Sweeping Sighisoara chapter 7
Title: Sweeping Sighisoara chapter 7: Reset
Pairing: Willow/OC and for the rest, just read and see
Rating: Adult
Summary: A witch and a Slayer are sent to an old city in the mountains of Transylvania to retrieve a very powerful artifact, setting off a chain of events that will alter the fate of an entire dimension.
Spoilers/Warnings: Post-series; somewhat smutty (for now), violence
Disclaimer: Not mine, really! So please don't sue. Joss, Fox, Mutant Enemy and all the others are the ones!
Beta: dusty273 , ssddgr
AN: Thanks to both Sotia and Mari putting their beta-ing skills to the test, I'm able to bring you the continuation of this story. I hope from now on the updates will be more regular.
*Slayer Castle, Scotland, UK, late August 2006*
Buffy was, once again, face to face with Spike. A Spike who didn't seem crazy, or on the prowl, or dust. Those blue eyes of his were burning deep into her soul. A small part of her brain reminded her of Giles' warning, but she quickly dismissed any other thoughts except for the most important one. He's here! Without wasting another second, she jumped towards him and slapped him.
Or tried to.
Spike grasped her wrist in a powerful yet almost relaxed way, stopping her hand with the minimum amount of force required, and then holding it without putting any pressure on it. The action seemed almost involuntary, startling her and, by all appearances, even him.
His eyes betrayed his hurt, something she was very much used to, yet she'd sworn off causing again. Slowly raising her other hand, she gently traced the contours of his face. Stopping halfway, she scrunched her nose and the crease between her brows deepened. Getting a determined look on her face, one all the people around her knew very well, she moved almost faster than the eye could see and grabbed the man in front of her by the throat.
“Who... or what are you? Answer me or I swear you'll regret ever coming here looking like this.”
His free hand closed in around hers, but he didn't try to dislodge her grip. “What the bloody hell are you on about, you crazy bint?”
“You're not Spike! So who are you?” She emphasized her words by tightening her grip on his throat and struggling to get her other hand free, to no avail. Mentally, she made a note that they should have better defenses and maybe some cameras trained on the entrance.
“Are you completely daft? Of course I'm me; who the bloody hell would I be?” Still, he made no move to free himself, thinking that could only lead to the two of them fighting it off. What he wanted was for the Slayer to get her head out of her ass and really look at him.
“That's bull! Why don't I get the same tinglies then?” She tried to shove him back, but he stood his ground. “Why do you have a tan, huh? Are you even a vamp?”
Shifting into game-face and then quickly back, Spike smirked at her. “Don't worry, baby, I've still got my bite.” Turning more serious, he looked her straight in the eye. “It's me. I've changed, yeah, but I'm still the same guy that burned for you back in the Hellmouth.”
“Prove it.”
Her voice was steely, her gaze showing revulsion and hate, but with just enough hope to make him go on, despite feeling his heart constrict under her glare. And to think he had once almost convinced himself he was over her. Still love's bitch, ey mate? Thinking back to their past, something he had done often, especially during the last few months, he chose one of the memories he treasured. “After the hell-bitch did a number on me, you came to my crypt all bot-like, lookin' for answers. You wanted to know why I didn't tell her about your little sis. After I told you she mustn't find out, you came closer to me and kissed me.” Looking straight into her eyes, he tried to convey all the emotions he had felt back then. “Bloody hurt 'cause of the split lip and all, but it was one of the most tender and memorable kisses in my unlife.”
After a split second of wavering-something not many would have caught on, unless they knew Buffy as well as Spike did-she frowned. “Anyone from the Sunnydale Crew, and most of the people around here, could have told you that. Try again.”
Almost without thinking, he mused out loud, “Faith never said anythin'.” The next thing he knew, she was trying to strangle him, apparently in a murderous rage.
