The one person that I never expected to turn up to my house on a cold stormy evening was spike. Yet here he was – carrying bags and looking sour. I took in his dishevelled appearance and watched in silence as water dripped from his hair. I looked around him for his unshakeable shadow, Drusilla, she wasn't in sight.
"Can I come in?" his voice was flat and for once without any emotion, even sarcasm.
"Sure," I said softly, "you want to stay a bit?"
He nodded numbly walking through the door way and dumped his bags. Spike looked so lost just standing there arms by his side as if awaiting instructions.
"Come sit down." I led him towards the couch like a lost child and he sunk in. It seemed in that one motion that life really had got the better of him this time. Spike's whole being radiated depression and the air was thick with an 'I-give-up' attitude.
"Let me get you something to eat." I rambled off to the kitchen threw a bag of blood in the microwave and impatiently waited for it to heat up. All the time I was keeping a sharp ear out for any noises from my living room. Finally it was hot and I plopped myself down beside him handing him the blood in his favourite mug.
He smiled bemusedly at me, "you remembered..."
"Had to. You'd get mad if I didn't." I smiled glad for the temporary reprise.
Instead of tucking in straight away, as was usual, he leaned on me as heavily as if the entire world was smothering him. I looked down at him unsure of what to do.
"You didn't ask here Drew is." He mumbled against my shoulder.
"I figured you'd tell me." I replied stroking his hair and ignoring the wet patch he was making.
"She's gone. Left me. Just packed up and left. After all this time she just told me 'you bore me' and walked out. I would have followed but it was sunny." He sounded defeated and not at all like the last time Drusilla had vanished.
"Oh spike I am sorry." I really was. Spike was younger than me in all but appearance and still he should never have given up so early in his vampire life.
"Still don't know how she managed to get to the car without burning up." He grumbled drawing closer.
"Hey, don't worry. You stay with me until we get everything sorted and you feeling better." I hated being the voice of reason. Spike had always been the leader when we hung out and I was the childish one but apparently not tonight.
"Should have just let that slayer stake me when she had the chance."
I grabbed his face and made him look at me, "No. Never. You're my big little brother. You need to stay."
"Sometimes I think I need you more than you need me, little big sister." He sipped at the blood, no real conviction behind it.
"Come on Spike. You've survived worse. We both have. Let's get you to bed and we'll talk about it tomorrow."
He made some sort of grumble in protest but let me manoeuvred him up the stairs into the spare bed room. He really was lifeless and his eyes blank as I tucked him in.
"Buffy's nice." He murmured, already falling asleep.
"I'm sure she is." I agreed sitting in the chair.
"I could go stay with her. I like her."
I thought this idea was positively suicidal. Staying with a slayer of all people! Wait he said 'like'...
"Like like?"
I didn't get an answer because he'd already drifted off. I looked back once before going downstairs. Thinking of my brother who looked older but was younger, his problems and that thing, Drew.