[Reviews - 137]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 1562 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you to all my reviewers, especially Cordykitten, Kim and Kimmie who try to give me feedback after every chapter! You guys rock!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike clawed his way up through the darkness. It was towards the pain he knew, but he also knew that it was towards his golden warrior. She would fix him, he was sure. He could hear the females yammering on about healing spells, what to do with the captured witches, where to go next and the difficulty of getting blood out of the carpet and then Buffy’s voice made all the others’ fade into the background.

“Spike. Spike, can you hear me?”

He slowly opened his eyes and was rewarded by her expression of relief and a beautiful smile.

“Hungry.” He whispered.

“Here, I’ve warmed some blood for you.”

She gently lifted him up, and held a cup to his lips. It was the same revolting muck that she had given him before. He wrinkled his sensitive nose and turned his head away. Last time she had told him that this was the only blood available, but now he could clearly see a human female sitting across the room. This was the witch that was with the bitches that had hurt him – surely they would let him eat her.

Buffy saw the vampire’s change of expression, and followed his look.

“She’s under my protection Spike – off limits.”

He looked at her in astonishment – next she was going to tell him that the whole sodding human race was under her protection, and that he’d have to eat this muck for the rest of his unlife. He grumbled unhappily, reluctantly nuzzled at the cup and drained it, unsuccessfully trying to block out the taste and texture. It wouldn’t heal him as fast as hot, fresh, living human blood. He stopped the thought, before he was overcome with bloodlust.

Giles, noticing that the vampire was awake, slowly approached him. The Watcher hunkered down so that he was on a level with Spike and, ignoring a rumbling growl, started to speak.

“I have to say that when Buffy proposed her plan for the defeat of the witches, I thought that you would not, or could not comply. But you handled the situation admirably, and I’ll admit that we all owe you a debt of gratitude.”

He smiled tentatively, but when Spike just gave him a flat-eyed stare, he rose to his feet,

“Yes, well, um, we have a lot to accomplish here before we leave. I’ll see how everyone is doing.” He moved rapidly away.

The vampire slowly turned his head and looked at Buffy,

“Huh?”

“He said sorry and thank you.”

“Oh,” Spike said blankly.

Buffy looked at her Watcher’s retreating back affectionately. Wasn’t that just like Giles – very proper and correct. He must have known that the vampire wouldn’t understand him in this state, yet he did the right thing anyway.

Buffy lifted Spike’s head on to her lap and began to rhythmically stroke his hair. His eyelids drooped and he relaxed. She looked down at him sadly, his handsome features twisted into his demon face. Not that he was repulsive this way, but it reminded her of all the times that they had fought to kill each other.

“How is he?” Hilda sat down next to Buffy.

“I don’t really know. Willow and Tara said that the healing spell should work, but they have never tried it on a vampire before – so we are all of the unknowing.”

Hilda nodded, “and how are you?”

Buffy’s face crumpled and tears stood out in her eyes. “I’m OK until someone sympathises, and then I can’t seem to hold it together. “ She took a deep breath to try and control her emotions. “Do you think we’ll ever get him back? I miss him so much.”

Spike had been drifting down to the comforting darkness, but when he heard the anguish in Buffy’s voice, he began to take notice. Who was this, whose loss caused her so much pain? Jealousy stabbed at him like a knife, and he decided that when he had his strength back, he would search for this man and kill him. But no, that would cause her even more pain. He stopped, completely confused – he couldn’t do anything that would hurt her. Well he’d sleep on it and make up his mind later.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Hilda looked down at the sleeping vampire and sighed, “We have to know what kind of spell they used, to be able to reverse it. They must have used the black arts, I have seen nothing like this before.”

Selena, who had been trying to keep a very low profile, spoke up hesitantly, “I think I know which spell they used – it’s in a book they kept locked away all the time.”

She looked around at the five hostile faces surrounding her and gave them a sickly smile. “I, er, I can show you if you like.”

Buffy looked at her coldly, “They didn’t have a book when we captured them. Where is it, in some magical cavern somewhere?”

“Noooo, it’s in their car.”

“Well, come on then – let’s go get it!” Hilda sprang to her feet, dragging the young witch with her.

Buffy wanted to go with them, in case they ran into any vampires on the way. But Willow and the others didn’t fancy being left with Spike, in case he woke up. So, in the end, they all went, leaving Buffy to look after her vampire.

She watched him sleep for a while and then leaned over and gently stroked his brow ridges. She knew in her heart that if they couldn’t restore Spike to himself, then the future looked very bleak for him. She couldn’t go back to Sunnydale and leave him behind – without her guidance, he would go back to hunting and killing. In the same way, she couldn’t take him back with her (even if they could find a way), because she would have to stay with him every minute of every day or use restraints all the time. It was impossible! She had destroyed a man she’d loved before – she couldn’t do it again. But what else could she do? Tears started to run down her face, and drip down on to his.

He stirred, licking the salty liquid from his lips. His golden eyes opened and he looked at her in consternation.

“What’s wrong?”

She had no words for him. She just gathered him up and hugged him tightly. He stifled a groan as his wounds complained, then laid his head on her chest, breathing in her intoxicating scent. When she loosened her grip, he pulled back and asked,

“Can I find him for you? Just give me something with his scent on it, I’ll track him down and bring him to you.”

Bewildered, Buffy looked at him, “What are you talking about?”

He explained that he had overheard her talking to the one they called Hilda, about having lost someone and missing him so much. His voice tailed off. Why was she looking at him like that? As if he had said something really funny - or really stupid. And then she was crying again! He would never understand humans. He stroked her arm tentatively, trying to give her some comfort.

“Don’t cry – I won’t speak of it again.”

That just made her cry even harder.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He had never thought he’d be happy to see the noisy herd of humans return, but it made Buffy wipe away her tears, and attempt a smile. She rose and went to join them, as they chattered about some books they had found.

“Some of those are mine!” Hilda said angrily, “they must have stolen them from my house.”

Giles was examining a large and intricately bound volume, “this is the Langetesse Codex,” his voice full of awe, “it’s so rare and dangerous, that the one in the Council’s library is locked away.”

“Um, that’s the one they used.” Selena volunteered.

“Where in the hell did they get it?” Giles’ voice was rough.

She shrank back from his anger, “I don’t know – you’d have to ask them.”

They all looked over to the monitor screen, which showed the two witches, still under the binding spell but now locked in the cell that had recently held Spike.

“Well, that doesn’t matter for now. Can we reverse what was done to Spike?” Buffy was impatient with all the delay.

“We can try Buffy – that’s all we can do.”

They began the task of clearing the room again and marking the floor. Spike watched them disinterestedly – they seemed to make life so complicated, when it was really very simple. They talked and argued and then talked some more. He shook his head, curled up and dozed off, conserving his strength.

At last they were ready. They had arranged for Hilda to cast the spell, with Willow, Tara and Selena boosting her slowly returning power.

Buffy shook the vampire awake.

“Come and sit inside this circle,” she instructed him.

Trustingly, he followed her and crouched down in the place she had indicated.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be watching out for you,” Buffy smiled reassuringly.

He nodded, licking his lips nervously, keeping his eyes fastened on her face.

And it began.





You must login (register) to review.