“What did you do to her, you sick bastard? She was pregnant!” They began struggling with each other, each trying to get the upper hand. She attempted to trip him, while he tried to hold her in place. After several tense moments of push and shove, they both landed on the floor, limbs tangled, neither able to break free.
“Will you just bloody listen to me, you infuriatin' bint?” When she stopped moving, he took a deep breath. Looking at the angry expression on her face, he softened his voice in an attempt to diffuse the situation. “It really is me, Kitten.” Getting a roguish smile on his face, he whispered closer to her ear. “Remember how you were bouncing on my lap during Red's spell? I never told anyone about how you said you'd bounce twice as hard on me on our wedding night. Nearly came right then and there.”
Buffy's eyes were wide and a blush was rising up her cheeks. Taking advantage of the moment of distraction the happy memory had caused him, she managed to free her left arm enough to slap him. Hard. “You... you pig!”
Grinning like a schoolboy and looking straight into her eyes, he first let the tip of his tongue caress the right corner of his mouth, to dull the sting, then chuckled. “Oink, oink, baby. Never denied it!”
Once both of them relaxed bit by bit, she hugged him tight and buried her face in his chest, muffled sounds that sounded suspiciously like sniffling filling the silence. After a few moments of just holding each other for the first time in a long while, she raised slightly puffy, reddened eyes at him, and frowned again. “Why the hell didn't you say anything you... you... man, you!”
His heart soaring, he lowered his gaze, feeling somewhat ashamed of what he was going to tell her. “After you left the crater, when I told you to go, that amulet burned me to ashes. Next thing I know, I'm in the middle of one of Angel's little get-togethers with his minions. And by middle, I mean the actual middle.” At her puzzled look, he chuckled darkly. “I was a ghost, not really all there. I kept movin' from floor to floor in the offices of Evil Inc. without actually bein' able to control my poppin' in and out. I'd start a sentence in Wesley's office and finish it in the corridor, next to Lorne.”
“So that is your explanation for not-oh, I dunno-say, calling me to tell me you're back?” She thumped his chest with a fist, nowhere near hurting him.
“First thing I did, I asked for you. They told me you were off to Merry Ol' England to set this up. I told 'em to call you, but none of them wanted to. Angel kept goin' on about how you needed time, how you really didn't want me and all that rot.”
“He did? If he weren't dead I...” Seeing Spike flinch, she sought his eyes. “What do you know about Angel, Spike?”
“Bloody hell, woman, let a bloke tell the story. Stop askin' about the last chapter, will you?” Seeing that her inquisitive look was unrelenting, he decided to hurry things up. “Was hard stayin' there; there was this darkness wantin' to pull me back to...” He frowned, not sure how to explain it himself. “To nothin', I guess. Finally, when I'd almost gotten used to poppin' in on Peaches and seein' him pee his pants-so to speak-this envelope came and made me all solid again.”
“How long?”
“Seventeen days after the fight with the First, I was in LA. A few months after that, I became a real boy.” He was now looking somewhere behind her, unable to meet her eyes.
“Why?” She didn't have to expand. Her tear-laced voice and her accusing tone were enough for even someone that didn't know her to realize what she meant. Spike felt like he had been stabbed in the chest.
“You deserved better. I was no good to you anymore. I'd done the whole hero bit, saved the world, done my duty. And nobody cared.” Finally meeting her eyes, he tried to make sense of it all. “I died for you, Slayer. How could I top that exit? What, was I supposed to just turn up at your doorstep and say, 'lo there, remember me?”
“Yeah, you should have, you stupid vamp! I mourned you. We all did. You could have at least had the decency to let someone know you were back!” She struggled to get up, but his next words stopped her dead in her tracks.
“But I did.” When she turned her burning eyes towards him, he almost felt like shrinking back. “Andrew knew since that barmy Slayer thing that left me with both my arms chopped off.”
“What? Who... Dana?” Buffy couldn't have been more shocked if someone had told her that Jesus was back.
