When Spike felt himself begin to wake up once again, he felt ready to take
on Doc. He knew what Doc would throw at him and planned out his attack this
time. There was no way that he'd get Dawnie get hurt or Buffy die.
"Spike....Spike, can you hear me?" Willow asked in his head.
Spike, smiled, remembering already having this conversation with the Witch. "Yeah, loud and clear," he said.
"Is there someone up there with Dawn?" she asked him.
"Yeah, can't tell who," Spike replied, deciding to not let Willow know that he knew who was up there.
"Are you talking to us?" Xander asked to his right.
"Get up there. Go now," Willow commanded, her voice direct and commanding.
Instead of trying to argue with her, Spike leapt to his feet and started heading for the tower. He watched as all the people guarding the steps were thrown to the side, courtesy of Willow, as he started heading up the stairs.
"Spike!" Dawn yelled out to him.
"Doesn't a bloke stay dead when you kill him?" Spike asked as he started walking out towards Doc and Dawn.
"Looks who's talking," Doc replied, smiling at him.
"C'mon Doc, let's you and me have a go."
"I...I do have a prior appointment," Doc started.
"Well, this won't take long," Spike said.
"No, I don't imagine that it will," Doc replied before moving. IN a flash, he was behind Spike and he stuck the knife that he was holding in Spike's back.
"Ow!" Spike shouted. "Bloody hell, that's my jacket!" Doc tried to throw him to the ground, but Spike remembered the move and quickly ducked out of the way.
Instead, he quickly turned around and grabbed onto Doc, pulling him down to the ground along with him. He turned around again and, as though the roles had completely switched, Spike pushed Doc towards the edge of the tower, preparing to throw him off. "See, mate? I told you that it wouldn't take long." He released Doc, and pushed him off the edge of the tower.
He watched as Doc went flying off the edge of the tower before heading over to Dawn. "You okay, Sweet Bit?"
"Yeah," Dawn replied as Spike started untying the ropes that bound her to the tower.
"C'mon, Nibblet, let's go on. Big Sis is gonna be relieved to see you," Spike said, starting to guide her back down the steps. Spike and Dawn walked down the tower together. In the end, Dawn helped Spike get down the last few steps. He was bleeding through the back of his shirt and coat and his back was killing him; however, all the pain dissappeared when he saw Buffy standing only feet away. As he watched her start to walk over to Dawn, he couldn't even feel the pain anymore.
Spike fell to his knees as he realized what he had done. He had saved Buffy...protected Dawnie and her, just like he had promised. And although no one else would ever know, his one little act of pushing Doc off the tower had saved everyone's life.
"Dawn!" Buffy yelled, running over to her. She grabbed Dawn in a fierce hug, smiling. "Thank God you're safe."
"I'm okay, Buffy," Dawn said, holding onto her sister. "Spike saved me. He killed the guy up there."
Buffy turned and stared at Spike, her arms dropping from Dawn. She walked over and bent her knees, bending down and looking at Spike. "You saved Dawnie?"
Spike tried to continue ignoring the pain. "I told you I would, Buffy. I promised you that I would." Suddenly, Buffy's arms came flying at him and as she tightly hung onto him. "Ow! Oh, bloody hell."
Buffy jumped back from him, afraid that she had hurt him even more than before. "Ooh! Sorry, did I hurt you?"
"No, that bloke cut me up real nice in my back," Spike said. "Just needs some mending, that's all."
"Here, let me help you," Buffy said. She stood and helped Spike stand beside her. Her hands supported his side and stomach to keep him balanced. He almost told her that he could walk just fine until he felt her hands travel over his chest.
"Thank you, Buffy," Spike said, moving his arm to wrap it around her shoulders.
Slowly, Buffy started wrapping her arms around him again, until the two were embraced in a tight hug. Her friends, although watching from a distance, made no move to interfere. "Thank you, thank you..." Buffy repeated in Spike's ear. "Thank you *so* much, Spike."
Spike, unused to being thanked for anything, much less something from Buffy, could only stammer a nervous, "you're welcome."
"Thank you for saving my baby sister," Buffy whispered in his ear. Finally, she let go and started to help him walk. "C'mon, let's get you inside. I don't think Dawn would be too happy that her protector burst into flames."
"Feelings mutual," Spike muttered, started to walk alongside Buffy.
She and Spike eventually walked up to where her friends were standing. "Okay, what's the plan?" She asked Giles.
"Uh...well, I think that, uh, sleep sounds good in a situation like this." Giles said.
"Sleep...sleep, Oh!" Xander said. "I vaguely remember sleep. That's when you close your eyes and rest and then wake up with newly found energy, right?" The gang all stared at him as though he was insane. "Sorry, haven't gotten much sleep recently."
