Landslide
by Shadith
Buffy stared around the bronze, wondering what exactly they were
supposed to be doing, "When does this thing start? I still have
patrol." Willow looked at her watch, "She should be on any minute
now." The club went dark, Buffy straightend rady for an attack. As the
lights came on over the stage Riley leaned forward, while Willow and
Tara gasped at the seductive pull of magic. Wrapped in smoke and
shadows, she moved into the light. As she opened her arms, her voice
slid out into the crowd. Alive, searching, conquering.
~~I know how to hurt, I know how to heal I know what to show and what
to conceal~~
Buffy watched mesmerized as she beckoned to the crowd. Willow moaned
feeling the voice like a caress, she could smell Tara's growing
arousal. Riley sat digging his fingers into his palms, she was
dangerous he knew that but it didn't seem to matter. She called to
him, voice smooth as cream pouring over the crowd like warm wine.
~~People like us know how to survive, There's no point in living
if you can't feel alive. We know when to kiss and we know when to
kill. IF WE CAN'T HAVE IT ALL THEN NOBODY WILL.
Spike cursed fighting the pull, then glanced at the scooby gang.
<'effin hell. Stupid gits.> He should have known better, there was no
way they'd be able to escape that voice. The only thing keeping him
from falling to his knees was the rage. He watched as she stood
silent head bowed, then the lights went out. Her voice the only thing
concrete, seeking it's prey in the dark. Suddenly a spotlight engulfs
her, the only thing visible in the entire club. Throwing her head
back, her voice thundered out into the crowd.
~~THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, NO NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH, THE WORLD IS NOT
ENOUGH AND IF WE'RE STRONG ENOUGH TOGETHER WE CAN TAKE THE WORLD
APART~~
Then lights shut out again, then came on over the crowd. Spike cursed
as his eyes adjusted to the rapid changes in lighting. He glanced up
at the stage, and she was gone. <FUCK> She did it again. Spike shoved
his way through the crowd, cursing the warning spikes of pain.
Grabbing the disoriented slayer, he yanked her from her seat. "Come
on you, daft git. She's getting away." Buffy followed behind Spike,
shaking off her remaining daze. Leaving the others behind, they
rushed from the club. "There, slayer." Turning they raced down the
alley, they chased the elusive woman dodging up and down side
streets. "Split up. You go left, I'll take right," yelled Buffy.
Coming in hard and fast they barely missed colliding.
Buffy looked around bewildered, as Spike cursed vehemently. "Where'd
she go?" "She got away you..." Spike stopped abruptly, watching the
rising anger on the slayer's face. "Where the hell is Riley?," she
said looking around. Spike bit back another curse, as Buffy raced
back to the club. <Leave it to the slut to be more concerned about
her boy-toy than... Well tonight was just bloody fucked.> Trailing in
behind the slayer, Spike arrived just in time to see Buffy berating
Riley. Spike looked at the enraged slayer, and the furiously blushing
witches. Smiling, he reconsidered the outcome of their little
venture. <Maybe this in't so screwed after all. The cunt's ticked off
cause the solider got enthralled, and the witch's are upset cause
someone's mojo is better than theirs. 'ell they got their own reasons
now.> Spike smirked, yes this was good.
Chapter XVI
Leaving Ethan passed out upstairs, Giles practically hummed as he
headed into the kitchen. He didn't particularly want anything but he
knew the gang would be back any minute. Putting the water on to boil,
he leaned against the counter thinking. He couldn't believe he and
Ethan were together again. If he'd regretted anything about becoming
a watcher it was leaving Ethan. Sure he regretted some of the things
he'd done in his past, but he couldn't ever regret Ethan. Ethan was
his, always would be. Taking the steaming kettle of the stove, he
ignored his worries. Knowing that the situation couldn't continue
like it was but oddly reluctant to do anything about it. Buffy would
have the mother of all tantrums, tantamount to a nuculear explosion
when she found out about Ethan.
Giles pushed away from the counter, hearing the commotion at the
door. He watched, puzzled as Buffy and Riley entered arguing. He
guessed the night's excursion hadn't gone as smoothly as they'd
thought. He had to bite back a laugh when Spike came sulking in, he'd
never seen a vampire in a snit. And the vampire was definitely in a
snit. Before he could speak, Spike began yelling. "Yer slayer blew
it," he yelled pacing the floor, "useless git..."
