Title: Of Demons and Souls, Chapter Four: Upside down, Inside out
Author: AriellaGiselle
Rating: R, for violence, bloodletting, m/m overtones, adult content, language, and major angst.
Pairings: Darien/Bobby, Darien/Spike, Spike/Willow, a little bit of Darien/Claire in this chapter, but not too much.
Distribution: My site, Fanfiction.net, IMFanfic, Bite me... Please?, QSArchive, and NeonSilence. Anyone else, just ask.
Spoilers: I don't think there are any.
Time-line: Post-In the Woods, Pre-Crush; Post-Den of Theives. They don't line up, but we don't see me caring, do we? ;-)
Summary: Darien and Bobby visit Sunnydale with dire consequences for them both.
Author's Notes: This is an AU storie. It's a crossover between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Invisible Man. In my universe, Spike never had the chip, and Tara isn't Willow's girlfriend. Even if you don't follow Buffy, you should be able to follow this. Spike is a vampire, Willow is a witch, Buffy is the Slayer (duh!).
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plot. Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to the mighty Joss and Kuzui/Sandollar. The Invisible Man belongs to Scifi and Stu Segall.

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"Darien, I don't -- no, I *can't* believe this!"

"What can't you believe, Claire?"

"That you're a vampire? That you still have some of your soul, you think? Any of it! All of it!"

"But Claire, I swear to you that it's all true," Darien pushed gently at her disbelief.

"Prove it, Darien," she challenged.

"Claire, no. Don't ask me to do that," he pleaded weakly. He was hungry and positive that he couldn't stand for her flaunting her graceful neck, exposing it for his fangs to sink in like velvet. "Please don't."

"Prove it, Darien," she whispered, rolling her head to the side and tossing her blonde tresses over her shoulder.

Darien stared at the soft skin gleaming in the soft lamplight of the hotel room. He closed his eyes only to be haunted by the sound of her elevated heartbeat ringing in his ears. "Don't..." he sobbed softly.

"Darien," she spoke softly, "you don't have to take enough to kill me. You look weak and sick. Just take enough to survive for now."

"I don't know if I can stop myself," he admitted.

"You can, Darien. Just believe it, because I know you can." She reached out to him. He grabbed her arm and picked her up off the bed, wrapping his arms around her gasping, struggling body. He held her firmly in place with one arm, while bringing the other up to brush the honeyed strands away from her neck.

"Is this what you meant, Claire?" he purred in her ear. Dropping his head slightly, he brushed his sharp canines along her jugular. Her heart was fluttering wildly, and it called to his instincts. Her breathing became labored and shallow. Taking one look at her face, he snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her back flush against his chest.

Her blood washed over his tongue like a salvation flood. His inner struggle temporarily suspended, he listened for her heartbeat to slow. When it did, he released her, lapping gently at the marks -- his marks -- on her skin.

Darien scrubbed at a tear trailing down his cheekbone and laid her on the bed. He pulled a blanket over her sleeping form and quietly left the room.

The breeze from the sea felt wonderful on his skin. If he'd been human, he would've been incredibly warm right now. The phantom feel of her terror seeping into his skin excited him. And he hated that part of himself.

*****

"Spike!"

"What, mate?" the blonde asked from his old armchair.

"I need to know something," Darien snarled.

"What? And you better rethink that tone, Darien," Spike replied angrily.

"Am I a demon or do I have a soul? I hunger, crave blood, but the thought of drinking from a human disgusts me!" Darien collapsed onto the couch in a heap of sobs.

Spike rose from his chair and sat on the couch next to the crying agent. "D," he began, "we've been through this. Yes, you're demon, and yes, it appears you have some of your soul. I would've hoped for a little easier adjustment or whatever such bollocks."

Darien looked up and chuckled. "I'm sorry. I saw a friend of mine tonight, and she..."

"She what, man?"

"She challenged me to prove it to her."

"How did she know, mate?"

"I had to tell her. She was my Keeper back at the Agency. She was my friend, and she deserved to know."

"Did you kill her?"

"No!" Darien shouted, "God, no! She's asleep at her hotel. I have to go back before she wakes up."

"Damn right, you do! Take some aspirin, too. She's gonna have a hell of a headache when she wakes up. Food might not be a bad idea, either."

"Thanks, man," Fawkes smiled weakly.

"No problem. Oh, Bobby was looking for you earlier. Apparently he heard that your Keeper was in town."

"Oh, shit... He's gonna be so pissed at me!"

"Why?"

"He was in love with her before..."

"Really? Well, none of that matters now. He's more interested in someone else now."

"Huh? Who?"

"Come on, mate! Don't tell me you're that dense!"

"Wha... Me?! You mean, Bobby's interested in me?"

"Yeah, Fawkes," a new voice said from the doorway.

"Bobby!" Darien yelped breathlessly.

"Yeah, I'm interested in you," Bobby purred, "But the question is: Are you interested in me?" He walked slowly to the couch and stood in front of Darien.

Spike took his cue and spoke, "I think Willow's home. I'll see you later." He left the living area, shutting the door to his and Willow's bedroom behind him.

Bobby's brown eyes never left Darien's as Spike exitted. "Well?" the senior agent asked hopefully.

"Yeah..." Darien whispered. Bobby squatted down and placed his hand experimentally on Darien's face. When the younger man responded to the intimate touch, Bobby leaned in and brushed his lips against Darien's.

Darien was frozen for a moment. Was he actually kissing his partner? Or was he dreaming it? Was all of this just a dream? His brain finally kicked into high gear, and he returned Bobby's kiss.

It all felt so right...

*****

"He'll wrap you in his arms and tell you that you've been a good boy.
He'll rekindle all your dreams that took you a lifetime to destroy.
He'll reach deep in the hole, heal your shrinking soul,
But there won't be a single thing that you can do.

"He's a God,
He's a man,
He's a ghost,
He's a guru.
And their a-whisperin' his name through this disappearin' land,
But hidden in his coat is a Red Right Hand."

--"Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds--

*****

end part four