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Maybe Someday. Chapter 14.
Would you believe it, it's finally here. For some reason this was insanely difficult to write (I blame Buffy - or rather my inability to write her), and I've been busy with other things... but thanks to my most wonderful beta ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kathyh, who made me re-write a good chunk, it is now fit for posting. Sorry it's been so long - if you give me *lots* of feedback, maybe I'll be spurred into action and will get Chapter 15 written really quickly! *g*
Previous Chapters here. (In case you've forgotten just what on earth is going on...)
Chapter 14
It only took Angel 10 minutes to catch up with Buffy and Spike. They were obviously not in a hurry, as well as being rather busy - he came across several more dead demons. When he realised that they were near he decided to take to the rooftops - it was less likely that they would spot him there. Moments later he saw them, leisurely walking down a road, arms around each other. Buffy had an axe in her left hand, Spike a sword in his right, but it was obvious that they were only concentrating on each other. He could hear soft laughter and strained his ears to pick up what they were talking about.
After what felt like hours, but in all probability was only 15 minutes, Angel knew that the stalking had been even more of a stupid idea than his initial misgivings had indicated. The two blondes (and had Buffy dyed her hair? It looked lighter) had been going on some sort of trip down memory lane, but for the uninitiated they might as well have been speaking Chinese. There had been something about a troll - as well as something very disturbing about Giles’ bathtub and chains. Then they started talking about kitten poker and a shark headed guy... this had inexplicably ended up with them calling each other ‘Randy’ and ‘Joan’, as they laughed their heads off. They had even kept up their banter as they dispatched a few vampires. As Angel contemplated which way would be the quickest back to the hotel, they arrived at a graveyard.
Buffy turned to Spike and smiled: “I’ve been saving this one up - also it’s the last stop tonight!”
“Is it now? After that it’s time to... talk through our issues?” Spike answered, grinning. Buffy didn’t reply to his question. She just looked over her shoulder as she walked through the gate: “Are you coming?”
Angel stopped his route-planning and reconsidered. They were going to talk? Yes, Spike had insinuated something else, but then Spike always did. He even tried flirting with Illyria when he got too bored. Maybe he should just keep watch for a little while longer...
Shortly afterwards he was lying on the roof of a crypt - cherubs and other assorted statues around the edges provided perfect hiding places and he was well enough positioned to see most of the cemetery.
As he peered out from behind a solemn looking namesake, he saw that Buffy and Spike were now surrounded by a large group of demons. Buffy was trading insults with the leader and Spike was quietly smirking. Then suddenly a demon attacked and instantaneously the Slayer and the vampire were back to back, fighting. It was obvious that they had a history of fighting together, and Angel felt something tugging at him as he remembered that once *he* was her fighting partner of choice...
The demons were falling fast - they were large and powerful, but unable to keep up with the speed and agility of their executioners. Soon the couple had split up, killing the last few on their own. Angel waited, wondering what would happen now... would they have their talk? Maybe go home?
None of his half-formed ideas turned out to be correct. When the last demon had been put out of its misery, the fighters turned to face each other across the dead bodies. Spike, now in game face, looked at Buffy. Buffy looked back, a speculative look on her face. Then she tossed her hair over her shoulder, the move so familiar that Angel felt it like a blow to his insides. It was such a ‘Buffy’-move... exuding such confidence and effortless grace, that all those feelings he’d tried to quell for so long came rushing back unbidden.
“Do we really need weapons for this?” she asked, voice light and slightly scornful.
Spike ran a finger up his sword and tilted his head: “I just like them - they make me feel all manly!”
Then - for reasons Angel couldn’t work out - they both laughed and tossed their weapons aside, before they slowly began circling each other, Spike's face melting back to its human guise.
Angel was still watching, but he was unable to stop his mind from wandering. There was something about Buffy... something almost magical that he’d never been able to put his finger on. She might be dressed up as a little Spike clone tonight, but it still shone out of her... that confidence and strength that was such an integral part of her. He recalled the first time he had seen her, how strangely lost she had seemed. And he had wanted to take care of her so badly - to help this little innocent girl instead of destroying her like he had all the others.
