Chapter Six
Spike’s first impression of the vampire leaning over the rail was that he was old. He wasn’t as old as Angel or Spike, but he’d been a member of the undead for a long while.
The vampire was likely turned when he was slightly younger than Michael, but despite his youthful appearance, he was likely experienced and knew the rules of survival.
Experience alone did not make a good leader.
His skin had probably been fair even when he was alive, his build and height were average, and his dark hair was a tousled mop as if he’d tumbled out of bed and forgotten to comb it. He wore black; however, it wasn’t leather or tailored. Instead, he wore black jeans and a cotton shirt that was un-tucked and slightly askew.
From a distance, Spike would not have pegged him as someone who took charge. However, judging from the silent entourage in the shadows, the vampire commanded respect.
The vampire kept his attention on the monitors before him as Spike and the others clustered behind him. Although he appeared nonchalant, his voice was deep and energized, “Michael, you’ve brought visitors.”
Michael removed Harmony’s hand from his arm and joined the vampire at the rail. “I have. They are new to the city.”
“New? They’ve never been here?” The vampire afforded them a glimpse of dark brown eyes. Spike averted his gaze and hoped the vampire took it as a sign of deference.
“No, they haven’t. They’re the ones from last night. . . the ones who were with me when the kranooks were after me,” Michael explained. “And today, they saved Harmony’s life.”
Buffy’s arm brushed Spike’s, and he was forced to work hard to hold back any display of emotion. He very carefully leaned the other direction, pretending to be entranced by something on one of the monitors. Truth be told, he couldn’t make out a thing on them. He wasn’t sure why he needed more distance from Buffy again after their earlier talk. All he knew was that he did.
“Ah. I’d heard about them.” The vampire leader half-turned, and force radiated from him. His eyes locked on Buffy, who Spike could see was bowing her head out of false modesty. “You. What’s your name?”
In an excellent imitation of Tara’s shyness, Buffy peeked up briefly as if hiding behind her hair. “Liz,” she replied with a bit too much confidence. So much for her pretense of timidity.
“Liz. Come here.” He gestured for her to come forward. Buffy obediently joined him, moving awkwardly in the too tight green leather pants that Harmony had given her.
Although the vampire didn’t touch her, he was attracted to her. Spike could smell his desire, and he didn’t like it. Angel apparently didn’t either because he emitted a quiet sound that only Spike recognized as a sign of displeasure. At least, they were united on that point.
Spike reminded himself that they had been united on more than one point before Buffy returned. After Spike had physically recovered enough from his sacrifice in Sunnydale and his subsequent transformation, they’d had a few scuffles, one of which Spike was resourceful enough to win despite no longer having the speed or strength of a vampire. He couldn’t even recall what they fought about now. Mostly likely, it had been about Buffy.
It was always about Buffy.
Before Buffy, it was about Dru. He mused that maybe they’d always be in competition with one another over something. . . like family members often were. Along with that healthy – and sometimes unhealthy, competition – he found that part of him carried a deep affection for the Angel of now, too. Over the past three years, they’d worked together against the underhandedness of the senior partners and developed a trust he’d never thought they’d have. It had helped that a woman wasn’t around to come between them.
Spike returned his attention to the conversation between the vampire leader and Buffy. He thought he might have caught the vampire introducing himself as Stephan.
“And see here,” Stephan pointed at one of the monitors. When he touched one screen, the rest went dark. “This is one of our most popular hunts. It’s a series or tournament, you see, kind of like baseball or golf. We send our best hunters into a vampire-constructed forest and let loose one human, preferably one with brains, skill, and strength. Whoever captures the human first wins the round and advances to the next one. With each round, the quality of the vampire hunters and the human prey improves until we reach the final round, which is our championship. The winner walks away with a lifetime supply of blood and a penthouse apartment in a safe part of the city.”
Spike squinted at the monitor Stephan had pointed to. From Spike’s vantage point, nothing was visible except trees, and inanely, he wondered how trees grew in a place with no sunlight.
