Author's note: This story and its contents are the property of Rebecca
Graves, and may not be reproduced or published without the written consent
of the author. (please! if you want to post this fic somewhere, email me at
dayetriper@sbcglobal.net and ask my permission first)
Disclaimer: The characters in this story are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, yadda yadda yadda... I only borrow, I promise I'll give them back when I'm done! :-)
Spoilers: See story description; through Season Six. Doesn't spoil Season 7, but may spoil A:tS Season 4 in chapters 6 and after, so be warned... on to the story!!!!!!
Author's Note: HEY BUFFY FANS!!! Help our voices be heard regarding Buffy! Fill out the Buffy survey at the link in my author profile, and let the world know how your love of all things Buffy has affected your life! Do it today!
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
When Willow awoke the following morning, she had only a vague recollection of the strange dream she'd had during the night, but the comfort it had brought her still warmed her heart, and she felt better than she had in weeks as she got dressed. She had a small breakfast with Dawn before sending her off to school, chatting in hushed tones so as not to wake her sister, who was still upstairs in bed. She left a note on the kitchen counter for Buffy, explaining her plans for the day, and seeing what a clear sunny day it was outside, decided to walk to Giles' apartment.
They spent the better part of the day talking and looking over some new magickal texts that Giles had brought with him from London. He seemed happy to find that she was keeping rather good control of her powers (excepting the incident the previous night), since taking his suggestion that perhaps using them from time to time in small doses would keep them from building up within her and subsequently leaking out at inappropriate moments. She'd found that making talismans and amulets - enchanting crystals and gems with protection spells, or healing powers - was very soothing to her; every time she made one, she felt as if she were closer to Tara somehow, as if Tara was watching over her. Plus, she was able to give them to Anya for sale at the Magic Box, and make some money so that she didn't feel as if she were just living under the Summers' roof and not contributing to the household at all.
She also mentioned the intruder she'd noticed the night before. Giles thought it over. "Well, the house is very well protected, magickally speaking, so you needn't worry about that, I suppose... And as for vampires, the only ones with an invitation to enter are Angel and--" He stopped short of mentioning Spike's name, remembering that after Buffy had told them of Spike's attacking her, they'd revoked his invitation; not that it mattered much, as he'd disappeared soon afterward anyway. Hastily, he continued without admitting his mistake: "--and surely he wouldn't be lurking about if he were in town for any reason. Still, we could call and ask..."
"No, that's all right, Giles. I'm sure I would have recognized him if it was Angel, and there's no need to bother them, I'm sure they've got their hands full with other business, no need to worry them..."
As the afternoon progressed, Willow realized that she should get back to the house soon; Dawn would be getting home from school in no time. Maybe they could have dinner ready for Buffy when she got home from work. When she stood to leave, she surprised Giles (and herself) by stepping over to him and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. After a split second of indecision, he closed his arms tightly around her and returned the embrace, one hand stroking her hair gently. She sighed happily, her cheek pressed against his warm chest. "Thank you, Giles," she murmured.
He held her a moment longer, then loosened the embrace enough to tilt her head up and give her a fatherly kiss on the forehead, smiling. "Of course, Willow... I'm always here for you, you need only ask." He patted her cheek, and followed her to the door. "Shall I run you home, then?"
"No, that's all right, Giles... It's so nice out today, I'll walk..." she answered, adjusting the strap of the backpack over her shoulder. Then a thought occurred to her. "On second thought, if you don't have any plans tonight, how about joining us for dinner? I think between you, Dawn, and I, we could make up something special for Buffy, to surprise her when she gets home...?"
Giles held his surprise in check; he hadn't seen Willow so cheerful in months; what could have caused such a sudden turnaround from the girl who'd been so upset just the night before? "Why, of course, Willow, that would be lovely... Just let me go change --" he replied, indicating his blue cotton shirt and jeans.
Willow cut him off before he could finish. "Oh, honestly, Giles, you look fine. I find it comforting to know that not every item in your wardrobe has leather patches at the elbows," she giggled.
