Brethren, Where Art Thou?

Back For Seconds

She had been awake for a few hours already, enough to fill her mother in with her latest slayer-goings-on. Marie did not want to be left in the dark when it came to her daughter's slaying. She wanted to know every vampire, every demon, every force of darkness that she had to fight against. Morgan never told her about Buffy though. It would spin everything into something no one wanted to think about. If one Slayer could cross over, why not others?

Morgan was training in her garage, attacking the large kick-bag her mother insisted on owning so that she could train to the best of her abilities and protect herself. Every time her swollen, red knuckles connected with the rough material, it released a little bit of her darkness.

Because as much as she hated to know it, Slayers had, and always would have darkness. They would have a darkness that sometimes can't be controlled because it would never totally disappear from their system. Darkness is where a Slayer's power is rooted,and if Morgan didn’t release it, or use it at the right time, it might clog up her system and take over. She had read about it before, it had happened, Slayers grew darker and found evil. Buffy had turned; darkness taking over her body because she missed Angel so badly; there was nothing she wanted to live for anymore. Buffy had no longer believed there was a point in fighting anymore. And so she didn’t fight the overwhelming darkness anymore either.

Morgan slammed her fist harder and harder, the kick-bag swinging faster and faster and the chain jingling above her. She had something to fight for. Mother, father, sister, brother, stepparents, family, friends. All the people she loved and cared about were relying on her to keep them safe. Most of them didn’t know it was *her* who was saving them time and time again, but they had faith in the system. The good system, the one where superheroes rescued thousands every day. Granted Slayers couldn’t fly, they couldn’t see through people’s clothing or melt metal with their eyes, but they had been gifted with powers strong enough to save these people. The people who believed that light is more powerful than darkness, their hearts aided her mission, those people gave her a reason to live. She was indeed a cog, in a rather large machine. She was just a stronger cog, a bigger cog.

Millions of regular people act as superheroes every single day- risking their lives to keep other peoples' from ending. They aren’t gifted with superhuman powers, but still they struggled with the evils in the world. She would also fight for them because they chose to fight. She didn’t have a choice, but they help of their own free will just because it's right. And she was a part of that system. It gave her a satisfaction that most never experience. Morgan executed a near perfect jump kick to the middle of the bag and sighed.

But there were always obstacles. Obstacles she knew she would have to face, but she didn’t know if she could overcome.

“Morgan?” Her mom popped her head round the door. “Sun's down, dearie.” The Slayer smiled, clenching and unclenching her fists.

“Thanks mum, I might go patrol straight away, grab a takeaway on the way home. Leave you some peace without that chain rattling.” Her mother simply nodded and sighed, thinking that her daughter loved slaying more than spending time with her. Marie suddenly threw a smile to her.

“Bring me something back will you? We’ll eat together, watch some soaps, whaddya say?”

“Okay.” Morgan smiled at her mum, giving her a quick hug before darting inside to grab a stake. “Bye!” She called as she ran out, keeping her muscles warm.

She felt sorry for any vampire who came across her tonight. She was raring and ready for anything.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The vampire was full-bellied and had fed hungrily on more than half a dozen innocents. And still his thoughts were consumed by one that had not left him for what seemed like days.

Her.

A vision of her face was implanted firmly inside his mind, constantly reminding him of what he was destined to achieve with her. Something so sacred, something so human that it seemed impossible to him. And now, he stalked the streets near the school and the graveyard where he had first met her. Spike grumbled to himself about petty Slayers, how they were all the same and found himself then talking about Morgan. His hands were dug deep into his pockets, clenched tightly together.

“Bloody Slayer, all skanky with last years hair colour and a severe lack of make-up. Hello, golden age of cosmetic products, doesn’t hurt to at least try a little foundation across your t-zone.” He sighed. “Can’t stand the look of ‘er. Stupid green eyes, sparkling and bright and irresista-” Spike stopped dead still. He pretended to look around him. “Slayer.” The vampire closed his lips tight, still moving his eyes to an invisible light in the sky.

“Spike.” Morgan’s heart was beating faster than she thought possible. Every time she thought of something to say, she tingled all over.

“What you doing out then?”

“It’s what I like to call patrolling, nothing special, just protecting the world from nasty pasties like you, you know, the usual.” she replied, tilting her head to one side. He was acting pretty strangely. A little on-edge.

Spike nodded heavily, his hands now out of his pockets and behind his back. A silence that could only be described as more than slightly awkward trembled in the 6feet of air between them. He rushed forward, his hands clutching her elbows.

“Can I kiss you?” He gave her no chance to reply and pressed his lips against hers.

Morgan squirmed.

What was he doing?

She pushed away from him, her face in a pretty scowl. She looked at him. His eyes were shining and seemed to drink in the darkness, changing all to light.

What the hell was *she* doing?

The Slayer surged back to his lips, grabbing tightly onto his duster. This kiss felt so right, so forever, so…her. It was an inexplicable feeling. Morgan wanted to be cast into gold so she could feel this for an eternity. His body against hers was everything and all she wanted. She felt like she could never let him go -ever- , because something bigger was at stake. Suddenly she felt something melt away from herself.

Spike let himself go. Things were happening inside himself that were thought and known to many as impossible. Gypsies and Shamans did things like this, not Slayers. It didn’t hurt, but it felt extremely uncomfortable. A part of you was being moved around, taken away, and replaced with something better, something old and something new.

Morgan gasped into the kiss. Images and words were being drawn onto the eye of her mind. The bloody awful poetry, two slayers, the railroad spikes, Drusilla. She was falling in love with a kiss.

Or was it something else…his...his heart.

And his soul.

** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **