Chapter Eleven
Buffy stared, wide eyed at the werewolf snapping and snarling at the gate. The thing that wanted to get to her so desperately was returning her gaze with hate filled HUMAN eyes.
Suddenly, images flooded Buffy’s mind. Willow, on her knees in front of her, hate, anger and grief filling her green eyes. Willow, dead in the middle of Amy’s beige carpet. Amy pushing her out the door, telling her she’d take care of it. And she had left. Went to get Dawn and let a person that Willow hated deal with her body. And now, here was Oz to make her pay for all her sins.
Buffy backed away from the werewolf, sinking slowly to the floor when her back hit the cage. Tears poured unnoticed down her cheeks as her lips started to move, no sound coming out at first. She wrapped her arms around her knees and started to rock, as her voice rose.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Over and over, rising in volume until her voice was shrill.
“BUFFY!!” Spike screamed, slamming his body against the cage. He screamed again, desperately trying to break her out of her stupor, before Oz-wolf got in the cage and tore her to bits. When she didn’t move, Spike looked around for a way into the cage. He wasn’t concerned with the possible consequences of what he was going to do. All that mattered was getting to Buffy. He pulled violently on the chain link, terror gripping him as the gate started to open. Oz-wolf kept throwing himself against it, wanting desperately to get through.
Looking up, Spike saw that there was no top to the cage. He frantically started to climb, just as the gate swung all they way open, unleashing the wolf on the Slayer.
Next to Lucas, Robert took a step forward as Spike ascended to the top. Just as he raised his hand to signal the guards to stop him, Lucas held him back.
“Wait,” he said simply. Dawn looked at him, tears streaming out of her angry eyes.
“But, sir. The rules.” Robert started to protest.
“Who put this tournament together, Robert?” Lucas asked calmly, his grey eyes hard as steel.
“You, sir.”
“It would do you well to remember that, the next time you feel the need to try to tell ME about the rules.” he told the younger man, turning back to the arena.
Spike dropped to the ground just as Oz reached the stunned Slayer. The wolf swung it’s clawed paw at her intending to finish her quick. But, before he could connect, he snarled in pain as he was thrown across the cage. Spike growled in warning, crouching low in front of Buffy. His yellow eyes burned onto the human ones of Oz, his muscles quivering, waiting for the next attack.
But instead of launching again, Spike watched in amazement as the wolf features melted partially into Oz’s human face.
“My business isn’t with you,” he growled, pawing restlessly at the ground, anxious to get to his prey.
“It is when you’re trying to kill my mate,” Spike snarled back.
“She killed mine.” Confusion passed over Spike’s vampiric features, until he realized that Oz, was indeed, talking about Willow.
“I dunno what your definition of mate is, but it usually doesn’t involve a third person.” Spike said, his implication of Tara clear. “And, you left her, if I recall.”
“She was always MINE.” Oz insisted, pain twisting his features.
“Look, I know you’re hurtin’. When Buffy died, I wanted to take a holy water bath. But, Red made her choice when she killed Warren and Xander.” Spike tried to talk some sense into the werewolf, knowing it could possibly destroy Buffy if another one of her friends died. However, the vampire would not hesitate to kill the boy if he took so much as a step towards her.
“She’s the Slayer. She should have found another way.”
“You been talking to Angel? If you think that some mystical calling is a guarantee to always knowing what the right thing to do is, then you didn’t pay attention when you were around.” Neither male noticed that the crowd around them was turning nasty at the lack of action. Boos and cat calls filled the air, somewhat pulling Buffy out of her stupor. She saw Spike in front of her, confusion marring her brow as to how he got inside. He was fully vamped, crouched in a low defensive stance. Her shell shocked eyes drifted across the area to land on Oz, her heart beating painfully in her chest. He was still in half wolf form, glaring furiously at the blond in front of her.
Buffy vaguely remembered Willow telling her, all those years ago, that Oz had learned how to control his beast half. Although it had faltered when he had found out about the two witches.
Her body started to shake as she looked at him. He was still engrossed in his argument with Spike, not noticing yet that she was aware of her surroundings again. He had been her friend. Not as close as Xander, but he had been somebody she could depend on. And now, he hated her for killing the girl he had loved. The saying was true, everything does come full circle.
“Oz.” Buffy’s voice carried across the cage, drawing both their attention. Oz growled, fully shifting into werewolf form and lunging. He was met in the middle, by a very angry vampire. The crowd went wild as the two supernatural beings fought viciously, ripping and tearing at each other with claws and teeth. The floor of the cage was soon stained red as the blood flowed free.
“SPIKE!” Buffy and Dawn screamed as Oz’s claws savagely tore through Spike’s stomach. Oz-wolf tossed him against the wall, clearing his way to Buffy.
Seeing Spike crumpled on the floor, blood pumping out of his gashes, finally broke the last of the haze from her brain. She barely managed to dodge as he jumped at her, his claws catching her arm. Hissing in air, she rolled away, her Slayer training giving her the advantage over Oz, who could only depend on his brute strength and instincts that came from the wolf. She back flipped across the cage to where a long bladed knife was interlaced through the links. She pulled it away from the wall, the light glinting dangerously off the metal. She quickly prayed that it was silver, as Oz lunged for her again. She ducked under him while he was in the air, stabbing up with the knife, allowing his momentum to slice it across the underside of his body. A torrent of blood and gore poured down on her as he fell to the ground. Buffy dropped the knife as if it had burned her. Tears streaked through the blood on her face, as she watched the fallen wolf transform back into the naked form of Oz. With one last, hate filled glare, David Osborne was no more.
Buffy was sobbing in earnest as she managed to stumble over to Spike’s still form. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, but she couldn’t tell how much he’d lost. His skin was a sickly grey color, and blood covered the white shirt and faded blue jeans he was wearing. She didn’t know how much was Oz’s, or how much was his own.
“Spike?” her voice hitched as she placed a gentle hand on his chest. The crowd grew silent at the sight of the blood soaked Slayer hovering over the body of the vampire. “Spike, baby?” He wasn’t dust, which was good. But, he wasn’t responding, which was bad. Buffy’s mind scrambled at what to do. He needed blood. Now.
Scrambling to where she had dropped the knife, Buffy rushed back to his side, and quickly slit her wrist. A collective gasp ran through the crowd as they watched the Vampire Slayer trying desperately to save her vampire lover.
When her blood flowed free, Buffy held her wrist to his mouth.
“Come on, baby. Please. Come back.” She pleaded, a sigh of relief escaping her when she felt his lips latch onto her wrist and start to drink. She let him feed until she started to feel dizzy, then she pulled away. His head turned, instinctively searching for the source of his life. He could smell it, all around him, and his demon was demanding more. Forcing it back, Spike blinked his eyes, Buffy’s blood covered form coming into focus.
“You’re hurt,” he mumbled, panic setting in at the amount of blood covering her. Buffy pressed her hand against his shoulder to keep him down.
“No. . .I’m alright. This. . .is Oz’s,” she finished quietly, tears dripping from her eyes.
“Cor, pet. I’m sorry,” he whispered, rubbing his knuckles across her cheek. She closed her eyes, taking the comfort he was offering.
“Do you think you can stand?”
“Yeah.” Buffy helped him up, slipping her arm around his waist. “I’m glad I left the duster in the room,” he said looking down at his clothes with a grimace. The crowd erupted into massive cheers as the vampire and the Slayer turned and slowly left the arena.