Whispers of A Dream...Screams of A Nightmare by Schehrezade
 
 
Chapter #1 - Prologue
 
All characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc.

Thanks: To two lovely ladies megan_peta who has worked tirelessly to beta the ten chapters I emailed in rapid succession of the last week. She has been tireless and worked like a demon to get all of them ready. Thank You Megan XXX

The other wonderful lady is my talented and amazing co-poster today lmbossy who has created the most amazing artwork for this fic and was the one who suggested I used Ole's tale as a basis for this story. From there we developed the idea of using characters from different fairytales and the fic evolved. She has betaed manically all the while creating the most stunning artwork.



There was a soft rustle of paper as the pages were turned with delicate fingers. The reader devoured the familiar words with an absorption born of love for the tales within the pages of the tome. Each sentence read filling the young girl’s mind with images and illusory diversions. Happy feelings and thoughts, familiar and yet new with each return to the pages that soon would be twisted and changed into darker entertainments and gains for a being not of this world – an incubus of sorts.

The clock ticked the seconds away as the room's only occupant slowly nodded off to sleep. The bedside light gave a warm glow to the bedroom, making it safe and comforting. The decoration was childish bordering on adulthood much like its occupant. Loosely held in her hands was her favourite book, filled with dreams and horrors that could both entertain and offer nightmares, only something a person with a vivid imagination could enjoy. Its battered gold tooled leather bond covers were worn thin by constant use and the pages were dog eared in places and well thumbed as its owner impatiently skimmed from passage to passage, eyes devouring the familiar tales of romance, adventure and horror.

She has no idea what was to come – in fact, she never would. Her fate was sealed that night, irrevocably and for all time. It would be the stuff born of nightmares and fairytales, twisted to suit only one being's purposes.

For evil.

For beauty and youth.

For Control.

For Power.

Inexorably the innocent girl moved closer and closer to her fate as her eyes drifted shut and her body relaxed. .

The darkness by the window moved and shifted as a form appeared out of nowhere. His body formed out of the shadows that were his home and haven. He was a creature of myth and legends, but very real, solid and intent on his job. It was one that he had been doing since the dawn of creation. One that only he was able to do. Slowly, as if floating on air, he moved towards his quarry, his long fingered hands moving in intricate patterns as he wove his spell.

Out of nowhere it appeared, a sack containing his magicks. Tucked under his other arm was an umbrella furled and tightly wound shut. Ole-Lukoie reached in and withdrew a handful of glimmering sand. He smiled down at the young teen and then scattered it over her eyes. The fine dust settled unerringly on his target and his sharp features were gentled with a smile as he watched his power work its will. His purpose accomplished, he turned and glided towards the open window. Unfurling his umbrella, he slipped out and floated off into the night. The wind became captured in the open brolly, it’s slightly tattered edges fluttering gently as it carried its owner higher and higher into the clear night sky. Small eddies of air moved him easily as he progressed through the night quickly, moving from house to house unaware of the drama unfolding in the home of the girl he first visited.

The danger went unnoticed as the Sandman moved from house to house through the dusk, easing his charges into their dreams.

He was unaware of the nightmares and the fractured fairytale that was infolding in the innocuous suburban home of an unwary Californian family, oblivious to the fact that they would soon lose their one and only daughter to a living nightmare.

~~~~~

A soft sigh broke the silence of the room as the occupant shifted in her sleep and curled onto her side. The soft smile on her lips was slowly dragging down at the corners as her dreams twisted and changed from innocence into horror.

Her dreams were warped as a magical incantation was repeated over and over in her head. One not of her making, her mind hijacked by an entity that was the stuff of fairytales and legends.

The faint golden glitter of dust left on her fragile eyelids shimmered from a faint gold and changed to a darker hue. It darkened to a deep ochre and then darkened to an angry red. White magicks began to be turned to suit the purposes of their wielder. The young girl’s body heaved and shuddered as a glow began to build up from inside, a burnt umber that slowly began to fill the sleeper’s body from within. It was as if her body were glowing with an unearthly light, her sinews and veins thrown in sharp relief as she wrestled against the horror in her mind. A once innocent tale was now becoming tailored to suit the occupant of the dream’s ends. To facilitate her transition across from dreams into reality the evil inside, the dream needed to feed off the fear of her host. And there was nothing more intense than the fear of a child suspended on the brink of puberty. It was the intense fear combined with the charged hormones within the growing bodies of soon to be young adults that attracted many things of evil. Be it poltergeists, ghouls, ghost, witches and finally evil fairies.

Her body twisted and turned as her eyes flickered behind her tightly shut eyelids. Her mind was caught in a dream that was unlike any other ever before; for once the stuff of nightmares was becoming real. It began to manifest itself through the power leaking from the mystical portal to the underworld that the dreaming girl’s family had moved too. Sweat formed at the edges of her hairline as she began to toss and turn, her mind trapped in the nightmarish world of her dreams and imaginings.

“Mama…no— help me…” was all that escaped from her panting mouth before her body lurched and arched in a nearly back breaking bow.

It was time for a bid for freedom.

Her victim’s body railed against its invasion of the mystical forces of magic and tried to fight off the possession one more time. Blood pooled in the corners of her eyes as small blood vessels burst under the strain of her battle. Her teeth cut into her tongue as her thin body was wracked with tremors and her jaw clenched. The girl’s fingers scrabbled at her sheets and clung to them, futilely trying to anchor herself as finally she lost the battle..

A gnarled arthritic hand erupted from her stomach, searching the air as slowly a pallid arm pushed out. The victim’s mouth opened in a soundless scream as her mind rebelled from the reality of the danger her nightmares had placed her in and lapsed into a waking dream. Her body remained asleep but her mind was awake and aware of everything--every sensation and every second that she was trapped in-between waking and sleeping.

With one final lurch the parasite that had finally garnered enough power--waiting and biding her time in her victim’s mind, being fed her power with the fear of her victim—she finally was able to manifest herself. As the ancient fairy made her presence known in Sunnydale, the being whose magicks had been used to facilitate her arrival dropped from the sky with a startled shout; something had changed.

He tumbled in freefall, the earth coming closer and closer as he plummeted from the heavens to the dry soil of the ground. He hit with an almighty crash, the impact of his body causing a fissure deep in the ground and releasing a slither of power from the active Hellmouth that arrowed its way to the bedroom of his evenings first port of call.

His powers had been corrupted. The once benevolent face of Ole-Lukoie began to warp and melt into a caricature of its gentle features. He staggered to his feet and stared down at his hand that gripped the now splintering handle of the umbrella that carried him on his journeys. The usually black folds were now a dark red and slashed in places; the Sandman fumbled for his bag of dust. His crabbed fingers scrabbling through the now bright red dust, he reeled back in horror and dropped it.

It was all over; his gentle powers had been taken and moulded into something that sickened him. His stomach lurched as he felt her call in his bones. He could do nothing more than obey. Ole-Lukoie began to stagger towards the suburban clapboard, unable to resist her imperious summons. For now he was hers to command.

And so the fairytales became reality, in a small not so sleepy town on the mouth of Hell. He hoped there was someone who could fight against her spells and the corruption of the innocents of this place.

Otherwise her powers would only grow and they would all be damned. Damned to hell and beyond – once and for all lost, all because a little girl’s dreams of fairies and princesses had become too real.

He could feel all of them screaming in his mind as their bodies were locked into her powers and began to feed her strength. Ole-Lukoie hung his head as comprehension dawned; his dust was the reason all those innocents were trapped in her insidious web, feeding her power with the fear caused by their dreams.

The Sandman staggered up the porch steps and scratched at the door. It swung open with a screech and he stepped in and dropped to his knees and waited for instructions from the crone who stood framed in the doorway.

“Get me more power. Make all the children suffer – I want it all.” Her frail whispering voice sounded like nails on a black board as her command chilled him the core.

“As you wish.”



 
 
Chapter #2 - Chapter One
 

He woke the next morning and went through his daily rituals, teeth, shower and then down to find some tea. He switched on the television as he headed into his small kitchen and set the kettle onto the hob to heat. In the background he heard the morning news being read by another generic toothsome blonde with a peppy voice, the sort of voice you want to reach into the TV and throttle the life out of first thing in the morning.

“Officials at Health and Safety are trying to locate the source of infection for this strain of sleeping sickness. It has been reported that they are not sure from where it originates and are advising that all parents please bring those teens affected to Sunnydale General for observation. As of yet, there are no suggestions of a quarantine similar to the one we had last year during the epidemic of throat infections. As we get more details we will keep you all informed…And now in other news, the discovery of the face of the Madonna in a Doublemeat patty has caused some surprising conversions to the Roman Catholic faith…”

“Good lord!” Giles dropped his packet of Weetabix and reached for the phone, dialling the number for his charge’s dorm. “Oh pick up, Buffy. Where are you?” He hung up and tried her home number. “Ah, there you are…have you seen the news this morning?”

Buffy rolled onto her back and squinted at the alarm clock. “Giles, have you any clue what time it is? Or that I was patrolling till two am?” She grumbled and then struggled with her duvet before sitting and resting against her headboard. Pushing her hair off her face, she rubbed the drool from her chin. “Mom is on her way out to visit some crusty old guy who taught her at college and I have to stay here and wait for Dawn to get back from a school trip and then baby-sit her for the next week, so be kind and let me go back to sleep!” She yawned exaggeratedly and then frowned at the squawking at the other end of the phone. “What? A face of who in where? Converting to the church? Is this Slayerly or not?”

Giles frowned. “No, that wasn’t the important bit.” He wondered why he had mentioned the blasted hamburger now; he shook his head, his slayer was easily distracted sometimes. “The sleeping sickness; it maybe mystical seeing that we are currently residing on an active Hellmouth. We need to investigate it,” he explained slowly.

“Kay, shall I come over now? Or after my mom leaves and Dawnie comes home to an empty house and then burns it down round her ears?” Buffy teased as she stuck her feet over the side of her bed and stood lithely. “What sleeping sickness?”

“No, stay there. I will do some research and call you. I doubt Joyce would appreciate her house being turned into charred ashes.”

“Coolness, call me later?” Buffy clicked off the phone and padded to the bathroom. At least she could have a bath here and without worrying about weird communal college bathrooms and interruptions. She was positive that the sleazoid across the hallway timed his visits to exactly when she wanted to shower.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike snorted loudly and rolled over, and promptly fell off the sarcophagus cracking the back of his head on the flagstone floor of his crypt. “Sod it, I need a bed…” He shoved the baby pink silk eiderdown off his nude form as if it were a plague carrier, stood and stretched with a bone cracking purr. Spike eyed the pink monstrosity with a jaundiced eye, “and some more manly sheets and whatnot…”

One hand absently scratching his muscled belly as the other rubbed the back of his head, he glanced around the deserted crypt. Something was missing, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Spike gingerly prodded the lump that was blooming under his bleached hair as he staggered tiredly towards his fridge and a morning cuppa of butcher’s best. It was only when he had drained the first bag that he realised what was missing. “Harm?”

His call was greeted with a blessed silence. “Wonder if she took herself off for a walk and dusted in the sun? Wouldn’t be surprised, brainless bint.” He smirked.

“Oi, where are you?” He pulled on a pair of jeans, carefully tucking himself in and zipping up. Then he saw the Pepto-Bismol pink notepaper stuck to his TV screen with chewed bubblicious gum. “Oh, bloody lovely.” He grimaced as he pulled off the note, leaving a wet string of the putrid smelling bubblegum hanging off the glass.

Dear Blondiebear,

I have left you. Don’t miss me too much, baby, but I just don’t wanna sleep with a guy who calls out another girl’s name when he has a happy. It happened enough when I was alive, but now I am a vampire, I have a rep to maintain. It’s kinda gross and eww, Spike, how could you? She’s a Slayer and sooo fashion challenged! God, Cordy was always saying that she must dress in the dark.

So, I am leaving you to your weird Slayer fixation. I’m going to LA to see if I can get a job as a weather girl on CBS ☺

Wish me luck♥

Harmony

XXXX

“I do what?” Spike stared down at the glittery writing. “Call out who?” He sank down onto the ratty green armchair that he’d found the other day on the curb and rubbed his temples tiredly. Something warm curled up inside his gut as he re-read his Dear John note from Harmony. He yelled out the Slayer’s name? God, was he going mad? ‘Was that a heart? What ever did I see in her?’

Spike held the note over a spluttering candle and watched with satisfaction as it caught fire and burned up. Now all he had to get rid of was the fake satin eiderdown and his balls would unclench from the horror of all the pink. He shook his head at the final line of the note. “A sodding weather girl? She really isn’t the full ticket; first ‘on location’ shoot should be interesting,” he chuckled and then started to try and peel the remains of her gum off his telly screen, inadvertently clicking it on.

“—the recent spate of teens being afflicted with a form of Trypanosomiasis have been causing widespread concern, with the Centre for Disease control finally being called in…”

Spike frowned down at the screen. The announcer really was an annoying bint, and he wished he had taken Harm’s offer up to eat her. He guessed that now she was gone it was too late. “Hang about! Sleeping Sickness here in the US, that’s not possible… balls, it’s mystical.” Spike blinked down at the screen and stared in surprise at the meat patty that oozed oil and god knows what else. ‘Weird, that looks like the face of the Virgin Mary…”

~~~~~~~~~~~

“This is just so worrying. I am young damn it. I could fall asleep and never wake up…Xander? Are you awake? Oh God, noooo! It’s got you, too.” Anya leapt on her slumbering boyfriend and began to shake him as hard as she could.

“Wha…? Jeez, Ahn, stop it. You’re rattling my teeth out of my head.” Xander wrapped his hands around her wrists and gently pried her clutching fingers off his shoulder. “I’m up, God!”

“Oh, thank goodness.” She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him hard, ignoring the choking noises coming from him. “Don’t scare me like that. If you fall asleep and never wake up, I won’t be able to play with your penis ever again!”

“And my penis thanks you for your concern. What the hell are you talking about? Have the bleach fumes finally gotten to you?” Xander glanced around the basement trying to check for weirdness, but all he saw was the TV on and some hamburger with a face on it. “Hey is that a new ad for Doublemeat goodness?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Come on, Buffy. I want a shower.” Dawn pounded on the bathroom door and whined some more. The elder sister winced, wondering why on earth her parents had wanted another kid. Dawn was as bratty and as annoying as they get. Buffy reached over and turned the dial on the small radio, trying to drown out the noise from her sister.

“Just let me in. I have icky desert sand everywhere, Buuuuffyyyy.” Dawn hammered on the door, almost at the brink of a full on temper tantrum. She was pissed with her mom for making Buffy come back from the dorms to watch over her. She was old enough to be on her own—or so Dawn thought. Despite all her begging, Joyce had ignored her and made ‘Little Miss I’m-so-cool-cos-I-stick-vampires-with-stakes’ come over to stay for the week – so much for her and Janice having a party. It wasn’t fair. Dawn stomped her foot and screamed at the top of her lungs because now she was taking over the bathroom. The same bathroom she’d only just got to all to herself. “Open up! God I hate you so much!”

“Use the other bathroom. I need to finish getting ready for patrol, and right back at yah, Dawnie.” Buffy’s voice was muffled through the door as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

It sucked. No sooner had college started up and she had to move back home to watch the brat for a week. Talk about ruining all her plans. Although part of her was glad as it meant no having to grit her teeth through Willow trying to fix her up on another blind date; the last one had been a nightmare. But she didn’t miss Riley, despite the dating disasters that were currently her life. Buffy grimaced at her reflection. Ever since the whole Adam thing and the Initiative being buried under a load of concrete, he’d gone creepy. After coming back from Iowa, he’d been standoffish and plain weird. Turned out his dad was disappointed about him quitting the army over a girl. Slowly they had drifted further and further apart, until he had called her one day to say he was going back into the army and requesting a transfer to South America. So here she was all alone, again, having managed to drive off yet another boyfriend, but strangely she could still breathe– guess Riley really had been rebound guy.

“Buffyyyy,” Dawn shrieked.

“God!” Buffy yanked the door open and stormed past as Dawn shoved her way in.

“Jeez, pick up your towels,” Dawn complained as she tripped over one. “I’m gonna tell Mom!”

Buffy shrugged. “You tell her anything and I’ll tell her about the wicked cool party you and Janice were planning.”

“What! How did you—?”

Buffy pulled out a small tape—one she’d pulled out from the answer phone—and waved it at her steaming sister. “I have the evidence – so behave this week and I won’t tell,” she teased in a sing song voice.

“I hate you!” Dawn screamed and slammed the door shut.

Buffy shook her head. “This week is just going to be so much fun. Not!” The day had been quiet until Dawn had arrived home; her mom had gone, leaving her a load of cash and instructions not to kill her baby sister. Then the whinefest had begun— ‘Waah, I wanna be left alone at home. Waah I’m too old for a babysitter,’ and on and on it had gone until she had taken refuge in the bathroom.

Giles hadn’t called back about the weird sleeping thing so she figured he was still researching. Buffy had planned to swing by his apartment after patrol and check up on him.

Both girls were still fighting through the bathroom door when the phone rang and the machine picked up, the new tape Buffy had put in whirring into life as it taped the important message.

“Buffy, if you get this, make sure that you and Dawn come over immediately. Something is very wrong. I think it would be better if we removed your sister from Sunnydale. Call me as soon as you get this.”

In the clamour of getting her sister fed and settled into doing her report, Buffy missed the flashing red light and headed out to patrol, leaving her sister alone and nodding off to sleep with neither girl aware of the incipient danger that the younger Summers was in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maleficent reached over and prodded her slave to his feet. “Come, it is time for you to add more power to my magicks. I need more…there has to be some you missed. Their fear and dreams are just so invigorating. I want them all – the older ones are of no use. No power in their fear.”

Ole-Lukoie stumbled to his feet. Pulling his tattered coat around him, he reached for the tools of his trade. The same ones that were now corrupted by the power of the evil fairy who had moved over from the dream world and into this reality, her presence twisting everything he touched.

Except for the place that she had chosen for her home.

It was a creation of beauty; she had summoned the edifice from her mind and created enough concealment spells to bind it from the eyes of any that walked past it. The castle was the stuff of fairytales and legends. It was an all white building, square shaped with a garden within its walls and with delicate turrets at each corner. The pearlescent stonework glimmered in the moonlight, giving it an otherworldly quality. The gardens contained within its walls were something that even the most devoted of horticulturists would have coveted for their own. In essence, everything the crone surrounded herself with was perfection, as if she were trying to compensate for her physical and internal ugliness. The Sandman sighed and stepped up into the air. Unfurling his shredded umbrella, as he waited for an eddy of wind to lift him and carry him off over the town of Sunnydale that lay at the foot of the hill where the castle had appeared. His being called out in anguish over the corruption of his work and powers, but nothing heard his silent call of pain.

The elderly fairy cackled in delight and raised her arms, her navy silk robes sliding down her limbs. Already the power she was draining from the teenagers was working. The sagging skin was slowly tautening and smoothing – soon she would have her youth and looks back. Her beauty would rival even the rotten Princess Aurora from her dimension—the Princess others had favoured so much. As for her sister fairies, soon she would be a maelstrom of power, enough to destroy them, to punish them for thwarting all her plans.

“Hurry, little man, I need more power.” She paced the battlements, watching the town come to life as night fell, the beings of the underworld moving around the cemeteries and streets with an ease that surprised her. The power that was oozing from the place was intoxicating, she had chosen well. Once she had all her powers, looks and youth back, she would take control of the Hellmouth and reign over the entire world. Soon it would all be hers. And it was all thanks to the teens of this godforsaken dimension. Their fear in their corrupted dreams feeding her, and giving her more magical sustenance than she had ever imagined.

