Entry tags:
Fic: Divided Destiny. Chapter 13: The Ghost of Christmas Future
And the conclusion to the little Christmas interlude...
First chapter & notes here (on LJ), for DW just follow the tags, and Master post of whole 'verse here (also tagged on DW).
Can also be found on AO3.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Rating: Teen. (Same warnings as the show basically.)
Characters: Spike, Angel, Illyria, Buffy, Scoobies + cameos from more or less everyone in the 'verse.
Main Ships: Spike/Buffy, Angel/Nina
Feedback: Is bloody ambrosia! (The secret ingredient is otter...)
Word count (this chapter): 2800 words approx.
Setting and Summary: As before. (Post-NFA epic quest thing.)
Beta: The ever wonderful![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kathyh
Chapter 13: The Ghost of Christmas Future
‘Smile and the world smiles back’. That was a saying, right? And in some ways it worked, because Riley smiled and people smiled back. He smiled at Sam and she positively beamed back; the sun that kept him orbiting, even when he felt like spinning off into the void.
Christmas had been and gone and Sam had enjoyed it all to the full - even going to midnight mass at St Peter’s; a fact he’d better keep hidden from his grandma forever or she’d probably disown him. Demons would be an easier subject than the Catholic Church. But much as he tried to pretend, that wasn’t what had unsettled him. No, it was what he called ‘The Sunnydale Factor’, the embodiment of which was Buffy - golden haired, mysterious Buffy, whom he had once thought the love of his life. Although looking back, what had his life been then? He’d lost his mission, even lost himself to some degree. And he had clung to Buffy so fiercely, hoping against hope that one day she might need him; might love him; might be someone he could understand. Having ‘The Sunnydale Factor’ thrown into his life now was unsettling to say the least. He didn’t like chaos, didn’t cope well when the rules kept changing. And he really didn’t want to dwell on all the... things that had happened back then.
All he wanted to do was to enjoy this evening, sitting on this bench with an arm around his wife and the promise of an exciting mission starting in a few days. So it was a rude shock when out of the blue a very real bleached blond vampire appeared in front of them.
“Good evening,” the vampire smiled, as though they were all the best of friends.
Before either could reply, he continued swiftly: “Sorry to be rude, but I’m afraid I need to borrow your husband for a little while Sam. I’m in a bit of a rush or I’d love to have a chat.”
Slightly bewildered, but friendly, Sam replied. “Sure - Riley, I think I’ll go browse in that little boutique just around the corner - you can come and dig me out when you two are done.”
Riley wondered why he didn’t just say no, but instead he nodded, gave Sam a kiss and watched her walk off down the street. Leaving him alone with Spike...
Slowly he turned his head to take in Buffy’s ‘New Boyfriend’. No - he still didn’t get it. But then had he ever really understood her?
Without a word Spike started walking. Puzzled, but loath to start an argument already, Riley followed. After a short while they were in the back streets, the darkness more prevalent and making Riley tense, scanning the surroundings for possible danger.
A moment later Spike stopped and looked around. “This seems quiet enough,” he said, and jumped up on a dumpster, then searched through his pockets for a cigarette and lighter. Riley watched him carefully light up, the flame highlighting his chiselled features, before turning to look at the human. “Want a seat?”
Riley shook his head mutely. What was going on? Was it a trap? But Spike had a soul, so surely that meant he didn’t hurt people... although that hadn’t stopped Angel that time. He tightened his grip on the stake in his pocket, but Spike caught the tiny motion and chuckled.
“Oh please - don’t insult both of us by even pretending that you could take me on.”
Riley gritted his teeth and replied tersely: “I’ve killed a helluva lot of demons these last few years Spike-” but Spike cut him off with an authoritative wave of his hand.
“Listen boy, I killed my first Slayer before your grandfather was even born. I could break your neck before that thing was out of your pocket, understood? But..." a resigned sigh, "I didn’t bring you here for a fight, so just calm down.”
Riley took a deep breath and nearly turned to walk away, but then curiosity got the better of him.
“So - what do you want Spike?”
