Agony Aunts.
Read & review. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh come on, Slayer! Please?!"
"Spike, I'm * not * staking you!!"
The desperate vampire fell on his knees at her feet, hands clasped as if in prayer,
"Look, I'm on my knees, kill me!!"
"No!"
Spike stood,
"Fine I'll do it myself!"
He snatched the stake from Buffy's belt, and tried to dust himself. The Slayer pounced on him, knocking him to the floor, and retrieving Mr. Pointy with ease.
"I said * no * Spike."
Spike sat on the floor, a very defeated look on his face, that and the mass of temporary scars and bruises. He looked up at her,
"You have no idea."
Buffy was slightly concerned, the rebellious vampire had lost that playful glint in his eyes and the mischievous air he always carried with him. She said nothing, so he continued,
"Do have any idea how it feels to have the crap kicked out of you by people you used to call friends?"
He stood up, and sat on his tomb,
"I'll never fit in. Not anymore. I'm not like you, and I'm not like the rest of the demonic population. I'm alone. Completely."
Buffy sat beside the vampire. This was a side of him she'd never seen. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he released his pent up thoughts.
Her concern grew, as silent tears drew lines across his pale cheeks although the vampire was showing very little emotion. She didn't really know what to do, Willow was the gold medalist in consolation, not her. It didn't stop her from trying though,
"Spike, you may feel you don't fit in - "
"I *don't* fit in."
"Let me finish. Killing yourself isn't the answer.Suicide is a coward's way out." She didn't really believe what she'd just said, but she went along with it anyway. Spike brushed her hand off his shoulder,
"So sue me."
Buffy tried to lighten up the situation,
"Spike, are you a man or a mouse?"
"Neither, I'm a demon." He smiled sadly at her, "Thanks for trying, but it didn't work"
They looked at each other for a moment, then Buffy turned to face Spike face on, and took his hand,
"Spike, you don't have to kill yourself, but it's your choice and I can't stop you."
"Yes it is my choice, but yes you can stop me. You just did."
"How?"
"I'm not sure. But whatever it was, it worked."
Buffy smiled and Spike looked at her hard,
"Why did you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Put your hand on my shoulder."
"It was a pathetic attempt to make you feel better."
"Oh, right."
"So if I go you won't dust yourself?"
"Umm...no. Not tonight anyway."
She'd reached the gates of the graveyard, when she heard footsteps shadowing her. Stake in hand, she turned, ready to dust the offending vamp,
"Spike?"
"Yeah s'me."
"What's the matter?"
Spike examined her face, there was no false civility in her voice, nor any contempt in her face. She was genuinely concerned,
"Umm...you know everything I just told you?"
"Yeah."
"You won't tell anyone, right?"
"Strictly confidential."
"Yeah, okay. Just checking."
"Are you okay?"
"Um, yeah fine."
He watched as she left for home and her bed. If his heart could beat it would have been racing. Spike felt his cheeks glow, and he stared after her longingly. Then he shook his head violently,
"Snap out of it Spike!! She's the Slayer!! Get a grip!!" He slapped his face trying to rid himself of his thoughts as he and Buffy had parted. Turning slowly, he made his way back to his crypt, avoiding the demons who had just emerged from Willy's Place.
Buffy lay in bed. She couldn't sleep. Spike heartfelt speech kept swimming through her mind. Time for a quick pre-sleep patrol. The Slayer leapt out of bed, donned her break-and-enter clothes, and headed for the usual demonic haunts.
She rounded the corner to Willy's Place and saw Spike pinned down by one of the local thugs, having his nose broken and re-broken, not to mention his jaw. Stake in hand, the Slayer charged at it, bowling it over and sending it flying with one swift, high-kick. She turned to aid the injured vampire, to see him being dragged off by 5 of his attackers comrades. She took the short-cut through Willy's and came out in front of them, brandishing a club she'd borrowed from a friendly Begana demon.
"Hey! Pounding vampires is *my* job!"
"Not anymore Cutie!" The leader kneed the defeated vampire in the head, knocking him out cold, Buffy laughed falsely,
"I that the best you can do?" She charged at them, laying the first two flat on the floor with one blow of her borrowed weapon.