For a moment, Spike let his jealousy regarding Buffy shine through, interrupting Stephan, “So, it’s more like a fox hunt, then?”
Unruffled, Stephan turned briefly and winked at Spike. “Right.”
He motioned the others forward. Only Spike boldly advanced. Angel hung back with Mary, and Michael and Harmony seemed to have disappeared.
Stephan continued, “Except the vamps in this tournament are a little bit more ruthless than hunters of old. Although. . . I really have no idea about the past. Perhaps the humans in a fox hunt played more tricks on one another than I know. Anyway, the vamps will often set traps for one another. They’ve gotten into some pretty bloody scrapes, and often, there’re quite a few dustings along the way.”
“Wow,” Buffy breathed, but the Buffy Spike knew was likely holding back her sarcasm.
“Wow is right, and that is only one of the marvels of this ‘world’ we vampires have made for ourselves. You’ll learn more about this tomorrow when Michael and I have time to show you what we have to offer. My plan, Liz, Will, and Andy, is to convince you that our city should not be moved into the other dimension.”
“Right. Well, we sort of already agree,” Buffy said before she could stop herself.
Moving back from the rail, Stephan was bemused. “Still. I want to make sure of that.”
Buffy fidgeted, and Spike could tell that she was antsy for information. “What are the kranooks besides something reptilian and very scary?”
A grin spread across Stephan’s face. “Getting straight to your questions. I like that.”
Returning his grin, Buffy stated, “I have a lot of them.”
“Good. Let’s walk, shall we?” He started toward a door opposite from where they’d come into the room.
In silent agreement to let Buffy ask the questions, Spike and Angel followed them. Spike was distinctly aware of the presence of at least eight vampires bringing up the rear. The building, which was magically hidden behind a vampire brothel, was definitely secure.
“So, you want to know about the kranooks?” Stephan asked, politely keeping a safe distance from Buffy as he led them through a maze of dimly lit but clean smelling hallways that were lined with a multitude of closed doors. Spike could hear noises coming from behind some of them.
“Right,” Buffy said with a bit too much spunk for Spike’s taste. Stephan didn’t seem to mind.
“Well, in order to explain about that properly, I’ll need to explain something else first.” Stephan pushed open one of the doors to reveal a small library with walls full of books. Stuffed chairs were situated around a small table, which was stacked high with leather-bound volumes that had been obviously been perusing earlier.
Going to a dispenser on the left, Stephan poured himself a mug of steaming blood. Spike was amused that he could smell it the way a vampire could but didn’t crave it; it was an odd juxtaposition to him.
Stephan raised the cup at Angel, Spike and Buffy. “Blood?” When they all declined, he took a small sip and made a face when he burned his tongue. “I like mine really hot. Sometimes it gets me in trouble.”
Once he had them settled around the small table, including Mary, he launched into his tale, “So, you’ve probably heard about there being two factions: one for the emergence of the city into the world of humans and one against it. One is obviously headed by me. The other is headed by my twin sister, Stephanie.”
“The Gemela Prophecy!” Angel burst out, sitting forward with interest. Spike and Buffy stared at him as if he had three heads, and Spike decided that the information must have been in the thick mission packet he hadn’t bothered to read because he’d been too upset.
Stephan nodded. “You’re up on your prophecies.”
Emboldened, Angel launched onward, “Well, what can I say? I work with an evil l. . .” Buffy and Spike gave him a dirty look, and he switched his words, “library. I’m a. . . librarian at a, uh, . . . demon library.”
Stephan didn’t even flinch. “You’d be surprised, but some demons are interested in education.”
“Right,” Spike acknowledged. He’d read more than a book or two in his time despite his attempts to feign disinterest.
“And the prophecy of the twins coming to power in the vampire world has now, for the record, come to pass. My twin sister, Stephanie, is one leader in Vampire Villa.”
Buffy sounded thoughtful, “And as you said, she’s the leader of the other faction.”
