Homecoming Pt. 6
"Hello, Buffy," Giles said, standing beside the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Giles?" The young woman looked up at her Watcher, confusion on her face. "When did you get here?"
"Two weeks ago, Buffy? Remember? Xander called me, and I came right over." He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "You've been staying here with me."
"Oh, yeah. Right. I forgot." She looked concerned, as her eyes darted around the room. "I thought Spike was here. It seemed so real." Her lower lip quivered. "I wanted it to be real."
"I'm right here, love." Spike stepped into the bedroom. He was pleased to see the smile light up her face. It made her look like a young girl again. "Look, Buffy. I've brought you some soup."
"Thank you. I'm not hungry."
"That's fine, pet, but you're goin' to eat it anyway. Just to please me."
Giles carefully lifted her upper body, as he slipped behind her, propping up her frail frame. Spike sat beside her on the bed. She looked down at the spoon he offered like it were a demon she had met on patrol. "What kind of soup is that? It doesn't look very good."
"Beef broth, love. Had to take what we could get from the room service. But I promise, you eat this up, and soon it'll be anything you want. Steak, spaghetti, vats of chocolate if you like. But first," he waved the spoon in her face, "eat the soup."
"Okay." She took the liquid in her mouth and swallowed. "It's not so bad."
Giles burst into a wide grin. "That's the spirit, Buffy. Drink it down."
"Anything's better than a Doublemeat Medley." She swallowed spoonful after spoonful of the broth as Spike offered it. "It tastes pretty good. I guess I was hungry after all. Any crackers?"
Spike put down the empty bowl and stroked her hair. "Not right now. Solid food later. Don't want you bein' sick. You keep this down and we'll see about sommit else."
"Okay." She smiled as Giles gave her a gentle hug, then pulled away so she could lie back on the bed. "I don't remember eating anything for a while. I don't remember a lot of things. This is a hotel, right?" Giles nodded. "I don't have the house anymore, do I?"
"That's alright, Buffy," the Englishman said. "You can stay here with me as long as you like."
"Where are you sleeping?" she asked.
"There's a pullout couch in the other room. Quite comfortable, really," he answered.
"I can't do that to you. Put you out of your bed anymore. And I won't let you pay for another room for me. This must be costing you so much as it is."
Anya popped her head in. "How's she doing? Need anything?"
"Hi, Anya." She looked up at the ex-demon. "Thank you. I sort of remember you looking after me." She looked back at Giles. "So what do I do now? I don't have anywhere to go."
"Yes you do, love." Spike took her hand in his. "I'm going to fix the crypt up again, right posh, top to bottom. Then you're goin' to come and live there. With me."
"Hello, Buffy," Giles said, standing beside the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Giles?" The young woman looked up at her Watcher, confusion on her face. "When did you get here?"
"Two weeks ago, Buffy? Remember? Xander called me, and I came right over." He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "You've been staying here with me."
"Oh, yeah. Right. I forgot." She looked concerned, as her eyes darted around the room. "I thought Spike was here. It seemed so real." Her lower lip quivered. "I wanted it to be real."
"I'm right here, love." Spike stepped into the bedroom. He was pleased to see the smile light up her face. It made her look like a young girl again. "Look, Buffy. I've brought you some soup."
"Thank you. I'm not hungry."
"That's fine, pet, but you're goin' to eat it anyway. Just to please me."
Giles carefully lifted her upper body, as he slipped behind her, propping up her frail frame. Spike sat beside her on the bed. She looked down at the spoon he offered like it were a demon she had met on patrol. "What kind of soup is that? It doesn't look very good."
"Beef broth, love. Had to take what we could get from the room service. But I promise, you eat this up, and soon it'll be anything you want. Steak, spaghetti, vats of chocolate if you like. But first," he waved the spoon in her face, "eat the soup."
"Okay." She took the liquid in her mouth and swallowed. "It's not so bad."
Giles burst into a wide grin. "That's the spirit, Buffy. Drink it down."
"Anything's better than a Doublemeat Medley." She swallowed spoonful after spoonful of the broth as Spike offered it. "It tastes pretty good. I guess I was hungry after all. Any crackers?"
Spike put down the empty bowl and stroked her hair. "Not right now. Solid food later. Don't want you bein' sick. You keep this down and we'll see about sommit else."
"Okay." She smiled as Giles gave her a gentle hug, then pulled away so she could lie back on the bed. "I don't remember eating anything for a while. I don't remember a lot of things. This is a hotel, right?" Giles nodded. "I don't have the house anymore, do I?"
"That's alright, Buffy," the Englishman said. "You can stay here with me as long as you like."
"Where are you sleeping?" she asked.
"There's a pullout couch in the other room. Quite comfortable, really," he answered.
"I can't do that to you. Put you out of your bed anymore. And I won't let you pay for another room for me. This must be costing you so much as it is."
Anya popped her head in. "How's she doing? Need anything?"
"Hi, Anya." She looked up at the ex-demon. "Thank you. I sort of remember you looking after me." She looked back at Giles. "So what do I do now? I don't have anywhere to go."
"Yes you do, love." Spike took her hand in his. "I'm going to fix the crypt up again, right posh, top to bottom. Then you're goin' to come and live there. With me."