Title:
Hungry for You - Chapter 8 of How Many Days
Disclaimer: Joss doesn't play with his toys anymore. Someone has to,
dammit!
Rating: R
Pairing: Buffy/Spike, Dawn/Other, Willow/Giles, Willow/Other
Summary: Post-Season 7. This is a sequel to 'Don't Stop the Dance'
Distribution: Anywhere you like, just let me know.
Feedback: is welcome. ~Xionin (xionin@beautiful-freak.com)
Thank you: Maribel: the most amazing beta in any universe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rien de dormier cette nuit
Je veux de toi
Jusque'a` ce que je sois sec
Mais nos corps sont tout mouille's
Comple'tement couvert de sueur
Nous nous noyons dans la mare'e
Je n'ai aucun de'sir
Tu as ravage' mon coeur
Et mois j'ai bu ton sang
Mais non pouvons faire ce que nous voulons
J'aurais toujours faim de toi. -Sting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Willow, Willowhe's gone.
I know sweetie.
He was here and now he's
It wasn't him.
YES! Yes, it was, he-
No, sweetheart.
It wasn't your love. It wasn't your heart, Buffy.
It wasn't your Spike.
How can you
SAY that? You don't know! You weren't here! You didn't see him!
Touch him! FEEL him!
And did you?
Yes. He waseverywhere.
Did he tell you he loved you?
Yesyes, always.
He lied. Hewasn't capable of loving you.
LIAR!
No, Buffy, you know it.
NO! Spike loved me! SpikeI was his world. He was mine!
Yes, Buffy.
You are right: you and Spike shared a love beyond measure, but that - the one
that was with you - that wasn't Spike.
No, i-itIt was him. I felt-
Alone. You felt alone and then he came to you.
Yes, so alone.
You were grieving for him, for Spike, and then he came.
Yes! God, yes. He came back to me.
No.
No?
No.
Yes, he did.
No.
But-
No.
He came to me, loved me-
No.
Why? Why do
you keep saying 'no'?
Are you trying to hurt me? Trying to kill me?
No, Buffy. But, I believe that deep down, you know the truth.
Thetruth?
The truth. It wasn't Spike. It isn't Spike.
Spike. Spiiikkke.
Shhhh. Buffy, I need you to tell me.
Wh-what?
Tell me when he first appeared.
I-I dunno.
How long has hehave you How long?
A mo-month?
Six weeks? I-I don't know.
HeI love him so much, Willow and it hurt.
I know, Buffy.
I know.
Butwhen he comes, is it only at night?
Yes.
Tell me about the first night, Buffy.
I'm cold, Willow.
Where are you?
On thethe floor. I'm lying on the floor.
Get up, get into bed. Get warm.
But he's not
there. No one's there.
It's so empty.
Buffy.
Ok.
Now tell me.
I lit the candles.
I love the candles so much. I lit them and I was watching them dance.
II was sleepy, and beginning to dream. Of him. Always of him, Willow
Buffy dozed peacefully between the glowing warmth of her room and the familiar reminiscence of her dreams where he would meet her; smirking, joking. Loving.
The billowing
of the curtains met her lazy gazes when her eyes did occasionally open. She
vaguely remembered closing the window before turning in, but seeing it open
didn't alarm her. She was only mildly curious as she laid waiting for sleep
to claim her.
The dancing light of the candelabra, a now-necessary part of her evening, lulled
her. She watched the figures in the silver wink and laugh at her, occasionally
blowing her kisses, which made her laugh. She felt almost giddy.
Her dream pulled her under, promising his smile, his touch. She welcomed it with open arms. It began simply enough with his voice saying her name. Buffy. Then a soft caress.
Mmmmm he's touching me, my hair.
He loved your hair, Buffy.
Loves.
Yes, loves.
The touch traveled down, fluttering across her eyelids. She felt breath tickling her skin; could almost make out words in the murmurings. The sheet peeled slowly away from her, revealing the dusty rose of her nipples to the night's breezes. She gasped. She could feel the tongue - his tongue - making wide circles around her sensitive flesh.
Oh, Spike.
Her body responded to his hands and mouth; her back arched. Moans escaped her throat. It had never been like this. Never so very real to her. Light kisses on her stomach and lower.
Ohhhh.
Concentrate, Buffy. Open your eyes. What do you see?
