Lost in the Dark, Cleansed in the Flame
folder
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
16
Views:
6,070
Reviews:
9
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
16
Views:
6,070
Reviews:
9
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Answers
Chapter 9 - Answers
Xander lay next to a still unconscious Spike, worry marring his boyish
features. Once they'd gotten back to Buffy's house he'd insisted that
everything else could wait, he wanted to sit with Spike until he woke
up. He didn't want the vampire to wake up alone, unsure of where he
was. Xander had been whispering words of comfort and carding his
fingers through Spike's hair ever since they'd lain him on Joyce's
former bed.
"Spike, please wake up." Xander pleaded. "We're safe now. The
gang came and brought us back to Buffy's house. Even Angel's
here." Xander's bottom lip began to tremble.
"Pleeease Spike." Xander whispered in between placing soft kisses
all over Spike's still face. Xander's tears began to fall at the silent
answer his lover gave. Exhausted, Xander gradually fell asleep his
tears falling silently on Spike's chest and his arms wrapped solidly
around Spike's still frame.
***
"Why have you aligned yourself with the Initiative? Was it a council
decision or solely your own?" Giles question Travers.
"As head of the Council, any decision I make IS a Council decision."
Travers answered smoothly.
Giles grimaced at that answer. Arrogant pillock. "Why the Initiative?"
Giles repeated through gritted teeth.
"They were the fastest means to achieving the goal."
"And whether or not torture, pain, and death were part of the equation
didn'therther you at all!" Angel growled at him.
"As I told young Mr. Harris, I'm sorry - " Travers began, but was
quickly interrupted.
"You're sorry?! You're sorry?!" Buffy repeated. "You kidnapped one
of my closest friends. You tortured him for over 48 hours!" Buffy's
voice wavered with indignation at the attempted apology. "You've
done *something* to Spike - "
"That's just the spell. He'll be fine." Travers interrupted, trying to
placate the group.
"What spell?" Willow demanded.
Travers' look darted over to Angel and then quickly away, but he
continued to remain silent.
"She asked you what spell." Angel repeated. Travers remained
silent. Stepping forward, Angel began to growl softly.
"Really Rupert, if I could just speak to you alone - " Travers tried.
"I think we'd all like to hear your answer." Giles replied. Angel
continued to step closer to the trapped Watcher. "But if you'd like to
do this one on one, I'm sure Angel would be happy to oblige."
"No! I - " The smile that Angel sported was enough to break any man.
"Please! I'll explain everything, just give me a moment."
"I think you're times already up." Buffy answered.
"It's the Raven! The Raven Rupert!" Travers rushed to explain.
"You can't be serious?" Giles answered.
"Who's the Raven and what does he have to do with Xander and
Spike?" Buffy asked, exasperated with all thn-ann-answers they were
getting.
"The Raven is an ancient demon, very old and very powerful." Giles
began. "Some believe she is related to the Roman Goddess Nox, the
embodiment of night. Or merely another form of the self same
goddess."
"Okay, so some sort of demon god. Sounds bad." Buffy admitted.
"But what does she have to do with Xander and Spike?"
"There is a prophecy." Travers explained.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Of course there is."
"The Raven wishes to blanket the world in darkness. To banish the
sun, and create an eternal night." Travers expounded. "The
prophecy states that she can only be stopped by the flame that
ignites when two souls, one of light and one of dark, unite. It is only
they that can banish her from the world and back into the nether
planes."
"And you think that the light and dark refer to a vampire and a
consort?" Giles asked.
Travers nodded. "We studied the prophecy and all related texts
extensively. The only conclusion we could come to was that the bond
referred to in all the descriptions was a Claimant bond."
"Why did you have to torture them?" Willow asked, tears in her eyes
at the pain that Xander and Spike must have gone through.
"It wasn't meant to be torture. We just had to be sure that the bond
was strong enough. We had to test them." Travers tried once again
to explain his actions.
"Yes, unfortunately we are all intimately aware of what exactly a test
by the Council entails." Giles spat back at him.
