2427, a few seconds later
Stunned into inaction, I remain motionless with my mouth gaping wide. My lover moves with the grace of a lion and drives Vanessa across the park and away from me. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice that several speeders and air vehicles are now parked near my smoking one, and a small cluster of people press together, watching Spike and Vanessa's well-matched mêlée.
Their presence frightens me into action, and I palm my muscle paralyzer and rush toward the fray, hoping to end the conflict quickly before we draw attention that is not welcome. Knowing Spike's body language almost as well as I know myself, I detect every nuance without him saying a word, so when he stiffens at my nearness, I shiver in the fear of what is to come between us.
The battle pauses as three warriors contemplate their situation.
For her part, Vanessa's face is coated in the mask of an animal that knows she has nowhere to turn. Already tired from the battle with me, she is not ready for a fresh fight. "So, now I can kill two birds with one stone. . . end my pain in one evening."
She covers well but not well enough.
With a bitterness I have grown accustomed to not hearing from my lover's lips, Spike growls, "Slayer, you don't know whom you're dealing with here. I intend to make you my fourth."
My heart plunges at his words that cheapen the connection we shared so many years ago. He meant the words to frighten Vanessa but also hurt me as well. Trying to numb the sting of what he said, I remind myself that he only hurts me because he is hurting, too. However, the tinge of our past abusive relationship nags at the back of my thoughts. I file the doubts away for analysis after he and I are safe once more.
Similarly, Spike manages to push Vanessa's buttons past her level of tolerance, and she lunges at him with a battle knife raised. Spike merely reaches out his hand, grabs her wrist, and twists. The tissues in Vanessa's forearm emit a horrible tearing noise, and her face drains of vital color. She remains eerily silent and rips herself away, staggering back with her fingers still curled around the handle of the sharp blade.
As I watch dumbfounded, the crumpled waste of her arm begins to knit itself together again until her grip is once again fierce.
She sneers at my shock. "Guess they've improved the genetic technology a bit since the last slayer you've encountered, eh, Buff?"
In the instant Vanessa focuses her attention on me, Spike attempts to grab her by the shoulders. She anticipates his move, and kicks back at him, connecting her heel with his chin with a sharp crunch, sending him falling into a heap. "Won't work, pretty boy."
Gripping my metal weapon, I rush the rogue slayer, pressing her back to fall over Spike's prone body. Her damaged arm is weaker than earlier in our fight, and she drops the knife to break her own descent. I flow with her motion and press the paralyzer to her neck at full power, hoping the shock will disable her. Her body jolts and twitches as the electricity pours into her muscles and spinal cord.
Then, she stills.
Slowly and cautiously, I remove the weapon and collapse in exhaustion atop her hesitating chest. Her breathing is shallow, and her heartbeat sounds fainter than when I first encountered her. I remind myself that she is just a child. . . a child who has seen too much. Tears escape the corners of my eyes in mourning for her lost innocence.
Trembling, I rise to my hands and knees, wincing at the scrapes on my raw calves as I crawl toward Spike's unmoving form. The sharp scent of blood perfumes my senses, but I can't tell if the source is Spike or myself. Before I can touch his arm, a heavy form crushes into my body. I grunt in pain as one of my ribs breaks from the impact.
Vaguely, I feel the muscle paralyzer shove against my neck. The paralyzer doesn't work as well on a vampire, so I can't move but can witness Vanessa's face in mine. Her grin is maniacal, and her strange silence scares me half to death. I've never encountered a slayer so strong nor so insane with grief. . . except maybe Faith.
Dragging Spike into my field of vision where I lay upon the dirt, she brandishes another stake. Suddenly, the truth of what she is about to do dawns on me.
She is going to stake Spike in front of me. . . *make* me understand the depth of her sorrow. She doesn't realize that I already *know* how deeply carved her hurt goes.
Wincing at the warnings telegraphed by my wounds, I attempt to do everything I can to move. . . somehow move and stop Vanessa. . . to no avail.
Forcing my face to be a blank mask as Vanessa sits atop Spike's ribs and positions the stake against the flesh covering his unbeating heart, my ears are spectators to a distinct laugh and hoarse, bitter voice, "You can't fool me, Buffy Summers, childe of William the Bloody. I know you; I see you. And now you will feel as I do because I'm taking the last thing you have on this earth. . . as your grandmother did me."
