DEDICATION: To Denny, wherever you are. We all love you.
Chapter 8
“Well here we
are.” said Spike. He hated moments like
this. When the love of his life and he,
were about to enter a battle, from which they may not return. He’d done this with Buffy and look where
that had ended up. A damaged demon and
a grieving boy, finding comfort in one another. Was that what they were doing?
Maybe, back in the day but now?
Well now this felt a lot like love.
Like falling in love – again.
The two looked at
one another, dark eyes meeting blue.
Spike threaded his fingers behind Xander's head, losing them in the
thick, dark mane. He pulled gently. Kissed the fringe, then the forehead, the
nose and finally the mouth. The rich,
full, sensuous mouth. Xander deepened
the kiss and everything else vanished for both of them.
Long minutes
later Spike reluctantly let go. “Come
on, I didn't park so’s as we could park.”
“Oh parked did
you? Funny, I thought you just stopped
in the middle of the street. Why you are never ticketed beats me.”
“There ain't a
copper in Sunnydale who’d touch the DeSoto.
It's good this demon thing.”
“I take it they
don’t know you’re chipped.”
“You know, that
can have a metaphorical meaning, as well as a literal one. Ought to think about it sometimes.” Spike felt his temper rise. “Not now, dozy demon.” He thought, “Just put a sock in it for a
while, eh?”
He got out of the
car and pulled out his coat and the sword. The others were already on the wharf
corner where the last attack had been reported. The sea monster was heading for the ocean, seemingly. Was it in his imagination or had it got
rather chilly out here? “What you lot
doing with faces like the middle of a wet weekend in Skegness? If you’re going to tell me that a giant
whirl pool’s just opened up in the ‘arbour car park, I’m going home.”
“Come on.” Said the Watcher. He had had no time to really assimilate the information that
Willow had given him. He wanted to
question Spike alone where, if necessary, a little force could be applied, but
the demon of the day was more pressing.
Spike would have to wait.
The plan was
simple, six of them, six heads. Each of
them would act as a distraction. The
demon would be moving more slowly, thanks to the spell, and that would allow
them to sidestep the heads more easily.
Spike, with his supernatural strength, was on chopping duty. They didn't like it but they really had no
other choice, and judging from what Willow had overheard, he was still chipped
at the moment.
He sauntered down
the street, oblivious to their worries.
“Here little puppy. Come and get
your vampire treats.” He called to the
empty night.
He kicked over a
dumpster. It made a terrific crash and
with a snap, out shot one head, then another and another. Willow began her incantation and the strange
bark of the demon became a bellow. The
result was something akin to the Doppler effect.
Spike swung the
sword at the first head. It was
instantly severed and he was showered in gore. The demon blood was black tar
clinging to his skin and forming a sticky coating on his duster. He went more carefully at the second that
had turned towards him. Still, even
sawing at it got him further saturated in blood. Two down, three to go.
“Mustn't sever the last head or go for the heart.” He reminded himself. Suddenly there was a scream and the head
nearest Dawn was snapping and hissing at her.
Spike spun round,
slithering in the blood, and with an uppercut took that head off too. The grisly trophy tumbled to the dockside by
Giles’ feet. Now he was cross. He revealed face of the vampire and roared
at the demon. Head four instantly turned
towards its attacker. He swung, but
missed and Xander had to duck to avoid the incoming blade.
Demon against demon,
Spike swung again. Circling his head
with the mighty cleaver. Willow
shrieked and the blade stuck fast in mid-air.
The momentum the blond had built up however, carried him forward, and he
fell in the ever-increasing pool of blood.
He looked up to see the cutting edge of the sword mere inches from
Tara’s neck. Her eyes were wide with
shock and fright. “Let go, Witch.” He yelled, “Keep chanting. I got it.
It's OK. Just didn't see
her. For fuck sake let go!”
Willow released
the sword, but sent it spinning out of Spike’s hands and down the
quayside. The monster was now moving at
full speed and with half its heads still intact. Xander dived for the sword.
Sliding in the slick of blood, he grasped the hilt and as the roar
became deafening above him, he closed his eyes and thrust upwards. The barking and howling became a pained
scream and then an ear-splitting wail as the weapon drove itself into the
creature’s heart.
