Chapter Five: Against the Unknown, part 4

[Harley Quinn]

:: Drusilla had smiled and nodded at Spike before he left the room. She waited patiently for him to return, knowing that he would know what to do about it. She sighed as she waited, still wondering what was going to happen after Spike got back. She softly started humming a song her mother used to sing to her as she waited, because it calmed her racing thoughts.::

[Black Eye Guy]

::Willow Smiled::

David: "I'm impressed, And I have one more thing to ask you, would you be able to find Giles and ask him to come here, I think he should be in on this."

[Buffy Summers]

:: Buffy looked at the vampire in the next room, who seemed so much just a girl. ::

Just a normal girl...

:: She looked into Spike's eyes. How was this affecting him? She smiled. ::

"What do you think you've been drinking since you got here?"

:: She got on her radio once more. ::

"David, what's the sitch with Willow and Drusilla's accomodations?"

[David]

[ David smiled at Willow's comment, then nodded. ]

"Of course, I'll send for Mr. Giles right away."

[ His radio beeped and Buffy's voice came over his earpiece. ]

"Drusilla's room is ready. Willow is setting up now - I have one more item to retrieve for her. She's also asked for Mr. Giles' assistance..."

[Buffy Summers]

:: Buffy cringed a little at the mention of Giles' name. They hadn't spoken since their fight, and she wasn't looking forward to their next encounter. She knew David was looking for her approval of the request, and for a second she wanted to tell him to forget it. There was a bit of an uncomfortable silence, but then Buffy made up her mind. ::

"Do it. But send someone else - I need you back here. And on your way, arrange for some...red liquidy nourishment to be brought there for our guest."

:: Buffy turned to the others. ::

"Won't be long now."

[David]

A young girl in a black suit made her way to Giles' private library on David's behalf. She cleared her throat to announce her arrival to the Watcher. "Excuse me for interrupting, Mr. Giles, but Miss Rosenberg requests your assistance in the barracks. I can show you the way, if you'll follow me?"

At about the same time, a mousy girl in glasses and a white lab coat entered the room where Willow was, and handed her a small box containing the sage she'd ask for, while a second worker wheeled in a small refrigerator containing cannisters of individualized servings of animal blood.

Meanwhile, David arrived back at Drusilla's cell...

[ Knocking politely, David entered, nodding to the assembled. ]

"I've done as you requested. I can take you to the room we've prepared, if you are ready?"

[Edmund Blackadder]

::Giles sat contemplating the events that had transpired so far when he was disturbed by the knock. Even as the woman who was there had offered to guide him, he still still had his thoughts else where::

'hmm" he sounded in agreement.

::Standing from his chair, wincing slightly at the pain from his earlier injury. he put his jacket on and walked towards the door::

'I'm ready'

::Nearly 9 years he had been Buffy's mentor, and in all that time only once had be and her opposed so drastically that it caused this level of tension. He knew what had happened was his fault, but he could not accept full responsibilty, afterall, at it was a matter of protection in the beginning and forgetfulness in the end. All he had to do now was hope to mend the already increasing gap between him and his Slayer, no his Friend::

[Mesektet Ra]

Spike smiled at Buffy. There was something different, something free about it, and Spike missed that feeling.

He nodded at her once, and turned to Faith and Gwen, who looked amped, finally allowed to do something besides stand around.

"Alright, loves. Let's do this."

[buffetofsporks]

:: Andrew turned to Amy. ::

Amy: "We start as soon as possible, I guess. Do you think the trip will take longer than a week? I want to know if I should record Desperate Housewives or not ... Hmm."

[Angels baby101]

:: Illyria looked at Andrew strangely.::

"You are an unusual breed of human."

::Illyria thought for a moment..::

"How do we get there?"

[+ Matt +]

::Amy looked on at Illyria. She had to give a response to show that she had initiative. She pondered the question::

Illyria: "I'll drive. I parked my car just a short distance away from the compound..."

::She paused for a second and looked back at Andrew.::

Andrew: "Tape it just in case...I have to see what goes on with Susan!"

[Lyri]

::Gwen nodded her head at Spike and took a step towards the door that sperated the room from Drusilla's cell.::

"Okay, just tell me what to do. I'll follow your lead."

