(O.O)
Spike woke up feeling like he had a run-in with a ten-wheeler truck and lost miserably. Every part of his body hurt.
He tried to open his eyes, but that was a taxing task in itself. So instead, he tried to smell his surroundings to determine where he was. Once he did that, he froze.
He recognized the scent of the room he was in.
He didn't spend much time there but those quick moments he had been welcome inside were treasured and he memorized every detail of that room. Especially the scent.
I'm in the Slayer's room, he thought.
With more determination, he opened his eyes and tried to focus on his surroundings.
He was right. He was in Buffy's room. Now, the real question was why he was there.
He tried to remember the last thing that happened before waking up.
He remembered coming back to his crypt the night the Slayer turned down his confession and was feeling shitty about everything. Then he came home and Dru was there. He remembered arguing with her because she was inviting him to paint the town red and he wanted her to leave. Then their argument escalated and he remembered her attacking him but he was able to hold her back. At least until someone hit him on the back of the head. The next thing he knew he was chained up in front of Drusilla and Harmony, of all people.
What followed next was Dru and Harmony taking turns with him in making things hurt. And it did hurt. More than once, he remembered losing consciousness. Then he remembered seeing Dawn at his crypt, being held by Dru. He remembered promising Dru anything so she wouldn't hurt the Bit. After that, he remembered looking into Drusilla's eyes and-that was the last of his memories.
It didn't take a genius to know that Dru had him in her thrall. But what happened afterward was the real question. How the heck did he end up in the Slayer's room? And a more important question, why was he in her room?
He was quite certain Buffy wouldn't want to see him anymore. Hell, he half expected her to tell her friends and have Red do a disinvite. That's how bad he knew his Slayer would react to having another vampire falling for her.
Bloody fucking Angel, ruining his girl for everyone.
Angelus always did that and he was so sick and tired of playing second fiddle to his leftovers. If his heart wasn't so stupid and crazy to fall in love with another one of his grandsire's exes, he wouldn't be in this mess. Buffy and he would've still been friends.
Fuck his life.
Spike let out a heavy sigh.
"You're awake!" A voice said from the door, bringing him out of his depressive thoughts.
"Buffy," he whispered, surprised she was there.
She walked to her bed where he was lying and sat down in a chair that was beside the bed.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, giving him a concerned look.
"Like I fought against fifteen Fyarl demons and lost humiliatingly," he answered. "I'm in pain and sore all over."
She looked sad upon hearing this and he felt terrible for making her feel that way, so he backtracked.
"Of course, just a couple of pints of blood and I'll be good as new, so no need to worry about little old me," he told her.
She suddenly touched his bandaged arm.
"I'm sorry."
This surprised him. "What for?"
"For not coming for you sooner. If I wasn't so caught up in my own issues and indecision, you wouldn't have been left alone with those two bitches for too long," she told him.
Was she serious? Did she just blame herself for what happened to him?
"Are you daft?" He suddenly asked her. "Did you hit your head or something?"
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, I knew you have your dumb blonde moments, Luv, but this is too bloody much," he said.
"What?!"
"You're blaming yourself for what happened to me," he answered with a glare. "It wasn't your fault."
"But I-"
He cut her off. "Buffy," she fell silent as she watched him on the bed, his eyes looking so serious as he continued, "it wasn't your fault. Dru and Harm did this to me. You had no idea what was happening and I know for a fact that if you did, you would've come to my rescue. Because that is who you are. You're kind and care so much for your friends, even if their friendship status is currently ambiguous at the moment. You would've come for me. I know this and you know this."
He said it with such conviction that it made her chest tighten. For the past two days since she brought him back to her house, she had been drowning in the guilt of her own creation. She blamed herself for what happened and had been feeling sorry for herself as she tried her best to nurse him back to full health.
But with just his words, all the guilt, frustration, and self-hatred she had been feeling since she left that mansion fled from her heart and she felt light but at the same time, she wanted to cry, because goddammit, he made her so happy with what he just said.
"Thank you," the Slayer said with a soft smile.
He returned the smile with his own.
"By the way, since you're up, you can drink blood on your own, so wait here and I will get it for you, okay?" She asked before leaving the room.
He heard her rush downstairs and closed his eyes and relaxed on the bed. At least she didn't hate him, as he thought she would.
The encounter with Dru and Harmony seemed to help release some of the tension between them. She hadn't mentioned his confession either, so it was a good thing. Moments later, he heard her open the door to her room and when she entered, he caught a whiff of the most pleasant aroma.
"Nice, warm, Slayer blood," she said.
