Day Fifteen: Proximity of the Beloved One

That evening, Elizabeth awoke to find she had fallen asleep whilst reading. She stood as she picked the bible up off the floor, then placed it into the bedside drawer. Turning to her side, she saw her sire still fully clothed and asleep- she assumed he had gone to a pub last night. Giving her head a small shake, she smiled with amusement; she was starting to get used to his ways the more they travelled together. She also had to accept the fact that he was currently the only friend she had. As she went into the bathroom and had a bath, she wondered what she wanted to do that night.

Spike woke with a start. His body jerked upward, causing him to push his face off the pillow as he gave a little snort, "Yellow doesn't match my complexion," he blurted out. He looked around the room in confusion, realising that he wasn't locked in a squalid dungeon, then rested his head back down. He wiped at his face with his palm as the sour aftertaste of cider still lingered in his mouth. The atmosphere at the pub was pleasant; he considered going there throughout their stay in Frankfurt. If he happened to meet his German friend again, he'd share his time in good company.

Spike sat up and walked over to the wardrobe. Having neglected seeing what Elizabeth had brought with her on their travels, he checked what she had packed for him. He shuffled around the clothes, not finding what he was looking for.

"Elizabeth, where did you bloody hide my brooch?" he called out loudly.

Elizabeth paused from washing her hair as she gave the question some thought, "I put it in the pocket of the case," she called back. She was very wary about the object, considering her sire had stolen it from the pavilion that sold sins. Since her ordeal with gluttony, she did not want to risk having another sin have its hold on her.

Spike pulled his beloved little trinket from within the deep pocket of the luggage, "Ah," he smiled triumphantly as he peered at it between his thumb and forefinger. He didn't know what sort of mystical power it held, but he liked to daydream about what it could do. Not bothering with it just yet, he set it within the dresser drawer for his own peace of mind. He peeked out the window as the world outside lost light, "What do you know about Frankfurt?" he called out. "Your parents tell you any stories of it?"

Getting out of the tub, Elizabeth dried off and pulled her hair up into a loose bun to keep her dress dry. "They told me how friendly people were here. How the food was hearty and delicious. And the marvellous Alte Oper, they told me they would take me to see it one day," she said as she walked to the window.

"What's at this… 'Alte Oper'?" Spike inquired, hoping it didn't have to do with religion. If it did, he would have to decide if he wanted to join her on that excursion or not.

"It is this wonderful opera house they visited not too long ago. They said it was beautiful and ornate," she explained as a far away look came to her eyes, something that happened when she thought of something beautiful.

"Sounds like something to do," Spike nodded, glad there was at least some form of entertainment there. With the bathroom now vacant, he prepared himself for that night out. "How's about some blood, carnage, then some relaxing opera to end the evening?" Spike asked as he stepped back out. Although it sounded like it was just a plan for a vampire on vacation, at the back of his mind, he was still thinking of ways to find Drusilla.

Elizabeth was at first put off by the suggestion as before, but after a little consideration, she nodded, "As long as I go off on my own for supper," she said with a little smile as she waved a hairpin in her hand. Spike was not at all amused with her teasing.

"I was compromised, for bloody sakes," he sighed. Elizabeth giggled at his defensive reply. "Shall we meet outside the opera house before the show, then?" he suggested. "Oh, and we're supposed to 'dress' properly for the occasion," Spike said, remembering his dressing etiquette. "Find a dolled up rich girl if you manage to. Probably best to change after supper to avoid any 'spills'."

The young vampire nodded, "Of course," she said softly.

Once dressed, they left and departed on their separate ways.

┼†‡

Spike had some fun out on a chase. He found a solitary young woman, walking alone on the street, very much like he had with Elizabeth. After noticing the similarities between the two feedings, Spike remembered to break her neck, fearing he might have to deal with another unwanted progeny.

He supposed since he had informed Elizabeth about dressing for that evening, he'd put a little effort into it as well- not that there was that much for a man to do. He had most of his outfit already- a coat, shoes- although not very tidy ones- trousers, and a shirt. He'd need to find something to give it a bit more flair than the dull and sombre black colours he was already wearing. Trotting from a distance towards his direction were a couple of upperclassmen dressed perfectly for the part.

