Chapter 11: Tabula Rasa Part 4
Andie snorted loudly when Xander jumped down into the sewer, lost his footing and slipped in a nasty, unnamable substance. Tara just smiled, while Xander stood and glanced around, embarrassed. Dawn reached the last rung on the ladder. There was a three foot drop from ladder to ground. Xander held out his hand to help Dawn down.
"Thanks," she said when she reached the bottom. By then, Willow had reached the bottom of the ladder. Xander extended a hand, but Willow instinctively reached for Tara's hand at the same time she reached for hers. On the ground, Willow grasped Tara's hand for a second too long before releasing her.
They glanced around, noting the various tunnels they could choose from.
"Which way?" Dawn prompted.
"All directions look equally dank and stinky," Willow observed unenthusiastically.
"How about this dank and stinky way?" Tara suggested, pointing in one direction.
"Sounds great." They started in the proposed direction and Dawn began to sing softly to herself.
"And the ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hur - AHHH!" Her last word melted into a terrified scream as a vampire emerged from the darkness. . .
* * *
Giles and Anya stood beside an empty table. Anya held a big leather book to her chest, Giles, on the other hand, holding a much larger stack of books. "Let's do some magic," he said lamely. They grinned at each other. "I picked out a fine dusty selection of interesting-looking texts." Giles started setting his books down on the table, displaying them one by one.
"This must be nice for us," Anya commented off-handedly.
"Sorry?" asked Giles, a vague look of confusion on his face. Giles set down his last book he noticed something in his suit jacket pocket. Unnoticed by Anya, he took it out and looked at it: a single plane ticket.
"I mean, I know there's the vampire problem and our memory loss and all that, but still. To spend this time together. Alone. It must be nice." Giles tucked the ticket away again, still distracted.
"Uh.. Yes, quite right. So, which book shall we start with?" Anya ploped the book she was holding onto the table.
"This is the book for us," she said confidently.
"Oh good, it focuses on mind control or memory loss?"
"Not exactly. I just...my intuition tells me this is the book. And I figure being a magic shop owner and a natural at the supernatural, I should trust my intuition."
"Fine. But as you'll recall, I too own a magic shop," he gently reminded her.
"True. But, my intuition says you're not so much the 'magic guy' and more of a paperwork type."
"A paperwork type!" He took on an offended look.
"You probably sweep up too." It was obvious she meant for this to sound reassuring. "Now, here we go." She opened the book to a random page and began to incant.
"But you don't even know what you're-"
"'Bara Bare Himble Gemination!'" There was a soft pop and a white rabbit appeared on the table. Anya screamed, startled. Giles just stared at her, appalled.
* * * Spike, still in vamp-face, charged after Buffy, trying desperately to catch up with her. He followed her into a residential neighborhood. "Wait up!" he called, slightly winded. He caught up to her, putting out an arm... He caught her by the elbow and spun her around. Instinctively and smoothly, Buffy used her momentum to flip Spike backwards, launching herself forward onto him at the same time. She ended up straddling him, pinning his hands to the ground on either side of his head. "Bloody hell!" he said, startled by her strength. He'd seen it, not experienced it. "What're you doing?"
"You don't know who you are," she said, realization overcoming her features.
"Right. None of us do, love," he reminded patiently. "And we're being chased by the fiendy-"
"You're a vampire." He looked almost insulted.
"How could you..." He thought for a moment. "I... me a vampire... Nah..."
"Check out the lumpies... and the teeth." She sat back, releasing his hands, but still atop him. He reached up, feeling the bumps on his forehead. He runs his tongue over his fangs, absorbing this. Then he put his fingers to his throat: no pulse. "I kill your kind," Buffy said unnecessarily.
"And I bite yours." He looked at her and his ferocious expression melted away. "So why don't I want to bite you? And why am I fighting other vampires?" He took on a look of realization. "I must be a noble vampire. A good guy. On a mission of redemption.
I help the hopeless. I'm a vampire with a soul!" he said proudly, not recognizing that he's just perfectly described his 'fiance's ex-lover. Buffy gave him a look.
"'A vampire with a soul'?! Oh, my God. How lame is that?"
"Lame? I'm lame? You're engaged to me!" She looked about to protest, but then her shoulders slumped.
"Oh yeah. Why would I be engaged to a vampire?"
"Because I have a soul." She grunted noncommittally. "I do. And you love me."
"I do?"
"Yes, you bleeding well better. Why else would you have agreed to marry me? I'm not even alive!"
"I guess you're right. . ."
"Now would you be so kind as to get off of me?" She smirked naughtily.
"No, I don't think I will." He frowned, but she just leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. As his shock faded, his body took over and he entwined his long fingers in her hair. She moaned lightly as he pushed her lips open with his tongue. . .
A/N: Haha. Now you have to waaaaaiiiit!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Sorry, I'm done now LOL. Keep checking for updates. PS told u it would be romance!!!!
