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Vignette. Part 2
Well here's part 2. This was surprisingly difficult to write, and I've been trying to work it out in my head ever since I posted part 1. I hope you like. Part 1 here.
The large gates to the cemetery creaked as the gaggle of girls pushed them open and wandered through. There were nine of them, sensibly but nicely dressed, and they might have been any group of girlfriends on their way to a club or party, if it hadn't been for the assortment of swords and axes they were carrying, along with stakes tucked in waistbands, or twirled leisurely between fingers.
Giles turned to face them, but Spike’s words were still ringing in his ears and he found himself momentarily unable to speak.
Then he heard Spike’s voice calling out over his shoulder. “Vi! Well isn’t this a surprise? How have you been? And I see you got a new hat! You know - it pained me that the old one was lost at the bottom of the Hellmouth!”
Incredulously the watcher turned around again, and nearly ended up on the ground for the second time that night.
Spike was smiling, looking as happy and relaxed as Giles had ever seen him, holding out his hand to the flabbergasted Vi whose face was a picture of surprise and wonder.
“S - S - Spike?” she stammered, as he shook her hand, obviously forgetting that she was now the England Head Slayer with an apocalypse under her belt, and looked for all the world like a small timid Potential, meeting a legend.
“The one and only, pet! I’m here with Angel, the other souled vampire champion, who also as it happens is a recent dragon-slayer. Angel, this is Vi, one of the new slayers who fought The First's army.”
“Pleased to meet you Vi,” Angel said, taking her hand when Spike let go of it.
The other Slayers stood in awed silence.
Spike looked them over and chuckled. “Well aren’t you a pretty bunch! Come on, don’t be shy... we won’t bite!”
The girls giggled and seemed shaken out of their reverie, and moments later the two vampires were surrounded by Slayers.
Giles looked on, unable to move or intervene. He felt frozen in space, as though he was watching a movie. The girls were as star struck as groupies at a rock-concert, chatting, laughing and drowning the two warriors with questions. “Is it true that Buffy dated both of you?” “Did you really kill a dragon?” “How come you’re not dead anymore?”...
And the watcher suddenly realised where he had seen this spectacle before. The two vampires were like film stars outside a premiere - or presidents campaigning. They’re working the crowd! he thought, and marvelled. He knew Spike could be charming, but Angel - broody, taciturn Angel - smiling and making small talk was unsettling.
The man sat down a gravestone, and tried to get his thoughts in order. His every instinct and all his training told him to get the hell out of there, but something Spike had said made him waver.
All our friends were murdered... We’re being hunted down by the Senior Partners...
Spike was a terrible liar, and Giles was certain that these words had not been a lie. He had heard about the collapse of the LA W&H building a few weeks before and the disappearance of all who worked there, but no one had been able to find out what had happened.
He got up and walked over to the group. “So you don’t work for Wolfram and Hart anymore?”
Angel looked up, face closed. “No.”
And then the vampire turned back to the Slayer he was talking to.
The watcher sighed and absentmindedly cleaned his glasses. An explanation was obviously not forthcoming.
***
A little while later Spike held up his hands. “Ladies - Slayers! Pleasant as this has been, I’m sure we’re interrupting your patrolling. Plenty of nasties out there just waiting to meet the pointy end of your stakes. We should let you get on - and if you don’t mind, we’d like to borrow your watcher. It’s been a while since we’ve seen him, so a bit of catching up is required! We promise to bring him back in one piece!”
The girls laughed, said good-bye and moments later were on their way, leaving the vampires and the human alone.
“Let’s go,” Angel said, all warmth having left his voice.
They went out the gates, Giles following since there seemed no other option - somehow he had let all the Slayers walk away. “What do they want with me?” he wondered.
As they were walking down the road, a figure detached itself from the shadows under the cemetery wall and came up to them. It’s shape was humanoid - female even, but judging by its eyes and movements there was nothing human about it.
Unreadable eyes looked him over before the mysterious creature turned to the vampires.
“I see you found the one you were seeking. Do you wish to kill him yourselves or is that pleasure to be mine?”
Part 3
The large gates to the cemetery creaked as the gaggle of girls pushed them open and wandered through. There were nine of them, sensibly but nicely dressed, and they might have been any group of girlfriends on their way to a club or party, if it hadn't been for the assortment of swords and axes they were carrying, along with stakes tucked in waistbands, or twirled leisurely between fingers.
Giles turned to face them, but Spike’s words were still ringing in his ears and he found himself momentarily unable to speak.
Then he heard Spike’s voice calling out over his shoulder. “Vi! Well isn’t this a surprise? How have you been? And I see you got a new hat! You know - it pained me that the old one was lost at the bottom of the Hellmouth!”
Incredulously the watcher turned around again, and nearly ended up on the ground for the second time that night.
