Of fact and fiction - Chapter six
by Angel Eternal
email: angel_eternal_01@yahoo.com
silver_moon_07@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13 ( for Spike's potty mouth, and Anya's frankness)
Disclaimers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is owned by Joss Whedon, several
companies and God knows who else. One thing is certain - I don't own
any of it! Nothing - zip - nada!
He needed a smoke. He really needed to smoke.
It wasn't the nicotine that had him hooked, that couldn't affect him. It was the cigarette
smoke. Inhaling the swirling grey smoke was what he craved, he could feel the smoke's
progress through useless veins and pipes, to feel it fill his useless lungs. In a strange way,
it had the power to make him feel alive again - to feel something flowing through his body,
the way she did.
He cursed under his breath, why did his thoughts always turn to her?
He knew that it was hopeless; she had said she wanted to give him a chance, but would
that promise hold once they had gotten out of this debacle? Would she turn to her precious
surrogate family and defy them? Or would she crush him?
Spike had feelings that once back in her realm, she would regain her sanity. He was
certain that either she was desperate, or she had become a raving lunatic.
It had happened too fast.
That fact unsettled him.
As he moved stealthily through the shadows, looking for his dinner, he stared up at the sky,
wishing for the Nibblet. Her's had always been the voice of reason in his otherwise chaotic
world. Sure she could have turned to him initially out of rebellion, but it had developed to
more than that, and he would lay down his useless undead life to save the Slayer's sister, just
as he would for the Slayer. The Nibblet invoked in him feelings of protectiveness - something
that he could never feel for Buffy.
* * *
Buffy paced restlessly.
She refused to go outside, she was sure to see him, and that was the last thing that she wanted
to happen. She didn't want to see him - ever.
"Bloody hell!"
She had stubbed her toe, she glared at the throbbing appendage, then her words hit her.
She groaned, great, she was beginning to pick up Spikeisms!
It had hurt her to the quick when he casually admitted to complementing her in order to
get back at Angus, whom he saw as Angel.
She hated how she had reacted to his words, hated the way the blood rushed through her,
anticipation had rushed through her veins, and she had practically melted on the spot.
She grimaced - wonderful imagery - great big puddle of Buffy-ice cream - strawberry
flavoured.
She hated the way that he always managed to elicit the most intense of emotions. If it wasn't
blind hatred, it was utmost passion.
There had never been a middle ground. There never will be.
She saw that fact in his eyes, and within her. If they couldn't be mortal enemies they had to
be....
Buffy growled, once more wishing for evil undead things to vent her fury on.
She simply wanted to go home. At least there she knew where she stood - on the Hellmouth.
* * *
She was here. I can feel her energy pulsing through my veins, that rich strand of ancient power,
coursing through such vulnerable veins.
Why did the Powers choose to bestow such a gift on ones so unworthy?
She was delectable, perhaps this time the Powers had chosen wisely. Could it be that she was
the one that the Powers had searched for an eternity? No matter if she was. That would simply
make the meal that much more tasty...
* * *
Winona brushed her hair, absorbed in her thoughts.
There was something not quite right with the Lady Elizabeth; she seemed more concerned about
Danica. She also brushed away Laird Angus.
So far she had made no mention of what had passed between herself and the Laird.
Winona had seen none of the anxiousness that Elizabeth usually exhibited around the Laird. Lord
William was another matter.
She knew that Lord William and Laird Angus had grown up together; Angus had been fostered
with William. She knew that both men had courted the beautiful Desdemona, but Desdemona
had been madly in love with William. After William and Desdemona had married, Angus rarely
saw his foster brother. Then came the incident with Desdemona. Winona only knew of the rumours,
but with the way that Angus and William treated each other, the rumours were probably true.
Winona didn't want to think of it. Elizabeth and Angus may have had a past, but Winona was
convinced that Elizabeth and William had a future.
* * *
Danica wandered down the hallway. She delighted in escaping her nurse, she detested the nurse.
She was now in search of her sister, who wasn't really her sister.
The first time Danica had seen her, she knew that this wasn't Elizabeth - it was Buffy.
She made her way, looking for Buffy, never thinking about where her real sister could be. All
she knew was that Buffy was with her now, and she liked Buffy.
She saw the light, eagerly following it.
Softly she knocked on the door.
The door opened slowly, cautiously, as if the person opening it was unsure if she wanted to let
anyone in.
Danica peered around the frame, her eyes seeking the large eyes of the one known as Buffy.
