***********************************TRApPeD**********************************
Twelve: Twist of Black
By Annie
2003-03-31
****************************************************************************
Day Five.
2.00 p.m.
Buffy swallowed, her eyes fixed on the bottom step of the stairs and then she heard Willow's voice asking:
"What if we're wrong? What if all that waits down there is the big, bad, hairy, ugly wolf! Without Buffy we might as well commit suicide right here!"
Buffy's eyes grew, then relief bloomed in her chest as she took a step forward and called out:
"It's okay! I'm here!"
She felt Spike's fingers close around her right arm through the fabric of the blanket before he turned her around with a meaningful look down at her. The scowl on her face was immediately transformed into a gaping exclamation mark and she swirled around, running into the closet space, picking up her clothes lying on the floor of the basement as she went.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Spike heard Giles answer and the careful steps down the stairs stopped as the small force of good seemed to contemplate what to do.
"Don't worry," there was suddenly the git's voice and Spike's eyes darkened slightly at the sound of it. Good, old soldier-boy was simply too clean to earn any respect whatsoever from the vamp. "I'm here," Riley added and Spike huffed. "With reinforcements," came another addition and Spike could only imagine whatever tool of destruction the little super-human had brought with him.
"That is... so neat," the whelp spoke up and Spike rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
Whatever they were doing it seemed they hadn't heard Buffy's shout for calm.
"I have been training the girl for three years, after all," Giles now continued his subtle defense of his bruised ego. "I would say that I am quite capable of handling myself in a fight, especially against a simple wolf of some sort."
"All right, big guy," Xander's voice was heard again and then the sound of his hand patting the Watcher's shoulder. "Let it go. 'Sides, Willow was only trying to paint a nice and bloody picture for us to visualize so that we wouldn't be shocked once we stand and face the fiends of hell that are very probably down there... She wasn't ACTUALLY saying that there IS a wolf down there. Isn't that right, Wills?"
"Wolf... Oz," was all the reply he got out of her, the melancholy in her voice not soon to be mistaken for gayety.
"What are you doing?! Get dressed!" Buffy suddenly hissed and Spike cocked an eyebrow, turning his head to her where she was standing one step out of the doorway of the closet, buttoning the button of her pants before getting her hair out from under the hem of her wrecked shirt.
Moving her arms back to do so the shirt slid open, exposing one of her nipples, and he got himself moving. She had reached down and picked up her jacket - which had been lying in the closet until now - and was just pulling it on when his hand slid over her stomach, to the small of her back, and he pulled her to him.
"Are you insane!" she demanded, her voice still lowered and he smirked.
"Come on down! Come see what your precious little Slayer's been indulging herself in for the past few days!" he simply yelled and her eyes grew wide before she started to push at his chest in order to get him away from her.
It wasn't working, her mind wanted the movement to have impact, her body did not - and it seemed in this case it was body over mind because she was slowly letting herself fail.
"I think we're pretty safe," Xander now said. "If there'd been a fang-gang down there they would've been up HERE by now," he added.
"They can't hear us," Spike pointed out, feeling how her struggles became less and less stubborn, his fingers gently massaging the base of her spine and her breathing was beginning to tremble slightly.
"Stop it," she whispered, the glint in his eyes showing how little he believed that she actually meant those words and she couldn't really blame him - they had come out in the most pathetic way.
"That has another ring to it in my ears," he murmured, lowering his head to her neckline and opening his mouth to gently slide his teeth over her skin.
Reaching up his left hand he pushed the dark leather of her jacket back, as well as the thin fabric of her shirt, to get to continue his journey out towards her shoulder.
Her fingers took in the muscles of his chest before placing themselves on either hip.
"Okay, so - if you're right, Giles - these words should lift the spell," Willow's voice distantly echoed and Buffy's eyes shot open before she tore away from the vampire.
Her gaze stared into his before she reached up stale fingers to button up her jacket. He narrowed his eyes, then he shook his head slightly as if to say "It won't be this bloody easy, and you know it" before he walked up to the mattresses and reached down for his black T-shirt.
Buffy kept her gaze from following his movements, planting it on the spot where her friends were soon to emerge. She heard a low mumble and knew Willow was reciting whatever spell it was that would counter the one the Slayer and Vamp were under.
