New Horizons: Chapter Forty-Seven
The Continuance
By Annie
06-04-2002
She was running fast, but not breaking a sweat.
The moon was huge in the sky and the stars had lost their soothing twinkle; they felt threatening and cold, hovering in the blackness of space.
Her shadow was long on the ground, stretching out at her side, its legs pumping in sync with her own as she started to climb a hill.
The grass of it was moist and glittering with dew and the soft sound her feet made in it made her think of her mother and summers when she was a little girl, just a normal healthy child with no clue what kind of world she was going to be introduced to.
Then the grass disappeared and instead there was a little path, soft to thread as she kept on running. The scent of the dry bark underneath her making her think of the first year she had been a Slayer, made her think of Giles and the support he had been. Made her feel how much she missed him.
Then the path made way for earth. It was fresh and the smell of it made her stop, her breathing was hard as she looked up at the sky and then down at the ground by her feet.
Grave.
The word was so clear in her head, as if she had spoken it herself. She looked up again, staring in front of her at the sudden view of Sunnydale stretching out before her eyes as she realized she had reached the peak of a small mountain. She furrowed her brow. She didn't recognize this spot.
A sound behind her made her twirl around and she was suddenly standing in the graveyard of Spike's crypt; the vamp himself slowly walking towards her, his duster harsh against the shadows around him as he stopped a few feet away.
She stared at him, swallowing hard at the expression in his eyes.
'You're not Spike, are you?' she asked silently and he shook his head slowly.
'But great things are to be expected,' his voice said as his lips moved, only his accent was American and she swallowed again.
'From what?' she asked and he smiled a little.
'What is to be shall be, but great things are to be expected,' he repeated slowly and she raised her eyebrows.
'From what?' she pressed.
'Don't turn from it, you mustn't be frightened.'
'Frightened of WHAT?!' she exclaimed, seeing him not being him was getting to her more than the riddles he spoke and without her even blinking he was suddenly standing right before her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her hard.
"Buffy! Wake up!" he yelled and she finally opened her eyes wide, staring up at him and breathing in those shallow little gulps that had woken him up in the first place. "Dammit, Slayer," he grumbled as recognition and something close to relief poured into her eyes and she reached up her arms and pulled herself close to him, him putting his arms gently around her as well. "What the hell were you dreaming?" he then asked silently and she shook her head slowly.
"I'm not even sure myself," she grumbled, questions about the dream rushing through her head as she started to relax in his arms.
She smiled a little and looked up at him.
"Make love to me," she whispered and he looked down at her, his eyes glittering slightly as he bent down to kiss her softly.
"Always," he mumbled.
***
Dawn flipped the pancake tiredly, glaring hatefully at the sunny morning outside and listening with a growing headache to the birds' consistent chirping.
When her breakfast finally was ready she sat down heavily at the table in the kitchen, not bothering with any syrup and absentmindedly starting to flip through the morning paper as she chewed on the first bite of pancake and then swallowed, shaking her head a little as a headline reading "Man In Gore Heaven Feasts On Rotting Ratscorpses" and muttering to herself:
"Where the hell is this city coming to if you can't even get a wholesome dose of the REAL world in the newspapers? I mean, seriously," she then added, looking at the new piece of pancake stuck on her fork, "if I wanted to read this kinda stuff would I be sitting here? Hell no! I would be up in Buffy's bedroom jumping on the two lovebirds and making Spike scream-."
"Good morning, niblet."
She stopped short, her eyebrows rising as she swallowed, putting her fork down and adopting an angelically innocent expression as she turned to him with a sunny smile, trying to copy the annoying morning outside the protective walls of the Summers' residence.
He merely cocked an eyebrow as he entered the kitchen and she sighed a little as the smile faded.
"HAVING a good morning?" he asked as he stopped by the fridge, opening it and grabbing a jar of blood before turning to one of the cabinets, getting a cup and filling it he put the lid on the jar and retrieved it to its shelf in the refrigerator.
