[Reviews - 62]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 1391 times

- Text Size +




Chapter 13 Play Your Part

Everybody’s got a hungry heart
Everybody’s got a hungry heart
Lay down your money
And you play your part
-Bruce Springsteen
Hungry Heart

“Turn at the next sign.” Willow peered down at her map and squinted. “Tara, could you hold that flashlight closer?” It was hard to read her own handwriting with the convertible bouncing up and down on the old road.

“S-s-sure, no problem.” The blonde girl leaned over the seat, so she could guide the beam closer.

“That’s definitely it. Giles, turn left.”

After trying the locater spell again at Giles’ apartment, the three had quickly decided to make the trek to Nevada. The spell refused to work when using the items from Buffy and Spike, but had worked perfectly for Xander’s truck, so the trio decided to find the truck and figure the rest out later. They had thrown a few things in the small backseat and left as quickly as possible. After driving all night, they were only a few miles from the truck’s location, which had turned out to be a desert ghost town.

Giles slowed the convertible down while Willow and Tara sent forth a small bright blue light to locate the Chevy. The shiny little light led them to a ramshackle market where they discovered the truck hidden in the back lot. The two witches agreed to check out the truck while Giles scouted around the empty market.

“W-w-w-illow, what do you think happened?”

Willow rummaged through the things in the truck’s cab. “Well, it seems to me they never came back from the Cantilly nest. The rest of their stuff and the sleeping bags are still here, but I don’t see their backpacks, the cooler or the weapons.”

Giles returned from his reconnaissance. “The marks in the dust indicate that they slept in there only the once and there’s nothing inside that gives any indication where they went from there. Willow, I want you to try to do another locater spell, now that we’re closer. Use the remainder of the Cantilly skin. We’ll start by trying to locate the nest.”

*****

The early morning sunlight woke Spike. He opened his eyes and gazed over at Buffy. She was still deeply asleep, comfortably burrowed under the quilt. He listened to her heartbeat, assessing her. He decided that the Slayer sounded healthier and let out a relieved sigh. She was definitely on the mend. Now his world could become more normal, if loving the Slayer could ever be considered normal. I’m going to tell her soon just how much I do care, once she’s completely healed. Spike had no doubt that Buffy would soon be fit to track down the archer and then they could return home. He shook his head, bemused at the thought of looking forward to returning to the Hellmouth.

Spike stood up and stretched. Hearing a soft knock on the bedroom door, he opened it to reveal Celeste holding an armload of clothing. “How is she this morning?”

A tired smile crossed Spike’s face. “Much better, her fever broke last night.”

“Oh, that’s good. Here, I brought you both some clothes. There are a couple of dresses of mine that would probably fit Buffy and some old clothes of my husbands that will probably work for you. He was about your size.”

Spike took the offered items and placed them carefully on the chair. Glancing back at the Slayer’s sleeping form; he took Celeste gently by the arm and walked with her into the hall. Closing the door, he looked into her face. “You’ve been very kind.”

The woman shrugged. “I don’t like to see things, or people, wasted.” She smiled. “Would you like to join us for breakfast? You can bring some back to Buffy after she rests a bit more.”

“Thank you.”

After telling Spike that breakfast would be in half an hour, Celeste left to head back to the kitchen.

Spike sorted through the clothes, picking up a blue cotton shirt. He wondered what had happened to Celeste’s husband that had left her such a young widow.

*****

“Sir, Teague sent the mine foreman here with his weekly report.”

McGee looked up from his desk and motioned to the workman standing just outside the office. “Come in Davis.”

Davis walked confidently into his boss’s office. “Hello Mr. McGee, Sir. I have good news for you. We’ve uncovered the line that runs to the entrance of the antechamber and it should only be a matter of a week’s digging to breach the entrance.”

Once again McGee regretted his earlier action. He should never have placed the additional pieces of the crystal within the mine for safekeeping. Of course they would have been quite convenient and easy to reach if not for that damn cave in.

“I don’t want to wait another week. Tell Teague to hire on more men for the crews. It’s very important that I get in that room as soon as possible.”

“Yes sir.” The man closed the door behind him.

McGee smiled. It wouldn’t be long now. Once they breached the entrance, the crystals would be easily located. Then it was only the minor matter of putting them back together again. He lifted the large piece of crystal from his desk and ran a finger down the fine outer lines. His partner would be pleased indeed with today’s development.

