A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT
CHAPTER 8: WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU WANTED
** **
Spike sat in his crypt, staring at the amulet he dangled in front of his face.
He had it now, but that hadn't even been his idea. On the way home he'd suddenly felt it in his pocket. He didn't understand it at all, remembering smashing it, but there it was. He almost told Buffy but then he thought better of it.
He just didn't want to risk her thinking he was pulling a scam on her or something. Or that maybe he'd only pretended to smash it, just to get his hands on it. Of course, if she found out later, he'd be in worse trouble because then she'd definitely not believe him.
Now he wasn't sure what to do with it.
It was very tempting, knowing what it could do. But then it was also pretty terrifying! He remembered it hadn't started acting weird until Buffy had used it a couple of times. He could sense the power of it when he focused now. He knew he could use it. It had 'shifted' from her to him. It was hers after she got it with that ritual, now it was his after...well, after he tried to smash it. He thought he really had smashed it too, but apparently that's not how it works with this thing.
It wasn't doing anything though, at least not reacting to his every stray thought, but then it hadn't done that to her in the beginning either. So it would appear he was right. It probably wouldn't go all nutso until he started using it a little too often. Maybe it had also been used too much on one night, and that had accelerated things as well.
Well he certainly had a nice clear image of how wrong it could go. Scary stuff. So now the question was, what WAS he going to do with it?
He dangled the amulet in front of his face, watching the light bounce off it for a long time....
Then he got up, his face set in clear determination.
** **
Buffy walked through the cemetery towards Spike's crypt. Which was pretty much habit by now. She was glad that 'mission' was over and done with. As her Slayer-duties went, she preferred them near to home and clear in threat and strategy. Not that weird house/ghosts/amulet stuff. Tricky.
Vamp. Stake. Dust. That simple. That's how she liked it.
Well okay, a little fight was fun before the dusting. Especially with Spike. She hadn't been able to get the image of him naked with the leash on out of her mind the past few nights. That was a strange mix of terribly embarrassing, enormously funny....and damn hot.
She giggled to herself as she walked into his crypt. "Spike? You up for some patrolling?" she said. Her words echoed through the chambers, but there was no reply. "Spike?" she said again. "Are you in here?"
But the crypt was deserted.
** **
The jungle was hot, even at night. The humidity was so bad you drank the air more than breathe it, and the mosquitoes clearly ruled this place with an untouchable supremacy..and a mean streak.
Riley sat under the tree, his turn for watch duty. The demon they were hunting had not shown itself in 2 days, but they were certain he was in the area. So they stayed sharp. And patient. Two important hallmarks of a good soldier.
He was still barely used to the thought of being married. But as new things go...this was a good one to get used to. He smiled as he thought of Sam, in her tent back at the camp. She'd certainly brought him back from the dark hole he'd been in ever since he left Sunnydale.
"Hey Captain America, got a light?" a voice suddenly said behind him.
Riley swirled around like lightning, his gun following his gaze. When he saw Spike standing there, leaning against the tree, the barrel slowly descended. He looked at him in disbelief.
"S-spike?? What...how...?"
Spike looked him over. "Don't worry about that, you won't remember this anyway. Can't have you contact Buffy about this, no matter how ridiculous it's going to sound. But I wanted to see that look on your face."
Riley drew breath to answer or at least ask his questions again. He was too baffled to make a sound though. His gun stayed firmly in his hand and he started to raise it a little again.
"Oh don't bother with that. I gotta go anyway. Don't want to be doing too much. It's tricky stuff. This is sort of a test run really."
He tossed his cigarette as he looked Riley over again. Something was a little off about this all. Not as gratifying as he'd thought. He shrugged and said: "Well gotta run. And sorry that what I'm about to do isn't very original, but...well, it's still kinda funny. At least it seemed to be when it happened to me."
And with that, he was gone.
Riley stared at the spot he thought he just saw someone. He couldn't quite remember who. What was going on here. Had he dozed off? Was he dreaming? He lowered his gun and scratched his neck where a mosquito landed. Then he felt his naked skin. At a spot on his neck so low he really should feel cloth.
He looked down and saw he was naked. Except for his gun.
He looked up again, his eyes spread wide. Apparently not a dream. But what happened?? He had no idea. He remembered someone talking, but..it was as vague as a dream. Why was he naked? Who would do this? The demon they were chasing would just want to eat him!
Well camp wasn't all that far off. No problem. He was fine. NO problem. Except for how to explain this one. Sam would probably wonder if he'd gone nuts.