Spike's eyes widened at this. She was offering him her blood? Why?
His confusion must've sown on his face because she said, "I still owe you for telling me about those Slayers you killed in the past."
"But I wasn't planning on collecting on that," he told her.
"I know," she said softly, before helping him sit up. She handed him the cup and let him drink the blood. Her blood.
Her blood was indeed the best. He could feel his body fixing every injury he had and giving him strength.
"How was it?" she asked, looking curious and uncertain at the same time.
"It's Slayer's blood. It's the best and it's doing its job. I'm certain within the next couple of hours I'll be up and running," he informed her with a smirk.
She sighed in relief.
He placed the empty cup on her bedside table and turned to face her.
She was fidgeting in her seat. It was obvious that something was still bothering her, so he asked.
"I know about the chip," she said.
He tensed.
"Steve told me about it first when I told him what happened that night when you confessed to me. I think he was trying to get me to see that you weren't like Angel and that you wouldn't kill people just because there was no metal in your head to stop you," she explained. "Of course, I didn't believe him."
Spike watched her intensely. He wasn't certain where she was going with this. Was she going to attack him? Or ask him nicely to leave Sunnydale? Dammit! He didn't want to leave.
"But then I met up with Dru and Harmony and I was told they tortured you because you wouldn't kill people and then Dawn told me you saved her and I was just confused about what I should do," she said, staring back into his eyes with such a guilty expression.
"Where are you going with this, pet?" He asked, unable to hold himself back.
"Like I said, I'm confused, Spike. You've had the chip removed and you didn't do anything to me and mine and I just want to know why," she answered. "I already asked mom and she told me about that little talk you had with her, but I still couldn't believe it. You're a vampire and nothing is stopping you from killing people. No soul, no chip, just your self-control, and I don't know what to do."
"Shouldn't you just be happy that I'm not killing people?" He asked her.
"I can't risk everyone's lives on something like you saying you don't want to kill people, Spike. Because you can't just change what you want at will, and the next thing we know, you've chowed down on half of Sunnydale's populace," she explained to him.
He was getting angry now. Did she have that little faith in him? Did she just expect him to go on a murder spree because he changed his mind? Was he that shallow to her?
"Buffy, if you don't believe me, just ask me to leave Sunnyhell. That would be kinder," he snapped. "Your disbelief is really doing a number on my heart, pet."
"But that's just the problem! I don't want you to leave! I don't want to kill you either, Spike! I like what I have with you and I love spending time with you!" She declared, surprising him. "You've wormed your way into my heart and I don't want to lose that piece."
She paused and turned away from his curious eyes.
"But I'm the Slayer, and I need something concrete and real as your reason for why you won't kill people. I need it because I can't turn a blind eye as I did before with Angel." He flinched at the name drop. All his problems start with that bastard. "Back then, I kept so much faith in Angel's love for me and kept hoping that it was enough to bring him back. But Angelus used that and shattered my heart and killed a lot of people. I can't do that anymore, Spike. So please give me something I can hang on to and have faith in. It's the only way I can keep you here with me."
He stared at her shaking form. This was troubling her and he now understood why.
She made a mistake once and trusted a demon and got stabbed in the back because said demon lost the one thing that kept him from being the evil bastard that he was. The chip was like that for her. It kept him from killing people and from turning into the same evil bastard. Now that it was gone, nothing was stopping him from following in Angelus' footsteps.
She wasn't willing to trust anything else because she once trusted in Angel's love and it wasn't enough and many people ended up dead. All and all, she needed something from him so he could stay by her side.
But what? He wasn't going to have S.H.I.E.L.D. put the chip back in his head. Nor was he going to get a soul for himself. He didn't need any of those things. He could control his demon all on his own. But she wouldn't trust his control. She needed something to believe in.
And he had just an idea what it was.
"Buffy," he called her name before reaching out to her hand and drawing her attention back to him. Once he had her hand in his, he continued. "I don't have anything concrete to give you to prove that I won't kill people."
She felt a lump in her throat when she heard this. She knew she was asking too much from him.
"But I can give you something real to prove to you that I won't turn into Angelus 2.0," he said, smirking at his little joke before growing serious again as he said the next part. "I love you, Buffy Anne Summers. And I want to give you my heart because that's all I can give. I already told you in the past that I'm love's bitch, and I will do everything for the woman I love."
Her breath hitched. Her heart was racing at his words.
"So, I promise you that I won't kill people because that will hurt you. I promise you that I will protect you and yours because I know that will put you at ease. And I promise that I will spend the rest of what remains of your life staying by your side and making you happy because that's what I want."
