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| Starlight The Scorpion |
| November 21st 5:00 a.m. Xander and Mark finally dropped Dawn off at Revello Drive at sunrise. “Hey, Dawny…ah…don’t wake your sister up…she might be a little upset about how late we got you home. Let her sleep in and I’ll ‘fess up to her myself tomorrow.” “OK…bye you guys…and thanks…I really had fun…I…” Dawn gave a big yawn. She waved goodbye. Xander waited until Dawn was safely inside the house and then drove off. “Why do I always end up falling for women who are in love with someone else?” Mark complained. “Who? Dawn? Who’s she in love with? Supposed to have a big crush on me,” Xander joked. “No. Not Dawn. Buffy. She’s got it bad, so I hear.” “Buffy? Got it bad? No way!” “That’s not what her little sister says.” “Did she say who it was?” “Not really. Just said her sister had a broken heart.” Xander felt a sudden flush of anger. Spike. He knew it was Spike. “Why did that worthless piece of undead flesh come back to ruin our lives again?” he fumed to himself. “Someone has got to do something about Spike. Guess it’ll have to be me.” * * * * * November 21st 10:30am Xander had tried to sleep after he drove Mark home, but he kept thinking about their conversation. He needed to find out what Spike was up to. Needed to do something, anything. “Dead boy ruined my life. Not gonna let him do it again.” He got dressed and drove his car to the desolate neighborhood where Spike now lived. He parked his truck several blocks from the old house on Orion. He locked the truck and searched for a safe place to spy on the house. He found a small niche in the entryway of an abandoned building across the road, and squeezing himself into the protected corner, he stood and stared at the front door of 53 Orion. About a half hour later, his patience was rewarded when he saw the front door open. His heart fell when he recognized who walked out the door. It was Buffy. And Spike. Spike put his arms around Buffy, and they clung to each other for a few minutes. Buffy literally skipped down the stairs. Her face was glowing. She had on a dark gray coat, but it was unbuttoned, and he saw that underneath, she had on the same dress she’d been wearing last night. She actually started running down the block, her feet barely touching the ground. She quickly disappeared around a corner. He’d never seen her so happy. Xander groaned inwardly. “Could it get any worse?” he thought. He slumped down onto his heels and stared at the cracked, dirty cement. It was intolerable. How could she? How could she betray them all like this? And then his day got considerably darker when he spotted Anya walking slowly up the street carrying a large grocery bag. Anya paused outside the gate to 53 Orion. Xander heard her call out something and the old blue demon he’d seen the other night with Spike, appeared at the door and walked down the steps of the house and out to the gate. Anya and demon had an animated conversation and finally, the demon held out his hand and led Anya through the gate and up into the house. Xander couldn’t breathe. He’d never felt such black despair or bitter rage. He waited until the door was shut and then slunk back to his truck. He sat for a moment trying to catch his breath, his mind racing. He started the engine and spun out onto the street. Though he sped all the way back home, the drive seemed to last for an eternity. He began to formulate a plan. A plan that would free him at last. He finally found what he was looking for in an old tool box at the back of his garage. Buffy had taken it from Warren’s house –a universal key—very handy tool for burglars. He didn’t know how long Anya would be gone so he had to move fast. He pulled up to the back door of the Magic Box and used the key to let himself in. The first thing he saw was the table. That table. The one where Anya had let Spike do those things…those… “He’s dust. Dust!” He climbed the ladder up to the loft where Anya used to keep the supplies for those of her customers who preferred the darker aspects of magic. The shelves were almost bare. He guessed since Willow’s fall, Anya decided to get out of that side of the business. He was a little surprised at that. Anya loved money. She’d sell anything. “That cheating bitch.” He felt a wave of jealousy sweep over him. On a dusty shelf, he found an old wooden box with small runes burnt into the surface. It looked promising. He opened the box and found an evil looking stake carved into the shape of a scorpion. The tail of the scorpion was elongated and very sharp. Lying next to the scorpion stake was a small