And it served them right!

~~~~~~~~~

Spike sauntered down Main Street, free at last. No pain in the arse unicorn-obsessed girl hanging off his arm, nattering his ear off about Paris. He was deliberately ignoring the rest of the note, as if he yelled out the Slayer’s name when he was shagging! He shook his head trying to laugh, trying to avoid examining the creeping realisation that the Slayer was a right smart little package. Instead, he focused on the sight of her Watcher carrying a box into the occult shop, followed closely by the whelp and his nosy bird.

“Well, well, well – looks like my old flatmate’s got a death wish.” Spike leant against the door frame and lit a cigarette. The flame from his Zippo flickered to life, casting light and shadows on his angular features, giving him a wickedly devilish air. He tilted his head back and exhaled a plume of smoke around the cigarette, and he smirked. “Never knew you’d had enough of this world, Rupes.”

“Holy moly, try not to creep up on me like that!” Anya squeaked and reached up and slapped Spike on the back of the head. “Really, it’s bad enough worrying that Xander’s penis was asleep for good and now I have sweaty hands from you frightening me!” She wiped them off on Spike’s duster and then crossed her arms at him and glared up into his face. Spike returned the glare, wondering when he’d gone from being one of the Scourge of Europe to being an ex-demoness’s hankie; it was rather depressing. He let a faint glimmer of gold chase the clearest blue from his eyes and exhaled smoke through his nostrils, trying to intimidate her.

Anya rolled her eyes at him. “Oh, please. I faced down a horde of ravening Vikings intent on pillaging me; do you think a bit of smoke will make me lose bladder control?” Spike smothered a snigger of laughter. Despite her appalling taste in men, demon girl was about the funniest bird he’d met in all his years.

“Spike, what are you doing here?” Giles peered over his specs at the peroxided menace.

“Come to check out the latest walking target.” Spike winked at Anya and sloped into the dimly lit Magic Box. “New digs look a bit gloomy, Rupes.”

“Walking target?” Giles frowned in confusion.

“Oh, Mr Giles, Spike is referring to the high mortality rate of the previous owners of the occult store that you have invested in,” Anya chirped up as she began to switch on the lights.

“Ahn, don’t scare the G-man,” Xander laughed as he looked around the store and whistled. “Nice, can see why you wanted to get into the business.”

“Well, I looked over the books with Willow and it all seemed viable…and as for the high mortality rate, Spike, well it’s not your concern, although I know for a fact in the past you have been one to add to the statistics. Now go away.” He made a shooing motion at Spike and then reached for the phone. “I need to get hold of Buffy.”

“Need some Slayer muscle to help you move the books in?” Spike reached over and pulled a folder on the counter closer and began to flip through it. He swore silently under his breath at the images of the youthful faces contorted with fear and coated with a red dust around the eyes. “What the hell is this?” He scanned through the Watcher’s crabbed notes before any of the three mortals could stop him. “Bloody hell, so it’s not Sleeping Sickness then, it’s some sort of dark mojo.”

“What do you mean?” Giles shouldered Spike to the side and began to collect the photos and papers he’d spent most of the day accumulating. He still hadn’t managed to suppress the horror he’d experienced when he’d gone to Sunnydale general and sneaked onto the wards filled to the brim with terrified sleeping teenagers.

”The news – saw it earlier,” Spike replied absently as he frowned down at a single image. It was of a young girl, her eyes screwed shut, her mouth open in a silent scream as she slept. “God.” He shivered. “It’s just so…what did this?”

“We’re not sure, but it seems to only target the teenagers of the town. I suspect it is connected to hormone levels or something…” Giles trailed off, for once utterly at sea.

“Doesn’t look like hormones; looks like fear,” Spike muttered under his breath. “So why are you trying to get hold of the Slayer, she’s past puberty – oh, the Platelet, why aren’t you over at her place hammering on the door?” Spike growled.

Despite knowing the vampire was harmless, Giles shrank back slightly, both in fear and also in shock. “I…we...err...Willow has gone over to the house,” he stammered.

“Red? She’s about as effective as a fart in the wind. I’ll go over.” Spike swung out of the shop, leaving the three of them staring after his billowing duster.

He flicked his half smoked cigarette over his shoulder as a leaving gift. It skittered across the shop floor in a shower of red embers and landed at Anya’s foot. She stomped it out with a stiletto clad foot and an indulgent shake of her head. “He really is a nice vampire, isn’t he?”

“What?”

“Ahn, are you nuts?” Xander squeaked, just as Giles began to voice a similar, yet less churlish query.

“Well no, I am not insane, not yet anyway. But look how he rushed off to help little Dawnie, so chivalrous.” She sighed and clasped a hand over her heart.

“Stop it, you’re scaring me, Ahn.” Xander shivered and tried not to imagine Spike in armour riding a charger down the main street to rescue Dawn. “Gahh…stupid thoughts.” He smacked himself on the forehead and tried to avoid the image of Spike with his helmet tucked under one arm, looking heroic as his hair was ruffled by an imaginary wind. “Ahhh….”

Giles ignored Xander’s antics even though in fact wanted to add to the blows on the imbecile’s head. Instead he stared thoughtfully after Spike. “He does seem to be anxious to help. I wonder if there really is more to his destiny than we think.” His mind cast back to the day he’d visited Spike in his crypt to pay him for helping during the whole Ethan induced demonic fiasco. It was still something he mulled over every now and then when he had enough whisky inside him, even if the echoes of Spike’s laughter at the suggestion still dominated his mind. Giles frowned.

“I wonder.”

~~~~~~~~

“Red – Platelet? You lot in here?” Spike pushed open the kitchen door and swung into the darkened room. “Oi, Red where are you?” he bellowed.

“Spike? Is that you? Have you got Buffy with you?” Willow’s voice echoed down the stairs. It was filled with fear and worry. “I’m upstairs with Dawnie—oh God!”

“Wait there!” Spike shot down the hallway and grasped the banister rails and swung himself over and hit the stairs running. He pounded up them and then followed his nose, trailing down the landing to the Niblet’s room where he pushed the door open onto a tragic tableau.

The redhead was cradling the teenager in her arms, tears pooling in her green eyes. “Spike, I can’t wake her up. Something is really, really wrong,” she sobbed.

Spike sank down by the bed and brushed Dawn’s hair off her face, revealing the now all too familiar red streaks of glittering dust over her eyes and the look of fear on her face. “Christ.”

Unnoticed by either of them a shadow detached itself from the corner of the room and quietly moved towards the window before it floated out into the night. The damage wrought, he had no choice but to move onto the next victim that his controller needed to help her path to magical domination.

“What do we do?” Willow whispered as she stroked Dawn’s hair gently.

“No idea pet, not a buggering clue.” Spike sank back on his heels and took one of Dawn’s hands in his much larger one and gently squeezed it.

Through the window in the distance, unnoticed by the vampire or the Wiccan, Ole-Lukoie drifted into the house next door and reached into his sack to withdraw another handful of his sleeping dust and raised it over the teen curled up in his bed.

“I am so sorry,” he whispered, and then let the poisoned sleeping dust drift over his second victim of the night.
Tags: chapter one, whispers of a dream
 
 
Chapter #3 - Chapter Two
 




"Oh dear lord, this is not good. What is Buffy going to say? And Joyce? I hope the woman isn’t near anything sharp when she discovers what’s happened." Giles reached over, "here, let me help."

“Careful Watcher, don’t bash her head like that,” Spike growled at the man and reverently lay Dawn’s sleeping body onto the battered couch Giles had found in a large empty room at the back of the Magic Box. He and Willow had run as fast as they could; Spike easily carrying Dawn's lax body as they made their way through the streets of Sunnydale, both focused on getting to Giles and the others. Neither of them had noticed the small figure that had floated over their heads, checking their progress with a look of regret on his sharp features.

“Here.” Anya handed over a blanket and then, stepping up next to Spike, squinting down at Dawn’s slack face. “Huh, where have I seen that before?” Confusion marred her forehead with lines as she began to rifle through her memories, trying to pinpoint the vague memory that teased at the edges of her consciousness.

“Seen what?” Xander asked as he pushed the door open, his arms loaded with take out boxes and then frowned at the tableau of Spike hovering over Dawn and tucking the blanket around her lanky body. “Hey, overbite, get away from her!” He hustled forward and reached to pull the vampire away from the teenager.

“Enough of that, Xander.” Giles snapped, as his firm hand slammed down on the podgy boy’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks as he pulled him around to face him. “Spike is helping, and as much as it galls me to say it, his concern for Dawn is very real and apparent to us all. So please refrain from your usual juvenile taunting and less than savoury behaviour. There is too much to focus on right now and your showboating will only detract from our main purpose—helping Dawn.” His face was set in firm lines and his eyes were steely in their determination. Xander opened his mouth to whine when for some reason, his brain finally caught up with his mouth and he subsided into silence. He nodded and then looked down at the ground.

Spike spared a momentary glance over his shoulder and tried not to look excessively shocked at Giles’s open support of him. “Thanks,” he whispered tersely and then turned back to his Platelet. His fingers strayed to the red dust staining on her rounded cheeks as he tried to wipe it away, to no avail. It was indelible and stained her pink skin a deep rusty red. “What the hell is this stuff?”

"No idea, but it is on the other teenagers’ faces as well. It must be something mystical. But as for what, I have no idea." Giles sighed as he squatted down beside Spike and peered at Dawn's sleeping face. "At least she doesn't seem to be suffering, unlike the other children affected." He frowned, “it’s rather curious.”

"For now," Spike muttered and ran his fingers through his hair; his night had gone from effing brilliant to hellish in one horrendous hour. It wasn't going to get any better, either. "Have you told Buff...the Slayer what's happened?" His query was met with a resounding silence. "NO? Why the bloody hell not? Red called you before we set off, that was enough time to find the slayer and get her here!" he exclaimed as he leapt to his feet and began to pace.

"Hey guys, chill. Spike, go and find Buffy; she must be on patrol. Anya, go and help Giles with the research. Maybe if you see something in a book, your memory'll come back." Willow clapped her hands and pointed to the deserted shop. "Xander, you sit with Dawnie and make sure she is okay...I'll...I'll..." She wrung her hands and then looked around helplessly at the others. “Oh Goddess, what should I do?" she asked rhetorically and then promptly burst into tears, her pale fingers plucking at strands of her shaggy red sweater nervously.

Spike stopped mid pace the angry lines of his face softening at the sight of the frazzled girl twitching herself into a nervous breakdown. He'd always had a soft spot for Red. Reaching over, he grasped her fluttering hands and gave them a comforting squeeze. "You help the Watcher and the demon girl, okay?" he murmured. His blue eyes surprisingly gentle as he looked down into her upturned face. Willow gulped and nodded.

"’Kay, I can do that. Research girl Willow to the rescue." She let her hands slide out of his and headed after Giles and Anya. "Oh, wait! Buffy said she was going to patrol the city dump on the south side of town. Some dumbass baby vamps have taken over the area and keep freaking out the tramps down there."

"Lovely, I get to romp in the muck searching for she who chases my kind around with pointy sticks. What's wrong with a nice clean patrol in a quiet cemetery?" Spike grumbled as he headed out the back door into the small alleyway that ran the length of the shop to Main Street.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ohhh yesssss," Maleficent hissed. "What in all Hades is this?"

A massive surge of power hit her frail withered body. Her back arched as she felt the untold power beat against her over and over. "Well done, my little slave. It feels like you found something special—the power!" she exclaimed and sank to her knees, scrabbling at her black velvety robes, tearing them off her wizened form. Her wrinkled body was pale in the moonlight as she let herself fall onto the grass, rolling onto her back and cackling at the stars above her. Her sagging pear shaped breasts quivered with each breath she dragged into her lungs. Slowly she began to twist and arch her back as the power from Ole’s latest victim began to change her.

Finally all her hopes and dreams were being fulfilled.

The lines on her face and body began to smooth out as her flesh plumped up with the renewal of youth; her wispy thin white hair thickened and darkened into raven black tresses. Tresses that were a riot of curls that wrapped around her waist as she writhed in bliss on the dew damp grass, her hands sliding up and down her rejuvenated body. Slowly the metamorphosis of the Wicked Fairy took place; the ravages of time began to reverse themselves as the power of the Key was infused into her magical form. Holding one elegant hand up in front of her face, Maleficent's ruby red lips curled back into a cruel and self satisfied laugh.

"Young! I'm young again!" She leapt agilely to her feet and twirled around, her arms above her head as her supple body spun like a dervish in the courtyard garden of her castle. "It's all mine again, the power, my looks-- I'm young and beautiful again!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Spike killed the engine of the Desoto at the edge of the dump and puffed on the cigarette firmly clamped between his teeth. He didn't want to go in there -- the smell was rank even from the car and he dreaded what his vampiric sense would make of the mountains of waste that the Slayer was trudging through. Personally, he'd have chucked in some Molotovs and left the place to burn, but noo, the goody two shoes slayer had to sacrifice her wardrobe and sense of smell on the altar of Slayerdom.

As he stepped out of the car, and his respect cranked up another notch as a wave of rotting stench wafted over him, Spike gagged and then deliberately stopped breathing. If it wasn't for Dawn, he'd not be trudging through the piles of filth. Oh sodding hell, was that a dirty nappy? He lifted one Doc clad foot and hopped around, trying to shake off the soiled Pampers that was clinging to his sole like a limpet. It was mid hop when he heard the words.

"So is this like some kind of vampy technique to get the Slayer laughing so hard she pees herself and then you go in for the kill? Cos y'know, it's kinda working." Buffy giggled and then howled with glee as Spike hopped around to face her, slipped and promptly fell backwards into a mouldy old pile of rubbish bags. “Ohhh, I sooo wish I had a camera right now! What happened to the vampy agility I hear so much about?”

Spike blew off the newspaper that had floated over his head and glared at the giggling mess of blonde prettiness. He froze. Prettiness? Where the hell had that come from? Shaking his head to clear it of soft sweet smelling slayer shapes, he leapt to his feet and tried not to whimper at the stains of god knows what on his duster. Before he could say a word, a blur of blonde flew at him and he hit the ground with a thud.

“Hey!” Buffy bounced off Spike and then staked the spotty vamp that’d snuck up behind the oblivious so-called master vampire. Spike clamoured to his feet with a growl and inhaled day old newly turned vampire dust and gagged.

“Bloody hell, that’s disgusting. It tastes like whatever the hell you just tossed me face down into.”

“Sorry,” Buffy giggled “Come on, I can see a few more of them over there.” Buffy yanked his arm and ran off after the remaining fledges.

~~~~~~~~~

“Right, last one.” Spike threw a stake at the git who’d been rabbiting around the mounds of rubbish like a sodding mountain goat. His patience was worn to shreds. Not even interested in a nice tussle, he took aim and tossed his remaining stake at the prat and watched in satisfaction as it dusted with an angry howl. "Fed up with all this pissing around."

“God, talk about Mr Efficient. Why the hell didn’t you do that earlier?” Buffy panted and rested her hands on her filthy knees. Both of them were covered in dirt and garbage from head to foot and smelled pretty awful, but in the last half an hour or so they’d managed to root out each and every one of the vampires and dust their stinky arses.
Spike raised a brow at her as he wiped something pink and sticky off the cuff of his duster. “Not for want of trying, pet. Now come on, we’ve got to get back to the Watcher’s new shop.” In all the time they’d spent chasing the vampires around, he’d not had a chance to explain why he was out helping her and he wasn’t looking forward to the meltdown that was about to ensue. He wanted the Slayer in the car and on her way back when he told her.

“Slayer, let’s get going.” He headed off in the direction of his car without another word, leaving Buffy to pick her way over the rubbish muttering under her breath about stupid showoff vampires who rely too heavily on bleach.

“Move your arse, Slayer!”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Good lord, why on earth is Spike’s nose that size and what is that appalling smell?” Giles covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief and stared down at his dishevelled slayer.

“Where is she?” following the hastily pointing fingers, Buffy shot past Anya and Willow without a backward glance and headed toward the storage room in the back.

“Spike?” Giles frowned at the dried blood on the unusually subdued vampire.

“Oh for goodness sake! Did she hit you when you told her what happened to her whiney sister?” Anya grasped Spike’s chin and snagged Giles’s hankie off him. She licked it and promptly began to clean off the blood, all the while muttering under her breath about impulsive slayers and their idiotic trainers who taught them to hit first and ask questions later. Spike firmed his lips and tried to pull his head free of her iron hard grip. She cleaned off the blood, Anya tsked under her breath and just held on tighter.

“Ahn, put the vampire down and stop grooming him.” Xander appeared in the doorway and his jaw dropped when she licked a clean corner of the white cotton and dabbed again under Spike’s nose. “Okaaay, carry on with the wiping of your spit on Chiphead, cos you know that is just too funny.”

“Oh do grow up, Xander! If your penis wasn’t bent the way it is, I really wouldn’t be with you anymore.” Anya shook her head at Spike and carried on cleaning him off before turning back to him conspiratorially. “Really, if he didn’t hit the spot just right then I would have no use for him at all.”

Spike snorted as his shoulders began to shake with uncontrollable laughter. In the background he could hear Xander squawking, Giles laughing and Willow trying to keep the peace.

“Thanks, pet.” Spike reached over tentatively and gave Anya a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, part of him was basking in the attention and concern she had shown him, but the other Big Bad part cringed alongside the rest of him over the fact he’d let a woman spit wipe his face like a four year old.

Giles recoiled from the now grubby handkerchief Anya was trying to give back to him. “Err, no thank you. I believe Spike can keep that. Spike, I take it you told Buffy what has happened to Dawn.”

“Yeah, he did, but not before wasting my time chasing after stupid vamps.” Buffy reappeared in the doorway, her face set in worried lines and her arms crossed on her chest.

“Vampires that needed to be dealt with,” Giles remonstrated his charge gently as he steered her to a circular table that they had been using for research. “But, in the interim, we have had a modicum of success.” He politely refrained from gagging at the scent of rubbish that wafted up from Buffy and Spike.

“So dish, already what do I need to kill?” Buffy flopped down and began to pick off some dried spaghetti from the front of her shirt.

“Well, we’re not sure. From what we have discovered it appears that something has corrupted—”

“Oh for crying out loud, Mr Giles. Really!” Anya rolled her eyes at the older man. “It’s simple really. We think it’s the being called Ole-Lukoie. You call him the Sandman in America. Something has corrupted his powers, hence the red staining around the eyes. It was so familiar, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it until Willow found a reference to him in one of the mouldy books over there.” Anya drew breath and then pushed on. “Once she showed me the picture I remembered, but the thing is, he isn’t evil. So something has either stolen his powers or he is being forced to do it.”

“Do what?” Spike interjected.

“Put the teens of Sunnydale asleep and into nightmarish scenarios in their dreams.” Giles handed Buffy the pictures that Spike had seen earlier. Her frown deepened as she flicked through the images of the teenagers that her watcher had taken on the hospital wards, in his guise of a representative from the British Health and Safety consultant. Though at the moment we have no idea why. It just doesn’t make sense at all. From all my research and folklore on this Sandman, he is essentially a benign individual.” He shook his head tiredly.

Anya nodded in agreement, “Oh absolutely. I’ve met Ole, he’s really very nice and this just does not seem like something he would do. He must have been corrupted or blackmailed or been something-ed into doing this. In reality, he is very fond of children—in a non-perverty way.”

“I am.” The small tattered form of the Sandman floated down from the ceiling where he’d been biding his time, waiting to approach the researchers. “I’m sorry to interrupt but time is short and she will notice that I am not serving her will.”

“I say!” Giles half stood and stared at the long nosed Sandman who floated down towards him.

“I have tried to fight her but she has too much power. More so now.” He glanced over at Buffy and hung his head in shame. “I truly am sorry for all this. I need your assistance to get free from Maleficent, before she gets too potent and destroys us all.”

He shrieked and hid behind Anya as Buffy and Spike leapt to their feet and tried to grab him. “Anyanka, it’s good to see you. Please don’t let them hurt me; I am innocent in all of this. A pawn. Please, I have risked everything to come here. Search for her in the books on fables. She is a fairy, nothing more, just a power hungry fairy.” His sharp features tightened in pain. “She is calling me, I…I have to go. Please, save the children; stop her in her quest for power. Remember, to break her spells you need to wake the child from within. Find the castle, that will be where she is.” With that he stepped into the air and floated away before anyone could react or say anything.

“Well…” Giles’s jaw dropped and he stared at the diminutive figure as it floated out of his shop.

“That was the Sandman? Kinda raggedy, wasn’t he?” Xander cocked his head and watched as the spirit-like being vanished into the night sky.

“Oh my God, I always wondered if he was real!” Willow squeaked and began to flick through a book trying to locate a description behind the name that Ole-Lukioe had given them.

“So now what?” Buffy folded her arms and stared at the open door that the Sandman has escaped through. Her night was going from bad to weird, and the oddest thing was Spike. He seemed to genuinely want to help; her eyes narrowed in thought. All she could focus on was Dawn, her guilt over what had happened, what her mom would say and now Spike was bugging her with his less than evil behaviour.

“Well, Willow had one idea that maybe worth investigating. As we have had no success in waking Dawn using normal methods, she surmised that maybe if one of us went into her dreams then we could get her to wake up there. Possibly breaking the enchantment from within,” Giles surmised. “And now we have the added information from that odd little man and confirmation that we were on the right track, maybe we can develop a workable plan.”

“But how do we get into Dawn’s head?” Xander mused aloud, trying to ignore the staring match going on between Spike and Buffy. “Also, once in there, how do we get out or talk to each other? Oh and who is going?”

“I am.”

“I am.”

Both Spike and Buffy replied in unison. There was an uneasy silence in the shop as the two of them unsuccessfully stared each other down.

“Umm, why does the vampire get to volunteer?” Xander asked puzzled.

“Cos I’m a tough bastard who won’t get knocked out at the first sign of a fight,” Spike snarked back, his eyes never leaving Buffy’s. Hers widened in surprised and then acceptance. After the fight in the dump that evening, she realised he was good at covering her back and if they were going to do this, then he was the one she wanted with her. Regally, she gave the intense vampire a small nod of agreement and then turned to talk to her watcher. Spike’s shoulders relaxed. He’d gotten his way; the Slayer was going to let him help save the Platelet.

“Well done.” Anya patted him on the knee and turned back to her reading. “That’s incredibly brave of you. I cannot imagine what a teenager’s mind has in it but to be perfectly frank, rather you than me. What if she is dreaming about some boy band or something. Quite a terrifying thought really. Oh God, it could be bunnies, kids dream about those fluffers, right?”

Spike just stared at the whittering girl, shook his head and smirked at her. She was an alright chit, but sometimes her brain just moved in mysterious ways. Giles and Buffy stood and headed back to Dawn in the other room, all the while talking earnestly under their breath.

“Wait,” Willow interrupted Buffy in her tracks, “no one is going anywhere until you’ve both showered and changed, cos eau de pew is sooo not good for the nostrils of Willow. Go home, clean up and change. We can get with the research and hopefully be ready to go.” Willow made shooing motions with her hands at Spike. “Buffy, Xander’ll watch over Dawnie. Go home and get cleaned up,” she ordered firmly.

“Yeah, man you guys seriously stink. Don’t worry about Dawnie. Xanman will watch over her.” Xander stood up and promptly tripped over a small sack that had been tucked by his foot unseen and unnoticed until now. “Ow, and can I add, what the hell is it?” Xander picked himself and the small sack up and frowned at it.

Anya yelped, “wait, don’t open…well crap. Well now he’s done it-- someone catch him.” Anya sighed and watched as Xander’s eyes rolled back and slammed shut. With a boneless sigh, he slumped into Giles’s arms and began snoring. “Ole must’ve left it for us…Giles, be careful and see if you can tell what colour the sand is? Is it a shimmering gold?” The Watcher peered over at the sack lying open on the floor; a small drift of golden sand shimmered at Xander’s feet. “Yes, it appears to be golden in hue.”

“Good, it’s uncorrupted; maybe we can use it in a spell, I imagine that’s why he left it for us and not for the comedy moments such as Xander flaking out. I need something to cover my mouth and nose while I sweep the residue up.” Anya stood and disappeared around the counter, returning with a dustpan and brush. “That Ole, he’s a smart one,” she added cheerfully as she wrapped her face with a dusting cloth and began to carefully sweep the precious sand into a pile and then scoop it into the sack.

“Why not use my hankie, you seem to have annexed it,” Giles muttered as he attempted to heft Xander up from the floor. Buffy came over and helped carry the snoring Scooby into the store room and settled him on the ground next to where Dawn lay on the sofa.

“Giles, can you stay with her?” Buffy looked up at her Watcher, her hazel eyes filled with worry and fear for her sister. “I don’t want to leave Dawnie alone.” She reached over and grasped his sleeve anxiously.

“Yes. Now go and get washed and brushed up.” He patted her gently on the same hand that was clutching at his sleeve.

“Come on, Slayer, I’ll drive you home. It’ll be faster than you hoofing it,” Spike called from the shop.

“Coming, Dad," she sing songed and rolled her eyes at Giles as Spike growled loudly. "Jeez, that vamp has no sense of humour."
 
 
Chapter #4 - Chapter Three
 


He hit the ground and rolled to his feet with a growl.

Instantly alert, Spike scanned the dark woods and frowned. He was definitely not in Kansas anymore; then again, he’d never been there so how would he know what it looked like? He bet his last smoke that it sure as hell didn’t resemble the twisted nightmare he was currently standing in, though. He frowned into the darkness, vamping out so he could see a bit more. Somehow he had expected the Platelet’s dreams to be all fluffy bunnies and whatnot – something was not right

All around him were dark gnarled trees, their branches twisted and reaching in all directions. Thick roots distorted the forest floor, waiting to trip an unsuspecting traveller. Spike bared his fangs and sniffed the air; it was laden with rich woodsy scents and a faint tinge of blood. His amber eyes widened, he knew that scent. With his mouth watering as his fangs started to ache, he started forward and promptly tripped over a tree root and fell face first into softness…

~~~~~~~~~~

“Did it work?” Anya peeked over her spell book and yelped and stared at the supine form of the teenager they were all intent on saving. “Where did Spike and Buffy go? Oh no! We sent them to the world without shrimp!” she wailed and began to flip through the pages, muttering under her breath about shoddy translations and how she worked better with the original texts.

