Title: Chapter 17 Destined By Fate - Territory
Disclaimer: Have you noticed the number of times I've said 'mine' in this bit? Not that it is or anything.
Notes: I think this story is nearing the end of its life people. It's dying a slow death… Oh yeah and just a point… All the places named are real and for those of you who know where they are just forget the human presence! This chapter contains some pretty serious issues and I'm sorry if they upset anyone. To Angel Leviathan…I really didn't mean to imply that I swear!
Spike stared at Asara, so many thoughts running through his head but he answered the one thing that troubled him most.
"This isn't home," Spike shook his head. "Home is back, heaven help us, in Sunnydale."
Asara regarded him with haunted eyes before speaking,
"That's where everyone I love lives yes but I grew up here, I love this place. It's part of me and will always be."
Spike didn't know what to say to that. He'd never been someone that could stay in one place; nothing had ever caught his attention enough to stay purely for that reason. Only people kept him in one spot and Asara was that reason for staying in Sunnydale despite his underlying hatred of the place. The pack didn't travel due to territory boundaries but Spike didn't truly mind now.
"Do you know what happened?" Spike changed the topic. "Where's the Slayer?"
Asara lost her haunted eyes and gained a troubled look,
"The Riddell's power. I think it disrupted the portal but Buffy was already clear so it just threw us off course. She should have travelled back just like normal through the planes to Sunnydale."
"And we ended up on Earth, just somewhere else," Spike caught on.
Asara nodded.
"So what now?" Spike asked.
"We wait," Asara sighed before curling up, head on his thigh. "Wake me in a couple of hours and I mean it this time Spike. Keep an eye open for trouble but they shouldn't come out to investigate 'til dusk has fallen."
Spike ran his hand through her hair as Asara dropped off to sleep, mind full of questions. He knew who 'they' were so he knew he was looking for similar shapes to hers but that was all he knew. She was hiding this part of her life from him, or trying to, but now they were at the heart of the problem as it were. There was no way that Spike would let it go now but he would wait until they were out of danger before he questioned Asara. He had to know what was going on, why she was troubled by simply being here. Oh granted she said they'd kill her if she came back but Spike could sense that it ran deeper than that. This was like a wedge between, stopping them knowing each other completely.
"Luv what do they do?" he whispered.
-
"Where are they?" Buffy yelled for the seventh time that morning.
She had arrived in the early hours of the morning in more or less where she'd left. The others had been there, waiting. Giles had explained that the portal would appear in exactly the same place as last time because the fabric of space would be weakened in that spot. The Scoobys, the pack and Angel Investigations set up a continuous, cycling watch over the cemetery where Buffy had been last seen. Willow, Tara, Yimila and Cordelia had been on watch when Yimila had broke off from the 'debate' she was having with Cordelia, sniffing the air.
"You know that's wrong in some fundamental way?" Cordelia pointed out.
"You work for a vampire," Willow argued.
"Yimila?" Tara leant forward towards the other woman. "What is it?"
"Magick," Yimila answered. "Coming here."
"The portal?" Willow looked hopeful.
"I think so," Yimila nodded.
"About time," Cordelia muttered, fishing her phone out of her pocket.
Willow and Tara copied her and all three set about ringing people to spread the word. Yimila had a much simpler method. She tipped back her head and howled. Another howl answered her as the pack received her message and set off for the cemetery.
The pack arrived first, closely followed by Giles and Anya from the Magic Box along with the remainder of the Angel Investigations team. Angel had to stay in the car but he insisted on coming nevertheless, saying Spike would need somewhere to hide. Xander was further away on the construction site so he was the last to arrive and by the time he pulled up to the cemetery the portal was already open.
"Anything so far?" Xander asked as he jogged up to the group.
"No, not yet," Juidon cast her eyes over the pack.
Nerves were set on edge and it was showing in the pack as they paced backwards and forwards. They had grown worse over the four days that their Alphas had been missing, with added flares of tempers, whilst the children had grown quieter and more withdrawn, worrying the others.
Suddenly Buffy stumbled from the portal, falling to her knees, eyes squeezed shut. Xander and Juidon hauled her to her feet, taking her away from the entrance before seating her down. Juidon checked for injuries and found only old ones newly healed but whilst she doing that Buffy had been asking where Spike and Asara were.
"You mean you don't know?" Esster'd asked, confused.
"They said they were right behind me!" Buffy protested. "But I couldn't find them in the planes. The portal behind me closed up… they weren't there."
"You left without them?" Yimila roared, hurtling up to the Slayer.
Juidon caught her arm and stopped her with a shake of her head.
"Buffy what happened? Talk us through everything," Giles crouched down next to her.
Buffy explained how they'd got her out and how badly injured Asara had been. The pack had all started talking at once but Buffy calmed them by saying she'd recovered, was alive last time Buffy had seen. She explained about The Riddell, Fxaul and the portals, having made herself learn and understand it all. The portal bit brought her up short and she had started crying. No one had expected that from her but Willow hugged Buffy whilst staring at Giles over the top of her head. Giles cleared his throat,
"Buffy."
She looked up at him, cheeks wet.
"If what you're saying is true then we have to close the portal," Giles hated saying it.
Silence fell. Everyone knew it was only way but if they shut the portal they locked Spike and Asara out, leaving them to whatever fate that lay open for them. If The Riddell had them then they could already be dead, they could be being tortured. If they were stuck in the planes they would probably wander forever, lost and starve to death.
"We close the portal and then work out where our parents are," Lani said softly.
"We could wait…" Willow tried.
"No," Juidon shook her head. "Do it."
"No!" Buffy cried, grabbing Willow's are as she stood. "You can't! They saved my life. I can't leave them!"
"Buffy we have to," Giles pried her fingers off Willow. "It's too risky leaving the portal open if The Riddell is as powerful as you say. Nobody here wants to give up on Spike and Asara but they knew they might not come back when they set out to get you."
"They knew? Before they left?" Buffy stared at him in amazement. "And they still went to get me? But they hate me!"
"They don't hate you Buffy," Juidon explained. "Asara doesn't like you because you threaten Spike and Spike doesn't like you because you threaten Asara but they don't hate you."
Buffy sat contemplating this. It fitted with the things she'd learnt over the past few days and suddenly Buffy realised that all this was new to her because she deliberately spent as little time with Spike, and therefore Asara, as possible. She let Willow and Giles go and watched them join Tara and Wesley in front of the portal. They began setting up everything they needed and by the time they started chanting Buffy had pulled herself together and stood. Following some inner urge she walked to the children sitting watching the group close the access to their parents.