“She is.” Stephan paused to take a sip of blood.
Inwardly, Spike found that he was slightly annoyed at the vampire leader’s need to play the dramatic storyteller. On the other hand, Stephan might still have residual feelings for his sister; Spike had had them for his own relatives when he’d been a soulless vampire.
A little too eagerly, Buffy asked, “So, did you have a falling out with her over the whole issue of bringing the city into the human world?”
Spike fought the urge to nudge her foot with his under the table. She better watch herself, or she would end up giving them away.
Stephan grinned over the edge of his mug. “Yes. I did. It’s an old sibling rivalry, if you will. Even as children, we fought over the minutest things, and on almost any subject, our opinions were opposite. Our temperaments were and are very different. I’m fairly laid back, and Stephanie. . . well, let’s just say, she’s not.”
Angel was seemingly as impatient as Spike although he didn’t show it outwardly. “So, how did you rise to power in Vampire Villa?”
Chuckling, Stephan admitted, “It seems that your simplest questions have such complicated answers. You see, despite what may seem apparent to you since you’ve come to Vampire Villa, most vampires aren’t aware of the pervasiveness of the factions in their world. Some may even think the factions don’t exist or dismiss their existence as the product of rumors.
“Stephanie and I were among the initial founders of Vampire Villa when the Slayers began to proliferate and eradicate thousands of vampires in the human dimension. Through an ancient text found at the remains of the Watchers Council, we managed to find a way to cut holes in dimensional walls, and after much experimentation, we found a pocket of darkness between dimensions. . . a place between this dimension and a sister one where we could build a safe haven for our kind.
“From the city’s inception, Stephanie and I realized that vampires would not take kindly to being ‘ruled’ by vampires with our strength and power. There would be too much fighting for that power. So, we decided to put in place a set of vampires who believed they were in charge. . . vampires who would be respected and followed by other vampires.”
Spike found himself fidgeting. Didn’t this guy ever stop prattling?
Stephan either couldn’t read his audience or didn’t care because he continued, “Each time Stephanie or I discovered a cluster of vampires living in the human dimension, we handpicked the vampire leaders to take a position of authority within the growing city we were forming. With magic and a bit of behind-the-scenes finagling, we led those vampires to believe that they were coming to power through their natural, innate talents. We chose leaders that were experts across multiple areas of art and science. They were and are acquainted with us, but they don’t recognize us as having any power over them.”
Stephan paused to drink deeply from his cup, allowing Buffy time to ask a question. “So, how did you have any influence over what they did? It seems like it might have led to chaos, having all those different leaders with differing ideas about what was best for the city.”
“Excellent point, my dear. That’s why Stephanie and I led from behind the scenes. We wanted to make sure that things ran smoothly and to our liking. We accomplished it mob style. We made sure that we sired enough vamps to fill key positions and to support our endeavors with force if need be. . . all very discretely, of course. They are our eyes and ears on the ground. The local leaders we handpicked were soon and continue to be merely figureheads. They lead the teams that helped build the structures around the city and make some decisions, but Stephanie’s or my influence touches most everything you see within the city limits. Most vampires in the city had, and still have, no awareness of the breadth of our authority. If they are even aware of us at all.
“For example, today’s attack on Harmony’s shop was no coincidence. Stephanie takes every chance she can to try and get to me. I think it’s because she’s aware that something big is about to go down. In any case, today’s attack will hardly be a blip on the radar. The city news won’t report it, or if they do report it, it will be cited as an accident with the wiring or some such nonsense.”
“Where do the kranooks come into play?” Angel injected, shifting his legs.
“Ah. The kranooks. I think a better question to answer first would be how Stephanie and I parted ways. Then, I think your other question will be answered.” Stephan sniffed the empty mug and set it aside with a bit of disgruntlement on his face. “About a year after the inception of the city, Stephanie got the idea in her head that she wanted to eventually move the city back to the human dimension. I didn’t quite understand it because we had the perfect set up. The sun never shone, the system of leading through figureheads was running smoothly, and we had all the blood we needed. It was like a miniature hell without the fire, brimstone, and endless torture.” With that comment, a faraway expression of peace lit Stephan’s face.
