Shot in the Dark

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Chapter 43: And So It Begins
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The next two hours pass in a blur for Spike and Buffy. They circle each other in the house, trying to find a moment’s peace and finding none. Buffy tries to eat, but has no appetite. Spike smokes a half dozen cigarettes on the back porch, and every one leaves him unsatisfied, the taste of ashes in his mouth.

Spike leans on the banister on the back porch, not moving when he hears the door quietly open. Warm, soft arms encircle him from behind and he feels the soft thump of the Slayer’s head against his . . Bringing his hands up, he covers hers on his chest. They stand there in silence, watching the stars start to wink into view as dusk turns fully into night. There is a slight chill in the air and Spike feels a shiver from Buffy run through him.

“Cold, love?”

Buffy answers by sliding around Spike, facing him. She brings her eyes up to his for a second, but the rawness there is too much for either of them. Buffy closes the small distance between them, snuggling up against his chest, pressing her body against the length of his. Spike encloses her in his arms and Buffy digs into his duster to cover herself. She wants to be as close to him as possible, but neither of them is mentally able to consider anything physical. Just being close is good. Painful, but good.

Buffy presses the side of her face against Spike’s black shirt, and her breath washes over the exposed skin of his neck. It sends pulses of warmth through him, making Spike draw her tighter. Buffy breathes in the scent of him, male and comforting. The musk of old leather and smoke fills her.

Spike brings his cheek down to rest on the top of Buffy’s head, inhaling deeply. Even at night, she has always smelled like high noon in springtime. Flowers, particularly jasmine, and sunlight. Warm and inviting. Well, to those who are not vampires, of course. She always glows under moonlight, skin luminescent, hair golden, like a bit of daytime trapped in the night. Spike knows why the demons and vampires fear her and it isn’t just her devastating drop kick. She embodies the other. The bright light of daytime, of life and goodness. She exposes them to it and they go down screaming, their dark world exposed. It’s the very thing that draws him to her. The way you want to touch a flame just to see if it burns. That’s the way she burns, the way she lures him to her. All the things he shouldn’t have, but really exactly what he wants.

A small sigh breaks Spike from his reverie. Her quiet voice follows. “It’s 8:00, Spike.”

“Yes, it is.” A lump forms in his throat.

“We should go soon. Have to go by Giles’ to meet the gang and then head up to Breaker’s Woods… It takes awhile to get there and we don’t want to be - ”

“I know, pet. I know.” He squeezes her, knowing she rambles when she’s nervous, when she’s scared.

A few minutes pass in silence before Spike loosens his grip on Buffy’s back. She takes one small step back, to get a good look at him. The moonlight lights his hair silver, and turns his blue eyes ne bla black. His face is a study in contrast and the barest smile touches his mouth.

“Buffy.” The voice is low and it makes her quiver. It’s the sound of someone saying goodbye. His hand comes down to brush her cheek. “No matter what happens tonight…” Buffy sniffs, eyes welling rapidly. “…no, no, don’t cry, pet. Be strong. For me. I’m going to need you there by me tonight. We don’t know what I’ll face. Okay?” She nods, her mind’s eye flashing to the nightmare she had about Spike. Forced to relate the bits she could remember to Giles this afternoon, she flinches as she remembers Spike’s expression during her description. Resigned, in a way.

Spike wipes her cheeks of tears as quickly as they fall. “There’s one thing that won’t change no matter what fate throws my way. I love you, Buffy. I’ll always love you.”

Spike stops, emotion choking him. Buffy shivers. “I love you, Spike. Always. I promise.” She leans forward and Spike dips his head down. Eyes sliding closed, Buffy brings her lips to his, soft at first and then more insistent. Spike’s hands slide up and under her top, cool skin brushing her warm back. His mouth opens, tongue tracing her lips, which she quickly opens. They fall into each other, mouths searching, tongues tasting, lips pressing. Memorizing the taste, the feel, the sensation that shoots down to their toes with some pit stops along the way. Buffy moans slightly as she slides one hand up into Spike’s blond curls, yanking him even closer. Nibbling on his lip, she grows more forceful. Her heat blazes, penetrating his clothes. Spike growls low in his throat, his mouth punishing against hers, crushing and demanding. The insatiable kiss goes on and on, as limbs and hands and bodies blend together on the dark porch.

Finally, with a gasp, Buffy breaks for air. Chest rising and falling quickly, she makes eye contact. “Damn, Spike.” Also panting for breath from his force of habit, Spike grins.

“I second that damn, and raise it to a bloody hell, pet.” They both feel stronger somehow. The need to shiver and cry is pushed out of Buffy by a fierce need to keep this man. Keep him close. Spike looks down at his bundle of power and strength and realizes he is going to do what he has to tonight to keep her alive. If he can find a way to stay with her, all the better. But he is not going to fail her. Resolve renewed, they move away, clasping hands.

“Let’s go.” Her jaw is set, eyes sparking.

Spike nods his agreement and they head out.

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“Are you sure this car can make it to Breaker’s Woods?” Buffy grins over at Spike as he guns the motor on the De Soto.

Spike rolls his eyes. “Not dignifying that with an answer, pet.”

“Can’t imagine why no one else wanted to ride with us.”

