![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
The Dark Age | |||||||
< -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> | |||||||
Title: The Dark Age Author: Kay Tee maybeshedoes@yahoo.com Distribution: Take it, but tell me where so I can visit. Rated: R, for bad words, sexual content, murder, mayhem, and misery. Category: Series Original Character Warning Spoilers: 'The dark age.' But they're pretty minor. Disclaimer: In my dreams I'm Joss, but during the day I have to face the cold hard truth-- I'm a hack who steals characters. But I'm not giving them back! Or I am, just don't sue me, all I have are speeding tickets and student loans. Summary: Spike can't take care of Druscilla all by himself, so he gets himself a slave to help. Eve needs cheering up. Author's notes: I don't know where to get transcripts of the episodes, so I'm doing my best with what I remember from the show. Don't hurt me. More notes: Lots of CDs and brand names are mentioned here. Don't sue me, I didn't mean any harm. Ooo, and look at the previous chapters if you're wondering about that damn Unicorn book. It haunts me. I had to get it to Druscilla somehow. *** Spike walked solemnly into the main room of the warehouse. He took a deep breath. "It's time," the vampire announced. Eve was sitting at the table, mending the pockets of his older pair of jeans. At the sound of Spike's voice, she looked up from her stitching. Spike stood before her in nothing but a towel and his battered old Doc Martens. He tossed her a small box. It slid on the table in front of her, and Eve blinked passively at the bleach kit. "One minute," she said. Spike stood and watched as Eve finished her sewing, tied a sloppy knot, and stood up. She turned the pants right-side-out, and folded them neatly. The two walked up the stairs to the offices and the bathroom. *** Half an hour later, Spike frowned from where he was sitting on the toilet seat. "Your head starting to burn?" Eve asked. "No. Well, yes, a bit." Spike glared. "What's wrong with you? You used to smile, tell jokes, show friggin' emotions." Eve stared down at her hands and shrugged. "Just a little depressed lately. It's nothing." "It's not nothing," Spike insisted. "Why aren't you going out when I give you free time? Did you get a little boy-toy? Did he dump you?" Eve snorted. "Better not have." Spike watched her face. "Get over here." Eve slowly walked over to her master. "Sit." He pointed to the ground in front of the toilet. Eve sat, her back to Spike and her legs stretched out in front of her. She closed her eyes as Spike ran his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp. "You're not worried about Dru?" Spike asked. Eve did not move or say a word. Spike's hands pushed at her scalp a little more roughly, but they still worked more with the intention to comfort than to hurt. "You're not mad about two days ago..." Eve smiled, though Spike couldn't see it, and waggled her sneaker covered feet. With her legs stretched out in front of her, Spike could see the gesture, and could feel the skin on her head move when she smiled. "Mostly, I'm just tired," Eve explained. "Not like you've been workin' too hard," Spike commented. His hands slowed until he was just petting Eve's head. "I'm not complaining," Eve protested. She stood up. "Time to rinse." Spike rose also and leaned over the tub. *** He had put on his mended pants when they got to the attic. After the chemicals were out of his hair, and Eve had finished conditioning it, she used the towel he'd been wearing earlier to dry him off. Spike watched her; she faced him as she ruffled his hair with the towel. He ran a finger down the side of Eve's face. "Take your clothes off," he ordered. Eve tossed the towel on the toilet and pulled off the shirt she had taken from Druscilla's victim. She efficiently unsnapped her bra with one hand while unbuckling her belt with the other. She kicked off her sneakers, and the pants slid off with the fly still done up. Eve threw her underwear at the toilet too, and then looked at Spike for further instruction. His eyes traveled up and down the girl's body twice, but he didn't move or say anything. Timidly, Eve unsnapped the button-fly of his jeans. Spike growled, "Lie down." Eve did as she was told, lying on her face with her rear lifted slightly. Spike frowned at the girl as he debated with himself. Finally he said gently, "Turn over." There was obvious shock on Eve's face when she rolled over. Spike had never faced her before; he didn't want to think that he was being unfaithful to Druscilla. But this afternoon was different. He breathed steadily as he lowered himself to Eve, kissing her gently. Knowing that it was against the rules, Eve once again acted as aggressor, opening her mouth and pushing her tongue past the vampire's teeth. They lay on the cold floor, kissing for over twenty minutes before Spike's hands began to move down Eve's body. When they pushed between her legs, Eve could not suppress the small moan that poured out of her. *** "What?!" Spike shouted, exasperated. "You have been sulking since... Halloween." He frowned, studying Eve for a moment. She looked up at him curiously. She pulled her shirt on. They had spent two hours on the floor, and it had cheered Eve up as much as it had confused her. But when they started getting dressed again... She didn't know. She was in a funk she couldn't get out of. Heaving a melodramatic sigh of exasperation, Spike said, "All right, come on." He grabbed Eve's upper arm and led her forcefully downstairs and out of the warehouse. Dusk had just settled, and the cool night still held artificial light from the day. "Don't know why you're moping. Soon's we figure out what that book says, Dru will be well, and you'll be... actually, you'll probably be dead." He grinned at Eve, but saw that this news was not cheering her up. She