"Wait!" Willow suddenly stood up, her finger pointing at Travers
intently. "You said the prophecy called for two souls to unite. But
Spike doesn't have a soul!" Willow's statement sounded as if she
wanted to end it with a heartfelt 'ha!' but refrained.
"Yes, well - " Travers hedged.
Angel's eyes widened with understanding. He restrained himself from
lunging at the man, just barely. Turning to Giles he asked, "Are we
done with him?"
Giles too had understood the moment Willow's words had left her
mouth. And he could definitely see why Angel was so eager. "Yes, I
believe we are."
"Good." Angel grabbed Travers by the collar of his shirt and pulled.
"We'll be down in the basement if you need me." And then they were
gone.
"What just happened?" Buffy asked quietly.
"The s-spell." Tara answered. "He gave Spiks sos soul."
"So why is Angel so angry?" Willow asked. "I mean besides the
torturing thing..."
"Because, he had the spell all along." Buffy answered, understanding
finally dawning. "If he needs the Claimant bond to stand, he couldn't
have cursed Spike. He'd lose his soul the second he woke up with
Xander. The spell he used must have restored his soul permanently."
And then Buffy was gone. Her footsteps echoing down the basement
stairs.
***
Upstairs Spike woke with a start. He remembered the heat of the
flame engulfing him. He could feel it burning inside him. He
remembered the shame and the ecstasy all wrapped together.
Squeezing him, choking him, until he couldn't take anymore. Until he
finally surrendered to the blackness.
Xander woke to the sound of Spike's whimpers. He sat up quickly,
and wrapped his arms more firmly around his mate. "Shhh. It's okay
Spike. We're safe now." Xander reassured him.
"Xan?" Spike turned, burying his face in the crook of Xander's neck.
"I'm here Spike." Xander carded his fingers through Spike's hair,
occasionally turning to place light kisses on the crown of his head.
"It burns." Spike whimpered.
"What burns love?" Xander asked, wondering whether he should get
Giles.
Spike lifted his head, his eyes locking onto Xander's. His hand came
forward and began rubbing his chest just above his heart. "The
spark." He whispered. "My soul." Xander's hand darted out to catch
the silent tear that fell from his lover's eye.
Xander lay next to a still unconscious Spike, worry marring his boyish
features. Once they'd gotten back to Buffy's house he'd insisted that
everything else could wait, he wanted to sit with Spike until he woke
up. He didn't want the vampire to wake up alone, unsure of where he
was. Xander had been whispering words of comfort and carding his
fingers through Spike's hair ever since they'd lain him on Joyce's
former bed.
"Spike, please wake up." Xander pleaded. "We're safe now. The
gang came and brought us back to Buffy's house. Even Angel's
here." Xander's bottom lip began to tremble.
"Pleeease Spike." Xander whispered in between placing soft kisses
all over Spike's still face. Xander's tears began to fall at the silent
answer his lover gave. Exhausted, Xander gradually fell asleep his
tears falling silently on Spike's chest and his arms wrapped solidly
around Spike's still frame.
***
"Why have you aligned yourself with the Initiative? Was it a council
decision or solely your own?" Giles question Travers.
"As head of the Council, any decision I make IS a Council decision."
Travers answered smoothly.
Giles grimaced at that answer. Arrogant pillock. "Why the Initiative?"
Giles repeated through gritted teeth.
"They were the fastest means to achieving the goal."
"And whether or not torture, pain, and death were part of the equation
didn'therther you at all!" Angel growled at him.
"As I told young Mr. Harris, I'm sorry - " Travers began, but was
quickly interrupted.
"You're sorry?! You're sorry?!" Buffy repeated. "You kidnapped one
of my closest friends. You tortured him for over 48 hours!" Buffy's
voice wavered with indignation at the attempted apology. "You've
done *something* to Spike - "
"That's just the spell. He'll be fine." Travers interrupted, trying to
placate the group.
"What spell?" Willow demanded.
Travers' look darted over to Angel and then quickly away, but he
continued to remain silent.
"She asked you what spell." Angel repeated. Travers remained
silent. Stepping forward, Angel began to growl softly.