Spike pulled the fabric over his head and slid it down. Buffy's ears took the sound in and dredged up the fresh memories of when her hands had resembled that fabric as they explored his skin, greedily covering every inch of it... She shook her head to get rid of the much too vivid pictures as well as the close to itchy feel at the tips of her fingers.
Then she heard the leather of his duster gently speak as he fitted it onto his shoulders. She wasn't able to hold herself back anymore, but had to turn her head to him and he caught her eyes with his. She looked at him, and felt as though it was for the very last time.
Nothing moved within her at the thought, nothing appeared even in resemblance to growing ease, or regret over the instances they had shared ever occurring in the first place. The thought simply stepped forward, wasn't there long enough for her to treat it as fact, and then left as calmly as it had entered her mind. And it did so in the light of a sneaking suspicion that she had - that no matter what happened she would never come to that moment where she would actually rest her eyes upon that damnable vampire and have it be for the absolute last time.
A small breeze of warm air fluttered by her ankles and she blinked.
"Buffy?!"
She moved her gaze from his and turned her head to the stairs just as Willow descended them and rounded them to face her. Her eyes lightening up as they caught sight of her friend. The other three followed in her footsteps.
"Oh, I was SO worried!" she exclaimed, rushing up to Buffy and throwing her arms around her.
Buffy hardly reacted, she was looking at Riley. She couldn't believe that she had actually forgotten completely about her very new, trusting and lovable boyfriend! She couldn't believe that she had cheated on him with THAT! She shuddered.
"You cold?" Willow asked, still with her arms wrapped firmly around the Slayer's neck, and Buffy smiled a little before hugging her back. "My God, have you been down here all this time? It's freezing!"
"Well, we managed to..." Spike began, only Buffy pulled out of Willow's arms saying:
"How long is 'all this time', exactly?"
Giles blinked, taking off his glasses and polishing them as he asked:
"You...don't remember?"
Buffy looked at him and then at Riley.
"N-no," she stuttered, putting a hand by her head. "No, it's all a blur."
"Oh, please," Spike grumbled and they all turned their heads to him.
He looked up, raising his eyebrows.
"What?!" he asked. "It isn't like she bloody bumped her head and got amnesia!" he added, turning his gaze into hers and Buffy tried to look unknowing of what he could possibly think she was remembering. "Stop this, it's sodding pathetic," he murmured and she turned her head from him.
"How long have I been in here?" she asked and Willow looked empathic.
"Almost five hours," she then answered and Buffy had to fight not to have her eyes grow at that revelation.
Five hours to them, five days to her...and him. So then the theory had been accurate enough...
"Five hours in a room with Spike and he's still standing in the middle of the floor, not playing with the other little dust-balls in the corners?" she asked with a shake of the head. "I find that very hard to believe."
Spike stared at her. Was it true? Didn't she remember anything of everything that had taken place? But how could HE remember it then? He decided to lay low for a short while. He wanted to watch her.
A warm smile suddenly split her face and Spike turned his head to whom she was directing it on. Riley took a small step forward and she walked the rest of the way up to him.
"You weren't worried, were you?" Spike heard her ask softly as she stepped into him and Riley smiled back down at her before he leaned forward and let his lips meet hers.
"Just a bit," he then confessed.
The vampire succeeded to ignore the small twist of black near his heart as he observed the couple and their obvious satisfaction at being in each other's closer vicinity once again. But, how could she do that - act so indifferent - when she just a few minutes earlier had completely surrendered to the touches HE was giving her? Oh, right...she couldn't remember. The day he believed that was the day he willingly let her dust him!
"So... I guess there's no real need for further introduction?" Buffy asked sheepishly, turning to Giles who smiled slightly.
"I should think not. Riley was gracious enough to accompany Willow to my place after she grew concerned of what was keeping you, and I rather came to conclusions myself as to who and what he is," he then answered and Buffy returned the smile. "I would have appreciated the information a bit sooner," he added and she nodded, looking apologetic.
"I just..." she started and Giles raised one hand dismissively.
"It's quite all right," he assured.
Spike found himself practically staring at the Slayer's fingers entwined with Riley's and something wrenched his gut. He clenched his jaws together and looked away. Bewildered. What the hell was wrong with him? It wasn't like he bloody well cared! That woman was more annoying than anyone he had ever met. Of course, she was also sexy as hell. The sensuality she carried was even more invigorating simply because she so often seemed rather unaware of it.
