"I just don't understand you," She seethed, stepping over a branch, ignoring the footsteps behind her.
"There's not much to understand, pet. I'm a pretty shallow guy." He replied, his leisurely stroll slow but still matching her hurried steps.
"Leave me alone," She argued, speeding up, "How many times do I have to tell you, when I want to be alone, I want to be alone."
"I hear you. I just figured I'd get myself my own walk." He took a final drag of his cigarette before crushing it under the heel of his heavy boot.
"This is ridiculous." She swallowed thickly, continuing to walk through the graveyard, refusing to look back at him.
"Life is ridiculous, love." His mocking tone pierced through her.
"Will you PLEASE just stop it!" She whirled around, angrily shoving a finger in his chest, "You're an ARROGANT son of a bitch, and if you don't go away, I'll-"
"You'll what?" He threw his arms out, "Stake me?"
His expression slid to one of mocking to one of pure seriousness as he grabbed her arm, which was skillfully clutching the stake, and wedged the piece of wood painfully on his chest, creating an indent in his skin.
"Then do it." He whispered menacingly. She wrenched her arm away from him and took a step back.
"I wish I could," She backed up slowly, "But I have no reason to kill you, Spike."
"Ah…but you do love- you have the desire- I can see it in your eyes. What's holding you back?" He followed her, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings just in case an unwanted visitor decided to 'drop by'.
"I wonder, Spike- could it be that killing you would be morally wrong? That because you have a chip in your head that makes it impossible for you to fight back- wouldn't it be wrong for me to just kill you for no reason?" She spat back.
"Not necessarily," He nodded, putting his hands in his pockets, "Think of all the things I've done to you, love. Think of everything I've put you through."
Her eyes narrowed as the memories came flashing back, "Seriously Spike, do you WANT to push me over the edge?"
He stopped, startling her into stopping too.
"Maybe that's it Slayer- maybe that's it."
She paused and turned on her heel, waiting for him to fall in step next to her. The watch was forgotten as the leaves crunched under her boots.
"I don't understand your mentality." She said softly. He sighed.
"Think about it, Buffy. If I push you to the breaking point, you'll give up what you're feeling. You've always been that way. People always had to push you until you were in hysterics in order to learn what's going on in that pretty little head of yours." He stopped enough just to take a deep breath, "You're a very private person, and I understand that you want to keep it that way, but if you keep it all bottled up in you, you'll just break underneath yourself. You just can't do that."
He stopped in front of her, and used a finger to pull her chin up. Her eyes were tearing, and if he had one, his heart would break. She finally broke into sobs, and allowed herself to be collected in his arms.
"Tell me what's wrong, love," He pleaded, placing his head on top of hers as they rocked back and forth. Her sobs wracked her body harder and unable to hold her up, they both collapsed to the floor. He held her tight on the grassy surface, and closed his eyes as she spoke.
"I'm so scared," She sobbed, "I don't want to do this anymore. Please don't make me do this anymore!"
He opened up his mouth to reply, but she continued.
"Everything's falling apart around me. Giles is gone, Willow is beyond herself, Anya and Xander are in their own little happy world, and Dawn is too young to understand all this." She clutched his jacket tighter, "And I'm sitting here, with a vampire for God's sakes. A VAMPIRE!"
She started crying louder. Spike almost found humor in her last statement. However, her next statement made all humor turn to seriousness, and made him fall even impossibly more in love with her.
"The vampire who slowly turning out to be my best friend."
Spike held her tighter, and moments later, Buffy wasn't the only one crying.
He had joined her.
"There's not much to understand, pet. I'm a pretty shallow guy." He replied, his leisurely stroll slow but still matching her hurried steps.
"Leave me alone," She argued, speeding up, "How many times do I have to tell you, when I want to be alone, I want to be alone."
"I hear you. I just figured I'd get myself my own walk." He took a final drag of his cigarette before crushing it under the heel of his heavy boot.
"This is ridiculous." She swallowed thickly, continuing to walk through the graveyard, refusing to look back at him.
"Life is ridiculous, love." His mocking tone pierced through her.
"Will you PLEASE just stop it!" She whirled around, angrily shoving a finger in his chest, "You're an ARROGANT son of a bitch, and if you don't go away, I'll-"
"You'll what?" He threw his arms out, "Stake me?"
His expression slid to one of mocking to one of pure seriousness as he grabbed her arm, which was skillfully clutching the stake, and wedged the piece of wood painfully on his chest, creating an indent in his skin.
"Then do it." He whispered menacingly. She wrenched her arm away from him and took a step back.
"I wish I could," She backed up slowly, "But I have no reason to kill you, Spike."
"Ah…but you do love- you have the desire- I can see it in your eyes. What's holding you back?" He followed her, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings just in case an unwanted visitor decided to 'drop by'.
"I wonder, Spike- could it be that killing you would be morally wrong? That because you have a chip in your head that makes it impossible for you to fight back- wouldn't it be wrong for me to just kill you for no reason?" She spat back.
"Not necessarily," He nodded, putting his hands in his pockets, "Think of all the things I've done to you, love. Think of everything I've put you through."
Her eyes narrowed as the memories came flashing back, "Seriously Spike, do you WANT to push me over the edge?"
He stopped, startling her into stopping too.
"Maybe that's it Slayer- maybe that's it."
She paused and turned on her heel, waiting for him to fall in step next to her. The watch was forgotten as the leaves crunched under her boots.
"I don't understand your mentality." She said softly. He sighed.
"Think about it, Buffy. If I push you to the breaking point, you'll give up what you're feeling. You've always been that way. People always had to push you until you were in hysterics in order to learn what's going on in that pretty little head of yours." He stopped enough just to take a deep breath, "You're a very private person, and I understand that you want to keep it that way, but if you keep it all bottled up in you, you'll just break underneath yourself. You just can't do that."
He stopped in front of her, and used a finger to pull her chin up. Her eyes were tearing, and if he had one, his heart would break. She finally broke into sobs, and allowed herself to be collected in his arms.
"Tell me what's wrong, love," He pleaded, placing his head on top of hers as they rocked back and forth. Her sobs wracked her body harder and unable to hold her up, they both collapsed to the floor. He held her tight on the grassy surface, and closed his eyes as she spoke.
"I'm so scared," She sobbed, "I don't want to do this anymore. Please don't make me do this anymore!"
He opened up his mouth to reply, but she continued.
"Everything's falling apart around me. Giles is gone, Willow is beyond herself, Anya and Xander are in their own little happy world, and Dawn is too young to understand all this." She clutched his jacket tighter, "And I'm sitting here, with a vampire for God's sakes. A VAMPIRE!"
She started crying louder. Spike almost found humor in her last statement. However, her next statement made all humor turn to seriousness, and made him fall even impossibly more in love with her.
"The vampire who slowly turning out to be my best friend."
Spike held her tighter, and moments later, Buffy wasn't the only one crying.
He had joined her.