My vocal cords are helpless to respond, so I plead with my eyes.
She watches me as she places her palm on the end of the wood, drawing out the moment as long as possible. When she brings her hand down hard, I squeeze my lids shut and will myself to be deaf, trying to block out the sight and sound of my lover turning to dust.
Instead, I hear a brittle cry issue from Vanessa and a familiar roar from. . . Spike! My eyes are instantly open, and I see Spike in full vampire face. He uses the element of uncertainty that Vanessa displays to pull her body close to his and tear into her throat. The sounds of greedy drinking permeate the air. Vanessa pushes vainly against his chest as I once had, but this time, my lover is not gentle. . . is not loving.
Within seconds, she is dead.
Not looking at my face, Spike is at my side immediately, and he gathers me into his lap. Staggering to his feet, he hefts my form and limps hurriedly toward the crowd of gawkers, shoving through their ranks to an unfamiliar vehicle. No one attempts to stop him because he still wears his game face, and his mouth is set in a straight, grim line.
Once we are in the air, he turns to me. Not sure what to expect, I eye him carefully. My heart breaks when his gaze is distant and cool. My body is tingling all over as the feeling in my limbs and my ability to move voluntarily slowly returns. I almost flinch when he brings a cup of something to my lips. . . .
Blood. . . slayer blood.
I glare and attempt to turn my head away in rejection. How dare he feed me slayer blood?!
Roughly, he smears some of the coppery liquid on my tightly closed mouth, and then, my demon momentarily takes over. Once I lick my lips the first time, I am overwhelmed by a such a feeling of excitement and inebriation that I overcome the effect of the paralyzer and lift my head to receive the rest of the powerful blood that he has saved for me.
Then, I hear the soft hiss of a medical inserter. My muscles relax, and before I can protest what is happening, I am asleep.
* * *
TBC. . . still 2527. . . Wow! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! ;o) The main thing is, though, that you're enjoying the story!
Stunned into inaction, I remain motionless with my mouth gaping wide. My lover moves with the grace of a lion and drives Vanessa across the park and away from me. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice that several speeders and air vehicles are now parked near my smoking one, and a small cluster of people press together, watching Spike and Vanessa's well-matched mêlée.
Their presence frightens me into action, and I palm my muscle paralyzer and rush toward the fray, hoping to end the conflict quickly before we draw attention that is not welcome. Knowing Spike's body language almost as well as I know myself, I detect every nuance without him saying a word, so when he stiffens at my nearness, I shiver in the fear of what is to come between us.
The battle pauses as three warriors contemplate their situation.
For her part, Vanessa's face is coated in the mask of an animal that knows she has nowhere to turn. Already tired from the battle with me, she is not ready for a fresh fight. "So, now I can kill two birds with one stone. . . end my pain in one evening."
She covers well but not well enough.
With a bitterness I have grown accustomed to not hearing from my lover's lips, Spike growls, "Slayer, you don't know whom you're dealing with here. I intend to make you my fourth."
My heart plunges at his words that cheapen the connection we shared so many years ago. He meant the words to frighten Vanessa but also hurt me as well. Trying to numb the sting of what he said, I remind myself that he only hurts me because he is hurting, too. However, the tinge of our past abusive relationship nags at the back of my thoughts. I file the doubts away for analysis after he and I are safe once more.
Similarly, Spike manages to push Vanessa's buttons past her level of tolerance, and she lunges at him with a battle knife raised. Spike merely reaches out his hand, grabs her wrist, and twists. The tissues in Vanessa's forearm emit a horrible tearing noise, and her face drains of vital color. She remains eerily silent and rips herself away, staggering back with her fingers still curled around the handle of the sharp blade.
As I watch dumbfounded, the crumpled waste of her arm begins to knit itself together again until her grip is once again fierce.
She sneers at my shock. "Guess they've improved the genetic technology a bit since the last slayer you've encountered, eh, Buff?"
