Future Written in Blood ((Complete))

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews left here as well as sent by email. I really appreciate them.
Sorry this chapter was so slow in coming. Got a little stuck in one area, but I got a very helpful shove from Isis. Thanks so much!!

Chapter 4: Different Day, Different Dilemma

Willow waited and worried, worried and waited. None of which she did well while keeping such a significant secret from Buffy, Xander and Tara. On Wednesday, she just couldn’t hold up against that kind of pressure. Finally popping her release valve, Willow broke down and told Tara, confident that her lover would keep her confidence.

When Willow came down for breakfast on Thursday morning to find Buffy was up, attempting to cook, was about all she could handle of the heavy secret. Willow looked at the bowl Buffy currently held in a head lock, and Willow thought it was scrambled eggs, or more like whipped eggs, considering how hard the Slayer was beating the yellow, slimy contents. Being bold, Willow stepped a little farther into the kitchen. “Ah…Morning, Buff.” She figured that the grunt from Buffy directed in her general direction was a little too iffy to be taken as a greeting. ‘Let’s try this again.’

“Hey, Buffy. How was patrol last night?”

All she received for the second try was a glare. Less vague but still yucky. One more try, a little voice in Willow’s head prodded her. ‘You’ve still have one more strike until you’re out.’ But subtlety on Morning Buffy was also out. The direct approach can be good, Willow assured herself. “You didn’t happen to see Spike…”

However, Willow never got to finish her question. Egg flew across the room, leaving a yellow stream across the cabinets as Buffy whipped the spoon out of the bowl, pointing it at Willow like a weapon. Willow was glad that she was not a vampire, since it was a wooden spoon, after all. With saucer-shaped eyes and eyebrows shooting up high, Willow took a step back from the furious vampire slayer.

“*Don’t* mention that name in this house…or…or even outside for that matter.”

“Who? Spike?” Now Willow was very confused.

“I said don’t.”

“But…”

“Not another syllable.” Buffy shook the spoon again, causing Willow to duck several splatters.

“But it was only one syllable. ‘Sides, I’ve already said it.”

Buffy went back to whipping, not scrambling, the poor, innocent eggs. “That worthless vamp has disappeared again. He knows that every Wednesday night we clean out the docks, and he knows I hate it when…”

“So that’s a no?”

“Yes. Errr… I mean it is a no. Whatever! I just bet that evil undead did it on purpose…” Buffy ceased rantrant when Willow walked past her and picked up the phone. “Will, who are you calling?”

“Giles first. Hello? Giles? Can you meet us at the Magic Box in an hour?...Yeah, it’s important.”

*****

The Scoobies presented themselves at the Magic Box in under the one hour limit, all except Dawn who was at school. Xander was the last to arrive and came in the door talking, “Ok, Willow, spill the java beans.”

Comforted by Tara who held her hand, Willow took a deep, steadying breath and dove into the deep end. “Well, this past Tuesday, the day after the werewolf ambush, I went by Spike’s crypt.”

Buffy was up on her feet, “I knew this would somehow involve that evil blood sucker. But actually…uh…I could gripe more if I knew what he needed to be blamed for.”

Ignoring Buffy’s outburst, Willow told Spike’s story as best as she could, starting with the poker game, looping through Las Vegas, and ending back at the crypt after the vampire saved them from the werewolves. “So, Tuesday morning I stopped by to thank him, but then while searching around in his refrigerator, Spike zoned out. That’s when he had a vision thingy about Dawn being in danger. Clever me, I helped him figure out some details.”

Later, after finally finishing the tale, Willow braced herself for the onslaught of questions she wasn’t sure she could even answer.

However, Giles spoke up, heading off the deluge. “Wait, everyone. I know that we all seriously doubt Spike’s commitment to our cause and for numerous, strong, and legitimate reasons.”

Xander snorted, “Being that he is a blood sucking vampire that is only being held on a leash by a little chip and all.”

Giles nodded his head and continued. “Yes, quite. However, I don’t believe that any of us have reason to doubt Spike’s devotion to Dawn. As much as he likes to be a thorn in our collective sides, I don’t think he would ever do anything detrimental at Dawn’s expense, even as a joke. Not to mention, Dawn’s welfare is of the utmost importance to us all. Are we agreed?”

All nodded their agreement, even Xander, “Dawn alive, whole, and healthy – Priority One.”

Sitting back down at the table, Buffy was determined and ready for a plan. “So how do we go about altering the future?”