Xander placed a gentle hand on the open book and stopped her from flicking thought any further. “Chill Ahn, I think it worked. When you and Wills were doing the magic thing, Buffy and Spike kinda faded out and then disappeared with a pop. Maybe they are in Dawn’s dream prison thingie?” He scrubbed tiredly at his eyes. Being exposed to the small amount of sleep dust had sent him into a deep enchanted sleep and he had only been woken when the others had started setting up the spell.

“Indeed.” Giles straightened and blew out the candle he’d lit earlier as a focus.

“So now what?” Willow peered over at Dawn and tried not to look too worried. She wished Tara was there to ground her, but she was stuck in San Francisco working on her art history project.

“Now we wait.” Giles reached down and helped the slender redhead to her feet.

“But we can sleep right? No getting a makeover from hell and never getting up again, right?” Anya reached over and tried again to wipe off the incriminating red dust from Dawn’s face. “I still don’t understand why she could break through and attack the children so cruelly.”

“I believe that we are safe. From what I can discern so far, only teenagers have been targeted,” Giles explained. “It appears that their hormone levels are tied into whatever the Sandman is being forced to do to them--by whatever magical sorceress she is.”

“So it’s like a poltergeist being attracted to the hormones and teen angst, except this time it’s the Sandman’s controller?” Willow frowned, confused beyond all reckoning.

Giles nodded at the analogy. “Excellent supposition, but we do need to locate this Maleficent individual and try and discover why she is doing this. It seems too precise, focusing on the teens and no one else.”

“Research?” Willow grinned lopsidedly.

“Yes, indeed,” Giles smiled back at her. “Xander, if you’re feeling up to it, could you possibly have a nose around Willy’s and see if there is anything being said, a location…description or some such?”

“And me? What can I do?” Anya’s brown eyes were filled with a perky hopefulness that was hard to deny.

“Maybe watch Dawn and also keep an eye on that?” He pointed at the large silver chalice filled with water.

Okay, but I don’t understand – nothing is showing in it yet.” Anya frowned into the enchanted chalice. “You know, a more efficient way would be to set a charm on it to alert us when they need to talk and vice versa.”

Giles stared over his specs at the girl, and nodded slowly. “Excellent idea, Anya. That is truly inspired.”

“Really?” she blushed slightly over the compliment, unused to them. “You know, Xander said I was inspired when I suggested we got a cucumber for him to tr…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~


Comfy, was all he could think as he snuggled closer and inhaled her scent.

“Ow, Spike, can you get off me?” Buffy groaned and wriggled out from under the snuffling vampire currently using her belly as a pillow. “And also—” She smacked him on the back of the head. Spike stood abruptly and reached down to give Buffy a hand up, his fingers soothing the spot where she’d slapped him. “God, personal space much?” she grumbled and dusted down the seat of her pants. The two of them bickered on, unaware of the gleaming red eyes that were watching them from the shelter of the dark forest that skirted the sides of the path that they’d landed on. The crimson orbs stared at the two newcomers unblinkingly.

“Did the packs survive the spell?” Buffy reached up and sighed in relief as her fingers found the nylon straps holding her backpack to her. Spike kicked the ground, searching for his and then growled. “What? Did you lose yours?”

“No, got it.” Spike looped it over one shoulder and glanced around, his hackles rising. He didn’t like this place; the scents, sounds and sights were all off and something was out there—his demon could sense it. It was alien and starting to overwhelm the scent of Slayer blood he’d first picked up on.

“Owie.” Buffy winced and twisted her left hand slightly to check it. “Ack.” She shook her hand and wriggled her fingers, grimacing at the deep cut that ran down the edge of her hand and curved around to cut across her inner wrist.

Spike’s mouth watered as he watched a thick viscous drop of the blood run down her little finger and cling to the tip for a breathless moment before it dripped off. The tear-shaped drop fell in slow motion through the air to splash on the soil in a distorted star shape. He licked his lips as his feet took an unconscious step towards her intoxicating lifesblood. “Spike, have you got the first aid kit in your rucksack?” Her voice broke the hypnotic tension that had him in its embrace and he refocused his stormy blue eyes on her face.

“Think you’ve got it. Turn around and I’ll dig it out.” As he moved towards her he swore he heard a faint growl, a whisper thin noise that barely registered even with his vampiric hearing. It was forgotten as he turned his attention to the Slayer and began to check the small side pockets for the kit Red had packed for them.

“Got it, give me you hand, Slayer.” He moved around in front of her, the fingers of his free hand closely clasping her elbow and trailing down to her injured hand. The unconscious sensuality of his touch went unnoticed by him but not by the diminutive blonde. Buffy inhaled as her skin tightened with goose bumps. She shivered and then bit her lower lip to distract herself. It was Spike and she was getting shivery?

“I can do it.” She reached hurriedly for the bandage.

“I can manage.” Spike deftly avoided her slapping hand and gently pulled her down to sit with him. Buffy grumbled under her breath, before she surrendered her hand to his surprisingly tender ministrations. The two of them were utterly oblivious to their predatory watcher settling down to observe his prey.

“There, all done.” Spike tied off the ends in a bow and gave Buffy a slight smile, then ducked his head, busying himself with repacking the box and stowing it away in his pack.

Buffy flexed her bound hand gingerly and nodded her thanks; she reached over and laid a gentle touch on the side of his face. “Thank you.”

Her heartfelt gratitude was untinged by the usual anger or scorn he inspired. Spike bit back the comment on the tip of his tongue and instead allowed the tentative bonds of friendship to form between them. “No problem, luv.”

“Good. Come on, we need to get moving.” Buffy stood and hefted her pack, took a step forward and then stopped. “Which way do we go?”

“No idea. The Watcher said he’d contact us when he got more info, said to head in the direction of the castle, wherever the hell that is. Hang about, I’ll be right back.” Spike handed her his pack and then jumped upwards. Buffy watched as he climbed through the canopy overhead, the occasional rustle of leaves and soft cursing her only companions.

Spike clambered lithely up the tree. Memories of his childhood slammed into him as his fingers gripped the branch above his head and he hoisted himself up above the tree line. He wrapped his left arm around the sturdy trunk and scanned the horizon, searching for the castle. His shoulders slumped. It was far in the distance, shrouded in darkness and was at least a good seven days walk to it. With a heartfelt growl, he leapt down and landed next to the quiet slayer.

“Spotted it. Need to head that way; it’s going to take a good few days to get there.” Spike thrust his hands in his duster pockets and waited for her to start moaning. He was greeted with silence. “What?” He looked at the still girl warily.

Buffy grimaced and then shook her head. She’d been positive something was watching her while Spike was doing a monkey impersonation. Her predatory senses had kicked in for a few moments, the hairs on the back of her neck had prickled and stood up, but she couldn’t see anything. “Thought I heard something – but it’s gone, might’ve been the wind?”

Spike nodded then turned his attention up the track, “that way.” Spike pointed up the twisting path and headed off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You know, I think I got it.” Xander ambled back into the Magic Box holding a DVD. The others looked up from their research, exhaustion apparent in every line of their bodies.

“Did Willy have some information?” Giles stretched and cracked his spine as the other male Scooby sauntered over with an easy grin on his face.

“Not much, but then I was walking past Blockbusters and I had a ‘duh’ moment. Here, look.” He thrust the DVD at Giles.

“It’s a cartoon.” The older man stared at it in askance.

“Oh, Xander. Not more with the comic books and cartoons.” Willow shook her head at him and as she turned back to Atrous’s ‘Book of the Fae’ and began to read the next entry.

“Look at it. For once Xander’s pop culture knowledge has saved the day—err, night.” He grabbed the box and waved it under Willow’s nose.

She snatched it then examined it. “The Sleeping Beauty cartoon. Xander, I thought you’d grown out of Disney?” she teased and then shook her head at her oldest friend.

“Ahh, stop with the poking of the fun at the Xan-man and look.” He flipped over the box and pointed at one of the fairy godmothers. “This one is the bad one, and knock me over if she isn’t called Maleficent! I remembered her from when we were kids.” He slapped it down triumphantly on the circular table and folded his arms. “I’m waiting patiently for the praise, score one for the Zeppo!” He preened, as he gave a flabbergasted Willow a lopsided smile. He also waited for the teasing from Willow, she was the only one who knew about the pant wetting incident when they had watched the video of Sleeping Beauty. Willow winked at him and refrained from humiliating him, this time.

“Oh I say.” Giles looked at the DVD then back at Xander then over at Willow. “Do you mean a cartoon has taken control of Ole and is sucking power out of all the poor souls in the hospital? But why not Dawn? Why isn’t she suffering in the same way? It doesn’t make sense.”

“No, not a cartoon, you silly man.” Anya leant in the doorway. Fairytales are based in reality, Disney just likes to steal ideas and storylines – lord forbid they have an original idea. Oh! I have heard of this one, but the people in it live in a dreamlike dimension that explains all of this.” She was keeping an eye on Dawn as she promised but had been intrigued by her boyfriend’s antics. “The little I can remember is that the Wicked Fairy was envious of beauty and power…”

“So somehow she has broken through to our dimension and is using that which is familiar to her,” Giles interrupted with an apologetic smile.

“Yes, I imagine she knows how to manipulate dreams and has plugged into the fear of the young adults and is channelling it to make herself everything that she desires.” Anya turned with a nod and headed back to stand and stare at Dawn sleep. “Maybe whatever she is getting from Dawn is stronger so she doesn’t have to scare her witless with dreams of bunnies. I mean, she is the sister of a Slayer and all.”

Giles and Willow stood and joined her in the other room and to stared down at the still form of the youngest Summers.

“It maybe a possibility. We would need to cast some sort of power attraction spell, and see if it lights up around Dawnie.” Willow’s sharp mind raced ahead as she began to compose the chant.

“Someone should tell Buffy and Spike what I worked out.” Xander ambled in and headed for the chalice. “How does this thing work anyway?” He tapped the side and stared into the clear water with a hopeful look on his face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~


His lips curled back over his fangs and exposed his gums as he growled at his juicy unsuspecting prey. It had been too long since he’d fed and she looked luscious; her soft pink skin beckoned to him. The brief scent of her blood on the forest floor had made his mouth water and now he watched and waited for the right moment. He was patient, he could wait.

He moved silently and lithely through the trees, stalking his blonde haired victim-to-be with a burning anticipation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Crap,” Buffy muttered under her breath as she stumbled over another tree root which had broken through the compacted dirt track that she and Spike had been walking along for the last few hours. She’d been surprised as to how easy it was to be with Spike, when he wasn’t running off his mouth and tearing her down. Something had shifted between them; he was actually being gentlemanly. Her mouth quirked at the corners at the thought of the peroxide vampire’s reaction to that thought. He was a good companion, and somehow she instinctively knew he’d be there to the bitter end for her and Dawn.

Spike stepped over the same root as he glanced over his shoulder checking behind them he was positive he sensed something. But the firm pressure of the Slayer’s hand brought his attention back to her. He looked down at her tanned fingers, a contrast in elegance against the black leather of his coat. She steadied herself and then glared down at the root that had tripped her.

“So much for slayer balance,” she muttered grumpily and then froze. The sensation of being watched was back; she tightened her fingers on his sleeve and tugged at it to get his attention.

Spike glanced down at her upturned face and nodded. “I know. I keep sensing something but then – nothing. It’s weird, bit like the lack of birds and animals.” Buffy shivered slightly and looked around the silent forest, the mute testimony of its magical creation surrounding them both.

“Never thought the Platelet’s dreams would be so quiet. Was half expecting crap boy bands and half naked underdeveloped teen boy pinups.” He jerked his thumb at the dark trees. “Not this.”

Buffy straightened, her fingers leaving the cool slick leather of his duster with reluctance as she reached for her canteen and took a long drink. Licking her lips, the petite slayer unconsciously handed it over to her companion and blotted the sweat from the edges of her hairline. “It’s weird, but when I was Dawn’s age I was dreaming of Christian Slater and clothes, not something like this.” She gestured around her with a frown.

Spike turned and looked around again at the surrounding trees. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as his eyes glinted amber. “Half a mo. This is starting to really nark me off.” He shot off the path and leapt up the bank that flanked it vanishing into the silent forest with a flutter of black leather. Buffy huffed out a breath of annoyance at the display of testosterone. She sank down gracefully onto the bank and stretched out her legs with a sigh of relief. Her calf muscles were tense from all the tramping around the woods for so long. She reached down and began to rub the tension out of them. Her wounded hand was cradled against her stomach as she waited for Spike to finish his lame Big Bad Hunter impersonation.

The words, “Buffy, can you hear me? Is this thing working?” issued from her cleavage, startling the blonde out of her quiet musings.

Buffy stared down at her shirt. “What the hell? Oh, the mirror!” she exclaimed and tugged a long chain out from under her shirt to peer into the small mirror hanging from the end. “Xander, hey, it worked. This is so wild.” She grinned at the small image of her friend. His face filled the tiny mirror and his voice sounded tinny and echoed slightly. Her eyes widened as he began to talk fast, his words tumbling over themselves in his excitement.

“Disney? Seriously?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike let his demon take over as he scented the air. His head cocked to one side as he extended his vampiric senses to their limit, trying to find the source of his disquiet. He could smell something, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. His target was flitting from one place to another, never stopping.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he whispered as he sniffed the air and snarled. There it was, the elusive scent of wet dog if he wasn’t mistaken. He bounced on the balls of his feet and then shot off into the dimness. His passage was muted by the blanket of moss and leaves. He moved lithely through the bushes and around the gnarled and twisted tree trunks. As the vampire hunted deeper and deeper in the woods, he began to pick up the minute traces of animal sounds.

“So not that all quiet on the Western Front then?” he muttered as he clamped his hand on a branch and swung over a small brook, which wove its silvery way through the heavy undergrowth.

“Now where the sodding hell are you?” he sighed as his quarry eluded him. He ducked under a tree branch and knelt down staring into the dimness, his vampiric sight puncturing further than he’d expected. Sniffing the air, he turned in the direction he’d just come from and began to swear. “Bloody bastard conned me!” he growled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~


Buffy flicked her hair over her shoulder and fiddled with the hem of her shirt—she was bored. Spike had only been gone for a few minutes, but it felt like hours. Xander’s news was good, but she had no clue what help it would be for her and Spike in the freaky forest of silence. She sighed, checking her watch for the hundredth time. “Come on, Spike. Really not getting anything done with you stalking the undergrowth.” She twisted slightly on the bank, resting on her hands, taking a deep breath to call out for him. Before she could, a dark furred shape barrelled out of the forest and launched itself at her back.

The blonde girl flew forward, falling onto the hard dirt path with a grunt as all the air was knocked out of her lungs. Her face was plastered against the ground as the heavy weight of the wolf bore down on her. His fangs snapping at the vulnerable nape of her neck, and Buffy shuddered at the sensation of his fetid breath on her neck as he sniffed at her exposed flesh. skin. Bracing her hands on the ground, she dug her fingernails into dirt and began to push upwards. Even with her slayer strength it was hard work. The heavy weight was pushing the air out of her lungs and spots of light were beginning to bloom in front of her eyes.

A snarl filled the air as her attacker bent his head and sniffed her wounded hand. It was the blood that he had tracked; he was hungry and this was the best meal he’d seen in weeks. She was weak, wounded and he was the dominant male – or so he thought. Her struggles had reopened the wound. The wolf’s mouth opened slightly as he licked his yellow fangs; a drop of saliva fell onto the back of her hand. Buffy flinched and heaved her body, trying to dislodge the salvering animal t from her back.

“God, Spiiiiiike!” she screamed at the top of her practically empty lungs and slumped as her captor bore down on her flailing form. She felt like such a fricking girl, but the wolf was heavy and combined with her backpack it was all too much. She was slowly blacking out as her lungs seized up under the combined pressure. As consciousness faded, Buffy dimly heard a roar and then she slumped laxly as darkness impinged on her.

~~~~~~~~

He’d seen red as he crested the bank and looked down on the biggest and hairiest wolf he’d ever clapped eyes on in his entire unlife. The slayer looked tiny under its gargantuan shaggy paws; she looked like a delicate butterfly pinned down on a collectors pad. But it was her voice filled with a gasping desperation and calling for him that made him pause. The Slayer was screaming for him to help her; it filled him with a sense of purpose and resolve.

“Get the hell off her, you flea-bitten mangy son of a bitch,” he screamed as he let loose a berserker roar and threw himself off the bank, slamming into the side of the hairy bastard with a growl that rivalled the wolf’s.

Spike figured he could get in one good hit before the chip kicked in-- but anything to buy the slayer time to recover was worth it. To his satisfaction and immense surprise, there was no blinding pain firing through his synapses and destroying his higher motor functions. .

“Oh yeah,” he howled as he leapt to his feet and bounced onto the back of the grey wolf with a happy growl. “No pain for me means a shitload for you.”

The two fighters descended into a whirl of blows and throaty growls as the wolf twisted and rolled, taking the limpet-like vampire with him. There was a flurry of limbs and the snapping of fangs as the two of them fought for the unconscious girl. Spike smirked at the sight of the furrows of blood his incisors had opened on the wolf’s flank. As good as it looked, he had the taste of wolf fur in his gob now and it was disgusting. He spat on the ground and turned his head, reaching for the wolf’s throat.

Spike jerked his head back and whimpered as his brow was split open by a glancing blow of a fang. Blood pouring into his eye as he curled back his lips in a maniacal grin and head- butted the snout of the wolf. The shaggy-haired wolf snarled and leapt away from the vampire, backing up the bank trying to get to higher ground. Spike crouched and swiped at the wound on his forehead; it was his old scar, a trophy from the Chinese Slayer. It was reopened and blood dripped down his faced. He licked his lips and savoured the taste. The memory of the first wound flashed through his mind’s eye as he prowled after the wolf straight out of a fairytale. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on the vampire, he had gone from killing a slayer to fighting for the life of one— but this was no ordinary slayer.

This was Buffy.

As the two combatants battled it out fangs and claws for the prize, another figure appeared at a dead run from around the corner of the path. An axe in hand, the long haired man ran towards the scene of battle. He froze mid step, recognising that the vampire was holding his own against the wolf he’d been tracking; the Huntsman turned his attention to the slender blonde girl.

“Miss, are you well?” He hunkered down next to Buffy and gently turned the pallid girl onto her back and eased her up into his arms. His sharp eyes missing nothing he noted her unusual outfit and the heavy backpack, both of which were alien to him. However the pallor in her cheeks was not. He gently patted her face, hoping to return the slim girl to consciousness. “You need to wake now, your companion is battling well but he is distracted with concern over your welfare.”

Buffy fought against the cotton wool sensation of unconsciousness as she struggled to open her eyes. Her ribs and back were aching from the heavy weight of her attacker. Dimly she could hear the formal tones of the stranger who was cradling her, and she wanted Spike. But he was busy from the sound of it. Instead, Buffy fixed on the voice of the huge man who was holding her. Slowly her eyes fluttered open and she focused on a thick busy beard flecked with grey.

“Ah, you have awoken little one. All is well then.” The Huntsman’s voice was deep and rumbling and caught Spike’s attention. The fighting vampire spared a brief glance at the slayer; her eyes were focused on the newcomer that was holding her gently in his massive arms. Relief filled him as she sighed and looked over at him. Their gazes caught for a timeless moment as they exchanged a wordless communication that spoke fathoms.

“Right, no more dicking around.” He twisted the wolf’s struggling body in his arms and half rose. With a decisive crack, Spike brought the beast’s back down across his knee and broke it with one swift blow. “Reckon you owe me this,” he snarled. With that, Spike lunged at the exposed throat of the now whimpering animal and sank his fangs in with a mumbled growl of contentment. Warm living blood flowed into his mouth and down his throat for the first time since he had been chipped.

“Spike…” Her voice was weak, breathy and filled with shock at his actions, she’d finally registered that he was fighting a living animal and the chip hadn’t fired, things were going squirrelly in dreamscape world.

Spike drained the last of the blood from his former adversary and then looked up into her confused eyes. His game face slid away as he licked the last of the blood from his lips.

“How?” she whispered. Buffy was stunned. Not only had he fought it, but he had now drained the wolf dry. She watched as his wounds began to heal rapidly and wondered if it was the place they were in. Somehow here in Dawn’s dreams, Spike’s chip was invalid as nothing was real--but it had felt real when the wolf had squished all the air out of her lungs. She cradled her aching side with her wounded hand and tried to stand without swaying from side to side.

“Tis a magical place, all is not what it seems here, little one.” The Huntsman helped her to her feet and nodded at the silent vampire. “Well fought, my friend.” He handed Buffy over to Spike and watched the two of them as they stared at each other. “Come, we are not far from my cabin. You are both welcome to rest and avail yourselves of some food.” He bent and shouldered the dead wolf easily and began to walk off in the direction he had come from. “Follow me.”

The two blondes exchanged another look and then slowly began to trail after the tall man.

