With This Ring - by Lilachigh

Chp.4 Across the Darkness



The Sunnydale graveyard was dark and quiet at three in the morning. A couple of newly risen vampires had dragged themselves out of their graves earlier and staggered off into the night, puzzled and confused by what had happened to them, but now all was silent.

A tiny sliver of moon cut the dark sky but gave no light to the grassy mounds and moss encrusted tombstones. Suddenly, a bright orange and purple circle appeared behind one of the tombstones and with a hissing flash, a couple, kissing deeply, passionately, fell through it and rolled onto the grass.

At last a platinum blond head was lifted and Spike gazed round. ‘We’re back, pet,’ he said drearily.

Buffy kept her hands clasped tightly behind his back. ‘I don’t want to know.’

‘Hey, denial girl, I’m with you on this one, but don’t think we’ve got much option, luv. This is what we planned. You’re the Slayer and you’re needed here.’

Buffy pressed her whole body against his, revelling in the feel of it, hard where she was soft. How could she give this up. It wasn’t fair. ‘I resign,’ she muttered, burying her face in his neck.

Spike ran his hands over her body. He knew it would the last time, probably for ever, that he would get to touch her like this. He had no illusions about the future. He knew that once Willow got her spells right, he’d be back to being the despised ex big bad, chipped by the military and unable to do much to anyone. Buffy wouldn’t let him so much as touch her foot once that happened.

So for a few more long minutes he could hold her, smell her hair, the scent of her skin, the musk of her arousal triggering all his emotions once again.

Then he lifted his head, his acute vampire hearing a blessing and a curse. ‘We’ve no time left, sweetheart. Judging by their famous impression of a herd of wild elephants, I can hear your Watcher, Red and Xander coming across the cemetery. They must have heard the portal open.‘

Buffy reluctantly let him go and stood up. She pushed her hand into the pocket of her jeans where her wedding certificate still lay. She remembered the little chapel Spike had found in the other Sunnydale, the elderly clergyman who’d agreed to do the ceremony. There had been white flowers everywhere - lilies, roses, gardenias - a forest of white candles, and WillTwo and XanTwo, the witnesses, puzzled at attending their wedding again, but only too happy for them to be married in both worlds.

The words, so old but still so true, rang in her mind. ‘For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health...till death do you part.’

She could still see in her mind the candlelight reflecting in the vampire’s blazing blue eyes, feel the pressure of his hand as he slipped one of his rings on her finger. Her lips still ached from his kiss - her husband - her life.

And now -

‘Buffy! Are you there? Buffy, answer us?’ It was Giles.

Without thinking, she pulled Spike down behind a large gravestone so they couldn’t be seen. ‘They’re going to do the rest of the spell to make us go back to what it was like before - hating each other again,’ she said in despair. ‘We’re going to forget all about this, aren’t we, about being married, about the other Sunnydale.’

Spike stroked her hair. ‘I’ll go back to being your enemy, even if I have got this rotten chip in my head, and you’ll go back to college and your boyfriend. That’s the way it’s meant to be in this universe, Buffy. You know that.

‘You’re the Slayer and you’re needed here. I’ve no idea what I’m needed for. Except to annoy the hell out of Xander, I suppose! But, listen to me,’ - his voice became deeper, more urgent, ‘ I’ve lived for a hell of a long time, and I’ve seen all kind of weird and wonderful things.’

He put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up to the starlit sky. ‘Believe me, Slayer. We’re meant to be together. In your heart, in your soul, you know it and so do I. True, I might not have a soul, but I feel it with every sinew, every nerve in my body. Maybe not now, maybe not even soon, but one day, believe me, in this Sunnydale not just the other, you’ll tell me you love me.’

‘But we’re married, Spike. How can I go on seeing Riley. What happens - ’ she faltered to a stop, almost unable to put the next words into a sentence, the pain was so great. ‘What happens if one day someone else asks me to marry them? I’m your wife, Spike! It doesn’t matter which universe I’m in, I’ll always be your wife.’

Spike pulled her closer still until their bodies merged into one. ‘I’ve no idea what’s going to happen to us, Slayer. But I do know this - even if they make me forget what’s happened, I’ll never hurt you and I’ll always be there if you need me.’

Buffy reached up, running her fingers through the mussed up curls and kissed him passionately. ‘And even if I don‘t remember, I promise you this, William - I’ll never marry anyone else, I’ll never hurt you and you’ll always be in my heart.’

She could hear her friends getting closer and knew their time together was nearly up. She held up her hand and Spike, without a word, gently pulled off his ring from her finger. He started to put it in his pocket, but Buffy stopped him and, kissing it, slipped her wedding ring down inside her bra, next to her heart.

With a gasp, she stood up, knowing if she didn’t move now, she would never let him go. She could hear Giles and Willow shouting, hugging her, explaining about the spell, how great it was to have her back, Xander was telling Spike in exasperated tones to ‘let go of Buffy’s hand, bleach boy,’ and she felt a great sense of bereavement as they pulled her away from him.