Spike.
You see him?
Yesand n-no. He'sthere, but not there.
Can youcan you see through him?
Yes! Like a window. But it's him. It's him.
No, butcontinue. Look around the room. What else do you see?
Strong fingers parted her legs and they complied willingly. Buffy's head rolled to the side, her eyes opened slowly to the vision of the candelabra. The silver-carved faces had changed. They were observing her; observing them. Hungry eyes feasted on their lovemaking. Their mouths slack with desire, lust anddarker things. Buffy wanted to look harder, but he had found her wanting. He lowered himself between her velvet thighs and lapped at her juices. "J'aurais toujours faim de toi." She cried out at the sound of his voice, shutting her eyes. Her mind hadn't processed the other tiny voices she'd heard, all crying out with her.
Buffy?
Buffy.
Buffy, it's ok. Rest now. Sleep deeply and let nothing disturb you until you hear my voice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They avoid Willow as she stands in the doorway, working her magic.
Colin had been the one to ask why she simply hadn't gone to Buffy, rather than choosing to communicate with her this way. Dawn had calmly explained that her sister probably would have run away, had anyone gone near her.
Since that exchange over an hour ago, they'd silently resumed their research. No one knows what to look for, but keeping busy is better than doing nothing. At the very least, it calms Dawn down and her episode subsides; her eyes resuming their peaceful blue, much to Colin's relief.
The pair sits close: Dawn seeking comfort and reassurance; Colin a bit of the same. It does not go unnoticed.
"ErColin." Giles removes his glasses and addresses the younger man in a hushed tone. "Why don't you and Dawn go for a walk? I'm sure she could use some fresh air, and I believe we all could use a break. Willow will have more information when sheis finished, I'm sure."
Colin didn't respond, simply made eye contact with Dawn who smiled in relief. He turned back to the Watcher and nodded, smiling. The two of them slipped out of the side door leaving Giles to observe Willow.
He allows his eyes to follow the lines of her face. Her eyes are closed, and there is a hint of a smile on her lips, although her brow is creased. He wonders what is happening in that fascinating mind of hers.
Realizing that he has stopped mere inches from her face, his hands hover in front of him as if to touch her. He mentally chastises himself and walks determinedly away and back over to the table. His growing affection for Willow is becoming a problem. When they'd received the urgent call from Dawn, they had been having dinner at a nearby bistro. He had finally gotten up the nerve to confront her on their newfound attraction. That, or confirm that it was all just in his age-addled mind; for how could a creature so advanced, so exquisite as her ever, ever want...him?
Fatigue overwhelms him suddenly, as he plops down into the chair and he doesn't even attempt to stifle the yawn. He decides to rest his eyes for a moment and leans his head on his arm, which rests on the table.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You alright?" Colin wraps an arm around Dawn as they stroll the rear grounds. The night sky is waning as daybreak threatens. The city is asleep, as even the birds haven't stirred. It is an eerie silence that makes Dawn uncomfortable. She huddles closer.
"YeahI-I'll be fine, thanks." She offers a tiny smile.
"No need to thank me, Dawn. I don't need an excuse to want to be close to you." That earns a genuine smile and Colin returns it. They walk in peace for a few minutes before coming to a stone bench at the edge of the rose garden. "This is a beautiful place, even at night."
"It is. Giles and Willow - they wanted it to be serene, rejuvenating. They wanted it to be lovely."
"They succeeded." He responds, looking her directly in the eye. Dawn blushes, ducking her head. "Was thatam I being too forward?"
"Are you serious?" Dawn laughs.
"Yes, quite."
They study each other for a few moments before he leans in to place a gentle kiss on her lips. He pulls back and searches her eyes for any sign that he is stepping over his boundaries, but Dawn merely smiles. Her lips part in invitation and he lowers his mouth to hers once more.
This time they are barely touching. Their lips slide against one another's in a butterfly kiss. Colin lifts his hand into Dawn's thick hair and pulls her closer. The kiss slowly deepens, tapping into a desire that Dawn didn't know she had. Her tongue moves tentatively to meet his and he gently circles it with his own. She wraps her arms around his neck as he envelops her waist.
This, she thinks. This is what it feels like.
