"I think it's this one…"
"It sounds like the one Dawn described."
"I can't believe we're in a cemetery."
"Janice, it's 4:00 in the afternoon, don't be a wimp."
"I'm not. I'm just saying. Do you.. think she's crazy? Sending us into a cemetery to look for a crypt to deliver a message to her vampire boyfriend?" She began to giggle uncontrollably. "Maybe we're crazy."
After a few hesitant moments, Lindsay joined in. "It is kinda…weird. But poor Dawn. Knock on the door."
When the girls had asked if they could help, they hadn't had this in mind…Janice composed herself and knocked soundly on the formidable wooden door.
No answer.
She tried again.
Nothing.
"Should we..go in?" she questioned uncertainly.
"Go!" Lindsay whispered.
Janice cracked open the door, straining a bit. "Hello?" She opened it further. "No one's in here," she whispered back. "And why are we whispering?"
"I don't know," Lindsay tried to resume a normal tone, but it was still soft due to the feeling of apprehension that was growing in the pit of her stomach.
The girls walked inside and looked around, trying to adjust to the dank darkness of the crypt. Lindsay ran her fingers over the cool stone and took a small step further. "Wow," Janice said approvingly. "Never knew burial tombs came with cable…"
"Is he here?" Lindsay asked. "I'm scared."
"I dunno. Hey, look! It's a little, uh- trapdoor thingy." Janice pointed to the floor. She walked over and gripped the handle, motioning for Lindsay to help her. Together the girls worked to lift it and peered down. All they could see was a floor about ten feet below and an indistinct light coming from off to the right.
"Well, there's a ladder," Lindsay observed. "You go first."
Janice rolled her eyes and descended with Lindsay close behind. When the second girl reached the bottom, she collided with Janice, exclaiming, "Hey!"
But Janice paid her no attention. Her mouth was agape and she was staring off to the right. "What?" Lindsay demanded, exasperated, and turned to look. She, too, became speechless at the sight that befell her.
The most gorgeous man either of them had ever seen was lying asleep in bed…naked.
"Oh. My. God." Janice struggled to breathe.
"Is that…him?" Lindsay could scarcely tear her eyes away. He was covered by a sheet, but his chiseled torso was exposed, every muscle clearly defined, candlelight and shadow highlighting his features. His skin was like carved marble, smooth as alabaster, and Janice's eyes roved over him lustfully. Her lips were tight with want and she questioned, "What was the message again?"
"Uh…" Lindsay thought, then, getting nowhere, asked, "Should we wake him up?"
The girls approached the bed nervously. "He's not breathing!" Janice whispered urgently. "Is he dead?!"
"I think so," Lindsay replied as she stared down at him.
"Oh. Right."
Janice cleared her throat and said, "Excuse me…sir?"
Spike stirred and mumbled, "Dru…"
"Who's Dru?" Lindsay mouthed.
Janice shrugged.
"Bitch," Spike added, still asleep.
Janice stifled a giggle. He moved again and her laughter ceased abruptly. "Sir!" she tried again. She reached out to poke his shoulder, pulling back quickly; but as she jerked her hand away, blushing, his hand shot out and easily caught her wrist.
Both girls shrieked simultaneously and jumped away, or, in Janice's case, tried to. Lindsay tumbled into the hard stone wall, but Janice remained stationary, pulling frantically at her wrist. Even half asleep, his grip was unnaturally firm. Lindsay's eyes were wide but she made no move to help as Janice tried to pull her arm out of his grasp.
Spike opened his eyes and smiled at the sight of two terrified young women. "Well, what's this?" He released Janice's arm and she stumbled back into the dim interior of the room, massaging her limb in relief. "Did anyone ever tell you that it's dangerous to disturb a bloke while he's sleeping?"
I'm- I'm sorry," Janice stuttered, finding speaking inevitably difficult as she stared into the azure depths of his eyes. Though her mind was clouded with fear, part of it was still lucid enough to scream out, Omigod, he has an accent!
"We came because-" Lindsay gave up and stared at him. Wow, he's British…like Harry Potter! she thought irrationally. Harry Potter? she admonished herself. Moron.
* * *
Spike could sense that both girls were extremely uncomfortable at his lack of clothing. He was enjoying himself immensely. "So, you planning on telling me who the bloody hell you are, and what you're doing in my crypt, or are you just gonna-" he raised an eyebrow at them, "-stare?"
