Improvising Atonement, 11/?
Apr. 5th, 2008 10:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sevendeadlyfunCharacters: Spike, Buffy
Rating: NC-17 overall
Summary: A vampire with a soul comes to Sunnydale to help The Slayer. Can a demon ever atone?
A/N: Thanks so much to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
noandwhere for her brilliant (and as usual so very last minute) beta. She's a super-duper trooper! Written for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
tamingthemuse prompt # 89-hot seat. Previous chapters can be found here.
Spike growled at her, wheeling around and running as fast as his supernatural body would let him. He could hear her laughter, floating behind him and he cursed. Sunnydale was a one-horse town, but that still left a hundred and one places for a Slayer to die...
It was her scent he found first. The acrid stench of her fear overlaid with the spice of adrenaline teased at his nostrils. From somewhere on his left, he heard the sound of a struggle; the rustling of cloth, the short, sharp breaths of the fearful, the clanking of…armor? Bloody hell! He swerved, dodging a low hanging tree branch and skidded into the alley.
The Slayer stood, trapped between a trio of growling, armor-clad vampires. No time for finesse; a quick and brutal would have to suffice. Somewhere inside him, he heard his Sire’s groan of despair.
Ah, William? Have I not taught ye better than that? Quick and brutal is for those that lack imagination. Anyone can bludgeon a man to death. It takes skill to destroy him by inches.
“Sorry,” he muttered, appeasing the ghosts that lived in his head. “Promise I’ll make the next one beg for death.”
He rushed forward, the momentum sending him through the center of the group. They went flying, vampires and The Slayer tumbling apart. Spike rolled, using his shoulder to cushion his fall and push himself back onto his feet. He glanced around, reassuring himself that the Slayer was unhurt. She leapt quickly to her feet and joined him. “You always go for the dramatic entrance,” she observed dryly, a small smile teasing the corners of her mouth.
“Nah,” he disagreed. “Just been a while since I had a good game of nine pin, ‘s all. Besides, I heard a rumor you were…duck!”
The Slayer ducked, dropping quickly to a crouch. Her leg jerked outwards in a circle, sweeping her attacker off his feet. Spike fought himself into a corner, desperately trying to weave his way out of an ever-shrinking circle.
“Oi,” he shouted, smashing his head into the nose of the nearest vampire. “Any chance you might get these renaissance rejects off of me? ”
She responded by reaching through the snarling duo, and pulling him behind her as she ran out of the alley. He shook off her hand, knowing that they’d both need all their concentration to escape. If the clanking and growling he heard were any indication, the three vampires were hot on their heels.
The Slayer fled up the steps of a sturdy house, rushing through the door and calling breathlessly for him to get in. He felt the mystical barrier melt away beneath his fingertips and he slipped into her house, their pursuers unhappily trapped outside.
“Manky gits,” he muttered, cradling his fist. He turned and smiled at the girl standing just behind him. “Chin up, love. Vampire’s got have an invite. Not likely to trouble you any more tonight, yeah?”
“I’ve heard that before,” she said solemnly, “but I’ve never put it to the test. You’re…your hand needs bandaging. Just come into the kitchen, okay?”
She led him through the dimly lit house. It was cozy, he reflected. A bit stiff and shiny in places, walls still a bit bare of photos, bric-a-brac and the like. But it was a nice place. Almost reminded him of home.
The Slayer turned, delicate fingers wrapping around his damaged hand. The cross around her neck winked at him as it shifted and settled with her movements. Home and family, what he’d had and destroyed, dwelt inside these walls.
He sighed, consciously attempting to shift the melancholic mood that had been threatening since his conversation with the Watcher. All that nattering with the older man and he was still in the hot seat.
“So,” The Slayer said, dragging the word out. “Not that I mind a convenient rescue, but wanna tell me about the convenient rescue?”
“I heard a rumor,” Spike shrugged. He sighed again. “Got wind of it while I was barracking with your Watcher. Went there to find out if Xand…if your friend was all right.”
She stared at him, hands still smoothing out wrinkles in the medical tape. He met her gaze, then dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling. Bloody women! His life was full of interfering women.
“Buffy?” A sweet voice rang through the house. “Honey? Are you home?”
Chapter 12
Rating: NC-17 overall
Summary: A vampire with a soul comes to Sunnydale to help The Slayer. Can a demon ever atone?
A/N: Thanks so much to
noandwhere for her brilliant (and as usual so very last minute) beta. She's a super-duper trooper! Written for tamingthemuse prompt # 89-hot seat. Previous chapters can be found here.Spike growled at her, wheeling around and running as fast as his supernatural body would let him. He could hear her laughter, floating behind him and he cursed. Sunnydale was a one-horse town, but that still left a hundred and one places for a Slayer to die...
It was her scent he found first. The acrid stench of her fear overlaid with the spice of adrenaline teased at his nostrils. From somewhere on his left, he heard the sound of a struggle; the rustling of cloth, the short, sharp breaths of the fearful, the clanking of…armor? Bloody hell! He swerved, dodging a low hanging tree branch and skidded into the alley.
