OoSooM-Ch.10

Angelus glared at Dawn, whose eyes were empty of consciousness even though they were open. The young ones were so pitifully easy to break, nevermind that it had been over a century since he'd brought Dawn here.

Still, there was a bit of satisfaction to be had in knowing that he'd finally broken his errant Childe, Spike, and his grandchilde as well. Made him feel all tingly.

Wanting to preserve this moment for centuries to come, Angelus left to get his charcoal and drawing paper. The image of Dawn clutching the dead boy's corpse to her was definitely worthy of capturing on paper.

No matter what else happened, she was not going to remain Angelus' plaything, for him to break and bend to his will on a whim. She'd only put up with it for this long because Spike had assured her that cooperation would make things easier on them both.

Thus far, cooperating with the insane demon had only resulted in her having to watch as Angelus tortured her sire in every way imaginable, mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Her stomach flipped violently at the memory of Angelus forcing her to watch as he raped Spike over and over again until the ex-blonde vampire passed out from the pain and blood loss.

Dawn gently lay the boy's body on the cold cement floor, arranging his limbs into what might've been a comfortable position if he'd been alive. Feeling the burn of tears in her eyes, Dawn reached out and smoothed the boy's errant curls away from his face, closing his eyes gently and kissing him on the forehead. “I'm sorry,” she whispered.

Looking up at her sire, Dawn grimaced and steeled her nerves for the task ahead, forcing down a wave of revulsion as she approached Spike's gutted form. Thank God that he was still unconscious. She didn't think she'd be able to do what she needed to if he were awake and screaming.

Her gaze following Spike's chains to the holes in the ceiling, Dawn had to admit that there was no way she was going to be able to prise them loose that way. That left prying open the wrist manacles, which was going to be hard in her weakened state.

Her eyes were drawn back to the boy's corpse and Dawn forced aside the feelings of guilt and revulsion as she padded back over to his still form, leaning down and piercing the soft flesh of his neck with her fangs and shuddering at the pleasure that swept through her as the first rush of warm, human blood hit her tongue.

Shuddering at the pure ecstasy of drinking human blood after going for over a century on animal blood and whatever Spike could spare hadn't prepared her for the rush of pure, undiluted human life force.

Making herself pull away from the boy's neck, Dawn shivered at the loss, understanding for the first time how easy it would be to simply lose oneself in the pleasure of the kill, to become the demon instead of simply feeding it.

Already, Dawn felt much stronger, and with a last brush of her lips on the boy's cheek, she stood, walking over to Spike and reaching for the manacle that locked around his left wrist.

It seemed like forever before the metal squealed in tortured protest, then finally gave, leaving Spike hanging limply by one arm.

Repeating the process on Spike's other arm, Dawn finally got him loose, staggering a bit even under her Sire's much-reduced weight.

As she lay Spike on the ground, something slick brushed against her arm and Dawn shuddered violently at the realization that it was Spike's intestines, still connected to his body, but having fallen out of their protective sack when Angelus slit the vampire open.

Fighting the urge to vomit, Dawn began picking debris out of Spike's intestines, carefully coiling them back inside his body, trying not to cause him any additional damage. Finally putting the last of Spike's innards back into his gut, Dawn looked over at the table of Angelus' torture implements, happy to see a carpet needle, or something close to it.

Retrieving the needle, Dawn plucked out three long strands of her hair and wound them together in a tiny braid to form a string, which she then threaded through the carpet needle.

“I didn't exactly graduate from medical school, so I'm sorry if this ends up all crooked,” Dawn told Spike softly, then got to work sewing him shut so that his viscera would stay put while they were making their escape.

Dawn flinched when Spike's eyes fluttered and he moaned just as she tied off her impromptu `thread' and used a knife to cut it away from the needle.

“Just don't move for a second, Spike,” Dawn murmured gently, running her fingers through his blood-matted hair, brushing the wayward curls away from his eyes.

