Disclaimer - no, they're not mine. Yep, they belong to Joss and co.
Life's so unfair. Hmmppphh.
A/N - Many thanks and much kudos to Trisha for the beta. Her fine tuning is gratefully accepted. This is a follow up to my fic Waiting BTW. This fic has been nominated - go figure! So go have a look at the pretty site with it's pretty stories (including this one, heh!) -
Done Waiting
Chapter 1
"What the Hell are you doing here? You've got some nerve, bleach boy, coming back after what you did. Time to go away dusty"
Oh shit. Xander. How did this happen? I'd just finished patrol and was heading up the street to the house when I heard him. How could Spike be so stupid? No-one had seen him but me till now. And finally he's spotted by the worst possible Scooby. Gotta stop Xander before Spike's spinning in the breeze. Then I'm so gonna kick Spike's ass. Stupid vampire.
Wait. Isn't this the perfect solution? I haven't taken action before, why take it now? Leave Xander to it and the problem's solved. Only it's not really the answer, I guess. Damn it.
"Xander, don't!"
I'm running down the street like there's a Hell god after me or a giant snake or... you get the picture. And as I get to the front path I see Spike pinned to the tree by a totally pissed Xander. A totally pissed, totally back-in-shape and totally stake totting Xander. Who doesn't look like he wants to listen. The wood in his hand hasn't reached Spike's heart yet, cos Spike's, like, still there. But it's on its way in. There's already a hole in Spike's t-shirt and for a moment it crosses my mind that if I'd given him his duster back the stake wouldn't get through so easily. So not the issue right now. Xander's leaning into Spike, pushing his left hand against Spike's throat as the right one holds the stake. The stake that is still slowly pressing into Spike's chest. Maybe another inch and...pouf! Bye bye Spikey.
"Well look at that, Spikey, your last victim's here to watch the show. What's up Buff, wanna do it yourself? I'll hold him still while you drive the point home?"
Xander doesn't lessen his grip for a second and barely looks at me, so he doesn't see the panicked expression I'm sure is on my face. This cannot be happening! I'm supposed to be making a choice, I know, but not this one. I don't think I ever intended for Spike to get dusted. Bruised and bloody, maybe, but not this.
Xander might not see me but Spike does. There's no fear on his face as he looks at me. His expression is the same as all the other nights since he got back, as if he was leaning against the tree of his own free will, not pinned there by a stake happy vengeance dealer. Seems as though Xander's got more in common with Anya than he thought. No real surprise there. But Spike's looking at me as though I'm the last drink in the desert and his greatest shame all in one. Shame? Spike? Must be my imagination. Or maybe lack of oxygen brought on by running here so fast. But I could swear...
"Buff, you want the honours or what?"
"What?" Get back in the game, Summers. Decide what you wanna do. And decide now.
"Do you want to stake the bastard or do you just wanna watch? I promise, the pleasure would be all mine." Now Xander's looking at me and he must have picked up on my...what? Lack of response? Failure to rush in and take up his offer? The confussion on my face? Who knows.
"C'mon Buff, this is what you want, right?" There's a hint of doubt in his voice, maybe fear that this isn't going to go how he'd expected. Funny how he never picked up on the fact that I haven't said a word about Spike since the Willow incident. How I never swore I'd have my revenge or whatever your suppose to do when you've been 'dishonoured'. Xander actually called it that during one of his rants. I think he was channelling Giles. Which is weird 'cos when Giles found out he seemed to be channelling Spike. It's true. Something like 'I'll tear that bloody bastard's knob off and feed it to him. Right before I rip his head off'. Though he did look a bit embarrassed when he calmed down. The poor guy didn't even have polishing his glasses to hide behind cos he'd been wearing contacts. Contacts! No way that's a good thing with all the dust on his beloved books. Must be a woman.
"Buffy!" Oh yeh, right. Spike save-age. For a moment I can't remember why. Uhh, got it. Don't want him dead. Or deader, I guess.
"Xander, put the stake down. This isn't gonna happen."
"No way, Buff. This ends here. No way is dead boy junior walking away again. Not after what he did to you and Anya. Never gonna happen."
Somehow Xander's actually managed to lift Spike off the ground. I keep forgetting that he's taller and bigger than Spike. I've never thought of Xander as dangerous till now. Well meaning and good back up (when he's not being knocked out), even angry. God, I've seen enough angry Xander these last few months to last a life time. But no, never dangerous, not Xander. Cos now he is. His eyes are so cold and there's no sign of a tremor in his hands. He's not angry now, just determined. And deadly. Is this what I'd see if I looked in the mirror when I'm ready to get dusting? Spike always said I was beautiful when going in for the kill, that my eyes danced and were full of fire, so I guess not. Cos Xander's eyes are dead.
