Spike burned. That's the only thing that he could think of, as he was
cleansed. Burning. The agony had ripped through him, and he fought it
tooth and nail. He forgot about his life, his death, his Slayer, the world.
He only knew the pain.
Then there had come that brief moment when he understood. Everything.
Life, death, what comes after. He knew it all. But the world came crashing
back as it ended, leaving him broken, clinging to that truth that slowly
slipped away as awareness settled in.
He had rolled over onto his side and started to cry. The remembrance of
the pain had left his muscles twitching and sore. All he wanted to do was
sleep, for a good week or two. But he knew that he couldn't.
He got control of himself and rolled back over, staring up at the ceiling,
trying to force away the lingering pain.
"Spike?" Buffy's timid voice came through to him. It sounded as if she
had been crying.
He opened his mouth to reply, but the words that came out weren't the ones
he had planned on speaking.
"The child of light, cloaked in red..." he began, then frowned. He didn't
notice Giles scrambling for a notebook and pen behind him. He took an
unneeded breath and tried again. "With hands for death and eyes unread..."
Now Spike was really confused.
Finally, he just gave up. Whatever he was saying obviously needed to be
said. So he continued.
"Shall give the gift and buy it back....And give her soul for one who
lacks. When the water turns and the new blood burns, the wall from night
and day will raze, and the bridge that rises in its place, shall be
consecrated in blue and black and crimson, and the first soulmates shall be
born, at the price of the world."
Giles finished writing, capping the pen and looking to the dumbstruck
Slayer.
"Spike? Is there more?" the watcher asked.
Spike shook his head, and forced himself into a sitting postion.
"God, that was bloody awful.." the vampire muttered, letting his face fall
into his hands. Buffy slid an arm around his waist and helped him to his
feet.
"I almost lost you..." she whispered, tightening her grip on him.
"I'm fine, pet. No worries." he turned to her, and was only a little less
surprised than Giles to find Buffy's lips on his. He kissed her back hungrily for
a moment before she broke away, and looked at the Watcher.
"Giles, why don't you go talk with the others? Do some research? Find out
what that...poem means? I need to talk to Spike. Alone."
Giles stared at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of
water, before nodding dumbly and hurrying out the door, muttering something
about a good scotch.
Spike grinned a little dumbly himself as the Slayer led him up the stairs.
He was tired as hell, yeah, and still aching, but not so much that he wasn't
interested in what she might be planning.
He found out right quick as her bedroom door closed behind them.
///
Spike awoke with a start, hearing something thump to the ground outside the
Slayer's window. He listened, tilting his head, as small footsteps hurried
away into the night.
He muttered a curse, and disentangled himself from the sleeping Buffy as
gently as he could without waking her. Throwing on his jeans and shirt and
grabbing his duster, he made it out of the house just in time to see Dawn
disappear around the corner.
"Nibblet.." he growling, wondering what the girl could possibly be
thinking, sneaking out at 2 a.m. As he took off after her, he decided he
would find out before he dragged her home.
///
Angel had had worse days. He couldn't recall them at the moment, but he
was sure he had. The Cleansing had been horrible, sure. But he knew he
deserved it, after everything he had done in his time. Four aspirin had
taken care of the lingering side effects, so they had continued on, driving
the last 20 minutes to Sunnydale.
Wes and Cordelia had remained behind, poring through books, trying to find
some reference to the prophecy he had spoken after the Cleansing was over.
The vampire had left them to it, deciding to prowl around town for the
remainder of the night, to try and find any other information he might need.
He ducked into a shadow when he saw a girl run by, perhaps 15 years old.
The girl...Buffy's sister, Dawn. That's who she was. He frowned, watching
as she looked behind her, and sped up slightly. Angel searched around her,
almost leaving the shadows to go and ask her what she was doing, when he saw
someone following her, keeping to the rooftops.
He growled, vamping out as he recognized Spike, stalking the girl.
He followed the pair, keeping out of range, but close enough to be ready to
do something when Spike attacked.
///
Spike was getting tired of following Dawn. She had been out for nearly 30
minutes, and apparently going in circles. He figured it was best to just end it
right now, before she got hurt. Even with most of the vampires dusted,
there was still an untold number of beasties crawling about.
She turned into an alley and Spike leapt off the building, landing before
her in a crouch.
Dawn shrieked in surprise.
"Spike?!"
The vampire reached out to grab her by the arm and haul her home, when a
dark shape slammed into him with the force of a small car, knocking him to
the ground.
Dawn screamed for real this time, and jumped back as the other vampire
jumped on Spike and threw him away from her. Spike was on his feet in less
than a second, dancing on his toes, his face reflecting amusement when he
recognized his foe.