Spike's eyes opened fully, glazed and pain-filled, but aware. “Nib…” his voice trailed off and Dawn frowned, knowing that he must be even weaker than she had been.

Without thinking twice, Dawn slashed into her own wrist with her fangs and held the dripping wound to Spike's lips, gasping as he latched on ferociously, gripping her wrist in both hands with strength she hadn't been aware he even had.

Becoming dizzy, Dawn used her free hand to brace herself. “Spike…stop. You're killing me,” she whimpered softly, knowing that she lacked the strength to stop him now, and that she wouldn't attempt to stop him physically anyway.

Neither of them could escape without the other, but Dawn knew she was guaranteed a gentler death by Spike's fangs than by any method Angelus would conceive.

Feeling weaker than a kitten now, Dawn tried to reach Spike in a last ditch effort, hoping that raising his hackles would get his attention enough that he would stop draining her before she really did turn to dust.

“Spike, you limey, cocksucking bastard! Let go of me right now!” she snapped into his ear, punctuating the harsh words with a warning growl.

To her utter surprise, Spike abruptly let go of her arm, his ice-blue eyes popping open to regard her, clearer than they had been before, even though he was glaring at her and pouting at the same time.

Dawn gave an almost hysterical giggle. “Sorry…had to get your attention,” she gasped out, resting her forehead against Spike's. Recovering her wits enough to realize that Angelus probably wouldn't stay gone too much longer, Dawn brushed a light kiss across his cracked, bleeding lips, and smiled. “C'mon, we're getting out of here.”

Looking at her as if she were insane, Spike shook his head as Dawn attempted to pull him to his feet, nearly falling over herself in the process.

“Legs apart, weight toward the back,luv,” Spike offered weakly, waiting until she had shifted her balance before gripping her forearm again and hefting himself painfully to his feet, clutching Dawn's shoulders as he almost collapsed instantly.

“Gonna have to hold onto each other, here, Spike,” Dawn breathed. “Feelin' kinda woozy after being your all-you-can-eat-buffet,” she quipped tiredly.

Spike gave a hoarse chuckle. “Sorry `bout that,” he said, his voice rough and scratchy from misuse.

“S'okay…makes us about even for the Frankenstein job I did on your stomach,” Dawn replied, gathering up a few of the sharper torture implements from Angelus' toy table and securing them in the pockets of Spike's duster.

Spike's eyes widened comically as he looked down at Dawn's sewing job, which was a bit crooked, but managed to hold all of his innards where they belonged. “Crikey…I've been autopsied.”

Dawn giggled. “Not really…Angelus didn't play with anything when it fell out,” she said, stumbling slightly as they changed directions to head toward the door.

“That's a mental image I coulda done without, pet,” Spike told her disgustedly.

The door opened outward just as they reached it, and the only thing that saved them from being recaptured immediately was the fact that the door opening startled them both so much that they lost their balance and fell onto Angelus, riding him to the ground.

Spike recovered his senses first and grabbed Angelus by the neck, slamming his head into the pavement repeatedly, until a dark puddle of purplish-red blood spread under his head and there was no chance that the demon was still conscious.

“Gotta get outta here,” Spike gasped out, clawing at the wall in an attempt to get back to his feet.

Dawn had a bit more luck and helped Spike to his feet. “Which way?”

Spike looked right and left, then swallowed, frowning. “No idea…Pick one.”

“Works for me,” Spike agreed, leaning heavily on her as they made their way haltingly down the hallway, neither wanting to think about what would happen if they ran into a dead end, or another demon, since neither of them was in the condition to do much more than find a safe place to collapse.

Coming to a turn in the hallway, they followed it and stopped, staring at the window above the only door they could see.

The outside world was so close that they could almost reach out and touch it. The only thing that made them hesitate was the bright golden glow that shone through the window.

Exchanging a look, Spike and Dawn nodded, then continued hobbling toward the door. Even death in the sunlight was preferable to what Angelus would do to them once he regained consciousness.


