Chapter Three
After finding a table with a good view of the stage, Buffy and Spike sat and talked for a bit.
“So luv, I’ve told you about me, lets hear a little about your self” Buffy just shrugged, “Not much to tell really, before I was called, I was the Queen of Hermny” Spike looked at her scepticly, “I’m serious! I had everyone, even the teachers, under my thumb...it was wonderful” she said, staring off into space with a dreamy look on her face.
Spike watched as Buffy’s facial expressions changed from being dreamy to sad and angry.
“It’s amazing you know... that you can have everything taken from you in one word, almost makes you wonder if any of it was real” Spike looked at her with confusion, Buffy saw his look and smiled, “that sounds weird dusn’t it? Believe me, I know.
Anyway, back to my story, after I was called, the changes were almost instant, I had to stop hanging out with my friends, because I might put them in danger, I started carrying stakes instead of lip-gloss, I started to become truly alone.
I was still the Queen, even tho I know I shouldn’t care, it was the last thing I had of my normal life, and I thrived on it.”
Again she smiled wistfully, and again that sad look had covered her face.
For some reason that Spike couldn’t quite fully comprehend, he was growing more and more angry by every word she uttered.
But it wasn’t her he was mad at, it was every one else, her friends that let her go thru all of this alone, her Watcher for not letting her have any friends, but most of his anger was directed at the Powers That Be, he was partially furious at them for pushing this calling on her, and partially angry that they didn’t send him to her sooner.
As Spike was cot in his own little world, he had failed to notess that she hd started talking again, “...went down to the football field to check up on our football team, like I said, I was making my rounds.
Anyway, there was a new guy that had to be initiated, and told of the way we did things around here, and with me being out of it lately, nothing had really gotten done.
So I go up to his and introduce my self when someone calls my name from the bleachers, I turn around to see who it is, and the ass hole grabs my ass!” Spike looked just as outraged as she did.
Buffy saw the look on his face and winked, “so naturally, I kicked his ass” Buffy said grinning, and Spike grind back, slowly Buffy’s smile turned bitter-sweet.
“Although I don’t regret showing him who’s boss, that’s when it really changed, after tat, I stopped being the Queen, I’m still not completely positive why I was down-sized, I have a theory that it has something to do with a girl named Juddy Langcaster but...” Buffy looked at Spike and laughed, “I’m sorry, I’m sure that you don’t want to hear all of this” she blushed.
Spike smiled at her shyness, before taking her hand in his and kissing the palm.
“I’m gonna’ tell you somethin’ luv, and there ant’ nothen’ you can do about it” they both leaned into each other. “ you know how I told you about my sire having a vision, and that I knew what it meant?” Buffy nodded, her eyes looking into his curiously.
“Well...here’s the hole story, you see, she had started screaming... ‘It burns Spike! It burns! It burns us all!” suddenly she stopped. “But not you, the sun will not burn you.”
she said cocking her head to the side, as though to see him better.
“You will go, my Spike, the stars say that you will leave.
And the sun shall shine upon you, you will bathe and glisten in its glory, never to burn, even when your elders crumble.”
she made a motion with her hand, of dust crumbing in front of her face, when again she started to whine, tears welling up in her eyes.
“You will become a guardian of light, the true mate of an angel” she spat at him “you will leave all that is unholy, and you will make love to heaven.”
Through out all of this Spike had stayed silent, she had never spoken to him like this, of all his time serving Drusilla, she had never been this calm, cool, and collected, in short, Spike was a little freaked.
He tried to make sense of what she was saying. “What do you mean ‘I will become a guardian of light’? What light?” As soon as Spike said the words, Dru attacked, swiping at him with her razor sharp nails, trying to dig out his eyes.
But once again, she stopped abruptly, and turned her head as though listening to something. She then turned her head to stair him right in the eye.
“You must leave now” she said as though in a trance. “you will go to L.A., you will find your destiny there.” She said.’
“And that was it, she threw me out of our warehouse, wouldn’t let me in for anything, finally when the sun came up, I had to leave, the next night, I hoped on a plain, and you know the rest.”
Buffy looked at him in astonishment. She had always been good at translating prophecies, so she had a pretty good idea about what Drusilla had been trying to say, she just wasn’t sure that Spike knew, so she pretended ignorance.
“So what do you think she meant by all that?” she asked. Spike grinned at her, “in short luv, your mine.” he said just before he captured her lips, in a searing kiss.
It may not have been the most eloquent translation, but he got the jist of it, that was enough.
She knew that she would have to do some research on this, just to make sure there was no end of the world prophecy, and she would have to do it in secret, she may love Merrick, but she new that he might do something hasty in order to “protect”her.
Spike was mildly surprised my her reaction, and readiness to accept their fate. He had assumed that, with her being the slayer and all, that she would be completely against the idea, but no, here she was, kissing him senseless, almost ready to crawl over the table
“Kum-hum! Um, do you think that you two loveies would mind coming up for air?” Lorne asked, interrupting them.