“She missed human civilization? The ‘happy meals on legs’ or something to that effect?” Buffy suggested.
Spike shot her a pointed glance and then looked at Angel. Angel didn’t react, so Spike decided that his grandsire didn’t even know that he hadn’t like the idea of losing not just his food source but many other human things that he was right fond of. Working with Buffy to stop Angelus from bringing hell to earth via Acathla had been the start of everything between them, something Spike hadn’t given much thought to in a long time. He still recalled how fearless and utterly vulnerable she was in the face of her lover turned evil. That combination was what drew him to her time and time again. It’s what drew him to her even now.
Stephan looked startled by Buffy’s questions. “Perhaps. . . perhaps she was homesick. She missed the challenge of being in your dimension. She didn’t like being reined in by the society here. Despite our inability to come to a compromise, she began researching a way to magically transfer the entire city to the United States. When I reminded her that the city would be susceptible to attack by the Slayers, she became obsessed with trying to find a way to protect the city. One avenue she explored was genetics mixed with magic.”
“Hence, the kranooks.” Buffy’s face couldn’t hide her disgust.
“Right. They’re not a naturally occurring demon race. They were genetically and magically created.”
“As were most of the demon types on earth,” Spike interrupted. This really wasn’t anything new, and though he couldn’t show it, he felt irritated that Stephan was trying to pass it off as particularly unique and special.
Buffy kicked Spike under the table, and Stephan just looked annoyed. Spike suppressed the urge to grin.
Stephan turned his attention back to Buffy. “I warned her that the violent temperament she gave the half-human, half-snake creatures would be uncontrollable. She didn’t listen, and although the creatures listened to her, they didn’t listen to anyone else, including me.”
Spike caught himself before he could mutter something rude about listening to Stephan under his breath.
“So, being smart, they managed to escape into other dimensions because whatever magic she used allowed them to cross the dimensional barriers. In our efforts to regain control over them and herd them back for destruction, we discovered a couple of things. One is that the kranooks couldn’t survive too far from a source of magic; they need it to survive. So, they tended to gravitate toward pockets of magic in other dimensions. In your dimension, they couldn’t travel too far from the edges of the entrances of the vampire city.”
“Even with the magic of the hellmouth and other similar locations?” Buffy asked. Spike noticed she was making an effort not to look too intently at Stephan.
“Even with. None of the mystical areas were close enough to the vampire city with the exception of New Orleans,” Stephan clarified.
Buffy frowned slightly as if pondering something. Spike wondered if the kranooks had something to do with the recent mysterious disappearance of the Slayer stationed in New Orleans.
Stephan was still talking, “We managed to recover most of the kranooks, but Stephanie insisted we leave them at the edges of the vampire city to protect it. She felt like their need for magic to survive gave her power over them. I didn’t agree. I wanted to terminate the bizarre experiment before it got more out of hand. Our arguments about Stephanie’s plans intensified over several weeks until we stopped talking to one another. Then, one day, a minor incident with some of the underground vampires pushed her over, and she broke from me, taking several of our elite crew with her. Since then, she has continually tried to undermine me. For the most part, no one is aware of the feud, with the exception of those I trust the most.”
Buffy chewed on her lower lip. “Why hasn’t she sent the kranooks after you?”
“She’s using them and those loyal to her to guard something I need. . . something I used to have. She believes it is the key to making her plan come to pass.”
“The plan to bring the vampire city among the world of the living,” Spike added.
“Yes.” Stephan nodded.
“There’s always a something. What is it?” Spike could tell Buffy was thinking hard, and he wondered if her thoughts were similar to his. Stephan was waiting for them to sort through the facts, and Spike didn’t like it.
“It’s half a dimensional trigger. She only has half. With half, one can open temporary portals between the two neighboring dimensions and the vampire city. However, the portals aren’t stable enough to move whole cities across dimensions. Stephanie needs. . .wants both pieces. As do I.”
