A week had passed and Spike had a kind of clarity. He no longer felt confused, and he no longer took his anger out on Kat. In the week gone by, he'd accepted the fact that he'd fallen in love with her. He'd accepted it the moment she'd turned up at his place bleeding. All the anger he'd been directing at her seemed to fly out of the window when he saw her injured, and he realized he'd been acting like an idiot. It wasn't her fault he loved her. She didn't even know about his feelings. He'd come to terms with his feelings for her and the fact that nothing would ever happen. But it didn't mean he needed to push her away. If seeing her injured had taught him anything, it's that she needed protecting. Sure, Buffy looked out for her, but she was so wrapped up in the Glory thing that Spike knew Kat needed someone watching out for her. It wasn't that she was weak. He'd seen her fight and for a human she did a good job. But she was still just a human, and he didn't know what he'd do if something happened to her.
Things between them had gone back to normal now, and he still felt guilty for treating her like crap in the first place. She'd been so understanding about it, telling him she'd be there when he was ready. She even offered up her own blood to 'cheer him up' and he'd never tasted anything quite like it. Spike wasn't a good guy. Even with the chip in his brain, he wasn't completely good. Sure, he fought on the good side now, more so 'cause it was all he could do. And sure, now he wanted to be a better man for Kat. But if anyone else had offered him their blood, he wouldn't have bloody hesitated. Hell, he might have even just outright asked for some. He wasn't above begging when it came to fresh human blood. But this was Kat, and she was hurt. The scent of her blood had been getting to him, the sweet tang making his mouth water. But he'd been doing an alright job trying to ignore it because patching her up had been far more important. But she'd offered. Bloody convinced him she was fine with it and it was consensual. He wondered if it had been a mistake. He'd gone cold turkey since he had no choice and Kat's blood had him jonesing for more. He'd never tasted anything so sweet before. The whole thing had been so erotic to him, lapping at her blood like that. It had turned him on immensely and then he felt like a right git for it because she'd innocently let him have a taste. Didn't stop him from having to sort himself out though once he was in bed as she slept upstairs. She wasn't completely innocent, though. He'd smelt her arousal as he did it and it drove him mad. The damn woman would be the end of him.
He made his way to the Magick Box for the Scooby meeting. They'd been having them every day since the Glory shitstorm happened to keep everyone updated and it meant he got to see Kat even if they weren't patrolling together. Even if there wasn't a meeting he'd still turn up. It wasn't like he needed an excuse to go and see her. They were friends now. It was strange, accepting his feelings for her. All the rage and the fear of rejection seemed to melt away. He'd just come to terms with it for what it was and it made him feel lighter. It allowed him to feel excited to see her again. To enjoy her company. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he knew his place in the world. Knew his purpose. It was keeping her safe and happy.
When he walked inside the shop, he was expecting to see everyone milling around before the meeting started. Instead, he was greeted with chaos. There was a purple portal in the middle of the room as everyone panicked and rushed around, bickering with each other.
"What the hell is going on?" He asked confused, eyes drifting to the swirling energy that was out of place in the shop. No one answered him and he looked around, seeing Kat nowhere. A sinking feeling formed in the pit of his stomach and he glanced at Buffy, who seemed distraught as she desperately argued with Giles about going into the portal.
"Where the bloody hell is Kat?" He asked harshly. Finally, people seemed to notice he was there. Buffy and Giles didn't cease their argument, but Willow gave him a guilty look. He growled as he stalked over to her and she stumbled backwards.
"Where is she?" He asked lowly, face like thunder.
"She um… we accidentally opened the portal and she…" she trailed off, eyes wide as she shook her head.
"She what, Red?" He bit out, feeling like he already knew the answer.
"She got sucked in," she squeaked out.
He sneered, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair.
"And where does the portal go?" He asked briskly.
"A hell dimension," she lamented, her shoulders slumping. Great. Bloody wonderful. His girl got whisked off to a hell dimension all on her lonesome.
