I Can Feel You Breath by Seven Sins

PG to PG-13

Prologue - Waking Up

Revised Version Posted: 8.22.04

"Spike!" Illyria yelled for the third time. She had grown tired of waiting for him to naturally become conscious and had been trying to wake him for fifteen minutes.

"Spike!" she said again.

Nothing.

She glared at his motionless form and mumbled, "Idiotic being."

Deciding there was no other way, and feeling the need to take her anger out on something anyways, she lifted her hand and brought it down quickly, slapping him across the face.

"BLOODY HELL!" Spike's upper body shot up and he looked around wildly.

When he spotted Illyria, he blinked a few times, "What the hell was that for!?" he demanded.

"You've been lying there for hours. I got tired of waiting for you to wake," she explained, cocking her head to the side as she stood up.

"I'm sorry, I was knocked unconscious. I'll never do it again," Spike said coldly. He sniffed and wiped the blood from his nose, "What the hell happened?" he asked, looking around the alleyway. He had expected there to be more blood and body parts.

Illyira shook her head, "I am not certain. It all happened so suddenly. There was a flash and then everything was gone except for what is left," she looked back down at him, "I am not sure how you were changed, either."

Spike nodded and then processed what she said, "What?"

"I said I was not certain!" Illyria started again, obviously irritated, "There was a flash and then..."

"No, not that. I get that!" Spike interrupted, "What do you mean, 'changed back'?"

Illyira looked at him like he was the dumbest thing on the planet, "You don't realize it?" she asked.

"Realize what?"

Illyria just stared at him.

"Bloody hell, what the..." he stopped and slowly looked up at the sky, "SUN!" he screamed, and rushed to stand, and then falling again, "You bitch!...Left me in the sun...I'm burn..." he looked down at his hands, "Not burning..." he looked up at Illyira, "What the fuck..."

"Somehow you've become human again," Illyira said, looking around again, "I was skeptical at first, but then I felt you had a pulse."

Spike stared at her, unable to believe a word she was saying, "Nuh huh," he said.

Illyira looked at him and blinked, "Yes, you do. Feel it."

Spike subconsciously reached up and felt the pulse point on his neck, still staring straight ahead. When he felt the unfamiliar beat in his vein, Illyria feared he was going to pass out again.

"Wh...How?" he asked, moving his hand from his neck to his wrist.

"I told you, I do not know!" Illyria said, exasperated, "There was a flash of light and everything was gone. All that was left was you and Gunn's body," she turned to look at the bloody, motionless body of the former Charles Gunn.

"But...it can't be..." Spike said, switching hands and checking the other wrist.

"If you don't believe me, stop breathing," Illyria said.

Spike obeyed and held his breath. Much to his surprise, after a few seconds, he felt a strange strain in his chest. He let the breath out and gasped for air, "Holy fucking hell..." Spike said between breaths, "No...no, this was Angel's prophecy. How...he signed it over anyway. There's no way..." he looked over his shoulder, "Where is Angel?"

"He's gone," Illyria said, a hint of sadness in her voice, "He was dusted moments before the flash."

In spite of himself, Spike was overwhelmed with sadness at hearing that, "Oh," was all he could say.

They stood in silence for a moment, "But...I'm...human?" Spike tried.

"It seems that way," Illyria confirmed.

Spike stared down at his hands, turning them over, and staring at the veins. He tried to imagine what blood flowing through them would look like. After all those years of just creeping along uselessly.

Somehow, he found himself chuckling. He glanced up at the sun, then around the alley, his chuckling turning into laughter.

Illyria sighed with impatience, "What do you propose we do now, stupid mortal?" she asked.

Spike's laughing stopped and he glared at her, "You really know how to ruin a moment, you know that?"

A/N - So this is my almost plot-less, PG-13, fluffy spuffy fic. We all need one right? Anyways, short, but most prologues are. I'll try to update ASAP. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!

seVensIns