"Uh, okay, okay, okay. Obviously, my sex appeal is on the fritz today, so
I'll just give it to you straight. There's something lurking out there, and
it's making fillets of the populace, and I think you might be next."
I waited to see his reaction. He just stood there staring at me like I had
grown an extra head or something.
"Uh-huh. And you think that because?"
"Well, it's already attacked. It's already killed some people."
"You're one twisted sister, you know that? Cam told me about your games. Go
find someone else to harass."
He bumped me as he walked past me and out of the Bronze. I sighed and lowered my head in defeat. To be honest, that was the least of my problems.
I was already labelled as one of those problem girls that found trouble
wherever I went.
But Angel was still out there, doing God knows what. And that frightened me
more that I would like to admit to. I leaned against the pillar at the back
of the club and closed my eyes.
I didn't acknowledge the hand across my mouth until it was too late. I felt
a cold callous hand holding my hip in their grasp. From the tingles in my
neck I knew it was a vampire.
Oh crap was Angel here?
The first thing I noticed was that the hand that was attached to my mouth
had a strong scent of nicotine, and Angel as far as I knew didn't smoke.
The other hand that was holding my hip in place gripped tighter the thumb
slowly drawing circles at the exposed skin under the hem of my jacket.
"Tsk, naughty Slayer, allowing a vampire to corner you unawares."
Spike.
Of all the vampires to catch me unguarded. I mumbled my annoyance behind his hand and wriggled trying to release myself from his grasp. That just earned me a low chuckle next to my ear.
I didn't want to admit the shiver that ran through my body.
"Hmm it's no fun when you can't argue back. I'm going to take my hand away
from that gorgeous mouth of yours and you are not going to scream."
Scream! As if.
Slayers did not scream, they staked rotten vampires until there was nothing
left. But I wouldn’t mention that when he grinned he sort of looked cute.
My brain must not have enough oxygen if I thought about Spike in a normal 'boy is he cute capacity'
He removed his hand from my mouth, but he didn't remove his hand from my
hip.
"Just what the hell do you want Spike?"
"I have a proposition that involves a temporary truce."
I looked around to see if i could see Gage, i didn't get very far as Spike still had a hold on me.
"Huh? Yeah, this from the guy that has tried to kill me on a more than a few occasions. Truce is not in your demon vocabulary."
I looked up to see his jaw clench, it didn’t take much to get his pissed and I was quite surprised he hadn’t tried to snap my neck yet. I always had to be on my guard with him, he had killed two Slayers - who knew when I would be next?
”I keep my word believe or not Slayer, plus I’m sure you’d like to get back Angel for prying apart your dimply knees."
I felt my cheeks flame, my hand clenched without me realizing and before I
knew what I was doing I have punched him hard in the jaw. He released his
hand from my hip and stumbled back giving me the chance to move away from
and quickly exit out of the club.
*~*~*~*~*~
I walked through the cemetery gates and lifted my stake from the waistband
of my trousers.
I was stealthy. My peripheral vision trained to target every movement; I stepped behind a tree to conceal myself. Waiting silently I felt the rush of energy settle across the nape of my neck before I jumped out. Xander dropped the bag of chips he was holding and screamed, I covered his mouth before the whole cemetery woke up with his piercing shrill.
"Xander, God I didn't think L.A heard you."
I muffled a laugh beneath my hand as he tried to compose himself; I folded my arms across my chest and waited for him to catch his breath.
"Jesus Buffy, what do you think you're doing scaring me like that?"
"Look around you Xander, not only are we in a cemetery - we're actually on the Hellmouth."
"Very funny. Anyway I was on my way to see you. Another skin pile was found at the beach."
”Alright, I’ll go and check it out. You better head on home.”
Xander nodded reluctantly and walked towards the exit of the cemetery, I watched him walk away before I turned to walk in the opposite direction walking straight into a cold hard chest.
Hands gripped my elbows keeping my balance in place; I looked up to see Spike in full game face.
I looked around to see my stake had fallen from my grasp when I knocked into him, Spike followed my gaze to see the wooden instrument on the floor.
“I see I have you at an advantage, but now is not the time. We need to talk.”
“Talk? Shouldn’t you be feeding on some poor bum?”
“You just bloody well shut up.”
He shook me hard making my head hurt slightly, I looked up to see his eyes hardened and suddenly morph back to his human face.
“Look, I’m leaving town but I can’t do it without your help. I need you to stop Angelus and Dru won’t leave without him.”
“So you want me to offer myself as bait because your ho-bag of a girlfriend can’t keep her claws to herself.”
“You little bitch. You bloody well don’t know what me and Dru have so don’t be assuming.”
He stood there his eyes glinting yellow in the moonlight, and I was sure he would strike and bury his fangs in my throat.
Instead he just stood there his hands holding my arms in a vice-like grip, I never forgot that he killed two Slayers before me. I could see his eyes wander across to the column of my throat; his tongue darted out and licked his bottom lip.
“I can see you salivating right there Spike, and here I thought you was a taste first ask questions later type of guy.”