"A hell dimension? You let her get sucked into a bloody hell dimension?! Are all of you insane?!" He yelled, his voice getting higher with each word.
"It wasn't like we did it on purpose, Spike," Xander huffed, looking right guilty despite his words.
"Oh, well, I guess that makes it all alright then. Doesn't matter that Kat's God knows where, probably bein' soddin' tortured right now!" He seethed. The whelp had the good grace to shrink away from him. Coward.
He turned to Buffy and Giles and caught some of their argument. Buffy wanted to go right in after her cousin, but Giles was telling her she needed to be here in case Glory turned up. They couldn't leave Nibblet unattended. And while he wanted nothing more than the Slayer to go after Kat and get her out of there, he also knew Giles wasn't exactly wrong.
"I'll go," Spike spoke up firmly. Buffy and Giles turned to him then. The Slayer pursed her lips like she was fighting the urge to say no. But he knew he was the next best choice next to Buffy, and she just wanted Kat back.
"Right… okay," she nodded. She looked rattled. Completely fear stricken and Spike wondered just how bad this bloody dimension was to have her acting this way.
"You'll need these," Giles muttered as he handed Spike a battleax and a dagger.
"Great," Spike murmured, frowning at the weapons. It was bad then. It must be bad if Giles was happy for him to be the one to go save Kat. Not a scathing remark in sight.
Willow rushed over then, a large shiny amulet in her slender fingers.
"Take this. The dimension… It's big. The portal to get home isn't the same one you come in through. This will guide you both to it," she said quietly, wringing her hands nervously.
"Bring her back, Spike," Buffy said firmly. It wasn't so much a threat than a plea, though. He nodded. He bloody would bring her back. Hell, if he couldn't,, he'd just stay in that dimension with her for the rest of his unlife.
"We're not sure if the portal has a time limit, so time is of the essence," Giles informed him. Just what he needed, a bloody time limit. The dimension was apparently big and he had to find her first. With no time to waste, Spike didn't even hesitate as he jumped through the shimmering portal. There was a brief moment where he felt disconnected to his body. Then he got spat out, hitting the floor roughly with a grunt.
He landed on grass, the portal vanishing, but then he jumped up realizing the sun was high in the sky.
"Bloody hell!" He hissed, awaiting the flames to start. They didn't though and he stood there perplexed, looking up at the bright blue sky.
"Bloody hell…" he repeated, this time awe in his voice as he looked at his hand. He wasn't bursting into flames. The sun mustn't affect him in this dimension. Now wasn't the time to marvel at the sunlight, though. He had a girl to rescue. He set off out, his eyes sweeping the place. It looked like some kind of wilderness. There were trees and large rocks all over and he could hear the rushing water of a river. The terrain was harsh but he trudged through the trees. He took a large inhale and he caught Kat's scent. It was faint but there and he felt relief wash over him. Now he had a trail to follow. He felt like he'd been walking forever when the scent got stronger, mixed with something else. It was blood. Kat's blood. He looked around and saw some blood drops on the muddy floor. Well, this wasn't good. It wasn't too much though, so hopefully she wasn't too injured. He picked up his pace as he wondered just what the hell had made her bleed. So far the place seemed quiet. He was soon made to eat his words as something emerged from the trees. He could only describe it as a mix between a tiger and a bloody lizard. It was huge. He readied his ax with a deadly grin.
"Bring it on then, bitch," he muttered, raising his ax as the beast ran at him.
Kat shivered and wrapped her arms tighter around herself. She could hear a faint dripping in the cave she'd been hiding in. She was close enough to the entrance to see it was going dark. One thing she'd learned about this place is that the days didn't last long. Once it got dark, the air got freezing. She was surprised she'd not died from hypothermia at this point, she wasn't prepared for this. She was only in her jeans and boots with a long sleeve tee on. She wasn't even wearing a jacket. She'd been happily organizing a new order they'd received at the Magic Box when she'd heard a commotion. She'd run out, only to get sucked into some kind of portal. She got spat out here. It didn't look too bad at first. It almost seemed like she was in some kind of national park. But then things got a little hairy.
