vampyr bane
Summary- What if William had run into someone else the night he was turned? A "How Hally knows Spike" ficlet. Slight B/S. Please R&R.
Disclaimer- BtVS and all related material are property of Joss Whedon and the like.
Author's Note- Ok, so here's my first official Buffy post. I know that since Halfrek is played by the same actress as Cecily, and she knows Spike as William, people are concluding that she IS Cecily. Here's an alternative. Flashbacks are in italics (hopefully *crosses fingers*). Tell me what you think!
Spike watched distractedly as Halfrek got up from her prone position on the floor and dusted herself off. Ok, so she wasn't dead. Hooray. They were still trapped in the bloody house. Spike half listened to the conversation going on between Anya and her slightly scaly colleague, noting that it was becoming quite clear that the vengeance -pardon- justice demon still wasn't planning on helping them. He let his eyes wander, still searching in vain for some escape.
Suddenly, he felt Halfrek's eyes on him, and he turned to meet her penetrating stare with his own.
"William?"
Spike's eyebrows shot up. How did she-
"You're beneath me"
William tore up his poem, tears falling unbidden from his deep blue eyes. She would never love him. She would never even see him. Not the person he was now. If only he were different…
Spike glanced around quickly at the other people in the room, noting the mild surprise on their faces. He looked back at the demon before him, studying her features skeptically. Yes. He remembered-
A dark haired woman appeared out of the shadows, and William wouldn't have given her a second look in his despair, were it not for her striking resemblance to Cecily. He should have kept walking, but he couldn't tear himself away. He had to know who she was. She spoke before he could draw a breath to ask her.
"What's the matter? I can feel your pain. You've been hurt. It rolls from you in waves." The brown haired woman spoke softly. William found himself unable to breathe. He nodded.
"My poem-" He began vaguely, cutting himself off. The woman smiled sadly.
"She isn't worth it."
He shook his head fervently, "But she is."
Buffy stared at the two demons in puzzlement, "You two know each other?"
"Why do you want someone who causes you such pain?" The woman asked, taking a step closer to the man standing before her.
"I can't help who I love." William whispered. He looked pensive for a moment before he added, "I only wish I could be someone different. Someone she could love."
The woman watched him carefully, fingering the pendant hanging around her neck. Red flecks flickered in its blue depths. A blue as striking as that of his eyes…
Halfrek looked slightly startled at the Slayer's question, and took a moment to answer. She glanced at Spike briefly before denying their acquaintance, "Ah…no. No."
The brown haired woman smiled softly, pointing across the dimly lit street, "There's and alley over there; across the way."
William looked where she was pointing. He nodded, and she continued, "When you enter that alleyway, you will have to face your future. If you think you are ready for that, if you want to be somebody else, walk inside. Still, know that you can never go back."
Spike confirmed Halfrek's answer with a guarded look and a muttered, "Not really." No, they didn't know each other. She had known William…and William was dead.
The brown haired man spun on his heel and walked decisively toward the alleyway, throwing down the last pieces of his ripped-up poem in frustration. He was nearly there when a voice called out behind him, "Wait!"
He spun to face the mysterious woman, waiting for her to continue.
"Tell me your name…"
And so he spoke one final word before disappearing into the shadows forever, "William."
Halfrek watched him go. He had made his choice, "Goodbye William. Wish granted."
The moment had passed, and the attention shifted away from Spike, much to his relief. He glanced over at Buffy, studying her carefully. She must have felt his eyes on her, because she looked up at him suddenly. The corners of her mouth curved up into a small smile, and he shook his head slightly, grinning to himself. He would never get used to that.
William peered curiously into the dark alley. Wiping away the shimmering tears still lingering on his cheeks, he found that he could make out a dim figure standing in front of him. Her eyes seemed to glow in the shadows, and he could have sworn there was a glint of gold in their sparking, insane depths…
Spike continued watching Buffy even after she had looked away. A vampire who loved a Slayer. No…he couldn't help who he loved…but this was bloody ridiculous. Spike smiled. What could he say? He'd always been love's bitch.