Love In Vein: Book Two - Chapter 37

Giles looked around the room at the gathered people and let his eyes settle on Wesley. He held his gaze for a moment, letting him know that he didn’t like his presence in Buffy’s home.

He didn’t like his presence in general.

Buffy watched the interaction between the two ex-Watchers. The animosity between them was as palpable as the hate for each other shared by Angel and Spike. She glanced at her mate as he leaned against the writing table, his arms folded across his chest and his eyes locked on Angel.

No matter how hard they both tried to pretend they were okay with the situation between the three of them, it was clear to anyone looking at them that the feelings were still there--they were just buried a little deeper now.

“I’d like to see the prophecy.” Giles informed Wesley and Buffy returned her attention to him.

There was a moment’s pause during which Buffy felt the tension in the room grow and then Wesley slipped his hand into his satchel and produced a manuscript.

Moving across the room to the table, Wesley opened the delicate prophecy out and waited for everyone to gather round him before he took a deep breath. He noticed instantly that someone was missing from the group and he looked over his shoulder, intimating to Fred that it was okay for her to join them.

Buffy looked at the girl and then left her mate’s side in order to go to her.

“Come on, you’re a part of all this and I’m sure you don’t want to miss out on all the deciphering and boring stuff.” Buffy smiled warmly and extended her hand to Fred. She felt a little relieved when Fred stood and allowed her to bring her into the centre of the group.

Buffy couldn’t miss the smile on Wesley’s face or the way everyone was looking at her as if she’d suddenly grown as a person. She arched her brows and looked to heaven. She was a people person; she just didn’t exercise those skills very often.

Moving to the opposite side of the table from Wesley and Giles so she had a little more room, Buffy smiled internally as Spike came to stand beside her, his fingers brushing against hers as he mimicked her stance of leaning against the table.

“It’s hard to make it out in places. I’m not familiar with the dialect this prophecy was written in but I’m sure with help we’ll be able to decipher it before long.” Wesley began, speaking in a clear enough voice that everyone would be able to hear him. “It speaks of a vampire, one that must do great deeds in order to achieve something…I’m not sure what.”

Buffy tried her best to look interested in the piece of paper that Wesley was pawing over but all she could think about was how glad she was that everyone seemed to be getting along right now. Raising her eyes up, she found Giles looking at her and as she frowned slightly he looked back down at the prophecy.

She knew that look well.

It was his ‘I hope you know what you’re doing’ look, the one he always gave her when he thought she’d done something wrong.

Buffy touched the marks on her neck.

He’d seen them, which meant he’d probably seen Spike’s too. Buffy thought about that. Everyone in the room had seen Spike’s, his shirt was open so far that it drew attention to them. Something about how he was showing them off made her smile, made her proud that he liked being mated to her so much.

So, now everyone knew what had transpired between her and Spike, she could relax a little and help with the research.

The back door closed and Buffy cringed.

Maybe not everyone then. Maybe there was still one more person that she needed to tell and she got the impression it would be the hardest one of them all, even worse than Angel had been.

“Hey, mom.” Buffy shot her a wide smile as she walked in, her eyes widening as she saw all the people occupying her living room. “I can explain.”

She had meant it in the sense that she could explain about the house invasion, but when she turned toward her mother and her eyes fell to her neck, she realised her mother presumed she meant about the marks.

Taking hold of her mother’s arm, she caught hold of Spike’s wrist and dragged him along with her as she walked into the kitchen.

“It’s nothing to worry about.” Buffy announced and glanced at Spike’s as her mother’s eyes settled on his neck.

“Look, Joyce, it looks really bad…I know that. But it’s good, really it is.” Spike took a step toward her.

Joyce listened to the words he’d said and the calming tone of voice he’d spoken them with and relented a little. She’d seen marks on Buffy’s neck in the past and hadn’t questioned it, but seeing them on both of their necks made her finally come to a conclusion.

Her baby was all grown up and having sex in her house.

“Did you two…” Joyce motioned awkwardly with her hands as she tried to explain with gestures what she couldn’t say.

“We mated, mom.” Buffy said the words straight and with a serious expression.

Joyce again got the feeling that her only child was no longer one--especially since she seemed able to say things that her own mother couldn’t say.

“Oh.”

“Things are better this way, I’ll be able to give her more protection.” Spike watched as Joyce turned to look at him, seemingly liking the sound of what he’d said.

Buffy looked at him too, wondering if it had something to do with what he’d mentioned earlier--the thing she wouldn’t understand until she saw it.

“I suppose there’s nothing I can do about it now.” Joyce resigned herself to the fact that what was done was done and there was no use in reprimanding Buffy for it when it had already happened.

Switching the kettle on, Joyce smiled to herself as she heard Spike crossing the room and out the corner of her eye, she could see her daughter finding comfort in his embrace.

“This doesn’t mean I’m okay with the…you know…in this house.” She warned them as she turned to face them again.

Spike looked down at Buffy and raised his brows. “Plenty of musty crypts about for that kind of thing.”