[buffetofsporks]

:: Andrew smiled. Finally, he was leading an operation ordered by Buffy herself. He was really an official Scoobie. ::

Amy and Illyria: "Well, I'll go get ready and packed. Meet back here in ... twenty minutes?"

:: Andrew giggled. ::

Amy and Illyria: "This is so exciting!"

:: Andrew skipped off to his room to pack his things. ::

[+ Matt +]

::Amy watched as Andrew left. She let out a small smile from the corner of her mouth as she shared his excitement.::

Andrew: "And I'll..."

::Her voice drifted off as she realised that she did not have a room, nor any alternative place to go.::

Andrew: "...Stay here. (Turning to Illyria) Do you need to go anywhere?"

[Black Eye Guy]

::Willow took the Box of sage from the young women::

"Thank you"

::She placed the box down on the table, and took out some of the sage out, Then she opened the Spell book to the binding ritual, and placed the sand down on the table, and started reading over the instructions again::

[Kendall Hart]

::Xander felt a bit lonely and sad, as he stood near Dru's cell, unsure of what to do. Noone had assigned him a job yet. He sighed as he turned to the dark haired vampire.::

"Its because I only have one eye, isn't it?"

[Buffy Summers]

:: Buffy nodded. She looked at Spike. ::

"Maybe you want to be the one to explain to her that we're moving her to a more comfortable room. Then you can bring her out here, I'll go first, then you and Dru. Then Faith, you watch her back, and Gwen stay at the rear just in case. Sound good to everyone?"

[Black Eye Guy]

"OK"

::Willow spoke to herself, as she looked up from the book. She peered into the Box of Sage again and took out a small plate, then placed the clump of sage on it. Staring straight at the sage, it suddenly Burst into flames, which quickly died down to a slow burn, The smell of sage began to fill the room.

Next she opened the lid on the jar of sand, and walked into the center of the room, she began to pour a line of sand from wall to wall across the room, leaving enough room for people to stand on one side and enough space for Drusilla to move around a little on the other. As she poured the sand she chanted ::

"Ut illa lacuna es orator permissum is alica partum a obex"
(As these words are spoken let this spell create a barrier)

[Lyri]

::Gwen nodded in response to Buffy's suggestion and prepared herself for whatever came next.

::As her power level increased from almost nothing to potentially leathal, she looked at Buffy again.::

"Okay, I'm with you on the moving her part, but you said to hang back incase soemthing happens. Well, what if something does happens and I have jump in? How much damage do you want? I don't want to kill her. Not if shecould be useful."

[Anita Blake]

::Faith rolled her eyes at Buffy while she was handing out assignments::

(B, just can't help but take charge...I'm bringing up the rear...again.)

::Smiling to herself, she started moving closer to the door, becoming fully alert::

"Gotcha, B. Me and Sparky here, we'll bring up the rear."

::Listening to Gwen also responding in the affirmative, Faith could feel the hairs on the nape of her neck rise and she knew that Gwen was doing something. Faith glanced at Gwen out of the corner of her eyes::

(Girl's got power. I like that in a woman.)

::Grinning to herself, she heard Gwen's question and jumped in::

Gwen: "Well, Sparky, considering that she's already dead, maybe you should just avoid making her explode into flames...'cause that would be messy."

[Lyri]

::Gwen smirked at Faith.::

"Okay, no ashes. I can do that."

::Gwen fell into step beside Faith, bringing up the rear, and reduced her power level to slightly less than leathal.

::As they walked side by side, Gwen looked at Faith out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't spent much time with the woman, but she could already tell that Faith was her kinda person.::

Maybe when this is all over, we can see how alike we really are.

[Mesektet Ra]

Spike nodded at Buffy once, and turned to smile a little at both Faith and Gwen before leading them into the cell.

Waving a hand, wordlessly telling them to stay back for the time being, Spike strode over to Drusilla, positioning himself behind her, where her hands were tied. He leaned over incrementally, saying softly, "Faith, Gwen and I are gonna untie you now, alright love? We're gonna move you to someplace a little more comfortable. They've got blood in there waiting for you, but you need to stay calm, okay ducks? Nobody's gonna hurt you."

