In Her Eyes
(Chapter One)
DISCLAIMER: Joss owns the pieces, I put the pieces together. Don't sue, all I own is my computer and a rottweiler. Trust me you probably don't want either of them.
DISTRIBUTION: Please ask first, thanks.
RATING: nothing over what you'd see on the show itself, maybe a little stronger language in some places, nothing to get excited over.
FEEDBACK: yes please, review away!
PAIRING: mainly B/S but may also include W/T, X/A, A/C
Spike awoke full refreshed shortly after sundown. That had been the first completely dreamless sleep the vampire had in over a month and a half. He missed his rendezvous with heavenly Buffy but couldn't wait to see the real live in the flesh Buffy who was still probably sleeping away on the second floor. Spike sat up and grabbed his cigarettes and zippo off the nightstand. He shook out a Marlboro and lit it taking a nice long drag into his lifeless lungs. Spike didn't want to waste any time this evening he things to do, stuff to kill so he quickly grabbed a set of clothes from his chest of drawers and headed to the bathroom to make himself presentable.
Several minutes later a refreshed Spike swaggered into the kitchen. "Hi, Spike" Willow greeted him.
"Red" Spike said as he made his way to the refrigerator to grab himself some dinner. "How is everyone, Dawn, Buffy?" Spike asked trying to sound nonchalant.
"They're still asleep. What's on the agenda for tonight? Should we patrol alone or do you thing Buffy would want to start or should we just skip it?"
"I have some things to do out and about so I'll do a quick patrol before I get back. Buffy will probably be too busy telling her story to patrol tonight and she may not have all her strength back yet" Spike answered as he put the carton of blood into the microwave and hit the start button. "And you all should be here when she gets up" he finished.
"So where you going tonight?" Willow asked her curiosity getting the best of her "Don't you want to be here for Buffy's explanation?"
"I don't need her to explain, I've been talking with her for a week now, remember?" Spike said taking the carton out the microwave and pouring the contents into a stainless steel travel mug. "If Buffy or Dawn asks tell them I'll be back in an hour or so if I don't run onto too many Black Knights or Knights that say Nee. I'll have my cell phone on if I'm needed before then" Spike said as he grabbed his duster off the hook behind the backdoor and slid into it. He checked the pockets to make sure there were plenty of stakes and smokes before grabbing his mug and headed out the door. "Later Red" he said as he swept out of the room his coat billowing behind him.
"I wish I could make an exit like that" Willow said to herself "must be a vampire thing, maybe I should get a cape . . . nahhhh" she mused as she headed to the living room with the tray of beverages and snacks she had made for the assembled Scooby gang who were waiting not so patiently for their leader to awaken from her nap.
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Spike slipped out the door before Willow had time to ask any more questions and headed mug in hand to the DeSoto. He climbed into the driver's seat, started the engine and backed slowly out the driveway while taking a long swig from the mug. Twenty minutes later Spike pulled up in front of a long line of storage sheds. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he said to himself as he put the car in park shut off the engine and exited the automobile. "They're going to have to start calling me the great and powerful poofster" he mumbled to himself. He made his way to the largest section of shed and quickly unlocked the paddock while looking around to make sure no one had followed him. He slipped inside the door and took a minute to let his eyes adjust to the total blackness. He soon spotted what he was looking for, two guitar cases along the east wall. He quickly retrieved them and headed back to the car making sure to lock the shed behind him. He placed the cases gently in the back seat before sliding back into the driver's seat and headed for the cemetery for a quick patrol.
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Buffy yawned and stretched in her bed smiling slightly. "I'm back," she said as she reached over to get the phone off her nightstand and dialed Angel's personal number that rings into his room. He should just be getting up at this time and Buffy wanted to surprise him. Willow had mentioned briefly in the car ride home that he didn't take the news of her death well. Buffy held the phone to her ear nervously as it rang.
"This better be good" a groggy female voice answered.