"I'm sorry," Buffy fiddled with her sleeve.
"We know," Drusilla answered.
"You didn't ask for forgiveness," Sasha stated, curious.
"I'm not going to ask until I know what happened to Spike and Asara," Buffy admitted.
A wind swirled around them as the magick built and everyone watched the four close the portal. They all collapsed afterwards and people rushed to their sides but they were just tired and Xander suggested that they went home. At that Buffy's head shot up,
"Mom! Dawn!"
"They're safe Buff," Xander reassured her.
"Everybody has to come back with me," Buffy looked round the group. "We need to sort this."
The four worn out magick users were put in Angel's car and he drove them straight to Buffy's. The others walked back together, silent as they contemplated what could of happened to Spike and Asara. When they got home they found Joyce had come home from work and picked Dawn up from school with a 'family emergency'. The three Summers women embraced, even Dawn and Buffy were happy to see each other but after that the large group began discussing what could have happened to Buffy's rescuers and every turn seemed to get them nowhere. That's what set Buffy off.
"Where are they?" she yelled for the seventh time that morning.
"We don't know!" Yimila screamed, finally saying what everyone had been thinking for the past three hours. "We don't know," Yimila whispered.
Juidon acted quickly. The pack was about to lose it.
"Out! Now!" she ordered.
On automatic the pack flooded out the front door and onto the lawn. Juidon was the last to leave,
"I'm sorry."
"What's going on?" Willow asked.
Suddenly Angel growled,
"You smell different."
It wasn't a smart move. Juidon turned back to the group, eyes slitted, jaw elongated and she lifted her lips, revealing sharp teeth. Xander stepped between her and Angel and Juidon calmed herself slightly.
"See why we needed to leave?" she ground out just before she fled.
"What is she?" Wesley asked in the tense silence.
"Lost," Xander answered, glancing over his shoulder. "They've lost the two main reasons to be stable, protected, cared for."
-
Spike woke Asara a few hours before sunset and she stretched before switching places with Spike. She sat with her back on the far wall of the small cave they were in and he put his head on her thigh, sighing softly when Asara carded her fingers through his hair. He fell asleep under her ministrations and she loved the feel of his ungelled hair running through her fingers. It was surprising soft despite its decades of abuse.
When Asara was sure Spike was out of it she shifted her face, deepening her senses, knowing that when dusk came they would be at their most vulnerable. Spike still wouldn't be able to leave until full dark but the pack would be out just before then and they would come straight here to investigate the level of magick they would have surely felt. All she could do was pray because there was no power on earth that would make her leave him in the hands of her old pack.
Asara glanced down at Spike and wondered what she'd do if they were caught. She was not well enough to fight of the pack to protect them so that meant they'd be cast as the lowest of the low but he was a vampire. The way she saw it she had two options; she could blatantly display their bond, the smell would give them away anyway or he could go cold on him, throw herself into their mercy for his release. The first option meant that they'd been even more likely to do to him what they did to her but it was the way she'd react on a purely instinctual level. Option two would be harder to pull off but it might mean, a very small chance, that they'd simply throw Spike out.
Asara knew that if she was caught she'd most probably die, after a fashion. What would that do to Spike? Asara thought. She thought back to the last time she had contemplated this, as they stood before Wmor, and knew she'd never be able to cope without him. In some ways she hoped it wasn't the same for Spike because then he could live for the rest of his life, look after their children but if it wasn't then it'd break her heart.
Asara growled and rubbed her head, saying with feeling,
"We are so fucked!"
Hours past and Asara stayed in her deep, troubled thoughts until the last of the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness fell, no moon visible. After waking Spike she crawled out of their cave, not wanting to make eye contact with him, not being able to face him and his questions. Asara led Spike out of the ravine, senses on overdrive, face shifted, as she made her way out of the territory. They breached the top of a hill and Asara pointed down to the bottom.
"That wall is the boundary," she whispered.
Spike nodded, trying not to jinx them by thinking that they were safe but Asara proved him wrong when she glanced over her shoulder, saw dark shapes moving through the trees and grabbed his hand hard.
Behind us. Trust me.
Spike didn't have time to think let alone answer when Asara pulled him down the hill at breakneck speed. He vamped out to be able spot the pot holes on the steep slope better, all the while wondering what would happen when they reached the wall at the bottom. Asara spotted more figures running towards them next to the stone wall and tried to go faster, closing the gap to the wall.
When she was close enough she changed her stride, preparing to jump, knowing Spike would spot it and hopefully clear it with her. Spike watched her leave the ground, two steps behind her when a black shape hit her hard from the far side. Asara collided with Spike, the figure knocking them both to the ground, snarling as it did so. Spike heard Asara growl back and the demon on top of them barked in surprise before Asara shoved it off. She crouched, teeth bared as she snapped and rumbled at the shapes surrounding them. Spike climbed to his feet, trying to avoid drawing attention to himself, understanding some of the language Asara was speaking. He had spent enough time with the pack to know that the animalistic noises were actually a basic language coupled with body posture and could understand enough to know that Asara was telling the others to back off whilst they were trying to work out who they were.
The moon appeared from behind the cloud that had been hiding it and cast a pale glow over the world, illuminating everyone enough so that indistinct shapes began clear. The shifters around them were the same species as Asara and all in natural form, posturing and baring teeth, mainly at Asara. One, clearly male, D'ewain stepped forward, swagger in his step and Spike could smell the pheromones pouring off him. Snarling his displeasure Spike blocked Asara from his view and the male hissed, hackles raised. Knowing he was walking on eggshells Spike was careful not to push his luck by getting too aggressive but he firmly laid his claim out for all to see. This confused the shifters as they could tell Asara was a D'ewain and he was a vampire.
Taking advantage of the confusion Asara tried to slip out of the circle but was noticed and attacked. Two tackled her and she beat them off, scoring ones face and biting the others foreleg, making them yelp. She had only lost one hand and face to the transformation and it was a sign to their attackers that she had Alpha status as only they could hold onto partial changes. The pack showed their displeasure and Asara and Spike had a hard time keeping their feet in the melee but somehow they emerged reasonably unscathed.
"That was a bit bloody pathetic," Spike commented, brushing mud off his sleeve.
Asara had to grin,
"They weren't really trying Spike."
"I know but even so," Spike shrugged before frowning at her. "Do they even know who you are?"
"It's been over three hundred years. Would you remember?" Asara asked, a sad note in her voice.
"You?" Spike looked her up and down, leering slightly. "I couldn't forget you."
A growl arose from the pack in response to his body language and words.