Dawn watched him in silence and then she huffed, picking up her fork again and putting her pancake in her mouth, grinding it mercilessly between her jaws before swallowing it. He smirked a little at that, opening the microwave and putting the cup in he set the time and hit the power button before turning to her again.
Now she was looking at him with a small smile on her lips and he frowned a little, she looked very up-to-something.
"What?" he asked and she raised her eyebrows, shrugging, before stabbing her heap of pancakes again and pausing before taking the bite, answering:
"Nothing really."
Then she took the bite with the smile growing on her lips and now he tilted his head a little, eyeing her closely.
"No, really, what?" he asked and she swallowed before turning her eyes on him.
"Oh, well. I don't know. Just, maybe.Well, all right, I'll just come out and say it then," she said with another shrug and putting on an indifferent face, her eyes twinkling mischievously though. "I would very much appreciate it, Spike, if you and my sister would try-to-keep-it-down a little," this making his eyes enlarge considerably and now she smirked. "I just had a hard time falling asleep last night after the thudding in the walls stopped," she added and he swallowed, opening his mouth to say something and then pausing, smirking as well.
"We didn't do anything that made the walls thud," he said in triumph that he caught her little scheme. "Got ya!" he added and now Dawn giggled, shaking her head.
"But you did DO something, then?" she asked and he nodded, still smiling and then his face grew serious as he realized exactly what she had just done.
"Bloody he-! llo, sweet heart," he said as Buffy came into the kitchen and she raised her eyebrows a little.
"Morning," she answered as she gave him a brief kiss walking past him and to the fridge. "Hi, Dawn," she added with a bright smile and Dawn nodded, holding back her giggles with effort at the look on Spike's face.
The microwave dinged and Spike grabbed the handle of the door, yanking it open and grabbing the cup he brought it out and shut the door again with a look at the niblet, who was grinning like mad. Not a good sign. But surely his little bit wouldn't say anything to.
"So, Spike was just telling me about things that go thud in the night," Dawn then said and Spike almost dropped the cup as Buffy turned around, furrowing her brow slightly.
"That go what?" she asked and Dawn smiled a little.
"Oh, you know, thud. In the walls," she answered and Buffy's brow furrowed deeper, signaling that no, she didn't really know what her sister was talking about. "Oh, he can explain it, I don't wanna be late for school," Dawn said with a smile at Spike, getting off the stool and grabbing her backpack she gave her sister a quick kiss on the cheek and then she was out the door.
Buffy turned her questioning gaze to her love and he smiled sheepishly, drinking his breakfast in deep gulps, and now her eyes grew to slits as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"WHAT goes thud, in the walls, at night?" she asked and he shrugged, gesturing to the cup that he was busy and she smiled a little. "WHAT goes THUD, in the WALLS, at NIGHT?" she repeated, moving towards him and he was slightly panicking as he realized that the blood was almost finished.
He swallowed the last drop hard and took the cup from his lips, still smiling slightly at her and then shrugged again.
"Mice and stuff, y'know," he said and she blinked, her eyebrows rising again.
"Stuff?"
"Yeah, you know," he mumbled, looking into his cup and raising his eyebrows a little. "Bloody hell, look at that. Should probably rinse this out before I put it in the washer," he grumbled, turning to walk past her but she blocked his way.
Okay, he thought, one thing I KNOW she'll kick my ass for is Dawn, and anything that has to do with that subject that doesn't fit the image of an innocent fifteen year-old. Oh, balls!
Suddenly her hands were sliding inside his sweater and she stepped into him with a small smile on her lips.
"I know what you're thinking," she said and he licked his lips a little, not able to hold back a smirk at the soft touch of her fingertips gliding over his muscles.
"I'm sure you do," he mumbled and she smiled wider.
"It's not what I'M thinking," she said and he looked into her eyes feeling every nerve start to respond to her and her scent, and touch, and gaze, and smile.
"What are YOU thinking?" he asked and she let her lips meet his before pulling her hands away and taking a step back.
