Future Written in Blood ((Complete))

****Authors Notes:

Bladeof Souls, Loki, and Aquila – I want to thank you for your reviews of the last chapter. Thanks! Thanks!

Sandy and Meri – thank you so much for the kind notes that you sent me. I received them on a very awful day, and they definitely were the hightlight. I can’t thank you enough.

And SAB – as for your prediction that Spike and Buffy end up fighting each other – I hope to surprise you. I try hard to not be predictable. Let me know how I am doing in a chapter or two. ;)

Isis – You are such a great beta and friend! Keep pushing, I need all the help I can get.

**Distribution** I will give updates on this situation with the next chapter.I would be flattered if you would like to carry this story. Just let me know



Chapter 6: Mind the Spines, Luv

As the grandfather of all surprises, Sebastian transported Buffy, Spike, and the Procurer’s entire entourage out of Sunnydale and into a different dimension. At least Buffy guessed then they were now in a new place from the shimmery portal thingy they walked through, plus adding in the fact that they were greeted by scaly, lizard people instead of humans. Big, blaring clue there, which might as well had flashing, neon lights.

Walking down the hall of their new lodgings, Buffy didn’t think anything about this desert could get worse but, wrong-O. Her temper roared from zero to sixty as she looked through the door Spike just entered. “Oh, no, no, no! We are SO not sharing a room!” Buffy stood out in the hall as the bleached vampire disappeared around a corner in their new accommodations. Therefore she turned her blast to Clara, Sebastian’s assistant, but was even more royally steamed to see the red head beating a hasty retreat at the far end of the hall. Buffy’s head snapped back around toward the sound of the ire’ire’s British accent.

“Get your head out of the gutter, Slayer. Geez, not the same room. We are sharing the same suite with separate bedrooms.” Coming back into view, Spike cocked his head to the side and leisurely looked her up and down. “Unless you *want* to share the same bedroom, that is?” After accessing the slayer’s resulting glare for himself, Spike gave a deep, throaty chuckle. “Thought not.”

“As if!” Buffy stomped past Spike to make sure there were two separate bedrooms. Satisfied, she stamped back in the middle of the main area, placing her hands on her hips. “AND explain to me what we are doing sharing a suite?”

“As if? Think, luv. Wouldn’t it be much easier to take one of us down if we are separated? How about when we are separated *and* asleep?”

Buffy rolled her eyes with annoyance. “If you make sense one more time today, I’m staking you.”

Spike gave a snort of laughter and went to inspect his own room as she did the same.

Poking her head back out of her new bedroom, Buffy yelled across the sitting area. “Not that I am complaining, but what’s with the fancy-shmancy digs and clothes in the closets? This is way better than our last cell.”

“That’s easy, luv. It is to his best advantage to keep us hale and hearty.” Having thoroughly looked his side over, Spike plopped down on what appeared to be a sofa. “Damn, no telly. At least a vamp could hope, couldn’t he?” Spike idly watched Buffy wander through the kitchen area, peaking in the cabinets and then wandering around the living area. She was lost in thought, trailing a hand along the unfamiliar lines of the strange furniture. But, Spike supposed, the bizarre furniture was to be expected considering their hosts all had long, thick tails to accommodate.

When Buffy remained silent and began her third circuit of the room, Spike couldn’t stand her strange behavior any longer. “Slayer!”

Buffy paused, but didn’t look up. “Huh?”

“Let’s hear it.”

“What?” Keeping her eyes down, she drifted back into the kitchen area.

“Whatever you have rolling around up in your noggin? Must hurt knocking up against all those rocks in there. Go on, let it out, luv.”

“Real funny, vamp man.” She paused as Spike just continued to scrutinize her. “Actually, I did have something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

Buffy glanced up briefly before she began, “So, when we were in that pit, while I was asleep, you could have …uh…you know…?”

Well, well, well. That was the sticking point, was it? He had wondered if she had thought all the ramifications of last night through her pretty head yet. “What? Could have had a taste of slayer? So?”

“Soooo, you could hurt me here, while I sleep?”

“Yes, pet, I could have.” She still avoided his eyes, allowing him the rare opportunity to study her face. “So, what? The slayer’s nervous to sleep around the big bad vampire?” Spike paused, slightly curling one corner of his mouth and lifted his scarred eyebrow in question. “Do you *think* I would kill you?”

That had Buffy’s eyes flashing. “You mean you would try.”

“Ok, *try* to kill you. But do you think I would, Slayer?” His gaze remained a steady, clear blue into her hazel.

Nervously dropping his gaze, Buffy wandered around the room one more time before answering. Her voice was love and barely carried across the room. “No, I don’t think you would.”

