Author's Note - Bad me forgot the disclaimer and all on the last chapter. (Sorry, I was rushed!) So here goes!
Disclaimer - You should know what's mine and what belongs to Joss, the WB ect. Title's based on Faith Hill's song, "I Can Feel You Breath," and if lyrics are ever used, know they belong to her and anyone else related with the production of her CDs.
I Can Feel You Breath by Seven Sins
PG to PG-13
Chapter 1 - Planes and Burials
Posted: 7.26.04
Spike stood over the freshly dug ground. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans as he stared down at the pile of earth. The sun was blazing, and he could feel his skin burning. It was funny no matter what you were, the sun still reeked havoc on your body. He was finding the "out in the daytime" thing wasn't as enjoyable as everyone said, or as he remembered. Christ, he had to wear sunglasses! Which were annoying as hell...
Illyria had chosen to stay in the car. They had managed to find a couple of Angel's cars that had not been destroyed when the building fell. They had fought over it for awhile, but eventually settled for the Camaro. Spike shook his head, why the hell had Angel needed all those cars?
He had been trying not to think about Angel much. As much as he hated it, some part of him was torn up inside that he was gone. Somehow, it felt like losing a brother. You were could hate him as much as you wanted, but deep down you were obligated to love him.
Spike sighed and shook his head, staring down at Gunn's grave. It had only taken them a day to have everything set up for a 'funeral' of sorts for both Gunn and Wesley. Neither Spike or Illyria knew of any relatives and even if they would have, they didn't know how to contact anyone. So they had skipped the big funeral home part and just had them buried. Spike doubted either would care.
Spike stood in silence for a few moments. Even without the vampire senses, he was still able to sense the presence behind him. He whipped around, and at once wished he hadn't. It was one of the last people he ever wanted to see again.
"What the hell do you want?" he asked, turning back around.
"I got word from some of my sources about what was going on," Giles said, walking up next to him, "I got here as soon as I could."
Spike looked over at him, "Like hell you did. And what, you came alone? What were you going to do? Kill them all with your mad Watcher skills? Honestly, Price is dead. What the hell did you think just you could do?"
Spike didn't want to sound so rude, but he had never forgiven him for not helping with Fred. Even if nothing could have been done, he could have at least contacted Willow for Angel. Wolfram and Hart or not, she would have helped. She wasn't the type of person to assume things and hold pointless grudges for no reason.
Giles sighed and took off his glasses, wiping them on his shirt, "Honestly, Spike. If I'd have known sooner..."
Spike scoffed, "You knew. You just wouldn't come because of Wolfram and Hart. And put your glasses back on. Do you have any idea how damn annoying that is?"
Giles slid his glasses back up his nose and stared at Spike, "You know, I'm not looking forward to having to see you in daylight now as well."
"The feeling's mutual, don't worry," Spike said.
They said nothing for a minute or two and then Giles asked the question that had been plaguing him since he saw Spike, "How'd you..."
Spike shook his head, "No idea. Miss Demon Queen keeps going on and on about a 'flash' of some sort," he gestured to the parking lot where Illyria was, "But I don't know what she's talking about. The last thing I remember is almost getting decapitated by some green thing in armor."
Giles nodded, then they returned to not speaking.
"You know, black attracts the sun," Giles said finally, "You might want to reconsider wearing it all the time."
Spike shrugged, "I don't have any other clothes," he said, just realizing it for himself. He'd been dressing in black for over a hundred years. It was natural now.
Giles chuckled, and as hard as he tried not to, Spike smiled.
"I assume you're on your way to Rome, then?" Giles asked.
Spike bit his lip and nodded, "That's the plan," he paused, "Where're you headed?"
Giles shrugged, "Back to London, most likely. I'll be visiting Rome in a few weeks though."
Spike nodded.
"She's seeing someone, you know," Giles said, somewhat reluctantly.
Spike nodded again, "The Immortal? Yeah, I know," he paused, "Now that I think about it, its going to a lot more difficult to kill him without the vamp accessories..."
"You're going to kill him?" Giles asked.
Spike looked over at him, "Well, yeah," he said.
Giles opened his mouth to speak and then decided better of it.
He shook his head and sighed, "It's no use. There's no reasoning with you or Buffy. Once you have your mind set on something..." he trailed off.
Spike nodded, and looked back down at the ground.
They stood there, staring down at the dirt for almost five minutes when Giles finally said, "I'd best get going then."
