A Sweet Dream

~This is my version of, “Inca Mummy Princess” if you’ve watched the episode there is no Spike in it, so of course I supplied some action for my favorite vampire. This story is all B/S, with lots of respect to Willow/Oz, Willow/Xander, Xander/Cordy, Cordy/Angel and will go AU eventually, if it hasn’t already. ~

~Disclaimer- Joss and company own these characters and the scripts but I play with they’re thoughts and moments when the cameras should have been rolling. ~



Sunnydale High, Library…


Willow watched Buffy and Xander walk slowly ahead of her; it was easier to sulk when no one was watching.

Once they had all discovered that Rodney was missing during the fieldtrip to the museum, a walking road trip had been ordered by Giles to obtain information and hopefully, nothing scary just explain-y.


Xander:…which makes her not the kind of girl who I think about her lips that much. She’s the kind of girl that I’m best friends with.


Willow was so eager to forget the lips comment Xander had made earlier but understanding had given way into her current mope fest.


She didn’t have to wonder if Xander ever thought about Buffy’s lips, and sometimes watching them only made it harder.


They made an attempt to talk about happy things like their costumes for the dance.


“I’m planning on something classic, I’m thinking of something from the culture of not dressed very much. What do you say Buffy, would you care to not dress very much and be my temptress?” Xander asked Buffy.


“Sorry, my costume is gonna be let’s just say in the more clothed variety and anyway I’ve got a certain foreign exchange student who might just want me to dress in something matching his costume.” Buffy volunteered.


“Wait, I thought he was just staying at your house and now your dressing up for him?” Xander’s cry turned already sullen face into a definite frown.


Noting Willow’s mood Buffy made a move to change the subject in order to just change it.


“So do we have any speculation on what would cause the ultra irresponsible Rodney to just disappear? I mean is he known to runaway from home?” Buffy asked slightly turning back toward Willow.


“No, he’s pretty consistent, I mean he never missed a day of school not even one when he was beating on Xander.” She offered.


“Yeah, I guess the voodoo doll I made from his gym shorts and used bubble gum was really a waste, huh?” He offered happily.


Willow tried to ignore him but couldn’t help smile, no matter what in the end he could always make her smile.


“Yeah, Buffy any word yet on Spike? I mean he’s still out there somewhere and he could have had something to do with this.” Willow asked.


“No word.” The very mention of his name raised her temperature and she got lost in thoughts of him.


“Maybe Angel’s best buddy is dead.” Xander offered hopefully.


If either of them had looked at her face they would have seen a hint of a smile, “He’s not dead, Xander, if I know anything, it’s that he is out there, waiting.”


“I guess that kinda makes you wish you’d killed him, huh?” Xander offered.


“I would have killed him Xander, but he was busy running away and I had to take care of my mother.
I guess I could have chased after him, but…never mind.” Her voice was full of doubt Willow noted it immediately.


The walked the rest of way in silence, Willow lost in thoughts of Xander, Xander lost in thoughts of the Playboy magazine he’d forgot to hide from his mother and Buffy lost in thoughts of Spike.


Later same day….evening…Warehouse..

Her body hung in the same place since last night, occasionally she was burned or beaten by him, and she was waiting, waiting for her death.


He smiled at her; such a beautiful human face that hid such evil and hatred, he just loved that.


“Let’s see, Sheila, I don’t think there is much more I can do to you, except to grant your greatest wish. Death sounds so pleasant doesn’t it? No more pain or struggles, just peace and quiet.” He offered whispering in her ear.


She looked at him, her face almost unrecognizable, it was a mass of black and blue dead flesh.


“The slayer, she was too strong and too smart for a little nothing like you to deal with, huh?” He laughed.


She motioned him close to her and mumbled something in his ear. She laughed.

He grabbed her head roughly and peered into her eyes, he’d heard her words and they stung him. Dru entered the room then and he let her go smiling toward his lover, who looked at him curiously.


“She’s been a bad girl, Dru and now I think it’s time I move on.” He expressed.


“She’s not to be trusted, is she? She doesn’t keep her secrets like a good little girl.” She touched his cheek and he took he hand and kissed it lightly.