“Good answer, luv. I won’t.” As unexpectedly pleased as Spike was with her confession, he sincerely hoped she left off at that, and not ask the dreaded “why not” question because he didn’t know himself.

“Why not?”

Bloody hell, she’d asked. They were only two simple words, but the implications were enormous. He thought for a minute, but was not comfortable the direction his thoughts started into the uncomfortable realm of self-examination. Instead, he settled for the easy out. Easy for both of them. “The Little Bit. She doesn’t deserve to lose another member of her family so soon after losing her mum.”

“Oh.” Somehow, his answer did ring true, but just not complete. She suspected that there was more that the vamp wasn’t telling. Now it was Buffy’s turn to study Spike since he would no longer look at her. “Even if it is an overbearing, older sister you spare the life of?”

Spike continued to look everywhere but at her. “Sure, so you trust me. Glad to hear it, luv.”

“Let’s not go *that* far. Let’s just say I don’t think you will try to kill me *until* we satisfy this bargain with Sebastian.” With that last jab, Buffy headed to her bedroom and firmly closed the door.

*****

That night, thirty minutes before their first fight was scheduled to begin, two of Sebastian’s guards knocked on the suite’s door. Opening the door, Spike gave them the once over. He curled up one corner of his mouth in a sneer. Maybe he could think of them now as escorts since the ponces no had longer weapons.

The slayer and the vampire were led to a large, octagonal building, which had the locals entering the various sides in a steady stream. Sauntering in and admiring the set-up, Spike thought that Sebastian should be giddy with the amount of currency changing hands. As Buffy and Spike walked in, they quickly noted all the betting booths that seemed to be doing a brisk business. A bloke could bet on just about anything: who would enter the arena first, who would land the first blow, who would go down first, and various other options. Next, Buffy and Spike were ushered down a tunnel where they could see the arena at the far end. Before they made it to the end of the tunnel, a door to the left was opened up, letting them into a holding area. “I guess, pet, this is where the visiting team awaits the action.”

Their holding area shared a common mesh wall with arena but no entrance, and no direct entry into the actual fighting area. Thus the fighter had to go out into the hall and down the rest of the tunnel to enter the main fighting area.

From across the arena, Buffy and Spike watched Sebastian follow the leader out onto a raised dais. After the leader made a couple of guttural and hissing speeches, which Buffy and Spike gratefully could not understand, the head lizard gave the signal for the festivities to begin. Sebastian held up a ornate bowl from which the leader drew the name of the first fighter to be called into the ring with a grand flourish. Sebastian called out Buffy’s name, and a few seconds later, the door to the tunnel opened to let her leave. Spike followed her to the door, “Looks like it’s your lucky day, Slayer. But don’t worry, I’ll clean up what you can’t finish when I get in there.”

Buffy shot him a cocky look over her shoulder, “Don’t even bother warming up. If you can warm up, vampire.”

“Oh, believe me, luv, I can warm up. Be happy to show ya sometime.” Spike wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“I’m *so* not going there.” Unable to hide her chuckle, Buffy walked out, and the door closed and locked behind her.

Feeling the audience’s attention directed now solely on himself, Spike swaggered back to the mesh to watch the Slayer make her entrance into the arena. When the slayer would finally put a foot into the arena, the numerous clocks set up all around start ticking down, five minutes until the next name chosen was to be admitted. Glancing up at The Procurer, Spike admired Sebastian’s planning and showmanship. The bloke really knew how to milk an event. It had been decided that the fighters would enter the match at staggered times. The Procurer had said that is was only to draw out the dramatic tension, but Spike suspected it was to just give the spectators more time to place additional bets. ‘Gotta love that greedy bugger!’

When the Slayer entered the fighting arena, at first the crowd was stunned but then laughed at Buffy’s petite size. Spike could see several of the spectators motion to her diminutive form. ‘Ha, the Slayer already has the advantage. These ignorant ponces knew not what they were looking at.’

After a few minutes of dramatic pause, and also to settle any bets placed on the first name chosen, Sebastian again held up the bowl, allowing the leader to draw the next name. When the clocks read zero, the second name was called and time was reset to seven minutes to count down again. Since he did not recognize it, Spike assumed the series of hisses were the name of one of their competitors. A few moments later, a lizard guy, an extremely large lizard with a thick, long tail, stepped through the door into the fighting arena.

The newcomer was cocky, prancing, and doing his best to rev up the crowd, talking trash to the crowd the best he could with a forked tongue. Finally turning his dark, inky, black eyes towards the Slayer, who was now standing with her hands on her hips and looking very bored. Buffy let the poof make the first move. After exchanging a few preliminary blows, Spike was shocked to see the lizard guy unexpectedly spin around, and with a slash of his tail, knock Buffy off of her feet and right onto her ass. However, instead of capitalizing on his obvious advantage, the scaly git went toward the far side of the arena to gloat with the crowd, leaving Buffy to recover.