“No!” Moaned Spike, frustration not allowing him
to be discreet. Another chance
gone. He would have this fucking chip
forever.
The rest of the
body shrivelled and sunk into the water, making it foam and an eerie silence
hung over the wharf.
But he didn’t
have time to take in the full meaning of events. The gore that had fountained from Scylla’s chest had deluged
Xander. Human featured now, Spike
realised, to his horror that his lover was drowning in the blood. He skittered over to him and wiped the thick
sticky goo from the boy’s face. There
was no breath. Without thinking Spike
cleared Xander’s airway with his fingers.
He tipped back the young man’s head, pinched his nose and then sucked
air into dead lungs. Forming a complete
seal over Xander’s mouth, he exhaled.
He turned his head away for another breath. Years of smoking made this action, so unnatural for a vampire,
easy. Two more goes and Xander coughed
and sat up groggily. Spike smiled at
him in unspoken love and stood. He
didn’t know it, but he had just accomplished something his Sire hadn’t thought
possible.
He sighed and
reached into the pockets of his duster.
They were thick with blood. He
pulled out his lighter and cigarettes.
Ruined. He threw them both into
the sea.
Giles picked up
the sword and started towards the vampire, his face like thunder.
“What is it,
Watcher?”
“Just go home,
Spike.”
“Now what have I
done, apart from save the boy’s life?
Monster’s dead ain’t it?”
He shrugged
himself out of his coat. The two-inch
covering of congealing blood made it heavy and repulsive. He dropped the spoilt garment on the
ground. “I don't know what I have to do
for you bleeding people?”
“You betrayed us
- again.” Spike's gob had rarely been
more smacked.
“What the fuck
are you jawing about, Bookman?” He
couldn't believe that he was having this conversation, standing with demon
blood pooling around his boots, but there was more to come. Willow stepped up and slapped him hard
around the face.
“That's for
trying to kill Tara.”
She went hit him
again but he caught her hand, “I
wouldn't, Red.” His soft tone dripped
ice. His deadly gaze held her furious
one. She lowered her hand. Something was eating at his supposed
friends. They hadn’t even noticed that
he had just brought Xander back from the dead.
“I didn't try to
kill Tara. She was standing to my
left. I have a blind spot on that side
‘cos the eye’s weaker. I just didn't clock ‘er.”
“Witness
here. Bat like blind without the
glasses. And when did it become bash
the domestic vamp night? Did I not get
the memo?” Xander asked, still sounding
wheezy. He still couldn’t quite believe
what Spike had done for him. He had
been there when Angel said it wasn’t possible.
“Spike loved him enough to work miracles.” Xander thought but his faith in his lover was about to be shaken
even before it had had a chance to cement itself.
“I don't know why
you're sticking up for him, he was planning to do you next, you know.” Said Dawn, accusingly.
“What!?” Xander and Spike chorused.
“Willow
said. She followed you, well not
literally, magically.”
“And she heard me
plan to kill Xander?” Now he felt
physically sick. If only they knew how
much the boy meant to him. It would be
inconceivable that he could even think it.
Never, chip or no chip, ‘til the sun froze and the moon wept. Xander was his last true love and of that he
was certain. He could simply tell
them. Fuck, he should tell them but
instead he asked, “And just how did you come to this colourful conclusion?”
“You said you
wanted to kill the Whelp.” Willow said
frowning. Spike’s actions in the last
half hour certainly didn’t suggest that murder was on his agenda but he’d done
this before.
“We just
did. Scylla means whelp in Greek. Anyway why the bloody ‘ell would you think
that was Xander? I’ve called him many
things,” Spike had that horrible feeling of deja vous. Hadn’t he had this conversation? Somehow he didn’t think this time it was
going to end in hot and horny sex. “I
called him Special Ed. once but never Whelp.”
Now all eyes were
on Willow. “Well, I…er – a…” she
stammered but she never finished.
“Vampire, you
have double-crossed us!” Tony Viscotti
boomed.
>>> Chapter
9
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7
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