	Sunnydale, California 121 years after the End of Days Angelus glared at Dawn, whose eyes were empty of consciousness even though they were open. The young ones were so pitifully easy to break, nevermind that it had been over a century since he'd brought Dawn here. Still, there was a bit of satisfaction to be had in knowing that he'd finally broken his errant Childe, Spike, and his grandchilde as well. Made him feel all tingly. Wanting to preserve this moment for centuries to come, Angelus left to get his charcoal and drawing paper. The image of Dawn clutching the dead boy's corpse to her was definitely worthy of capturing on paper. As soon as Angelus left the room, Dawn sprang into action. No matter what else happened, she was not going to remain Angelus' plaything, for him to break and bend to his will on a whim. She'd only put up with it for this long because Spike had assured her that cooperation would make things easier on them both. Thus far, cooperating with the insane demon had only resulted in her having to watch as Angelus tortured her sire in every way imaginable, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Her stomach flipped violently at the memory of Angelus forcing her to watch as he raped Spike over and over again until the ex-blonde vampire passed out from the pain and blood loss. Dawn gently lay the boy's body on the cold cement floor, arranging his limbs into what might've been a comfortable position if he'd been alive. Feeling the burn of tears in her eyes, Dawn reached out and smoothed the boy's errant curls away from his face, closing his eyes gently and kissing him on the forehead. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. Looking up at her sire, Dawn grimaced and steeled her nerves for the task ahead, forcing down a wave of revulsion as she approached Spike's gutted form. Thank God that he was still unconscious. She didn't think she'd be able to do what she needed to if he were awake and screaming. Her gaze following Spike's chains to the holes in the ceiling, Dawn had to admit that there was no way she was going to be able to prise them loose that way. That left prying open the wrist manacles, which was going to be hard in her weakened state. Her eyes were drawn back to the boy's corpse and Dawn forced aside the feelings of guilt and revulsion as she padded back over to his still form, leaning down and piercing the soft flesh of his neck with her fangs and shuddering at the pleasure that swept through her as the first rush of warm, human blood hit her tongue. Shuddering at the pure ecstasy of drinking human blood after going for over a century on animal blood and whatever Spike could spare hadn't prepared her for the rush of pure, undiluted human life force. Making herself pull away from the boy's neck, Dawn shivered at the loss, understanding for the first time how easy it would be to simply lose oneself in the pleasure of the kill, to become the demon instead of simply feeding it. Already, Dawn felt much stronger, and with a last brush of her lips on the boy's cheek, she stood, walking over to Spike and reaching for the manacle that locked around his left wrist. It seemed like forever before the metal squealed in tortured protest, then finally gave, leaving Spike hanging limply by one arm. Repeating the process on Spike's other arm, Dawn finally got him loose, staggering a bit even under her Sire's much-reduced weight. As she lay Spike on the ground, something slick brushed against her arm and Dawn shuddered violently at the realization that it was Spike's intestines, still connected to his body, but having fallen out of their protective sack when Angelus slit the vampire open. Fighting the urge to vomit, Dawn began picking debris out of Spike's intestines, carefully coiling them back inside his body, trying not to cause him any additional damage. Finally putting the last of Spike's innards back into his gut, Dawn looked over at the table of Angelus' torture implements, happy to see a carpet needle, or something close to it. Retrieving the needle, Dawn plucked out three long strands of her hair and wound them together in a tiny braid to form a string, which she then threaded through the carpet needle. “I didn't exactly graduate from medical school, so I'm sorry if this ends up all crooked,” Dawn told Spike softly, then got to work sewing him shut so that his viscera would stay put while they were making their escape. Dawn flinched when Spike's eyes fluttered and he moaned just as she tied off her impromptu `thread' and used a knife to cut it away from the needle. “Just don't move for a second, Spike,” Dawn