As dead as Spike's gonna be if I don't do something.
A/N - Many thanks and much kudos to Trisha for the beta. Her fine tuning is gratefully accepted. This is a follow up to my fic Waiting BTW. This fic has been nominated - go figure! So go have a look at the pretty site with it's pretty stories (including this one, heh!) -
Done Waiting
Chapter 1
"What the Hell are you doing here? You've got some nerve, bleach boy, coming back after what you did. Time to go away dusty"
Oh shit. Xander. How did this happen? I'd just finished patrol and was heading up the street to the house when I heard him. How could Spike be so stupid? No-one had seen him but me till now. And finally he's spotted by the worst possible Scooby. Gotta stop Xander before Spike's spinning in the breeze. Then I'm so gonna kick Spike's ass. Stupid vampire.
Wait. Isn't this the perfect solution? I haven't taken action before, why take it now? Leave Xander to it and the problem's solved. Only it's not really the answer, I guess. Damn it.
"Xander, don't!"
I'm running down the street like there's a Hell god after me or a giant snake or... you get the picture. And as I get to the front path I see Spike pinned to the tree by a totally pissed Xander. A totally pissed, totally back-in-shape and totally stake totting Xander. Who doesn't look like he wants to listen. The wood in his hand hasn't reached Spike's heart yet, cos Spike's, like, still there. But it's on its way in. There's already a hole in Spike's t-shirt and for a moment it crosses my mind that if I'd given him his duster back the stake wouldn't get through so easily. So not the issue right now. Xander's leaning into Spike, pushing his left hand against Spike's throat as the right one holds the stake. The stake that is still slowly pressing into Spike's chest. Maybe another inch and...pouf! Bye bye Spikey.
"Well look at that, Spikey, your last victim's here to watch the show. What's up Buff, wanna do it yourself? I'll hold him still while you drive the point home?"
Xander doesn't lessen his grip for a second and barely looks at me, so he doesn't see the panicked expression I'm sure is on my face. This cannot be happening! I'm supposed to be making a choice, I know, but not this one. I don't think I ever intended for Spike to get dusted. Bruised and bloody, maybe, but not this.
Xander might not see me but Spike does. There's no fear on his face as he looks at me. His expression is the same as all the other nights since he got back, as if he was leaning against the tree of his own free will, not pinned there by a stake happy vengeance dealer. Seems as though Xander's got more in common with Anya than he thought. No real surprise there. But Spike's looking at me as though I'm the last drink in the desert and his greatest shame all in one. Shame? Spike? Must be my imagination. Or maybe lack of oxygen brought on by running here so fast. But I could swear...
"Buff, you want the honours or what?"
"What?" Get back in the game, Summers. Decide what you wanna do. And decide now.
"Do you want to stake the bastard or do you just wanna watch? I promise, the pleasure would be all mine." Now Xander's looking at me and he must have picked up on my...what? Lack of response? Failure to rush in and take up his offer? The confussion on my face? Who knows.
"C'mon Buff, this is what you want, right?" There's a hint of doubt in his voice, maybe fear that this isn't going to go how he'd expected. Funny how he never picked up on the fact that I haven't said a word about Spike since the Willow incident. How I never swore I'd have my revenge or whatever your suppose to do when you've been 'dishonoured'. Xander actually called it that during one of his rants. I think he was channelling Giles. Which is weird 'cos when Giles found out he seemed to be channelling Spike. It's true. Something like 'I'll tear that bloody bastard's knob off and feed it to him. Right before I rip his head off'. Though he did look a bit embarrassed when he calmed down. The poor guy didn't even have polishing his glasses to hide behind cos he'd been wearing contacts. Contacts! No way that's a good thing with all the dust on his beloved books. Must be a woman.
"Buffy!" Oh yeh, right. Spike save-age. For a moment I can't remember why. Uhh, got it. Don't want him dead. Or deader, I guess.
"Xander, put the stake down. This isn't gonna happen."
"No way, Buff. This ends here. No way is dead boy junior walking away again. Not after what he did to you and Anya. Never gonna happen."
Somehow Xander's actually managed to lift Spike off the ground. I keep forgetting that he's taller and bigger than Spike. I've never thought of Xander as dangerous till now. Well meaning and good back up (when he's not being knocked out), even angry. God, I've seen enough angry Xander these last few months to last a life time. But no, never dangerous, not Xander. Cos now he is. His eyes are so cold and there's no sign of a tremor in his hands. He's not angry now, just determined. And deadly. Is this what I'd see if I looked in the mirror when I'm ready to get dusting? Spike always said I was beautiful when going in for the kill, that my eyes danced and were full of fire, so I guess not. Cos Xander's eyes are dead.
As dead as Spike's gonna be if I don't do something.