Spike shouted over, “What’s wrong, Slayer? A wittle tail sweep wipe you out?”

“Shut up, Spike-y, watch, and learn.”

Thus said, the Slayer went on the attack, and the fight was on. Quickly figuring out that his fists were not enough against the wily slayer, Spike noticed that reptile boy changed his combat preference to the use of his strong, alligator-type tail. Nonetheless, the Slayer still made quick work of this first opponent. After jumping over the first pass of his tail, she caught the next and swung the guy around into her right fist. He spun back around, much like a top, allowing Buffy to catch his tail again, then spun him into another punch. The third and final blow spun the silly git into the mesh barrier. Down and out with three minutes left on the clocks.

Brushing herself off and resettling her clothes, Buffy turned to look at the vampire, who was now out and out laughing. “Hey, blood breath, were you taking notes?”

Catching his breath, Spike choked out a response. “No need, here, luv. I’ve been fighting for more decades than all the years you have been a slayer. But that was most amusing.”

“That explains why you are so slow. You being so long in the fang and all.”

Behind her, the lizard leader, as Buffy now thought of him, drew and called the name of the next opponent. She had no idea what exactly the name was, but Lizard Guy 2.0 was good enough for her.

When the clocks finally counted down to zero again, the new opponent entered. Seven minutes appeared back on the clock, counting down again.

However, this other bloke took a whole new tact. He must have been the one taking note, Spike thought, because he skipped the fist-a-cuffs altogether and used his tale straight out. Spike was stunned when the first cut appeared on Buffy, suspicious with the second, but furious by the third cut as Buffy stumbled towards Spike’s direction. He could see the blood freely flowing down from the numerous cuts on the Slayer’s body. “You sorry son of a bitch. Slayer, get away. The blighter must have a blade implanted in his tail.”

Spike rushed over, furiously beating on the door. Getting no response, he ran back to the mesh. Spike directed his blazing, yellow eyes at Sebastian. “Tell them to open the bloody door. Remember, we agreed on no killings, you git? He broke the deal and now that fucker is going to die. Let me in!!!”

Spike was frantic. The clock was only down to five minutes. The slayer could be killed before he could even make it into that bloody ring.

Using his frustration and anger to his best advantage, Spike threw himself at the door to the tunnel. That door flew from its hinges, but the enraged vampire was stopped by the stronger door into the arena. Looking through a small opening, Spike could see that Buffy was bleeding from more wounds, now trying desperately to retreat.

Buffy didn’t think she had ever been happier to see his bleached head barreling in her general direction as when Spike was finally let into the fighting area. God, she was glad he wasn’t aiming for her this time.

If the crowd had thought that Buffy had made quick work of the first opponent, it was nothing compared to Spike when he finally hit the ring. He took a running jump at the fighter, feet first, careful that the lizard landed face first on the arena floor. Spike was on him in a second, going for the base of his tail. A loud snap could be heard by those sitting closest. Spike broke the bugger’s tail, causing the tail to go limp. Spike quickly wrapped the tail around and sliced the cheater’s throat. Bouncing to his feet, he growled down at the corpse, fists sporadically clenching and unclenching.

Yellow eyes scanned the stunned crowd, daring anyone to question the cheater’s death. Again giving into his rage, Spike leaned down to grab hold of the bugger’s head.

“Spike…” The Slayer’s weak voice made its way through the fury induced roar still pounding in his ears. What Spike really wanted to do was cut of the bugger’s head clean off and toss it to the crowd, but his concern for the slayer overrode the urge.
Heading her way, he tried to push away his demon, but there was too much blood pooling beside her. “God, Slayer. Is it as bad as it looks?”

“Thanks for the encouragement, vampy…Spike, can we leave now?”

Spike’s demon visage finally melted away at the Slayer’s question. “Sure, luv.”

However, when Spike bent down to pick her up, Buffy refused to let his arms slide under her. “No, I can walk out. Just help me up.”

Respecting her bravery and strength, as well as her pride, Spike helped the slayer rise, trying to inconspicuously steady her on her feet.

As she limped to the exit, slightly leaning on the vampire, the crowd went wild, cheering. Without looking up, Spike gave the crowd a two-finger salute.

Buffy caught the gesture out of the corner of her eye, “Is that the same as flipping them off?”

“Yeah, luv.”

“Good.”


TBC

I hope you liked that chapter as much as I did….and what’s coming is even better!

Of course, I would love to hear what you thought or if I’m just nuts :p Please R & R.

MadRog@ev1.net