Spike locked eyes with Faith nodded at Dru, implying that the other Slayer untie Dru's legs. Spike began to deftly untie the knots holding Dru stationary.

[Harley Quinn]

:: Drusilla watched as Spike returned with two women, one who had been in the room with her earlier on. When he walked behind her and explained to her what was going on, she nodded and smiled at the two women. She had paled a little when he mentioned the blood waiting for her, but her color quickly returned and she didn't say anything about it.::

"I promise to remain calm. I trust you will not let anyone harm me..."

::She paused for a moment.::

"Or let me harm anyone."

::Her voice had wavered slightly, because she could feel the hunger growing, and the presence of the two girls seemed to make it a bit more intense, but she shook her head and spoke again, her voice strong once more. After all, she had promised to remain calm, and she would use every last once of her strength to do just that. She looked between the two women in front of her.::

"May I ask your names?"

[Lyri]

::Gwen watched as Spike whispered in Drusilla's ear, too softly for her to hear, but Drusilla's reply cam in loud and clear.

::Gwen tried hard to remind herself that Drusilla was a soulless creature, capable of horrors she couldn't even imagine. But as Drusilla promised to stay calm and asked Spike to protect her from harm, as well as protecting those around her from harm, Gwen couldn't help but warm to her. When she asked for their names, Gwen stepped forward, a few paced ahead of Faith.::

"I'm Gwen. Gwen Raiden. Don't worry. We're all here to take care of you."

::Gwen hoped that the 'taking care' part, didn't mean something else intirely.::

[Anita Blake]

::Faith grinned at Gwen, feeling a spark of kinship for the other woman. Walking next to her into the room where Drusilla and Spike were, she couldn't help but notice the glance Gwen swept her out of the corner of her eye. This caused Faith to grin even wider::

(Definitely my kind of woman. Always assessing people...I like it.)

::Walking into the room, she stopped a few feet away from Spike and Drusilla. Giving them a bit of space. Her Slayer senses focused on the two vamps, but didn't go haywire. Shaking her head ruefully, she watched Spike talk quietly to Drusilla, her enhanced hearing, allowing her to listen to the conversation, but she didn't really give it that much attention, since it wasn't any of her business. Seeing Spike nod to her, she moved to Drusilla's feet, and began to untie her::

(Finally, I'm feeling slightly useful.)

::Hearing Drusilla and Gwen talk, she looked up and met Drusilla's eyes::

"My name's Faith. Just Faith, like Madonna or Cher."

[Kendall Hart]

::Xander smiled at Faith and Gwen as they introduced theirselves, he was standing next to Faith as Dru asked the two women their names. He couldn't help but grin with the "Cher and Madonna part."::

"On the Madonna and Cher part ,Faith you look nothing like them... your much prettier than them combined ."

[Harley Quinn]

:: Drusilla smiled at both girls, first Gwen, then Faith.::

"It is nice to meet you both. I am Drusilla, but you might've already known that. I seem to have forgotten a few things."

::She turned her head toward the dark haired man that had entered the room. Tilting her head to the side, she studied him. After a few seconds, she smiled at him. She didn't quite know what he was talking about, sense she hadn't known what Faith was referring to when she had said 'Madonna' or 'Cher', but he seemed nice.::

"And what may I call you?"

::She closed her eyes for a brief moment after asking him, pushing back a small wave of hunger. She would remain calm and keep herself from hurting anyone. After fighting it off, she opened her eyes again, but she was blushing lightly, apparently embarrased.::

"I am sorry about that. I suppose I should be used to this kind of thing, since what William said before is true."

[Mesektet Ra]

Spike hung back a little, arms crossed, as Drusilla got to know everyone in the room.

Spike's head whipped in Xander's direction, eyes narrowing. He went to go help Dru from her chair, gently helping her up by her arm. "That right there? That's Xander. I don't have a bloody clue what he's doing here except being a general pain in my arse, so he should probably leave."

Spike inclined his head at Xander as if to say now. Turning to regard Gwen and Faith, he said, "Let's get moving."

