I know it's been a while since I last updated but here's the next chapter.
The disclaimer can be found in chapter 1 as usual. Don't forget to R&R!
Buffy and Spike lay on the green blanket of grass, gazing at the cotton candy clouds above them. Pulling Buffy close, Spike pointed to one of the fluffy, white billows and laughed.
"That one looks like Sunnyhell high school," he said. "Well, until you blew it up that is."
"I didn't blow up the high school," Buffy protested. Frowning, she added, "Well... not by myself anyway."
"No," Spike replied with a grin. "You got your Scoobies to help you."
Buffy sat up and punched Spike lightly in the arm.
"Hey!" he exclaimed laughing. "Human now remember? I'm no match for your slayer strength."
Buffy lightly touched his arm. "I forgot. I didn't mean to hurt you..."
Spike cut her off with a gentle kiss. "Didn't hurt a bit, luv. No worries."
Smiling, Buffy cuddled close to Spike. She listened to the steady beating of his heart and felt his light breathing as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. This was a moment she wanted to remember forever.
The silence was interrupted by a loud bang. Buffy and Spike jumped up, startled by the noise. The air around them suddenly grew cold and the sky grew dark.
"What was that?" Buffy asked. Her every slayer sense told her something was wrong.
Spike shook his head. "I think it came from over there." He gestured towards an area of the landscape that was overgrown with dense shrubbery and flowers. Buffy thought she saw something or someone hiding behind the bushes, but when she blinked her eyes, it was gone.
"There's something back there," Buffy whispered and motioned for Spike to follow her. They cautiously made their way towards the dense foliage. Spike pushed away some of the leaves and branches and was shocked at what he found. It was the door, the same rusty iron door he had seen when he was first searching for Buffy. Blood still covered the outside but there were no longer screams coming from within. His heart sank when he realized the padlock was broken and the door was now open.
"I saw that door before," Buffy said, her shoulders tensing. "I heard... people screaming."
"So did I luv," Spike replied. He nervously reached for the handle and pulled the heavy door back so he could see inside. Without his vampire strength he realized that even opening the thick iron door proved difficult. Buffy prepared herself to fight whoever or whatever they might find.
They found themselves staring into a small dark room, about the size of Buffy's bedroom. A pile of chains lay in one corner of the room, but besides that, it was empty.
Buffy's shoulders relaxed but only slightly. "There's nothing there. That means whatever was inside managed to escape."
"You always were one for stating the obvious, weren't you pet?" said a voice from behind.
Spike and Buffy turned around, neither believing their ears.
"Wait a bloody minute!" Spike shouted as he looked at the creature who had spoken. "You're... you're me!" He stared in awe at the exact double of himself standing before him. Everything was identical from the bleached blond hair to the scar over his eyebrow.
"No," said the double with a smirk. "You used to be me. Before you went and got that pesky soul that is." With an evil laugh he changed into his game face and glared with yellow eyes at Buffy and Spike. "I'm the part of you you've tried to keep hidden these past few months. Thought you could lock me up and forget about me didn't you? Thought shagging your bloody slayer would make you forget about me but it didn't work, did it? I'm a part of you." He paused a moment and then laughed. "And now I'm going to kill you."
The vampire lunged at Spike, knocking him to the ground. Spike struggled to stand but realized that without his vampire strength he was helpless. A mixture of awe and fear washed over him as he stared into the eyes of the vampire.
Buffy kicked the vampire and sent him flying into a tree. The impact barely fazed him and he was soon back up again, this time focused on Buffy. He ran towards her at full speed and Buffy struck him in the jaw with a roundhouse kick. He countered with a quick punch in the stomach and Buffy groaned slightly.
Spike knew he couldn't just stand there and watch. Vampire or not, he still knew how to fight better than most humans.
Breaking off a thick tree branch, he charged at his double and hit him with the makeshift weapon. He went to strike again but this time the vampire caught the branch in midair and threw it aside like a Popsicle stick. It laughed menacingly and grabbed Spike by the shirt. "Do you honestly think you can defeat me?"
