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Buffy felt her lips shiver, as she savored the last of her drink. She laughed a little, watching Spike do the same.
"What?"
"Nothing. I was just laughing at the irony of this..."
"You know like it love, I'm the only one who can get you drunk." He chuckled, under his breath.
"Just because I let you get me like this, doesn't mean I am any more vulnerable." Buffy slowed her speech, as soon as talking fast got tiring. After slurring through her statement, she proceeded to lay down on the nearby couch.
"Just need to stop the floor from spinning." Buffy put a relaxed hand up to her feverish head.
"You're not givin' up on me now, are you?" Spike's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"I'll have you know, that I have plenty of strength left thank you." Buffy's head lay limp, after exhausting the movement of craning her neck.
"Well, it'll be light out soon... better get something to eat." Spike grabbed his leather coat, heading toward the door.
"Oh no you don't... just because Willow got that thing out of your head, doesn't mean back to happy meals." Buffy stumbled to stop the vampire.
"Although, I would love to share in that theory... a man's got to eat. I have been living off of pig's blood, for long enough." Spike stopped Buffy's attempt to punch him, causing her to fall on her butt.
"You know, I kinda like the new you... easier to get away with." Spike chuckled, causing Buffy to wince.
"So I guess, all that good guy stop was really cutting into your schedule to maim, kill and hunt... huh?" Buffy's head stopped rotating, long enough to get her head in the game.
"Pretty much. yeah." Spike's smile brought back painful memories, of a darker time.
"You can't think I won't kill you. Just because you helped me." Buffy's clear sarcasm rang through the slurs toward the vamp.
"Oh love, don't take it personally. You were the only thing I loved, in this bloody town. This won't change that." Spike's eyes softened for the first time, since the spell.
"Please forgive me, for not shedding a tear. You get to know me, just to use me... just like Angelus, you’re just as bad. Or maybe you’re worse, because at least the whole time Angel was hurting me, I knew about it." With that the blonde began to walk out the door, only to be stopped by the vampire's cold, dead grip.
"You're one of us, the sooner you realize that, the sooner you enjoy living." With that Spike withdrew his grip, causing the slayer to stumble a bit.
"More so than you think..." Buffy's voice sifted through the air, trying to find volume. She cleared her throat, and suddenly moaned in pain. Her hands found her neck, rubbing at the raw skin. Her scar had been irritated the last couple of days, Angel once said his mark would never fade. Dracula's mark had, slowly but surely.
"Guess now I know how the cows feel..." Sighing she picked up her bag and took off into the night.
The night air filled her nostrils, as she swept the cemetery she smiled. This seemed like the only place, she felt comfortable anymore. Home was too hectic, never any quiet. But always questions, questions Buffy couldn't reveal. The silent crunching of the leaves, shuffling under her feet, gave her comfort somehow.
"I guess, a heart to heart is out of the question." Buffy kicked the vampire behind her, while staking the one approaching. The one behind her, flipped her flat on her back. Grunting Buffy grabbed the guy from underneath, landing him right next to her on the ground. With efficiency, only a slayer is capable of, Buffy swiftly drove the stake home.
Getting up she stumbled a bit. "That's the last time I drink with him." Sighing she continued her walk home.
As she gazed up at her house, like it was the very first time, she smiled.
::
"Mom?"
"Come on in sweetie, I made us some cookies." Joyce's voice filled Buffy's thoughts, triggering a chain of daydreams.
The house was the one, her and her parents lived in before Sunnydale. The blue, two-story house sported white trim and a washboard fence. Like something out of a fairytale. Buffy ran to the house, at age five. Only to be confronted by her happy father, who in turn scooped her in his arms. The scent of wool and his pipe filled Buffy with warmth.
"Mother! Mother! I caught a butterfly! I really did it!" Buffy's face beamed with excitement.
"Really! Wow! Where is it?" Joyce ran over to the little girl, hugging her.
