A short story post Lies My Parents Told Me. Disclaimer: Joss owns all, I'm only a lowly minion.
THE TRUTH BUFFY TOLD ME
"I think you taught me everything I need to know," Buffy said to Giles, shutting the door on not only his face, but on that part of her life where she was too uncertain to listen to her own intuition.
She'd known in her gut, there was something fishy about the whole evening, from Giles asking Spike to go guard Wood, to his 'training' lesson. That, and all of Wood's hostility toward Spike; his and Giles'.
No sooner had she turned off the light had she felt one hand come up over her mouth, the other around her waist.
"Shhhhh!" the voice commanded before she had time to react.
Spike released her and she turned around to see him outlined in the moonlight.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Wanted to see how you were," he lied.
She didn't say anything for a minute as they stared at each other.
"I didn't know Spike. You know that, right?"
Spike nodded, "Knew you didn't, Buffy."
Silence
"Heard what you said to Rupert," Spike said, "you know he's just looking out for you. Thought I could be a liability if The First triggered me again."
"What, by going behind my back? Who does he think he is? Does he know who I am? Who he trained me to be Spike? I'm The Slayer! The decisions on whom is a liability and who isn't, is my decision alone. He had no right to try to take that decision out of my hands, to conspire with Wood; to have the presumptuousness to assume that he knew better," she said, getting riled up as she quietly spat the words out.
"Turned out for the best," Spike said.
"What do you mean?" she asked, looking confused.
"Wood had that song, 'Early One Morning,' downloaded on his computer, he played it, made it trigger me; said he wanted to see the monster when he killed me."
"What's that have to do with it being for the best?" Buffy asked.
"I remembered. Remembered what I'd done after I was turned. To my mum."
"What was that?" Buffy asked.
"I turned her, so she wouldn't have to die from tuberculosis. Only thing is, was that unleashed the demon in her, someone who wasn't my mum at all anymore, just a cold-hearted killer, like I was."
"What happened to her?"
"I staked her," Spike said, then seeing Buffy gasp, added, "it was for her own good. See, it was never meant to be; her being a vampire, being heartless, soulless, cruel. I...I had to save her from that, once I saw what I'd created."
"Was anyone?" Buffy asked.
"Was anyone what?" Spike asked.
"Meant to be a heartless, soulless, cruel vampire?"
He shrugged, "Dunno, I was."
She shook her head; "I disagree Spike. I don't think you were ever meant to be that way," Buffy said.
"But I guess it worked out anyway," he said.
"Yes. It did Spike, it worked out anyway; you worked it out; in spite of everything," Buffy said, looking him in the eyes.
He held her gaze for a moment, his eyes seeing in hers the trust she had for him, the belief.
"I should go," he said to her, still staring in her eyes.
"No, don't go," she answered.
"Why?"he asked.
"Because I'm not ready for you to not be here," Buffy said.
She came toward him, until they were face to face, "Stay with me tonight, Spike. I'm not talking about sex. Not now, anyway, but I want you to stay. I want to feel you close by, I want to turn over in the night when I wake up and see your face next to mine."
He looked at her and saw the love for him in her eyes.
He couldn't speak, just nodded, dumbly.
She undressed, put on a nightgown and got into bed.
He removed his duster, shirt and boots and waited to see how she wanted him; above the covers or under them.
She pulled back the covers.
Spike got into bed with her and lay back against the pillows, the smell of Buffy everywhere around him. He gave her a small sidelong glance and as he did, he felt her roll over on her side, to lay against his chest, putting her arm over him.
He tentatively did the same, wrapping her up in his.
She exhaled a sigh of relief. It would be alright now, come what may.
"Good night, Spike," Buffy said.
"Good night, Buffy," Spike answered.
He closed his eyes, assured for once, of his place in the world, come what may.
THE END
THE TRUTH BUFFY TOLD ME
"I think you taught me everything I need to know," Buffy said to Giles, shutting the door on not only his face, but on that part of her life where she was too uncertain to listen to her own intuition.
She'd known in her gut, there was something fishy about the whole evening, from Giles asking Spike to go guard Wood, to his 'training' lesson. That, and all of Wood's hostility toward Spike; his and Giles'.
No sooner had she turned off the light had she felt one hand come up over her mouth, the other around her waist.
"Shhhhh!" the voice commanded before she had time to react.
Spike released her and she turned around to see him outlined in the moonlight.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Wanted to see how you were," he lied.
She didn't say anything for a minute as they stared at each other.
"I didn't know Spike. You know that, right?"
Spike nodded, "Knew you didn't, Buffy."
Silence
"Heard what you said to Rupert," Spike said, "you know he's just looking out for you. Thought I could be a liability if The First triggered me again."
"What, by going behind my back? Who does he think he is? Does he know who I am? Who he trained me to be Spike? I'm The Slayer! The decisions on whom is a liability and who isn't, is my decision alone. He had no right to try to take that decision out of my hands, to conspire with Wood; to have the presumptuousness to assume that he knew better," she said, getting riled up as she quietly spat the words out.
"Turned out for the best," Spike said.
"What do you mean?" she asked, looking confused.
"Wood had that song, 'Early One Morning,' downloaded on his computer, he played it, made it trigger me; said he wanted to see the monster when he killed me."
"What's that have to do with it being for the best?" Buffy asked.
"I remembered. Remembered what I'd done after I was turned. To my mum."
"What was that?" Buffy asked.
"I turned her, so she wouldn't have to die from tuberculosis. Only thing is, was that unleashed the demon in her, someone who wasn't my mum at all anymore, just a cold-hearted killer, like I was."
"What happened to her?"
"I staked her," Spike said, then seeing Buffy gasp, added, "it was for her own good. See, it was never meant to be; her being a vampire, being heartless, soulless, cruel. I...I had to save her from that, once I saw what I'd created."
"Was anyone?" Buffy asked.
"Was anyone what?" Spike asked.
"Meant to be a heartless, soulless, cruel vampire?"
He shrugged, "Dunno, I was."
She shook her head; "I disagree Spike. I don't think you were ever meant to be that way," Buffy said.
"But I guess it worked out anyway," he said.
"Yes. It did Spike, it worked out anyway; you worked it out; in spite of everything," Buffy said, looking him in the eyes.
He held her gaze for a moment, his eyes seeing in hers the trust she had for him, the belief.
"I should go," he said to her, still staring in her eyes.
"No, don't go," she answered.
"Why?"he asked.
"Because I'm not ready for you to not be here," Buffy said.
She came toward him, until they were face to face, "Stay with me tonight, Spike. I'm not talking about sex. Not now, anyway, but I want you to stay. I want to feel you close by, I want to turn over in the night when I wake up and see your face next to mine."
He looked at her and saw the love for him in her eyes.
He couldn't speak, just nodded, dumbly.
She undressed, put on a nightgown and got into bed.
He removed his duster, shirt and boots and waited to see how she wanted him; above the covers or under them.
She pulled back the covers.
Spike got into bed with her and lay back against the pillows, the smell of Buffy everywhere around him. He gave her a small sidelong glance and as he did, he felt her roll over on her side, to lay against his chest, putting her arm over him.
He tentatively did the same, wrapping her up in his.
She exhaled a sigh of relief. It would be alright now, come what may.
"Good night, Spike," Buffy said.
"Good night, Buffy," Spike answered.
He closed his eyes, assured for once, of his place in the world, come what may.
THE END