Disclaimer: Same as always.. nothing belongs to me, yadda yadda.

A/N: I do realize this is a rather short chapter, but I wanted it to stand alone anyway - no, not only for the title ;) - please cope with me.

III. To Silence A Poet


Dublin, Ireland – Autumn 1881

"In that you're completely right." she agreed and an undefinable smirk came to her lips...

It almost seemed as if an idea that had never before occurred to her suddenly entered her mind.

When she got up and strolled over to him in her usual elegant manner, he was to amazed to say or do anything. He wasn't sure what she had in mind, but a part of him was rather eager to find out.

"Darla, what..?"

Spike didn't get any further than this, because when this vampire-lady - who should have been so much above him according to everything he'd been taught in the last year – took a seat right on his lap, getting quite comfy by the looks – and feels – of it speech left him in tandem with all coherent thought.

"Oh, come one, William.. don't tell me you never thought about it.. dreamed about it." Her delicate voice was only a low whisper now; a soft tune barely audible to any human being, but hard to miss for his sensitive senses. "I know you have." It didn't help him a bit that her fingertips were currently drawing lazy patterns across his chest, making him swallow.

Of course he had thought about it – from time to time – but he had also been sure that this would be all there was, or would ever be, to it. He'd realised that after his first few days as a vampire already and even more clearly when he'd gotten to know her better. It had been a nice fantasy, nothing more. Her pride alone would be enough to keep her from coming near the freshling, at least in that way, and her weird obsession with Angelus would do the rest, that he'd been absolutely certain of. He still was in a way. What happened right now was completely impossible. Or at least extremely improbable.

That it was obviously happening anyway was hardly deniable when her soft lips came to lightly touch his. And for a moment, he couldn't help closing his eyes and savour the feelings actually kissing her evoked in him.

Then he got a grasp on the shattered remains of his self-control. From there it was but a small step to pulling back slightly, even though he wasn't entirely sure that it was actually what he wanted to do. "Wait - one second, luv - we can't actually ..."

Her lacking expression cut him short. "Why not?" she asked simply, making it sound as if the fact that she was currently seducing him was the most natural thing in the world. The fact that she occupied her time waiting for an answer with leaving a trail of butterfly kisses on his neck didn't exactly proof helpful in concentrating on his objections – or in not just forgetting about them completely.

"'Cause.." Yes, William? Very funny, now his own mind joined in taunting him. "Cause.. well, you yourself explained to me why not." Fail. Then however, a solid reason came to his mind. "... an' because he will totally freak when he finds out – they will."

To his utter and continuing astonishment Darla's answer consisted mostly of a careless shrug of her shoulders and an amused smile grazing her lips. "Well, I sure won't tell them.."

It was crystal clear that with that this discussion was over in her eyes and she turned their attention back to more.. pleasurable things.

The End (at least for now).

A/N 2: As I said, I might still continue this little series over time (always planned on doing so), but I won't promise anything. However, there is another two chapters already written that I wanted to put in at a later point of the series, so if I notice I won't write something in between anymore those will still be coming up.