One Thousand Light Years

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Starlight Series: Story 10/12

AUTHOR: Ariane
EMAIL: ariane_five@yahoo.com
RATING: NC-17
PAIRING: Buffy/Spike
SETTING: Post 'The Grave' AU S7
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November 22 Late Morning


About an hour later, Xander stood before the house on 53 Orion. He’d watched as Buffy and then, Rigel and the little dog, left the house. Spike must be all alone now, he thought. The sky had clouded over and it began to rain. He placed his hand indecisively on the wooden gate and then pulled it back as a searing pain shot up his hand and arm. He glanced up and down the street and then, with a quick movement, he jumped over the fence. He tried the front door but it was locked. He went around to the back of the house.


* * * * *


Spike sat on the back porch and drank from a large bottle of whiskey. He’d made his way downstairs in the empty house and found his secret stash. He didn’t want to think anymore. He knew he had to make a decision about what to tell Buffy, but he just couldn’t face it. He’d tried to sort out his feelings and all he could think at this point was that he’d rather just end it all rather than be without her. He didn't really want to leave her. But he also knew he couldn’t bear to have her constantly worrying about him.

“Stupid bloody mess. I should’ve just found a way to get the chip out and come back and killed them all,” he thought angrily. “Or better yet, never come back at all.”

He thought about her arms around him last night and the sweet kisses she’d given him, and he swore to himself.

“I’m bleeding trapped. No way out.”

He felt the wind rise and heard the sudden splash of rain against the porch roof.  He stood up and stumbled out into the garden.


* * * * *


Xander watched as Spike walked unsteadily out into the middle of the rainstorm.

“Now or never,” he thought, and moved toward the blind vampire.

Spike collapsed next to the spring. “River of tears, right in my own backyard,” he laughed. “I’ll give you a river of tears…bloody damn cruel fate…nothing…” He paused, sensing the presence of another being.

“Xander, my friend! Here to finish the job? Care for a little nip? Perhaps you won’t miss this time,” he laughed.

Xander stood over the vampire. He didn't speak. He was trying to really look at him. Trying to see, trying to feel the presence of a soul, of something different in the pathetic being, crumpled at his feet. He tried to remember what he’d decided to do, what his decision had been. But all he felt was cold and lost. And frankly, he felt just like Spike looked, at the moment. He flung himself down on the grass next to Spike and pulled the bottle out of his hand.

“Thanks,” he said and took a long pull off the bottle.

The two sat silently, side by side in the rain, and finished off the bottle.

Spike gave Xander detailed, and rather rambling, instructions as to where to find another one. 

Spike lay on his back and let the cold rain wash over him. His hand was draped over the stone ledge of the spring’s pool, and he splashed his hand back and forth in the water. He rolled over to his side and submerged his head into the icy cold water. He felt the water slowly numb the pain in his head and eyes and he took a few deep gulps from the heart of the pool.

“So nice, so cool,” he thought, “Maybe, I can dive in. Just disappear into the center of the earth.” He started to slide himself into the pool.

Xander saw Spike lying with his head and shoulders beneath the water, slowly slipping into the pool. He rushed over to him and dragged him out of the water. Spike rolled back over onto his back and started laughing.

“Are you crazy?” Xander yelled.

“What’d you do that for? Stupid wanker. All my problems would’ve been over.”

“I’m sorry.” Xander said suddenly.

“Yeah…too late, mate. Doesn’t matter anyway ‘cause I’m outta here.”

“I’m sorry.”

Xander threw the bottle he’d been holding down on the grass next to Spike. “I know there’s absolutely no way in this world you’ll ever forgive me. But I’m sorry.”

Spike felt a strange tingling sensation in his veins, felt his body flush with light and an odd warmth. He struggled to sit up. He picked up the bottle and set it upright on the grass and tried to open the cap.

“You know, Xander. I know why you hate me. Strange. I know why you did it. And you know what’s so bloody awful about the whole thing?”

“What’s that?” Xander took the bottle from Spike and opened the cap. He took a quick drink and handed it back Spike.

“I would’ve done the same thing. If  I saw you with Buffy. Only I wouldn’t have waited so long. Would’ve done it in a heartbeat,” he laughed. “If I had one…”

He took a deep drink and sighed, “Women. Are they demons?”

Xander shivered, suddenly cold in the rain, which was now pouring down in thick sheets.

“Woman I love is a sweet demon…not sure about Buffy, though she is awfully strong. You know one time…”

Spike and Xander reminisced, enthusiastically, if not a little incoherently, about their loves and the adventures they’d shared over the past years. They finished drinking the second bottle. And then Spike told Xander what he’d done to get his soul back.