Giles smiled in return. "All right, let me just get my keys, and we'll be off." Willow stepped out to the courtyard as he turned back to the desk to get his keyring, and he could swear he heard her humming a little tune to herself.
"Will wonders never cease?" he murmured under his breath.
"Hmmm? Did you say something?" Willow asked as he stepped out the door.
"Oh, no, nothing," he replied, smiling to himself as they walked to the car.
When they arrived to the home on Revello Drive, they found Dawn's backpack hanging over the end of the banister. "She must be home from school already. I'll go and get her, Giles; make yourself at home," Willow said as she went upstairs in search of the younger girl.
She stuck her head in Dawn's door on her way down the hall, but the room was empty. Continuing on, she heard a rustling noise coming from the master bedroom. Quietly approaching, she peeked into the room and saw the hunched back of the girl, bent over a cardboard box, rummaging through its contents.
"Looking for something?" she shot out, sounding much more indignant than she'd intended.
The girl's head flew up, turning toward the door. "W-Will, I... I was just... It's just that... I was talking with Janice about books and stuff, and I remembered that Tara had said she had a copy of 'The Lord of the Rings' that she would give me if I wanted to read it, and I was just looking for it, that's all--" she stuttered nervously, a mask of guilt on her face.
Immediately Willow felt sorry for being so harsh with her. "It's ok, Dawn... It's just... I'll find it for you. Giles is downstairs in the kitchen; why don't you go help him, see if you two can figure out something special we can make for dinner tonight for Buffy, ok?"
Dawn nodded, moving cautiously toward the door. As she passed the redhead, Willow reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "It's ok, Dawn; don't worry about it. Just, ask next time before you start going through other people's things, all right?" she said softly. Dawn nodded, looking a bit more relieved as she started down the stairs.
Willow made her way to the box, recognizing it as one of the cartons she'd used to pack the personal items she'd taken from Tara's dorm room after... Tara's family had come to claim her body, and taken her home with them, but before they'd arrived, Willow and Buffy went to Stevenson Hall and packed all the more personal (and magickal) items of Tara's, so that they could avoid a confrontation with Tara's family members. Although they needn't have bothered. No one from Tara's family made any attempt to contact them while in Sunnydale. They'd merely come, claimed her body and few personal belongings, and returned home.
Sitting down on the floor next to the box, Willow began carefully removing the items, setting them in neat piles around herself. She paused when she came across a small photo of Tara and herself, holding their kitten, Miss Kitty Fantastico. She traced her index finger along Tara's cheek and sighed. Miss Kitty had gone with Tara, she assumed, when she'd moved out of the Summers house; but after Tara's death, she was nowhere to be found, which saddened Willow, who'd hoped to bring her home. Willow carefully placed the photo aside; she would put it in a small frame, she decided, and place it on her bedside table, next to the small framed photo of Tara that was there now.
Sighing, she resumed her search. Here was the book that Dawn had been looking for. Bound in red leather, the spine listed the book's title and author in worn gold leaf. Opening the front cover, Willow was surprised to find an inscription on the inside, in Tara's small, neat and curvish hand:
To Dawn... May it bring you as much joy as you've brought me. Your friend always, Tara
Willow's eyes moistened slightly as she closed the cover carefully and slipped the book back into its leather sleeve. Dawn would be overcome with emotion to see such a precious gift from her lost friend... she was happy she'd found it for her...
While placing the other items back into the carton, Willow spied a small brown box under some papers. Pushing them aside, she lifted the small cube from its hiding place and was surprised to see a small note pinned to its lid, bearing her name in the same handwriting. Her hands trembling, she removed the parchment and unfolded it, her eyes overflowing with tears as she read its words:
Willow,
I'm sorry... I should have given this to you sooner, but I assumed I'd
eventually have a chance to deliver it to you personally. If you're reading
this note, then obviously I didn't. I've hidden this away in my room until I
see you again... but if you have it, then... then that means I'm gone.
I love you, Willow... I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to say
that to you again... I don't know if things will ever be the same for us, ever
be as they once were, but I will never stop loving you... you're a part of my
soul now, and as long as I live, I'll always be yours...