As she'd walked around trying to find the portal back, hoping there would be one, a giant snake slithered through the foliage. She'd never seen a snake so big and she was sure it could swallow her whole if it wanted to. She'd tried to avoid it but the thing was fast, it was then she noticed it had millions of tiny legs. She had no weapons on her at all. Completely defenseless. All she could do was run. But as she did, the snake lunged at her and bit her arm. Luckily, she'd moved away enough that the wound wasn't too bad. It was now scabbed over and stuck to her shirt. It would hurt like a bitch when she had to take it off.
After escaping the jaws of death, she'd hurried through the forest with no real destination in mind. She'd come across some weird creatures. They looked like small balls of fluff. Small enough that they would fit in her hand. Their large eyes made them look harmless as they squeaked at her. She was just contemplating that all the beasts here weren't too bad, when they'd opened their mouths and she'd fled in horror. Their tiny razor teeth would cause a lot of damage and their mouths opened so wide, she was surprised they didn't split open. She didn't want to be here. She discovered an open field and then found a small cave in the side of a mountain. It wasn't great but it was better than being out there. She knew she hadn't seen the worst of what the place had to offer. She was tired and cold and really fucking hungry. She had no supplies on her since she'd hardly planned a trip here. She'd come across a few berry bushes, but she wasn't sure if they'd kill her if she'd eat them, so she stayed clear of them. She wasn't sure what to do. Was anyone looking for her? Was there a portal out of here? The more time that passed, the more hopeless and despondent she got.
She'd tried to light a fire many times, but failed every time. So she sat in the dark, alone in the cold and damp cave as she wondered how long she'd last. Would the cold get to her first, or would it be the hunger that did her in? Or maybe one of the creatures would find her in here and eat her. She was consumed with her negative thoughts when she heard something faint. Her blue eyes snapped to the cave opening. She couldn't see much since it was getting dark and she wasn't sitting right next to it.
"Kat!" She heard, the voice carrying through the open space outside of the cave. It sounded a lot like Spike. Was she hallucinating now? It couldn't be him. Why would he be here?
"Kat, you here?!" She heard again. She blinked slowly before standing up, moving to the mouth of the cave. It wasn't pitch black yet and her eyes darted around before landing on Spike, who was wandering through the grass. Hallucination or real? She wasn't sure. She was so lonely from being here so long that her feet moved of their own accord out of the cave.
His head snapped in her direction and she saw his body sag in relief before he barreled over to her. She was caught off guard by the bone crushing hug and she gasped as it jarred her sore arm. But as he tried to pull away, she clung onto him for a long moment. She'd started to think she'd never see anyone ever again. She was glad he was here.
"You're hurt," he muttered, not even asking. He probably smelt her blood. She nodded before she moved away and she knew she looked a mess as his eyes assessed her. Her hair was all over the place and she was pretty sure there was a twig or two in there. She had mud streaks on her clothes and face after falling in the mud escaping the snake with legs thing. And of course there was the dried blood coating her sleeve.
"I'm glad you're here. I was starting to give up," she admitted softly, a small frown on her face.
"It's only been an hour or two, Kitten," he snorted, still glancing over her like he was trying to see if there were more injuries.
"On the other side, maybe. I've been here for 5 days," she muttered tensely. He blinked at her for a moment before he frowned himself.
"Right… time works differently in other dimensions," he said quietly. Guilt coated his tone and she wasn't sure why, as it wasn't his fault she got gobbled up into another dimension.
"You make any friends on the way?" She asked lightly. Having Spike here lifted her mood a little. If anyone could help her get out of this mess, it would be Spike. And even if they never got out, at least she wasn't alone.
"A few. Nasty buggers too. I'm guessin' you did too," he huffed as he gestured to her sore arm.
"Snake thing bit me. I'm alright though, it's already scabbed. Could have been worse," she shrugged. He nodded solemnly before he handed her a dagger. She wasn't sure if she could use it effectively but it made her feel better to have some protection. And the mighty ax in his hands also helped.