The vampire smiled one of those infuriatingly smug smiles, and then said the last thing Riley could ever have imagined:
“I wanted to thank you!”
He knew that he probably looked like a complete idiot, but Riley couldn’t help his jaw from dropping.
“You... wanted to thank me?” Even if he had wanted to, he couldn’t have kept the sarcasm out of his voice. “What for?”
“The chip.”
“Very funny Spike. Care to tell me when exactly you went insane?”
Spike chuckled. “Oh I’m not saying I liked it - or that it was fun having migraines from hell every time I looked at someone the wrong way. Or that I enjoyed it when it nearly blew up my head. But overall - looking back, right, seeing what happened because of it - it was a good thing. For a start, me and Buffy bein’ together wouldn’t ever have happened otherwise. Probably would have killed each other sooner or later. So, yeah, I felt like thanking someone. And since I only have a choice between The Initiative and The-Powers-That-Screw, you got to be a substitute for Maggie Walsh and her bunch of crazy doctors.”
Seeing that Riley was speechless, the vampire continued. “Now seein’ as I’m such a forgiving and caring sort of fella, I figured that one good turn deserves another, so I’m gonna try to do you a favour in return.”
Riley shook his head. This was ridiculous. He had no idea what Spike was playing at, and he really didn’t care.
“You know what Spike? I think I’m just going to take off. It was...” he almost said ‘nice to see you’, but that would be such a gratuitous lie that he’d just make the vampire burst out laughing. As he was trying to come up with a suitable farewell, Spike took a long drag of his cigarette, then asked leisurely:
“Tell me before you go - what was her name?”
OK, now the guy was being surreal. “What? Who?”
“The first vampire who bit you - what was her name?”
And although Riley had been certain that any such detail had been long since forgotten, he answered without thinking: “Sandy.”
Spike slowly nodded. “Look anything like Olivia Newton John?”
Riley shook his head and, for reasons that escaped him, felt compelled to explain. “No - quite petite and pretty with light brown hair. She was -”
He managed to stop himself before he started relating the whole sorry story.
But Spike pressed on. “Where did you meet her?”
“Willy’s,” he answered curtly, slowly backing away. Why the hell am I still here?
Spike’s face turned thoughtful, then suddenly he smiled a little. “Yeah - I remember her. Never really got over being turned that one...” he stopped and shot Riley a dark look. “I suppose you staked her?”
Riley nodded, but before he could turn around and walk away, Spike started talking again. Softly, almost like he was talking to himself, and Riley found himself spellbound. Spike’s voice had become strangely soothing, as though reciting poetry or recalling long-gone memories...
“That first bite... funny how all the pain suddenly stops after a few seconds. It’s like everything crystallises and you know that this is... it. And you think ‘I’m going to die!’ and part of you just doesn’t care.”
Spike’s eyes were staring into the distance, lost to this world. There was a small smile on his lips as he continued, his words causing darkness to creep into Riley’s head one little step at a time.
“There is such a pull to the other side, like the sea draggin’ you down. That incredible rush of standing on the edge and looking into the abyss. Never knowing if this time maybe you’ll fall...”
Riley hadn’t even registered that Spike had jumped off his seat. The vampire was standing in front of him, eyes shining in the dull light and speaking words that Riley had never been able to formulate. He could feel his heart beating wildly, but seemed unable to move, as though he had grown roots through the pavement. And Spike kept talking...
“To be so wanted... needed... to know that something stronger than mere feelings are at work. Because you are life to a vampire - it cannot exist without you. What runs through your veins in the most important thing in their existence...”
Spike slowly reached out and almost touched Riley’s neck. “Riiight here is the spot. Mmm - little Sandy had good aim.”
Part of Riley was panicking wildly. What was happening? Why was he letting Spike so close?
It’s a thrall! It must be a thrall! There is no other explanation!
The vampire’s eyes suddenly shifted to bright amber and Riley tried to swallow, but his mouth had gone dry. He closed his eyes, waiting, wondering why he wasn’t running - only the anticipated move towards his neck never came.
Instead Spike stepped back abruptly, a leer on his face. “Shame of course for both of us that I wouldn’t touch you, even if you were the last person in this dimension or any other.”
As if suffering from vertigo, Riley swayed slightly on his feet. He stared at Spike, the last few moments replaying themselves as he gripped onto the stake tightly again. His mind was racing, and watching the vampire silently saunter back to his former seat and dig out another smoke, he was unable to hold back the accusation on his lips:
“You did a thrall!”
Spike stopped trying to light his cigarette and laughed. “I knew you’d say that! So bloody predictable little farm boy. But no - that wasn’t a thrall. I believe the technical term is a mind fuck.”
Seeing Riley’s stunned face, he chuckled to himself. “Although you could say that I activated your chip - well sort of. You could have snapped out of it if you’d wanted.”
Then he looked up, eyes shrewd and calculating. “But you didn’t, did you? I could have drained you dry and your last words would probably have been ‘thank you’.”
Riley frowned. Surely the vampire was lying...
But Spike wasn’t finished. Gesturing with his free hand, he began explaining in earnest. “See you, Mr Finn, have what is called ‘an addiction’. Some people drink, some gamble, some put needles in themselves - you like to dance with death! And all these things are dangerous. Especially when you don’t deal with the problem, but just stick your tail between your legs and run away.”
He stopped for a moment to concentrate on his cigarette and Riley found himself asking.
“But... how did you...?”
Spike took a deep satisfied drag and smiled smugly. “Ah! Now that was a little trick I learned from my grandsire. You might have heard that Angelus is the worst vampire on record. Now he isn’t as famous as Dracula or as old as The Prince of Lies was - and I’m sure The Master must have killed more people. Hell, I’ve probably killed more! But what Angelus did better than anyone else was destroy individuals. Screw with their heads until there was nothing left. Now me, I just like killing stuff, but that don’t mean that I can’t step into his shoes now and again. And you, my dear Commander Finn, were easy as pie! Problem is, one day a vamp will come along who’s not as thick as most of them and he’ll work you out too - and before you know it, you’ll be someone’s lunch.”
He sighed, and flicked the half-dead fag end away. “None of this really bothers me, except your wife seems like a very nice lady indeed, and she deserves better than some spineless junkie for a husband. Also Buffy used to have a thing for you. And, having walked much further than a bloody mile in your shoes... hm, more like crawling across broken glass actually - I might have found just the tiniest little dreg of sympathy for you.”
Riley silently shook his head. What the hell did Spike think he was doing?
Before he could say anything, Spike continued. “But to get back to the main point, consider this - what if I’d been soulless still and killed you? Or maybe turned you? Because if that happened it’s very likely that your dear wife would meet her death at your hands...”
Shocked, Riley didn’t know what to say, when a loud bleeping interrupted them. Swearing Spike pulled out a cellphone and answered, only to have whoever was on the other end yell so loudly that even Riley could hear. “Spike! Where are you? I told you to be on time!”
Looking only vaguely concerned, Spike shrugged. “Hunh - didn’t realise it was that late. Have been a bit busy - I’ll head your way now.”
Then he frowned and listened, before sighing. “Fine - come and pick me up then! I’m...” He looked around, obviously trying to find a good way of explaining their whereabouts, when he half-smiled. “Hey, this is the alley where we killed that redhead prostitute in ‘94.”... “That’s it! See you in a minute.”
“You were here in ‘94?” Riley asked, latching onto the end of the conversation.
Spike smiled a little. “Eighteen-ninety four young padawan. But as I was saying - your wife deserves kiddies and one day grandchildren and you’d better be there for her, OK? So - sort yourself out and get some help. I might just come and check up on you in 50 years' time.”
There was a sudden strange crackle and Riley turned his head to see a portal open up in mid-air at the end of the alley. His eyes opened wide as he saw Angel step out, followed by an odd blueish creature, all dressed in leather.
Angel looked pissed off and opened his mouth to say something, but then caught sight of Riley and faltered. Looking from him to Spike he frowned. “What’s going on?”
