A Grain of Sand ~ Chapter 20
Wed, Mar. 24th, 2010 08:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alwaysjbjAuthor: Always_jbj
Title: A Grain of Sand
Character/s: Spike/Buffy mainly + ensemble
Chapter: 20/?
Rating: M15+
Summary: Set in Season 6 somewhere around 'Life Serial' and goes very AR from there as slayer and vampire find themselves scouring dimensions. Will their search be in vain? And what will they learn along the way?
My thanks, as always, to my lovely beta![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
slaymesoftly. Any mistakes are most likely a result of my post-beta tinkering.
Previous chapters can be found HERE at my site or HERE at the Bloodshedverse.
Chapter 20 HERE at my site, or beneath the cut...
Chapter 20
The darkness retreated, but the bitter cold of their journey remained.
They were in a forest somewhere, huge trees surrounded them, and snow lay in a thick, frozen blanket on the ground. Buffy grabbed their shoes out of Spike's duffle, and dragged her socks on as quickly as possible over her now painfully-numb feet, thankful that she'd taken to sleeping in track pants and a t-shirt rather than her much thinner pyjamas. Spike quickly shed his duster and draped it around her shoulders before stuffing his feet into his boots and lacing them.
Buffy stomped and hugged herself in an attempt to warm her frozen extremities. “Where are we?” she asked, her teeth chattering.
“Don't know,” Spike replied. “But we have company.” He pointed through the trees to where two distant figures flitted in and out of the shadows. “Come on.” He took off; Buffy quickly slipped her arms into the sleeves of the coat and followed. The slippery, iced-over snow was hard going, and Buffy struggled to keep pace with Spike as he wove gracefully through trunks and under heavily laden boughs.
Fat white flakes began to drift downwards, slowly at first, then faster in a blinding swirl of white. Buffy slowed, her hands outstretched to protect her face as she cast about her for the now-invisible trail she'd been following through the trees. “Spike?” she called, her voice quivering slightly as she fought down a surge of panic.
“'m here,” he answered, his voice sounding hollow and distant. “Just stay still.”
The wait seemed to last forever; her body temperature cooled rapidly now that she was no longer moving, and she pulled Spike's coat firmly around her as she strained to see through the rapidly falling snow.
“Buffy.” Spike's voice came from behind her.
“Oh, thank God,” she said, releasing the breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding as she spun around to face him.
“You alright?” Spike asked, tilting his head slightly as he ran his eyes up her body, looking for injuries.
Buffy nodded. “I couldn't see,” she said, indicating the air around her. She clenched her teeth as they began to chatter once more.
Spike stepped forward, taking her hand. “'s this way,” he told her pointing back the way he'd come. They walked in silence for some time; Buffy gripping Spike's hand like a lifeline, and following blindly in his wake, while Spike concentrated on finding a safe passage through the trees and trying to find some sort of shelter. Buffy's fingers were only slightly warmer than his, and he knew she needed to get out of this weather soon.
“Do you know which way she went?” Buffy asked eventually over the now howling wind.
Spike shook his head. “Sorry, love. I lost her trail not long after the storm started. They were headed in this direction, but I don't know if they turned off somewhere...” His voice trailed off and Buffy almost ran into him when he stopped to stare downhill through the trees to their left. “Over there,” he said, pointing.
“Dawn?” Buffy asked hopefully.
Spike shook his head. “No, but it might be somewhere we can get out of the snow an' get you warmed up,” he replied before starting off toward the small cabin he'd spotted in the distance.
“But...”
“No buts, Slayer. We're not gonna find the bit in this storm, and you need to get warm ‘fore you freeze to death.”
The shadows were lengthening as the sun made its way slowly towards the horizon, and the small amount of light that made its way through the snow and the trees was rapidly fading, soon it would be completely dark. Spike was relieved when they finally made it down the last tricky slope to the cabin. It was empty, but looked to be well maintained. A couple of chairs sat on the small porch, shutters were well secured over the windows and a stack of firewood sat at the side of the building.