I lifted my chin up defiantly and mentally challenged him, until I realized exactly what I had done. He tilted his head for a few moments before he smashed his lips against mine, I could feel his fangs clash against my teeth and then quickly recede.
The first thing I noticed was that for an evil vampire his lips were surprisingly soft, his tongue cautiously touching the cavern of my mouth. His hands left my arms and moved to grip my hips in place.
My own fingers itched to touch his skin pulling his shirt the waistband of his jeans, finally my nails grazed the skin on his back. His muscles clenched under my touch and all I could think about was how hard his body felt against mine, all coherent thoughts that was flooding the space in my brain the moment his lips touched mine.
I suddenly felt a cold breeze move across my mouth, my eyes snapped open to see why when I noticed Spike’s lips were no longer touching mine. For someone who was dead he certainly looked like he needed to breathe.
His eyes which surprisingly I didn’t notice before was the colour of midnight, the glazed expression he had mirrored my own. He shook his head and continued to stare at me.
It was unnerving having a master vampire stare through you like that, I felt like I had no clothes on.
Spinning on my heel I turned and fled away from the cemetery, my legs would not give up until I found myself running down Main Street. I didn’t know where I was heading, I just kept running.
Spike stood there immobile watching the Slayer run, his lips still tingled from the touch of her tongue. He needed the Slayer to help with the removal of Dru. There was no way he could do this on his own, but she was an insufferable bint never once asking why her enemy would purposely seek her out.
The plan was simple. He’d use Buffy to help her get rid of Angelus, take Dru somewhere out of America and live their un-dead lives in ignorance. He didn’t really care that much for Angelus, the vampire had humiliated him in vampire circles, snatching Drusilla underneath his nose not once but twice.
But what he didn’t bank on was her plump lips kissing the life back into him, now he knew why Angel had blue balls for her. He needed to sort this out tonight they had to come to a truce and he wouldn’t leave this God forsaken town with his black princess.
Her scent filled his nostrils as he followed the direction she had left, quickening his pace he went to find the Slayer.
Buffy leaned back against the wall her breathing laboured, fighting the urge to close her eyes. The tingles on the neck alerted that vampire was close by; releasing a breath she didn’t know she was holding she stepped out of the shadows ready to strike only to halt the stake inches from Spike’s chest.
“Jesus bloody Christ. Watch where you bleedin’ sticking that thing!”
“Ugh! It’s my job you know, call of the vampire Slayer.”
“Yeah, well just watch it, will you?”
“Look, what do you want? I have other things to do tonight than just trade barbs.”
“From what I can remember you like sticking your tongue down people’s throats as well.”
“If I remember correctly it was you that thrust your dirty little tongue down my throat.”
“Whatever you say pet, now are you going to help with this little problem or what?”
“I’m only going to help you, so it gets you out of town earlier.”
Spike smirked slightly and shoved his hands in his pockets to locate his cigarettes, patting his chest looking for his lighter.
My eyes fixated on the way his fingers flicked the top of the Zippo lighter, his face illuminated by the flame.
Inhaling the cigarette he purposely blew the smoke in my face. Coughing and spluttering I waved my hands in front of my face. I didn’t notice the bright until it was too late, enveloping us both into the darkness.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The first thing I realized when I came to was that my head felt like some one has encased it in cotton wool, my ear drums buzzed and my wrists hurt, I opened my eyes to try and figure out why I couldn’t move. Someone had tied my wrists and my ankles together with really strong rope.
From the looks of things I was in a basement of some kind, a blanket was on the floor discarded trying to turn my head my cheek came in contact with leather.
Wait a minute. Leather. Great tied to my worse nightmare, who from the looks of it was still unconscious.
“Stop bloody shifting.”
Okay so not unconscious.
“The ropes are enchanted. I’ve tried already, and the kidnapper is definitely human.”
I looked around trying to find a way out, Giles taught me to always assess the situation. Only I couldn’t see anything, turning towards Spike I tried to look the other way.
“What are you doing? My wrists are chaffed enough without you bleedin’ adding to it.”
“I’m trying to find a way out, unless you can knaw your way through the ropes?”
I didn’t need to see his face to know that he was pissed off; if anything the loud growl emanating from chest and vibrating against my back was anything to go by.
The door opened slowly light illuminating as a figure appeared at the doorway carrying a tray in his hands, from what we could see he was dressed in black robes. Spike had vamped obviously he could smell the blood in the cup on the tray before the robed guy got any closer. Growling loudly he lurched forward bringing me with him, I fell on my face my cheek bone hitting the concrete hard. Pain surged across my face and I had to close my eyes to blind the pain.
“Ouch.”
Setting the tray on the floor the robed guy sat cross legged on the floor across from us, his hands placed on his knees he waited till I lifted myself up.
“Slayer, you have been brought here for a reason.“
“Wait.” I lifted my hand to stop his speech.
“If this is some big apocalyptic tragedy that you need the Slayer for I won’t do it until you release me.”
“Very well.” With a wave of his hand the ropes fell away from wrists.
Spike jumped up and ran forward only to be thrown back, a wall of power stopping them from moving.
