Good afternoon, All.
I hope you are all having a nice weekend. Got a bit of snow here. Would be pretty if it weren't so cold!
Well, I did manage to get another chapter out this weekend. I do hope you enjoy it and hope you will let me know what you think. I plan to have the next chapter out on Wednesday as there is a new episode on Tuesday and I'm quite sure we'll be all wrapped up in that until then!
Again, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think and review it if you can. It truly helps me to know that you like the story. Makes the muse all warm and fuzzy!
*Cheery Vibes*, Nimue
"As sick as it sounds, in my little head, there's a little Sunnydale, and a widdle Spike and a widdle Buffy and Spike wubs Buffy." James Marsters 14 July 2002
Title: Et Tu, Brute? (Chapter Six of The One)
Author: Nimue
Rating: PG -13
Pairing: Buffy/Spike. Most major characters included.
Feedback: Yes, please
For instant notification of fic releases, straight to your mailbox, please visit Always_Everyday@yahoogroups.com
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN, Fox... Just Borrowing. (With, of course, the exception of Emma and William, who belong to Buffy and Spike)
Summary: Willow and Tara discuss Oz's proposition. Buffy and Spike go on patrol and something unusual happens. The mystery woman is involved, but how? Why?
Et Tu, Brute?
"I can't believe that *Spike* thought that.Argh." Willow muttered as she unlocked their apartment door. "I mean, so none of his business. And Buffy. Buffy wouldn't have ever agreed to this if Spike hadn't. He's such a bad influence." The door squeaked open and Willow walked into the entryway, Tara following silently on her heels. Willow had vented about eighty distinct emotions on the way home as she wrapped her mind around the proposal on the table. But most of the confusion had been disguised as anger at Spike.
"Do.Do you really think that? That Spike is a bad influence?" Tara asked, disguising a shy smile.
Willow stopped, tossing her keys on the table and peeling off her coat, hanging it on a hook. "Well, not a *bad* influence." She paused a moment more. Spike had been the glue that had kept them all together in the last few years. And definitely the armour that had kept Buffy alive. Not to mention, multi-purpose handyman, shoulder to sob on, baby-sitter, daddy, and husband of the year. He fought with Buffy, pretty regularly, but he never held a grudge. He never let even her most venomous attacks change what he felt about her or their life. Even when she was in full bitca mode, he'd toss a barb at her, turn on a booted heel, take off into the night with that lummox of a dog and come back with a dozen roses and kisses for his woman. Okay, he wasn't a bad influence.
"No," Willow sighed, flopping down on the couch. Tara settled down next to her. "I guess not. I mean.Just.where does he get off sticking his nose into our personal lives?"
Tara's eyes flickered to the floor. "Well, we talk to him, Will. I mean, we've both talked to him. Probably me more than you. But we're the ones that told him that we were having a hard time with."
Willow turned, looking at Tara. "With the decision."
Tara nodded. "Right. And you know how Spike is." A grin spread across her face. "He's not big on the whole debate until the end of time way of dealing. He.he found an answer. I mean, I.I guess we should have known when we talked to him that he would do it.sooner or later."
"But we weren't asking for *help*!" Willow whined. "Venting. It's about the venting."
Tara chuckled. "Women vent just to vent. Men vent to solve problems. He's a guy. To him, problem solved."
The redhead had to chuckle at that. "So not in like of those man-ways." She looked at Tara and watched her face soften. How much she loved the girl was.unquantifiable. Tara was her world. Her everything. The look on Tara's face, though, was unreadable. "What.whatcha thinking?"
Tara stared back at Willow, suddenly confident. "I.I think that Spike helped us. I.I think I'm glad."
It took a second for that to register in Willow's mind. "You...you mean you.want to do this?"
"I think," Tara began, "I. I think we need to think about this. I.Spike.I think he's right. I mean, we both obviously want our own baby. And there's no reason why we shouldn't. Out of all of them, we've been together the longest."
It hadn't occurred to Willow that her relationship with Tara had predated even Buffy and Spike. It had been too long to remember orders at this point. And what with the whole One thing, it was like Buffy and Spike had been together for eternity. But in this life, Tara and Willow had been happily together since even before that. "Yeah," Willow smiled. "We have."
"And we know we're not going anywhere. I think.I think we're happy here," Tara continued, leaning forward and softly kissing her lover's cheek.
Willow smiled, feeling the brush of silk to her skin. "I know that."
Tara's face was still so close to Willow. Her breath blew softly on Willow's soft skin. "And Spike was right. We would rather have our own. We've both said that. And we.well, we can't quite do that .you know.like we are."
The feelings of confusion were mixing with the soft, warm feelings of desire as Tara's gentle mouth caressed her cheek, her ear. "No. One of the few things we *can't* do."
"We can't," Tara agreed, rocking back and smiling gently at Willow. "And neither of us liked the idea of going to the hospital and taking what we get. I mean there's nothing.there's nothing wrong with that. But in Sunnydale, who knows.I mean, a high school drop out with bad skin is the least of our concerns."
