Writing Journal
Ellcrys
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Giles entered the magic store with a sigh.
"Was that a sound of exhaustion, frustration or you just want us to ask you what's going on?" asked Anya from the counter.
Xander laughed and Giles raised an eyebrow. "The third, I would guess."
Buffy sat up from where she'd been sprawled doing some homework.
"So…." she prompted.
"I received a message from Wesley in Los Angeles. They recently had a visitor, a rather frightening one, one who left in a rather bit of a hurry…. Drusilla." he finished.
"So, Angel and Wesley got rid of her, that's great, well, for them anyways." Buffy shrugged, then she paused, "Do they know where she went?"
"They believe that she is either coming or is already here. But they didn't make her leave. She felt a presence and left. In a fury, I might add. According to Wesley, her final words were, 'Old witch, you can't have him.'"
"Have who?" Xander questioned , then a look of enlightenment hit his face, "Spike."
"Who's this 'old witch' person?" Willow said , with growing interest.
"I don't believe she meant 'witch' witch, I believe, as does Angel, that Athene has awoken."
"And Athene is?" Xander commented. "Did I miss a meeting or something?"
Giles gave him a withering look.
"As I was about to explain, Athene is one of the eldest of vampires that we have knowledge of. She became a vampire somewhere around 300BC. She was an affluent Roman citizen when she and her brother were turned. Turned by something that no one has every seen or encountered since. The Source, perhaps."
"The Source, as in the vampire 'Adam'? Willow questioned.
"Yes, and now she is coming here, because of Spike? Why?" Buffy asked.
"According to Angel, they encountered Athene's brother, Apollo, during the late 1800's in Greece. He had massacred all the vampires there and attacked Angel, Darla, Drusilla and Spike. Angel managed to escape with the women but Spike was determined to fight, even though Apollo is an adversary far beyond him. He was near death when Athene appeared and saved him, they became companions for about a half-century, then she went underground and he returned to Drusilla."
"Whoa, back the talking horse up. This Apollo guy, he hunts vampires?"
Buffy asked.
"He hunts whatever he can, humans, vampires, animals, he just hunts.
Angel said he has never met another vampire that he found so frightening." Giles said.
"But his sister is different? I mean she saved Spike." Willow said encouragingly.
"Which puts her sanity in question, but she's not a killer." Xander said, deadpan.
"I never said Athene was not a killer. She is a vampire, a very ancient one, so believe me, she has killed. However, vampires as ancient as she do not need to feed very often and she goes underground which is how she has lasted so long." Giles answered.
"Underground, like under the ground? Buried?" Buffy asked.
"Yes. Vampires who live past a certain point must rest in the earth, or they grow weary, and insane. They need time to grow into the time that they are in. Athene has gone underground many times." Giles said.
"And her brother?" Anya asked. "Crazed hunter-guy?"
"He too, has gone underground, he usually follows Athene's example, whether it's a twin bond or a vampire sense, I do not know. But whenever Athene has disappeared, so has Apollo. And when she wakes, so does he."
"So Athene has crawled out of her grave and is coming to get Spike, and Drusilla sensed this and wants to keep Spike to herself?" Buffy finished.
"In essence, yes. My main concern is whether Apollo will follow his sister here. He could be a problem." said Giles.
"Well, I'm going to go get Spike. Maybe for once he can be helpful."
Buffy said.
Xander laughed softly, and Anya turned to him. "You find this funny?"
"Not this situation, no. But Drusilla's a typical woman, even if she is a nut and dead. 'I don't want him, but no one else can have him.'" Xander laughed, then choked off the laugh as Anya, Willow, and Buffy glared at him.
"Come on, you know it's true. Giles, you agree, don't you?" Xander begged.
Giles looked around the room. "Yes, well, off to get Spike then." he said prudently.
Spike, however, had already been got.
William the Bloody, aka Spike, aka vampire who had offed two, count them two Slayers, was a little scared. He'd come out of his sleep into a dark cave, and was trapped so he couldn't get out. The only exit was so bloody far above that even he couldn't jump it.
And he had no idea how he'd gotten here.
The only thing he remembered was the lingering scent of musk, one that he could still detect in this cage. The scent was elusive, as was the memory that it evoked.
