The Slayer watched as the vampire headed further into the darkness and then turned and began to walk in the opposite direction. The fairy had to make up her mind quickly. She knew that she had seen them for a reason and had to follow one, but who would it be? Her petite head quickly shot from one creature of the night to the other. The vampire slayer would be returning to this ground again, but where would the vampire go? She certainly did not want to risk losing track of him. Also, there was something about him she just couldn't quite place. She had to know what it was.
Swiftly, she removed herself from hiding. Her dainty wings gently caught the wind as she darted across the resting place of the dead. Into the darkness she went, in search of a creature her kind had always despised and feared. A creature that was as dark as she was light, or was he?
.........................................................................
Buffy sighed deeply as she saw her house down the road. For some reason it seemed as though it had taken twice as long to make it back tonight. It had felt that way since she had first left. It was perhaps the most dull night she had seen in a long time. At least it was until that group had shown up.
She had to admit that the pack had made her a little nervous at first. Granted she was good, and getting even better, but there was a basic issue of many-against-one and it only took that one moment to bring her down. Things had been very quiet lately and she hadn't been in that situation for a while. If Spike hadn't have shown up...no, she didn't want to go there. If Spike hadn't have shown up, she would have still been fine.
Why had he shown up anyway? He had been doing that a lot over that past few months. Bumping into her while she was on patrol, helping her out if she needed it, but only if she needed it. He had been following her for a while now. She first noticed it when she caught him outside her house. He tried to play it off, but she knew he had been there for a while watching her, waiting for her. What was with the 'stupid hair' comment? No one else complained. Why would he even notice? Why was she caring? What could have possibly possessed her to thank him? That was not something she did often, if ever. But then, things seemed to have been different with him lately. He always was there.
She didn't always see him, in fact most of the time she never did, but she could feel him. Often she would feel his gaze, mostly when she was fighting, but a few other times as well.
For a moment Buffy had a flash of Angel go through her mind and how he had done the same thing. No, it wasn't the same thing. Angel never watched her fight. It was almost as though he was too afraid. If the cause arose, he would jump in and take over, making her fight as little as possible. He was always worried that something would happen to her, that she wasn't strong enough.
Buffy walked up the porch steps slowly and entered the dark house.
'Everyone must be asleep already,' she thought to herself as she quietly closed the door. She flipped off the outside light and began head up the stairs.
Her mind flickered to thoughts of Riley and how he acted very similar. He never liked it when she was fighting. He had a habit of worrying as well. If he could, he would have taken over her job for her. He was into all that 'trying-to-prove-he-was-man-of-the-house' thing. It was as though he wanted to prove that he could defend her and keep her safe. He never understood. She didn't need to be defended. She didn't need to be kept 'safe.' It was her purpose in life to do that for others. She needed to defend others. He just didn't...understand. She needed to fight.
Once inside her room, Buffy quickly undressed and slipped under the cool sheets of her bed. Her mind flew back to the night she awoke to find Spike on the far side of the room watching her silently. How long had he been standing there? Even though she had tried to sound upset with him being there, somehow she found it felt strangely 'normal,' if that was possible.
Of all her friends ( Would he be considered a friend? Yes, she supposed he was, at least whenever he wasn't trying to kill her or anyone else) Spike was the one person who understood her need, her desire to fight. In fact, it almost scared her how much he actually enjoyed it when she was fighting. Almost. He never truly scared her.
Granted, there was a time when the only reason he enjoyed it was because there was a chance she would be killed, but things had changed, somewhere. He didn't have that passionate desire for her to die anymore. If she ever came close, he would step in and prevent it. But not before, never before. He always left the fight uninterrupted. He only watched. Behind the shadows of night he would watch her 'dance,' as he would say.
Watching with those deep blue eyes. She had to admit she loved them. They were very dark yet had a tinge of lightness that brought out just enough of the color to draw someone's gaze into them. Very much like his personality.
Why was she thinking about him like that? Why had he helped her live yet again? Why does he have to understand her in ways others never could? Why...?
The last thing Buffy thought of before she fell fast asleep were those piercing blue eyes and the man they belonged to. Her body relaxed as it began another peaceful night of bliss.
.................................................................
"OH BLOODY 'ELL!!!" Spike yelled to no one in particular as he made his way back to his crypt.