"If you got a problem with him giving me a hand, you take it up with me!" She didn't see the demons' big bro coming up behind her.
Fumbling frantically, Spike pulled a revolver from his pocket, and fired. The demon fell, landing on his little brother, and skewering him with his sword. Buffy turned to Spike. He grinned as best he could with a seriously bruised jaw,
"He was about to break your bones to make his bread."
Buffy smiled at the vampire's jest, and lifted him to his feet. They made they way back to her house,
"Slayer?"
"Yeah?"
"Y'know I wasn't joking about the bread part."
Spike watched Buffy as she cleared him up. She was concentrating so much on not hurting him, that her nose was crinkled. Cute.
"Ow!"
"Oh, sorry!"
"S'alright. Just testing."
"Ow! That really did hurt!"
"That's what you get for being a pain in the ass."
"Yes miss....ow!"
The Slayer bit her lip as she tried to remove the claw embedded in Spike's neck,
"Keep still!"
"It tickles!...ow! That didn't!"
Buffy smiled sympathetically as she reached into the first aid kit for a pair of tweezers,
"Sorry, just got to get this last bit. Count to 10, and I'll take it out."
Spike winced as he tried to smile back,
" 1...2...3..4...5...6...*shit*! Bloody hell, girl, that wrecked!!"
"Oh, don't winge. It's out now. I'll get Giles to come and stitch you up."
"Oh no you don't. He'll sew my mouth shut, and you know it!!"
Buffy giggled,
"I'd do it for you, but I bunked off my Home Ec classes, due to my supernatural friends."
"I.e. moi."
"Mmm-hmm. So it's your fault I can't sew you back together."
"You'll do better than I ever could. Having no reflection has the effect of not being able to see where your face has been bashed in."
"You have my every sympathy."
"Liar. And you're usually so good at lying, Slayer."
"Not as good as you, Vampire."
"What d'ya call me that for?"
"It's the equivalent of you calling me Slayer. And no doubt equally annoying."
Their conversation continued like this, until both felt as if they'd been best friends since forever. They'd learnt more about eachother in those few hours, than if they'd fought each other for the rest of their lives.
Joyce Summers walked in to find them giggling like school girls, as Buffy tried to sew up the deep gash in Spike's shoulder.
"Y'know it would help alot if your shoulders weren't moving so much!"
"Sorry Ms. Summers, but that's what you get for making me laugh!"
Joyce stood in the doorway, hands on hips,
"Since when have you two been so chummy?"
Spike gave her a big cheesey grin,
"Since I found out that Buff - OW!"
Buffy grinned at him,
"Oh, sorry, was that me?"
Spike pulled a tongue at her, and smiled innocently at Joyce,
"Joyce, luv, be a pet and get me a brandy? Please?...Thanks, Pet." He took the brandy from her, and proceeded to pour it over the Slayer's head. Then winced as the alcohol entered his wound,
"Bugger! That stings! Get it out! Get it out!"
Buffy giggled uncontrollably as brandy dripped down her pony tail, and down her neck.
Spike was allowed to sleep in the basement, for a few days and Buffy retired to her bed. She suddenly felt very vulnerable, she'd told the vampire all of her most guarded secrets, and he'd told her his. The more she thought about it the worse she felt. She'd kept one secret from him, but she knew she couldn't hold out forever. Even if she did, he'd figure it out for himself, Spike wasn't stupid, and there were obvious signs that would soon arise. Willow would spot them first, that's what best friends were for....
Spike lay back on the futon, Joyce had so kindly set out for him in the basement. He felt naked. He had given his protective shell of untold secrets to the Slayer. One secret remained, but that wasn't enough to protect him from her eyes.....
"Spike you prick! GET A GRIP!" He almost shouted it, his voice echoing round the otherwise empty basement. He was alone, up until 3yrs ago, that's how he'd liked it. Alone. But then he met Miss. Summers. The Slayer. The only Slayer who could bring down all of vamp-kind given the chance. Now the thought of spending the rest of his almost-immortal life alone was unbearable.