Spike nodded as he started to walk away. Giles had gone about six paces when he stopped and turned back around. He stared at the blonde ex-vamp for a moment before calling him, "Spike," he started.
Spike turned around.
Giles hesitated, "Good luck," he said finally, before turning and continuing his walk to the parking lot.
Spike grinned and turned back around, "Rupert, Rupert," he muttered, "Such a watcher..."
-----
Illyria sat stiffly in the airplane seat, "I can't believe I'm degrading myself to this level," she said.
Spike rolled his eyes, "For God sake's Illyria, its just coach on a commercial aircraft. It's all we could afford, and anyways, it isn't that bad."
Illyria narrowed her eyes, "Not to your kind. First human, then vampire, then back to a mortal. You are used to sitting in mud and feces!" she shifted in her seat and hit her elbow off the armrest, "And besides, that is not what I'm referring to. I'm referring to the fact that I must go around looking like Winifred Burkle at all times now. Why did you demand I change form?"
"Because normal people do not have blue skin and hair and dress like Anime characters," Spike shot, "Now shut your bloody mouth, you're attracting attention."
Illyria closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat, "When are we going to start moving?" she asked.
Spike shrugged, "Like hell if I know. I haven't heard anything that anyone has said, thanks to you."
Illyria's face contorted into a look of pain, "Before, I could have teleported to any location I wished at will," she opened her eyes, "That was before I associated myself with your species. They ripped the power from me and left me in this useless carcass."
Spike growled in frustration, "No one's keeping you here, you know! You could have left! You didn't have to come with me!" he practically screamed.
Illyria cocked her head to the side, "Nonsense, its imperative that I travel with you. Otherwise, you would have changed your mind by now and never gone to find her. Now shut your bloody mouth, you're attracting attention," she mocked.
Spike looked over at her and blinked a few times, searching for words. The best he could come up with was, "That's not true."
"Yes, it is," Illyria corrected, "If not for me, we would have never made it to the ticket counter."
Spike opened his mouth, and then closed it again. He glared at her, and then faced forward in his seat, "Bitch," he muttered.
Illyria ignored him and leaned her head back against the seat again, just as the plane started down the runway.
-----
The two of them sat in a rental car, staring at the building in front of them.
"Why do we continue to sit here?" Illyria asked.
"Because!" Spike yelled, "I'm a pussy little nancy-boy and I don't have the balls to just go up and knock on her door!"
Illyria sighed, "I'm not disagreeing," she said simply.
"Shut. Your. Mouth." Spike ordered as he closed his eyes and started hitting the back of his head off the headrest on his seat.
Illyria stared at him, "Does that type of behavior help you?" she asked.
Spike took a deep breath and glared at her, "As a matter of fact, IT DOES!" he said, before continuing to beat his head.
He continued this for a few moments before he stopped and looked over at her again, "And did you honestly have to make such a fuss when the flight attendant offered you food?" he asked.
"Yes," Illyria said, "she offered absolutely nothing suitable for this type of body to ingest. Its disgraceful what they feed you on those...things," she rested a hand on her stomach as it growled.
"Whatever," Spike said, "It's a plane, and that's what humans eat, Demon Queen Bitch," he laid a hand on the steering wheel and tipped his head to look up at the whole building.
"No wonder you have such short life-spans," she said, "and whether you are or not, I'm exiting this disgusting vehicle to get some air. The smells in here are horrible, and I've grown tired of listening to you act like a child."
She was out of the car before Spike could stop her, and had already made her way to the sidewalk before he had even shut the driver's side door.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?! What if someone sees us?" he rushed up to her and grabbed her arm, dragging her back toward the Mini, "Andrew could be out! Even worse, Buffy!" he began pulling her to the car with all the strength in him, which posed to be difficult seeing as all the extra muscle power was gone, and she was still strong as hell, "Can you imagine what would happen if one of them spot..."
"Spike?!"
There was an excited cry behind him and he froze, "Oh no," he muttered.
"Spike!" Dawn's voice cried again, this time without question.
Spike turned around just in time to see her set down her grocery bags and come rushing toward him.
"Bloody hell..."
A/N - R&R! I was going to make this longer, but decided just to leave it at that. Updates will be posted ASAP! Thanks for reading!
P.S. - If you you need to contact me, my e-mail is xkissxmexgoodnitex at Yahoo. My blog is also 7sins(dot)bravemusings(dot)com , if you're bored! Take out the '(dot)' and replace it with an actual '.' FF. net won't let me show you any other way! Poo on them...Anyways! Don't forget to review ;-)
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