When he met her again in Sunnydale, she’d grown into her Slayerness - so powerful and sure of herself, he’d been drawn to her like a magnet. But the thing he always marvelled at was her strength... he had thrown everything at her, as Angelus, haunted her, toyed with her, terrorised her. And then - when he thought he’d stripped everything away - she had drawn on that well of strength inside and come out fighting. Every time she had appeared beaten she sprang back - the time when the Mayor ascended for one thing. She had been so battered after her fight with Faith, but she’d been the general, ordering her troops and saving the day. The last time he saw her in Sunnydale... there had been an Apocalypse; an army of vampires ready to take over the world at the behest of The First Evil. And she’d been laughing. So sure of herself and her power - the fact that she knew that somehow she was going to win. When he looked at her, he saw someone who got it right. Who always kept fighting, because that’s what mattered. Who didn’t fall apart when things got hard...
He watched her now, and he still couldn’t understand what could possibly have drawn her to Spike. He was good-looking, of course, but physical attraction wasn’t love... although as he observed them fighting, he saw that they were certainly well matched physically. It was intriguing seeing them spar - mesmerising almost. Both were at their peak, and the battle went back and forth, swirling and changing. Buffy was stronger, but Spike was cunning... and oddly enough they seemed unconcerned about hurting each other. If Angel had not known better he’d have thought they were actually trying to kill the other one. Suddenly, however, Spike got the upper hand. Angel recognised the move - it was a clever trick Illyria had showed them, and in the blink of an eye Spike had thrown Buffy up against the wall of a nearby crypt, making her cry out.
The cry was eerily familiar - pain interlaced with pleasure, so tightly interwoven that it was impossible to tell them apart. Many women had cried out that way when in Angel’s hands, although the one who stood out was Darla... sweet mistress Darla who had been the one to teach him all the pleasures of pain - and the pain of pleasure. Thousands upon thousands of memories came back in an instant - rapture and ecstasy, agony and bliss... even when souled he’d been unable to withstand her allure.
Hearing Buffy call out like this though... was this what she wanted from Spike? Because this was certainly not something Angel could give her.
All he could see was Spike’s back, Buffy’s arms encircling it. They were kissing now, and Angel began to understand to the full what a colossal mistake he’d made. Spike had now and again mentioned that their relationship was based on sex, so why was tonight likely to be any different?
He looked around to see what would be the easiest way out... he was far enough away for them not to notice him, especially considering how wrapped up in each other they were. As he silently edged his way to the side of the crypt, he could hear them break the kiss, Buffy breathing in deeply and Spike sighing.
“Mmmmm, I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed that!” Spike murmured, and Buffy giggled slightly breathlessly.
“Which part?” she asked.
“Well, this bit has to be a favourite!” he stated, obviously doing something, because Buffy moaned and Angel scuttled to the edge even more swiftly. He really, really had to get the hell out - as if seeing Connor and Cordy hadn’t been bad enough...
“Although the whole girl-package is pretty neat!” Spike continued. “I mean - don’t get me wrong... Angel’s a handsome man and all that, but it just not the same, y’know?”
Angel nearly fell to the ground in a very undignified heap. Spike had just said - what??? Clinging onto the crypt he looked at the couple and saw that Buffy’s face was a picture in astonishment. Her mouth had fallen open and her eyes were staring at Spike as though he’d just grown another head.
“You... you and Angel...?” she said feebly, obviously too knocked out to say anything else. Her sentiment was shared by Angel, whose face mirrored hers, although she didn’t know it. He’d always thought that Spike had a piece of his brain missing, but this proved it. What on earth was he playing at?
“Well, you know how it is... two guys all alone, long empty nights... or days I should say...”
Spike had always been unable to lie convincingly, and Buffy’s face went from surprise to fury in an instant as she pushed him away. Hands now in tight fists, she yelled at him: “What the *hell* did you do that for?”
Spike cracked up and jumped out of her reach as she aimed for his face. Furiously she pursued as Spike kept dancing out of her reach, apologising when not overcome with laughter.
Moving backwards is not advisable in a cemetery however, and soon he stumbled over a gravestone, landing flat on his back. Buffy jumped on him, like a tiger on prey, and for a moment furiously tried to punch him. But he easily averted her blows, so she changed her tactics and grabbed hold of his coat - shaking him: “That wasn’t funny!”