"That you're so bloody stupid, even DAWN could trick you like that?!" she said with a headshake and his eyes grew wide at that, and then she laughed as he put the cup down on the table and lunged at her.
She turned; sliding away from his hands and then she ran, him immediately starting the chase. A chase that came to a poor end as they reached the hall and were met by the huge and surprised gaze of the stranger that they had 'rescued' the night before. She was clutching at her throat protectively as her eyes darted from one to the other and both Spike and Buffy grew serious as the latter took a step forward and said:
"Please, don't be scared."
"W-Where am I," the girl asked and Buffy turned her head to Spike and he nodded, turned and went into the kitchen to put on a pot of tea.
Buffy reached out a hand to the young woman and carefully placed it on her arm before gesturing for them to walk into the living room.
"Don't worry," she said and the woman looked at her, still slightly frightened, but seemingly starting to relax a little. "You're in my home," Buffy now added as they both sat down on the couch. "And you're safe. My name is Buffy."
The woman stared at her and then she said in a hushed voice:
"Where's Tom?"
Buffy furrowed her brow a little and the woman's eyes started to fill with shock and then slowly with glistening tears. Buffy was almost mesmerized by how the incredible green in them seemed to grow slightly darker as the woman's emotions changed.
"Please, don't tell me that he's missing, that he's dead.That they. Oh GOD," she exclaimed, burying her face in her hands and starting to cry in loud sobs.
Buffy stared at her, not knowing what to say. What to do. Finally she gently reached out and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry," Buffy said silently. "I'm not sure what to tell you other than if he was with you last night and we didn't see him then he's most likely.God, I'm just so sorry."
The woman looked up again, sniffling and trying to regain control over her tears she suddenly smiled slightly.
"You must be the reason I'm alive," she said and Buffy smiled a little hesitantly at that.
"No, I'm not," she then said, shaking her head. "I don't know what drove the vampire that bit you off, but it wasn't me."
The woman was still smiling.
"I think you're wrong, because here I am in your very home and so I'm sure you have SOMETHING to do with it."
"Tea," Spike said as he walked in with a tray in his hands, reminding Buffy of the time when he had set a sandwich down in front of her with a shrug, the night Sarah had stepped through the mirror.
She smiled a little and blushed slightly and he cocked an eyebrow at her as he set down the tray on the table.
"What is it, love?" he asked and she smiled wider as she couldn't help but answer:
"All that's missing is the apron, honey."
His eyes grew indignant at that and she bit back the smile as his face put on a sour expression.
"You know, it's avoiding bloody remarks like that that makes me wanna find a place of my own," he grumbled and now her eyebrows shot up.
"You wouldn't dare," she stated and he suddenly smiled.
"No, I s'pose I wouldn't," he agreed and then they both became aware that the stranger was observing them hesitantly and they both turned to her.
"Sorry," Buffy said and then she smiled a little. "We're still kinda new at this," she added and Spike grinned as he took his seat in the armchair.
The woman smiled a little, drying her tears and nodding.
"I can tell," she said. "But you make a pretty couple," she added and Buffy felt a small warmth near her heart, she liked this girl already.
"So," Buffy then said as she reached out and started to serve the tea. "Please, tell us what happened and if there is anything we can do to help you."
"Oh, you've done so much already," the girl protested as Buffy handed over her cup and she took it carefully.
"We haven't done enough," Buffy said firmly and the girl sighed. "What's your name?" Buffy now asked and the girl looked embarrassed.
"Nice, here you go saving my life and I don't even have the decency to introduce myself," she grumbled and Buffy smiled, shaking her head. "It's Torah," the young woman now said.
"Unusual name," Buffy said and Torah smiled a little.
"So is yours, guess we already have something in common."
Buffy smiled at that, nodding.
Spike was observing them quietly. The girl, Torah, was stunning, yes, but there was something that he couldn't quite place about her. He had seen it the previous night as well, when he lifted her up. Something.No, he really couldn't place it.