He tried the door and it opened easily. A thin layer of dust coated everything, but again things looked to be well maintained. A wood stove dominated one wall, a set of bunks rested against another with a blanket box at their foot, and a small table and chairs took up most of the remaining floor space. The inside was dry and markedly warmer than outside, even without the benefit of a fire. Spike opened the blanket box and found several blankets and sheets neatly folded within. He handed Buffy the blankets and turned to examine the stove. All the makings of a fire were stacked neatly to one side and he quickly set to work.
Buffy hung Spike's coat over one of the chairs and wrapped herself in the blankets before removing her shoes and cold, damp socks. She rummaged through her pack until she found a couple more pairs of socks and quickly pulled them on. Once Spike had the fire going, she moved one of the chairs closer—but not as close as she would have liked, Spike having warned her that she shouldn't sit right on top of the fire or she'd get chilblains—and munched on a protein bar from her pack.
Spike found a couple of hurricane lamps and lit them, before grabbing down a saucepan and a can of soup from the shelf over the stove.
“Feeling better?” Spike asked after they'd eaten. Buffy had all-but gulped down her steaming mug of soup while Spike warmed a packet of blood for himself.
Buffy nodded. “Yeah. Thanks,” she added, smiling warmly. “I just wish...”
“Was no point continuing,” Spike cut her off. “Was no way I could track her in that. Better to get a good night's rest, wait the storm out and start again in the morning.”
She continued to look unconvinced.
“Buffy,” he said, taking her hand and moving to where he could look her in the eye, “you know I want to find her as much as you do...”
“I know,” Buffy agreed. “But...”
“But I don't want to find her at the expense of losing you,” he continued brusquely. “Much longer out there and you wouldn't've been around to have this conversation. Then what would I have told little sis?” he added, lightening his tone to a gently teasing reprimand.
Buffy sighed. “You're right,” she admitted. “I just feel...”
“I know, love,” Spike said with a sad smile. “Believe me, I know.”
“Let's get some sleep,” Buffy said after several minutes' silence. Standing up, she took his hand and pulled him down onto the lower bunk with her. After a little squirming and fidgeting, they managed to get comfortable snuggled together on the narrow bunk and Buffy fell into an exhausted sleep while Spike held her, his mind still whirling with thoughts of how close he'd come to losing her. ‘If we hadn't found the cabin when we did...'
~*~
Spike had replenished the kindling and firewood while Buffy found a scrap of paper in her bag and wrote a quick thank you on it before placing the note inside the blanket box with the once-again folded linen.
The day had dawned clear and bright, the snow sparkled in the sunlight and Buffy stood on the porch and marvelled at how pretty it looked as she finished the coffee Spike had handed her.
“We need to get back up onto that ridge,” Spike indicated as he cleaned their mugs in the snow.
Buffy nodded and collected their gear while Spike checked that the cabin was in order. Once again she donned his coat, this time over several layers rather than just the track pants and sweater that she used for sleeping.
~*~
Once again, Buffy was finding it hard to get traction on the frozen snow and had slipped a few times before latching on to Spike's hand. They'd been hiking for a couple of hours, working their way steadily uphill in the direction Spike had last seen Dawn heading, and Buffy was beginning to regret the extra layers.
Spike stopped suddenly, holding up his free hand for silence as he tilted his head and strained to listen. “This way,” he said, setting off at a faster pace.
“Just go,” she told him when it became obvious that he would make better time without her.
“Be careful,” Spike said before setting off at a jog.
After a few minutes, Spike broke out of the steady jog he'd been maintaining and began running full out, he disappeared around a bend, and Buffy quickened her pace, continuing to slip and slide as she hurried after him.
“Spike. No!” Dawn's voice sounded ahead, and Buffy rushed on, rounding the corner in time to see a portal form and Spike reach out desperately as the demon and Dawn disappeared.
The amulet warmed and began to pulse as she continued on to where Spike knelt hunched over on the snow. The heavy scent of ozone tickled her nose, and the amulet continued to pulse urgently against her chest, growing warmer with each passing moment. Buffy knelt beside him, her hand resting gently on his back as she spoke his name.
He looked up at her. “She was right there...” He looked back down at his lap and Buffy saw that he held Dawn's jacket clutched tightly in his fists.
“I know,” Buffy told him, swallowing her own grief as she realised just how close Spike had come to rescuing her sister. “It's okay, Spike. We'll find her. But we need to go—now.” She gripped his arm, gently urging him to his feet.
