Spike rolled his eyes and turned away from Angel. He wasn't really in the
mood to explain to his grand-sire that he was shaggin' the love of his
unlife.
"Come on, Bit, I'm takin' you home." he growled, hauling Dawn back toward
the house.
"But..But..." Dawn started.
"No buts! Now! Who is this boyfriend? I'll rip 'is head off. I'll
crush 'is bones into bloody powder..."
"Alright! I wasn't going to see a boyfriend! I don't have a boyfriend! I
was going to break into the Magic Shop."
"Is that all?" Spike scoffed. "An' ya couldn'ta asked for some company?"
He paused. "Er...Ya know Buffy wouldn't be pleased with that."
"Which is why I was sneaking out!" Dawn said, shaking him off her arm.
"SPIKE!" Angel called, loping up after them. "Spike, I mean it, if you
don't..."
Spike sighed. And turned around.
"Listen, Peaches, let me get the Bit home, then we can pound the bloody hell
outta each other, right?"
Angel sighed, and shrugged, following, if only to make sure Spike didn't
hurt Dawn. He didn't know what was going on, what had happened to Spike
that he was apparently...not good, but not killing everything in sight.
"Last time I saw you, Spike, you had me tortured." he said calmly.
Spike chuckled.
"Ah, memories. Yeah, it was a riot. A bloody good time. Live with me 'til
my dusty ending, that."
Angel growled.
"What did you do to Buffy? Why is her smell all over you?"
"Maybe you should ask 'er, mate. "
Dawn ignored Angel, apparently still mad that he had hit her.
"Last time I saw Dru she rambled about you having gone soft, but..."
Spike whirled around.
"I haven't gone soft. I'm still the Big Bad. You people would do right to
'member that."
He turned around and continued on.
"An' Dru's dead. Dusted 'erself, knowing this Cleansing rot was comin'.
She woulda been too weak to survive it." he continued.
Angel frowned, confused as hell.
"Cleansing?"
"Yeah, you know, about 5 hours ago? 'appened to us all? Us bein'
vampires?" Spike shook his head.
"That...was a Cleansing? And you survived?" Angel was skeptical.
"Yeah, unless you're hallucinating."
It was Angel's turn to shake his head. He remained silent the rest of the
way to Buffy's. He figured that this meeting meant he could see her now. He
hoped.
///
Spike followed Dawn up the front steps, once again surprising Angel as he
walked into Buffy's house without an invite. Angel, having already been
invited long ago, followed, slamming the door shut behind him.
"Spike? I woke up and you..."
Spike hurried to cut her off.
"Yeah, luv, the Nibblet scampered off an' I went out to fetch 'er. Ran inta
someone..."
He trailed off, watching Buffy come down the stairs, staring at Angel.
Her eyes widened. She hit the bottom step just in time for Angel to rush
up and enfold her in his arms.
"Buffy, I was so worried. I thought..." he stopped and turned around,
watching the door slam behind Spike as the vampire took off into the night.
Buffy sighed and pushed Angel away.
"What are you doing here?" she looked to Dawn. "What's going on?"
Dawn shrugged, and ran up to her room, slamming the door behind her.
"Buffy, I should be asking YOU what's going on. What is the deal with
Spike? Why is he hanging around?"
"It's a long story, Angel..." Buffy sighed, sinking down onto the stairs.
The vampire stared at her. "I've got a while. I feel like I deserve an
explanation."
"You really wanna know?" Buffy looked him in the eye. "Fine. After the
whole Ring of Amara thing, Spike came back here, got captured by the
government, found out he had a chip in his head that wouldn't let him hurt
anyone and we took him in." Buffy took a breath.
Angel's eyebrows raised, watching the Slayer.
"You took him in? Just because of some chip? Not that I'm not seeing the
humor in all this..."
"Yeah, we did. He was helpless...starving, Angel! And he had information
we needed. He started helping out. He went toe to toe with Glory for me
and Dawn. For nothing! He's changed, Angel. He loves me...."
"He loves you?!" Angel yelled. "Buffy, he doesn't have a soul!"
"He loved Drusilla for more than a hundred years! What does a soul
matter?"
Angel threw up his hands, and turned away.