[Black Eye Guy]

::Willow stopped pouring the sand onto the ground, she had left a small break in the sand barrier to let people pass through, Which she would close up once Drusilla was inside.

She sat down at the table which was outside the barrier, and started flicking through the magick book, waiting. But her mind wandered up to her room, where she knew the letter from Tara was still lying in wait under her pillow::

"One problem at a time"

::She spoke aloud to the empty room...::

[Kendall Hart]

:;Xander glared at Spike angrily, oh how he so wanted to stake him right there and now. He smiled at Drusilla kindly, pitying the vampire.::

"Yeah I'm Xander and its okay with the I'm hungry vibe ,its quite understandable since your a vampire and all."

::He smiled again and kept his eyes on Dru.::

"So I can see your confused with the Madonna and Cher part and well, their singers, you know?"

[Harley Quinn]

:: Drusilla allowed Spike to help her up, but her focus was on the man called Xander. Spike seemed a bit cold to him, but she could find nothing wrong with him. She smiled at Xander, then turned toward Spike.::

"Is there something wrong, William? I find this Xander to be quite nice."

::She turned back to Xander before Spike could answer, thankful that he understood the craving, and wanting to know more about these things called 'singers'.::

"Thank you for being understanding. And, may I ask, what are these 'singers' that you speak of?"

[Mesektet Ra]

Spike just shook his head.

Sighing, he said, "Well, if the bloody pirate insists on joining the party, let's get going. Xander, stay out of our way. Don't want innocent bystanders gettin' caught in the crossfire, yea?"

Turning, Spike started to lead Dru out of the room, Faith, Gwen and Xander flanking them as they moved into the next room, and started to head towards the barracks.

[Kendall Hart]

::Xander smiled at Dru, as he moved to the other room with the others. He didn't like the fact Spike was being rude to him but, eh knew it was just another one of Spike's annoying things he enjoyed doing.::

"So basically Drusilla, Cher and Madonna our entertainers who dress well... kind of flamboyant and they sing."

::He was trying to help Dru understand the world around herself and he hoped it was a good explaination.::

"I know its kind of complicated to understand but, don't worry,it will make all sense in times notice."

::He smiled kindly at her once more, not caring that he was in Spike's way.::

[Harley Quinn]

:: Drusilla allowed Spike to lead her to where ever it was they were taking her, but she tried her best to keep an eye on Xander as this happened. He was trying to explain to her what these 'singers' were, but she still didn't quite grasp the concept. She felt another wave of hunger, this one a bit stronger than the last, but she pushed it back before she spoke again. She would not harm anyone who was trying to help her.::

"Maybe after I am settled into my new quarters, you can teach me these things."

::She spoke to Xander, fully aware that Spike seemed to not like the guy, but he was a very interesting character.::

[Kendall Hart]

::Xander smiled at Dru as her intrests of those singers Cher and Madonna got her.::

"Sure I'll let you listen to their music, Anya had some cd's of them..."

His voice trails off as he starts thinking about his dearly beloved and departed Anya.

Oh Anya.. how I miss you.

[Harley Quinn]

:: Drusilla tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, because she had caught the way Xander's voice drifted off. She didn't say anything, because she didn't want to bring up any painful memories. She did, however, smile serenely at him. She turned toward Spike, who had been silent for a while, and spoke to him.::

"William, where exactly am I going to be staying?"

[Lyri]

Drusilla: "We've got a room all set up for you. Nice and cozy I'll bet."

::She gave Xander a playful shove, trying to take his mind off of whatever was bringing him down.::

Xander: "And we will not be playing any Cher or Madonna."

::Embarrassed of her random outburst, but wanting everyone to think it was intentional, Gwen turned to Faith, who was keeping in step beside her.::

Faith: "So, this spell thing. Is it going to let certain people into the room with her? Or are we, like, going to have to stand outside and shout things at her?"

::Throughout her speech to Faith, Gwen kept her eyes on the female vampire in front of her, making sure she wasn't planing on doing anything irrational::

[Kendall Hart]

::Xander felt Gwen Raiden shove him a bit playfully, he could tell she could sense that something was wrong. His mind still on Anya, he shook away the painful memories of dearly departed and smiled at Dru.::

"You can also borrow my walk man, that way no one else will hear the sounds of Madonna and Cher."