Spike shrugged. “Nothing much, I was just doing him a favour, since I owed him one... where are we going again?”
“To negotiate with the Ramulka-ha clan! Did someone extract your brain over Christmas?”
“Make haste, your insolence and tardiness is wearying,” the strange humanoid demon said and with a flick of her wrist opened another portal. Riley stared, remembering the card with ‘Illy-something, God-King of the Primordium.’ Could it really be true?
The odd companions stepped through one after the other, Spike being the last one. Mid-step he suddenly froze and looked over his shoulder.
“Ah what the hell,” he said, then before Riley had time to blink the vampire was in front of him.
“This,” Spike carefully explained, “is for staking me, blowing up my home and all the other crap.”
And his fist flashed forward, connecting with Riley’s nose in a painful crunch.
His hand over his nose, Riley almost cried out loud, when he caught the very grim look that suddenly came over Spike’s face.
“And this is for leaving Buffy high and dry when she needed all the help she could get!”
Spike’s fist connected with Riley again, but this time the punch landed on his chin and sent him flying backwards, hitting the wall.
When Riley managed to see through the pain, the vampire had vanished, the only proof that he hadn’t been a figment of Riley’s imagination the cigarette butts on the ground. He slowly got up in the darkened alley and tried to stop the bleeding from his nose, but he couldn’t help thinking. Maybe... maybe Spike was right? Carefully he passed his fingers over the bite mark on his neck and could almost feel that invisible pull again...
A little later he caught up with Sam, now deeply embedded in the boutique and with an ever growing pile of pretty ornaments. “Look honey - I know we have too much baggage already, but aren’t these just the most incredible candlesticks?”
He was silent for so long, that she stopped her browsing and eventually looked up. “What’s wrong? You look...” Her eyes widened, as she took in his face properly. “Oh my god, Riley - what happened to your nose?”
He took her hands, then asked her slowly, “Sam - do you love me? No matter what?”
“Of course,” she answered, her face beginning to look troubled.
“I... I need to tell you something. About my past - about Sunnydale.”
Chapter 14 on LJ
Chapter 14 on DW
First chapter & notes here (on LJ), for DW just follow the tags, and Master post of whole 'verse here (also tagged on DW).
Can also be found on AO3.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Rating: Teen. (Same warnings as the show basically.)
Characters: Spike, Angel, Illyria, Buffy, Scoobies + cameos from more or less everyone in the 'verse.
Main Ships: Spike/Buffy, Angel/Nina
Feedback: Is bloody ambrosia! (The secret ingredient is otter...)
Word count (this chapter): 2800 words approx.
Setting and Summary: As before. (Post-NFA epic quest thing.)
Beta: The ever wonderful
kathyh‘Smile and the world smiles back’. That was a saying, right? And in some ways it worked, because Riley smiled and people smiled back. He smiled at Sam and she positively beamed back; the sun that kept him orbiting, even when he felt like spinning off into the void.
Christmas had been and gone and Sam had enjoyed it all to the full - even going to midnight mass at St Peter’s; a fact he’d better keep hidden from his grandma forever or she’d probably disown him. Demons would be an easier subject than the Catholic Church. But much as he tried to pretend, that wasn’t what had unsettled him. No, it was what he called ‘The Sunnydale Factor’, the embodiment of which was Buffy - golden haired, mysterious Buffy, whom he had once thought the love of his life. Although looking back, what had his life been then? He’d lost his mission, even lost himself to some degree. And he had clung to Buffy so fiercely, hoping against hope that one day she might need him; might love him; might be someone he could understand. Having ‘The Sunnydale Factor’ thrown into his life now was unsettling to say the least. He didn’t like chaos, didn’t cope well when the rules kept changing. And he really didn’t want to dwell on all the... things that had happened back then.
All he wanted to do was to enjoy this evening, sitting on this bench with an arm around his wife and the promise of an exciting mission starting in a few days. So it was a rude shock when out of the blue a very real bleached blond vampire appeared in front of them.
