Out Of My Mind

“What? Yes I can!” Spike said a little panicked.

Softly, Otega said, “Please be quiet.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then Harmony pointed at Spike’s brain again.

“Is it supposed to do that?”

“Please. For god’s sake, please, be quiet.”

“Listen, buster. I don’t see a crossbow in your hands, okay?”

“Harmony, if your incessant prattling bolloxes up this operation, I’m gonna personally yank out your pink and wriggly tongue.” Spike said.

Otega looked at Harmony.

“What are you looking at?”

Michael and Buffy went through the double-doors of the hospital room and found the security guard and Kaz on the floor.

“Uh-oh.” Buffy said.

Buffy bent over the guard while Michael went to Kaz.

“Kaz. Kaz.” Michael helped her sit up. Michael held up four fingers. “How many fingers I got?”

“Two.” Kaz said groggily.

Michael and Buffy exchanged a concerned look.

“Two v-vampires, S-Spike and H-Harmony.”

Buffy sighed, “Spike and Harmony, together again.”

Michael helped Kaz stand up. They looked around.

“Where’s Otega?” Michael said.

“Uh, Spike must have taken him. What would Spike want with…” The clue hit. “The chip. He’s gonna force the warlock to remove the chip from his brain.”

Michael bent over and put his hands on his knees, panting. He was pale and sweaty.

“Michael?” Buffy said concerned.

Michael straightened up, breathlessly, “I’m okay. Okay.”

To Buffy, Kaz said, “We’re running out of time. We don’t find the warlock soon, he’s not gonna make it.”

Thinking fast, Buffy said, “Okay, okay, brain surgery. He, he’s gonna need a medical facility, he-he’s gonna need, uh, uh, equipment…”

“This is a big hospital.” Kaz said.

“No, uh-uh, he wouldn’t do it here. It’s too risky. We’ll split up. Kaz, get on the horn, or the… pipe, or whatever, I-I want you to check animal hospitals, doctors’ offices…”

Kaz walked to the door. Michael stopped her.

“Hey, about before…”

“We’re good. Apologize later, if you’re not dead.”

Kaz left. Michael looked nervously at Buffy, and she walked toward him.

Firmly, Buffy said, “You are not going to die.”

“Bet you say that to all the boys.”

“No. There is one peroxided pest whose number is up.” They started to walk off. “When I get my hands on Spike, I’m gonna rip his head off, I’m gonna…”

Spike was still on the operating table.

“… bathe in the Slayer’s blood. Gonna dive in it.” With relish. “Swim in it.”

Otega and Harmony were behind the sheet, staring at Spike’s brain. Harmony was smoking another cigarette.

“I’m gonna do the bloody backstroke.”

Harmony blew out smoke, which drifted toward Spike’s face. She began to jump up and down.

“I see it, Spikey! I see the chip! It’s nestled in there like… a pretty little Easter egg with your brain all around it like that green plastic grassy stuff… only this is more a gray, like…”

“Would you please put out that cigarette? It’s really not allowed.” Otega said.

“Oh yeah? Says who?”

The warlock turned to look pointedly at the NO SMOKING sign on the wall.

“Oh God, sorry! Didn’t see the sign!”

She turned away to put out the cigarette. The warlock turned and dropped something into a dish. It made a metallic clinking noise.

“The chip’s out.” Otega said and Harmony squealed excitedly. “Didn’t think I could do it, I just… it’s out.”

“Yeah?” Spike asked.

Jumping up and down, clapping, Harmony said, “Yay! Yay for Spikey!”

“Right then.” Spike said determinedly. “Stitch me up, doc. Got places to go. And Slayers to kill.”

Harmony stood holding the crossbow. Spike was sitting up while the doctor put a few last stitches in his head.

“Listen to me. My stomach’s growling, I’m so starved.” Spike said.

The warlock looked nervous, and began to apply a bandage.

“I’m afraid I’m gonna have to have me a little snack.” Spike said.

Otega looked very nervous. Spike turned his head to speak over his shoulder.

“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t fill up on the bread. I’ll still have plenty of room for the main course.”

The door opened and Buffy walked in, followed by Michael.

“Slayer!” Spike said fiercely.

Spike jumped off the table and Harmony moved to stand beside him, holding the crossbow. Buffy and Michael stood side-by-side. They faced-off. The warlock tried to sidle around toward the door.

Spike morphed into his vampire face.

“Suit up, Harm.”

Harmony morphed into her vampire face too.

Buffy turned to stop the warlock as he tried to leave.

“Stay here”. She pushed him so he fell to the floor. “We’re gonna need you.”

“Buffy. I swear I was just thinking of you. I wanted to tell you the great news. My head’s all clear now. No more bug-zapper in my noggin.”

“That means I get to kill you.”

“You get to try.”

The standoff continued. Suddenly the crossbow went off and the arrow flew, landing in Michael’s leg. Buffy looked over at him. Michael didn’t react.

“Oops.” Harmony said.

Michael stormed toward Harmony, she moved toward him. He brushed the crossbow out of her hands.

Buffy punched Spike in the face.

Michael threw Harmony down on the operating table, picked her up and threw her against a wall full of equipment.

Buffy punched Spike in the face a few more times; he stumbled back against the operating table.

Michael punched Harmony, threw her across the room, lent against a counter panting. He turned as Harmony shoved a wheeled chair toward him. He tripped over it and went down. Harmony kicked him in the face.