"Oh shut the hell up!" Spike snapped, temper rising. "Use the bloody Queen's English you tossers!"
"You have no right to talk to one of our own kind like that vampire," a gravely voice told him.
"I have more right than you do you berk!" Spike's slang got worse as he got angrier. "I'm Asara's bleedin' mate! What are you eh? Her soddin' sh…"
"Spike!" Asara cut him off.
"Asara?" someone asked.
Suddenly a shifter howled. An answer was not long in coming and Asara flinched, making Spike catch her arm and send her an inquiring look.
That was my parents.
"Look, love to stay, meet the parents-in-law and all that crap but from what I've heard I don't want to meet the bastards," Spike glared at their spectators.
The pack shifted around them and vaguely reminded Spike of a trap jaws.
We are not fucking staying!
What do you suggest?
The pack barked and yipped around them as the pair planned but they never got further than looking for the weakest point in the circle around them when someone addressed them.
"You are coming with us. Please cooperate," the male from before stepped forward.
Spike punched him hard, knocking him to the floor and the pack was on them in a moment. The fight was brief and over when two shifters pinned Asara to the floor by her shoulders, which weren't healed completely yet. She didn't have the strength to push herself up with her arms and she couldn't find the purchase with her feet either. Snarling she struggled until she was panting and with a whine she looked for Spike. He was on his back, arms above his head, legs buried beneath at least six shifters but at her whine he twisted his head to look at her.
I'm sorry.
It's not your fault luv.
Some of the shifter changed back into humans so they could bind Asara and Spike's hands and feet. They were then carried like sacks of potatoes over a shifters shoulder, one apiece. Spike yelled his displeasure until Asara told him he'd be gagged if he didn't shut up so he shut up and watched the scenery pass by. He wasn't in the mood to appreciate the wild landscape surrounding them but he was doing his best to memorise it from his upside down position.
The journey took two hours and was in the opposite direction to the way that they'd come, crossing a moor which was remote and boggy before the climbed up into the foothills. The clouds rolled down around them and completely blotted the surrounding countryside and Spike began to doubt whether he could actually ever find his way out again. He could hear the sound of falling water, feel spray on his cheeks and cast a look at Asara who met his gaze, knowing he'd be full of questions.
That's Kinder Downfall. We're nearly there.
They continued down through an impressive limestone gorge, cloud still rolling by and Asara and Spike were passed to new carriers for the last leg of their journey. Because he was being carried backwards Spike missed the imposing entrance to the catacombs that was Asara's old home. After about ten minutes walking and some undignified dragging Spike got his first look at the main cavern where they lived.
They were taken up to a small platform at the back of the cave, dumped on the floor and Spike took the opportunity to look around. They were elevated so that the entire floor, full of shifters, could see them and opposite was a larger ledge. He didn't get any further because he was suddenly hauled backwards, slammed against the wall and a collar wrapped tightly around his neck. It was a cold metal band studded with sharp spikes, on the inside of the collar, so that if he pulled against it, it would dig in and cut him. It was chained to the wall behind him before his bonds were cut and one shifter grinned at him,
"Welcome to the Devils Arse!"
Spike growled at him and the grin faded.
"I don't like you," the male told him.
"The feeling's mutual mate," Spike snapped.
An imperious bark sounded over the conversation, all noise ceased and every pair of eyes turned to the other platform. Two big shifters were now standing in the previously deserted area and regarding the gathered masses with something akin to barely disguised disgust. Spike met their gazes and his lip curled which clearly didn't please the female who barked again.
The shifter next to Spike gained a cruel look as he curled his claws before laying them just under Spike's collar who tensed but didn't give away anymore in terms of reaction. The male sliced his t-shirt in half, pulled that and his duster off and Spike realised they were being stripped. He shot a look at Asara and found her receiving the same treatment but his attention was rapidly brought back to his own body when the claws ripped open his jeans. Despite the razor-sharp edges on the claws both Spike and Asara were stripped without blood being drawn.
After the others left Spike went to Asara, or tried to. The chain pulled him up short and he whispered,
"Pet?"
Asara's head turned towards him and she stared at him before standing and walking towards the edge of the platform.
"Let him go!" she demanded, pointing at the Alpha pair. "He's done nothing wrong!"
The male laughed and said something in her native tongue.
"No," Asara ground out. "I haven't forgotten how to speak properly but I'm using English so he can understand everything."
"What does the vampire need to know?" the female asked, distain in her voice.
"Everything I do," Asara hissed. "He is my mate and therefore under my protection. Let him go!"
"Your mate?" the female said incredulously.
"Yes," Asara tipped her head to the side to clearly show off her claim mark.
Spike stood behind her, a shaking angry naked figure, watching her argue with her family. He had no doubt that the two on the opposite platform were her parents. Both looked remarkably like her and there was something in their attitude that spoke volumes about parental dominance.
"I can't imagine you've told him about your sordid little past," her father said, evil smile in place.
Asara clenched her jaw,
"What about my past do you think he needs to know?"
"Does he know why there is a death sentence hanging over your head?" her mother questioned as her father shifted into his human countenance. "Does he know what happened between you and your brother? Does he even know our names?"
"Your names mean jack shit to me," Spike stretched the chain to its full length.
Both watched as Asara's father made his way through the pack, it parting like the Red Sea in front of him, and up to them. Spike stood his ground but had to tip his head back slightly to keep eye contact. Hell he's big! Spike thought.
"Well," he growled. "Do you?"
Spike eyed him,
"No but it doesn't matter to me. There'll be a reason why Asara hasn't told me and that's good enough for me. There are things I haven't told her."
"Let us start with the basics then!" he barked. "My name is Mekhi and my mate's name is Sakura."
"Spike," he replied, somewhat dryly.
"Spike," Mekhi rolled the word round his mouth. "I think I may have heard of you. Hmm ran with Angelus… Ravaged Europe… Yes, yes I know of you." Then his gaze hardened, "Cannot say I was impressed." He turned to Asara, "You think you can impress me with this?"
"I long ago stopped trying to impress you," Asara admitted.
"That doesn't surprise me. You never showed the proper respect to your parents," Mekhi stood in front of his only daughter. "Well you've certainly grown."
Spike shifted a little closer.
"Quite a fine young thing aren't you?" Mekhi leant into her, hand reaching out.
Spike hit Mekhi hard from behind, knocking him to the ground, making sure they didn't take Asara with them but Mekhi had nearly one thousand years of fighting experience. He rolled Spike's lighter weight over and off him, grabbed hold of the chain and yanked Spike skywards. Blood immediately started to flow from Spike's neck but he let himself be pulled off his enemy, having made his point.
