Title: Tumblin' Down 15/?
Author: Elisabeth
Email: dragonydreams@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.dragonydreams.com/
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Willow/Giles
Summary: What if Riley hadn't been there to pull Willow out of harm's way during "Wild at Heart"?
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Joss et al.
Distribution: My site, the usual lists, anyone with previous permission. Anyone else - please ask.
Feedback: Yes please! It makes me happy and keeps me writing.
Author's Note: Emmy, thanks for the fill-in beta job.
Giles insisted that the best way to try to figure out what the "frat vamps," as Buffy had called them, were up to, would be to explore the construction site themselves. Willow made a show of protesting, but was just as eager to see the symbols in their intended use. They only hoped that the remainder of the construction crew hadn't finished removing all of the symbols yet.
When they were nearly at the site, Willow was struck with a thought, causing her to grab Giles' arm.
"What if they've already performed the ritual?"
This was an idea that Giles had been mulling over himself. They had been so caught up in trying to figure out what the ritual was for that they hadn't considered whether or not it had occurred yet.
With a sigh he agreed, "It's more likely than not that it has been."
"I know. It's not very likely that they went to the trouble of drawing the symbols without using them. Unless they were simply trying to plan ahead?" Willow ended on a skeptically hopeful note.
"And how many vampires do you know who plan ahead like that?"
"Well, there was Angelus. And sometimes Spike…"
Giles turned amused eyes on his girlfriend. "That was meant to be rhetorical."
"Oh, sorry," Willow apologized. She jerked upright in her seat, recalling that the blond vampire hadn't made any kind of retaliation against Buffy for taking away his opportunity to be indestructible. "You don't think Spike had anything to do with this, do you?"
"It's a possibility," he reluctantly agreed. "We haven't seen him for a while, not since the debacle with the Gem of Amara. Perhaps he's found a new way to annoy us."
"But joining a fraternity?" Willow said disbelievingly. "That doesn't sound like the Spike we all know and loathe."
"Agreed. But it is a possibility to keep in mind. He has been known to recruit other vampires to do his dirty work."
They pulled up in front of the construction site and were relieved to see it abandoned. They didn't know how they would explain their nosing about to a bunch of construction workers.
Getting out of the car, Willow asked, "Do you think there's anything left?"
"Let us hope." Giles pulled back a loose part in the fence, holding it for Willow, before crawling in after her.
Looking at the blueprint Xander had drawn earlier, Willow moved in the direction of where one set of symbols had been made.
"Well, it's still here," Willow commented, looking down at the burned markings on the ground. It was easy to see how the lines could be mistaken for spray paint, but upon closer inspection, it was obvious to one trained in the use of magicks that these were the remainder of markings burned into the earth.
"What could do that?" Willow asked. She knew the markings were left by fire, but she wasn't sure what would have to have been burned.
"Most likely the symbols were laid out with an herbal mixture. Traditionally the herbs would then be lit as a chant was being performed." Giles informed her, kneeling next to the markings, careful not to touch them.
"Then we're too late," Willow sighed.
"It would appear so. Now we need to determine what ritual was performed so that we will know how to combat whatever is thrown at us."
"Do you know what it says now that you can see the markings up close and personal?"
"They appear to be a more modern dialect. If I'm not mistaken, the letters in English would be: V-H-U."
"V-H-U? What does that stand for?" Willow asked.
"Vampire Healers Union," answered a voice behind them.
Willow and Giles had been so absorbed in studying the burn markings before them that they had failed to notice that the sun had set and the site was now being illuminated by streetlights.
Slowly they turned around to find half a dozen vampires, all wearing the same symbols on their chests in full game face. Giles stood and pulled Willow into his arms.
"Vampires have healers? And you've unionized?" Willow couldn't help asking, the idea too bizarre to believe.
"Of course we do, and have," the leader said condescendingly. "Just like any other creature, we sometimes require a bit of additional healing that our bodies cannot provide themselves."
Giles was sufficiently intrigued to lessen his fear of the situation. "Healers?" he questioned. "You use magicks to heal others of your kind?"
"As do you," one of the other healers confirmed, nodding his head in Willow's direction.
Willow couldn't help looking down at her, magically enhanced, healing hip. In awe, she whispered, "You can tell I've been using magick to speed my recovery?"
"Of course. As could anyone who can sense magick use."
"Have you always been in Sunnydale," Giles asked, wondering how this Union could have existed right under his nose without his knowledge.
"No, we go where we are most needed," the leader replied.
"And you were needed here," Willow surmised. "Why now? Wouldn't you constantly be needed here on the Hellmouth?"
"With a slayer present, there really isn't much for us to do. There is no need for healing once becoming dust."
"Then you were called here," Giles guessed.
"Yes."
"By whom?"
"That'd be me, mate," came a well-known voice from behind.
The humans spun around to find Spike leaning against a pile of two by fours, a freshly lit cigarette hanging from between his lips.
"Spike," Willow gasped. 'I knew it, I just knew it,' she thought.
Remembering the vampires who were now behind them, the couple shifted around so that they could see both Spike and the Healers.
"Spike, what are you up to now?" Giles wearily asked.
