[Reviews - 26]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 630 times

- Text Size +




Buffy let Spike lead her over to the leather chair that sat next to the fireplace in silence, hands still shaking from what had just transpired. She slipped into the chair bonelessly, thoughts rushing a mile a minute, legs shaking as she tucked them under herself. Her eyes stared at the discarded candle holder that now lay on the floor where she had only moments ago wielded it as a weapon and used to lash out at Giles. Her body had not been hers to control. The thought sent a shiver of goosebumps in their wake.

"W-what's happening to me?"

Giles had pulled himself up and was sitting on the edge of the bed. Spike was standing nearby, his eyes never leaving her form for long. It took him a minute to respond, his brows furrowing as if he searched for the right words to explain it all to her with.

"We believe that Drusilla is trying to take control of you."

"What?"

"The bite mark she gave you not only allows her to track your movements, pet, but with a great amount of effort on her part she can control you." Spike spoke softly and there was a hint of sympathy in his voice.

"Is that even possible?"

Her eyes focused on Giles as he reached to adjust a bandage that was wrapped around his arm and she noticed for the first time that he was injured. Her brows furrowed, confused. She didn't remember seeing a wound there when she had jumped from his library window that morning.

What's happening to me?

"From the events that have unfolded recently I have no doubt that it is entirely possible. For brief moments, yes, she can control you."

"Did I do that?" Buffy gestured at the wound on his arm.

"Yes."

"When?"

"Earlier today, right before I unfortunately had to put you under a strong toxin in the forest."

Buffy's eyes once again drifted to her still shaking hands. The mere thought of Drusilla being able to track her every movement was terrifying, but now, hearing that she was under that demons control, she was absolutely petrified. Questions rushed to the surface. Why hadn't she tried it sooner? Why now? What could she make her do next.

Willows baby! Oh God!

Buffy pushed the bile that made its way to her throat back down, her eyes wide. She was a danger to everyone she came into contact with, including herself.

"Can you make it stop?"

"U-unfortunately there is only one way to break the control she has over you."

Spike, who had been silent up until that point, let out a mumble before he moved to stand in front of the open window.

"Well do it!" Buffy plead shouted, leaning up from her position in the chair.

"I-It's not something I can do I'm afraid." Giles stood, his eyes on Spike before he spared his gaze to Buffy. "It's best if I let Spike explain. The process is something he will have more knowledge on."

Giles rubbed the bruise forming on his forehead where Buffy had knocked him as he walked, picking up the candle holder from the ground and making his way to the door. Buffy ushered out a small, sympathetic and shaky 'Sorry' before he nodded his acceptance, closing the door behind him. Silence once again filled the room.

They stayed in silence for minutes, neither knowing what to say. Buffy shuddered and rubbed her arms in an effort to keep warm when an icy cool breeze blew in from the open window Spike was standing next to. She briefly heard him mumble a string of curses under his breath before the shuffling of his feet against the fur rug was heard. He walked towards the fireplace that sat opposite her and she watched with interest as he pulled logs and items from a small basket that lay nearby.

Buffy had pulled her legs up onto the chair again, arms hugging her knees tight when another gust of wind blew in, a flush of goosebumps rising on her skin in its wake. Spike lit a few candles on the mantelpiece and she noticed for the first time that her skin was starting to turn a light shade of blue. The cold and shock of the news that had just been laid upon her taking its toll.

"What do you need to do? T-To fix this." Buffy stared at the candles flames as they flickered on the mantel. At first Spike didn't speak, just bent back down to the fireplace to continue laying logs.

"Had to knock you out."

"You what?"

"Last night. I had to knock you out."

His voice was rough and he seemed frustrated, his movements jerky and uneasy, causing the items that she assumed were firewood to clatter to the floor. Angry that the fire wasn't lighting, he let out a growl. There were a few moments of silence before Buffy huffed at his inability to set light to the wood before sliding out of the chair. She pulled the giant window door closed and came to stand where he was crouched over the fireplace. She picked the candle up from the mantel piece and bent down to see the mess he was making of the fire. With one eyebrow raised, she grabbed a few logs from the fire and began removing the ones he had just laid.

"A fire needs to breathe." She layered the logs in a different pattern and grabbed some kindling that he had placed on the floor before lighting it with the candle she held. "You've never lit a fire before?"

"The cold doesn' bother me."

Buffy breathed a silent 'o', not knowing what to say. They stared in silence for a few moments at the kindling as the fire took root and slowly built. Buffy stood again and placed the still burning candle back in its stand on the mantel. Spike was crouched still in the same position as she stood, his head close to her hips. He breathed an unnecessary breath and turned his gaze to her hips and groin.

"I don't remember what happened." Buffy exclaimed, her brows furrowed at the ache she felt throughout her body, her limbs stiff and loosening in the warmth the fire was giving her.

Spike stood slowly, not bothering to step back when he stood. His face was close to hers and Buffy felt her heart skip a beat. He had the bluest eyes, shining with the glimmer of gold catching from the fire.

Her cheeks flushed bright red when Spike reached out a tentative hand to close around her hip, tongue coming out to lick his bottom lip.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

Spike was taking unnecessary breaths as he took in her scent. The hand he had on her hip tightened as her bite mark began to burn, warming under his touch. He could hear the rapid pounding of her heart as it beat in her chest and with a fierce growl, spun away from her.

