Chapter Five: Home is where the...
Disclaimer: doesn't belong to me, etc etc.
Notes: thank you everyone for such nice revues. it's almost enough to make a girl write something new instead of editing her old work. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Consciousness arrived with the nicest sensation, forcing Buffy to wonder if she was still dreaming. She felt a cool hand stroke her side and back, again and again. A desire to purr and show her appreciation for the attention made her smile at her own silliness.
"I know you're awake." A soft, teasing voice whispered in her ear.
"No I'm not." Buffy muttered, desiring to return to whatever dream had made her feel so pleasant.
"You are." The voice said gently.
Buffy stretched languidly, noticing through half-open eyes that it was still dark outside and that she was lying in her bed.
"How did I...?" She asked herself, not remembering much past Spike's re-entry into her bedroom.
"You fell asleep, Slayer." The voice answered her question. "Did you know you snore?"
"Do not!" Buffy replied, without thinking. Realization dawned shortly thereafter. "Spike!" She cried out in shock and launched out of bed quickly after realizing that she had spent the past few hours asleep, curled up against Spike. She quickly looked herself over, relieved to see that she was still dressed.
"Yes?" He asked, chuckling at her actions.
"What are you doing here? What happened?" Buffy asked, trying desperately to remember the details of a night spent in emotional agony.
"Well," Spike began, smiling. Buffy was relieved to note that the only clothing Spike wasn't wearing was his leather duster. "I showed up unannounced and dragged you off to see Soldier Boy's idea of nighttime fun. Then I got to watch you dump him and have myself a little fun with the ghoul. Right after that I was horrifically cruel to you, then I left, then I came back to apologize, then you told me to go away and I didn't. Oh, then you fell asleep so I put you in bed and had myself a nap."
Memories flooded back to Buffy at Spike's rendition of the past night's events. She was surprised that he had stayed and said so.
"Why didn't you leave when I fell asleep?"
"Cause," Spike's grin slipped a little; he was still deeply hurt from Buffy's reactions to him the night before. He had apologized and meant it, but she refused to believe him. "I said that I wouldn't."
"Are you going to leave now?"
Spike's grin died. "Um...that's why I woke you up, Slayer." he answered.
Buffy sat down on the bed, looking at Spike with pain in her eyes.
"Because you're leaving? You didn't have too. I'm used to waking up alone." Her voice was devoid of emotion, and she wished the rest of her could be so empty.
"Slayer, look at the time." Spike said, frustration tingeing his words. "The sun's almost up. I'm not leaving cause I want too."
"Oh."
Spike stood up and picked up his jacket from the floor. "Do you remember last night?" He asked, too casually.
"Yes." Buffy sighed.
"All of it?"
"Spike, what are you getting at?"
"What's the last thing you remember saying to me?"
Buffy frowned, thinking. "It was... it was that you would leave me. You just didn't seem to know it yet." Tears formed in her eyes. It always hurt when they left. She tried to be strong; she tried to dull the pain, but it always hurt. Even if she was supposed to hate this one.
"And do you remember my reply?"
Buffy grinned, small and guilty. "Nope."
Spike returned her grin, "I said that I'm not leaving, and you just don't seem to know it yet."
"I...I...." Buffy stuttered, shocked and not knowing how to reply. Spike could promise, but he didn't mean it. Spike could try to stay, but it wouldn't happen. But he was the first to understand her, to understand her pain. Perhaps he would try. Against Buffy's wishes, hope blossomed in her heart.
Spike hushed her stuttering with a chaste kiss. "I will see you when the sun goes down." He promised, breaking away from the kiss. Once again his body was reacting to her and he knew that this was way to soon to be entertaining such thoughts. Especially from one little kiss.
"Doubt it." Buffy replied, looking away. She couldn't let Spike see how his small kiss had affected her so. He had only meant it in friendship, hadn't he?
Spike laughed softly. "Of course you do, luv. But I always did enjoy proving you wrong."
"Goodnight, Spike." Buffy replied, a finality in her voice settling the issue.
"I'll see you later, Buffy." Spike responded, knowing that she wouldn't believe him. He winked at her, just to see her smile then climbed out the window and headed towards his crypt.
*****
"Honey, I'm home." Spike announced, entering his crypt just as the sun heaved itself above the horizon. He looked around, not seeing Harmony.
"Maybe she's dust." Spike thought happily before flopping down in his chair and flicking on the television.