Then he heard the sound, like wind over the water and he looked up to see 'her' floating down to him.
Spike stared in amazement at her as she landed in front of him.
Her hair was raven curls to her tiny waist, her classically perfect face with huge eyes of amber that reminded him of pools of molten gold, surrounded by long, tangled, dark lashes. Her mouth, exquisite burgundy, sensuous and soft.
She wore a wine colored gown of silk in the greek style with a gold clasp at the shoulder, and gold sandals on her feet.
And she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
"Athene." he breathed.
She smiled softly. "My Spike. Did you miss me?"
"How, when…..I can't believe that you're here." Spike whispered.
"I awoke, and the only thing that filled my head was your song. So I followed it to you." she smiled again, that mysterious half-smile that she wore often.
Spike was barely conscious of drawing her into his arms. His mouth covered hers and his head swam at the sensations through his body.
Her scent around him like a web, the softness of her cold skin, the sweet taste of her.
He bore her down under him, tearing off his clothes, then hers. The his thrust and the cry from her throat. She cried out his name as he ground into her, harder and harder. Her back arched under him and with a roar he slammed the wrists that he held back into ground and drove his fangs into her neck. The delirium of that ancient blood and the power that it held flowed through him. He stated to shake and then he felt her reach and pull him to her mouth and the razor points enter him and the draining of him, taking him toward the darkness, then that long moment of ecstasy when she opened a vein along her breast for him and he suckled and fed as any starving man would. And then the exhaustion as they curled together on the earthen floor and slept.
He awoke alone in his crypt.
Pulling on his tattered clothes, he lit a cigarette and took a pull off of it.
He knew he had an idiot grin on his face but he didn't care. He had the most incredible woman he'd ever known with him again. And she'd come to him, he didn't have to chase her, beg her. Hell, she wanted to be with him, which is more than he could say for Buffy, or that nutters bitch….."Hello, my love, I've come back." …..Dru.
Spike turned and faced her, rolling his eyes, it just figured, nothing ever went his way. Drusilla was in her red lace dress, still lovely, but now that he'd been with Athene, not what she'd once seemed.
She'd always been his pet, his siress, his beautiful, crazy lover.
Now, she was a crazy ex, and he knew exactly why she was here.
"Sensed her, did you. Come back to make sure that I'm still pining away like some lovesick git? Well, shove off, pet, because it's too ruddy late.
Athene is here. And she's come for me." Spike sneered.
Dru's face was devious. "Come to rob the cradle again, has she? Really, my Spike, you must be very lonely indeed to consider being with such a relic."
"You can't stand it, can you." Spike stated. "Can't stand it that I can be happy without you. "
" Oh, now you're happy, are you? What happens when the old witch needs another nap? Going to wait another 150 years?" Dru snapped.
"I'm quite rested, my dear. I don't think I'll be napping for a bit. And I definitely have time to kill you before then, so I invite you to leave." Athene spoke from the doorway.
Dru turned and hissed. "Old Witch, I've been waiting for you. "
Athene smiled, "And I you. Come, young one, let's play."
And spreading her arms wide, the crypt was ripped from it's housing and they were all standing in the dark cemetery. Spike felt a moment of fear.
He'd forgotten the power of her.
Winds started to blow and clouds rolled across the sky, bring the thunder, and the storm.
Athene rose in the air, and with a gesture, Drusilla rose with her.
"Spike, my love, say good-bye to Drusilla, she's going on a little vacation." called Athene.
Spike was torn by indecision. On one hand, it was a totally exhilarating rush to see Athene wield the storm, and to see Dru at the mercy of her.
On the other hand, he still loved the psycho and didn't want any permanent damage done. He just wanted her to leave them alone.
"Athene, come on love, she's not worth it. Just blast her across the continent. We'll be together and she'll still be, well, a pain in the arse, just one that's far away." Spike said calmly.
"You want her to live?" Athene sounded surprised.
"I just want us to be together." Spike deflected, rather well, he thought.
Drusilla screamed out at Athene. "One day, your spells won't work, old woman, then I will watch you suffer."
Athene laughed then, and Spike heard it echo throughout the cemetery.
"Fool, my powers only grow with age, every moment I grow, every moment I learn more. You could not have battled me one minute after my rebirth into this life, much less after 2 millennia."
