Brethren, Where Art Thou?

Shells Of Old Friends

There was an eerie silence around them. It didn’t seem to be dark anymore, they were spotlighted by street lamps and moon rays. As their lips gently parted, eyes slowly awakening to their New World, both of them weren’t smiling.

Emotions were too strong, images were too vivid and life was too complicated.

Her eyes shiny, his bleak, and the Slayer frowned.

Was it her? Had she done something wrong? She touched along his eyebrow with her fingers, and went up onto her tiptoes to kiss both of them. Maybe to indicate that she loved that side of him too, despite the mass killing because he was different now.

Spike formed a tired smile.

This quiet moment between them was so comfortable, just being together, feeling almost the same things. But not quite. The vampire was in excruciating pain but he tried his best not to show it. Tears flooded to her eyes, though she didn't know why. Holding her breath, her mouth attempted to form words, but all that came out were gentle murmurs and gasps. Spike’s eyes grew shinier and redder as the same strength of emotions entered his soul. So much conflict. Was he supposed to feel joy, or feel guilty for all the wrongs he had committed?

His brow lowered and he pulled her closer, his arms around her waist, holding her tight. Morgan clenched her entire body, never wanting to be let go.

“I love you-” he whispered, his eyes closed tightly like hers. Her eyes watered more, several tears running down her face in quick succession. Morgan squeezed him.

“I l-love you.” It felt like an immense weight had been lifted, having this amazing emotion out in the open.

“I’m sorry, for the things I did, as my demon, I’m so sorry, luv.” The vampire began to cry and so she held him tighter, arms around his neck and his head now rested against her shoulder and chest. Somehow she knew. She knew that he was whole again, and his soul had been returned to him. It was hard for her to control herself as she began to shake with him. This was overpowering, overwhelming and fantastic.

“It’s okay, Spike, it wasn’t you-”

“But I remember…remember everythin’ I did, everyone I killed or hurt…make it go away?”

“I’ll do my best, darlin'.”


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

The bird was perched upon the street lamp, mute as ordered. Black feathers shining, un-noticed by all, and even though impeccable in beauty, this small bird frowned at the huddled couple beneath him crying.

**How pathetic** he thought, flapping his wings in experiment.

He had gotten cramp waiting for these precious moments to end.

**They stand as though they will always be together, protecting one another. Ha, not so.** There were too many things at stake, including this little fellow’s life. He shook his head at them.

Vampire and Slayer prematurely announcing their love before the time was right for the festival. This was a progression that had been thought impossible, against the prophecies, against everything that was fighting against them to make sure that evil won.

And now, the feast of souls could not go ahead as planned, they could not drink the souls of the innocent or the souls of these loved up puppies. Or even that pesky vampire girl who pretended that hers was lost like the others. It was against all that this Buffy girl was supposed to about, retaining her soul. It was risky, but the Lord and Lady had decided to use her lies to plot against her if anything were to go wrong. Go wrong in the sense that this young lady would revert back to the good side, a side no evil being would want a vampire imbued with Slayer and vampiric strengths to be on.

As the couple below started to walk in the direction of the Slayer’s home, the bird flew away, back to his Mistress, back to his Master and he hoped he would get to become human again one day.

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

She squeezed his hand tightly for just over a second, a representation how much she wanted to hold him tight, make his pain go away.

“I’m alright now, luv. Scouts honour.” Spike said with little trace of alright-ness. He wasn’t that much taller than her and Morgan rested her head on his shoulder, sighing ever so slightly. There were more street lamps down this way and she watched their shadows move like a dance. The Slayer thought about all the connotations of a vampire with a soul. The pain that was written in the Watchers Diary about Angelus, the need to repent, atone for his crimes. The same must be for Spike too, right? “I get the impression you don’t believe me, ducks.”

“No, I,”

He stopped her, hands on her upper arms and his lips moving into the shape of a smile. “I’m not going to brood and wish I was dead and all that bollocks like Peaches did.” He shook his shoulders. “I’m still a bad ass, babe.” Morgan laughed out loud. “What? What’s funny.”

“You just called me ‘babe’.” she giggled, putting her hand over her mouth. She saw Spike’s ego shrink humorously. He stood up straight, head moving a little.

“Why is that funny, luv?” The blonde vampire asked, folding his arms. Morgan knelt down and hunched on the balls of her feet, holding her stomach.

“No-reason.” She managed to say between horrendous fits of giggles. “It's-just…*babe*?” she said it with a Californian spin on her accent.

“Well you are my ‘baby’, Morgan.” Spike pulled her up by the hand, spun her around and bent her over his arm like a dancer. “Come on, let’s meet your mum.” He picked her up in his arms just like a Prince Charming would do to his Princess and continued to walk in their current direction.

“Aww you say mum too?” The Slayer teased, her cute, smile-causing laughter returning as her vampire nuzzled his nose into her bellybutton.

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

“Feed, lover.” The vampire ordered playfully, pushing the dying virgin to Buffy’s arms. She looked into the girl’s brown eyes, the fright now replaced with the overwhelming sense of what was to come.

Emptiness, nothingness.

Death.

“Can we keep her alive so that she is forever tortured with the memory of your lips on her skin. It’s so sexy.” She brought the girl by her hair towards Angelus as the female vampire moved onto her tiptoes to lick his lips. “Forever scarred by the arousal it gave her, can you smell it? It’s like a bad sitcom or something.” Buffy grimaced lightly, remembering back to those times when she could watch sitcoms. Well, she could watch Passions with Spike, but she felt uncomfortable around him now she knew so much about his destiny that he did not.

Angelus smiled and bit his childe’s lip in return. It bled.

“You learn fast, baby. You could tell that this was a maim, not a kill. I’m proud.” He kissed her roughly, his tongue meeting hers with more ferocity than she had ever felt, even when fighting. He was such an animal, her heart bled for her poor Angel, what he had had to control within his own heart when he was ensouled. She accidentally dropped the brunette to the floor, enveloping herself into this rough and raunchy kiss that she would gladly melt in.

“When you are quite finished, Angelus.”

“Jenny!” he greeted, crossing the room with his arms held high and then slipping an arm around the waist of the beautiful woman who had entered.

“I go not by that name, vampire. You know that.” she said, shaking his arm from her. The vampire bowed mockingly, grinning a smile that even the Cheshire Cat would envy.

“Forgive me, Princess Kali, your body is of one I once knew.”

“And now I am she who will destroy all who stand in our way.” Kali/Jenny walked around the two vampires, nudging the still living girl with her foot as she played dead. Her long, crimson dress clung to her body along her curves and her hair was kept back with a heavy golden band. “Beginning with the Slayer’s companions. Take them. Especially the Watcher. Do what you will to the others. Go.” She made a cross with her arms and moved them upward over her head. And she disappeared.

“Aww, she didn’t even bring his royal asshole.” Angelus chuckled. “How disappointing.” Buffy tried to smile. Her friends…Giles.

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