“Yeah, that's her. She got it into her head I was the one that made her mad, so she came after me and sliced me good and proper. Took nearly a month to get my hands attached the right way again. Andrew was there, tellin' us how good you've got it and whatnot.” Seeing her open her mouth, he rushed to finish his explanation. “He said you were happy, so I told him to keep his trap shut. Guess he did better than I expected, huh?”
“I'll kill him! I'll kill him and then I'll kill you. How could Andrew keep a secret? Is nothing sacred anymore?” The pout on Buffy's lips was so adorable Spike had to fight with everything he had against leaning closer and nibbling on her lip.
“Maybe Giles kept him in check.”
His words made her blood run cold and her insides turn to lead. Her heart stopped beating and cold chills enveloped her body. In a small, almost inaudible voice she asked him without even being able to focus on his face anymore, “What did you say?”
“The Watcher knew, is what I'm sayin'. Ol' Angelus called him when Ilyria took over Fred's body. We tried to get Red, or anyone else, to help her. He turned us down flat. Said Wolfram and Hart had corrupted me and Angel and that he wasn't fallin' for any tricks.” His tone turning hard and unyielding, his brows furrowed, and with eyes that seem to have thunderstorms in them, he concluded, “I'll never forgive that blither for what he did then. Never!”
Lost in their own musings, neither was able to speak for a while. Finally, Buffy looked up at Spike, seeing the fire burning beneath the surface. “I'm sorry about Fred.” Feeling more self-conscious, she decided to ask something about what she thought she might have picked up on. “Were you and her...?”
Shaking his head, Spike pulled out of his reverie. “No, she was Oxford's girl. Just that she was the only one that was half decent to me while I did my Casper bit. She was there when I discovered I couldn't leave LA, she helped get rid of the... She was one of a kind, that girl. Bloody shame.” Smiling a bitter smile, he caressed her hair ever so slightly. “Kinda reminded me of Nibblet, somewhat.”
Brightening up a bit, Buffy nodded her acquiescence. “Giles made a lot of bad choices...”
“Well, that one's the worst. It all went downhill from there.” Feeling his arm pressed against the floor, he looked at it, making them both realize they were still entwined. Reluctantly, they drew apart, ending up side by side, sitting with their backs to the wall next to the door she'd initially come through. “Long story short, Angel and I came looking for you in Rome. We met Andrew again there. He told us how you were all cozy with the Immortal.” He thought he saw the corner of her mouth tag upwards at that. “Even saw you dancin' with that pompous git right before he tried to have us both killed,” he added indignantly.
Buffy burst out laughing, doubling over from the sheer stupidity of it. “Mary fooled both of you? She must be a better me than I thought.”
“Yeah, Rogue mentioned somethin' about doubles. Made me feel like a right prick for buyin' it.” Shrugging, he seemed to chuck that down to rotten luck. “Then we met Connor, or at least we thought we'd just met him.” At her puzzled look, he smirked. “Angel's son with Darla?”
“What? When... how... why...?”
“Yeah, took everyone by surprise, that one did. The buggers from Evil Inc. somehow managed to get the old whore back and Wonder-Prick got her preggers. She had to off herself to spawn the lad.”
“And he never told me?” The feeling of betrayal was like bile in her mouth, her whole face contorting in a grimace.
“He made sure nobody knew. Peaches was always good at keepin' secrets when he had to. Some powerful magic took everybody's memories about the sprog away. Anyway, things happened, he grew up fast and he was there when it all went south.” His face darkened again. “Never thought we'd make it, and in some ways we didn't. Ilyria was so weakened she had to walk around lookin' like Fred for a month. Wesley bit it and ended up haunting the rest of us.”
Sensing his sorrow, Buffy placed a comforting hand on his knee, showing her support. The way he talked about Angel's crew showed how close he'd gotten to them; closer than he'd been to anybody in Sunnydale, save Clem and her, maybe. It almost brought tears to her eyes, realizing how alone he must have felt back then.