The problem with her was that she was too stuck-up, too into being miss-do- good, too set on keeping within her own boundaries that she wouldn't let herself go. Except while under extreme circumstances, as the most recent events had proven, he supposed. But it was that fact of the extreme that had bent even his own limitations to something close to horrifying.
Sleeping with the enemy in the most real sense had never been anything he had taken lightly. He had only ever done it once before... and that had been a nightmare of an experience so in lack of pleasure that he had banned the memory completely from the collection in his head.
Buffy... was different. She had reached into him and stirred parts of him he hadn't been aware of, where he had been hell-bent at making her suffer that ordeal being done to her.
Her touch. Her taste. The feel of her body. Her scent. All of it had bundled up in the middle of his throat and he couldn't decide whether to swallow or spit it all out again. Thing was that he didn't know for sure whether or not it was his choice. Perhaps all he could do was let it be stuck there for the rest of his existence, like a bittersweet piece of candy he would never be able to have again.
He smirked to himself.
Perhaps it could be remedied. He knew she remembered, all he had to do was twist her arm enough for her to confess to it. If he had crawled successfully under her skin once...
"Let's go," Willow said, hooking an arm with the one of Buffy's not belonging to the hand holding that of Riley's. "It's late. I'm tired."
Buffy smiled as her friend leaned her head against her shoulder.
"Were you really scared that I was like gone or something?" the Slayer wondered, heading with her boyfriend and best friend toward the stairs.
"Yeah, with the whole Hellmouth-coming-one-dead-demon-away-from-being-re- opened thingy last week I REALLY haven't been able to relax," the redhead replied with a sigh. "And now I'm so glad I couldn't 'cause who knows how long you might've had to be trapped down here if it hadn't been for my nerves!"
Buffy laughed at that.
"That's true," she nodded, starting the ascent of the stairs.
Giles and Xander slowly followed the trio, but Spike stood still.
"Coming?" Xander asked, stopping and turning partially to the vamp before he smiled. "Sorry - did that come out as an invitation? My bad. Please, stay right there. Give us a few moments to skedaddle without having to have you.you know. right behind. With all the hate and all I'm sure you don't mind."
Spike gritted his teeth as the teen disappeared up the stairs in trail of his comrades.
The bleached blonde looked around the room. It was cold and even more empty than before.
He closed his eyes and willed his thoughts to rest.
He would have his moment in the sun. She couldn't deny him.
***
Regular time-frame.
4.30 a.m.
"...and since Giles already had a pretty good idea who the vamp leader was he checked some of the books and we just put our three very brainy heads together and thought up two options," Willow said.
"Which was?" Buffy yawned, pulling her covers up to her chin before rolling over on her side to look at her roommate who had been explaining excitedly for nearly fifteen minutes.
"Am I boring you?" Willow asked with a small and apologetic pout and Buffy smiled, shaking her head.
"No, not at all. I mean, I really wanna know. I just...feel like I haven't slept well in days," she mumbled and Willow returned her smile.
"Sorry," she replied and Buffy shook her head again.
"No need. Just finish. I have a feeling you were getting close to the explosive, round-up ending," she then encouraged and Willow nodded.
"Okay. Well, option number one was that the leader vamp had killed you, and option number two was that it had used one or two of its notorious abilities for magic to somehow stall you. Since we knew that option number one was barely even visible we decided that option number two was the one to go for... It took us a few hours and a lotta help from Riley and his contacts to figure out what kinda spell it might be, but once we had it pretty much narrowed down it really wasn't that much work and... now you're here!"
Buffy smiled again, closing her eyes sleepily before she mumbled:
"If it had been me I'd just gone out hunting for the pack of vamp's, caught them by the short hairs and then killed them off 'til no one was left but the leader - getting the info I needed from it and then just...being done with it."
Willow stared at her for a moment.
"That might've been a good approach," she then said slowly, "if you're the Slayer."
"Yeah," Buffy muttered. "It WILL be a really good approach," she then added, "'cause once I'm through with that scum it'll need all the magic it can get its paws on to be able to piece itself together."
