Falling In
By My Side
They blazed a trail I dared to run, They built this world and I have come
I need another, like a brother, for a cryin' shoulder
This could be the last time, you will stand by my side,
I can feel my soul it's bleeding, will you fly with me this evening
Sober mind time now is gone, they carved my body not of stone
A petty maze of emptiness, I've said to hell with all the rest
This could be the last time, you will stand by my side,
I can feel my soul it's bleeding, will you fly with me this evening
This could be the last time, you will stand by my side,
I can feel my soul it's bleeding, will you fly with me this evening
This could be the last time, you will stand by my side,
I can feel my soul it's bleeding, will you fly with me this evening
PART II
Buffy kicked the door to her home open and moved forward to bring Spike inside. Grunting at the force that pushed her back, her features filled with anger, "What the hell?!"
"The barrier, luv," Spike muttered, still hanging on her. She blushed a furious red,
"Umm...yeah, come in then." She continued into her house with him and led him to the living room where she carefully settled him down on the couch. He grimaced, shifting himself to look down at the already healing cuts on his chest.
"I'll be right back," Buffy assured before hurrying to the bottom of the stairs and yelling up, "Dawn! Wills!" The pair appeared at the top of the stairs.
"You bellowed?" Dawn asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Get down here. Spike's in the living room." Dawn pushed past Willow and raced down the stairs towards the living room. Buffy waited as the red head made her way more slowly down the stairs.
"What's going on? I know you wouldn't have invited him back inside unless..." she trailed off to let Buffy finish her sentence. She was answered with a sigh as Buffy massaged her temples with her fingertips,
"Damn I have a headache," she looked back up to Willow, "Glory tortured him to find the key...but he wouldn't tell her anything." Willow reached out and laid a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder,
"What can I do?" Buffy shook her head in response,
"Nothing really - not tonight anyway. Tomorrow, could you drop off a couple of bags of blood? Until he heals he'll probably stay here and I only have a couple of bags left in the fri-" she stopped mid sentence and Willow asked alarmed,
"What is it, what's wrong?" Buffy made a face,
"I just realized that I'm talking about storing blood in my refrigerator like it's normal." Willow smiled,
"I'll bring extra by tomorrow," she said, and headed for the door, but Buffy stopped her just before she could walk out,
"Willow, hold on for a sec..." she lowered her voice, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Dawn hadn't joined them, "Could you maybe not tell anyone about this?" She rushed on when the red head's eyes filled with doubt, "I just don't want anyone to wig and Spike'll be gone soon anyway...so...just do me this favor? Please?" Willow hesitated for a moment and then nodded,
"Sure Buffy, I'll keep quiet if you want me to," she turned again to leave but paused before walking out, "Buffy, just be careful, ok?"
Buffy nodded and then watched as she closed the door behind her before making her own way to the living room.
"...So if it weren't for me, they wouldn't have even known!" Dawn exclaimed, happily retelling her role in Spike's rescue. Buffy leaned against the wall and watched the pair.
"Well then," Spike struggled to push himself up and leaned over to where she sat on the coffee table to peck a kiss on her cheek, "Thanks little bit," he leaned back.
Dawn flushed and turned her wide eyes to Buffy, "uh...yeah. I'm gonna go....do...something now." She stood and quickly walked from the room. Spike chuckled softly until his eyes met Buffy's somber gaze.
"How do you feel?" He shrugged, although his eyes were still clouded with pain,
"I'll heal," he started to stand, "If you can give me a hand, I'll head out-" She shook her head and cut him off,
"No. It's all right. You're staying here tonight. First of all, you're in sad shape to fend off an attack if she goes after you again. And second," she lowered her eyes, "I kind of owe you for not telling Glory about Dawn," she looked up quickly and practically growled, "But don't let it go to your head." The slight smile that had been forming on his lips disappeared just as quickly,
"Oh thanks for the stunning display of concern, Slayer," he replied. She shrugged off the comment as Dawn reappeared with a mug in her hands.
"Here," she chirped, handing it to him, "I warmed it up, just like mom mentioned you liked it once," she finished, her eyes wistful.
"Thanks again, little bit," he smiled gratefully and took a big gulp from the mug, instantly feeling the healing power the fresh blood held for him as it coursed through his body. Buffy turned away,
"I'll go make sure the heavy curtains are up in my room so you don't go 'poof' in the morning."
"We'll save the 'poofin' for Angel..." he muttered under his breath. Buffy spun back around,
"Say something William??"
"Uh..." he quickly tried to cover, "I was just wonderin' where you'd sleep s'all." he gave her that choir boy smile only he could pull off.
She gave him an appraising look, "I'll sleep in mom's room," she replied, her voice laced with a concealed pain, and then started up the stairs. Spike watched her walk with concern in his eyes and then turned to the nibblet, still seated on the coffee table.
"How you holdin' up?" he asked, tilting her face with his fingers to gaze into her tear-filled eyes.
"I'm ok...until someone mentions mom," she sniffled and continued when he reached out to hold her hand, "I mean, does that even make sense? Technically, I've only known her for not even a year...but..." she broke off, choking back a sob.