How long had it been? Months? Years? Well, not really that long, but it seemed like all of eternity since he had admitted it to himself. Yet he still couldn't bring himself to admit it to her. He was trying his hardest to get on her good side. After all, being former mortal enemies and all, her trust and just general 'like' for him had much to be desired. But that 'small' factor couldn't change his mind on how he felt, it was too strong.
He had played it all out in his mind a thousand times and practiced it with 'Duffy' a thousand more and it never quite turned out right. If he couldn't even get something right when she wasn't there, how would he do it when she was? But tonight, tonight had been a big leap. She had thanked him, which was a huge accomplishment in itself. Not only that, but she had smiled when she said it. That was something new. He, William the Bloody, had made her, the Slayer, smile.
He didn't know that anything could make him so happy until that moment. Although it wasn't something that would have mattered to many other people, for him, it was like heaven. Not that he had seen heaven, or ever would for that matter...but that was beside the point. For just one moment she looked at him like he was a friend instead of the enemy. Of course he still had a long way to go to change that look into something more, but it was a start.
He stood in front of his crypt and just stared blankly. Then realization struck him.
"Just wha' do I think I am doing?" he stated suddenly. "I still 'ave plenty of time. Don't think I'm goin' to be caugh' hanging 'round 'ere all nigh'."
'I really should see if she made it back home all right.' he thought to himself as he started to stroll in the direction of Buffy's house. 'Besides, she might be naked again.'
................................................................
She had watched the vampire's little outburst outside of the crypt with extreme curiosity. He had seemed to be thinking of something the entire way there. She suspected it had something to do with the girl. When they arrived in front of the two-story house, the fairy's suspicion's proved to be true.
The blond stood below a darkened window, finishing a cigarette he had started a few minutes earlier. He then started climbing a near-by tree, just enough to look into the room where the Slayer slept soundly. He sat there and watched her carefully as the fairy did the same to him. She knew it without a doubt now, he was in love with the woman.
Had this ever happened before? She knew that it was possible. There had been stories of certain vampires having the ability to feel love. A few of them had even fallen in love with mortals before, but this was a slayer. She had been born to kill them. Yet she had not killed him, and he had saved her. Then the fairy began to wonder if the woman inside felt the same as the creature outside her window.
After seeing that she was okay, and that she didn't appear to wear a top of any kind, the vampire called Spike began to climb back down the tree. The fairy knew that she wouldn't have a problem trying to find him again, and flew to the windowsill and looked in at the sleeping slayer. What was so different about these two?
Then she felt something. It was almost here. What was it? It felt...evil, very evil.
"Who are you?"
She heard the now-familiar British voice ask from below.
"Wha' are you doing out this late? Don' you know it's dangerous out 'ere a' this time of nigh'?"
The fairy quickly fluttered away from the window and hid herself in the tree the vampire had just left.
She saw him standing on the ground and before him was a small child. A girl, her long, dark hair running down her back in curls. She wore a simple, lavender sundress and a pair of sandals. She cocked her head to the side and seemed to examine him with her eyes. Placing her hands behind her back she began to walk closer to him and cocked her head to the other side.
"You will do," she said in a soft voice.
Spike didn't know what to make of it. A look of confusion swept over his face as he watched her approach.
The fairy knew what was happening. What could she do? She had to warn him, but he could not hear her, he didn't have the means. But she had to try, she didn't have time for anything else without exposing herself.
'Don't let her touch you!' she cried out in words only meant for him. 'Run, run now while you can!'
His attention was diverted from the girl for just a moment as he looked wildly around.
"Who said that?" he demanded, but it was too late.
The girl reached out and touched his cold hand. At that moment, Spike turned to look at her and they both vanished.
He had heard her, but how? She couldn't think about that now. She didn't have enough time.
The fairy quickly flew out from where she had been hiding and went down to the lawn. She flew back and forth, looking for anything, knowing she would find nothing. What was she supposed to do now? She didn't have the power to do anything herself. She looked up at the dark window. The Slayer.
The small entity swiftly raced around the house, looking for a way in. She caught sight of a window on the same floor that was just barely open, but it was open enough for her to squeeze through. Inside this room was another girl who was sleeping. She was much younger and her hair was longer and darker. The fairy didn't have time concern herself with this child for now.
She darted through bottom of the closed door and scanned the hallway. There were three other doors. She looked under one, nope, bathroom. The next she came to was the one. Once she was in, she turned on the light and dropped her magic covering. She had to speak openly, even though she would have been scolded by the elders for attempting such a thing with a mortal.