"No one here has," Buffy said. "But I think I'm going to go home and sleep for the next three days."
"I'm right there with you," Willow agreed. "Hey Buff...can we hang out at your house? It just...it just doesn't seem right to be separating...going to different places, after we've done all of this." In past years, after defeating the big bad, they had always gone to Buffy's home for some relaxing time. After Adam, after the Mayor, after the Master...it had become tradition.
"Sure thing, my house is free...plenty of room for everyone," Buffy said. She always loved it when her friends were over at her house. Ever since her mother had died, when her friends were together in the house, the rooms seemed to be filled with life once again. "Me, Dawn, Willow and Tara in Mom's room, Xander, Anya on the couch, Spike..."
"Basement, I know," Spike said.
"Giles?" Buffy asked him, wondering whether or not he wanted to go home.
"I think that I'll just go back to my flat, Buffy," Giles said. He walked up to her and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Excellent work, Buffy."
She smiled. "Well, Spike was the one who saved Dawn."
"Yeah, *me.* The guy who is burning here and loosing blood from a life- threatening stab wound," Spike said sarcastically.
"You're already dead, Spike. You can't get any deader." Buffy replied. She rolled her eyes when he only grunted in response. "C'mon, I think its time to head on home." She turned around, still holding onto Spike, as the gang started making their way to Buffy's home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After the sun had set and Buffy had gotten about 10 hours of much-needed rest, she decided to head down to the basement where Spike was resting. She knew that he had gotten stabbed from the fight with Doc and hoped that he had healed up all right. Buffy tiptoed down the stairs as to not wake anyone as she passed Xander and Anya sleeping together on the couch.
She paused at the top of the stairs, not really knowing what she would say when she got down there to talk to him. The two were friends now and she was in debt to him for what he had done today to help her. I know Spike would be pleased about that, Buffy thought to herself. It seemed as though he expected nothing for helping her, something else that surprised Buffy. In the past, he'd always wanted something in exchange for his help, but not last night. So, where were they suppose to go from there?
Finally, taking a deep breath, she headed down the stairs. She walked deeper into the basement, finally finding Spike lying on one of the rollaway beds that had been stuffed somewhere in the back of the basement. "Spike?" she asked softly, afraid that he was still sleeping and she didn't want to wake him. She paused, waiting for a response and not getting one.
After waiting another moment, she turned back around to go back up the stairs. "Buffy?" Spike asked, raising his head off the mattress. He'd been sleeping and dreaming...dreaming of the life that he might now have with her. The fact that she was no here was just adding to the distinct possibility that someday they might be more than friends.
"Hey," she said, walking over closer towards him. "You're awake."
"Yeah, well...I thought that I heard something movin' about," Spike said, sitting up off the bed. His knife wound had healed since he'd rested up and he was finally feeling better.
"Are...are you okay?" Buffy asked. She walked over and sat next to him.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Spike said. "Didn't know you cared."
"Spike..." Buffy started, surprised that he still held resentment over everything that she had done or said to him in the past.
Spike shook his head, thinking that he should sometimes not let his ego talk. "Sorry, love...old habit, saying stuff like that to you."
"It's okay," Buffy replied, moving over closer to him. "And...I care," she finally managed to say. I care a lot, she thought to herself. Spike stared at her, the corners of his mouth slowly turning upwards to a smile. "Hey," she said, smiling and trying to change the topic. "I hear that the Bronze is selling those blooming onions again."
"Really?" Spike asked. "Someone's got taste there. I'm telling you...those blokes were downright bloody stupid to take that off the menu."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Buffy said. "''S the only thing this place had going for it,"" she said in a very bad British accent. "Tell me something new, Spike."
Spike grinned after hearing that she remembered when he was talking to her at the Bronze. "Well? What'd'ya say that you and I go get one? We can discuss the fine choice of hops."
Buffy smiled and shook her head. He'd remembered that conversation. "Fine, but don't wake anyone up, okay? Xander and Anya are right out there."
"You've got it, Buffy." Spike replied. The two rose from the bed and started to head towards the stairs. Buffy noticed that he'd suddenly stopped calling her "Slayer," that cold title that he always referred to her as. Instead, he finally called her by her name, the word rolling off his tongue. Yeah, she liked that much better.
The two crept past the sleeping couple on the couch and walked out the front door, silently closing it behind them. Buffy and Spike walked down the sidewalk on her street, neither one of them speaking.
Finally, just so he knew, Buffy spoke up. "Just so you know...this is *not* a date, Spike." she said. "Okay? It's merely a thank you dinner."