He still stood there, trying to process this, as he felt a few light stings. A cloud of mosquitoes had discovered him. A slight 'uh-oh' went through his head. Camp wasn't far off but still...by the time he got there plenty of bugs would have gotten a nice meal out of him.
He moaned as he rubbed his eyes. He was going to be really, really itchy tomorrow...
** **
Spike had himself a decent laugh as he put up the amulet. Now not to touch it for at least another 24 hours. He could sense something not unlike a build-up as he used it, so it was probably a good idea give it some time now.
Certainly had possibilities though, he chuckled to himself. Then his smirk faded a little.
Sure that was kinda fun. Innocent little test. All the times that the giant schoolboy had threatened and intimidated him while he knew Spike was helpless...hey, he was entitled to a little payback.
But it hadn't felt all that great. Seeing the guy sit there, so far removed from Sunnydale and Buffy in both time and space....Spike scratched his head. Just didn't seem like the bloke had actually MATTERED all that much anymore. Oh well, still good for a cheap laugh.
Now tomorrow night would be the real thing. Something he wanted way more than payback on Captain Cardboard..
** **
"Spike? Are you here now? Or did you just move out without telling me?" Buffy called out into the crypt as she entered it the next night.
She walked down the steps looking around for him. Then she spotted him by the fridge. He was already looking at her with a peculiar expression on his face. Something about it struck her as...expectant?
"There you are? Where were you yesterday? I thought tomorrow night was when you and Clem would play poker? You shouldn't stand a Slayer up on patrolling appointments you know. Good thing I'm a nice girl or.." She stopped as she noticed how he looked at her.
Spike had closed the fridge and was now walking towards her, slowly and without saying a word.
"Uhm, hellooo? Earth to Spike?" She frowned at his intense gaze on her. "What? Do I have something between my teeth?" she asked.
Spike still didn't answer. Instead his right hand disappeared into his pocket and he closed his eyes in concentration for a second. Then he looked at her again and smiled as he saw the immediate effect of his efforts.
Buffy was still standing in front of him as she had, but now something was very different about the expression on her face. Her eyebrows were no longer wrinkled together in a wondering frown. Instead she looked at him with absolute happiness in her eyes. And a slow growing smile as if she saw her long lost lover back from the war.
Spike swallowed hard. His smile widened as he felt like a man who finally sees the doors of heaven opening. His dreams were coming true.
"Spike..oh Spike!" she whispered as she flung her arms around his neck. Spike met her embrace but his happy smile instantly faded at hearing her words.
"I love you," she said and kissed him. He kissed her back but his expression still didn't regain any of his initial joy. After a few seconds he broke their kiss and pushed her a little away from him, holding her gently by the shoulders.
She looked back at him, the stars in her eyes not even slightly dimmed. She stepped back and with one quick movement, she took off her sweater. He saw now it was the blue one he'd stolen once. He had given it back to her a little while later, thoroughly washed. He'd meant it as an apology for his weird behavior in the beginning of his 'courtship'. He'd been happy when she accepted both the garment and the apology, but even happier when she'd started wearing it again. It had been a good sign.
Now, as he watched it fall to the ground he remembered all of that. He looked at her in front of him, now only her black satin bra prevented her upper body from being completely naked. It's black, shiny surface complemented her black leather pants and he swallowed again as she advanced on him.
"Spike..." she whispered as her hands caressed his face and started to kiss him. He gasped, which was a rare feeling for him. Not needing air, he could count the times his body had gasped out of old habit on one hand. He smelled her, felt her naked skin, her warm lips on him.
This was everything he'd dreamed of.
And it wasn't.
He pushed her back again. Firmer now. She looked at him with some surprise. "Spike? What's wrong?" she asked. The utter innocence in her voice only made things worse and he closed his eyes, shaking his head.
"Nothing luv," he muttered. "I'm....sorry about this."
Before she could answer his hand disappeared into his pocket again. And after another second of concentration, he was once again alone in his dark home.
He sighed and tossed the amulet on the nearby casket. "Bloody good that did me," he muttered to himself.
He crashed into his lazy chair with a soft curse. Buffy was now in her bed at home. All she'd remember is that she skipped patrolling tonight because she had a headache. Spike sighed as he remembered the blue sweater. He remembered being glad Buffy never found out he'd had Harmony wear it, pretending to be her, so he could get aroused enough to have sex with her. He doubted she'd have accepted either the apology or the thing itself if she had known.
It reminded him of how bloody pathetic he'd been. Far, far worse, however, was how the look on Buffy's eyes just now, and her words had reminded him of the Buffybot.
This wasn't what he wanted.
He stared at the spot on the casket where the amulet was lying and growled a little. Omnipotence wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
** **
TBC!