"Peaches? Just what in the bloody hell do you think..." he was cut off
when Angel threw a right hook at his jaw.
Spike chuckled as the blow knocked him back a few feet. Then returned the
favor, bringing up his leg and kicking the older vampire in the side of the
head, knocking him to the ground.
"Stupid, Spike, attacking Buffy's sister. Are you just begging for an..."
this time it was Angel who trailed off as Spike doubled over laughing.
Taking it as an insult, Angel went on the attack again, kneeing Spike in the
face and throwing him onto his back. Still, Spike didn't stop laughing.
The younger vampire only laughed harder when Angel was attacked from
behind, by a very brassed off ex-Key.
"Leave him alone!" Dawn screamed, and kicked Angel hard in the back of the
knee. The vampire spun, instinct driving the flat of his hand at the girl's
face, knocking her to the side. Spike stopped laughing.
"Dawn?" Angel asked, surprised. "I'm sorry, I.." she raised her head and
glared at him. Her tiny fist flew out, and with a move that rivaled her big
sister, struck him hard in the eye. He staggered back, only to find a fully
vamped out Spike, who locked an arm around his neck.
"Don't. Touch. The girl." Spike growled, and dropped Angel hard.
Forcing his demon away, he stepped over the fallen vampire and reached out
to Dawn.
"You okay, Nibblet?" he asked, concern in his voice, to Angel's surprise.
"Yeah." she said, shaking her hand. "I'm fine." She continued to glare at
Angel, who was getting to his feet.
"What in the hell is going on here?" Angel demanded.
Spike chuckled.
"An' I'm guessin' Buffy hasn't told you nuthin' bout me recently, has she?"
Angel just stared at him.
"Figures." Spike shrugged, and took Dawn by the arm. He seemed to forget
about Angel for a moment.
"Now, little bit, I could kill you where you stand, what in the soddin'
hell are you doin' sneakin' 'round at 2 a.m.? Without me?"
Dawn smiled sheepishly.
"Um, going for a walk?"
Spike shook her lightly.
"Bit..." he warned.
"Visitingmyboyfriend." she said quickly.
"BOYFRIEND?! Who?" Spike nearly yelled.
"Hello?" Angel said, stepping closer to the two. "Spike, if you don't tell
me what is going on..." he moved closer. And sniffed the air. "Why do you
smell like Buffy?"
"Bloody hell..."
cleansed. Burning. The agony had ripped through him, and he fought it
tooth and nail. He forgot about his life, his death, his Slayer, the world.
He only knew the pain.
Then there had come that brief moment when he understood. Everything.
Life, death, what comes after. He knew it all. But the world came crashing
back as it ended, leaving him broken, clinging to that truth that slowly
slipped away as awareness settled in.
He had rolled over onto his side and started to cry. The remembrance of
the pain had left his muscles twitching and sore. All he wanted to do was
sleep, for a good week or two. But he knew that he couldn't.
He got control of himself and rolled back over, staring up at the ceiling,
trying to force away the lingering pain.
"Spike?" Buffy's timid voice came through to him. It sounded as if she
had been crying.
He opened his mouth to reply, but the words that came out weren't the ones
he had planned on speaking.
"The child of light, cloaked in red..." he began, then frowned. He didn't
notice Giles scrambling for a notebook and pen behind him. He took an
unneeded breath and tried again. "With hands for death and eyes unread..."
Now Spike was really confused.
Finally, he just gave up. Whatever he was saying obviously needed to be
said. So he continued.
"Shall give the gift and buy it back....And give her soul for one who
lacks. When the water turns and the new blood burns, the wall from night
and day will raze, and the bridge that rises in its place, shall be
consecrated in blue and black and crimson, and the first soulmates shall be
born, at the price of the world."
Giles finished writing, capping the pen and looking to the dumbstruck
Slayer.
"Spike? Is there more?" the watcher asked.
Spike shook his head, and forced himself into a sitting postion.
"God, that was bloody awful.." the vampire muttered, letting his face fall
into his hands. Buffy slid an arm around his waist and helped him to his
feet.
"I almost lost you..." she whispered, tightening her grip on him.
"I'm fine, pet. No worries." he turned to her, and was only a little less
surprised than Giles to find Buffy's lips on his. He kissed her back hungrily for
a moment before she broke away, and looked at the Watcher.
"Giles, why don't you go talk with the others? Do some research? Find out
what that...poem means? I need to talk to Spike. Alone."
Giles stared at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of
water, before nodding dumbly and hurrying out the door, muttering something
about a good scotch.
Spike grinned a little dumbly himself as the Slayer led him up the stairs.
He was tired as hell, yeah, and still aching, but not so much that he wasn't
interested in what she might be planning.