Asara tore his chain off her father and hustled Spike away from Mekhi. She checked his neck whilst he glared over her shoulder.
"Don't. You. Ever. Touch. Her. Again," Spike made his clipped statement into a threatening promise.
Mekhi sat up, chuckling,
"Well you've got him well trained."
Asara pointedly ignored him and leant in to Spike's neck, facing changing back its human guise to give her better access. Spike hissed as her hot tongue cleaned the blood off his neck in long, lingering strokes, starting at the lowest point the blood had run to up to the collar. His vampire healing meant he'd already stopped bleeding but he didn't stop her. She pushed her body up against his, craning her neck so her tongue could sweep under the collar. Spike's head went back, eyes shut, neck strain towards her and he grew hard, despite their audience. One hand was clenched in her hair, the other on the small of her back, holding her to him. She moved her mouth up and kissed him. Spike could taste his blood and he wanted hers so he sliced her bottom lip with his fangs. Asara moaned and her hips jerked appreciatively.
Suddenly Asara was torn from him and thrown across the ledge. Spike was ignored as Mekhi stalked over to Asara, fists clenched. Asara looked up at him and saw flashes of childhood memories and felt the old terror but now she had the courage to face him. She stood slowly, eyes locked on him, waiting for Mekhi to make the first move.
"You slut," Mekhi hissed. "I thought I'd beaten that out of you! You're not old enough to be with a male!"
"He is my mate!" Asara shot back with equal venom. "Did you think I'd lie about something like that?"
"I don't know why you did it but you are lying!" Mekhi raised his hand.
"Back to the old ways now father?" Asara commented, slightly bitter. "Can't you see what's right in front of you?" She raised her clawed hand.
"Oh so you pull off an Alpha trick," Mekhi snorted. "You're not an Alpha and never will be."
"Oh I bloody beg to differ!" Spike growled. "She's an amazing Alpha!"
"What would you know about it vampire?" Mekhi didn't take his eyes off his daughter.
"Because he's an Alpha!" Asara snapped.
"He's a vampire," Mekhi stated the obvious.
"He's my mate, I'm an Alpha therefore he is," Asara stated flatly.
"And what exactly are you Alpha over? Certainly not D'ewains."
"I have one in my pack," Asara disagreed.
"One! Your pack is made up of you, a vampire and one other!" Mekhi laughed.
"No. My pack is some sixteen strong," Asara folded her arms.
Mekhi was silent for a moment before saying,
"So what else is in this pack of yours?"
"People like me. Rejects, those who have lost their families," Asara answered.
"But not D'ewains," Mekhi pointed out.
"So?" Asara frowned. "Unlike you I'm not a bigot and a racist!"
The pack hissed and shifted. Mekhi narrowed his eyes and Asara felt a flash of fear. He turned and made his way back to Sakura and Spike took Asara hand, offering silent comfort.
"Let us have a story!" Sakura said. "Perent!"
An old, greying shifter made her way to the front of the pack and stood, slightly isolated, in front of her Alphas.
"Come up here Perent. Tell us a little story," Sakura looked across to Spike. "One I'm sure our guest will have never heard."
The storyteller climbed up onto the platform and cleared her throat,
"What story should I tell?"
"A true one, full of sordid little details. One that has been hidden," Mekhi told her. "My daughter's life."
Perent nodded and turned to face the masses,
"I will speak this tale in English for the benefit of our guest."
"Well let us get comfy then," Spike said sarcastically. "Can't have a good story without being comfy."
Spike sat down against the wall and pulled Asara close to him.
This isn't going to be a true story is it?
As true as they see it.
Asara held Spike's hands between her own, transforming one back. She hoped that she could show him what she saw it as.
"One day, over three hundred years ago in the human year 1669, a female Alpha…" Perent was cut off.
"With names Perent! With names!" Sakura snapped.
Perent bowed her head,
"Sakura, Alpha female, gave birth to a litter of eight pups, five males, four females. They were all strong and healthy."
Spike glanced at Asara who nodded, remembering her first memories, the only untainted ones.
"I think our son should be here for this," Mekhi commented and a shifter disappeared into a tunnel.
Before long the shifter was back, followed by a large, but still not mature male D'ewain. Spike could instantly see the family resemblance between Asara, her parents and now her brother, though her brother would evidently grow to be as big as his father. Asara was bigger than her mother but was more slender than her father and brother. The new member of family sat down next to his parents, eyes locked on his sister across the room and Spike had never seen such evil joy light up in someone's face.
"But they were born at the time of crisis and war as the human population was just recovering from the Black Death and the neighbouring pack, Glozemy, was using their lessened presence to expand their territory. When the pups were just three hours old they attacked our borders, killing our patrols and driving deep into our heart. Sakura and her new pups were their main target as they were our future and she did what any mother should. Despite being incredibly weak she picked up her eldest pup and took him to safety, crawling through many small and dangerous passages. She had to protect Samhradh because he will be our next Alpha."
Spike worked very hard not to interrupt. He knew if that happened to Asara that she would stand by all of her pups, to the death, rather than leave any to the mercy of killers. The look on Asara's face said she felt the same and Spike squeezed her hand in sympathy and got a flash of her memory, seen from her viewpoint.
He saw a younger looking Sakura pick up Samhradh and weakly struggle out of the cave, the rest of her pups crying for her. The pups, Asara included, tried to crawl after their mother but they were too young to get far. The world suddenly tipped as Asara was knocked out of the nest by her siblings and down a slope, where she lay on her back legs frantically paddling the air to right herself. A shadow past over her and she fell quiet and still, not recognising the smell and watched her remaining brothers and sisters die.
Spike's head jerked as he came out of the memory and looked at Asara. She was motionless, just like she had been in her memory and Spike ran his thumb over the back of her hand. He made a small, grateful smile appeared on her face before he went back to listening to Perent.
"Sakura found her pups slaughtered when she came back but somehow Asara had survived and Sakura careful washed her, knowing she was terrified."
Spike got a blast from Asara showing Sakura mourning her loss but completely missing Asara as she lay there until she whined in one of the rare breaks. Sakura came to investigate and was so cautious, sniffing at her daughter and growling that Spike was torn between the desire to rip Sakura's head off and cry for Asara.
"From that day forth Sakura lavished attention on her remaining two children, devoting all her time to their upbringing…"
Spike missed the rest as Asara unintentionally flooded him with memories of sitting watching her brother being taught how to do things but not her. He saw how she was punished if she got something wrong but her brother was praised for doing something right. Spike could feel her terror when she shifted her hand and couldn't work out how to change it back. The terror was justified.