They were laughing, crying and Willow began chanting yet another spell. And Buffy knew exactly what this one was for - it was the one that would part them for ever.

Desperately, she turned to look for him; he’d already moved away and was standing a little way off in the shadow of a crypt. Even as the world shimmered magically around her, she saw him lift his hand to his mouth and blow her a kiss goodbye across the darkness.

But as life in this Sunnydale swung back to normal, behind the nearby moss encrusted gravestone, the tiny orange and purple portal to the other place flickered once, twice, trying to close - but it remained open!

* * * * * *

Sunnydale Cemetery lay dark and peaceful. A thin sliver of moon sailed high amongst wide clouds that blew on a strong wind. The gusts scurried up the grassy paths, whirled round the tombstones and set odd pieces of paper flying into the air.

Behind a tall tombstone that backed up to the wall of a crypt, ten months growth of weeds and mud and rubbish jammed into the space began to quiver and glow and finally, with a sparkle of orange and purple, a portal widened and a figure stepped hesitantly through.

It was a slight young man with short reddish hair wearing a green T-shirt with a picture of a monkey printed on it. He stood, gazing around curiously, then hoisted himself up onto a flat gravestone and sat waiting, whistling softly.

An hour later he fell silent as two other figures appeared. A girl in denim was walking down one of the paths, a wooden stake in one hand. Walking backwards in front of her, a slim, blond man wearing a long black leather coat.

“OK, Slayer, so let-me-Count-the ways-I-can show-off-Dracula has gone flying off into the night again. Still without paying me back the eleven quid he owes me! Why doesn’t that surprise me. Couldn’t you have asked him for the cash before he went? “

“Get out of my way, Spike. I’m working.”

“And I’m not? Annoying you is my work - and bloody hard it is, too. You’ve no idea how much energy it takes to - ”

“Spike - what will it take to make you shut your mouth for five minutes?”

The vampire halted, causing the girl to stop as well. A dark scarred eyebrow lifted and a smile flashed. “Well, I can think of one way to stop me talking, luv. Want to try?”

“Oh gross, Spike. Just crawl back inside your crypt and watch something inane on that TV of yours. And, by the way, where are you getting the electricity to run it?”

Spike sighed. “Cables, sweetheart. They run underground everywhere. I haven’t lived all these years and not be able to get plugged into the plumbing and electrics where I live. Buffy? Buffy, are you listening to me, Slayer?”

Buffy was staring over his shoulder, her mouth open in astonishment. “Oz? Oz! Is that you.”

The figure on the tombstone jumped down and wandered up to them. “Hi, Buffy. Spike.”

“Oz! You’re back again!” Buffy threw her arms round him and hugged him, then she glanced anxiously up at the moon. “Are you OK? This isn’t one of your wolfy nights, is it?”

He stared at her puzzled. “Wolfy? Not sure what you mean, Buffy. Listen, I’ve been sent by Willow.”

“Will knows you’re back? She never said. When did you get here?”

“An hour ago. Buffy, I’m from the other Sunnydale. I’m the one you call OzTwo.”

“I think he’s flipped his lid, Slayer,” Spike said, leaning against the crypt wall and lighting a cigarette. “It’s all that running around covered in fur in all weathers. It’s bound to make you go crazy after a few months.”

OzT stared at them, understanding dawning on his face. “You don’t remember, do you? Neither of you remember.”

“Remember what?”

“Look, if you and dog boy are going to have long boring chats, can you at least go home and have them,” Spike said. “I’ve got things to do.”

OzT turned and looked at him with enough affection to make Spike step back a pace. “No, Spike, sorry, man, this sort of concerns you as well.” He walked away, behind a huge tombstone and, puzzled, the Slayer and Spike followed, keeping a good distance from each other.

“Bloody hell!”

“What on earth is that?” Buffy stared down at the purple and orange flames dancing in a circle on the ground. “No, never mind. I know a portal when I see one. Oz, what the heck’s going on?”

OzT stared at them. “OK. Short version. Through that ring of fire there’s another Sunnydale. Life’s roughly the same as here,so I’m told. Few differences. Will and me are living together. I’m not a werewolf, which apparently I am here. Giles works in England and only visits occasionally. Your mum lives with her sister - and you - ”

He stopped and stared Buffy. She stared back, in appalled fascination. “What about me?”

“Well, you’re still the Slayer but - you’re married to Spike!”

“Whaaat!” Spike roared, flashing into game face.

“Eeewwww, Oz, don’t be so revolting. That’s ridiculous. As if I would ever marry Spike.” She turned towards the portal, so Oz couldn’t see the flush on her cheeks.

As he’d spoken those words, a flash of hidden, buried memory had burnt its way across her mind. A pair of dirty jeans, thrown in the back of her closet. She never washed them.