"Really Rupert, if I could just speak to you alone - " Travers tried.
"I think we'd all like to hear your answer." Giles replied. Angel
continued to step closer to the trapped Watcher. "But if you'd like to
do this one on one, I'm sure Angel would be happy to oblige."
"No! I - " The smile that Angel sported was enough to break any man.
"Please! I'll explain everything, just give me a moment."
"I think you're times already up." Buffy answered.
"It's the Raven! The Raven Rupert!" Travers rushed to explain.
"You can't be serious?" Giles answered.
"Who's the Raven and what does he have to do with Xander and
Spike?" Buffy asked, exasperated with all thn-ann-answers they were
getting.
"The Raven is an ancient demon, very old and very powerful." Giles
began. "Some believe she is related to the Roman Goddess Nox, the
embodiment of night. Or merely another form of the self same
goddess."
"Okay, so some sort of demon god. Sounds bad." Buffy admitted.
"But what does she have to do with Xander and Spike?"
"There is a prophecy." Travers explained.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Of course there is."
"The Raven wishes to blanket the world in darkness. To banish the
sun, and create an eternal night." Travers expounded. "The
prophecy states that she can only be stopped by the flame that
ignites when two souls, one of light and one of dark, unite. It is only
they that can banish her from the world and back into the nether
planes."
"And you think that the light and dark refer to a vampire and a
consort?" Giles asked.
Travers nodded. "We studied the prophecy and all related texts
extensively. The only conclusion we could come to was that the bond
referred to in all the descriptions was a Claimant bond."
"Why did you have to torture them?" Willow asked, tears in her eyes
at the pain that Xander and Spike must have gone through.
"It wasn't meant to be torture. We just had to be sure that the bond
was strong enough. We had to test them." Travers tried once again
to explain his actions.
"Yes, unfortunately we are all intimately aware of what exactly a test
by the Council entails." Giles spat back at him.
"Wait!" Willow suddenly stood up, her finger pointing at Travers
intently. "You said the prophecy called for two souls to unite. But
Spike doesn't have a soul!" Willow's statement sounded as if she
wanted to end it with a heartfelt 'ha!' but refrained.
"Yes, well - " Travers hedged.
Angel's eyes widened with understanding. He restrained himself from
lunging at the man, just barely. Turning to Giles he asked, "Are we
done with him?"
Giles too had understood the moment Willow's words had left her
mouth. And he could definitely see why Angel was so eager. "Yes, I
believe we are."
"Good." Angel grabbed Travers by the collar of his shirt and pulled.
"We'll be down in the basement if you need me." And then they were
gone.
"What just happened?" Buffy asked quietly.
"The s-spell." Tara answered. "He gave Spiks sos soul."
"So why is Angel so angry?" Willow asked. "I mean besides the
torturing thing..."
"Because, he had the spell all along." Buffy answered, understanding
finally dawning. "If he needs the Claimant bond to stand, he couldn't
have cursed Spike. He'd lose his soul the second he woke up with
Xander. The spell he used must have restored his soul permanently."
And then Buffy was gone. Her footsteps echoing down the basement
stairs.
***
Upstairs Spike woke with a start. He remembered the heat of the
flame engulfing him. He could feel it burning inside him. He
remembered the shame and the ecstasy all wrapped together.
Squeezing him, choking him, until he couldn't take anymore. Until he
finally surrendered to the blackness.
Xander woke to the sound of Spike's whimpers. He sat up quickly,
and wrapped his arms more firmly around his mate. "Shhh. It's okay
Spike. We're safe now." Xander reassured him.
"Xan?" Spike turned, burying his face in the crook of Xander's neck.
"I'm here Spike." Xander carded his fingers through Spike's hair,
occasionally turning to place light kisses on the crown of his head.
"It burns." Spike whimpered.
"What burns love?" Xander asked, wondering whether he should get
Giles.
Spike lifted his head, his eyes locking onto Xander's. His hand came
forward and began rubbing his chest just above his heart. "The
spark." He whispered. "My soul." Xander's hand darted out to catch
the silent tear that fell from his lover's eye.