"Buffy," Willow said in a low voice. "What happened down there?"
"I told you," came the reluctant reply. "I can't remember."
I hope I never do see him ever again, the Slayer thought to herself. I hope I never, ever have to face him again. If he looks at me long enough he'll see right through me. He'll know all of this is an act. He'll break me all over again...
Her thoughts trailed off at that and she opened her eyes sharply.
No.
No, not ever again. If she so had to kill him to keep him from doing it, he would never touch her ever again.
You told yourself he couldn't, a mocking voice spoke in the back of her head and she closed her eyes. You convinced yourself he would never touch you and look at yourself now, it whispered. You desire him still...
Think of Riley, she cut that voice off with. Think of Riley and how his touch makes you warm and fuzzy all over. How he looks at you and...
A pair of ice-blue eyes appeared before her inner vision and she almost drew a breath.
Damn it, let him go! she instructed herself impatiently. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life, Buffy. That's the only thought you have to repeat over and over. Tomorrow these past five days...or something or other, NEVER happened.
**************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** ******************
Okay, so they're outta the woods. The basement. Whatever. For now... ;) *grin* Thanks SO much for the beautiful line of reviews once more apparant on my reviewpage! It feels more than wonderful, but I'm sure I don't have to tell you that. Just, thanks SO much.
Very special thanks to Cate, hmm..., Haley, LILI, Jen, Renee', Pine, Weeza, Captain, charisma1525, LizDarcy, VampiresKiss, wolf116, Falcon-Rider, Johanna, Alyssa and Ape18. Yowzaa! Or however the heck you write that! ;) Thanks a lot for coninuing support. Without it I wouldn't be here posting and you know it, and I'm grateful that I get to so thanks SO much! Luv ya!
Hope you liked this... Well, this seems to be spinning off track slightly. I had no real clue how long or short this might get to be, and since y'all seem to like it I guess I'll continue it until you stop doing so. Sound good? ;) I'm loving writing it, anways. Okay, so this is getting to be slightly AU or what you wanna call it. I hope you won't mind that. Of course it would be impossible to write any further and actually have it walk completely hand-in-hand with the show.
A.M.L, Annie.
Twelve: Twist of Black
By Annie
2003-03-31
****************************************************************************
Day Five.
2.00 p.m.
Buffy swallowed, her eyes fixed on the bottom step of the stairs and then she heard Willow's voice asking:
"What if we're wrong? What if all that waits down there is the big, bad, hairy, ugly wolf! Without Buffy we might as well commit suicide right here!"
Buffy's eyes grew, then relief bloomed in her chest as she took a step forward and called out:
"It's okay! I'm here!"
She felt Spike's fingers close around her right arm through the fabric of the blanket before he turned her around with a meaningful look down at her. The scowl on her face was immediately transformed into a gaping exclamation mark and she swirled around, running into the closet space, picking up her clothes lying on the floor of the basement as she went.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Spike heard Giles answer and the careful steps down the stairs stopped as the small force of good seemed to contemplate what to do.
"Don't worry," there was suddenly the git's voice and Spike's eyes darkened slightly at the sound of it. Good, old soldier-boy was simply too clean to earn any respect whatsoever from the vamp. "I'm here," Riley added and Spike huffed. "With reinforcements," came another addition and Spike could only imagine whatever tool of destruction the little super-human had brought with him.
"That is... so neat," the whelp spoke up and Spike rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
Whatever they were doing it seemed they hadn't heard Buffy's shout for calm.
"I have been training the girl for three years, after all," Giles now continued his subtle defense of his bruised ego. "I would say that I am quite capable of handling myself in a fight, especially against a simple wolf of some sort."
"All right, big guy," Xander's voice was heard again and then the sound of his hand patting the Watcher's shoulder. "Let it go. 'Sides, Willow was only trying to paint a nice and bloody picture for us to visualize so that we wouldn't be shocked once we stand and face the fiends of hell that are very probably down there... She wasn't ACTUALLY saying that there IS a wolf down there. Isn't that right, Wills?"
"Wolf... Oz," was all the reply he got out of her, the melancholy in her voice not soon to be mistaken for gayety.