A picture of Clem flitted through Willow's mind, tearing her between a giggle and running for her life. "Agreed. So, not wanting the anonymous donor in Sunnydale."
"And, well, Spike...he was right. It's not like any of us have a lot of outside friends anymore. I mean, you have your friends at the hospital. And I know some people at the school. But. but no one we'd want."
"To have a baby with," Willow sighed, slumping into the couch. "I...ugh.I don't want to be talking about this."
Tara put her hand gently on the side of her lover's face, turning it towards her. "We have to."
The redhead sighed. "I know, baby. It's just. "
"Uncomfortable?"
"Yeah," Willow answered. Tara always could read her mind. "I mean, it just seems.I don't know."
"Do you want a child of our own?" Tara asked, making sure this wasn't Willow's way of backing out. She didn't think it was, but felt like she owed her the opportunity to change her mind.
"Yes! Of course I do," Willow answered, taking Tara's hand again. "I.I just am not liking the detail part."
Tara sighed, "Well, I think once we make a decision, then maybe it will all be.less to deal with."
"Until the throwing up and the mood swings and the cravings and the.." Willow stuttered.
Tara smiled softly. "You're scared."
"Am not," Willow answered, furrowing her brow. "I'm .I can.Oh, fine, yes."
"Me too. But look, Buffy and Anya and Takina all made it. And except for William, none of them even had that hard a time. I mean, you'd think Anya was happier being pregnant than not."
"Anya also gutted people for a living. Her tastes, not good," Willow answered, chuckling.
Tara blushed a little. "And...And it doesn't have to be you. I mean.I would.I kind of want to know."
The implications of that were astounding to Willow. "But I thought you didn't want to go with the hospital and the turkey baster of love?" She stuttered. "I mean, unless we have to."
"I don't," Tara answered. "And don't get upset, I don't plan on going all.straight...on you now."
"Then... then what?" Willow asked. "I mean, right now, we have limited men in our lives. And all of them are taken. Except.Except Oz."
Tara nodded. "Right. And you loved him once. You .you even."
She stopped, not able to complete the thought. Willow squeezed her hand. "I did. I mean, yeah, but it was a long time ago and so not feeling that way anymore."
"But he is a good option. I mean, it's not like the wolf thing matters. In fact, it would probably help. And entire generation of Scoobies with enhanced strength and healing and." Tara reasoned.
"And fur!" Willow joked.
Tara smiled. "I think it's a good plan. We just have to decide if it's what we want and if it is, we need to decide how. And .and who."
Willow thought for a long moment, her eyes searching the floor. "I don't.I don't want to just.I dunno. I don't want to be with anyone without you there. And it's not like a spectator thing... and...Unless.."
Tara looked up, eyes saucer wide. "You think?"
Willow smiled, "It might just work."
The woman stopped at the edge of the sidewalk, under the shadowy cover of trees. This place, this place was more familiar. It was dark, and cold, but familiar. The stones. She knew them. And the buildings. She knew them too. She'd stayed in one. And she was put under one of the stones.
Footsteps echoed in the crystal clear winter air, clacking along the sidewalk. Two sets. One heavier than the other. Murmurs and giggles drifted like mist. The low base purr of a man. The higher, lyrical sweetness of a young woman. She backed under the trees and out of the line of sight of the sidewalk.
A couple walked towards her, and then veered off through the gate towards the stones. They were holding hands. Something about them was so familiar. It tugged at her dead heart. Her mind searched the emptiness for the answer, but they had taken her mind away. Or at least the part that remembered and felt. She couldn't see them enough to tell for sure. But the way they walked, hand in hand was making her lonely. The way that he looked down at her with eyes that could hold nothing but love. And the way she smiled back. Home.
The glow on her wrist became intense. It was burning her. She shook her arm as if to quell the rising flame, but it wouldn't stop. The dragon glowed like a growing ember in a fire and then exploded, a ball of red light escaping. It was the size of a plum. Dancing in front of her, making her eyes hurt and her body want to catch it and take it far away.
It was bad.
The glow hovered in front of her and then took off, blazing at an alarming rate towards the couple. She stepped around the tree to see it, somewhere hoping it would flicker out along the way, but it didn't. It found the man from behind, passing through his chest, his heart, like an airborne dagger, and then circled like lightning, passing through the girl's from the front.
The couple stopped. The woman waited for them to fall screaming to the ground. But they just looked at each other with furrowed brows, each rubbing a palm to their chest. The girl shrugged. The man moved her hand and looked. He shook his head.
They started to walk again.
"God, what do you think they're saying," Buffy asked, walking next to Spike along the sidewalk towards the cemetery. "I mean, we sort of just dropped it out there."
He shrugged. "Dunno, Pet. But I imagine they need to suss it out on their own."
"Oh, like they found this solution on their own, because we're so not all about the sticking our noses in," Buffy answered sarcastically.
"Hey! I was doing the birds a service, Love. And without offering myself up for the cause." He smirked. She knew he had *no* intention of being that helpful, but he also knew that she'd become quite the possessive one and even the thought would put a twist in her pretty knickers.
"I told you before, no Vampire Loaning Program," Buffy huffed. He wrapped his hand around hers, squeezing it.