"Janice," the girl said quickly. "I'm Janice."
He nodded his head at Lindsay, who stared dumbly. "Lindsay?" she croaked finally.
"Long lost friends of mine, are you?"
* * *
"Uh, no. We- we-" Janice tried, but her mouth fell agape and speech was once again lost to her as he stood, casually draping the sheet around his waist.
"Y' know," he walked towards her and extended a hand to finger her hair, " 'm not too fond of intruders…" He looked down at her, so close that cocky, sure-of-herself Janice felt herself turn beet red and back away. To her dismay, he mirrored her steps and was just as close as he'd been before. Oh, god… "but you're a pretty little thing, aren't you?"
Janice made a strangled sound and Spike turned his attentions on Lindsay.
"And you," Lindsay blushed and backed away, stuttering before he was even within proximity of her. He sauntered closer, never taking his eyes off her. "Afraid?" He grinned as she backed into a wall and quickly closed the distance between them. He wasn't nearly as close as he'd been to the other one, but this one plastered herself against the wall and looked to the floor as if it might somehow save her.
He planted his hands on either side of her head and breathed, "Think the Big Bad's gonna hurt you?"
She whimpered. Finally, she tore her gaze from the floor and peered around him to glance at Janice, who looked as helpless as she felt. She spared another peek at the ladder, and her stomach clenched with a nervous dread.
He straightened up. "Well, he won't."
Both girls turned to gawk at him, relief shining on their faces.
"Not," he added, "until he knows what you want."
Spike turned and stepped away from Lindsay, who nearly slumped to the floor with relief. He perched on his bed and looked impatiently at the both of them.
"D- dawn," Janice managed to say. She wrung her hands and bit her lower lip.
"Dawn?" Neither girl missed the flash of anguish that filled his eyes. "You know the Nibblet?"
"Yeah," Lindsay chimed in, suddenly exuberant. Dawn was her lifeline. "We know the- uh, Dawn."
Spike smirked at her. "And?" he asked, suddenly serious once again. "How is she?"
"Bad." Janice stared at the floor. "She sent us. She misses you. Um, she said to say..she misses you and- and not to worry about her."
Spike nodded imperceptibly. A moment passed as he hunched over in thought. He looked up at them and asked, "What exactly did she tell you? About me?"
"Oh, nothing," Janice said airily, more comfortable now that she wasn't so near to his masculine presence. She figured out that it also helped if she stared at the wall and resisted the urge to devour him with her eyes. Then she noticed thick chains hanging on the far side of the chamber and shuddered, deciding she'd rather look at him after all. "Just that you're a vampire and that you almost killed her sister, and that she's a witch and how hot and sexy and gorgeous you are and…did I- just say that out loud?" She blushed again and fell silent.
"Hot, sexy, and gorgeous, huh? Did she say that or are you…winging it?"
"Uh, I'm pretty sure that was what…she…said." She stole a glance at his face, expecting him to laugh.
Instead, he rolled his tongue under his teeth and looked her up and down. "You're not so bad yourself."
Janice felt exposed under his gaze and crossed her arms over her chest, looking away. 'You're not so bad yourself!!' a voice in her head squealed energetically.
He ran a hand through his hair and stood. "Right," he said briskly. "Well, you've delivered your message. You can just be off then. Now that I'm awake it'd be nice t' get dressed."
When they didn't move, he added suggestively, toying with the sheet that was now at his hips, "Unless…you'd like to watch??"
From the look in her eyes, it was obvious that Janice would very much like to watch, but Lindsay backed hastily towards the ladder. A somewhat reluctant Janice followed. Neither girl doubted for a moment that he wouldn't hesitate to shed the thin fabric shielding their eyes from his entirety. Modesty clearly wasn't an issue with him. Janice paused as she made her way to the exit, "You- you don't want us to tell her something?"
He sighed and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "If I did, d'you think I'd be standing here, waiting for you to leave so I could put some bloody clothes on?"
When they didn't move, he shook his head slowly, as if they couldn't understand him, and with raised eyebrows, said, "No…"
Finally, somewhat dejectedly, they ascended the ladder and left him to dress and think sullenly about his Nibblet.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hey, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I thought it would be interesting to see how Dawn's friends reacted to Spike… And just to let you know, I've got the entire story finished, so if you wanna read it, all you have to do is review review REVIEW, and I'll post it. Just hinting…