"What are you doing?! Get dressed!" Buffy suddenly hissed and Spike cocked an eyebrow, turning his head to her where she was standing one step out of the doorway of the closet, buttoning the button of her pants before getting her hair out from under the hem of her wrecked shirt.
Moving her arms back to do so the shirt slid open, exposing one of her nipples, and he got himself moving. She had reached down and picked up her jacket - which had been lying in the closet until now - and was just pulling it on when his hand slid over her stomach, to the small of her back, and he pulled her to him.
"Are you insane!" she demanded, her voice still lowered and he smirked.
"Come on down! Come see what your precious little Slayer's been indulging herself in for the past few days!" he simply yelled and her eyes grew wide before she started to push at his chest in order to get him away from her.
It wasn't working, her mind wanted the movement to have impact, her body did not - and it seemed in this case it was body over mind because she was slowly letting herself fail.
"I think we're pretty safe," Xander now said. "If there'd been a fang-gang down there they would've been up HERE by now," he added.
"They can't hear us," Spike pointed out, feeling how her struggles became less and less stubborn, his fingers gently massaging the base of her spine and her breathing was beginning to tremble slightly.
"Stop it," she whispered, the glint in his eyes showing how little he believed that she actually meant those words and she couldn't really blame him - they had come out in the most pathetic way.
"That has another ring to it in my ears," he murmured, lowering his head to her neckline and opening his mouth to gently slide his teeth over her skin.
Reaching up his left hand he pushed the dark leather of her jacket back, as well as the thin fabric of her shirt, to get to continue his journey out towards her shoulder.
Her fingers took in the muscles of his chest before placing themselves on either hip.
"Okay, so - if you're right, Giles - these words should lift the spell," Willow's voice distantly echoed and Buffy's eyes shot open before she tore away from the vampire.
Her gaze stared into his before she reached up stale fingers to button up her jacket. He narrowed his eyes, then he shook his head slightly as if to say "It won't be this bloody easy, and you know it" before he walked up to the mattresses and reached down for his black T-shirt.
Buffy kept her gaze from following his movements, planting it on the spot where her friends were soon to emerge. She heard a low mumble and knew Willow was reciting whatever spell it was that would counter the one the Slayer and Vamp were under.
Spike pulled the fabric over his head and slid it down. Buffy's ears took the sound in and dredged up the fresh memories of when her hands had resembled that fabric as they explored his skin, greedily covering every inch of it... She shook her head to get rid of the much too vivid pictures as well as the close to itchy feel at the tips of her fingers.
Then she heard the leather of his duster gently speak as he fitted it onto his shoulders. She wasn't able to hold herself back anymore, but had to turn her head to him and he caught her eyes with his. She looked at him, and felt as though it was for the very last time.
Nothing moved within her at the thought, nothing appeared even in resemblance to growing ease, or regret over the instances they had shared ever occurring in the first place. The thought simply stepped forward, wasn't there long enough for her to treat it as fact, and then left as calmly as it had entered her mind. And it did so in the light of a sneaking suspicion that she had - that no matter what happened she would never come to that moment where she would actually rest her eyes upon that damnable vampire and have it be for the absolute last time.
A small breeze of warm air fluttered by her ankles and she blinked.
"Buffy?!"
She moved her gaze from his and turned her head to the stairs just as Willow descended them and rounded them to face her. Her eyes lightening up as they caught sight of her friend. The other three followed in her footsteps.
"Oh, I was SO worried!" she exclaimed, rushing up to Buffy and throwing her arms around her.
Buffy hardly reacted, she was looking at Riley. She couldn't believe that she had actually forgotten completely about her very new, trusting and lovable boyfriend! She couldn't believe that she had cheated on him with THAT! She shuddered.
"You cold?" Willow asked, still with her arms wrapped firmly around the Slayer's neck, and Buffy smiled a little before hugging her back. "My God, have you been down here all this time? It's freezing!"
"Well, we managed to..." Spike began, only Buffy pulled out of Willow's arms saying:
"How long is 'all this time', exactly?"
Giles blinked, taking off his glasses and polishing them as he asked:
"You...don't remember?"
Buffy looked at him and then at Riley.
"N-no," she stuttered, putting a hand by her head. "No, it's all a blur."
"Oh, please," Spike grumbled and they all turned their heads to him.
He looked up, raising his eyebrows.