"No," replied Buffy as she kicked the vampire and it fell to the ground, releasing its hold on Spike. "But I can."
Buffy and Spike lay on the green blanket of grass, gazing at the cotton candy clouds above them. Pulling Buffy close, Spike pointed to one of the fluffy, white billows and laughed.
"That one looks like Sunnyhell high school," he said. "Well, until you blew it up that is."
"I didn't blow up the high school," Buffy protested. Frowning, she added, "Well... not by myself anyway."
"No," Spike replied with a grin. "You got your Scoobies to help you."
Buffy sat up and punched Spike lightly in the arm.
"Hey!" he exclaimed laughing. "Human now remember? I'm no match for your slayer strength."
Buffy lightly touched his arm. "I forgot. I didn't mean to hurt you..."
Spike cut her off with a gentle kiss. "Didn't hurt a bit, luv. No worries."
Smiling, Buffy cuddled close to Spike. She listened to the steady beating of his heart and felt his light breathing as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. This was a moment she wanted to remember forever.
The silence was interrupted by a loud bang. Buffy and Spike jumped up, startled by the noise. The air around them suddenly grew cold and the sky grew dark.
"What was that?" Buffy asked. Her every slayer sense told her something was wrong.
Spike shook his head. "I think it came from over there." He gestured towards an area of the landscape that was overgrown with dense shrubbery and flowers. Buffy thought she saw something or someone hiding behind the bushes, but when she blinked her eyes, it was gone.
"There's something back there," Buffy whispered and motioned for Spike to follow her. They cautiously made their way towards the dense foliage. Spike pushed away some of the leaves and branches and was shocked at what he found. It was the door, the same rusty iron door he had seen when he was first searching for Buffy. Blood still covered the outside but there were no longer screams coming from within. His heart sank when he realized the padlock was broken and the door was now open.
"I saw that door before," Buffy said, her shoulders tensing. "I heard... people screaming."
"So did I luv," Spike replied. He nervously reached for the handle and pulled the heavy door back so he could see inside. Without his vampire strength he realized that even opening the thick iron door proved difficult. Buffy prepared herself to fight whoever or whatever they might find.
They found themselves staring into a small dark room, about the size of Buffy's bedroom. A pile of chains lay in one corner of the room, but besides that, it was empty.
Buffy's shoulders relaxed but only slightly. "There's nothing there. That means whatever was inside managed to escape."
"You always were one for stating the obvious, weren't you pet?" said a voice from behind.
Spike and Buffy turned around, neither believing their ears.
"Wait a bloody minute!" Spike shouted as he looked at the creature who had spoken. "You're... you're me!" He stared in awe at the exact double of himself standing before him. Everything was identical from the bleached blond hair to the scar over his eyebrow.
"No," said the double with a smirk. "You used to be me. Before you went and got that pesky soul that is." With an evil laugh he changed into his game face and glared with yellow eyes at Buffy and Spike. "I'm the part of you you've tried to keep hidden these past few months. Thought you could lock me up and forget about me didn't you? Thought shagging your bloody slayer would make you forget about me but it didn't work, did it? I'm a part of you." He paused a moment and then laughed. "And now I'm going to kill you."
The vampire lunged at Spike, knocking him to the ground. Spike struggled to stand but realized that without his vampire strength he was helpless. A mixture of awe and fear washed over him as he stared into the eyes of the vampire.
Buffy kicked the vampire and sent him flying into a tree. The impact barely fazed him and he was soon back up again, this time focused on Buffy. He ran towards her at full speed and Buffy struck him in the jaw with a roundhouse kick. He countered with a quick punch in the stomach and Buffy groaned slightly.
Spike knew he couldn't just stand there and watch. Vampire or not, he still knew how to fight better than most humans.
Breaking off a thick tree branch, he charged at his double and hit him with the makeshift weapon. He went to strike again but this time the vampire caught the branch in midair and threw it aside like a Popsicle stick. It laughed menacingly and grabbed Spike by the shirt. "Do you honestly think you can defeat me?"
"No," replied Buffy as she kicked the vampire and it fell to the ground, releasing its hold on Spike. "But I can."