"…but Asara didn't show signs that she was listening to her parents. She was deliberately rude and provoking as well as hurting her older brother…" Mekhi cut across Perent.
"That is nothing compared to her later crimes!"
Asara's grip on Spike's hands became painfully tight.
Whatever they say please show a strong front. Pretend it doesn't affect you.
Spike nodded.
D'ewain's do not have human morals… It's not normal but sometimes parents use their rights to… demand things from there children.
"After a strike against a neighbouring pack we came back sorely wounded and Asara did nothing for us. She sat back and watched us struggle and when I demanded she wasn't helping us she told me she was waiting for the right time. I was justifiably angry with her and took her to one side, ordering her to tell me what she meant. The instant we were alone she became very flirty and began using pheromones to suggest things," Mekhi told his story.
Asara?
Asara waited until her father had finished that bit of his story before showing Spike what had happened. Her father had been right about the first part. An attack had gone very wrong and her father was very angry. Everyone had stayed out of his way but he hunted Asara down to vent his frustration out on her. Asara was well aware that a beating was coming her way but she was also aware that fighting was like an aphrodisiac for Mehki. When he'd found her he had been so angry and so hard Asara had frozen, unable to stop him grabbing her. He changed back into his even more imposing human form and shook her hard, demanding she did so as well.
"I don't trust those fangs of yours," he growled.
Asara changed, too frightened to argued. She didn't know what was going on but she could smell the arousal pouring off her father. One hand was wrapped in her hair, the other prising her mouth open.
Spike broke free of the memory, took one look at Asara's tear streaked face and was across the ledge before he formed a thought. The chain tore out of the wall, collar making his neck bleed with the force and he was tearing through the pack on his way, howling his anger. He was halfway across the cavern floor before the pack realised who he was aiming at. They converged around him and many got injuries from Spike's wrath but they pinned him to the floor.
"You fucking bastard!" Spike screamed. "How could you? She was ten years old! A bloody innocent and you tainted her like that!"
"Yet she's your mate!" Mekhi laughed. "How'd you like that? You bonded with damaged goods."
"I didn't know," Spike hissed. "And if I had known the first thing I would have done was come here and kill you."
Mekhi snorted,
"And you would have died."
"Maybe," Spike shrugged. "But I would have taken you to hell with me!"
"Tell me," Mekhi looked thoughtful. "Does she still give head?"
The rage that poured through Spike was enough that the shifters holding him twitched uneasily. The one voice that nobody expected to hear spoke up.
"Yes I do," Asara was standing at the full length of her chain. "And if I recall correctly it was the first sexual thing I ever did with Spike, the first time I made him come."
The room was silent and Spike suddenly had to be with Asara.
"Get the hell off me!" Spike growled at his captors, using his Alpha voice he only used when he was truly angry at a pack member.
The shifters reacted to the dominance in his voice without thinking about the source and let him go. Spike pushed his way back to Asara but when he got to her side he was at a complete loss at what to do. She answered that by turning to him and smiling.
"Thank you," she whispered, hands cupping his cheeks.
Spike wrapped his fingers around hers and replied with,
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Out of sight… not quite out of mind but enough to stop the constant pain," Asara admitted. "I'm not the only one in our little family that has such a past."
"I reserve the right to kill everyone who has hurt anyone in our family," Spike swore.
"Not if it costs you your life," Asara shook her head.
Spike regarded her for a moment before asking,
"Can I kiss you now?"
"Always," she sighed.
So he did. It was a tender, soft thing. A gentle meeting of lips before Asara deepened it, suddenly needing more, some element of comfort. Spike let her, for a moment, but he broke away before she took it further.
"I'm not giving them the best floor show they've ever seen," Spike didn't even look at 'them'.
Asara grinned,
"Pity."
"So you stand by her through this," Mekhi broke across their interlude. "What about what happened with her brother?"
"What? There's more?" Spike sounded incredulous. "Look forget it. I couldn't care… I don't want to hear it from you."
Mekhi opened his mouth but Asara cutting him off,
"So how do we get out of here then?"
"You don't!" Mekhi sneered.
"No I think we should give them a chance," Sakura narrowed her eyes in thought. "They have, after all, given us the best entertain we've had in some thirty years."
"What did you have in mind?" Mekhi asked, curious.
Sakura's eyes alighted on Samhradh,
"I think I have the perfect solution."
Samhradh caught on,
"Oh please let me mother!"
"That would be interesting," Mekhi mused. "Yes, yes I wholeheartedly approve."
"What's going on?" Spike demanded.
"Take this collar off me then," Asara folded her arms.
"Is this some internal family thing?" Spike raised an eyebrow.
"There is only one thing in the world that my brother would ever agree to like that; a fight to the death," Asara met Spike's gaze.
Spike grabbed her upper arms,
"But you're not fully healed yet pet."
Asara smiled,
"I have a secret weapon."
Spike frowned,
"What?"
Asara leant in and whispered in his ear,
"You."
Spike stared at her, uncomprehending as a shifter freed Asara and left again. The pack cleared a space on the floor as Spike stared at her.
"Just do what I ask," Asara pleaded before kissing him hard.
Spike wasn't quick enough to catch her before she hurried away to the circle. She strolled into the centre of the circle where her brother waited, already kitted out in his Alpha shape. Lifting her injured hand she studied it like you would look at an inanimate but interesting object. She transformed her hands and feet without a sound after that, her face slipping into its deadly countenance.
Spike expected some sort of signal to the start of the fight but Samhradh just charged Asara who dodged swiping at the passing body with her claws. Her brother had enough experience to arch his body out the way, turning on a penny's edge, coming back Asara. She rolled onto her back, feet shooting out and flipped Samhradh over her head, claws digging into his stomach. Samhradh landed, growling his displeasure when he found blood on his skin.
Spike found himself staring intently at Samhradh to pick up on any slight indications he might give away before a move. Then he realised he was forwarding all this information to Asara and grinned when he knew why he was her secret weapon. He watched with an intensity like never before and actually made Asara smile as she could feel it through their connection. Spike memorised each move in the fast and brutal fight.
Both Asara and Samhradh were bleeding from numerous cuts all over their bodies but neither was breathing heavily yet. Asara was outweighed by at least a hundred pounds and Samhradh had a longer reach as well but she was quicker on her feet. Samhradh knew that if could get hold on her, keep his grip and pin her he would win and he strove towards this goal with more determination.