"Fancy meeting you, gentlemen," Spike said, suddenly appearing in front of them. They looked to him, startled. One of them had a cane; both wore top hats and gloves. They said something to him in German and tried to move past him. "No, not yet, I haven't yet taken what I've come for," Spike laughed. They continued to walk on by, thinking that he was just a drunken nuisance, when Spike suddenly jumped one of the men's backs. He clamped his palm firmly over the man's mouth and nose as his other arm encircled around his neck. The man flailed his arms about wildly, trying hard to shake him from his body, but to no avail. The vampire clung to him tightly, laughing as though he were riding a bull. Just as the man's friend was ready to strike with his cane, Spike gave a quick twist of the man's neck. The body stood still momentarily before dropping forward with the momentum of his weight. His friend stared wide-eyed in shock, cane held frozen in midair as he tried to register what had just happened. After gathering his wits, he tried to attack once more as he swung downward with renewed vigour. Spike caught the cane and elbowed the man in the face, sending him buckling backwards onto the cobblestone road. The sound of an ugly crack was heard when the back of his skull hit the ground. Spike picked what he needed from the two men as he completed his ensemble. "I think… I've got all that I need now," he smiled at the two bodies.

As he headed to the opera house, now with an added white silk ascot cravat, black vest, leather gloves, top hat, and cane, he waited for Elizabeth to arrive.

┼†‡

Walking down the roads, Elizabeth hummed a bit to herself. She had her purse at her side and an unassuming smile on her lips as she always had. Eventually, she ran into some easy supper. Drunks were a lecherous bunch and easy to pin down. After her meal, she ended up coming across a storefront where a lovely dress was displayed in the window. She immediately rushed in and bought it. It was blue with gold accents and less prudish than what she normally wore. Giddy with excitement, she went back to the hotel to get ready. Exchanging her childish look for something a bit more mature, she looked entirely different, from her dress to her hair. She pinned her hair up in curls while soft ones framed her face, something that was completely different from the bookish bun she sometimes wore under hats. She even looked like she had pinched her cheeks just for that blushing glow. Finally finishing her ensemble with her white gloves, Elizabeth left for the opera house. She walked up the steps with a smile as she looked for her sire, trying her best to contain her excitement.

┼†‡

As Spike waited, he kept a vigilant eye out, peering over a crescendo of top hats and coiffed hair, but didn't see his progeny yet. With the luck of his heightened vampire senses, he caught her scent before seeing her. He glanced about him, wondering where she could be. People went through the doors in droves as they were now being seated, yet Spike still could not see her. Finally, to his surprise, there she was, standing in plain sight; the figure of a woman, one he had passed over several times as he did not expect her to look so… different. But of course, she was in a blue dress, he should have known better, he thought. As the time grew closer for the opera to commence, Spike did not wave to catch her attention, he simply watched her for a moment longer from afar.

┼†‡

Elizabeth looked around with a little more urgency. All the men looked alike as she walked aimlessly through the crowd, trying to find her sire through the sea of coats and hats. Turning away from the house doors, she looked out, hoping to see him.

Letting out a chuckle, Spike slowly walked up to her, "Elizabeth, scurrying around like the lost little mouse you are." Although he was teasing, he didn't have the harsh and sarcastic tone he usually held. It was somewhat… lighthearted. The young woman turned around and looked down with a genuine shy smile, finding his words not cruel, but almost endearing. "We must take our seats now if we do not wish to miss the opening number," Spike said, putting on a show with his accent- though in reality, he really wasn't- and offered his arm to her. With a nod, she took his arm as they walked in, making it appear like they were a young and proper couple.

Seated amongst the general crowd, Elizabeth sat next to her sire as she listened to the opening score. She tilted her head to the side and rested her index finger against her cheek bone as if she were painting a picture with her mind. It was the same look she held when she would recite Shakespeare.

Spike held his hat within his lap as he set his eyes upon the performers on the stage. As a young man, he found theatre, plays, and musical numbers moving; for someone who considered himself an artist of words, he understood the craftsmanship they brought to others. Though, as he now sat listening to the woman bellow, he came to the harrowing realisation that in his new unlife, he did not have the same taste for operas. He remained still in that moment, wishing they had instead taken a box seat. He would have had the freedom to lounge about more comfortably, but instead, had to endure the excited breathing of the man seated next to him. Spike sighed, wondering what he could possibly do to entertain himself. He would endure it till the first intermission, then tell Elizabeth that he couldn't stand that form of torture any more.

Elizabeth sighed softly as she watched, listening with such captivity as her other hand moved in her lap as if it were conducting the orchestra below. During her sheltered life, she poured herself into works of art such as these, letting them take her to a place of beauty and wonder. Taking in the lovely sets and music, she turned to her sire. She looked at him with pale blue eyes that held excitement and gratitude of a young girl who was in a place that filled her with happiness. Spying this small movement from the corner of his eye, Spike turned to look back at her. Not uttering a word, she tilted her head as if to say 'thank you' before returning her attention to the stage.