Buffy cuffed him around the side of his head and smiled apologetically at her mother.

“No…no…that can’t be right.” Giles said loudly enough in the other room to get everybody’s attention and Buffy visibly sagged, realising that it meant she had to leave the quietness of her family and go back into her the real world.

Walking into the living room with Spike and her mother in tow, Buffy found Angel pacing a trench in her carpet and looking more pensive than usual.

“What’s up?”

“Wesley thinks there’s something about death in the prophecy, something about having to die.” Angel answered her question.

Buffy looked at Giles. “And you think?”

“It’s a lot of twaddle.” He vigorously cleaned his glasses and placed them back on his nose. Pointing down at the manuscript, he showed her the line of symbols that were in question. “It’s not death…it’s something else…maybe apocalypse.”

“Oh, because that’s so much better.” She stated sarcastically. “Keep at it…you’ll get it cracked with those two massive brains of yours.”

Smiling to herself, she turned and looked around the room, watching Cordelia as she spoke in a hushed tone to Angel and noticing that Willow, Fred and Tara seemed to be deep in conversation. The girl Angel had brought with him seemed better already, the tea she was sipping and the bright smile of Willow clearly cheering her up.

Buffy wished she could join the group and relax for a moment, letting herself get lost in what looked like idle chatter but she had to stand firm in her post of General and oversee what was happening in the research area.

She looked down at her watch and frowned as she realised it was going to be a late night, late enough that she wouldn’t be able to get any sleep before college tomorrow. If they were done with the prophecy before sunrise, she’d be surprised.

Watching Cordelia, she wondered just how she was going to react tomorrow when Xander was due to make an appearance. He’d made his excuses tonight and said that he had other plans, but she knew that in reality he was avoiding having to face his ex. One thing Buffy knew for sure was that when he finally showed his face he’d have Anya in tow.

“Little quiet there, sweets, feels like you’re running a million miles an hour through those thoughts of yours.” Spike stood behind her, sliding his arms about her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

“That’s because I am.” She leaned back into him and continued to survey the room. Suddenly pouting, she announced what was at the forefront of her mind. “I’m bored.”

“Me too.” He smirked, sharing the smile that had suddenly sprung onto her lips. “Can’t stand all this waiting…never was a patient man.”

“And that’s why those lovely plans of yours always got ruined.” Buffy giggled as he growled playfully into her ear. “Isn’t it about time you just had to have a smoke?”

“Sounds like you’re looking for an excuse to escape to me, love.”

“Maybe I am.” She pouted her lips out seductively as she looked over her shoulder at him and brought her fingers up to lightly stroke his cheek. “Maybe I just want to be alone with you for a while.”

“Smoke it is then.” Spike grinned and grabbed hold of her hand, spinning her round on the spot as he started toward the back door.

Joyce shook her head slightly as she watched them go, a giggle escaping Buffy’s lips and grim determination drawn on Spike’s face.

Giles continued to stare down at the prophecy, willing the symbols to reveal their meaning by themselves. Opening another book, he ignored Angel as he came to hover next to him. He smiled as he found the meaning of another symbol and quickly jotted it down. Deciphering the manuscript at the same time as Wesley made it feel like a challenge had been laid down at his feet and he needed to discover the true meaning of it before his counterpart did.

He pushed his glasses back up his nose as he found the meaning of yet another symbol and another.

“Life?” He frowned down at the prophecy. It spoke of life, death, destiny and a trial or trials.

“This isn’t good.” Wesley said as he looked over Giles’ shoulder at his notepad.

Giles nodded in agreement. It didn’t look good at all.

Returning to his work, time seemed to pass quickly as he drank cup of coffee after cup of coffee, slowly piecing together a translation of the prophecy.


Buffy sighed as she leaned against the kitchen counter talking to her mother. Her earlier guess about what time she would be up to was ringing true and she felt tired, and sore. She pressed her hands into the small of her back again and stretched, trying to ease the tension of standing for such a long time.

“Here, drink this.” Joyce handed her daughter a cup of camomile tea and smiled. She could see the toll this night was taking on her and even Spike had begun to look like his patience was wearing thin.

She had to agree with him.

Bed sounded nice right about now.

“Don’t tell Spike, but I think I prefer the claim this way around.” Buffy started as she sipped her tea and thought about what her mate had done. “It feels strong, scarily real. I don’t even have to reach out to him anymore in order to sense what he’s feeling, it’s like they’re right there alongside mine.”

“Sounds confusing.” Joyce smiled.

“Think it might take some getting used to. Plus, he wears my marks now…everyone will know he’s mine.” Buffy mused with a wide smile. Every time she looked at the marks on Spike’s neck, she felt tingly and warm inside, a smile easing onto her lips as she thought about how they’d be there forever.

Forever was a long time.

“Thanks for the tea, mom.” Buffy squeezed in her a gentle hug before heading back toward the living room.

She’d almost made it to the door when a fiery pain ripped through her, causing her to drop the teacup she was holding and it fell to the floor, smashing and spilling its contents across the tiles.