Now, to the contents of this box... I started work on this while we
were together, but I didn't finish it until... after. You remember that spell
we were working on, for artificial sunlight, for Buffy to use? Well, I was
able to modify it... You'll see when you open the box. Just think of it as a
way for me to always protect you...
Please, Willow, if I'm gone... don't let yourself fade away. You are
a beautiful, burning flame, and my love will always burn inside you. Stay
strong for me... and we'll be together again...
Yours, always...
Tara
Nearly blinded by her tears, Willow pulled the string from around the box and removed the lid. Nestled inside was a long silver chain, with what appeared to be a silver teardrop pendant suspended from it. Lifting it from the box to look at it more closely, she saw that it was in fact a glass vial, shimmering with a metallic glow. Inside the glass, a metallic golden solution swirled, with a dark red sphere floating within it. Willow instinctively realized that the red droplet was Tara's own blood, used to bind the spell. The front of the vial was painted with a very small design, a teardrop whose point fanned upward into small licks of flame, painted gold and red, the bottom of the tear swirled in a yin-yang design, half red, half gold. On the back of the vial was painted in black a small cluster of swirls, which Willow was eventually able to decipher as being hers and Tara's initials, W.R. and T.M., entwined together.
The chain of the necklace was wrapped around a small scroll of parchment, which Willow unrolled and read. The Latin words translated to describe the workings of the spell to her, and its words of activation: "Love, Light My Way".
Carefully, she slipped the chain over her head and let the pendant fall against her chest; it hung just above the curve of her bosom. The glass teardrop was cool to the touch of her skin for a mere second, but began to warm almost immediately. She could feel the warmth eminating from within it, flowing into her and filling her with its heat. Her eyes fell closed, and her moist lips parted slightly; the power of the magick contained within the talisman coursed through her veins; her blood felt as if it were beginning to boil...
"Willow? Are you all right?" Giles called up the stairs to her.
Her eyes snapped open, and she hurriedly removed the necklace, placing it gently into her pocket. "Yes, I - I'll be down in a second, I was looking for something..." she called back to him as she quickly replaced the contents of the carton and returned it to her closet. Carrying the book with her, she trotted down the hall to the top of the stairs, to find Giles gazing up at her, a small worried frown creasing his forehead.
Showing the book to him as she descended, she said, "I found it, don't worry." His frown melted away and he smiled at her. She returned the look warmly, smiling inwardly as well. Yes, I found it... she thought...
...now all I have to do is use it...
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
After a rather restless morning of tossing and turning, Spike had fallen into a troubled sleep during the afternoon, his thoughts still haunted by the dream he'd awoken from. His mind churned with questions and troubles when suddenly he realized that he could feel a small, rough tongue licking gently at his cheek. Holding perfectly still, he slowly inched one eye open and peeked out.
The black cat's head bobbed up and down as she cleaned his face and neck of the dried blood left from the previous night's activities. Smiling inwardly, he closed his eye again and left her continue; it was nice to be taken care of every once in a while, even by a feline. When she had finished, she purred softly and he opened his eyes, reaching up slowly to stroke the top of her head. She mewled lovingly and jumped off the bed, circling around restlessly at the side of it as Spike sat up slowly and stretched. His blood caked shirt crackled and creaked, and he cringed. "Best get a change of wardrobe this morning, I suppose," he spoke to the cat and peeled off the hardened shirt, tossing it into the corner and idly scratching an itch near his navel. Flexing one leg, then the other, he realized the jeans were just as bad and so discarded them as well.
As he padded nude across the room to his small wardrobe, the cat gave a saucy meow. Grinning, he called out, "Thanks, pet... you're not so bad yourself," laughing as he pulled on another pair of worn black jeans, and slipped into a dark blue long sleeved shirt, not bothering to fasten the buttons.
He turned to find the cat pacing restlessly at the foot of the stairs. "Hungry, pet? Let's see if Clem's left us any breakfast, love..." The cat meowed happily in response and bounded up the stairs before him.
