[Reviews - 34]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2140 times

- Text Size +



banner by dawnofme


IT’S OVER

The shot rang out loud in the bedroom, both men falling to the floor.

“NO!” screamed Helen.

The two men lay still, then Xander started to move. His hand found the gun and he removed the clip of bullets and threw it into the corner of the room. He looked at Spike, seeing there was blood on his temple. Xander put his hand out to touch it.

Thank God, it was just a graze. Spike started to move. He was lying on his side and he drew his legs up to his chest until he was curled into a ball, head tucked into his knees.

Xander looked up at Helen, “We’re okay.”

She went to go to them, but Xander looked down at the mess that was Spike and turned back to her.

“Just leave us be for a bit, okay?”

She hesitated, but then nodded her agreement and left telling him she’d be downstairs and to take as long as he needed. Xander threw her the cell phone.

“Tell the others but don’t let them come up here.”

She caught it and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Spike was trembling violently and moaning almost inaudibly.

“It’s gonna be okay,” soothed Xander, “Come on, let’s get you up.”

He practically had to lift Spike onto the bed. He sat him on the edge of it then sat down next to him. Spike was still trembling uncontrollably so Xander put his arms around him.

“You’re okay. Just let it out, let it go.”

Spike leant against him and sobbed so hard he could hardly draw breath, his whole body shuddering. Xander held him tight until the trembling and sobs had subsided, leaving his shoulder soaked from all the tears.

“Do you want to tell me about it? What you saw?” asked Xander gently.

Spike sniffed a few times and hesitantly started to talk.

“In the mirror….I saw…..I saw….me….but vampire me…It showed what I am.”

“What you were,” corrected Xander, “If that’s what you are now you wouldn’t see it in a mirror, would you?”

“No…..yes……I dunno,” Spike stuttered, fresh sobs wracking his body.

“I remember it all……..remember the taste of blood…..the ….the ….thrill. And Carole….Christ…Carole…I can feel it.”

He looked down at his hands as if expecting them to be still gripping her neck.

“What about Joy?” prompted Xander, knowing that Spike had to confront his demons, as it were.

Another bout of shuddering sobs.

“Oh God.” Spike buried his face in his hands, “I ….can’t….don’t make me.”

Xander’s heart went out to Spike but he had to get through to him.

“Spike, you never touched her. You never touched the others. The vampire got them but he never got Joy.”

“I….he….wanted to get her…..to hurt her…..I saw her covered in blood….”

“It wasn’t real, Spike,” interrupted Xander.

“He…..he…..planned on……keeping her….turning her….at sixteen when she was old enough for him to….to…..oh God…”

Xander suddenly realised what Spike meant. The relationship between a vampire and its sire was often sexual. No wonder Spike had gone for the gun.

“But it won’t happen, she’s safe. It was his thought, not yours,” Xander said, a bit sharply.

“But…why do…I,” Spike faltered, “Why do I see it…..in the mirror…..Is it me?…..Is it still in me?”

“No way is it you or still in you. If you were that demon do you think you’d just have tried to blow your head off? You would’ve shot me and Helen and carried on doing the evil, not trying to stop it.”

He could see the relief flood through Spike’s body. He sagged a bit, head once more in his hands, and after a few minutes he sat back up and looked at Xander

“Christ, I nearly……”

“Yeah, you nearly,” said Xander, “Mind you, you still might want to when you see the haircut,” he added with a smile.

Spike ran his hand over his head, feeling the hair’s uneven length.

“That good, huh?”

“Want to see?” asked Xander. He felt Spike stiffen beside him.

“Come on, it’ll be okay. Think we need to find a different mirror, though,” he said with a nod towards the dressing table’s smashed mirrors.

Xander and Spike walked along the hall to the bathroom, Xander pulling the light cord. He noticed how Spike kept his eyes off the mirror until the pair stood in front of it. Xander gave him a little nudge. Spike took a deep breath and raised his head. His eyes widened in horror at his reflection. His body tensed, then he relaxed and rubbed a hand over his shorn locks.

“Bloody hell,” he said.

“Told you,” said Xander.

Spike looked at his reflection. His blue eyes were a bit bloodshot and red rimmed but they were most definitely blue. His features were normal, no lumpy brow or sharp teeth. A trickle of blood ran down from the graze on his temple, but the hair – well, it was certainly different. It was cut down to the scalp in places, some parts still showing the bleach blond, and others showing the brown roots. Spike didn’t care; it was his face, his hair and not the demon’s.

“Can we get out of here?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” said Xander.

The pair walked downstairs where Helen, Giles and Buffy were waiting. When Spike saw Buffy he broke into a run and flung his arms around her, picking her up off her feet. He kissed her, then realised he’d closed his eyes. When he opened them he just looked upon the beautiful face of his partner with no vision of Drusilla. Relieved, he kissed her again, not noticing as fresh tears fell down his cheeks.

When they finally parted Helen went over to and put her arms around him. He gave her a hug. The impression of her blood had gone. Xander slipped back upstairs realising he’d left the gun there. He picked it up, put it in his jacket pocket, and rushed back downstairs.

Xander and Helen went home, while Giles, Buffy and Spike went back to the safe house. They were greeted by Willow, a very enthusiastic Andrew, and Dawn. No mention of the gun was made to them and Spike was grateful for that. He went up to where his baby daughter was sleeping. Feelings rushed over him as he looked down at her, almost overwhelming him. But they were of love and protection, not harm. He breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Ooooooooo

Willow told him that she thought the visions he’d had were a side effect of all the magics he’d been subjected to. He agreed with her but in his heart he knew there had still been a little of him inside his body with the demon. He’d been along for the ride whether he’d wanted to or not.

Oooooooooo

They travelled back to London as soon as they could. When they arrived at the Council, whilst the others were busy putting bags away and such, Spike slipped away unnoticed. He scrabbled about at the back of the closet in his bedroom, found what he was looking for and went out into the garden. There was a meshed metal bin at the bottom of the garden that they used to burn leaves and other garden waste in from time to time. He put it in, put some old newspapers and twigs around it, squirted it with lighter fuel and dropped a match.

He stood there as the flames took hold, burning the old battered leather duster to nothing but ash.

THE END





You must login (register) to review.