Buffy's eyes widened, "Danica!"
Danica smiled, and wondered why Buffy called her 'Dawn' in her mind. She often heard names
from Buffy's mind. Buffy never called William anything but 'Spike' or 'that blasted vampire'.
She called Winona, 'Willow' and that horrible laird, she called 'Angel'. Now that was something
that Danica never understood. Angus reeked of darkness, and yet Buffy called him 'Angel'.
"Buffy..."
Buffy's eyes darkened, as she pulled Danica into her room, "Danica, why are you here?"
"Buffy."
Buffy sighed, "Do you want to stay here with me Dani?"
Danica's smile brightened. Elizabeth called her 'Dani' and now Buffy called her 'Dani'.
Buffy took that as an affirmative, and settled Danica into the bed. Wistfully, Buffy played
with her hair, missing her sister. Often when Buffy was upset, she would run her fingers
through Dawn's hair, letting the silken strands slip from her hands. Lately she had been doing
that often, reassuring herself that her sister was still with her. Buffy didn't know what was
going on in Danica's mind, but she wished that she could, she had a feeling that Danica was
the key that would lead Buffy and Spike home, just as surely as Dawn was The Key.
* * *
"My lady! Wake up! He's here!"
Buffy groaned, one thing she hated about Winona was the fact that she unerringly woke
Buffy in the morning, the way Willow would back in their college days.
"What? Who's here?"
Winona was frantically running around the room. "I told you yesterday Lizzy!"
Buffy blinked, that was the first time Winona had addressed her so informally. The cloud
on her mind still hadn't lifted. Buffy had never been a morning person. "What?"
Exasperated, Winona turned, and yanked the covers off Buffy's sleepy warm body. She gasped
as the cold air slapped her limbs, she reached for the covers, but Winona had dumped them
by the foot of the bed.
Buffy groaned, and curled into a foetal position, burying her head under the pillows.
Winona yanked the pillow off, "Lizzy! The Prince is here!"
Buffy moaned again and glanced up at her entreatingly, "Please..."
Winona strode to the chest, pulling out a gown. "Lizzy, you get up right now, get dressed and
greet the Prince!"
Buffy recognised the steel in her voice, she looked up and saw the determined glint in her eyes.
Sighing, she slowly sat up, and let the whirlwind known on this crazy dimension as 'Winona'
do whatever she wanted with the half asleep Slayer.
* * *
Prince Rhys strode through the doors, looking around in distaste at his surroundings. His eyes
lit up when he saw the vision descend the stairs.
He saw a golden-haired angel, silver mist clinging to her generous figure.
Entranced, he held out his hand to her.
She glided towards him; he ignored the strange look in her eyes, as he waited for her to
acknowledge him properly.
Buffy stared at Riley. She had never seen him dressed like this, and emotions rolled around
in the pit of her stomach. The way Riley had left her, and the events preceding that left her
unsettled, and unsure how to treat this man who looked so much like her ex-boyfriend.
She glanced over his shoulder, and saw Winona frantically signalling to her to...
She dipped into a curtsy, she was sure she looked ridiculous.
Prince Rhys watched as she dipped into a carelessly graceful curtsy, a true child of royal
lineage. He was utterly besotted with her.
He bowed to her, catching her hand in his and pressing his lips on it.
Buffy felt her stomach flip as his green eyes stared up into hers, she wasn't sure if that
was a good thing or not.
* * *
Anya threw the book down in disgust.
Xander ran to her side, "What is it honey?"
They had been unsure of letting Anya read the book, but she had insisted, and Tara had
caved in.
Anya rolled her eyes, "This is stupid Xander!"
"What happened?" Xander couldn't even think - he didn't really know if he wanted to
know what happed, but the not knowing was equally driving him nuts.
Anya sighed, "It's stupid - Buffy is there with an Angel look-alike, that was bad enough,
but now she's got a Riley look-alike on the scene as well! It's as if the author didn't want
her to get together with Spike! That is if there is an author..." she frowned, momentarily
confused, then effortlessly picked up her thread of thought again, "It's so obvious she has
the hots for Spike - I mean she always had right? But now she's all alone with him, why
doesn't she just throw him down and ride him for all she's worth?"
The gang stared at her. Xander, in abject horror, started to splutter with indignation, while
Dawn burst out in delighted laughter.
Anya shook her head, and picked up the book again, muttering something about 'stupid,
moralising blondes...'
~ To be continued ~