[Reviews - 20]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2824 times

- Text Size +




Buffy knelt in front of the fireplace. She was shaking so much she could barely strike the match. After several tries, she finally had a roaring fire. It bathed the room in a glowing flickering light. Buffy stared at it, remembering the fire that had engulfed hers and Spikes hands the last time she had seen him. Was this the right thing to do? Maybe not, but she couldn’t just turn back now. Not with the prospect of holding Spike in her arms again so close. Buffy turned to the woman behind her. “What else do you need?” she asked.

Kathryn was pushing the couches out of the way. “This isn’t like a magic spell, Buffy. I don’t need candles or sage or any such thing. It’s a gift I was born with. It’s a natural thing for me to do, like breathing,” she replied.

“How old are you? I mean, how long do fairies live? And why have I never met one before” Buffy wondered aloud.

“Fairies are immortal,” Kathryn answered. She began rolling the area rug out of the way. “Truly immortal, not like vampires. You could drain all my blood and still I would live. I am seven hundred and eighty two years old myself. And as for why you have never met one, we mostly live apart from humans. If people knew of us, and our powers, everyone would look for magical solutions to their everyday problems. About a hundred years ago, we all swore an oath to leave you humans alone for the most part.”

Buffy gaped at her. “Well, you look amazing for your age!”

Kathryn chuckled. “Well, Buffy, are you ready?”

Buffy took a deep breath. What a ridiculous question. Was she ready to see the man she loved? “Yes, please.”


Kathryn closed her lavender eyes and raised her hands over her head. Buffy gasped at what she saw. Dust was gathering in the air and arranging itself in the form of a human skeleton. It was like dusting a vamp, only slower and in reverse. She saw muscles materialize and attach to the skeleton. Skin flowed like liquid to cover the muscled form. Kathryn fell to her knees and Buffy rushed to her side. She helped her stand and Kathryn produced a small knife from her pocket.

“What’s that for?” Buffy questioned.

The dark woman pointed and Buffy followed her gesture.

Kneeling in the center of the floor was Spike, naked and dazed. “He needs to feed to remember who he is.” Kathryn replied. She went to stand in front of Spike. She held aloft her knife and said “Child of darkness, I call you forth. Drink of me and remember.” With that, she brought down her knife in a rapid arc and sliced her own wrist. Her dark blood welled in the deep cut as she held it to the vampire’s mouth. He pulled back his lips and hungrily began to feed.

“You see Buffy, before they have blood, they are just the shell. It takes blood to call back their essence, and in this case, his soul.”

“It always has to be blood, doesn’t it? It’s never a soda, or some hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows.” Buffy grabbed a blanket from the back of one of the couches. She kneeled down and wrapped Spike in it just as he broke away from Kathryn’s wrist. He stared into her eyes.

“Buffy?” His voice was scratchy, like the voice of someone who has been screaming for a long time, hoarse and strained. “Buffy, where am I? I can’t remember anything. Did we win the fight?”

Buffy brought her hand up and lightly touched his lips. “Yes, Spike,” she whispered. “We won. You saved us all.” She looked up at Kathryn, who was still standing above them. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

Kathryn held up her hand. “You need not. The world is indebted to you both. You are both more than welcome to use the house for the day. The sun will rise soon, and I believe Spike will be to wary to trek all the way to your hotel before the dawn.” She muttered some words under her breath and the windows went dark, as if someone had painted them black. “The spell will last for twenty four hours. When the night comes, I suggest you return to your hotel. I am not the only fey with access to this house. There is blood and food in the refrigerator and clean sheets on all the beds upstairs. If there is nothing further you require, I will take my leave of you.”

“But where will you go? I thought you had been staying here.” Buffy alleged.

“I’ve been away from home to long. I’m going to see if I can catch a flight back to the states. I have someone waiting for me.” She winked at Buffy. “If you’re ever back in L. A., drop me a line.”

Buffy stood and embraced her. She had no words, but when she looked into the other woman’s eyes, it was enough. The gratitude was there, even if the words were not.

And so Kathryn turned with a smile on her face and left the house, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Buffy turned back to Spike, who still knelt on the floor. He looked up at her, his deep blue eyes filled with questioning. She smiled and sat down in front of him. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

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

Spike sat on the couch, blanket tightly clutched around his body, visibly shaken. “So I was dead? And six months have past?”

Buffy sat next to him on the couch, rubbing small circles on his back with her hand. “Yes,” she answered quietly. Having gone through this once herself, she knew how hard it was to come to terms with the fact that you had died, and now were somehow alive again.

“I’m sorry, pet. Can I have a little while to myself? I have to wrap my bloody mind around this.”

Buffy was shocked and dismayed. She held back her tears and struggled to regain her composure. “Yeah, that’s fine. I need to go find you some clothes anyway.”

“Thanks, luv.” Spike managed a weak smile,

Buffy smiled back and left the house. Once through the door, she leaned back on it and cried.





You must login (register) to review.