When Things Fall Apart
"Uh- Giles?"
"Yes Willow?"
"I'm worried about Buffy."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Xander chipped in.
"Xander!, Giles, she said she'll kill Angelus. The Buffy I know - *we* know - she wouldn't do that."
"If I may interrupt?" Wesley entered the conversation. "A few weeks ago, Angel recovered an ancient script. It prophecised a vampire with a soul, fighting evil. We think it may be Angel."
"And, yeah, how many *other* vampires are there running around trying to have sex with Buffy?" asked Xander. Both Willow and Giles gave him a look before turning back to Wesley and his explanations.
"Wesley, just tell them what it says!" exclaimed Cordy impatiently.
"Well, it wasn't until I translated the whole thing.." The ex-watcher began.
"*Yes*??"
"It says....that Angel cannot be killed until the prophecy is fulfilled."
"So?"
"I seem to remember, Mr. Giles, you said something about Angel returning from Hell, after Buffy sent him there?"
"Yes, quite right. That, er, did...happen." Giles looked up momentarily from his book. "So you're saying, that no matter how many times Buffy kills him, he'll return?"
"Indeed. So the only thing we can to is -"
"Return his soul! Oh, Tara and I can do *that*" Willow exclaimed.
"Right then. Very Good. Willow, I suggest you go to the magic shop, and get an Orb of Thesula, and whatever other things you need, right away." Giles stood up, taking control of the situation. "Wesley, make yourself useful and translate the rest of that document, Cordelia, you can help by looking through these books for the ritual."
"Hey, what about me - *us*?" Xander corrected himself after a punch in the ribs from Anya.
"Oh. Um. Right. Xander, you and Anya find Buffy, and tell her the plan. She should be on patrol somewhere."
"Oh *great*" moaned Xander "Only like, *loads* of potential slaying spots in Sunnydale."
"You *could* stay and help look through these books." said Cordy, smiling, knowing full well that her old flame hated anything involving books.
"We're going!" Xander and Anya rushed out of the door.
----Buffys room----
"Thanks for staying a while, Spike." said Buffy getting up. "I-I don't wanna be alone." She thought "Um..would you like a drink?" she asked, pulling open the fridge. "Oh. I thought I had some blood in here. Guess not."
Shrugging, Spike pulled a blood-bag out of his duster pocket. "Take-away luv." Grinning, he waved it at Buffy, but she didn't see. She was staring at the fridge, a faraway look in her eyes.
"Slayer? Ey Slutty." He cringed at calling her the name he used so much. No answer. He wondered.
"Whats wrong pet?" He looked at the slayer, who was still staring at the fridge.
"I *used* to keep blood-bags in there." She began
"Slayer?"
"Just in *case* Angel came back. I guess that was pretty stupid, huh?"
Spike stepped up behind her. "Wanna know a secret?" he whispered.
Buffy turned, and looked at him quizzically. Spike continued. "After she left - Dru - I kept one of 'er old dolls with me, just 'cause it looked like her, and in the hope that, someday, she'd come back looking for it. I guess I blew my chance to win 'er back." He looked to Buffy, who'd fallen silent. A war was raging inside of him. Part of him wanted to tell her, and forget about Dru, his first love, the other told him to hold back, hold on to Dru.
Lifting her tear-streaked face up to him, Buffy saw the same torment in his eyes that he saw in hers.
"Oh Spike." She said, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.
And with the mental war still raging on in his head, Spike closed the small gap between him and the slayer, wrapping his arms around her protectively. As she laid her head against his shoulder, Spike sighed sadly, wishing things were different.
They stood there in silence, savouring the moment.
"You know, a year ago, if you'd done this, I'd have staked you." murmured Buffy after a few moments.
"A year ago I wouldn't have done this." The vampire muttered.
"I don't know how to tell you this, but.." Buffy began. Spike tensed a little in anticipation.
"...ever since you first turned up on Giles' doorstep, after the Initiative caught you, I've slowly gotten used to havin' you around.
Spike sighed to himself. He broke his hold of the slayer in frustration. They stood apart, neither wanting to make the first move. Eventually, Buffy took the plunge. "S-Spike?" The vampire looked back at her. "I've gotta go." he whispered almost incoherently, and left a stunned slayer staring at the space where he'd been standing, only a few seconds ago.
