Previous chapters

Shot in the Dark

can be found on Tiana's website, I didn't see the current chapter added  there yet, so I thought I'd put it up here

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Chapter 47: Heartbeat
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Spike finds himself without fear as Themis stands and comes near, drawn to his knees by just a look from the storm clouds in those eyes. He feels the light building, surging around her with a force so strong there is sound to the light, there is heat. Crackling, snapping energy swirling, building in intensity until it gathers into Themis herself. Her skin, glowing before, blazes light so bright Spike flinches, closes his eyes as his world goes white. In the next second, he feels the light rush into him, seeking out every corner of his body, pushing into every void, expanding his veins, his lungs and finally, his long dead heart.

With a gasp, Spike takes a breath. Then, another. In the next second, with a thump of his heart, he kickstarts a rhythm he has not maintained in over a hundred years. Now sprawled forward on his hands and knees, Spike breathes wildly as the light burns through him and finally begins to recede. He opens his eyes and spots dance in front of them as his heart races, unused to its new task, beats skipping and bounding inside his chest. An unfamiliar warmth pulses out from his chest, slipping and pouring through his body until he feels his toes tingle and his fingertips throb with it. Finally, Spike sits back on his heels and looks up at Themis, eyes wild.

She is the picture of calm, seated back on her throne-like chair, eyes gone nearly gentle as she watches him struggle. Spike’s hand clutches his shirt, trying in vain to control his heartbeat. His cheeks flush, newly pumping blood filling them with a pink glow. Themis leans forward just a little, “Are you well, William? Can you feel the life pulsing through you?”

Spike nods, swallowing hard as his heart rate finally begins to slow and stabilize. Short of breath, gasping, he breathes out a reply. “What exactly just happened?”

A small smile plays across her lips as Themis regards him. “I brought your humanity to light.” A light dances in her eyes. “As was prophesied.”

Spike falls silent, assessing the new feelings in his body. The warmth he emanates, the way his heart thrums strong in his chest. And still, a strength beyond any human. Senses sharp enough to smell the scent of Themis’ hair, to taste the air around him. His eyebrows draw down tightly as he snaps his eyes to hers. His voice is low, focused and a flicker of gold flashes in his eyes. “I’m still a vampire.” Spike rises to his feet, his body tense with power. “I’m...what in hell am I?”

Themis, calm as ever, holds him in his place with a flick of her eyes. “You are one like no other, William. I took the two threads of your existence and blended them to make you both human and vampire. Strong, but not immortal. A thirst for blood, a need for food. Do you understand? You were chosen.” She pauses. “By me.”

He stares at her for a few seconds, her meaning sinking in.

“For her.” Spike’s face opens in amazement. “For Buffy. I can be with her. Stay with her. Fight by her side.” He swallows, tears rising suddenly and his voice barely audible. “I can actually grow old with her.” Eyes wet, he grins at the goddess in front of her.

She returns a soft smile and nods. “For someone who has just lost his immortality, you seem pleased.”

“Sod the immortality. I’ve lived a bleedin’ long time already. I never thought I could be what she needed. Not really. And now you’ve done it. I still don’t understand why, but I’m bloody pleased you did.” Spike feels his heart race in excitement and puts his hand to his chest. “This is going to take some getting used to.” He pauses, his focus inward, his body gone very very still. When he finally lifts his eyes to meet Themis’, they are soft and blue and full of an indefinable emotion.

She seems to know what he is going to ask before he does. Themis begins to nod as Spike speaks. “A soul?”

“Indeed.”

“It...I can feel it. It’s really there.” Suddenly, his face goes completely serious and his gaze sharpens, face drawn and serious. He stands up, ramrod straight, and faces her. “What’s the catch?”

For the first time since appearing from thin air, Themis looks momentarily confused. “The catch? What do you mean?”

“I mean, is it like Peaches’ soul? I get to be with Buffy, but I can’t be with Buffy?”

“Peaches?” Themis’ ivory-skinned features continue to be marred by wrinkles of confusion.

“Sorry. Angel...Angelus? Got cursed with the soul, can’t get ‘happy’ or poof, he’s evil?”

Themis hesitates a moment longer and then laughs softly. “Oh, yes. He was cursed by the Romany. A souled vampire, but with...restrictions. That would be the ‘catch’ you speak of?”

Spike nods in reply, unable to keep a smirk from his face.

“There is no such ‘catch’ with your soul, William. Or Spike. Really, both are correct now. You are both of them more than ever.”

The smirk spreads into a full grin, crisp blue eyes flashing with mirth. “Well, that’s bloody well fantastic, love. Feel like I hit the lottery.” He cocks an eyebrow at her. “Sure there’s no catch?”

“I am quite certain. Your Slayer is The Slayer of this age. She deserves a partner who can match her strength, her heart and her soul. You are now that match. If there is a catch, it is that you should not make a goddess angry. You will not squander this gift. Understand?” Her power, muted until this moment, floods over Spike in a wave, making him lightheaded and nauseous. Themis’ stormy eyes flash a warning not lost on Spike.

“Not to worry. You’re one bird I’m not going to cross.”

Themis rises to her feet again and in a blink, the chair behind her is gone. Her robes flow in a breeze of her own making, as the world around them is still frozen. “Good. You have a survival instinct. This will serve you well in the years to come. Remember, William, you can be killed now. In all the ways both mortals and vampires alike may die.”