“Yes it was!” he protested, weak from laughter. “Your face...” another helpless giggle, “Your face, love - it was priceless!”
Exasperated she threw her hands up in the air: “God you’re hopeless!”
He smirked and tilted his head. “What can I tell you baby - I’ve always been bad!”
“Bad??? Bad doesn’t even begin to cover it! You’re-” she stopped abruptly, then said in a completely different voice: “That rings a bell... when did you say that?”
“Um...” the wide grin gave way to a frown as he considered her question. “It was... oh - it was the night I told you about the Slayers I killed.” He stopped and stared into the distance. “God you pissed me off that night. I was going to kill you, you know.”
”Really?” she said softly, and there was something odd about her voice that Angel couldn’t place.
Spike chuckled quietly. “What - you didn’t notice the shotgun?”
“Of course I saw the shotgun you idiot - I meant, were you really going to kill me?” As she said it again, Angel realised what it was in her voice that sounded so odd - it was affection. Spike had wanted to kill her and she found it - endearing? How could that be? Their own violent past was now so far behind them that it did not hurt too much to talk about - she had almost joked about it that time in Sunnydale. But he could not imagine her finding it an endearing thing.
Spike, however, didn’t find it strange at all. He looked at her with a small smile. “Well, you were just so stuck up and righteous and managed to press all sorts of buttons. So I thought - screw the headache, I’ll just kill her and get it over with. Of course then when I found you, you were crying, which kinda threw me. Love’s bitch and all that...”
He sighed and let the sentence hang in the air. Buffy was quiet, seemingly lost in thought. Angel couldn’t see her face and wondered what was going through her head.
“Spike?” she said after a while. “Yes pet?” he replied, obviously sensing that her mood had changed.
“Did I... did I ever say thank you? For being there that night? Or for all the other nights? All those times you were just there for me?”
Spike was looking at her, so focussed that Angel was sure that a whole parade of demons could have walked by without causing him to even blink. “Dunno. Does it matter?” he replied cautiously.
She was silent again, then slowly started speaking, searching for the right words: “It does matter... it matters because you pulled me through. When I was ready to give up, you wouldn’t let me - and sometimes you were a complete jerk, but you made me care again when I just felt like letting some random demon have their one good day.” She took a deep breath and lifted her face: “I’m... I’m in a good place now. My life is better than it has been for years, but I get scared sometimes - what’ll happen when things get tough again? Because I’m sure they will - I’m a Slayer, and I can’t ever stop. It’s who I am. But - it’s so hard being the strong one, having to cut everyone out.”
She did a funny little laugh, that almost sounded like a sob. “Everyone except you! I know whatever happens, whatever I do, you can take it! I... I wasn’t ready for you not to be there. I don’t think I’ll ever be ready. You were like my secret corner where I could hide from everything and I want that back. When I saw you Sunday night, I thought I could keep you this time...” Her voice trailed off, but then she shook her head angrily. “God - listen to me. Just how much more pathetic can I get?”
Spike smiled wryly, but then took her hands and looked at her solemnly. “Buffy, I promise you that if things ever get hard - really hard - I’ll be there! If you need me, I’ll come. Always.”
She threw her arms around his neck and for a long moment they just embraced, then pulled apart and exchanged a soft kiss.
Buffy sniffled a bit, and Spike smiled a little. “Tonight didn’t quite turn out the way we planned, did it pet?” he said, and she shook her head. “Shall we just head home?”
She nodded at this, and he carefully extracted himself. “You just stay there for a minute while I find our weapons, OK?”
She didn’t protest and Spike started looking amongst the dead demons for the sword and axe.
After a bit Buffy spoke, voice lighter than before: “Spike?”
“Yes Buffy?” he replied, as he looked through some bushes.
“If... if we ever got married I’d still want ‘Wind beneath my wings’ for the first dance.”
Pulling out her axe from the tangled branches he looked at her, a fond smile on his lips. “I thought you might,” he said, then spotted his sword and picked it up, attaching it to his belt. Axe in hand he walked over to her, holding out his hand. “Lets see how high I can make you fly tonight!” he smirked and she laughed as she got up. Quietly they walked off, Buffy resting her head on Spike’s shoulder.