"Wouldn't be able to anyway, Pet."
Buffy furrowed a brow. "What? I mean, you're kinda.able."
"Kind of?" Spike gasped insulted. He opened his jacket a little, giving her a glimpse of the can of Ready Whip. "Kind of able?"
Buffy shuddered with delight. "Okay, you're able. You're more than able. You're a regular able bodied seaman." She stopped, thinking for a moment. "Okay, that came out wrong."
Spike chuckled. "Just don't want you getting all disappointed in old Spike," he answered. "Means I have to teach you something new again."
"Teach me!" Buffy gasped, giggling. "I mean, I think I .after these last few...you can't possibly have."She stopped, watching the cat ate the canary grin on his face. Her voice became soft and amazed. "You mean, there's more?"
"Volumes, Love," he answered, winking.
She thought about that a moment as they rounded the corner into the cemetery. "Really? You're holding out on me?"
He stopped, turning her towards him. "Not holding out. Just pacing ourselves."
A sly smile broke on her face. "Feel like taking a giant leap for man...or Vampire...kind tonight?"
His wicked grin responded. "In the mood for a lesson, are we?"
Her eyes sank closed and a small hum escaped her lips. As they flickered open again, she answered. "Yeah, I think I'm up for that."
Just then, a surprised look crossed his face, and he jerked forward, his hand slapping to his chest. Buffy looked at him a moment, her heart skipping a beat. He looked lost. Afraid. But as she reached forward, a searing pain burned through her ribs, singing her heart and exploding from her back. She felt her palm raise, cupping her hand over her heart, her eyes shocked and afraid as she looked back up at Spike.
His expression had changed. Now he was no longer concerned about what had happened to him, rather, he was terrified that it happened to her. Spike's blue eyes swam in horror as he moved her hand from her chest, looking at her shirt and then pulling that away to expose the soft skin of the top of her breast. No holes. No burns. No marks. Buffy breathed, standing in front of him, none the worse for wear, even if her heart was racing at an alarming pace inside her chest.
"Love, you alright?" He asked, his hand sliding from her heart to cup her cheek.
She shrugged, a bit dazed and nodded. "Yeah, I mean.are you?" He dropped his hand and looked down. She leaned closer to inspect the spot on his perfect chest. "It looks okay."
Her eyes flickered back to his. "What just happened?"
"Dunno, Love." He straightened, pulling her sweater back over her shoulder. "But looks like were none the worse off."
Buffy frowned and then shrugged. "Now, about that lesson."
~~~~~
They made their rounds of the graveyard in record speed. Regardless of what they wanted out of the night, she.no, they.had a duty first. It was silent. Looks like even the Vampire world was staying in on Christmas night.
The mood had lightened as they walked. It became clear that whatever had happened was not the end of the world, nor even the end of them. Probably just a bad case of heartburn from Anya's spicy stuffing. The fact that they both had it at the same time didn't surprise them. Sometimes the connection ran so deep that they could tell when the other one needed a drink of water or wanted to go outside to watch the moon.
She was laughing as he scooped her up, carrying her the last bit towards the crypt. It was still early. They had a lot of time before having to run back home to save Dawn from the smaller demons. His kisses peppered her cheeks, his words igniting fires underneath her skin. Lessons from Spike were like fiery walks in Heaven. Like a little bit of wickedness and a whole lot of wonder. It used to bother her that he'd collected so much knowledge on how to make her body sing, but now all she cared about was the fact that she was the sole benefactor.
As Spike planted a hungry kiss on her swollen lips and lifted his booted foot to kick in the door to his crypt as she had so many nights past, something made him stumble. Her head spun from her comfy perch in his arms. His followed. A pair of Vampires that wanted to play. A wicked grin broke on Buffy's face as he settled her to the ground. A little sparring always got the blood pumping and made her all the more in the mood for Spike's kind of battle. Not that she needed much help with the mood.
"Now, that's just rude," Buffy complained, taking a step towards one of the Vampires. Spike just crossed his arms, watching her with a sly grin on his face. His girl was all the more beautiful when she fought. Graceful and fluid and deadly, her body a perfect dichotomy of frailness and brute strength.
She shot a look back at Spike, warning him to stay back. He would. She preferred to take out the Vamps herself if she could. Didn't bother him to watch her. He knew now when it was time to step in. Until then, he'd kick back and enjoy the show. Not that there'd be much of one. They looked young and stupid. Spike nodded his agreement and Buffy turned back towards the Vampires.
"I cook and clean and raise a family all day long," she complained. "Okay, so I don't cook, but I do spend all day with diapers and toys and Disney movies and I *finally* get a night alone with him and here you are, trying to interrupt. Rude," Buffy continued, stalking towards them. They backed up a bit, partially out of fear, but more because they weren't sure if she was all that sane.
"Buffy?" Spike said softly.
"What?" She growled, turning around.
He raised an eyebrow. "They don't know."
"Know what?" One of the Vampires asked, flicking out a knife and taking a step towards the little blonde.