Unconsciously covering her hand with his, he went on with his tale. “Gunn got himself turned and came after us with a vengeance. Lorne was so shaken, he didn't even talk to us for a while.” Looking contrite, he ducked his head. “I couldn't even use my game-face at first.” Raising his voice to cover the giggling coming from Buffy, Spike scowled at her. “We were all thrown in a parallel universe, these things happen. Oi!”
“Sorry, but you gotta admit, it's funny.” They chuckled together in good humor for a bit, slowly becoming more comfortable with each other again.
“All kinds of things happened there, from battles to being treated like heroes and even gods.” At her disbelieving look, he grinned. “What? I was a good god. Honest.” He winked in a boyish way that brought a gentle smile to her face. He liked that smile, even though he hadn't seen it all that often. “Anyways, we finally found out how to win once and for all against the sorry gits.”
Without even giving it a second thought he rummaged in one of his coat pockets, took out a pack of cigarettes and put a fag between his lips. Before he had the chance to light it, though, Buffy slapped it away and waved a warning finger in front of him. “No smoking in the Castle area, mister! And no pouting. It won't work.” Nodding once for emphasis, she tried to hide the smile curving her lips upwards as well as she could.
“Spoil my fun,” he muttered loud enough for her to hear, but without any malice. “Never mind. So, we finally figure it all out and then I start noticin' things happenin'.”
“Things? Like?” She tilted her head sideways, giving him an inquisitive look.
“Like the cravin' for blood lessenin' and then, at some point, even developin' a...” Looking down, almost ashamed of himself, he fiddled with another unlit cigarette. “I started eatin' food. People food, I mean. And not like the onion rings from the Bronze; I mean actual hunger for pizza and all that.” Glancing up at her lack of response, he took in her shell-shocked look. “That's not all, you see. At one point, by accident, I noticed I could stroll in the bloody sunlight.” Making a sweeping motion in the air over himself, he continued. “That's how I got the tan.”
“So now you're... what? Human?”
“Bloody hell, no! Although, for a while, everyone thought about it.” Getting on his haunches, he faced her. “Ever heard of the Shanshu prophecy?” When she shook her head no, he rubbed his hands together. “There's this thing about a vampire with a soul bein' rewarded with his humanity after he becomes a Champion for the Powers and saves the world a couple of times. There were all these rules and challenges and Angel and I were kinda competin' for it. So, when I started my daytime strolls even I thought I was gettin' it. Pretty logical, seein' as how Angel signed away his right to it before the LA battle.”
“Why'd he do that? Didn't he want to be-you know-human?” She placed her palms on the floor behind her and leaned forward, closer to Spike.
“He had to. It was his right of passage into the Order of the Black Thorn, the ones we took down in LA.” Seeing her frown in puzzlement, he explained, “He had to join, so we could take them from the inside.” Rocking back and forth on the tips of his boots, he smirked. “Captain Forehead nearly went into permanent brood mode when that happened. That's how come I got sent through the portal to retrieve the broom; I had the most chances of gettin' away with it.”
“Speaking of...” Buffy crossed her arms over his knees and placed her chin on them.
“We needed it for the final fight. It really swept away the opposition, specially the vamps. We sent it back to where it came from, soon as we were through with it.”
“So you have no idea where it could be?” Her body had gone rigid, the laid back attitude gone, replaced by the calculating Slayer getting ready for another challenge.
Standing, Spike held out a hand for her to get up. Just as she was reaching for it, a booming voice was heard from behind them. “Scindate!” Spike found himself flying through the air and hitting the wall behind him with enough force to leave him stunned.
Buffy discovered she was pressed against the wall behind her too, but managed to utter, “Wills, quit it.” When the force keeping her glued to the wall disappeared, she rushed over to Spike's side. “Are you okay?”
Groaning, he rubbed his back. “She really packs a punch, doesn't she?” Raising his head, he looked at the young woman now covering her mouth in shock. “'Lo, Red. We gotta stop meetin' like this.”
