Chapter 12: Tabula Rasa: Part Five
Buffy pulled away from Spike, absorbing what had just happened, and then hurriedly climbed off of him. The rush of feeling she suddenly felt toward him was a bit overwhelming. This didn't seem to bother Spike in the least, however. He stood, and began pacing in front of her. "I'm a hero, really," he said. " I mean, to be cast such an ugly lot but then to rise above it, to seek better, nobler things. It's inspiring, in'it?" He grinned lopsidedly, turning to Buffy, who hadn't heard a word he'd said. She'd been too busy with her whirling feelings to deal with his supposed Inspiring Quest for Redemption. "And the two of us! Natural enemies thrown together to stand against the forces of darkness! Utter trust! No
thought of me biting you. No thought of you staking me. . ." "Kinda depends on how long you keep on yakking-" she said absentmindedly, coming out of her reverie. She broke off, hearing something. "What's that?"
Four vampires were coming toward them from the right, looking particularly menacing. The same vampire's Spike had gotten away from earlier.
"You know what you're doing?" he asked Buffy as she stood, quickly taking on a fighting stance.
"Not really. But. Yes." He rolled his eyes at her confusing babble, but thought it better not to comment as Teeth swaggered out from behind the vamps. He paced in front of them.
"Why if it isn't Mr. Spike and the Slayer. It seems there was some miscommunication between us. Somehow you've killed three of my vampires," the shark-headed demon noted casually. Spike growled low in his throat, then took on a surprised look, realizing what he'd just done. "Hey, so no big deal, they're a dime a dozen. But you know? You still haven't paid me my kittens. And that's okay too." He stepped aside. "Because you'll pay me now. At 'em, boys!"
The vampires moved forward.
Two jumped Spike while the other two took on Buffy.
Buffy dealt out a couple blows before getting punched roughly in the jaw . She rallied, then kicked back.
"Note to self: learn to duck."
She broke off a nearby mailbox and dusted a vamp with the mailbox post, feeling proud that she'd made a witty comment. It seemed almost like nature.
Spike headbutted another vampire, who collapsed. Spike pulled a stake from his jacket and dusted him expertly, grinning at his accomplishment.
Off to the left, Buffy was getting in some good punches herself.
"Check me out."
Buffy kicked a vamp hard in the chest, who staggered towards Spike. Spike landed a right hook, and the vamp ricocheted back to Buffy.
To anyone observing, this scene would have been very cool and coordinated. He set 'em up, she knocked 'em down.
There were only two vampires left to slay.
Buffy seemed to be really enjoying herself. More than she should have been. Getting a kick out of slaying for the first time in a long time. Just as she was about to stake one --
"Don't mess with Joan the Vampire - "
. . .and then she stopped.
She remembering everything: who she was; her mother's death; heaven; hell on earth. . .
She froze, memories flooding her mind.
The vamp she'd been fighting took advantage of her startledness and kicked her in the face, sending her sprawling back onto the pavement.
Buffy lied in the middle of the street. She tried to sit up but memories overwhelmed her, making her dizzy and sick.
The vampire was on her now, kicking her while she was down. How rude.
Spike was up on the sidewalk, fighting the other vampire. Suddenly, Spike remembered.
"Buffy. . ." He looked at her. "Buff- " He was cut off when heabsorbed a blow to the head, and then resumed the battle, taking on Buffy's abandoned vampire aswell. Empowered by fury, Spike grabbed the two vampires by their scalps and brought their heads together with a resounding crack. Buffy, on the ground, winced at the noise. They crumpled to the pavement and he staked them. "From dust. . ." he muttered, "To dust."
At least the fight was over.
Teeth spoke then, startling Spike. He'd forgotten Teeth was there.
"You're an odd duck, Mr. Spike. . ." The shark demon strolled toward him, with a casual menace that was, for lack of a better word, creepy. "Fighting your own kind. Palling around with a Slayer. And, whoa, that suit! Chutzpah must be your middle name." Spike rolled his eyes. He was sick of Teeth's shit. He moved slowly toward Teeth, who looked around. He seemed to be noticing that none of his lackeys were left. "Uh, hey, look. . ." he started nervously. "About our little debt problem... It's okay. I don't need the kittens."
Spike grabbed him by the collar; Teeth now very scared.
"You'll get paid. I'm no welsher." He released Teeth, who blinked, then smiles.
"Right, sure. You're good for it. I know that. So, I'll just, uh. . .Yeah."