When their footsteps finally died down Angel tiredly put a hand across his face. Well, he’d wanted to know what was going on between the two of them. Now he knew. Congratulations Angel, the mission was a great success! He groaned and jumped to his feet, angrily kicking off one of the crypt’s ornaments. Why did he never learn?
What he needed now was alcohol - preferably Irish whiskey and plenty of it. If he drank enough, maybe he could erase tonight from his memory. So many certainties, so many absolutes - all wrecked. And dammit she really loved Spike! She’d been suicidal - his Buffy? Ready to give up? - and Spike - Spike who’d told him that all there was between them was sex - had helped her! He was ‘the wind beneath her wings’ - they’d even talked about marriage at some point in the past. Maybe he could find some demons to kill - he needed to rip someone’s head off. He could try to follow Illyria’s scent... she seemed to have some sort of sixth sense when it came to finding violence. But - oh, she’d walked off on her mysterious quest. And he didn’t want any more surprises tonight.
He was stuck somewhere between laughter and tears, suddenly wondering if this wizard guy in the desert could do mindwipes - because this night was something he’d rather forget.
*******
It was around lunchtime the next day, when Angel was woken by something very persistent. Slowly opening his eyes, his head a giant heap of pain due to the excessive amount of alcohol he’d consumed, he saw Illyria standing by the side of the bed, a look of excitement on her usually impassive face: “Get up vampire. Follow! It has arrived!”
Chapter 15.
kathyh, who made me re-write a good chunk, it is now fit for posting. Sorry it's been so long - if you give me *lots* of feedback, maybe I'll be spurred into action and will get Chapter 15 written really quickly! *g*Previous Chapters here. (In case you've forgotten just what on earth is going on...)
Chapter 14
It only took Angel 10 minutes to catch up with Buffy and Spike. They were obviously not in a hurry, as well as being rather busy - he came across several more dead demons. When he realised that they were near he decided to take to the rooftops - it was less likely that they would spot him there. Moments later he saw them, leisurely walking down a road, arms around each other. Buffy had an axe in her left hand, Spike a sword in his right, but it was obvious that they were only concentrating on each other. He could hear soft laughter and strained his ears to pick up what they were talking about.
After what felt like hours, but in all probability was only 15 minutes, Angel knew that the stalking had been even more of a stupid idea than his initial misgivings had indicated. The two blondes (and had Buffy dyed her hair? It looked lighter) had been going on some sort of trip down memory lane, but for the uninitiated they might as well have been speaking Chinese. There had been something about a troll - as well as something very disturbing about Giles’ bathtub and chains. Then they started talking about kitten poker and a shark headed guy... this had inexplicably ended up with them calling each other ‘Randy’ and ‘Joan’, as they laughed their heads off. They had even kept up their banter as they dispatched a few vampires. As Angel contemplated which way would be the quickest back to the hotel, they arrived at a graveyard.
Buffy turned to Spike and smiled: “I’ve been saving this one up - also it’s the last stop tonight!”
“Is it now? After that it’s time to... talk through our issues?” Spike answered, grinning. Buffy didn’t reply to his question. She just looked over her shoulder as she walked through the gate: “Are you coming?”
Angel stopped his route-planning and reconsidered. They were going to talk? Yes, Spike had insinuated something else, but then Spike always did. He even tried flirting with Illyria when he got too bored. Maybe he should just keep watch for a little while longer...
Shortly afterwards he was lying on the roof of a crypt - cherubs and other assorted statues around the edges provided perfect hiding places and he was well enough positioned to see most of the cemetery.
As he peered out from behind a solemn looking namesake, he saw that Buffy and Spike were now surrounded by a large group of demons. Buffy was trading insults with the leader and Spike was quietly smirking. Then suddenly a demon attacked and instantaneously the Slayer and the vampire were back to back, fighting. It was obvious that they had a history of fighting together, and Angel felt something tugging at him as he remembered that once *he* was her fighting partner of choice...
The demons were falling fast - they were large and powerful, but unable to keep up with the speed and agility of their executioners. Soon the couple had split up, killing the last few on their own. Angel waited, wondering what would happen now... would they have their talk? Maybe go home?
