Title: Lessons to Learn Chapter Twelve: Stubborn
Author: SlayrGrl55 (aka Anna)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: B/S
Spoilers: Lessons
Feedback: feedback is my middle name…um…I mean… (my best Anya impersonation) I would love for you to give me feedback
Disclaimer: okay, get ready for this: I do not own 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' or 'Beauty and the Beast' …how bizarre is that?
Warning: I am a Riley-basher. I apologize to all Riley fans, but that's just the way it is. I hold no grudges against Marc Blucas, it's not his fault his character was a soddin' ponce of a… nevermind.
Buffy slung her bag over her shoulder and quickly mounted her horse. Despite the cold, they raced at full speed toward the castle. Buffy and Dawn could only hope that they were faster than Riley and Snyder.
"Buffy, are we almost there?" Dawn called from inside the knapsack. Buffy quickly ran a hand across her face to wipe away the cold tears.
"Yea, Dawnie. We're getting close. I can see the castle in the distance." She answered.
Unbeknownst to Buffy, Riley and a horde of townspeople were also approaching the castle from another road. Some walked on foot and others rode horses. They held torches and axes and yelled fierce battle cries into the abyss of the night.
Leading the crowd was a horse drawn wagon with two men riding up front. A small rodent-looking man with a black top hat held the reins and kept them at a steady pace. Beside him sat a larger man, seemingly made of muscle. A man that the girls in town swooned over. A man that the men in town envied. A man that planned to kill Spike.
"Mr. Snyder, if you don't mind I'd like to reach the castle sometime before I grow old and ugly." Riley sneered.
Under his breath, Snyder muttered a curse and quickened the wagon's pace. He really didn't like the man sitting beside him. If it weren't for the money, he would have liked to kick him from the wagon and send him rolling into the depths of the forest. But Snyder was a greedy man and he held his tongue as they approached the castle.
The wagon reached the front steps of the castle minutes later and came to a stop. Riley jumped down and took the torch from another man's hand. He looked over the castle, seemingly unimpressed, and broke the silence.
"Men, you all know what you must do. Tonight is the night we will triumph over this beast! Leave no chair or table unturned, leave no room un-searched. This will be our night of glory!" he shouted.
From a patch of trees Buffy appeared with a rock in her hand. "Funny, that's just what some minions said before me and my friends beat the crap out of them. I hope for your sake that you have more luck than them." And with their attention on her, she hurled the rock in Riley's direction with all the force she could rally. Unfortunately, she was not used to the idea that in this reality she was not the slayer and the rock only flew a few feet. The men laughed at her, shouting out a few cruel jokes, before their attention was back to their leader. Riley shouted out some orders and within minutes they had a large tree trunk positioned in front of the castle door. On Riley's count, they slammed it into the strong wooden door, and after five attempts the door collapsed and men rushed inside.
Buffy cursed and followed them in, careful not to get in their way. The angry townspeople took off in all directions, hurling their torches at curtains and breaking random chairs just for the hell of it. Buffy ran through the chaos and up the stairs to the wing that Spike inhabited. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, crying out above the noise.
Riley surveyed the hectic mess he had induced and smiled. Standing on a chair to gain leverage, riley drew their attention to him once again.
"Remember, men. Do what you want, but the Beast is MINE!" Riley bellowed. A chorus of hollers and grunts was his reply and he strolled triumphantly out of the room. He saw Buffy fleeing up a flight of stairs and quietly followed her. She fled down a hallway and he continued to pursue her. She checked door after door but could not find Spike. Riley knew his best chance of finding his prey was to follow her. After all, he wasn't that stupid.
Buffy burst through another door, expecting to find nothing but a dark room, but instead she was greeted by the site of Spike. She closed the door behind her and rushed to his side, knowing that they needed to hurry.
Downstairs in the kitchen, enraged townspeople ravaged the kitchen. They knocked over chopping boards, broke china and took the sharpest knives they could find. Finally having had enough, Harmony the stove burned to life.
"Okay, that's it. You've wrecked my kitchen and now my feeling are hurt!" she pouted and lunged at the man nearest to her. His hair caught fire and he grabbed at his head in a futile attempt to combat the flames. One by one, Harmony battled the fools that had dismantled her home.