She fluttered around the sleeping girl's head and called out to her.
'Wake up, please. You have to wake up. You have to help him.'
Swiftly, she removed herself from hiding. Her dainty wings gently caught the wind as she darted across the resting place of the dead. Into the darkness she went, in search of a creature her kind had always despised and feared. A creature that was as dark as she was light, or was he?
.........................................................................
Buffy sighed deeply as she saw her house down the road. For some reason it seemed as though it had taken twice as long to make it back tonight. It had felt that way since she had first left. It was perhaps the most dull night she had seen in a long time. At least it was until that group had shown up.
She had to admit that the pack had made her a little nervous at first. Granted she was good, and getting even better, but there was a basic issue of many-against-one and it only took that one moment to bring her down. Things had been very quiet lately and she hadn't been in that situation for a while. If Spike hadn't have shown up...no, she didn't want to go there. If Spike hadn't have shown up, she would have still been fine.
Why had he shown up anyway? He had been doing that a lot over that past few months. Bumping into her while she was on patrol, helping her out if she needed it, but only if she needed it. He had been following her for a while now. She first noticed it when she caught him outside her house. He tried to play it off, but she knew he had been there for a while watching her, waiting for her. What was with the 'stupid hair' comment? No one else complained. Why would he even notice? Why was she caring? What could have possibly possessed her to thank him? That was not something she did often, if ever. But then, things seemed to have been different with him lately. He always was there.
She didn't always see him, in fact most of the time she never did, but she could feel him. Often she would feel his gaze, mostly when she was fighting, but a few other times as well.
For a moment Buffy had a flash of Angel go through her mind and how he had done the same thing. No, it wasn't the same thing. Angel never watched her fight. It was almost as though he was too afraid. If the cause arose, he would jump in and take over, making her fight as little as possible. He was always worried that something would happen to her, that she wasn't strong enough.
Buffy walked up the porch steps slowly and entered the dark house.
'Everyone must be asleep already,' she thought to herself as she quietly closed the door. She flipped off the outside light and began head up the stairs.
Her mind flickered to thoughts of Riley and how he acted very similar. He never liked it when she was fighting. He had a habit of worrying as well. If he could, he would have taken over her job for her. He was into all that 'trying-to-prove-he-was-man-of-the-house' thing. It was as though he wanted to prove that he could defend her and keep her safe. He never understood. She didn't need to be defended. She didn't need to be kept 'safe.' It was her purpose in life to do that for others. She needed to defend others. He just didn't...understand. She needed to fight.
Once inside her room, Buffy quickly undressed and slipped under the cool sheets of her bed. Her mind flew back to the night she awoke to find Spike on the far side of the room watching her silently. How long had he been standing there? Even though she had tried to sound upset with him being there, somehow she found it felt strangely 'normal,' if that was possible.
Of all her friends ( Would he be considered a friend? Yes, she supposed he was, at least whenever he wasn't trying to kill her or anyone else) Spike was the one person who understood her need, her desire to fight. In fact, it almost scared her how much he actually enjoyed it when she was fighting. Almost. He never truly scared her.
Granted, there was a time when the only reason he enjoyed it was because there was a chance she would be killed, but things had changed, somewhere. He didn't have that passionate desire for her to die anymore. If she ever came close, he would step in and prevent it. But not before, never before. He always left the fight uninterrupted. He only watched. Behind the shadows of night he would watch her 'dance,' as he would say.
Watching with those deep blue eyes. She had to admit she loved them. They were very dark yet had a tinge of lightness that brought out just enough of the color to draw someone's gaze into them. Very much like his personality.
Why was she thinking about him like that? Why had he helped her live yet again? Why does he have to understand her in ways others never could? Why...?
The last thing Buffy thought of before she fell fast asleep were those piercing blue eyes and the man they belonged to. Her body relaxed as it began another peaceful night of bliss.
.................................................................
"OH BLOODY 'ELL!!!" Spike yelled to no one in particular as he made his way back to his crypt.
How long had it been? Months? Years? Well, not really that long, but it seemed like all of eternity since he had admitted it to himself. Yet he still couldn't bring himself to admit it to her. He was trying his hardest to get on her good side. After all, being former mortal enemies and all, her trust and just general 'like' for him had much to be desired. But that 'small' factor couldn't change his mind on how he felt, it was too strong.