She didn't know when it started but she was crying as he continued with his beautiful vow to her.
"I want you happy, Buffy, and I don't want to hurt you. So you need to believe that I will never hurt a single soul here in Sunnydale or anywhere as long as you are with me. Whether as my friend or something else."
His speech. She has never heard anything as beautiful in her life.
After that, her body reacted on its own and jumped onto him on the bed before giving him a kiss on the lips.
Spike froze at first, not understanding what was happening but when his brain finally caught up, he happily kissed her back.
It was amazing! His lips were as soft as she imagined and he was a great kisser too! Buffy didn't know what he was doing with his tongue but she liked it. It-
"What the hell?" Her sister's voice resounded from the door.
They immediately broke off the kiss and stared at the unwelcome guests.
"Ew. If I knew you were going to make out with Spike as soon as he woke up, I would've knocked, you perv," Dawn said before leaving the room and the other guest behind.
Steve, who was the other person at the door, simply smirked at them.
"She's right. I heard from Stark that it was a custom to put a tie or a sock on the doorknob to let others know you two were doing the deed," he said with a shitfaced grin.
Spike couldn't handle the teasing anymore. Not only were they interrupted, but his girl was now embarrassed. So he did what you normally do to friends who annoy the hell out of you: he threw a pillow at Captain America.
(O.O)
Buffy was nervous.
It had been six days since she rescued Spike from Drusilla and Harmony, and four days since she got together with him. That part was great! Spike was a very sweet lover and her mother and sister approved of him, which was a plus.
He was also friends with Captain America, which was cool because the man visited Sunnydale just for the vampire.
In fact, Cap came to her house on the morning she and Spike got together because he had panicked about what she might've done to his friend, which hurt but was understandable. After all, she didn't return any of his calls after he told her about the removal of Spike's chip. So, he was worried about his friend and went to Sunnydale without talking to his superiors just to check on him. Add the fact that Spike's crypt looked like a murder scene complete with a pool of blood in the corner, it was no surprise that Steve came to her house in such a hurry.
The embarrassment of having him and her sister witnessing her make-out session with the vampire aside, everything was going great for Buffy. Her mother was kind enough to let Spike and Steve stay in their house until the vampire healed up so he could return to his crypt. Steve stayed for one night because he had to return to New York and inform S.H.E.I.L.D. why he went AWOL all of a sudden, as well as let them know that he was going to be making Sunnydale his primary place of residence, which made both Spike and Dawn happy.
Living together with Spike had been pretty amazing. Once he was finally able to get out of bed without feeling tired, he helped around the house.
He helped her mother cook their meals and sometimes he made dinner all by himself, and she was actually surprised what an excellent chef he was. He also cleaned the table and washed the dishes after every meal because according to him, it was his way of thanking the Summers women for letting him stay in their home. He also helped Dawn with her homework so her mother could rest and she could focus on her own studies.
Besides housework, Spike also spent a lot of his time with her. While he didn't sleep in her bed anymore because he hated the thought of his girl sleeping on the couch to accommodate him, he still stayed a good majority of the night in her room either talking to her, watching Netflix together, or just holding her until she fell asleep or making out with Buffy in her bed, which was her most favorite so far. Spike smoochies were just the best.
Overall, Buffy was spoiled of spending so much time with Spike.
Sadly though, all good things had to come to an end and after getting a text from Willow asking about the vampire and an update on the Drusilla situation, she had no choice but to schedule a Scooby meeting to let everyone know what happened that night, as well as inform her friends about Spike's chipless status and his position as her boyfriend.
That's why she was nervous.
She wasn't certain how her friends would react. Xander and Willow were no longer under the Let's hate Spike banner, but that could very well change, especially once they learned that the vampire no longer had the chip. Giles will definitely give her some form of disapproving look because she was dating another vampire. Tara and Anya-well, at least with those two, she was certain that they'd either support her relationship with Spike or simply don't care enough to let it bother them.
Buffy sighed for the hundredth time that evening as she and her vampire made their way to the Magic Box. She knew it worried her boyfriend that she was so nervous about letting her friends know about them and about the chip, so he suggested that they could keep their relationship a secret and just tell her friends about the chip's removal.
She disagreed with this though. She didn't want him to feel that she was embarrassed by him or anything, because she wasn't. She really liked Spike and he was an amazing boyfriend and she didn't want him to feel that she thought any less of him than that. So she told him that they will tell their friends because she wanted them to know and because he deserved to be recognized as someone she cared about.
Her nervousness aside, Spike deserved this, so she had no plan on backing out.
They arrived at the Magic Box just exactly when Anya switched the Open/Close sign on the front door, so she was the first to greet them.
"You look less like a tortured victim," she commented as she looked at Spike.
"Ta, pet. I had enough time to recover."
"Good. Since everyone likes you now, I am allowed to say that I am happy to know you're alright," Anya said before going towards the cash register and leaving an amused Spike and an exasperated Buffy by the door.
The couple moved further into the shop and was greeted by everyone. Steve, Buffy noticed, was also in the group.
"When did you get back?" She asked the super soldier.
"Just tonight. I thought it was better if I was here when you guys talked to your friends. At least if things get sour, I'd be able to support you two," he replied with a smile.
That reassured Buffy and elevated some of her nervousness.
After greeting everyone, the group finally settled and waited for their fearless leader to start the meeting.
Buffy stared at everyone for a few moments. Willow and Tara and Xander were by the table looking up at her expectantly. Giles was by the counter with Anya, who was counting her money. Steve and Spike stood in the corner. They all looked ready to hear what she had to say but she had no idea where to start.
Start with the easiest, her brain provided.
And so, she did that. She talked about what Drusilla and Harmony did to Spike as well as what they wanted to do in Sunnydale. Skipping the part of Spike no longer having the chip, she informed her friends how she defeated the unlikely partners and what she did to them after.
She told them that she let Harmony go because she was too pathetic to dust and Drusilla got away because she left her alone at Angel's old mansion so she could take care of Spike first. When she came back for her the following night, the psychotic vampire was no longer there.
Her friends accepted what happened and merely asked if she and Spike were doing okay after everything. Touched, she responded that she was indeed alright and Spike had made full recovery. Then she decided to move to the difficult part of the meeting. Announcing her relationship with Spike to everyone.
Since she couldn't think of a better way to tell them, she simply blurted out that-
"Spike and I are together!"
None of her friends reacted at first. But when she repeated what she said, she finally got the reaction she expected.
"By together, do you mean together together?" Willow asked.
"You aren't sick or something, right?" Xander questioned before turning to Willow. "You haven't been doing any spells lately, have you?"
"No!" The redhead exclaimed.
Buffy looked at the others and saw that Giles was giving her a troubled look while Tara merely scowled at her girlfriend. And Anya-
"I always thought they have been dating for some time," the ex-demon told her. "I mean, they always hung out and they laughed and teased each other, then they also patrolled together. Isn't there a saying that goes proximity leads to intimacy, intimacy leads to a relationship, so love is just a matter of proximity? You all shouldn't be all that surprised if they did say they were dating."
"Exactly!" Buffy agreed. Sometimes the strange woman said the smartest things and she had to admit, no wiser words could describe how she started to like Spike and why she chose to be with him than what Anya just said.
Her friends stood in silence after that. They took in Anya's words and realized that they did notice their Slayer growing closer to the weird vampire. They didn't comment on it in the past because they never expected Buffy to actually go out with Spike.
"Okay, maybe we should've seen this coming. I mean, you sexy danced with him back at the Bronze and you never did that to any of us. But what if the chip stops working? I mean, no offense," he addressed the vampire, "I still think you're the coolest for introducing me to Captain America," before he turned back to face her. "But he could still want us dead and kill us all. It'll be Angelus all over again."
"I don't want to kill any of you anymore," Spike stated, joining in the conversation.
"Oh! Well-I guess, I have nothing to complain about then," Xander said to her before turning to Spike again. "However, I still reserve a right to stake you if you ever hurt Buffy like Angel did."
"Mate, if I do end up hurting her, I will stand still and let you dust me," her vampire replied with a serious look.
Buffy wasn't sure if she should be happy with that statement or not but she decided to talk about him promising people his own dusting at a later time. Instead, she turned to her other friends to see how they were reacting to this revelation.
"I don't see anything wrong with you and Spike being together," Tara said softly. "I think you two are good for each other. You guys also glow."
"Glow?" she repeated.
"Yes. You know, I can see auras and whenever you two are together, your colors mesh up, both of you just glow," was the shy witch's explanation.
Buffy smiled and turned to Willow to see how she was taking this.
The redhead merely approached her and stared into her eyes.
"Are you happy?" She asked her.
"Yes," Buffy answered, before receiving a hug from her friend.
"Then I have no problem with it either."
Buffy felt a weight on her heart lift at her friends' acceptance of her relationship with Spike. Then she turned to the last person who still hadn't said anything since she announced her new relationship status. Giles.
The man himself looked impassive. He was staring at everyone, so Buffy approached him.
"Giles?" She asked. "How about you?"
