Chapter 1: Shades of Grey
"How's you arm feeling?" Spike asked, breaking the silence in the living room of 1630 Revello Drive.
Willow lifted her arm and lowered it again gingerly. "Well, I have feeling in it again," she said drearily, "Not too happy about that."
"Can't you just put it to sleep with a spell, or whatever it is you do?" Spike replied with a smirk. He went into his pockets and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it casually and sat down next to her on the couch.
"Sadly, no."
They gave each other an awkward look in an attempt at comfort and fell silent again. Willow got up and walked over to the front door and looked through it's little window. Buffy and Xander were outside making sure everything was ready for nightfall. The others were on their way. They would have to hurry if they were going to make it back in time. There was only a half an hour before sunset.
"I can't believe its come to this," Willow said under her breath.
"Hey," Spike said, picking up on Willow's words even though she'd barely whispered them, "Put a lid on that. We're not out of this fight yet. Not by a bloody long shot."
"But I got such a bad feeling," she said, feeling a lump gathering in her throat, "We're not getting out of this one squeaky clean. It may even be too late for some of us already."
Spike walked over to Willow, dodging the fading sunlight that leaked into the house without even thinking about it. He grabbed Willow gently by the shoulder and turned her to him until their eyes met. Willow blinked as her eyes flooded over with fresh tears. Spike felt a wave of his lost humanity wash over him as he looked at her, and tried his best to shake it off.
"Listen to me," he began sternly, "It's bad. I'm not going to stand here and pretend that it isn't. But we're going to need to keep our heads if we're going to end it. We've got to see this through the to end. No matter what."
"I know, I know," Willow said, taking a deep breath and wiping at her eyes, "But I got to deal somehow. So much has happened so fast it's hard to work through it in a, I don't know, a convenient fashion. And I'm worried about Buffy. She's been so detached. I can't even tell how she's feeling about all this. It's like-"
"Willow," Spike said, cutting her off, "This is hard for all of us. But it's only going to get harder. We get all emotional now, we get really dead now. If we're going to salvage what we can out of this mess, you more then anyone else is going to have to keep focused on the matter at hand. I promise you a good cry when this is all said and done."
"When did you get all supportive-like" Willow said abruptly, smiling despite herself, "Not that that helped any, but a valiant effort nonetheless."
"I guess this whole thing is getting to me too," Spike said nonchalantly, "I'll be back to my old charming self in no time. No worries."
"Way to ruin the moment," Willow said with a smirk, and they both managed a chuckle. Spike offered her a curt nod and an affable smile, then went back to his seat on the couch.
"Hey, Spike," Willow said after a moment.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks," she said, walking back to the couch, "I really appreciate the pep talk. It's been pretty intense this past week. And no one can really."
"Think nothing of it."
"Spike," Willow repeated, her voice taking on a more serious tone, "Thank you."
Spike looked at her, and the look on her face. It was a look of sincere gratitude, something that Spike had rarely experienced in his life or his death. He got that feeling again, of his human side crawling out of the darkness and saying hello.
"Anytime, pet," he said.
They waited as the sunlight faded from the sky and night fell across Sunnydale. Outside, Buffy and Xander also waited, for the others to return. They were both armed, crossbows at the ready.
"They should be back by now," Xander said nervously, "They've been gone for hours."
"They'll be here," Buffy answered quietly, staring blankly off into the distance.
Xander paced up and down the front porch, absentmindedly looking over his crossbow over and over again. He kept fighting with a feeling of helplessness that he couldn't seem to shake. He hated feeling like this. Like he had failed someone or something somehow. He knew he shouldn't, that getting down on himself wasn't going to accomplish anything. But he couldn't help it.
"You think they'll find anything that'll help?" he asked, wanting to say something.
"I hope so," Buffy replied, still looking out at nothing in particular, "Hey, did you get a chance to fix the back windows?"
"Yeah, but it's getting worse here by the day," he said, poking at a large bruise on his left side that had blossomed overnight and winced, "I wanted to board them up, but I didn't have time. We're going to have to get around to it tomorrow."
"I know," she said derisively, "It has to be done."
They both looked out over the silent, deserted street. Sunnydale had become like a ghost town once the sun went down. During the day, people tried to get by as best as they could. Just the same, Hell was spilling over into the streets, and people were starting to feel it. You could see the fear and trepidation in their faces. Something was coming to a head soon.
Xander tried to find a way to speak to Buffy. He wanted to try to break through the wall she had put up and find out what she was thinking, what she was feeling, without lighting her fuse. But what can you say to someone under these kind of circumstances. They didn't make greeting cards for this sort of thing.
