A/N: I have been inspired to write once more! Hallelujah! **grins** I haven't updated for several reasons...firstly, I wasn't sure anyone was reading this. Secondly, I've not been on the internet in ages. And thirdly, I've had terrible writer's block. Those are my excuses...please forgive me.
Disclaimer: Hmm, what do I own? Well...some of the plots and characters, a shiny (relatively) new PS2 (Yippee!), the Cult of Vincent Valentine, and half of Silvermoon's brain. Heheheh, so...don't sue.
Dedication: The brilliant people who encouraged me to get up off my lazy backside and get typing again. **raises glass** You guys rock!
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Keisha looked at what she held in her hands.
A solution. A possible solution to a problem that had been eating away at her mind since the night before. And maybe, if she used it...things could be OK. She hoped so. It'd been a while since she'd felt in control of her thoughts and feelings, and to get them back on track seemed to be a good plan.
Still...there were other things to do at the moment. Like find another solution, this time to the problem of what might be lurking in the school store cupboard. So carrying out this plan would have to wait.
She put the object deep into the back of the bathroom cabinet, shut the door of it and walked out across to her bedroom, which was strewn with all of the texts that she'd 'borrowed' from the library. She thought she may have started to find something.
Two solutions in one day. Not bad going for a sleep-deprived, caffeine-driven teenager.
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Gracia was starting to get sick of this.
She'd been out almost all of last night and had been out this night since sunset- a good few hours. She was tired, cold, and not a little fed up. More than anything, she wished she had someone to talk to, but Luke was helping Giles research Laurel and Thomas in the library, and Keisha had had to go home, saying that she hadn't been feeling too great. Gracia didn't mind, but she did wish Angel was with her. Or maybe even someone else...
She sighed irritably, pulling her jacket tighter about herself and picking her way through the gravestones. This was the third cemetary she'd visited tonight- no sign of anything. Perhaps the vampires were laying low, after the run-in she and Angel had had with Laurel. That would make sense, she supposed, but from what she had heard, Spike's childeren didn't seem to fear Slayers. And Laurel had definitely seemed much more put out by Angel than by her.
Suddenly, the slightest movement in the shadows nearby caught her eye. One thought flitted through her mind: Oh, at last, some action. Thank you, Powers.
She didn't adjust her pace, carried on walking as though she hadn't noticed, but let her arms uncurl to hang loosely at her sides. She could feel herself being watched now, and could almost hear the footsteps behind her, although she knew the person, or whatever they were, was there. There, and starting to walk faster to catch her up. She forced herself to keep her eyes forward and her pace at a leisurely stroll.
Then a hand reached out to grab her shoulder. That was all the encouragement she needed. She grabbed the thing's wrist, using all of her focused strength on flipping them up and over herself to land on their back on the ground. Hard. Whoever or whatever it was yelled out as their head cracked against a gravestone, and she used that moment to whip out a stake and kneel on them to prevent them getting up, sharp wooden end digging into their chest. Then she blinked as realisation dawned.
"What d'you think you're doing, you crazy bint?" Spike demanded, trying his best to sit up, one hand going to the back of his head, where it was likely he had quite a bruise currently forming. Gracia blinked again, then pulled herself off of him to stand in one fluid motion. Sheathing the stake, she offered a hand.
"Sorry." She shrugged. "Perhaps it's about time you realised that sneaking up on a Slayer like that isn't a good idea."
Spike snorted, rising without her assitance, left hand still clamped to the back of his head. "Like you could do any real damage to me. You're the fourth Slayer I've met, and you're really no match yet." He let go of his head and examined his hand, a look of pain flitting across his face briefly before he dropped it.
Gracia raised her eyebrows. What had she expected from him but biting insults and sarcasm? Ignoring the ideas that an annoying little voice threatened to whisper into her mind, she turned her back on him and walked a few steps away. He laughed.
"What, got nothing to say to me pet?"
She whirled around, folding her arms across her chest as she did so, and narrowed her eyes. You think you've seen me angry, Spike? she thought. Wow, are you in for a surprise...
"You're right. I have nothing to say to arrogant mercenaries like you. Go back to your crypt, and preferably sleep a few centuries, for the sake of all humanity." The quick flicker of surprise across his face made her smirk. "What's the matter? Didn't think I could answer back?" She turned again and walked off.
But obviously, Spike's pride wouldn't allow her to have the last word, and so he set off after her, covering the distance between them in a few long strides.
"You know what, Slayer?" he started. "You think WAY to much of yourself."