Moments later, Harmony appeared from deep inside the crypt wearing a tight, leather cat-suit. Spike nearly threw up when he saw her, but managed to keep a straight face.
"What's the occasion, pet?" He asked, referring to her horrid state of dress.
"Spike-y!" Harmony gushed, grabbing Spike by the hand and drawing him out of his chair. "You'll never guess what I found!"
"A brain cell?" He muttered.
"What?" Harmony blinked a few times, then shrugged. "Anyway, I found the funnest thing! You have to come see."
Spike winced when Harmony said "funnest" then entertained himself with thoughts on her tortured demise as he followed her deeper into the crypt.
"See?" Harmony squealed as she led Spike around a corner.
"Bloody fucking hell!" Spike exclaimed upon seeing Harmony's surprise. Chained to the wall in the back of the crypt was an unconscious Riley Finn. His earlier injuries had been completely healed from what appeared to be infusions of Harmony's blood. He sported multiple lashes across his chest and back, the cause of which seemed to be a long whip, coiled upon the floor out of his reach.
"I found him in the sewers," Harmony babbled. "He was almost dead and was muttering things about loving Buffy and needing blood. I dragged him back here and tried out that thing that Sandy said. You know Sandy, she told me about how Riley liked to offer himself out as dinner? Anyway..."
Spike tuned out the nerve-grating sound of Harmony speaking to analyze the situation before him. He casually picked up the coiled whip, while Harmony blathered on, describing how 'cool' it felt to feed Riley. He thought about what he had been taught by Angelus. Ghouls were an abomination in Vampire culture. You either made a fledgling to do your dirty work or entranced a mortal. A ghoul could be fun, for a night, easily made and entertaining to destroy; no one ever made a ghoul with intentions of allowing it to survive. They were destroyed, put out of their misery like a lame horse. It was done more for the crippled demon living inside the ghoul than the human who housed it, but it was done nonetheless.
"Harm'," Spike cut Harmony off, mid-babble.
"Yes, Spike-y?" She simpered.
"What did I tell you, about ghouls?" Spike asked, slowly uncoiling the whip.
"Um...." Harmony's face flushed with the effort of thinking. Spike nearly lashed out at her there, but restrained himself. "Oh! That they're something bad. If you make one and keep it, others will kill you and the ghoul will be hunted and killed as well." She smiled, proud at herself for remembering.
"Very good." Spike grabbed Harmony and twisted her around to stare at Riley's limp form. "Now, here's a ghoul." He pointed out for Harmony's benefit. "What should be done with him?"
"He should be killed." Harmony sighed in frustration. "But, he has uses, Spike! He can get the Slayer for us - Ouch!" She cried out when the grip Spike had upon her arm grew painfully tight.
"Where's the one who made him, Harm'?" Spike asked, appearing to be oblivious to Harmony's pain.
"I don't know." Harmony pouted.
"She's dead." Spike told her condescendingly, letting go of Harmony's arm and positioning himself behind her, wrapping his arms around her in a parody of a lovers embrace. "But there's another. One who harbored the ghoul when he should have been put down. One who treated his wounds and intended to keep him. Intended to use him. That one should be killed as well. It's law."
"Who?" Harmony asked, thinking how nice it was that Spike was putting his arms around her. He hadn't paid attention to her like that in a while. "Who do we get to kill?"
"Not we, pet." Spike drew the whip in his hands across Harmony's throat and pulled tight. She slipped into game-face and thrashed weekly as Spike tightened the stranglehold. He smiled and slipped into game-face as with a final pull the sound of Harmony's neck snapping echoed sharply around the room. Spike could swear he heard his stomach rumble as he let Harmony's limp body fall to the ground. He dropped to the ground beside his former lover and tore into her neck, drinking deep. Soon, she was a dry husk, although still living. A stake appeared in Spike's hand as Harmony's eyes fluttered open. He toyed with it, where she could see. Harmony's eyes darted back and forth, frantic.
"Goodbye, Harm'." Spike spoke, his voice dripping with contrived sorrow. "We had some good times; I'll miss you."
The whip fell to the ground, coiled once more, around a small pile of dust on the crypt floor. Riley groaned softly, waking up. Spike slammed his fist into Riley's jaw, knocking him out again and walked out into the main room to watch television and contemplate what in the world he was going to do with a Ghoul his Slayer still had feelings for.