"How about me?" He repeated.
"I want to know if you're okay with this," she asked her Watcher.
"Would you break up with Spike if I said I wasn't?" He asked.
Buffy flinched at this. She was expecting at least one or two of her friends to react badly to her announcement. However, she hoped that her Watcher would support her.
"I wouldn't," she answered.
"Then I have nothing to say. It is your life and I am not going to question your decisions," he said. "I just hope that you know what you are doing. He's still a vampire after all."
"I do," she replied with conviction.
Giles smiled at his charge. "Then you have my support. Just know that if the chip stops working, things will be different and he could still want you and every one of us dead, regardless of his current promise of no longer wanting us dead. He could just change his mind and kill us."
Buffy smiled back. "You don't have to worry about that. I am one hundred percent certain that Spike won't kill any of us. I mean, the chip has been gone for over three months and all of us are still alive. That has to mean something, right?"
"I beg your pardon?" Giles asked, thinking he must've misheard something about the chip.
It took the combined power of Buffy and Steve to convince everyone, mostly Xander and Giles, that Spike wasn't going to hurt them. The rest of the meeting consisted of Giles basically interrogating the vampire on every topic he could think of.
"Where do you get your blood?" Giles asked. "Or have you been going to bite houses as well?"
Spike gave the man a disgusted look. "I buy expired blood from the hospital, Watcher, and still drink swine blood. If you don't believe me, you can ask Rogers and he can confirm where I get my supply."
Steve nodded in affirmation.
"And you haven't killed anyone since you got the chip out?" This one came from Willow. Although Buffy had to hand it to her friend, at least she looked at Spike in admiration as she asked this.
"Other than other vamps and demons, no, I haven't killed a single human since the chip's removal," Spike answered with a proud smile.
Buffy mimicked his expression, she too was proud of her lover.
"But why?" Giles asked.
"Because he promised me he wouldn't," Steve said.
"Well, it started with me promising to Steve that I wouldn't kill anyone innocent. Not killing humans altogether was because Joyce got me to realize that I didn't need to kill people to eat and that there was no reason for me to do so," Spike added.
Giles looked surprised at this. "Joyce knew that you didn't have the chip?"
"Yep," her vampire answered. "She was the first one I told, and I didn't kill her either, so that should be enough to tell you I don't want to hurt people."
However, Giles still wasn't contented with that answer. "But-"
"Mr. Giles, what's the real issue here?" Steve suddenly asked her Watcher.
Everyone turned to the Captain.
"Spike doesn't want to hurt people and instead of being happy about it, you're questioning him on why he is doing so. I think you're being unfair to Spike and I don't appreciate it."
Her Watcher sputtered as he tried to respond to the Captain's statement.
"I agree," Anya joined in. "While I understand you're trying to be thorough, it's still coming off as insulting how you are asking him these things. He already said he's not eating people and he said he won't be killing anyone in a long time because of Buffy. What more do you want? A written statement signed in blood?"
"I-" Giles turned to look at everyone and he could see that they were all giving him disapproving looks.
"Come on, G-man, just accept it. Spike's part of the good guys now. No use questioning him about it," Xander said, surprising everyone. "Plus, unlike Dead boy Senior, he doesn't have a soul to lose, so we won't have to worry about Spikelus making an appearance."
Giles frowned, wanting to be stubborn, before sighing. He was indeed trying to be thorough but as everyone was telling him, he did come off as insulting. He apologized to Spike and finally accepted his change of heart.
"I still remember what you said back in my crypt the day after I helped you when you got turned into a Fyarl demon. You said something about higher purpose and what-not," Spike said to Giles.
Giles' eyes widened at this. He remembered that conversation well. "I'm surprised you remember. I thought you weren't listening."
"Oh, I was listening. Just didn't want you to know that I was at the time, that's all. Anyway, what you said back then about the chip having a higher purpose? I don't agree with that. I doubt any higher being would do that to me because they had some sort of plans for yours truly. Plus, the chip? It was cruel and horrible to have anyone be subjected to it."
The vampire paused turning to Buffy with an adoring expression, before turning back to the Watcher.
"But I won't deny that it did get me to where I am now. If I didn't have the chip, I never would've gotten to know you a lot better or realized my feelings for the Slayer or be friends with her mum. So, if there was a purpose for the chip, that's it. Not for me to fight demons or for a chance of redemption, like Peaches. But just for me to change my opinions about everyone in this room and maybe for me to be part of this crazy group. That's all."
And no one had anything left to say after that.
(O.O)
Joyce Summers had one dream in life and that was the happiness of her daughters.