"Right then. Red gave me this amulet, said it'll show us where the portal is. Dunno how it works, really. Best get goin'," he said firmly, gripping the ax tightly.
"It's gonna be dark real soon. And I mean like… really really dark. I won't be able to see," she said hesitantly. If he thought they still needed to go now then she'd trust him but she wanted to let him know. She knew he had vamp sight but it got so dark she didn't know if it would be any help. He nodded as he looked up at the dimming sky and then around to the trees across the open field. Then his eyes landed on the cave she came out of.
"That cave safe?" He asked, gesturing to it with the ax.
"As safe as it can be in a place like this," she said wryly. His lips quirked up a little as he started making his way over and she hurriedly followed him. Once they got set up in the cave, they sat side by side.
"The nights last longer than the days, so I'm not sure how long we'll be waiting here," she said into the silent cave.
"We'll wait it out for a bit but if it lasts too long, we'll need to scram. They're not sure if the portal has a time frame," he murmured. She felt her stomach tighten a little at the knowledge but nodded stiffly.
She felt the cold down to her bones, and after she shivered for the tenth time, Spike took off his duster and wrapped it around her. She blinked at him before a small frown graced her face.
"You'll need it," she said softly. She didn't want him suffering because of her. He was only here to get her, after all.
"You need it more than I do. Vampire, remember?" He smirked, making her roll her eyes playfully. She snuggled into the large coat, thankful that while it didn't get her warm, it did make her less cold. The cave plunged into an inky darkness as nighttime took hold and Kat couldn't see a thing. Every small noise had her jumping. She just wanted to go home.
"Come here," Spike muttered after a moment. She turned in his direction and couldn't even see him, despite how close they were.
"What?" She asked, confused.
"Come here," he repeated again, not clarifying himself. She shuffled a little closer and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She curled against him a little more, as if trying to seek out body heat even though he didn't have much. He was still warmer than the cold air though, and that was saying something. It relaxed her a little bit though. Being able to feel him when she couldn't see him. And his scent was soothing to her. Familiar. It made her feel safe.
She wasn't sure how long they'd sat there in the dark. It felt like hours but it could have been minutes. Time had no meaning in this place.
"We'll have to head out. I can see a bit, it'll have to do. We can't waste any more time," he cautioned into the darkness. She felt dread creep into her bones but nodded.
"Okay," she relented. It wasn't ideal but missing their chance to get back would be worse. They stood and Kat still couldn't see a damn thing, almost falling over. She jumped when Spike grabbed her hand and held it tightly.
"Trust me?" He asked softly. His voice sounded hesitant, grave almost. She wondered what his face looked like right then.
"I do," she said sincerely. She felt an answering squeeze of her hand at her words.
"Come on, then," he uttered. She followed him slowly, her hand clasping his like a lifeline as he maneuvered them out of the cave. Her free hand was clutching the dagger as she went on full alert. With her sight no longer useful, it felt like her hearing got amplified. She could hear rustling bushes and she hoped it was just the wind.
They set off walking, being silent as to not attract any unwanted visitors. Spike held her hand and kept a steady pace with her so she didn't trip and fall. Her feet were getting sore from the amount of walking they were doing and she couldn't see a damn thing. For all she knew, they could be walking in circles.
"Do you know where to go?" She whispered softly, glancing at him, even though she couldn't see him.
"Yeah. Can just… feel it. Amulet I guess," she couldn't tell but she was sure he shrugged when he said it.
"Witchy GPS. Pretty cool," she snorted quietly. After some more walking and thankfully not bumping into anything, she started to see the faint light of the sun starting to rise. Suddenly her dream flashed into her mind and panic gripped her tightly, causing her to stop walking and in turn, Spike to stop.
"What is it?" He asked quietly but urgently.
"The sun. You'll burn, we need to find shelter," she muttered frantically. She hadn't even thought of that when they set off.