None of his half-formed ideas turned out to be correct. When the last demon had been put out of its misery, the fighters turned to face each other across the dead bodies. Spike, now in game face, looked at Buffy. Buffy looked back, a speculative look on her face. Then she tossed her hair over her shoulder, the move so familiar that Angel felt it like a blow to his insides. It was such a ‘Buffy’-move... exuding such confidence and effortless grace, that all those feelings he’d tried to quell for so long came rushing back unbidden.
“Do we really need weapons for this?” she asked, voice light and slightly scornful.
Spike ran a finger up his sword and tilted his head: “I just like them - they make me feel all manly!”
Then - for reasons Angel couldn’t work out - they both laughed and tossed their weapons aside, before they slowly began circling each other, Spike's face melting back to its human guise.
Angel was still watching, but he was unable to stop his mind from wandering. There was something about Buffy... something almost magical that he’d never been able to put his finger on. She might be dressed up as a little Spike clone tonight, but it still shone out of her... that confidence and strength that was such an integral part of her. He recalled the first time he had seen her, how strangely lost she had seemed. And he had wanted to take care of her so badly - to help this little innocent girl instead of destroying her like he had all the others.
When he met her again in Sunnydale, she’d grown into her Slayerness - so powerful and sure of herself, he’d been drawn to her like a magnet. But the thing he always marvelled at was her strength... he had thrown everything at her, as Angelus, haunted her, toyed with her, terrorised her. And then - when he thought he’d stripped everything away - she had drawn on that well of strength inside and come out fighting. Every time she had appeared beaten she sprang back - the time when the Mayor ascended for one thing. She had been so battered after her fight with Faith, but she’d been the general, ordering her troops and saving the day. The last time he saw her in Sunnydale... there had been an Apocalypse; an army of vampires ready to take over the world at the behest of The First Evil. And she’d been laughing. So sure of herself and her power - the fact that she knew that somehow she was going to win. When he looked at her, he saw someone who got it right. Who always kept fighting, because that’s what mattered. Who didn’t fall apart when things got hard...
He watched her now, and he still couldn’t understand what could possibly have drawn her to Spike. He was good-looking, of course, but physical attraction wasn’t love... although as he observed them fighting, he saw that they were certainly well matched physically. It was intriguing seeing them spar - mesmerising almost. Both were at their peak, and the battle went back and forth, swirling and changing. Buffy was stronger, but Spike was cunning... and oddly enough they seemed unconcerned about hurting each other. If Angel had not known better he’d have thought they were actually trying to kill the other one. Suddenly, however, Spike got the upper hand. Angel recognised the move - it was a clever trick Illyria had showed them, and in the blink of an eye Spike had thrown Buffy up against the wall of a nearby crypt, making her cry out.
The cry was eerily familiar - pain interlaced with pleasure, so tightly interwoven that it was impossible to tell them apart. Many women had cried out that way when in Angel’s hands, although the one who stood out was Darla... sweet mistress Darla who had been the one to teach him all the pleasures of pain - and the pain of pleasure. Thousands upon thousands of memories came back in an instant - rapture and ecstasy, agony and bliss... even when souled he’d been unable to withstand her allure.
Hearing Buffy call out like this though... was this what she wanted from Spike? Because this was certainly not something Angel could give her.
All he could see was Spike’s back, Buffy’s arms encircling it. They were kissing now, and Angel began to understand to the full what a colossal mistake he’d made. Spike had now and again mentioned that their relationship was based on sex, so why was tonight likely to be any different?
He looked around to see what would be the easiest way out... he was far enough away for them not to notice him, especially considering how wrapped up in each other they were. As he silently edged his way to the side of the crypt, he could hear them break the kiss, Buffy breathing in deeply and Spike sighing.
“Mmmmm, I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed that!” Spike murmured, and Buffy giggled slightly breathlessly.
“Which part?” she asked.
“Well, this bit has to be a favourite!” he stated, obviously doing something, because Buffy moaned and Angel scuttled to the edge even more swiftly. He really, really had to get the hell out - as if seeing Connor and Cordy hadn’t been bad enough...
“Although the whole girl-package is pretty neat!” Spike continued. “I mean - don’t get me wrong... Angel’s a handsome man and all that, but it just not the same, y’know?”