As soon as she held Buffy and Dawn in her arms when they were born, all she wanted was to see them grow up as beautiful, strong, and independent women with loving husbands and kids of their own, living in a nice, safe suburban home. Both her girls are grown up and happy.
That's all she wanted.
But then one day, she learned that her eldest was the Slayer. The one girl Chosen to fight vampires, demons, and monsters all by herself. The one girl with a short life expectancy and whose future was only to die to save people.
This tore her heart apart because her eldest being the Slayer meant that only one of her daughters was to achieve her dream for them.
And so, Joyce made a new dream alongside the first one. It was to simply see that her eldest lived long enough to at least make something with her life that didn't involve killing demons. She had been so happy when Buffy graduated high school, even though her daughter didn't let her attend the ceremony. It was still the proudest moment of her life.
It had been a milestone for her and proof that she wasn't just the Slayer, but she had a future as well.
Then she went to college and Joyce was overjoyed, because this meant that her first dream wasn't as far off as she had thought. Buffy was the Slayer but if she graduated college, she could also be other things too. Her dreams for her daughters weren't too impossible to achieve.
At least until she learned the truth about her youngest daughter.
Dawn was the Key.
Unlike being a Slayer, she had no immediate information on what a Key was, other than her little Pumpkin Belly wasn't really hers and that she was placed in their home, complete with fake memories, to be protected by her eldest.
It shocked and scared her.
The memories she had of her youngest were fake and all she knew of Dawn wasn't real. It was such surprising news, but she still loved her like she was her own, so it didn't matter. However, once the shock subsided, she became afraid for her daughter because she needed protection against a powerful being.
A hell god was after her baby and this enemy was someone that her eldest was unable to defeat. After hearing this, Joyce realized the horrible truth that her dream for her girls was never going to come true.
One or both of her daughters were always going to be in danger. And there was even a chance that one or both of them may even die before her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She couldn't protect her babies because she wasn't powerful or magical or anything.
She was just Joyce, a very human forty-something businesswoman.
She had no knowledge of demons other than what her eldest daughter chose to share with her. She didn't help with research on the demons who wanted to kill her little girls. Nor did she have abilities to fight like most of Buffy's friends
She was nothing.
And that frustrated her.
All she wanted was her daughters' happiness. Was that too much to ask?
Of course, when you wished for something, God or whatever deity that heard your prayers, more often than not, would grant it through the most unexpected means.
Hers came in the package of a blonde, leather-clad vampire with a nasty mouth and sexy accent.
Spike.
When Joyce first met the vampire, she never thought that he would play such a great role in her daughters' lives. After all, he first came to Sunnydale to kill the Slayer and repeatedly came back to do it again when his first attempts failed.
However, ever since the blonde vampire gained the chip and started visiting her home whenever he could, she started seeing him in a different light.
Joyce saw that Spike was more than just a vampire. He could be a good friend.
He knew how to listen to her and was always open to hearing her problems about her girls and her complaints about her ex-husband. He was honest with her, which was something she appreciated because he didn't hide the truth from her about the dangers out there and what went bump in the night as her daughter and Mr. Giles did. He made her laugh and always told the best stories. Her favorites were the stories of his adventures with Captain America and the rest of his friends from the war.
Overall, Spike was a good friend to her, so it didn't come as a surprise that he was also a good friend to her girls.
To her youngest, Spike was this cool vampire guy who hung out with her and talked to her like an adult, which at first, Joyce didn't approve of. But after she saw that Dawn acted more maturely and stopped throwing tantrums about her life and being the Key, she accepted that the vampire's unique way of dealing with a teenager had its advantages. It amazed her how easily he was able to handle the teen, so she never minded leaving Dawn in Spike's care whenever she had to leave town to restock her inventory.
She knew she could rely on him to protect her baby girl.
Spike's relationship with her eldest, on the other hand, was a tricky one.
Unlike Dawn, whom the vampire never tried to kill, Buffy had to fear Spike because of his initial threats of wanting to add her to his tally of Slayers that died in his hands. It was because of their history that her eldest daughter never trusted him and when he got the chip, she never tried to see the vampire as anything other than a serial killer in prison. Someone who was just waiting for the right moment to make his kill.
In some ways, she was right. Spike was still a killer, but unlike most murderers, he wasn't someone who was driven by the need to kill. No, the vampire was someone who had to look for a reason to kill someone. In fact, he once told her that the reason he killed was because that was expected of him. He was a vampire, so he was expected to kill people.
