Chapter five

A thought kept echoing in Buffy's mind while she was fighting and she could feel it was what they all were thinking.

It was too simple.

Not that the vampires they were fighting, hadn't been giving them a hard time, on the contrary, but she was surprised they hadn't found yet a big banner with the word trap written in capital letters all over it.

She dusted the vampire that had been attaching her and couldn't help saying, "Ok, enough with the waiting already!"

She turned toward Eric, she hadn't seen him fighting while they had been in the galleries and she had to admit she was impressed by his fighting style.

He easily moved, dusting vampires without effort, his face the very picture of calm, Buffy realized she had never seen his demon face. If it wasn't for the fact that he didn't have a heart beat and had super-human strength she wouldn't have ever believed that young looking man was a vampire.

Eric dusted another vampire, beheading him, covering at the same time Xander's back.

She looked around; they had dusted almost all the vampires in the hall, some of them had been able to run away.

She looked around; Spike was still fighting one of the vampires. He had just dusted him when from behind his shoulders seemingly from nowhere appeared a woman.

"Spike, duck!" she screamed.

It all happened so quickly she didn't have time to move. The woman threw something at Spike. She glimpsed a little blue stiletto piercing Spike's neck.

She ran toward the woman but she stopped when she heard Spike's cry.

She turned toward him; he had knelt on the floor. A rivulet of blood was trailing a path down his neck, the blue stiletto had disappeared, a blue liquid was flowing together with blood, creating a violet nuance.

Spike raised his head, he was paler than usual, his lips were livid, he opened his mouth to speak but only a cry came out, Buffy couldn't help gasping when she noticed that blood poured out from his mouth.

"Adieau William..." the woman said.

Buffy raised her head with a jerk, meeting the woman's green eyes. She took a step forward toward her, but was thrown back and fell on her shoulders; she was next to Spike, now.

She quickly rose on her feet and turned, Eric was next to her, he took a step toward the woman and asked, "What did you do to him, Electra?"

She evilly smiled at him and shrugged before saying, "Ever heard of La mort au soleil?"

Buffy noticed that Eric took a step back before whispering, "Bitch..."

"That I am, and I assume you are William's gheraious, aren't you?"

Eric was about to answer, but Electra stopped him saying, "As much as I wish we got acquainted with each other, I suggest you brought him to his red-head..." she paused then added with a smile, "to say good bye to her..."

Eric looked at her and crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring Spike's weak cries and asked, "What game are you playing, Electra?"

She laughed at his words and shook her head, "Wouldn't you like to know? See you around, gheraious..."

She took a step back without turning her back to him and just as she had arrived some minutes ago, she disappeared.

"Why didn't you fight her?" Buffy asked. She was kneeling next to Spike, she had put his head on her thighs, he was curled up in a foetal position, he was shivering.

"It doesn't matter now; we'll think about her later...right now, we have to take him back to the Watcher's. She has poisoned him" he said, kneeling next to them. He took Spike's face in both his hands

"Look at me, William!" he said

Spike's eyes opened, he swallowed and said, "Tell me, there is a...an antidote..."

Eric nodded and said in a low voice, "You're going to be fine..."

Spike let out a weak chuckle and whispered, "Y...you know, Eric? To be an Eletti you are...a terrible...l...liar..."

"Have I ever lied to you?" Eric asked looking at him.

Spike shook his head no, he closed his eyes but Eric forced them open saying, "Don't close your eyes...do you hear me, William?"

Spike nodded but couldn't help closing his eyes and whispering, "I'm tired..."

"Don't you dare closing your eyes William Appleton, that's an order!" he said in a firm voice. He looked up at Buffy and Xander who had got close to them and said, "We need to bring him out of here...now!"

Buffy and Xander took Spike for his arms and quickly carried him outside the mansion, Eric slowly rose on his feet, he looked around and said in a low voice, "I know you can hear me, I know you're still here...I can feel you...I don't know which game are you playing Electra, but I warn you, you're not going to win..."

He turned and quickly headed outside the mansion. He couldn't see Electra coming out from a corner and saying, "That depends, my boy...that depends..."

*~~*~~*~~*~~*

"What the hell happened?" Willow asked when Buffy and Xander entered Giles apartment, carrying a barely conscious Spike in their arms.

"That cow poisoned him" Buffy explained, helping Xander in settling Spike on the couch.

"Poisoned? How?" Willow asked, kneeling in front of the couch, taking Spike's ice-cold hands in hers.

"There was a stiletto she threw it at him...it was poisoned..." Xander said in a low voice.

"Did you kill her? And where the hell is Eric?"

"She had some kind of shield around her; I was thrown back...when I charged her... “Buffy said shaking her head, she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned around, Giles was next to her, he weakly smiled at her. She shook her head; never had she imagined she could be that worried for Spike.

