Prompt#279 - Rabble-rouser - Chapter Six Excerpt - Dustandroses - BtVS

[dustandroses.livejournal.com]

Title:  Old Blood - Chapter Six Excerpt
Author: dustandroses
Fandom: BtVS
Prompt: Rabble Rouser
Warnings: Non-specific discussion of torture.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Spike is working hard to keep everyone's attention off Xander, but when he and Anya get started, things spin rapidly out of control. 
Word Count:  700 words
Note:  This excerpt is complete in itself, and can be understood without knowing the rest of the story.
Author's Notes:
This is an excerpt from my as yet unposted fall_for_sx story: Old Blood (working title.)  It will be posted in parts on Monday through Wednesday of next week, so you guys are getting a sneak preview. 
Since I haven't posted this yet, and it is currently un-betaed, I'm asking that you not link to it outside of Taming the Muse.  (I'll come back and edit this post with a link to the complete story on Wednesday.) 
I'm thinking of dividing a few of the longer chapters into smaller parts, so the chapter numbers may be different in the final product.

Concrit gladly accepted.



“Did you know that there are twenty-seven bones in the human hand?” Spike held up his right hand, turning it back and forth as his thin, pale fingers flexed quickly up and down, like a magician threading a coin through them, performing some sleight of hand.

“What? What are you talking about Spike.” Buffy waved her lollipop at him, wielding it like a sword.

“Only two hundred and nine bones in the whole of the human body.” He stretched out, clasping his hands behind his head, his long, lean legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankle.

“So?”

“So one quarter of all the bones in your body are in your hands. With twenty-six bones in each foot,” he waved a boot in her direction, “half of all your bones are in your hands and feet.”

“H-how do you know that, Spike?” Tara stared at him contemplatively.

“You sure you want to know, Glenda?”

She paled as she thought it out.  "Oh.  Maybe not."

An image of Spike studying at Angelus’ right hand as they discussed the nature of human bones under severe strain flashed into Xander’s head in graphic detail.

“The hands and feet are popular targets for torture.” Anya obviously knew where Spike was headed. “Hands have an enormous amount of nerve endings, and they’re so mobile.”

Giles left the room about then, and Xander thought of the time he’d spent in Angelus’ gentle care when they were trying to raise Acathla. That must have hurt like hell.

“Hands make the perfect place to start an interrogation,” Anya continued blithely, totally missing the distressed noises coming from the direction of the kitchen. “Or a perfect target for a vengeance demon.” She smiled fondly. “I once removed all the bones from the hands of a man who was more interested in masturbating over internet porn than he was in his wife.”

Spike was suitably impressed. “Now I like that. I pulled all the bones out of a spinal cord once.” Willow’s little squeak of protest got as much attention from Spike as Giles’ had from Anya. “Of course, the victim didn’t survive the experience, but I’ve always wondered how he would have got on, if he had.”

“That must have been difficult.  Did you…”

“I do believe that is quite enough.” Giles came back into the room, slamming a tumbler half full of amber liquid onto the table next to his chair, sending what Xander was pretty sure was scotch sloshing over the rim. Obviously they’d passed his threshold a while back, and he was now resorting to liquid courage. “Spike, do not encourage Anya. The last thing we need at the moment is someone inciting misbehavior.”

Spike widened his eyes innocently, one hand on his breast. “Are you calling me a rabble-rouser?”

“Well you have gone out of your way to make your presence know today, haven’t you? You’re mischievous and distracting, and causing far more trouble than you usually do.” Giles’ eyes narrowed, suspiciously. “For that matter, why are you even here this early? I think you should go elsewhere for now, and come back in two hours for the evening patrol.”

Spike gasped in mock distress. “Rupert, I’m wounded!”

Giles was obviously having none of it. “Go, now.”

“Bloody hell. I’m not a school boy to be sent home early from class.” Spike glanced at Xander, but of course, couldn’t say anything to him without revealing their arrangement. Xander stared at him, reminding Spike that he'd made it clear that he wasn’t ready for that.  Spike kept his mouth shut, his angry eyes and clenched jaw revealing his distress.

Buffy stood, advancing on Spike. “Stop it, Spike. Giles wants you out, so you need to leave. Now.”

“All right, all right.” Jumping out of his chair, he strode angrily to the door. “I’m leaving.” He turned back, one hand on the knob. “Are you happy now?”

“I’ll be happy when I’ve seen the last of you.” Giles waved one hand imperiously. “But this will do for now.”

“Bleeding prig.”

Buffy took another step in his direction. “Out.”

With one last glance at Xander, Spike left, slamming the door behind him for good measure.


End

~