Spike was puzzled. His lips parted slightly as he tried to make sense of this. He let his gaze stray on her for a bit after she had turned her attention back to the opera, finding her more interesting than what was going on under the bright lights. Turning his head slowly back around, he gave a little sigh as he wondered what she might have been experiencing. That look of wonder in her eyes like a child's, he wished he could have that again.

It was a place of calm and beauty for her. As the music swelled in the air, the painting in her mind grew with each passing moment. It was one of the benefits of being isolated so often as a child, time allowing her imagination room to grow. Within the pages of her books, she saw beautiful things, and even had secrets she was too shy to tell him. The more she listened and watched the number, the more she was consumed in it. The singers, the costumes, and the music were all a part of a world that comforted her in days of loneliness. As the first act came to a close and the curtains were drawn shut, she smiled excitedly as she applauded, and turned to give her sire the same look of gratitude once more.

Spike gave a little sigh of relief as he clapped with less enthusiasm, almost in a mocking manner. Standing with the rest of the crowd, he left his seat during the intermission and proceeded out the exits, clearly isolated in his own bubble of boredom as opera aficionados gushed from the first act. Spike gave another sigh and looked over to Elizabeth who wore an exuberant smile just like the other patrons. He couldn't fathom what she appreciated so much about it.

"Enjoying yourself?" he said, more as an observation.

Elizabeth loved the performance but probably for a bigger reason than anyone else there could have known. The young vampire turned to her sire as she happily nodded, "I am. This is better than any story," she said as she looked around her until her gaze fell upon him again.

"I don't think I could stand another act," he confessed, "or I might just cast myself on stage and make her sing to a different tune." It wasn't a threat, merely his way of sharing his sentiments. "If you wish to stay, you may; you seem to fit in here quite well, actually. I'll take my leave and see you back at the hotel, yes?"

Her look did not change as much; the bright light in her eyes dimmed and her smile got a little smaller as she nodded once more, "Yes, have a good night," she said softly before walking back inside for the second act.

Spike was grateful to finally leave the opera house. He abandoned the top hat to the side of the road, but found the cane made him feel a little superior in a way. He let it swing as he strut along. With the time spent to explore more of the city without constraints, the vampire may have gotten himself into a bit of a mess- a little too figuratively.

┼†‡

It was a wonderful night and an even more peaceful walk back to the hotel room. That was until Elizabeth found a trail of muddy clothes, boots, and footprints leading to the bathroom door. She sighed as she took off her gown, feeling a little more at ease with the bathroom door closed. Humming a little tune she had heard from the opera, she pulled the pins out of her hair, then shook her locks loose as she put on her nightgown. Like the night before, she moved to the sofa to read some passages from the bible.

Spike left the bathroom after a lengthy bit of time had passed. Steam billowed out from around him as he opened the door; his face was flush and pink like a newborn baby, and he was swaddled up to his chin in a white bathrobe. What had started out as a peaceful and rather pleasant evening at the opera was void from the male's expression. With a furrowed brow and scowl etched on his face, he ploughed through the room and took a seat at the opposite end of the sofa from Elizabeth.

He sighed out of frustration as he rubbed hard at his wet hair, "Bloody hell! I've had two baths, two, and I still can't get all the blooming mud out!" he growled, clearly a picture of grumpiness. "In my ears, my nose, I can even taste the grittiness in my teeth," he huffed, his lips turning out a bit in an unavoidable pout. "I won't even mention the other places." He held his wrinkled fingers up, "Soaked in the damn water for so long, my fingers pruned up!"

Elizabeth looked at him and tilted her head to the side with a curious look on her face, "What happened to you?" she asked as she closed her bible and set it on the table. "Did you attack a farm?" she asked with a light laugh to her voice.

Spike looked to her, his expression deadpan as he blinked. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke, totally ignoring how Elizabeth had just poked fun at him, "Traversing the great underground of Frankfurt, you know? Trying to put out my feelers to see if there might be any other hellions that might take the bait. But instead," he whipped the towel off his neck and flung it down into his lap, "I come across this bloody- I don't even know what it was. Made entirely of mud. Seemed like it lacked a mind, like someone was controllin' it." Spike picked up the towel and used a corner to rub at his ears, "Followed it to the banks of the Main River, to see if I could get some information, but when I tried to catch its attention, the bloody thing-" Spike motioned with his arms, as though he were flinging something from them. "It was like vomiting, but with its entire body," he glanced to Elizabeth. Elizabeth listened attentively, trying to make sense of his tale while the vision of it all caused her to smile as she tried to restrain her laughter. "Didn't get two words in after that," he scowled to see there were still remnants of dirt coming off on his towel, "the thing vanished after I cleared its refuse from my eyes." He gave a sigh and gave up on the towel, "And that leaves me here, wrinkled like a prune and mud still coming out of places I didn't think could. So," his expression reverted back to aloofness, "how was your evening?"