"What?!" he asked. "It isn't like she bloody bumped her head and got amnesia!" he added, turning his gaze into hers and Buffy tried to look unknowing of what he could possibly think she was remembering. "Stop this, it's sodding pathetic," he murmured and she turned her head from him.
"How long have I been in here?" she asked and Willow looked empathic.
"Almost five hours," she then answered and Buffy had to fight not to have her eyes grow at that revelation.
Five hours to them, five days to her...and him. So then the theory had been accurate enough...
"Five hours in a room with Spike and he's still standing in the middle of the floor, not playing with the other little dust-balls in the corners?" she asked with a shake of the head. "I find that very hard to believe."
Spike stared at her. Was it true? Didn't she remember anything of everything that had taken place? But how could HE remember it then? He decided to lay low for a short while. He wanted to watch her.
A warm smile suddenly split her face and Spike turned his head to whom she was directing it on. Riley took a small step forward and she walked the rest of the way up to him.
"You weren't worried, were you?" Spike heard her ask softly as she stepped into him and Riley smiled back down at her before he leaned forward and let his lips meet hers.
"Just a bit," he then confessed.
The vampire succeeded to ignore the small twist of black near his heart as he observed the couple and their obvious satisfaction at being in each other's closer vicinity once again. But, how could she do that - act so indifferent - when she just a few minutes earlier had completely surrendered to the touches HE was giving her? Oh, right...she couldn't remember. The day he believed that was the day he willingly let her dust him!
"So... I guess there's no real need for further introduction?" Buffy asked sheepishly, turning to Giles who smiled slightly.
"I should think not. Riley was gracious enough to accompany Willow to my place after she grew concerned of what was keeping you, and I rather came to conclusions myself as to who and what he is," he then answered and Buffy returned the smile. "I would have appreciated the information a bit sooner," he added and she nodded, looking apologetic.
"I just..." she started and Giles raised one hand dismissively.
"It's quite all right," he assured.
Spike found himself practically staring at the Slayer's fingers entwined with Riley's and something wrenched his gut. He clenched his jaws together and looked away. Bewildered. What the hell was wrong with him? It wasn't like he bloody well cared! That woman was more annoying than anyone he had ever met. Of course, she was also sexy as hell. The sensuality she carried was even more invigorating simply because she so often seemed rather unaware of it.
The problem with her was that she was too stuck-up, too into being miss-do- good, too set on keeping within her own boundaries that she wouldn't let herself go. Except while under extreme circumstances, as the most recent events had proven, he supposed. But it was that fact of the extreme that had bent even his own limitations to something close to horrifying.
Sleeping with the enemy in the most real sense had never been anything he had taken lightly. He had only ever done it once before... and that had been a nightmare of an experience so in lack of pleasure that he had banned the memory completely from the collection in his head.
Buffy... was different. She had reached into him and stirred parts of him he hadn't been aware of, where he had been hell-bent at making her suffer that ordeal being done to her.
Her touch. Her taste. The feel of her body. Her scent. All of it had bundled up in the middle of his throat and he couldn't decide whether to swallow or spit it all out again. Thing was that he didn't know for sure whether or not it was his choice. Perhaps all he could do was let it be stuck there for the rest of his existence, like a bittersweet piece of candy he would never be able to have again.
He smirked to himself.
Perhaps it could be remedied. He knew she remembered, all he had to do was twist her arm enough for her to confess to it. If he had crawled successfully under her skin once...
"Let's go," Willow said, hooking an arm with the one of Buffy's not belonging to the hand holding that of Riley's. "It's late. I'm tired."
Buffy smiled as her friend leaned her head against her shoulder.
"Were you really scared that I was like gone or something?" the Slayer wondered, heading with her boyfriend and best friend toward the stairs.
"Yeah, with the whole Hellmouth-coming-one-dead-demon-away-from-being-re- opened thingy last week I REALLY haven't been able to relax," the redhead replied with a sigh. "And now I'm so glad I couldn't 'cause who knows how long you might've had to be trapped down here if it hadn't been for my nerves!"
Buffy laughed at that.
"That's true," she nodded, starting the ascent of the stairs.
Giles and Xander slowly followed the trio, but Spike stood still.
