Sands of Burning Time - (6)

by JackOfSpikes

Disclaimer and Distribution notes are listed on the Index page of this story.

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.


Buffy pouted unhappily as she half-heartedly picked up and put down various objects that littered the large room. Evy had insisted that they get the needed tome from the museum and had cut their visit to the bazaar short. The tiny Slayer listlessly wandered around while the older academic searched for the much needed book. The more she thought about the missed shopping opportunity, the more she began to pace and grumble. It wasn’t until her Slayer senses began to prickle that she realised she and Evy were no longer alone. A slow smile bloomed as she realized just who exactly one of their unseen companions was. This was going to be interesting.

~*~*~

“So, as you can see,” Giles concluded calmly, “They have a unique relationship, one which has required a very special set of circumstances to culminate into what it now is.”

Giles had spent a considerable amount of time describing to his grandmother the evolving ‘friendship’ of his charge and her vampire. He knew that her clarity of vision would ensure that she would not rely exclusively on Council doctrine. Oh no, Edna Giles had a mind of her own and would come to her own conclusions. He just hoped that he’d done his companions justice. He suspected that his grandmother’s sharp mind would be invaluable to them all.

“And you are completely convinced that this Spike individual will be up to the task of remaining completely focused on the situation at hand?” Edna confirmed.

“Absolutely. When Spike starts on a particular course he does not stop until he had succeeded.”

~*~*~

“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you lot, but I plan on supportin’ my good friend Johnny and tryin’ to forget for a minute that my Niblet is out there somewhere alone.”

“Er…Johnny?” Jonathan hesitantly asked as he watched the blond walk purposefully towards the bar.

“My guess would be Johnny Walker and I have every intention of doing a little supporting of my own,” Logan growled and followed Spike.

Jonathan and Rick shared a glance before the Englishman offered his thoughts. “Well, it has been a while.” Grinning at his brother-in-law, he quickly followed the other two.

“Evy’s gonna kill me,” Rick muttered as he, too, made his way to the bar.

~*~*~

“Have you tried cold and flu tablets, ‘cause the drippy thing…ew!” Buffy quipped as she expertly disarmed the closest of the three demons that appeared to be hell bent on separating Evy from the book she held firmly to her chest.

Buffy hadn’t been surprised when the demons had stepped forward. She effortlessly shoved the protesting scholar under the nearest table and warned her to stay out of the way.

As the Slayer faced off against her three opponents, Evy used their distraction to take the opportunity to drag a heavy tome from the floor in front of the table that was hosting her protection, while she kept the Crilderian firmly in her embrace. The Crilderian would lead her to Alex. She would kill anything that tried to take it from her. Snatching up the lethal looking Kopesh dagger that had also fallen to the floor, Evy coldly eyed the demons that had the tiny blonde Slayer occupied. With a deft flick of her wrist she leafed through the purloined tome until she found what she was looking for.

“They’re Chaos Demons, Buffy,” Evy yelled to the battling warrior. “They can be killed with their own antlers.”

Buffy wrenched off the horns of the one she had in a head lock then released as she spun and slammed the broken end into his chest. His body melted and the remains oozed away to nothing as she turned to face the two remaining demons.

When three more of the demons stepped out from the shadows, Buffy rolled her eyes in irritation. “Spike! Get your undead ass out here and help me. Trust me, you hate these guys!”

"Do you order him around like this, Slayer?" the light brown, curly haired, vampire snarked in response as he moved to join her, not once questioning his need to fight at her side.

"Don't need to. He knows what to do," she grinned cheekily before spinning to slam a debilitating right hook into the stomach of the demon that had been trying to sneak up on the seemingly distracted allies.

Buffy scrunched up her nose in disgust at the slime that covered her hand. “I cannot believe Dru slept with one of these guys when she could have been sleeping with you!”

“SHE WHAT?!” Spike roared in fury, his demon rippling to the surface.

Glowing sulphur-colored eyes turned on the remaining five demons who shared one unified thought. ‘This is going to hurt.’

~*~*~

“She truly is amazing, grandmother. When Buffy has to face an adversary, you can almost see the Slayer take over. She is focused and determined, but, more importantly, completely in-tune with her surroundings. She is always aware that the innocent’s that she protects need to be shielded from the knowledge of the supernatural world as much as from the denizens of the night.”

~*~*~

“Ooops!” Buffy chanced a sheepish glance at Evy. “That wasn’t anything important, was it?” she asked, as she dropped the broken shards of the vase she had used to beat her current opponent over the head with.