“Buffy, what’s wrong?” Joyce hurried to her daughter’s side, holding her around the waist as she doubled over.

Buffy screwed her face up as she felt panic, fear and anger all clashing inside her.

“Spike.” She breathed and pushed herself forward as his voice broke out above the clamour in the other room.

“No…no!” Spike shook his head, denying what the ex-Watchers were telling him and pointing accusingly at Angel. “I’m nothing like him.”

Buffy looked confused as she walked into the middle of the fray, picking up feelings of conflict and panic in Spike as if they were her own.

She looked over at Giles and Wesley for an answer.

“It’s the prophecy, it appears it tells about a vampire with a soul and averting the apocalypse to end all apocalypses.” Wesley spoke hurriedly, trying not to let himself get distracted as Spike began to pace like a caged predator.

“I want nothing to do with your damn prophecy! Burn the fucking thing, rip it into pieces for all I care, but I’m buggered if I’m having anything to do with it.” Spike shouted at Giles and Wesley, and then shirked away from Buffy as she reached out to him. The panic he felt was overwhelming, his thoughts of redemption coming back a hundred fold to laugh in his face as he pushed against the idea of having a soul given to him. “I don’t want it.”

“You don’t have a choice.” Angel ground out as he looked at the younger vampire. “It’s your destiny, whether you like it or not.”

“Angel, you’re not help…” Buffy trailed off as a loud roar erupted in her ears and she turned to see Spike in game face.

She was going to lose him again.

“Spike…please…we can work this all out…I’m sure it’s not what you’re thinking…” She raised her hands to him and let her eyes plead with him as he looked at her.

Spike just turned to face Angel and the ex-Watchers. He growled threateningly. “Go to hell, all of you, and take your idea of a giving me a soul with it…I don’t need one.”

Buffy furrowed her brows as he pushed past her, heading straight for the front door. She flinched as she heard it slam and then went to follow but found someone stopping her. Looking down at her arm, she saw her mother’s hand holding her wrist.

“Buffy, don’t.” Joyce could see the incredulous look in Buffy’s eyes as she looked back at her. “He just needs time.”

“Time to go out and kill half of Sunnydale.” Angel attempted to counter her calming words and Buffy suddenly felt as though she was being pulled in all directions at once.

“Think about how you felt when you first found out you were the Slayer.” Joyce ignored Angel’s comment and continued trying to get Buffy to listen. “I know you want to go after him, but he needs space. I don’t know what he’s feeling, but I’m sure you do.”

Buffy knew exactly how he was feeling.

“He’s confused, hurt, panicked…but I know he won’t kill.” Buffy finally found her voice and thought about what her mother had said. When she’d first discovered who she was, she wanted to be alone and have time to come to terms with it. Spike had lived without his soul for a century and more, and now he had discovered he was destined to receive one at some point in his future. From his words, she suspected he believed that he was going to have one forced upon him and that would only make him more like the one person he despised--Angel.

“You don’t know that. He’s a killer, Buffy, it’s his nature to go out and feed. He’ll kill if you don’t stop him.” Angel interrupted her thoughts and she decided that it wasn’t just Spike who despised Angel, she was starting to get there herself.

“He won’t! He’s not working on instinct, he’s just hurting, and he’s not hungry either.” She ignored the looks she received from both Angel and Giles and sighed. “Think about how you would have felt knowing you were destined to get a soul but not knowing how…you wouldn’t have liked it anymore than he does. He won’t kill, I know he won’t.”

Angel seemed stunned into silence for a moment as her words sunk in. She could see he was thinking about what she’d said to him and the connotations of it, and judging by how he wasn’t responding, he was agreeing with what she’d said about him.

“How?” Finding his voice, Angel pushed what she’d said about him and his soul to one side and focused on how she knew Spike wouldn’t kill.

“Because he promised me.” She ground the words out, emphasising each one and ignoring the tiny voice in the back of her head that warned her that Spike had broken a promise to her before. She believed he wouldn’t feed if he said he wouldn’t, especially not since mating with her. He wouldn’t risk what they had, no matter how badly he felt the need to revert to his pure demonic form in order to fight against the idea of a soul. She heaved a sigh as she looked around the room, finding everyone watching her and it felt as though they were waiting for an order. “We’ll give him time. He gets until nightfall to deal with the prophecy and the idea of having a soul.”

“Why nightfall?” Willow asked as she stepped forward, recognising all too easily the hurt in her friend’s eyes.

Buffy swallowed and tried to think of a way of explaining what made her choose that much time. She could have told them that it just sounded like a good number of hours in which Spike would have time to think, or that if he wasn’t back by then she may need Angel’s help in finding him and that wouldn’t be possible during the day.

But she would have been lying.

There was only one reason and one reason alone that she’d chosen to give Spike until nightfall.

Raising her eyes to meet Willow’s, Buffy kept her face impassive.

“Because I can’t live without him any longer than that.”

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