“And Michael has one piece,” Buffy stated as she remembered that Michael had opened the portal between dimensions.
Stephan nodded. “Stephanie and I each have a piece. We use them to cross dimensions to meet our needs. Michael was running an errand for me, and Stephanie found out about it. She sent the kranooks for him, and he barely escaped.”
“And you’re telling us all this because. . . ?” Spike asked, not able to hide his impatience anymore.
“Because,” Stephan looked hard at each one of them with an air of nonchalance, “I need your help, and. . . I know who all of you are.” He paused as he waited for his statement to have an impact.
Spike, Angel, and Buffy rose as one as if they’d fought together for ages. Spike felt the energy rolling through the three of them. It hummed through his veins, and he made a mental note of it. He was ready for a fight despite the overwhelming odds against them.
Stephan evenly regarded the trio and smiled as several vampires dressed in black emerged from the shadows. One of the vampires plucked a terrified Mary from her seat.
“Hey,” Angel snarled, shifting into vampire face.
“Don’t worry. Your human isn’t going anywhere. But then again, neither are you,” Stephan said calmly. “You’re well within the midst of our city. Even if you got out of the building, the city works for me. Well, half of it does anyway. You’d be stopped before you made it past the first block, and no one would be the wiser.”
“How did you know it was us?” Buffy demanded, holding up a stake that she’d managed to conceal quite invisibly on her person.
“Did Harmony tell you?” Spike growled, not for the first time thinking very vile thoughts about his ex and shifting his eyes to search the room for a weapon. He settled on the coffee. . . blood pot.
“Harmony didn’t tell me anything. I read the prophecies. I knew long before you got here. . . that a Slayer and two vampires with souls – “
“Make that one. . . one vampire with a soul,” Angel insisted.
Stephan rolled his eyes, and Spike felt a modicum of respect for the vampire. “One vampire with a soul. I knew who you were as soon as you set foot in the city. No other vampire knows – except perhaps Stephanie. Not even Michael has a clue. Harmony is a simpleton. . . sweet but not too bright. She’s around because she knows you and because Michael seems to have taken a shine to her. You might ask how I know about you. . . “
“You read the prophecy,” Buffy said, and Spike swore he could see her true nature shining out from her eyes. “Big whoop, you can read.”
“And you probably think I want to get rid of you before the prophecy can come to pass. Before you can decimate the city.” Stephan motioned for the vampires behind him. “And you would be wrong. I don’t want to kill you. . . or even to stop the prophecy. At least, not yet. You, Buffy, have a history of thwarting prophecy. I’m banking on it. I want to stop my sister. If she brings the city to fruition in the human world, vampires will cease to experience the prosperity they’ve enjoyed.”
“And we couldn’t have that.” Buffy’s words were biting now that they didn’t have to fake being civil anymore. “There’s a hidden agenda in there for you, mister.”
“Of course. I would lose power if the city was brought into the light. But I’m also about bringing the spark of humanity back into the vampire community.”
Spike snorted; Stephan sounded like a very bad campaign ad. “That’ll be the day.”
Stephan ignored him. “You haven’t seen what I’ve done with the city. Before you decide. . . well, you really have no choice. I want you to see the plans I have. I’ve made great steps in improving the way our kind lives.”
“And what are you planning on having us do?” Buffy asked.
Walking to the door, Stephan swung it open and grinned. “I’ll explain after the remainder of the tour.”
* * *
Stephan took them for a walk as Spike noticed that all vampires were wont to do in Vampire Villa. Dressed in black and surrounded by an entourage of other vampires in black afforded all of them respect and deference in the streets. They soon reached their destination, which was yet another nondescript structure, albeit with several floors. A small white sign that bore a red cross hung over a pair of metal sliding doors. A handful of Stephan’s bodyguards peeled off to guard the doors, and the rest accompanied Spike, Buffy, Angel, Mary, and Stephan into the building.