He cringed at the state of the upper level of the crypt; he hadn't realized the extent of the damage he'd caused the night before. Oh well, I'll straighten up later... He pulled open the door of the small refrigerator and removed a small open tin of cat food. "Hmmm... looks as if Clem's been taking care of you while I was gone, wasn't that nice of him?" he murmured, stroking the cat's neck as he placed the tin before her. She pounced on it, nibbling at it appreciatively and purring.
The cat had started coming to him a few months ago, visiting for a night or two and then leaving again. He knew, of course, whose pet she truly was... but now he supposed, she might be without a true home, especially if Clem had been caring for her. "Surprised he hasn't eaten you or gambled you away yet, love," he murmured to her. "Maybe he was fattening you up to make a better meal first, eh?" The cat hissed in response, and Spike laughed out loud. Honestly, he was surprised to see that she was still here, but glad. Maybe he'd take her back to Willow tonight; anyway, it would give him an excuse to see her and maybe begin to explain what was happening to him.
"Yeah, that's a good idea, isn't it, love? Would you like to go home?" he asked. Miss Kitty lifted her head from her meal, "Meow?" He fancied that he could see the hopeful look in her eyes. Oh, you've really lost it now, Spike... really gone soft... "All right, Kat, we'll take you home, but there's one bit of business I've got to attend to first..."
Downstairs, he opened a drawer of the small writing desk that was wedged into one corner of his bedroom, and removed a pen and a small square of parchment paper, and his old wire-rimmed reading glasses. Balancing them gently on his nose, he perched on the small stool and chewed on the end of the pen, thinking... After a few moments, he sighed in resignation and jotted a couple of words on the paper, signing his name in the lower right hand corner and folding it over once, then again. Placing the folded note in his pocket, he reached down to pull his boots on, stopping when he saw the worn-through soles and torn skins of them. Sighing, he chucked them into the corner with his bloodied clothes, and reached into his wardrobe, removing another identical pair that were in considerably better condition. He laced them tightly and returned to his friend upstairs.
"All right, Kat... time to go home..." The cat finished grooming her face with her wet paw and ran to him, leaping gracefully into his waiting open arms. He cuddled her under his chin for a moment, then started out the door into the night.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
TBC - Please review and let me know what you think, suggestions are welcome! Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: The characters in this story are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, yadda yadda yadda... I only borrow, I promise I'll give them back when I'm done! :-)
Spoilers: See story description; through Season Six. Doesn't spoil Season 7, but may spoil A:tS Season 4 in chapters 6 and after, so be warned... on to the story!!!!!!
Author's Note: HEY BUFFY FANS!!! Help our voices be heard regarding Buffy! Fill out the Buffy survey at the link in my author profile, and let the world know how your love of all things Buffy has affected your life! Do it today!
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
When Willow awoke the following morning, she had only a vague recollection of the strange dream she'd had during the night, but the comfort it had brought her still warmed her heart, and she felt better than she had in weeks as she got dressed. She had a small breakfast with Dawn before sending her off to school, chatting in hushed tones so as not to wake her sister, who was still upstairs in bed. She left a note on the kitchen counter for Buffy, explaining her plans for the day, and seeing what a clear sunny day it was outside, decided to walk to Giles' apartment.
They spent the better part of the day talking and looking over some new magickal texts that Giles had brought with him from London. He seemed happy to find that she was keeping rather good control of her powers (excepting the incident the previous night), since taking his suggestion that perhaps using them from time to time in small doses would keep them from building up within her and subsequently leaking out at inappropriate moments. She'd found that making talismans and amulets - enchanting crystals and gems with protection spells, or healing powers - was very soothing to her; every time she made one, she felt as if she were closer to Tara somehow, as if Tara was watching over her. Plus, she was able to give them to Anya for sale at the Magic Box, and make some money so that she didn't feel as if she were just living under the Summers' roof and not contributing to the household at all.
She also mentioned the intruder she'd noticed the night before. Giles thought it over. "Well, the house is very well protected, magickally speaking, so you needn't worry about that, I suppose... And as for vampires, the only ones with an invitation to enter are Angel and--" He stopped short of mentioning Spike's name, remembering that after Buffy had told them of Spike's attacking her, they'd revoked his invitation; not that it mattered much, as he'd disappeared soon afterward anyway. Hastily, he continued without admitting his mistake: "--and surely he wouldn't be lurking about if he were in town for any reason. Still, we could call and ask..."