She snorted. "That's rich, coming from you, Spike."
He continued. "You think just because you got rid of that cult a while back that you can take anything fate throws at you. Well, let me tell you this, love- I KNOW the way a Slayer's mind works. All you do is crave death- no matter how much you deny it to yourself or to anyone else, that's all you really want."
"And this from a drunken neutered vampire who doesn't have a braincell to spare." Gracia knew she was just shooting the first insult that came to mind. "I don't even know why I'm bothering to waste my time on you..."
"Well, maybe you should leave!" Spike snarled, halting and rounding on her. "I never asked you to come patrolling!"
"Uh, hello?" Gracia stopped and raised her hand as though in class. "Slayer here. Kinda my job."
"Go somewhere else then!" Spike stepped a little closer to her.
She did likewise. "You can't tell me what to do."
"I can and I did." He leaned down slightly. She titlted her face up towards his, expression one of annoyance.
"Doesn't mean I'll listen."
Their eyes locked. Spike's face began to shift in confusion at the deep brown of her gaze. Gracia felt like she was drowning in pale blue.
His voice was soft and deadly as he spoke.
"Maybe I'll have to make you."
With all his vampiric reflexes, he moved almost at light speed. Gracia didn't realise what was happening until she felt him grip her arms in a vice-like hold and roughly pull her closer, crushing his mouth against hers. For a stunned second she just didn't register, until she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer to her.
And then, after less than a minute, they both realised exactly WHERE they were, WHO they were, and WHAT they were doing.
Needless to say, they leapt apart pretty fast, staring at each other in wide-eyes shock and breathing heavily.. after a long moment, Gracia broke the silence unsteadily.
"I...you're...I mean, we're...I should go."
Before Spike could Say anything, Gracia had fled, leaving him standing exactly where he was, capable of only one thought.
What the HELL just happened?!
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And I hope some of you found that amusing. ;-D Anyways, review please!
A few side notes to my deranged friend (you know who you are):
1. It was a typo, ya perv! What, you wanna edit the entire chapter for me? Oh wait, bad idea- I doubt you'd be able to write anything rated less than R. YOU'RE the smut writer here, not me!
2. No. No. And no.
3. First name that came to mind. Aw, c'mon, I mean, Luke was only named after I rushed up to someone and asked for the first guy's name that came to mind! So for a random character, I just got the first name that I remembered. Yeesh...at least I changed the subject he teaches!
Disclaimer: Hmm, what do I own? Well...some of the plots and characters, a shiny (relatively) new PS2 (Yippee!), the Cult of Vincent Valentine, and half of Silvermoon's brain. Heheheh, so...don't sue.
Dedication: The brilliant people who encouraged me to get up off my lazy backside and get typing again. **raises glass** You guys rock!
********************************************************************************
Keisha looked at what she held in her hands.
A solution. A possible solution to a problem that had been eating away at her mind since the night before. And maybe, if she used it...things could be OK. She hoped so. It'd been a while since she'd felt in control of her thoughts and feelings, and to get them back on track seemed to be a good plan.
Still...there were other things to do at the moment. Like find another solution, this time to the problem of what might be lurking in the school store cupboard. So carrying out this plan would have to wait.
She put the object deep into the back of the bathroom cabinet, shut the door of it and walked out across to her bedroom, which was strewn with all of the texts that she'd 'borrowed' from the library. She thought she may have started to find something.
Two solutions in one day. Not bad going for a sleep-deprived, caffeine-driven teenager.
********************************************************************************
Gracia was starting to get sick of this.
She'd been out almost all of last night and had been out this night since sunset- a good few hours. She was tired, cold, and not a little fed up. More than anything, she wished she had someone to talk to, but Luke was helping Giles research Laurel and Thomas in the library, and Keisha had had to go home, saying that she hadn't been feeling too great. Gracia didn't mind, but she did wish Angel was with her. Or maybe even someone else...
She sighed irritably, pulling her jacket tighter about herself and picking her way through the gravestones. This was the third cemetary she'd visited tonight- no sign of anything. Perhaps the vampires were laying low, after the run-in she and Angel had had with Laurel. That would make sense, she supposed, but from what she had heard, Spike's childeren didn't seem to fear Slayers. And Laurel had definitely seemed much more put out by Angel than by her.
Suddenly, the slightest movement in the shadows nearby caught her eye. One thought flitted through her mind: Oh, at last, some action. Thank you, Powers.