Spike found himself in a small, stark white waiting area. Metallic silver chairs were attached along one wall, and across from the entrance, a reception desk curved around in a u-shape, blocking glass doors to a long white hallway beyond. The overhead lights were out of view but cast a florescent glow over the space so that everyone looked even more pale and washed out. His muscles clenched. The place reminded him of the Initiative, and his gut instinct said to not go further.
Buffy stood at his elbow, and Spike felt her forearm brush and then stay lightly against his. He offered her a thin-lipped smile of thanks, which she returned.
A tall, slender vampire with white blonde hair stood at the reception desk, her ebony clothing making her hair almost glow. “Welcome to our hospital. I’m Michelle, but everyone calls me Roxy.”
Stephan joined her side, looking even more rumpled next to her polished appearance. “Roxy is my liaison. She handles the marketing for our little ventures. She’s creative, hardworking, and stronger than she looks. Don’t let her catch you calling her Michelle.” He winked.
Since when did vampires have marketing departments? Spike studied Roxy. There was something in her light-colored eyes that was sadder than her demeanor readily indicated. She was not arrogant like Stephan. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was about her that gave him pause.
Roxy nodded to them. “You are here to tour our facilities. I think you will find that our patients receive the most humane treatment in all of Vampire Villa.”
Spike shifted uncomfortably. Her wording was odd.
“Come this way.” The heels of Roxy’s thigh high boots clicked sharply on the tiles as she led Angel, Spike, Buffy, Mary, and Stephan into the bowels of the hospital. The guards stayed behind to, well, stand guard.
“What types of illnesses do you treat here?” Angel asked, moving ahead of Buffy and Spike to Roxy’s side. “Vampires don’t typically get sick.”
What Angel said was true. Dru had been an anomaly, but then, everything about Dru was an anomaly – from her scarily accurate visions to her insanity.
Roxy used her hands when she talked. “Yes, this is true. You’ll see.” She gestured to the unmarked doors on either side of her. “These rooms are identical. Each room houses a patient in a comfortable space tailored just for them to make them comfortable as they wait to die.”
The hallway was full of unmarked doors, and unlike a typical hospital, there was no visible break in the passage for a nurse’s station or anything of the sort.
Buffy spoke up, “Make them comfortable as they wait to die? Why are vampires waiting to die?”
Roxy flicked her long strands over her shoulder and glanced back at Buffy. “Who said we treat vampires here?”
They had reached the end of the hallway, and with a snap of Roxy’s fingers, the air shimmered on the wall next to her and white elevator doors appeared.
Stephan leered at them and with a little bow, gestured for them to step onto the elevator.
Buffy took the plunge first and entered the spacious elevator. Spike quickly joined her, not willing to let her go it alone. Angel herded Mary forward despite her obvious trepidation. She clung to Angel’s arm and stared with wide eyes as the doors slipped shut behind Roxy and Stephan.
There were no buttons to push inside the small mirrored space, and Spike found it disconcerting to only see Mary’s reflection, so he focused on the backs of Buffy and Angel’s head. He guessed that perhaps he’d gotten used to seeing himself reflected back in the past three years.
“Who was in the rooms on the first floor?” Buffy asked as the doors reopened with a hiss.
“The same as on the second. You’ll see. Henry has agreed to talk with you,” Roxy said, leading the way again.
Her entourage followed with rather grim expressions on their faces except for Mary who looked like she might flee at any second and Stephan who was laissez-faire about the whole tour. Spike noted this was rapidly turning out to be a front because there was a reason that Stephan was going to so much trouble to convince them of his side of things.
Roxy stopped in front of the fifth door on the left and knocked.
An elderly voice called out, “Come in!”
Pushing the large heavy metal door inward, Roxy and her little tour group entered the Henry’s room. The deep browns and soft greens of the room were illuminated by gentle yellow lamplight, a stark contrast to the world outside, and Spike was reminded of Rupert’s Sunnydale apartment with the stacks of books and wood furniture. Spike also thought it was odd that the vampires would allow the wood. Out of years of habit, he scanned his surroundings for objects he could use as weapons, and he knew that Buffy and Angel were probably doing the same.