"Useless," Buffy screeched, "I'm not the one that lost her." Giles
interrupted before they could began a full-scale verbal battle. "What
exactly happened?" Willow and Tara shrugged. "We think she might be a
siren, at least she fits one of the descriptions. W-when w-were there
no one could d-do anything, expect l-listen to h-her," stuttered
Tara. Giles shuddered sirens were dangerous but rare creatures. He
wondered what she was doing in Sunnydale, they rarely came this far
inland. "Buffy quit yelling at Riley, he couldn't help it anymore
than the rest of you. Now, this is going to be dangerous. Siren's
aren't fully human. No one knows sure what they are, but their not
demons either. So, Spike that leaves you out."
Spike snarled cutting off Giles explaination. When Giles stared at
him, Spike realized he'd was revealing too much. He quickly tried to
cover his error. "Something smells strange, Ripper. I could swear
someone's been 'ere." Giles tensed, knowing that the vampire had to
be smelling Ethan. He bit back a curse, he knew that wasn't why the
vampire'd been snarling, but Ripper knew a threat when he heard one.
Cause if the vampire could smell him now, he definetly could before.
Tara's eyes danced between the two men, something was going on, but
she couldn't tell what, yet.
"Giles, I'm sure Tara and I can come up with a paralyzing spell
that'll hold her. It'll give us time to figure out what to do with
her." Spike snorted, "And just 'ow do you plan on findin' 'er? Seein'
as 'ow the slayer lost 'er?" Trying to ignore the still whining
slayer, Riley said, "Easy, tomorrow's her last night. We can't go in
without getting whammied, so we wait outside and ambush her. Willow
and Tara do their thing, and we bring her back here." Buffy bounced
off the couch, "I say we kill her. I think she's trying to raise an
army. And come on we all know how Xander's girlfriends turn out. Need
I remind everyone about Ms. French, Ampata, and let's not forget
Faith." Spike almost crowed, slutty was finally good for something.
Giles shook his head, "She's human,..." Buffy cut him off, "You said
partly. That means she's kinda like a vampire." "No, that means. One
of her sires was human." Willow practically buzzed, "What if we can
make her all human, like Anya." Spike frowned, then grinned. He could
work with that. "Good idea, you and Tara work on the paralyzing
spell, I'll see about changing her." Buffy looking put out, glanced
at her watch, "Are we done? Cause I still need to patrol, and then I
just wanna crash." "Yes, yes do go...umm crash."
*********************************************************************
Saturday 4pm
Adaire paced the apartment, restless energy filling her every
movement. She missed Xander, at first she'd been delighted to have a
few days alone. She was a solitary creature, on her own for over 14
years. She couldn't believe how miserable she was. The first couple
days were fine, she'd splayed across their double bed, blasted
her 'chick' music all day, and roamed Sunnydale. She snorted, that
had taken all of three hours.
She pushed away from the window, turning towards the bedroom. <Sleep
is a good> She stopped, she didn't want to get into that empty bed.
Plus, she didn't think she could sleep. She wasn't the least bit
tired. In fact, she felt pumped, ready to party. Her entire body
hummed with extra energy. She couldn't seem to get rid of it, could
feel it building. Flopping onto the couch, she flicked through the
channels intent on zoning for the next few hours. Slowly she drifted
into sleep, dismissing the changes as simply a bout of excess energy
and Xander missage. Her sleep was uneasy, balanced on the knife edge
of dreams and oblivion.
For nothing is coincidence on the Hellmouth, center of mystical
convergences, where powerful forces worked their will on all.
Including, the young woman who slept unaware of the changes creeping
through her. Deep within her power awoke slowly responding to the
magicks in the air. For like calls to like, and magic seeks it's own.
And while she may have no clue as to how and what she is, it won't
stop her from becoming who and what she will be. For while Fate may
be delayed, it can never be denied.
**********************************************************************
Saturday 6pm
Buffy sat twirling the silver blade, watching as Giles, Willow, and
Tara mixed herbs and chanted. She sighed bored and restless, she
didn't like the inactivity and hoped things would go wrong so she
could justifiably kill something. Spike watched the slayer, as she
played with the knife, he could sense her eagerness to hunt and he
intended to use it to his advantage. He wanted to off the witch
himself, but it really didn't matter as long as she was dead. Tara
stared at the ingredients, something was off. She could swear she
knew the woman, but that'd mean she was... Tara dimissed the thought
quickly, she'd seen no others like herself in a long time. Giles
mixed the spells components, mentally berating himself. He knew thai
was wrong, somehow. He just couldn't figure it out. His instincts
were telling him something was coming, and their interference could
be disasterous. He and Ethan had tried just about everything they
knew, and despite their combined powers still nothing. He had a bad
feeling.
