Who is Who ((COMPLETED))

Chapter 10 – Yellow

By Buffy’s way of thinking, it was corny but true. ‘Another day, another damn dilemma!’ She and Spike had been running down a maze of long halls after their escape for the last ten minutes. “I’m starting to feel like a rat in a maze. At least there could be some cheese…,” Buffy mock pouted.

“Aren’t there any sodding ways out of this place? A simple exit sign would be nice right about now.”

The escaped slayer and vampire raced down one concrete pathway after another. All slightly curving halls that were so long that their ends were out of sight, around a far bend, with only one thing in common, they all led down. Down two flights of stairs, a jump down an air duct to three levels below, and finally an extremely narrow elevator to the lowest level possible. Unsurprisingly, a cry went up to their left as they exited causing them to run to the right with three demons following close behind. “Bullocks, I knew our luck was too good so far…”

Buffy dashed through the door which Spike slammed and locked behind them. By demon standards, the lock was flimsy but would hold for a few minutes allowing them a head start.

Quickly taking in their surroundings, the pair realized that they were in a generator plant, deep in the bowels of the Sunnydale Dam. They were in a cavernous room with two large, rust-colored generators on the left, open space in front, and a grey concrete, windowless wall to their right. The humming they had been hearing was coming from the largest of the two generators to their left. Running half way down the huge room, they spotted a door between the two generators. Running up to it, they came to a skidding halt as the door was flung wide open. In her current kick ass now, question later mode, Buffy swung first and barely missed slugging Clem in the mouth. After ducking, Clem stayed on the floor the swing mumbling something about e moe months instead of two. Xander, Willow and Dawn soon followed.

Dawn landed a bear hug on Buffy. "You're ok!!...Ew, Buff, bad hair day."

Spike watched Xander quickly shut and locked the door. "Don't tell me, Harris, you’re also on today’s menu."

Xander snapped around to glare at the vampire and felt his blood pressure rise even more at the sight of blood on the chipless vamp and the blood on Buffy’s head and neck. "Looks like you have been hitting the buffet."

Before Spike could even make a smart ass reply, Willow brought them all back to the problem at hand. "The way we came - not an option. One demon, coming fast. What about back that way?" Willow indicated the way Buffy and Spike had come.

The sound of a door banging against a wall was her answer. “Three more that way. Let’s see if there is a Door #3 and what is behind it.”ffy ffy led the way around the second generator.

The locks on the doors bought a little time allowing the group to make it around the second generator and to a far door that lead outside. They could leave, but escape was not going to be that easy. The exit opened out to a large walkway bordered on the right by the river and a cliff face on the left. Progress was quickly halted when a man in a dark suit emerged out of a side tunnel followed by Alpha. Without hesitating, the Mafia wanna-be walked casually up to Buffy with a confident sneer which Buffyediaediately wanted to slap off his face. "Ah, the Slayer..."

Still with a throbbing headache from her wound, the Slayer was in no mood for chit-chat. "If I had a dollar from every demon that has used that lame line, I wouldn't have to work at the Double Meat Palace." Buffy grabbed the man by the throat and choked him to his knees.

At the mouth of the cave, Alpha let out a fierce stream of threatening but unintelligible mumbles.

"Big Huh? Somebody catch *any* of that?" Dawn blurted out.

Xander thought the mumbling sounded familiar. "Hey, Falcon Face, I'll take an order of french fries with a large root beer. Super size it – Hell, you look like you are super sized.”

Buffy still held the small man by the throat while keeping her eyes trained on the giant demon, addressing him with a little lift of her shoulder. "Sorry. Didn't catch a word." She glanced briefly over at Spike who gave her a nonchalant shrug in return. "Me, either, luv. Drive-thru is not one of my lingos, but I do know that the bloke you are currently throttling is his translator."

"My bad, but conversation would have been good *four hours ago.* Now this better be a major league apology, Lurch." She let the suit go, but instead of giving a translation, the well dressed demon pulled out a vicious knife and lunged at the Slayer. The fight was very short resulting in the translator leaving a trail of green blood as Buffy flung the dead body to land at Alpha’s feet. “I think this guy should have spmoremore time at the gym than at his tailor’s.”

Having had enough, Alpha launched his attack at the smart mouthed Slayer while Spike, Xander and Willow took on the four demons that had followed them outside. Dawn and Clem were left in the middle: Clem to guard the weapons and Dawn to guard Clem.

Alpha was well over seven feet tall making it hard for the petite Slayer to reach high enough to effectively go for any crucial head shots. Jumping each time and leaving the ground left her too vulnerable. Instead she wailed away with body shots, "I.Need.A.Ladder." Dawn must have heard her, because Buffy could see her little sis pick up a nasty mace and approach, obviously trying to figure out a way to help without accidentally harming her big sister in the process.