Pairing: Willow/OC and for the rest, just read and see
Rating: Adult
Summary: A witch and a Slayer are sent to an old city in the mountains of Transylvania to retrieve a very powerful artifact, setting off a chain of events that will alter the fate of an entire dimension.
Spoilers/Warnings: Post-series; somewhat smutty (for now), violence
Disclaimer: Not mine, really! So please don't sue. Joss, Fox, Mutant Enemy and all the others are the ones!
Beta: dusty273 , ssddgr
AN: Thanks to both Sotia and Mari putting their beta-ing skills to the test, I'm able to bring you the continuation of this story. I hope from now on the updates will be more regular.
*Slayer Castle, Scotland, UK, late August 2006*
Buffy was, once again, face to face with Spike. A Spike who didn't seem crazy, or on the prowl, or dust. Those blue eyes of his were burning deep into her soul. A small part of her brain reminded her of Giles' warning, but she quickly dismissed any other thoughts except for the most important one. He's here! Without wasting another second, she jumped towards him and slapped him.
Or tried to.
Spike grasped her wrist in a powerful yet almost relaxed way, stopping her hand with the minimum amount of force required, and then holding it without putting any pressure on it. The action seemed almost involuntary, startling her and, by all appearances, even him.
His eyes betrayed his hurt, something she was very much used to, yet she'd sworn off causing again. Slowly raising her other hand, she gently traced the contours of his face. Stopping halfway, she scrunched her nose and the crease between her brows deepened. Getting a determined look on her face, one all the people around her knew very well, she moved almost faster than the eye could see and grabbed the man in front of her by the throat.
“Who... or what are you? Answer me or I swear you'll regret ever coming here looking like this.”
His free hand closed in around hers, but he didn't try to dislodge her grip. “What the bloody hell are you on about, you crazy bint?”
“You're not Spike! So who are you?” She emphasized her words by tightening her grip on his throat and struggling to get her other hand free, to no avail. Mentally, she made a note that they should have better defenses and maybe some cameras trained on the entrance.
“Are you completely daft? Of course I'm me; who the bloody hell would I be?” Still, he made no move to free himself, thinking that could only lead to the two of them fighting it off. What he wanted was for the Slayer to get her head out of her ass and really look at him.
“That's bull! Why don't I get the same tinglies then?” She tried to shove him back, but he stood his ground. “Why do you have a tan, huh? Are you even a vamp?”
Shifting into game-face and then quickly back, Spike smirked at her. “Don't worry, baby, I've still got my bite.” Turning more serious, he looked her straight in the eye. “It's me. I've changed, yeah, but I'm still the same guy that burned for you back in the Hellmouth.”
“Prove it.”
Her voice was steely, her gaze showing revulsion and hate, but with just enough hope to make him go on, despite feeling his heart constrict under her glare. And to think he had once almost convinced himself he was over her. Still love's bitch, ey mate? Thinking back to their past, something he had done often, especially during the last few months, he chose one of the memories he treasured. “After the hell-bitch did a number on me, you came to my crypt all bot-like, lookin' for answers. You wanted to know why I didn't tell her about your little sis. After I told you she mustn't find out, you came closer to me and kissed me.” Looking straight into her eyes, he tried to convey all the emotions he had felt back then. “Bloody hurt 'cause of the split lip and all, but it was one of the most tender and memorable kisses in my unlife.”
After a split second of wavering-something not many would have caught on, unless they knew Buffy as well as Spike did-she frowned. “Anyone from the Sunnydale Crew, and most of the people around here, could have told you that. Try again.”
Almost without thinking, he mused out loud, “Faith never said anythin'.” The next thing he knew, she was trying to strangle him, apparently in a murderous rage.
“What did you do to her, you sick bastard? She was pregnant!” They began struggling with each other, each trying to get the upper hand. She attempted to trip him, while he tried to hold her in place. After several tense moments of push and shove, they both landed on the floor, limbs tangled, neither able to break free.