Angel nearly fell to the ground in a very undignified heap. Spike had just said - what??? Clinging onto the crypt he looked at the couple and saw that Buffy’s face was a picture in astonishment. Her mouth had fallen open and her eyes were staring at Spike as though he’d just grown another head.
“You... you and Angel...?” she said feebly, obviously too knocked out to say anything else. Her sentiment was shared by Angel, whose face mirrored hers, although she didn’t know it. He’d always thought that Spike had a piece of his brain missing, but this proved it. What on earth was he playing at?
“Well, you know how it is... two guys all alone, long empty nights... or days I should say...”
Spike had always been unable to lie convincingly, and Buffy’s face went from surprise to fury in an instant as she pushed him away. Hands now in tight fists, she yelled at him: “What the *hell* did you do that for?”
Spike cracked up and jumped out of her reach as she aimed for his face. Furiously she pursued as Spike kept dancing out of her reach, apologising when not overcome with laughter.
Moving backwards is not advisable in a cemetery however, and soon he stumbled over a gravestone, landing flat on his back. Buffy jumped on him, like a tiger on prey, and for a moment furiously tried to punch him. But he easily averted her blows, so she changed her tactics and grabbed hold of his coat - shaking him: “That wasn’t funny!”
“Yes it was!” he protested, weak from laughter. “Your face...” another helpless giggle, “Your face, love - it was priceless!”
Exasperated she threw her hands up in the air: “God you’re hopeless!”
He smirked and tilted his head. “What can I tell you baby - I’ve always been bad!”
“Bad??? Bad doesn’t even begin to cover it! You’re-” she stopped abruptly, then said in a completely different voice: “That rings a bell... when did you say that?”
“Um...” the wide grin gave way to a frown as he considered her question. “It was... oh - it was the night I told you about the Slayers I killed.” He stopped and stared into the distance. “God you pissed me off that night. I was going to kill you, you know.”
”Really?” she said softly, and there was something odd about her voice that Angel couldn’t place.
Spike chuckled quietly. “What - you didn’t notice the shotgun?”
“Of course I saw the shotgun you idiot - I meant, were you really going to kill me?” As she said it again, Angel realised what it was in her voice that sounded so odd - it was affection. Spike had wanted to kill her and she found it - endearing? How could that be? Their own violent past was now so far behind them that it did not hurt too much to talk about - she had almost joked about it that time in Sunnydale. But he could not imagine her finding it an endearing thing.
Spike, however, didn’t find it strange at all. He looked at her with a small smile. “Well, you were just so stuck up and righteous and managed to press all sorts of buttons. So I thought - screw the headache, I’ll just kill her and get it over with. Of course then when I found you, you were crying, which kinda threw me. Love’s bitch and all that...”
He sighed and let the sentence hang in the air. Buffy was quiet, seemingly lost in thought. Angel couldn’t see her face and wondered what was going through her head.
“Spike?” she said after a while. “Yes pet?” he replied, obviously sensing that her mood had changed.
“Did I... did I ever say thank you? For being there that night? Or for all the other nights? All those times you were just there for me?”
Spike was looking at her, so focussed that Angel was sure that a whole parade of demons could have walked by without causing him to even blink. “Dunno. Does it matter?” he replied cautiously.
She was silent again, then slowly started speaking, searching for the right words: “It does matter... it matters because you pulled me through. When I was ready to give up, you wouldn’t let me - and sometimes you were a complete jerk, but you made me care again when I just felt like letting some random demon have their one good day.” She took a deep breath and lifted her face: “I’m... I’m in a good place now. My life is better than it has been for years, but I get scared sometimes - what’ll happen when things get tough again? Because I’m sure they will - I’m a Slayer, and I can’t ever stop. It’s who I am. But - it’s so hard being the strong one, having to cut everyone out.”
She did a funny little laugh, that almost sounded like a sob. “Everyone except you! I know whatever happens, whatever I do, you can take it! I... I wasn’t ready for you not to be there. I don’t think I’ll ever be ready. You were like my secret corner where I could hide from everything and I want that back. When I saw you Sunday night, I thought I could keep you this time...” Her voice trailed off, but then she shook her head angrily. “God - listen to me. Just how much more pathetic can I get?”
