part3
Flying
Hours-
Part 3 to "All that Heaven Allows"
by: Isabelle
-Disclaimer: All of the main characters are owned by Josh
Weddon and the WB. Lyrics Amazing and Don't wanna
miss a thing by Aerosmith. Poem "Love and Life" by
John Wilmot.
-Rated: PG (Language, Adult Situations)
-Summary: Third part of Spike and Buffy series. S/B related.
Spike and Buffy are taken by a rich underground demon-group with
the purpose of being sold in an auction for millions. The plot
thickens as they grow closer to each other and try to find a way
back home. This story is set right after Season 4, so Season 5
hasen't happened, and won't happen.
-Author's Note: Would love feedback! Tell me what you think, I
am far from done, many surprises ahead! My email is bih80@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You can't catch a cub
without going into the tiger's den."- (Risky as it is,
if you are afraid of taking chances, there is no way you can
succeed.)
Chinesse Proverb
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roderick smiled in a fascinated
dark humor.
How sweet!. He thought
satirically. Bitter venom came out in the form of falsificated
chuckles.
The man standing next to him
looked over at his Master as he amused himself by the developing
scene in the screen before him.
"Quite fascinating,
lord."
He continued his dark humor-less
glee.
"Should I keep Qaletaqa away
from her?" the servant said.
Roderick shook his and wickedly
smiled. "No, I like this." he amused himself. "And
here I thought it was going to be boring in this desert
wasteland."
The man next to him waited
patiently.
"You know." Roderick
said looking up at the waren, "We can probably sell the
tape,.........by mass quantities, at that."
Pili smiled inspite of his Master.
He knew that it was "all green bills or no automobile"
with him.
"Your wish then?...."
Pili asked his now calmer Sire.
"I believe we'll start with
Phase 1." Roderick smiled at the couple on the screen.
Pili knew that was his quew to
bolt for the door.
"Done, master." With
that he bowed and left.
Roderick continued to stare at the
vision before.
On the bed, there they were. She
was shaking, almost in a trance, probably mur,muring words that
made no sense. There he was holding her, comforting her, being
her support.
Again he smiled.
Who would have thought you had
it in you, William? He thought smuggly.
He had seen Spike place her down
ever so gently on her bed, trying to pry her from his arms, but
she had held on in his arms, pulling him around her. Not letting
him go. He had reluctantly given in when she said 'no' and
climbed in bed with her. His arms wrapped around her small frame,
shielding and convering her while her body shook in the aftermath
of the 'gorĂ¼s', gently strocking her hair until her shivers
subsided.
As Roderick played observer in
fascination he picked up the phone next to him.
"Get me Lawrence Maltevilla,
in Venice."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(July 7, 12:02 AM @ Sunnydale,
CA)
I kept the right ones out
And let the wrong ones in
Had an angel of mercy to see
me through all my sins
There were times in my life
When I was going insane
Trying to walk through
The Pain
The night was damp and hot, as if
it simmered with his pain. He sat on the back porch steps of her
attacked house, glass accompanied his black shoes on the floor
were they rested. His slumped, large, brooding shoulders showed
vulnerability, lying to the passerby.
Black, that was the color of his
life. An eternal mortuary, covered with crying faces from past
lives, grieving family, heartfelt guilt and responsability. Only
a single white rose survived the darkness in him.
And she was fadding.......sinking
to the depths of his memories. Her face was sketchy, like a bad
drawing, frowning in pain, her large green eyes begging for his
help, yet he couldn't give it.
Didn't know were she was, didn't
know if she was alive, didn't know if she was hurt, he knew
nothing but that she was fadding, ever so slowly.
When I lost my grip
And I hit the floor
Yeah, I thought I could leave,
but cound't get out the door
His Buffy was leaving him, he
could feel it in his bones. The action was ulcering. Pain,
indescribable pain that could not be quenched, could not be
healed, could not be stoped.
She was letting go. He was holding
on. A heartless tug-of-war that he was loosing, sinking him
knee-deep in unimodular mud.
It's amazing
With the blink of an eye, you
finally see the light
It's amazing
When the moment arrives you
know you'll be alright
It's amazing
And I'm saying a prayer for
the desperate heart hearts tonight
The door opened behind him but he
didn't flinch, he braced himself for the conversation.
She sat next to him and studied
his face. Not saying a word, just sitting in comforting silence.
Her silence was welcoming,
comforting, inviting, it was what he needed.
She saw the lone blood tear that
slid down his dark face and gulped.
What can one say but 'I know what
you feel?'
"Hurts dosen't it?" she
asked her eyes never leaving his face.
That one last shot's a
permanent vacation
And how high can you fly with
broken wings?
Life's a journey, not a
destination
And I just can't tell just
what tomorrow brings
He tightened. Damn Her.
He thought. Why did she always hit the nail?
He nodded.
"I know." Her own lone
tear falling.
His gaze reached the sky trying to
understand where he had gone wrong, but he knew, he knew this was
his punishment. He was cursed. Literally.
You have to learn to crawl
Before you learn to walk
But I just couldn't listen to
all the righteous talk
I was out on the streets
Just tryin' to survive
Her arm snaked around his shoulder
and she placed a tender soothing kiss on his shoulder.
Her heart burned, a burning
sensation she had hidden, captured in her heart, so well hidden.
He looked at her large brown eyes
without saying a word rested his weary head on her shoulder and
let her in. Let her comfort him, for once he held on to someone.
It's amazing
With the blink of an eyes, you
finally see the light
It's amazing
When the moment arrives that
you know you'll alright
It's amazing
And I'm saying a prayer for
the desperate hearts tonight
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I could stay awake just to
hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are
sleeping
While farway you're dreaming
I could spend my life in this
sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this
moment forever
Every moment spent with you is
moment I treasure
Warmth. Warmth was all that came
to mind as he came awake, taking in his senses and allowing his
essence to be one with his surroundings again.
Comfort. Comfort was the next
thing that came to mind as he felt his body rise to unlife.
Something was right, something felt good, and something was
found.
Vibrations. Vibration was the
other thing that ticked his mind in confusion and a security that
seemed to belong to a past life.
His nostrils inhaled the air
around him. It was sweet. Vanilla? Yes! It was Vanilla. The musky
sweetness of the golden smell came in penetrating waves that
shuffeled his brain. What purity. What deception. What naiveness.
What venom.
His eyes awoke themselves, glazed
blue orbs that lingered in pure sensual pleasure.
What a way to wake up! He
thought. He felt relaxed and at ease. He hadn't felt such
satisfaction in.........well never.
Don't wanna close my eyes,
Don't wanna fall asleep
'Cuz I'd miss you baby, And I
don't wanna miss a thing
'Cuz even when I dream of you,
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you baby, And I
don't wanna miss a thing
He focused, against his pleasured
will, and saw golden strings glazing over his eyes. Tickling his
thick eye lashes, and making the world seen hazy.
Then something stirred.
He looked throught the tassels of
ochroid to find an indescribable sight next to him.
There he was, completely relaxed,
with no complaint whatsoever, and there she was, snuggled and
cheerful in blissful sleep. All curled up on top of his chest.
Her heart trashing in pacific rhythms, he felt it, as if it were
his own dead one coming to life. What surrealism. Then he
realized he was probably dreaming.
Laying close to you, Feeling
your heart beating
And I'm wondering what you're
dreaming, Wondering if it's me you're seeing
Then I kiss your eyes, And
thank God we're together
I just want to stay with you
in this moment forever,.....Forever and ever
But she stirred. No, don't
wake up! He thought in desperation.
Such impeccable moment should
never end. He wanted to paint what his vision inhaled, capture it
and keep it forever. Her sight. Her taintless sight.