Spike had been keeping an eye on Dawn during the fight and knew what she should do. "Lil Bit, his knees..." Dawn turned to look blankly at Spike, gesturing with her palms up her lack of understanding of what exactly to do. Getting a firm choke hold on his opponent with one arm, Spike signaled to Dawn with the other arm making a swinging motion, "Use the mace. Take out his knee!" When he saw the light bulb finally turn on for Dawn, Spike went back to killing his opponent but was disappointed he couldn’t watch the pending Summers’ show.

Adding a little initiative of her own, Dawn paused to whisper briefly to Clem, who nodded in agreement and grabbed a battle axe. Making as little sound as possible, Dawn snuck up to the side of Alpha, took aim, and swung the mace as hard as she could into the side of his right knee. Wow, she was surprised how easily the joint collapsed, bringing the enormous, brown demon to a kneeling position in front of Buffy, lowering his height by at least two feet. As he looked down at his new position and then back up at the Slayer, Alpha let out a mumbling litany that no one had any trouble understanding. Those kinds of threats needed no translating.

At the same time Dawn had started her swing, Buffy heard her name called. Looking over to Clem, she deftly grabbed the axe he slid across the concrete to her and with one, swift swing lopped Alpha's head cleanly off at his shoulders as he looked up. All fighting came to a halt as everyone watched in silence as brown feathers floated slowly to the ground and the head resembling a falcon rolled to rest next to Clem.

Clem just added a few more wrinkles to his nose in disgust. "Think I'll pass on the souvenir. Maybe I will check out the dam’s gift shop later. Mom might like a postcard."

Watching the only demon remaining alive beat a hasty retreat, Willow ventured to say. “I kinda think these demons looked a little odd.”

“Hey, remember. We live in Strange Central.” Xander laughed. “What makes these weirdoes any weirder than the next?”

“If you think they look funny, try if from my end. It smells like a demon convention, and that guy's s is is killing me.” Clem sniffed at the head lying at his feet. “This guy especially smells like a human AND a demon.”

“That’s it. They all look like a mix of different demons and humans, instead on one distinct species of demons.” Thinking back to Clem’s comments in the sewers about the various smells on the fabric she had found, Willow took her thoughts a step further. “Well, this Alpha looks like a mix of both, too, just a different type of demon. Sort of like vampires. If vampires are a mix of human and demon, what about Spike? Does he smell like both but separately?”

Buffy was just unable to resist such an opening. “And you called me bed head, William the Smelly. Maybe you should take a bath once in awhile.”

“Just wait until you see a mirror, luv,” Spike smirked confidently at the taunting Slayer.

“At least I can see myself in the mirror,” Buffy replied with a mischievous smile.

Ignoring the usual banter, Clem answered Willow’s question. “No. Vampires are a mix of sorts but just smell like vampires, only one distinct smell particular to their species. This guy has two distinct smells at the same time: one human and one bird-demony.”

Summing it up in his own special Xander way, “Like Italian food? You smell the garlic, but also the basil, tomatoes, …?”

“Yeah, that’s it. Never smelt anything like it before… What were you saying about Italian food? Anyone else hungry?”

*****

The next evening just after dusk, Spike approached the Summers’ house. "Spikey!" The vampire rolled his eyes and groaned as Dawn ran up to give him a farewell hug. "We weren't sure you would come to say good-bye."

"…But we’re so glad you did." Willow added a hug to Dawn's.

Dawn stepped back with a concerned look on her face. "I was thinking. Won't there be sunlight on this trip back?"

" As for the airplane, those flight attendants are suckers for a sob story of this horrible skin disease I have that doesn't allow any direct sunlight. Gile's has everything handled after I land. So, no worries, Nibblet."
"We could still drive you to the airport," Dawn said hopefully.

”No, thank you! Yesterday scared me away from you girls’ driving for quite a while. Just take care of the DeSoto for me. Anyway, I’m to meet a shuttle over at Sheldon Park to take me to the airport, but I promise I will email both of you when I get to my flat.” Astonished but flattered at the same time, Spike could see their eyes start to mist up and felt the distinct urge to flee. “Now, none of that blubbering. Bite Size and Red, let’s see a proper English stiff upper lip."

Before he could make his getaway, Willow asked the question he had sincerely hoped to avoid. "When are you coming back?"

"You know it’s not that simple and depends on a few other wrinkles that need to be ironed out.”

"Yeah, I know. Buffy, Buffy, and ... Buffy.”

"There are a couple of other items on the list, Nibblet. Now lay off, and I’ll see what I can work out."