“Good evening,” the vampire smiled, as though they were all the best of friends.
Before either could reply, he continued swiftly: “Sorry to be rude, but I’m afraid I need to borrow your husband for a little while Sam. I’m in a bit of a rush or I’d love to have a chat.”
Slightly bewildered, but friendly, Sam replied. “Sure - Riley, I think I’ll go browse in that little boutique just around the corner - you can come and dig me out when you two are done.”
Riley wondered why he didn’t just say no, but instead he nodded, gave Sam a kiss and watched her walk off down the street. Leaving him alone with Spike...
Slowly he turned his head to take in Buffy’s ‘New Boyfriend’. No - he still didn’t get it. But then had he ever really understood her?
Without a word Spike started walking. Puzzled, but loath to start an argument already, Riley followed. After a short while they were in the back streets, the darkness more prevalent and making Riley tense, scanning the surroundings for possible danger.
A moment later Spike stopped and looked around. “This seems quiet enough,” he said, and jumped up on a dumpster, then searched through his pockets for a cigarette and lighter. Riley watched him carefully light up, the flame highlighting his chiselled features, before turning to look at the human. “Want a seat?”
Riley shook his head mutely. What was going on? Was it a trap? But Spike had a soul, so surely that meant he didn’t hurt people... although that hadn’t stopped Angel that time. He tightened his grip on the stake in his pocket, but Spike caught the tiny motion and chuckled.
“Oh please - don’t insult both of us by even pretending that you could take me on.”
Riley gritted his teeth and replied tersely: “I’ve killed a helluva lot of demons these last few years Spike-” but Spike cut him off with an authoritative wave of his hand.
“Listen boy, I killed my first Slayer before your grandfather was even born. I could break your neck before that thing was out of your pocket, understood? But..." a resigned sigh, "I didn’t bring you here for a fight, so just calm down.”
Riley took a deep breath and nearly turned to walk away, but then curiosity got the better of him.
“So - what do you want Spike?”
The vampire smiled one of those infuriatingly smug smiles, and then said the last thing Riley could ever have imagined:
“I wanted to thank you!”
He knew that he probably looked like a complete idiot, but Riley couldn’t help his jaw from dropping.
“You... wanted to thank me?” Even if he had wanted to, he couldn’t have kept the sarcasm out of his voice. “What for?”
“The chip.”
“Very funny Spike. Care to tell me when exactly you went insane?”
Spike chuckled. “Oh I’m not saying I liked it - or that it was fun having migraines from hell every time I looked at someone the wrong way. Or that I enjoyed it when it nearly blew up my head. But overall - looking back, right, seeing what happened because of it - it was a good thing. For a start, me and Buffy bein’ together wouldn’t ever have happened otherwise. Probably would have killed each other sooner or later. So, yeah, I felt like thanking someone. And since I only have a choice between The Initiative and The-Powers-That-Screw, you got to be a substitute for Maggie Walsh and her bunch of crazy doctors.”
Seeing that Riley was speechless, the vampire continued. “Now seein’ as I’m such a forgiving and caring sort of fella, I figured that one good turn deserves another, so I’m gonna try to do you a favour in return.”
Riley shook his head. This was ridiculous. He had no idea what Spike was playing at, and he really didn’t care.
“You know what Spike? I think I’m just going to take off. It was...” he almost said ‘nice to see you’, but that would be such a gratuitous lie that he’d just make the vampire burst out laughing. As he was trying to come up with a suitable farewell, Spike took a long drag of his cigarette, then asked leisurely:
“Tell me before you go - what was her name?”
OK, now the guy was being surreal. “What? Who?”
“The first vampire who bit you - what was her name?”
And although Riley had been certain that any such detail had been long since forgotten, he answered without thinking: “Sandy.”
Spike slowly nodded. “Look anything like Olivia Newton John?”
Riley shook his head and, for reasons that escaped him, felt compelled to explain. “No - quite petite and pretty with light brown hair. She was -”
He managed to stop himself before he started relating the whole sorry story.
But Spike pressed on. “Where did you meet her?”