Her right arm was snaked around
his chest, hand resting sweetly on his hip. Her face was
comfortably rested on upper shoulder, breathing warm air to his
cold neck.
With her eyes closed she looked
childish. But not the childish that you would like to pet, but
the chilldishness you want to engulf yourself with, drown
yourself in a nether world that exist between a person and their
dreams.
She was a picture paragon.
A doll seen in a shop window. Too
expensive to buy, too beautiful to hide.
I don't wanna miss one smile
I don't wanna miss one kiss
I just wanna be with you
Right here with you just like
this
I just wanna hold you close
Feel your heart close to mine
And just stay here, in this
moment for all the rest of time
His unseen breath caught at his
dead throat. How could life be so cruel? There, with his arm
encirculed around her shoulders, and under his coat that was on
top of her, his hand resting comfortably on her tiny waist. A
waist that was exposed to the touch, displaying menacing golden
flesh that his fingers unconsciously had begun to play with.
He was in dangerous ground. He
felt a lump on his throat. And his thoughts ran away without him.
Telling him the raw truths that he often told other people other
than himself.
There you have it, mate. No
spells, no witch, no dreams. Its all real,......and you'll never
have it. No chance. She'll wake up and throw you off the bed.
She'll insult you, accuse you of planning this. She'll be pissed.
So, mate, enjoy this because you will never, ever feel this.
He had to get out of there.
Get up NOW, you wanker!
He reluctantly slid his hardening
body off her. The pain was unbearable. He wanted her, needed her,
desired her, she had intoxicated his demon, until it was drunk
with happiness at her every smile, her look, her gracefulness,
her,.....Buffy, the one thing he knew he couldn't have.
She stirred lightly and frowned
poutidly in her sleep at the loss of his body.
He was engulfed with rage.
Leaping with vampiric quietness he
went in to take a very cold shower. A bloke could die couped
up in 'ere.
Don't wanna miss a thing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She woke to the sudden loss that
filled her soul. The clouds were gone, she was no longer shielded
from reality. She fell asleep in pure bliss, and awoke cold and
alone.
She sat up when the bathroom door
was slammed shut and moments later the shower was tuned on,
blasting with rage.
Her eyes were heavy and groagy.
She became aware of her surroundings remembering were she was at.
Her small powerful body was wrapped in Spike's coat.
It covered her like a quilt. She
remembered not having it on last night, yet here she was snuggled
in it. She was startled by the tought that Spike might find her
in such a compromising position.
All over her she sensed this
smell........it smelled of cigaretts and musk and leather and
Spike.
On her pillow, on her shirt, and
her hair, on her hands. She smelled of him!!!
She groaned, embarassment filled
her. How could she allow herself to snuggle and fall asleep on
Spike? First of all this was Spike, souless vampire who had tried
repeatedly to kill her and her friends. Second of all how the
hell was she supposed to look at him after the stunt she had
pulled.
She then clearly remembered
moaning 'NO' when he tried to let her go.
She cringed at her behavior.
Oh, God! What the hell is he
going to think? That I wanted him? Well that was partially true,
but NO I have a damn boyfriend.....RILEY!
She cringed at that thought, she
had not thought of her boyfriend since she had talked to him that
night.
Focus. She told herself.
What happened last night has to take priority. First off
apologize, then disappear, then ignore......good plan, Buffy.
The water in the shower turned off
and she gulped harshly dreading the confrontation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(July 9 @ Sunnydale, CA)
Their eyes were tired from lack of
sleep and worry. They had hardly sleeped since she had been gone.
Pacing, murmmuring, sighting, hugging, consoling,
crying,.......that's how their days went.
Angel had not left town, he had
refused to. Wesley had stayed back in L.A. to inform them of any
emergency that Angel and Cordy were needed for.
Giles had read everybook he owned.