Spike set down his mug and pulled Dawn into his arms, biting back his own pain - knowing that hers, though only emotional, was far worse.
"It's alright, luv. Cry it out," he cooed, holding her as tightly as he dare with his wounds, "Go ahead, pet. It'll be ok now. I'm here," he murmured soothingly while lightly rubbing circles on her back with the palm of his hand.
A bit later, after her tears had run dry, he pulled her back slightly and placed a light kiss on her forehead before resting his cheek on top of her head and begun stroking her hair softly,
"You see, pet," he said quietly, trying to explain her loss, "With Joyce, it didn't matter how long you knew her. She was just the kind of person who you just..." he stopped, his throat constricting as he blinked back his own tears.
"You loved her too, didn't you?" Dawn inquired softly - seeking, needing, someone else who knew her pain.
"Like my own mum," he answered, barely above a whisper. They were quiet again for a while, taking in each other's comfort, before he pulled her back again and looked her straight in the eye,
"Joyce loved you, she did," he stated, on a tone borderline stern, "She wouldn't have wanted you to give up, or go moping about all the time like some soddin' poofter." She gave him a confused look and he shook his head to clear it, "What I mean is, she'd want you to be happy, ducks," he glanced overhead at the clock on the wall, "And do you know what she'd say right now if she were here?"
"What?"
"That it's past bedtime for lil' girls like yourself," he said, a smile playing across his lips. Dawn made a face at him,
"I'm probably older than you are!" He snorted,
"And she doesn't look a day over ten! Imagine that!" he mused, smirking. Dawn stuck her tongue out at him before standing up,
"Fine!" she paused and turned back around, "Spike?" her eyes met his, "Thank you..." He smiled warmly,
"No worries, luv." She smiled back, a real warm smile - feeling more at ease than she had in days.
Buffy suddenly stepped forward and cleared her throat, coming out from where she had observed most of their conversation without their knowledge, "I just finished with the room, so if you need me to help you up..." Spike shook his head and bodily pulled himself from the couch,
"Nah, I think I can make it," he gave Dawn one last wink and then headed over to the stairs. Buffy watched him ascend and then turned back to Dawn who was staring at the clock contently. She turned and looked at Buffy and then a smile crossed her face again and she walked over to her sister. She wrapped her arms around her and Buffy responded immediately, pulling her closer. Dawn whispered into her shoulder,
"I think things might be ok..." Buffy nodded and kissed the top of her head,
"I swear they will by Dawn." Dawn tilted her head up to Buffy and smiled again, before pulling herself away and heading up the stairs. Buffy stood alone, thinking.
How could an angel come in the form of Spike?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Next Morning - Summers House*
Buffy awoke in her mother's bed, stretching out as she vaguely recalled a dream involving her trying desperately to get into Willie's Bar and him saying something about her never paying the cover charge. She also recalled trying to offer him a twinkee in exchange for entrance to no avail and she was pretty sure that Keebler Elves serving as bouncers had carried her out.
She shook it away, relieved at least that last night's dream had been free of the images of her mother that her most recent dreams frequently held. It took a few moments for her mind to register the smell wafting to the room from downstairs. She reluctantly tossed the covers off herself and slid out of bed. Her bare feet padded down the hall as she went towards the stairs. She descended, still dressed in her sweats and a loose tank top, and walked towards the kitchen. She reached the doorway and stood, mouth agape, at the scene she was witnessing.
Dawn had taped black construction paper over all the windows in the kitchen and was standing next to Spike at the stove, who was casually flipping pancakes on a pan - a steaming stack already done on a plate that set on the counter next to them.
Dawn was still in her pajamas with her hair hanging around her face. Spike was wearing the same jeans he had arrived in, but was also wearing the sweat shirt Buffy had left on her bed for him the last night. His unruly hair was sticking up in all places from lack of styling and Dawn was staring at him with a pout.
Buffy's initial thought was how much younger and relatively normal Spike looked without his trademark duster and directly after sleeping. She was pulled from her thoughts by Dawn.
"Puh-lease?!" Dawn whined, giving him puppy dog eyes that she had perfected. He let out a defeated sigh as he flipped another pancake.
"Oh alright! But only to shut you
up!" he replied with mock contempt and then began wailing loudly and off-key,
"With a rebel yell! She cried more, more, more!" Dawn giggled and continued
beating eggs in a bowl, "Do it right!!" He grinned at her,
"I did, luv!" She made a face in response,
"Fine! I guess you don't love
me!" He smiled at her affectionately and removed the pancake he had been
working on,
"Time for the eggs, pet." She pouted again as she shoved the bowl into his
hands. He sighed, and took a deep breath before he began to sing to her in
earnest,
"Hey little sister, whose your superman? Hey little sister, shotgu- Buffy!"
Dawn shoved him,
"Yeah, sure that's how it goes." He kept staring past her to the doorway and Dawn turned to look at Buffy, whose initial expression of surprise had turned into that of amusement. Spike stared at her for a second longer, knowing that if vampires could blush his complexion would've resembled that of a turnip at that particular moment, then he quickly turned when he heard the contents of the pan behind him sizzle.