On the four-poster bed, a very human gentleman was propped up by several soft looking pillows. Blankets were tucked around his thin, frail frame. The only sign of any health-related equipment was a small panel behind his head that occasionally beeped. A tube of some sort snaked out of a device in the wall and was tucked into a vein at the crook of his elbow. Spike also noted the heavy bandage on his neck.
Though Henry looked weak, his blue eyes sparkled amongst the wrinkles on his face. “Hello!”
Roxy smiled with genuine affection at the older man, and Spike took note of that as well, filing it in the back of his mind. “Good morning, Henry. How are you feeling today?”
Henry bobbed his head, his voice weakening past his initial exuberance, “Well, well. I’m doing well.”
“Remember that we were bringing visitors to see the hospital?”
Henry squinted at them. “Yes.”
Buffy gave him a little wave.
Henry’s fingers lifted off the blanket, but his hand didn’t make it up. “Hello, young lady.” He paused, and his next words sounded more than a bit rehearsed, “I want you to know that they are treating me very well in this hospital. . . much better than at that M.D. Anderson place.”
“Henry has stage IV cancer,” Roxy explained.
“And how exactly are you treating his cancer here?” Spike couldn’t stop himself.
No doubt eager to show off, Stephan stepped in before Roxy could reply, “We don’t cure people. We take terminally ill humans with no family, make them comfortable – as you can see by Henry’s choice of room décor – and allow them to live out their last days in luxury. We even arrange for their bodies to be returned home to their dimension for a fully paid funeral.”
“And you say all this in front of him?!” Buffy gestured at Henry who was placidly smiling. “How is that very caring?”
“Right. Henry has Alzheimer’s on top of cancer. He will forget all of this conversation shortly after we leave the room if not before.”
As if on cue, Henry said with bright, aware eyes, “Who are these people again?”
Spike felt Buffy’s upset feelings coming off her in waves as she crossed her arms and frowned. Then, she softened and spoke to Henry, “I’m Buffy. We’re here to visit you.”
“Oh. Hello.” Henry smiled at her.
Angel narrowed his eyes. “What’s in it for you?”
Stephan grinned. “Well, that’s the beauty of it. Our scientists have figured out a way to remove the effects of disease from the human blood. We periodically cleanse their blood, and then, we have fresh blood.”
Spike wasn’t surprised. Vampires had been feeding off people in hospitals for centuries. “Vampires don’t need blood to be ‘cleansed’ to eat sick people.”
Stephan poked a finger in the air at Spike, and Spike found himself having to hold back yet again. Even with the wood in the room, the odds were against him. “Correct. However, blood tastes better when it’s free of disease.”
Buffy shook her head. Spike knew she probably wanted to scream at Stephan, but she kept her voice even and low for Henry’s sake, which was probably the point of having them in Henry’s room in the first place. “This is sick. You’re sick. The whole set up is disgusting. You’re trying to convince us why we should help you, and all you’re doing is convincing me otherwise.”
For some reason, Spike winced as her words hit a little too close to home. She hadn’t spoken to him that way in years, but the memory still hurt. She glanced at him then, and he could tell she knew the impact of her words.
Stephan didn’t notice any of this and resumed, “And yet, despite what we get out of the equation, people like Henry here live out the remainder of their days in comfort, surrounded by the things that bring them peace. They don’t have any other family, so in this way, we provide them care and a family of sorts as they continue to inevitably decline. I’m not trying to convince you of anything other than that we do some good in this city the way it is and that the city should not be moved into the light.”
Buffy nudged her arm against Spike’s again, and he found himself allowing the touch, accepting her unspoken apology.
“You have a long way to go to convince us,” Buffy said.
“That’s perfect. I like a challenge.” Stephan didn’t sound remotely daunted.