Willow had researched all supernatural sites. Tara had looked at
every spell. Xander had accused eveyone. Anya had been all too
confused. Cordy was the comforting blanket for everyone. Angel
had done all of the above and was still pacing, wearing a hole on
the shop floor.
Joyce had been placed on
tranquilizers and was being watched periodically by each Scooby.
Angel had beat the shit out of
Willy, but the snitch knew nothing. He had also harrassed and
killed almost every demon and vampire that he came across with.
But they all said the same; last time they saw Buffy and Spike
was the night they had been patrolling together.
Riley was building with rage.
There he was with people who were almost strangers to him, his
girlfriend was missing and thought to be in the company of a
vampire, and her ex-boyfriend was pacing in front of him, worried
sick about his girl.
When Angel had arrived he had
identified the blood Xander had collected as Spike's and even
thought relieved that Buffy's was not it, he worried over his
childe and what had they gotten themselves into. Or worst yet,
what had gotten two of the best fighters Angel has ever known.
He was pulled out of his thoughts
by Cordy's screetch. He knew that screetch. A vision.
Cordilia felt it coming in hot
waves that hit her head. It's gonna be a bad one. She
thought and braced herself for the pain.
Angel ran to her side and held her
thin body and she trashed in pain. He worried, it looked worst
than usual, so he held her tight afraid she might collapse from
exhaustion.
Spike on a
hospital bed, in pain, his eyes were pressed shut...........Buffy
was next to him...........holding his hand..........she was
crying................They were being sold..........Spike was
pissed and snarling.............Buffy dressed in a solid gold
bikini, a'la Princess Leah..........she was chained to the
wall........Spike pulling her chains off............Buffy crying
in sobs........
Cordy gasped as the images fadded.
And held on to Angel who was right in front of her with a
terrified look on his face. Willow ran and brought her aspirin
and a glass of water. She accepted it gratefully with a trembling
hand.
Angel didn't need to say anything,
his worry was evident in his gentle eyes. He thought she was
going to go out on him. "Bad?" he asked. Not sure if he
meant, bad as in bad news or bad, as in 'it was a tough one'.
She nodded looking at him. Oh
boy.
She braced herself for eveyone's
reaction and began narrating the images that the powers wanted
them to know.
Another cold day in Sunnyhell.
She began.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nine days. Nine days since they
had been taken. She was tired and strained. Beyond the point of
being worried, her fears were raw with intuition. They were
slowly being prepared.
All the information they needed
had been given to them and she almost whished she didn't know
what was to happen.
Both her and Spike sat together on
one of the beds staring into space. Not looking at each other,
not touching just sitting in welcoming companionship. They held
on to each other for support. Apart from Naqa they really were
alone.
But Naqa was becoming weaker
everyday. And the little time they were allowed to be out, they
both sat by the old man's death bed, slowly watching life slip
from his lips. The 'gorus' he had performed for Buffy had drained
his little strength.
Spike had explained to Buffy what
the gorus was. It was the cleansing of your fears and worries.
Placing your mind in a state of perfection, a haven.
At first Buffy was mad, how dare
he do that to her? When she knew that was somethihng she could
never have? But Spike had explained that Naqa would have not done
it unless he felt that it was what Buffy needed at that moment.
Naqa was right, as always, she did
need it, more than she would ever admit.
Buffy had tried to clean the
wiseman's wounds around his face but he was so weak, they would
not heal. She was worried but she knew that Spike was even more
worried. She had caught him several times by the old man's
bedside watching him sleep. At first she tought that he was
controlling hunger, but that was no longer an issue.
She knew when he told her one
afternoon as she crept up behind him.