Sheila moaned lowly and he picked up her head and then removed a stake from his back pocket. Just as she screamed he shoved the stake in her heart and the resulting dust caused him to sneeze.


Dru danced around him slowly, “Are you punishing me, because I couldn’t kill her or because you couldn’t kill her…Those were her words, weren’t they Spike?
What did you tell her Spike?”


He frowned not knowing if she overheard Sheila’s words or if she had just read his mind like she had the annoying habit to do.


“I didn’t say nothing, baby. She wasn’t worth it, she’d already told all her secrets. If she couldn’t tell me anything new then what was the point in keeping her around? She was better off as dust.”


“You’re a very bad daddy, aren’t you Spike, and won’t tell princess all your secrets. You think you’re so clever and secretive. But I can see you, and I can see it all.
I can see the old girl with new skin, she’s going to kill and there’s only one thing to stop her.”


“And what is that, baby?”


“She’s like you dear Spike, kissest stt stop the heart and dances with the innocent.”


“What’s gonna stop her, Dru?” His impatience was finally showing.


Her eyes glowed, “Love, my dear Spike, her heart goes thump, just like yours did once and it’s her only fault.”


He frowned and looked down at the dust at his feet, he cleaned off his boots with the edge of his duster as Dru watched him.

She danced faster and faster, until out of nowhere she fell to a heap on the floor.


“I’m so tired, will you take me to bed?” She asked, his hands were in two tight fists and he leaned over her and gathered in her arms.


“She owns you, doesn’t she, in dreams? But you’re all mine, aren’t you?” Her voice was thin and deep.


He closed his eyes and sighed, “Yes.”


Her eyes closed as he laid her down on their bed but her hand reached out to him desperate for him to lie down next to her.

He laid next her, his arms wrapped around her from behind she pressed herself to him but found no hardness in his body.

She pulled away from him and closed her eyes again. His arms, now empty were stretched out above his head and the dull ache of hunger and emptiness of Dru’s embrace made him ready to search the night for a meal, something sweet and blonde.


Later same evening…Sunnydale Bus Station…

Hungry, so hungry was the only thing it knew or understood as it looked at the young boy as he walked around the busses.

The vampire minion Burt loved to watch his prey; it would strike in the moment it was least expected to and sink its teeth into the gentle boy’s neck.

Burt moved toward the boy but just as he rounded the corner he saw her, or at least he thought it was a she and it kissed his dinner before he’d even gotten a hand on his dinner. He was about to turn away when he became fascinated with way the girl sucked the life out of the boy.

And in a moment the scary looking life sucker turned into a beautiful young girl.

Sensing him she hissed at him and he moved away, suddenly not so hungry and more ready and willing to find Spike and spill his beans.
He wondered if there was any reward for an enterprising young vampire who had knowledge.

Then he heard it the voice that caused fear in the non-beating hearts of every vampire, the slayer. He watched the lovely life-sucking demon change into the boys clothes and reveal herself to the slayer.

It took a moment and then he realized that the life sucker was going home, with the slayer.


Later same evening…Summer’s home…

Buffy had watched the easiness between Ampata and Xander and marveled how two people who had barely met already had a connection. Yes, it was a silly laugh and thinking Xander was muy bueno with his Spanish-connection but it was more than she had with, someone.

She’d felt so many things when was with Angel but comfort and silliness had never been one of them. She couldn’t remember if he had ever made
her laugh, really laugh but he had made her want to cry.

She crept under the covers and thought about how Ampata just wanted a normal American girl life and the big joke was that she hadn’t had one in a really long time. She should take her out show her ‘normal life’ with the vampire killing, the demon hunting
and the end of the world stuff. And then she’d probably just run for the border.

And the thought of Angel creeped in again but it was accompanied with the ‘I’m keeping a secret from him’ variety.

She should tell him and she meant to every time she saw him, about Spike but somehow the words never got anywhere near her mouth.

But he hadn’t even sensed her feelings for Spike so on some level she must be real good at hiding things or Angel was a little dense.

Angel, she thought, I’ve been having serious sexy dreams and thoughts about my mortal enemy, you’re all right with that, right?

