<> and ** are thoughts and/or emphasis..the story
makes which obvious. I hope.
Distribution: Just let me know where its going first, please. Archive
away.
Feedback: Please feed my fameslut demon. It gives her a happy.
Ronin: Within You Parts 2 and 3
Angel had chosen his basement apartment precisely for its isolation.
Once
secluded within the darkened space, it became nearly impossible to
judge
time. Were it not for the single clock by the bed chiming the hour
in dulcet
tones, the passage of day into night would go completely unmarked.
The faint
glow of Spike's cigarette bathed his face in an eerie orange light.
Angel lay
on folded arms, and watched as Spike took one deep drag after another
in the
darkened room. The blond turned his head to catch the silent stare,
and
groaned.
"Dont look at me that way, you bleedin poof." Angel looked genuinely
surprised. "What way?"
"That I'm all souled way you get after a particularly vicious shag.
Like
you're checking for leftover bruises. I like it , you like it, so fer
christsake can we just leave it alone, Peaches?"
Angel looked away, slightly ashamed. Spike was the only living creature
who
could make him feel guilty about...feeling guilty. "Besides", he was
continuing between deep puffs, "it ain't like it was a couple hundred
years
back. This is right pale by comparison."
Angel turned to look at the vampire who was now stubbing out the cigarette
in
a dish on the bedside table. His own mixed emotions stopped him from
accurately reading Spike's tone, and he wanted to search the man's
face for
clues....but none were forthcoming in the stony expression.
"What the hell is it you want from me, Spike?" Angel's voice was more
wearied than angry.
Spike snorted, and lit another smoke, just to have something else to
think
about besides this conversation. "You know perfectly well what **I**
want,
pet. Im not the angst-ridden, reluctant fiend in this pair. You figure
out what
the hell it is **you** want, you just let me know, ay?"
<<High maintenance foof, he finished silently.>> This dance in
particular was
beginning to wear on the younger vampire. He exhaled a large cloud
of blue
smoke into the night air, and swore that if his Sire was ever idiot
enough
to apologize to him after one of their rougher toss abouts, he was
going to
kick the pillock in the teeth.
A low snarl from the other side of the bed. "What I want?! You want
to know
what I want, boy?" Turned so fast the cigarette dropped on his thigh...it
burned...it burns!! it ...
((((what I want is one of those Viper Roadsters...1992..only one hundred
built.....scalpel, please..)))) **It hurts...oh, bloody fuck it hurts...**
(((oh man, those are nice, but i like the BMW Roadsters better..need
a
clamp?)))) Strapped spread eagled, face down..blood gathering in a
puddle
underneath....so much blood....(((yea, thanks.. damn, vampires bleed
alot
more than any of the other hostiles))) Muffled cries...screams even...hard
slab of wood in the mouth....**my head...get your goddamn hands out
of my
head...** (((almost done, you can start taking out the IVs))) More
burning in
the leg...both arms numb...numb is good...numb is better than ...(((shit...I
can't get ...can you hold this?))) Pungent smell of alcohol. Nausea...wave
after wave....around the bite block..blood...and spit....vomit...more
blood...***oh gods, Angel...please...Angel make it stop....*** Pleading
like a baby. Tears of blood. ((there! ...damn...all right...go ahead
and wake it up)))
**I am awake you cocksucking, motherfucking.....when I get off this
sodding
table....** Sharp jab in the arm. Straps removed. Sagging, boneless,
into
the leather table, soaked in sweat. Chest heaving.
**Angel...Angel...Angel**.....A prayer.
Til suddenly he's there... Angelus... Sire, Saviour, smiling down on
him,
stroking his hair, slick with perspiration and blood...licking his
forehead...cleaning him like a father cat...**You came..you came...I
knew
you'd come...** A low growl..."What did they do to you?" Rough hands
on
the wound...another scream of agony as fingers pry open the fresh incision...
The voice, soft, furious..."How could you have let this happen, boy?
You're
useless now! What good are you to me? To anyone? .....There's nothing
left of
you that I want...."
Blond head dropped coldly onto the table...Weeping...pleading..."Master,
please!..I tried...I tried to stop them....I'll do anything...don't
leave me,
don't leave me Sire!...Don't..."