followed silently as Spike made his way into town. They stopped at the electronics store, which was closing in half an hour. "I want you to go in and pick out a few CDs," Spike instructed, looking around for a wealthy looking victim. "I'll be right in." Eve walked into the store, heading towards the back where the music was kept. No one at the warehouse had a CD player, so she couldn't see the use in picking out music. She walked up and down the rows of CDs, absentmindedly picking out those that she had wanted before she was kidnapped, two and a half years ago. As soon Spike walked in, the calm sheen of well-fed-vampire settled on his face, he took the stack of CDs out of Eve's hands and went through them. "Louis Armstrong, AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, The Ramones," he smiled at that one, "Nirvana, Steppenwolf, Creed, Offspring, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, The Clash," another smile of approval, "Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, The Who, Melissa Ethridge, Bruce Springsteen, Credence Clearwater Revival, Van Halen, The Beatles." He stared at Eve incredulously. "You don't like them?" She asked. Spike just smiled and handed the stack back to his slave. She followed him through the store. He picked up a CD carrying case and a boom box, and then headed for the checkout. "What'd I do?" Eve asked. "Hmm?" "What'd I do? Or what am I going to do? To deserve the CDs." Spike smiled as he handed his latest victim's credit card to the cashier. She ran it through the machine and packed their things into a plastic bag. Eve picked up the boom box and the bag, still waiting for Spike's answer. "Umm, I'm sorry sir," the cashier said, handing the credit card back. "This is over the limit." Spike frowned, taking the card. "Well, isn't this embarrassing," he said calmly. Eve closed her eyes. She heard a gentle swoosh, and then a sharp crack as the cashier's neck was broken. Looking around the store, Eve saw that there were no other customers, and the other employees were too busy getting ready to close to notice the murder of their cashier. Spike grinned at her and walked innocently out of the store. Sighing, Eve followed. "So what is it?" Spike asked a few blocks away from the scene of his latest crime. "What is what?" Eve asked. "Whatever's eatin' at you. You've been right depressing to be around lately." Eve smiled in embarrassment. "I'll get over it. I always do, right?" Spike narrowed his eyes at her. Noticing that she was having trouble carrying the unwieldy box, he took it from her, tucking it under her arm. "You know you belong to Dru, right?" Eve"s brow furrowed with slight confusion. "Yeah?" "If you were mine," Spike said solemnly, "I'd have turned you already." Eve did not reply. They walked back to the warehouse in a companionable silence. *** She was bored. Eve sat on the floor in the room she shared with Spike and Druscilla, running the pads of her thumbs over her fingers on each hand. She was looking vaguely in the direction of the bed in the middle of the room. But her mind was wholly focused on the sensation of touching her fingers. Two index fingers. Two middle fingers. Two ring fingers. Two pinkies. Over and over again. In a minute a fledge who didn't know better might come in and try to eat her. Or Druscilla could come knaw on her feet. Spike might be mad about something, or just decide he'd been too lenient the previous night, and come beat her for a while. She might just sit there on the floor until nightfall, or the next day. When Eve had no chores to do, and the boredom started eating her, that was the worst part of being a slave. She could feel her mind slowly drifting away, and she supposed that someday she might be as loony as Dru, just from sitting around doing nothing. Still, there were the two index fingers, and two middle fingers, and two ring fingers, and two pinkies. Over and over again. She wasn't fidgeting with anything in particular; she was just touching her hands. Eve barely registered Spike's presence in the room. He squatted in front of her, studied her seriously for a moment, and then said, "You have three hours. Be quiet when you come back, we're going to bed." Eve had to blink a few times to wake herself up. She rubbed the feeling of fingers off her thumbs, scraping them along her jeans. Nodding, she stood and meandered out of the room. From the bed, Druscilla cooed at Spike, and he climbed in after his love. *** Eve walked slowly through the harsh California sunshine. She lit a cigarette from the pack Spike had given her, and hummed a song she didn't know. It was one of Angel's cheesy opera tunes, and she liked it. Angel lived near the warehouse, and Eve found herself in front of his door before she could convince herself to go somewhere else. She could faintly hear the strains of... yes, that was Barry Manilow. She grinned, and raised her hand to knock. It suddenly occurred to her that Buffy could be inside-- that would explain the music-- and she turned to go somewhere else. She didn't usually have three whole hours to herself. When Eve's foot was on the first step leading away from the basement apartment, Angel opened his door and said, "Eve." She turned to him. "Angel." They stared at each other for a moment, then Eve grinned and Angel waved her into his apartment. They went into the kitchen and Eve opened the refrigerator and took out the pot that still had some of her soup in it. She put it on a burner on low, and then filled a small pot with blood. Angel sat at the table and watched her work. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Spike," Eve said when she was done. Angel shrugged. "I understand." "And I'm sorry I shot your friend." Angel smirked. "Xander? Don't worry about it." He sat stock still for a moment, but Eve recognized this stillness as the Angel equivalent of fidgeting. Grinning, Eve said, "Just ask." Angel blinked at her. A slow smile spread across his face. "I was wondering why Spike let's you go out on your own every day. And why he let you know that he was going to try to kill Buffy." Eve turned to stir the soup and the blood-- using different utensils for each. "I think he trusts me," she replied guiltily. Spike would throw a fit if he knew that Eve had befriended his enemy. "Why?" Eve turned around, leaning back against the stove. "I saved Druscilla's life once. Ever since, he gave me a lot more freedom than I used to have." Frowning, Angel asked, "When was that?" Eve stretched, yawning. "In Mexico, a few months before we came here. "We were staying in a little town on the gulf-- it had a big tourism industry, but we were there on the off-season. One night when Spike was out, Dru decided to go hunting. I followed her and we ended up at the docks. "There was this one old guy just fishing there. I didn't worry about it too much when Dru tried to eat him, but there was a struggle and he knocked her into the water. There was a pretty strong current there... "I dove in after her. The guy was blowing his whistle and shouting-- all these people came running. We sort of hid under the dock, but it was almost morning, and the planks were too far apart to shade Dru from the sun. I had to get her home without anybody seeing. "We'd been in that town for a few weeks, so people'd started to notice the mysterious deaths. They all jumped into their little boats and started searching for someone to lynch. "I tried to get Dru away, but she can't swim, and I guess she's really afraid of the water. She fought me the whole night." Eve absently ran her hand over the three scars running across her right cheek. "I wasn't sure who was gonna die first-- me, from drowning, or Dru, from the sun. Eventually I just yelled at her to be still, and she was. I got her to the shore, and I could actually see the sun rising. But Dru wouldn't move. When I told her to get up, she said she was being still." Eve sighed, and stirred their breakfasts. "I had to hoist her up and give her a piggy back ride back to the hotel. She thought that was great. Anyway, I got there, and only one of the minions was home. He said that everybody else-- including Spike-- was out looking for Dru and me. "The guy was a jackass. I staked him-- not in the heart-- before he agreed to go out to find Spike and bring him back." Angel looked surprised. "He didn't try to kill you?" Eve shook her head. "Every time Spike gets a new set of minions, he waits 'til one looks at me wrong, and he breaks the guy's neck. Sometimes he kills them, sometimes he doesn't." She turned off the burners and poured Angel's blood into a mug, handing it to him. She poured some soup into another mug; though Angel had been very helpful in buying cooking utensils, he'd neglected to buy any bowls. "Everyone was all right?" Angel asked. Eve shrugged. "Pretty much. We never saw most of the minions again. And we got the hell out of there after that whole thing. Spike gets twitchy around angry mobs." Angel smiled, but tried to hide it. "So," Eve said, "you do realize that I was joking about the Manilow?" Angel sipped solemnly from his mug. "I kind of like it. Mandy. It's pretty, you know?" "Sometimes I forget that you're just an old man," Eve teased. *** Giles arrived at the library a few hours before school was due to start. He needed somewhere to be depressed and unreachable. He was pretty certain that he was in love with Jenny, and she didn't want anything to do with him. Giles vaguely remembered a time when the only thing about being a watcher that appealed to him was the danger. There was a ruffling in the stacks. Pulling out his cross, Giles went back to investigate. He found Eve sitting on the floor in the science-fiction section, surrounded by books. "Why," he sighed, "do you persist in coming here?" Eve held up a copy of The Last Unicorn, as if that was the answer to all the greatest questions of the world. Giles glared at the girl, without result. Sitting on the floor, smiling happily up at him, Eve looked like a kid in a candy shop. He squatted by her side, put on his best 'Ripper' voice, and said, "I'm not going to lock you in the cage, but you are going to tell me who or what you are. Do you understand me?" "I'm Druscilla's slave," Eve answered without preamble. "I don't like what she does, but I belong to her, so I don't stop it." Giles frowned, Ripper instantly slipping away. "I ha-have read about th-the vampire practice o-of keeping human slaves. Can you... prove that y-you are what you say?" Eve frowned back at him for a moment, and then realization filled her eyes. She pulled the collar of her shirt to the side, revealing Druscilla's mark. Giles studied Eve's neck. He really had no idea what the difference was between a regular bite and a claiming bite. Eve smiled gently at the older man. "You don't have to believe me, but believe that I'm not taking out The Last Unicorn for myself." "Is-is there some way we c-can help you?" Giles asked abruptly. Eve just shook her head, 'no.' "But you can help me find something Spike would like," she suggested. Giles scowled. "I rather think not," he said, straightening up. "That's cool," Eve shrugged. Giles briefly considered refusing to loan the girl any books, but he remembered Xander saying that he had seen her kill a vampire with her bare hands. Whether that was true or not, Giles doubted that he could stop Eve if she really wanted his books, and as long as they were on relatively friendly terms, her books kept showing up in the return box. "Just sign them out before you leave," he sighed. "I'll be in my office if you need anything." But Giles didn't go into his office. He stood in the demonology section and guarded his books. |
|||||||
Chapter 7: What's My Line 1 | |||||||
back |