike’s place anyway, hmm? – Honey, this thing you’ve got about him…it’s REALLY got to stop. He’s got somebody else now, we keep telling you” The Valium had kicked in, along with her medication, plus the coke she’d done earlier, making Dru totally Zombified, but the tears fell unchecked down her face.

“Oh sweet-cheeks…don’t cry…come on honey…there, there, don’t cry my sweet, I’m here, I’ll look after you” Dru allowed herself to be gently pulled into Lorne’s arms, and she lay against him feeling totally numb.

                                                        **********

“I’m sorry Daddy, I don’t know how she got out. We had a light supper, watched TV – I must have fallen asleep – next thing I know, it’s 10.45, and I wake to the sound of the Ansa-phone – a garbled message from Spike, saying Dru’s at his house and has gone berserk………………………of course I went and fetched her – the thing is……………well, I don’t know why or how but she told Spike that it was YOU that had beaten her up………………………………split lip, black eye, bloody nose, she’d taken quite a beating……………no, not a chance of it being Spike, because he and Buffy had been out together they got back and found Dru waiting in his bedroom…………no he didn’t contact them, as a favour to me, but I know he won’t stand anymore…………yes, Daddy………………yes, Daddy ………due home any time now………okay then, yes, we’ll see you later then, bye”

Lorne put the phone down, and turned to see Dru looking daggers at him.

“And what’s that look for – I might tell you Dru – Daddy’s very cross with you – he said that – Dru………what………what’s that you’re hiding – Dru, WHAT have you got behind your back?”

Lorne felt suddenly nervous, there was a totally evil look in her eyes that he’d never seen before -

Dru said nothing, but suddenly just flew at Lorne, who saw the glint of the knife as the blade swished through the air and came down hard, jarring against bone the swiftness of the attack surprised him as he sank to his knees, a tremendous pain wracked through his body – he tried to draw breath, but he just made a slight gargling rasp, his mouth filled with blood and everything went black……………………………

The last thing he saw was the crazy look she had in her eyes – the Dru he knew and loved wasn’t there. She stood back, watching him slump to the floor, then she turned and ran out of the house.

“WHAT THE – BLOODY HELL FIRE!” The Chauffer just managed to swerve to the right, as the erratically driven Mini slewed across the lawns and careered on down towards the gates.

“What is it, who, what was that?” Cecily sat up straight on the back seat of the car, twisting around to see the Mini narrowly miss crashing into the slowly opening automated gates.

“Some crazy idiot – who’d be driving like that in the grounds…look at the state of the lawn – unless………oh goodness, can you ear that – the alarms are going – I wonder if it was a burglar?”

“Quick – lets go see!”

The driver pulled up and Cecily got out quickly – she was just about to enter the house, she was ¾ of the way up to the steps, when she heard a loud scream, and saw the old cook dashing out of the sitting room.

“Mrs Gould…what is it?” The poor old dear, near to passing out with shock leant against the wall, she couldn’t speak, she just pointed with a very shaky hand into the room. There, lying face down in a pool of blood, was Lorne, he had a knife sticking out of his back.

“LORNE – OH MY GOD – “

“What, what is OH GOOD GOD!” The driver skidded to a halt in the doorway, not seeing Lorne until Cecily stood up

“PHONE AN AMBULANCE, QUICK!” Cecily screamed to the driver, who trying his best not to fumble, dialled 911.

“Lorne…OH GOD…LORNE…WHO DID THIS?” Cecily let out a sob………