"A beer." Said a heavyset man. Spike the bartender gladly grabbed a
bottle of beer and handed it to him.
"4 dollars." Spike said as he took the man's money.
"Gimme a Guiness," said a heavyset man to the bartender. Spike
grabbed a can and popped it
open. "That'll be $4.50 mate." Spike took the customer's money and
gave him back his change.
The room was infused with copious amounts of smoke.
The lights were dim in the smoky room. The lights were impregnable to
the smoky air.

Buffy ran not daring to look back behind her. There he was chasing
her again. This was a! ll to normal, a threat, getting hit, then
running for protection from her abusive boyfriend. Her legs were
threatening to give out, but Buffy just used all the strength she
could find to continue running.
Buffy ran as fast as her tired legs could carry her. Chest heaving,
she ducked behind a dumpster in a dark alley trying to make as little
sound as possible. Beads of sweat trailed down her forehead. How
could she be so stupid to think that he wouldn't be angry at her?
He's always upset with her and she thought tonight like so many
others it would there would be an acception.
After a few moments passed she peered around the corner of the
dumpster. The coast seemed clear. Buffy tentatively took a step out
of the alleyway.
"Little girl, when are you going to get it? Don't run from me. You
only make things worse by running. No matter how hard you try I will
always be after you."
Buffy didn't have time to be startled. Her flight reaction took over
and she blindly started running again. She wasn't sure where exactly
she as running but she knew she had to get away from the monster she
called Angel.
Angel had always treated her like this, then would apologize later
saying he loved her.
Buffy knew it was an abusive relationship, but she had no where else
to turn. After her mother died she was all alone and vulnerable to
him.

Buffy looked behind her to see Angel still chasing her. Desperate for
safety she ran into the first door she saw.

Buffy ran into the bar.Smoke filled her lungs and she coughed a
little, she was too scared to worry about a little smoke.Spike heard
the door open and peered over to see a little blonde girl. Buffy quickly looked around till she saw an old, dirty,booth. She crawled under the table hoping that if Angel looked
in the bar he wouldn't see her. She Couldn't stand knowing she could
be dead any minute if he was provoked enough. She also didn't like
depending on a booth to protect her from his fists.
Spike looked over and saw her sitting on the floor holding her knees
and resting her head on them. She absently rocked back and forward
like she was waiting for something. He saw how scared she looked. The bruises on
her arms and legs told him to just let her be. He figured she was
hiding from something or someone. He hated seeing little things like
that running from something that should have been near them in the first
place. There are always some girls coming in here usually running from
a pimo or looking for one. Spike knew this girl wasn't like any other
he could see it in her eyes. The love, caring and abuse?
Spike didn't like that.

Buffy has been sitting under the table for half an hour now. Spike
wondered how long she would be under there when Spike heard the front
door open violently; he looked over and saw a tall brunette with a
flash of anger in his eyes.
"Buffy!" He man! yelled at the top of his lungs, startling everyone in the bar. Spike looked over and saw the blonde girl cringe at the name but she stayed
out of sight.Spike wierdly felt like saying. " Good girl." she was
staying out of sight from a man who obviuosly wanted to hurt her.
"Buffy!" He yelled again.
Nothing.
Spike walked into the back room.
"Willy?"
"Yeah Spike." Willy the manager of the bar asked.
"There is some big guy out there yelling, I think he might be
drunk.He's frightening some of the customers"
Spike told him
"I'll take care of it." Willy went over to Charles Gunn their
security. He was sitting on a couch watching the tiny TV they had
back there.
"Gunn? Spike says there is a man out there making a disturbance. If
you wouldn't mind taking care of him?"
"Sure.No problem" Gunn said standing up and walking out into the
drinking area of the buliding.
Gunn walked up to Angel.
"Hey buddy, I think your scaring some of the customers. Would you
mind leaving?"
Angel was getting angry. He didn't want to spend another night in
jail for something like this again so he decided it would be better if he just left.
"Whatever." Angel said angrily and stormed out of the bar.
When Angel left Spike looked over at the girl sitting under the booth
and he saw her relax a little more. Spike walked up to Gunn.
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
Gunn and Spike were long time firends. It was nice knowing someone at
work other than Willy. Willy wan't exactly the best of the bunch. He
never seemed to care about anyone but himself and his business.

The bar was now closing and Angel was standing outside waiting for
her to come out. He had saw here right as he was leaving but there was
nothing he could do about it.Well then anyways.
Buffy had yet to move from her spot on the floor knowing he was out
there waiting.
Willy and Gunn walked out from the back room. Buffy went unnoticed by
them.
"Hey, Spike I'm going home and I'm going to drop Gunn off at his
house. Would you mind closing up?"
"Not at all." Spike said. Willy tossed him the key. Willy and Gunn
didn't even notice the scared blonde. When they left Spike walked
over to the table, crouched down and extended his hand to her.
"Hi." Spike felt like he was talking to a five-year-old.
"Hi." She responded in a whisper.
"I'm Spike." He said hoping it would get her to talk to him openly.
He didn't know why but he felt connected with this girl.
"Buffy." She simply responded then took his hand. Spike pulled her up
and sat her down on a chair. He saw her look out the window to see Angel still there.
"Was that guy after you?" He asked about the man outside the now
darkened bar.
"Yes, he's my boyfriend." Buffy responded hoping Spike wouldn't make
her go out there to him.
"Would you like a ride home?"
"I live with him."
"How about a ride to a motel?"
"I don't have any money." Buffy wasn't quite sure what Spike was
getting at.
Spike stopped as thoughts raced through his mind. How could this
little girl live with a bastard like that. Everyday living with someone as abusive as that.
"How about you stay with my girlfriend and me for a little while." He
asked smiling to her making her feel more comfortable.
"Will I be imposing?" She didn't want to mess with other people's life to help her own.
"Not at all." Spike smiled.
He grabbed the hand of the vulnerable girl and led her through the
back door to his car. She thanked god to find someone who would help her.
They were walking out when Angel came out of no where.
"Well, well, well, where is my little Buffy going?" Angel asked with
a smooth voice.
"Buffy get into the car." Spike told her facing Angel.
Buffy obeyed climbing into the passenger side then locking the door.
Spike looked over to make sure she listened then turned his attention
back to Angel.
"She's going home with me." He told Angel sternly.
"Whatever man. Listen after you're through with her send her back my
way. he always comes back." Angel said not wanting to get into a
fight with this man, he looked tough enough. Angel walked off into
the darkness of the night.

No words were spoken between them as Spike drove. Spike couldn't stop
thinking about her situation. This poor girl. This beautiful... very
beautiful girl is obviously abused by her boyfriend, which was clear
enough.
He knew his girlfriend Cordelia wouldn't like him bringing home
strays from the bar, but something about the girl made him want to
protect her.
Was it fate, destiny or was it those big hazel eyes that looked at
him with sadness.
Cordelia would welcome her when she heard about her situation.
Cordelia hated abuse and anything to do with abuse. She was abused
when she was younger and took it very seriously. Cordelia would
diffidently let Buffy stay.