A/N: Happy Christmas everyone! Here's my present for ya: a chapter with Spike! Whoohoo!
Also, the talkshow with God IS up...go check it out if ya wanna. We're (me, Silvermoon, Rainbow Dreamer and Lil' Smartass) are currently working on the second chapter. So...yeah. Please visit it!
Disclaimer: Well, I put the show down on my Christmas list, but Santa didn't bring it, so...yeah. Still no luck on the owning it front!
Dedication: For everyone at ff.n- Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year! Also, for my cousin- happy eighteenth!
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Gracia wrapped her jacket tightly around herself against the cold breeze as she weaved her way through the gravestones. This was the third she'd visited so far tonight. She'd staked two newbies, and still no sign of Spike.
Life was unfair. She had a test tomorrow that she hadn't revised for, something weird going on- of what she had no idea- and here she was in a graveyard in the freezing cold searching for someone who probably hated her.
Somehow it was the last idea that upset her the most.
"C'mon Spike," she muttered to herself. "For once make life easy for someone..."
She was cut off by a body flying across her path and slamming into a gravestone, making her stop. They rose dazedly, turning yellow eyes and a vampiric face towards her.
She shrugged. "Or fate could just send me more work." She looked up at the sky with a sigh. "I hate you Powers sometimes."
The vampire had risen by this time, grinning as he advanced, looking almost insane with hunger. With another sigh, she suddenly spin-kicked at his chest. Both of her feet hit him, two thumps that knocked him back. He made to lash out, but she blocked and punched him hard in his stomach. Groaning in pain, the vampire pulled himself from her grasp, giving her chance to take out her stake. One step brought her up to him to shove the stake through his heart...
Just as another piece pierced him from the back.
The vampire blinked in surprise and then crumbled, leaving Gracia facing a slightly shocked Spike. Both of their stake arms fell to their sides in the silence.
Spike was the first to break it, sneering. "What do you want, Slayer?"
"Fine, thanks, and how are you?" Gracia rolled her eyes. "Something's going on. You're going to tell me what."
Spike put away his stake, taking out a cigarette and lighting up. He took a drag, then studied her through narrowed eyes. "I don't know if you could take it."
Gracia made a noise a little like a laugh and cocked her head at him. "I've taken a lot in my years. You underestimate me too much."
Spike snorted. "You can talk big, but you're only a little girl."
Again, she rolled her eyes. "I'm seventeen. In this life, I've become a Slayer and already faced a vampire cult and my evil Watcher. In my last life, I was sixteen when I died. My brother was turned into a vampire and killed all my family before me. Altogether, I've lived thirty-three years in this world, but my soul's been around centuries. I lived before you were even born." She shrugged. "This is me. You think I'm not worthy? Try me."
"Could be interesting." Spike's fist shot out towards her face; she blocked an inch from impact. "Might have given it a go...if it wasn't for the bloody chip in my head."
Suddenly, he grabbed her wrists and yanked her up to him. THAT, she certainly hadn't expected, and her eyes widened as they met his. She was trying to slow her breathing down from its increased pace, with very little success. He was just watching her with those ice blue eyes, scanning her, assessing her. He leaned closer to whisper in her ear.
"There are other ways to get to you though."
His eyes locked with hers for another second before he sniggered and pushed her away. She caught herself, making sure she didn't stumble, and swallowed hard to calm her heart rate.
"This new bad." Spike seemed to consider. "Or should that be 'bads'. Anyway, I know them. There are two of them, and they're more of a team than you could ever imagine. They're practically one person, with twice the strength and brainpower. And they're pretty much hunting you, pet."
"How do you know them?" Gracia persisted. "What are their names?"
"We go back. Way back. And as for their names..." Spike sniggered again. "I'll leave you to find out."
"You can be so annoying sometimes." she stated dully. Great, she thought, still no information. Still nothing. She turned away and started off. "See you around, Spike."
Those words echoed in Spike's mind, Gracia's voice mingling with Laurel's. Of course, he didn't fear either of his childeren, but he knew that he had to take their threats seriously. When they made a plan, they stuck to it.
"Slayer." he called out, before he could stop himself.
She halted, looked over her shoulder. "What?"
He looked away. "Be careful." It was hard to say and his voice was awkward, but he missed Gracia's smile.
"Thanks."
********************************************************************************
Keisha adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder as she trudged down the street. It was dark, and she was about two blocks from home, heading back with a heavy load of books taken from the library shelves when no one was looking.
Not ordinary books, of course. These were about ghosts.