Next to Buffy though, she looked lifeless, it was almost as though the Slayer was vibrating with a soft glow and the young woman was shone over by it.
'.she's not even fit to stand in your shadow.'
The words he had spoken to Buffy for some reason rang through his head and he couldn't help but furrow his brow a little at them. Then he decided to concentrate on the conversation and looked at the two women again.
"And then what happened?" Buffy was asking and Torah shook her head a little.
"Then he threw me down on the ground and I was knocked out. The next thing I know I'm surrounded by daylight and I'm laying in a soft bed. And for the first time since I've been in Sunnydale I actually feel safe," she mumbled, looking down at her hands.
"How long have you been here?" Buffy asked and Torah sighed a little.
"Almost two months."
Buffy felt her heart reach out to this poor woman. Lord knew, Buffy had a good idea on what it was like to feel lost and alone but to then on top of it have a loved one ripped away? Buffy couldn't believe it and she was scared that maybe she could have done something if only she hadn't been wrapped up in.pressing matters.
She looked up and into Spike's eyes and knew that he could see the guilt reflecting in her gaze. He smiled a little, nodding and she smiled back before turning back to Torah.
"Where are you staying?" she asked and Torah shook her head a little again, looking up.
"That's the silly thing, I don't have anywhere to stay. Me and Tom were looking for a house and we were staying in a motel but yesterday Tom told me that he had found us a home and put down a down-payment on it," the sadness in her eyes was heavy when she continued: "We were on our way there when we were.attacked. I still can't believe it. I just." then she started crying again and Buffy frowned in empathy.
"Listen," she said. "We'll do all we can to see if we can find Tom, okay? And until we have absolute proof that he's.that there's nothing to be done you are staying here."
Torah's head shot up at that, her eyes widening as she shook her head.
"No, no, I couldn't possibly intrude like that!" she protested and Buffy smiled a little.
"You won't," she assured calmly. "I want you to stay. If I'd been a little bit more observant I might have been able to arrive a moment earlier," she added silently and Torah looked at her for a moment before shaking her head again.
"Don't blame yourself for anything that happened, Buffy," she said. "I'm sure you can't be in all places at once and, well, I don't blame you, so why should you?"
Buffy looked at her gratefully.
"Thank you," she said and Torah smiled though her tears. "Say you'll stay," Buffy added and Torah seemed to hesitate a moment, glancing at Spike who tried to smile welcomingly at her as well but finding it a little difficult.
Torah returned it, however, before turning back to the Slayer with a little brighter smile.
"All right," she said. "I don't have anywhere to go and I can't just leave Sunnydale. If Tom.if there is any chance."
"If he is alive we will find him," Buffy assured and Torah nodded.
"Thank you," she said, drying her tears with one hand and looking from one to the other. "This means the world to me."
***
Damn, that vampire is hot, she thought to herself as she stretched out on her bed, or the Wicca's bed, she supposed.
It was an hour since her heartfelt chat with the Slayer, her lover vampire sitting dutifully at her side like another puppy. Pathetic! But the love in him was incredibly powerful. Might be a slight obstacle, but still, it wasn't like she hadn't torn down larger ones standing in her path before.
Boys will be boys, she thought gleefully to herself as she let her hands wander over her body, absolutely relishing in the feel of her skin against the palms of her hands.
It had been so long since she was in human form, but she had never forgotten the sweet ecstasy of feel and touch and see and be.alive.
Nothing but a clever smokescreen of course, undetectable; it was amazing what a little mirage of a heart beat and a little essence of a human soul could do for a girl.
She smiled to herself as she licked her lips a little.
The Slayer was almost too easy to fool, but she sensed an openness in the woman that seemed new, recently born within her. The love growing inside her chest for the vampire had opened her heart almost to the brink of breaking off the door to it and it was almost funny, in a sense.
A vampire in love with a Slayer but, better yet, that very Slayer RETURNING his love!
Torah huffed in her thoughts as she rolled over on her stomach, shaking her head a little.
