Chapter Nine
The edges
A/N Hello, literally can't start these without an intro now, but anyway, this is the ninth overall chapter which is crazy, this one is a tad random, but important all the same. Have fun. And two updates on the same day because I had a couple days of confusion over the last one.
Sunnydale, the world without shrimp 2002
"Willow? Tara?" Buffy said as she snooped through the kitchen, Dawn trailing behind her. A smug yet slightly guilty look plastered on face, she may have convinced Buffy to let her stay in the house, but there would be some kind of punishment for this later. Walking through the hallway, and into the living room, she was surprised not to find her friends, but instead a couch severely unorganised and scattered. "Huh?" She said lightly, taking a darker tone as she turned back to the still silent Dawn. "Something must have happened."
"Well, you never know. Call out again, they might be upstairs," she paused trying to work out how to phrase it before replying, "you know." A cheeky smirk wiping across her face as Buffy turned back to her.
Buffy tilted her head in disbelief, raising an eyebrow. "Dawn, don't be silly, it's the middle of the..." She trailed off, about to say daytime when her eyes reached the window glass and the darkness beyond it. "Oh, yeah, maybe you're right."
"Right about what?" Xander said as he closed the door behind Anya, who quickly moved away from him to slump down onto the arm of the couch. She looked down, a little surprised at herself for letting Xander drag her all the way here. She'd never let herself be motivated to do anything for other people before him. A true weakness.
"Oh, I was just saying if Willow and Tara aren't down here, it means they might be..." Dawn stopped when she Xander's mouth gape slightly, clearly he understood exactly what she was about to say and had started imagining it.
"Ohh." He said with maximum intonation. Giving his chin a firm rub as he tried to work his mind out of it. "Well, I'm sure they're fine."
"Yeah so maybe we should turn on the tv, see it there's any news about Warren's whereabouts." Buffy said, trying to steer the conversation back to the original plan. Picking up the remote and switching on the tv set sat in the corner of the room. It went to static, the full force of the black and white stripes reeled into life, causing an annoyance amongst the tension.
They were entangled in large red sheets once again, clothes littering the floor in a scattering of wardrobe, shoes included. Willow was tracing little circles onto Tara's back, who was humming softly at the sensation. The sex hadn't been too rough, due to Tara's broken bone, but had left them both collapsed and breathless, ending with Willow rolling onto her back beside her love and giggling as she reached over for the final kiss.
"Mmm, you taste all vanilla-y." Willow slipped out, biting her lip to savour the sweet taste of her lover's mouth on her own. "Which is totally a word." She babbled on, watching as Tara stretched out her limbs over the bed, not a care in the world that there was nothing covering her. And Willow decided she liked this Tara the best; the one who was slightly more confident and sexy and swayed her hips when she sang in the kitchen, and walked around their room completely naked because she could. Yes, this Tara was definitely the best, she concluded.
"Oh, do I now?" Tara replied coyly, her half-smile sneaking up the side of her face as she watched Willow ponder over her. It was obvious when Willow was daydreaming because she always stuck her tongue out at random intervals, and of course Tara would never tell her that for fear she would stop.
"Yes missy, you do. Very much, I like it." Reaching over she pulled Tara into another steamy kiss, leaving them both breathless as Tara glanced over at her watch, which she was still wearing despite all the distractions.
"Wil, w-when do you reckon the others will be back?" They had been too 'busy' to hear the quiet clambering of downstairs, not even when the tv had been switched on and began making gurgling noises, and not even the loud banging sound when Buffy had gotten annoyed the tv's gurgling sound.
"Hmm, I'm not sure, why don't I go check?" Willow said as she began climbing off the bed, before walking towards the door, her feet crushing through some of the abandoned skirt that was lying in a heap by the door.
"Wil wait." Tara said rather urgently before Willow had grasped the doorknob.
"What?" The redhead responded turning her head back, her strawberry locks swishing as her eyes gazed poignantly at the perfect Tara form laying bare across the sheets.
"Erm, no clothes r-remember, if they are here, n-not that anyone wouldn't want to see you naked, I'm just thinking from your perspective. And you know Xander's." Willow sighed, breathing out deeply as she placed yet another kiss on Tara's blushing lips. Tara smiled, but gave her the disapproving mum-like gaze that said, 'put some clothes on young lady.'
"What? You're just so irresistible that I can't, well you know. Resist you." Willow said as she grabbed a long shirt from her chest of drawers, buttoning it irritably. They would be going back to bed soon anyway, there was no need to put jeans on or anything. She pouted as she strutted back and began opening the door, gaining one last look before leaving Tara alone.