Spike smiled wryly, but then took her hands and looked at her solemnly. “Buffy, I promise you that if things ever get hard - really hard - I’ll be there! If you need me, I’ll come. Always.”
She threw her arms around his neck and for a long moment they just embraced, then pulled apart and exchanged a soft kiss.
Buffy sniffled a bit, and Spike smiled a little. “Tonight didn’t quite turn out the way we planned, did it pet?” he said, and she shook her head. “Shall we just head home?”
She nodded at this, and he carefully extracted himself. “You just stay there for a minute while I find our weapons, OK?”
She didn’t protest and Spike started looking amongst the dead demons for the sword and axe.
After a bit Buffy spoke, voice lighter than before: “Spike?”
“Yes Buffy?” he replied, as he looked through some bushes.
“If... if we ever got married I’d still want ‘Wind beneath my wings’ for the first dance.”
Pulling out her axe from the tangled branches he looked at her, a fond smile on his lips. “I thought you might,” he said, then spotted his sword and picked it up, attaching it to his belt. Axe in hand he walked over to her, holding out his hand. “Lets see how high I can make you fly tonight!” he smirked and she laughed as she got up. Quietly they walked off, Buffy resting her head on Spike’s shoulder.
When their footsteps finally died down Angel tiredly put a hand across his face. Well, he’d wanted to know what was going on between the two of them. Now he knew. Congratulations Angel, the mission was a great success! He groaned and jumped to his feet, angrily kicking off one of the crypt’s ornaments. Why did he never learn?
What he needed now was alcohol - preferably Irish whiskey and plenty of it. If he drank enough, maybe he could erase tonight from his memory. So many certainties, so many absolutes - all wrecked. And dammit she really loved Spike! She’d been suicidal - his Buffy? Ready to give up? - and Spike - Spike who’d told him that all there was between them was sex - had helped her! He was ‘the wind beneath her wings’ - they’d even talked about marriage at some point in the past. Maybe he could find some demons to kill - he needed to rip someone’s head off. He could try to follow Illyria’s scent... she seemed to have some sort of sixth sense when it came to finding violence. But - oh, she’d walked off on her mysterious quest. And he didn’t want any more surprises tonight.
He was stuck somewhere between laughter and tears, suddenly wondering if this wizard guy in the desert could do mindwipes - because this night was something he’d rather forget.
*******
It was around lunchtime the next day, when Angel was woken by something very persistent. Slowly opening his eyes, his head a giant heap of pain due to the excessive amount of alcohol he’d consumed, he saw Illyria standing by the side of the bed, a look of excitement on her usually impassive face: “Get up vampire. Follow! It has arrived!”
Chapter 15.
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And again with the cliffhangery ending... :)
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Well, he just keeps on making the same mistakes - maybe he'll finally learn!
And next chapter is going to be far more evil! ;)
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Your Spike and Buffy are very, very sweet together.
Promise me you won't break the pretty.
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I love Angel to itty, bitty pieces and a big reason for that is his faults. So glad you liked it!
Buffy and Spike are in a happy little bubble for the week - carpe diem and all that!
Promise me you won't break the pretty.
???? Splainy please?
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I thought so, but just wanted to make sure. And the pretty Spuffy is fairly safe. Although the plot will really get rolling in the next chapter, so expect some general upheaval. ::evil grin::
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Very... interesting to watch them from Angel's perspective. ;)
I enjoyed the little bits :"Do we really need weapons for this?"
And their fight : a sight to behold , a beautiful dance for Spike and Buffy moving together is really something amazing.
And hot. Did i say hot? because it was!
And I loved how you went to the sensual teasing to the more serious conversation , and the softness of a last kiss before going back home.
Oh Angel certainly could be grateful to have a mindwipes. :)
It was very beautifully written , Elisabeth.Thank you.
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Oh good, because that's what I was aiming for!
Very... interesting to watch them from Angel's perspective. ;)
Heh. I had far too much fun with that!
And hot. Did i say hot? because it was!
There might be more hot-ness and 'dancing' later on...
I love how versatile the relationship is - that they *can* go from fighting/sex to quiet intimacy in the blink of an eye. It's something I never tire of.
And poor Angel - how many difficult memories has he got by now?
It was very beautifully written , Elisabeth.Thank you.