"Here, it's here!" Buffy opened her palm, finding a dead butterfly in her hands. She dropped it screaming. "I didn't mean to.. I'm sorry!"
::
"I didn't mean to... I'm sorry!" Buffy found her choice changing, suddenly she was standing in the living room of her house, holding her hand open.
The light flooded her vision. "Buffy? Are you alright?" Willow's body came bouncing through the room.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Rough night." She sighed avoiding Willow's eye contact, never been able to connect as of yet.
"Well, I better..." Buffy pushed past Willow, leaving her looking distraught.
Willow eyed Buffy, as she climbed the stairs. Never breaking her gaze, until the door was shut. Frowning Willow sighed. "Maybe this will help... Dormitator ternox supra." Willow smiled, walking up the stairs.
Walking into the room, Willow softly smiled at a worried Tara.
"Everything all right?" Tara snuggled her nose, into the comfort of Willow's neck.
"Everything's fine. She's just tired." Willow kissed Tara's head, while turning out the light. "Nothing to worry about, everything's under control."
Tara felt a knot tie in her stomach, Willow's certainty scared her sometimes, more times than not.
"Willow? You scare me sometimes." With that Tar closed her eyes.
Willow sighed, placing her hand over her lover’s face. "Don't worry. What shall be, shall always find a way." Willow's eyes, black as the sea, glistened with curiosity.
Willow placed a hand over her hands, "Sleep." with that Willow lay restless, next to her tranced lover.
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Buffy awoke with a jolt, pain searing through her neck. She jumped for the light, switching it on caused her head to ache. Trying to find her mirror, her eyes adjusted to the light. Grasping for air, she clawed mercilessly at her neck. Her blood stained her wounded neck.
Buffy closed her eyes, in pain. The blood seemed to burn her flesh, gasping for air, she tried to unclog her blood.
Dawn heard the struggle and burst into her room. "Buffy? Are you ok?" Dawn proceeded to battle Buffy, trying to look at her wound.
"Willow! Tara! Get in here!" No sooner did she call, they came.
"What's going on?" A groggy Tara asked, feeling her own head.
"I feel like someone knocked me out." Willow avoided all eye contact, rushing to Buffy instead.
"Buffy? Are you ok?" Willow asked the distraught girl, once more.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Buffy's coughs were suppressed as was the pain. Drying up, the blood clotted quickly.
Buffy's head pounded with pain. She climbed back onto her bed, as Willow examined her neck.
"It seems to have stopped. Angel's bite, that's odd. Has anything like this ever happened to you before?" Willow grabbed a washrag and cleaned up the cut.
"No. I'm pretty sure, it's of the new." Buffy smiled, exhausted. "It has been irritated recently, at least noticeable. After Angel and I met up." Buffy's voice softened and the thought of her ex-lover.
"I'll call Giles, see what he can find. You should rest." Willow smiled at Buffy, reassuringly. "I can give you something for the pain, if you would like." Willow sighed when Buffy shook her head.
Tara's eyes pierced through Willow's skin, making her sweat. Dawn noticed the uncomfortable vibe, and said goodnight.
Willow and Tara walked softly back to their room, after shutting the door, Willow sensed anger. "You don't always have to be like this, you used to be supportive of my talent." Willow stubbornly climbed into bed.
"Supportive when you weren't knocking people out and messing with our heads. That's not fair Willow." Tara's lips protruded into a pout. "You used to be about helping, now I think you just do it because you can." With that Tara grabbed her pillow and a blanket, "I'm sleeping on the couch, tonight."
Willow glared at Tara's figure as she walked into the darkness, of the hallway. Black filled Willow's eyes, as they had been the last couple of nights. It was almost as if the anger caused her blood to boil. Screaming out, Willow through a vase at the door, with her mind.
"Never mind you." Willow growled, as if taken over by instinct.
Tara let a silent tear escape her lid, behind the door leading to their room. "I'm losing her."
::END ONE::TWO::