"So that's why he smells like you. I let you go so you can have someone
normal, and you turn to Spike?! All of the people he ruthlessly murdered,
before this chip, what, that just disappears? Don't you care?"
Buffy stood up, clenching her fists.
"Of course I care. I know what he's done, just like I know what you've
done."
"I have a soul, Buffy. I regret what I've done. To him, it's just a happy
memory!"
"Stop it!" Buffy screamed. She took a few deep breaths. "Just...stop. I
have to go find him. We'll talk about this later."
She stormed out, leaving the bewildered vampire behind.
///
"Bloody poof." Spike muttered as he knocked back a shot. Willy's was
pretty much empty, no vampires left to populate it. Willy had been shocked
himself to see Spike walk in, thinking all the vampires had 'bitten the dust'.
Spike sighed as he felt Buffy approaching. Looking around, he thought about
making a run for it, but decided to wait it out.
"Spike." she called from the doorway. "What the hell are you doing?"
He turned around, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.
"Givin' you and Peaches some alone time."
"You jealous?" Buffy said softly, approaching.
"Of course I'm bloody jealous! I love you!" Willy whistled softly between
his teeth, earning murderous looks from both blondes.
"I know you don't love me. I'm not a stupid git." Spike continued. "You
love him. So, here I am, leavin' you to it." Buffy was only inches away
now. "So why tha hell are you here?"
He watched her, his stormy eyes swirling with emotion. Her hand suddenly
flew out and cracked him hard across the face.
"Do you KNOW how scared I was? That you would die during the Cleansing?
God, Spike, why do you think I was crying?"
The vampire rubbed his jaw, glaring at her.
"Maybe 'cos you were afraid you'd lose your favorite toy?"
Buffy's eyes narrowed. She raised her voice.
"If I treat you so horribly, then why the hell do you hang around?"
Spike raised his voice, standing up, shouting in her face.
"Because I love you, you stupid bitch!" His nose was almost touching
hers.
"Well, I love you too!" she shouted back, and grabbed his head, pulling him
close, and smashing her mouth to his.
Spike groaned and melted into her lips, his hands tangling in her hair.
Then his eyes flew open. He pushed her away.
"You...you love me?
************
mood to explain to his grand-sire that he was shaggin' the love of his
unlife.
"Come on, Bit, I'm takin' you home." he growled, hauling Dawn back toward
the house.
"But..But..." Dawn started.
"No buts! Now! Who is this boyfriend? I'll rip 'is head off. I'll
crush 'is bones into bloody powder..."
"Alright! I wasn't going to see a boyfriend! I don't have a boyfriend! I
was going to break into the Magic Shop."
"Is that all?" Spike scoffed. "An' ya couldn'ta asked for some company?"
He paused. "Er...Ya know Buffy wouldn't be pleased with that."
"Which is why I was sneaking out!" Dawn said, shaking him off her arm.
"SPIKE!" Angel called, loping up after them. "Spike, I mean it, if you
don't..."
Spike sighed. And turned around.
"Listen, Peaches, let me get the Bit home, then we can pound the bloody hell
outta each other, right?"
Angel sighed, and shrugged, following, if only to make sure Spike didn't
hurt Dawn. He didn't know what was going on, what had happened to Spike
that he was apparently...not good, but not killing everything in sight.
"Last time I saw you, Spike, you had me tortured." he said calmly.
Spike chuckled.
"Ah, memories. Yeah, it was a riot. A bloody good time. Live with me 'til
my dusty ending, that."
Angel growled.
"What did you do to Buffy? Why is her smell all over you?"
"Maybe you should ask 'er, mate. "
Dawn ignored Angel, apparently still mad that he had hit her.
"Last time I saw Dru she rambled about you having gone soft, but..."
Spike whirled around.
"I haven't gone soft. I'm still the Big Bad. You people would do right to
'member that."
He turned around and continued on.
"An' Dru's dead. Dusted 'erself, knowing this Cleansing rot was comin'.
She woulda been too weak to survive it." he continued.
Angel frowned, confused as hell.
"Cleansing?"
"Yeah, you know, about 5 hours ago? 'appened to us all? Us bein'
vampires?" Spike shook his head.
"That...was a Cleansing? And you survived?" Angel was skeptical.
