Following her as she lead into the forest, he smiled to see her spinning in circles as she waited for him to catch up. Her hood had slipped off and the moonlight was glowing off her hair making it look the color of red wine. Just as intoxicating too, he thought to himself wryly. She could be a wood nymph the way she's acting tonight.
She turned to grin at him. "Coming?" Grabbing his hand she dragged him through a seemingly solid mass of intertwined branches. "They're waiting for us! I told them I was bringing you tonight!" Her emerald eyes danced with child-like enthusiasm.
He struggled to voice his doubts against the happiness she was radiating. "Who are these friends of yours that we can only meet at night? Wouldn't it be safer during the day? I'm only worried about your safety you understand..." His complaints were silenced by her fingers pressed against his lips.
"I told you, we're perfectly safe. My friends are..." she paused as she searched for an appropriate word,"...busy during the day. Once you meet them you'll understand. Trust me in this. Please?" Her eyes met his beseechingly. "I promise you, you'll like them." He sighed, then nodded.
"Alright." He bowed with a mock flourish. "My life is in your hands m'lady." She laughed and pulled him along again. After somehow navigating them through an impassable blackberry thicket, he could hear laughter and the sounds of a fire burning. His grip on her hand tightened briefly causing her laughter once again as she lead him into the light.
Spike sat bolt upright, shocked out of his dream. The laughter of the girl still ringing in his ears. So familiar, but where had he heard it before? He struggled to remember. The dream had seemed so real, almost like a memory. But the laughter...he'd heard it somewhere recently. Where? He tried to shake it off as he lay tentatively back down to sleep.
* * *
Willow was waiting by Buffy's locker as she got out of class. "So how did you do on the test? I know you haven't had a lot of time to study with slaying and all, but still it was pretty easy." Buffy held up the offending paper.
"Barely passed. And my teacher is getting that worried, maybe I should call home look. Not good. I mean what am I supposed to tell my mom? Sorry couldn't study because I'm saving Sunnydale from a demon menace? Don't think that would go over to well." Willow's face fell, then brightened.
"I know. I'll help you study after school. How does that sound?" Buffy was saved from answering by Xander's timely appearance.
"We're having meatloaf again for lunch. Meatloaf! Can you believe it? I swear there is a conspiracy going on behind the scenes of the Sunnydale High kitchens." Both Willow and Buffy looked at him skeptically. "What? It could happen." A throat cleared behind them and they all jumped.
"Ms. Summers, just the student I was looking for. You have signed up to help out at the Fall Carnival haven't you?" The annoying voice of Principal Snyder asked smugly.
Buffy's heart sank as she turned around. "Actually Principal Snyder, I've been really busy lately, and I'm afraid I won't have the time..." The look of smugness increased.
"Then perhaps I should call your mother and find out what keeps you so busy that you can't study for your classes?" Buffy groaned inwardly. Outwardly she grinned.
"You didn't let me finish. Though I'm extremely busy I'm sure I can make time to help out." Principal Snyder grinned.
"I knew you'd want to help. I'll check the sign up sheet later to see what kind of booth you'll be setting up. I'm sure it will be entertaining." He swaggered off, pleased with himself. Buffy turned to her friends.
"Now what am I going to do? Between Slaying, School, and Sleep, I don't have time for anything else." Xander grinned.
"I've got an idea, but first we have to check that sign up sheet to make sure no one else has already used it." Buffy and Willow followed him mystified to the sheet on a wall by the cafeteria doors. "Nope, no one else has. Anyone got a pen?" Willow handed him one and they both watched as he signed all their names and under the column for what booth wrote fortune telling.
This was just a teaser. I'm not finished writing this chapter yet, but wanted to post since I haven't in soo long. I'll repost it when I do finish.
She turned to grin at him. "Coming?" Grabbing his hand she dragged him through a seemingly solid mass of intertwined branches. "They're waiting for us! I told them I was bringing you tonight!" Her emerald eyes danced with child-like enthusiasm.
He struggled to voice his doubts against the happiness she was radiating. "Who are these friends of yours that we can only meet at night? Wouldn't it be safer during the day? I'm only worried about your safety you understand..." His complaints were silenced by her fingers pressed against his lips.
"I told you, we're perfectly safe. My friends are..." she paused as she searched for an appropriate word,"...busy during the day. Once you meet them you'll understand. Trust me in this. Please?" Her eyes met his beseechingly. "I promise you, you'll like them." He sighed, then nodded.
"Alright." He bowed with a mock flourish. "My life is in your hands m'lady." She laughed and pulled him along again. After somehow navigating them through an impassable blackberry thicket, he could hear laughter and the sounds of a fire burning. His grip on her hand tightened briefly causing her laughter once again as she lead him into the light.
Spike sat bolt upright, shocked out of his dream. The laughter of the girl still ringing in his ears. So familiar, but where had he heard it before? He struggled to remember. The dream had seemed so real, almost like a memory. But the laughter...he'd heard it somewhere recently. Where? He tried to shake it off as he lay tentatively back down to sleep.
* * *
Willow was waiting by Buffy's locker as she got out of class. "So how did you do on the test? I know you haven't had a lot of time to study with slaying and all, but still it was pretty easy." Buffy held up the offending paper.
"Barely passed. And my teacher is getting that worried, maybe I should call home look. Not good. I mean what am I supposed to tell my mom? Sorry couldn't study because I'm saving Sunnydale from a demon menace? Don't think that would go over to well." Willow's face fell, then brightened.
"I know. I'll help you study after school. How does that sound?" Buffy was saved from answering by Xander's timely appearance.
"We're having meatloaf again for lunch. Meatloaf! Can you believe it? I swear there is a conspiracy going on behind the scenes of the Sunnydale High kitchens." Both Willow and Buffy looked at him skeptically. "What? It could happen." A throat cleared behind them and they all jumped.
"Ms. Summers, just the student I was looking for. You have signed up to help out at the Fall Carnival haven't you?" The annoying voice of Principal Snyder asked smugly.
Buffy's heart sank as she turned around. "Actually Principal Snyder, I've been really busy lately, and I'm afraid I won't have the time..." The look of smugness increased.
"Then perhaps I should call your mother and find out what keeps you so busy that you can't study for your classes?" Buffy groaned inwardly. Outwardly she grinned.
"You didn't let me finish. Though I'm extremely busy I'm sure I can make time to help out." Principal Snyder grinned.
"I knew you'd want to help. I'll check the sign up sheet later to see what kind of booth you'll be setting up. I'm sure it will be entertaining." He swaggered off, pleased with himself. Buffy turned to her friends.
"Now what am I going to do? Between Slaying, School, and Sleep, I don't have time for anything else." Xander grinned.
"I've got an idea, but first we have to check that sign up sheet to make sure no one else has already used it." Buffy and Willow followed him mystified to the sheet on a wall by the cafeteria doors. "Nope, no one else has. Anyone got a pen?" Willow handed him one and they both watched as he signed all their names and under the column for what booth wrote fortune telling.
This was just a teaser. I'm not finished writing this chapter yet, but wanted to post since I haven't in soo long. I'll repost it when I do finish.