In the sitting room, Xander was doing much the same. He stood atop the bookshelf, lighting literature on fire and tipping it over at any poor soul who walked by. At the opposite end of the room Giles was running wildly with a spool of thread. He weaved in and out of furniture while dodging blustery footsteps. Once he was done, he retreated back under the desk and watched his plan unfold. Time after time, the men who rushed into the room tripped over the unseen string and fell. Giles hollered triumphantly but regained his composure when Xander looked at him accusingly.
All over the house footstools, coat racks and wardrobes tricked the foolish townsmen, but they could not hold out forever. They knew the attack would not stop until either Riley or Spike was defeated.
Riley crept silently down the hallway after Buffy. When he reached the door he put his ear to it and listened. Inside he heard the muffled argument. Buffy urged Spike to get up and run, but being stubborn as he was, he sat on the floor with his back against the wall ignoring her pleas.
Sensing the time was right, Riley turned the knob and thrust himself through the doorway.
"Buffy! I'm so glad that you're here. This way you'll get to watch this creature die." He spat.
Buffy racked her brain for a retort, but her fear clouded her head and she turned back to Spike. "Please! Please, Spike, come on!"
Riley crossed the room and with one swift movement he threw Buffy off of Spike and sent her flying into the nearest wall. She attempted to get back up, but she couldn't from the pain in the back of her skull. She hissed in pain and struggled to stand up.
Riley took advantage of Spike's unwillingness to fight and beat him mercilessly. He kicked and punched and mocked him, eventually throwing him out onto the balcony. Spike rolled to a stop on his back and noticed for the first time that it was raining. No, not raining, pouring. Torrents of rain fell down on him, soaking him almost instantly. Riley didn't mind the rain and followed his prey onto the balcony.
"Why aren't you fighting? It's no challenge if you just lay there! You're a vampire, right? Get up and fight!" Riley screamed above the sound of rain on the stone of the castle. Spike looked helplessly at Buffy who could only watch as he was beaten. Riley caught the look Spike gave to Buffy and it all became clear.
"Oh, is that it? You're in love with her. Aren't you?" he laughed good and long before her resumed talking. "Do you honestly think she'd want you when you she could have me?" he asked. Spike braced himself for Riley's attack but it never came. When he opened his eyes he saw Buffy weakly throwing things at Riley. She used whatever she could find and although it didn't hurt Riley, it distracted him.
Finally Riley had enough and he stormed towards Buffy. He grabbed her by the hair and threw her across the ground. She hit the stone hard and the crack of bone could be heard. Riley advanced on her but Spike seeing red. It was one thing to hit him, but hitting Buffy was a whole other story. Spike charged Riley from behind, knocking him to the ground. Riley recovered from the shock but Spike overpowered him. He got in three good punches before the chip immobilized him. Riley pushed Spike off of him but when he got to his feet the dizziness he felt caused him to stumble and he tripped over one of the books Buffy had thrown at him. His dizziness combined with his weakened state propelled him backwards until he hit the balcony railing and pathetically fell over it. Buffy stood, cradling her arm, and rushed to Spike's side. She knelt down, cradling his head in her lap.
"C'mon Spike. Wake up. Please wake up. Stupid vampire. Why'd you have to be so stubborn?" The tears combined with the rain as it ran down her face. "Oh God, why was I so stubborn? I should have told you when I had the chance. I should have told you. " She sobbed and wailed and was too distracted to notice the pale pink light that emanated from her and Spike. It was faint at first, but grew bolder and darker within seconds. The color of the light soon matched that of the rose petals that withered and fell from the enchanted rose on a table nearby. The last petal clung to the stem, ready to fall, as Buffy uttered four fateful words.
"I love you, Spike."
With those words the light grew twice in size and enveloped slayer and vampire before they even noticed.
Author's Note: Muahahaha. Nice cliffhanger, huh? One more chapter left. And this time I'll REALLY try to post it soon. Things are kinda hectic right now, but Christmas Break is coming up and I'll have lots of time to write. And please check out my sites…
http://devoted.to/dawnscrypt
http://devoted.to/spark