~~~~~~~~

“What!” Maleficent sank to her knees as the death of one of her most ardent followers filled her consciousness. Her robes fluttered around her as she braced herself with one hand on the cool flagstone floor of her castle. She felt the wolf’s death as keenly as if it were her own; it was if some of her power had diminished with his passing away. Staggering to her feet, Maleficent wracked her brains as to how or why this had occurred. She whirled to face the tattered and shabby form of Ole, her beautiful face a mask of hatred and anger. “How did that happen? What have you done?”

The small figure of the Sandman curled into a tight ball as she lashed him with bolts of magical energy, her lips twisted in a mockery of a beautiful smile as she enjoyed the torture she put him through.

He gritted his teeth and shook his head. “I have done nothing!” he exclaimed as his battered and bruised body was flung backwards into a cage that had appeared with a flick of her perfectly manicured fingers. The door slammed shut with a resounding thud and he shuffled backwards, his arms thrown over his head protectively, into the far corner, trying to avoid her wrathful magicks. His small frame wracked with shudders, perverse agony he was unable to suppress.

“Lies, I can sense something has changed.” She twisted around and stalked over to her crystal ball and peered into it. Her beautiful face contorted with angry lines as she watched the huntsman and the two blondes walking through the woods. Turning back to face the incarcerated Sandman, she raised a hand and sent a long bolt of lightening arcing towards him. “How did those two get into my realm?”

“No…nothing I did, M’lady,” Ole lied through his teeth, determined that he would not let her win. He was banking on the Slayer and the vampire to save them all. The evil fairy would not corrupt his magicks anymore than she already had, even if it meant his death.

“Liar, this will not do at all.” The willowy form of the corrupt fairy was filled with an unrepressed fury. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Maleficent knew that if she went back into her realm then the beauty, power and youth that she had now would dissipate in seconds and she would become the hated crone that she had once been.

Ole huddled into the shadows, a small satisfied smile curling at the corners of his thin lips.

“What are you smiling at, little man? Do you not think I will be able to win? Defeat those two mortals?” she ground out as her mind raced to find a solution. Then a chilling enigmatic look came over her beautiful visage and she rubbed her hands together. Ole stared at her in dismay; she had found a way round his solution. They were all doomed.

“Well if I can’t go in there to destroy them, then maybe some of my other followers can do the job. I mean, look at those two little blondes. What sort of challenge can they be?” She began to mutter under her breath, calling on her acquaintances and contacts for help. She knew that realm like the back of her hand and was confident that she could manipulate the situation to suit her desires.

She waved a hand over the crystal ball and peered at Dawn’s sleeping form. “I think I need to put you somewhere safer.” She snapped her fingers and with that Dawn vanished from the Magic Box. “I can’t have my power source in danger now, can I?” She turned to face the chaise lounge that had appeared with the gangly form of the teenager she had just abducted from under the nose of the foolish mortals in the shop, laying on it.

“I wonder if those two interlopers will fare any better against this?” She snapped her fingers and the room filled with a bright light.

 
 
Chapter #5 - Chapter 4
 


“You tell her.”

“No, you tell her.”

“I think Giles should tell her we lost her sister. He is her watcher, after all.” Anya interrupted the pushing fight going on between Willow and Xander. She pressed the two of them apart and held them at bay with a steadfast hand on their shoulders. “She is less likely to kill him when she comes back. Slayers are notoriously touchy and quick to fly off the handle,” she added, nodding sagely as if imparting the wisdom of the ages.

Giles turned to face Xander with a disappointed expression on his worried face.

“I know, I know. My fault I fell asleep.” Xander held his hands up and flushed guiltily. “I’ll tell her.” He walked away from the couch and bent over the chalice.

“No one is telling Buffy anything. We are going to start searching for Dawn. If we fail then we will all tell her.” Giles sighed. His exasperation was hitting an all time high with the entire situation. Not only did they have an evil Fairy enchanting the teens on the Hellmouth, they now had lost Dawn. Neither of which he was prepared for. He was exhausted, worried and unable to find a solution. The harried man also suspected that sending Spike with Buffy into Dawn’s dreams was not the brightest of ideas he’d had.

“And head for the hills,” Anya muttered under her breath to Willow and Xander.

~~~~~~~~

“Where did he go?” Buffy rolled onto her back and stretched as she squinted blearily around the log cabin searching for their host.

She snuggled back into the silky soft furs that were piled over her and rolled onto her side to stare over at Spike. He was crouched in front of the fire, carefully banking it his face cast into shadows as he briefly glanced over at the sleep-flushed slayer. She was as pretty as a picture, even when she was yawning and making odd squeaking noises as she stretched.

She’d ended up curled in a pile of furs in front of the fire, keeping warm overnight while Spike had slept on the bench by the door. Neither had managed to stay awake longer than a few minutes after the hearty meal the Huntsman had served them. Now it was morning and they were alone.

“He headed out to check his traps—left some porridge for you.” Spike pointed to a covered bowl and then straightened and moved to stare out of the frost covered window. The expression on his face was inscrutable as he gazed out over the much altered landscape. He was filled with questions not only about the place they’d landed in, but also about his burgeoning feelings for the petite blonde who was wriggling out from under the furs. He’d taken on a whopping great wolf and saved her from it. He hadn’t wanted to examine it too closely at the time, but deep down Spike accepted it was the right thing to do—they were partners here. And that’s what partners did, watch each other’s back. Neither of them had said much about it, except for the slayer thanking him and then gazing at him with sphinx-like fathomless eyes as they walked to the Huntsman’s cabin.

Spike glanced over at the yawning girl, his lips quirked at the sight of her patting down her bed head and muttering under her breath about missing indoor plumbing.

“Is it me or is it like really icy in here?” Buffy wrapped her arms around her waist and tried to suppress a shiver.

“Not you…take a gander.” Spike jerked his head at the window he’d been staring out of and then rubbed his forehead tiredly. The deeper cuts and bruises had healed from the fresh blood he’d taken from the wolf, but his bones still ached from the fight. The night’s rest had done some good but waking to the winter wonderland outside and the surprising revelation that he was sun proof here had knocked him for six. Add to that the feelings that were pressing on his undead heart and it all lead to a very confused vampire.

Buffy stood on her tip toes and stared out at the snow laden forest, her hazel eyes widening in surprise. “Whoa, what the hell happened? Everything got frosty, awesome!” She looked over at Spike with a feeling of shyness. They still hadn’t spoken about his rescue and she had no idea how to broach the subject. Instead, she contented herself with looking at him in the daylight; to her surprise he didn’t look pasty and dead. He was cute and his piercing blue eyes were mesmerising in the bright reflected light, even with the teeny laugh lines that bracketed them. ‘Wonder if vamps get game face wrinkles.’

Spike pushed away from the window with a sigh. He held his hand out and let the daylight play over his skin. A rueful smile curled at his lips, as he stared as his pale skin shone with a light that it had not seen since the day he died. Every thing was different here, so very different and yet despite the dangers ahead and Dawn stuck in her dreams, he was content. Spike frowned; it was a sensation that had eluded him since Prague.

Buffy looked up in time to catch his frown, “what’s with the frown? Woulda thought with the lack of burning in daylight you’d be chipper and up!” She had been staring at the icicles that were hanging over the window, but Spike’s movements had torn her attention away from them.

“Nuhing, kinda neat the whole not catching on fire though,” he yawned and then tucked his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and looked down at his boots. “You better eat ‘fore it gets cold.”

Buffy wrinkled her nose and sat down and began to spoon up the creamy porridge. Her face brightening at the taste of honey mixed in. She began to spoon it quickly and with her free hand reached for the mug of tea that Spike placed next to her. He cupped his in his hands and sank down on the furs she’d crawled out of. Spike took a deep breath and savoured the sleepy slayer scents.

“Once we’ve eaten, do you think we should head on, seeing that you’re all sun proofed?” Buffy mumbled around a mouthful. Part of her was excited about the snow. The last time she’d seen any had been…she shivered and focused on the vampire in front of her and not the one in her past. The saner part was wondering how the hell the snow had appeared so fast and also if her boots would stand up to the task of wading through it.

“You noticed that.” Spike took another drink of the tea and waited for the blush to dissipate on the Slayer’s pretty features.

“Yeah, wonder if you’ll freckle?” she added with a teasing glint.

“Funny, slayer.” Spike shook his head and then tipped the mug and drained it. “If we’re to get to the Platelet, I think we keep going no matter what.” Buffy nodded in agreement and scraped the bowl with her spoon.

“The old man left some kit for us to use, right nice of him.” Spike pointed to the bundles by the door and the two heavy fur coats hanging from the coat stand.

“Keep going no matter what, I like that,” Buffy nodded and stood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles turned the wheel onto Revello Drive and headed towards his charges’ home. He needed to check for messages from Joyce and also see if there were any clues as to where Dawn may have been taken. He was hoping that with a scrying spell, using something personal of the young girl’s, he might be able to locate Dawn. He had sent Xander off to search nearby neighbourhoods; Anya had surprisingly elected to remain at the shop and stocktake for him, whilst Willow researched.

Letting himself in, he noticed that the post had been left in the mailbox; he took it in with him. “No need to add burglars into the mix as well as child abduction, spells and evil fairies. The Sunnydale police wouldn’t know their arses from their elbows if they had to actually investigate a real crime.”

Quickly moving through the house, he checked the voicemail and then headed upstairs to find something of Dawn’s to use. He paused at her bed and stared down at the fine red dust that was staining her pillow. Unconsciously his fingers reached for the power and then stopped as reason kicked him firmly in the backside.

“Good lord, I really am getting old.”

~~~~~~~~

“Oi, grow up, Slayer.” Spike wiped off the back of his head and growled at the fur clad sprite who was giggling and ducking behind a tree. Buffy snickered and bent down, rapidly beginning to fashion another snowball. Spike tried to suppress a laugh and failed as he spotted her grinning face peeking out from behind the tree, her hazel eyes filled with glee as she weighed her snowball in her hand.

“Gotcha,” she squealed as she turned to run down the path they had been following for most of the morning. The snow had so far not been much of a deterrent—mystical or otherwise. The slayer was looking particularly fetching bundled up in a fur coat, her face peeking out from under a hat, cheeks pinked with cold and excitement. He’d endured the first hour of hideous girly squeaks of joy over the snow with resignation but gradually her excitement had infected him. And now the two of them were ambushing each other with snowballs whenever they could. The cold and softly falling white flakes were unnoticed as they sprinted and feinted, their mock battles helping the onerous journey to pass swiftly.

Spike darted after the giggling slayer, laughing his head off as he ducked down and grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at her back. For the first time in over a century, he felt like a child again – he liked it. The two of them ran and played through the forest, their raised voices the only ones to be heard for miles.

Buffy ran faster, trying to wriggle the snow out from under her shirt, “I can’t believe you did that you…you…err, vampire,” she added lamely.

“So much for the witty quippy repartee you’re known for, you…you…err, slayer.” Spike bounced from foot to foot as he teased her, his tongue curled against the back of his teeth as he raised his arm and then received a face full of snow. He stopped in his tracks and reached up with his free hand to clear the melting snow from his face. “Oh that is it, you’re going to get it now. You better run, little girl.”

Buffy shrieked as she turned and ran. She knew that they were on a mission to save Dawn, but what difference did it make if they played as they headed to the castle? Made the journey easier and she for one was starting to really like hanging out with Spike. The Big Bad image seemed to have disappeared as soon as they had hit this weird ass place. In its place was someone who had bandaged her wounds, fought to save her life and then the next day made sure she ate breakfast. She wrinkled her nose as she ran; he was growing on her in a big way.

Spike laughed at her antics and then started to chase after her. He could see their destination in the distance, foreboding and demanding a more solemn attitude, but her playfulness was infectious. Also the face full of snow demanded revenge; he eyed a nice big snow drift to the left and changed his angle of attack. “Garrrr!” He launched himself at the slayer’s small form and the two of them went down in a tangle of fur, arms and flailing legs.

They finally rolled to a halt in a field that had been shielded by the trees running along the track they had been following. But what really stopped the two blondes in their tracks were the two large polar bears staring down at them and licking their chops.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“About time. Her snow was entertaining them, not destroying them.” Maleficent waved her hand over the orb she had been peering into; with the pass of her elegant pale fingers, it clouded over. She turned and stalked over to the cage where Ole was huddled against the back wall, as far away from her malevolence as he could be. His eyes were half closed; he was filled with pain from her tortures and exhausted with guilt and worry. All his remaining attention was focused on the sleeping teenager, the focus of all his captor’s power and strength, the same power that was sustaining her.

“Oh little man, I think you may want to see this.” She pulled out her wand and with a flick of her wrist, opened the cage door and levitated the shabby form of the fallen Sandman. “Come look, watch as they die slowly and painfully.” She forced his body to hover over the crystal ball and with a muttered command, the mists cleared to reveal Buffy and Spike lying at the feet of the two polar bears. “Watch them suffer and die because of your intervention.”

She left him mid air, hanging like a marionette with its strings cut and unable to tear his eyes away from the scene in the clear crystal ball.

“Enjoy their pain. I’m going to have a look around my new town.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you have any idea how much I hate bears?” Spike rolled away from the two white bears taking Buffy with him.

“Yeah, I remember, you were all with the ‘Ohhhh, you made a bear’ and hopping around on your chair like an insane bleached grasshopper,” Buffy whispered out of the side of her mouth. “Was kinda funny at the time,” she added quietly under her breath.

Both of them froze at the sound of chains jangling. In unison their eyes followed the harnesses attached to the stationary bears to a chariot, where a pair of strong hands held the reins. Following the white fur clad arms with their eyes, Buffy and Spike slowly stood to get a proper look at the pale skinned Amazonian woman who was staring back at them, her black eyes impassive and assessing.

“You trespass,” she stated calmly and raised a wand.

“Whoa!” Buffy pushed Spike aside as a bolt of lightning fired at them. “Wait, we only wanted to go to—ack!” she shrieked as another bolt singed her sleeve and the crisp cold air filled with the scent of burnt fur. “Eww, gross.” She patted the damp smouldering mess and then caught Spike’s eyes. He nodded slightly and then shifted his focus to the snarling white bears. His confidence wavered for a moment but then he reached into his backpack and pulled out two short knives. Shaking the scabbards off, he braced himself to attack. Buffy reached under her coat and pulled out the small axe the Huntsman had left for her and tested its weight.

“You take the bears, I’ll go for the white-faced bint with the wand.” Spike shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, ready to leap into battle.

Before either of them could move, they were picked up by an invisible hand and thrown over the chariot and into the snow behind. The Snow Queen stepped lightly down onto the snow and turned to face the two blonds she had thrown with her magicks. She was ready to fulfil her promise to Maleficent. To kill these two interlopers and in return be given more power from her grateful benefactress—it was simple.

“Ouch, and rude much?” Buffy leapt to her feet and glared at her imposing attacker. The tall woman stared impassively at the small blonde. Dismissing her as any sort of danger, she turned to focus on Spike—the more obvious threat in her opinion. The witch began to fire bolt after bolt at Spike, maliciously laughing as he ducked and dove out of their path.

“Hey, over here, Witchy woman,” Buffy yelled, hoping to give Spike a moment to regroup. She jumped up and down waving her arms, cursing a blue streak.

“Insignificant child.” The Snow Queen flicked her wand at Buffy. Her pale features relaxed as she watched the blonde girl fly backwards and disappear into a snow drift. She turned her head and laughed at the huddled gasping form of the vampire. Her long fair tresses swung around her shoulders as she examined her foe with a calm demeanour, unaware of the spitfire who was revving up to pounce from behind.

“Ohhhh, big mistake long tall Sally,” Buffy hissed as she patted out the smouldering burning fur on her shoulder. “And sooo not onboard with the setting fire to me. Soggy smouldering fur is sooo not the perfume I need right now.” She lifted her arm and deftly threw the axe. “Oh and FYI, leave my vampire alone,” roared Buffy was unaware of the possessive words that fired from her lips as she ran towards the witch, but Spike heard them. His eyes filled with a surprised glee and then widened in alarm as Buffy’s axe whirled unerringly towards its intended target.

As the axe made contact with the Snow Queen’s wand, it shattered with a flash of bright light and the field filled with an explosive sound and a scream of anger. The witch shook her incinerated hand and stared down in shock at the damage done to her fingers.

“My wand, what did you do to my wand? You evil child!” she exclaimed with a shriek of anger and pain. Her attention diverted from Spike, she spun to face Buffy with an eerie howl of fury. She had underestimated her enemies, but not again. She sent a mental command to her followers and then reached behind her shoulders to draw her swords.

Spike lurched to his feet to go to the Slayer’s side and came face to face with the Polar bears. He blinked, certain that one of them smiled at him and licked its lips. He growled defensively and fell, then scuttled backwards trying to evade the snapping jaws of one of the beasts. His attention focused on the white furballs with gnashers the length of his forearm, he missed Buffy’s first belter of a punch, her small fist unerringly headed right for the statuesque witch’s patrician nose.

Spike stopped breathing as the warm fetid breath of the white beasties wafted over him. Instead, with a surprising calm, he stabbed upwards and nailed one of the bears through the chin. The blade sliced through the soft tissue and embedded into the roof of the bear’s mouth; with a wrenching twist, Spike used the knife as a handle and snapped the beast’s neck. Red blood fountained out over the snow, staining it pink as the mighty beast dropped like a stone. The dead weight of his brethren dragged the other Polar bear down; the harness that joined them twisted and held him immobile. He couldn’t back away as the chariot was blocking his way. It was over, but the polar bear didn’t know that. Spike’s fangs descended as the bones in his face shifted and changed into his demonic countenance.

“Gotcha, you furry bastard,” Spike roared and then lunged.

Buffy ducked and turned away from the swinging swipe of the two swords. She took a deep breath and moved backwards out of their reach, her eyes focused on her attacker’s face and torso, watching and waiting to anticipate her next move. At least she’d managed to get rid of the lightning bolts and the wand, forcing the supernatural being into fighting on a level playing ground. “Teach you for ignoring me,” she panted as she dipped under the flashing blades. She hooked her axe on the hilt of one and with a downwards wrench, she broke the blade off. “One down,” Buffy taunted with a laugh.

The Snow Queen howled and threw away the useless sword. “How dare you strike at me!”

“Hey, you’re the one who came after us, with the magic and the flaming bolts of lightning. We were just…umm…” She trailed off, embarrassed about admitting to being caught unawares.

“Playing,” Spike interrupted as he rose and licked his lips clean of the polar bear blood. The drained beast jerked futilely at his feet momentarily and then died. Spike sauntered over to Buffy’s side, his amber eyes flashing a challenge at the stunned Witch.

“You killed my babies,” she screamed and reached into her coat and withdrew another wand.

