Title: Sunsets (New Life- pt 17)
Author: Nimue
Rating: PG-13
Feedback: Yes, please
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN, Fox... Just Borrowing.
Summary: Buffy is in for a long labor. Spike and Giles have a conversation about the past and the future.
Sunsets
Spike stood staring at the wrong side of Buffy's bedroom door. This
shouldn't be happening, he thought. Just got her back and already leaving her in a situation that he didn't trust. Buffy didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve her. Or so he thought. Yet another door between us, Pet.
Giles put his hand on Spike's shoulder. "This could be a long while. Why don't we go downstairs and talk. Nothing we can do here."
Spike spun, facing the Watcher and pushing him hard against the wall. "Tell me again why I'm not with her? Why Red is in there with her magic mojo? Why am I standing in the bloody hallway, mate? That's my child and my....Buffy," he sputtered, not really knowing in what terms he should refer to her or their relationship.
"I understand you're upset..."
"Upset?" Spike snapped, pushing Giles up the wall a bit. "Upset doesn't *begin* to cover this, mate. I want answers. What was Glenda talking about? Dying? Tell me *now*!" He was fighting back the demon with every ounce of the energy he had left.
"They're saving her, Spike, and they're the only ones who can. I doubt
seriously that this little ruckus in the hallway is helping them concentrate on the task at hand, either, " Giles said in an amazingly calm tone, considering he was dangling from the business end of Spike's grip. Spike released the Watcher, allowing him to slide back to the floor. "Now, if you'd come downstairs, you and I can have a talk. If you still feel the need to pummel me into oblivion, I will then oblige."
Spike felt a tinge of guilt. "Look, Giles, I apologize. It's just... I
love her. You have no concept of what she's been through..." His voice
trailed off. Even Spike did not know what had happened to her after he
jumped.
"I'm quite sure you're right. It appears that you may have been through
quite a bit yourself," he responded, beginning to relax. "But, like it or not, this is the way it *must* be." Giles started toward the stairs. "You and I should talk. Coming?"
Spike sighed, taking a long look at the bedroom door. He turned and
followed Giles down the stairs.
*****
The room was silent. Buffy was lying quietly on the bed. Every so often, she would cry out in her sleep and writhe along the comforter, but she wouldn't come back. Tara had thought this might happen. She thought that Buffy might hide inside of herself to stop the fear. Stop the pain. Right now, it was a good thing. The silence made it easier for Willow to begin the spell and connect with the Goddess.
Willow sat on the bed with Buffy's head in her lap, her hands on Buffy's
shoulders. The witch had closed her eyes and Tara could see the silvery
threads of power weaving around her. A chill ran through Tara, but she
forced it back. This had to be done.
Willow was chanting softly in a language older than time and the silvery
threads became more solid. Sparkling stars danced along them like Christmas lights on tinsel wire. The power grew and spread until a circle was formed around the three women. A circle that could not be broken until the child was born and the payment made. Tara hoped that Willow could hold out that long. She closed her eyes and waited.
*****
Spike had escaped to the porch while Giles spoke to Xander, asking him to please take Dawn somewhere, just for an hour or two. It was best that he and Spike spoke alone. Xander was reluctant at first, so many startled questions and defensive answers dancing in his head, but he complied, ushering Dawn out the door on some unseen yet glorious mission.
Giles found the Vampire standing on the back porch, a plume of smoke rushing from between his lips. He closed the door, walking out to the steps next to Spike. The sun was setting over the treetops in a dazzling display of red and orange and pink and yellow.
"Haven't seen one of those in a while," Spike said, gesturing at the sun
with his lit cigarette.
"No," Giles answered. " I don't suppose you have." Giles had noticed the Vampire's sunlit entrance earlier, but there had been more pressing matters to attend to.
"Don't know quite what happened, mate," Spike said, sitting down on the
steps. Giles tugged his pants and sat down next to him. "All I can think of is that the resident hell god of that dimension.."
"Luke?"
"Wanker. He got a little off his mind and shot me with some sort of
current. It went straight into my chest. Hurt like hell."
"What other.. changes.. have you noticed?"
"Breathing for one," Spike coughed, tossing his cigarette to the ground and grinding it with his boot heel. "And this incessant little chatter in my chest," His hand unconsciously traveled to his heart, as if in the midst of a pledge.
"But you're not human either," Giles stated. Spike looked at him curiously. " Showed me a little fang upstairs," the Watcher mused, pulling off his glasses and rubbing them on his shirttail.
"Sorry bout that," Spike commented, staring back at the darkening
skies.