Asara saw the flash of it pass across his face and doubled her efforts to wear him out. Her shoulders ached and her hand stung every time she lashed out with it. Her brother was a formidable opponent but she didn't want to kill him despite all the things he'd done to her. It wasn't his fault he was a product of his raising.
The fight got more and more violent until they were moving so fast their movements were blurs. Spike couldn't pick out anything distinguishable signs and Asara was fighting on pure sixth sense but she was at a disadvantage. Samhradh had been fighting D'ewains all his life, he had trained with them and he knew the specifics. Asara had learnt the vastly different skills of fighting anything and everything and that is why she lost.
She dodged a strike at her head but was completely unprepared for the wrist flick. She screamed in pain and her hands flew up to her face. Samhradh paused, assessing the damage before he made his next move. Spike felt pain and tried to control his mounting panic as she had her back to him.
Asara?
She straightened, dropped her heads and circled Samhradh enough so that Spike could see her face. He opened his mouth, shut it again, unable to find words in his shock. Samhradh's claws had ripped across her face from temple to temple, taking her eyes out. The skin was hanging from her face and her eye sockets were sunken, indicating that her eye balls had been popped.
I need you more than ever.
Spike straightened and focused every fibre of his being concentrated on Samhradh. Asara let his vision flow over her and suddenly could see everything he saw. She strove to keep her back to him, so she didn't have to deal with crossed directions, but without blocking Spike's view of her opponent. Asara relied more and more upon his sight, her hearing and sixth sense as she grew weaker from blood loss. In the end she was not quick enough to evade his grasp and Samhradh flipped her over. Her back hit the ground hard, knocking the wind from her and Samhradh fought to bare her throat so he could rip her throat out. She could still see everything from Spike and the thought of That looks different crossed her mind as she waited for Samhradh to strike.
Spike howled his anger and grief, trying to tear through the pack all the time not realising he was screaming out,
"Save her!"
"As you wish," a female voice cut across the proceedings.
Time slowed and finally stopped. Spike continued to move forward, pushing at the now immobile shifters between him and Asara. When he got there he found a figure standing over them.
"You!" Spike exclaimed.
"Who?" Asara asked. "I can't smell anyone."
"The female Powers That Be thing," Spike answered. "What do you want?"
"I have come here to save you," she answered.
"That's rich coming from someone who ripped through her mind last time you saw her and was rooting for my poof of a grandsire," Spike snorted.
"I have changed my mind," she answered.
"Uh huh," Spike rolled his eyes. "So how do you plan to save us then?"
"I have stopped time for five minutes, all that I am currently allowed but I have left you free of its constraints," she explained.
Spike frowned,
"So we just walk away and effectively disappear?"
"Just so," she nodded and vanished.
Spike pushed Samhradh off Asara and helped her to her feet.
"Jesus your face," Spike whispered.
"Not now," Asara pulled on his arm. "We've got to get out of here."
"Hold on one tic," Spike shot off across the floor, gathered up their clothes and hurried back to her. "Can you tell me how to get out of here?"
"Yes," Asara found his shoulder and Spike walked under her instructions.
They tried to hurry through the twisting maze of caves and passages but five minutes was up before they got clear. Biting her lip she urged Spike to go faster and soon they were outside.
"Thank god it's still dark," Spike muttered. "Right," he dropped their clothes, found his ripped T-shirt and used it to bind her eyes. Next he gave Asara her duster and she pulled it on whilst he put his on. Spike bundled up the rest of the clothes, gave Asara them and picked her up. "Directions."
Asara followed a route in her head. They needed to get clear soon and find other people to stop the pack just taking them so she gave Spike instructions to the nearest village out of the territory. He moved as quickly as he could, glad of Asara's information because he would have got thoroughly lost and fried in the morning sun.
As it was dawn was minutes away by the time they got to the village and Spike still had to find an empty place to shelter, given that Asara was too injured to risk human contact, that and the fact that they were more or less butt naked. He managed to locate an empty holiday home and due to some nice legalities broke the back door down. Climbing the stairs Spike found a double bed in the bedroom and deposited Asara on it before closing the curtains against the swiftly rising sun. He then left to find something to bind her eyes with, something better than his torn t-shirt. In the end he had to tear down some curtains and shred a towel to make a bandage that stayed firmly in place but first he had to clean up the blood. He turned on the taps in the bathroom, only to discover the water had been turned off. Swearing profusely Spike located the water tank in the loft, ripped the main pipe off it and dipped several towels into the tank. Spike used the wet cloths to clean to dried blood off Asara's face, neck and upper body.
"This is a hell of lot of blood luv," Spike commented. "Are you sure you're ok?"
"I'll survive," Asara searched for his free hand, caught it and held on. "I think today proves that."
"Will you be able to see again?" Spike asked, unsure of her healing capacity.
Asara was unsure too,
"I don't know."
Spike concentrated on putting the patches of skin hanging from her face back into the right places and tried not to apologise every time Asara winced. He fell silent, finished cleaning and bandaging her up before he pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his head into the crook of her neck. Emotions vied for the main place in his body and he knew just how close he had come to losing her.
Asara wasn't immune to the feelings. The same ones coursed through her and she was suddenly overwhelmed. Her body shook and her hands pulled Spike's duster into little ridges as they tightened on his back. Spike pulled her as close as possible, fingers rubbing in soothing circles on the nape of her neck.
"Don't cry pet. It's over now," Spike whispered.
"Cry?" Asara's voice sounded bitter. "I can't cry Spike. I don't have tear ducts."
Spike cursed himself for not thinking before he spoke,
"Asara I'm sorry I should have thought."
"What are you apologising for?" Asara drew herself back from his embrace. "It's not your fault I could be blind for the rest of my life!"
"Asara…" Spike said, confused. She had gone from upset to ragingly anger in a matter of seconds.
Asara threw her hands in the air,
"Jeez! The world is so goddamn biased!"
"Erm pet what is going on?" Spike frowned at her.
"I know you're frowning, stop it," Asara poked him, aiming for his shoulder but getting his chest instead. "If a man spent hours with a naked woman he'd be forgiven… no expected to be horny as hell but turn it round and what do you get? Men are completely oblivious to women!"
"Are you saying you're horny?" Spike asked, a smile cracking his features.
"The last time I saw you, you were naked, standing on that platform, blood on your neck, collar, hair messy, staring at me as if I was the last drop of blood in the world. What do you think?" Asara folded her arms.
Spike grinned,
"You like the collar?"
Asara blushed,
"I…"
Spike loved turning the tables on her,
"I'm still wearing it."