“On, no, dear. I’m sure Khufu had a great many vases dedicated to the God Nin-Girsu,” Evy offered weakly.

~*~*~

“And he stayed to protect the child and guard the Hellmouth – all on a promise to the Slayer?” Edna asked in awe.

“He takes his responsibilities seriously,” Giles assured her.

~*~*~

Spike looked at his companions in horror. “Bloody gem won’t let me get pissed.” He stared into his glass longingly, knowing that the liquor wasn’t going to help him forget anything tonight.

~*~*~

“Buffy’s commitment to her duty is beyond reproach,” Giles announced with finality.

~*~*~

“Oh! Crap! My shirt is a total goner, and I liked this one, too. Being a Slayer so sucks!”

~*~*~

“Spike’s commitment to Buffy is without question.”

~*~*~

“Bloody Slayer! She reduced me to bein’ her bleedin’ lapdog!” Spike growled since he was going to be more of a babysitter to the lightweights instead of being pissed himself.

~*~*~

“She is a warrior, first and foremost.”

~*~*~

“Love the curls, William. They are just so cute,” Buffy smiled innocently at the poleaxed vampire.

“We’re in the middle of a fight here, Slayer,” he snarled in response. This bint was really beginning to get to him. Chaos demons were nasty buggers, and the silly chit didn’t seem to be taking the threat seriously at all.”

“Phfft. Like these guys could challenge us,” she dismissed his concerns casually as she easily snapped off another antler.

~*~*~

“Spike can be truly ingenious when properly motivated.”

~*~*~

“No! I’m not using my claws to open you up, so you can take out the ring and get wasted. But if you don’t stop bitching at me I’ll happily give you a fucking sex change,” Logan snapped in mock exasperation. Truth be told, the vampire was beginning to grow on him.

“It’s alright for you – you’re already pissed,” Spike grumbled unhappily.

~*~*~

“Alright, Rupert. You’ve convinced me. As it happens I have recently acquired some interesting parchments that have a large section relating to Atlantis. I had thought them bunk, but given your current situation, I am no longer sure.” Standing, the imposing woman considered the man that would become her grandson over the rim of her glasses. “I will have my man deliver them to you as soon as I return home.”

With a relieved sigh, Giles stood, too. “I cannot thank you enough.”

“Yes, yes,” she smiled, dismissing his gratitude. He was family after all. “Now walk me to the door. The quicker I send you what I have, the quicker you can get on with the job. Never let it be said that I delayed the mission of your miraculous Slayer and her vampire champion.”

Giles chuckled, and saw his grandmother out.

~*~*~

Buffy froze when she heard the echo of Spike’s cry of pain reverberating around the room. A quick glance in his direction had her Slayer side slamming to the forefront. Sight of the blood that seeped through his fingers turned her whole world red.

Spike watched in awe, his pain momentarily forgotten, as the Slayer went into battle mode. She whirled and spun, then punched and kicked. She tore limbs from torsos, inflicting pain and punishment to the three unlucky demons that were left. She systematically destroyed them. All the while she ranted about them daring to harm her vampire.

He didn’t understand. No one had ever come to his defence before. Her righteous fury and protective stance encouraged emotions that he had thought belonged solely to his dark princess. His confusion threatened to overwhelm him. He needed to get away from the vision before him. He needed to think. Without a backwards glance, Spike made good his escape. He didn’t need to look back. The image of her fighting for him would stay in his mind for a very long time to come.

~*~*~

As Evy handed the Crilderian to Giles, Buffy turned towards the door. Her superior hearing noted the arrival of the others well before her companions. Her eyes narrowed as she realized just exactly what it was she was hearing.

“He is so dust!”

“Buffy?” Giles asked for clarification just as the front door opened and three men were poured in by the fourth.

Buffy, Giles and Evy walked over to the three snoring men on the floor and synchronistically lifted an eyebrow at the sheepish looking vampire who was desperately trying to look innocent.

“Take them to their beds, please, Spike,” Giles ordered calmly before he returned to the dining room and his studies.

Buffy and Evy watched silently as the vampire followed the watcher’s instructions without complaint. He knew damn well that he was getting off lightly.

“I think my husband, brother and their two cohorts need to be reminded why they shouldn’t get a female cross,” Evy announced firmly.

“Oh, yeah,” Buffy agreed wholeheartedly. Turning to return to the dining room, Buffy linked arms with the older woman that suddenly reminded her of her mother. “What do you have in mind?”


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