book made of parchment. He picked up the book. He couldn’t read the writing but there was a crude engraving of a vampire with a priest plunging a stake into its heart. “Must be powerful magic for Anya to keep it up here,” he thought. He put the book back into the box, and picked up the stake. The stake felt oddly warm; it felt as if it were burning through his skin. He hid it in his jacket and rubbed his hands. For a moment, he wondered just what the hell he was doing. Then he glanced down at the main floor, straight at the table. He knew. He’d always known that someday it would come to this between him and Spike. As he turned to go, he noticed with surprise that Anya had set up a small bed and sleeping area in the far corner of the loft. It looked a little pathetic. “What’s that all about?” He quickly climbed down the stairs and exited out the back door. He forgot about Anya and her little nest, and Buffy and her new found happiness. All he could think about was Spike. Spike screaming in agony with the scorpion stake stuck deep into his heart. * * * * * Buffy carefully hung Spike’s coat in the back of her closet. She stroked the soft cloth and thought joyfully of the night she’d spent with him. She felt so alive again. She couldn’t remember when she’d felt this much happiness. It didn’t matter what had come between them. They’d forgiven each other, they loved each other. She didn’t care anymore what anyone else thought. She’d been brave and strong for everyone. Resigned herself to loneliness these past months. But something was different now. He was different and so was she. She gave herself up to the pure joy of just loving him. It was such a terrible, wonderful, deep relief. “And tonight,” she thought, “Tonight we’ll be together again. He’ll touch me again.” She shivered in anticipation. Spike had made her promise to meet him at the Bronze at midnight. He had something very important to tell her. She’d tried to get it out of him, but he was adamant. It was something very special, and she must wear the most beautiful, sexy dress she had. And no underwear. He was quite explicit about that. The conversation had ended quickly when he slipped his hand down between her legs and began to nuzzle her neck. She could wait, she thought, aroused by the memory of his soft, cool hands. “Waited all these months, I can wait a few more hours.” She lay down on her bed and began to plan her wardrobe. Soon she was fast asleep. * * * * * Anya, Rigel and Spike sat at the kitchen table and examined the contents of the bag which Anya had delivered. Rigel spread out the books across the table. “‘Making Peace with Your New Soul’, ‘Are Humans Really Demons?’, ‘A Vampire’s Guide to Mixed Drinks and Sex,’” Rigel laughed. “Well I understand why you got the first one. Always curious about what we don’t understand, eh? And I don’t have to read the second one. I can tell you the answer in one word – YES. But not sure I get this third one.” He held the book in question up in the air. On the cover was a nubile and naked blonde holding a martini glass filled with blood. Spike grabbed the book from Rigel and blushed. “It’s a best seller,” Anya smiled. “So Spike, why so happy this morning? You look much different than the last time I saw you.” “He’s in love,” Rigel beamed. “Shut your trap!” Spike snapped, “She doesn’t need…” “Need what?” Anya interrupted. “Do you have a new girlfriend, Spike? Hope she’s a demon this time. I’ve sworn off humans myself. They’re so repressed and boring and always in a hurry.” She looked sadly down at her hands. “Guess that’s what happens to you when you only have a few years to live. All in a rush to understand your life and then it’s over. And you never enjoy what you have in the moment. I hate them…all of them.” “It’s Buffy.” Spike said in a low voice. “Oh…ah…well, I meant all of them, except Buffy. She was nice to me sometimes. She never said anything to me about…” “Thanks, Anya.” Spike stood up quickly. “Thanks for the books…and this.” He held up a small silver box which had also been in the bag. “But I don’t think I’ll be needing it now.” He handed it back to her. “Right. Nothing to forget now.” She kept her hands down at her sides. “Keep it. I don’t want it. You never know…someday…you might regret giving it back to me.” She said goodbye to Rigel, and Spike walked her to the door. “Did you tell her?” she asked. “About the soul and everything? Is that why you’re back together?” “No yet. I’m telling her tonight. Want to make it special. I kind of lied to her.” “Lied? About what?” “Told her I had the chip out. She thinks I’ve changed because I want to be