What the hell happened to the world during the last millennium?
The Continuance
By Annie
06-04-2002
She was running fast, but not breaking a sweat.
The moon was huge in the sky and the stars had lost their soothing twinkle; they felt threatening and cold, hovering in the blackness of space.
Her shadow was long on the ground, stretching out at her side, its legs pumping in sync with her own as she started to climb a hill.
The grass of it was moist and glittering with dew and the soft sound her feet made in it made her think of her mother and summers when she was a little girl, just a normal healthy child with no clue what kind of world she was going to be introduced to.
Then the grass disappeared and instead there was a little path, soft to thread as she kept on running. The scent of the dry bark underneath her making her think of the first year she had been a Slayer, made her think of Giles and the support he had been. Made her feel how much she missed him.
Then the path made way for earth. It was fresh and the smell of it made her stop, her breathing was hard as she looked up at the sky and then down at the ground by her feet.
Grave.
The word was so clear in her head, as if she had spoken it herself. She looked up again, staring in front of her at the sudden view of Sunnydale stretching out before her eyes as she realized she had reached the peak of a small mountain. She furrowed her brow. She didn't recognize this spot.
A sound behind her made her twirl around and she was suddenly standing in the graveyard of Spike's crypt; the vamp himself slowly walking towards her, his duster harsh against the shadows around him as he stopped a few feet away.
She stared at him, swallowing hard at the expression in his eyes.
'You're not Spike, are you?' she asked silently and he shook his head slowly.
'But great things are to be expected,' his voice said as his lips moved, only his accent was American and she swallowed again.
'From what?' she asked and he smiled a little.
'What is to be shall be, but great things are to be expected,' he repeated slowly and she raised her eyebrows.
'From what?' she pressed.
'Don't turn from it, you mustn't be frightened.'
'Frightened of WHAT?!' she exclaimed, seeing him not being him was getting to her more than the riddles he spoke and without her even blinking he was suddenly standing right before her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her hard.
"Buffy! Wake up!" he yelled and she finally opened her eyes wide, staring up at him and breathing in those shallow little gulps that had woken him up in the first place. "Dammit, Slayer," he grumbled as recognition and something close to relief poured into her eyes and she reached up her arms and pulled herself close to him, him putting his arms gently around her as well. "What the hell were you dreaming?" he then asked silently and she shook her head slowly.
"I'm not even sure myself," she grumbled, questions about the dream rushing through her head as she started to relax in his arms.
She smiled a little and looked up at him.
"Make love to me," she whispered and he looked down at her, his eyes glittering slightly as he bent down to kiss her softly.
"Always," he mumbled.
***
Dawn flipped the pancake tiredly, glaring hatefully at the sunny morning outside and listening with a growing headache to the birds' consistent chirping.
When her breakfast finally was ready she sat down heavily at the table in the kitchen, not bothering with any syrup and absentmindedly starting to flip through the morning paper as she chewed on the first bite of pancake and then swallowed, shaking her head a little as a headline reading "Man In Gore Heaven Feasts On Rotting Ratscorpses" and muttering to herself:
"Where the hell is this city coming to if you can't even get a wholesome dose of the REAL world in the newspapers? I mean, seriously," she then added, looking at the new piece of pancake stuck on her fork, "if I wanted to read this kinda stuff would I be sitting here? Hell no! I would be up in Buffy's bedroom jumping on the two lovebirds and making Spike scream-."
"Good morning, niblet."
She stopped short, her eyebrows rising as she swallowed, putting her fork down and adopting an angelically innocent expression as she turned to him with a sunny smile, trying to copy the annoying morning outside the protective walls of the Summers' residence.
He merely cocked an eyebrow as he entered the kitchen and she sighed a little as the smile faded.
"HAVING a good morning?" he asked as he stopped by the fridge, opening it and grabbing a jar of blood before turning to one of the cabinets, getting a cup and filling it he put the lid on the jar and retrieved it to its shelf in the refrigerator.