[Anita Blake]

::Faith had been silent, keeping an eye on Drusilla, not ready to trust her, but willing to give her the benefit of doubt::

(Until, she does something to change my mind...)

::Smirking at Xander, she noticed that Drusilla had an interest in him. Grinning slightly she turned her head to catch Spike's eyes::

(I wonder how Spike is gonna deal with this...hmm...)

::Hearing Gwen speak to her, she kept her eyes locked with Spike's searching for any sign of what he was feeling, but still paying attention to Gwen. She liked Gwen. Faith didn't have that many friends. She needed all of them that she could get. Grinning she responded to Gwen while still looking at Spike::

Gwen: "I'm not sure what Willow's wacky wiccan mojo is gonna require of us. I generally take a position of listening to the professionals when it comes to things like this. I guess we're just gonna have to wait until we get there and Red tells us."

[Mesektet Ra]

Spike kept in step with the rest of the group, eyes roving as they spoke. They all seemed like old friends, laughing and smiling at one another.

Spike didn't have much to say at the moment.

Hearing Gwen speak to Faith, he turned his head. He smiled incrementally at her. She's strong, that one, he thought with no small amount of affection. She'll beat us all.

Feeling eyes boring into him, Spike switched his gaze to Faith. As Gwen and Faith spoke, Faith kept her eyes on him. Spike smiled at her too, trying to deflect as much attention from himself as possible. He understood they were cautious, worried - if he knew how he felt, he would tell them.

Right now, he was biding his time.

[Buffy Summers]

:: David led them to the room that had been prepared. Buffy made the trip in silence, tuning out the chatter of the others. She hoped they were doing the right thing. She longed to ask Giles' opinion, but still held on to the anger she felt towards him.

The guards on the door stepped aside as Buffy entered the room first. David waited outside. She looked at Willow. ::

"How are we doing, Will?"

[Black Eye Guy]

::Willow looked up from the spell book as the others entered, Then stood up::

Buffy: "Good! Everything is ready, just lead her thought the break in the line"

::She points to where she had left a gap in the sand::

Buffy: "Then everyone step outside and I'll finish the spell, locking her inside, but giving us an all access pass."

[Lyri]

::Slowly, Gwen raised her hand, drawing everyone's attention.::

"Um, am I going to affect the spell? My power kinda makes things go a little... wrong. I can turn it down, but I can't turn it off. I don't want to mess this up."

[Black Eye Guy]

::Willow turned to Gwen::

Gwen: "No... It should be fine, maybe just turn it down to be careful, but you shouldn't be a problem"

::She smiled at Gwen::

[Harley Quinn]

:: Drusilla studied the room she had been led to and smiled. It did seem a bit cozy. After hearing the redhead say she needed to be led through the break in the line, she frowned. She was not a child and could most definitely walk through the break in the line by herself. She did so with grace and ease, though she felt a bit nervous leaving Spike's side. He was the only thing she even came close to remembering, even if all she remembered was his name. She turned to look at him from her spot on the other side of the line.::

"Will you visit me often, William? You are the only thing that seems familiar to me. I would like it if you stopped by often."

::She then studied Xnader, Faith, and Gwen. She had felt safe with them around, from others and from herself. She smiled at them.::

"You are all welcome to visit as well. It would be nice to get to know the people around me. Maybe it will help me to remember."

::She then turned away from the group, closing her eyes to push back another intense wave of hunger. She prayed that this would go by quickly, so that she could feed the hunger without anyone getting hurt.::

[Black Eye Guy]

::Willow watched as Drusilla frowned at her, Then realized it was because of what she had said as the vampire walked away from her 'guards' and thought the sand barrier with a certain dignity. She listened as she spoke to the rest of the grope

She turned and picked up the jar, which contained the last of the sand, from the table. Then slowly make her way over to the break keeping an eye on Drusilla, ready to move encase Dru tried anything.

She poured the rest of the sand across the open space joining the two sections of the line together, closing off Drusilla to the rest of the group.