The Slayer stood, trapped between a trio of growling, armor-clad vampires. No time for finesse; a quick and brutal would have to suffice. Somewhere inside him, he heard his Sire’s groan of despair.
Ah, William? Have I not taught ye better than that? Quick and brutal is for those that lack imagination. Anyone can bludgeon a man to death. It takes skill to destroy him by inches.
“Sorry,” he muttered, appeasing the ghosts that lived in his head. “Promise I’ll make the next one beg for death.”
He rushed forward, the momentum sending him through the center of the group. They went flying, vampires and The Slayer tumbling apart. Spike rolled, using his shoulder to cushion his fall and push himself back onto his feet. He glanced around, reassuring himself that the Slayer was unhurt. She leapt quickly to her feet and joined him. “You always go for the dramatic entrance,” she observed dryly, a small smile teasing the corners of her mouth.
“Nah,” he disagreed. “Just been a while since I had a good game of nine pin, ‘s all. Besides, I heard a rumor you were…duck!”
The Slayer ducked, dropping quickly to a crouch. Her leg jerked outwards in a circle, sweeping her attacker off his feet. Spike fought himself into a corner, desperately trying to weave his way out of an ever-shrinking circle.
“Oi,” he shouted, smashing his head into the nose of the nearest vampire. “Any chance you might get these renaissance rejects off of me? ”
She responded by reaching through the snarling duo, and pulling him behind her as she ran out of the alley. He shook off her hand, knowing that they’d both need all their concentration to escape. If the clanking and growling he heard were any indication, the three vampires were hot on their heels.
The Slayer fled up the steps of a sturdy house, rushing through the door and calling breathlessly for him to get in. He felt the mystical barrier melt away beneath his fingertips and he slipped into her house, their pursuers unhappily trapped outside.
“Manky gits,” he muttered, cradling his fist. He turned and smiled at the girl standing just behind him. “Chin up, love. Vampire’s got have an invite. Not likely to trouble you any more tonight, yeah?”
“I’ve heard that before,” she said solemnly, “but I’ve never put it to the test. You’re…your hand needs bandaging. Just come into the kitchen, okay?”
She led him through the dimly lit house. It was cozy, he reflected. A bit stiff and shiny in places, walls still a bit bare of photos, bric-a-brac and the like. But it was a nice place. Almost reminded him of home.
The Slayer turned, delicate fingers wrapping around his damaged hand. The cross around her neck winked at him as it shifted and settled with her movements. Home and family, what he’d had and destroyed, dwelt inside these walls.
He sighed, consciously attempting to shift the melancholic mood that had been threatening since his conversation with the Watcher. All that nattering with the older man and he was still in the hot seat.
“So,” The Slayer said, dragging the word out. “Not that I mind a convenient rescue, but wanna tell me about the convenient rescue?”
“I heard a rumor,” Spike shrugged. He sighed again. “Got wind of it while I was barracking with your Watcher. Went there to find out if Xand…if your friend was all right.”
She stared at him, hands still smoothing out wrinkles in the medical tape. He met her gaze, then dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling. Bloody women! His life was full of interfering women.
“Buffy?” A sweet voice rang through the house. “Honey? Are you home?”
Chapter 12
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
on 2008-04-06 07:31 am (UTC)Buffy falling for Spike?
Bloody women! His life was full of interfering women.
I can imagine him wincing and silently thinking that.
Hopefully the next update would be shorter.
Because yeah, this series is killing me.
no subject
on 2008-04-12 02:09 am (UTC)But! I'm glad you're enjoying it. And no, Buffy won't fall for Spike in this one. It's out of character for her. I'm not an OTP girl by any means and I respect the canon relationship between Spike and Buffy. However, she didn't fall in love with him in canon either. They had a dysfunctional sexual relationship followed by a period of mutual respect and affection. The scariness won't be happening here! At least not between Spike and Buffy... ;)
no subject
on 2008-04-12 07:10 am (UTC)Um, just wanted to take up your offer on writing if you still do have the time. And cause I have no idea where to ask this thought maybe I should just ask it here.
Well I was wondering whether you could make a one-shot story/picture/chapter anything with the prompt of 'cigarettes'.
If you could it would greatly appreciated!
no subject
on 2008-04-06 11:12 am (UTC)Great chapter honey. I really missed this story, it makes happy to see that you updated :)
no subject
on 2008-04-12 02:10 am (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-06 11:42 am (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-12 02:12 am (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-08 12:24 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-12 02:13 am (UTC)no subject
on 2008-04-26 02:24 pm (UTC)This was a wonderful description, heavy with Spike's loss and longing: "The Slayer turned, delicate fingers wrapping around his damaged hand. The cross around her neck winked at him as it shifted and settled with her movements. Home and family, what he’d had and destroyed, dwelt inside these walls." Joyce coming in on Spike's musing about interfering women was wonderful.
no subject
on 2008-04-29 01:49 am (UTC)