"It's fine. The sun here doesn't burn me. I guess the place has some perks," it sounded like he was smirking and she felt the tension leave her body. She had enough of watching him burn before her eyes every night. She really didn't want a live show.
"Right… okay. That's good," she breathed softly, following obediently as he tugged her hand to start walking again.
"Sounds like you're worried about me," he said wryly. She could faintly see his smirk now with the smallest hint of light from the sun.
"I am," she stated, her tone serious. Her dream had plagued her and it wasn't something she found amusing. She'd grown attached to the bleached vampire. She didn't want him to die, let alone witness it. He turned to her at her tone, watching her for a moment but she kept her eyes on the floor to make sure she didn't fall now she could slightly see. He didn't reply to her and she was glad. She really didn't want to have to tell him about the dream.
After what felt like another eternity, the sun hung high in the sky and she could clearly see. Spike hadn't let go of her hand though and she hadn't either. It made her feel safer so she hadn't mentioned it. She wondered if he even realized he was doing it. She let Spike guide them using his witchy mojo infused amulet as they walked through the trees to another clearing, although this one was a little smaller. Out of nowhere, the ground started shaking as a loud resounding thump echoed, the trees jostling with the force of it. Both Kat and Spike stilled, looking at each other.
"What is that?" She squeaked out, fear lacing her tone.
"Think it might be that thing," he answered warily, pointing to the tree line ahead of them. Coming out of it was some huge dinosaur dragon thing and it was coming right after them.
"Run!" Spike yelled, still grabbing her hand as he took off running the opposite way. She followed after him but the creature could apparently fly as it landed right in front of them, deep growls rumbling in its throat. Spike let go of her hand and brandished the ax, his face changing to his vamp face.
She watched on in horror as Spike ran at the thing, but he was quickly batted away by its massive claw. He went hurtling into a girthy tree trunk with a thump.
"Spike!" She called out, rushing over to him. Before she reached him though, something large and thick wrapped around her middle, so tightly she almost couldn't breathe. Her feet left the floor and the dagger slipped from her hand as she shrieked, glancing down to see its tail firmly snaked around her torso. She felt dizzy, the creature shaking her around with its tail. She faintly heard Spike call out her name but her brain was taking a beating from being thrown around. She just about registered Spike running at it again and dodging its answering swipe. She wanted to say something. Like, don't get too close. Be careful. Something obvious and redundant, no doubt, but she wanted to tell him anyway. She heard an almighty scream, the tail stilling and letting her brain finally rest. It didn't last long as the tail went limp and she went plummeting to the floor. She hit the floor hard and groaned at the impact. She was pretty sure her shoulder just dislocated. She rolled onto her back with a pained moan, blinking over at the beast to see Spike plunge her dropped dagger right through its eye. It screamed again before it hit the floor, feeling like a mini earthquake as it did.
Spike rushed over to her, skidding in the mud as he got to her.
"You okay? Are you hurt?" He asked frantically. He helped her sit up and she hissed at the pain in her shoulder.
"Dislocated, not broken," Spike muttered as he glanced at it. She wondered how he was so sure but didn't argue. The pain made her stomach roll and she prayed to whatever god wanted to listen that she wouldn't throw up. She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath, opening them again when she heard a metallic clinking. Spike was taking his belt off and she watched on confused as he handed it to her.
"Bite down on it," he said apologetically, moving to grab her arm and making her groan. She did as told, knowing what he was going to do. She wasn't looking forward to it.
"Alright, on three. Three, two," he didn't get to one before he popped her shoulder back in place. Her pained cry was muffled as she bit down so hard on his belt, she was sure there would be indents. She opened her mouth, the belt falling from it as she gasped for air, breathing through the pain.
"What happened to one?" She muttered with a weak scowl, rolling her shoulder gently as the pain started to ease a little. He shrugged, looking somewhat guilty before he helped her up.
She steadied herself and watched as he walked over to the creature and yanked the knife from its eye. It was covered in black, thick goop and she felt like she might throw up again. He looked at her face before he wiped the goop on the creature, walking back over and grabbing his ax on the way.