Usually quiet and reserved, Tara surprised everyone when she spoke up, “If I can make a suggestion, I…uh…I think it’s vacation time for Dawnie. Ya know, take her to San Francisco or LA or Alaska for the weekend. Anywhere out of Sunnydale and specifically away from the Bronze this Friday night.”

Giles took off his glasses to wipe them clean, saying, “As much as I like that plan, I fear there is a problem. Your scheme would work admirably if this were to be a random kidnapping. However, I suspect that is not the case. If Dawn is the specific target, then getting her out of town for the weekend doesn’t really solve our dilemma. You see, I fear that the kidnappers would just wait and choose another time and place to abduct her.”

Buffy was up on her feet again. “No, we need to chop off the head of this particular serpent the first time. No repeat performances.”

Putting his glasses back on the bridge of his nose, Giles peered around the group. “Quite so. Buffy will go after the source while Tara, Willow and I will get Dawn out of town and into hiding. Anya and Xander can man Scoobie central, as Dawn likes to call it.”

*****

Armed with Spike’s list of possible locations, and with Dawn was safely out of town, Buffy was finally able to focus her complete attention on finding her sister’s would-be kidnappers. Staring down at Spike’s handwriting, Buffy looked back up at the building that had been second on the vampire’s list. The first had been an old building that, judging by the layers of undisturbed dust, had not seen any activity in the past year. She only found one set of footprints and suspected that they were Spike’s from a couple days before. Now the Slayer was in front of the second building, which looked to be a small warehouse that had been converted to a residence of sorts. Deciding against knocking, Buffy kicked in the door and stepped in. Action first, possible apologizing for the breaking and entering later - if necessary.

However, next Buffy found herself admiring the pretty stars floating around her head instead of searching the building. Not to mention she found herself wondering why she was now laying on the floor. And ouchy. The back of her head was throbbing. Feeling herself bodily lifted off the ground Buffy vaguely wondered if these guys carrying her could do it with a little less bouncing.

*****

Spike was startled out of his light doze when a body dropped down into the pit that served as his current home for the last couple of days. Rotten place but a bloody brilliantly built holding cell in his opinion. The walls sloped inwards as they progressed up to the small, covered opening some twelve odd feet above his head. The design successfully made any attempt to scale out impossible. Regardless, Spike had not been expecting a bunk mate, but it now seemed to be raining slayers. Actually, one very pissed off slayer, by the looks of it. A very vocal, pissed off slayer. Spike had not previously realized the depth of Buffy’s cussing ability until now.

“Ow! You fucking bastards. Let me out of …” Buffy spun around in a defensive position when she detected the vampire’s presence and glared into the darkened extremities of the pit. “Who’s there?”

“So you found the place, did you, pet? And from the looks of it, this building’s welcoming committee snagged you, too.”

Spinning on her heel, Buffy found a new direction to venr frr frustrations and launched herself in the direction of his voice. “Spike, this is *all* your fault.”

“How do you figure that, genius?” Spike barely had time to get up from his position sitting on the floor so that he could avoid her tiny fist slamming into his jaw.

Spike ducked the next swing, also, and then dodged a kick. “What the fuck, you crazy bint?” Anticipating, Spike kicked her support leg out from under her before she could get both feet planted on the floor again. Throwing himself at her full force, Spike slammed Buffy to the floor, straddling her waist while pinning her arms above her head. “We’re in the same boat now, pet. Leave off already.”

Buffy was all but snapping her teeth at the vampire above her. “You should have come to me and told *me* instead of sending messages through Willow.”

“Listen…Shut up and listen. Ok, answer me truthfully. If I had gone to you instead of telling Willow, would you have believed me?”

Buffy gazed up into his blue eyes, their intense gazes locked, “No.”

Spike blew out a tired breath and closed his eyes. “Thank you for that.”

Anger subsiding, she finally took a good, hard look at Spike, “How can a vampire possibly look more dead than usual?”

“Ha, bloody, ha, Slayer. Lack of blood, that’s how.” He leaned down and rested his forehead on hers, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Almost as if he were drawing from her own strength, Spike rested for a moment while Buffy held her breath. When he finally rolled off her to lie limp on the floor, he flung an arm over his eyes and appeared very drained.

After a moment, Buffy rolled over in his direction to lie on her side and study the vampire more closely. His chiseled cheekbones were now painfully pronounced, and his eyes had unusually dark circles below them with a sunken appearance. Ordinarily, Spike looked pale but vibrant. This, however, was a weary Spike that she didn’t recognize. Unbidden, concern crept into Buffy’s voice, “When was the last time you had any blood?”