Andie snorted loudly when Xander jumped down into the sewer, lost his footing and slipped in a nasty, unnamable substance. Tara just smiled, while Xander stood and glanced around, embarrassed. Dawn reached the last rung on the ladder. There was a three foot drop from ladder to ground. Xander held out his hand to help Dawn down.
"Thanks," she said when she reached the bottom. By then, Willow had reached the bottom of the ladder. Xander extended a hand, but Willow instinctively reached for Tara's hand at the same time she reached for hers. On the ground, Willow grasped Tara's hand for a second too long before releasing her.
They glanced around, noting the various tunnels they could choose from.
"Which way?" Dawn prompted.
"All directions look equally dank and stinky," Willow observed unenthusiastically.
"How about this dank and stinky way?" Tara suggested, pointing in one direction.
"Sounds great." They started in the proposed direction and Dawn began to sing softly to herself.
"And the ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hur - AHHH!" Her last word melted into a terrified scream as a vampire emerged from the darkness. . .
* * *
Giles and Anya stood beside an empty table. Anya held a big leather book to her chest, Giles, on the other hand, holding a much larger stack of books. "Let's do some magic," he said lamely. They grinned at each other. "I picked out a fine dusty selection of interesting-looking texts." Giles started setting his books down on the table, displaying them one by one.
"This must be nice for us," Anya commented off-handedly.
"Sorry?" asked Giles, a vague look of confusion on his face. Giles set down his last book he noticed something in his suit jacket pocket. Unnoticed by Anya, he took it out and looked at it: a single plane ticket.
"I mean, I know there's the vampire problem and our memory loss and all that, but still. To spend this time together. Alone. It must be nice." Giles tucked the ticket away again, still distracted.
"Uh.. Yes, quite right. So, which book shall we start with?" Anya ploped the book she was holding onto the table.
"This is the book for us," she said confidently.
"Oh good, it focuses on mind control or memory loss?"
"Not exactly. I just...my intuition tells me this is the book. And I figure being a magic shop owner and a natural at the supernatural, I should trust my intuition."
"Fine. But as you'll recall, I too own a magic shop," he gently reminded her.
"True. But, my intuition says you're not so much the 'magic guy' and more of a paperwork type."
"A paperwork type!" He took on an offended look.
"You probably sweep up too." It was obvious she meant for this to sound reassuring. "Now, here we go." She opened the book to a random page and began to incant.
"But you don't even know what you're-"
"'Bara Bare Himble Gemination!'" There was a soft pop and a white rabbit appeared on the table. Anya screamed, startled. Giles just stared at her, appalled.
* * * Spike, still in vamp-face, charged after Buffy, trying desperately to catch up with her. He followed her into a residential neighborhood. "Wait up!" he called, slightly winded. He caught up to her, putting out an arm... He caught her by the elbow and spun her around. Instinctively and smoothly, Buffy used her momentum to flip Spike backwards, launching herself forward onto him at the same time. She ended up straddling him, pinning his hands to the ground on either side of his head. "Bloody hell!" he said, startled by her strength. He'd seen it, not experienced it. "What're you doing?"
"You don't know who you are," she said, realization overcoming her features.
"Right. None of us do, love," he reminded patiently. "And we're being chased by the fiendy-"
"You're a vampire." He looked almost insulted.
"How could you..." He thought for a moment. "I... me a vampire... Nah..."
"Check out the lumpies... and the teeth." She sat back, releasing his hands, but still atop him. He reached up, feeling the bumps on his forehead. He runs his tongue over his fangs, absorbing this. Then he put his fingers to his throat: no pulse. "I kill your kind," Buffy said unnecessarily.
"And I bite yours." He looked at her and his ferocious expression melted away. "So why don't I want to bite you? And why am I fighting other vampires?" He took on a look of realization. "I must be a noble vampire. A good guy. On a mission of redemption.
I help the hopeless. I'm a vampire with a soul!" he said proudly, not recognizing that he's just perfectly described his 'fiance's ex-lover. Buffy gave him a look.
"'A vampire with a soul'?! Oh, my God. How lame is that?"
"Lame? I'm lame? You're engaged to me!" She looked about to protest, but then her shoulders slumped.
"Oh yeah. Why would I be engaged to a vampire?"
"Because I have a soul." She grunted noncommittally. "I do. And you love me."
"I do?"
"Yes, you bleeding well better. Why else would you have agreed to marry me? I'm not even alive!"
"I guess you're right. . ."
"Now would you be so kind as to get off of me?" She smirked naughtily.
"No, I don't think I will." He frowned, but she just leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. As his shock faded, his body took over and he entwined his long fingers in her hair. She moaned lightly as he pushed her lips open with his tongue. . .
A/N: Haha. Now you have to waaaaaiiiit!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Sorry, I'm done now LOL. Keep checking for updates. PS told u it would be romance!!!!