"Quite understandable."
"So, Watcher, what am I?" Spike asked, looking at Giles. It was a sincere enough question, and Spike had no idea whom else to ask.
"I'm not sure," Giles answered simply, " but it seems that you've been
expected for quite some time."
A confused look crossed Spike's face. "I've had enough of riddles."
"Willow stumbled across a file of Ms. Calendar's," Giles began, " A file
called Pax"
"Peace," Spike muttered, a vision of the vanilla scented moonstone girl
flitting across his mind.
"Right," Giles commented, "The language was one I'd never seen before, but Jenny had started to translate. I sent the rest to the Council..."
"Great. Sure the wankers are all abuzz to help old Spike."
"Well, they'll be interested in this." Giles interrupted.
Another curious look from the Vampire. "Well?"
"It seems that Jenny had thought that it had something to do with Angel.
The whole 'Vampire with a soul' connection...."
"Bloody poofter seems to be a magnet for the ancient prophetic types."
"But she translated the word 'soul' incorrectly. Willow spotted the
mistake. The true translation is 'heart'."
Spike thought for a moment. "And you now think this is about me?"
"It seems to fit. Even before your little journey to hell, Spike, it was your heart that ruled you for better or worse. Don't you agree?"
"Don't be so quick to propel me into some Chosen One."
Giles smiled slyly. "I think you managed to do that yourself."
Spike chuckled. "Why, Rupert, was that your attempt at off-colour humour?"
"I am still male, despite all of the estrogen in this house." Giles
commented, blushing a deep red.
"Bloody right there. Enough to turn the biggest bad into a weeping nancy boy."
"I've noticed," Giles remarked.
Spike smirked. Guess I deserved that, he thought. "So, what does this
prophesy say?"
"Well, we don't really know yet. All we have is something about a 'Vampire with a heart' and bringing forth peace. Bridging the gap between the worlds, uniting man and beast..."
"The end of wars..." Spike continued. "Heard this one, mate."
"You know something?" Giles asked curiously.
"The Peacemaker. Ancient, quite dodgy, prophesy. But you got it all wrong. Not me."
"What do you mean?"
"The Peacemaker's a girl. Ran into her in hell."
"What?"
"Trust me on this, Watcher."
"But she has something to do with you?"
"In the sense that she helped me while I was there, I suppose. That and she mentioned something about Buffy and I protecting her. Since I've shuffled back onto this mortal coil, haven't seen hide nor hair of her."
"I'll let the Council know."
"Sure they'll be bloody elated." Spike lit another cigarette. "So, are you going to tell me what's going on upstairs?" He took a long drag and coughed a bit as he exhaled. Damned lungs.
Giles explained the entire story to Spike, starting with Willow's unnerving discovery in the Tarangi texts, through all of the research on how to counteract the predicted outcome. Spike was silent, listening to the Watcher, but inside, a storm was raging. Thoughts of losing her again were like a tornado in his mind. Fast and furious and wiping out any semblance of rational thought he had left.
Finally, Giles got to why Spike was sitting out on the porch in the twilight rather than letting Buffy pummel him while she screamed in pain. He explained the spell and the magnitude of connecting with Gaea, and that Willow was the only one among them that was capable of grounding so much power. Not to mention, for the protection spell to work, only women must be present. Spike could not say he was happy with the scenario at hand, but understood much better when he realized the seriousness of Buffy's present situation.
"So," Spike said, leaning back against the step. "Give it to me straight. What are our chances here? I mean, I honestly don't think I can go through it again. She dies, you might as well start sharpening your stake..."
Giles held his chin in his hand pensively. "Well, as much as the idea of staking you may have excited me in the past, I doubt that that is best for any of us," he responded. "Although Willow has done some terrible things, she is a powerful witch with quite a bit of motivation to try and make things right for Buffy and for you. She feels that she owes you both something. Which, of course, she does. So, I think the chances of her bringing Buffy through this are very good." Spike knew that the Watcher was candy coating the words, but he clung to them all the same.
"And the child?"
"Buffy won't let any child of hers die." Giles answered smiling.
Spike smiled back at him. "No. Don't suppose she would."
They were both silent, staring at the dusky twilight skies. The world was hazed in purplish blue now, and the mother moon was crawling into the sky.
"Spike?"
"Yeah."
"You know that I don't trust you, right? You know that I never approved of your relationship with Buffy."
"I know."
"But she does love you. She was devastated when you... left. So, I'm
willing to try and work with you for her sake."
Spike looked at him. "Work with me?"
"You think that either of us could handle two of them alone?"