“Will you just bloody listen to me, you infuriatin' bint?” When she stopped moving, he took a deep breath. Looking at the angry expression on her face, he softened his voice in an attempt to diffuse the situation. “It really is me, Kitten.” Getting a roguish smile on his face, he whispered closer to her ear. “Remember how you were bouncing on my lap during Red's spell? I never told anyone about how you said you'd bounce twice as hard on me on our wedding night. Nearly came right then and there.”
Buffy's eyes were wide and a blush was rising up her cheeks. Taking advantage of the moment of distraction the happy memory had caused him, she managed to free her left arm enough to slap him. Hard. “You... you pig!”
Grinning like a schoolboy and looking straight into her eyes, he first let the tip of his tongue caress the right corner of his mouth, to dull the sting, then chuckled. “Oink, oink, baby. Never denied it!”
Once both of them relaxed bit by bit, she hugged him tight and buried her face in his chest, muffled sounds that sounded suspiciously like sniffling filling the silence. After a few moments of just holding each other for the first time in a long while, she raised slightly puffy, reddened eyes at him, and frowned again. “Why the hell didn't you say anything you... you... man, you!”
His heart soaring, he lowered his gaze, feeling somewhat ashamed of what he was going to tell her. “After you left the crater, when I told you to go, that amulet burned me to ashes. Next thing I know, I'm in the middle of one of Angel's little get-togethers with his minions. And by middle, I mean the actual middle.” At her puzzled look, he chuckled darkly. “I was a ghost, not really all there. I kept movin' from floor to floor in the offices of Evil Inc. without actually bein' able to control my poppin' in and out. I'd start a sentence in Wesley's office and finish it in the corridor, next to Lorne.”
“So that is your explanation for not-oh, I dunno-say, calling me to tell me you're back?” She thumped his chest with a fist, nowhere near hurting him.
“First thing I did, I asked for you. They told me you were off to Merry Ol' England to set this up. I told 'em to call you, but none of them wanted to. Angel kept goin' on about how you needed time, how you really didn't want me and all that rot.”
“He did? If he weren't dead I...” Seeing Spike flinch, she sought his eyes. “What do you know about Angel, Spike?”
“Bloody hell, woman, let a bloke tell the story. Stop askin' about the last chapter, will you?” Seeing that her inquisitive look was unrelenting, he decided to hurry things up. “Was hard stayin' there; there was this darkness wantin' to pull me back to...” He frowned, not sure how to explain it himself. “To nothin', I guess. Finally, when I'd almost gotten used to poppin' in on Peaches and seein' him pee his pants-so to speak-this envelope came and made me all solid again.”
“How long?”
“Seventeen days after the fight with the First, I was in LA. A few months after that, I became a real boy.” He was now looking somewhere behind her, unable to meet her eyes.
“Why?” She didn't have to expand. Her tear-laced voice and her accusing tone were enough for even someone that didn't know her to realize what she meant. Spike felt like he had been stabbed in the chest.
“You deserved better. I was no good to you anymore. I'd done the whole hero bit, saved the world, done my duty. And nobody cared.” Finally meeting her eyes, he tried to make sense of it all. “I died for you, Slayer. How could I top that exit? What, was I supposed to just turn up at your doorstep and say, 'lo there, remember me?”
“Yeah, you should have, you stupid vamp! I mourned you. We all did. You could have at least had the decency to let someone know you were back!” She struggled to get up, but his next words stopped her dead in her tracks.
“But I did.” When she turned her burning eyes towards him, he almost felt like shrinking back. “Andrew knew since that barmy Slayer thing that left me with both my arms chopped off.”
“What? Who... Dana?” Buffy couldn't have been more shocked if someone had told her that Jesus was back.
