The Cold One
She saw him sitting outside his crypt; his eyes seemed to be staring into space and Willow thought they looked old now, finally reflecting the centuries he'd seen. He hadn't seen her yet, so she continued her approach slowly, but as a twig snapped under her foot Spike immediately leapt to his feet.
"Hey Spike..."
Willow whispered, nervously raising a hand and waving; upon seeing her, Spike visibly relaxed and his whole body slumped.
"Red..."
The desolate tone in his voice tore at Willow heart, and rushing to him, she immediately swept him into a hug. Spike hugged her back loosely, but there was none of the emotional warmth that usually came with his hugs. It was as though she was wrapping her arms around a marble statue, cold, hard and unfeeling. Feeling acutely embarrassed and uncomfortable now, she pulled away from it, blushing slightly at herself. Spike didn't appear to notice her discomfort; he just stood before her, completely still and silent.
But now she that she was so close, something else caught her attention.
Horrified, her hands flew to his neck; Spike flinched slightly from her touch, as she lightly fingered the gash on his throat.
"Spike! What happened?"
Spike turned his head to look at her. He could see the worry flooding her green eyes and he pondered, somewhat bitterly, that a few days ago seeing such concern would have touched him more than she could have known. But now he didn't feel anything, nothing but a passing feeling of quiet regret.
"Faith's blood, it made Anna hungry"
"So she took a chunk out of you!-"
Spike shot her a sharp look at that, his eyes blazing with a protective anger.
"Don't talk about my Childe like that - You wouldn't understand"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean- I'm just worried about you."
Willow apologized shakily. Spike nodded and then let out a tired sigh as he scanned the graveyard.
"You shouldn't have come Red, might've gotten hurt."
"I don't know, I'm a pretty tough cookie! I think I could take on a few blood-suckers-"
"I'll walk you back."
Spike interrupted, and he immediately began walking forward.
"You don't have to, I'll be fine. Buffy should be patrolling soon."
Willow told him, her voice trying to be light and casual but Spike just carried on walking like she hadn't said anything and Willow had no choice but to follow him.
0-0-0-0-0-0
He didn't say one word to her as they walked – he didn't even look at her, so when the Summer's house finally came into view, Willow was unusually grateful. As they came to a stop, she turned to give him a parting smile, but upon seeing his emotionless face it faltered.
"Well, thanks for the personal escort."
She said awkwardly, Spike's face remained emotionless, but for a moment his eyes sparkled with something fierce.
"Couldn't let you get hurt,"
The words were spoken curtly, but the conviction she saw in his eyes made the words warm her all the same and she reached out of him, but he pulled away.
"Take care, Red"
He muttered hurriedly, before, with a sweep of his leather coat, he disappeared into the night. Willow watched his back until he completely faded into the darkness; she felt worse now than before her visit, one thing was for sure, things could only get worse before they even had a chance of getting better.
0-0-0-0-0-0
Buffy ran to her front door the next morning, her heart pounding and her knees almost gave way when she saw Spike huddled under a blanket.
"Spike!"
"If I can actually get in here first, Slayer-"
"Oh!"
Buffy exclaimed, practically leaping away from the doorway, and Spike gratefully rushed in, closing the door behind him and sighing in clear relief. It was only then Buffy realized he'd addressed her as 'Slayer'. It hurt – a lot.
"Back to Slayer is it?"
Spike's face darkened murderously for a moment, before he seemed to make an inhuman effort to rein his emotions in and compose his features into the mask of cold neutrality Willow had been faced with earlier.
"This ain't a social call Slayer-"
He never finished his words, however, as Buffy's green eyes suddenly widened in obvious horror, and with her hands suddenly flat on his chest, she pushed him against the door.
"Who did that to you! Who the hell-"
At first Spike was too startled by her sudden movement to do anything, but he suddenly gave her an almighty shove back, so strong and so unexpected that Buffy, with a surprised cry, fell back. The commotion brought Dawn and Willow rushing down stairs. Dawn froze when she saw Buffy on the floor and Spike standing at the door way. Her eyes darted to Spike's, but he only met her gaze for a short while before, as Willow was rushing down to bring Buffy back to her feet, quickly turning away and striding he went into the living room. Willow turned back round to Dawn sympathetically, but Dawn just shook her head, she didn't need Willow explanation that he was upset – but the feeling of rejection stubbornly remained.
"We've made no bleeding progress Slayer. The First-"
"Has been playing dead for weeks Spike. What exactly are we supposed to have picked up on? It hasn't made a move!"
Spike shook his head, and he regarded her seriously.
"No, no I didn't think so either, but then it was like somebody decided to flip on a sodding light bulb – Why Faith? Why did The First go to all that trouble of breaking Faith out of the big house?"
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest, and her face screwed into a look of distaste at the mere mention of the rogue Slayer.
"To get to you? To put you under that psycho's thrall.." Buffy paused then, as something occurred to her
"What exactly have you-"
"Never you mind, Slayer – And you're missing the bloody point!"
"And what is that exactly?"
Spike let out a growl of frustration.
"Why did it pick Faith? Why pick someone you'd instantly be suspicious about, and not get some random nobody you'd dismiss as me on the sodding rebound"
Something inside of Buffy went cold at that point.
"But it didn't, it went for Faith-"
"Exactly!"
Spike exclaimed, and for the first time since he had arrived, his cold armor seemed to fade away, and he looked at her desperately.
"There has to be reason for that! Think, if you were incorporeal what's the one thing you'd be after? The one thing you'd want more than anything else in this hellhole of a world?"
"A host..."
Buffy whispered, Spike nodded enthusiastically and rising from the sofa, he gently wrapped his hands around her arms, and stared straight into her eyes.
"What would be better than the body of a slayer with a bloody pet master vampire at her beck and call?"
Buffy felt like she had been drenched in icy water. She looked into Spike's beautiful orbs desperately, feeling already like she was grasping at its straws.
"But it failed right? I mean, Faith's dead!"
Spike nodded, but his eyes were filled with sadness.
"But the slayers aren't, someone's been called Buffy. Anna's a potential, what if-"
Buffy shook her head,
"That won't happen, Spike we won't let it-"
She placed a hand on his face, but he pushed away from her then, and the cold armor was suddenly firmly back in place.
"You can't promise that."
His voice darkened noticeably over the word 'promise' and he turned to Willow.
"Red, I need you and Giles to research this; research any process of taking over a host – anything."
Willow nodded
"We'll start now, I'll let you know-"
"Only during the day Red, it's too dangerous for you at night."
Willow smiled at how unusually protective he was being of her.
"I AM a powerful witch you know"
Spike smiled faintly, and then he turned back to Buffy.
"It might be the only way we can kill this thing."
"It won't come to that."
Spike stood there for a moment, he seemed on the verge of saying something but then the moment passed and, nodding curtly at her, he swept out.
Hey!
Thanks so much to everyone who has read and reviewed/alerted/favourite, I really appreciate it, and I look forward to hearing your views
Regards
Lisi the slayer