She put the jar back down on the table and turned to the barrier::

"Exsisto reusn intus"
(Be bound within)

:: As she spoke the last word she clapped her hands together once, and the sand suddenly started to shine, and a faint light sprang up from the floor to the ceiling, quickly fading out, leaving only a small glowing line along the ground where the sand had been, marking out the invisible barrier

She turned to the rest of the group::

Buffy: "OK it's done, she bound to that side of the room, We can cross in and out, if we need to, but she can't"

::Then turning back to Drusilla::

Drusilla: "Eh... Some animal blood has been brought in for you, it's in there"

::She points to the fridge on Drusilla's side of the line

Then looking around at everyone::

"So what now?"

[Kendall Hart]

::Xander watched as Willow finished her incantation on Dru. He noticed Drusilla closing her eyes to ignore the taste and hunger of blood. He couldn't help but, feel sorry for her.::

"Thats quite nice of you Dru and I'll make sure to visit you."

::He said kindly as he listened to Willow with her what now question.::

[Mesektet Ra]

Spike stood off the side, away from the others. He leaned up against the wall, scowl on his face, hands in his pockets. He smiled a tiny smile at Drusilla as she spoke, nodding his head without saying a word.

Willow finished the spell, and Spike pushed himself away from the wall. "Well, that was...bracing," he said, voice deadpan. He reached into his duster pocket and fished out his cigarettes. Pulling one out, he padded his duster for his lighter. Remembering he broke it, he rolled his eyes. "Bloody hell," he said. Fiddling with the cigarette, he looked at Willow, realizing she had asked a question. "Oh, right. What to do now. Y'know, Red, if I knew, I'd tell you. Gotta wait for the Slayer to come rally the troops, yea?"

Sticking the cigarette in his mouth, he shot Willow a look of minor pleading. "Also, can you magick this alive for me?"

[Black Eye Guy]

::Willow looked at Spike and smiled, Then pointed to a sign up on the wall behind him::

[No Smoking]

[Mesektet Ra]

Spike just rolled his eyes, sticking the cigarette in the pack and shoving it resignedly back into his pocket.

[Lyri]

::Gwen giggled at Spike and Willow's little back and forth as she turned down her power to as low as she could make it. She glanced around at everyone, waiting for someone to say something first.

::She sighed.::

This is why I hate being the newbie...

[Kendall Hart]

::Xander gave Gwen a They do that all the time look, and smiled at Willow and sort of at Spike.::

[Harley Quinn]

:: Drusilla opened her eyes and smiled at Xander for his statement. Upon seeing Spike nod, her smile widened. When the redhead spoke to her, she looked toward the small fridge, before murmuring her thank you. She was still a bit embarrased about the fact that she did indeed crave blood. She walked over to the small fridge, listening to the conversation of what should be done next while she did so. She turned toward the redhead.::

"I'm sorry, I do not know your name, but could I please have some privacy. I'd rather not do what must be done to calm these urges with an audience."

[Black Eye Guy]

::Willow looked at the vampire, a little startled by her wanting to eat alone::

Drusilla: "Eh... Yeah I guess so"

::She turned to the others::

"It should be fine to leave her by herself, she wont be able to pass that line until I beak the spell"

[Kendall Hart]

::Xander nodded in agreement as he smiled at Dru and waved at her.:: "You enjoy your meal, I bet it is appetitizing."

[Black Eye Guy]

::Willow smiled at Xander::

"I bet it's appetizing? Come on you dork"

::She pushes Xander a little indicating to move towards the door::

[Mesektet Ra]

Spike nodded once at Dru, and saluted her as he walked bakwards towards the exit. "Whatever you say, ducks. Give a holler when you're ready to have an audience."

Turning around, he caught Gwen up around the shoulders, walking her out alongside him. He turned and caught Faith's eye and motioned with his head at the exit.

[Kendall Hart]

::Xander laughed as he recieved a little push from Willow, he smiled at Dru and walked through the exit.::

"So now what?"

[Lyri]

::Gwen looked up at Spike and saw him motion his head at someone. Turning, she saw Faith following them as they headed out the door.::

"So, what happens now? I mean, the questioning and stuff? When does that start?"