And he backed away and hurried off into the night. Spike moved to Buffy. She remained on the ground, devastated and confused.
"You alright?" he asked, clearly concerned.
He offered her a hand up. She ignored it and stood on her own. Then she walked off. Leaving Spike alone.
* * *
Michelle branch played expertly on the stage in the Bronze, but Buffy barely heard the music, lost in her own thoughts as she nursed the drink in front of her.
* * *
Tara packed her belongings into boxes. Her face, swollen with hours of crying, was now stoic. She didn't want to leave, but knew it was for the best.
Willow hadn't been able to do it. . .It was only a week. . .If Willow couldn't take her powers seriously, then how was she supposed to take their relationship seriously?
And messing with her mind like that? How was that love? That was control. Nothing more, nothing less.
* * *
Giles sat in his cramped seat. Watching the flight attendant as she went through the motions: how the seat belt worked, the oxygen mask, the location of the exits. Giles' eyes were tired and sad.
He hoped to God Buffy would be okay. That she would be able to handle getting Andrea and April home without him. That she would be able to handle. . .everything. . .
* * *
Spike walked up to Buffy. She glanced up at him. As he opened his mouth to say something, she turned away. After a beat, Spike walked away.
* * *
Tara exited the door, carrying out a final box as Dawn came up the steps. Tara put down the box and moved to give Dawn a hug.
Dawn couldn't take it and ran into the house, up to her room, crying.
* * *
Willow sats, fully clothed, on the tile floor of the bathroom crying. She stood up and looked in the mirror.
She looked pitiful. How could she have done this? It was her fault. She hadn't taken Tara's concern seriously. And then she'd gone and done that spell. Dammit, if she could have taken it back . .She'd do anything for Tara. She loved her.
But she'd been wrong.
* * *
"Man," breathed Andie from the floor. She picked at the carpet under her foot. Her expression was one of complete frustration. "This sucks."
"Yeah. Major," agreed April. "And we knew it was gonna happen, too."
"But wasn't part of you hoping that since we were and messed things up a little, it would change?" She paused. "But that wouldn't have been right, would it? This is the way Joss wanted it. The way it was supposed to be."
* * *
Buffy frantically clutched at Spike's shoulders as his lips parted hers, his skin cool in contrast with her warmth.
She knew it was wrong. . .but it felt so right. . .
Buffy pulled away from Spike, absorbing what had just happened, and then hurriedly climbed off of him. The rush of feeling she suddenly felt toward him was a bit overwhelming. This didn't seem to bother Spike in the least, however. He stood, and began pacing in front of her. "I'm a hero, really," he said. " I mean, to be cast such an ugly lot but then to rise above it, to seek better, nobler things. It's inspiring, in'it?" He grinned lopsidedly, turning to Buffy, who hadn't heard a word he'd said. She'd been too busy with her whirling feelings to deal with his supposed Inspiring Quest for Redemption. "And the two of us! Natural enemies thrown together to stand against the forces of darkness! Utter trust! No
thought of me biting you. No thought of you staking me. . ." "Kinda depends on how long you keep on yakking-" she said absentmindedly, coming out of her reverie. She broke off, hearing something. "What's that?"
Four vampires were coming toward them from the right, looking particularly menacing. The same vampire's Spike had gotten away from earlier.
"You know what you're doing?" he asked Buffy as she stood, quickly taking on a fighting stance.
"Not really. But. Yes." He rolled his eyes at her confusing babble, but thought it better not to comment as Teeth swaggered out from behind the vamps. He paced in front of them.
"Why if it isn't Mr. Spike and the Slayer. It seems there was some miscommunication between us. Somehow you've killed three of my vampires," the shark-headed demon noted casually. Spike growled low in his throat, then took on a surprised look, realizing what he'd just done. "Hey, so no big deal, they're a dime a dozen. But you know? You still haven't paid me my kittens. And that's okay too." He stepped aside. "Because you'll pay me now. At 'em, boys!"
The vampires moved forward.
Two jumped Spike while the other two took on Buffy.
Buffy dealt out a couple blows before getting punched roughly in the jaw . She rallied, then kicked back.
"Note to self: learn to duck."
She broke off a nearby mailbox and dusted a vamp with the mailbox post, feeling proud that she'd made a witty comment. It seemed almost like nature.
Spike headbutted another vampire, who collapsed. Spike pulled a stake from his jacket and dusted him expertly, grinning at his accomplishment.
Off to the left, Buffy was getting in some good punches herself.
"Check me out."