"No, that's all right, Giles. I'm sure I would have recognized him if it was Angel, and there's no need to bother them, I'm sure they've got their hands full with other business, no need to worry them..."
As the afternoon progressed, Willow realized that she should get back to the house soon; Dawn would be getting home from school in no time. Maybe they could have dinner ready for Buffy when she got home from work. When she stood to leave, she surprised Giles (and herself) by stepping over to him and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. After a split second of indecision, he closed his arms tightly around her and returned the embrace, one hand stroking her hair gently. She sighed happily, her cheek pressed against his warm chest. "Thank you, Giles," she murmured.
He held her a moment longer, then loosened the embrace enough to tilt her head up and give her a fatherly kiss on the forehead, smiling. "Of course, Willow... I'm always here for you, you need only ask." He patted her cheek, and followed her to the door. "Shall I run you home, then?"
"No, that's all right, Giles... It's so nice out today, I'll walk..." she answered, adjusting the strap of the backpack over her shoulder. Then a thought occurred to her. "On second thought, if you don't have any plans tonight, how about joining us for dinner? I think between you, Dawn, and I, we could make up something special for Buffy, to surprise her when she gets home...?"
Giles held his surprise in check; he hadn't seen Willow so cheerful in months; what could have caused such a sudden turnaround from the girl who'd been so upset just the night before? "Why, of course, Willow, that would be lovely... Just let me go change --" he replied, indicating his blue cotton shirt and jeans.
Willow cut him off before he could finish. "Oh, honestly, Giles, you look fine. I find it comforting to know that not every item in your wardrobe has leather patches at the elbows," she giggled.
Giles smiled in return. "All right, let me just get my keys, and we'll be off." Willow stepped out to the courtyard as he turned back to the desk to get his keyring, and he could swear he heard her humming a little tune to herself.
"Will wonders never cease?" he murmured under his breath.
"Hmmm? Did you say something?" Willow asked as he stepped out the door.
"Oh, no, nothing," he replied, smiling to himself as they walked to the car.
When they arrived to the home on Revello Drive, they found Dawn's backpack hanging over the end of the banister. "She must be home from school already. I'll go and get her, Giles; make yourself at home," Willow said as she went upstairs in search of the younger girl.
She stuck her head in Dawn's door on her way down the hall, but the room was empty. Continuing on, she heard a rustling noise coming from the master bedroom. Quietly approaching, she peeked into the room and saw the hunched back of the girl, bent over a cardboard box, rummaging through its contents.
"Looking for something?" she shot out, sounding much more indignant than she'd intended.
The girl's head flew up, turning toward the door. "W-Will, I... I was just... It's just that... I was talking with Janice about books and stuff, and I remembered that Tara had said she had a copy of 'The Lord of the Rings' that she would give me if I wanted to read it, and I was just looking for it, that's all--" she stuttered nervously, a mask of guilt on her face.
Immediately Willow felt sorry for being so harsh with her. "It's ok, Dawn... It's just... I'll find it for you. Giles is downstairs in the kitchen; why don't you go help him, see if you two can figure out something special we can make for dinner tonight for Buffy, ok?"
Dawn nodded, moving cautiously toward the door. As she passed the redhead, Willow reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "It's ok, Dawn; don't worry about it. Just, ask next time before you start going through other people's things, all right?" she said softly. Dawn nodded, looking a bit more relieved as she started down the stairs.
Willow made her way to the box, recognizing it as one of the cartons she'd used to pack the personal items she'd taken from Tara's dorm room after... Tara's family had come to claim her body, and taken her home with them, but before they'd arrived, Willow and Buffy went to Stevenson Hall and packed all the more personal (and magickal) items of Tara's, so that they could avoid a confrontation with Tara's family members. Although they needn't have bothered. No one from Tara's family made any attempt to contact them while in Sunnydale. They'd merely come, claimed her body and few personal belongings, and returned home.