Asara groaned and bit her lip. Spike watched her tongue snake out and lick her lips as she tried to think of something to say. He saved her the problem by kissing her. It was passionate from all the emotions lying just under the surface of their beings but Spike broke off and regarded Asara. Her skin was flushed, lips swollen but the white bandage running across her face stop him from seeing the most expressive part of her face. Asara sensed his hurt and smile ever so softly,
"I love you. Today made me see it clearer. My past was filled full of pain, hate, anger, lust… anything but love. Even when I met some of the others I never truly let them in. I guess I was too scared but then you came into my life, in love with your enemy, hating yourself for an emotion you couldn't control and I was lost. You loved despite the pain it caused you and I simply hid. You showed me I could be brave without fearing the hurt. The hurt didn't matter because it was the journey that mattered. So you got hurt on the way? That's life and I needed to be shown that."
Spike gaped at her before clearing his throat,
"I think that is the most… oh hell it's the only romantic thing anybody has ever said to me and I think you helped me too. I was always going after people who were… above me and it always ended in bloody ruins, me underneath them. You didn't try to prove yourself, didn't try to put me down, you were accepting of who I was without expecting change. You, despite all you've said, laid your heart out for me and I could have crushed it." Spike paused before continuing, "Today showed me that you were the strongest person alive. To survive that, to want to live, to be open and caring, to love with nothing but your whole heart is absolutely amazing."
Asara was blushing by the time he'd finished but she managed to croak,
"Love me?"
"Willingly," Spike answered, leaning back into to kiss her.
-
Spike could hear voices. He tried to ignore them. It was the middle of the day; he was comfortable, warm and very tired. The voices remained incessantly constant and he raised his head from the pillow, careful not to disturb Asara who was curled around him, still sound asleep.
"This lovely, cosy house it right on the edge of a main walk into…"
"Oh bloody hell," Spike muttered. "We do not need this."
The front door opened and Spike knew there wasn't time to gather up all their mess before the viewers got upstairs so they had two choices. They could hide themselves but the probability of the landlord letting suspicious circumstances pass by without investigation were limited or they could stay right where they were. Considering neither had much in the way of decent clothing Spike thumped his head back on the pillow and waited. As they climbed the stairs Spike remembered the chain and collar lying on the floor and as much as he liked a good show that would be pushing their luck. He reached out an arm and scrabbled on the floor for the chain. His fingers brushed its edge and he dragged it under the bed. Hoping it was out of sight Spike curled back around Asara and feigned sleep.
"The bedroom faces south and has a stunning view of…"
Spike could sense three people standing in the doorway, two men and a woman. The woman started giggling and Spike tried not to grin.
"What is going on?" the landlord thundered.
Spike pretended to wake and looked up at them with a sleepy expression,
"Do you mind? Trying to sleep here."
Asara shifted in her sleep, her hand pushing Spike's head back down to the pillow before she muttered, without waking,
"Go back to sleep Spike."
"You have no right to be here!" the landlord squealed indignantly.
"Who put a bug up your butt mate?" Spike lifted his head again.
Asara started waking up and Spike nibbled his lip. The people in the door way couldn't see her head from where they were so they couldn't see the bandage. He bent down to her,
"Be right back pet."
Asara mumbled something but let him go. Spike swung his legs out of bed, grabbed the blanket off the bottom of the bed wrapped it around his waist before standing. The woman was staring at him with obvious lust, the man was trying to hold back a smile but the landlord was virtually purple with rage. Spike herded them out the door so they wouldn't disturb Asara but he didn't venture too far as sunlight streamed in through the windows in the other parts of the house.
"Just what do you think you are doing?" the landlord was still squealing.
"Lower your voice," Spike warned him. "I don't want to wake her up."
"Wake her up!" the landlord looked ready to explode and Spike wondered whether humans could spontaneously combust through anger. "I'm going to throw you out and call the police!"
"That wouldn't be a good idea," Spike folded his arms. "Look we were up all night…" the woman giggled. "… and we're both really tired. My ma…wife was hurt out on the moors and we're sleeping it off before we found a hospital. I can't go out there in the day."
"Why not?" the landlord stared back belligerently.
"Because I have a disease called Xeroderma pigmentosum," Spike answered, silently thanking Juidon for the research into it.
"You have what now?" the landlord blinked.
"If I go into the sun it burns me," Spike explained.
"I don't believe you! I never heard of such a thing!" the landlord snapped.
"Just because you haven't heard doesn't mean it doesn't exist," Spike narrowed his eyes.
"I've heard of it," the other man offered.
"You're standing up for them?" the landlord gaped.
"They seem nice enough and I believe what he's saying," the man shrugged. "Leave 'em be and they'll be gone tonight. Won't you?"
"Yeah," Spike nodded. "Clear right out of here."
The landlord frowned suspiciously,
"I still don't know if I should…"
"Look we'll pay you the rent for a night and day and any damage we've done," Spike winced slightly, knowing that'd be costly but he just wanted them to clear off.
"Well," the landlord straightened. "Why didn't you say so before?"
Spike rolled his eyes.
"Did you say your wife was injured?" the woman asked. "I'm a nurse. I could take a look at her for you."
"No that's alright," Spike shook his head. "I'll take her to the hospital later."
"If you think it's that bad I should really have a look," the woman reached for the door handle.
"I said no!" Spike growled at her.
"Hey watch it!" the other man stepped forward.
"Drop it!" Spike blocked the door.
"Is something going on?" the woman asked, unafraid of him.
Spike gritted his teeth, opened the door a bit and called into the room beyond,
"Asara?"
"Wha?" her sleepy voice replied.
"These people here want to know you're alright," Spike locked eyes on the woman.
"I'm fine, whoever you are," Asara sat up in bed.
"I'm a nurse," the woman called. "Do you want me to check you over?"
"No I'm good," Asara knew she couldn't let her examine her.
"Are you sure? Do you need to talk about something?" the nurse deliberately looked at Spike.
"Look lady," Asara said, slightly exasperated. "I appreciate your concern really I do but I'm fine."
"See?" Spike glared at the woman.
"You would say that," she snorted.
"And just what do you mean by that?" Spike stepped closer to her.
"The person who hurts someone else…" she didn't get any further as Spike exploded.
"You think I hurt my wife?"
The man stepped between them,
"Calm down mate."
"Don't you mate me," Spike had just been through hell with Asara and wasn't about to let some little human woman accuse him of hurting her.
"We're just worried that's all," the man protested.
"Well there's nothing to be worried about," Spike invaded his personal space.