Dawn watched him in silence and then she huffed, picking up her fork again and putting her pancake in her mouth, grinding it mercilessly between her jaws before swallowing it. He smirked a little at that, opening the microwave and putting the cup in he set the time and hit the power button before turning to her again.
Now she was looking at him with a small smile on her lips and he frowned a little, she looked very up-to-something.
"What?" he asked and she raised her eyebrows, shrugging, before stabbing her heap of pancakes again and pausing before taking the bite, answering:
"Nothing really."
Then she took the bite with the smile growing on her lips and now he tilted his head a little, eyeing her closely.
"No, really, what?" he asked and she swallowed before turning her eyes on him.
"Oh, well. I don't know. Just, maybe.Well, all right, I'll just come out and say it then," she said with another shrug and putting on an indifferent face, her eyes twinkling mischievously though. "I would very much appreciate it, Spike, if you and my sister would try-to-keep-it-down a little," this making his eyes enlarge considerably and now she smirked. "I just had a hard time falling asleep last night after the thudding in the walls stopped," she added and he swallowed, opening his mouth to say something and then pausing, smirking as well.
"We didn't do anything that made the walls thud," he said in triumph that he caught her little scheme. "Got ya!" he added and now Dawn giggled, shaking her head.
"But you did DO something, then?" she asked and he nodded, still smiling and then his face grew serious as he realized exactly what she had just done.
"Bloody he-! llo, sweet heart," he said as Buffy came into the kitchen and she raised her eyebrows a little.
"Morning," she answered as she gave him a brief kiss walking past him and to the fridge. "Hi, Dawn," she added with a bright smile and Dawn nodded, holding back her giggles with effort at the look on Spike's face.
The microwave dinged and Spike grabbed the handle of the door, yanking it open and grabbing the cup he brought it out and shut the door again with a look at the niblet, who was grinning like mad. Not a good sign. But surely his little bit wouldn't say anything to.
"So, Spike was just telling me about things that go thud in the night," Dawn then said and Spike almost dropped the cup as Buffy turned around, furrowing her brow slightly.
"That go what?" she asked and Dawn smiled a little.
"Oh, you know, thud. In the walls," she answered and Buffy's brow furrowed deeper, signaling that no, she didn't really know what her sister was talking about. "Oh, he can explain it, I don't wanna be late for school," Dawn said with a smile at Spike, getting off the stool and grabbing her backpack she gave her sister a quick kiss on the cheek and then she was out the door.
Buffy turned her questioning gaze to her love and he smiled sheepishly, drinking his breakfast in deep gulps, and now her eyes grew to slits as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"WHAT goes thud, in the walls, at night?" she asked and he shrugged, gesturing to the cup that he was busy and she smiled a little. "WHAT goes THUD, in the WALLS, at NIGHT?" she repeated, moving towards him and he was slightly panicking as he realized that the blood was almost finished.
He swallowed the last drop hard and took the cup from his lips, still smiling slightly at her and then shrugged again.
"Mice and stuff, y'know," he said and she blinked, her eyebrows rising again.
"Stuff?"
"Yeah, you know," he mumbled, looking into his cup and raising his eyebrows a little. "Bloody hell, look at that. Should probably rinse this out before I put it in the washer," he grumbled, turning to walk past her but she blocked his way.
Okay, he thought, one thing I KNOW she'll kick my ass for is Dawn, and anything that has to do with that subject that doesn't fit the image of an innocent fifteen year-old. Oh, balls!
Suddenly her hands were sliding inside his sweater and she stepped into him with a small smile on her lips.
"I know what you're thinking," she said and he licked his lips a little, not able to hold back a smirk at the soft touch of her fingertips gliding over his muscles.
"I'm sure you do," he mumbled and she smiled wider.
"It's not what I'M thinking," she said and he looked into her eyes feeling every nerve start to respond to her and her scent, and touch, and gaze, and smile.
"What are YOU thinking?" he asked and she let her lips meet his before pulling her hands away and taking a step back.