Sitting down on the floor next to the box, Willow began carefully removing the items, setting them in neat piles around herself. She paused when she came across a small photo of Tara and herself, holding their kitten, Miss Kitty Fantastico. She traced her index finger along Tara's cheek and sighed. Miss Kitty had gone with Tara, she assumed, when she'd moved out of the Summers house; but after Tara's death, she was nowhere to be found, which saddened Willow, who'd hoped to bring her home. Willow carefully placed the photo aside; she would put it in a small frame, she decided, and place it on her bedside table, next to the small framed photo of Tara that was there now.
Sighing, she resumed her search. Here was the book that Dawn had been looking for. Bound in red leather, the spine listed the book's title and author in worn gold leaf. Opening the front cover, Willow was surprised to find an inscription on the inside, in Tara's small, neat and curvish hand:
To Dawn... May it bring you as much joy as you've brought me. Your friend always, Tara
Willow's eyes moistened slightly as she closed the cover carefully and slipped the book back into its leather sleeve. Dawn would be overcome with emotion to see such a precious gift from her lost friend... she was happy she'd found it for her...
While placing the other items back into the carton, Willow spied a small brown box under some papers. Pushing them aside, she lifted the small cube from its hiding place and was surprised to see a small note pinned to its lid, bearing her name in the same handwriting. Her hands trembling, she removed the parchment and unfolded it, her eyes overflowing with tears as she read its words:
Willow,
I'm sorry... I should have given this to you sooner, but I assumed I'd
eventually have a chance to deliver it to you personally. If you're reading
this note, then obviously I didn't. I've hidden this away in my room until I
see you again... but if you have it, then... then that means I'm gone.
I love you, Willow... I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to say
that to you again... I don't know if things will ever be the same for us, ever
be as they once were, but I will never stop loving you... you're a part of my
soul now, and as long as I live, I'll always be yours...
Now, to the contents of this box... I started work on this while we
were together, but I didn't finish it until... after. You remember that spell
we were working on, for artificial sunlight, for Buffy to use? Well, I was
able to modify it... You'll see when you open the box. Just think of it as a
way for me to always protect you...
Please, Willow, if I'm gone... don't let yourself fade away. You are
a beautiful, burning flame, and my love will always burn inside you. Stay
strong for me... and we'll be together again...
Yours, always...
Tara
Nearly blinded by her tears, Willow pulled the string from around the box and removed the lid. Nestled inside was a long silver chain, with what appeared to be a silver teardrop pendant suspended from it. Lifting it from the box to look at it more closely, she saw that it was in fact a glass vial, shimmering with a metallic glow. Inside the glass, a metallic golden solution swirled, with a dark red sphere floating within it. Willow instinctively realized that the red droplet was Tara's own blood, used to bind the spell. The front of the vial was painted with a very small design, a teardrop whose point fanned upward into small licks of flame, painted gold and red, the bottom of the tear swirled in a yin-yang design, half red, half gold. On the back of the vial was painted in black a small cluster of swirls, which Willow was eventually able to decipher as being hers and Tara's initials, W.R. and T.M., entwined together.
The chain of the necklace was wrapped around a small scroll of parchment, which Willow unrolled and read. The Latin words translated to describe the workings of the spell to her, and its words of activation: "Love, Light My Way".
Carefully, she slipped the chain over her head and let the pendant fall against her chest; it hung just above the curve of her bosom. The glass teardrop was cool to the touch of her skin for a mere second, but began to warm almost immediately. She could feel the warmth eminating from within it, flowing into her and filling her with its heat. Her eyes fell closed, and her moist lips parted slightly; the power of the magick contained within the talisman coursed through her veins; her blood felt as if it were beginning to boil...
"Willow? Are you all right?" Giles called up the stairs to her.
Her eyes snapped open, and she hurriedly removed the necklace, placing it gently into her pocket. "Yes, I - I'll be down in a second, I was looking for something..." she called back to him as she quickly replaced the contents of the carton and returned it to her closet. Carrying the book with her, she trotted down the hall to the top of the stairs, to find Giles gazing up at her, a small worried frown creasing his forehead.