Buffy kicked a vamp hard in the chest, who staggered towards Spike. Spike landed a right hook, and the vamp ricocheted back to Buffy.
To anyone observing, this scene would have been very cool and coordinated. He set 'em up, she knocked 'em down.
There were only two vampires left to slay.
Buffy seemed to be really enjoying herself. More than she should have been. Getting a kick out of slaying for the first time in a long time. Just as she was about to stake one --
"Don't mess with Joan the Vampire - "
. . .and then she stopped.
She remembering everything: who she was; her mother's death; heaven; hell on earth. . .
She froze, memories flooding her mind.
The vamp she'd been fighting took advantage of her startledness and kicked her in the face, sending her sprawling back onto the pavement.
Buffy lied in the middle of the street. She tried to sit up but memories overwhelmed her, making her dizzy and sick.
The vampire was on her now, kicking her while she was down. How rude.
Spike was up on the sidewalk, fighting the other vampire. Suddenly, Spike remembered.
"Buffy. . ." He looked at her. "Buff- " He was cut off when heabsorbed a blow to the head, and then resumed the battle, taking on Buffy's abandoned vampire aswell. Empowered by fury, Spike grabbed the two vampires by their scalps and brought their heads together with a resounding crack. Buffy, on the ground, winced at the noise. They crumpled to the pavement and he staked them. "From dust. . ." he muttered, "To dust."
At least the fight was over.
Teeth spoke then, startling Spike. He'd forgotten Teeth was there.
"You're an odd duck, Mr. Spike. . ." The shark demon strolled toward him, with a casual menace that was, for lack of a better word, creepy. "Fighting your own kind. Palling around with a Slayer. And, whoa, that suit! Chutzpah must be your middle name." Spike rolled his eyes. He was sick of Teeth's shit. He moved slowly toward Teeth, who looked around. He seemed to be noticing that none of his lackeys were left. "Uh, hey, look. . ." he started nervously. "About our little debt problem... It's okay. I don't need the kittens."
Spike grabbed him by the collar; Teeth now very scared.
"You'll get paid. I'm no welsher." He released Teeth, who blinked, then smiles.
"Right, sure. You're good for it. I know that. So, I'll just, uh. . .Yeah."
And he backed away and hurried off into the night. Spike moved to Buffy. She remained on the ground, devastated and confused.
"You alright?" he asked, clearly concerned.
He offered her a hand up. She ignored it and stood on her own. Then she walked off. Leaving Spike alone.
* * *
Michelle branch played expertly on the stage in the Bronze, but Buffy barely heard the music, lost in her own thoughts as she nursed the drink in front of her.
* * *
Tara packed her belongings into boxes. Her face, swollen with hours of crying, was now stoic. She didn't want to leave, but knew it was for the best.
Willow hadn't been able to do it. . .It was only a week. . .If Willow couldn't take her powers seriously, then how was she supposed to take their relationship seriously?
And messing with her mind like that? How was that love? That was control. Nothing more, nothing less.
* * *
Giles sat in his cramped seat. Watching the flight attendant as she went through the motions: how the seat belt worked, the oxygen mask, the location of the exits. Giles' eyes were tired and sad.
He hoped to God Buffy would be okay. That she would be able to handle getting Andrea and April home without him. That she would be able to handle. . .everything. . .
* * *
Spike walked up to Buffy. She glanced up at him. As he opened his mouth to say something, she turned away. After a beat, Spike walked away.
* * *
Tara exited the door, carrying out a final box as Dawn came up the steps. Tara put down the box and moved to give Dawn a hug.
Dawn couldn't take it and ran into the house, up to her room, crying.
* * *
Willow sats, fully clothed, on the tile floor of the bathroom crying. She stood up and looked in the mirror.
She looked pitiful. How could she have done this? It was her fault. She hadn't taken Tara's concern seriously. And then she'd gone and done that spell. Dammit, if she could have taken it back . .She'd do anything for Tara. She loved her.
But she'd been wrong.
* * *
"Man," breathed Andie from the floor. She picked at the carpet under her foot. Her expression was one of complete frustration. "This sucks."
"Yeah. Major," agreed April. "And we knew it was gonna happen, too."
"But wasn't part of you hoping that since we were and messed things up a little, it would change?" She paused. "But that wouldn't have been right, would it? This is the way Joss wanted it. The way it was supposed to be."
* * *
Buffy frantically clutched at Spike's shoulders as his lips parted hers, his skin cool in contrast with her warmth.
She knew it was wrong. . .but it felt so right. . .
