Spike watched as Kit walked out of the Magick Box and toward the cemetery. What had she been doing at a meeting of the Scoobies, he wondered. Deciding to play it dumb, he walked into the shop and leaned against the counter.
"Buffy tells us you fought a Frovalox demon the other night," Giles said to him. "Do you think there may be more?"
"Not likely to travel in packs, Rupe," Spike casually commented. "But I could make the rounds, stop by Willy's and ask about it."
Giles nodded his consent. "Yes, that would be very good."
Yeah, you're welcome, Spike thought as he threw the Watcher a snarky look.
"So, uh, who was the chit leaving the shop just now?" He tried not to sound too curious.
"Oh, that was my sister, Kit. She just moved here from Quantico a few months ago," Tara answered in that nervous way of hers.
She felt like Spike was fleying her with his eyes. That's why Katina had looked so familiar. It was the eyes. Just like Glinda's. She had that kind, quiet strength, too. Well, no need letting them all know that he knew her. They'd just go out of their way to poison her mind against him. And he really didn't want that at all. He rather enjoyed his evenings at her side. Made him feel like a man again, she did. And he wasn't ready to have that ripped away from him.
Tara continued to stare at him for a moment. He looked like something was on his mind, but she couldn't suss out what that was.
"D-do you know her?" she found herself asking.
"Me? No. How would I know your sister?" He was lying. He hoped the witch didn't figure it out.
"Uh, I was just... of course you wouldn't know her. New to town," Tara smiled. He definately knew her.
Later at the cemetery...
"You really need to start getting on with your life, Kitten," he said softly when he spotted her on their bench.
"Is that your not-so-subtle way of telling me you don't want to see me anymore?" she grinned cheekily.
She was joking. He knew that. But something in his chest caught when he thought about not seeing her anymore. He sat beside her, a little closer than usual. He needed to be close to her tonight. He watched her dishwater blonde hair rustle a bit in the evening breeze. He was staring. And he knew it. Why hadn't he seen the resemblance before? And why hadn't she ever mentioned Tara by name? Did she know? He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her air and then removed his hand quickly, as if he'd been burned. He'd invaded her personal space.
"Why with the jumpy tonight, William?" she asked, reaching for his hand. Her face was serious as she held his hand tightly in hers.
"No reason, Pet," he lied.
"Can I tell you a secret?" she asked, still holding his hand. It was smooth and cool and she rather liked the way it felt in hers.
"What's that?" His voice sounded strangled.
"I'm a witch." He knew that. "You don't look surprised."
"Knew there had to be some reason you weren't afraid of me," he admitted.
"And you think my being a witch has something to do with that?" She was searching his eyes for the truth. "William, I wouldn't be afraid of you even if I wasn't a witch."
He opened his mouth to say something along the lines of 'thanks a lot for making me feel about as big as a Gachnar demon,' but she quickly amended herself.
"You're not like other vampires. Even I could sense that from the moment you approached me."
"You could tell I was chipped?" he asked, incredulously.
"Chipped? What's that?"
He told her about how the Initiative had effectively neutered him. She listened to his recount with great interest.
"Wow," she said breathlessly. "Makes you wonder who the real Big Bad is, doesn't it?"
They laughed easily together.
"I may be a militarty girl, but I'm not ignorant to the defects in our government. Pretty scary sometimes," she admitted. "But it wasn't the chip. It was the spark."
He wasn't sure he had heard her correctly. Spark? As in a... soul?
"Hit me," she challenged him.
"I-I can't, Kitten. I told you. The chip will fire and it'll bean me worse than it will you."
"William," she stared into his blue eyes. "Hit. Me."
"I can't--"
She suddenly punched him in the leg as hard as she could.
"Ow, you crazy bint!" he yelped and automatically punched her back in her leg.
She was grinning. And there was no headache. She watched as his eyes widened even further.
"So it's true then! You are part demon!" he let slip. Oh shit.
"Wh-what?" she looked stunned.
"I mean, you must be part demon. The chip didn't fire," he covered deftly.
"Nope. Human as human can be," she informed him. "You didn't want to hit me. It's the spark. How long have you been fighting the good fight?"
His head was spinning. His chip didn't work? How long? If he had a pulse, it would be racing. How long had he been sitting with her, able to hurt her?
"Awhile now. Haven't really been counting the days, Pet."
"Hmm."
Hmm? What the Hell did that mean?
"You said that there was a spark. But how can I--"
"Not a soul, William," she explained. "Not exactly. But, in essence, it could be considered the same. Or, at the very least, the start of one."
"That's not possible. I'm a--"
"Yes. We've covered that ground quite thoroughly. Someone up there must really be rooting for you," she smiled. "And apparently they brought us together for a reason. I doubt that you would have found out about the spark on your own."
"How did you know it was there?"
"I told you. I just sensed it." She was still holding his hand. It felt natural and he never wanted to let go. And yet, he knew he had to do just that. He didn't trust himself. It was just too much.
"Tense much?"
He looked up at her and gave her an unconvincing smile.
"William, just sit back and relax. Let me tell you a story..."
He leaned back, finally removing his hand from hers. He streched his arm out across the back of the bench and she took it as an invitation to move closer to him. She fit nicely under his arm, her body leaning against his chest. He slowly dropped his arm to her shoulder to bring her even closer.
"Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was born into a very strange family. Her mother was a witch. Her father... well, her father was just a collossal asshole. Happens to the nicest of people," she laughed ruefully. "She had a little sister who was smart and pretty with eyes as big and blue as the Aegean Sea. Her hair was the color of the sun. Unfortunately, her father, the asshole, hated women. He poisoned her mother very slowly, sucking the lifeforce from her until the beautiful witch crumbled and died. And it was all the little girl's fault."
He was stroking her arm gently. "How could it be her fault?" he whispered.
"Because she dared to defy the almighty father. She was selfish. She married her high school sweetheart and ran as far as she could. And she left her sweet little sister behind. She's felt incredibly guilty ever since."
"What happened, Kitten? Isn't little sis okay now?" he asked, knowing already that she was.
"She is. And I don't deserve her forgiveness, but she gave it anyway. I wrote to her over the years. I wrote every week. Sent her pictures of Gracie and Denny. Sent videos. But I couldn't let her know where I was. I was so scared that he'd punish her for being in contact with me. So, I made sure she couldn't find me," Katina told him. "I guess he died a few years ago. He, uh... he was driven away by her friends and somehow, my sister found the strength to vanquish him. Pretty incredible, huh?"
Very. He remembered meeting that bastard. He'd convinced Glinda that she was part-demon so that he could control her. Spike remembered the look on Tara's face when he punched her in the arm and immediately fell to his knees, head throbbing. She had stared down at him with a mixture of fear and gratitude. They'd always had a special relationship since. He was able to confide in Tara things he couldn't tell anyone else. And he felt that same kindredness with Katina. It made perfect sense now.
"Kitten," he began. He pulled away from her so that he could look into her eyes. "I need you to know something."
She looked up at him expectantly. His eyes shot over to the graves of her her husband and child. He didn't deserve her.
"I don't know what it was that drew me to you that night and every night after," he continued. "But I will never forget you. Ever. You're in my bones."
He dropped a kiss on her forehead and she closed her eyes. He was leaving. He didn't even have to say the words. She could feel him slipping away and she didn't know why.
"And you're in mine, William," was all she said.
When he left just before sunrise, she knew that he was walking away from her for the last time.