“Yeah, that's her. She got it into her head I was the one that made her mad, so she came after me and sliced me good and proper. Took nearly a month to get my hands attached the right way again. Andrew was there, tellin' us how good you've got it and whatnot.” Seeing her open her mouth, he rushed to finish his explanation. “He said you were happy, so I told him to keep his trap shut. Guess he did better than I expected, huh?”
“I'll kill him! I'll kill him and then I'll kill you. How could Andrew keep a secret? Is nothing sacred anymore?” The pout on Buffy's lips was so adorable Spike had to fight with everything he had against leaning closer and nibbling on her lip.
“Maybe Giles kept him in check.”
His words made her blood run cold and her insides turn to lead. Her heart stopped beating and cold chills enveloped her body. In a small, almost inaudible voice she asked him without even being able to focus on his face anymore, “What did you say?”
“The Watcher knew, is what I'm sayin'. Ol' Angelus called him when Ilyria took over Fred's body. We tried to get Red, or anyone else, to help her. He turned us down flat. Said Wolfram and Hart had corrupted me and Angel and that he wasn't fallin' for any tricks.” His tone turning hard and unyielding, his brows furrowed, and with eyes that seem to have thunderstorms in them, he concluded, “I'll never forgive that blither for what he did then. Never!”
Lost in their own musings, neither was able to speak for a while. Finally, Buffy looked up at Spike, seeing the fire burning beneath the surface. “I'm sorry about Fred.” Feeling more self-conscious, she decided to ask something about what she thought she might have picked up on. “Were you and her...?”
Shaking his head, Spike pulled out of his reverie. “No, she was Oxford's girl. Just that she was the only one that was half decent to me while I did my Casper bit. She was there when I discovered I couldn't leave LA, she helped get rid of the... She was one of a kind, that girl. Bloody shame.” Smiling a bitter smile, he caressed her hair ever so slightly. “Kinda reminded me of Nibblet, somewhat.”
Brightening up a bit, Buffy nodded her acquiescence. “Giles made a lot of bad choices...”
“Well, that one's the worst. It all went downhill from there.” Feeling his arm pressed against the floor, he looked at it, making them both realize they were still entwined. Reluctantly, they drew apart, ending up side by side, sitting with their backs to the wall next to the door she'd initially come through. “Long story short, Angel and I came looking for you in Rome. We met Andrew again there. He told us how you were all cozy with the Immortal.” He thought he saw the corner of her mouth tag upwards at that. “Even saw you dancin' with that pompous git right before he tried to have us both killed,” he added indignantly.
Buffy burst out laughing, doubling over from the sheer stupidity of it. “Mary fooled both of you? She must be a better me than I thought.”
“Yeah, Rogue mentioned somethin' about doubles. Made me feel like a right prick for buyin' it.” Shrugging, he seemed to chuck that down to rotten luck. “Then we met Connor, or at least we thought we'd just met him.” At her puzzled look, he smirked. “Angel's son with Darla?”
“What? When... how... why...?”
“Yeah, took everyone by surprise, that one did. The buggers from Evil Inc. somehow managed to get the old whore back and Wonder-Prick got her preggers. She had to off herself to spawn the lad.”
“And he never told me?” The feeling of betrayal was like bile in her mouth, her whole face contorting in a grimace.
“He made sure nobody knew. Peaches was always good at keepin' secrets when he had to. Some powerful magic took everybody's memories about the sprog away. Anyway, things happened, he grew up fast and he was there when it all went south.” His face darkened again. “Never thought we'd make it, and in some ways we didn't. Ilyria was so weakened she had to walk around lookin' like Fred for a month. Wesley bit it and ended up haunting the rest of us.”
Sensing his sorrow, Buffy placed a comforting hand on his knee, showing her support. The way he talked about Angel's crew showed how close he'd gotten to them; closer than he'd been to anybody in Sunnydale, save Clem and her, maybe. It almost brought tears to her eyes, realizing how alone he must have felt back then.