And with a gesture that looked strange, yet somehow ancient, Drusilla was hit by a ball of lightening and disappeared.
The storm subsided and Athene sank to the ground.
Spike walked up and held her.
"Where is she." he asked reluctantly.
"Different dimension. One she may even like, I don't know. " Athene sounded weary, and indifferent. Then she walked towards the crypt which with a gesture had been returned to it's original position. "You should've let me kill her."
Buffy and Xander chose this time to take their twentieth cruise by. Seeing Spike, they were almost relieved.
"Spike, over here." called Buffy.
He looked up startled and quickly walked over. "Slayer, Scoobie, to what do I owe?"
"We just came because we heard Dru might be back, and another of your ex's. Athene?" Buffy said, staring at Spike. He looked, well, for lack of a better word. Scared.
"Dru's already gone, Athene is none of your bloody business." Spike answered.
"Her brother…" began Xander.
Spike's eyes went wide. "Where?…Here?" As his eyes darted around the area.
"Panic much?" Buffy asked, then, "He's not here. We just think he may follow Athene."
"Apollo has his own life. He very seldom comes to the same place as his sister." said Spike more calmly.
"Giles says they share a bond, that they have a connection." Xander said, leaning out of the car.
"They're twins, they're vampires, they have a bond of course. I just don't think he'll come here." Spike shot back.
Xander couldn't resist. "You hope."
Spike's eyes sparked. "When the chip is gone, you'll be first Xander, not to feed, just to see you die." he promised.
Buffy's hand shot out and smacked his mouth. "Shut- up, Spike."
Xander pointed behind Spike to where Athene was coming from the crypt. Spike turned and held out a hand. She took it and kissed his lips gently, licking the blood from them as she did. Then she turned to the car.
"Slayer. I am Athene. You come seeking my brother. He is not here. He may come, I do not know. I do not kill you for striking my love because you are the beloved of Angelus, whom I respect. Do not do so again."
And then she rose in the air, taking Spike with her and was soon out of sight.
"It was creepy, Giles. She can fly, and she probably got rid of Dru. She reads minds, who knows what else she can do. I don't like it. Even Spike looked scared somehow. Like he's gotten himself into something he didn't realize." Buffy explained twenty minutes later in the magic shop.
"She's not just a vampire, she has many powers. She controls the storm, the winds, the water, she has access to earth magic that has been lost for ages past. This is why the ancient Greeks and Romans worshipped her. To a mortal, she is like a goddess." Giles explained.
"What? Are you saying that a vampire is Athena, goddess of wisdom?" Willow exclaimed.
"I've been doing a lot of research and actually it was obvious. Apollo is her brother, but instead of dragging the sun across the sky, as they reported, he controls fire, and the rides in the sky as a fireball. And he hunts. "
"In myth, Artemis was Apollo's twin and she hunted." Willow protested.
"Artemis was Apollo's wife, and disappeared over one thousand years ago, we don't know how. Just as Zeus, Hera, Mars, Hades, have. Either they sleep, and return as others, or they are destroyed. Only Athene and Apollo have returned over and over." Giles explained.
"Our whole civilization comes from a vampire basis. This is unbelievable." Willow said quietly.
"The coliseum, the games, all bloody battles for pleasure of the gods they worshipped. Not so hard to believe. And Athene, Zeus, and Artemis were all very civilized from the beginning. The others, well, for the time they were advanced. They introduced writing, reading, medicine."
"And yet they ate their worshippers." Buffy was repulsed.
"Sacrifices." corrected Giles.
"So what now? Do we find them, or just let Athene and Spike have their reunion and hope she leaves before her brother wants to visit, or what?" Xander asked.
"We wait, there is no point in aggravating Athene. " Giles answered.
And in the cave by the sea, Spike was staring up at Athene in wonder. She'd put him into an enchanted sleep on the way here and he felt so alive now that he'd awoken. Refreshed. Excited.
"A present, my love." she smiled and held something out to him.
It dropped in his hand and he stared at it for a long moment, then began to laugh. He reached up and kissed her hard, then threw the control chip down and rising, crushed it beneath his bootheel.
End of Part One of the Triad