Homecoming pt. 5
Anya sat next to Giles on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder. As the bedroom door opened, she dropped his hand and sat up straight.
Spike stepped back into the sitting room. "She's asleep. Where's Harris?"
"Xander wanted to go into the bedroom after you," Giles explained. "We told him not to."
"He left in a huff," Anya added. "He hates you. I wouldn't feel bad. He hates me, too."
"Because of D'Hoffryn. And Willow," Spike said.
"And other things."
Spike looked back towards the door. "She looks so ... Why isn't she in a hospital?"
"She refused," Giles said. "We tried. Have you ever been able to get Buffy to do something she's adamantly opposed to, because I haven't."
"Bollocks!" Spike cried. "How could you let this happen!"
"I haven't been long back myself," Giles answered. "Not soon enough, in any case. She wasn't in much better shape then. I was appalled."
"She started to go downhill when you left." Anya stood up and stretched. "We tried to help. All of us. And then Tara died, and Willow went crazy, and Xander, well, his interest in Willow went a little deeper than I thought. Not that I really cared so much any more. But really," she looked into Spike's eyes now, "if you want to know who to blame, look in a mirror. Well, not that you'd see anything, but you know what I mean."
"You think I don't know that?" He slumped into the armchair. "You think I don't hate myself for what she's become? I had no idea. If she ..." His voice broke, and he buried his head in his hands.
Giles stood up and walked over to he vampire, resting his hand on Spike's shoulder. "I know how much this hurts you, son. How much it hurts us all. But you have to face the possibility that Buffy won't be coming back to us. That things are too far gone."
The blond head shot up. "No. I don't believe that. She wants to live, now. She told me so. Rupert, order up a bowl of broth from room service. Something light to start with."
"She won't eat it," the man answered.
"She'll eat it." He jumped up. "I'm taking her back to my crypt, soon as she's strong enough. Nursing her back to health."
"I don't think ..."
"Sod what you think. She's gonna get strong, and she's gonna get her life back. And Dawn."
"And where will you fit in?" the Watcher asked. "Supposing you can accomplish this, you're still a vampire, and she's still the Slayer. Now you have the added complication of the loss of that chip. How can she trust you? Unless you've also acquired a soul."
"A soul." He laughed bitterly. "A wise man recently told me that the soul doesn't matter two bits. That it's the heart that counts. Well," he pointed to the bedroom door, "I love that woman in there with all my heart. So just order the bloody soup!"
Anya sat next to Giles on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder. As the bedroom door opened, she dropped his hand and sat up straight.
Spike stepped back into the sitting room. "She's asleep. Where's Harris?"
"Xander wanted to go into the bedroom after you," Giles explained. "We told him not to."
"He left in a huff," Anya added. "He hates you. I wouldn't feel bad. He hates me, too."
"Because of D'Hoffryn. And Willow," Spike said.
"And other things."
Spike looked back towards the door. "She looks so ... Why isn't she in a hospital?"
"She refused," Giles said. "We tried. Have you ever been able to get Buffy to do something she's adamantly opposed to, because I haven't."
"Bollocks!" Spike cried. "How could you let this happen!"
"I haven't been long back myself," Giles answered. "Not soon enough, in any case. She wasn't in much better shape then. I was appalled."
"She started to go downhill when you left." Anya stood up and stretched. "We tried to help. All of us. And then Tara died, and Willow went crazy, and Xander, well, his interest in Willow went a little deeper than I thought. Not that I really cared so much any more. But really," she looked into Spike's eyes now, "if you want to know who to blame, look in a mirror. Well, not that you'd see anything, but you know what I mean."
"You think I don't know that?" He slumped into the armchair. "You think I don't hate myself for what she's become? I had no idea. If she ..." His voice broke, and he buried his head in his hands.
Giles stood up and walked over to he vampire, resting his hand on Spike's shoulder. "I know how much this hurts you, son. How much it hurts us all. But you have to face the possibility that Buffy won't be coming back to us. That things are too far gone."
The blond head shot up. "No. I don't believe that. She wants to live, now. She told me so. Rupert, order up a bowl of broth from room service. Something light to start with."
"She won't eat it," the man answered.
"She'll eat it." He jumped up. "I'm taking her back to my crypt, soon as she's strong enough. Nursing her back to health."
"I don't think ..."
"Sod what you think. She's gonna get strong, and she's gonna get her life back. And Dawn."
"And where will you fit in?" the Watcher asked. "Supposing you can accomplish this, you're still a vampire, and she's still the Slayer. Now you have the added complication of the loss of that chip. How can she trust you? Unless you've also acquired a soul."
"A soul." He laughed bitterly. "A wise man recently told me that the soul doesn't matter two bits. That it's the heart that counts. Well," he pointed to the bedroom door, "I love that woman in there with all my heart. So just order the bloody soup!"