Author: Siobhan
Title: Is Cuma Liom?
Part: #2
Disclaimer: The characters from the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer are not mine, they are the creation of Joss Whedon's genius and Mutant Enemy.If you plan on posting this on your web site please include my name and the disclaimer, and notify me.
Rating: PG
Dedication: For the wonderful Clarey who keeps me in my vicarious sb talk
[Is Cuma Liom? II]
Spike, however, was the only one happy about the weather. Buffy groaned when greeted with the icy morning air and pulled her jacket tightly around her.
They passed through customs with relative ease, the guards barely glancing at Spike’s fake passport. Once through they headed towards the rental office to pick up the van which Giles had booked and they were soon on the road.
“Are you sure this is the right way. This road seems awful – small.”
“This is the main road, Buffy, and yes, for the fifth time, I’m sure.” Giles answered her in growing irritation.
“You think this roads bad,” Spike laughed? “God you’re in for a shock.”
Buffy simply glared at him in annoyance. He was just so – uggh. He always managed to find some little way to get under her skin. No one could get to her like Spike could and he knew it. That was the one thing that got to her most. He knew just how much she was bothered by her comments. Still she just couldn’t let Riley go through with his plan – even if it did cost her their relationship. She just – couldn’t
3 Days ago
“Riley, hey, I wasn’t expecting you for another hour. I’m not even dressed yet.”
“Buffy. Hi. We have to stake Spike.”
“WHAT? Ok that was in no way out of the blue.”
“No, really, I’ve been thinking about it a lot and going over Professor Walsh’ research notes. There is no way to guarantee that the chip won’t stop working at any minute.” Riley began pacing as he was talking. “The chip was a prototype. It was never meant for long term usage, and it’s not like Hostile 17...”
“Spike.”
“What?”
“He has a name Riley.”
“Right. It’s not like _Spike_ takes it easy on the thing. I mean he activates it every other day. The rate he’s going he could fry the chip.”
“Riley have you any concrete evidence whatsoever that the chip is going to fail?”
“Well, no, not exactly.”
“And did Professor Walsh ever even mention in her research the possibility of overuse causing the chip to malfunction?”
“Well, no she didn’t, but that’s not the point.”
“What exactly is the point Riley?”
“The point is that 17 is a dangerous animal and should be put down.”
“He can’t harm anyone Riley. You know that. You’ve seen what happens to him when he even thinks about it. No this is about something else. You’re acting all initiative poster boy again all of a sudden and I want to know why.”
“It’s just that... I just...”
“You just what Riley? Spike has been helping us out when we need him for the last couple of months and I’m not about to stake a harmless creature without a pretty darn good reason.”
“It’s an animal Buffy and it should be put down.”
“You’ve said that already, what I want to know is why, and don’t give me that line about the chip frying Riley cause it’s bull and we both know it.”
“Fine you want to know why Buffy? I’ll tell you. I’ve seen they way you to are when your together.”
“WHAT? Spike and I never do anything but fight. The guy drives me nuts Riley – you know that.”
“All I know is the way he looks and you when he thinks no one else is looking and I can’t stand it. I won’t.”
“That’s _the_ most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard Riley. Even if Spike did have feelings for me, which he doesn’t, it does not give you just cause to murder him.”
“Why not? He’s just a soulless animal. He murdered hundreds of men, women and children. He should pay for what he’s done.”
“He helps save lives on a regular occasion Riley. He even helped me save the world once – before he even got that chip in his head. How can staking him possibly benefit anyone? It’s insane.”
“I don’t care what you say, Buffy, I believe he deserves to die and I’m going to see to it that...”
Buffy’s face hardened at Riley’s apparent reversion to his initiative beliefs. Taking a deep breath Buffy knew what she had to do. He had left her no choice.
“Listen to me, Riley and listen good, because I am only going to say this once. I had hoped you’d out grown your black and white man good demon evil perspective but obviously I was wrong. You are not to go anywhere near Spike and if I so much as hear a rumour that you attacked him so help me god I’ll make you sorry you were born. As for us it’s just not working out. Things have been wrong for a while but I had hoped we could work through them. Tonight you proved me wrong.”
“No, Buffy, wait. Think what you’re saying. You are giving up on us for that thing, that monster.”
“I think you should leave now Riley.”
“But...”
“Now.”
Riley turned and left at that. Upon closing the door Buffy’s strong front broke down and the floods of tears came. She had known her and Riley couldn’t possibly last but that didn’t make it hurt any less. The failure of yet another relationship left Buffy feeling so incredibly low and opened up the wounds of hers and Angel’s heart breaking relationship which had never really completely closed.
The Present
“Well we’re here.”
“Where ever here is. This place is completely in the middle of nowhere Giles.”
“Buffy it’s the site of an ancient Irish tuath. It’s not exactly going to be in the middle of a town.”