Her mind was a confused jumble of information about the 'spirit world' and 'higher planes', 'ghostly realms' and 'other sides'. Eventually, she had shoved a few of the most-promising looking finds into her schoolbag and told Giles and Luke that she wasn't feeling well and needed sleep.
She was used to this. When her Second Sight had first come out, Keisha had wondered long and hard if she was going crazy. Eventually, she had trawled through all kinds of dusty volumes for help, not telling anyone until she had eventually accidentally slipped...to Angel, of all people.
Thinking about it, she mused, that has to have been the one properly two-sided conversation we've actually ever had.
She carried on, planning what she'd do when she got home. She just wanted to relax, but that wasn't really fair. She'd worried Gracia enough to go looking for Spike, she had Giles and Luke searching through tome after tome for any slightest clue- and she knew more than anyone how much Luke didn't like research- and she was being no use at all. Everyone else was helping and she wasn't.
She would have hated herself if her train of thought hadn't been cut off by a hand on her arm. She started and whirled round, pulling a crucifix from her pocket, just to see...
"Angel?"
Angel nodded, wincing slightly at the sight of the cross. "Hey Keisha."
Keisha blushed and put the cross away. "Sorry. I...well, I didn't know if..."
"That's alright. I just wondered what you were doing walking alone."
"Oh, I...I..." Get a grip, Keisha, and stop staring into his eyes! "I...didn't feel too good. I'm heading home."
"Will you be OK?"
She swallowed hard, not expecting his concern. "Uh...yeah, I think so. I just...probably should rest a bit."
He studied her for a long moment as she looked down at the pavement and shifted her bag nervously. Eventually, he said, "Do you want me to walk with you? I mean, in case something happens."
Keisha's gaze snapped back up to his, only three words going through her head.
Oh my god!
He was just watching her, waiting for a reply, so she blurted out something quick.
"No. I, uh, mean yes. I...mean, I should be fine. It's not far."
Angel blinked in surprise and hesitated. "...OK." They both stood there for a minute or so longer, the silence stretching before he added. "Well, I'm going to go to the library. Sure you'll be OK?"
Ask him to walk you back, idiot! "I think so."
"Right. I'll see you later then." He turned and walked off, Keisha watching him, frozen with shock.
"Thanks anyway." she called, but he had already disppeared.
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Well, there y'are! Another chapter. Hopefully, the next should be longer...I'm quite ill at the moment (just over Christmas 'n all, dammit!), so please send in lots of reviews to help me recover!
Also, the talkshow with God IS up...go check it out if ya wanna. We're (me, Silvermoon, Rainbow Dreamer and Lil' Smartass) are currently working on the second chapter. So...yeah. Please visit it!
Disclaimer: Well, I put the show down on my Christmas list, but Santa didn't bring it, so...yeah. Still no luck on the owning it front!
Dedication: For everyone at ff.n- Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year! Also, for my cousin- happy eighteenth!
********************************************************************************
Gracia wrapped her jacket tightly around herself against the cold breeze as she weaved her way through the gravestones. This was the third she'd visited so far tonight. She'd staked two newbies, and still no sign of Spike.
Life was unfair. She had a test tomorrow that she hadn't revised for, something weird going on- of what she had no idea- and here she was in a graveyard in the freezing cold searching for someone who probably hated her.
Somehow it was the last idea that upset her the most.
"C'mon Spike," she muttered to herself. "For once make life easy for someone..."
She was cut off by a body flying across her path and slamming into a gravestone, making her stop. They rose dazedly, turning yellow eyes and a vampiric face towards her.
She shrugged. "Or fate could just send me more work." She looked up at the sky with a sigh. "I hate you Powers sometimes."
The vampire had risen by this time, grinning as he advanced, looking almost insane with hunger. With another sigh, she suddenly spin-kicked at his chest. Both of her feet hit him, two thumps that knocked him back. He made to lash out, but she blocked and punched him hard in his stomach. Groaning in pain, the vampire pulled himself from her grasp, giving her chance to take out her stake. One step brought her up to him to shove the stake through his heart...
Just as another piece pierced him from the back.
The vampire blinked in surprise and then crumbled, leaving Gracia facing a slightly shocked Spike. Both of their stake arms fell to their sides in the silence.
Spike was the first to break it, sneering. "What do you want, Slayer?"
"Fine, thanks, and how are you?" Gracia rolled her eyes. "Something's going on. You're going to tell me what."
Spike put away his stake, taking out a cigarette and lighting up. He took a drag, then studied her through narrowed eyes. "I don't know if you could take it."
Gracia made a noise a little like a laugh and cocked her head at him. "I've taken a lot in my years. You underestimate me too much."
Spike snorted. "You can talk big, but you're only a little girl."