Title: A Grain of Sand
Character/s: Spike/Buffy mainly + ensemble
Chapter: 20/?
Rating: M15+
Summary: Set in Season 6 somewhere around 'Life Serial' and goes very AR from there as slayer and vampire find themselves scouring dimensions. Will their search be in vain? And what will they learn along the way?
My thanks, as always, to my lovely beta
slaymesoftly. Any mistakes are most likely a result of my post-beta tinkering.Previous chapters can be found HERE at my site or HERE at the Bloodshedverse.
Chapter 20 HERE at my site, or beneath the cut...
Chapter 20
The darkness retreated, but the bitter cold of their journey remained.
They were in a forest somewhere, huge trees surrounded them, and snow lay in a thick, frozen blanket on the ground. Buffy grabbed their shoes out of Spike's duffle, and dragged her socks on as quickly as possible over her now painfully-numb feet, thankful that she'd taken to sleeping in track pants and a t-shirt rather than her much thinner pyjamas. Spike quickly shed his duster and draped it around her shoulders before stuffing his feet into his boots and lacing them.
Buffy stomped and hugged herself in an attempt to warm her frozen extremities. “Where are we?” she asked, her teeth chattering.
“Don't know,” Spike replied. “But we have company.” He pointed through the trees to where two distant figures flitted in and out of the shadows. “Come on.” He took off; Buffy quickly slipped her arms into the sleeves of the coat and followed. The slippery, iced-over snow was hard going, and Buffy struggled to keep pace with Spike as he wove gracefully through trunks and under heavily laden boughs.
Fat white flakes began to drift downwards, slowly at first, then faster in a blinding swirl of white. Buffy slowed, her hands outstretched to protect her face as she cast about her for the now-invisible trail she'd been following through the trees. “Spike?” she called, her voice quivering slightly as she fought down a surge of panic.
“'m here,” he answered, his voice sounding hollow and distant. “Just stay still.”
The wait seemed to last forever; her body temperature cooled rapidly now that she was no longer moving, and she pulled Spike's coat firmly around her as she strained to see through the rapidly falling snow.
“Buffy.” Spike's voice came from behind her.
“Oh, thank God,” she said, releasing the breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding as she spun around to face him.
“You alright?” Spike asked, tilting his head slightly as he ran his eyes up her body, looking for injuries.
Buffy nodded. “I couldn't see,” she said, indicating the air around her. She clenched her teeth as they began to chatter once more.
Spike stepped forward, taking her hand. “'s this way,” he told her pointing back the way he'd come. They walked in silence for some time; Buffy gripping Spike's hand like a lifeline, and following blindly in his wake, while Spike concentrated on finding a safe passage through the trees and trying to find some sort of shelter. Buffy's fingers were only slightly warmer than his, and he knew she needed to get out of this weather soon.
“Do you know which way she went?” Buffy asked eventually over the now howling wind.
Spike shook his head. “Sorry, love. I lost her trail not long after the storm started. They were headed in this direction, but I don't know if they turned off somewhere...” His voice trailed off and Buffy almost ran into him when he stopped to stare downhill through the trees to their left. “Over there,” he said, pointing.
“Dawn?” Buffy asked hopefully.
Spike shook his head. “No, but it might be somewhere we can get out of the snow an' get you warmed up,” he replied before starting off toward the small cabin he'd spotted in the distance.
“But...”
“No buts, Slayer. We're not gonna find the bit in this storm, and you need to get warm ‘fore you freeze to death.”
The shadows were lengthening as the sun made its way slowly towards the horizon, and the small amount of light that made its way through the snow and the trees was rapidly fading, soon it would be completely dark. Spike was relieved when they finally made it down the last tricky slope to the cabin. It was empty, but looked to be well maintained. A couple of chairs sat on the small porch, shutters were well secured over the windows and a stack of firewood sat at the side of the building.
He tried the door and it opened easily. A thin layer of dust coated everything, but again things looked to be well maintained. A wood stove dominated one wall, a set of bunks rested against another with a blanket box at their foot, and a small table and chairs took up most of the remaining floor space. The inside was dry and markedly warmer than outside, even without the benefit of a fire. Spike opened the blanket box and found several blankets and sheets neatly folded within. He handed Buffy the blankets and turned to examine the stove. All the makings of a fire were stacked neatly to one side and he quickly set to work.