"That you're so bloody stupid, even DAWN could trick you like that?!" she said with a headshake and his eyes grew wide at that, and then she laughed as he put the cup down on the table and lunged at her.
She turned; sliding away from his hands and then she ran, him immediately starting the chase. A chase that came to a poor end as they reached the hall and were met by the huge and surprised gaze of the stranger that they had 'rescued' the night before. She was clutching at her throat protectively as her eyes darted from one to the other and both Spike and Buffy grew serious as the latter took a step forward and said:
"Please, don't be scared."
"W-Where am I," the girl asked and Buffy turned her head to Spike and he nodded, turned and went into the kitchen to put on a pot of tea.
Buffy reached out a hand to the young woman and carefully placed it on her arm before gesturing for them to walk into the living room.
"Don't worry," she said and the woman looked at her, still slightly frightened, but seemingly starting to relax a little. "You're in my home," Buffy now added as they both sat down on the couch. "And you're safe. My name is Buffy."
The woman stared at her and then she said in a hushed voice:
"Where's Tom?"
Buffy furrowed her brow a little and the woman's eyes started to fill with shock and then slowly with glistening tears. Buffy was almost mesmerized by how the incredible green in them seemed to grow slightly darker as the woman's emotions changed.
"Please, don't tell me that he's missing, that he's dead.That they. Oh GOD," she exclaimed, burying her face in her hands and starting to cry in loud sobs.
Buffy stared at her, not knowing what to say. What to do. Finally she gently reached out and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry," Buffy said silently. "I'm not sure what to tell you other than if he was with you last night and we didn't see him then he's most likely.God, I'm just so sorry."
The woman looked up again, sniffling and trying to regain control over her tears she suddenly smiled slightly.
"You must be the reason I'm alive," she said and Buffy smiled a little hesitantly at that.
"No, I'm not," she then said, shaking her head. "I don't know what drove the vampire that bit you off, but it wasn't me."
The woman was still smiling.
"I think you're wrong, because here I am in your very home and so I'm sure you have SOMETHING to do with it."
"Tea," Spike said as he walked in with a tray in his hands, reminding Buffy of the time when he had set a sandwich down in front of her with a shrug, the night Sarah had stepped through the mirror.
She smiled a little and blushed slightly and he cocked an eyebrow at her as he set down the tray on the table.
"What is it, love?" he asked and she smiled wider as she couldn't help but answer:
"All that's missing is the apron, honey."
His eyes grew indignant at that and she bit back the smile as his face put on a sour expression.
"You know, it's avoiding bloody remarks like that that makes me wanna find a place of my own," he grumbled and now her eyebrows shot up.
"You wouldn't dare," she stated and he suddenly smiled.
"No, I s'pose I wouldn't," he agreed and then they both became aware that the stranger was observing them hesitantly and they both turned to her.
"Sorry," Buffy said and then she smiled a little. "We're still kinda new at this," she added and Spike grinned as he took his seat in the armchair.
The woman smiled a little, drying her tears and nodding.
"I can tell," she said. "But you make a pretty couple," she added and Buffy felt a small warmth near her heart, she liked this girl already.
"So," Buffy then said as she reached out and started to serve the tea. "Please, tell us what happened and if there is anything we can do to help you."
"Oh, you've done so much already," the girl protested as Buffy handed over her cup and she took it carefully.
"We haven't done enough," Buffy said firmly and the girl sighed. "What's your name?" Buffy now asked and the girl looked embarrassed.
"Nice, here you go saving my life and I don't even have the decency to introduce myself," she grumbled and Buffy smiled, shaking her head. "It's Torah," the young woman now said.
"Unusual name," Buffy said and Torah smiled a little.
"So is yours, guess we already have something in common."
Buffy smiled at that, nodding.
Spike was observing them quietly. The girl, Torah, was stunning, yes, but there was something that he couldn't quite place about her. He had seen it the previous night as well, when he lifted her up. Something.No, he really couldn't place it.