"When Angelus left me and
Dru, because of his bloody soul, we were almost lost, little
children.....looking ofr guidance. One night, around the 40's,
Dru said that the mountains were calling her, singing to her,
telling her that they had wisdom. To please her we headed east
towards China. Well, we eventually made it to this little town by
the border of China called Irkeshtam." He paused, she
listened. "D'cent lil' town, you know. Lots of goodies to
eat. I went on my own to take a look 'round one night, very
hungry, just waiting for the first fool." he let out a
unhumourous laugh. "The fool I found was myself,.....staring
at the wisest eyes I've ever seen. And there he was Qaletaqa, in
all his glory, in all his wisdom. So human and so supernatural. I
thought it was a dream, when he instantly did the 'goru'."
His eyes closed remembering the
feeling.
She watched his features.
He was different.
Her breath caught at her throat.
He was beautiful. So strong and yet so vulnerable. So capable of
hate and so capable of love. His jaw tightened reminding her of
abstract painting.
A man in closed cubicle.
A man trapped in a surreal cube,
floating,.....all different in the eyes of the beholder. You saw
him as you wanted.
If you focused on his jaw, you'll
see strength and hatred. If you saw his lips you saw wisdom and
knowledge. If you saw his eyes you'll see compasion and love. He
was a puzzle,......and she had figured it out.
But she saw his face, its
entirety, she saw the man, the demon, she saw strenght, hatred,
wisdom, knowledge, compassion, and...... love. Yes, love. Love
that screamed at her with fire dagers she could not duck. Love
that evaporated the world and left her whole and nude. Vulnerable
and weak, strong yet powerful.
I love him......... She
admitted with great pain. How long? Oh God..........
Tears were dancing in her eyes at
her realization. How could she do such a stupid thing? How could
she place herself on this path for unbearable destruction? She
was immolating herself for nights of endless crying.
"Unleashed the hate so great
in me. Bamm it was gone!..... All the fury,......all the feeling
of abandonment,.........it left. He had done it. From then on it
was no longer about the demon,.......it was about me. Yeah, I
wasn't gonna go all poofy on Dru, but that night,........so long
ago I let the him go. I let Taqa go. I didn't kill him. He was
hidding you see, they were looking for him. But I,....I saved
him. I hid him for four months. I kept him safe, without Dru
knowing it. She would have killed him, or turned him. But I
couldn't bear the sight of death in his eyes. Those eyes that
saved me from becoming Angelus. So I hid 'im" Spike paused
opening his eyes and looking at the man before him. "And
now,.....I can't." He gulped. "I can't save him, Buffy.
I can't hide 'im, death has found him and there's nothing I can
do 'bout it."
Buffy's heart cried out for him.
She felt his pain, his anguish ran through her veins as she tried
to help him with his load.
"Death comes to us all...,
you see" she said. Walking behind him and placing her
trembling hands on his strong slumped shoulders.
"I've killed so many,....and
I don't feel guilty,.............the one I don't kill,......tears
me apart." he almost whispered.
She gently squeezed his shoulders
in a comforting touch.
"Memories,.....they keep us
alive, they keep that person alive, that person lives, lives
within us." she whispered.
He smiled. "Since when did
you become the poet?"
"Since when did you become
sentimental?"
He glared at her. "I am NOT
sentimental."
She leaned on him and lowered her
head until her chin touched his shoulder and looked at him.
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." she said
smiling lightly but tauntingly. Then walked out of the room.
"Fool for love." the old
man whispered from bed.
Spike looked at him and smiled
sadly. "Always."
So here they sat on the bed
digesting the latest turn of events. After finding out they were
a price to be sold in a ancient Auction, they had been told that
they were the 'specials'. Buffy had almost ripped the messenger
to shreds had not Spike pulled her back. She was indignified. How
dare they!
Spike nor she were a price to be
won!
He was enraged more when this guy
named Lawrence came to meet Buffy. Stupid sod! He'd been all
nice and flirty, telling her how beautiful she was and what not.
Idiot! Didn't he know she saw herself in the mirror everyday? His
jealousy had eaten him away that day watching her question
Lawrence about this place and what was going to happen.