Suddenly the woman dived for the partially open door, Spike made a grab for her, the man grabbed him, pulling slightly off balance and he missed her. She pushed into the room and jerked to a halt when she saw Asara,
"Jesus Christ! What did you do?"
Asara twitched slightly,
"Fell over."
"It's alright," the woman hurried to her side. "You're safe now. He can't hurt you now."
"What are you talking about?" Asara questioned, confused.
"Does your 'husband' hurt you?" the woman gathered her hands in her own.
"What?" Asara exclaimed. "Are you off your rocker? Of course he doesn't hurt me!"
"It's alright you can tell me," the woman said in a soothing voice.
"Spike," Asara called. "Where did you find her?"
"She just turned up!" Spike argued, still trying to get rid of the man. He was like a tic or small terrier. He'd get thrown off but he'd keep coming back for more.
"Look," Asara turned her head back to the woman, just like she could still see. "I don't know who you think you are but nobody has the right to tell me that my husband hurts me!"
"Then what happened to your face?" the woman persisted.
"A friggin' accident!" Asara pulled her hands free.
"I don't believe that," the nurse shook her head.
"I don't give a pair of dingoes' kidneys what you believe!" Asara exclaimed. "Go away!"
Spike got away from his bugging man and hurried to her side,
"How the hell can we make you go away?"
"Prove you don't hurt her!" the woman folded her arms.
Spike grinned wickedly,
"Easily done."
The woman was a little spooked to see an identical expression Asara's face and she fair leaped off the bed when Spike pulled Asara into an ardent kiss. She responded whole heartedly, slipping her tongue into Spike's open mouth and moulding her body to his, despite the awkward angle.
"I'll…er… just go then," the woman ran for the door, shutting it behind her.
The couple on the bed didn't notice her departure and the three other people in the house didn't leave it quickly enough to miss the moans from upstairs.
-
"I think we need to call home," Spike said afterwards.
"Good idea," Asara yawned.
Spike grinned before padding off naked to find the telephone. He didn't have to go far but he noticed that it was a payphone and all he had was a couple of quarters in his duster pocket. They were in England now so he could scrub that idea. Picking up the whole, heavy package he took it back to the bedroom and the cord just reached.
"Any ideas?" Spike asked.
"Reverse charge call," Asara gestured at him to make the call.
Spike did as he was told and got the woman on the other end to connect to Sunnydale, California.
-
Casve and Destch couldn't sleep despite the early hour and were sitting outside on Spike's bench, wrapped in each others arms, watching the sunrise. When the phone rang both sighed but Casve went to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Will you accept a reverse charge call from England?" a bored woman asked.
"Erm I guess," Casve shrugged at Destch and put the phone on loudspeaker.
"One moment please while I connect your call," the woman disappeared and a few beeps sounded.
"Hello?" Spike's voice came through the phone.
Casve and Destch stared at the object in shock.
"Daddy?" Casve squeaked.
"Casve?" Spike asked before yanking the phone away from his ear when Casve and Destch screamed in delight.
Muttering he put the phone on loudspeaker so Asara could talk too.
"Casve? Destch?" she asked.
If anything the noise got louder.
"Des go wake the others!" Casve was shouting.
"Whoa girl calm down!" Spike instructed, grinning all the same.
It didn't do any good because it simply reminded her that he was there.
"Where are you? When are you coming home? Are you alright? What happened? Why didn't you come home with Buffy? How…" Spike interrupted Casve endless cycle of questions.
"We'll answer everything when everyone's there."
"Oooo okay!" Casve bounced impatiently.
The other four children came racing in and as soon as they were close enough they yelled,
"Mummy? Daddy?"
"Yes it's us," both Asara and Spike answered, smiles on their faces as they heard their children.
The whole lot of them screamed.
"Ow!" Spike complained.
"Sorry!" Sasha apologised, sounding anything but.
"Asara and Spike are you really there?" Juidon's voiced sounded across the void.
"Juidon? Oh god it's so good to hear you voice," Asara sighed.
"Oh god!" Esster'd whispered. "It is you."
"Is everyone there?" Asara asked.
"Yes," everyone chorused, making the pair smile even more.
"We're going to answer your questions now, starting with Casve since she asked first," Asara said before ticking points off on her fingers. "We're in England because that's where we got dumped. We're coming home as soon as possible but it'll be at least three days, probably more. We reckon The Riddell's power distorted the portal so we didn't get to same portal as Buffy did."
"Are you alright?" spilled from everyone's lips at the same instant.
Asara nodded at Spike who sighed slightly,
"More or less. I'm fine but Asara is still recovering from her injuries from before but… she got hurt again after we got back here… I don't know…"
"We don't know if I'll ever be able to see again," Asara finished.
"Where in England are you?" Juidon asked softly, holding up her hand to make sure the rest of the pack was quiet.
"Derbyshire," Asara admitted.
"Was it… them?" Juidon closed her eyes, hoping for a no.
"Yes," Asara laced fingers with Spike.
"What… how bad is it?" Juidon gnawed her lip.
"I took a claw slash from temple to temple. It took my eyes out," Asara stated.
"Shit," Juidon swore. "I don't know if you can recover Asara. I've never heard of anyone getting an injury like this."
"We'll see," Asara shook her head when she realised what she'd said.
"Are you guys alright?" Spike took the attention off Asara.
"Yes," Yimila answered. "We're only suffering from uncontrollable bouts of shifting because we miss you so much."
"Bugger, sorry," Spike winced as he thought about it.
"We both love you all but we can't stay talking all the time… We need to find some clothes," Asara disclosed.
"Christ! What happened?" Esster'd exclaimed.
"We'll talk about it when we get home," Asara didn't want to talk about it with the children there. "We'll see you in a few days."
"Ok," the pack sighed. "Be safe."
"You too," Spike and Asara told them before saying goodbye and reluctantly cutting the connection.
"Home," Asara dropped her head onto the bed.
Spike rubbed her back deliberately not saying anything. Asara was soon asleep, still tired and it was the best way to heal her wounds. Spike wandered off, trying to find some clothes or something that they substitute for them. In the end he ended up with a sowing kit and, scowling at the jeans, began trying to stitch the tough fabric. Half way through he looked up at Asara and whispered,
"What are we going to do pet? If you never get your sight back how will you… we cope?"
Spike would never leave her but if she was blind it would change some of the dynamics of their relationship. He'd want to care for her and do things for her but she wouldn't want to let him. Spike knew full well that she would hate begin coddled and protected from the world.
Asara heard his words despite being asleep and a small frown furrowed her brow. She contemplated the questions and couldn't find the answers.