Buffy dropped the phone back onto the bed. She could hear "Hellllooo" coming from the phone.
Buffy took a deep breath and picked the phone back up "Cordelia, it's me Buffy" she said softly. Buffy pulled the phone away from her ear to help shield her hearing from the blood-curdling scream emitting from the receiver. As the scream reduced in volume Buffy could hear an alarmed Angel in the background.
"Cordi who is it?" Angel asked gently as he pried the phone from her hand "Who is this?" Angel demanded angrily into the phone.
"It's me," Buffy said trying to regain her composure. "I'm back, I . . .I thought you'd want to know" she stammered.
Angel immediately recognized Buffy's voice "Buffy! How, when"
Buffy interrupted him "The gang found a prophecy and a ritual to bring me back. You know me prophesy girl," she said trying to make light of her miraculous rebirth.
"Buffy I just can't believe it's really you, can you hold on for a minute?" he asked not waiting for an answer before he covered the mouthpiece. Buffy couldn't understand what was being said through the muffled phone. "Sorry about that" he said as he uncovered the phone. Buffy's slayer hearing could just barely pick up the sounds of Cordelia crying as she exited the room. "I don't know what to say, I'm just so happy I can't believe it"
"Hold on, we don't want you to get too happy remember" Buffy said warily.
"Oh well I don't really have to worry about that anymore" Angel said shyly "that problem has kind of been fixed"
"Oh" Buffy said shortly "I see, well good for you. Well I'd better go, lots of things to do. Just thought I should let you know I'm not dead."
"Wait, Buffy, I want to see you. I've kind got this thing with a clan of Obrigwabibikwa that I have to take care of but I should have that mess cleaned up in a few days"
"Isn't he the guy who trained Darth?" Buffy interrupted
"No that's Obi Wan Kenobi, these are dwarfs that can change themselves in to reptiles. They are just wrecking havoc here in L.A. a whole clan moved in on the southside of town. Would it be ok if we came to see you?"
"We?" Buffy inquired hoping to get information on the status of Cordelia.
"Yeah, everyone one here will want to see you, make sure you're ok" Angel replied.
"That should be fine, I'll see you in a few days then"
"Ok great, I can't wait to see you again. You don't know how much." Angel said just before Buffy hung the phone back on the cradle unsure how she felt about this development.
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Spike was sitting on top of a tombstone tuning his guitar. He was strumming it slowly with his head tilted to the side listening for which string was still out of wack. He slid his left hand down the neck and adjusted the D string slightly. He strummed the guitar again and nodded his head slowly liking the sound. Slowly he put his hand in his pocked and quickly pulled out a stake and flung it to his right. He turned his head to see the vampire that had been stalking him most of the night burst into a cloud of dust. He slowly turned his head to look to his left. "If you don't fancy joining your mate I suggest you show yourself," Spike said to the bushes.
A vampire barely older than a fledgling came stumbling out of the bushes "Master Spike, I'm so sorry" the vampire started babbling as he fell to his knees in front of the headstone Spike was resting on his eyes downcast afraid to meet Spike's cold stare.
"Who are you? and who sent you to follow me?" Spike asked as he pressed the toe of his boot to the chin of the cowering vamp forcing the fledgling to look into his eyes.
"I'm Devin and I don't know" the vampire stammered. "He knew," he said as he pointed in the general direction of the dust pile. "He just brought me along"
Spike gently set the guitar down behind the tombstone before jumping off and punching Devin hard in the jaw causing his head to snap back. "I'm waiting" Spike said.
"If I tell he'll stake me," Devin said.
"And what, pray tell, do you think I'm going to do to you if you don't tell?" Spike asked calmly as he kicked the vampire backward on to the ground.
"It's your own fault, you were seen today carrying the slayer out of that magic shop. You're worse than that traitor Angelus, he was at least cursed.