murmured gently, running her fingers through his blood-matted hair, brushing the wayward curls away from his eyes. Spike's eyes opened fully, glazed and pain-filled, but aware. “Nib…” his voice trailed off and Dawn frowned, knowing that he must be even weaker than she had been. Without thinking twice, Dawn slashed into her own wrist with her fangs and held the dripping wound to Spike's lips, gasping as he latched on ferociously, gripping her wrist in both hands with strength she hadn't been aware he even had. Becoming dizzy, Dawn used her free hand to brace herself. “Spike…stop. You're killing me,” she whimpered softly, knowing that she lacked the strength to stop him now, and that she wouldn't attempt to stop him physically anyway. Neither of them could escape without the other, but Dawn knew she was guaranteed a gentler death by Spike's fangs than by any method Angelus would conceive. Feeling weaker than a kitten now, Dawn tried to reach Spike in a last ditch effort, hoping that raising his hackles would get his attention enough that he would stop draining her before she really did turn to dust. “Spike, you limey, cocksucking bastard! Let go of me right now!” she snapped into his ear, punctuating the harsh words with a warning growl. To her utter surprise, Spike abruptly let go of her arm, his ice-blue eyes popping open to regard her, clearer than they had been before, even though he was glaring at her and pouting at the same time. Dawn gave an almost hysterical giggle. “Sorry…had to get your attention,” she gasped out, resting her forehead against Spike's. Recovering her wits enough to realize that Angelus probably wouldn't stay gone too much longer, Dawn brushed a light kiss across his cracked, bleeding lips, and smiled. “C'mon, we're getting out of here.” Looking at her as if she were insane, Spike shook his head as Dawn attempted to pull him to his feet, nearly falling over herself in the process. “Legs apart, weight toward the back,luv,” Spike offered weakly, waiting until she had shifted her balance before gripping her forearm again and hefting himself painfully to his feet, clutching Dawn's shoulders as he almost collapsed instantly. “Gonna have to hold onto each other, here, Spike,” Dawn breathed. “Feelin' kinda woozy after being your all-you-can-eat-buffet,” she quipped tiredly. Spike gave a hoarse chuckle. “Sorry `bout that,” he said, his voice rough and scratchy from misuse. “S'okay…makes us about even for the Frankenstein job I did on your stomach,” Dawn replied, gathering up a few of the sharper torture implements from Angelus' toy table and securing them in the pockets of Spike's duster. Spike's eyes widened comically as he looked down at Dawn's sewing job, which was a bit crooked, but managed to hold all of his innards where they belonged. “Crikey…I've been autopsied.” Dawn giggled. “Not really…Angelus didn't play with anything when it fell out,” she said, stumbling slightly as they changed directions to head toward the door. “That's a mental image I coulda done without, pet,” Spike told her disgustedly. The door opened outward just as they reached it, and the only thing that saved them from being recaptured immediately was the fact that the door opening startled them both so much that they lost their balance and fell onto Angelus, riding him to the ground. Spike recovered his senses first and grabbed Angelus by the neck, slamming his head into the pavement repeatedly, until a dark puddle of purplish-red blood spread under his head and there was no chance that the demon was still conscious. “Gotta get outta here,” Spike gasped out, clawing at the wall in an attempt to get back to his feet. Dawn had a bit more luck and helped Spike to his feet. “Which way?” Spike looked right and left, then swallowed, frowning. “No idea…Pick one.” “Um…right,” Dawn ventured. “Works for me,” Spike agreed, leaning heavily on her as they made their way haltingly down the hallway, neither wanting to think about what would happen if they ran into a dead end, or another demon, since neither of them was in the condition to do much more than find a safe place to collapse. Coming to a turn in the hallway, they followed it and stopped, staring at the window above the only door they could see. The outside world was so close that they could almost reach out and touch it. The only thing that made them hesitate was the bright golden glow that shone through the window. Exchanging a look, Spike and Dawn nodded, then continued hobbling toward the door. Even death in the sunlight was preferable to what Angelus would do to them once he regained consciousness.