But he had reached his boiling
point when the guy took Buffy's hand, his Buffy's hand
and told her, "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to
you, I told them the Slayer was too important for the balance of
good and evil, but they didn't listen to me. I know your
importance, and I'll do all I can."
He had screamed at the bloke,
accusing him of hypocracy, but this time it was Buffy who had to
pull him back, preventing him from hurting the man. Ever since
that, the 'Lawrence peanut' had come and talked to Buffy
everyday. He sizzled.
She knew he hated Lawrence, but
Lawrence reminded her so much of Riley. All pleasing and adoring.
Going all nervous in front of her. He had been weird at the
beginning, coming on too fast, but somewhere along the way he had
changed. She saw true concern in his eyes. Almost as if he had
begun to care.
Again she felt guilty. She didn't
see Lawrence, she saw her worried boyfriend at home staring at
her with green eyes, pleading with her, telling her he missed
her.
What had she gotten herself in to?
She knew Lawrence was coming that afternoon, he said he had
important news to deliver. She was worried and so was Spike. Even
though Spike didn't like the guy, Lawrence had told them all they
knew about the auction, enough to know that he could never get
Buffy home.
They sat in silence waiting.
The door opened and the guard let
Lawrence in.
He was different, almost worried.
Lawrence hated himself at that
moment. Sure, this assignment had started out simple, seduce the
girl, then break her. He had done it so many times, to creatures
far worse than her. But it was her eyes that dug his grave. She
looked at him so trustingly, so much in need of answers. And he
had been her only hope. He had caved in.
He knew Spike hated him, well it
was understandable, here he was with strick orders so to have the
girl broken, malicious in his original intent, but confussed in
his emotions.
He had studied Spike looking at
Buffy, and new instantly that the vampire was in love with the
Slayer. How? He didn't question, he just observed. And she,
although well concealed, was emotionally dependent on the
creature for everything. Yes, they argued, but it was lover's
quarrels. Frustration instead of hate.
But today, he knew he would see it
in her eyes, when he told them the news.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hello Buffy." Lawrence
said entering the room and taking a seat at the edge of the bed
opposite of the glummy couple. "Spike."
"Hello Lawrence." she
said quietly. Spike stared at the man, his jaw tightened. He felt
something wrong.
"How are you..." he
started.
"Cut to business,
please." she said in her Slayer tone.
Spike smiled inside, That's my
girl.
"Right, no time for dilly,
dally" he looked up at their waiting faces and took a
breath. "The Auction, is in five days, we're expecting
creatures from all the ends of the world. It's going to be an
event like no other. And you two, as you know, are the piece of
cake at the end. Roderick is expecting to make millions on your
behalf. A slayer comes once in a century, and vampiric line of
Aurelius is almost extinct. Selling you as a pair will have him
retiring for eternity. But there's a problem." He paused and
Spike leaned foward. He could smell a trap and this was not one,
the kid was worried, nervous.
"Well spit it'out,
mate." He said aggravated at the scantity of information.
Buffy's heart was beating a mile a minute, something was wrong,
wronger than usual.
"Well the thing is, who is
going to pay for a neutered master vampire?" Lawrence said,
avoiding the glare the vampire was giving him.
Buffy felt the floor collapse.
"What r' you sayin'?"
Spike asked cautiously.
"Tomorrow." he said
looking at Spike. "They take the chip out."
Spike's heart was lifting so
quickly he thought he would laugh out loud.
Buffy's heart was breaking.
"They flew in a special
surgeon that will perform the operation tomorrow. But the thing
is......"
"There's another thing?"
Buffy asked her voice shaking.
"Yeah.......this has never
been performed." he stated. "There's a high chance,
that there could be......complications."
"What type of
complications?" Spike asked now worried, he didn't want to
end up a veggie.
"Well, you see, its painful,
when you wake up, that is." Lawrence said looking between
Buffy's worried face and Spike's intrigued.