Spike smiled smugly at her, amused that he knew something that she didn't. "Sure, love. I know that it's not a date." He kept his pace matched with hers as he remembered the day and night that the two spent together. But maybe someday soon...it will be.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The beginning...
Spike, smiled, remembering already having this conversation with the Witch. "Yeah, loud and clear," he said.
"Is there someone up there with Dawn?" she asked him.
"Yeah, can't tell who," Spike replied, deciding to not let Willow know that he knew who was up there.
"Are you talking to us?" Xander asked to his right.
"Get up there. Go now," Willow commanded, her voice direct and commanding.
Instead of trying to argue with her, Spike leapt to his feet and started heading for the tower. He watched as all the people guarding the steps were thrown to the side, courtesy of Willow, as he started heading up the stairs.
"Spike!" Dawn yelled out to him.
"Doesn't a bloke stay dead when you kill him?" Spike asked as he started walking out towards Doc and Dawn.
"Looks who's talking," Doc replied, smiling at him.
"C'mon Doc, let's you and me have a go."
"I...I do have a prior appointment," Doc started.
"Well, this won't take long," Spike said.
"No, I don't imagine that it will," Doc replied before moving. IN a flash, he was behind Spike and he stuck the knife that he was holding in Spike's back.
"Ow!" Spike shouted. "Bloody hell, that's my jacket!" Doc tried to throw him to the ground, but Spike remembered the move and quickly ducked out of the way.
Instead, he quickly turned around and grabbed onto Doc, pulling him down to the ground along with him. He turned around again and, as though the roles had completely switched, Spike pushed Doc towards the edge of the tower, preparing to throw him off. "See, mate? I told you that it wouldn't take long." He released Doc, and pushed him off the edge of the tower.
He watched as Doc went flying off the edge of the tower before heading over to Dawn. "You okay, Sweet Bit?"
"Yeah," Dawn replied as Spike started untying the ropes that bound her to the tower.
"C'mon, Nibblet, let's go on. Big Sis is gonna be relieved to see you," Spike said, starting to guide her back down the steps. Spike and Dawn walked down the tower together. In the end, Dawn helped Spike get down the last few steps. He was bleeding through the back of his shirt and coat and his back was killing him; however, all the pain dissappeared when he saw Buffy standing only feet away. As he watched her start to walk over to Dawn, he couldn't even feel the pain anymore.
Spike fell to his knees as he realized what he had done. He had saved Buffy...protected Dawnie and her, just like he had promised. And although no one else would ever know, his one little act of pushing Doc off the tower had saved everyone's life.
"Dawn!" Buffy yelled, running over to her. She grabbed Dawn in a fierce hug, smiling. "Thank God you're safe."
"I'm okay, Buffy," Dawn said, holding onto her sister. "Spike saved me. He killed the guy up there."
Buffy turned and stared at Spike, her arms dropping from Dawn. She walked over and bent her knees, bending down and looking at Spike. "You saved Dawnie?"
Spike tried to continue ignoring the pain. "I told you I would, Buffy. I promised you that I would." Suddenly, Buffy's arms came flying at him and as she tightly hung onto him. "Ow! Oh, bloody hell."
Buffy jumped back from him, afraid that she had hurt him even more than before. "Ooh! Sorry, did I hurt you?"
"No, that bloke cut me up real nice in my back," Spike said. "Just needs some mending, that's all."
"Here, let me help you," Buffy said. She stood and helped Spike stand beside her. Her hands supported his side and stomach to keep him balanced. He almost told her that he could walk just fine until he felt her hands travel over his chest.
"Thank you, Buffy," Spike said, moving his arm to wrap it around her shoulders.
Slowly, Buffy started wrapping her arms around him again, until the two were embraced in a tight hug. Her friends, although watching from a distance, made no move to interfere. "Thank you, thank you..." Buffy repeated in Spike's ear. "Thank you *so* much, Spike."
Spike, unused to being thanked for anything, much less something from Buffy, could only stammer a nervous, "you're welcome."
"Thank you for saving my baby sister," Buffy whispered in his ear. Finally, she let go and started to help him walk. "C'mon, let's get you inside. I don't think Dawn would be too happy that her protector burst into flames."
"Feelings mutual," Spike muttered, started to walk alongside Buffy.
She and Spike eventually walked up to where her friends were standing. "Okay, what's the plan?" She asked Giles.
"Uh...well, I think that, uh, sleep sounds good in a situation like this." Giles said.
"Sleep...sleep, Oh!" Xander said. "I vaguely remember sleep. That's when you close your eyes and rest and then wake up with newly found energy, right?" The gang all stared at him as though he was insane. "Sorry, haven't gotten much sleep recently."
"No one here has," Buffy said. "But I think I'm going to go home and sleep for the next three days."