With two last farewell hugs, Spike headed out of the yard mumbling something about needing to be saved from gushy women. Secretly, he had loved it, but somng hng had been missing. The vampire hadn't really expected the Slayer to be there tonight to say good-bye. In fact, it was probably easier this way, but Spike couldn't shake the feeling that Buffy was somewhere near.

As he neared the park, he saw her leaning on a tree, watching his approach. If you just imagined a cigarette in her hand and a leather duster on her back, Spike would have thought it was the ghost of himself leaning on the tree watching for the Slayer’s approach. Amazing how quickly people’s lives took a 180 while living on the Hellmouth. Two months ago she adamantly tried to avoid him. Now here she was waiting for him.

When Spike got up close, Buffy said, "I have to patrol in the cemetery across the street and thought I would…” Lame, lame, lame! And they both knew it.

Raising an eyebrow, Spike stared at her waiting to see what story the Slayer would make up next but then decided to give her a break. He could still vividly remember all those same excuses he had to make up while waiting for her. "Ya know, if it’s all the same to you, Slayer, love to skip the sappy good-bye crap."

"Great...me, too. How about just two people walking to the park?"

When they arrived at the park, Buffy awkwardly sat down on a bench to watch Spike pace and smoke, glad for some music drifting across the still air from an open window close by, breaking the silence. When a slower song started, on impulse she stood up and offered her hand. Spike quirked a brow in silent question. With her hand still outstretched, she took a step closer and tilted her head, now making a dare with only a look, a simple gesture, and a softly spoken question. "Don't you want to 'dance'?"

Casually throwing down his cigarette, “I’m game…as long as it doesn't include my nose bleeding afterwards." Recognizing the song , “Yellow” by Coldplay, Spike wondered if someone was making a bad joke. What an appropriate color to connect with the current state of their relationship. But against his better judgment, he accepted the silent dare. "I wondered if we would have a go before I left for London.”
“Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
Everything you do
Yeah, they were all yellow”
Just as they fought common enemies, working together with ease, they also danced the same way. This being their first time, the two moved perfectly in tune. The pair would have both been surprised to find that their thoughts were just as closely attuned. Both the Slayer and the vampire were not thinking of the usual slaying or even past sexual exploits but about the same quiet moments two nights previous. Buffy pictured Spike, Dawn, and Willow lying on the ground looking up at the stars and remembered how wonderful it had been to join them. Just friends doing nothing for a while but gazing up at the stars, making small talk, and catching fireflies.

Both knew the dance was just an excuse to touch one another before a continent and an ocean separated them again. A lover’s excuse to forget all other barriers for a few, purloined moments and enjoy each other’s unmistakable smell and feel. The kiss that began, though, had no excuse and didn't need one. Not between them.

Caught up in the moment, Buffy unconsciously leaned into Spike, molding her body full length to his, striving to make as much contact as possible. Still swaying to the music, their motion created a sensual friction in all the right places. And the kiss…She never wanted to breathe again if it meant breaking off this kiss. Before Spike had left for Africa, their kisses were stolen moments with the barest hint of more opportunities to come. Tonight, their lips met, hungry for a last taste of each other, perfectly matched passion with an edge of desperation but on vergverge of Heaven.

Behind the couple, the airport shuttle pulled up and stopped, neither noticing until the door opened directly behind Spike. As they reluctantly parted, they paused caught up in each other's eyes as the lyrics of the song sunk into Buffy's brain.
“I swam across
I jumped across for you
Oh, what a thing to do
‘Cause you were all yellow.”
Before Spike could never see the expression in her eyes after any intimate contact because she had been either rolling them or running away. But tonight, he could clearly see all her emotions clearly. Her hazel eyes were filled with intense desire but also reflected her continued indecision, while his blue eyes held a question. He pulled back waiting for her to decide, to say something, anything.

To say Buffy was torn would have been a monumental understatement, and how she desperately wanted to simply say, "Stay." Only four little letters, only one syllable, which echoed loudly in her head, raged to be set free.
“Oh, yeah, your skin and bones
Turning into something beautiful
You know for you I’d bleed myself dry
For you, I’d bleed myself dry.”
Thinking of the songs lyrics, she had no doubt that Spike would do just that, drain himself dry for her or Dawn, both figuratively and literally. But she also remembered the chip that no longer worked and all the other reasons they couldn't be together. They had an agreement, Buffy reasoned, that he would leave town when it was all over. But she still attempted to form the word, her eyes trying to make him understand with just a look, but the insecurity that was clearly written on her face kept her frozen. Yes, yellow was her color when it came to Spike. The slayer afraid of a vampire: afraid of what others might say, afraid to commit, afraid to follow her heart, and most of all, afraid of later having to kill her boyfriend - again.
“I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh, what a thing to do
And they were all yellow.”
Ever so slowly, Spike gently took Buffy's hand off his shoulder and placed a simple but undeniably heart-felt kiss on her palm, his eyes briefly closing with the intensity of his emotions. The corners of his mouth curved up slightly as her fingers curled closed as if to hold it from getting away as he pulled back to leave. As Spike stepped onto the shuttle, he paused and looked back, drinking in the sight of her for one last time. Buffy was still standing where he had left her, watching him leave. With some satisfaction, he did notice that she was still holding her hand closed, as if to capture his kiss from floating away.