She didn't adjust her pace, carried on walking as though she hadn't noticed, but let her arms uncurl to hang loosely at her sides. She could feel herself being watched now, and could almost hear the footsteps behind her, although she knew the person, or whatever they were, was there. There, and starting to walk faster to catch her up. She forced herself to keep her eyes forward and her pace at a leisurely stroll.
Then a hand reached out to grab her shoulder. That was all the encouragement she needed. She grabbed the thing's wrist, using all of her focused strength on flipping them up and over herself to land on their back on the ground. Hard. Whoever or whatever it was yelled out as their head cracked against a gravestone, and she used that moment to whip out a stake and kneel on them to prevent them getting up, sharp wooden end digging into their chest. Then she blinked as realisation dawned.
"What d'you think you're doing, you crazy bint?" Spike demanded, trying his best to sit up, one hand going to the back of his head, where it was likely he had quite a bruise currently forming. Gracia blinked again, then pulled herself off of him to stand in one fluid motion. Sheathing the stake, she offered a hand.
"Sorry." She shrugged. "Perhaps it's about time you realised that sneaking up on a Slayer like that isn't a good idea."
Spike snorted, rising without her assitance, left hand still clamped to the back of his head. "Like you could do any real damage to me. You're the fourth Slayer I've met, and you're really no match yet." He let go of his head and examined his hand, a look of pain flitting across his face briefly before he dropped it.
Gracia raised her eyebrows. What had she expected from him but biting insults and sarcasm? Ignoring the ideas that an annoying little voice threatened to whisper into her mind, she turned her back on him and walked a few steps away. He laughed.
"What, got nothing to say to me pet?"
She whirled around, folding her arms across her chest as she did so, and narrowed her eyes. You think you've seen me angry, Spike? she thought. Wow, are you in for a surprise...
"You're right. I have nothing to say to arrogant mercenaries like you. Go back to your crypt, and preferably sleep a few centuries, for the sake of all humanity." The quick flicker of surprise across his face made her smirk. "What's the matter? Didn't think I could answer back?" She turned again and walked off.
But obviously, Spike's pride wouldn't allow her to have the last word, and so he set off after her, covering the distance between them in a few long strides.
"You know what, Slayer?" he started. "You think WAY to much of yourself."
She snorted. "That's rich, coming from you, Spike."
He continued. "You think just because you got rid of that cult a while back that you can take anything fate throws at you. Well, let me tell you this, love- I KNOW the way a Slayer's mind works. All you do is crave death- no matter how much you deny it to yourself or to anyone else, that's all you really want."
"And this from a drunken neutered vampire who doesn't have a braincell to spare." Gracia knew she was just shooting the first insult that came to mind. "I don't even know why I'm bothering to waste my time on you..."
"Well, maybe you should leave!" Spike snarled, halting and rounding on her. "I never asked you to come patrolling!"
"Uh, hello?" Gracia stopped and raised her hand as though in class. "Slayer here. Kinda my job."
"Go somewhere else then!" Spike stepped a little closer to her.
She did likewise. "You can't tell me what to do."
"I can and I did." He leaned down slightly. She titlted her face up towards his, expression one of annoyance.
"Doesn't mean I'll listen."
Their eyes locked. Spike's face began to shift in confusion at the deep brown of her gaze. Gracia felt like she was drowning in pale blue.
His voice was soft and deadly as he spoke.
"Maybe I'll have to make you."
With all his vampiric reflexes, he moved almost at light speed. Gracia didn't realise what was happening until she felt him grip her arms in a vice-like hold and roughly pull her closer, crushing his mouth against hers. For a stunned second she just didn't register, until she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer to her.
And then, after less than a minute, they both realised exactly WHERE they were, WHO they were, and WHAT they were doing.
Needless to say, they leapt apart pretty fast, staring at each other in wide-eyes shock and breathing heavily.. after a long moment, Gracia broke the silence unsteadily.
"I...you're...I mean, we're...I should go."
Before Spike could Say anything, Gracia had fled, leaving him standing exactly where he was, capable of only one thought.
What the HELL just happened?!
********************************************************************************
And I hope some of you found that amusing. ;-D Anyways, review please!
A few side notes to my deranged friend (you know who you are):
1. It was a typo, ya perv! What, you wanna edit the entire chapter for me? Oh wait, bad idea- I doubt you'd be able to write anything rated less than R. YOU'RE the smut writer here, not me!
2. No. No. And no.
3. First name that came to mind. Aw, c'mon, I mean, Luke was only named after I rushed up to someone and asked for the first guy's name that came to mind! So for a random character, I just got the first name that I remembered. Yeesh...at least I changed the subject he teaches!