In no world could she imagine him saying, sure Buffy, no problem.


Ampata watched Buffy try to fall asleep and saw a small smile on her face. She thought about how lucky Buffy was and she didn’t even know it, she had it all including a chance to live a long life. This age so different from her own or what she’d imagined from inside her toured tomb. This age was so clean and warm so different and with no violence or the feeling that her death was around the corner, it was safe.

She smiled when she thought of Buffy’s friend Xander and he’d made her laugh. She’d never known a young man like that when she was young; they were all so serious and would never even speak to her directly. It was only from her own father that she learned that men could be friendly and kind.
But he was dead, so long ago and he’d been the one in the end who’d resigned her to this fate. But now she made her own opportunities and this time she was going to have a full life, no matter the cost. She closed her eyes.


It hadn’t been easy to find sleep that night; she’d fought herself and that darkness behind her eyes, and the darkness he invaded with her.

Listening to Ampata’s sleep had not helped it was nice and it lulled her into the belief that she could find some peace of her own.

And for a moment, just a moment she willed herself a dream a sweet dream-


Spike took her hand and lifted her off the cold floor, the floor had been almost freezing but his hand was worse. Even colder.

She looked around and realized they were inside a crypt, he lead her out still holding her hand. She thought she knew or had least had killed in every crypt in Sunnydale but this one was new to her.

“Thanks,” she said standing next to him. “What are we doing here?”

“I don’t have a clue, luv, if I had to venture a guess I’d say it’s a cemetery and we’re in it.”

His other hand slipped under her chin and he tilted it up toward him, savoring the tremble that went thru her. She looked up at him enjoying the way he looked in the lamplight, he was beautiful.

“I’m going to kill you,” he whispered lowly.

“You’re going to try,” she teased. She knew he’d wanted her to take his threat seriously but his voice and the look in his eyes said something different.

He bent down trying to take a kiss from her but she slipped away from him. She slipped away from him laughing, they were in a cemetery she didn’t recognize and he gave chase. She couldn’t help but laugh at him as he searched for her in vain muttering under his breath and swearing.

The gravestones seemed to spring up in his way and he was in danger of losing her until she looked back and stopped.
She made his heart ache, so lovely and stunning looking at him smiling at his distress.

In a moment he was at her side, tackling her and they were breathing heavy and laughing. In exhaustion she fell to the ground and he laid down next to her on his side staring at her face.

“There are no stars tonight,” she sighed lying on her back.

“Too close to town and all it’s lights, I expect.” He stated still looking at her.

She looked at him, “This is a dream, Spike, it’s not real, the stars aren’t real and we’re not real.”

He leaned over her, “Who are you and who am I, to say what is real, Slayer?”

“If this were real, you’d be dead, I mean dust and we wouldn’t laying here like this.”

“Like what?” He teased.

She smiled. “Like it didn’t matter that you’ve tried to kill me and I’ve tried to kill you. But here it’s like we’re different. We both are.”

“Here, we’re free.” His hand reached out and began to play with a lock of her hair.

Her face darkened, “I’m not free, and I don’t think you are.”

“Shh,” he whispered trying to soothe her. “It’s all so fast, this dance we dance.”

She whimpered and sighed. He leaned down ready to quiet her with a kiss when she disappeared and he was alone in the starless night.


Spike woke with a start, pulling a sheet against his naked form luckily Dru didn’t stir he moved to the edge of the bed. He hadn’t recognized himself in that dream, some courting imbecile who was likely to start spouting Byron and ask if he could call on her. He hated that life and here was this girl taking him back to the boy Drusilla had killed with her first kiss.

Buffy had been right of course, neither of them were free.

So many years he’d spent with Dru worshipping her, giving her everything he had and still he wasn’t sure if what he felt for her was strong enough.
Buffy had made him ready to doubt it all and give into something he’d never wanted to feel. She made him feel clean and good. And he knew it could kill him.

Dru moaned loudly and he lay back down next to her and took her in his arms.