Spike jumped up onto the operating table and grinned down at Buffy. Michael and Harmony were still exchanging blows.

“At long last.” Spike said.

He leapt on top of Buffy, carrying her to the ground and landing on top of her. He pinned her hands down and bent to bite her neck. Buffy struggled.

Spike gave a yell of pain and jerked backward. Buffy punched him, then shoved him off her so he landed next to the warlock. Spike looked angrily at Otega, who looked scared.

Michael punched Harmony in the face; she kicked him away. He started toward her again but stopped, grabbing his chest and groaning in pain.

“Michael!” Buffy said.

Michael stumbled against a metal table and fell down with it on top of him. Harmony looked at her fist, then ran off.

Buffy crawled over to Michael and put her hands on his chest.

“Michael.”

Spike got up and opened the container where the warlock supposedly put his chip. He took out a penny from inside it.

Looking at the doctor, Spike said, “A penny?”

Getting up, Otega said, “I told you I couldn’t do it.”

“Oh God. Doctor! Doctor, we need you now!”

The warlock rushed to lift the table off of Michael as Spike and Harmony moved to the door. Spike grabbed his jacket and paused to look back, then turned and left.

Buffy and the doctor lifted Michael up to a sitting position.

Spike and Harmony ran between trees and gravestones.

“Buffy, Buffy, Buffy! Everywhere I turn, she’s there! That nasty little face, that… bouncing shampoo-commercial hair, that whole sodding holier-than-thou attitude.”

“Well, aren’t we kinda unholy, by the…”

“She follows me, you know, tracks me down. I’m her pet project. Drive Spike round the bend. Makes every day a fresh bout of torture.”

He stopped running, picked up a headstone and threw it against another. Harmony cringes as the dust showered her.

“Spike!”

“You don’t understand. I can’t get rid of her. She’s everywhere. She’s haunting me, Harmony!”

He grabbed her upper arms. Harmony looked very scared. Spike stared at her, and slowly calmed down.

Quietly, Spike said, “This… has got to end.”

Michael was lying on the operating table, with the last of the warlock’s magic fading away. Buffy walked in.

“All ‘patched’ up.” Otega said.

Otega exited and Michael sat up. Michael was wearing half a pair of black jeans; the other pant-leg had been cut away to help get the arrow out of his leg. A bandage was wrapped around his thigh. Buffy put one hand on Michael’s good leg and lightly touched his chest with her other hand.

“How’s it goin’ in there?” Buffy asked.

“Good. Back to normal.”

Buffy lent her head against his chest to listen to his heartbeat.

“Yep.”

Michael stroked her hair. She lent back and took his bruised hand in hers, pulling his hand to her heart.

“And see… I’m still touchable.”

Michael nodded, “Give me a couple of days to heal, and… I’ll take full advantage of that fact.”

Buffy smiled, still holding his hand

“Are you gonna be okay? ‘Cause I should really go check on my Mom.”

Michael looked up at her.

“Yeah. Yeah, go ahead. I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

Michael nodded. She leaned up and kissed him softly, then turned away.

Buffy pulled her hand out of Michael grasp and left.

Michael watched her go, looking pensive.

Michael and Kaz walked down the hall in a frat. building. Michael had a noticeable limp. Kaz’s face was still bruised.

“It’s a good thing Buffy found you when she did, ‘cause you were about to detonate big-time. Always said she’s pretty impressive.”

“You know, she really is.”

“I’d like to get my hands on her and find out.”

Michael looked at Kaz, surprised for a second, they then both grinned at each other.

“Sorry, you know how hot I think Buffy is.”

“Yeah, I don’t blame you.”

Spike was sleeping in his chair, in his crypt. There were banging noises on the door. Spike opened his eyes and got up as the door flew open and Buffy walked in.

“Should have known it’s you. Been nearly six hours.”

“Well, it would’ve been less if I wasn’t busy cleaning up your mess.”

“My mess? I just borrowed the warlock. The mess is yours, Slayer. Yours and the boy’s.”

“I’m done.”

She took a stake from her back pocket and walked toward Spike. He looked surprised.

“Spike, you’re a killer. And I shoulda done this years ago.

Spike looked her in the eye.

“You know what? Do it. Bloody just do it.”

“What?”

“End… my… torment. Seeing you, every day, everywhere I go, every time I turn around. Take me… out of a world… that has you in it!” He yanked off his shirt and threw it aside. “Just kill me!”

Buffy stared at him, then raised her stake and lunged. Spike winced, but she stopped at the last minute. They stared into each other’s eyes.

Suddenly Spike grabbed Buffy by the upper arms and kissed her passionately. She returned the kiss. It went on for a moment and then Buffy pulled back with a little noise of dismay, bringing her hand to her mouth. She stared at Spike and he stared back, both panting. The stake was gone from her hand.

Slowly Buffy dropped her hand from her mouth and walked back to Spike, putting both her hands to the back of his head and pulling him down toward her. They kissed again, very passionate. Spike brought his hands up to clutch her back, kissing her cheek and the side of her neck.

Panting, Buffy said, “Spike… I want you.”

Muffled against her neck, Spike said, “Buffy, I love you.”

He pulled back and Buffy stared at him.

“God, I love you so much.”

Spike sat up in bed with a gasp.

Harmony was sleeping in the bed next to him.

Spike sat in the bed, looking horrified, while Harmony continued to sleep.

“Oh, God, no. Please, no.”