“How long ago was it since I saw Red at my crypt?”

“That was Tuesday, and it is now Thursday night. Spike, you haven’t eaten for two and a half days?”

“Make it three. I was in such a rush to hunt down Bite Size’s abductors that I hit the sewers before finishing my breakfast. I’d suck a rat dry given half a chance right now.”

“Don’t even think about pointing a fang in this direction.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not *that* desperate yet, luv. I’ll see if I can scrounge up a slug or two first.”

Buffy phhfffted at him, causing Spike to give a weak chuckle. The silence stretched between them as they both got caught up in the own private speculations for their very near future.

“Spike?”

“Yes, pet?”

“At least there are two of us.”

“Yeah, pet, two heads are definitely better than one.” Spike opened his eyes and studied the Slayer for a long moment. Needing a distraction for them both, Spike prompted Buffy. “Tell me how a girl becomes a Slayer.”

“You don’t know? You’re the one who studied slayers.”

“True, I did do my research, pet, but only after they became the slayer, not before.”

For over an hour, Buffy told her story and found herself enjoying the telling more than she would have thought. Before she had always looked at her calling as a burden, but telling the tale to Spike provided her with a unique audience, who could really appreciate her achievements. She enjoyed his occasional questions and comments that displayed his interest and insights.

When she finished, he was quiet for a moment. “You know, luv, I’d always assumed that you had known from birth that you were to be a slayer or at least that you had a special destiny. But you didn’t have a clue, did you?”

Suddenly a little bashful, Buffy just shook her head while she toyed with her jogging shoes.

“Must have been quite a shock, pet.” Spike just watched her, studying her dainty hands idly playing with her laces. “So here you are, stuck in a pit, not sure what is going to happen next. Not scared at all, are you?”

Buffy looked up and cocked her head to the side, “No way. They are going to have to do better than ignore me to death.”

Spike arched one eyebrow in her direction. “Alright, what *do* you dread, Slayer?”

Buffy thought for a moment. She thought back to the Master, Glory, and even Angelus but none of them were scary enough. “Dawn dating. Just the very thought of that gives me the wiggins.”

“Ok, that gives me the hibby-jibbies, too. If the nancy-boy so much as touches a hair on her head, I’ll rip out his finger nails.”

“Oh, will you?” She decided to not mention the fact he couldn’t follow through on that particular threat with the Intiative’s chip in his head. Instead, she joined in. “If he just touches any of her bare skin, I will cut off his hands with a butter knife.

Spike was starting to enjoy himself, always up for a good threat or two. “If he kisses her, I will happily pull off his soddin’ lips - with tweezers.”

“Maybe we could put a bell around her neck. Oh, and his neck, too.” Buffy added happily.

“How about I just wring his neck like a chicken.”

“Nah, too hard to explain afterwards. How about a proximity detector? One that goes off if he touches her. Or just gets too close, say a foot.”

Having set off a car alarm or two in his time, Spike did his best imitation, “Danger. You are too close. Step back or the Slayer Defense System will be activated.”

“Now that has possibilities.”

The banter continued until Spike caught Buffy trying to hide a yawn. “Time to rest, Slayer. Conserve energy for when they do come for us.”

Buffy nodded and tried to find a comfortable spot in their inhospitable, cramped quarters. Spike shut his eyes and tried not to laugh as he listened to the Slayer try out position after uncomfortable position.

“This is worse than a cheap motel. I don’t even have a wall to lean against unless I want my nose down to my knees, and I don’t think I can sleep with my head on that cold floor.”

“Come here, pet.”

She had suspected he might just offer, as a last resort, of course. A vamp for a pillow was better than none after the hours she had already spent in this pit. Laying perpendicular to him, she tentatively laid her head on his stomach while watching him lay his arm out to the side, not touching her, but close. Surprisingly, she found the new position comfortable and comforting at the same time.

“Spike?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me a bed time story.”

“Shut your gob.”

“Spike?”

Buffy just received a snarl for an answer this time that made her smile.

“What’s a gob?” Not really expecting an answer, Buffy felt Spike chuckle beneath her. Soon Spike’s even, unneeded breathing began to lull her towards slumber. No story needed after all. ‘Only Spike would defy the vampires’ codes of conduct and continue to breathe like a human. Truly a strange vampire, but kinda comfy.’

TBC


And now, it’s going to get really interesting. :) Look for the next chapter this weekend. Promise!
Thanks for reading, and I would love to hear your comments.
MadRog
madrog@ev1.net