Bright Lights
By: Peanutbutter
Chapter 5 'She awakes'
"Molly?"
"So the prodigal son comes to call. Run out of money, do you need me to throw you a party perhaps?" Angel asked as he appeared from around the corner holding a white braided rope.
"Angel stop being the wanker you are for a minute," Spike said a little wary at the expression on the vampire's face. He hadn't seen that look in years, more than that it had been centuries. "Where's Molly at. I was s'pposed to meet 'er on the s'rface and she didn' come up?"
"Did you miss you're little girlfriend Spikey." He chuckled.
"S'not my girlfriend," Spike replied vehemently.
"Hurt his little feeling, reminding him of his long dead girlfriend, sweet little insane Dru. She was crazy but she knew how to please me," he sucked his tongue in between his teeth.
Spike charged then his anger having reached its limit, "you sorry bastard." He didn't even stop to wonder why Angel was acting the way he was, or even why he was taunting him about Molly. He pulled the long blade at his side out only to stop short when Angel yanked on the rope still in his fingers.
She tumbled out from the shadows landing at his feet her mouth gagged and her brown locks sticky with blood. Spike froze mid swing his sword quivering as he looked at her. Her crystal blue eyes were red and puffy from crying and her lips were torn and bleeding. What had he done to her?
"Angelus," Spike hissed knowing immediately that it was true when what had once been Angel chuckled.
"Not nearly as good as Dru, not as much stamina," he yanked the rope making her groan and fall forward, "she kept passing out right in the middle of my lessons. Had to beat her a little for that and it got a little messy."
Spike woke with a start the dream barely fading from his mind as he sat up on his cot and tried to catch his breath. The display from Angel had brought bad things back up again. After the incident with Angel Spike had been feeling less than willing to do any work and had gone to get drunk. After getting completely sloshed and laughing about Angel having to do everything the rest of the day he'd fallen asleep.
Spike shuddered and tried to keep the shakes from returning as he wondered just what had woken him up. It wasn't the dream he knew that. The dream woke him at the same place every time and fortunately he hadn't yet reached that point. Just as he was choking it up to luck he heard a loud bang against his wall. It was enough to make it shake. That was Trenton's room. Trenton was gone. Spike narrowed his eyes and remembered why the entire fight with Angel had started in the first place. Trenton had been up to something and that something was obviously trying to find a way out. He wondered if Trenton had found a dog and brought it home again. The dog hadn't lasted long taken by one of the kids below, but it had been an awful menace until its departure. Whatever it was though sounded big, bigger than a dog.
Spike pulled himself to his feet thankful for the distraction and the fact that the dream and the memories were fading with the distraction. He didn't really have a hang over but his hand was aching a little bit. He picked up his shirt off the floor and pulled it over his sculpted chest and didn't bother buttoning his pants back up and ran his hand through his disheveled locks as he started out his door. Just as he was about to open the door he heard Crydon's angry hum. It wasn't really something he'd need the sword for but he was protesting too loudly and angrily at being left behind that Spike walked back toward it and slung the leather cord over his shoulder grumbling angrily the entire way as he headed back for the door again.
There was another loud bang and Spike's mouth tightened into a line. He was beginning to wonder with Trenton had managed to sneak in an elephant through the trap door. With the entire ruckus, it seemed very possible. Spike stalked down the short hall to the door and without knocking burst into the room. At first all he saw was darkness but his eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light and he saw Mika standing in the corner one of her books clutched to her chest. She had her lower lip in between her teeth and she was shaking. In fact she was so involved she hadn't noticed his entrance. The question was just what was she staring at.
Spike followed her line of sight to Trenton's bed where a girl, no taller than five foot two or so stood. Her clothes were hanging off her body in ripped rags. He could smell blood on her, and not all of it was hers. Her hair hung in oily strings around her shadowed face. In her hand were the remains of Trenton's lamp. She was shaking her breath coming in shallow gulps as she swayed slightly. The room was a mess as well and he guessed immediately that she was the cause and more than that she was Trenton's fault.
"Who the hell is this?" Spike yelled his hands immediately going over his head as she charged into the room.
Mika whipped her head around her hair flying around her shoulders as she pulled the book tighter, "Sp…Spike, um," she whipped her head back to the girl and to Spike again and tried to smile but it fell from her face immediately.
"Who is this?" He asked again and directed his glare at the girl before turning back to Mika. "We have rules you know. They're 'ere for safety reasons look at 'er she's a little off her nut."
"Spike," his name was hissed past the girl's lips like he was a disease and he turned slowly toward her again to see her grip had tightened on her weapon and she had flung her hair out of her face. Her eyes were an intense green and they shined back at him with hatred. She was familiar but he couldn't place her.
"Um," Mika stuttered again and looked to Spike. "She's a little disoriented. She had a concussion and…" She trailed off when the girl leaped from the bed her aim directly on Spike.
