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Forever and a Day by Lilachigh
 
Chp 23 Changling
 
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Forever and a Day

Chapter 23 Changling




It was the silence that woke Buffy. The thumping bass beat and raucous singing of whatever disc Spike had found to play in the car had lulled her to sleep.

When it stopped, she swam back to consciousness, wondering at first why she was lying at such an odd angle, then realising that she had her head tucked against the vampire’s shoulder.

“Wakey wakey, Goldilocks!”

“Why have we stopped?”

“Well, pet, judging by that large, ominous looking structure over there, I reckon we’ve reached Stonehenge.”

Buffy yawned widely, rubbed her eyes and peered out at where the headlights from the car shone twin beams across short, sheep-grazed grass to where the giant stones stood, surrounded by security fencing.

“It all looks peaceful enough.”

Spike shrugged. “Middle of the night in January. Only living things around are sheep.”

“So Mr Plague Demon hasn’t tunnelled his way here yet,” Buffy said thoughtfully. “Maybe he isn’t moving as fast as we’d feared.”

“Well, I must admit that I broke a few speed limits on the way here! But even so, thought there might be a little smoke or glowing lights or something to greet us. So, what do we do next? Just sit here and wait, I suppose.”

Buffy grinned at him. “That’s my William! The thought of doing nothing for all of ten minutes or so – not such a turn-on!”

The vampire grabbed her with a speed that could still surprise her and gave her a long, lingering kiss. When she started to make happy purring noises in her throat, he pushed her away with a wicked smile.

“Right, no time for relaxing, sweetheart. Demons to kill. Worlds to save. Now, now, no pouting! You were the one who objected to me doing nothing.”

Buffy sighed and got out of the car. “Remember to remind me to tell you how much I hate you.”

Spike switched off the headlights and let his eyes adjust to the dark once more. The night was cold but clear. No sodding mist. The dark bulk of the standing stones and the heavy lintels that lay on top of some of them showed black against a dark, cloudless sky. A breeze skipped across the emptiness of Salisbury Plain, bringing the smell of rain, wet grass and sheep.

Leaving the car, they crossed to the twelve foot high security fence. Just as Spike was about to say he could throw her up to the top, Buffy leapt effortlessly over it and jumped down to the other side. With a swish of leather, Spike flung himself at the fence, climbed it, swung over and, like a cat, landed at her side.

They glanced at each other, not needing words to express how easy that had been. Buffy bit her lip. Stronger, faster, sight, smell and hearing – every aspect of her skills was improving. Except for the hunger. She was still starving; the bag of peanuts she’d eaten hours ago now seemed like a distant dream.

“You feel it, too, pet, don’t you?” Spike said softly as they prowled towards the stone circle.

“Well, I don’t feel invincible, but certainly stronger.”

“I wonder if Giles is getting stronger, too?”

Buffy reached the first giant stone and stood, her hand touching the rough, cold surface. “So not worrying about Giles right now. Whatever he’s become, it isn’t going to help us get rid of plague demon boy.”

Spike frowned. Typical Slayer. Tunnel vision. Nothing mattered but the kill in front of her. But he thought in this case his lover was wrong. Giles – and whatever he had become – was important.

“You seem to be taking all this change we’re going through very calmly, pet. Aren’t you even a little bit concerned?”

Buffy threw herself down on the short, frost covered turf and leant against one of the vast stones. “Sure, it worries me that you think you’re invincible now. That you’re going to do something incredibly stupid – like walking out into the sunlight, if the sun ever shines again!”

Spike sprawled next to her, gazing up at the ragged clouds that were flying across the sky. There was no moon, but odd stars were appearing as the night slid past.

“OK, Slayer, that’s me but what about you? Buffy, you can’t just ignore the fact that you vaulted over that fence just now without even touching it! Even back in Sunnydale, a few years ago, when you were trained to the hilt when you were fighting Glory, you wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

Buffy wriggled impatiently, trying to get comfortable on the cold ground. “What are you trying to say?”

Spike hesitated – he could hear the irritation in her voice, that he would have to tread carefully. But bloody hell, if he couldn’t talk to her, who could?

“You’re changing – you know it, I know, Rupert knows it. Yes, you’re getting stronger all the time, but – you’re not invincible, pet. I think vampires are, but not humans, even Slayers. Yet you seem determined to go up against this plague demon alone.”

Buffy stood up and walked away a couple of yards, standing with her back towards him, staring into the ring of Stonehenge. “Alone? When did that happen? You have somewhere else to go, something else you’d rather be doing? Well, don’t let me keep you.”

“Now you’re just being plain stupid, Slayer. You know I’ll always have your back.”

She spun round, her eyes glittering in the starlight. “Don’t call me stupid, Spike. Listen, I love you – I always will – but this job comes first. You know that. Do I think I can’t be killed? No, but I don’t think it’s going to be nearly as easy to get rid of me now as the plague demon thinks.”

“Why do you have to do it on your own? There’s a whole flock of Slayers around now. You could whistle up Kennedy for a start and she’s not the only one in England, I bet.”

Buffy didn’t answer, just turned and walked away from him, into the inner circle, resting her hands on the next standing stone. She stretched out her arms, trying to ease the ache in her muscles.

One part of her recognised that what Spike was saying made sense, but another part just wanted him to stop. Couldn’t he feel, see, sense how strong she was now? Why was he being so negative?

She’d only been really drunk a couple of times in her life but this feeling inside her was a similar sensation.

Her blood was fizzing, racing round her body. She was hungry but didn’t know what she wanted to eat. She ached but not in a bad way. She wanted to fight or grab Spike and have sex with him, here inside Stonehenge.

Spike followed her. “Listen, Buffy, and don’t go all Slayer on me. The plague mist is in my blood and when I forced you to feed on me, it moved into you. It’s changing you and fast. But not just physically. The old Buffy wouldn’t have risked doing this alone. She’d have used the whole gang in some way.”

Buffy stared at the man she loved so much. A little voice, far, far away inside her head told her that he was right. That it wasn’t just physical strength she was gaining – she was losing her judgement of dangerous situations, almost as if danger no longer existed….

Danger? There was no danger! She laughed suddenly, reached out and kissed Spike. “Stop being pompous!” she said with a grin. “You sound just like Giles in one of his English moods! All gloomy and doomy and heavy with the warnings of disaster.”

“Buffy - ?” Alarmed, Spike tried to pull away, but she held his face between hands like steel and kissed him again.

“There is no danger, Spike. Just a demon coming our way and – ” she let him go and placed a hand against one of the stones – “Listen – I can hear him. He’s nearly here! Hey, this’ll be fun!”


to be continued























 
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