"Uh- Giles?"
"Yes Willow?"
"I'm worried about Buffy."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Xander chipped in.
"Xander!, Giles, she said she'll kill Angelus. The Buffy I know - *we* know - she wouldn't do that."
"If I may interrupt?" Wesley entered the conversation. "A few weeks ago, Angel recovered an ancient script. It prophecised a vampire with a soul, fighting evil. We think it may be Angel."
"And, yeah, how many *other* vampires are there running around trying to have sex with Buffy?" asked Xander. Both Willow and Giles gave him a look before turning back to Wesley and his explanations.
"Wesley, just tell them what it says!" exclaimed Cordy impatiently.
"Well, it wasn't until I translated the whole thing.." The ex-watcher began.
"*Yes*??"
"It says....that Angel cannot be killed until the prophecy is fulfilled."
"So?"
"I seem to remember, Mr. Giles, you said something about Angel returning from Hell, after Buffy sent him there?"
"Yes, quite right. That, er, did...happen." Giles looked up momentarily from his book. "So you're saying, that no matter how many times Buffy kills him, he'll return?"
"Indeed. So the only thing we can to is -"
"Return his soul! Oh, Tara and I can do *that*" Willow exclaimed.
"Right then. Very Good. Willow, I suggest you go to the magic shop, and get an Orb of Thesula, and whatever other things you need, right away." Giles stood up, taking control of the situation. "Wesley, make yourself useful and translate the rest of that document, Cordelia, you can help by looking through these books for the ritual."
"Hey, what about me - *us*?" Xander corrected himself after a punch in the ribs from Anya.
"Oh. Um. Right. Xander, you and Anya find Buffy, and tell her the plan. She should be on patrol somewhere."
"Oh *great*" moaned Xander "Only like, *loads* of potential slaying spots in Sunnydale."
"You *could* stay and help look through these books." said Cordy, smiling, knowing full well that her old flame hated anything involving books.
"We're going!" Xander and Anya rushed out of the door.
----Buffys room----
"Thanks for staying a while, Spike." said Buffy getting up. "I-I don't wanna be alone." She thought "Um..would you like a drink?" she asked, pulling open the fridge. "Oh. I thought I had some blood in here. Guess not."
Shrugging, Spike pulled a blood-bag out of his duster pocket. "Take-away luv." Grinning, he waved it at Buffy, but she didn't see. She was staring at the fridge, a faraway look in her eyes.
"Slayer? Ey Slutty." He cringed at calling her the name he used so much. No answer. He wondered.
"Whats wrong pet?" He looked at the slayer, who was still staring at the fridge.
"I *used* to keep blood-bags in there." She began
"Slayer?"
"Just in *case* Angel came back. I guess that was pretty stupid, huh?"
Spike stepped up behind her. "Wanna know a secret?" he whispered.
Buffy turned, and looked at him quizzically. Spike continued. "After she left - Dru - I kept one of 'er old dolls with me, just 'cause it looked like her, and in the hope that, someday, she'd come back looking for it. I guess I blew my chance to win 'er back." He looked to Buffy, who'd fallen silent. A war was raging inside of him. Part of him wanted to tell her, and forget about Dru, his first love, the other told him to hold back, hold on to Dru.
Lifting her tear-streaked face up to him, Buffy saw the same torment in his eyes that he saw in hers.
"Oh Spike." She said, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.
And with the mental war still raging on in his head, Spike closed the small gap between him and the slayer, wrapping his arms around her protectively. As she laid her head against his shoulder, Spike sighed sadly, wishing things were different.
They stood there in silence, savouring the moment.
"You know, a year ago, if you'd done this, I'd have staked you." murmured Buffy after a few moments.
"A year ago I wouldn't have done this." The vampire muttered.
"I don't know how to tell you this, but.." Buffy began. Spike tensed a little in anticipation.
"...ever since you first turned up on Giles' doorstep, after the Initiative caught you, I've slowly gotten used to havin' you around.
Spike sighed to himself. He broke his hold of the slayer in frustration. They stood apart, neither wanting to make the first move. Eventually, Buffy took the plunge. "S-Spike?" The vampire looked back at her. "I've gotta go." he whispered almost incoherently, and left a stunned slayer staring at the space where he'd been standing, only a few seconds ago.