Spike was smiling, looking as happy and relaxed as Giles had ever seen him, holding out his hand to the flabbergasted Vi whose face was a picture of surprise and wonder.
“S - S - Spike?” she stammered, as he shook her hand, obviously forgetting that she was now the England Head Slayer with an apocalypse under her belt, and looked for all the world like a small timid Potential, meeting a legend.
“The one and only, pet! I’m here with Angel, the other souled vampire champion, who also as it happens is a recent dragon-slayer. Angel, this is Vi, one of the new slayers who fought The First's army.”
“Pleased to meet you Vi,” Angel said, taking her hand when Spike let go of it.
The other Slayers stood in awed silence.
Spike looked them over and chuckled. “Well aren’t you a pretty bunch! Come on, don’t be shy... we won’t bite!”
The girls giggled and seemed shaken out of their reverie, and moments later the two vampires were surrounded by Slayers.
Giles looked on, unable to move or intervene. He felt frozen in space, as though he was watching a movie. The girls were as star struck as groupies at a rock-concert, chatting, laughing and drowning the two warriors with questions. “Is it true that Buffy dated both of you?” “Did you really kill a dragon?” “How come you’re not dead anymore?”...
And the watcher suddenly realised where he had seen this spectacle before. The two vampires were like film stars outside a premiere - or presidents campaigning. They’re working the crowd! he thought, and marvelled. He knew Spike could be charming, but Angel - broody, taciturn Angel - smiling and making small talk was unsettling.
The man sat down a gravestone, and tried to get his thoughts in order. His every instinct and all his training told him to get the hell out of there, but something Spike had said made him waver.
All our friends were murdered... We’re being hunted down by the Senior Partners...
Spike was a terrible liar, and Giles was certain that these words had not been a lie. He had heard about the collapse of the LA W&H building a few weeks before and the disappearance of all who worked there, but no one had been able to find out what had happened.
He got up and walked over to the group. “So you don’t work for Wolfram and Hart anymore?”
Angel looked up, face closed. “No.”
And then the vampire turned back to the Slayer he was talking to.
The watcher sighed and absentmindedly cleaned his glasses. An explanation was obviously not forthcoming.
A little while later Spike held up his hands. “Ladies - Slayers! Pleasant as this has been, I’m sure we’re interrupting your patrolling. Plenty of nasties out there just waiting to meet the pointy end of your stakes. We should let you get on - and if you don’t mind, we’d like to borrow your watcher. It’s been a while since we’ve seen him, so a bit of catching up is required! We promise to bring him back in one piece!”
The girls laughed, said good-bye and moments later were on their way, leaving the vampires and the human alone.
“Let’s go,” Angel said, all warmth having left his voice.
They went out the gates, Giles following since there seemed no other option - somehow he had let all the Slayers walk away. “What do they want with me?” he wondered.
As they were walking down the road, a figure detached itself from the shadows under the cemetery wall and came up to them. It’s shape was humanoid - female even, but judging by its eyes and movements there was nothing human about it.
Unreadable eyes looked him over before the mysterious creature turned to the vampires.
“I see you found the one you were seeking. Do you wish to kill him yourselves or is that pleasure to be mine?”
Part 3
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Part 3 is hazy - I know where it's going, but not sure how to get there.
(Afraid I can't promise anything...)
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Still unsure as to why they're trying to find Giles (or kill Giles), looking forward to the next chapter!
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And there's a reason why they want him! (But I've got to keep you hooked somehow, so I'm not telling).
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i love them smooth-talking the girls and leaving giles all bewildered about it all
humanoid female... i wonder, is it
illyria??
i can't wait for the next bit, did you say it was only 3 parts?? i hope it's longer and i just misremember that...
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I think it'll probably be four parts, but since I probably won't have much time to write over the weekend, you'll have to wait until next week.
But it is coming along rather nicely in my head! :)
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Like the group training of Slayers, too. In general, I like darn near anything that really deals with those girls and what theyr'e doing next. I mean, they are the next generation, right?
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I have no idea where this all came from really - I just got this image in my head of Giles being punched and Spike and Angel standing over him, all cold and distant. Then of course I had to work out where it was going, and I think I've got it sorted in my head now! And Giles has a lot of back-history with Spike and Angel that was never addressed! So yeah - I can see where the trend comes from.
This story btw is part of a 'set' of post-NFA vignettes with the three of them going different places. Now I just need the time to write them all down...
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If you want more you could always go read my other fic (that you've no doubt noticed) - it's MUCH longer! (and although already up to part 7, approx. half still to come - the chapters kept getting longer and longer.)
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Yay! There's more of this intriguing story... :)
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Lots of lovely comments from you tonight! Thank you for liking my shades of Spike... :D
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Great story!
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Hee! I love evil cliffhangers! *g* And thank you!