Birthright

I do not own these characters or this concept. Joss owns everything. I'm simply borrowing his toys.
I've taken some advice from a reviewer and I'm in the process of revamping this.


Spike sat lost in thought. Certainly not a new preoccupation of his these days but he wished every time he did this he’d come to some conclusion. But he never did. He’d start thinking about beer or the telly and without fail his thoughts would turn to the sassy warrioress who’d stolen his heart without even meaning to.

And every night that she stormed through that door to demand something of him he’d only fallen in deeper. At first it was the challenge of the task she would present. But then later it had turned to demands of the flesh. He’d been shagging the slayer good and proper now for two months, he because he loved her, and she to feel again. For he knew her secret.

She’d been ripped from heaven by her supposed mates, then politely handed back her stakes and her old life and told to get over it and move on. But she hadn’t. She was only sinking further into her distance and he didn’t know what to do about it now. At one time he’d thought his love for her could save her but now he was beginning to see it was drowning her as assuredly as her friends’ ‘help’ was.

Upon hearing a soft tinkering of a laugh his eyes jerked up, searching out the body that the sound came from. But he found none. Blinking, he carefully slid off the sarcophagus under him and took a careful inventory of his surroundings,” Now I know I’m not going barmy, yet.” His instincts on full alert, knowing that the sound came from no one he knew, he inhaled deeply and jerked away from whatever was behind him.

He growled lowly at the woman before him, swathed in flowing satin, covered from head to toe. But then the laughter came again as she moved silently opposite him. Though he couldn’t see her face he knew she was smiling, though whether it was mocking or not remained to be seen.

“ Hello, William.”

Spike jumped as if she’d shouted, her voice shocking something deep inside. A memory too old to recall but she seemed so familiar now. Especially those onyx eyes that seemed to hold so many secrets. Finding his voice,” Who...who the bloody hell are you?”

Her head tilted just a fraction and again familiarity washed over him,” Such language from such a sweet prince.”

The blond vampire flinched a little, something passing through his memory again. Something vague, like a house only made of stone, like his crypt. Absently he rubbed his temple. She gestured to their surroundings lazily, from wall to wall,” You’ve made quite a home from this...dwelling.” She said the words carefully, not exactly impressed but not criticizing either.

He shrugged, feeling himself relax against his better judgement,” You do what you can with what you have.”

She nodded a little, moving carefully as she looked,” ‘Tis true.”

He frowned, his demon growing uneasy all of a sudden,” Okay, introduction time. You know me, but who and what are you?”

She gave him another glance, curiously examining his television,” I don’t think you’re ready for that yet. At least not the what. The who...is Ariana.”

His lips pursed a little,” Alright then...Ariana...what’re you doin’ here?”

He didn’t really know why his swearing had suddenly stopped but he felt almost like he was in front of his mother and he’d always known better than to swear in front of her. He hadn’t made that mistake since he was a six years old human. She batted her eyelashes at him,” I’ve been searching for you, dear heart.”

He gave her a smirk,” No offense, but I’m taken.”

Again that tinkling laughter filled the air,” No, no, no...I’m far too old for you.” He felt his unease grow as his smirk slipped. Who was too old for a hundred year old vampire,”...and eternally unavailable. No, I’ve come to give you your birthright.”

Hands sliding into his pockets as he rocked on his heels, thinking of maybe money. Money that both he and the slayer he loved could use,” S’right? Well then, let’s have it.”

Her eyes sparked gold for a moment, gesturing with her hand,” As you wish.”

*

Buffy threw open the crypt door, first the outer then the inner. In truth she wasn’t completely sure what drew her to her former enemy night after night but she simply couldn’t get enough of him. Not of his gentle words and caresses. Not of the endearments he tried to lavish her with. And especially not his body.

Without meaning to or knowing why she punished him for every kindness but desperately came back for more. Perhaps it was a test, to see if he would give up on her like every other man in her life. Perhaps it was to punish her friends through him, since she wouldn’t dare give them this treatment. But he took it, thanked her, and kept coming back for more.

But as she stepped into the crypt she felt a chill rush through her body. The candles were unlit and it looked like a tornado had been through here. Both stone sarcophaguses were lidless and the lids were a mass of rubble on one side. His TV. His chair. His fridge. All gone. In fact everything on the left side was missing but on the right it was a mess,” Spike?” Fear settling heavily into her heart, she ran across the stone space and vaulted down into the lower level of the crypt,” Spike!” It was silent and dark, but not empty. Everything was in it’s place.

Instinctively she knew he’d been upstairs whenever whatever had happened, had happened. And she couldn’t fathom why, but Spike being gone was not an acceptable situation. Steeling her trembling heart, she strode back to the surface and back to her friends. She had to find Spike, and her friends were going to help her do it.