"That's she's the Slayer, Mate," Spike answered, amused, leaning back against the wall of the crypt. He watched the Vampire's faces go blank. "Should do your research before you come out here flashing knives, you git."
"The Slayer?" The other Vampire gasped. "So you.you're.You're one of us."
Buffy chuckled. "Spike, are you a Vampire?"
Spike chuckled, shaking his head, his game face appearing as if out of thin air. "Shudder, gasp! My secret's out, Pet."
"I had heard there was a Vampire who'd made all nice with the Slayer," the bolder of the two Vampires replied, still standing his ground. The other one looked as if he wanted to run, but was trapped by the fact that he couldn't remember how his feet worked.
Buffy chuckled. "Yeah, we made nice," she answered. "And you're interrupting more nice for me. So put the knife away and I might get all Christmas spirit-y and kill you later."
The bolder one leered at her. "Not on your life. I've always wanted to taste a Slayer."
Spike stiffened, hearing his own ancient thoughts rattle through someone else's lips. Guilt and then anger crashed through him. But Buffy stood her ground. Better just to let them find out what a Slayer really was. He'd make those words up to Buffy somehow. Some day.
The Vampire came closer, the weaker one following. "Go ahead," she seethed. "Try me."
The bold one lunged and she spun out of the way, a stake appearing from the sleeve of her coat. Spike had made her a nifty sheath that could carry two and put them just where she could access them, pushing them into her hands as she flexed her wrist. And she had a back up.
Buffy dropped, rolling away from a clumsy jab and hopped up, in front of the weaker one. Spike leaned back, watching her toy with them. The weak one look terrified for a moment, and then produced a knife of his own, which she promptly knocked from his hand with a spin kick. The Vampire looked startled as her foot made contact with his head, knocking him back into a tombstone, dazed.
She turned back to the bolder Vampire. He grinned wickedly, sizing her up. "You sure you want to do this? I mean, I am feeling charitable and I have better things to do," Buffy reasoned as he ran at her.
"I want to kill you," the unimaginative Vampire hissed, making Spike chuckle.
"At least get some more creative prose, Mate," he quipped from the sidelines. Buffy began to battle him, hand to hand, punching him several times before the knife was knocked loose by another spin kick combination. Poetry in motion, Spike thought, watching her wrist twitch and the stake appear. Spike was too caught up in watching the artfulness of her maneuver to notice the weaker one begin to stir.
Buffy spun again, avoiding a lunging tackle, and caught the bolder one's shoulder, tossing him against a tree. "Don't interrupt my nights out. Spread the word," she said as she jammed the stake into his chest. "Okay, well don't then."
Spike saw a blur out of the corner of his eye. "Buffy, watch out. Behind you."
He began to race towards her, but the weaker one was too close, lunging at her with the knife he found along the way. Spike reached forward, barely missing the jacket of the Vampire. Buffy turned, seeing the Vampire on her and shifted to the right like lightning.
The Vampire didn't miss. But it didn't hit as it wanted either. Her eyes were shocked as her one hand clapped over her side. "I ...I like this shirt," Buffy stuttered, raising her stake and plunging It through the Vampire's heart before dropping to her knees to the ground.
Spike stared at her a moment, his human features returning. He had fallen to the grass as well trying to catch the weaker Vamp. A miscalculation. It hadn't killed her, or even hurt her seriously, but it was too close. He wasn't going to stay out of it anymore. It had been a long time since he'd let her get hurt and he didn't like remembering how it felt.
"Buffy, you alright, Love?" Spike asked, pushing himself to his feet. Her hand cupped over her side and blood trickled down her white blouse. He winced, looking at her.
"Yeah," she answered, still a bit dazed. "Just.it's not bad."
Spike dropped to his knees in front of her, moving her hand and pulling up the tattered remnants of her shirt. There was a gash in her side, but it was fairly shallow. Bled like a paper cut. Lots of blood for what amounted to more of an annoyance wound. But still, he hated to ever see her with even a bruise.
He straightened again, staring down at her. "Pet, you alright?"
Buffy looked confused a moment, her eyes flickering down the length of his torso. "He...he got you too?"
"No, Love, I was standing over there," he answered, his head nodding towards the crypt entrance.
Buffy's brow furrowed, her hand sliding down his side. She reached the same spot on his body that would have marked her wound. Her hand felt sticky. She pulled it away and looked at her fingers, raising them in front of him. Blood. They were covered in blood.
"Spike?"
A confused look crossed his face and he tugged his shirt up. They couldn't have stabbed him. Too far away. Never even touched the blokes. Yet under his t-shirt, in the same spot as hers, there was an identical, bleeding gash, burning with freshness and fire. "Buffy?"
"What happened?" She asked her eyes still dazed.
"Can you walk, Pet?" Spike asked, pulling himself to his feet. She nodded, taking his hand as he pulled her up. "I think we need to go home and clean you.clean us up... Call the Watchers."
Buffy looked longingly at the door of the crypt a moment, then back to Spike. "But..."
He smiled, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "Thousands more nights, Love. I'll make it up to you."
She felt a twinge of pain and nodded. "Promise?"
"Always."