“God, not another one,” Buffy muttered as she sighed wearily and braced herself for the first attack.

~~~~~~~~~~

As they ducked and dived away from the bolts of lightning, the two blondes heard a weird buzzing noise. It was faint at first, but slowly getting louder and louder. Sweat was pouring down Buffy’s flushed face as she threw herself face down into the snow to avoid another bolt of magic. Spike’s body crashed down on top of hers as he tried to protect her. He swore angrily and shrugged off his now smouldering fur coat. Both of them leapt to their feet, fists balled and ready to defend themselves when they heard the humming noise.

“God, what the hell is that?” Buffy yelled over the constant noise.

“No bloody idea,” Spike called back as he twisted and jumped out of the way of another bolt of lightning. “This is getting boring. Hows about we finish the bint off…bloody hell, duck and cover your face.”

Buffy looked up at the sky in the direction of his gaze and blanched; it was filled with a dark ominous mass that was rapidly approaching them. “Oh my god.” She threw her hood over her head and barrelled towards the enigmatic woman who was not content with battering them with her magic had summoned a swarm of white bees.

The Snow Queen folded her arms and laughed as her bees began to attack. She knew that their stings were icy cold and if enough of them managed to get to her enemies’ exposed skin, then the combined venom would stop the human’s hearts.

“Ow, ow.” Buffy slapped at her face as the buzzing menaces began to sting her cheeks. She screamed and choked as several bees managed to work their way into her open mouth. “Yuck,” she spat them out and turned to check on Spike. The vampire was in pretty much the same condition as her, his face and hands covered in icy blue welts as he ran alongside her, intent on getting to the laughing woman. Both blondes waded through their tiny enenmies arms, waving as they moved.

With a nod Buffy moved forward as Spike rounded off to the left and circled around.

“Lights out, bitch,” he growled threateningly as Buffy feinted forward to distract the Snow Queen. He reached up and with a deft twist, snapped her lily white neck. The Snow Queen’s eyes widened, the black depth filled with shock and then filmed over with a white milky colour as she dropped backwards. Spike dodged out of her way to stand next to Buffy. Shoulder to shoulder the two of them stood and watched as the tall witch fell backwards onto the dead bodies of her polar bears.

The Snow Queen’s long body lay draped over the blood-soaked bear, her hands falling laxly, her wand slipping forgotten into the melting snow.

As she drew her last breath, the bees vanished.

“Come on, let’s get going.” Spike draped an arm over Buffy’s shoulder and they limped off, leaving the bloody tableau behind them without a second glance.

“I think someone is trying to stop us getting to the castle and to Dawn,” Buffy muttered as she scratched at one of the blue welts on the back of her hand.

“Stop scratching, it’ll make them worse,” Spike chided her gently as he retrieved their packs and weapons.

“But it feels weird, a cold burning sensation and it itches,” Buffy complained as she helped Spike on with his backpack and shouldered her own.

“Yeah, but don’t pick at them. Your Slayer healing will kick in and your skin will be all pink and pretty soon enough.”

Buffy flushed slightly at the casual compliment and ducked her head. “Thanks, Spike.”

“You’re welcome, but if you really want to thank me, keep mum about me chomping on the bear. The whelp’d have a field day with that one.”

~~~~~~~~~~

There was a puff of pale green smoke followed by a loud popping noise. Giles, Anya and Willow all jumped backwards, waving their arms and coughing.

“Well that was a bust, the map hasn’t shown us diddly,” Anya complained as her sharp eyes scanned the map of Sunnydale quickly, trying to see if the incantation had revealed Dawn’s location.

Giles’s jaw dropped. “I don’t understand. The spell should have worked.”

Willow nodded in agreement. “It really should have worked; it doesn’t make sense.” She sighed, wishing Tara was there. Maybe if she had been, then the spell casting would’ve worked.

“It’s almost as if something was blocking the casting. Did you see how the little spark of light was repelled from the map?” Anya glanced over at Giles and Willow to see them nodding in agreement.

“It would appear that this Maleficent character has been one step ahead of us.”Giles sank down next to the research table and sighed heavily. “We’re going to have to contact Buffy, aren’t we?”

“Let’s wait until Xander gets back from driving around. He said he would take a swing through town after work, he might find something?” Willow asked hopefully. She still didn’t want to be the one to tell Buffy that Dawnie was missing.

As the three of them talked, none of them noticed the beautiful-faced woman with a cruel smile and dead eyes, dressed in black silk robes staring in through the window, observing their every move.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Seriously, Slayer, all kidding aside, are you starting to sense a theme here?” Spike poked his head into the cave he had spotted and checked it for bears. He’d had a belly full of those today.

“What, the whole fairytales trying to either eat us or kill us? Yeah, kinda noticed that one.” She peeked over his shoulder. “Is it clear? Can we stay here tonight?” The small blonde yawned tiredly. All the crisp fresh air and fighting had worn her out; she was practically dead on her feet.

“Looks like.” Spike dumped the bundle of firewood he had been collecting as they walked and hoped it was dry enough to catch. Both of them were frozen to the bone, even though the snow had thawed once they had vanquished the Snow Queen. He quickly built a fire and used his Zippo to light it. The wood spat and hissed as it caught light and then a golden glow filled the small cave with light, giving it a cosy feel. He watched the Slayer shake out their now redundant fur coats and lay them out on the ground, her slim hands smoothing them flat. Quickly she unrolled their sleeping bags and laid them over the soft fur, efficiently creating two beds for them. She sank back on her heels and pulled over her backpack, absently tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Her actions revealed the welts left from the Ice Queen’s bees.

“Have you got the food?” She poked through her backpack, searching for the packets of dried food Anya had packed for her. “Are you sure the Polar bear blood was enough? Cos there is some blood in the Thermos if you need it,” she added.

“Yeah, tasted a bit like salmon, but I’m good. Best save the Thermos incase we don’t get attacked by another beastie.” Spike quickly created a tripod for the kettle to hang over the fire. Minutes passed in silence as the two of them waited for the water to boil.

“Not as good as the porridge, right?” Spike asked as Buffy grimaced and drank down the noodle soup quickly.

“Nope, kinda gross, this stuff. But hey, beggars can’t be choosers.” She shrugged and padded out into the forest to the stream they’d spotted earlier to clean up her bowl and have a quick wash.

The vision of sensual relaxation that greeted her eyes when she re-entered the cave made her want to turn and run for a breathless moment, but sense prevailed and she had a good drool instead. Spike was stretched out with his arms tucked under his head, a strip of pale belly flesh peeking out from between his waistband and t-shirt making her mouth water. ‘Guh, he has muscles everywhere.’ A soft snore interrupted her ogling and Buffy realised he was fast asleep.

Fast asleep across both their beds.

Being the practical girl she was, Buffy kicked off her boots and lay down next to Spike. She flopped onto her side and stared at his profile, her fingers itching to trace the fire limned lines of his face. His face was relaxed and boyish in his sleep. Her hand hovered briefly over his face, and then she pulled it away. With a sigh she lay her head down and closed her eyes.

Spike’s eyes flickered open and he risked a quick peek. He’d been half asleep when her footsteps had woken him; instead of moving over he had feigned sleep to see what she would do. And the Slayer had surprised him. Instead of booting him in the ribs, she’d flopped down next to him. It was the heat from her hand as it ghosted over his face that had snagged his attention. He had been aching for her touch, but had lain still instead, holding his metaphorical breath and waiting to see what she did next.

Before he could turn to face her and demand an explanation, the slayer shocked him out of his Docs.

She turned and snuggled up against him with a happy sigh.

And he liked it…it was the best sensation of his unlife.

~~~~~~~~~

Ole hung silently over the orb, his tattered robes swaying under his feet; he had born silent witness to Buffy and Spike’s victory. All through the fight he had cheered them on, praying to the deities that the two warriors would survive.

And they had.

A small smile settled on his chapped lips as he watched the Slayer and her vampire curled around each other fast asleep. Deep down he had been worried that the Snow Queen would kill them, especially when she called on her followers to attack en-mass, but the two blondes had been triumphant. Despite his joy and hope for success and freedom, he was also worried about what the evil fairy would do to him when she returned and witnessed the demise of the Witch.

He shivered and looked over at Dawn’s slumbering face.

“Have faith, my dear, your sister and the vampire will save us all.”

A/N Splainy bit for using this incarnation of the Snow Queen - I discovered that C.S.Lewis had based his Snow Queen on the fairytale and ta da this chapter was fizzing around my head. With a few nods to the recent film of course...
 
 
Chapter #6 - Chapter five
 


Be warned there is a wee bit of ickyness at the end of the chappie!

Spike woke first.

It was the warmth of the slender body curled up against his that roused him from the deepest sleep he’d had in decades. His arms unconsciously tightened around the lithe form of the slayer snuggled against him. Turning his head a little, he tucked his nose against the crown of her head and inhaled. He couldn’t help himself; he just had to scent her. The content vampire could tell she was deep asleep, which surprised him. Her heartbeat was slow and even, as was her breathing. Shifting slightly, Spike cradled her in his arms and marvelled at how much he preferred the sensation of her slight form against his in comparison to the overblown form of his unlamented ex, who was hopefully bursting into flame in front of a TV camera in Los Angeles.

She feels so incredibly fragile for one so strong. Spike twisted slightly so that her head tucked under his chin and he wrapped his arms around her. Deep in thought, he failed to notice the faint glimmer of hazel as Buffy peeked at him through her lashes.

She’d woken as he moved her around and snuggled against her. Unwilling to break the peaceful moment, Buffy had measured her breath and heartbeat, just like Giles had trained her to do. In all honestly, she played possum from the moment she had woken, just until she could work out what Spike was doing. There was surprisingly no feeling of embarrassment at being caught holding him and it seemed the same appiled from his end. And oh my, what a nice firm end it was. She let her hand fall gently over one firm buttock and resisted the urge to squeeze its perky fullness.

The two of them were entwined, curled up around each other on a bed of soft fur with the dying embers of the campfire as their only illumination. The peaceful moment was disrupted by Buffy’s stomach letting out a massive gurgle that made her cringe and blush.

“Oh god, I’m sorry.” She scrambled out of Spike’s arms red-faced. In her hurry to escape she jerked her head upwards and knocked him in the nose, adding to her mortification. Spike managed not to howl in pain and clutched his much abused nose, his eyes watering. As he blinked the tears of pain away, he chortled.

“You got my nose without even aiming for it this time.” He teased and sat up on his elbows and levelled his sexiest look at her. The one Harmony called Killer Come-hither Look Number One. His head tilted down slightly as his jaw dropped, allowing for his tongue to run along the back of his teeth as he slanted a sloe-eyed look at her.

Buffy flushed even redder and before her hands shot up to her mouth to check for drool. “So sorry,” she squeaked and ran out of the cave.

“Well—obviously the sex appeal is on the fritz if you’re making the birds run screaming from you, Spike old man.” He rubbed his nose, then rose stiffly to bank the fire and get some brekkie going for the two of them.

Buffy slithered to a halt in a small copse of trees and pressed her shaking hands to her burning red cheeks. “God, hormones much?” she chastised herself and began to pace back and forth muttering under her breath, her foot kicking a pine cone as she did. “Just get yourself together, Buffy. It’s only Spike. So what if he’s all nummy and cuddly in the morning…ack, morning breath.” She huffed into her cupped hands to check, then grimaced. “Oh great, now he probably hasn’t got any eyebrows left cos of the stinky breath. Way to add to the humiliation factor, Buffy.”

She carried on muttering under her breath and trying to brace herself for a return to the cave. It wasn’t going to be easy when all she wanted to do was kiss the heck out of him.

“Bad Buffy, remember why you’re here— to save Dawnie, not to mack on the hottie vampire who has decided to help and is all cute and snugly in the morning and has been saving your life all over the place.”

~~~~~~~~~


“What did you do?” Maleficent stormed into the chamber where Ole still hung slumped mid air over the now cloudy crystal ball. Her barely suppressed screams of anger caused Dawn to shift in her sleep and whimper. She pushed the small figure away from the orb, sending him flying through the air to crash against the bars of his cage. His head struck the corner and blood began to pour from the wound.

She had returned from spying on the fools who were trying to stand up to her and fallen into a deep restful sleep. Gathering her strength for the celebrations she had planned on the death of the two menaces who dared to stand up to her. She had woken with a scream of pain on her lips as the Snow Queen had died. Another small section of her crippled with the passing of the implacable witch.

Waving her hands over the cloudy orb, she muttered a summoning spell under her breath. The images of devastation that greeted her eyes filled her with deep rage. The carcasses of the slaughtered polar bears were covered with vermin and vultures all picking at the dead flesh. The supine form of the Snow Queen lay over them, her neck at an unnatural angle with blood seeping from her ears, nose and eyes.

“No.” Maleficent’s hand shot to her throat in shock. “How did they achieve this?” She turned to face the slumped unconscious form of her prisoner to interrogate him. “Dammit, this will not do.” She picked him off the ground and threw Ole back into his cage and slammed the door.

Storming back to her crystal ball, she summoned another mystical being and sent him on his way to intercept the annoying pair who invaded her realm. Stalking back over to the teen, she sank down on the chaise lonuge and ran her hand smoothly over Dawn’s still features, whispering, “so frail and yet so priceless to me. I will not let them take you away from my power, not now that I am beautiful and free of that insipid place.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy tucked her head down and scurried back into the cave. She felt a bit stronger after giving herself and the startled squirrel she’d disturbed in the copse a good talking to. She was going to focus on getting to Dawn and not on Spike’s abs, mouth or gorgeous blue eyes. Her shoulders slumped. So much for her good intentions—they lasted all of two minutes. She groaned and kicked at the dirt, resolutely ignoring the aforementioned eyes that were staring at her with an innocence that should not exist in a seasoned master vampire’s fathomless orbs.

“Here.” Spike handed her a power bar and ducked his head bashfully. “Figured you could eat as we walked.” He opened his mouth to add more then closed it and ran his fingers through his already tousled hair. “I packed up as well,” he added unnecessarily.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the slayer stare dumbly at the snack bar he had given her. Buffy frowned at it, ‘I really don’t want this in my mouth…’

“You okay, Slayer?”

Buffy dropped the bar and hurled herself at Spike. As she did, he swore he heard her say Carpe Diem before her soft sweet plush lips captured his.

As kisses went it was pretty amazing. He opened his lips slightly and allowed her tongue to ravage his mouth. He could feel the tip toying with his hidden fangs, causing his back to arch and his cock to harden against his jeans. Finally he let his hands settle on her, one cradling the back of her head and the other cupping her delectable arse.

“God, love,” he muttered against her lips before he caught them in a soft sweet kiss. The kind that curled your toes and made your heart beat hard and fast. His fingers tangled in her long golden tresses as he angled his head slightly and pressed butterfly soft kisses across her plump cheeks and along her jaw line. He could hear her soft voice whispering sweet nothings at him. His heart lurched in his chest; it was everything he had dreamed of and then some. He realised as he stole another kiss that everything in his life and unlife had been leading up to this point. He gave a silent nod of wry acknowledgement to his sire, she had known before he had. She had accepted it before he had even entertained the idea of a slayer in his arms for any reason other than being drained.

Buffy pulled back for a breath and blinked away the lusties. “Whoa,” she whispered huskily against his lips. “I, just…wow.”

Spike gave her a boyish smile and pulled her closer, his hands roaming over her slender back and curving around her hips as he anchored her to him. His lips dipped down and trailed along her jaw line then down her throat. He was expecting a good arse kicking as her slayer instincts would inevitably kick in. No self respecting slayer would allow a master vampire of his reputation near her throat, but as usual, Buffy surprised him. She tilted her head back and offered the smooth golden skin of her tender throat up to his ministrations. And so he indulged himself, in some nuzzling, gentle nipping and most of all raining the vulnerable and delicate skin with kisses.

“Yum, I could do this all day…” Buffy giggled at Spike.

“Buffy? Hello, is this thing working? Buffy? Can you hear me?”

“Pet, your breasts are talking to you.” Spike smirked up at her, then he ducked his head and with his teeth pulled the chain out from under her clothes. The small mirror dropped between them. “I say, Buffy, is that Spike? Why is he standing so close?” Giles’s tinny voice finally pulled them fully apart. “Are you alright? What’s been happening there?”

Buffy licked her lips, hoping they weren’t too passion swollen before she scooped up the small mirror; cupping it in her hand, she smiled at her watcher. “Hey Giles. Ohhh, Spike and I killed polar bears and this witch with the lightening bolts of ow….and Spike saved me from being eaten by a wolf. What’s up your end?”

“Well, err, nothing as exciting as that…umm, are you okay? Not injured or anything?” Giles’s eyes were filled with worry and love for his charge.

Spike shifted slightly at her side, wondering if she was going to say anything.

“We’re fine, Spike saved me, Giles. Did you hear me?”

“Well, yes. That is very commendable of him. Spike, can you hear me?”

“Yeah.” His deep voice rumbled against her cheek as the blond vampire pressed closer so as to be able to see into the tiny mirror.

“Th…thank you.” Giles managed to squeeze out the words with only a small amount of hesitancy. He knew he was prevaricating when Anya jabbed him hard in the ribs and hissed at him to tell Buffy everything. “Right, can you both hear me?”

The two blondes nodded. Buffy felt a choking fear fill her at the sombre expression on her watcher’s face. “Giles, what’s happened?”

“Well, we’ve discovered a bit more information that may help. I’ll, ouch, Anya please do stop prodding me.” He gave the girl an exasperated look. “I will need to be able to breathe and if you break my ribs with your fingers, I doubt that will help.”

“Tell her about…oh, give me the chalice.” Anya and Giles’s heads bumped in and out of sight for several seconds as they scuffled for control. “Finally, honestly Buffy, he does dither a lot. You need to know several things—” She paused for a moment and slapped at Giles’s hands as they came into frame. “Go away and polish your glasses for a while.”

“Anya, what is it!” Buffy yelled. She was getting a vibe and it wasn’t a good one. The only time Giles did the avoidy thing was when he had really bad news.

“Sorry. Okay, firstly, Willow was wrong, those are not Dawn’s dreams that you are in.”

“Well that makes sense, cos somehow sisterly fights aside I don’t think she wants me dead.” Buffy nodded sagely. Part of her sighed in relief cos there was no way she wanted Dawn witnessing Spike and her macking on each other. Buffy also wondered if Dawn getting kidnapped was going to become a regular thing.

“Well, depends on the family. Have you read anything about the Borgias? Now there was a family who hated each other. The times I spent in their court, I feared for my own life and I was an invulnerable demon…”

“Demon girl, get on with it.” Spike’s voice was filled with impatience.

“God, now I’m doing it. Sorry. Okay, so Giles found some references to this Maleficent person. She is an evil fairy, yes, but what she also does is control a dimension of dreams. It’s where she dwells. She gathers her powers from fear, so somehow she managed to get free into our dimension, enslave poor Ole and use hormonal teens nightmares and fears as batteries. We can’t figure out why she is so fascinated with Dawn—maybe something to do with being your sister?” Anya shrugged and took a breath.

“So this is a dream dimension filled with fairytales?” Buffy frowned.

“Well now, Buffy, silly slayer…most fairytales are based on real people and actual occurrences so. Maleficent has somehow gathered them all in one place and is getting them to work for her, maybe with offers of power or something?”

“Right, so is that why it’s hunting season with me and the Slayer as the targets?” Spike interjected.

“We think she is trying to stop you getting to the manifestation of Dawn’s consciousness that she has hidden away for safety in that realm. If you do then she is probably screwed,” Anya explained bluntly. She narrowed her eyes. “Buffy, what’s wrong with your mouth? It’s all red and swollen.”

“So, what was the news the watcher didn’t want us to know?” Spike quickly spoke, wanting to give the slayer a reprieve from the cross examination. He wasn’t sure if she was going to be happy talking about him snogging the face off of her.

“I kissed Spike,” Buffy replied firmly. “Now what is it you wanted to tell me?” Her heart was pounding waiting for one of them to freak out, but she figured better say something now and get it over with. Hopefully by the time they got back most of them might have got used to the idea. ‘Yeah in your dreams’ Buffy mentally smacked herself for her naivety and then gritted her teeth for the inevitable. But it didn’t come.

“Ohhh, is he good? He looks like he is. Just look at that tongue of his—ow! Giles, stop it!” Anya’s face disappeared to be replaced with Giles.

“For the moment I am going to pretend I didn’t hear that; there are far more urgent matters, but Buffy, please consider what you are both doing. That is all I am going to say on the matter, but I will revisit the topic on your return.” His face was uncompromising. “Onto why we contacted you. I-its Dawn. I am so very sorry, but she was stolen from right under our very noses. We are searching for her, but you both need to hurry. I am very concerned about all of this.”

“Stolen when? What happened? Should we come back and help?” Buffy’s strangled tones were forced through a tightness in her throat as guilt and fear filled her.

“Christ what the hell happened? How could a sleeping teenager get nicked?” Spike stomped off, swearing angrily as he began to kick dirt over the fire, putting it out. He then packed the furs up ready for them to leave. He needed to keep his hands busy or else someone was going to get hurt.

“No, stay where you are and keep going…I say, Anya, is the water supposed to go that colour? Good God, duck!”

With that the mirror shattered into tiny pieces.

“Oh crap.” Buffy pulled it off as the chain burst into flame and melted.

The last thing she heard was Anya wishing her happy orgasms.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Maleficent rubbed her hands together, “A job well done. No more help from her interfering little friends. Let’s see how she copes against my dear, dear friend.” Despite her apparent youth and beauty, she cackled like the crone she truly was.

Ole slumped against the bars. He had watched in horror as the evil fairy had begun to create a web of power, desperation seizing him as he finally accepted that he was unable to prevent her. She had cast spell after spell, entwining the essences of all the sleeping children and teens of the town into a single thread that channelled through the brunette sister of the slayer. She had carefully amalgamated all the mystical sleep-induced psyches and merged them into her most powerful victim. He did suppress a small ember of satisfaction; if the slayer managed to save her sister, then all would now be saved as a result of his torturer’s lack of foresight. His glee had been short lived when his captor had then scryed the communication between dimensions and in a deft move, had destroyed the connection.

Leaving the slayer and the vampire isolated from her associates and their support.

He sent a silent prayer to his brother for help and resigned himself to wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Seriously, love, this is getting bloody ridiculous. I’m half expecting Tinkerbell to appear and beat the crap out of us next,” Spike yelled as he ducked under the giant’s club and rolled to the right. They had been trudging up the stony mountain for the last few miles, finally leaving the dark forest behind them and trading it instead for a harsh rocky terrain. In the distance they could see the castle on the summit wreathed in clouds and covered in something black and twisting.

They’d climbed on, both of them intent on each other, exchanging shy smiles and allowing their hands to brush every now and then. So inebriated with each other’s presence they had failed to notice the thick green stalk ahead of them until it was too late. A hairy smelly giant had leapt out from behind the thick leafy stalk, landing with an earth shuddering jolt in front of the two enamoured blondes and had begun to swing his club at them.

Buffy clambered back to her feet and rubbed her shoulder; the club had hit a glancing blow and knocked her to her knees. It hurt, but not as much as she was going to make Big and Bulky hurt. “Funny.” She rolled her eyes at Spike carrying on their previous conversation as she fought. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you. A small blonde beating you up.” She grinned and then launched herself with a yell at the giant that was batting Spike around like a whiffle ball.