Once, shortly after they’d all been struck dumb by the Gentlemen, she’d gone through the pockets in readiness for the laundry and found a silly joke piece of paper, probably put there by Xander.

Because she couldn’t speak, she hadn’t been able to yell at him about it and in the months that had since passed, all the trouble with Faith and Jonathan, her relationship with Riley, she’d pushed it out of her mind.

The piece of paper had pretended to be her marriage certificate to Spike.

Now another memory hit her with all the force of a lightning strike. It was her bedroom, but the furnishings and curtains were different. There was a bed with royal blue sheets, a brass bedstead and her hands were tied with silk scarves above her head to the corner posts.

Her bottom was lifting off the bed as she arched into the air, but her legs were free - free to wrap themselves tightly round someone‘s waist while he drove her on and on into an enormous, mind bending climax . But what she was feeling wasn’t just desire, lust, she knew she loved this man, deeply, passionately.

And as the veil of her memory tore a little more, she could see the face above hers, the blazing blue eyes, the mouth about to descend once more to her breast. And the face was Spike’s.

She sank to the ground only too aware that she was wet between the thighs. “Oh-my-god!” she whimpered. “Oh-my-god!”

Spike stared down at her, his eyes fading from gold to blue. He reached out with the toe of his boot and kicked at the portal’s flames. One of them wrapped itself round his foot like a snake and as memories returned, he froze -

…..It was nearly dawn, he could tell from the light outside the curtained windows, the dark blue sheets were rumpled, tangled round his naked body, the whole room smelt of sex and arousal and passion.

He was holding a small, slender naked woman tightly in his arms. Her blonde hair was splayed across his chest, one of her hands was still clasped possessively round his balls in her sleep. He could feel the bite marks she’d inflicted, feel that utter relaxation of every muscle that only came when you were completely and utterly shagged out of your mind. He was looking down, kissing her forehead - this was the woman he loved more than life itself, a love he’d never ever felt for anyone ever before - and that woman was Buffy.....

“Slayer?” he said hoarsely now.

“Spike? We couldn’t....we didn’t....Oz?”

OzT pulled a face. “The portal is unlocking your memories, Buffy. It was a spell Willow did. When the Oz in this world left her. Remember. You and Spike can live in either world. You came back to this one because you were needed more here, and as soon as you got back, I think your Willow here did a spell so you wouldn’t remember anything. But if you get too close to the portal, the spell vanishes and your memories return.”

Buffy held out a hand and, without a word, Spike hauled her to her feet. She refused to look at him. Now wasn’t the time to think about this. She wouldn‘t have been able to get two thoughts straight in her head anyhow. She and Spike were husband and wife. Was this what Dracula had meant?

“You think you know what you are, what’s to come. You haven’t even begun.”

“What do you want, Oz?” she said quietly.

“Will sent me. She’s trying to find Xander. He’s disappeared. We’re seriously wigged, Buffy. We need you back in our Sunnydale - fast.”

“I can’t just - go to another reality!” she protested. “What about Mum and Dawn and patrolling - ”

“Hey, you won’t want me,” Spike muttered, not wanting her to see how shaken he was, how his returning memories were turning upside down all his ideas about his life and his feelings for Slayers.

Buffy whirled round and, for the first time since Oz had told her she was married to him, looked Spike straight in the eyes. And there he was - her husband, the man she loved more than words could say. She smiled, her hazel eyes dancing. “You mean you’d let me go without you, William. Now that I don’t believe.”

And as he looked at her, there was his wife and he couldn’t imagine how he could have spent the last ten months wishing this woman was out of his life.

OzT backed towards the portal. “I can’t stay any longer. My Will said I must just give you the message and come straight back. It’s up to you now, Buffy.” And with a nod, he stepped into the ring of fire and vanished with a sizzling crack.

“Quite chatty for Oz. How much do you remember?” Spike asked quietly.

“Everything, now I’m close to the portal. The spells, the life, the marriage. I can’t believe it, I don’t want to believe it, but I can remember it.”

Spike nodded and thrust his fingers through his slicked back platinum hair, turning it into a riot of little curls. “Life was pretty good, as far as I can recall.”

Buffy felt herself going red again. “It’s all part of an ongoing spell, Spike. But even so, XanT is just as important to me there as our Xander is here. I have to go and help. Let’s just concentrate on finding him. We don’t have to do - well, we don’t have to act as if we’re married when we get there!”

‘So you want us to go as what - partners? Colleagues?”

Buffy pulled a face. ‘More like army personnel. Like Riley’s friends. You watch my back and I’ll watch - ’ She stopped abruptly at his expression.

‘Oh you can watch whatever part of me you like, Slayer!’ he whispered and held out his hand.

Buffy hesitated, glaring at him, then she laced her fingers with his and together they stepped into the circle of flames.

to be continued












to be continued