Buffy smiled sheepishly, wile Spike just glared at him. “Oh yes yes, we know, your very vicious” Lorne said patronizingly, and Spike growled at him, wile Buffy giggled behind her hand. Spike herd the giggle and turned to face her. Buffy tried to school her features, but she couldn’t help the smile on her face. “You too?” Buffy just shrugged and kept smiling at him. “Hay! I’m evil! Ok? E-V-I-L! Evil! Get that thru your thick sculls!” after his out burst Spike leaned back in his chair to pout. “Of course you are baby cakes” Lorne said, patronizing Spike seemed to be the theme tonight.
Spike scowled at him again, and grumbled under him breath. “Spike, look at where your hands are.” Buffy said pointedly. Spike looked down, and sure enough, his left arm was around Buffy’s shoulder, wile his hand played with her hair, and his right was holding her hand. “Oh...damn” he said, but never took his hands from her. Buffy smiled at him and turned to face Lorne. “Sorry Lorne, what did you want?” Lorne smiled at her, “Its your turn angel face.”
No matter how much both Buffy and Spike protested, Lorne would have none of it.
In the end, they gave in, with Buffy blaming Spike;
“This is your fault you know.”
“My fault? How is this my fault?”
“Because, this was your choice”
“oh ya... sorry”
“ya so... you first” she smiled innocently. Spike was about to protest, when the perfect song popped into his head.
“Ok luv..”
Without another word he walked up to the DJ, and walked on stage. Buffy was surprised by his sudden acceptance of her challenge, but didn’t question it.
Spike knew exactly what song he was going to do. It wasn’t really his taste, but he had herd it on his way here, and the lyrics fit perfectly. When he was finally situated in front of the microphone, the music started up.
Buffy couldn’t be surprised when she heard the ruff beginning of a punk song.
“Falling down from a grey cloud
Open wounds still bleeding
Yesterday won't forget my name
Tomorrow will never forgive me
I never felt that I want too much
I never said that I need too much
But with the lack of the strength I need
There I was almost giving up.”
Spike stared her right in the eyes, trying to convey the truth he felt in his words.
“Then I saw beautiful
And opened up my eyes
When I found beautiful
It opened up my life
Now I know beautiful
And how things should be
You are my beautiful
Beautiful to me.”
Spike smiled as the lyrics ran true, and Buffy couldn’t help but laugh, when he sent her a cheeky grin.
“Laying down on a quiet night
Hoping that no one will find me
I never thought I could feel so low
Definition of empty
I always knew that I felt too much
I always heard that I cared too much
But at the edge down upon my knees
There I was almost giving up.”
Lorne smiled at the two, and gave a bitter-sweet smile, as he say what lay before them. It would not be an easy road, but they would walk it, together.
“Then I saw beautiful
And it opened up my eyes
When I found beautiful
It opened up my life
Now I know beautiful
And how things should be
You are my beautiful
Beautiful to me.”
By the end, Buffy couldn’t help laughing and blushing at the obvious compliment and his cheeky grin. Spike grinned at her smile, and how it seemed to light up the room. He had spent so much time skulking in the dark that he had convinced himself that he hated the light.
Now, seeing the light that she radiated, he felt as though he was seeing the sun again for the first time in so long. And the warmth felt good.
“Yeah your so beautiful.”
“What’d you think, luv?” Spike asked, coming back to their table.
She laughed and jumped up throwing her arms around him. Lucky for Spike that he didn’t have to breathe, when Buffy jumped on him, she knocked the wind out of him, then proceeded to kiss him breathless.
“That was great Spike...” she trailed off, with kisses.
“All right, all right, that’s enough...hay! Separate!” Lorne had to shout when they decided to ignore him.
Reluctantly they parted, and turned to face Lorne, but this time, Buffy was just as disgruntled Spike.
Together, the couple turned to face Lorne with a scowl that made him want to back away slowly.
“Woe-there! Sorry to interrupt but it’s your turn angel cakes”. Buffy sighed, and Spike let her down. They shared one more kiss before Buffy made her way to the stage. Taking the microphone, Buffy blushed and smiled as the first strands of the sultry beat filled the club.
"I'll be right along
'Cause baby you're so
Strong...
Baby I see - You're vulnerable to me
That's your power over me
Baby, baby, I know - It's always been so
Physical love is oh so meaningful for you
You write love letters to me - strong
You know how to talk to me - so strong
Baby, I'm yours - you know
Because you're so, so strong
You would fight for me
You would starve for me
You would suffer for me
You would die for me
Well, I feel the same way too
You know I feel that way about you."
Buffy and Spike shared a smile, and Spike chuckled.
"I know you're mad about me."
You've shown me because you're so, so strong
Buffy looked directly into Spike’s liquid blue eyes, as tho asking him a silent question. Spike gave her a sweet smile, and nodded, when she saw his answer, a huge grin spread over her face, and her eyes seemed to sparkle, even in the blinding stage lights.
"I know you're mad about me."
You've shown me because you're so, so strong
When she finished, Buffy walked off of the stage, and straight into Spike’s arms.