The rigid back of Angelus as he walks out. Shaking his head, over and
over,
repeating, "William, William".... Dissapointment in his tone. Heavy
door
slamming.
Alone.
*****NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!******
"William! Will!!"
Shaking...someone was shaking him..."William its a dream..its a dream..wake
up, love..wake up".... Arms around him, strong, sure, safe. Here. Rocking,
Chanting... a mantra. "It was a dream, it was just a dream."
Still in the throes of slumber, Spike leaned into the gentle embrace,
sobbing
uncontrollably, blood and salt on the smooth, white chest. Steady hands
stroked his fair hair, with the rythym of a lullabye. "It's Ok, now.
Everything is Ok. It was only a dream."
Muscles stiffening. Return to awareness. Throbbing pain in the back
of his
head. Spike pushed the arms around him away. He stared into the concerned
face of his Sire, looking at him like he was some kind of helpless
child.
<<Fuck I hate that! And dont go apologizing again either.>> Wince.
Soft voice repeating, "It was a dream, Will. That's all."
Deep shaky breath. Bright blue eyes meeting chocolate brown. "No, Angelus.
No. It was *not*."
Spike felt something cool pressing into his palm. He opened his hand,
and
looked down.
In it was a triangular, jade green stone.
************************************************************************
"All right. So youre telling me that until tonight...until now..you
had no
memory of...-"
Spike cut Angel off in mid-sentence. He was pacing the room, and so
upset,
his accent had gone back one hundred years in time. Angel had to pay
close
attention to catch the words. "Aye, that's what I'm telling you! You
think I'd
forget I remembered....I mean...look, you pillock! I was awake when
they
drilled a hole in the back of my skull! You don't just forget you KNEW
something like that!"
Spike turned quickly so he wouldn't see the look of pain cross Angel's
usually
stoic features. He knew Angel was wishing he could have been there
to protect him.
And, quite frankly, he didn't want to deal with Angel's pain right
now.
He felt plenty stupid already having called out to his Sire in his dream..memory...
whichever. Shagging Angel was one thing. He could even admit to loving
Angel,
if it came with the shagging. **Needing** Angel was another matter
entirely.
It was bad enough having this off-switch in his head. He wasn't going
to play
kitten in a tree to assuage his Sire's rescue-happy conscience to boot.
More questions, and Spike struggled to pay attention. "How did you get
the
stone, Spike? I thought I left it downstairs in my desk..." Angel trailed
off, trying to make sense of the evenings events, and having poor luck.
"You did", Spike answered. "I saw it myself. And I didn't get it out
either. Least not when I was awake...."
Angel rubbed his head sleepily. "You didn't get up. You fell asleep
as soon
as we got off the elevator and into bed. Two minutes later you had
the
dream. You never left the bed."
"So...this is some kind of bloody mojo, then. Christ I hate that stuff,
you
know that, Angelus."
Angel grinned. "Yea, I know. Look...go head back to bed. You look like
shit", he paused for the expected biting retort, and got it in the
form of two fingers
in the air.
Smiling, he continued, "I'll call Wesley on the cell phone. I left it
with
them for emergencies. I suppose haunted stones qualify. Maybe he can
look it up and
get back to us with some information that'll be of help."
Spike just nodded numbly. He was exhausted. Something about that
vision.....it was more than a dream...or a memory..It was like he had
*relived* the entire experience. But with all the feeling magnified
tenfold.
Terror..and longing...He had called for Angel in those moments...he
remembered that much...But of course, Angel had never come. So why
the
addition of Angelus at the end of what was otherwise an accurate
recollection?
Spike sighed and stumbled back to the bed. He could hear Angel's hushed
voice
on the phone in the other room, as he described the details of the
evening to
the Watcher. He caught the worry, anger and sadness in his tone, but
he was
too tired to take umbrage anymore at the protective stance.
Spike pulled Angel's pillow tight to his chest and inhaled the scent.
A short
moment later, Angel returned, and called his name softly. Spike didn't
answer.
He didn't stir when Angel sat cross legged next to him on the floor,
and
stroked his hair. When the soothing hands finally left his brow, Spike
let
out a small puff of breath, but his eyes did not open.
The smell of his Sire, the faint blue glow of a laptop and the soft
clicking
of keys kept him company that day, and there were no more dreams.
End Parts 2 & 3