Spike turned to her small body not bothering to draw his sword as he faced her. She could be a number of things. A demon possessed human sent to take down their ranks, it had been done before. She screamed as she launched herself at him and Spike moved quickly to swat her deadly glass welding hand out of the way, but he was the one caught off guard when she swatted his block and moved him to slash him across the face. His entire body was pitched backward as he tried to move out of the way but the jagged edge of the lamp grazed his cheek hard enough to draw blood.
"Bloody hell!" Spike yelled as he stepped back and immediately lifted his hand to block her next swing. He managed to grab her wrist and twist it hard enough to make her gasp and fall to the ground. Using that to his advantage he kicked out at her trying to catch her in the stomach but she rolled out of the way just in time.
She half rose with her injured arm that had once held the weapon clutched to her chest. Spike jumped at her again this time aiming at her face. He backhanded her lightly hoping to push her back again but she barely turned her head with the blow before she looked up again. It was like it didn't even hurt and even if Spike had toned down the blow it was enough to knock a normal human being backward. She wasn't human. He sniffed the air again. Her blood, the blood that was now staining her bandages, smelled human, human but different. He didn't notice a demonistic quality to it though it did have a familiar twinge to it.
"Ow," Spike groaned as his momentary distraction was used to her advantage and she jumped on him, kicking him across the face. Spike felt his face shift at the impact and lunged at her no longer worrying about hurting her. She obviously wasn't fragile. His blows rained down on her quickly and though some of them were blocked, most of them weren't. Finally he reached in between her defenses and kicked her in the chest knocking her against the opposite wall.
She hit it hard and slid to the ground her hair once again falling in her eyes. She was on her feet again quickly and she began to speak, "Spike I know it's you who did this. I'll make sure you pay!" With that she lunged forward again. At the sudden movement her hair was pushed back and she was suddenly illuminated by the candle in the corner.
In his demon visage Spike could see everything and he suddenly remembered why her body seemed so familiar, why her voice was making him grit his teeth and why her fighting style was pissing him off. He it, he knew her, but it couldn't be true. Roaring loudly he met her half way tossing off her attempts to attack him and grabbing hold of her forearms tightly and drove her against her will into the far wall. He ignored Mika's cries of protest as he pressed hard enough to bruise another growl leaving his throat.
"Who the fuck are you!" He slammed her head against the wall and smiled slightly when she pulled back slightly dazed her eyes glazed over.
"You know who I am you bastard," She said between gasps of air and shifted her leg and tried to knee him in the groin, but he trapped her knees in between his thighs.
"I know who you look like, but it's not who you are," he leaned closer his tongue snaking out to lick at her throat while she struggled against him almost managing to break free but he tightened his grip until she stopped moving. She was weak after all, already injured. He licked an open wound on her neck. He knew the taste of slayer blood and this would tell him if it was her before anything else would. He let the blood rush across his taste buds until he felt them explode and he felt a trembling in his body that rushed from his mouth to his feet and back to his groin. It was slayer blood all right with the ability to make him hard with minimal effort.
"Enjoy your taste," Buffy suddenly asked and Spike realized too late that he'd let his guard down and he looked up just in time to feel her forehead smash against his nose.
"Bloody hell you bitch why does it always 'ave to be the nose!" He stumbled back cradling his bleeding nose as he looked at her again. She certainly had the Slayer's accuracy, but it was impossible. Buffy died over a hundred years ago. The slayer line had gone on without her. It didn't make sense.
He looked at her again to see her swaying a little. Maybe it had taken a little more out of her than she would have liked. Just as he was walking toward her, her eyes rolled back in her head again and she fell to the floor with a hard thud. Mika finally made a move and rushed past Spike and to the girl's side.
"God, you could have been a little easier on her," Mika exclaimed as she propped her up and fanned her face.
"She broke my nose an' you're fannin' her face. You should be lookin' after me," Spike protested. "You have no idea what you're dealing with."
"And neither do you." Mika pointed out.
"I know," Spike shook his head and wiped a little bit of blood off his face with the back of his hand, "whoever this is she's trying to get at Angel. That girl was sent from the enemy."
"What are you talking about?" Mika asked as she laid her back down and rechecked her injuries and started to attend to the new ones. "She was scared and you didn't help."
"She's the slayer girl."
"Zarah's the slayer," she replied simply.
"No she's "The Slayer" the one that Angel mourned over," Spike spoke slowly, "she's here to bring us all down I can feel it."
"Are you talking about Buffy," Mika hissed.
"I'm not crazy you bint," he argued at her pointed look, "I know her face and worse than that I tasted her. It's Buffy all right, in one form or another."
~~~~~~~~~`````
"Hey Zarah, lets stop here," Trenton mumbled over the girl's constant humming and dropped his bag just outside the nearly demolished building.
The girl looked back and gestured toward the woods with vigor but Trenton wasn't about to venture into the woods when it was already dark. She was used to it, he imagined she even found comfort in it, but Trenton didn't like the woods. All the sounds within the woods unnerved him. This was the last set of buildings before they were forever plunged into the forest and all it brought with it. Not only were the noises an issue, because of them he had difficulty sleeping, but demons tended to make their homes in the shadows.