Buffy hung Spike's coat over one of the chairs and wrapped herself in the blankets before removing her shoes and cold, damp socks. She rummaged through her pack until she found a couple more pairs of socks and quickly pulled them on. Once Spike had the fire going, she moved one of the chairs closer—but not as close as she would have liked, Spike having warned her that she shouldn't sit right on top of the fire or she'd get chilblains—and munched on a protein bar from her pack.
Spike found a couple of hurricane lamps and lit them, before grabbing down a saucepan and a can of soup from the shelf over the stove.
“Feeling better?” Spike asked after they'd eaten. Buffy had all-but gulped down her steaming mug of soup while Spike warmed a packet of blood for himself.
Buffy nodded. “Yeah. Thanks,” she added, smiling warmly. “I just wish...”
“Was no point continuing,” Spike cut her off. “Was no way I could track her in that. Better to get a good night's rest, wait the storm out and start again in the morning.”
She continued to look unconvinced.
“Buffy,” he said, taking her hand and moving to where he could look her in the eye, “you know I want to find her as much as you do...”
“I know,” Buffy agreed. “But...”
“But I don't want to find her at the expense of losing you,” he continued brusquely. “Much longer out there and you wouldn't've been around to have this conversation. Then what would I have told little sis?” he added, lightening his tone to a gently teasing reprimand.
Buffy sighed. “You're right,” she admitted. “I just feel...”
“I know, love,” Spike said with a sad smile. “Believe me, I know.”
“Let's get some sleep,” Buffy said after several minutes' silence. Standing up, she took his hand and pulled him down onto the lower bunk with her. After a little squirming and fidgeting, they managed to get comfortable snuggled together on the narrow bunk and Buffy fell into an exhausted sleep while Spike held her, his mind still whirling with thoughts of how close he'd come to losing her. ‘If we hadn't found the cabin when we did...'
~*~
Spike had replenished the kindling and firewood while Buffy found a scrap of paper in her bag and wrote a quick thank you on it before placing the note inside the blanket box with the once-again folded linen.
The day had dawned clear and bright, the snow sparkled in the sunlight and Buffy stood on the porch and marvelled at how pretty it looked as she finished the coffee Spike had handed her.
“We need to get back up onto that ridge,” Spike indicated as he cleaned their mugs in the snow.
Buffy nodded and collected their gear while Spike checked that the cabin was in order. Once again she donned his coat, this time over several layers rather than just the track pants and sweater that she used for sleeping.
~*~
Once again, Buffy was finding it hard to get traction on the frozen snow and had slipped a few times before latching on to Spike's hand. They'd been hiking for a couple of hours, working their way steadily uphill in the direction Spike had last seen Dawn heading, and Buffy was beginning to regret the extra layers.
Spike stopped suddenly, holding up his free hand for silence as he tilted his head and strained to listen. “This way,” he said, setting off at a faster pace.
“Just go,” she told him when it became obvious that he would make better time without her.
“Be careful,” Spike said before setting off at a jog.
After a few minutes, Spike broke out of the steady jog he'd been maintaining and began running full out, he disappeared around a bend, and Buffy quickened her pace, continuing to slip and slide as she hurried after him.
“Spike. No!” Dawn's voice sounded ahead, and Buffy rushed on, rounding the corner in time to see a portal form and Spike reach out desperately as the demon and Dawn disappeared.
The amulet warmed and began to pulse as she continued on to where Spike knelt hunched over on the snow. The heavy scent of ozone tickled her nose, and the amulet continued to pulse urgently against her chest, growing warmer with each passing moment. Buffy knelt beside him, her hand resting gently on his back as she spoke his name.
He looked up at her. “She was right there...” He looked back down at his lap and Buffy saw that he held Dawn's jacket clutched tightly in his fists.
“I know,” Buffy told him, swallowing her own grief as she realised just how close Spike had come to rescuing her sister. “It's okay, Spike. We'll find her. But we need to go—now.” She gripped his arm, gently urging him to his feet.