good for her. Doing it on my own.” “Be careful Spike. Sounds like you got yourself a little tangled up.” “You know, I can’t see what difference this bloody soul makes. She doesn’t know I have it and she loves me anyway. Loves me. Spike. Her undead, evil vampire.” “Well you’re lucky. She forgave you. I wish… I wish that Xander would forgive me.” “I wish he’d forgive you too, sweetheart, no matter how painful it’d be for him. You deserve love.” Anya gave Spike a strange look. “Yeah…you’re right. I do deserve love.” * * * * * November 21st Just before midnight Around eleven o'clock that night, Spike realized he’d forgotten to get flowers. “No florists opened at this time of night,” he thought, and then he remembered seeing some wildflowers growing down by the open space along the railroad tracks. He told Rigel that he’d be right back and called to Maisa. “Come on little love. Want to go for a run?” He snapped on her leash and they went out. He and Maisa strolled beside the tracks. The open ground was covered with winter lilies that were just blooming after the start of the winter rains. He gathered about two dozen lilies and started to walk back to his house. He held the bunch of flowers in his left arm and wrapped Maisa’s leash around his right hand. She was very excited tonight. At one point she stopped and wouldn’t move. She raised her head towards the sky and started to howl. “What’s wrong?” Spike looked up at the sky and Maisa immediately stopped howling. “Wanted to show me the stars?” The stars were thick and bright. The Milky Way was particularly vivid and beautiful. He remembered his first night with a soul. Laying there on the ground, as he gazed at the Milk Way, not knowing what it would all mean to him some day and if it would be worth the pain he’d suffered. He’d take her outside tonight and show her the stars and tell her just want she meant to him. He continued to stand there, lost in thought. * * * * * Xander jumped out from behind a car and without warning plunged the scorpion stake deep into Spike’s heart. Spike fell to the ground screaming in agony. Xander stood over him, suddenly deflated and almost afraid at what he’d done. Because Spike didn’t dissolve into a pile of dust. He just rolled on the ground screaming in pain. The little white dog ran around Spike barking anxiously. He lunged at Xander and bit down viciously on his leg. Xander didn’t feel a thing. “No dust…no dust.” He mumbled to himself and started to shuffle off. Then he heard Spike give a heart rending cry which he’d remember for the rest of his life. “My eyes…oh my god! My eyes!” * * * * * Anya looked nervously out the window of the Magic Shop. Someone had broken into the shop earlier that day while she’d been at Spike’s, and she was desperately afraid now that they’d returned. She saw the large shadow of a man pacing slowly back and forth in front of the store. As he walked under the streetlight, she saw, with a shock, that it was Xander. His right leg was covered with blood. She opened the door and rushed over to him. He seemed to be in a daze. He kept muttering something about dust. She took his arm and led him back into the shop and sat him down in a chair. He gazed up at her. His eyes were dull and dead looking. “Xander! What happened? Who did this to you?” She stood next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He shook his head and his eyes filled with tears. “So tired…tired,” he whispered, “Anya…help me.” He buried his head against her and began to sob. * * * * * Rigel heard Maisa barking and scratching furiously on the front door. As soon as he opened it Maisa dashed back down the stairs. He noticed the end of her leash was chewed off; it dragged uselessly behind her. “Where’s Spike, Maisa? Something happened to Spike?” He picked up the long walking stick which he kept next to the front door and followed Maisa out into the night. He found Spike sitting next to the railroad tracks. His head was in his hands and he was absolutely silent. “Spike! What happened?” Rigel stood before the unresponsive vampire. Spike waved his hand at Rigel as if to shoo him away. “Get away old man. You can’t help. Nobody can help me.” With surprising strength, Rigel grabbed Spike by the arm and pulled him to his feet. He noticed the blood seeping out over Spike’s torn shirt. “Get up! Get up! Do you want whoever did this to you to win?” “Don’t care,” Spike pulled his arm out of Rigel’s grasp and stumbled over Maisa, who gave a little whine. “Watch out!” Rigel cried, “Didn’t you see her?” “No, you stupid git! I’m bloody blind!” Next Back to Starlight Home Back to Dark Dreams |