"Maybe if I just go talk to him I can - No! Stupidstupidstupid!"
Buffy sat in bed, talking to herself. That just happened to be about the 6th symptom. In the last hour, she'd been through the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The first, on the otherhand, had tortured her since she met him.
"You know, if I could just talk to her, maybe we could - oh fuck it! Won't work."
Downstairs, Spike was already at stage 7. He couldn't sleep. The thought of eating made him wretch, and he could barely stand up. In his heart of hearts, he wanted so much for her to know, but he knew she'd laugh.
Buffy crept down the stairs, then fell down the stairs, landing on top of something soft and very cold.
"Bugger, my stitches!"
"Spike?"
"That's my name, don't ware it out."
"What're you doing up?"
"I was, um...walking."
"Up the stairs?"
"Yeah, you know, the cheap equivalent of steps classes....can you get off me? Please? Your knee is in a very uncomfortable position."
Buffy blushed a deep red, and getting up, thanked God the lights were off so Spike couldn't see she'd turned the colour of his lunch. He got up, wincing as he examined the wound on his leg that had re-opened thanks to the fall. Or Buffy, depending on which way you looked at it.
"Now I've told you why *I'm* here, what're you doing?"
"It's my house! I don't need to justify my actions in my own home!"
"Temper, temper."
They stood staring at each other for about 10mins, the silence was so thick you couldn't have cut it with a chainsaw, nevermind a well-sharpened knife. Buffy indicated the couch,
"Shall we?"
Spike hestitated, what she just said could be outrageously mis-interpreted,
"Pardon?"
"Shall we? ....the TV. Wanna watch it?"
"Oh, right. Okay, why not."
They left the lights off, and Spike smiled as she pushed Blade-Runner into the VCR,
"You look very, um...angelic when you blush."
The Slayer turned faster than you could say "Spike",
"What? You saw me?"
The vampire laughed,
"Of course I did! Me vampire. Nocturnal ie. Nightvision."
She blushed again, trying not to reply incase she embarrased herself further. She suddenly felt very insignificant. Here, sitting beside her, was a man *ahem* demon who had only recently celebrated his 203rd birthday. She was a 19yr old mortal, vulnerable to heart-break and major let-downs. He was a vampire, virtually no humanity left in him, wouldn't think twice about killing her if he had the chance. What was wrong with this picture?!
She shifted in her seat, she and Spike were sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, the vampire licking his wounds, almost literally. She stared blankly at the screen as Harrison Ford "retired" a replicant. Spike sat watching her, her eyes were glazed over,
"What'cha thinking?"
The Slayer snapped out of her daydream, and shook her head in an attempt to clear her head,
"Nothing much."
She looked at where she thought his face was, he watched her intently, as she struggled to make out his features, smiling fondly. He night time vision showed him every detail on her face, how her hair was tucked behind one ear, the slight bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. Even the tears that welled in her eyes. Spike's unbeating heart sank deep in his chest, he moved across the sofa, and put his arms around her, as the tears turned into sobs,
"Please don't cry, Pet , I don't know what to do when you cry."
She body shook violently with every sob, and held her closer as she spilled the contents of her heart into his. By the time she'd finished, Buffy had her arms round his neck, her face buried in his shoulder, and Spike had bit his lip so hard it was bleeding. He looked at the clock, 5am. Sunlight was beginning to seep through the gaps in the venetian blinds. He pulled the girl's face away from him, far enough to see her face,
"Shall we take this to the basement? Cos otherwise your new found Agony Aunt fits in an ashtray."
Buffy smiled faintly, and tried to stand. The vampire caught her just in time for her knees to give way, and carried her to the basement.
They talked for another 2hrs., Spike desperately trying to hide his own secrets, lest he break down as the Slayer had done hours before.
The more he listened, the harder it became. He stayed silent trying to prevent himself from blurting it out unprovoked. His heart was breaking as Buffy's did, and he could take it no longer, so he said it. Straight out, no hesitation. Buffy stared at him, stunned, relieved and delighted at the same time.