"Coming?" Xander asked, stopping and turning partially to the vamp before he smiled. "Sorry - did that come out as an invitation? My bad. Please, stay right there. Give us a few moments to skedaddle without having to have you.you know. right behind. With all the hate and all I'm sure you don't mind."
Spike gritted his teeth as the teen disappeared up the stairs in trail of his comrades.
The bleached blonde looked around the room. It was cold and even more empty than before.
He closed his eyes and willed his thoughts to rest.
He would have his moment in the sun. She couldn't deny him.
***
Regular time-frame.
4.30 a.m.
"...and since Giles already had a pretty good idea who the vamp leader was he checked some of the books and we just put our three very brainy heads together and thought up two options," Willow said.
"Which was?" Buffy yawned, pulling her covers up to her chin before rolling over on her side to look at her roommate who had been explaining excitedly for nearly fifteen minutes.
"Am I boring you?" Willow asked with a small and apologetic pout and Buffy smiled, shaking her head.
"No, not at all. I mean, I really wanna know. I just...feel like I haven't slept well in days," she mumbled and Willow returned her smile.
"Sorry," she replied and Buffy shook her head again.
"No need. Just finish. I have a feeling you were getting close to the explosive, round-up ending," she then encouraged and Willow nodded.
"Okay. Well, option number one was that the leader vamp had killed you, and option number two was that it had used one or two of its notorious abilities for magic to somehow stall you. Since we knew that option number one was barely even visible we decided that option number two was the one to go for... It took us a few hours and a lotta help from Riley and his contacts to figure out what kinda spell it might be, but once we had it pretty much narrowed down it really wasn't that much work and... now you're here!"
Buffy smiled again, closing her eyes sleepily before she mumbled:
"If it had been me I'd just gone out hunting for the pack of vamp's, caught them by the short hairs and then killed them off 'til no one was left but the leader - getting the info I needed from it and then just...being done with it."
Willow stared at her for a moment.
"That might've been a good approach," she then said slowly, "if you're the Slayer."
"Yeah," Buffy muttered. "It WILL be a really good approach," she then added, "'cause once I'm through with that scum it'll need all the magic it can get its paws on to be able to piece itself together."
"Buffy," Willow said in a low voice. "What happened down there?"
"I told you," came the reluctant reply. "I can't remember."
I hope I never do see him ever again, the Slayer thought to herself. I hope I never, ever have to face him again. If he looks at me long enough he'll see right through me. He'll know all of this is an act. He'll break me all over again...
Her thoughts trailed off at that and she opened her eyes sharply.
No.
No, not ever again. If she so had to kill him to keep him from doing it, he would never touch her ever again.
You told yourself he couldn't, a mocking voice spoke in the back of her head and she closed her eyes. You convinced yourself he would never touch you and look at yourself now, it whispered. You desire him still...
Think of Riley, she cut that voice off with. Think of Riley and how his touch makes you warm and fuzzy all over. How he looks at you and...
A pair of ice-blue eyes appeared before her inner vision and she almost drew a breath.
Damn it, let him go! she instructed herself impatiently. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life, Buffy. That's the only thought you have to repeat over and over. Tomorrow these past five days...or something or other, NEVER happened.
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Okay, so they're outta the woods. The basement. Whatever. For now... ;) *grin* Thanks SO much for the beautiful line of reviews once more apparant on my reviewpage! It feels more than wonderful, but I'm sure I don't have to tell you that. Just, thanks SO much.
Very special thanks to Cate, hmm..., Haley, LILI, Jen, Renee', Pine, Weeza, Captain, charisma1525, LizDarcy, VampiresKiss, wolf116, Falcon-Rider, Johanna, Alyssa and Ape18. Yowzaa! Or however the heck you write that! ;) Thanks a lot for coninuing support. Without it I wouldn't be here posting and you know it, and I'm grateful that I get to so thanks SO much! Luv ya!
Hope you liked this... Well, this seems to be spinning off track slightly. I had no real clue how long or short this might get to be, and since y'all seem to like it I guess I'll continue it until you stop doing so. Sound good? ;) I'm loving writing it, anways. Okay, so this is getting to be slightly AU or what you wanna call it. I hope you won't mind that. Of course it would be impossible to write any further and actually have it walk completely hand-in-hand with the show.
A.M.L, Annie.