TITLE: Amateur Magic [Part 9/9]
AUTHOR: Virtual Void
GENRE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
RATING: PG-13 for non-graphic violence, mild language, and adult situations.
SUMMARY: Buffy needs Spike’s and Dawn’s help to save the world--she just doesn’t know it.
SETTING: Season Seven-ish
PAIRINGS: Spike/Dawn
DISCLAIMER: Some of the characters and ideas in this story were taken directly from the television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (BTVS), which is owned, copyrighted and trademarked by Twentieth Century Fox, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, the WB Television Network, and/or their related entities. No profit is being made from this story, and no copyright infringement is intended. The copyright owners of BTVS have not endorsed or authorized this story, and the author of this story is not affiliated with the copyright owners of BTVS. This story itself is copyright 2003 by Virtual Void. All rights reserved. Enjoy.
ARCHIVE: Please ask first.
FEEDBACK: Feedback, criticism, and MiSTing are welcome. “Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich staerker.“
* * * * *
"I'm not afraid of you, Mister Smarmy Pants," Buffy said.
The Marmus smiled. "No reason you should be," he said. "Ah, but just out of curiosity... why not?"
"'Cause I happen to know that you're helpless as a pickled mushroom right about now," Buffy said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "A friend of mine, who happens to be this very powerful witch, cast a spell on you. Feel anything odd or tingly?"
After a brief consideration, the Marmus said, "No, not at all."
Jumping back, Buffy took a full two-turn windup with the axe and sliced through the Marmus' neck. His body dissipated as dust, but his head remained intact and fell to the dais. It wobbled and came to rest looking up at Buffy.
"How about now?" Buffy asked.
"Damn you, Miss Summers," the Marmus said.
The chamber began to shake violently, and the air filled with dust and chips of falling rock. A glowing crevice opened in the floor and vapor poured out. There was a roar of wind that nearly knocked Buffy off her feet.
The toadies rushed forward, giving Buffy a scare, but they went straight for the demon's head. As the head was carried off by the toadies, it shouted over the din.
"I was lying when I said your eyes were pretty."
The head and toadies disappeared into the crevice, which closed with another earth-shaking rumble.
Slinging the axe over her shoulder, Buffy shuffled out of the chamber.
"Guess I should go get some beauty sleep, then."
* * * * *
An earthquake rippled through Spike's crypt with the sounds of distant thunder and resettling masonry.
"Did you feel that?" Spike said.
Dawn's eyes were still closed from their kiss. "Oh God yes," she said, clutching him tightly.
"No, I mean the earthquake."
Looking up into Spike's eyes, just a few inches away, Dawn said, "Fine. Earthquake. Can we just...."
Spike didn't need to be begged. He kissed her again, but just as their lips met, there was a loud crash behind him. Spike turned to see a full-sized Xander standing on the smashed pieces of his shelf. Xander sneezed violently, and Willow's shoe tumbled off his head.
"God, I've been needing to do that for hours," he said, rubbing his nose.
"Xander, you're back!" Dawn said.
Unimpressed by Xander's recovery and annoyed at the interruption, Spike was about to tell him to sod off when Xander's fist connected with his face.
"Get your undead hands off Buffy's little sister. And ow, by the way," Xander said, shaking and massaging his fist hand. "Are you okay, Dawn?"
"Well, I was," she said, reaching for Spike, but he got up and went to lean against the far wall, both hands covering his nose.
"You're bloody lucky I've got this chip in me head. Otherwise--"
"Xander!" It was Willow, coming down the steps. "You're alive! And non-gooey, and... and multi-dimensional."
"I feel great," Xander said, "but could someone please tell me why we're all bouncy-bouncy here in this bloodsucker's litter box?"
Willow's cell phone rang and she answered. Her smile gradually broadened as she spoke. Closing the phone, she said, "The spell worked! Buffy killed the Marmus!"
"Spell? Marmus?" Xander said. "Okay, now I'm officially clueless."
"You just now figuring that out then?" Spike said.
Xander made some kind of comeback-- probably lame. Spike was more interested in Dawn, who was now holding his arm. "Did we do the spell?" she asked.
Spike sniffed and made sure he wasn't bleeding. "I don't think so. Well... if we did, we skipped a few steps."
Dawn looked confused. "If we didn't do the spell, how did Buffy win?"
"Maybe Big Sis is a little more capable than you people give her credit for."
Willow skittered over and group-hugged the two of them. "You did a great job with that spell. I'm going to have you floating pencils in no time. Hey, how'd you get loose, Spike?" She turned, then stopped. "Oh, if you feel anything kind of crazy-- you know, dizziness or itchy hands-- don't worry, it's just the spell. It'll wear off soon."
Willow skittered over to Xander and locked her arms around him. "Oh, gods. I am so happy to have you back." Xander seemed content to just soak up the affection. After a minute, they headed upstairs, giggling like a pair of loonies.
Looking down at Dawn, her head on his chest, Spike realized just how much his recovered soul had changed him. He knew having a soul could hurt, but he hadn’t known it could feel this good.
As much as he'd like to try flexing his soul right now, he knew he had to think of Dawn as "The Slayer's Sister"... nothing more. The reasons seemed way too obvious. Buffy would turn him into undead toast? Dawn deserved a boyfriend with a beating heart? Spike was a killer who hadn't yet worked off his penance to himself-- maybe never would? Yes, yes, yes.
Spike nudged Dawn's chin so she'd look up at him. God, that look of eagerness in her eyes. He knew this was going to be hard.
"Listen, Little Bit, Buffy's on her way back, so we need to get something straight. We've got to forget that kiss ever happened."
Dawn looked suddenly frightened. "But, Spike... I think I love you."
Spike wished she hadn't said that. "Love's not the issue, love. You've got a Slayer for a sister, and I'm a vampire, remember? That's not a healthy mix for either of us."
"I thought we could.... Didn't you mean it when you kissed me?"
He considered playing it tough, saying the kiss had just been a bit of fun. He considered playing it brutal, saying he could never be serious about a skinny little nit like her. Either way would have been safer for his sorry arse when Buffy returned-- and probably kinder to Dawn in the long run.
He couldn't do it, though. In the end, he just held her and let her cry.
* * * * *
The cemetery was amazingly vampire-free, and that suited Buffy just fine. The trek back to Spike's crypt was long enough without having to stop to kickbox with zombies every five minutes.
She heard a quick shuffle in the darkness ahead and had to assume that her luck had run out. But, no, it was Giles-- jogging down the path and looking like he'd just stepped out of a tweed sauna.
"Buffy! Thank goodness! I needed to tell you--."
"Stop," Buffy said. "If you're about to say there's another Marmus I have to kill, he can wait until tomorrow night. I'm hungry and I want to go to bed."
"Another Marmus," Giles said, breaking into a smile. "You mean you've destroyed it?"
Buffy resumed her slow walk down the path. "Yeah, it was tense. I mean, I've never had to fight a demon that smelled that strange."
Giles walked beside her. "Yes," he said, amused. "Lemon curry. What an astonishing concept."
Wincing, Buffy said, "The bad part is it sounds good to me right now." She held Giles arm as if for support. "When I get back home, maybe you could stuff pizza in my mouth while I snooze."
Giles chuckled and put his arm around Buffy's waist. "I suppose you've earned a bit of pampering."
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