“I trust you, Slayer. I do not trust this vampire.”
Spike snorted and leaned against the wall.
“Okay fine, what is exactly the problem? I’m listening.”
“I am Sedulous. My colonies are a peaceful race, we do not hate nor do we have evil intentions towards any member of our race. That is all changed a dark one fell into our dimension and created a world where we no longer have our peace. It actually much resembles this sickening dimension.”
“Hey, so our world is not great - yes we have evil people here, but it’s a balance. To think you have a world where everyone loves and you’re not irate at someone for doing something you don’t like.”
“It is the perfect world.”
“Pfft, perfect world my arse. There’s no such thing as a perfect world, if it was I would have what I wanted and I wouldn’t be stuck here.”
Sedulous turned his head toward Spike, pushing the hood of his robe back his white eyes searching his gaze.
“You are a fool vampire; you do not know what you truly want. What you have now is out of necessity not out of want. I see where your true heart lies and it is not the dark vampiress you think you crave. I see the future, I know what is to happen.”
“Bollocks! You know nothing, I will be with Dru forever.” Spike spat his eyes flashing yellow in annoyance.
“Your ignorance is disheartening; I don’t think you really see what’s clearly in front of you.”
Sedolou quickly darted his gaze towards Buffy before training back on Spike.
Spike saw the quick movement and scoffed at what he was insinuating, turning his head to keep from watching the Slayer.
“Moving on quickly, why do I have to help you? And my friends will know I’m gone.”
“Time is of no importance in my world, your friends will never know you left. Please, Slayer the threat of our people relies solely on your help”
“And just what exactly is in it for me? I mean, I have to protect the Hellmouth here.”
“I’m imploring you Chosen one, please help us on this endeavour and I would forever be in your gratitude.”
“Well I don’t know what you friggin’ need me for, so bloody well let me get out of here.”
“Vampire your arrogance is fuelled by your feelings for the Slayer; you will be her protector on this mission.”
“I don’t think so! She’s an annoying little bint.”
“Yeah, and you’re a pig! Wasn’t it not long ago that you needed my help? To be honest I was hoping you’d crawl back under that big rock you dragged yourself out from.”
“Huh, you’d love that wouldn’t you? Pretend everything is okay. Evil will be vanquished like a little fairytale. Life is not easy, it’s hard and the sooner you realise that the easier it will be to get rid of Angel.”
“My God, you’re scared of him taking your precious ho-bag, let him take her.”
“You don’t get what he’s about, I’ve seen Angelus at his most evil it’s not a pretty site and you do well to remember that. Hey didn’t he sort out your watcher’s bird?”
“Shut up! Just shut up.”
“ENOUGH.”
We both jumped and turned towards the shout that seemed to rebrevate and bounce of the walls. Sedulous advanced his eyes now a deep red colour, his hands outstretched talons sharpened from the edge of his fingers.
He chanted words under his breath, the air suddenly became thin making it hard for me to breathe. I couldn’t move from the spot I was in, I couldn’t see Spike either to see if he was stuck to the spot like me.
Placing a hand on my head his talons cutting into the skin on my scalp, my head lolled back and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. Flashes of light appeared and my head snapped forward, like a movie pictures and images played before me. I was sitting on Spike’s knee, my hand entwining with his own, whispering something in his ear I playfully bit his lobe. As he grinned back at me I realized I had never even known what a beautiful smile he had.
The image snapped out of focus as I watched him standing behind a tree, looking up at my bedroom window. Another image followed and then another, his blue eyes piercing at me as I lay on the floor.
And as suddenly as the images had appeared they were gone, as I fell to my knees, trying to regain my breathing. Turning my head, I saw Spike in a similar state even though he didn’t really need to breathe. He looked up, confusion swimming in his eyes.
“Now do you know how important you are to each other, Slayer you are the warrior and this vampire is destined to be your protector. I will leave you to think. I will be back for you when the moon is in its first stage, I bid you farewell.”
Sedulous disappeared leaving no trace he was even there. I stood up slowly stumbling only to have Spike grab my elbow to steady me.
“Thanks, I think I need a shower to get that guy’s dirty hands out of my hair. I still have to find out about these skin eating demons.”
I started to walk away and towards the doorway, but Spike grabbed my elbow for the second time and I couldn’t help looking at his black chipped polish. His fingers curling around my arm. My eyes travelled the length of his arm, following the curve of his cheekbone and into his startling blue gaze.
“Well, we may as well get started. I’m still evil Slayer, but those images that guy showed me... it almost seemed like we were allies. I don’t know what’s going to happen but I really need a spot of violence right now. What do you say?”
“Yeah, violence sounds very good right now, it’s been one hell of a night and we still have to decide what’s going to happen tomorrow night. Those pictures seemed too well thought of to be manufactured”
“True. I’m not saying what I’ve seen is true I can’t imagine ever leaving Dru, but I do still have to speak to you about the Angelus problem but I could do with getting out of Sunnyhell for a little bit. Who knows, it may be the beginning of a sordid friendship”
“Don’t push your luck, Spike.”