Dawn's head is spinning when the kiss ends just as gently as it began. It isn't that they've never kissed before, it's that he has never shown her how he really felt. Sometimes, being younger, her insecurities all but convinced her that she was just a child trying to win the affections of a man. But over the last few months, since her party, Colin has never treated her like anything but a lady. And his increasing devotion to her has manifested itself in only the best of ways.
He has become her best friend, but aside from a few chaste kisses and looks of longing, he hadn't really expressed interest in anything more.
Until now.
"Dawn." Just the one word says everything she needs to hear right now, and she gives him a glowing smile, her eyes fluttering with relief. She remembers the heartbreak of her schoolgirl crush on Xander. He laughs softly, shaking his head.
"We're both pretty silly, if you ask me." He runs his fingers through her hair.
"Why do you say that?" She closes her eyes and leans into his touch.
"I've been bloody terrified of telling you"
"What?" Her eyes open half-lidded into his; a pale blue that holds the key to his heart.
"Dawnyou do realize that I'm in love with you. Don't you?" He holds his breath, waiting for her to run. She blinks and then her smile illuminates the night.
"I love you too, Colin," she replies quietly.
"You do?"
"Yeah." She wraps her arms around him and they hold each other.
"Thank God." He whispers and they both laugh. "I'd have felt a right fool, mooning after you that way I've been if you didn't-"
"But I do, silly. I mean, duh - I made it pretty obvious." Colin feigns deep-thought for a moment.
"Yes, actually, you did." Dawn pulls back from him in mock offense.
"Are you saying I was obvious?" She laughs incredulously.
"Well I'm not blind, you know." He winks, smiling and pushing a stray hair out of her eyes. She giggles before they both fall silent again.
"I love you."
"I love you too." They sit and he pulls her into his lap. She rests her head on his shoulder, yawning.
"Knackered?" She nods. "Have a siesta." He cradles her in his arms, running smooth circles on her back. She soon dozes off, exhausted from the day. Colin alternates between watching her and watching the lightening sky. He silently thanks whoever is responsible for bringing this girl to him from across the sea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Rupert."
Willow lays a gentle hand on his arm and squeezes. He surfaces from a black and dreamless sleep, the kind only true exhaustion can provide, to the sight of her ice blue gaze. He has a sudden and strong urge to kiss her and this makes him jump back from her touch. She only smiles, though. He fumbles to replace his glasses and clear his throat.
"Did youwere you able to glean any information?" He stammers nervously, trying to quell his awareness of her slim figure beneath the gossamer fabric of her white peasant top. He is annoyed at this strange wave of lust, not that it is new, but that it chose this moment to manifest itself.
"Yes, and we're gonna need to act quickly." She sighs, sinking into a chair. Giles straightens up in concern.
"What is it?"
"I thinkI'm pretty sure it's an incubus."
"An in-I haven't heard of one so strong in a very long time, are you sure?"
"No, not 100%, but I think it's tied to that." She points to the candelabra that she retrieved from Buffy's quarters after the girl had fallen to sleep.
"It's exquisite." Giles traces the carvings with his fingertips. Noting the warmth, he looks up at Willow for confirmation.
"Yeah, it's warmalmost human warm. You know? 98.6?"
"How odd."
"Yeah, but that's not all. Did you get a look at the carvings?"
"Yes, they're quite extraordinary in their detail."
"Look again." Giles frowns a bit but he takes another look, adjusting his glasses, and is surprised to find that the figures have changed. Or, more accurately their faces have changed. Instead of being angelic and graceful as they were a moment ago, they are now menacing.
"This is an enchanted piece. And you believe that this is the talisman for an incubus?" Willow nods. "Well, where did it come from? Was it something she purchased somewhere?"
"I dunno...but the creature is almost definitely attached to it, somehow."
Colin and Dawn enter the room and approach the table, taking seats near the object. Dawn stares intently at it, frowning. She feels an unidentifiable twinge in her stomach. She almost wants to label it 'wrath'. They all study the candelabra while Willow recounts what Buffy told her.
"It's the only thing I can connect to all of the occurrences. She said that she lit it the first night heappeared to her and every night since then."
"So, you think the candlelight attracts the thing? Well, this specific candlelight?"
"Yes, I think the incubus uses it, but how I don't know."
"I believe I do."
"You've seen this piece before?"
"Uh, no. But if you're talking about a creature attached to candlelight, I believe we may be dealing with a liderc demon."