To be contd.
I hope you are all having a nice weekend. Got a bit of snow here. Would be pretty if it weren't so cold!
Well, I did manage to get another chapter out this weekend. I do hope you enjoy it and hope you will let me know what you think. I plan to have the next chapter out on Wednesday as there is a new episode on Tuesday and I'm quite sure we'll be all wrapped up in that until then!
Again, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think and review it if you can. It truly helps me to know that you like the story. Makes the muse all warm and fuzzy!
*Cheery Vibes*, Nimue
"As sick as it sounds, in my little head, there's a little Sunnydale, and a widdle Spike and a widdle Buffy and Spike wubs Buffy." James Marsters 14 July 2002
Title: Et Tu, Brute? (Chapter Six of The One)
Author: Nimue
Rating: PG -13
Pairing: Buffy/Spike. Most major characters included.
Feedback: Yes, please
For instant notification of fic releases, straight to your mailbox, please visit Always_Everyday@yahoogroups.com
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN, Fox... Just Borrowing. (With, of course, the exception of Emma and William, who belong to Buffy and Spike)
Summary: Willow and Tara discuss Oz's proposition. Buffy and Spike go on patrol and something unusual happens. The mystery woman is involved, but how? Why?
Et Tu, Brute?
"I can't believe that *Spike* thought that.Argh." Willow muttered as she unlocked their apartment door. "I mean, so none of his business. And Buffy. Buffy wouldn't have ever agreed to this if Spike hadn't. He's such a bad influence." The door squeaked open and Willow walked into the entryway, Tara following silently on her heels. Willow had vented about eighty distinct emotions on the way home as she wrapped her mind around the proposal on the table. But most of the confusion had been disguised as anger at Spike.
"Do.Do you really think that? That Spike is a bad influence?" Tara asked, disguising a shy smile.
Willow stopped, tossing her keys on the table and peeling off her coat, hanging it on a hook. "Well, not a *bad* influence." She paused a moment more. Spike had been the glue that had kept them all together in the last few years. And definitely the armour that had kept Buffy alive. Not to mention, multi-purpose handyman, shoulder to sob on, baby-sitter, daddy, and husband of the year. He fought with Buffy, pretty regularly, but he never held a grudge. He never let even her most venomous attacks change what he felt about her or their life. Even when she was in full bitca mode, he'd toss a barb at her, turn on a booted heel, take off into the night with that lummox of a dog and come back with a dozen roses and kisses for his woman. Okay, he wasn't a bad influence.
"No," Willow sighed, flopping down on the couch. Tara settled down next to her. "I guess not. I mean.Just.where does he get off sticking his nose into our personal lives?"
Tara's eyes flickered to the floor. "Well, we talk to him, Will. I mean, we've both talked to him. Probably me more than you. But we're the ones that told him that we were having a hard time with."
Willow turned, looking at Tara. "With the decision."
Tara nodded. "Right. And you know how Spike is." A grin spread across her face. "He's not big on the whole debate until the end of time way of dealing. He.he found an answer. I mean, I.I guess we should have known when we talked to him that he would do it.sooner or later."
"But we weren't asking for *help*!" Willow whined. "Venting. It's about the venting."
Tara chuckled. "Women vent just to vent. Men vent to solve problems. He's a guy. To him, problem solved."
The redhead had to chuckle at that. "So not in like of those man-ways." She looked at Tara and watched her face soften. How much she loved the girl was.unquantifiable. Tara was her world. Her everything. The look on Tara's face, though, was unreadable. "What.whatcha thinking?"
Tara stared back at Willow, suddenly confident. "I.I think that Spike helped us. I.I think I'm glad."
It took a second for that to register in Willow's mind. "You...you mean you.want to do this?"
"I think," Tara began, "I. I think we need to think about this. I.Spike.I think he's right. I mean, we both obviously want our own baby. And there's no reason why we shouldn't. Out of all of them, we've been together the longest."
It hadn't occurred to Willow that her relationship with Tara had predated even Buffy and Spike. It had been too long to remember orders at this point. And what with the whole One thing, it was like Buffy and Spike had been together for eternity. But in this life, Tara and Willow had been happily together since even before that. "Yeah," Willow smiled. "We have."
"And we know we're not going anywhere. I think.I think we're happy here," Tara continued, leaning forward and softly kissing her lover's cheek.
Willow smiled, feeling the brush of silk to her skin. "I know that."
Tara's face was still so close to Willow. Her breath blew softly on Willow's soft skin. "And Spike was right. We would rather have our own. We've both said that. And we.well, we can't quite do that .you know.like we are."
The feelings of confusion were mixing with the soft, warm feelings of desire as Tara's gentle mouth caressed her cheek, her ear. "No. One of the few things we *can't* do."
"We can't," Tara agreed, rocking back and smiling gently at Willow. "And neither of us liked the idea of going to the hospital and taking what we get. I mean there's nothing.there's nothing wrong with that. But in Sunnydale, who knows.I mean, a high school drop out with bad skin is the least of our concerns."