"I'm right there with you," Willow agreed. "Hey Buff...can we hang out at your house? It just...it just doesn't seem right to be separating...going to different places, after we've done all of this." In past years, after defeating the big bad, they had always gone to Buffy's home for some relaxing time. After Adam, after the Mayor, after the Master...it had become tradition.
"Sure thing, my house is free...plenty of room for everyone," Buffy said. She always loved it when her friends were over at her house. Ever since her mother had died, when her friends were together in the house, the rooms seemed to be filled with life once again. "Me, Dawn, Willow and Tara in Mom's room, Xander, Anya on the couch, Spike..."
"Basement, I know," Spike said.
"Giles?" Buffy asked him, wondering whether or not he wanted to go home.
"I think that I'll just go back to my flat, Buffy," Giles said. He walked up to her and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Excellent work, Buffy."
She smiled. "Well, Spike was the one who saved Dawn."
"Yeah, *me.* The guy who is burning here and loosing blood from a life- threatening stab wound," Spike said sarcastically.
"You're already dead, Spike. You can't get any deader." Buffy replied. She rolled her eyes when he only grunted in response. "C'mon, I think its time to head on home." She turned around, still holding onto Spike, as the gang started making their way to Buffy's home.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After the sun had set and Buffy had gotten about 10 hours of much-needed rest, she decided to head down to the basement where Spike was resting. She knew that he had gotten stabbed from the fight with Doc and hoped that he had healed up all right. Buffy tiptoed down the stairs as to not wake anyone as she passed Xander and Anya sleeping together on the couch.
She paused at the top of the stairs, not really knowing what she would say when she got down there to talk to him. The two were friends now and she was in debt to him for what he had done today to help her. I know Spike would be pleased about that, Buffy thought to herself. It seemed as though he expected nothing for helping her, something else that surprised Buffy. In the past, he'd always wanted something in exchange for his help, but not last night. So, where were they suppose to go from there?
Finally, taking a deep breath, she headed down the stairs. She walked deeper into the basement, finally finding Spike lying on one of the rollaway beds that had been stuffed somewhere in the back of the basement. "Spike?" she asked softly, afraid that he was still sleeping and she didn't want to wake him. She paused, waiting for a response and not getting one.
After waiting another moment, she turned back around to go back up the stairs. "Buffy?" Spike asked, raising his head off the mattress. He'd been sleeping and dreaming...dreaming of the life that he might now have with her. The fact that she was no here was just adding to the distinct possibility that someday they might be more than friends.
"Hey," she said, walking over closer towards him. "You're awake."
"Yeah, well...I thought that I heard something movin' about," Spike said, sitting up off the bed. His knife wound had healed since he'd rested up and he was finally feeling better.
"Are...are you okay?" Buffy asked. She walked over and sat next to him.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Spike said. "Didn't know you cared."
"Spike..." Buffy started, surprised that he still held resentment over everything that she had done or said to him in the past.
Spike shook his head, thinking that he should sometimes not let his ego talk. "Sorry, love...old habit, saying stuff like that to you."
"It's okay," Buffy replied, moving over closer to him. "And...I care," she finally managed to say. I care a lot, she thought to herself. Spike stared at her, the corners of his mouth slowly turning upwards to a smile. "Hey," she said, smiling and trying to change the topic. "I hear that the Bronze is selling those blooming onions again."
"Really?" Spike asked. "Someone's got taste there. I'm telling you...those blokes were downright bloody stupid to take that off the menu."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Buffy said. "''S the only thing this place had going for it,"" she said in a very bad British accent. "Tell me something new, Spike."
Spike grinned after hearing that she remembered when he was talking to her at the Bronze. "Well? What'd'ya say that you and I go get one? We can discuss the fine choice of hops."
Buffy smiled and shook her head. He'd remembered that conversation. "Fine, but don't wake anyone up, okay? Xander and Anya are right out there."
"You've got it, Buffy." Spike replied. The two rose from the bed and started to head towards the stairs. Buffy noticed that he'd suddenly stopped calling her "Slayer," that cold title that he always referred to her as. Instead, he finally called her by her name, the word rolling off his tongue. Yeah, she liked that much better.
The two crept past the sleeping couple on the couch and walked out the front door, silently closing it behind them. Buffy and Spike walked down the sidewalk on her street, neither one of them speaking.
Finally, just so he knew, Buffy spoke up. "Just so you know...this is *not* a date, Spike." she said. "Okay? It's merely a thank you dinner."
Spike smiled smugly at her, amused that he knew something that she didn't. "Sure, love. I know that it's not a date." He kept his pace matched with hers as he remembered the day and night that the two spent together. But maybe someday soon...it will be.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The beginning...