In the instant Vanessa focuses her attention on me, Spike attempts to grab her by the shoulders. She anticipates his move, and kicks back at him, connecting her heel with his chin with a sharp crunch, sending him falling into a heap. "Won't work, pretty boy."
Gripping my metal weapon, I rush the rogue slayer, pressing her back to fall over Spike's prone body. Her damaged arm is weaker than earlier in our fight, and she drops the knife to break her own descent. I flow with her motion and press the paralyzer to her neck at full power, hoping the shock will disable her. Her body jolts and twitches as the electricity pours into her muscles and spinal cord.
Then, she stills.
Slowly and cautiously, I remove the weapon and collapse in exhaustion atop her hesitating chest. Her breathing is shallow, and her heartbeat sounds fainter than when I first encountered her. I remind myself that she is just a child. . . a child who has seen too much. Tears escape the corners of my eyes in mourning for her lost innocence.
Trembling, I rise to my hands and knees, wincing at the scrapes on my raw calves as I crawl toward Spike's unmoving form. The sharp scent of blood perfumes my senses, but I can't tell if the source is Spike or myself. Before I can touch his arm, a heavy form crushes into my body. I grunt in pain as one of my ribs breaks from the impact.
Vaguely, I feel the muscle paralyzer shove against my neck. The paralyzer doesn't work as well on a vampire, so I can't move but can witness Vanessa's face in mine. Her grin is maniacal, and her strange silence scares me half to death. I've never encountered a slayer so strong nor so insane with grief. . . except maybe Faith.
Dragging Spike into my field of vision where I lay upon the dirt, she brandishes another stake. Suddenly, the truth of what she is about to do dawns on me.
She is going to stake Spike in front of me. . . *make* me understand the depth of her sorrow. She doesn't realize that I already *know* how deeply carved her hurt goes.
Wincing at the warnings telegraphed by my wounds, I attempt to do everything I can to move. . . somehow move and stop Vanessa. . . to no avail.
Forcing my face to be a blank mask as Vanessa sits atop Spike's ribs and positions the stake against the flesh covering his unbeating heart, my ears are spectators to a distinct laugh and hoarse, bitter voice, "You can't fool me, Buffy Summers, childe of William the Bloody. I know you; I see you. And now you will feel as I do because I'm taking the last thing you have on this earth. . . as your grandmother did me."
My vocal cords are helpless to respond, so I plead with my eyes.
She watches me as she places her palm on the end of the wood, drawing out the moment as long as possible. When she brings her hand down hard, I squeeze my lids shut and will myself to be deaf, trying to block out the sight and sound of my lover turning to dust.
Instead, I hear a brittle cry issue from Vanessa and a familiar roar from. . . Spike! My eyes are instantly open, and I see Spike in full vampire face. He uses the element of uncertainty that Vanessa displays to pull her body close to his and tear into her throat. The sounds of greedy drinking permeate the air. Vanessa pushes vainly against his chest as I once had, but this time, my lover is not gentle. . . is not loving.
Within seconds, she is dead.
Not looking at my face, Spike is at my side immediately, and he gathers me into his lap. Staggering to his feet, he hefts my form and limps hurriedly toward the crowd of gawkers, shoving through their ranks to an unfamiliar vehicle. No one attempts to stop him because he still wears his game face, and his mouth is set in a straight, grim line.
Once we are in the air, he turns to me. Not sure what to expect, I eye him carefully. My heart breaks when his gaze is distant and cool. My body is tingling all over as the feeling in my limbs and my ability to move voluntarily slowly returns. I almost flinch when he brings a cup of something to my lips. . . .
Blood. . . slayer blood.
I glare and attempt to turn my head away in rejection. How dare he feed me slayer blood?!
Roughly, he smears some of the coppery liquid on my tightly closed mouth, and then, my demon momentarily takes over. Once I lick my lips the first time, I am overwhelmed by a such a feeling of excitement and inebriation that I overcome the effect of the paralyzer and lift my head to receive the rest of the powerful blood that he has saved for me.
Then, I hear the soft hiss of a medical inserter. My muscles relax, and before I can protest what is happening, I am asleep.
* * *
TBC. . . still 2527. . . Wow! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! ;o) The main thing is, though, that you're enjoying the story!