"It's getting too dark and I don't want to start into there until full light," Trenton argued as he motioned for her to come back. She frowned a little but slowly turned around her boots flopping on and off her feet because she never tied them. "It won't be so bad." He tried to sooth. "We'll build a fire and have something to eat, okay?"
She brightened a little her hazel brows moving upward with slight excitement as he walked her way into the crumbling building and tossed her pack in the corner. Trenton shook his head and picked up his own pack following close behind her.
"Wood," she asked brightly.
Trenton nodded, "yeah got a lot of it. I'm not sure about nights right now, but last time we I stayed out here it was pretty cold. The day was warm, but you never know for sure." Trenton set his pack on the floor and began pulling his bed roll out. Their rations followed and removed a few pots to place over the fire and warm the food. Last of all he set the bottles of bourbon against the wall. He opened the sack and let the bottles become visible as he looked them over. It wasn't often that he had an opportunity for a good glass of bourbon, or any kind of alcohol.
"You think this 'trader' would notice if we're short a bottle?" Trenton asked through a grin and turned around only to find Zarah already gone. Trenton mumbled under his breath and leaned against the wall and groaned as his muscles began to uncoil. He usually loved leaving the dungeon, or so he called it, to go up top and explore. Usually these trips took him a couple of days longer because he spent most of the time exploring and picking up artifacts. There wasn't much left in the crumbling town, most of it having succumbed to rot and decay being exposed to the elements, but sometimes if he was lucky the trip would be worth it. All he could think about now was the blond girl who'd fought those demons, and who Isa had a strange liking of.
Thinking about it Trenton pulled the blade out of its sheath and laid it across his outstretched legs and watched the light blue aura surrounding her dance, flick, and swirl around the blade. He wondered if the blond girl had woken up. Even though he wanted her to be all right he didn't want her to wake up without him there. It was possible that she might remember him from the fight, or better yet confide in him, trust him. He leaned back a little farther and grinned. She'd fall all over him and fall in love with him. His fantasies were beginning to get carried away when he heard a loud whoop from just outside the door.
Zarah burst loudly through the threshold her arms full of logs and twigs. She dropped them unceremoniously on the floor and whooped again as she crouched onto the floor and began arranging them into a pile so she could start a fire. Trenton narrowed his eyes slightly but there was no yelling at her for it. Getting Zarah mad was like walking into a cage full of angry, starving tigers naked and he really didn't find the scenario appealing.
"Woosh," Zarah called jumping back as she waved her arms high over her head and smiled widely. "Eat, woosh," she said again and fell back onto her hunches much like a dog and waited for him to finish.
Trenton rolled his eyes and outstretched his hand closing them slightly as he recited a short incantation and the piled up sticks caught fire and a thin trail of smoke rolled upward and through the holes in the ceiling. Trenton never claimed to be a magic user but fire was a simple and essential spell to learn, especially when matches were scarce. He had just barely learned to balance the other elements so it wouldn't start pouring rain. Considering the holes in the roof it was a good thing. Finally getting up, Trenton picked up the unsealed stew and poured it into a pot and set it over the flame and waited for it to get warm.
He kind of wanted to talk but then again Zarah wasn't the best conversationalist in the world. She was already engaged in her own world a small metal tin in front of her as she rifled through the contents carefully. She pulled out a small glass jar from the box and put it between her feet before shutting the box and putting the tin back in her knapsack. The jar was filled with a suspicious red liquid and Trenton didn't know if he wanted to ask what it was. She opened the jar with on of her hands continuing to hold the glass with her feet.
Trenton leaned over to stir the stew and raised a brow as he watched Zarah and her jar of strange reddish liquid. He really didn't want to know what it was, but it was hard for him to pull his eyes away from her. She unscrewed the lid and dipped her middle finger into the concoction and smeared the red across both cheeks and down her chin all the while chanting something in another tongue.
Zarah didn't come to them not knowing how to speak. She just didn't know how to speak English. The language was nothing like Spike or even Angel had ever heard of and they were fluent and not only all human languages but most of the demon ones as well. They figured it was her own, though they'd never been able to really decipher any of it and she had never tried to explain it to them. Mika said there was magic underlying her words. She raised her arms up mumbling again before letting them fall slowly to her sides.
"Eat," she said softly her eyes still closed.
Trenton cleared his throat, slightly mystified, and spooned out her stew into a bowl and watched her reach for it never opening her eyes though she seemed to know exactly where it was at. She held the plate with one hand and with the other lifted the jar and poured a small amount onto the stew and began chanting again.
Trenton cringed, a little grossed out considering the color and consistency of whatever was in the jar. He watched her finish her chant and bring the bowl her mouth. He felt his stomach turn knew instantly it was going to be a very long trip.
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