"I can deal with pain."
Spike dismissed it as a no problem, he would endure anything to
get the friggin' chip out.
"And you might loose your
strength........ for a while." he said looking down.
Realization creeped into Spike and
and he nodded. "I get it, you take the chip out, I'm weak,
so I can't fight back when they sell us,......" He paused in
understanding. "And they're going to take Buffy's strength
too. Aren't they?" he asked, growing in anger. "So
we'll be defenseless, we'll have no choice but to comply and be
sold so the highest bidder."
Buffy was shaking. Her thoughts
were rambled together and she looked at Lawrence to find some
reasurrance, but his head was bent in defeat.
"Yes, that's the general
idea." he said not looking at them "Both you and Buffy
will be with normal human strength while you're being
auctioned." he said. "All to prevent resistance."
"He has it all figured out,
don't you, mate?" Spike asked standing up from the bed and
started pacing in their small room. "Well I don't want it
out. I rather keep it and have something left of what makes me,
me."
"You have no choice." he
said quietly. "They'll come tomorrow, and take you
away."
"No they are not." Buffy
said gaining her strength.
Lawrence looked at her and saw the
anger building. "Buffy I am sorry, I am just the
messenger."
"You can take your routine
and shove it up your ass, but I will not stand back and let them
do that, and I will NOT have my strength taken from me. I WILL
NOT!" she screamed.
Lawrence jumped as the brassed off
Slayer got closer to him. Her eyes flared. He was sure she would
hit him and braced himself. But Spike came up behing her and
grabbed her arm.
"C'mon, pet, he' not worth
it."
She leaned back into Spike's chest
and let his presence soothe her. She knew there was no way out.
They were trapped, the cat had finally cornered the mice and
there was no escape.
"How long?" she asked.
"How long, what?"
Lawrence asked carefully.
"How long will we be without
strength?" she asked slowly.
"Until.....your owners have
you." he stated simply.
"Owner?" Spike asked.
"I'm no slave."
"Well you're going to be
sold, they'll buy you, you'll be owned."
Buffy's face contorted in anger,
but she held her ground. "I want to go with him."
Lawrence's head shot up to look at
her. "Where?"
"Tomorrow in the
operation." her hand went to find Spike's hand. They linked
thier fingers together. She could feel he was about to burst.
Lawrence saw the gesture and all
his questions were answered. She loved him and was not going to
leave the vampire's side. He knew he had caused enough pain and
simply nodded. "I think I can make it happen."
"You will make it
happen." she said harshly. "You guys thought it was
cute to stick us together, cute to see us vulnerable, cute to
torture us, cute to see us weak, well I have news for you, buddy.
Me and Spike, we're as strong as it gets, and I don't know what
game you play, Lawrence, but take a good look at us, not
tomorrow, not in five days, not ever are we going to break."
she was shaking with anger . "Sorry to disappoint you."
"You tell your boss, that his
first mistake was thinking he could break us." Spike said
calmly joining Buffy. "Tell Roderick, he has no idea who
he's messed with."
Lawrence gulped, the vampire's
eyes bore right throught him, almost like Roderick's did. His
voice was menacing and he meant it.
Buffy held on tight to Spike's
hand, so she wouldn't rip Lawrence's throat out.
"I'll tell him." he said
backing out of the room, "And about tomorrow."
He left, left them standing there,
his words sinking into their greatest fears.
She was breathing heavily, anger,
fear, and frustration was cursing through her brain. She was
going to be without strength, Spike's chip was getting removed,
he might not wake up, this had never been done before, he will be
strengthless, like her, in five days they would be slaves.
Spike was fumming. He finally had
what he wanted but was afraid he might not wake up, leaving Buffy
to fend on her own, he couldn't do that. Even when he woke up he
would not have strength, just like her, they would be sitting
ducks. His plan had been escape during the auction, fight their
way out, but counting on their strength, but now........FUCK!