“It has g-great power about it. I can feel it,” Tara informed them.
“It just looks like a big field to me.”
“Angelus dragged me here once for a ritual. Told me all about the place. God that was dull.”
“Really? I don’t have all that much information on it. Anything you could tell me Spike would prove most helpful.”
“I don’t remember much. I was a bit busy checking out one of the high priestess’ necks, but lets see, I know that this is were the high king lived. See all these small ridges. They are all that’s left of the buildings. That hill over there is actually hollow. It was once a prison of sorts and it still has an iron gate on it to keep noisy tourists out. They say it’s for safety but Angelus and I could smell something strange in there. We were going to investigate but the ritual began and we didn’t get a chance. That’s about it, oh, and over there is where the kings army, the Fianna, trained and let me tell you training with those guys was no easy feat.”
“Well thank you Spike. I’m sure that information will prove most eh helpful.”
Buffy was growing more and more impatient and Spike’s reference to Angelus had definitely not been lost on her.
“That’s great ‘n all but when are we meeting this nun already. I’m cold.”
“She should be here any moment Buffy and I think it is safe to say that we are all cold.”
The sound of Spike’s lighter caught Buffy’s attention and she turned her head to look at him and noticed he was standing a lot closer to her than she thought. The flame of the lighter caused shadows to play over his face and Buffy wondered how she hadn’t noticed how incredibly sexy he was before now. She just couldn’t get what Riley had said to her out of her head. She also couldn’t help but wonder why she was so completely against staking Spike. I mean she knew she was right ‘n all but why did it matter so much to her what happened to her former mortal enemy? Spike couldn’t possibly have feelings for her could he? If he did have feelings for her, however, would it really be so bad? Oh god she had to stop thinking like this. Spike was a vampire. Those were bad thoughts. Bad, bad thoughts.
“Bad Buffy,” she muttered to herself under her breath. Unfortunately with Spike’s vampiric hearing it was just loud enough for only him to hear.
“What was that, luv?” Spike asked grinning slightly to himself.
Realising what she had done she began to blush and Spike began to chuckle at her obvious discomfort.
Buffy was distracted from her embarrassment then, thankfully, by the arrival of Sr. Elaine Troy, the reason they were all here.
She was the complete opposite of what Buffy had been expecting. She had expected a tall woman with a rigid back in the traditional vestments. What she saw however, was a small looking woman in an awful green business-suit.
“Mr. Giles, I assume. I’m Sr. Elaine. I realise you have had a long trip. You probably would like to go someplace a little warmer. I have booked some rooms for you in the Newgrange hotel in Navan. It’s a small town about ten minutes from here and quite close to were I work and Miss. Hayes used to.”
“Yes. You were rather unforthcoming on details when you e-mailed me except to say one of your teachers, this Ms. Hayes, had turned into a demon and that it was somehow linked to the prophecy which you sent me.”
“I have a text back in my office which should explain things better than I could but I believe that this demon is the woman with a black heart who was prophesised to return and she was only posing as a teacher, biding her time, until the stars were right.”
“Right for what?”
“For her to regain her full strength.”
The gang headed towards the parking lot with Giles and Sr. Elaine continuing to discuss the imminent danger, all the while, however oblivious to the figure watching them from the shadows. The demon stepped out as soon as they left and began chanting in an ancient Irish dialect. A light so bright you could not see anything surrounded the demon and when it was gone the demon had disappeared and in its place was a tall, beautiful, slender woman with long black hair flowing around her shoulders. As she looked in the direction in which the Scooby’s had headed an evil grin began to spread over her face and soon she was chuckling at the mere idea of such a group defeating _her_ At that she waved her hand in front of herself and disappeared and all that was left was the sound of her laughter still ringing through the hills.
LA
“Angel how many aspirin can you take before you overdose?”
“Another vision?”
“Yeah.”
“Care to share?”
Cordelia looked at Angel with worry. She really didn’t want to have to be the one to tell him that his beloved Buffy was in trouble once again. She knew that she would have to tell him sooner or later though. The PTB’s didn’t exactly give her these visions for no reason. She should just bite the bullet and tell him. She just really didn’t want to see him hurt again and she knew nothing could hurt him like seeing Buffy could.
“Cordelia, the vision.”
“Right, that. Buffy’s in trouble.”
“Buffy. You’re sure? Did it show what exactly she was in danger from?”
“No it was just her, the rest of the Slayerettes and Spike. I don’t think they were in Sunnydale though.”
“Where were they?”
“I’m not sure exactly. I just saw a hotel name. The Newgrange I think.”
“Newgrange are you sure? But that’s in ... it couldn’t be.”
“I’m pretty sure Angel.”
“Fine pack me a bag will you? I have to go call some people.”
“Where exactly is it you’re going Angel?”
“Home.”