A picture of Clem flitted through Willow's mind, tearing her between a giggle and running for her life. "Agreed. So, not wanting the anonymous donor in Sunnydale."
"And, well, Spike...he was right. It's not like any of us have a lot of outside friends anymore. I mean, you have your friends at the hospital. And I know some people at the school. But. but no one we'd want."
"To have a baby with," Willow sighed, slumping into the couch. "I...ugh.I don't want to be talking about this."
Tara put her hand gently on the side of her lover's face, turning it towards her. "We have to."
The redhead sighed. "I know, baby. It's just. "
"Uncomfortable?"
"Yeah," Willow answered. Tara always could read her mind. "I mean, it just seems.I don't know."
"Do you want a child of our own?" Tara asked, making sure this wasn't Willow's way of backing out. She didn't think it was, but felt like she owed her the opportunity to change her mind.
"Yes! Of course I do," Willow answered, taking Tara's hand again. "I.I just am not liking the detail part."
Tara sighed, "Well, I think once we make a decision, then maybe it will all be.less to deal with."
"Until the throwing up and the mood swings and the cravings and the.." Willow stuttered.
Tara smiled softly. "You're scared."
"Am not," Willow answered, furrowing her brow. "I'm .I can.Oh, fine, yes."
"Me too. But look, Buffy and Anya and Takina all made it. And except for William, none of them even had that hard a time. I mean, you'd think Anya was happier being pregnant than not."
"Anya also gutted people for a living. Her tastes, not good," Willow answered, chuckling.
Tara blushed a little. "And...And it doesn't have to be you. I mean.I would.I kind of want to know."
The implications of that were astounding to Willow. "But I thought you didn't want to go with the hospital and the turkey baster of love?" She stuttered. "I mean, unless we have to."
"I don't," Tara answered. "And don't get upset, I don't plan on going all.straight...on you now."
"Then... then what?" Willow asked. "I mean, right now, we have limited men in our lives. And all of them are taken. Except.Except Oz."
Tara nodded. "Right. And you loved him once. You .you even."
She stopped, not able to complete the thought. Willow squeezed her hand. "I did. I mean, yeah, but it was a long time ago and so not feeling that way anymore."
"But he is a good option. I mean, it's not like the wolf thing matters. In fact, it would probably help. And entire generation of Scoobies with enhanced strength and healing and." Tara reasoned.
"And fur!" Willow joked.
Tara smiled. "I think it's a good plan. We just have to decide if it's what we want and if it is, we need to decide how. And .and who."
Willow thought for a long moment, her eyes searching the floor. "I don't.I don't want to just.I dunno. I don't want to be with anyone without you there. And it's not like a spectator thing... and...Unless.."
Tara looked up, eyes saucer wide. "You think?"
Willow smiled, "It might just work."
The woman stopped at the edge of the sidewalk, under the shadowy cover of trees. This place, this place was more familiar. It was dark, and cold, but familiar. The stones. She knew them. And the buildings. She knew them too. She'd stayed in one. And she was put under one of the stones.
Footsteps echoed in the crystal clear winter air, clacking along the sidewalk. Two sets. One heavier than the other. Murmurs and giggles drifted like mist. The low base purr of a man. The higher, lyrical sweetness of a young woman. She backed under the trees and out of the line of sight of the sidewalk.
A couple walked towards her, and then veered off through the gate towards the stones. They were holding hands. Something about them was so familiar. It tugged at her dead heart. Her mind searched the emptiness for the answer, but they had taken her mind away. Or at least the part that remembered and felt. She couldn't see them enough to tell for sure. But the way they walked, hand in hand was making her lonely. The way that he looked down at her with eyes that could hold nothing but love. And the way she smiled back. Home.
The glow on her wrist became intense. It was burning her. She shook her arm as if to quell the rising flame, but it wouldn't stop. The dragon glowed like a growing ember in a fire and then exploded, a ball of red light escaping. It was the size of a plum. Dancing in front of her, making her eyes hurt and her body want to catch it and take it far away.
It was bad.
The glow hovered in front of her and then took off, blazing at an alarming rate towards the couple. She stepped around the tree to see it, somewhere hoping it would flicker out along the way, but it didn't. It found the man from behind, passing through his chest, his heart, like an airborne dagger, and then circled like lightning, passing through the girl's from the front.
The couple stopped. The woman waited for them to fall screaming to the ground. But they just looked at each other with furrowed brows, each rubbing a palm to their chest. The girl shrugged. The man moved her hand and looked. He shook his head.
They started to walk again.
"God, what do you think they're saying," Buffy asked, walking next to Spike along the sidewalk towards the cemetery. "I mean, we sort of just dropped it out there."
He shrugged. "Dunno, Pet. But I imagine they need to suss it out on their own."
"Oh, like they found this solution on their own, because we're so not all about the sticking our noses in," Buffy answered sarcastically.
"Hey! I was doing the birds a service, Love. And without offering myself up for the cause." He smirked. She knew he had *no* intention of being that helpful, but he also knew that she'd become quite the possessive one and even the thought would put a twist in her pretty knickers.
"I told you before, no Vampire Loaning Program," Buffy huffed. He wrapped his hand around hers, squeezing it.