"Bloody hell, if we were going to have a party someone should have told me so I could have dressed for the occasion" Spike said loudly as he quickly withdrew another stake from his pocket and eliminated Devin.
"Well we'll just have to improvise" a large vamp said as a group of about a dozen swept into Spike's line of vision. Spike quickly released the sword that was still stashed within the folds of his duster.
"Just call me Second City" Spike said calmly as he twirled the sword slowly in his hand as the vampires converged at once. Spike made a quick dusting of the first vampire to invade his personal space. As he was beheading the first he quickly kicked one leg out behind himself knocking down one that was trying to sneak up behind him. He elbowed another in the jaw and beheaded another as the other ten vamps backed up and started circling him. "Which one of you nancy-boys is next," he asked grinning in a purely feral fashion. When none of the vamps made a move to attack, Spike charged to the left flipping in midair knocking one of them to the ground. Spike then ducked under the arms of one of them at they tried to grab a hold of him. "Who'd you learn to fight from? Frankenstein?" Spike asked almost chuckling at the fumbling attackers. He took out two more of them before the remainder took off running in the direction they first appeared. Spike secured his sword, retrieved his guitar and headed back to the car. Now he was going to be late. "Bugger it all" he mumbled to himself.
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Spike drove home quickly and went around to the back door. He wanted to sneak the guitars in without anyone seeing them. It was bad enough that Buffy knew he didn't need the rest of them knowing about it. He opened the door slowly and listened. He could hear everyone talking in the living room. Buffy and Dawn were awake. Spike silently slipped in the kitchen with the two guitar cases and made his way down the basement stairs and to his bedroom. He slid the guitar cases under the bed and pulled his coat off and tossed it on the bed before heading back up the stairs lighting a cigarette on the way. Spike was nervous but was trying hard not to show it. He sauntered to the living room door and leaned against the doorframe casually. Everyone turned to see who had entered. Spike and Buffy's eyes met. Buffy's lips parted like she was going to say something but no sound came out.
"Spike, you're late, did you run into trouble?" Willow asked concerned.
Spike lifted an eyebrow and removed the cigarette from his mouth blowing the smoke out slowly "Trouble? You do remember who you're talking too dontcha Red?" Spike said full of bravado but never breaking eye contact with Buffy. "I ran into about a dozen vamps carrying a grudge. They know the Slayer is back and they know that I had something to do with it. They aren't happy. I guess I'm officially a rogue," Spike concluded simply shrugging his shoulders and taking another drag off his cigarette.
Giles rose from his seat and crossed to Spike taking the cigarette from him "You know the rules, no smoking upstairs" he said as he returned to his seat dropping the cigarette into an almost empty soda can. "I was hoping to keep Buffy's return quiet for awhile to give her a chance to fully recuperate but I guess that won't be the case now" Giles sighed. "I dread having to inform the counsel"
The C word brought Buffy out of her Spike induced haze. "Counsel!" she said whipping her head around to look at Giles, "do we have to tell them? I mean right away that is. I just really don't want to deal right now"
"You know how news travels in the demon world, they'll know on their own in no time now." Giles reasoned.
"Fine, I guess you're right" Buffy conceded. "Since I've brought you guys up to date on everything would you mind if I go talk with Spike privately for a little while? I need to discuss uhhh" Buffy stalled trying to think of what to say, "to discuss the vamps he killed tonight," she said hurriedly.
"Yeah . . . , discuss vamps . . ., in private" Xander said sarcastically as Anya elbowed him in the ribs to silence him.
"Yeah you guys go talk" Dawn piped in. "How bout I order pizza?" Dawn asked the group.
"Sounds yummy to me" Tara said.
"Yeah that sounds good Dawn thank you," Buffy said as she stood up kissed Dawn on the top of the head and crossed the room to Spike. "Can we talk?" Buffy asked Spike quietly. Spike nodded and turned sideways in the door gesturing for her to lead the way. She brushed passed him and led him down the stairs to his bedroom.
TBC . . . . .