Love's sting

Faith's breathless wheezes filled the room; her wide eyes sought and fixed themselves intensely on Spike's. Shakily, Buffy backed away from the fallen Slayer, turning instead to Spike with a cautious look. Spike looked at her coldly and shook his chains irritably.

"Get these sodding things off me"

Buffy took a second glance at Faith's now black gem.

"I'm bloody free alright! The spell's broken!"

Buffy nodded silently at his words, and slowly began to free his wrist.

"S-Spike... S-S-Spike, please!"

Faith stuttered, her voice betraying the effort she was putting into just staying alive.

"WILL YOU BLOODY HURRY UP SLAYER?"

Spike roared, staring worriedly at Faith, and as his last manacle was opened he immediately knelt at Faith's fallen side. Fading brown eyes seemed to almost glow as his knuckles softly graced the side of her face, Faith closed her eyes and a pleasured sigh escaped her lips.

"Why did you do it Faith?"

Spike whispered, Faith's eyes fluttered wearily opened, they were glistening.

"I'm sorry"

Hands that had been gentle suddenly clenched angrily around her jaw, Spike's eyes turned into burning fires as he snarled at her.

"I want to know WHY!"

Tears spilled down her cheeks and onto Spike's hand, and making horrible shuddering gasps, Faith moved her hand so that it rested on the one of his that held her jaw in a tight grip.

"You know why... I love you"

Faith's whisper was caught in-between harsh and shallow breaths, her hand began to slip from his slightly, and in a sudden exhale of air, it fell away from his completely, falling beside the dagger in her heart. Her eyes stared permanently into his face...

She was dead.

Spike knelt before her still, until a hand gently touched his shoulder.

"Spike-"

Spike shook the hand off, and raised a hand to Faith's face, to gently with his fingertips, close her eyes.

"I'm not finished..." He told her simply, still looking at Faith's face. With her eyes now closed, and her lips ever so slightly parted, her face looked peaceful. At rest. His eyes flickered down her neck to her chest where he saw the dagger deeply embedded into her heart. It was a wonder she lasted as long as she did. His hands wrapped round the gemmed handle, and in one fluid movement and a slight squelching noise, it came free... It crashed to the floor.

"She's gone Spike"

Buffy whispered, Spike snorted darkly, his back still to her.

"Wouldn't have guessed Slayer"

Buffy sighed, and her eyes rolled to the ceiling, filling with tears.

"I had to it Spike"

"No," Spike muttered.

"NO!" He suddenly cried and he whirled round, his face was soaked with tears.

"NO YOU DIDN'T!"

Buffy felt a lone tear slide down her face at the raw anguish on his face, at the despair that made his eyes burn.

"It was abuse Spike, it was wrong"

Spike's face creased up in pain, and he rose to his feet, his eyes sparkling bright in challenge.

"Why? Because it wasn't you!"

"Spike-"

"NO! You would have had my help Slayer; we would have defeated the First-"

"AND THEN WHAT!"

Buffy shouted, raising her voice in desperation.

"HUH? LET YOU CLAIM HER? SHE HAD YOU UNDER A SPELL SPIKE! SHE COULD HAVE MADE YOU MATE WITH HER! She raped you." Buffy finished her voice fading as the words sunk in.

Spike shook his head in denial of her words.

"No, no it wasn't like that-"

"She raped you! She raped you and she made you love it! How could I leave you to that?"

"I WAS HAPPY!"

Spike screamed at her, his voice was hoarse with raw pain and desperation. Buffy shook her head, tears falling freely down her face.

"I was a lie Spike, you know it was..."

"It's the closest I've come! Would it have been so bad? To just-"

Buffy let out a groan of frustration and came face to face with him.

"And what if it was me? If Angel had cast that spell on me? Or Riley? You would have, what, left me to it?"

Spike glared heatedly into her green eyes, before his face crumbled and he fell to his knees sobbing before her. His arms wrapping themselves around her legs and his face pressed against her stomach as he howled. Buffy felt sure she would choke on her own cries as she pressed a shaking hand into his hair.

Buffy looked out on the grave yard, frowning slightly she turned back to face Spike.

"I can stay Spike, let me stay. Let me help you..."

Spike sighed, but he didn't look at her. "Anna will be back soon," He said wearily.

"Besides, I'm not... I'm not ready."

Buffy couldn't deny she was disappointed, and after the closeness they had briefly shared, as Spike had clung to her, she had received something else from Spike other than his coldness, and now she ached. But her objective had been achieved, Spike was free.

"Then I'll wait"

She told him softly, before walking through the door Spike held open for her, she turned back to face him.

"And I will you know, William..."

And after a lingering look she slowly walked away, her heart breaking slightly when she didn't hear him call her back.

No sooner had Buffy left, Anna returned. She took one look at the sorry state of her Sire knew Buffy had been around, and then the scents hit her... Another Slayer

"What is it about you and Slayers?"

Anna asked shaking her head, but as she walked further into the crypt, the aroma of Faith's blood filled her arched nostrils. Her mouth instantly watered.

"Oh gods" She whispered, her eyes wide and bright with hunger. Spike clasped her face gently with his hands.

"Haven't you fed?" He asked her concerned; Anna struggled to concentrate on him.

"Pig, dead."

"Slayer's dead too" Spike pointed out, but Anna's eyes opened wider.

"Still a Slayer"

She went to move, but Spike held her still.

"Forget it Anna"

He told his Childe, his voice firm. Then he lifted a hand from her face and drew his blunt nails down his neck. He hissed in pain, but held a hand up to halt Anna's worried splutters; he approached his double bed and fell upon it – in offering.

"Feed"

He ordered emotionlessly, and drawn as Anna was to her Sire's blood, she could sense something was seriously amiss with him.

"S-Sire-"

"Childe please, please I just want to be... to be needed"

Anna let out a shaking breath and slowly approached her Sire, the sweet calling of his blood would no longer be denied, and carefully she began to drink. And Spike felt himself let go.

Thank you so much for reading, as ever I eagerly await your views

Regards

Lisi the slayer