Joyce always thought that this way of thinking was caused by his upbringing. Spike was associated with a group of truly evil vampires. Angelus and his lot. It was because of them that Spike had the twisted need to prove himself as someone evil.
When in reality, this was not something he desired.
No, Joyce knew that what Spike really wanted was to belong to someone. To have someone to love and to be loved in return.
She didn't dwell too much on why the vampire acted the way he did because she wasn't a trained psychologist.
But she did think that it was because of this desire that he gradually became closer to her and to her family.
Buffy, in the past, refused to see any positive changes in him. She refused to believe that Spike could be good or that he could be anything other than an evil, soulless blood-sucking vampire. This bigoted way of thinking annoyed Joyce because it forced her to hide her blooming friendship with Spike from her daughter.
But fortunately, things changed for these two. Something caused her baby girl to rethink her opinion of the vampire.
The cause for this change came from the vampire's friend, Steve Rogers.
Now, when Joyce first found out that Spike knew the infamous Captain, she initially thought that he was fibbing with her. Of course, he told her enough stories with evidence for her to finally believe him, but unlike her, her daughter didn't just get a story from the vampire on his relationship with the WWII hero.
No, Buffy and her friends were given the chance to actually meet the man himself and hear the story straight from him. Meeting with the Captain and hearing his story changed her daughter and the other's views on the vampire. They were less aggressive with him and more respectful.
And Joyce approved of this change.
But that is not all the change that she saw in Buffy in regard to the vampire. Strangely enough, the two became good friends. She had no idea how it happened, but she had first witnessed the shift in their relationship during Christmas.
Buffy wasn't mean to the vampire nor was she awkward in her attempts to remain civil with him. Instead, she laughed with him and teased him. Joyce even overheard them talking about their favorite things to do that didn't involve slaying. It was a real contrast to her child's previous interactions with Spike and she couldn't help but be happy about the change.
Then that friendship evolved into something else. Something Joyce found was akin to love. She saw the way her daughter spoke about the vampire and had seen that silly smile on her face whenever she thought of him. There was no mistake, her daughter didn't just like the vampire, she was falling for him.
Now, this should've concerned her. Her daughter had already been in a relationship with a vampire in the past and that ended with her baby being hurt. But because she knew Spike and how he was with someone he loved, she wasn't all that worried. The vampire was not like the other one who claimed to love her daughter in the past. He was different from the other because he had a heart that could actually love and she knew he would never leave her baby girl if her daughter were to be with him.
That was why when they got together and told her about it the morning Steve Rogers decided to pay a visit to her house, because he was worried about his friend who had hadn't contacted him in a while, she didn't react badly.
In fact, she announced to the new couple that she was expecting it, which surprised everyone. She simply congratulated Spike and made him promise that he would take care of her baby girl, which the vampire agreed and vowed to do.
Now, one might question how these observations in both her daughters' interactions with the vampire amounted to Joyce concluding that her dream for her children would come true with the help of the vampire. It was simple really. Spike made both her girls happy and because of this, she knew that if anything were to happen to her, the vampire would be there for her babies.
She trusted Spike and knew he wouldn't fail her.
(O.O)
Unlife had been great for Spike so far. He was no longer hindered by the chip and he was in a relationship with the most beautiful and strongest woman he has ever met. His best friend just got S.H.E.I.L.D.'s approval to move to town and was currently looking for an apartment. His girlfriend's friends and family have accepted him and supported their relationship even after they learned that the chip wasn't there anymore.
Now, all that's left to make things perfect is for this Glory bint to drop dead and for Buffy to sleep with him.
Don't judge him.
He hasn't had sex with anyone since he broke up with Harmony almost five months ago, so he was feeling a little horny lately.
While he and Buffy were already on second base, it still wasn't enough for him. He wanted to taste his lover and be more intimate with her.
But he didn't want to rush her.
The slow pace they were going may end up killing him, but Buffy was special and she deserved the best. If she wanted to wait then he was willing to do so.
Spike stopped his musings and turned to the door of his crypt because he caught the familiar scent of his girl. The door opened and Buffy entered.
"Hi"
"Hello, cutie," he replied as he slowly approached her. "How's the bot thing? Did you find her creator? This Warren bloke?"
"Yup, I did," she said as she hugged him suddenly. "And it was really sad."
Buffy first filled him in on how she found the owner of the crazy robot girl that Steve, Spike, Buffy, and the Scoobies all met the night before at a frat house party around Sunnydale Uni. She then told him about how Warren, the bastard, had left April, the bot, in his dorm room to rot because he wanted to spend time with his new girlfriend. Then she finished her story by letting him know about how heartbroken the bot was because Warren disregarded her and how his girl waited beside the poor bot until its power died.