CHAPTER 8: WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU WANTED
** **
Spike sat in his crypt, staring at the amulet he dangled in front of his face.
He had it now, but that hadn't even been his idea. On the way home he'd suddenly felt it in his pocket. He didn't understand it at all, remembering smashing it, but there it was. He almost told Buffy but then he thought better of it.
He just didn't want to risk her thinking he was pulling a scam on her or something. Or that maybe he'd only pretended to smash it, just to get his hands on it. Of course, if she found out later, he'd be in worse trouble because then she'd definitely not believe him.
Now he wasn't sure what to do with it.
It was very tempting, knowing what it could do. But then it was also pretty terrifying! He remembered it hadn't started acting weird until Buffy had used it a couple of times. He could sense the power of it when he focused now. He knew he could use it. It had 'shifted' from her to him. It was hers after she got it with that ritual, now it was his after...well, after he tried to smash it. He thought he really had smashed it too, but apparently that's not how it works with this thing.
It wasn't doing anything though, at least not reacting to his every stray thought, but then it hadn't done that to her in the beginning either. So it would appear he was right. It probably wouldn't go all nutso until he started using it a little too often. Maybe it had also been used too much on one night, and that had accelerated things as well.
Well he certainly had a nice clear image of how wrong it could go. Scary stuff. So now the question was, what WAS he going to do with it?
He dangled the amulet in front of his face, watching the light bounce off it for a long time....
Then he got up, his face set in clear determination.
** **
Buffy walked through the cemetery towards Spike's crypt. Which was pretty much habit by now. She was glad that 'mission' was over and done with. As her Slayer-duties went, she preferred them near to home and clear in threat and strategy. Not that weird house/ghosts/amulet stuff. Tricky.
Vamp. Stake. Dust. That simple. That's how she liked it.
Well okay, a little fight was fun before the dusting. Especially with Spike. She hadn't been able to get the image of him naked with the leash on out of her mind the past few nights. That was a strange mix of terribly embarrassing, enormously funny....and damn hot.
She giggled to herself as she walked into his crypt. "Spike? You up for some patrolling?" she said. Her words echoed through the chambers, but there was no reply. "Spike?" she said again. "Are you in here?"
But the crypt was deserted.
** **
The jungle was hot, even at night. The humidity was so bad you drank the air more than breathe it, and the mosquitoes clearly ruled this place with an untouchable supremacy..and a mean streak.
Riley sat under the tree, his turn for watch duty. The demon they were hunting had not shown itself in 2 days, but they were certain he was in the area. So they stayed sharp. And patient. Two important hallmarks of a good soldier.
He was still barely used to the thought of being married. But as new things go...this was a good one to get used to. He smiled as he thought of Sam, in her tent back at the camp. She'd certainly brought him back from the dark hole he'd been in ever since he left Sunnydale.
"Hey Captain America, got a light?" a voice suddenly said behind him.
Riley swirled around like lightning, his gun following his gaze. When he saw Spike standing there, leaning against the tree, the barrel slowly descended. He looked at him in disbelief.
"S-spike?? What...how...?"
Spike looked him over. "Don't worry about that, you won't remember this anyway. Can't have you contact Buffy about this, no matter how ridiculous it's going to sound. But I wanted to see that look on your face."
Riley drew breath to answer or at least ask his questions again. He was too baffled to make a sound though. His gun stayed firmly in his hand and he started to raise it a little again.
"Oh don't bother with that. I gotta go anyway. Don't want to be doing too much. It's tricky stuff. This is sort of a test run really."
He tossed his cigarette as he looked Riley over again. Something was a little off about this all. Not as gratifying as he'd thought. He shrugged and said: "Well gotta run. And sorry that what I'm about to do isn't very original, but...well, it's still kinda funny. At least it seemed to be when it happened to me."
And with that, he was gone.
Riley stared at the spot he thought he just saw someone. He couldn't quite remember who. What was going on here. Had he dozed off? Was he dreaming? He lowered his gun and scratched his neck where a mosquito landed. Then he felt his naked skin. At a spot on his neck so low he really should feel cloth.
He looked down and saw he was naked. Except for his gun.
He looked up again, his eyes spread wide. Apparently not a dream. But what happened?? He had no idea. He remembered someone talking, but..it was as vague as a dream. Why was he naked? Who would do this? The demon they were chasing would just want to eat him!
Well camp wasn't all that far off. No problem. He was fine. NO problem. Except for how to explain this one. Sam would probably wonder if he'd gone nuts.