Showing the book to him as she descended, she said, "I found it, don't worry." His frown melted away and he smiled at her. She returned the look warmly, smiling inwardly as well. Yes, I found it... she thought...
...now all I have to do is use it...
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
After a rather restless morning of tossing and turning, Spike had fallen into a troubled sleep during the afternoon, his thoughts still haunted by the dream he'd awoken from. His mind churned with questions and troubles when suddenly he realized that he could feel a small, rough tongue licking gently at his cheek. Holding perfectly still, he slowly inched one eye open and peeked out.
The black cat's head bobbed up and down as she cleaned his face and neck of the dried blood left from the previous night's activities. Smiling inwardly, he closed his eye again and left her continue; it was nice to be taken care of every once in a while, even by a feline. When she had finished, she purred softly and he opened his eyes, reaching up slowly to stroke the top of her head. She mewled lovingly and jumped off the bed, circling around restlessly at the side of it as Spike sat up slowly and stretched. His blood caked shirt crackled and creaked, and he cringed. "Best get a change of wardrobe this morning, I suppose," he spoke to the cat and peeled off the hardened shirt, tossing it into the corner and idly scratching an itch near his navel. Flexing one leg, then the other, he realized the jeans were just as bad and so discarded them as well.
As he padded nude across the room to his small wardrobe, the cat gave a saucy meow. Grinning, he called out, "Thanks, pet... you're not so bad yourself," laughing as he pulled on another pair of worn black jeans, and slipped into a dark blue long sleeved shirt, not bothering to fasten the buttons.
He turned to find the cat pacing restlessly at the foot of the stairs. "Hungry, pet? Let's see if Clem's left us any breakfast, love..." The cat meowed happily in response and bounded up the stairs before him.
He cringed at the state of the upper level of the crypt; he hadn't realized the extent of the damage he'd caused the night before. Oh well, I'll straighten up later... He pulled open the door of the small refrigerator and removed a small open tin of cat food. "Hmmm... looks as if Clem's been taking care of you while I was gone, wasn't that nice of him?" he murmured, stroking the cat's neck as he placed the tin before her. She pounced on it, nibbling at it appreciatively and purring.
The cat had started coming to him a few months ago, visiting for a night or two and then leaving again. He knew, of course, whose pet she truly was... but now he supposed, she might be without a true home, especially if Clem had been caring for her. "Surprised he hasn't eaten you or gambled you away yet, love," he murmured to her. "Maybe he was fattening you up to make a better meal first, eh?" The cat hissed in response, and Spike laughed out loud. Honestly, he was surprised to see that she was still here, but glad. Maybe he'd take her back to Willow tonight; anyway, it would give him an excuse to see her and maybe begin to explain what was happening to him.
"Yeah, that's a good idea, isn't it, love? Would you like to go home?" he asked. Miss Kitty lifted her head from her meal, "Meow?" He fancied that he could see the hopeful look in her eyes. Oh, you've really lost it now, Spike... really gone soft... "All right, Kat, we'll take you home, but there's one bit of business I've got to attend to first..."
Downstairs, he opened a drawer of the small writing desk that was wedged into one corner of his bedroom, and removed a pen and a small square of parchment paper, and his old wire-rimmed reading glasses. Balancing them gently on his nose, he perched on the small stool and chewed on the end of the pen, thinking... After a few moments, he sighed in resignation and jotted a couple of words on the paper, signing his name in the lower right hand corner and folding it over once, then again. Placing the folded note in his pocket, he reached down to pull his boots on, stopping when he saw the worn-through soles and torn skins of them. Sighing, he chucked them into the corner with his bloodied clothes, and reached into his wardrobe, removing another identical pair that were in considerably better condition. He laced them tightly and returned to his friend upstairs.
"All right, Kat... time to go home..." The cat finished grooming her face with her wet paw and ran to him, leaping gracefully into his waiting open arms. He cuddled her under his chin for a moment, then started out the door into the night.
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TBC - Please review and let me know what you think, suggestions are welcome! Thanks for reading!