Somewhere down the street they heard footsteps approaching, and Buffy and Xander jumped to attention. They raised their crossbows and stood at the ready. There were several sets of footsteps, moving fast, at a run. They waited, then Tara and Oz came into view, and then Anya and Cordelia close behind them. They were all carrying as many books as they could manage.
"Demon!" Cordelia screamed.
"How many?" Buffy called out as they reached the front porch.
"Two," Oz said through labored breaths, "They must have been tracking us all afternoon. We're so stupid! I can't believe we didn't notice."
"Time to play," Spike said, bounding out the front door with his game face on.
"Everybody inside," Buffy screamed, tossing her crossbow to Oz, the demons lumbering into view, "Xander, I need you on sentry duty."
"I'm on it."
Buffy and Spike met the two demons at the front steps. Spike took a swing at one and let out a scream as his hand came back covered in something that was burning away at his skin. Before Buffy could react, she did the same, with the same result. It seemed the demons were secreting some sort of acid. The smell of burning skin filled the air.
They both lunged backwards as one of the demons took a swing at them. More corrosive liquid came off their skin and splashed onto the porch, making the paint warp and slowly burning through the wood.
Buffy grabbed a sword that she had left laying on the floor and tossed it to Spike. Spike caught it, swung low at the demons knees, then came back up across its face in one fluid motion. The demon fell to the ground, dissolving to a liquid and seeping through the cracks in the walkway, killing every blade of grass as it went.
At the same time, the other demon lunged at Buffy. She went for her crossbow, but forgot she had given to Oz. Suddenly an arrow came from above them and went through the demons shoulder, stunning him. Spike tossed the sword back to Buffy, and she went straight for the demons head. The body fell back next to the other one, but the head flew through the air and landed on the porch, where it burned a large hole straight through. They both shielded their faces as flecks of acid came at them from all directions.
"Nice save, Xander," Buffy called out to Xander, who had been playing sniper from the roof.
"No problem," his voice called out from above them, "Everyone alright?"
Buffy and Spike surveyed the damage to their hands with disgust. It looked pretty nasty, but would mostly heal, for them anyway.
"I'll get the ice, you get the gauze and ointment," Spike said with a sigh.
"Deal."
*Author's Note: Thanks for reading my story. feedback is appreciated. Hope to have another chapter up soon.
"How's you arm feeling?" Spike asked, breaking the silence in the living room of 1630 Revello Drive.
Willow lifted her arm and lowered it again gingerly. "Well, I have feeling in it again," she said drearily, "Not too happy about that."
"Can't you just put it to sleep with a spell, or whatever it is you do?" Spike replied with a smirk. He went into his pockets and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it casually and sat down next to her on the couch.
"Sadly, no."
They gave each other an awkward look in an attempt at comfort and fell silent again. Willow got up and walked over to the front door and looked through it's little window. Buffy and Xander were outside making sure everything was ready for nightfall. The others were on their way. They would have to hurry if they were going to make it back in time. There was only a half an hour before sunset.
"I can't believe its come to this," Willow said under her breath.
"Hey," Spike said, picking up on Willow's words even though she'd barely whispered them, "Put a lid on that. We're not out of this fight yet. Not by a bloody long shot."
"But I got such a bad feeling," she said, feeling a lump gathering in her throat, "We're not getting out of this one squeaky clean. It may even be too late for some of us already."
Spike walked over to Willow, dodging the fading sunlight that leaked into the house without even thinking about it. He grabbed Willow gently by the shoulder and turned her to him until their eyes met. Willow blinked as her eyes flooded over with fresh tears. Spike felt a wave of his lost humanity wash over him as he looked at her, and tried his best to shake it off.
"Listen to me," he began sternly, "It's bad. I'm not going to stand here and pretend that it isn't. But we're going to need to keep our heads if we're going to end it. We've got to see this through the to end. No matter what."
"I know, I know," Willow said, taking a deep breath and wiping at her eyes, "But I got to deal somehow. So much has happened so fast it's hard to work through it in a, I don't know, a convenient fashion. And I'm worried about Buffy. She's been so detached. I can't even tell how she's feeling about all this. It's like-"
"Willow," Spike said, cutting her off, "This is hard for all of us. But it's only going to get harder. We get all emotional now, we get really dead now. If we're going to salvage what we can out of this mess, you more then anyone else is going to have to keep focused on the matter at hand. I promise you a good cry when this is all said and done."
"When did you get all supportive-like" Willow said abruptly, smiling despite herself, "Not that that helped any, but a valiant effort nonetheless."