He found out right quick as her bedroom door closed behind them.
///
Spike awoke with a start, hearing something thump to the ground outside the
Slayer's window. He listened, tilting his head, as small footsteps hurried
away into the night.
He muttered a curse, and disentangled himself from the sleeping Buffy as
gently as he could without waking her. Throwing on his jeans and shirt and
grabbing his duster, he made it out of the house just in time to see Dawn
disappear around the corner.
"Nibblet.." he growling, wondering what the girl could possibly be
thinking, sneaking out at 2 a.m. As he took off after her, he decided he
would find out before he dragged her home.
///
Angel had had worse days. He couldn't recall them at the moment, but he
was sure he had. The Cleansing had been horrible, sure. But he knew he
deserved it, after everything he had done in his time. Four aspirin had
taken care of the lingering side effects, so they had continued on, driving
the last 20 minutes to Sunnydale.
Wes and Cordelia had remained behind, poring through books, trying to find
some reference to the prophecy he had spoken after the Cleansing was over.
The vampire had left them to it, deciding to prowl around town for the
remainder of the night, to try and find any other information he might need.
He ducked into a shadow when he saw a girl run by, perhaps 15 years old.
The girl...Buffy's sister, Dawn. That's who she was. He frowned, watching
as she looked behind her, and sped up slightly. Angel searched around her,
almost leaving the shadows to go and ask her what she was doing, when he saw
someone following her, keeping to the rooftops.
He growled, vamping out as he recognized Spike, stalking the girl.
He followed the pair, keeping out of range, but close enough to be ready to
do something when Spike attacked.
///
Spike was getting tired of following Dawn. She had been out for nearly 30
minutes, and apparently going in circles. He figured it was best to just end it
right now, before she got hurt. Even with most of the vampires dusted,
there was still an untold number of beasties crawling about.
She turned into an alley and Spike leapt off the building, landing before
her in a crouch.
Dawn shrieked in surprise.
"Spike?!"
The vampire reached out to grab her by the arm and haul her home, when a
dark shape slammed into him with the force of a small car, knocking him to
the ground.
Dawn screamed for real this time, and jumped back as the other vampire
jumped on Spike and threw him away from her. Spike was on his feet in less
than a second, dancing on his toes, his face reflecting amusement when he
recognized his foe.
"Peaches? Just what in the bloody hell do you think..." he was cut off
when Angel threw a right hook at his jaw.
Spike chuckled as the blow knocked him back a few feet. Then returned the
favor, bringing up his leg and kicking the older vampire in the side of the
head, knocking him to the ground.
"Stupid, Spike, attacking Buffy's sister. Are you just begging for an..."
this time it was Angel who trailed off as Spike doubled over laughing.
Taking it as an insult, Angel went on the attack again, kneeing Spike in the
face and throwing him onto his back. Still, Spike didn't stop laughing.
The younger vampire only laughed harder when Angel was attacked from
behind, by a very brassed off ex-Key.
"Leave him alone!" Dawn screamed, and kicked Angel hard in the back of the
knee. The vampire spun, instinct driving the flat of his hand at the girl's
face, knocking her to the side. Spike stopped laughing.
"Dawn?" Angel asked, surprised. "I'm sorry, I.." she raised her head and
glared at him. Her tiny fist flew out, and with a move that rivaled her big
sister, struck him hard in the eye. He staggered back, only to find a fully
vamped out Spike, who locked an arm around his neck.
"Don't. Touch. The girl." Spike growled, and dropped Angel hard.
Forcing his demon away, he stepped over the fallen vampire and reached out
to Dawn.
"You okay, Nibblet?" he asked, concern in his voice, to Angel's surprise.
"Yeah." she said, shaking her hand. "I'm fine." She continued to glare at
Angel, who was getting to his feet.
"What in the hell is going on here?" Angel demanded.
Spike chuckled.
"An' I'm guessin' Buffy hasn't told you nuthin' bout me recently, has she?"
Angel just stared at him.
"Figures." Spike shrugged, and took Dawn by the arm. He seemed to forget
about Angel for a moment.
"Now, little bit, I could kill you where you stand, what in the soddin'
hell are you doin' sneakin' 'round at 2 a.m.? Without me?"
Dawn smiled sheepishly.
"Um, going for a walk?"
Spike shook her lightly.
"Bit..." he warned.
"Visitingmyboyfriend." she said quickly.
"BOYFRIEND?! Who?" Spike nearly yelled.
"Hello?" Angel said, stepping closer to the two. "Spike, if you don't tell
me what is going on..." he moved closer. And sniffed the air. "Why do you
smell like Buffy?"
"Bloody hell..."