"Guys? Anybody back yet?" Willow called out from the top of the stairs, she wasn't going to go all the way down, just to find there was no one there, when she'd much rather just wiggle her way back to bed. Her feet were all cold against the wood as she shivered slightly, ok maybe being stubborn wasn't the best choice here Wil, it's chillier than you thought. Willow inner monologue chimed on as she heard the latch open on the door and a rather tired looking Giles step through it cautiously.
"Giles?" Willow said quite confused and far too loudly, that it seemed to attract everyone back to the front porch of the house. Tara not wanting to be left out and frankly left alone, pulled the sheet of the bed in her haste to join Willow on the stairs. Her hair now piled up into a bun she hid behind her girlfriend's smaller body, her chin resting on Willow's shoulder.
Buffy was the first to cling to Giles' weary frame, hanging off him like a small child would a climbing frame. "Hello Buffy." He said softly, but it was muffled by her shoulder nudging into his as she let out a few tears. It was almost too much to see him. "You cut your hair." Giles stated as she finally leaned away from him long enough for him to scan her teary face. Not yet noticing the bandage around her shoulder, not that it had much purpose, she'd found her wound was completely healed under close inspection, she guessed the bandage was just for protection, in case. Buffy smiled as she gripped him, finally feeling safe. The rest of the gang all huddled closer to the events, Willow and Tara staying firmly planted at the top of the stairs though, they were comfy, would get their hugs in later after the crowd dispersed and Tara actually had some kind of clothing on.
Anya walked slowly towards them, being the last to come across the spectacle. Surprised by her immediate urge to join in she clung to Giles' other side, much to his and Buffy's anguish. "I'm blonde." Realising her 'too soon' action she stepped back, providing excuse for herself. "I-I coloured my hair, again. I'm blonde."
"Yes, I noticed." The weary older man replied pulling Anya closer and giving her a tight squeeze. Something they all needed right now. Somehow the waiting around for imminent attack wasn't much fun and had been playing on everyone's mind.
"Alright, alright don't crowd the poor man." Xander said as Willow finally descended the stairs, dragging the still blanketed Tara behind her.
"Do excuse us." She said softly as she threw her arms around Giles' neck and hugged him close.
Dawn looked towards Buffy when she noticed Willow and Tara entering the scene, giving her a slight nudge in the ribs before whispering. "I told you they were." Buffy smiled at her accumulated family, what a bunch they were. Her annoying little sister whom she loved regardless, her best friend the carpenter, her other best friend and her witchy lesbian girlfriend, a heartbroken ex-vengeance demon and the father-like figure that somehow was always the disappointed piece holding them together.
Then one face popped into her mind, the one who'd betrayed her and broken their toxic relationship. "Spike." She whispered underneath her breath. His name making her quiver, there was a window open somewhere, maybe that was it.
"Huh? What did you say?" Dawn replied, still whispering into Buffy's ear, her breath hot against the chill her cheek had started to feel.
Africa, the world without shrimp 2002
He was being tested, pushed around a bit before his own bloody soul was returned. The brute had punched him out with fire for god's sake, arms of steel weight or more. His chest was burnt, his chest, his arms, his back, where he'd been pushed.
"Looks like local boy loses." Was the first thing Spike said upon defeating he-who-punches-with-fire. His eye blackening from the heat on impact, the flames never enough to kill him, just reap through his sockets until he cried out to stop. But he never did.
"So it would appear." The deep masculine voice retorted, all knowing that there would still be many trials between Spike and the prize he so desperately seeked. Hell, he would make her pay when he got his soul back. Her. The slayer, the bitch. She was firmly implanted in his mind as the unattainable prize, so much so that revealed in the idea of being able to grab her and kiss her and make love. But deep down he knew she would never love him. He would never admit to it, but the pathetic vampire was a shell for his darker secret. He was indebted. She would forever own his enslaved ass.
"Good on me then." The snappy comebacks were so he kept going, didn't just give up and go home wining to Buffy like the usual sick puppy he'd become. "I get what I came for. I passed right?" His eye almost throbbing now, to the point of bursting, he needed his soul now. His prize for slaughtering the fire boy.7
"Indeed, you have passed the first stage of the test." The figure said, making Spike smile before he processed the words.
"Right, I get..." First stage. He thought about it, the smirk releasing from his face as he faded into misery. There is more of this to come. "Wait, first stage?" The creature laughed, his belly roaring. "Bugger." Spike admitted, turning his head downwards and almost spitting. His feet swept from side to side as he waited. He was left for several hours then, to mellow in his own pathetic existence of waiting, that annoyance, anger headed wait that makes your eyes bleed and your insides coil until there's nothing left but churned butter. And no bread to spread it on.