“Willy’s,” he answered curtly, slowly backing away. Why the hell am I still here?
Spike’s face turned thoughtful, then suddenly he smiled a little. “Yeah - I remember her. Never really got over being turned that one...” he stopped and shot Riley a dark look. “I suppose you staked her?”
Riley nodded, but before he could turn around and walk away, Spike started talking again. Softly, almost like he was talking to himself, and Riley found himself spellbound. Spike’s voice had become strangely soothing, as though reciting poetry or recalling long-gone memories...
“That first bite... funny how all the pain suddenly stops after a few seconds. It’s like everything crystallises and you know that this is... it. And you think ‘I’m going to die!’ and part of you just doesn’t care.”
Spike’s eyes were staring into the distance, lost to this world. There was a small smile on his lips as he continued, his words causing darkness to creep into Riley’s head one little step at a time.
“There is such a pull to the other side, like the sea draggin’ you down. That incredible rush of standing on the edge and looking into the abyss. Never knowing if this time maybe you’ll fall...”
Riley hadn’t even registered that Spike had jumped off his seat. The vampire was standing in front of him, eyes shining in the dull light and speaking words that Riley had never been able to formulate. He could feel his heart beating wildly, but seemed unable to move, as though he had grown roots through the pavement. And Spike kept talking...
“To be so wanted... needed... to know that something stronger than mere feelings are at work. Because you are life to a vampire - it cannot exist without you. What runs through your veins in the most important thing in their existence...”
Spike slowly reached out and almost touched Riley’s neck. “Riiight here is the spot. Mmm - little Sandy had good aim.”
Part of Riley was panicking wildly. What was happening? Why was he letting Spike so close?
It’s a thrall! It must be a thrall! There is no other explanation!
The vampire’s eyes suddenly shifted to bright amber and Riley tried to swallow, but his mouth had gone dry. He closed his eyes, waiting, wondering why he wasn’t running - only the anticipated move towards his neck never came.
Instead Spike stepped back abruptly, a leer on his face. “Shame of course for both of us that I wouldn’t touch you, even if you were the last person in this dimension or any other.”
As if suffering from vertigo, Riley swayed slightly on his feet. He stared at Spike, the last few moments replaying themselves as he gripped onto the stake tightly again. His mind was racing, and watching the vampire silently saunter back to his former seat and dig out another smoke, he was unable to hold back the accusation on his lips:
“You did a thrall!”
Spike stopped trying to light his cigarette and laughed. “I knew you’d say that! So bloody predictable little farm boy. But no - that wasn’t a thrall. I believe the technical term is a mind fuck.”
Seeing Riley’s stunned face, he chuckled to himself. “Although you could say that I activated your chip - well sort of. You could have snapped out of it if you’d wanted.”
Then he looked up, eyes shrewd and calculating. “But you didn’t, did you? I could have drained you dry and your last words would probably have been ‘thank you’.”
Riley frowned. Surely the vampire was lying...
But Spike wasn’t finished. Gesturing with his free hand, he began explaining in earnest. “See you, Mr Finn, have what is called ‘an addiction’. Some people drink, some gamble, some put needles in themselves - you like to dance with death! And all these things are dangerous. Especially when you don’t deal with the problem, but just stick your tail between your legs and run away.”
He stopped for a moment to concentrate on his cigarette and Riley found himself asking.
“But... how did you...?”
Spike took a deep satisfied drag and smiled smugly. “Ah! Now that was a little trick I learned from my grandsire. You might have heard that Angelus is the worst vampire on record. Now he isn’t as famous as Dracula or as old as The Prince of Lies was - and I’m sure The Master must have killed more people. Hell, I’ve probably killed more! But what Angelus did better than anyone else was destroy individuals. Screw with their heads until there was nothing left. Now me, I just like killing stuff, but that don’t mean that I can’t step into his shoes now and again. And you, my dear Commander Finn, were easy as pie! Problem is, one day a vamp will come along who’s not as thick as most of them and he’ll work you out too - and before you know it, you’ll be someone’s lunch.”