"I felt sorry for her. I mean, all she wanted was to be loved and he threw her away because he didn't need her anymore. It just didn't seem fair," she told him.
He continued holding her. "No, it's not. Warren is an asshole and if I was allowed to hurt people, he'd be the type of man I'd kill."
"Yeah, he was terrible. April reminded me of you though," she said, surprising the vampire.
"I'm a crazy sexbot to you?" He asked, earning a laugh and a slap from her.
"No, you Idiot. I mean, all she wanted was to be loved and she was willing to do anything for the one she loved. Doesn't that sound like someone you know?"
"I guess."
Buffy gave him a peck on his lips.
"I love that about you, you know," she said, caressing his cheek. "I still think it's pretty amazing that you can stop killing just for me."
He leaned into her touch. "I don't want to hurt you."
"I know. That's why it's amazing." She moved closer to him before kissing him again. This time it lasted longer.
He exchanged a few sensual kisses with her before his tongue explored her mouth. She moaned before she leaned closer to him and he felt a hand on his neck, snaking to his head, massaging and scratching his scalp alternatingly. It was his turn to moan in pleasure.
Their kiss deepened as her tongue danced along with his. Her other hand fisted his shirt, stopping him from moving away, not like he planned to do so anyway.
Meanwhile, his hands went to her butt and squeezed the round muscles before pulling her closer to him until she was practically rubbing against his erection.
It was just a kiss but God, this woman did wonders to him.
Once her need for air was necessary, their lips parted, both panting with their foreheads against each other, with a satisfied smile on their faces.
"Have I told you that you're still the best kisser I've ever dated?" She asked as she breathed heavily.
"Many times. But I like hearing it, so you can repeat it all you want, Luv," he replied with a proud smirk.
"I want to have more Spike kisses and Spike grope-age," she stated. "Is your roommate around?"
"Rogers went to see your Watcher and said he was going to stay there for the night, so we have the crypt to ourselves."
"Good. Dawn's staying at Janice's and mom is on a second date with Brian."
"That the name of the bloke Joyce is seeing?"
"Yup," she answered. "That means I don't have to go home tonight and we can stay here enjoying each other."
"I love that plan. Want to take this downstairs?"
Buffy smiled before she took her vampire's hand and pulled him toward the hole that led to the lower level of his crypt.
(O.O)
Buffy was so happy.
She just spent a night at Spike's place and enjoyed a preview of what it was like to actually have sex with the vampire.
While they stuck to kissing and groping each other, her man was really talented, and more than once he nearly got her off just by him touching certain parts of her body that didn't involve her nether regions.
The way things were going with them, Buffy knew that it wouldn't be far off when she would take the next step and actually sleep with him. Although she still had fears that there would be an Angelus repeat the morning after they had sex, it wasn't as strong as it was before.
Spike wasn't Angelus, and thus, he would never hurt her the way that other vampire did. So, if the time did come when they had sex, she was certain that in the morning after, he would still be there with her. Or maybe he would have breakfast ready for her-yeah, that would be like her vampire. He was a romantic and he did every romantic cliche she could think of because it either made her laugh or gave her butterflies in her stomach.
Buffy opened the door to her house and caught the sight of a bouquet of flowers beside a vase.
She smiled.
It looked like she wasn't the only one who enjoyed her night with a significant other.
She called out to her mother.
She wanted to ask her about what happened between her and this Brian guy. It would be fun to tease her some more about him. After all, it had been a while since she'd been with someone and she had been really shy about going out with him a couple of days ago.
She turned to the living room and found her mother lying on the sofa.
"Mom? What are you doing there?" She asked as she approached her mother, who was lying with her eyes wide open.
Something was wrong. Her mom was not moving or responding to her.
"Mom?" She asked again and tried to shake her. "Mom?"
When she didn't get a response, she slid to the floor beside the body.
"Mommy?"
TBC
(O.O)
So many things happened in this chapter and I know it must've been a whirlwind of emotions for everyone, what with Buffy and Spike's scene in the first part then the Scoobies' reaction to their relationship as well as the removal of the chip. I hope those scenes did not disappoint. I am sorry to everyone who really wanted me to keep Joyce alive. I wanted her alive as well, but I wanted to stay as canon as I could in certain aspects of this fic, and as much as I really wanted to help Joyce, the way she died was so sudden that I doubt anyone could've done something to save her unless they did something different in terms of how they handled the tumor in her brain.
Next chapter we will see Buffy, Spike, Dawn, and Steve's reactions to Joyce's death.