*******

Headed back to England, Spike sat staring out the window of his plane watching the stars. Whenever flying, he had always marveled at this incredible invention of transportation. But this time, he was struck by how he was sitting on an ironic symbol of his existence both in his life and undeath. Traveling between two worlds: between London and Sunnydale, between human and vampire, between good and evil, and the list went on. The only consolation was that he was the one to decide now. In Africa, along with his soul he had also regained his pride. And with the newly restored soul and pride, came the decision to no longer try to fit into one pre-made slot designed by others. Now Spike was truly the rebel he had always bragged about being. He knew he lived in an unique grey area which he was learning to embrace. And on the heels of this declaration of independence came the realization that he wanted to continue his improvements. He still felt a little shocked (and nauseated at times) by that one. Spike only wished that Buffy could do the same and thrive in her own uniqueness.

As his thoughts returned to the Slayer, Spike laughed at himself. To once think that after Willow’s spell a couple of years ago, he considered her unique taste gross, and now it was a precious treasure to be savored as long as possible. He refused any food or drink from the flight attendants. Not even blood sounded appealing if it replaced her precious flavor still lingering on his tongue.

Bloody hell, that hope he had locked away was peeping its busy-body nose out again. In his mind’s eye, he could still see her as he had boarded the shuttle. Her eyes had been filled with desire, hope, but not a decision. His hope helpfully pointed out that her barriers gave the appearances to be falling, but Spike had to remind the meddling hope that having her but not having her was no longer acceptable. ‘Not until she is committed, fully resolved. I won’t settle for less this time.’ This time he had vowed not to force it. Buffy had to decide on her own.

But her voice came to him again, and his hope wouldn’t let him close the door to its cage completely. Last night, as Spike and Buffy had left the cell, she had called him a man. “This from the man who thinks the lid of a sarcophagus is all comfy cozy.” Not a demon or monster, but a man. Definite progress there, mate. The problem was knowing if or when to open that door again. Or did he even have a choice after this last visit to Sunny-D?

Hope might just have a point, and fondly thinking of Nibblet and Red, he did have two allies now. ‘Ok, little bugger. You can keep one foot out the door but not a step more.’ Nevertheless, he had to take care of a few matters in London first.

Spike shook his head with an exasperated sigh. William, the poet, was truly out in force tonight with all this hope and philosophy crap. Closing his eyes, Spike wanted to sleep, but the song from the park played over and over his head. Resigned, he settled for watching the stars shining so brightly out the window as they had from Revello Drive, and he continued to absently rub the pad of his thumb over the palm of his hand dreaming of a gallant kiss placed on his lady’s hand.
“Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things we do.”

******

Sarah was tired, her feet were killing her, she had a pounding headache, and had been pinched in the ass one too many times that night. Her shift at Willy’s had been long and unusually boring. And that asshole taking up space at the largest booth in the back wasn’t helping any. He had mumbled something about waiting for friends and would order when they got there. Sure!! How many times had she heard that one? ‘No Tip’ might as well been tattooed across his forehead.

Just as she wrote him off, three demons walked in and went directly to his table joining him. If it were possible, he got even more nervous. ‘Some friends,’ Sarah thought as she plastered a smile on her face and went to take their order.

When she brought them their first round, her presence brought an abrupt halt to their intense conversation. When they paid, she noticed that the three new comers all had matching tattoos on their right hands, the letter ‘M’ with a lighting bolt. She mentally changed her ranking of that table to “interesting.” She had seen that tattoo before and recently. By the end of the night, she had made enough trips to the table and heard enough tidbits to know why they were in town. They were here to go after the Slayer. ‘Good, that bitch,’ Sarah thought as she walked away. Miss High-and-Mighty had killed her mate and two other friends about a year ago. She hoped their plan included torture as well.

The End

Look for the sequel, “Relentless Revenge.” (No way I could end it there, but it was a natural break to the story. Ya gotta have Spuffy and a good ending, don't you??)


Disclaimer: I certainly do not own the song or lyrics to “Yellow” by Coldplay. I was just borrowing, but what a great song!!