"Yeah, unless you're hallucinating."
It was Angel's turn to shake his head. He remained silent the rest of the
way to Buffy's. He figured that this meeting meant he could see her now. He
hoped.
///
Spike followed Dawn up the front steps, once again surprising Angel as he
walked into Buffy's house without an invite. Angel, having already been
invited long ago, followed, slamming the door shut behind him.
"Spike? I woke up and you..."
Spike hurried to cut her off.
"Yeah, luv, the Nibblet scampered off an' I went out to fetch 'er. Ran inta
someone..."
He trailed off, watching Buffy come down the stairs, staring at Angel.
Her eyes widened. She hit the bottom step just in time for Angel to rush
up and enfold her in his arms.
"Buffy, I was so worried. I thought..." he stopped and turned around,
watching the door slam behind Spike as the vampire took off into the night.
Buffy sighed and pushed Angel away.
"What are you doing here?" she looked to Dawn. "What's going on?"
Dawn shrugged, and ran up to her room, slamming the door behind her.
"Buffy, I should be asking YOU what's going on. What is the deal with
Spike? Why is he hanging around?"
"It's a long story, Angel..." Buffy sighed, sinking down onto the stairs.
The vampire stared at her. "I've got a while. I feel like I deserve an
explanation."
"You really wanna know?" Buffy looked him in the eye. "Fine. After the
whole Ring of Amara thing, Spike came back here, got captured by the
government, found out he had a chip in his head that wouldn't let him hurt
anyone and we took him in." Buffy took a breath.
Angel's eyebrows raised, watching the Slayer.
"You took him in? Just because of some chip? Not that I'm not seeing the
humor in all this..."
"Yeah, we did. He was helpless...starving, Angel! And he had information
we needed. He started helping out. He went toe to toe with Glory for me
and Dawn. For nothing! He's changed, Angel. He loves me...."
"He loves you?!" Angel yelled. "Buffy, he doesn't have a soul!"
"He loved Drusilla for more than a hundred years! What does a soul
matter?"
Angel threw up his hands, and turned away.
"So that's why he smells like you. I let you go so you can have someone
normal, and you turn to Spike?! All of the people he ruthlessly murdered,
before this chip, what, that just disappears? Don't you care?"
Buffy stood up, clenching her fists.
"Of course I care. I know what he's done, just like I know what you've
done."
"I have a soul, Buffy. I regret what I've done. To him, it's just a happy
memory!"
"Stop it!" Buffy screamed. She took a few deep breaths. "Just...stop. I
have to go find him. We'll talk about this later."
She stormed out, leaving the bewildered vampire behind.
///
"Bloody poof." Spike muttered as he knocked back a shot. Willy's was
pretty much empty, no vampires left to populate it. Willy had been shocked
himself to see Spike walk in, thinking all the vampires had 'bitten the dust'.
Spike sighed as he felt Buffy approaching. Looking around, he thought about
making a run for it, but decided to wait it out.
"Spike." she called from the doorway. "What the hell are you doing?"
He turned around, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.
"Givin' you and Peaches some alone time."
"You jealous?" Buffy said softly, approaching.
"Of course I'm bloody jealous! I love you!" Willy whistled softly between
his teeth, earning murderous looks from both blondes.
"I know you don't love me. I'm not a stupid git." Spike continued. "You
love him. So, here I am, leavin' you to it." Buffy was only inches away
now. "So why tha hell are you here?"
He watched her, his stormy eyes swirling with emotion. Her hand suddenly
flew out and cracked him hard across the face.
"Do you KNOW how scared I was? That you would die during the Cleansing?
God, Spike, why do you think I was crying?"
The vampire rubbed his jaw, glaring at her.
"Maybe 'cos you were afraid you'd lose your favorite toy?"
Buffy's eyes narrowed. She raised her voice.
"If I treat you so horribly, then why the hell do you hang around?"
Spike raised his voice, standing up, shouting in her face.
"Because I love you, you stupid bitch!" His nose was almost touching
hers.
"Well, I love you too!" she shouted back, and grabbed his head, pulling him
close, and smashing her mouth to his.
Spike groaned and melted into her lips, his hands tangling in her hair.
Then his eyes flew open. He pushed her away.
"You...you love me?
************