To be contd.
Author: Nimue
Rating: PG-13
Feedback: Yes, please
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN, Fox... Just Borrowing.
Summary: Buffy is in for a long labor. Spike and Giles have a conversation about the past and the future.
Sunsets
Spike stood staring at the wrong side of Buffy's bedroom door. This
shouldn't be happening, he thought. Just got her back and already leaving her in a situation that he didn't trust. Buffy didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve her. Or so he thought. Yet another door between us, Pet.
Giles put his hand on Spike's shoulder. "This could be a long while. Why don't we go downstairs and talk. Nothing we can do here."
Spike spun, facing the Watcher and pushing him hard against the wall. "Tell me again why I'm not with her? Why Red is in there with her magic mojo? Why am I standing in the bloody hallway, mate? That's my child and my....Buffy," he sputtered, not really knowing in what terms he should refer to her or their relationship.
"I understand you're upset..."
"Upset?" Spike snapped, pushing Giles up the wall a bit. "Upset doesn't *begin* to cover this, mate. I want answers. What was Glenda talking about? Dying? Tell me *now*!" He was fighting back the demon with every ounce of the energy he had left.
"They're saving her, Spike, and they're the only ones who can. I doubt
seriously that this little ruckus in the hallway is helping them concentrate on the task at hand, either, " Giles said in an amazingly calm tone, considering he was dangling from the business end of Spike's grip. Spike released the Watcher, allowing him to slide back to the floor. "Now, if you'd come downstairs, you and I can have a talk. If you still feel the need to pummel me into oblivion, I will then oblige."
Spike felt a tinge of guilt. "Look, Giles, I apologize. It's just... I
love her. You have no concept of what she's been through..." His voice
trailed off. Even Spike did not know what had happened to her after he
jumped.
"I'm quite sure you're right. It appears that you may have been through
quite a bit yourself," he responded, beginning to relax. "But, like it or not, this is the way it *must* be." Giles started toward the stairs. "You and I should talk. Coming?"
Spike sighed, taking a long look at the bedroom door. He turned and
followed Giles down the stairs.
*****
The room was silent. Buffy was lying quietly on the bed. Every so often, she would cry out in her sleep and writhe along the comforter, but she wouldn't come back. Tara had thought this might happen. She thought that Buffy might hide inside of herself to stop the fear. Stop the pain. Right now, it was a good thing. The silence made it easier for Willow to begin the spell and connect with the Goddess.
Willow sat on the bed with Buffy's head in her lap, her hands on Buffy's
shoulders. The witch had closed her eyes and Tara could see the silvery
threads of power weaving around her. A chill ran through Tara, but she
forced it back. This had to be done.
Willow was chanting softly in a language older than time and the silvery
threads became more solid. Sparkling stars danced along them like Christmas lights on tinsel wire. The power grew and spread until a circle was formed around the three women. A circle that could not be broken until the child was born and the payment made. Tara hoped that Willow could hold out that long. She closed her eyes and waited.
*****
Spike had escaped to the porch while Giles spoke to Xander, asking him to please take Dawn somewhere, just for an hour or two. It was best that he and Spike spoke alone. Xander was reluctant at first, so many startled questions and defensive answers dancing in his head, but he complied, ushering Dawn out the door on some unseen yet glorious mission.
Giles found the Vampire standing on the back porch, a plume of smoke rushing from between his lips. He closed the door, walking out to the steps next to Spike. The sun was setting over the treetops in a dazzling display of red and orange and pink and yellow.
"Haven't seen one of those in a while," Spike said, gesturing at the sun
with his lit cigarette.
"No," Giles answered. " I don't suppose you have." Giles had noticed the Vampire's sunlit entrance earlier, but there had been more pressing matters to attend to.
"Don't know quite what happened, mate," Spike said, sitting down on the
steps. Giles tugged his pants and sat down next to him. "All I can think of is that the resident hell god of that dimension.."
"Luke?"
"Wanker. He got a little off his mind and shot me with some sort of
current. It went straight into my chest. Hurt like hell."
"What other.. changes.. have you noticed?"
"Breathing for one," Spike coughed, tossing his cigarette to the ground and grinding it with his boot heel. "And this incessant little chatter in my chest," His hand unconsciously traveled to his heart, as if in the midst of a pledge.
"But you're not human either," Giles stated. Spike looked at him curiously. " Showed me a little fang upstairs," the Watcher mused, pulling off his glasses and rubbing them on his shirttail.
"Sorry bout that," Spike commented, staring back at the darkening
skies.
"Quite understandable."