"Spike?" she asked still
holding his hand tight.
He didn't respond, she knew he
wouldn't.
"If I don't make
it....." she trailed off when he leaned his chin on top of
her head kissing her hair lightly.
"Don't say that." he
murmmured into her scalp.
She turned to face him. They
locked eyes. "Promise me you'll wake up."
"Buffy, I can't...."
"Just promise, ok?" her
voice was shaking with fear, she didn't want ot be left alone.
He looked into her large watery
green eyes and saw the fear she had. She felt defenseless. At
least if they were both weak they'll be together, but if he
kicked 'it', she would be alone and weak.
He nodded not saying a word. She
saw the understanding in his blue eyes and was grateful she
didn't have to explain herself.
At this moment they had nothing,
no hope, no strength, no vision, no plan, they only had each
other.
"You stay alive.....you wake
up.......and don't you dare leave me or I swear I'll stake you
first chance I get." she said gathering what little voice
she could.
He bend down and kissed her
forehead, breathing in her smell. Fear was all over her, and
decades ago he would had relished in it, but now it seemed to
hurt him.
"I promise." he
whispered.
They embrassed each other in a
comforting embrace, leaning against each other, cherishing in
what they had now and could loose tomorrow.
She inhaled his scent, and his
smell made her cry. She sobbed out right. She was tired of being
strong, this place had completely destroyed her, if he wasn't
there they would break her.
He comforted his own fear by
enjoying her closeness, her voluntary closeness, her need for him
at that moment. They held on, not knowing what tomorrow would
bring.
And he remembered something from
long ago, so long ago it seemed like a dream.
The words flew out of his mouth
without thinking.
"All my past life is mine
no more;
The flying hours are gone,
Like transitory dreams given
o'er,
Whose images are kept in store
By memory alone.
The time that is to come is
not;
How can it then be mine?
The present moment's all my
lot;
And that, as fast as it is
got,
Phillis, is only thine.
Then talk no more of
inconstancy,
False hearts, and broken vows;
If I by miracle, can be
This live-long minute true to
thee,
'Tis all that haven
allows."
Buffy had seized to breathe when
he started, her tears falling freely into her cheeks as she
soaked in every words of the poem. A poem! He had whispered a
poem, so right, so appropiate, it made her want to hold him and
beg God for mercy, mercy on her, mercy on him, mercy on them.
She knew he was right. They did
not belong in this time. If they were back home, they wouldn't be
this close, they wouldn't need each other so much, they wouldn't
be so scared.
She looked up at his face that was
softened by the moment. Her breath caught at her throat and she
forgot how to breathe. He was beautiful, so tender yet strong.
His eyes were clear blue, so loving it made her mush.
"Where did you learn
that?" she croaked out.
He studied her for a moment. His
throat was dry with feeling. What was wrong with him? He was an
image if his sire, all poetic and shit, holding on to a human he
could not help but love.
He shrugged gazing at her large
red-stained green eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and wet with
trails of tears. "My mum, she used to recite it to me when I
was a chap,........she always said that if you were ever scared
of loosing something, you must enjoy it at the precise moment you
have it, you must appreciate it, because it may be all that you
will be allowed to have."
Buffy felt new tears coming. She
saw his vitality, it screamed at her. He was the only man she
knew that could demonstrate his insecurities and have them
manifest in the glory of his courage.
"How sad is the truth, but
then again all truth in someway is sad." she said quietly.
"Now who's the poet." he
asked breaking the moment with a familiar grin.
She grinned back at him and rested
her head on his shoulder, enjoying what heaven allowed.
He held her, letting her
thundering heart giving life to his dead one, so sweet, so
unreal, so dreamfull it made him cry. His few tears painted the
top of her head as they braced themselves for what heaven could
take away.
To be
continued........................
Author's note: (I know, quite
sappy, but I couldn't help myself.)
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