It was like that poison was weakly burning him from the inside out. Never had she seen him that weak. She could see he was trying to fight whatever was happening to him, but it was evident he was losing.

"Where is Eric?" Willow repeated.

Buffy shook her head and said, "He's outside, he's taking something from his car...."

"Which kind of poison was that?" Willow asked, touching Spike's face. He was in his game face, his eyes were wide open, his pupils were fully expanded, he was growling.

"Don't touch him, Willow...it could be dangerous" Giles said.

Willow shot her head up and flashed him an angry look before hissing, "Which kind of poison did she use?"

"She said something in French...something about the sun" Buffy said shaking her head.

"Death ...in t...the s...sun..." Spike weakly growled. He shook his head fighting to morph back in his human face, he tilted his head on a side and said, "H...he's right...s...stay away fr...from me, Red..."

"You've got to be kidding me...." Willow said.

Spike shook his head and swallowed hard, Willow turned when she heard the door opening, Eric quickly approached them, Willow looked at him asking, "Which kind of poison did she use?"

"It's called La mort au soleil...it takes from twenty four to thirty six hours to kill the vampire...it slowly burns the body from the inside out" Eric explained getting at the centre of the living room.

"Do you have the antidote?" Willow asked. She refused to think there wasn't an antidote to that poison. She refused to consider the possibility of Spike’s death.

Eric nodded, they all noticed the grim look on his face, he knelt next to Willow and touched Spike's forehead saying, "There is only one antidote..."

"Well? Use it...what the hell are you waiting for?" Willow asked.

"It's not that simple...the only antidote to this poison is William's blood" Eric said in a low voice.

"Uh?" Xander said blankly, he looked at his friends and continued, "That's it? Couldn't he just cut his wrist and drink from it?"

Eric shook his head, "His *human* blood and he has to willingly give it..."

"Again I go with a uh? What do you mean his *human* blood? How the hell can we give him his *human* blood?" Xander asked.

"Sending someone back in time to retrieve it, I think." Giles said in a low voice.

Eric looked up at him and murmured, "Exactly...and I've been given precise orders, not to do anything about it..."

"You're telling me you're going to obey these orders?" Buffy asked looking at him.

Eric swallowed but didn't say anything. He kept looking at Spike, on his face was evident the pain he was going through, he was fighting the pain; he could see he was fighting the urge to close his eyes and give up.

He had to squeeze his eyes shut trying to get away from the images that were forming in his head. He could still see the blood, could still hear her laboured breath and her words.

~ It's the only way and you know that...

I love you...

It must be bad...you're saying you love me...

I do...~

Eric swallowed, blocking away his memories. Spike hadn't been the first Eletti Eric had trained, he hadn't been the first he had become friend with, but he was the only one he would lay down his life for. He was the only one left for him. He turned to look at Buffy and said, "Not on their unlives..."

"So, what's the plan?" Xander asked.

Eric and Giles looked at each other, Eric arched an eyebrow at him, Giles slightly nodded, Eric shrugged and said, "Rupert and I are going to cast a spell and send one of you back in time"

"I'll do that" Buffy said looking at him.

Eric shook his head while rising on his feet and said, "No way"

"Why?" Buffy asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because I need you here, and because you're the Slayer, we're supposed to protect you, not the other way around"

Buffy arched an eyebrow at him, she got close to him and looked at him for some seconds before saying, "I bet you're good at poker, ain't you, Eric? Yet, why do I feel you're not telling me everything?"

"We don't have time for this, Slayer...one of you is going to go back in time, and it's not going to be you....and besides" he added with a half grin, "I bet, William wants you to kick Electra's ass "

"Then whom?" Buffy asked.

"I'll go..." Willow said. She started when Spike's hand that had been lightly squeezing hers went limp, "Oh, God..." she whispered, "Spike? Can you hear me? Spike?" she raised her head and looked at Eric, "Do something, please..."

Eric knelt in front of Spike, he grabbed his shirt and pulled its scruff down, the exposed part of his chest was covered in burns, he shook his head and turned toward Giles saying, "We don't have much time left, we need to cast the spell now...." he stopped talking when he heard Willow exiting the living room, and opening the door that led to the terrace.

He rose on his feet saying, "Rupert? Can you begin the preparations?"

Giles nodded but said, "I don't know whether we have all the components"

Eric shook his head and said, "Don't worry about that...Xander? Could you please, take my bag from my car?" he rummaged in his jeans' pockets and tossed the keys at him, then turned saying, "I'll go and talk to Willow...."

“I think I'd better do that..." Buffy said.

Eric jerked his head on her side and for an instant Buffy could glimpse the demon behind his cool exterior, it lasted just a second because Eric softly said, "No...you help Xander, please...."

Buffy nodded and followed Xander outside; Eric looked at Spike for a second before shaking his head.

They would save him...and Electra was going to pay for what she had done to him...for what she was doing to all of them...even if that was the last thing he did.