"Wouldn't be able to anyway, Pet."
Buffy furrowed a brow. "What? I mean, you're kinda.able."
"Kind of?" Spike gasped insulted. He opened his jacket a little, giving her a glimpse of the can of Ready Whip. "Kind of able?"
Buffy shuddered with delight. "Okay, you're able. You're more than able. You're a regular able bodied seaman." She stopped, thinking for a moment. "Okay, that came out wrong."
Spike chuckled. "Just don't want you getting all disappointed in old Spike," he answered. "Means I have to teach you something new again."
"Teach me!" Buffy gasped, giggling. "I mean, I think I .after these last few...you can't possibly have."She stopped, watching the cat ate the canary grin on his face. Her voice became soft and amazed. "You mean, there's more?"
"Volumes, Love," he answered, winking.
She thought about that a moment as they rounded the corner into the cemetery. "Really? You're holding out on me?"
He stopped, turning her towards him. "Not holding out. Just pacing ourselves."
A sly smile broke on her face. "Feel like taking a giant leap for man...or Vampire...kind tonight?"
His wicked grin responded. "In the mood for a lesson, are we?"
Her eyes sank closed and a small hum escaped her lips. As they flickered open again, she answered. "Yeah, I think I'm up for that."
Just then, a surprised look crossed his face, and he jerked forward, his hand slapping to his chest. Buffy looked at him a moment, her heart skipping a beat. He looked lost. Afraid. But as she reached forward, a searing pain burned through her ribs, singing her heart and exploding from her back. She felt her palm raise, cupping her hand over her heart, her eyes shocked and afraid as she looked back up at Spike.
His expression had changed. Now he was no longer concerned about what had happened to him, rather, he was terrified that it happened to her. Spike's blue eyes swam in horror as he moved her hand from her chest, looking at her shirt and then pulling that away to expose the soft skin of the top of her breast. No holes. No burns. No marks. Buffy breathed, standing in front of him, none the worse for wear, even if her heart was racing at an alarming pace inside her chest.
"Love, you alright?" He asked, his hand sliding from her heart to cup her cheek.
She shrugged, a bit dazed and nodded. "Yeah, I mean.are you?" He dropped his hand and looked down. She leaned closer to inspect the spot on his perfect chest. "It looks okay."
Her eyes flickered back to his. "What just happened?"
"Dunno, Love." He straightened, pulling her sweater back over her shoulder. "But looks like were none the worse off."
Buffy frowned and then shrugged. "Now, about that lesson."
~~~~~
They made their rounds of the graveyard in record speed. Regardless of what they wanted out of the night, she.no, they.had a duty first. It was silent. Looks like even the Vampire world was staying in on Christmas night.
The mood had lightened as they walked. It became clear that whatever had happened was not the end of the world, nor even the end of them. Probably just a bad case of heartburn from Anya's spicy stuffing. The fact that they both had it at the same time didn't surprise them. Sometimes the connection ran so deep that they could tell when the other one needed a drink of water or wanted to go outside to watch the moon.
She was laughing as he scooped her up, carrying her the last bit towards the crypt. It was still early. They had a lot of time before having to run back home to save Dawn from the smaller demons. His kisses peppered her cheeks, his words igniting fires underneath her skin. Lessons from Spike were like fiery walks in Heaven. Like a little bit of wickedness and a whole lot of wonder. It used to bother her that he'd collected so much knowledge on how to make her body sing, but now all she cared about was the fact that she was the sole benefactor.
As Spike planted a hungry kiss on her swollen lips and lifted his booted foot to kick in the door to his crypt as she had so many nights past, something made him stumble. Her head spun from her comfy perch in his arms. His followed. A pair of Vampires that wanted to play. A wicked grin broke on Buffy's face as he settled her to the ground. A little sparring always got the blood pumping and made her all the more in the mood for Spike's kind of battle. Not that she needed much help with the mood.
"Now, that's just rude," Buffy complained, taking a step towards one of the Vampires. Spike just crossed his arms, watching her with a sly grin on his face. His girl was all the more beautiful when she fought. Graceful and fluid and deadly, her body a perfect dichotomy of frailness and brute strength.
She shot a look back at Spike, warning him to stay back. He would. She preferred to take out the Vamps herself if she could. Didn't bother him to watch her. He knew now when it was time to step in. Until then, he'd kick back and enjoy the show. Not that there'd be much of one. They looked young and stupid. Spike nodded his agreement and Buffy turned back towards the Vampires.
"I cook and clean and raise a family all day long," she complained. "Okay, so I don't cook, but I do spend all day with diapers and toys and Disney movies and I *finally* get a night alone with him and here you are, trying to interrupt. Rude," Buffy continued, stalking towards them. They backed up a bit, partially out of fear, but more because they weren't sure if she was all that sane.
"Buffy?" Spike said softly.
"What?" She growled, turning around.
He raised an eyebrow. "They don't know."
"Know what?" One of the Vampires asked, flicking out a knife and taking a step towards the little blonde.
