Seeking the Light - a sequel to 'By Night'
Chapter Ten – Just over his shoulder

by Angel Eternal aka Angeline

email: spikes_angel01@yahoo.com.au

Website: In Dreams and Shadows
http://www.geocities.com/spikes_angel01/index.html

Pairings: Spike and Buffy

Summary: Spike and Buffy are now happily together, but as everyone knows - happily-ever-afters don't
come easy. As Spike searches for his place, a being - older then time - searches for him.

Author's Notes: This fanfic is a sequel to the 'By Night' series and relies heavily on the events in said fic,
it is advisable that you read 'By Night' first. This fic starts off where the previous series leaves off.
Very slight crossover with AtS and The Vampire Princess Miyu (no knowledge of VPM is needed for
a reader to enjoy this fic)

I know this a really short chapter, but many things have been taking up my time and I really didn't have
the time to write. I apologise for that! But please have patience!

Distribution: If you want to archive it go ahead, but just let me know first - I kinda like to know where it's going,
and plus I find out about more S/B shipper sites! ::grins::

Disclaimers: 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel' is owned by Joss Whedon, several companies and God
knows who else. The 'Vampire Princess Miyu' was created by Narumi Kakinouchi.
The only thing that belongs to me is the story itself - and Lucas, Clarissa and Scott (and their little entourage)







"Hey Buffy, where's Spike? Didn't he patrol with you?"

Buffy glanced at her sister who was seated at the kitchen counter, drinking a glass of milk. "Ah...no. He had
to finish up some research at the Magic Box. He should be home soon."

Before starting up the stairs, she glanced around, "Do you know if Willow's in?"

Dawn nodded, "Yeah, didn't want to come out though."

Buffy nodded, acknowledging the information. "Ok then, listen Dawn, I'm beat. I'm just gonna go straight
to bed. You'll be ok?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "In my own kitchen? I think so Buffy. Don't know for sure you know, never know
when the knives might just jump out of the drawers and attack me."

Buffy shook her head, "Not even funny. Don't joke about stuff like that Dawn - not on the Hellmouth. You
never know, the knives might be possessed or something one of these days."

She trudged up the stairs, exhausted. Once her head hit the pillow, everything else faded as sleep swiftly
claimed her.


* * *


Tara tossed and turned in her bed, worries besetting her. She knew that ultimately the decision to tell everyone
what had happened was up to Willow, but she feared that Willow in her current frame of mind wouldn't say
a word.

She had tried to rationalise away Willow's actions - there had been a time when Tara had turned a blind eye,
but she found she could not do it now. She tried telling herself that it was an act of passion - fury. She knew
very well the troubles that plagued the Summers' home, and what those teenagers did...

But no matter how she looked at it, she could not ignore the fact that Willow's magic had taken a life.

Tara chocked back on her tears, she just didn't know what to do.


* * *


Sunlight seeped into her eyes, and with a groan, Willow rolled over. Her eyes ached, and every part of her
body screamed in protest at the slightest movement.

She sat up slowly, gazing around her room.

Her dreams had been filled with macabre images of blood on her hands, and the ghastly image of a young boy,
unmarred, yet staring out of lifeless eyes.

Unconsciously, she rubbed the palms of her hands, hard. She glanced down at her hands, and saw the red
marks her own fingers had made in her too sensitive skin.

A shallow laugh escaped her lips. "Lady MacBeth much Wills?"

Hastily she got out of bed. She just had to go on as before, no one knew what had happened, and there
was no reason...

She stopped abruptly. Tara knew.

Frantically her eyes scanned her room, searching



* * *




"Why do you love her so Spike?"

They were standing outside, in the very place Spike had spent countless nights in. He thought he was
done with standing on the outside - he was part of the inside now. But looking into that room, so bright,
so warm, he acknowledged the doubt that crept in.

Spike didn't tear his gaze from the laughing face of his Buffy. "I just do. You can't explain such things."

Miyu regarded him intently, "Of course you can! Is it her beauty that draws you so? Her fiery personality?
Is it the Slayer in her that frightens you, yet you find irresistible?"

"All of it - and more." Spike finally turned to her, "You tell me that you only drink to give others immortality.
How do you choose?"

"Because I love them." she said simply, her eyes landing on Buffy, "I want to free them from their lives. And I don't
want to be parted from them, even though they wish to be rid of me."

