VENTING

by - Gillian Silverlight

TITLE	VENTING
AUTHOR	Gillian Silverlight
DISTRIBUTION	Why bother?
DISCLAIMER	Joss and David and the WB owns them, I just play with them.  They are usually much happier when I finish with them.
SUMMARY	The title says it all.

'Wuv, truw wuv, is whawt brinhgs us hereah todawy.."
(The Bishop in 'The Princess Bride')
' It would take a miracle!'
(Miracle Max in 'The Princess Bride')

It was a cold rainy night when Buffy walked into the Alibi Bar owned by Willie the Snitch.  Willie had sent word to Buffy that there was a new threat in town and Spike might be the target, so the Slayer had dropped by to check it out.

"Hi, Willie. I got your massage. What else can you tell me about this new threat?" Buffy asked the informer.

"Not a lot more. Heard there were two new masters about to hit town. Seems they may have it in for Spike."

"And this should bother me exactly why?" Buffy asked in the hard tone that had crept into her voice so often now.

"Seems that if these two masters get their way about it, Spike will go back to wreaking havoc and destruction. Thought you might like to stop that before it starts." Willie tried to explain to the blonde slayer.

"Easy enough. I'll just go stake him now and they can't create any problem." Buffy said quite flippantly.

"Naw, not a good idea. See, while you've been paying attention to yourself and everything else; seems that Spike has gotten quite a few friends in town now. Not demons for the most part but humans. Lot of'em women." Willie was a bit worried about the slayers comments.. Although the comments reflected her personality recently, they were drastically different than when the Slayer was seen as a hero by so many. Like when her school gave her that trophy for saving so many of them. But it seemed that girl was long gone.

"So what do you suggest? And who are these two masters you're so worried about?" Buffy was back to that cold hard voice, the one that said she'd listen to what Willie had to say; but wouldn't really hear him and would do just the opposite or whatever she felt like afterwards.

"I heard their names were Joss and David, his side kick. From somewhere down in LA, I hear. Rumor is that they have a lot of folks wanting to push them into something they don't wanna do, so they're gonna come here and stir up trouble." Willie wasn't really sure how to explain what he really knew, without it falling on deaf ears.

"When are they going to show up?" Buffy wondered how soon she should get involved in this. She really didn't want to see Spike right now. He thought he was in love with her. Everybody knew that all the other demons could love, and Angel could love 'cause he has a soul. Even Anya could love Xander now that she was trapped in a human body. That weird half demon guy in LA that had vanished so quickly... Doyle, yeah, that was his name! Had loved Cordelia, but after all, anyone who was in love with Cordelia couldn't be taken seriously either. Buffy knew it was true that Spike had loved Dru for 100 years and had proven over and over that he really had loved the crazy vampiress, but all that aside, there was no possible way the idiot blonde vampire could lover her! Who did he think he was to even suggest he might be able to be good or to love her? She was the Slayer, after all. She'd gone thorough enough men now to know she didn't really need any of them. Look at Willow and Tara; they got along just fine without a man. Well she could as well.

"I heard they might be here as soon as Tuesday night, or it might be a couple more weeks." Willie sniveled at Buffy.

"I'll keep an eye on it, Willie. If I can find time between everything else. It is only Spike, after all." Buffy turned and slammed out the doors tot eh bar, back into the rainy night.

Without thinking about it, she found herself in the cemetery next to the crypt where Spike had been living.The thoughts ran through Buffy's head so rapidly it could have been an assault. All the times she'd turned to Spike, trusting him, even before he had gotten chipped. The touches and kisses that had happened between them when Willow's spell had gone so wrong, the concern Spike had shown on so many occasions. Even the fact that until recently, the blonde vampire had had full access to her house for 4 years and had never harmed anyone because of it. That fact that he was unable to harm anyone even to defend himself now, was a moot point for Buffy.

As Buffy stood there, feeling the rain on her face, the night wrapped around her like a damp cloak, the slayer heard a footstep behind her. She whirled around to find.. Spike.

"What are you doing here? I told you to get out of town." She snarled at the vampire.

"I thought I might like to take my things with me." Spike told the blonde slayer standing in front of him radiating anger from every pore. "I wasn't gonna look for you Buffy, before I left, but now that you're here.. Well, I'm sorry, luv. I 'andled everything wrong and I know it. I talked to a lot of my friends and they've written stuff trying to explain it to you. Maybe if you'd read some of what they wrote, you'd understand, maybe see the other side?" Spike didn't want to plead with her, but if it would help..

"I don't really care what they have to say, Spike. I want you gone." Buffy was in no mood to listen to the vampire, or anyone else. He wasn't Angel and that was all that seemed to matter.

"I'll go, Slayer. I do love you. It'd be nice if you decided you missed me even a little after I was gone.." Spike's depression could be heard under every word he tried to say.

"Gee, Spike. To quote you, 'Not bloody likely!' Buffy reached behind her back and pulled out the stake she carried there, slamming it into Spike's chest so quickly, the vampire had no chance to even move.He looked at the woman he loved as shock and terror crossed that incredible expressive face and crumbled into dust at Buffy's feet. Her face reflected only satisfaction as she wiped her hands, and replaced the stake, sauntering away with a tuneless hum.

Back at the Alibi, Willie looked at the two new masters, David and Joss. They had hidden in the back room and had heard every word Willie had said to the Slayer. "See, I told you if you got her pissed even a little, as bitchy as she has been for the last few months, she'd get rid of him for you. Now you have nothing to worry about, easy fix."

Joss and David just smiled at the little snitch.

*************************************

No one noticed that through out the town elsewhere in the darkness, televisions sets were being turned off. People sat and cried for their loss. The two masters thought they would have Sunnydale all to themselves now. And they were right. People moved away in droves, saddened by the degradation of Slayer, the loss of that sexy blonde vampire, and most of all love lost so cruelly and callously. They began their search again for a place where difference could be overcome and love could be explored and cherished.

the water is wide
I can't cross o'er
and neither have
I wings to fly
give me a boat
that can carry two
and we both shall row
my love and I

oh love is gentle
and love is kind
the sweetest flower
when first it's new
but love grows old
and waxes cold
and fades away
like the morning dew

there is a ship
that sailed the sea
she's laden deep
as deep can be
but not as deep
as the love I'm in
and I know not
if I sink or swim

the water is wide
I can't cross o'er
and neither have
I wings to fly
give me a boat
that can carry two
and we both shall row
my love and I
and we both shall row
my love and I

The End
Gillian Silverlight 4/15/01