The next evening…Summer’s home…

“Your friend Xander is strange, and I like it. I don’t have a lot of experience with boys, Buffy, he told me that he likes me and I like him. Buto noo not know, we are both so different.” Ampata asked her.

Buffy sighed; it was too ironic or just plain bizarre to give advice to Willow about Xander and then to Ampata.

“Well, I do have some experience with boys who are different. It just depends if they’re the good different or the bad different. With good you’ve got a boy who rarely stops by except to warn you of imposing doom or the bad who just invade your dreams, thoughts and tries to kill you. It’s not like you can look at them and say, ‘I’ll pick the one who makes me laugh over the one that makes me cry’” Buffy exclaimed without a breath.

Buffy looked up and frowned at Ampata’s clearly confused face.

“I think Xander is good, he is so very sweet to me and makes me laugh. I don’t think I could ever have met a boy like that in my…country. If the choice is a boy who makes me laugh or makes me cry, I would choose to laugh.”

“Even if it means he tries to kill you reg regular basis? I don’t know about that.”


Same time…outside Buffy’s window…

Burt struggled to listen at the slayer’s window hoping and praying that her slayer senses well didn’t sense him. He casually watched the soul sucker change
into what he hoped was a costume and speak with the slayer.

“It looks like the slayer’s gonna be busy tonight while all her little friends are at a dance tonight at the Bronze, if that’s true Spike, let’s go get the guys and
we can snack to our hearts content.” Burt called down to him.

Spike stood there under the tree careful so that he wasn’t noticed and listened to Burt’s play by play in Buffy’s bedroom.

Spike climbed up to window after the soul sucker and Buffy left the room.


“Did you mention our little trip here to anyone, Burt?” He asked settling down next to him.


“Of course not, I would ever tell anybody what you were doing unless you told me to.”


Spike smiled, grabbed the other vampire’s neck until it nearly twisted off but instead it turned him to dust.

Just as he was ready to leave, he heard Buffy enter the room with a man and rummage thru the contents of a steamer trunk.

The man’s name was Giles; he smiled realizing that the uptight twit was a Brit and Buffy’s watcher.

Overhearing he realized that they had figured out the girl was really a soul sucker and they were off to the rescue.

He laughed watching them drive off in Giles’s joke of a car and he decided to head to the Bronze and make a meal of Buffy’s friends and perhaps have just a few beers.


Later same evening…Sunnydale Museum…

Xander: You want life…you’re gonna have to take mine.

Xander sat down looking at the broken pieces of the girl who’d kissed him and almost killed him. Once again confirming the curse that he was meant to have an extraordinary dating life, which included well just dating the kind of girls that might want to kill you at any time during the date.

Willow bent down next him, her face full of the love and concern only a friend could possess and couldn’t get from just a demon or a normal girl.

Buffy watched them her heart breaking for Willow knowing full well that whatever she wanted from Xander wasn’t going to happen, maybe ever.
But that didn’t stop Willow she was going to be loyal and stand by her man. Willow was her rock, and she could stand to learn a few things from her lessons.
Willow reminded her of what was true, embracing what you have and letting the other stuff go. Right?

Willow touched his arm and then walked silently beside him as they exited the museum.


Later same night…the Bronze…

Oh, Buffy, since you missed the dance entirely why don’t you go back and get Xander’s missing poncho and hat?

Buffy thought entering the Br. I. It had been Giles’ bright idea to send her after the poncho and cowboy hat and she couldn’t say no, it’s not like she had someone waiting for her. Angel, yet again pulled another no show.

It’s not as if this was the first social event she’d missed since becoming the slayer with the no-life-ness.

The lack of social life was mandated in one of those volumes that Giles kept his nose in since the minute they met.

The band was done playing and the uninspired DJ music was blaring out at the two or three couples on the dance floor.

She had to admit that the girl in the kimono and Cordy’s exchange student made a cute couple on the dance floor.

After retrieving the poncho from under the stairs and the hat back stage she still didn’t feel ready to go.

Giles’s had always told her to work on her instincts so that she could be in a crowd and pick out the vampires.
It had been a skill she was still working on but all at once she felt something, or it was someone.

She walked around slowly as if she was stalking her prey but she knew that every move she made was being watched.

