By Regina Halliwell
Chapter 1: Second Chances
Summary: After chaining Buffy up and professing his love for her, he gives her a chance to respond. Things don't go exactly as they did on the show, however. Buffy/Spike romance.
Rating: PG (Overall PG-13, but this chapter is PG.)
Author's Note: As I said, this will not undermine Charmed: The In-Betweens, my other story, but I had this idea, so I decided I would put it down before I forgot it. Please Read and Review! I love feedback!
Chapter 1: Second Chances
"Spike..." Buffy began, hesitantly.
He moved closer to the Slayer, apprehensively. Though her arms chained her to the wall, he seemed almost frightened of her; he was not afraid of her, per say, but what her answer would be.
"The only chance you had with me was when I was unconscious." Buffy finished menacingly, full of strength and hate towards Spike. A twinge of hurt in Spike's eyes drowned out his usual smirk. For a split second, guilt pierced Buffy's heart, making her regret being so mean to the vampire. It disappeared, however, as Spike retreated, yelling, "Bloody Hell!"
As he continued to yell and complain about how women only broke heartache and were now worth the effort, Buffy turned her attention to Drusilla, who was cunningly escaping the ropes binding her to a pole. As she slid her hands out, she smiled wickedly at the Vampire Slayer and advanced on her, ready to attack.
After years of being the slayer, Buffy had grown used to sensing danger, enough to know she was in it. Spike was off in his own little land, ranting, while Drusilla planned to make her a snack.
Drusilla reached Buffy and vamped out as she attacked the bound Slayer. The ugly Goth that was Drusilla melted away as Spike violently threw her off Buffy and onto the floor.
Puzzled, Buffy asked Spike, "Why did you do that?"
Spike looked exasperated, as if she hadn't heard everything she he had been telling her lately. "Buffy, I told you. I love you." Spike waited for the look of disgust to wash over the beautiful features of Buffy's face, but didn't get to see it.
Harmony stood opposite Spike, empty crossbow in hand, grinning. The weapon's arrow was lodged in Spike's back. He fell painfully down to the floor of his crypt.
Spike's 'girlfriend' continued to smile. Her gaze wavered from Spike to Buffy, then over Drusilla. While Harmony was looking elsewhere, useless weapon in hand, Spike took the opportunity to knock Harmony out. She slumped to the floor, unconscious but not hurt.
He glanced at Drusilla. "Unless you want to end up like poor Harm over there, Dru, I suggest you get the bloody hell out of here right now." Smirking at Buffy, he watched as Dru picked herself up, retaining her dignity, and glided slowly out of Spike's crypt.
Spike sighed heavily. Looking over at Buffy, he told her, "I understand that after Angel, you don't want to get involved with a vampire again. I get that. But what positively befuddles me is why you think that because I don't have a soul, I could never love you the way Angel did. And he left you."
Buffy looked offended.
"Plus," Spike added, "I'm not letting you go until you understand everything. Everything."
Buffy frowned, and then slumped down. "This is gonna take a while, like maybe a lifetime. So I'll need something to sit on... that is, unless you want an unconscious Slayer hanging limply from chains in your crypt." Realizing that Spike probably would like her chained and unconscious in his crypt, she shuddered. I'd hate to think of all the things he would do. Eww!
Seeing her shudder, and knowing why, Spike chuckled. "That's right, Slayer. I think I'll just keep you standing there." As Buffy's jaw dropped defensively, he laughed. "Bloody hell. I was kidding. Be right back with something. Sitâ stand tight." Spike went to another part of the crypt, pulling out a large, so far unnoticed, stool. It was large enough for Buffy to sit on while still bound.
He placed it under her and smiled; his face actually looked sincere. She looked at him with mild distaste, but then mumbled, "Thanks." Simple, yet effective.
"Ah, so now you're being decent to me. At least we're getting somewhere." As Spike said this to Buffy, his smirk once again appeared.
"Okay. Intervention time, I guess. Don't expect me to be some lovesick puppy, though. But you haven't killed me or raped me yet, so I'll listen. But, hurry up." Buffy was ready to end all of it.
"When we first-um- met, I tried to kill you. I, the grandchilde of the one you loved, tried, and failed miserably, I might add, to kill you. But I kept trying. The Slayer and a vampire: Sworn enemies, so I kept trying. After a while, we let our guards down and it became a routine, right? I guess I stopped really trying to kill you, and you me. Then got this blasted chip in my head and so I can't hurt humans. Notice that while I can hurt you, as you are the Slayer, I choose not to. Not intentionally, anyway.
"I recently have been thinking of us sort of like friends. I know it is probable on some level that you do too. I'm the one who is always there. Always. To protect you when you need it, and to protect the people you love, like Dawn. Hell, I even protect the Whelp! Now, Buffy, for some reason, I don't need a soul to be able to love. Not just you. I love Nibblet, I love Red, and I guess I love Tara, seeing as she's the only one who has always been nice to me. Anya's one of my own... a demon. And the Whelp, he hates me, but I know you love him, so I guess I can live with him around.
"But you, Buffy, I don't know. It's like the reason I'm here still is because I love you. I'll never stop, either, Slayer. Never. You could dust me and send me to the worst Hell dimension existing where I'd burn and rot and suffer, but I'd still love you."
Finally, Spike ended his story. The sun was rising in the sky, casting an orange glow on Spike's crypt. None of the pale sunshine came inside, but Buffy's skin became alive with a golden tinge, almost as if she had died during the night and come alive again with the sunrise.
As he finished, Buffy's head drooped down, and Spike was unsure of what she was doing. Buffy didn't want to admit it, but on some level she didn't hate him. All he had said touched her. When she raised her head again, one lone tear had escaped the barriers Buffy had put up in her eyes to keep from showing him such emotion. It rolled her cheek.
Buffy looked at her surroundings uncertainly. Finally she noticed that Harmony was bound and gagged. She still had not returned to consciousness. She glanced questioningly at Spike. He understood and told her, "It was worth the pain. I didn't want her to hear everything I told you and I didn't want to kill her either, so there she is. I had to his her pretty damn hard, though."
"Please let me out. I won't stake you. But let me go home. Dawn will be very worried." Spike laughed suddenly at Buffy's response.
"Nibblet's at Janice's. She knows you're here." Spike told her.
Buffy's eyes bulged open, astounded. "She... she helped to plot this?" At Spike's nod, Buffy groaned. "How could she? Damn."
"Look, petâ"
"Don't call me pet." Buffy interrupted. It came out more hurtful than she wanted.
"Fine. Look, Buffy, I just want you to give me a chance. I may be a soulless undead vampire, but I do have feelings for you. And I'm different than Angel. I'll stick around... even if you don't want me to."
"If you let me go, now, then I'll think about it. But you're going to have to give me some time. No feeding on humans, no bad evil undead stuff. I'm serious. And I'll think about it." Buffy finished, looking defeated.
Spike smiled. "It's a deal." He walked over to her, removed the key from his pocket, and undid her handcuffs. She held her wrists in pain. They were barely chafed, but red and sore.
Spike saw her pain, so he walked over and got some first aid supplies. Tenderly, he sat her down and began to help her. He cleaned her wrists, holding her hands gently in his own. She frowned in confusion at him. His cool touch was soothing, though she would never admit it. She relaxed into his touch for a few moments, then realized who it was, and pulled away gently.
Once her wrists were tended to, Buffy said, "Thank you. I'll be back when I've thought about it. Remember our deal." With that, she smiled shakily and walked out of Spike's crypt and into the sunlight. She was going to have a little chat with Dawn...