Again, she rolled her eyes. "I'm seventeen. In this life, I've become a Slayer and already faced a vampire cult and my evil Watcher. In my last life, I was sixteen when I died. My brother was turned into a vampire and killed all my family before me. Altogether, I've lived thirty-three years in this world, but my soul's been around centuries. I lived before you were even born." She shrugged. "This is me. You think I'm not worthy? Try me."
"Could be interesting." Spike's fist shot out towards her face; she blocked an inch from impact. "Might have given it a go...if it wasn't for the bloody chip in my head."
Suddenly, he grabbed her wrists and yanked her up to him. THAT, she certainly hadn't expected, and her eyes widened as they met his. She was trying to slow her breathing down from its increased pace, with very little success. He was just watching her with those ice blue eyes, scanning her, assessing her. He leaned closer to whisper in her ear.
"There are other ways to get to you though."
His eyes locked with hers for another second before he sniggered and pushed her away. She caught herself, making sure she didn't stumble, and swallowed hard to calm her heart rate.
"This new bad." Spike seemed to consider. "Or should that be 'bads'. Anyway, I know them. There are two of them, and they're more of a team than you could ever imagine. They're practically one person, with twice the strength and brainpower. And they're pretty much hunting you, pet."
"How do you know them?" Gracia persisted. "What are their names?"
"We go back. Way back. And as for their names..." Spike sniggered again. "I'll leave you to find out."
"You can be so annoying sometimes." she stated dully. Great, she thought, still no information. Still nothing. She turned away and started off. "See you around, Spike."
Those words echoed in Spike's mind, Gracia's voice mingling with Laurel's. Of course, he didn't fear either of his childeren, but he knew that he had to take their threats seriously. When they made a plan, they stuck to it.
"Slayer." he called out, before he could stop himself.
She halted, looked over her shoulder. "What?"
He looked away. "Be careful." It was hard to say and his voice was awkward, but he missed Gracia's smile.
"Thanks."
********************************************************************************
Keisha adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder as she trudged down the street. It was dark, and she was about two blocks from home, heading back with a heavy load of books taken from the library shelves when no one was looking.
Not ordinary books, of course. These were about ghosts.
Her mind was a confused jumble of information about the 'spirit world' and 'higher planes', 'ghostly realms' and 'other sides'. Eventually, she had shoved a few of the most-promising looking finds into her schoolbag and told Giles and Luke that she wasn't feeling well and needed sleep.
She was used to this. When her Second Sight had first come out, Keisha had wondered long and hard if she was going crazy. Eventually, she had trawled through all kinds of dusty volumes for help, not telling anyone until she had eventually accidentally slipped...to Angel, of all people.
Thinking about it, she mused, that has to have been the one properly two-sided conversation we've actually ever had.
She carried on, planning what she'd do when she got home. She just wanted to relax, but that wasn't really fair. She'd worried Gracia enough to go looking for Spike, she had Giles and Luke searching through tome after tome for any slightest clue- and she knew more than anyone how much Luke didn't like research- and she was being no use at all. Everyone else was helping and she wasn't.
She would have hated herself if her train of thought hadn't been cut off by a hand on her arm. She started and whirled round, pulling a crucifix from her pocket, just to see...
"Angel?"
Angel nodded, wincing slightly at the sight of the cross. "Hey Keisha."
Keisha blushed and put the cross away. "Sorry. I...well, I didn't know if..."
"That's alright. I just wondered what you were doing walking alone."
"Oh, I...I..." Get a grip, Keisha, and stop staring into his eyes! "I...didn't feel too good. I'm heading home."
"Will you be OK?"
She swallowed hard, not expecting his concern. "Uh...yeah, I think so. I just...probably should rest a bit."
He studied her for a long moment as she looked down at the pavement and shifted her bag nervously. Eventually, he said, "Do you want me to walk with you? I mean, in case something happens."
Keisha's gaze snapped back up to his, only three words going through her head.
Oh my god!
He was just watching her, waiting for a reply, so she blurted out something quick.
"No. I, uh, mean yes. I...mean, I should be fine. It's not far."
Angel blinked in surprise and hesitated. "...OK." They both stood there for a minute or so longer, the silence stretching before he added. "Well, I'm going to go to the library. Sure you'll be OK?"
Ask him to walk you back, idiot! "I think so."
"Right. I'll see you later then." He turned and walked off, Keisha watching him, frozen with shock.
"Thanks anyway." she called, but he had already disppeared.
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Well, there y'are! Another chapter. Hopefully, the next should be longer...I'm quite ill at the moment (just over Christmas 'n all, dammit!), so please send in lots of reviews to help me recover!