Verda watched the foreman as he left McGee’s office. She slid farther back in the shadows behind the ornate velvet drapes next to McGee’s office door. It wouldn’t do for the foreman or God forbid, McGee himself to catch her snooping. She waited until she heard the man’s heavy tread on the stairs before quickly sliding out of the dark corner. Smoothing her dress down with her hands, she casually walked down the stairs, turning this new information over in her head.

*****

Spike arrived in the kitchen to discover that everyone ate breakfast together. Defoe, Kale and Celeste were already dishing up heaping plates of sausages, eggs, baked beans and fried potatoes and filling earthenware mugs with steaming black coffee. It smelled wonderful and Spike’s mouth was watering by the time he slid into the empty chair next to Kale. He had always loved people food, especially breakfast.

The boy smiled up at him through a mouthful of food. “Hey Mr. Spike, how’s Miss Buffy?”

Spike dumped some potatoes on his plate and returned the smile. “She’s actually doing much better.”

Celeste smiled and passed him the platter of sausages before handing over a mug of coffee to Defoe. “Defoe, this is the last of the sausage. You plan on doing for the old sow today? I want to have a pork roast for dinner since Verda’s coming to eat with us.”

Defoe nodded, swallowing his coffee. “Yeah, she’s finished feeding her young and it’s time. With the other pig, we should get enough meat to last through fall.”

Disgruntled, Kale spoke to the older man. “I though you were gonna help me work the east pasture today. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow and we need to finish. I can’t do it all by myself, the mare only works the plow for you. She won’t let anybody else use it with her.”

“Kale, I’ve only got two hands.”

Spike picked up the gist of the conversation and an idea popped into his head.

“Defoe, I would really like the chance to pay back some of your hospitality, so why don’t you let me butcher your pigs? I assure you that I won’t have any trouble. You can show me where your spring house is located and I’ll put everything up for you. Buffy needs to rest but she’s strong enough now to be left alone for awhile.”

“Why, that’s a wonderful idea. Defoe, you and Kale can plant the pasture and Spike can do the pigs.” Celeste turned to Spike. “I’ll be canning today, so I can run in and check on Buffy for you.”

Defoe shrugged. He didn’t really see a problem with Spike taking care of the pigs. He was obviously strong enough and it would make his day that much easier. “That’ll be fine by me. I really do need to get that pasture planted before it rains. We don’t get enough out here in the desert that we can afford to waste it.”

They agreed to meet in the barn after Spike took breakfast to Buffy. Defoe looked over at the slim man. “Are you sure you want to do this? Hog slaughtering can be real messy, all that blood.”

“Don’t worry about it. You won’t have to clean up anythin’ when I’m finished. I promise I’m very neat.”

After he finished his own breakfast, Spike filled a plate for Buffy. Carrying it in one hand, he pushed the bedroom door open with the other and found the Slayer awake. She was sitting up in bed; the morning sun streaming in the window highlighted her in gold. Spike gazed at her in wonder, she was so beautiful.

She smiled at him. “Ummm, Spike, that smells really great.”

He sat the plate on the nightstand. “I’m glad to see you’re gettin’ your appetite back, Slayer.”

Buffy held up her arm. “Yeah, and the wound finally closed. It’s almost completely healed.” She reached for the plate. “So what’s on the agenda?”

When he outlined his plans for the morning, Buffy grinned. “Trust you to find a way to eat and still make it seem like you’re doing them a favor.”

Spike snickered, “Well, can’t go around havin’ our hosts think we’re ungrateful for
their hospitality.”

While Buffy ate her breakfast, Spike walked back and forth from the kitchen, filling a large metal tub that sat in the corner with steaming hot water so Buffy could have a bath.

He finished filling the tub, stood up and turned back to her. “When I finish helping Defoe, I’ll be back and we can have our talk.”

Buffy slid out of bed and walked over to him. As he reached to take the empty plate from her hand, she touched his arm and murmured. “I’ll be waiting.”

Spike set the plate on the bed, took her outstretched hand and kissed it lightly. Gazing into her large hazel eyes, he said simply. “I will, too.”

Spike took the empty plate back to the kitchen and went out to the barn to meet with Defoe. After the farmer left for the field, Spike changed into game face, killed and drained the old sow and a large male. Licking his lips to get every drop of the fresh warm blood, he butchered the pigs. Spike chuckled as he licked the knife. I said I wouldn’t waste a drop.

Spike drank what he needed for the day and then filled two large glass jars he had ‘borrowed’ from Celeste’s canning supplies with the remainder of the blood. Sealing the jars, he carried the trimmed meat and the jars to the springhouse that was used to keep everything cold. He tucked the jars of blood in the cold water, behind some other containers.





You must login (register) to review.