Unconsciously covering her hand with his, he went on with his tale. “Gunn got himself turned and came after us with a vengeance. Lorne was so shaken, he didn't even talk to us for a while.” Looking contrite, he ducked his head. “I couldn't even use my game-face at first.” Raising his voice to cover the giggling coming from Buffy, Spike scowled at her. “We were all thrown in a parallel universe, these things happen. Oi!”
“Sorry, but you gotta admit, it's funny.” They chuckled together in good humor for a bit, slowly becoming more comfortable with each other again.
“All kinds of things happened there, from battles to being treated like heroes and even gods.” At her disbelieving look, he grinned. “What? I was a good god. Honest.” He winked in a boyish way that brought a gentle smile to her face. He liked that smile, even though he hadn't seen it all that often. “Anyways, we finally found out how to win once and for all against the sorry gits.”
Without even giving it a second thought he rummaged in one of his coat pockets, took out a pack of cigarettes and put a fag between his lips. Before he had the chance to light it, though, Buffy slapped it away and waved a warning finger in front of him. “No smoking in the Castle area, mister! And no pouting. It won't work.” Nodding once for emphasis, she tried to hide the smile curving her lips upwards as well as she could.
“Spoil my fun,” he muttered loud enough for her to hear, but without any malice. “Never mind. So, we finally figure it all out and then I start noticin' things happenin'.”
“Things? Like?” She tilted her head sideways, giving him an inquisitive look.
“Like the cravin' for blood lessenin' and then, at some point, even developin' a...” Looking down, almost ashamed of himself, he fiddled with another unlit cigarette. “I started eatin' food. People food, I mean. And not like the onion rings from the Bronze; I mean actual hunger for pizza and all that.” Glancing up at her lack of response, he took in her shell-shocked look. “That's not all, you see. At one point, by accident, I noticed I could stroll in the bloody sunlight.” Making a sweeping motion in the air over himself, he continued. “That's how I got the tan.”
“So now you're... what? Human?”
“Bloody hell, no! Although, for a while, everyone thought about it.” Getting on his haunches, he faced her. “Ever heard of the Shanshu prophecy?” When she shook her head no, he rubbed his hands together. “There's this thing about a vampire with a soul bein' rewarded with his humanity after he becomes a Champion for the Powers and saves the world a couple of times. There were all these rules and challenges and Angel and I were kinda competin' for it. So, when I started my daytime strolls even I thought I was gettin' it. Pretty logical, seein' as how Angel signed away his right to it before the LA battle.”
“Why'd he do that? Didn't he want to be-you know-human?” She placed her palms on the floor behind her and leaned forward, closer to Spike.
“He had to. It was his right of passage into the Order of the Black Thorn, the ones we took down in LA.” Seeing her frown in puzzlement, he explained, “He had to join, so we could take them from the inside.” Rocking back and forth on the tips of his boots, he smirked. “Captain Forehead nearly went into permanent brood mode when that happened. That's how come I got sent through the portal to retrieve the broom; I had the most chances of gettin' away with it.”
“Speaking of...” Buffy crossed her arms over his knees and placed her chin on them.
“We needed it for the final fight. It really swept away the opposition, specially the vamps. We sent it back to where it came from, soon as we were through with it.”
“So you have no idea where it could be?” Her body had gone rigid, the laid back attitude gone, replaced by the calculating Slayer getting ready for another challenge.
Standing, Spike held out a hand for her to get up. Just as she was reaching for it, a booming voice was heard from behind them. “Scindate!” Spike found himself flying through the air and hitting the wall behind him with enough force to leave him stunned.
Buffy discovered she was pressed against the wall behind her too, but managed to utter, “Wills, quit it.” When the force keeping her glued to the wall disappeared, she rushed over to Spike's side. “Are you okay?”
Groaning, he rubbed his back. “She really packs a punch, doesn't she?” Raising his head, he looked at the young woman now covering her mouth in shock. “'Lo, Red. We gotta stop meetin' like this.”