"*I* am not up to anything," Spike drawled. "Would I be in need of healers if I was?"
Giles raised an eyebrow as if to say 'If you caused yourself injury, then yes.'
Spike simply rolled his eyes in answer and took a drag off his cigarette. "Sit down kiddies, let uncle Spike tell you a story." He paused for dramatic effect. "Fine, don't sit. So there I was, minding my own business, watching the slayer." When Giles looked like he was about to interrupt, Spike cut him off. "Don't get your panties in a twist, Watcher. I'm a vampire; it's what I do.
Like I was saying, there I was, standing around minding my own business, when I get ambushed by these military blokes. Shoot me full of electricity and knock me out they did. Where do I wake up? Some bleeding cell in a demon lab. Well, let me tell you, William the Bloody is no lab rat. Tricked them I did. I made it out of there with guns on my heels."
"That's all very exciting, but where do these fellows come in?" Giles interrupted, not at all impressed the bleached vampire's escape.
"I'm getting to it," Spike snarled. "Right, so I get away and head straight for the campus, knowing the slayer was behind my captivity. Just my luck, no one was home. I was starving, I hadn't eaten in who knows how long while I was knocked out. It was easy getting invited into some co-ed's room … your generation is really so friendly, Red. Well, you can imagine my surprise when I go in for the kill only to be stopped by the worst bloody headache I've ever had the displeasure to experience. Didn't take long to figure out that those commandos had done something to me while I was their unwilling guest."
"And that's where you come in?" Willow addressed the lead healer.
"Yeah, I'd heard about the VHU back when I was trying to figure out how to cure Dru," Spike answered. "I gave them a chant and here they are."
"A-and you fixed whatever it was that made Spike unable to bite?" Giles nervously asked.
"It took some very strong magicks, but yes, we did," the leader proudly stated.
"What was it?" Willow asked, her natural curiosity getting the better of her. "What made you unable to bite?"
"Would you believe a sodding computer chip?" Spike said incredulously.
Willow eyes widened, equally appalled and curious. She was a computer geek after all. "The 'commandos' found a way to modify your behavior with a computer chip?"
Spike grimaced and nodded.
"Fascinating," she exhaled. Noticing the golden eyes staring at her and the low pitched growling directed at her she was quick to add, "Wrong, but fascinating nevertheless."
"Willow, love, don't drool over the technology in front of the vampires, please." Giles whispered in her ear.
"Well, look at this," Spike drawled. "Looks like Daddy's been acting rather unpaternal."
"Shut up, Spike," Giles barked. "Must you be so crude?"
"Yeah, I must." He licked a canine. Unabashedly running his eyes over Willow, taking in her use of a cane, he continued. "Can't say as I blame ya. Better to catch 'em while they're young and weak, easier to train that way."
"I imagine that's what the military thought of you," Giles returned.
Spike sucked in an unneeded breath, not liking the comparison. Seeing he wouldn't ruffle Giles, he turned on Willow. "So I take it wolf-boy dropped you. Can't see you leaving the mutt for the geezer." Spike smirked as the color rose on Willow's face.
"You leave him out of this," she fumed. "Yes, Oz is gone. And I couldn't be happier. I have Giles now and I couldn't imagine my life without him."
"There's no need to defend ourselves to him," Giles said comfortingly, knowing now was not the time or the place for an altercation with the blond menace. "We've discovered what we came for, lets go home."
"You're right," Willow blew out a breath, calming herself. "I believe we have unfinished business at home anyway."
"That's right, go home and snog your girl," Spike leered. "Nothing more here to concern yourself with."
"I assume that you will be leaving town now?" Giles directed his question to the lead healer, who had been watching the scene with amusement.
"Not just yet. Spike may not be the only vampire who has been so violated. We shall remain until we are certain we are no longer needed."
"And do you expect us to simply look the other way?" Giles asked.
"We are not here to cause trouble," the leader assured them. "We are healers, not fighters."
"Oh, um, if you're sticking around, do you think you could find somewhere else to do your rituals?" Willow nervously asked. "It's just, the construction crew had to shut down today to try to remove the symbols and my friend is on the crew…"
"The energies here are perfect for what needed to be done," the leader informed Willow.
"Yeah, but this is the Hellmouth. Shouldn't there be strong energies other places too? There are some nice clearings in the woods on the edge of town. If you need big spaces and natural materials then what could be better than being out in nature?"
"We will search for another location, but I make no promises."
Willow smiled her thanks.
"And I will ask Buffy to leave you be, unless you provoke her," Giles promised.
"Thank you." The leader made a small bow of acceptance and dismissal. He gestured to the others and led them away.
"Not me," Spike spoke up. "I plan on stickin' around and causing all kinds of mayhem. Just you wait."
"Oh, be quiet," Willow shushed him. "No one cares what you're doing."
"I wouldn't be too sure 'bout that, Red." Spike sauntered towards her. "Seeing as how I plan on gettin' even with the slayer for my bein' captured, I think you'll start to care."
"Well then I'll tell Buffy to feel free to dust you at first sight," she innocently grinned.
"Spike, you've done what you came for. If you're finished gloating and strutting about, we have… things to return to." Giles put his arm around Willow's waist and ushered her back to the car.