"So, Watcher, what am I?" Spike asked, looking at Giles. It was a sincere enough question, and Spike had no idea whom else to ask.
"I'm not sure," Giles answered simply, " but it seems that you've been
expected for quite some time."
A confused look crossed Spike's face. "I've had enough of riddles."
"Willow stumbled across a file of Ms. Calendar's," Giles began, " A file
called Pax"
"Peace," Spike muttered, a vision of the vanilla scented moonstone girl
flitting across his mind.
"Right," Giles commented, "The language was one I'd never seen before, but Jenny had started to translate. I sent the rest to the Council..."
"Great. Sure the wankers are all abuzz to help old Spike."
"Well, they'll be interested in this." Giles interrupted.
Another curious look from the Vampire. "Well?"
"It seems that Jenny had thought that it had something to do with Angel.
The whole 'Vampire with a soul' connection...."
"Bloody poofter seems to be a magnet for the ancient prophetic types."
"But she translated the word 'soul' incorrectly. Willow spotted the
mistake. The true translation is 'heart'."
Spike thought for a moment. "And you now think this is about me?"
"It seems to fit. Even before your little journey to hell, Spike, it was your heart that ruled you for better or worse. Don't you agree?"
"Don't be so quick to propel me into some Chosen One."
Giles smiled slyly. "I think you managed to do that yourself."
Spike chuckled. "Why, Rupert, was that your attempt at off-colour humour?"
"I am still male, despite all of the estrogen in this house." Giles
commented, blushing a deep red.
"Bloody right there. Enough to turn the biggest bad into a weeping nancy boy."
"I've noticed," Giles remarked.
Spike smirked. Guess I deserved that, he thought. "So, what does this
prophesy say?"
"Well, we don't really know yet. All we have is something about a 'Vampire with a heart' and bringing forth peace. Bridging the gap between the worlds, uniting man and beast..."
"The end of wars..." Spike continued. "Heard this one, mate."
"You know something?" Giles asked curiously.
"The Peacemaker. Ancient, quite dodgy, prophesy. But you got it all wrong. Not me."
"What do you mean?"
"The Peacemaker's a girl. Ran into her in hell."
"What?"
"Trust me on this, Watcher."
"But she has something to do with you?"
"In the sense that she helped me while I was there, I suppose. That and she mentioned something about Buffy and I protecting her. Since I've shuffled back onto this mortal coil, haven't seen hide nor hair of her."
"I'll let the Council know."
"Sure they'll be bloody elated." Spike lit another cigarette. "So, are you going to tell me what's going on upstairs?" He took a long drag and coughed a bit as he exhaled. Damned lungs.
Giles explained the entire story to Spike, starting with Willow's unnerving discovery in the Tarangi texts, through all of the research on how to counteract the predicted outcome. Spike was silent, listening to the Watcher, but inside, a storm was raging. Thoughts of losing her again were like a tornado in his mind. Fast and furious and wiping out any semblance of rational thought he had left.
Finally, Giles got to why Spike was sitting out on the porch in the twilight rather than letting Buffy pummel him while she screamed in pain. He explained the spell and the magnitude of connecting with Gaea, and that Willow was the only one among them that was capable of grounding so much power. Not to mention, for the protection spell to work, only women must be present. Spike could not say he was happy with the scenario at hand, but understood much better when he realized the seriousness of Buffy's present situation.
"So," Spike said, leaning back against the step. "Give it to me straight. What are our chances here? I mean, I honestly don't think I can go through it again. She dies, you might as well start sharpening your stake..."
Giles held his chin in his hand pensively. "Well, as much as the idea of staking you may have excited me in the past, I doubt that that is best for any of us," he responded. "Although Willow has done some terrible things, she is a powerful witch with quite a bit of motivation to try and make things right for Buffy and for you. She feels that she owes you both something. Which, of course, she does. So, I think the chances of her bringing Buffy through this are very good." Spike knew that the Watcher was candy coating the words, but he clung to them all the same.
"And the child?"
"Buffy won't let any child of hers die." Giles answered smiling.
Spike smiled back at him. "No. Don't suppose she would."
They were both silent, staring at the dusky twilight skies. The world was hazed in purplish blue now, and the mother moon was crawling into the sky.
"Spike?"
"Yeah."
"You know that I don't trust you, right? You know that I never approved of your relationship with Buffy."
"I know."
"But she does love you. She was devastated when you... left. So, I'm
willing to try and work with you for her sake."
Spike looked at him. "Work with me?"
"You think that either of us could handle two of them alone?"
To be contd.