"That's she's the Slayer, Mate," Spike answered, amused, leaning back against the wall of the crypt. He watched the Vampire's faces go blank. "Should do your research before you come out here flashing knives, you git."
"The Slayer?" The other Vampire gasped. "So you.you're.You're one of us."
Buffy chuckled. "Spike, are you a Vampire?"
Spike chuckled, shaking his head, his game face appearing as if out of thin air. "Shudder, gasp! My secret's out, Pet."
"I had heard there was a Vampire who'd made all nice with the Slayer," the bolder of the two Vampires replied, still standing his ground. The other one looked as if he wanted to run, but was trapped by the fact that he couldn't remember how his feet worked.
Buffy chuckled. "Yeah, we made nice," she answered. "And you're interrupting more nice for me. So put the knife away and I might get all Christmas spirit-y and kill you later."
The bolder one leered at her. "Not on your life. I've always wanted to taste a Slayer."
Spike stiffened, hearing his own ancient thoughts rattle through someone else's lips. Guilt and then anger crashed through him. But Buffy stood her ground. Better just to let them find out what a Slayer really was. He'd make those words up to Buffy somehow. Some day.
The Vampire came closer, the weaker one following. "Go ahead," she seethed. "Try me."
The bold one lunged and she spun out of the way, a stake appearing from the sleeve of her coat. Spike had made her a nifty sheath that could carry two and put them just where she could access them, pushing them into her hands as she flexed her wrist. And she had a back up.
Buffy dropped, rolling away from a clumsy jab and hopped up, in front of the weaker one. Spike leaned back, watching her toy with them. The weak one look terrified for a moment, and then produced a knife of his own, which she promptly knocked from his hand with a spin kick. The Vampire looked startled as her foot made contact with his head, knocking him back into a tombstone, dazed.
She turned back to the bolder Vampire. He grinned wickedly, sizing her up. "You sure you want to do this? I mean, I am feeling charitable and I have better things to do," Buffy reasoned as he ran at her.
"I want to kill you," the unimaginative Vampire hissed, making Spike chuckle.
"At least get some more creative prose, Mate," he quipped from the sidelines. Buffy began to battle him, hand to hand, punching him several times before the knife was knocked loose by another spin kick combination. Poetry in motion, Spike thought, watching her wrist twitch and the stake appear. Spike was too caught up in watching the artfulness of her maneuver to notice the weaker one begin to stir.
Buffy spun again, avoiding a lunging tackle, and caught the bolder one's shoulder, tossing him against a tree. "Don't interrupt my nights out. Spread the word," she said as she jammed the stake into his chest. "Okay, well don't then."
Spike saw a blur out of the corner of his eye. "Buffy, watch out. Behind you."
He began to race towards her, but the weaker one was too close, lunging at her with the knife he found along the way. Spike reached forward, barely missing the jacket of the Vampire. Buffy turned, seeing the Vampire on her and shifted to the right like lightning.
The Vampire didn't miss. But it didn't hit as it wanted either. Her eyes were shocked as her one hand clapped over her side. "I ...I like this shirt," Buffy stuttered, raising her stake and plunging It through the Vampire's heart before dropping to her knees to the ground.
Spike stared at her a moment, his human features returning. He had fallen to the grass as well trying to catch the weaker Vamp. A miscalculation. It hadn't killed her, or even hurt her seriously, but it was too close. He wasn't going to stay out of it anymore. It had been a long time since he'd let her get hurt and he didn't like remembering how it felt.
"Buffy, you alright, Love?" Spike asked, pushing himself to his feet. Her hand cupped over her side and blood trickled down her white blouse. He winced, looking at her.
"Yeah," she answered, still a bit dazed. "Just.it's not bad."
Spike dropped to his knees in front of her, moving her hand and pulling up the tattered remnants of her shirt. There was a gash in her side, but it was fairly shallow. Bled like a paper cut. Lots of blood for what amounted to more of an annoyance wound. But still, he hated to ever see her with even a bruise.
He straightened again, staring down at her. "Pet, you alright?"
Buffy looked confused a moment, her eyes flickering down the length of his torso. "He...he got you too?"
"No, Love, I was standing over there," he answered, his head nodding towards the crypt entrance.
Buffy's brow furrowed, her hand sliding down his side. She reached the same spot on his body that would have marked her wound. Her hand felt sticky. She pulled it away and looked at her fingers, raising them in front of him. Blood. They were covered in blood.
"Spike?"
A confused look crossed his face and he tugged his shirt up. They couldn't have stabbed him. Too far away. Never even touched the blokes. Yet under his t-shirt, in the same spot as hers, there was an identical, bleeding gash, burning with freshness and fire. "Buffy?"
"What happened?" She asked her eyes still dazed.
"Can you walk, Pet?" Spike asked, pulling himself to his feet. She nodded, taking his hand as he pulled her up. "I think we need to go home and clean you.clean us up... Call the Watchers."
Buffy looked longingly at the door of the crypt a moment, then back to Spike. "But..."
He smiled, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "Thousands more nights, Love. I'll make it up to you."
She felt a twinge of pain and nodded. "Promise?"
"Always."
To be contd.