Next to Buffy though, she looked lifeless, it was almost as though the Slayer was vibrating with a soft glow and the young woman was shone over by it.
'.she's not even fit to stand in your shadow.'
The words he had spoken to Buffy for some reason rang through his head and he couldn't help but furrow his brow a little at them. Then he decided to concentrate on the conversation and looked at the two women again.
"And then what happened?" Buffy was asking and Torah shook her head a little.
"Then he threw me down on the ground and I was knocked out. The next thing I know I'm surrounded by daylight and I'm laying in a soft bed. And for the first time since I've been in Sunnydale I actually feel safe," she mumbled, looking down at her hands.
"How long have you been here?" Buffy asked and Torah sighed a little.
"Almost two months."
Buffy felt her heart reach out to this poor woman. Lord knew, Buffy had a good idea on what it was like to feel lost and alone but to then on top of it have a loved one ripped away? Buffy couldn't believe it and she was scared that maybe she could have done something if only she hadn't been wrapped up in.pressing matters.
She looked up and into Spike's eyes and knew that he could see the guilt reflecting in her gaze. He smiled a little, nodding and she smiled back before turning back to Torah.
"Where are you staying?" she asked and Torah shook her head a little again, looking up.
"That's the silly thing, I don't have anywhere to stay. Me and Tom were looking for a house and we were staying in a motel but yesterday Tom told me that he had found us a home and put down a down-payment on it," the sadness in her eyes was heavy when she continued: "We were on our way there when we were.attacked. I still can't believe it. I just." then she started crying again and Buffy frowned in empathy.
"Listen," she said. "We'll do all we can to see if we can find Tom, okay? And until we have absolute proof that he's.that there's nothing to be done you are staying here."
Torah's head shot up at that, her eyes widening as she shook her head.
"No, no, I couldn't possibly intrude like that!" she protested and Buffy smiled a little.
"You won't," she assured calmly. "I want you to stay. If I'd been a little bit more observant I might have been able to arrive a moment earlier," she added silently and Torah looked at her for a moment before shaking her head again.
"Don't blame yourself for anything that happened, Buffy," she said. "I'm sure you can't be in all places at once and, well, I don't blame you, so why should you?"
Buffy looked at her gratefully.
"Thank you," she said and Torah smiled though her tears. "Say you'll stay," Buffy added and Torah seemed to hesitate a moment, glancing at Spike who tried to smile welcomingly at her as well but finding it a little difficult.
Torah returned it, however, before turning back to the Slayer with a little brighter smile.
"All right," she said. "I don't have anywhere to go and I can't just leave Sunnydale. If Tom.if there is any chance."
"If he is alive we will find him," Buffy assured and Torah nodded.
"Thank you," she said, drying her tears with one hand and looking from one to the other. "This means the world to me."
***
Damn, that vampire is hot, she thought to herself as she stretched out on her bed, or the Wicca's bed, she supposed.
It was an hour since her heartfelt chat with the Slayer, her lover vampire sitting dutifully at her side like another puppy. Pathetic! But the love in him was incredibly powerful. Might be a slight obstacle, but still, it wasn't like she hadn't torn down larger ones standing in her path before.
Boys will be boys, she thought gleefully to herself as she let her hands wander over her body, absolutely relishing in the feel of her skin against the palms of her hands.
It had been so long since she was in human form, but she had never forgotten the sweet ecstasy of feel and touch and see and be.alive.
Nothing but a clever smokescreen of course, undetectable; it was amazing what a little mirage of a heart beat and a little essence of a human soul could do for a girl.
She smiled to herself as she licked her lips a little.
The Slayer was almost too easy to fool, but she sensed an openness in the woman that seemed new, recently born within her. The love growing inside her chest for the vampire had opened her heart almost to the brink of breaking off the door to it and it was almost funny, in a sense.
A vampire in love with a Slayer but, better yet, that very Slayer RETURNING his love!
Torah huffed in her thoughts as she rolled over on her stomach, shaking her head a little.
What the hell happened to the world during the last millennium?