He still stood there, trying to process this, as he felt a few light stings. A cloud of mosquitoes had discovered him. A slight 'uh-oh' went through his head. Camp wasn't far off but still...by the time he got there plenty of bugs would have gotten a nice meal out of him.
He moaned as he rubbed his eyes. He was going to be really, really itchy tomorrow...
** **
Spike had himself a decent laugh as he put up the amulet. Now not to touch it for at least another 24 hours. He could sense something not unlike a build-up as he used it, so it was probably a good idea give it some time now.
Certainly had possibilities though, he chuckled to himself. Then his smirk faded a little.
Sure that was kinda fun. Innocent little test. All the times that the giant schoolboy had threatened and intimidated him while he knew Spike was helpless...hey, he was entitled to a little payback.
But it hadn't felt all that great. Seeing the guy sit there, so far removed from Sunnydale and Buffy in both time and space....Spike scratched his head. Just didn't seem like the bloke had actually MATTERED all that much anymore. Oh well, still good for a cheap laugh.
Now tomorrow night would be the real thing. Something he wanted way more than payback on Captain Cardboard..
** **
"Spike? Are you here now? Or did you just move out without telling me?" Buffy called out into the crypt as she entered it the next night.
She walked down the steps looking around for him. Then she spotted him by the fridge. He was already looking at her with a peculiar expression on his face. Something about it struck her as...expectant?
"There you are? Where were you yesterday? I thought tomorrow night was when you and Clem would play poker? You shouldn't stand a Slayer up on patrolling appointments you know. Good thing I'm a nice girl or.." She stopped as she noticed how he looked at her.
Spike had closed the fridge and was now walking towards her, slowly and without saying a word.
"Uhm, hellooo? Earth to Spike?" She frowned at his intense gaze on her. "What? Do I have something between my teeth?" she asked.
Spike still didn't answer. Instead his right hand disappeared into his pocket and he closed his eyes in concentration for a second. Then he looked at her again and smiled as he saw the immediate effect of his efforts.
Buffy was still standing in front of him as she had, but now something was very different about the expression on her face. Her eyebrows were no longer wrinkled together in a wondering frown. Instead she looked at him with absolute happiness in her eyes. And a slow growing smile as if she saw her long lost lover back from the war.
Spike swallowed hard. His smile widened as he felt like a man who finally sees the doors of heaven opening. His dreams were coming true.
"Spike..oh Spike!" she whispered as she flung her arms around his neck. Spike met her embrace but his happy smile instantly faded at hearing her words.
"I love you," she said and kissed him. He kissed her back but his expression still didn't regain any of his initial joy. After a few seconds he broke their kiss and pushed her a little away from him, holding her gently by the shoulders.
She looked back at him, the stars in her eyes not even slightly dimmed. She stepped back and with one quick movement, she took off her sweater. He saw now it was the blue one he'd stolen once. He had given it back to her a little while later, thoroughly washed. He'd meant it as an apology for his weird behavior in the beginning of his 'courtship'. He'd been happy when she accepted both the garment and the apology, but even happier when she'd started wearing it again. It had been a good sign.
Now, as he watched it fall to the ground he remembered all of that. He looked at her in front of him, now only her black satin bra prevented her upper body from being completely naked. It's black, shiny surface complemented her black leather pants and he swallowed again as she advanced on him.
"Spike..." she whispered as her hands caressed his face and started to kiss him. He gasped, which was a rare feeling for him. Not needing air, he could count the times his body had gasped out of old habit on one hand. He smelled her, felt her naked skin, her warm lips on him.
This was everything he'd dreamed of.
And it wasn't.
He pushed her back again. Firmer now. She looked at him with some surprise. "Spike? What's wrong?" she asked. The utter innocence in her voice only made things worse and he closed his eyes, shaking his head.
"Nothing luv," he muttered. "I'm....sorry about this."
Before she could answer his hand disappeared into his pocket again. And after another second of concentration, he was once again alone in his dark home.
He sighed and tossed the amulet on the nearby casket. "Bloody good that did me," he muttered to himself.
He crashed into his lazy chair with a soft curse. Buffy was now in her bed at home. All she'd remember is that she skipped patrolling tonight because she had a headache. Spike sighed as he remembered the blue sweater. He remembered being glad Buffy never found out he'd had Harmony wear it, pretending to be her, so he could get aroused enough to have sex with her. He doubted she'd have accepted either the apology or the thing itself if she had known.
It reminded him of how bloody pathetic he'd been. Far, far worse, however, was how the look on Buffy's eyes just now, and her words had reminded him of the Buffybot.
This wasn't what he wanted.
He stared at the spot on the casket where the amulet was lying and growled a little. Omnipotence wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
** **
TBC!