“Got it. And...thanks. You won’t regret this.”

“You’re right. For if I come to feel any regret for this gift, I will ensure you feel that same regret a thousand times over. I know you will do all in your power to prevent such an unfortunate result.”

Spike swallows, the unfamiliar feeling of his heart racing in fear cutting through him. Her power is beyond reproach and he is quite sure she is the most dangerous woman he has ever been near, Buffy included. The sensation of his heartbeat pounding in his ears is disturbing and he realizes this living, breathing gig is going to take some getting used to.

“You’ve got my word.”

Themis pauses, studies the serious man in front of her and smiles slightly in satisfaction. Her choice is a good one.

“Farewell. Oh, and do not let my daughters threaten you anymore. You will not die today.” Themis starts to gesture with her hands and then hesitates. “Time will resume now. Be ready. And be well.” She completes a wave of one hand with the nonchalance of a goddess. Spike is immediately blinded by white light once again as he feels the world rush back over him. Sound and scent and noise flood his senses as the white light fades. He is again in the center of a circle of crackling fire facing three immortals. He glances around sharply, but all signs of Themis are gone. Spike’s hand goes to his chest and breathes a sigh of relief. His heartbeat is still there. It was real.

The false daylight created by Clotho has vanished, letting the moonlight back into the stone circle. The three Fates lower their arms, faces filled with confusion. The blond vampire is not screaming in pain or even cowering. He is standing upright, arms crossed, looking somewhere between cocky and pissed.

Clotho is the first to recover and speak. Her voice is harsh and angry and it cuts into Spike, who doesn’t even flinch. “Vampire, what have you done? How have you...”

“It’s not fun when someone toys with your big plans, is it? A right pisser, I know. Turns out you three are bit full of yourselves and your power is not all that you made it out to be.” Spike smirks, trying to remember his new human vulnerability, but finding it difficult to back down from these three.

Atropos’ voice crackles over the air, making the hair on the back of Spike’s neck stand on end. “How dare you speak to us this way! I will not have it, creature.” With a sharp gesture, she conjures Spike’s thread into her hand and whips out her scissors, ignoring the words from her sisters. The blades flash with firelight as she starts to close them over the newly merged thread. With a sudden crack, the scissors fly from her hand and she screams, holding her hand in pain as she falls to her knees. Spike’s thread starts to fall, but is snatched into the hands of Lachesis, who looks at it in wonder.

“It has been fully merged. How is this possible?”

Spike tilts his head to the side, one eyebrow lifted. “Oh, did I forget to mention it? Your mum told me to give you a message. She says, ‘Sod off.’ Only not in so many words.”
Pale faces go paler still as the three sisters quail at the mention of Themis. Clotho strides forward, but keeps her distance from Spike. “You do not know our mother.”

“Sure I do. Tall gal, ‘bout yea high.” Spike gestures a few inches above his own height. “Black hair, white robes? A looker, too. And a bit unhappy with you lot.” He smiles. “Thought you should know. She says to keep your mitts off me ‘til it’s my real time to go. I’m thinking she has something to do with that, Grams.” Atropos scowls up at him, her hand curled up, blistered and red. She gets to her feet, but doesn’t say a word.

“Let us be gone, sisters. He is nothing to us now.” Her grating voice seems to wake Clotho and Lachesis from their fear and confusion.

“Yeah, nice meetin’ ya! See you in fifty years or so, right?” They turn from him without another sound and as they take a few steps away, they begin to fade from view. “Don’t let the portal hit your asses on the way out!”

With a sudden crack and pop that makes Spike’s ears ring, the fire surrounding him vanishes as the Fates wink from view. He is suddenly very very tired and feels himself slowly sink to the ground.

“Spike!” Finally released from Giles’ and Xander’s grips, Buffy runs forward, throwing herself on the ground next to him. His eyes are slightly out of focus, but he is still semi-conscious. “Spike! Are you okay?”

He grimaces, and then tries to smile in reassurance. “I’m not deaf, love. And yeah, ‘m okay. Just...tired. Can I just...rest for a minute?” The sudden changes to his physical self are taking a toll on Spike and the adrenaline of facing the Fates is wearing off in a hurry. His eyes slip closed, his hand lightly grasping Buffy’s. Xander, Anya, Giles and Willow come up behind her, faces showing their confusion and worry.

Buffy leans forward, relieved to see that her love is still in one piece. The short period of time he was in the circle and out of reach felt like an eternity. And now, to see him again and seemingly unhurt. Her throat closes as tears push their way toward her eyes. She drops down, resting her head on his chest and clutching him to her.

The first clue is the warmth. She quickly writes that off to his time in the fire circle. And then, there is the way his chest is rising and falling. But then again, he usually breathes. A habit, he says.

But the heartbeat. She has no explanation for that one. And yet, there it is, thumping along slow and steady. Giles sees Buffy’s entire body go rigid as she presses her ear into his chest.

“Buffy, what is it? What’s wrong?” She doesn’t answer, waving him silent for another minute. Buffy concentrates on slowing her own heart to avoid any confusion, any misunderstanding. Her left hand reaches for his wrist and feels for the pulse there. And finds it.

Anya wonders aloud, “Giles, why is Buffy checking for Spike’s pulse?”

Taking his glasses off and holding the back of his hand to his mouth for a second, Giles finally answers. The reaction of his Slayer could mean only one thing, really.

“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s because he has one.”


 

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