Dawn smiled, "Did we wake you? We thought we'd make breakfast. Look, chocolate chip pancakes!" Buffy looked at Spike's back for a moment longer before redirecting her gaze to meet Dawn's.
"Yum. Want me to set the
table?" Dawn nodded,
"Sure! It's almost done!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Later That Morning - Summers House*
Buffy pushed the door to her room open and then closed it quickly behind her before turning around,
"Oh! Sorry!" she made a conscious effort to look away from Spike and then turned again to leave.
"Buffy, wait. It's just my shirt I was going to change, pet." She slowly turned back to face him and watched as he carefully pulled the sweatshirt over his head. She stepped closer to him while he was examining the cuts.
"Is that gonna scar?" she asked, gazing at the angry words. He shrugged in reply.
"Dunno. Maybe," he grinned, "All else fails, I can always have the words to Dancin With Myself tattooed on my chest to hide it." Buffy rolled her eyes and moved to her dresser to grab herself a clean shirt. Spike finished getting dressed in a clean t-shirt that she had supplied and began for the door, but Buffy's warm hand on his arm made him pause.
"I uh...wanted to thank you," she continued as he watched her intently, "Both for not telling Glory and for what you said to Dawn last night," she looked up to see his reaction but was puzzled when he didn't look at all surprised at her knowledge of their conversation. She began to explain further, "I was watching in the hall last ni-" He held up his hand, stopping her,
"I know."
Her eyes widened, "How did you-"
"Slayer, I can't help but know whenever you're around." He lifted her hand off his arm, where it still rested, and raised it to his lips - brushing a soft kiss across her knuckles and then left the room, and a very bewildered Buffy, behind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Across Town*
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" Glory stormed around the room, tossing what little remained of the furniture against the walls again and again in fury. She was so enraged when she had first returned to find him gone, that she had killed all bur one of her followers, the last of which remained cowering in a corner, and had been on the rampage ever since.
"Buffy Buffy Buffy! She's everywhere!" Glory tossed the rest of a table across the room, "Why!? I mean, come on! All I want is MY stupid key!" she screamed and then fell into an eerie silence, surveying the room as she tried to devise a new plan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Summers House*
"Thanks Wills. I owe you," Buffy gave her friend a hug and then shut the door behind her departing figure before turning to go place the blood Willow had dropped off in the fridge.
As she closed the door to the icebox, she could hear voices coming up from the basement and headed down to see what Dawn and Spike were up to. Even after the amazement of that morning's activities, nothing in the world could've prepared Buffy for what she saw. She watched as Dawn cleverly contorted her body to reach between Spike's legs and flick the spinner that set on the floor inches away from the game board on which they play.
"Right hand - blue," she stated.
Spike groaned as he started reaching, "You're trying to kill me, I swear...."
"You're already dead," Dawn answered, matter of factly.
"Oh, clever come back, pet," he griped sarcastically, "No one's EVER used that line before."
As soon as he moved his hand, it put him in such a position that Buffy couldn't help herself. Upon the sight of the blond vampire's butt sticking up in the air, she burst out laughing. Both Dawn and he tried to turn themselves to see her, but in their attempts, fell over into a jumble of limbs on the floor. Buffy was laughing so hard that she was nearly doubled over, tears streaming down her face.
The pair on the floor merely watched her - Dawn with her arms crossed and an angry expression, while Spike leaned back on his palms with his legs stretched out in front of him. When Buffy's laughter had subsided, she looked up to see Spike smiling at her,
"Enjoy the show, pet?" he asked, more happy to see her laughing than embarrassed she had caught them during the game Dawn had begged him to play.
She let out another snort of amusement, "If you're feeling so wonderful, why are you still here?" she asked, meaning for the comment to be joking, but she mentally kicked herself after noting the hurt expression it brought to his eyes.
"Don't worry, luv," he said, standing and brushing himself off, "I'll leave when the sun goes down," he offered a hand to Dawn, who accepted, but not until after shooting Buffy a murderous look.
"Actually," Buffy began, shrinking under Dawn's gaze, "I was thinking, for how easy it was for Glory to kidnap you she probably knows where your crypt is. It would be better if you found some place else..." she decided to rush out the end before she could change her mind, "And until then you can stay here," There. She'd said it.
He regarded her skeptically, "You're sure?" Dawn tugged on his arm,
"Definitely!" she gushed and then smiled happily at Buffy, who had suddenly gotten back in her good graces.
"Well, I gotta go upstairs and finish....something. You two have fun with your game," Buffy hurried up the stairs and leaned against the counter,
'What're you thinking Summers! He's a vampire! Vampire. Vampire. Vampire.' She smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand each time she mentally uttered the word, but jumped at Spike's voice, which was emanating from the top of the stairs where he had suddenly appeared,
"Save some of that for us poor, defenseless vamps, Slayer," he grinned, reaching past her and to the fridge for two sodas before retreating back down the stairs to rejoin Dawn.
Buffy stared after him, wondering how he could still look good when his blond hair was so out of place, before she gasped at her own thoughts and smacked her hand to her forehead again.
TBC........
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