"A liderc?" Giles removes his glasses in shock. "Are youthere hasn't been a substantiated case in centuries."
"It's just a theory, sir."
"Wait, somebody please explain to me what this lee-" Dawn turns away from the object to focus on the conversation.
"Liderc.
It'swell, it's an old Hungarian wives' tale, really, although there a-are
cases documented in France and Spain.
The liderc is an incubus that preys on widows, using their grief to obtain their
life essence in order to sustain itself."
Giles strains to pull the facts from his memory.
"Yes, Mr. Giles, that's partially true." Colin shifts uncomfortably. "A liderc is no ordinary incubus, though. The liderc is able to travel through fire. The smallest flame can be a conduit. If this silver piece is truly a home to one of these things, then it must be very strong indeed."
"I don't understand." Dawn frowns in confusion. "What does it do, run around sleeping with lonely women?"
"Well, it uses the woman's despair to win its way into her heart and her bed. It usually comes to her in dreams and seduces her, in the guise of her lost loved one."
"Soit's just a sort of a horny demon? Chatting up grieving widows?"
"No, Dawn. The lidercit's very...dangerous." Giles offers, looking to Willow and Colin for help explaining.
"Yes." Colin supplies. "It will continue totap into the woman's life force until there is...nothing left of her. And then it moves on." Dawn's mouth drops open in disbelief.
"So, this thing that's beenwith Buffyit's slowly killing her? That's why she's been so tired and withdrawn?"
"Yes." Willow sighs, deep in thought.
"But we've stopped it, right? We can melt this thing down and it'll be dead, right?"
"I'm afraid it isn't that simple." Giles replies.
"This oneDawn, you saw it." Colin shakes his head, clearly disturbed.
"I-I don't understand."
"You saw it." Willow fills in. "It was strong enough to appear solid to you."
"I take it that's not supposed to happen."
"No, it isn't." Giles' voice is grim. "It ususally only appears to the...the victim."
"Soi-it's strong. So what? How do we kill it before it kills Buffy?"
The silence is deafening as Dawn looks around the room.
"Ihave an idea." Willow says finally. "We can't take the chance of destroying the candelabra and having it not work. We need to get it back here andtrap it, somehow."
"How do we do that?" Giles studies the object more closely.
"Buffy." Willow meets each set of eyes, noting their apprehension.
"You want to use heras a lure?" Colin looks at Willow with concern.
"We have to, it's her that it wants."
"Wait, you're gonna use Buffy as bait? Didn't you just say that this thing is killing her?" Dawn's voice rises. Colin places a hand on her back in an attempt to keep her calm.
"We may have to, if we want to save her Dawn." Giles addresses the young girl, but his eyes rest firmly in Willow's in an unspoken communication.
This has
to work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: OK, so I am very, very, very late with this. And to make up for it, I absolutely promise to post the next chapter in the next 2 or 3 days. It's actually finished, but I want to let this one sink in before I post the next. ;]
On to your feedback:
Spikealicious: Was it what you thought, hmmm? I know, it is quite a dilemma,
but I think I can do it justice.
Carol: Thanks so much, I hope you continue to enjoy the ride.
Lia: You know, those heartstrings make the lovliest, most melancholy
music. ;]
Kumi: Yeah, Dawn is in for a wild ride...and Spike will be weaving and
ducking with her. Oops! A hint!
Ali: This particular mystery will soon be solved, but not the big one.
Not quite yet. Can't give it all away at once, right?
Heather: Sorry this is late, sweetie, but I hope it's worth it.
Mar ala: You have to be wringing your hands by now. [LOL] Don't worry,
I'll take good care of everyone.
Mon: Hope this one answered some of your questions, at least. And more
will be revealed in a few more days.
Mary Rose: That's such a lovely compliment, thank you. :]
Cass: So glad you were able to track me down. Welcome back!
Ranaslayer: You're reviews are much more entertaining than my chapters.
:] I will explain more about Dawn's changing eye-color shortly, but first things
first. You're absolutely right about Buffy's state of mind and I will let her
and the group deal with what she's been hiding for almost a year. In fact, this
episode will have lasting ramifications throughout the series, I think.
Til next time!
~Xio
TBC Chapter 9: La Belle Dame Sans Regrets
