Working Title: Cold Day in Hell (if you have a better idea let me know)

Author: automatic_badgirl

Rating: NC-17 (not so much the first two chapters)

Status: First two chapters of a first time fic from a brand new author (Whew! That's a mouthful!)

Crit: Yes please, Rev: Second

Archive: Knock your socks off, archive away.

Feedback: *Austin Powers voice* Yes please! Yeah Baby! Yeah!

Email: automatic_badgirl@yahoo.ca

Series/Sequel:1,2,3/?

Disclaimers: I own nothing and owe everyone. All characters are the sole property of Joss et al at Fox and ME. I'm just using them for cheap thrills. I am unworthy to bow and scrape before them. Notes: This little piece of smut takes place in season six before the musical episode and just after Buffy reveals to Spike that she thinks she has been "ripped out of Heeeaaa-ven. I think I was in Heeaa-ven." Contains spoilers up to Season Five and part of Six.

Summary: Spike and Buffy tumble out of a vortex into a frozen wasteland, seemingly with no chance of escape. Struggling to survive they can't deny the feelings building between them. Will the heat between them keep them alive in the bitter cold?

Thanks: Many, many thanks to the incomparable ALI who does her funky beta groove thang' whenever I need and who's the idea girl. This fiction wouldn't be the same without her input. Also shout out to Sherri who had the cool ass literary term "in media res" handy to describe the action in the fic. Trust me girls, ya ever need a kidney, let me know.


Chapter One: Vortex

With a booming wallop, two figures were ejected from a glowing pool of suspended light and dropped awkwardly onto the snow beneath them. Buffy struggled for breath as the shocking cold tried to steal the air from her lungs.

"Shit," she gasped.

"Bloody Christ! Where the fuck are we?" said Spike, as he picked himself up out of the snow.

All around them lay a glittering expanse of frozen white, broken here and there by rock outcroppings jutting through the snow. Two small, pale suns hung in the greenish sky and appeared to be sinking towards the distant horizon. Strange shadows pooled around the bases of the rocks and the howling wind pulled streamers of snow twisting and dancing around the two figures struggling to remain upright in the deep drifts. Disoriented, Buffy squinted up at Spike as the wind lashed her with snow.

"Spike, it must have been Willow!" she screamed over the rising wind.

"What?"

"Willow's spell backfired. We got sucked into the vortex and wound up here."

"Oh this is just flippin' great, Sabrina mucks up another spell and we wind up in bloody Antarctica!" Spike threw his arms in the air and stomped over to a nearby outcropping, his duster flapping wildly about his legs.

"Uhhh, Spike, the last time I paid any attention in Science class the Earth never had two suns!" She gestured to the twin suns that were just beginning to disappear below the far-off mountains. Spike whirled and looked where Buffy was pointing; he stared for a second then turned his attention to the shivering girl huddled beside him.

"Wot the fuck?"

"Spike I don't think Willow's spell just backfired this time. I think it majorly backfired! By the way, what with the suns n'all I can't help but notice that you aren't exactly bursting into flame which just goes to support my Willow screws up bigtime theory."

At Buffy's mention of the word "suns" Spike flinched automatically, ducking into the shadows surrounding the outcropping, then sheepishly stepped out towards the Slayer. He recovered quickly,

"Alright then Slayer," he taunted "where in the bloody 'ell are we then, yer so smart!"

"Oh pardon me, I'll just channel my inner Giles and f-f-figure that r-r-r-ight out for y-y-you!" Buffy snapped back, the effect somewhat ruined by the frenzied chattering of her teeth.

"L-l-l-ook I don't r-r-really l-l-ove the idea of st-st-standing around arguing with y-y-you right now Sp-Sp-Spike! I'm t-t-too c-c-cold!

As if to counterpoint Buffy's words the wind whipped up, sending gritty snow flying into their faces. Belatedly, Spike realized Buffy was only dressed in her usual thin Sunnydale garb. She huddled in front of him clutching her arms to her body, plumes of frozen breath curling away into the wind. Spike felt a pang; she looked so cold and miserable. Pitiable Buffy always did something to him.

"Err-um. Look, Slayer why don't you take my coat seein' as you look all pathetic and frozen?" Spike shrugged off his duster and held it out to Buffy. She looked at him skeptically, clad in his ubiquitous black tee shirt and jeans. Spike caught her look and said,

"Vampire, remember? Got no body temp to worry about, pet. Unless you're too "fashion forward" to wear my coat, that is." He needled her. She snatched the jacket and threw it on. The sleeves hung well down past her hands and the hem puddled about her feet.

"Normally Spike I wouldn't be caught dead in one of your outfits. Punk is sooo five minutes ago, but I'm cold and pride goeth before I freeze my ass off!" Buffy sneered.

"Funny, I seem to recall you liked to wear leather jackets vampires gave you."

Buffy shot Spike a "drop even deader" look and added,

"Well it's not like there's anyone around to comment."

Reinforcing her statement, Spike looked around at the artic wasteland all round them. Darkness was falling rapidly and clouds were moving in, obscuring the last of the sunsets.

"You got that right Slayer. Well then, what's the plan?" He looked at her expectantly. Buffy sighed, inwardly thinking, Ever since I came back from Heaven -or wherever I was--, she amended quickly everyone always looks to me to solve all their problems, even Spike and he knows where I've been. Spike observed the tired expression that flitted across Buffy's features. Stupid Git! he thought to himself, don't put this all on her; she's got enough on her plate as is. Quickly he said,

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say we aren't in Sunnydale anymore Toto."

"Or planet Earth anymore," Buffy added miserably.

"Well, considering Superwitch was doing the Hell dimensions mapping thing, I guess she bloody well sent us to one." Spike shrugged "Hmm, thought it be warmer…"

"Yeah, I wish. Even little pitchforky guys and pits of flaming sinners would be preferable to this." Buffy huddled deeper into Spike's duster and continued, "But still, Will's a mega-Wiccan now; she should have more control…." Then realization sunk in, they turned to one another and blurted simultaneously,

"Xander!"

"Right, we were standing by the magic circle and you were being insufferable, arguing as usual--"

"Oi! I was bleedin' hungry!" Spike interjected "Then that stupid bugger with the Slurpee went and fucking tripped--"

"Yes! Willow was talking to Tara and not looking and the vortex became all glowy and Spielbergian…and you shoved me!"

"Did not! …Well if you weren't being such a superbitch about going to the butcher shop--"

"And the spell went all Kablooey"

"And we bloody well end up in the ass end of frozen nowhere!"

"Yeah" Buffy finished miserably. It was full dark now; she could barely make out the faint outlines of the rocks they were standing beside. She thought back to this evening; it seemed like ages ago when she had stepped through the door of the Magic Shop.


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