The fight was a good way of taking her mind off the worries that filled her. Firstly, Dawn being sleep-napped and now body-napped. Secondly, the mirror shattering and their only connection to the others gone, and finally, Giles’s reaction to Spike kissage. She was not looking forward to that lecture. But she was going to stand her ground. Buffy had no idea where she and Spike were heading kissingwise, but she was sure as hell not missing out on the ride. His lips were just so perfect and sooo talented, and no matter what, Giles wasn’t getting in-between them. ‘Ew, mental image…not pretty. Giles in the way of her and Spike lips, not nice…ick…need to scrub mentally now.’

“Yeah, you know me. I’m a sucker for a strong petite blonde woman going for my nose. Should I call you Tinks from now on?” He waggled his eyebrows bent his knees and leapt into the air with a happy howl. Swinging one of the Snow Queen’s purloined swords, Spike sliced the giant’s left cheek open before dropping like a stone, his free hand reaching for something to grab onto. He landed on the food-stained shirt of the massive giant and began to climb up, intent on reaching the face. He risked a glance back at Buffy and in a brief intense look, they silently communicated their plan. She nodded and checked the distance to the ravine. The latest incarnation of a fairytale bellowed as Buffy stabbed him in the shin. His arms waved around defensively, the club landing with a jarring crash as he dropped it in pain. But the distraction paid off he was too preoccupied to notice Spike’s progress.

Buffy leapt backwards and neatly avoided the enormous stomping foot coming at her. The ground shook at the impact and she scuttled back further, her back hitting the beanstalk the giant had clambered down from earlier after being summonded by the Evil Fairy. “Hey, Big Foot. Where’s your golden goose? I’m gonna go find it and scramble some eggs,” she screamed, hoping to taunt his attention away from Spike climbing up his shirt. “Hey, over here!” She jumped up and down waving her arms, the Snow Queen’s second sword glittering in her hand.

“Grrraghhhh, mine.” The giant thundered over to where she was standing and raised both hands to bring them down on Buffy and make her into a slayer-shaped patty.

“Come oooon, Spike. I sooo don’t wanna be squished,” she whispered not wanting to distract him and held her ground. Sword brandished in one hand, her chin was set in at a determined angle. Inside she was quaking with fear. This giant was as big as the Mayor after he had ascended, and so far she hadn’t found any TNT around this dream realm to blow him up. Instead, she had a demented vampire climbing up the giant’s beard and waving his sword at the beast. God, they were gonna die if this didn’t work.

Spike heaved himself through the hulking giant’s greasy food sprinkled and matted beard. He grimaced as his fingers squished against what looked suspiciously like a half chewed wolf’s testicle. “Seriously, mate, have you ever heard of a napkin? That is probably the most revolting bloody thing I have had in my hands and trust me, mate, I have held some dodgy stuff in my unlife…” He reeled back from the corner of the giant’s open mouth. “What about a breath mint or ten?” Grimacing, he clambered up the giant’s moustache and with an unhappy whimper, grabbed hold of some crusty nose hair to balance himself. He then stabbed upwards with his sword into the giant’s bleary red rimmed eye. The eyeball popped and squished as he swirled the sword around for good measure, blinding their attacker as best he could.

“Huuurts. Bad little man, nasty flea stinging me,” the giant bellowed, staggering around with his fists above still his head. The agonising pain confusing him, he grunted loudly and staggered drunkenly.

Switching hands, Spike shuffled over under the giant’s nose, his duster fluttering in the blast of exhaled stale breath. Before he could stab the other eyeball, the giant inhaled and with a futile yell, Spike’s head and shoulders popped upwards into one of the nostrils.

“Oh that is just so gross! Spike, get out of the giant’s nose and come back down here.” Buffy pulled her ick face as she scrambled around the bean stalk. She edged closer to the ravine it was her job to lead the giant towards.

Blood and gore streamed down the giant’s cheek as Spike managed to push himself free of the mucus-filled hole, and then with great relief he disentangled himself from the giant’s nostril hair and threw himself backwards. He landed and rolled towards Buffy, both of them watching as their massive attacker howled and stumbled around, one hand clapped over his destroyed eyeball. Buffy and Spike watched in relief as the giant moved closer and closer to the edge.

“Ready?”

Buffy nodded. She twirled the sword above head, hesitating to ask, “Are you sure this will work?”

“Yeah, just cut hard and deep. Three, two…one!”

In unison they both attacked. Swinging their swords in arcing blows, they neatly hamstrung the half blind giant. Ducking out of the way, the two fighters staggered backwards and watched the giant teeter on the edge of the ravine. He clutched futilely at the air, his legs useless beneath him. With a final roar he fell backwards to his death, arms cart wheeling and fingers clawing for something to hold onto.

Something to save him from falling.

With a final bone shuddering roar, the giant plummeted downwards, spinning head over heels downwards.

“Yes! We did it! Come’re and give us a kiss, love,” Spike howled with glee, one hand wiping his face clean off mucus as he turned to Buffy with his arms out.

“No way, not when you are covered in giant snot and eyeball goo.”
 
 
Chapter #7 - Chapter 6
 
So they've fought a wolf, a Snow Queen, her bears and bees...wonder what else Buffy and Spike will come up against on their way to the castle?



Spike reached down and held his hand out for Buffy to take, his other clinging to the sheer rock face of the mountain they were traversing. Buffy reached up and their palms slapped together. Spike grunted slightly as he lifted her off her feet and swung her slim form up and onto the ledge above his head.

“Gah, I think I left my stomach a few feet below me,” Buffy complained as she squeezed her fingers into the nooks and crannies of the rock face to hang on. “Can you see how much more of this we have to climb?” She blotted the sweat dripping off her nose onto her shoulder. Her body was tired, muscles screaming for respite as she clung to the slate rock face.

Spike squinted up into the waning sunlight and took an unnecessary breath. “Best I figure, another two hundred odd feet. Next time we do this, we pack rope, lots of rope and those pointy things that you stick into the sheer rock face and tie yourself to. Because this free climbing is enough to make a man lose bladder control.” He shrugged. “Well, if a bloke used his, that is.” Spike reached up and began to slowly climb the remaining distance to the small ledge he’d deposited the slayer on.

“Sheeyeah,” Buffy agreed shakily. Her fingers welded into the cliff face and her eyes were scrunched shut. The wind whipped her hair into a halo of wheaten gold, curls surrounded her flushed cheeks as she pressed her body as close to the rock as she could. Seriously, the giant had been hard enough to fight, but climbing up the near vertical mountain was draining her reserves. They had made camp near the beanstalk, spending the evening dressing wounds, eating, resting and holding each other. Well, after she’d made Spike wash everything including himself in the freezing stream near their camp. Sheer exhaustion had forestalled anymore conversation. Instead, she had curled up into his arms and fallen gratefully asleep.

The next day had been quiet and undisturbed by dangers, which had given them time to discuss and digest all of Anya and Giles’s revelations. Both of them were worried about Dawn’s disappearance and the ramifications of what would happen when they found her psyche and woke her up. Where exactly would she wake up, and with whom watching over her and how could they get to her to protect her? All these things were argued over and over, analysed as they had made their way to the base of the mountain and began to climb.

“Pet, you’re going to have to open your eyes at some point. It’s getting knackering worrying about you and trying to do a respectable Spiderman interpretation.” Spike grunted and pulled himself up next to her. His eyes softened with concern. “Come on, love. You’re doing so well, we just need to shuffle along the ledge and we’re up and away.”

Buffy shook her head, her lips pressed together tightly as her chin quivered; she was working on her last nerve. The last few days, in what she’d originally thought were Dawn’s dreams but in fact was some weirdass fairyland realm, had worn her out. The constant fighting of baddies, hiking and worrying about her sister all added up to Close To Meltdown Buffy. The only good make that amazing thing that had happened was the vampire that was slowly edging his body over hers and melting against her, offering silent comfort and support. His muscled form contoured against hers and she let out a shuddering laughing sigh and let herself lean back slightly. His chin tucked over her shoulder as she pressed her cheek to his, the cool strength of his body over hers giving her comfort, shelter and safety that felt like pure perfection.

“Thank you,” she whispered and turned her head to brush a sweet kiss along his sharp cheekbone. Spike inhaled deeply at the sensation of her soft lips on his skin. He’d taken a risk fitting his body over hers but it’d been worth it, just for this single timeless moment.

“Ready?” he asked softly, his close proximity allowed her to hear his voice over the wind. Buffy nodded and took a deep breath, bracing herself for the last leg of the climb.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Spike slithered over her and took the lead. He shot her a sheepish grin and began to move along the thin ledge, his hand over hers as they made their slow painstaking way up the mountain to the plateau they had agreed to make camp on for the night.

“Not far now, pet. Keep going no matter what, right?”

Buffy gave him a thin smile. “No matter what,” she echoed bravely and opened her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ole curled up tight in a small ball, hoping by making himself smaller that she would stop toying with him. He had crawled as close as he could to where the young girl lay trapped in her enchanted sleep, pushing himself practically under the Chaise. His body was far too weak to offer any threat to the evil fairy; he had barely been able to move as far as he had.

She had left him battered and bleeding with a cold laugh. Blaming him, over and over, for all her failures to prevent the two blondes’ passage through her abandoned realm. The evil fairy had convinced herself in her panic and madness that somehow Ole was communicating with them, warning them and assisting them in their battles. He wished he was, but in reality he was powerless to do anything but be a punching bag, an easy target for her venom to be vented upon.

Maleficent had beaten and tortured him for hours after she witnessed the death of the Giant, the one being she had been positive would’ve killed the girl and her companion. Her screams of frustration at being unable to go back into her realm and deal with the two interlopers had echoed through the halls of her castle for hours. Her vanity and greed was simply too much for her to overcome; if she returned then her youth, power and beauty would dissipate the moment her feet touched the ground in her abandoned realm. Instead, she had taken out her frustrations on her captive, working her will until the early hours of the morning. Then she had finally left him alone after one final hard kick to his already shattered ribs, leaving him panting and near death with a malicious smile on her full lips. As she sauntered away, she grabbed her crystal ball and left muttering that from now on she would summon her supporters elsewhere, to ensure he could not do something to intervene.

“Oh lord, I cannot survive much longer,” Ole whimpered softly. He raised a shaking hand and grasped one of Dawn’s lax ones gently. He bowed his head against the side of the chaise, and began to weep. He was beginning to doubt that he could live long enough for the Slayer and the vampire to defeat Maleficent. He needed to be there to help with the long term effects of their enforced slumbers, but if this lasted any longer, he doubted he would he around to help.

“I need help. Strength to survive.”

Ole jerked in surprise as he felt the girl’s fingers twitch in his hand, as if offering silent support and giving him strength. He sighed and let his eyes flutter shut. He wished his brother could intervene, but he doubted that Ole-Luk-Oie could sense his brother’s pain. Maleficent had been nothing if not inventive with her magicks and concealment spells.

He bowed his head and began to pray for the slayer and the vampire.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you staying there all night?” Spike squatted down next to Buffy.

He tentatively reached down and smoothed her hair off her face. She was laying face down on the ground, arms and legs splayed. Spike grinned at the sight of her collapsed and groaning about muscles aching in her butt and thighs. He manfully tried to ignore the firm heart-shaped backside that she was grumbling about – but failed miserably. Spike’s eyes drank their fill as he plopped down and sat cross legged next to her relaxed body. They had just managed to clamber up and over the edge of the cliff onto the plateau they had been aiming for and he had to admit his arms and legs were quivering from the work out they’d received.

Buffy rolled her head sideways and peered up at Spike. She huffed and flopped onto her back and stared up into the twilight sky. Here and there were the beginnings of the stars glimmering in the deep blue-grey heavens. “Seriously not gonna want to do that again in a hurry.” She reached over and patted Spike on the knee. “Can’t we just stay here forever?” she pouted.

Spike chuckled and shook his head. “Come pet, up you get.” He cajoled as he helped her up. Buffy squeaked as her muscles complained and she grabbed hold of Spike and steadying herself within his embrace. “My legs are all noodley.”

“S’all right, love, hang on to me.” Spike curved an arm around her waist and supported her against him while he shrugged off his backpack and then helped her with hers, tossing them to the side against the curve of the rock face that enclosed them. The plateau was about thirty meters long and carved out of the mountain in a U form; there was a narrow fissure in the centre that was the access to the mountain trail they would follow to the summit and the castle in the morning.

So engrossed in each other, the two of them failed to hear the skitter of rocks as their next adversaries sized them up from the safety of higher ground. Forty pairs of eyes watched as the two figures moved away from the cliff’s edge and scanned their surroundings. The silent observers slowly withdrew to prepare for their assault.

“So what, make camp here, and then tomorrow squeeze through there?” Buffy asked hopefully.

“Sound plan.”

“Good, cos this Slayer has no more climbing left in her.” She grinned tiredly at him then froze. Her eyes narrowed at the sound of more shale skittering down the side of the rock face. “What was that?” Buffy scanned around them her senses on high alert. “Did you hear that?”

Spike stepped away from her side and peered into the twilight gloom. “Yeah, but where did it come from?” His eyes darted around trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. He extended his senses, trying to locate anything, a heart beat or the sound of breathing – there was nothing. “I can’t hear anything.”

“Me either.”

Spike knelt and pulled out the two swords they had claimed from the Snow Queen and tossed one to Buffy. He then armed both of them with short daggers. As he straightened, the first one struck. It leapt from above them, leaving its five compatriots to watch and assess the skills of the ones they were sent to kill by the evil fairy that had raised them from the dead and ordered them to do her will.

“Ahh!” Buffy ducked and twisted out of the way. She brandished her sword and swung downwards, neatly slicing off the assailant’s head. “Gotcha.” When the body began to crawl towards its head, she squeaked. “Okay, so maybe I didn’t get yah!”

Spike kicked the turbaned severed head off the plateau and then reached down and turned the headless body over. “It stinks. What the bloody hell is it?”

“No idea, but there’s more of them up there.” Buffy pointed to the wall of rock that curved around them and tossed her head back. “How many can you see?”

“Four, no five.” Spike cocked his head and peered into the twilight gloom, his foot pressing down hard on the still animated body. “This one stinks of death and deep fat frying.”

“What, so now we’re being attacked by a horde of pissed off dead short order cooks?” Buffy squatted down and checked the clothing on the body, “who come from the Middle East?”

“Wot?” Spike reached down and yanked the body up. Holding it at arms length to avoid being thumped by the blindly swinging arms, he scanned it from-- well not head to foot -- but severed neck to foot. “He looks like a poof: silk shirt, beaded waist coat and harem pants. Really, what did he do? Get dressed in the dark?”

“Ookay, Mr Fashion Critic. Wanna get rid of your stinky buddy cos sorry for the cliché but, look behind you!” Buffy pointed at the fissure in the mountain.

“Right.” Spike punted the squirming body over the edge and shifted around to check what she was pointing at. “Effing hell, how many are there?”

“Loads. Get ready.”

The melee that ensued was not one of their most elegant fights. It was fists, swords, head butts and fangs all the way. They fought back to back, fighting defensively. Neither of them able to kill one of their opponents, which had led to Spike filling the night air with expletives that she had never heard of.

“Gross!” Buffy shook a severed hand off her ankle and twisted slightly to stand back to back with Spike. She swiped the intestines off Spike’s duster with a grimace. “Seriously, that duster is gonna have to go to the dry cleaners when we get home.”

“Not really a big issue. At this rate we are going to be snuffed out by a bunch of Arabian poofters.”

“What did you say?” Buffy grunted as she took yet another hit to her face; her lips already split and bleeding. She ignored the pain and impaled the short swarthy bearded freak and jerked downwards. They’d learned the hard way that gutting them was the only thing to slow them down.

“Arabian poofters.”

“Oh my god, how many of them do you think there are?” Buffy shoved Spike to the left and ducked a scimitar blade, squeaking in surprise at her realisation.

“Dunno, thirty to forty…hang on.” Spike’s jaw dropped as his brain clicked into gear. “You’re bloody joking, right?”

“It’s the forty thieves, it has to be, but why are they all dead?”

Spike swirled on his heels, pushed Buffy down and before swinging his sword around them in a massive arc to buy her a moment’s breathing space. “Because in the fairytale they all got deep fried in hot oil. At least that’s how they all snuffed it according to that Schehrezade bint who was telling the tales to her husband so he wouldn't shag her and then off her in the morning.”

“So zombie thieves all coming after us. That fairy is just twisted. Spike, watch out!” She reached up and yanked him down next to her. A thief flew over their heads and her forehead creased in thought. “Hey, I know this one! Zombies – hmmm, think Buffy think. Ugh, stupid brain.”

“Christ, get up and fight,” Spike growled. The thieves circled around them, becoming a wall of sneering faces, half rotted and the rest of their skin clinging to their bones red and shiny. He didn’t like their odds at all; it was a wall of steel and Shish kebabed thieves. The two of them circled around back to back, scanning the crowd surrounding them. Blades held ready. “I’m sorry, pet. I don’t think we can get out of this.”

“Wait!”

“I don’t think shouting wait at them is going to stop ‘em, Slayer.”

“No, not them, and hey—” She pinched him hard on the ass. “Don’t be so gloomy. I just had an idea.”

“Not getting any nearer to surviving here. Whatever it is you have spit it out, pet.”

“Okay, look for a mask.”

“What? A mask? Slayer, have you gone barking?”

“No idea what that means, but if you’re calling me a bitch we are sooo gonna have words later.”

“Barking means nuts.”

“Oh, right. Okay, I fought zombies before, these are zombies. The mask controls them. Break it and they all go poof.” Her words tripped over themselves as she feinted to the right to avoid a blade.

Spike squinted at the faces of the thieves. “Nope, nothing.”

“Gahhh, I sooo thought that was it. Last time I just slammed her in the face with a spade and no more icky crispy dead guys.” She stomped her foot and sighed heavily. “Ohhh, what about that? It looks kinda shiny for these crusty guys. Doesn’t go with the shabby not-so-chic look they have going for them.” Buffy pointed at one of the few thieves who wasn’t injured. He stood slightly to the back of the jeering mob, his eyes flat and dead. Around his throat hung a round emerald that glimmered despite the darkness that they were all fighting in.

“Well done, pet. Hang on, I’ll be back in a sec.” Spike bent his knees and then leaped upwards; he twisted over the heads of the ring of thieves in a barrel roll. Landing in front of the leader of the mob of zombies, he cocked his head on one side. “Pretty bauble and all, but I think I’ll have that.” His hand shot out and grabbed the emerald. He tossed it to the ground and raised his foot.

“Spike, hurry,” Buffy screamed as she disappeared under a heaving mass of bodies. “I’m getting swamped here.”

“Get your rotting scabby hands off my girl,” he bellowed and stomped the bauble to pieces.

There was a gust of wind and then each of the reanimated corpses collapsed, all animation gone as their weapons clattered to the ground in a ringing chorus of noise. The headless thief who he had kicked off the plateau had just managed to clamber up during the fight; his fingers had appeared on the lips of the ledge just as Spike broke the emerald. He dropped backwards, spinning end over end and a crowing Spike was sure that if he hadn’t been decapitated earlier, he would have been screaming.

“Spike, help. Getting kinda squished here.” Buffy’s voice sounded muffled as she tried to struggle out from under the pile of bodies. Spike tossed them aside and pulled her out, then wrapped his arms around her in a relieved hug.

“That was too bloody close.”

Buffy nodded and snuck her hands under his duster to cling to him. “Are they dead now?” Her voice sounded paper thin with exhaustion.

Spike prodded one of them with his boot, “Yeah. Good work there, love.” He lifted her up and carried her out from the ring of bodies. Buffy flung her tired arms around his neck, smacking him up the back of the head with her sword. Neither of them noticed as they shared a relieved kiss as if they had all the time in the world left and had not just been fighting for their lives.

Buffy pulled away first and wrinkled her nose. “Okay, suddenly not the most romantic place…the smell is just ewww, they are rotting away!”

Spike carefully set her down on her feet and sniffed the air then pulled a disgusted face at the pile of gelatinous rotting forms behind them. Having destroyed the orb that animated them, their bodies were slowly reverting back to the semi rotted state they had been in as they clawed their way to the surface. “Bloody hell, we need to get rid of them.”

“Burn them?” Buffy covered her mouth with her sleeve and prodded at one of the bodies with the tip of her boots.

“No, chuck em over the edge.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neither Spike nor Buffy noticed that it had passed midnight, as they threw the last of the thieves’ dead bodies over the cliff’s edge. Their attention had been focused on the revolting task of removing thirty nine half rotted bodies from the plateau.

As Maleficent watched them through her crystal ball. She began to mutter and then using her wand, she directed a stream of light into the orb.

“If I can’t get rid of you through brute force, then I shall attack from within.”
 
 
Chapter #8 - Chapter Seven
 
Hope everyone is enjoying the fic two more chapters to go.

Sorry for the last Cliffhanger and err sorry for the next one...



Spike reached down and hefted the last of the bodies over the cliff’s edge. He sighed, looked up into the night sky. As he stretched his arms over his head. He arched his back and grimaced as it cracked loudly. His senses were focused on the girl behind him who was humming as she built up the fire, so he didn’t notice the darting silvery light that appeared from a small fissure in the rocks above their heads.

It hovered over the plateau biding it’s time.

“Spike how do you make the thingie with the sticks so the kettle will hang over the fire?” Buffy called sheepishly. She tried but every time it just collapsed into the fire. “Crap,” she glared as her tripod of three stick fell inwards and added to the pile of sticks already burning away merrily. “But hey, bonus is biiiig roaring fire tonight.”

He turned to face her, and it struck.