"Best get goin'. Bastard might have pals comin'," he muttered. She nodded and gratefully took the blade, the pair of them making their ways to the trees.
"Thanks. For saving me and stuff," she sighed after a moment. Her shoulder still ached but it felt better than it did before. He glanced at her and gave her a little smile.
"What I'm here for, yeah?" He smirked, making her snort. His face turned serious then though as he sighed.
"Hope the portal isn't too far now. Need to get you home," he muttered.
"Need to get us home," she corrected, smiling a little as he looked at her.
"Out of all the dimensions you coulda gone to, of course this is the one," he huffed playfully.
"What can I say? I like a little adventure," she smirked, making him chuckle.
"Think that's an understatement, Kitten," he grinned.
They walked some more, because what else could they do? When Spike had heard her stomach grumbling like a bear, he'd suggested they try to find her some food. Especially since she felt dead on her feet. The only things were the berries and after Spike tried to suss them out, mainly by sniffing them, he said he didn't want to risk it. They didn't smell good and his instincts told him they would cause more harm than good. She wondered if there was even a portal or if this would be their new home. Did his chip even work here? Would he get so hungry he'd end up gnawing on her? Maybe she'd just keel over anyway, at least she'd be able to feed him a little. She was drawn out of her morbid thoughts when Spike stopped and muttered a 'bloody hell'. She glanced upwards and saw some stone steps. It was like a pyramid with a flat top, some kind of temple that looked like it had seen better days. But better than that, she could faintly see something shimmering purple at the top of it.
"The portal?" She asked excitedly. She needed food and her bed, and she needed them now.
"Think so," he answered with a grin, relief seeping into his tone. She wondered if he'd been worried they'd be stuck here too. Feeling some energy seep into her, she picked up her pace along with him as they climbed up the crumbling stone stairs. When they finally reached the top, she let out a half delirious laugh, finally seeing her home ticket as she could see the portal clearly.
"Home sweet home," Spike smirked, grinning at her as they started to walk over. He grabbed her wrist and stilled her though and she frowned, about to ask him why the hell he was stopping her. But then a large wolf stepped in front of the portal, bearing its teeth at them. Its fur was thick and jet black and it was large. Larger than a normal wolf. She'd been stupid to think they'd get home that easy now. Spike vamped out again and growled right back at it, she presumed to try and intimidate it. It had the opposite effect though, as it growled louder. It happened in a blur. Spike shoved her over to the portal as the wolf dived at him. She didn't go through it though, as he'd intended, and instead whipped around to see the wolf clamp down on Spike's leg. His ax was on the floor as he yelled out in pain and anger, using his other foot to kick it as it shook on his leg. It barely moved though, leaving his leg as it went for his throat instead. The noise Spike made had her blood turning cold and she lunged for the ax, swiftly bringing it across the wolf's neck. The head fell off, hitting the floor with a thud as it rolled away, the body collapsing before Spike shoved it off him.
She dived at him as he sat up covered in blood, wrapping her arms around him desperately. She thought she might have lost him. This was getting to be too much for her. Her eyes burned with unshed tears as he patted her back and tried to move away to look at her. She didn't budge though.
"It's alright, luv. I'm fine," he murmured soothingly. He was a vampire after all, but still. Vampires could withstand a lot of things, but if the beast had gnawed through his neck, it would have decapitated him.
"You could have died," she lamented tearfully, not even being embarrassed by this unusual display as she clung to him. He stroked her hair softly, speaking into her hair.
"But I didn't. I'm fine. What's goin' on with you?" He asked, prying her away from him. Her wide wet eyes stared at him and he looked shocked at how upset she was.
"It's just…" I'm terrified of losing you and my dream is really doing a number on me, "this place is really getting to me," she muttered with a sniffle. It wasn't a full lie. Lack of food and sleep, since she couldn't sleep when she felt unsafe, had her feeling over emotional. She just didn't tell him the cherry on top was seeing him die over and over and over again. She didn't think it had affected her this much but clearly she was wrong. He scanned her face for a long moment before he nodded, tucking some of her awry hair behind her ear.