"Did Dru say anything when she bit you?" His narrow stare met her wide and panicked eyes.

Buffy raised one eyebrow and spoke, hesitant to answer him.

"She said lots of things... why?"

"Your bite burn a lot yeah? You ever feel like you're being pulled?"

"Y-yes."

Spike cursed and ran a hand down his face.

"Dru marked you."

"Well duh."

Way to state the obvious.

She thought, pointing to the vicious scars on her hip.

"She's gifted-"

"I wouldn't call insane gifted." Buffy grumbled, earning a growl from Spike.

Like she cared what he thought. She was going to kill the insane bitch the first chance she got, but the words he spoke had her worried.

"She's different. Not like other vamps. She's trying to find you, yeah, call you out. May very well have succeeded." Spike walked to the end the bed and sat down. The warmth of the fire had finally started to fight against the crisp chill in the air and Buffy felt colour return to her skin once again. "You were screaming all hell in your sleep. Tried to claw the mark right off of your skin. Tha's why there was blood everywhere this morning. I had to knock you out to get you to stop."

Buffy glanced at her bloodied hip before rubbing her temples, trying her best to process and digest everything she had just discovered.

"How is she doing it?" Spike shook his head in response and shrugged, unsure. "Can you stop it? S-so she can't find me... Can't control me anymore." Buffy needed to be at full strength and fully in control of her own body when she found Drusilla and Angelus and killed them.

After torturing them and finding out the truth about my parents first, of course.

Spike let out a laugh and placed his hands in-between his knees.

"Tha's the real kicker then isn' it." He stood abruptly. "I can."

"Then do it! You asked for my help to kill Angelus last night. All I ask in return is the promise that you help me kill Drusilla- or at least don't get in my way."

"I can't promise that," Spike said, torn. He wanted to be able to promise to her that he wouldn't get in her way, but not getting in her way meant that he was helping her attack his maker and a part of him wasn't ready to face a world without her in it.

"I can't help you kill Angelus if she can control me. If she knows I'm coming-"

"You're not going to like how."

Buffy stared at Spike, his face unreadable as she pushed for his answer.

"How?"

"I have to claim you." Buffy's eyes widened as fear struck her. "It's the only bite stronger than the one she's marked you with. The only one that can challenge her claim, o-"

"No! No, no no." Buffy was shaking her head, eyes wide. She had witnessed the viciousness of the claiming bite Angelus had delivered to Drusilla and there was no way in seven hells that she was letting Spike anywhere near her. "I've seen that done before and- No!"

Buffy jumped when Spike stepped forward and her eyes widened in panic. He frowned, listening to her breathing and heartbeat. She was petrified.

He took a few steps back, hands up, and watched as the tension in her shoulders eased a little as she took took a few steps away from him.

"I'm not Angelus, luv." That bastard had no humanity left.

"No." Buffy was shaking her head, forcing the memories from her mind.

"You think I actually want to do this? Claim a human! Claim one of the chosen! You're off your bird if you think I actually want this."

Spike began to pace, silently cursing Giles.

Buffy's mind was racing. Giles was a powerful warlock, surely he and Willow could come up with a spell that would break Drusilla's hold over her.

"G-Giles or Willow... they can cast a spell. They can stop it!" Buffy seemed so hopeful, her eyes wide. Spike knew it was fruitless, there was no stronger bond than one made with blood. There was no spell that could undo what Drusilla had done to her.

"It won't work."

"Can't they at least try!" Buffy yelled desperately.

"The only way it's going to stop is if another master vampire challenges the claim and I don't see any other master vampires offering to do it for you. Do you want the nightmares to stop? Do you want the pull you feel to go back, to stop. The pain to stop." Spike was walking slowly towards her, Buffy silently taking in his words and knowing he was correct. She looked up and yelled when she noticed his movements.

"Don't! Don't come near me." Spike threw his hands up in the air in surrender at her voice and stilled his movements, her breath coming in short panicked pants. She was on the verge of having a full-blown panic attack.

"Luv?...Buffy?" Spike took a hesitant step forward as Buffy's hands ran through her hair.

"Drusilla and Angelus... he-"

"Angelus is a cruel bastard, luv. His demon is always in control."

"They...right after-" Buffy placed a hand on her red hip and met Spikes eyes, hers filled with unshed tears. "It was r-right after."

Spike lips formed an 'o' in understanding, finally realizing why she was so afraid. Angelus had obviously claimed Dru right in front of her. By the way Buffy had reacted to him earlier that morning, kicking him from the bed and fighting him after seeing his blood smeared face and the way her heart was racing now, it hadn't been pleasant to watch.

Spike had seen how deep the bite ran, Drusilla's fangs leaving a mark on her skin that his demon growled at. A mark, a claim of any sort should not have been delivered that way. Buffy had been mauled and left bleeding out whilst Angelus and Drusilla had mated and claimed right in front of her.

"I'm guessing that what you witnessed was," he sighed and shook his head, not wanting to think of the things Angelus had done with Drusilla, his once dark princess. Buffy slowly nodded, eyes downcast. "Christ, luv..."

"I'm not-" She seemed to think something over for a few moments before hesitantly speaking. "You can make it stop though... The pain? The n-nightmares. I'll be in control?"

"Yes."

"Will it hurt?"





You must login (register) to review.