Spike squinted and then blinked his eyes, oblivious that the silvery light had shot into them and started to work Maleficent’s magic. He dusted his hands off and walked over to the fire. As he approached his shadow elongated behind him, stretching away into the distance. A small gap appeared at his heels where his shadow should’ve joined onto him.

“Here, let me do it, otherwise you’ll be chewing uncooked instant noodles,” Spike knelt down and began to tie the three remaining sticks together. Buffy gave him an appreciative smile, her eyes devouring the intent look of concentration on his face. While Spike was preoccupied with the twine trying to knot it together. Buffy grinned at the cuteness that was Spike; his tongue was peeking through his full lips as he worked. Neither of them noticed that his hands were not as deft as they usually were, and his innate vampiric grace was not as apparent as it normally.

Reluctantly, she turned her attention to their packs and began to dig through them searching out one of the few remaining Thermoses. “I hope this is still okay, it’s been a few days,” she unscrewed the top and sniffed it suspiciously. “How do you tell if blood is off?”

“Trust me you’d know,” Spike propped the lopsided sticks up and frowned at it, “not my best effort but it’ll do.”

“Thanks,” she handed him the Thermos and moved about the fire getting everything sorted.

Spike sniffed the opening of the Thermos and shrugged. “Not at it’s best but, it’ll be okay.” He drank it down quickly and grimaced at the aftertaste. “Not sure the rest will be any good though.” As he packed it away his shadow moved of its own accord, separate from it’s host and alone. “I’ll go get some more wood pet.” He slipped through the fissure and headed into the darkness to find more firewood, unaware that his shadow remained.

Standing unnoticed behind the diminutive slayer.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Okay, so something is now blocking us from contacting Buffy? Is it this fairy? How did she know about the chalice and the mirror? Cos other than us no one knows.” Willow grumbled as she pushed the door shut behind her and waved at Anya, who was coming out of the back room followed by Xander. All day she had sat through lectures trying to work out what they could do to help Buffy as well as find Dawn, but she had ended up dwelling on Maleficent and wondering how she had known about the mirror.

Giles looked up from the text book he was reading. “She is either spying on us or something alerted her in the realm. But suffice it to say we cannot re-establish the link. So I think we have to search harder for Dawn and also this Maleficent individual.”

“But how? We’ve been looking ever since Dawnie vanished and nothing. Nada” Willow sank down next to the older man and rested her head in her hands. “Buffy is relying on us, and we’ve achieved bupkis.”

“She is obviously using powerful spells to cloak herself and her lair; maybe it’s something we can use to locate her. Focusing on the energies she is expending rather than a physical place?” Anya suggested as she sat down next to Giles and folded her hands neatly in her lap.

“I say, that is rather ingenious. Capital plan.” Giles shot up and began to search through the books he’d brought from his apartment. “There must be something in Demartus’s book.

“Well done Ahn.”

Anya looked up shocked to the core at the sound of a compliment falling from her boyfriend’s lips. “Thank you,” she whispered and blushed.

Willow frowned at the interaction between the couple. She wondered if Xander ever said anything nice to Anya if that was how the ex-demoness reacted to such a small accolade from him.

~~~~~~~~~

Spike reached the end of the narrow twisting passage that led to the final leg of their journey. He pushed his way free of the fissure and then stopped as his vision blurred. He braced himself against the side of the rock face, trying to steady himself as his legs shook under him. He’d not felt this bad since the time he had gone begging to the slayer for help after the escaping from the Initiative. “Can’t be hungry, just ate. Maybe it was off?” He rubbed his stomach and began to slowly walk across the dark meadow and heading for the copse of trees they’d discovered after the zombie attack. His progress was slow and measured as he battled fatigue.

“Need some kip, that’s all.” He slowly gathered an armful of twigs and fallen branches and then headed back to the plateau through the fissure. “Feel about as fit as the whelp after one of his pizza and Twinkie binges.” The sound of his tired voice echoed around him in the narrow passage way.

“Spike? You okay?” Buffy straightened and walked over to the weakened vampire. She slipped an arm around his waist as she led him back to the campfire and helped him settle down. Concern etched across her face, lines of exhaustion and stress bracketed her mouth, drawing the full soft pink lips downwards. The journey through the realm has been arduous. They had to remain constantly alert for attack, and battling supernatural being straight out of her childhood books had added to the stress and strain of searching for her missing sister’s conscious. The only constant in it all had been her erstwhile enemy, who had stepped up to the plate and become a fighting partner and potential boyfriend within the span of a few days. She shook her head. If her friends could see her now. Covered in zombie blood, and god knows what else as she supported a vampire whose sole purpose, up until he was chipped was to be a pain in her ass and then kill her. Now he fought side by side with her, saving her life countless times, giving her kisses that curled her toes in her boots and made her stomach fill with butterflies. His soft lips and gentle eyes gave back something that she had lost a long time ago when Angel had walked away without a backwards glance.

Hope.

Hope that maybe someone might love her and would stay. He had so far…

“Knackered is all, been a bit of a day.” He joked, as fear filled him. He hated been weak and tired, his raison d’etre was being strong. It was why he had revelled in being a vampire, a powerful body and a supernatural strength had gone a long way to assuage the horrors inflicted on him as a mortal. His incarnation as William the Bloody Awful Poet had been long suppressed in the deepest darkest parts of his mind. Instead he had let Spike run riot through the decades, fists and fangs replacing ink pen and paper.

“S’okay, you rest. I’ll eat and then it’s bed time for me too. Long day. Hell long freaking week so far!” She gently urged him to lay his head into her lap; cupping her mug in one hand Buffy soothed the side of his face with the other. Spike gave out a deep bone shuddering groan and let his body relax. A companionable silence settled over them as she petted his hair and stared into the fire. He rolled onto his back; knees bent with his feet flat on the ground and stared up at Buffy’s face as she sipped her noodle soup. The shadow behind them watching and slowly taking on a solid and very familiar form.

He reached up and traced his index finger along the underside of her chin. “So gorgeous,” he whispered as his eyelids drooped and he succumbed to sleep.

Buffy’s grin lingered on her lips for hours, even as she slept.

~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy snuggled closer, she felt safe and warm. Content and at peace.

Spike buried his nose in her hair and let his arms tighten slightly around her. They had slept the night away entwined in each others arms, moving together as if where the most natural thing in the world. Not as if they were at opposite ends of the moral spectrum, but as if they were one. Two halves of a whole, complete.

Buffy yawned and opened her eyes – immediately frowned in confusion at the vision of blue eyes in front of her, ‘that’s not right…’

She reached behind her and felt Spike’s ass with her hand, then opened her mouth and gave out a blood curdling scream. She lurched upwards and looked behind her and then whipped her head round to look at the being kneeling next to her and Spike.

“What is going on?”

“Pet?” Spike propped himself up weakly on one arm and reached for her. His hand caressed the curve of her back trying to soothe her.

“Spike! It’s you, see through you but it’s you,” she babbled. Of all the things that this realm had thrown at her this one was a doozey, and she was uber freaked. One Spike was more than enough for her thank you very much.

He levered himself up a bit more, feeling queasy and weak and peered around her. “What the bloody…hell?”

“Hell!” his other self echoed. “I say that a lot, don’t I?”

Buffy and Spike shuffled away slightly from the interloper, their eyes wide.

“What are you?” Spike reached around and poked at the semi- translucent copy of himself. As his finger made contact there was a crackle of energy between them and he gasped in pain. “Ow, that…”

“Felt amazing, do it again. I feel stronger.” The shadow Spike reached for his weakened counterpart, only to be stopped by Buffy’s hand as it wrapped around his now solid forearm.

“Don’t even think about it buster” the icy look in her eyes stopped the shadow in its tracks. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

“Why? They are the same ones that are touching you right now.”

Buffy stood and helped Spike to his feet; she stood protectively in front of him and eyed the copy dubiously. “Where did you come from?”

“Him,” the shadow pointed at Spike.

“How?” the vampire demanded.

“I’m your shadow.”

Spike eyed the copy of himself, examining every aspect of the being. It was the first time since he had been turned that he had properly seen what he looked like. The scar left by his first slayer added a rakish air to him that he had never expected; it just felt knobbly and uneven under his fingers when he touched it. The hair and the black clothes looked good, and despite what Harmony had said he didn’t look like he was a Goth gone to seed in his opinion.

Then he noticed the difference.

“Where’s your duster then? If you’re my shadow you should be wearing one just like this.” He smoothed his hand over the butter soft leather.

“Over there, I didn’t like it. It smells odd.” The shadow pointed to the rock face where he had crouched most of the night watching the couple. Trying to understand their interaction. He maybe a copy of the vampire but he had no lived experiences or memories. One moment he had been nothing but a dark form and then suddenly he was alive. As the night had progressed he had drawn strength from his former master. The irony of it was lost on the oblivious being, a vampire’s shadow draining its host of its strength.

“Huh, he is sooo not you.” Buffy glared at the shadow, something about him was off. It was as if he had no emotions, no feeling, nothing and that was just plain wrong. Spike was a bundle of emotions and feelings, hopes and dreams all of which were an intrinsic part of his make up. What had drawn her to him over and over when they battled was his fire, his excitement. Hell even his love for Dru had captured her attention.

All of it added up to the dynamic vampire who was holding onto her. The pale carbon copy that was staring at Spike as if he wanted to devour him whole was not her Spike and never would be. In realising that Buffy finally accepted that she loved Spike, all it had taken was to see the vampire as one of the many faceless ones she staked nightly. This shadow of her vampire was a blank feral slate with fangs, a bit like the stake fodder she mowed through nightly. The dawning comprehension of her feelings for the vampire stunned her into silence. Dimly she could hear her Spike arguing with the shadow, but all she could do was hold on to him and let the emotions she had unleashed inside herself buffet her.

She loved Spike.

She loved Spike.

Buffy tilted her head a soft smile ghosting across her face, and her heart finally healed. Yeah that sounded about right.

“I love you.”

Spike stopped mid sentence and looked down at the petite blonde who was holding him upright. His hand was poised mid air and his jaw dropped. “What did you say Slayer?”

“She said she loved you,” his shadow interrupted the staring competition between the two of them. “What is love?” he tilted his head in a poor imitation of the real thing.

“Slayer, you love me?” Spike’s blue eyes were incredulous. He ignored the question that his shadow had poised and focused his entire being on the slayer who had just declared herself to him. “Really,” he grimaced as his voice rose to an unmanly pitch. It was the first time he had heard those words and actually believed them since he had been a human. Dru had said it over and over, but he had always known deep down that she had never meant it, her heart had belonged only to her daddy not him. But the slayer had said it; out of the blue she announced to the world that she loved him. A warm glow filled his heart as slowly he realised that he was no longer alone in the world. Someone cared. Someone loved him. And best of all it was the one girl who he had thought had been unattainable, before they’d come to this realm searching for a part of her sister that was missing. Buffy loved him and surprisingly he believed her. And even more surprisingly he felt the same way.

“What does she mean? What does love mean?” the shadow moved closer curiosity peaking his interest. “Why are you both behaving like this. Explain it to me.” His questions remained unanswered as the two of them gazed at each other shyly.

Buffy could feel her heart pounding against her ribs. She had said it and yet he wasn’t running for the hills. ‘Oh god oh god what if he doesn’t care…what if he is freaked that a slayer loves him, what if he doesn’t love me back. Maybe this is all a game to him.’ As she began to panic, Buffy looked down wishing the earth would open up and swallow her. She had just declared her love to William the Bloody. A vampire who was also known as the Slayer of Slayers. If the Watcher’s Council could see her now.

A firm yet gentle finger pushed her face back up. “There you are,” Spike smiled. Small crinkles appeared in the corners of his eyes as he looked at her flushed face in awe. “S’alright pet, don’t fret yourself.” He leant over and brushed a kiss across her forehead. “I love you too, you silly chit.”

“Oh.”

“Do you love me?”

“No!” Spike and Buffy glared at the shadow.

“God, spoil the moment much?” Buffy frowned at the copy of her vampire. She was starting to really dislike him, and it was freaking her out as well. “How do we get rid of him?” she muttered.

Spike lurched sideways and then laughed weakly, “I don’t think we can. I think he is part of me. That’s why I feel like shit and am about as strong as a newborn foal.”

“What? You mean this is another one of the fairy’s games. Oh my God I am so gonna kick her ass when we get home.” Buffy fumed angrily at the revelation. “What do we do? How can we fix this?” she fired off the questions at the bastard that was stealing Spike from her.

The Shadow’s blank look dissipated, in its place a furtive and evasive expression appeared. His blue eyes darted around the plateau looking anywhere but in their direction. “I don’t know.” An innate need for survival kicked in and he felt threatened.

“You’re lying.” Spike lurched forward and grabbed hold of the shadow’s t-shirt; he gritted his teeth ignoring the sapping of his strength and shook his counterpart hard. “Tell us what you know, you sod.”

“I don’t want to go back into you I am not telling.” The copy pulled away and moved off and ran off through the fissure. Disappearing within seconds, leaving Spike and Buffy holding onto each other, both shocked into stunned silence at his reaction.

“We need to get to him; otherwise I am bloody useless to you.” Spike pulled free and began to walk slowly towards the crack in the rock face. He turned back to face her with a smirk, “and don’t try to pretend what you said didn’t happen. I love you Slayer and you love me. When this is all over, we are going to sit down and chat this out right.” He twirled back around and threw a cocky look over his shoulder at the dumbfounded blonde.

“Kay,” Buffy bounced in her place and gave him a cheesy smile. She managed to refrain from clasping her hand to her heart and instead scooped up their packs and trotted after her vampire.

“Keep up pet,” he teased waveringly.

“Yeah yeah coming dear, and while we chase him try and think which fairytale this could be, cos me, I’m drawing a total blank.” Buffy shouldered both back packs and joined him. Shyly she took one of his hands and they squeezed through the gap after the escaping shadow.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Perfect, just perfect. He is so diminished already.” Maleficent rubbed her hands together in glee as she spied on the two interlopers in her realm. “I can’t wait to witness him wither away and die a slow and agonising death.”

“Once he is gone then the girl will be easier to deal with, divide and conquer after all.” She threw a scarf over the crystal ball and headed to her bed. She laid down on it and ran her hands over her body, relishing in the firmness of her curves and the fullness of her breasts.

“Soon all of this will be safe and the Hellmouth will be mine.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

“God, that was not fun.” Buffy wriggled through and burst out onto the other side, where she stared around her in awe. “Wow, pretty.” There was a white stone path that twisted ahead of her and in the distance she could see their goal. “The castle... My god, we’re nearly there.” She pointed at it and let a wave of relief flood through her. Their journey was almost over. Dawn would be safe soon, but first they had to fix the Spike problem.

Spike nodded, his focus was on the figure that was hiding in the copse of trees to his right. “Yeah not far till we get to Dawn.”

“Who is Dawn?” the shadow peeked out from behind a tree, his interest piqued. He had already forgotten why he was running from the two others, the distance between him and his host causing the bond and the strength to deplete him already he was becoming transparent again. Self preservation kicked in and he cautiously stepped out from behind the tree and approached the couple. “Who are you people? Do you know me?” there was a childish curiosity to him that in different circumstances would’ve been appealing, but Spike and Buffy were all too aware of the danger he presented to them. Especially to Spike and his survival.

Spike and Buffy exchanged a look.

“We’re friends. Do you want to come with us?” Spike managed to keep his body language relaxed and unthreatening which was a feat in itself for the normally active vampire.

“Okay,” the shadow nodded amiably and began to amble towards them; with a childlike innocence; his angular face was split in a gullible smile.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief, releasing the air she had been holding in her lungs as Spike coaxed the shadow out from behind the tree. All the way through the narrow passageway connecting the plateau with the meadow she had been panicking about losing track of Spike’s double and the ramifications of that loss for the vampire. Mentally preparing herself for an epic chase. All her worries had been thwarted, he hadn’t gotten far. Buffy waited quietly ready to take her cues from Spike on how to handle the skittish being that wore his face. She hadn’t been looking forward to the confrontation with Spike’s double, but somehow it has regressed just in the few minutes it had been separated from its host. She felt bad conning the innocent, but if she was going to get her Spike back strong and whole, then something had to give. Focused on her worries, the slayer didn’t notice the enormous mythical being that flew over her head, the large presence briefly blotting out the sunlight overhead before it settled down quietly behind her holding its prey in its coiled tail.

“Oh, look at that. What is it?” the shadow pointed at the being that had landed behind Buffy and Spike. “It’s huge, oh, are those fangs?”
 
 
Chapter #9 - Chapter 8
 
One more chappie to go after this!




Continues on from where the last chapter left off.

“Spiiiike” Buffy screamed as the dragon pounced and snatched her up.

Its green scales shone brightly in the brilliant sunlight as it curled its talons around her slim form and reared upwards onto its hind quarters. A flicker of flame curled from its nostrils as it trumpeted its defiance. The white horse was still held pinned in its coiled tail and it whinnied in fear and pain, kicking its hind legs furiously trying to break free.

“Really, what is that?” the shadow pointed excitedly at the green monster. A childlike curiosity sat unfamiliarly on the angular face. His bright eyes were gleaming with excitement at the new experiences, the world he had been created in was a strange and alien place filled with surprises.

“It’s a dragon you git.” Spike wheeled around and using his sword as a walking stick, he began to move slowly towards the scaled beast. “We have to do something,” he staggered forward, one of his hands holding his stomach as he sank to his knees. Weakened even more by his sudden movements, the drain of strength between them was increasing with their renewed proximity. He didn’t even have the power to growl and he hated it. “We’re stuck in a sodding realm where fairytales are real, and now it looks like the bint has decide to chuck Puff the Magic Dragon at us on top of whatever the hell she’s done to me, and somehow I doubt there will be any wacky baccy around to enjoy later either.”

“What?” the shadow cocked his head and stepped out of his host’s reach, skirting around the slumped form and moving closer to the dragon. “This is amazing; is it really a dragon? And this is a fairytale realm? I thought for a moment you were pulling my chain. But look a dragon.” He gestured at the green beast, excitement lighting his azure eyes.

“I noticed.” Spike pushed himself up and swayed, then sank back to his knees. “God, there has to be a way to get us sorted.”

His counterpart avoided looking at Spike, instead focusing on the tableau of the dragon with its two captives. Part of him knew what to do but it wasn’t fair, he wanted to survive. He had only just become solid; he wanted to live the life his host did. Experience everything and not fade back into the dark to be forgotten. Having no feeling or experiences beyond the previous night the Shadow Spike felt no guilt destroying his former host by just being there. But the girl was pretty, she had a sunny smile and her hair was shiny. A small bloom of cold erupted in his stomach as he looked at her pain wracked face. He wondered if this was worry or guilt that he was feeling.

“Ow,” Buffy grimaced and began to wriggle, trying to get loose from her clawed prison. Her face paled as one of the razor sharp tips of a talon nicked into her stomach. Blood welled around the small wound and she inhaled deeply. Sucking her breath in and curving her back as best she could in her scaled prison, Buffy tried to move her stomach away from the sharp point and failed. “Spike…” her face blanched as the pain ricocheted around her small form.

“No!” Spike crawled forward, dragging himself slowly and inexorably towards her. His former shadow followed his progress emotionlessly; his hands thrust in his jeans back pockets as he watched the scene unfold before him. The obvious suffering of the vampire had no effect on him - but the young woman was a different case. He sauntered after Spike as he made painstakingly slow progress towards the girl he’d declared his love to only minutes earlier. “I’m not letting you die, not now. Not after everything we’ve bloody well gone through to get here.” He levered himself up and sank back on his heels.

Buffy gritted her teeth. She lifted her arm and swung downwards, her sword flashed in the sunlight as it glanced off the impenetrable scales that covered the dragon from head to really sharp toes. The ringing sound from the impact covered the whimper of pain from its wielder, Buffy dropped the sword as her fingers went numb, and it thudded on the grass. “Crap, not good,” she reached for the talon shallowly piercing her skin and wrapped her hands around it, and trying to lever it out of her bleeding flesh. She lifted her legs and braced them against the scaled cage that held her as she pulled and yanked at the immovable dragon talon. “Slayer strength ain’t working here Spike.”

Spike’s eyes turned amber as his game face flickered to the fore, all his focus on the wound that was in his slayer’s soft stomach. The scent of her blood, instead of making him hungry, was crushing him fear and worry. “Go and help her, you’re stronger than me,” it took a lot for him to admit this to his copy. Anger was overwhelming him with a helpless rage for the first time since he was paralysed. He wanted to tear at the grass and weep in frustration.

“Me? How…I don’t know what to do?”

“Oh, for the love of…” Spike snarled. He lifted the sword he’d been using for support and holding it like a spear, he threw it unerringly towards the dragon. It glanced across a green scaled flank and skittered away leaving a trail of sparks in its erratic passage. The dragon caught unawares reared back and lost balance. Instead of falling, it uncoiled its tail, inadvertently releasing the white horse. Using his tail for balance, the mythical monster turned its attention to the two peroxide blonds. Now freed, the horse trotted away its sides heaving as it inhaled air into its oxygen starved lungs. Distractedly Spike noticed that it had furled wings along its back.

“Go and help Buffy, please,” Spike begged. He had never felt so helpless, and hatred for his parasitic shadow was filling him with a dark rage that he was unable to express in his usual violent fashion. Instead he begged. Begged for his girl’s life with his last ounce of strength.

“But what can I do? I can’t fight…I don’t know how.”

“Just sodding well try, the world needs her I sodding well need her and she needs us to save her.” Spike managed to stand up, his passion for the slayer giving him with a burst of energy. He watched Buffy’s legs kicked futilely as she tried to pry herself loose from the implacable grip of the fire breathing monster.

“You need to wrestle it, tear its head off.” a musical voice echoed around the meadow. The white horse cantered towards Spike unfurling the pair of feathered wings that had been laid flat along his back. “It’s the only way to kill it,” Pegasus sidled around and stood next to Spike. “Rest against me, gather your strength, and between us we shall save your maiden.” The magical animal tossed his mane and regarded the silent shadow with distaste. “Your cowardly companion need not bestir itself.”

“I am not a coward,” the copy protested as he stepped towards Spike. “If I do this, then I will be lost forever and I don’t want to die. Not now, not after becoming me.”

“You are me, not a separate entity. Whatever that bint did to me was wrong. You are not supposed to be here.” Spike growled as he looped his arm around the white horse’s neck to support himself.

“You are not meant to be,” the Pegasus reproached the shadow of the vampire. “Your presence is destroying your master; this is not the natural way.”

“I know. But I am scared,” the shadow Spike shivered and wrapped his arms around himself as he hunched his shoulders against the inevitable. He wanted to survive, but the budding feelings that were evolving in him for the slender blonde girl were confusing him - and at the same time giving him the strength to do the right thing.

“We all get scared," he admitted with a crushing reality check. "Right now I am bloody scared out of my gourd for Buffy. That bastard is crushing her to death. If we don’t save her, the slayer doesn't have a hope in hell...she will die.” Spike grated out as he leant against the white flank of the flying horse.

“Hurry, the beast is about to fly back to his eerie with your companion,” the Pegasus whickered nervously as he tossed his head.

“Promise me you won’t forget me,” the shadow Spike begged as he took a few steps backwards.

Spike managed not to roll his eyes and nodded, “get on with it.” He ordered gruffly as he turned to look at Buffy and her captor, his blue eyes narrowed at the sight of the great translucent wings that were being unfurled in readiness for flight.

The shadow nodded, then took a deep breath and ran towards Spike. The two mirror images joined together in a scattering of red and yellow sparks, and Spike’s head was knocked back as the strength that had been robbed from him surged back into his frame. “Oh yeah,” he ran his tongue across his chapped lips and let his fangs descend. He turned to look at Buffy, and watched as she gave up trying to pry herself free and hammered her fists against the topmost talon holding her captive.

“Wrestle it, you say?” Spike bounded across the meadow and grabbed hold of the dragon’s tail and gave it a good yank. “You know I’ve always wanted to kill a dragon.”

“Come on if you think you’re hard enough.” Spike yelled as he ran towards his girl and the green beast.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Wait! Look, it worked,” Willow squeaked and leapt up with a happy yell.

Xander coughing loudly as he waved his hand in front of his face, trying to clear the smoke away.

Anya clapped her hands. “Brilliant! Now all we have to do is drive around and it will show us the way.”

“What about the power of the Hellmouth? Won’t that draw the lodestone to it?” Giles cradled the bowl of thrice blessed water with the enchanted arrow head that they had used as a focus for the spell. It span idly around in the water, drawn to the small bursts of power emanating from stock in the Magic Box.

“No, it won’t. We’ve worded the spell carefully, using the fairy’s name as a significator,” Willow checked the sheet of paper that they had used. “Yep, all set to find evil Maleficent spells and nothing more.”

“Then what?” Xander asked hesitantly, he tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels.

“We try and get Dawn back,” Anya stated succinctly. “No matter what,” unconsciously echoing Buffy and Spike’s new mantra.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike and Pegasus attacked from both sides.

The proud horse rearing up, hammering at the belly of the beast repeatedly with its front hooves, whinnying to distract the dragon’s attention from the vampire behind it. Spike gripped hold of the tail, his amber eyes gleaming with renewed vigour and anticipation. Moving forward, he grasped hold of one of the hard fins that ran the length of the dragon’s spine and began to climb hand over fist towards the head, realising that it was a safer approach than head on. He was highly flammable after all.

“Hang on love, I’m coming.”

“Hurry up Spike, cos the need for air is kinda becoming an issue here.” Buffy gasped as she continued to thump her fists against the claw holding her captive. Spike grunted and hung on as the green beast twisted away from the hooves of the winged horse. Its wings stretched out and began to flap downwards preparing to fly off with Buffy.

“Don’t think so mate.” Spike had reached the join where the wings met the dragon’s back. He wedged his legs around the joints, hooking his toes under the wings. “Bet this buggers up your plans,” he reached over and easily tore through the membrane of the left wing as if were tissue paper.

The dragon lurched and fell sideways, trumpeting its pain, tendrils of smoke shooting out of its nostrils while Spike shredded its wings into tatters. As it fell, Buffy managed to wriggle free of its loosened grip and dropped to her knees on the grass rolling away to relative safety. Clutching her stomach, she struggled to her feet and hobbled over to the thrashing dragon. “Spike! Spike? Where are you?” Absently she retrieved her sword and held it defensively in front of her.

Pegasus trotted over to her side and nudged her gently with his nose. “Are you well? Your injury, is it grave?”

Buffy gave the beautiful horse a dazzling smile, “I’ll be fine. It’s just…”

“You are concerned for you companion?”

“Yeah, I can’t see him. What if he was squished by that thing?”

“Fear not, look to the beast’s neck.”

Buffy squinted and breathed raggedly in relief as she spotted two black leather clad arms wrapped strongly around the neck of the green dragon. “What is he doing?” she pressed a hand to her stomach to stop the wound from aching anymore than it was.

“It’s the only way to slay this type of dragon.”

“Seriously?”

Before Pegasus could say anything, there was a great tearing nose and a scream of pain as the dragon trumpeted its death knell to the heavens, a final heartfelt clarion call.

“Okay sooo not the thing I wanted to see before breakfast,” Buffy gagged as Spike reappeared triumphantly brandishing his trophy in front of him. “Eww, Spike! Put the dragon head down and come here.”

Pegasus whickered, the noise sounding suspiciously like a laugh.

“You okay pet, let me see,” Spike bounded up to her filled with energy. Rejoined with his shadow, he was back to his fighting self and full of beans. Buffy half heartedly batted his hands away from her shirt as he lifted it and peered at the wound on her stomach. “Not too deep by the looks of it.” He brushed a tender kiss on the undamaged skin above the gouge in her stomach.

“We need the First Aid pack again. Why is it I’m the one who keeps getting hurt?” Buffy sighed and rested her head on Spike’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re all back together though, are you okay? No ouchies from dragon slaying?” her hazel eyes twinkled at him.

“M’fine, come on Mr Ed, you coming with us?” Spike lifted her into his arms and carried her to their backpacks, before setting Buffy down gently on the grass. Pegasus followed them without a word.

“I don’t think he got the pop culture reference,” Buffy snickered and winced as Spike smoothed some ointment on the wound and quickly bound it with a soft bandage. Spike chuckled at her and shook his head.

“I saw what the shadow did. How did you get it to go back?”

“It was the love that your companion here has for you; it appears the interloper felt the same.” The horse trotted closer and watched curiously as Spike tied off the dressing on her torso. “In the end that overcame all its doubts and fears.” Pegasus nuzzled Buffy on the shoulder, “I owe you both my life. How may I repay you? I am at your disposal.”

“Really? You are?” Buffy eyed the feathered wings and then glanced up at the castle shimmering in the distance, her gaze assessing.

“Good thinking Slayer,” Spike straightened and wiped his hands together.

“Can you carry the two of us?” Buffy stood and tucked her shirt into her jeans.

The flying horse nodded its head. “Indeed, where do you wish to be taken”

“Up there?” Buffy pointed at the castle. “My sister is trapped in there,” she explained deciding not to go into too many details as time was really getting to be of the essence. Her mom was due back in Sunnydale tomorrow and she wanted to have Dawn back in one piece before that.

Spike kicked their backpacks, “We’ll need to leave these behind, carry some weapons just incase, but nothing else.”

“Climb aboard,” said the white winged horse offered, as he ducked his head down.

Spike lifted Buffy and settled her; he handed up the two swords and then leaped up behind her. The sacrifice his shadow had made for love forgotten, as they focused on the last leg of their journey.

It was time to get Dawn back.