"Let's get outta here then," he said with a hesitant smile. She allowed him to help her up and then the embarrassment set in. He probably thought she was a mess.
"Thanks, by the way," he offered a wry smile and she blushed.
"It's what I'm here for, yeah?" She echoed his earlier words, hoping to focus on anything other than her outburst. He chuckled and shook his head fondly.
"Come on," he smiled, grabbing her hand. She gladly followed him to the portal. It would be just her luck that the thing would close just as they were about to leave.
Hands clasped together, they stepped through the portal at the same time. She had the same sensation as the first time. Like her soul left her body and was suspended in space. But then they got spit out the other side and both tumbled to the floor.
"Kat!" She heard Buffy, the others all saying things too but she could barely focus as her body tried to acclimate to her surroundings. Buffy helped her up before hugging her tightly and Kat hugged back just as tight. She felt another set of arms around her, smaller arms. She knew it was Dawn.
"We thought you weren't coming home," Dawn muttered sadly.
"What? No we didn't!" Xander chuckled awkwardly. Kat detangled herself from the Summers sandwich and glanced at him.
"It's fine. Honestly, I was starting to wonder myself," she said wryly.
"Nice wardrobe," Buffy smirked playfully. It was only then that Kat remembered she was wearing Spike's duster. She knew it would be huge on her. She blushed as she took it off, handing it to him. He took it with a grateful smile and nod.
"How long were you gone? I-In your time?" Giles asked softly.
"Like six days or something," Kat answered. The older man's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Six days? It's only been three hours for us," Willow murmured with a frown.
"Each dimension has different time. Not all of them are the same as ours," Giles said thoughtfully.
"Thank you," Buffy affirmed as she set her eyes on Spike. Kat watched as the pair looked at each other for a moment and Spike nodded. He looked a little uncomfortable if she was honest. She could tell though, that Spike had earned some of Buffy's respect by bringing her back. Kat had no doubt that Buffy had wanted to dive in the portal right after her, but there were more pressing issues for her to be dealing with.
"So… who's ordering pizza? I haven't eaten in days and I really need some food," Kat grinned, trying to break the tension. Everyone started talking, arguing about which pizza to order. Kat looked at Spike as he shrugged his duster on and made his way over to the door. She followed after him.
"You should stay for a bit," she suggested as she frowned at him. He glanced around before his blue eyes settled on her again.
"I uh… was gonna head home. Need food of my own kind," he chuckled softly, somewhat apologetic. She suddenly felt a little stupid, her cheeks flushing a little as she nodded.
"Right…" she snorted.
"I could… I could stay. A little bit," he shrugged, looking like he felt bad. She shook her head at him.
"No, it's okay. You're hungry too, and you're injured. You need to heal," she murmured. He was still soaked in blood from the wolf attack.
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," he said softly. She nodded and as he turned to leave, she turned him around and hugged him quickly. It was only brief, aware she had an audience. Apparently they'd become close enough to be hugging friends now. This was the third time she'd done this, she didn't know what was going on with her.
"Thank you," she breathed, letting him go before she made it too awkward. He gave her a small smile, raking his teeth over his lower lip.
"Thank you," he smirked, making her blush lightly and snort.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she nodded. He nodded back, his hand darting out reflexively and squeezing her hand before letting go.
"See you tomorrow, Kitten," he murmured, turning around before leaving the store. She stood there for a moment, just staring at the door. The whole thing had been a whirlwind but as she watched him leave, she felt a heaviness settle in her chest. She missed him already. She could roll her eyes at herself. It hadn't gone unnoticed to her that she'd started to care a little more for him than she probably should. She knew it was pointless though, it wasn't like he'd ever be interested in her. She was just a weak human, after all. She locked her treacherous thoughts away, deciding they were better left buried. It was time to focus on pizza. It was a lot easier to deal with than her blossoming feelings for her vampire friend.