“Must really love her,” Xander mused. “Never understood.”

“Yeah…well it hasn’t been a fairytale romance that’s for sure. I can forgive you for not understanding, mate. Most of the time I didn’t really understand myself. A vampire and a vampire slayer! Hah!”

“You talking to a man in love with a vengeance demon. Doesn’t get weirder than that.”

They argued drunkenly for several minutes about who had the stranger relationship. They were interrupted by a quick flash of lightening which illuminated the sky.

Xander jumped up and pulled Spike to his feet. “Come on. We better get inside. Before we both end up crispy critters.”


* * * * *


Rigel and Maisa waited at Willie’s bar until the rain stopped and then made their way back home. Rigel paused at the front door, he’d heard laughter coming from inside the house. He smiled to himself and opened the door.

“We’re back! With lots of food!” he shouted.

He went into the kitchen and found Xander and Spike sitting at the kitchen table. Xander was reading aloud to Spike from the book, ‘Are Humans really Demons?’ Xander was dressed in some of Spike’s old clothes and was wearing Spike’s black duster.

Rigel looked back and forth between the two and smiled. “Looks like you two have been doing a little traveling together. Light years. Just about a thousand light years from last night, I’d guess.”

Xander and Spike laughed.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Spike smiled. 

“Perhaps I do.” Rigel set the heavy bags down on the table. “I think you fellows need something to eat. “Xander? Can you cook?” Rigel pulled out several jars of blood and a hug slab of beef from one of the bags. “I think the others will show up soon, so we better hurry.”


* * * * *


An hour later, a frantic Buffy rushed into the house, followed by Anya and Dawn. She found Spike on the couch in the sitting room.

“Where is he?” she demanded. “Where’s Xander? I’ll kill him!” She stood over the couch shaking with anger.

“Buffy…No! Please…don’t kill Xander…” Anya cried.

Dawn tried to grab the evil looking knife which Buffy held in her hand.

“If you kill Xander, we won’t get anything to eat. Rigel is a terrible cook,” Spike said in a cool voice, and tried to pull Buffy down onto the couch.

Buffy dropped the knife, knelt down, and flung her arms around Spike.

Anya left the room to search for Xander. Dawn followed.


* * * * *

November 22nd Late Evening

They’d finished the meal which Xander had prepared and they sat around the somewhat battered dining room table staring at the empty plates. Maisa was sitting at Dawn’s feet happily chewing on the large bone which Dawn had slipped her when no one was looking. Rigel poured himself a glass of water and raised it up above his head in a toast. They picked up their glasses to join him.

“I’d like to make a little toast. Here’s to kindness. A good thing. Whether found in the heart of a human or the soul of a demon!”


* * * * *


After Xander and Anya left, Rigel settled Dawn down on the couch in a makeshift bed. Maisa jumped up on the couch and refused to move. 

“I see you have a new friend. Bribed easily?” Rigel smiled.

“Maisa and I are the only two normal beings in this house. We need to stick together. Right, Maisa?”

Maisa gave Dawn’s hand a little lick and then gave Rigel a cold look. 

“Abandoned. Oh dear.” Rigel turned out the lights and went into the kitchen to finish cleaning up.


* * * * *


Buffy led Spike upstairs. She made him sit on the edge of the bed while she undressed him.

“You seem to like doing this pet, right? Me all helpless here, and you having to dress and undress me.”

“Like undressing you best,” she whispered.

She removed his shirt and placed her hand against his chest. She ran it slowly across his soft skin, traced the hard curve of his chest, down his stomach to his belt. She unhooked his belt, then unzipped his pants and knelt down and slipped them off. She placed her hands on the top of his thighs and slowly inched them up until they rested on either side of his now erect cock. She bent over and licked the tip of his cock with her tongue and then took his whole length deep into her mouth, sucking hungrily.

He settled back on his elbows and gave a deep moan. She released him and stood up to remove her pants. She straddled his thighs, and slowly rubbed the slick lips of her sex gently against his cock. She placed both hands on his chest again, and then ran one hand up along his collarbone to the base of his neck and then placed it against his cheek.

“You are the most beautiful being in the universe. I could just look at you for hours. So beautiful…” she murmured, and bent down to kiss his other cheek.

He turned his face quickly toward her and caught her lips with his own. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back over him onto the bed.

“How did you do that?” she gasped.

In a frenzy, he stripped off her shirt and rolled her over onto her back. He spread her legs apart with his knees and then thrust himself slowly, and deeply inside her.

His deep blue eyes blazed down at her as she lay moaning beneath him.

“I could look at you for hours too, love.”