~~~~~~~~~

“NO!” Maleficent screamed as she watched the winged horse carry the two blondes upwards into the air. She sagged against the pedestal, her energy wavering at yet more failure. The thieves and the spell she had cast to weaken the vampire had failed magnificently. And now, now the dragon was slain and her enemies were rapidly approaching the castle.

“I have to stop this.”

She wove her hands above her heard, energy crackled from her fingers and she cast her final desperate spell.

As she did, the surge of energy attracted the interest of her enemies.

One rose and mounted his stallion, having paused for a moment’s rest in the quest for his brother. The power the evil fairy used to cast a final bravura spell lit up the night sky above her castle. Directing his faithful steed in the direction of the light and sounds of fury, he sent a silent call of reassurance.

In another part of Sunnydale, an aged Citroen spun around and headed in the direction the lodestone pointed.

All the elements were starting to come together.

~~~~~~~~~

“So we’ve had; a rabid wolf, a butch bint with polar bears and a swarm of snow bees, giant, dead thieves, me and a dragon.” Spike listed off their opponents so far, as he wiped the rain off his face. “Now the sodding fairy is sending a thunder storm after us. What’s next - a plague of vamped frogs?” He opened his duster and wrapped Buffy in it, tucking her head under his chin. Both arms were wrapped around her as they huddled against the straining Pegasus’s neck, their swords thrown away. The near miss with a lightning bolt had made them dump them rapidly, after Spike had snapped the hilts off and tucked them away in his duster.

Buffy huddled closer to him, her frozen fingers clutching at Pegasus’s silken mane as her teeth chattered with cold. She shrieked as a jagged bolt of lightning flashed across the dark sky, followed closely by yet another rumble of thunder. “This is getting freaky,” she yelled, her voice lost in the wind. She clung on tighter as the flying steed whirled around and began to circle down to the castle battlements. In the distance, she could see an impenetrable thick briar of thorns and rosebushes surrounding the building. “Check it out, looks like we lucked out with the flying pony.” She pointed to the briar hedge and then pumped her hand in triumph as the horse’s hooves clattered onto the flagstone floor of the crenulated battlements.

Spike slithered off the back of the exhausted animal and helped Buffy down. The flight had been a hard one, ducking and diving around the bolts of mystical energy and being hammered with unrelenting rain. Spike ran his hand down the neck of the Pegasus. “Thank you mate.”

The exhausted flying horse whickered tiredly. “My pleasure, now go and find your sister, I shall remain here incase you have need of further assistance.”

Buffy reached over and pressed her hand on his heaving soaked flanks, uttering a heartfelt “thank you.” Her face was solemn as she tried to express her gratitude with a look as words failed her. The mystical horse had saved her life and possibly Dawn’s by braving the storm and carrying them to the castle.

“Go now, your sister awaits you.”

Spike took the slayer’s hand and they ran off towards the nearest tower. In unison, they kicked down the door.

Buffy turned and blew the Pegasus a kiss before Spike impatiently tugged her into the castle.


~~~~~~~~

“In here,” Spike pushed the door open and pulled Buffy through.

Their search of the castle had been unimpeded from start to finish. They had run from empty room to empty room calling for Dawn. But they had been greeted with silence, only the sound of their pounding feet broke the peace. Spike pulled Buffy into the circular room and they both stopped in their tracks.

A shimmering green form lay on a velvet covered bed.

It was Dawn.

“Is she alright?” Buffy ran to the bed and threw herself on it. She reached for her sleeping sister, and grabbed hold of her lax form. “What the hell is wrong with her? I thought she would be awake here.” Part of her was felt relief and the rest of her was shivering with terror at the limpness of her sister’s body.

Spike came around the other side of the bed and took Dawn’s slack hand in both of his and rubbed it hopefully. He could feel her pulse fluttering under the frail skin of her inner wrist. He sighed and bowed his head against the silken comforter in relief. “She’s alive, no idea what to do to wake her but she is alive!”

“What do we do now?” Buffy’s eyes filled with frustrated tears as she brushed Dawn’s hair off her face. “Why is her skin covered in green sparkles? What does it mean?” she turned hopeful eyes towards Spike.

“Hang about,” Spike looked around the room and then down at the princess-like dress the Platelet was wearing. “That was a forest of thorns and roses we saw outside the castle right?”

Buffy nodded, “yeah, so?”

“Use your noggin pet, what fairytale has a sleeping girl in a castle surrounded by a briar forest?”

Realisation dawned in Buffy’s face, “Oh, oh! Sleeping Beauty.”

“A cupie doll for the prettiest girl in the room.”

Buffy stared down at Dawn, “Err, okay, so kiss her already.”

“What!” Spike yelped and leapt away from the bed. He let Dawn’s hand slip from his as he goggled at his insane slayer. “If you think I am going all paedo and snogging your underage sister, you can just sod off. I’m not Peaches. Nor am I the Platelet’s Prince Charming.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Firstly eww to snogging! I just meant a peck on the cheek, pervhead! And secondly peado Peaches thing gross and sooo not the time or place to have a snit fit over my old boyfriend. Now kiss Dawn already!”

A glimmer of berserker slayer rage glimmered in her eyes Spike’s demon recognised as one that didn’t bode well for any vampire who didn’t obey her orders. He pulled a face and ducked down, pressing a quick kiss on the tip of Dawn’s nose. “There, happy now?” he refrained from folding his arms across his chest and pouting. Instead he sank back down on his knees and took the young teen’s hand.

“It didn’t work, why not?” Buffy frowned down at Dawn’s still features. “Oh god, I’ve lost her, haven’t I?” her eyes filled with tears and she crawled onto the bed, pulling Dawn’s head and shoulder into her lap. She started to cry. “I was sooo awful to her last time I saw her, what am I gonna do Spike?”

Spike rose and sat next to the sobbing slayer, Dawn’s hand still in his. “I’m sorry pet, I really am.”

Buffy bent down and gently kissed her comatose sister’s forehead.

And then it all changed.

Dawn’s eyes flickered open slowly and the room began to spin around them.

In Sunnydale, Maleficent sank to her knees with a horrified shriek.

Ole looked up from his position next to Dawn’s chaise, hope in his eyes. Dawn yawned. And opened her eyes to find herself staring into the Sandman’s battered face, and squeaked in surprise.

In a hospital ward across town, all the teens woke up at the same time. The red dust faded from their and Dawn’s faces as Maleficent’s power dissipated simultaneously with Dawn’s opening eyes.

The evil fairy held her hands up in front of her face and began to cry as the smooth plumpness began to wrinkle and twist. Liver spots began to appear all over her fair skin as it aged as rapidly. She staggered sideways as her powers weakened.

“No, I will not die…I will not go back to what I was.” She stumbled, her hands grasping at the stonewalls of her castle.

“I will not die!”


This was an obscure Fairytale the dragon and pegasus so I thought I would include a link http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/rft/rft08.htm

 
 
Chapter #10 - Epilogue
 
I want to give a big hug to Lmbossy for all her stunning banners that she created for for this fic. Also for her untiring support and sharp betaing eyes.

A really big *squish* for megan_peta for sacrificing sleep for the last week to work her way through two chapters a day that I sent in a flurry of panic, she has been a trouper and a marvel - Megan thank you for all your hard work.

~~~~~~~~~

“Where am I?” Dawn squeaked and nearly fell of the chaise. Ole pulled himself to his feet, his body shaking uncontrollably with the effort it took. “Whoa, what the hell are you?” Dawn scrabbled backwards and slipped off, falling to the ground with a yelp. “Where’s Buffy?” She wiped her face with her hands and frowned at the drool, “okay, yuck…”

“My apologies, but we need to get you away from here before she returns. You are defenceless against her magicks,” Ole’s voice was filled with a pleading desperation - as he circled around the chaise and reached down for the confused teen. “Hurry, I must get you to safety before she returns. Enough is enough. I will not allow her to harm anyone else.”

“Not really much with the defencelessness, and I know that we can do a bit of harm so maybe we can help?” Buffy’s voice sounded wryly from one of the shadows at the edge of the room.

“Buffy!” Dawn exclaimed excitedly.

Buffy and Spike stepped out of the darkness that clung to the edges of the room and hurried over to Dawn. There was a flurry of voices as everyone ascertained that the other was alright, limbs attached and no more yearnings to fall asleep for days on end. The trip back to Sunnydale has been over in an instant. When Dawn’s consciousness had woken in the other realm she, Spike and Buffy had been pulled back to where they belonged.

“So, what bus hit you?” Buffy eventually asked the weary Sandman as she turned, with Dawn tucked up against her side, to face him. Concern clouding her expressive eyes as she took in the battered and bruised appearance of the once dapper little man. Spike stood to the other side of the teen, both of them protecting the girl with their bodies.

“We need to go,” Ole reached over and tugged at Buffy’s shirt, ignoring her questions. He desperatly wanted to escape the castle before Maleficent returned and destroyed them all. “Quickly before she comes back.”

“Like that's bloody well going to happen. M’staying right here. I think evil Tinkerbell has some questions to answer. All those berks she sent after us, have you seen the state of my duster?” Spike rolled he head, clicking his neck and sniffed the air. “We’re back home love. Smells like the Hellmouth.”

Buffy nodded and then froze at the sight of the frail old woman who tottered into the room. “Is that her? But she’s like two hundred years old! God, does she even have teeth?” Buffy shoved Dawn behind her and raised her fists defensively, ready to granny bash if she had too. “This just feels so wrong.”

“My face, my skin and my hair! What did you do?” the evil fairy croaked as she staggered closer. As her spells and enchantments had reversed, her magicks had drained her of even more youth and vitality. Now she was a pale husk, a shade of her former self. “Help me,” she reached out a crabbed claw-like hand in supplication to the unimpressed small group. “Please…”

Ole stepped forward, compassion filling his eyes. “There is nothing to be done, and you have reaped what you have sown. The children are freed from your power and all has been set to rights by these two brave souls.” He pointed to Spike and Buffy, “without them you may have succeeded in your quest for supremacy. But now, I believe another fate awaits you.” He bowed his head formally to the silent form that had appeared in the doorway of the room. “Welcome brother.”

The crone turned around a choked gasp falling from her wrinkled lips. “No.” her voice trembled with a deep fear that made Spike’s hackles rise. “No. I don’t want to go with you. You can’t make me. Not after all this…please no,” She sank to her knees as tears pooling in her rheumy eyes and sobbed loudly.

Death stepped forward without a word, opening his voluminous cloak and surrounded the defeated fairy. There was a faint scent of brimstone and decay that wafted from his black velvet cloak. He nodded in greeting to his brother, but remained silent.

“Noooo,” a pathetic crabbed hand poked out from beneath, clawing at the flagstone floor. As the fallen fairy tried to crawl away from her inevitable fate.

A fate she had tried to escape and failed.

“Come Maleficent. You have cheated me long enough. All beings have to accept that there is a time for death, it is the natural course of things and not to be feared,” Death intoned deeply as he withdrew from the room inclining his head in a final nod to his freed sibling. As his robes whispered around the corner of the door, a frail arthritic hand slid out from under the velvet in a final desperate plea for succour.

“Well, that was kinda a let down after everything,” Buffy frowned at the empty doorway and then looked behind her to check on Dawn and Spike. The latter gave her a small grin and then scooped an unresisting and very confused Dawn up in his arms. “Jeez, I expected to at least get one hit in…” she groused.

“Next time pet. It’s not like you haven’t had more than enough baddies to pound in the last few days. Come on, let's get the Platelet home.”

“Spiiike,” Dawn giggled as he carried her out of the room and onto the battlements of the castle. Parts of it were already fading away as Maleficent’s power dissipated.

Buffy offered her arm to the weary Sandman and the two of them followed Spike into the cool night.

“Look, how cool is that,” Dawn squealed as she pointed into the sky. In the distance, they could see Death astride his horse with the now quiescent Maleficent in his cloak.

“Your sis and I had a go on a flying horse earlier. Not much fun in a rainstorm though…” Spike trailed off wondering if the noble Pegasus had reached safety.

“It is time for me to take my leave of you,” with that Ole shook himself all over. His buttoned coat began to glow as it slowly repaired itself; a small sack appeared in one hand as the Sandman reached into the air and snatched his umbrella out of nowhere. “I am truly sorry for all that has happened,” he nodded his head at the three of them and stepped into the air. Turning he waved goodbye as he began to float off, ready to resume his nightly job of bringing sweet dreams to the children. “Thank you for saving us all.”

“Buffy! Dawn! Spike?” Giles’s voice carried loudly across the courtyard as he and the others stumbled through the gates. All of them clutching weapons, ready to fight their way in to save Dawn. But they were too late and completely missed the fall of the wizened Evil Fairy and her inevitable punishment.

“Hey guys,” Buffy waved at them and bounded down the stone stairs she'd spotted to her left, closely followed by Spike, who was still carrying a surprisingly docile Dawn in his arms.

“Where’s the fairy? Is she dead?” Anya squeaked as she gave Buffy a strong hug. “Giles is still feeling very guilty over losing Dawn. Oh, you’re awake, good for you.” She patted Dawn on the head and then gave Spike a broad grin and dug her elbow in his ribs. “Soooo have you had Buffy upside down and half way to happy land yet?”

“Hey!” Buffy blushed bright red and spluttered at Anya. But not after giving Spike an assessing glance. Contemplation making her her pupils dialate as she succumbed to more than a little anticipation.

“I say…” Giles fumbled for his glasses trying to whip them off before he saw the smirk on Spike's face. He was too late, and his eyes widened at the smile that broke across the angular face of the vampire who it appeared his slayer was enamoured with. ‘Why me? Why couldn’t my slayer fancy a nice proper young man…oh dear he is smirking at her…’

“Ahn,” Xander clapped his hand over her mouth. “Gross!”

“Buffy, you didn’t!” Willow squeaked.

Buffy gave them all a sphinx-like smile and then turned to Willow and winked. “Not yet," her voice was husky and filled with promises.

Finis

A/N Many thanks to all of you who have reviewed this fic you have made this so much fun!

Thank you!!!