She peered into a dark corner and saw him sitting there, smoking a cigarette and drinking what she took to be a beer.
She wasn’t armed, another thing Giles’s had always told her to take with her.

Noting her surroundings she picked up a pool stick and walked up to him slowly.


“Slayer,” he called out, holding out a half empty beer to her.


She reached for it just as it slipped out of his hand and rolled on the floor.


“Great, a drunk vampire, I guess your not interested in having a to the death fight, huh?” She offered half hoping.


“No, not particularly, but I will soon, I expect.” His lips curled into a smile and something inside her just melted.


“What are you doing here, Spike?” She asked sitting across from him in a love seat.


He laughed and got up and flopped down next to her. She kept a firm hand on the pool stick
“
“It’s all so fast, the dance we dance.” He whispered.

She shivered remembering the words from their dream and moved away from him. He stood up and offered her his hand.


“Come on, slayer, just a quick spin around the floor with no fists or fangs.” His voice was deep and she tried her best to ignore how sexy it made her feel.


“Tell me why I should do that? Why would I trust you even that long?” Her voice sounded small like a child.


“I’ll tell you why, because if you don’t I’ll put my real face on and have a grand old time scaring all your friends. Look at them, slayer, so sweet holding their sweeties so sure that its all gonna turn out all right. So, let’s prove them right, take my hand and dance with me.”


“I’d kill you before you hurt any of them.” She growled.


“Really? But they’d know wouldn’t they, they’d look at you and see you as being different and weird. And a part of them would know they weren’t safe and that would kill some part of them. Now you don’t want that, to kill all their illusions at once, do you? Just for one little dance?”


If she were honest with herself she’d admit she didn’t need the threat, a part of her wanted to dance. The other couples were lost in their own thoughts never noticing the new couple joining them. She’d always felt a little lost when she danced with Angel their bodies never seemed to match.

But somehow she fit into his arms perfectly; she knew her head could also rest just right on his chest.
But she suppressed that urge.
She was lost in the scent of him some cologne, with beer and even blood. It didn’t prevent her from moving slowly in his arms, she’d come across the scent on Angel a million times. Oh, but this was different, so very different.

The beat of music increased but Spike didn’t seem to notice still holding her as if it were the slowest slow dance ever. The hand he had at her waist moved down to her lower back and he pressed it into her.

“I like the way you feel, slayer.” His lips were on her ear and she closed her eyes.

Her grip on the pool stick was almost completely gone, her hands hot and sweaty.

The music faded away in her mind and she couldn’t feel or hear anything except the closeness of their bodies and the feel of his cold skin, warming slowly under hers.

He moved his head slowly letting their faces touch; she could feel his soft face it had never known a razor she thought.

His movements were liquid, covering her and making her feel like she was completely submerged in him.


It was only when their lips almost touched that she came to her senses, “Tell me how you’re doing this to me…”


Feeling just as lost as she, he muttered, “What?”


“I mean this whole thrall thing is really interesting but I’ve seen it done better.” She said pulling away. The anger was pure on her face.


“Really? You think I’m into the whole thrall thing, huh? Well, sweetie, I’m not, it’s a gift I haven’t got. So if your feeling anything here, believe me it’s real.” He hissed.


“Sure, and I bet the sharing of the dreams thing is a coincidence, come on, Spike, got a witch on your payroll? You offer her all the babies she can eat for tricking the slayer?”


“No,” he protested loudly. “Do you really think I’d willing let the slayer into my dreams?”


“Listen this dance is over and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll clear out of Sunnydale.” She cried out but he still held her firmly in his embrace.


“Listen, here, if you need blame all this weirdness on some witch or thrall, do it but it’s not true, deary. We’ve got a connection, like it or not. Instead of blaming me for the dreams why don’t you try to find out why I’m in your dreams and that boyfriend of yours isn’t.”


She pushed him away, “Shut up, and next time I won’t hold back, Spike.”


He laughed, “It’s alright, slayer, see see you in my dreams.”


She stalked off, so ready to go, collecting the poncho and hat before she looked back. The dance floor was empty and he was gone.