Say What Kareoke?
Pre- Once More With Feeling
Summary: Buffy and the gang head to L. A. and visit a certain Kareoke bar. The guys are there only to have fun!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, Joss Whedon and UPN do. Don't own the song either. Edwin Mcllan(spelling?) does. I picked this song because I really like it and it kind of has a little theme to the whole Buffy/Spike romance :)
A/N: If the song lyrics look arranged all funny it's because my Microsoft word was acting up.
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"Think he'll be any good?" Dawn asked. "Oh, who cares? He can't be any worse than those two," Buffy motioned to Anya and Xander. "Hey!"
"Shhh! He's starting," Tara whispered. They all grew quiet. Spike was sitting on a stool in the middle of the stage, a guitar in his lap. "He can play the guitar?" Xander asked.
"Shhhh!!"
He began to sing:
The strands in your eyes, that color them wonderful Stop me and steal my breath Emeralds from mountains, thrust towards the sky Never revealing their depth
Tell me, that we belong together Dress it up with the trippings of love I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above
I'll be your crying shoulder I'll be love suicide I'll be better when I'm older I'll be the greatest fan of your life
It wasn't a really hard song to sing, so Spike wondered why he was having a hard time singing. Well, duh. The answer was sitting right in front of him.
Rain falls, angry on the tin roof As we lie awake in my bed
You're my survival, you're my living proof My love is alive and not dead
God, was he pathetic. She had made it perfectly clear he would never ever have a chance with her. Well, that's the funny thing about love. It's love. Even if the person hates your guts or wants you dead, or dust in his case, you still stay, because you love them. You understand you might never be together but you stay. Your life's not even yours anymore, it belongs to them. Every heartbeat, breath. Your not even living. In Spike's case this was literal. His life and breath had been taken long ago. He didn't care. Who wants to be alive, having to bother to remember to breathe. But she did have something of his. Something that he did want back a little. He believed with all his unbeating heart that Buffy had his soul. What he needed to be worthy of her. She had his soul and she didn't even know it. She sat there, smiling at something Dawn said, laughing.
Tell me, that we belong together Dress it up with the trippings of love I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above
I've dropped out, burned up, fought my way back from the dead Tuned in turned on, remembered the things that you said
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Spike finished the first verse and went into the chorus. Buffy wasn't sure if the whole place went quiet or if she had just forced her ears to shut everything else out but his voice. It made her feel.....safe, warm. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt like this. Of course she could, she thought about it every waking moment. The place that was getting so hard to remember, images slipping away so fast, like a dream.
Dawn loved this song. It sounded even better when Spike sang it. She wasn't the only one who thought so. She looked around the table. They were all captivated by his voice. All expect for Xander, that is. "Oh, please," he guffawed. "Shhh," Willow hushed him. "What?! He's.....okay...I'll admit, but not that good!"
"Shut up!" Tara whispered.
That surprised both Willow and Xander. "What? You know I like British singer's, honey. I have all those U2 CDs."
"He's good," Dawn said. Buffy felt herself smile and nod, taking her eyes off the stage for the first time since the vampire took the stage. Dawn took a sip of her drink and smiled to herself.
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"God, all you vampires dress alike," the green demon laughed. "Nice duster, know a friend who has one like it." Spike rolled his eyes. Like this guy was dressed any better? The '80 are over pal. "You don't have to bother, most of us fang gang don't have souls."
"Not yet anyway. You have an aura though, not as good but I can tell what I need to." Spike looked at the Host. "What do you mean not yet?"
"Well, now look who's interested. Sit down." He motioned to the chair next to him. "I have the chip, is that it. Not biting people, helping the helpless."
"The chip hardly had anything to do with it. It was a start. You were still pretty bad with it in place."
"Yea," he looked over to where Buffy was sitting. The Host laughed. "No wonder, I think I know why. Turns vampires to mush instead of killing them."
"Oh, bug off."
"Hey, just trying to help. It's gonna take you awhile." Spike was silent for a moment. "You mean it, I can really get a...a..."
"A one way ticket to broodville? Yep." Spike nodded. He'd heard what he needed to. "Come back anytime, even if you don't have a soul yet. Not all vampires are as good singers as you," the host called after him.
Willow was whispering something in Tara's ear that made her laugh. Everyone else at the table was quiet when Spike took his seat. Dawn couldn't help noticing that Buffy didn't look up when Spike sat down.
Buffy tried her best to fill the akward silence. "Did any of you try the potato skins? They're really good!"
"I think they taste like cardboard," Dawn said. "Yea, but carboard with cheese and bacon and a high calorie content.
Willow yawned, "Guess we should call it a night, huh?"
"Not so fast! The rest of you have to sing," Xander reminded her. "Oh, come on!"
"Don't be such a wimp Will, you know what they say, you got to face your fears," Buffy trilled. "Fine then you sing next." Buffy's eyes went wide. "I'll go!" They turned surprised eyes towards Dawn. "It's no biggy," then after a minute,"If any of you ever mention this to anybody....you'll die a slow, agonizing death." they watched after her. "So I guess homicide runs in the family," where the first words spoken after, by Anya.
End of Part 3