Disclaimer: doesn't belong to me, etc etc.
Notes: thank you everyone for such nice revues. it's almost enough to make a girl write something new instead of editing her old work. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Consciousness arrived with the nicest sensation, forcing Buffy to wonder if she was still dreaming. She felt a cool hand stroke her side and back, again and again. A desire to purr and show her appreciation for the attention made her smile at her own silliness.
"I know you're awake." A soft, teasing voice whispered in her ear.
"No I'm not." Buffy muttered, desiring to return to whatever dream had made her feel so pleasant.
"You are." The voice said gently.
Buffy stretched languidly, noticing through half-open eyes that it was still dark outside and that she was lying in her bed.
"How did I...?" She asked herself, not remembering much past Spike's re-entry into her bedroom.
"You fell asleep, Slayer." The voice answered her question. "Did you know you snore?"
"Do not!" Buffy replied, without thinking. Realization dawned shortly thereafter. "Spike!" She cried out in shock and launched out of bed quickly after realizing that she had spent the past few hours asleep, curled up against Spike. She quickly looked herself over, relieved to see that she was still dressed.
"Yes?" He asked, chuckling at her actions.
"What are you doing here? What happened?" Buffy asked, trying desperately to remember the details of a night spent in emotional agony.
"Well," Spike began, smiling. Buffy was relieved to note that the only clothing Spike wasn't wearing was his leather duster. "I showed up unannounced and dragged you off to see Soldier Boy's idea of nighttime fun. Then I got to watch you dump him and have myself a little fun with the ghoul. Right after that I was horrifically cruel to you, then I left, then I came back to apologize, then you told me to go away and I didn't. Oh, then you fell asleep so I put you in bed and had myself a nap."
Memories flooded back to Buffy at Spike's rendition of the past night's events. She was surprised that he had stayed and said so.
"Why didn't you leave when I fell asleep?"
"Cause," Spike's grin slipped a little; he was still deeply hurt from Buffy's reactions to him the night before. He had apologized and meant it, but she refused to believe him. "I said that I wouldn't."
"Are you going to leave now?"
Spike's grin died. "Um...that's why I woke you up, Slayer." he answered.
Buffy sat down on the bed, looking at Spike with pain in her eyes.
"Because you're leaving? You didn't have too. I'm used to waking up alone." Her voice was devoid of emotion, and she wished the rest of her could be so empty.
"Slayer, look at the time." Spike said, frustration tingeing his words. "The sun's almost up. I'm not leaving cause I want too."
"Oh."
Spike stood up and picked up his jacket from the floor. "Do you remember last night?" He asked, too casually.
"Yes." Buffy sighed.
"All of it?"
"Spike, what are you getting at?"
"What's the last thing you remember saying to me?"
Buffy frowned, thinking. "It was... it was that you would leave me. You just didn't seem to know it yet." Tears formed in her eyes. It always hurt when they left. She tried to be strong; she tried to dull the pain, but it always hurt. Even if she was supposed to hate this one.
"And do you remember my reply?"
Buffy grinned, small and guilty. "Nope."
Spike returned her grin, "I said that I'm not leaving, and you just don't seem to know it yet."
"I...I...." Buffy stuttered, shocked and not knowing how to reply. Spike could promise, but he didn't mean it. Spike could try to stay, but it wouldn't happen. But he was the first to understand her, to understand her pain. Perhaps he would try. Against Buffy's wishes, hope blossomed in her heart.
Spike hushed her stuttering with a chaste kiss. "I will see you when the sun goes down." He promised, breaking away from the kiss. Once again his body was reacting to her and he knew that this was way to soon to be entertaining such thoughts. Especially from one little kiss.
"Doubt it." Buffy replied, looking away. She couldn't let Spike see how his small kiss had affected her so. He had only meant it in friendship, hadn't he?
Spike laughed softly. "Of course you do, luv. But I always did enjoy proving you wrong."
"Goodnight, Spike." Buffy replied, a finality in her voice settling the issue.
"I'll see you later, Buffy." Spike responded, knowing that she wouldn't believe him. He winked at her, just to see her smile then climbed out the window and headed towards his crypt.
*****
"Honey, I'm home." Spike announced, entering his crypt just as the sun heaved itself above the horizon. He looked around, not seeing Harmony.
"Maybe she's dust." Spike thought happily before flopping down in his chair and flicking on the television.