“That’s enough out of you, missy.” Buffy giggles at Spike’s reprimand. She rolls the window down, letting the crisp night air in. “Can’t help it if the rest of your Scoobies are scared of my car. Or maybe of my driving. Rather just have you anyway. Won’t have to hear Harris prattling for the next ten minutes.”

“He always talks a lot when he’s nervous.” Buffy smiles, remembering Xander’s extended ramble when they met up at Giles’ house tonight. At least he was still feeling supportive of their relationship. With so much else on her mind, she hasn’t had time to analyze why the hell that is.

“So, he’s nervous twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, 52 bloody weeks out of the year?” Spike glances at her as he turns up a rural road outside of town.

Buffy just shakes her head. The return of Spike’s snark is a good thing. Means he is feeling up to the fight. Ready to knock heads if it comes to it. She is most definitely ready, body tight in anticipation. Despite Giles’ feelings that her fighting skills won’t be needed tonight, she doesn’t want to let her guard down. If someone comes for Spike, she is going to kick that someone’s ass, prophecy or no.

A few minutes later, the two of them pull up outside the stone circle described in the prophecy. They get out and walk around the circle while they wait for the gang. Buffy lets her hands brush one of the stones and is surprised to feel a strange humming as well as a charge, like static electricity. She jumps back and Spike comes to her side as she stares down at her hand.

“What is it, love?” Spike reaches out to touch her hand and feels the extra heat coming from it.

“I…don’t know. I just touched one of those stones and zap. It was…alive, almost.” Buffy looks back at the monolith nervously. Spike moves towards it and she puts her hand on his arm. “Be careful.”

“Always, pet.” Spike pauses, smiles. “Okay, never, actually. But I will be, I just want to feel what you felt.” Reaching out slowly, Spike feels the buzzing electricity when his hand is still an inch away from the stone. He pulls back without making contact and shakes his hand. “Kinda stings, love. Did the Watcher mention this to you?”

Buffy shakes her head. “No, he actually doesn't say how the…whatever starts. There seems to be very little written beyond the prophecy.”

“Hmm. Well, I wonder if – “ Spike is interrupted by the sound of a car approaching. They both see Giles’ gray Citroen pull into the clearing. Xander, Willow, Giles and Anya climb out of the car. Willow, Xander and Anya go to the trunk to collect the books and weapons they packed, just in case.

“It’s buzzing, Giles!” Buffy calls out and points at the circle. She checks her watch and sees that it is after nine o’clock already. Things, whatever those things may be, could happen any minute.

Giles walks towards Buffy quickly, face drawn in thought. She meets him halfway. “What is buzzing, Buffy?”

“The stone thingies. I put my hand on one of them and it was all static charged. Same for Spike. It’s all hot and electric. What do you think it…”

“Spike, what are you doing?!” Giles calls over Buffy’s shoulder, eyes widening in alarm. They both spin around and find Spike moving towards the center of the circle, to the stone set into the ground. He seems not to hear them as he reaches down to set both hands into indentations at the edge of the circle.

Just as Spike’s palms make contact, flame shoots out of the center of the stone, sending orange sparks flying into the night air. Spike flies backwards, landing with his back against the nearest stone, facing the flames.

Buffy runs back to the circle to check on him. As she approaches, the sound of crackling fire grows louder as well as a low humming she doesn’t really notice. As her hands reach the edge of the fire, a blue glow and a loud pop send her flying. Buffy lands a few feet from the circle, hands burning where they touched the barrier.

“Buffy!” Both Spike and Giles cry out simultaneously. Spike slowly gets to his feet and tries to go to her, but is shocked and held back by the barrier that appears to encircle him and the stones. A line of orange fire rises up and shoots around the stones, completing a circle and creating the line of demarcation. “Buffy, are you okay?! What happened? How the hell did I get in here?”

Giles gets to Buffy’s side and sees that her hands are burned slightly, but she doesn’t seem to feel it. Her eyes are locked on Spike, who is standing just inside the circle of fire, staring back at her. Buffy gets to her feet, brushing off Giles and his words of concern. She moves a few feet closer, until she can feel the heat of the fire against her legs.

“You…you touched the stone in the center, Spike. Made the fire shoot up and then this…barrier showed up. Guess that answers our question of how the show gets started.” Her light words mask the pain pouring from her.

“I don’t remember anything. I was talking to you and then…well, I woke up there on the ground.”

Buffy lifts one hand towards him and Spike does the same. They cannot touch through the electric field, but they move close enough to feel it humming through their skin. The air starts to move, the sense of electricity swirling around them. Spike and Buffy continue to look at each other, trying to send messages of unending love in a few seconds.

“Be strong, love. It’s going to be okay. Remember that. I love you.” Spike feels the hairs on the back of his neck lift as the electricity inside the circle increases. The bonfire crackles and grows. He feels something coming.

Buffy lifts her chin, defiant, eyes sparkling in the orange glow. “Always. I love you always, Spike.”

A loud crack behind Spike startles them both and their hands fall away. Giles pulls Buffy back from the ring of fire before it singes her.

Three figures appear on the far side of the bonfire, inside the stone circle. Distorted by the flame and the heat, it is hard to make out their identities. Spike squints through the fire, trying to see who is there.

The voice of a woman carries over the flame. “And so it begins.”

An older voice chimes in. “And so it ends.”

A final voice, also female, finishes the chorus, “Shall we discuss your fate, dear William?”