"I guess this whole thing is getting to me too," Spike said nonchalantly, "I'll be back to my old charming self in no time. No worries."
"Way to ruin the moment," Willow said with a smirk, and they both managed a chuckle. Spike offered her a curt nod and an affable smile, then went back to his seat on the couch.
"Hey, Spike," Willow said after a moment.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks," she said, walking back to the couch, "I really appreciate the pep talk. It's been pretty intense this past week. And no one can really."
"Think nothing of it."
"Spike," Willow repeated, her voice taking on a more serious tone, "Thank you."
Spike looked at her, and the look on her face. It was a look of sincere gratitude, something that Spike had rarely experienced in his life or his death. He got that feeling again, of his human side crawling out of the darkness and saying hello.
"Anytime, pet," he said.
They waited as the sunlight faded from the sky and night fell across Sunnydale. Outside, Buffy and Xander also waited, for the others to return. They were both armed, crossbows at the ready.
"They should be back by now," Xander said nervously, "They've been gone for hours."
"They'll be here," Buffy answered quietly, staring blankly off into the distance.
Xander paced up and down the front porch, absentmindedly looking over his crossbow over and over again. He kept fighting with a feeling of helplessness that he couldn't seem to shake. He hated feeling like this. Like he had failed someone or something somehow. He knew he shouldn't, that getting down on himself wasn't going to accomplish anything. But he couldn't help it.
"You think they'll find anything that'll help?" he asked, wanting to say something.
"I hope so," Buffy replied, still looking out at nothing in particular, "Hey, did you get a chance to fix the back windows?"
"Yeah, but it's getting worse here by the day," he said, poking at a large bruise on his left side that had blossomed overnight and winced, "I wanted to board them up, but I didn't have time. We're going to have to get around to it tomorrow."
"I know," she said derisively, "It has to be done."
They both looked out over the silent, deserted street. Sunnydale had become like a ghost town once the sun went down. During the day, people tried to get by as best as they could. Just the same, Hell was spilling over into the streets, and people were starting to feel it. You could see the fear and trepidation in their faces. Something was coming to a head soon.
Xander tried to find a way to speak to Buffy. He wanted to try to break through the wall she had put up and find out what she was thinking, what she was feeling, without lighting her fuse. But what can you say to someone under these kind of circumstances. They didn't make greeting cards for this sort of thing.
Somewhere down the street they heard footsteps approaching, and Buffy and Xander jumped to attention. They raised their crossbows and stood at the ready. There were several sets of footsteps, moving fast, at a run. They waited, then Tara and Oz came into view, and then Anya and Cordelia close behind them. They were all carrying as many books as they could manage.
"Demon!" Cordelia screamed.
"How many?" Buffy called out as they reached the front porch.
"Two," Oz said through labored breaths, "They must have been tracking us all afternoon. We're so stupid! I can't believe we didn't notice."
"Time to play," Spike said, bounding out the front door with his game face on.
"Everybody inside," Buffy screamed, tossing her crossbow to Oz, the demons lumbering into view, "Xander, I need you on sentry duty."
"I'm on it."
Buffy and Spike met the two demons at the front steps. Spike took a swing at one and let out a scream as his hand came back covered in something that was burning away at his skin. Before Buffy could react, she did the same, with the same result. It seemed the demons were secreting some sort of acid. The smell of burning skin filled the air.
They both lunged backwards as one of the demons took a swing at them. More corrosive liquid came off their skin and splashed onto the porch, making the paint warp and slowly burning through the wood.
Buffy grabbed a sword that she had left laying on the floor and tossed it to Spike. Spike caught it, swung low at the demons knees, then came back up across its face in one fluid motion. The demon fell to the ground, dissolving to a liquid and seeping through the cracks in the walkway, killing every blade of grass as it went.
At the same time, the other demon lunged at Buffy. She went for her crossbow, but forgot she had given to Oz. Suddenly an arrow came from above them and went through the demons shoulder, stunning him. Spike tossed the sword back to Buffy, and she went straight for the demons head. The body fell back next to the other one, but the head flew through the air and landed on the porch, where it burned a large hole straight through. They both shielded their faces as flecks of acid came at them from all directions.
"Nice save, Xander," Buffy called out to Xander, who had been playing sniper from the roof.
"No problem," his voice called out from above them, "Everyone alright?"
Buffy and Spike surveyed the damage to their hands with disgust. It looked pretty nasty, but would mostly heal, for them anyway.
"I'll get the ice, you get the gauze and ointment," Spike said with a sigh.
"Deal."
*Author's Note: Thanks for reading my story. feedback is appreciated. Hope to have another chapter up soon.