He had played it all out in his mind a thousand times and practiced it with 'Duffy' a thousand more and it never quite turned out right. If he couldn't even get something right when she wasn't there, how would he do it when she was? But tonight, tonight had been a big leap. She had thanked him, which was a huge accomplishment in itself. Not only that, but she had smiled when she said it. That was something new. He, William the Bloody, had made her, the Slayer, smile.
He didn't know that anything could make him so happy until that moment. Although it wasn't something that would have mattered to many other people, for him, it was like heaven. Not that he had seen heaven, or ever would for that matter...but that was beside the point. For just one moment she looked at him like he was a friend instead of the enemy. Of course he still had a long way to go to change that look into something more, but it was a start.
He stood in front of his crypt and just stared blankly. Then realization struck him.
"Just wha' do I think I am doing?" he stated suddenly. "I still 'ave plenty of time. Don't think I'm goin' to be caugh' hanging 'round 'ere all nigh'."
'I really should see if she made it back home all right.' he thought to himself as he started to stroll in the direction of Buffy's house. 'Besides, she might be naked again.'
................................................................
She had watched the vampire's little outburst outside of the crypt with extreme curiosity. He had seemed to be thinking of something the entire way there. She suspected it had something to do with the girl. When they arrived in front of the two-story house, the fairy's suspicion's proved to be true.
The blond stood below a darkened window, finishing a cigarette he had started a few minutes earlier. He then started climbing a near-by tree, just enough to look into the room where the Slayer slept soundly. He sat there and watched her carefully as the fairy did the same to him. She knew it without a doubt now, he was in love with the woman.
Had this ever happened before? She knew that it was possible. There had been stories of certain vampires having the ability to feel love. A few of them had even fallen in love with mortals before, but this was a slayer. She had been born to kill them. Yet she had not killed him, and he had saved her. Then the fairy began to wonder if the woman inside felt the same as the creature outside her window.
After seeing that she was okay, and that she didn't appear to wear a top of any kind, the vampire called Spike began to climb back down the tree. The fairy knew that she wouldn't have a problem trying to find him again, and flew to the windowsill and looked in at the sleeping slayer. What was so different about these two?
Then she felt something. It was almost here. What was it? It felt...evil, very evil.
"Who are you?"
She heard the now-familiar British voice ask from below.
"Wha' are you doing out this late? Don' you know it's dangerous out 'ere a' this time of nigh'?"
The fairy quickly fluttered away from the window and hid herself in the tree the vampire had just left.
She saw him standing on the ground and before him was a small child. A girl, her long, dark hair running down her back in curls. She wore a simple, lavender sundress and a pair of sandals. She cocked her head to the side and seemed to examine him with her eyes. Placing her hands behind her back she began to walk closer to him and cocked her head to the other side.
"You will do," she said in a soft voice.
Spike didn't know what to make of it. A look of confusion swept over his face as he watched her approach.
The fairy knew what was happening. What could she do? She had to warn him, but he could not hear her, he didn't have the means. But she had to try, she didn't have time for anything else without exposing herself.
'Don't let her touch you!' she cried out in words only meant for him. 'Run, run now while you can!'
His attention was diverted from the girl for just a moment as he looked wildly around.
"Who said that?" he demanded, but it was too late.
The girl reached out and touched his cold hand. At that moment, Spike turned to look at her and they both vanished.
He had heard her, but how? She couldn't think about that now. She didn't have enough time.
The fairy quickly flew out from where she had been hiding and went down to the lawn. She flew back and forth, looking for anything, knowing she would find nothing. What was she supposed to do now? She didn't have the power to do anything herself. She looked up at the dark window. The Slayer.
The small entity swiftly raced around the house, looking for a way in. She caught sight of a window on the same floor that was just barely open, but it was open enough for her to squeeze through. Inside this room was another girl who was sleeping. She was much younger and her hair was longer and darker. The fairy didn't have time concern herself with this child for now.
She darted through bottom of the closed door and scanned the hallway. There were three other doors. She looked under one, nope, bathroom. The next she came to was the one. Once she was in, she turned on the light and dropped her magic covering. She had to speak openly, even though she would have been scolded by the elders for attempting such a thing with a mortal.
She fluttered around the sleeping girl's head and called out to her.
'Wake up, please. You have to wake up. You have to help him.'