Disclaimer:
Joss Whedon owns the Buffyverse.
Summary:
Spike before and after he was turned.
William The Bloody ties up a loose end.
Rating M
Drama
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EFFULGENCE
"May I come in?" He stood at her door.
"William ... I've already told you‑"
"Cecily, Please... I‑"
"William, we've been through this."
He closed his eyes for a
moment. "I know my poetry leaves a
lot to be desired..."
"That is an understatement, William." She spoke his name although he were a child.
"And I've come to apologize," he
said, his head down.
"Apologise?"
"If I have offended you in any way, I am truly, truly sorry à That
was the last thing I wanted to do."
He looked sad. "Please allow
me to apologise fully. I‑"
"William ‑"
"Please, kind madam. It's the very least I can do. May I come in? Please, it's frightfully
chilly out."
The lady sighed. "All right, William, but only for a
moment."
He smiled as he stepped inside,
closing the door behind him. In the next
moment, he took Cecily's hand in his, drew her roughly toward him and kissed
her. "God! I've dreamt of that for so bloody long!"
The lady broke free in a
fury. "William! The audacity!
I demand you leave at once!"
She pointed to the door.
"I'll leave when I bloody well want to, wench!"
The noblewoman's mouth dropped
in shock. "How *dare* you! You
insignificant peasant!"
William chucked. "Peasant à I played by the rules, Madam. Society's rules. I did everything a well brought up gentleman
should ‑ and what has it got me?
Fornicate all!"
Cecily gasped. "I should bring you a block of soap to
wash out your mouth!"
"I bet it'll taste better than yours."
Cecily slapped him.
William smiled. "So what should I do, Princess?"
he asked, mocking. "That which I thought you were, but in truth, you're
just like the rest of them. A
drone. A mindless drone. A pretty one, but I see past that now."
"William, you repulse me," Cecily spat. "How dare you come to my abode and
insult me. You are behaving as a
child."
"Maybe I am a child ... I did
everything society says a gentleman supposedto do and for what? For sodding what??!!" He swiped his hand, shattering a priceless
vase.
After her initial shock, Cecily
glared at William. "You will pay for
that and you will be paying it off for the rest of your life. Do you know how much it was worth?
"No, and you know what? I
DON'T SODDING CARE!!!!"
Cecily shuddered.
"And life ..." William continued, relishing in the woman's
discomfort. "What is life?
"William, what on God's green Earth has gotten into you? You were never this -"
"This what?"
"At least you *used* to be a gentleman."
"Mistake number one ‑ and the operative words being 'used to
be.'"
Despite her discomfort, Cecily
continued her scalding. "William,
grow up. You surely couldn't expect me
to ..." She tried to stifle a giggle ... "You surely didn't expect me
to ... marry you, did you?"
"Ahh, that was then when I was young and foolish."
"Foolish indeed. I am much
above your station."
"That's not what I meant, woman.
A fool to think that you were different ... To even think that you were
the Goddess I thought you were. I desire
more ... much more..." He advanced on her.
Afraid, Cecily backed off. "William, I warn you à Stop this
nonsense or I will see that you are arrested.
You will regret‑"
"The only thing I regret, bitch is wasting my life."
He grabbed her. Cecily's eyes showed her terror. "Oh Good Lord Above... You don't mean to
... No, William ... You can't ... Please!.."
He laughed. "Oh relax, woman. Your virginity will remain one of your few
virtues."
Cecily appeared somewhat
relieved.
"I'm just going to kill you."
The woman's eyes widened in
horror. "William, no ... You'll
hang!"
He threw his head back and
laughed, and let go her arm.
"Oh William ... Please don't throw your life away like
this..."
"Suddenly you care?"
"William, please tell me this is but a jest..."
"All right ... What if I am joking?
Would you really take me? Or
would you treat me like shite? You would
take me into your arms?"
Cecily nodded. "Yes, William. I will be your bride."
"I've always dreamed of that, but you know what? It's too late. You care less for me than the weevils in your
flour. That you made perfectly clear,
and so I must thank you, dear Cecily, for showing your true self. Behind that lovely dress, pristine face, you
are nothing. To think I would have
wasted my life with such a tramp. You
mock me, Lady, you cut me to the quick and for what did I suffer your ill
words? I gave you nothing but
love, yet you regard me with
spurn." William failed to stop a
tear rolling down his cheek. "And
for that I shall make you pay..."
Again he advanced on her. Horrified, Cecily backed off and fled.
William laughed. "Run Cecily Run!"
The terrified woman ran through
the house, fumbling as her pursuant casually caught up to her. In a flurry, Cecily grabbed a letter
opener. "Don't come any
closer!" She threw a chair in his
way. He threw it aside, the chair
smashing on the wall. Cecily
jumped. William regarded her.
"Before you die, peasant, there is one thing I want to show
you."
He grabbed her arm, wrenching
her makeshift weapon. "Impressive
for a well brought up girl."
"Let me go! William ... I
promise ... Please ... If you let me go ... I will forget this happened ... I
will marry you ... Gods, I'll even listen to your poetry...""
He smiled. "..There was once a girl who did cry
For she knew she was going to
die
And with a heavy sigh.
She knew her end was nigh ...
Bloody hell ... I still can't write a decent poem ... Oh well." He turned to face a terrified Cecily. "Oh yes ... As for what I wanted to show
you ..."
The blood drained from her
face. Too prettified she was to even
scream.
"W... William..." Her voice was barely a peep.
He smiled. "Spike."
"No .. Oh Lord Above, no"
He grabbed her arm and covered
her mouth, stifling her scream. In a
final attempt to escape, she bit his hand, and grabbed a candle holder, bashing
his shoulder. In the next instant, she
turned, and he grabbed her, his fangs apparent.
"William, please NO!!!"
Again he threw back his head and
laughed. "William is dead. And is death he is reborn!"
The vampire plunged his fangs
into the noblewoman's neck, as she tried to scream and struggle. Her blood coursed down his throat and he
smiled, though he did not drain her fully.
He held her as she almost collapsed to the floor.
"Ohh thy sweet nectar, My Lady ..."
"N ... No ... Ohh ... Please.."
He wiped a tear from her face
and drank it. "As salty as the
ocean spray, I leave thy lady, come what may
... Hey that was pretty good..."
"Oh Lord above ... you're not going to make me ... a ..."
Spike chuckled. Again he regarded the weakened woman in his
arms. "You say you will take
me?"
"William, please.. I will give you all I have. Riches you have only dreamed of ... Myself
... my body, herat and more .."
"You are nothing to me, Cecily.
You are beneath me. You are all
beneath me. In death, I have found life,
and nay of your riches or false beauty can compare," and before he snapped
her neck, he said one more thing.
"You know what being a vampire is, Cecily? ... Effulgent."
*