Looking back at him, Elizabeth's laugh came out as a light giggle, "It was wonderful. I have no other words for it. It was peaceful on the way back here. Germany is beautiful; much better than Paris at least."

At the sound of Elizabeth's laughter, Spike reacted appropriately with an unimpressed stare before speaking, "I can assure you, I share the same sentiments." Considering he was almost killed in Paris, anywhere else was better. Though, getting drenched in mud by some monster wasn't very high on his list either. "Although, it isn't so much the place as it is the shared experience," Spike said with the slightest hint of forlorn. It really didn't matter where he went, whether he was plucked up and spit out in some barren wasteland, if Drusilla was with him, he'd have a blast.

It was then that Elizabeth tilted her head as her look softened. She did not know what to say. He might have been her sire, but she hardly knew him. Elizabeth just nodded as a silent attempt to comfort him, gently encouraging him to talk about what was bothering him. It always struck her as odd how they could be ready to kill one another, but still look out for each other when the time called for it. It was then that a very forward question came from the otherwise shy girl, "You really love her, don't you?" It was not a snide remark, but more of a honest and curious question.

"She's the love of my life, my destiny," Spike replied, turning to look at her. He hadn't expected her to ask him about his relationship, or anything at all that seemed more personal- he honestly didn't think she had the gall to. "We were fated to meet that night," Spike reminisced, "to share an eternal lifetime together," his voice grew a little softer as he thought of his beloved. "I'm the luckiest man, to have her choose me," he smiled, one that had no evidence of a man that killed for the sheer amusement of it; it was innocent, pure, and one that held a deep love. "She saw something in me no one else could," he gave a little content sigh, "and that night, I was sired."

Elizabeth sat there politely and listened to him. He really loved this woman. It was a concept that always sparked a curiosity in her, like a kitten staring at a ball of yarn, but not sure what to do with it. Tilting her head again, she rested her cheek in her palm as she held a curious look of wonder in her eyes, "Sounds wonderful," she said softly.

"It truly is," Spike echoed her delicate tenor. Then he turned to peer at her, "Have you ever been in love before?" he paused, thinking it might have been moot asking someone who had decided to devote her life to God.

Elizabeth looked up at him and shook her head, "No, I haven't. I do remember seeing my brother in love. He spun this girl- Lucy, if memory serves- in the gardens. He was running around after her and laughing like he was a boy again," she said with a small smile as she began to miss her brother.

"When you fall in love, you'll understand how truly amazing it is," Spike said very honestly. "And to have the love returned… it's like there's nothing else there but the two of you. The concept of time vanishes when you're with them," he gave a little shrug and sighed softly, feeling more alone as he talked about Drusilla; he missed her terribly. "Best we turn in for the day, yes?" he said, glancing to the shut curtains as the sky outside lightened. He stood and went to the wardrobe to get prepared for bed.

Elizabeth wondered what love would feel like if she would ever fall in love at all. Nodding, she got up and went to her side of the bed, and with a sigh, closed her eyes.

Author's Notes:

Heya! Thanks for all the comments, follows, and favs! We've made it to the double digits! (Lol, it's a big thing for me, shh...) And finally, reviews are back. So, feel free to abuse that comment box at the bottom. c:

Re: EGGS:
...will you be continuing on into BtVS? - Yep, that's the main plan. This Victorian part actually ended up being a lot longer than I (as well as my RP mate) had expected. I just kept coming up with a whole mess of schemes. It's fun and entertaining. Eventually after, we'll be heading to a little part during WWII (~1943), 1950s, 1960s (a little stint during Woodstock, I think), 1970s, then FINALLY, the '90s with BtVS. Oh man, if you guys stay with us throughout all of this, you'll be in for a helluva ride. Trust me. (I'm not a doctor, though.)

I'd really like for her to have some interaction with Angel sometime in terms future. - As for Angel/Angelus, ye-heah! There's going to be a HUGE role of interaction with Liz and Angelus/Angel. I almost want to spoil it for you guys, lol, but I'm trying my best to edit faster to get to that point.

Could this be Elizabeth? . It matches your description! - In the words of River Song, 'spoilers'. As usual, you'll need to keep reading to find out. You will find out later (much, much later) in the story.

Thanks so much for reading!