He sighed, and flicked the half-dead fag end away. “None of this really bothers me, except your wife seems like a very nice lady indeed, and she deserves better than some spineless junkie for a husband. Also Buffy used to have a thing for you. And, having walked much further than a bloody mile in your shoes... hm, more like crawling across broken glass actually - I might have found just the tiniest little dreg of sympathy for you.”
Riley silently shook his head. What the hell did Spike think he was doing?
Before he could say anything, Spike continued. “But to get back to the main point, consider this - what if I’d been soulless still and killed you? Or maybe turned you? Because if that happened it’s very likely that your dear wife would meet her death at your hands...”
Shocked, Riley didn’t know what to say, when a loud bleeping interrupted them. Swearing Spike pulled out a cellphone and answered, only to have whoever was on the other end yell so loudly that even Riley could hear. “Spike! Where are you? I told you to be on time!”
Looking only vaguely concerned, Spike shrugged. “Hunh - didn’t realise it was that late. Have been a bit busy - I’ll head your way now.”
Then he frowned and listened, before sighing. “Fine - come and pick me up then! I’m...” He looked around, obviously trying to find a good way of explaining their whereabouts, when he half-smiled. “Hey, this is the alley where we killed that redhead prostitute in ‘94.”... “That’s it! See you in a minute.”
“You were here in ‘94?” Riley asked, latching onto the end of the conversation.
Spike smiled a little. “Eighteen-ninety four young padawan. But as I was saying - your wife deserves kiddies and one day grandchildren and you’d better be there for her, OK? So - sort yourself out and get some help. I might just come and check up on you in 50 years' time.”
There was a sudden strange crackle and Riley turned his head to see a portal open up in mid-air at the end of the alley. His eyes opened wide as he saw Angel step out, followed by an odd blueish creature, all dressed in leather.
Angel looked pissed off and opened his mouth to say something, but then caught sight of Riley and faltered. Looking from him to Spike he frowned. “What’s going on?”
Spike shrugged. “Nothing much, I was just doing him a favour, since I owed him one... where are we going again?”
“To negotiate with the Ramulka-ha clan! Did someone extract your brain over Christmas?”
“Make haste, your insolence and tardiness is wearying,” the strange humanoid demon said and with a flick of her wrist opened another portal. Riley stared, remembering the card with ‘Illy-something, God-King of the Primordium.’ Could it really be true?
The odd companions stepped through one after the other, Spike being the last one. Mid-step he suddenly froze and looked over his shoulder.
“Ah what the hell,” he said, then before Riley had time to blink the vampire was in front of him.
“This,” Spike carefully explained, “is for staking me, blowing up my home and all the other crap.”
And his fist flashed forward, connecting with Riley’s nose in a painful crunch.
His hand over his nose, Riley almost cried out loud, when he caught the very grim look that suddenly came over Spike’s face.
“And this is for leaving Buffy high and dry when she needed all the help she could get!”
Spike’s fist connected with Riley again, but this time the punch landed on his chin and sent him flying backwards, hitting the wall.
When Riley managed to see through the pain, the vampire had vanished, the only proof that he hadn’t been a figment of Riley’s imagination the cigarette butts on the ground. He slowly got up in the darkened alley and tried to stop the bleeding from his nose, but he couldn’t help thinking. Maybe... maybe Spike was right? Carefully he passed his fingers over the bite mark on his neck and could almost feel that invisible pull again...
A little later he caught up with Sam, now deeply embedded in the boutique and with an ever growing pile of pretty ornaments. “Look honey - I know we have too much baggage already, but aren’t these just the most incredible candlesticks?”
He was silent for so long, that she stopped her browsing and eventually looked up. “What’s wrong? You look...” Her eyes widened, as she took in his face properly. “Oh my god, Riley - what happened to your nose?”
He took her hands, then asked her slowly, “Sam - do you love me? No matter what?”
“Of course,” she answered, her face beginning to look troubled.
“I... I need to tell you something. About my past - about Sunnydale.”
Chapter 14 on LJ
Chapter 14 on DW
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