"Can you explain it?" he boldly challenged her.

Miyu turned to find Spike's intense blue gaze on her, "No."

Spike nodded, satisfied that he had proved his point.

"Is that what you want for your golden Slayer?"

"What?" But he knew what she was talking about.

Miyu moved closer to him, "Don't play with me Spike. Do you want her by your side for eternity?"

"No."

The answer was given so swiftly with no hesitation that Miyu was taken aback. "But you said..."

"I love her Miyu, I don't ever want her to change." Spike turned to watch Buffy again. "Turning her has never
entered my mind."

"You lie."

Spike smirked. "Yeah." Could he deny the dark dreams that had filled his fantasy for years on end? Dreams of
blood flowing like rivers, infiltrating that golden skin. Turning what was once of the sunlight to moonshine, to see
the gleam of the moon on her marble skin... "Doesn't mean I'll do it Princess."

Miyu studied him, taken aback by him and his Slayer. She leaned close to him again, pressing her soft body
against his arm, "Leave her."

Spike jerked away from her fast, "What? Never Miyu!"

But Miyu persisted, she touched his arm. "Think about it Spike. You said you'd never think about giving her
immortal life. And I believe you. She would die, fade away. A lifetime tied to a man who never ages, you
think that is what she wants?" She turned to study Buffy again. "This Buffy of yours. She is the stuff of legends,
Spike. The Golden Slayer who loved the darkness. She fell in love for the Souled One, and then with Darkness
himself..."

Spike pulled away from her again, "Look Princess, you don't have to tell me again, I know the story."

"Then you should know what you face." Miyu gestured towards her. "The Warrior of the People! The Divine
has marked her. Even I can't say that."

Her words struck him deep in his core, and he remembered words spoken not so long ago.


'You've been touched by the Divine Spike, how can you just ignore that?'

Spike glanced at the red-haired witch, knowing she meant well, "You got it wrong Red - the Divine hasn't
touched me - I touched it. I touch Buffy...'



Miyu drifted away from him, "Think about it, my Lost Warrior. You and I can have eternity together."

Spike shook his head, clearing it of memories. "If I wanted an eternity to love - I've had it. With my Drusilla.
Now all I want is one lifetime - hers."

Miyu shook her head, large eyes beseeching him to reconsider. "Spike, what a waste you will become."


* * *

"Still no Spike Buff?"

Buffy shrugged, and plopped her feet up on the coffee table. "He's just out for some blood."

Dawn frowned, "Wait, are you saying that he hasn't been back since last night?"

"Dawn..." but before Buffy could say anything the teenager had leapt to her feet.

"Why the hell aren't you out there looking for him?" Dawn shouted, getting worked up at the thought that
Spike was missing.

Buffy frowned, rising to her feet. "Watch your language young lady!"

Dawn slapped away Buffy's hands, "I thought you loved him!"

If Dawn had thrown a bucket of ice water on Buffy, the effect wouldn't have been the same. Buffy stared
at her stunned. Very slowly, she stepped forward.

"I do love him Dawn. That's something I don't think anyone could understand."

Dawn protested, "So why haven't you..."

"I would know if something was wrong."

The two of them stared at each other, while everyone fidgeted in discomfort

Willow shifted on her seat, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. Anya's gaze snapped between Dawn
and Buffy while Xander sunk deeper into the couch. He straightened, "How about some popcorn people?
You can't frown and eat popcorn at the same time!"

They all glared at him, and he promptly sunk back down into the couch.

It was at the moment that Spike decided to walk in.

Dawn spotted him first, she flung herself in his arms, and he easily caught her around the waist.

"Hey Bit, wasn't worried about me now were you?"

Dawn shook her head, "Nah. Me? Worried about you? Never happen."

Spike glanced at Buffy taking her in his arms, and for that single moment he could pretend that all was right
with his world. He had the love of the one woman that he loved beyond sense; the adoration of the girl he
considered his sister and there was no creature of the night hovering just behind him, waiting for him to
answer her siren's call.


* * *


Buffy couldn't put a finger on it, but there was something...off.

Spike had been his usual self, joking and laughing with all of them, whispering hot words in her ear, but
there was something...not quite missing...about him.

She told herself not to worry, that Spike loved her and would never leave her side. But the words were
getting harder to say, much less believe.

She looked into his eyes, so blue, and forced herself to believe. It was all she had.