Moments later, Harmony appeared from deep inside the crypt wearing a tight, leather cat-suit. Spike nearly threw up when he saw her, but managed to keep a straight face.
"What's the occasion, pet?" He asked, referring to her horrid state of dress.
"Spike-y!" Harmony gushed, grabbing Spike by the hand and drawing him out of his chair. "You'll never guess what I found!"
"A brain cell?" He muttered.
"What?" Harmony blinked a few times, then shrugged. "Anyway, I found the funnest thing! You have to come see."
Spike winced when Harmony said "funnest" then entertained himself with thoughts on her tortured demise as he followed her deeper into the crypt.
"See?" Harmony squealed as she led Spike around a corner.
"Bloody fucking hell!" Spike exclaimed upon seeing Harmony's surprise. Chained to the wall in the back of the crypt was an unconscious Riley Finn. His earlier injuries had been completely healed from what appeared to be infusions of Harmony's blood. He sported multiple lashes across his chest and back, the cause of which seemed to be a long whip, coiled upon the floor out of his reach.
"I found him in the sewers," Harmony babbled. "He was almost dead and was muttering things about loving Buffy and needing blood. I dragged him back here and tried out that thing that Sandy said. You know Sandy, she told me about how Riley liked to offer himself out as dinner? Anyway..."
Spike tuned out the nerve-grating sound of Harmony speaking to analyze the situation before him. He casually picked up the coiled whip, while Harmony blathered on, describing how 'cool' it felt to feed Riley. He thought about what he had been taught by Angelus. Ghouls were an abomination in Vampire culture. You either made a fledgling to do your dirty work or entranced a mortal. A ghoul could be fun, for a night, easily made and entertaining to destroy; no one ever made a ghoul with intentions of allowing it to survive. They were destroyed, put out of their misery like a lame horse. It was done more for the crippled demon living inside the ghoul than the human who housed it, but it was done nonetheless.
"Harm'," Spike cut Harmony off, mid-babble.
"Yes, Spike-y?" She simpered.
"What did I tell you, about ghouls?" Spike asked, slowly uncoiling the whip.
"Um...." Harmony's face flushed with the effort of thinking. Spike nearly lashed out at her there, but restrained himself. "Oh! That they're something bad. If you make one and keep it, others will kill you and the ghoul will be hunted and killed as well." She smiled, proud at herself for remembering.
"Very good." Spike grabbed Harmony and twisted her around to stare at Riley's limp form. "Now, here's a ghoul." He pointed out for Harmony's benefit. "What should be done with him?"
"He should be killed." Harmony sighed in frustration. "But, he has uses, Spike! He can get the Slayer for us - Ouch!" She cried out when the grip Spike had upon her arm grew painfully tight.
"Where's the one who made him, Harm'?" Spike asked, appearing to be oblivious to Harmony's pain.
"I don't know." Harmony pouted.
"She's dead." Spike told her condescendingly, letting go of Harmony's arm and positioning himself behind her, wrapping his arms around her in a parody of a lovers embrace. "But there's another. One who harbored the ghoul when he should have been put down. One who treated his wounds and intended to keep him. Intended to use him. That one should be killed as well. It's law."
"Who?" Harmony asked, thinking how nice it was that Spike was putting his arms around her. He hadn't paid attention to her like that in a while. "Who do we get to kill?"
"Not we, pet." Spike drew the whip in his hands across Harmony's throat and pulled tight. She slipped into game-face and thrashed weekly as Spike tightened the stranglehold. He smiled and slipped into game-face as with a final pull the sound of Harmony's neck snapping echoed sharply around the room. Spike could swear he heard his stomach rumble as he let Harmony's limp body fall to the ground. He dropped to the ground beside his former lover and tore into her neck, drinking deep. Soon, she was a dry husk, although still living. A stake appeared in Spike's hand as Harmony's eyes fluttered open. He toyed with it, where she could see. Harmony's eyes darted back and forth, frantic.
"Goodbye, Harm'." Spike spoke, his voice dripping with contrived sorrow. "We had some good times; I'll miss you."
The whip fell to the ground, coiled once more, around a small pile of dust on the crypt floor. Riley groaned softly, waking up. Spike slammed his fist into Riley's jaw, knocking him out again and walked out into the main room to watch television and contemplate what in the world he was going to do with a Ghoul his Slayer still had feelings for.