Thank you for such beautiful feedback - writers live for people like you! ::hugs::
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Oh boy, don't go there Angel! :) Very nice!
suddenly wondering if this wizard guy in the desert could do mindwipes
No Angel, don't go there either.
Very nice interlude; loved this bit of Spuffy through Angel's perspective, all the little nuances of their relationship confusing and confounding him, but we're in on the secret nevertheless. Enjoyed also the way Angel (and by extension us) saw Buffy as strong, powerful and the hero. Lovely.
Yay for the Darla mention; you got their relationship very nicely too ::pets you::
Woop the ending! Think it might be hard keeping up with Illyria.
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Heh. I enjoyed playing on how different the relationships were. Especially considering how very, very different unsouled!Spike is from Angelus.
but we're in on the secret nevertheless
Yay for smugness! ;)
Enjoyed also the way Angel (and by extension us) saw Buffy as strong, powerful and the hero. Lovely.
Oh, good! Because she is... nearly all the time! (Actually I thought back to 'Forever' when writing this - it takes place very shortly after Angel sleeps with Darla and I think there is a lot of 'putting people on pedestals'.)
::pets you::
::purrs::
Think it might be hard keeping up with Illyria.
Just wait...
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Very glad you liked it - hopefully the next chapter should be quicker! (Oh - and I've been enjoying all your recent posts. So sorry I haven't been commenting!)
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And I have no trouble picturing Spike hitting on Illyria just because he's bored!
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all the updates I missed
This seems to be a problem throughout fandom - summer is not a good time for keeping up with fics.
Seeing the character through the eyes of another character is one of my favorite devises; and it really worked in this instance.
Oh good - it's quite hard to pull off and it took me *forever* to get it remotely right! Especially since they're all such complex characters and trying to get inside their heads is not all that easy.
I love the way you write Angel, BTW.
Thank you! ::blushes:: I adore him totally - especially because of being ridiculous now and again. He's very human that way! :)
Thank you so much for the feedback - I was feeling all starved! ;)
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Perhaps for their next date they should tear down a building. I know the buildings in Rome are probably a lot tougher than in Sunnydale, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try.
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Well I think that your feedback might be the sweetest feedback I've ever had... I am so glad that you liked this chapter. It was one of those that I had worked out in my head months before I actually came to write it down, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do - only it absolutely refused to turn out how I wanted it to. But I'm so happy that it came across ok.
Perhaps for their next date they should tear down a building
Sounds like a good idea - they could do with a challenge! :)
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Squee! :D
Buffy and Spike can be themselves around each other, they may be foolish, reckless children, playing their secret games with abandon.
I love how you put that! And yes - they almost have their own language.
Poor Angel.
I know. But then he shouldn't have been snooping...
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Angel's stalking garnered exactly the results he deserved. I love the way you highlighted how different Angel's relationship with the girl was and is with Spike's relationship with her. Angel worshipped her perfection and strength of will and steel resolve, and Spike loved and loves that and her weaknesses, too. He was a support. Even when he was goading her and trying to kill her, he was igniting something in her.
Spike's allusion to having sex with Angel was hysterical. I wish I could have seen the looks on everybody's faces in that scene! This story is just wonderful.
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Indeed. They have such a rich history that this just wrote itself. :)
Angel's stalking garnered exactly the results he deserved.
Is it too much to hope that he's learned something?
I love the way you highlighted how different Angel's relationship with the girl was and is with Spike's relationship with her.
Angel really doesn't know her anymore. And vice versa of course. It's one of the reasons I think B/A is something I have a hard time envisaging - they'd have to re-discover who each other are...
Angel worshipped her perfection and strength of will and steel resolve, and Spike loved and loves that and her weaknesses, too. He was a support. Even when he was goading her and trying to kill her, he was igniting something in her.
Absolutely. To quote Hunter Maxin, writing about 'Touched':
'Spike does what Angel never did, never could, and never tried. Spike makes her stronger. Spike gives her faith. Spike gives her a reason to win.'
Spike's allusion to having sex with Angel was hysterical. I wish I could have seen the looks on everybody's faces in that scene!
He's a bad, rude man indeed...
This story is just wonderful.
*beams* It never ceases to make me happy that stuff I essentially write just for myself is enjoyed by other people too! :)