Homecoming pt. 14
"My God," Xander exclaimed, as he sat down the pipes he was pulling off the back of his truck. "How is she?"
"Broken. Again." Spike picked up a length of wood and carried it towards the crypt entrance.
"So why are you here?" Xander watched the vampire drop the wood and lean against the marble wall. "She needs you."
"I know." He pulled a cigarette out of this duster pocket and lit it. "I was trying to give these up. Stress, I guess." He took a drag, then threw the burning cigarette against the wall. "How much does the girl have ta go through? Her mother, her sister, her dead beat dad. He was in debt, by the way, no help there. Everything, all of it, taken from her."
"Not everything. Not us. Why are you here?"
"She hasn't eaten a thing today. Not a bloody thing. She didn't cry, not at first. Just lay there, quiet in my arms. 'Bout one a.m. the tears started flowin' and she couldn't stop. Sobbed, all night. She was thirsty then; I got a ginger ale from the soda machine for her and she sipped at it. Didn't finish it. She slept the next day, next to me. I wanted to be there for her, but I fell asleep too. It's hard to shake off, once it starts. Not like human sleep, not really. I woke up about five; she told me to go, I had to meet you." He looked at Xander with tear-filled eyes. "It hurts so much, seein' her like this. I left. She wants us to finish this as quick as we can, get her out of that hotel suite, but I didn't want to go. She just lies there, hardly talkin'. I'm afraid."
"I remember." Xander walked over to Spike and put his hand on the vampire's shoulder. "She shut right down after Willow. I didn't think she'd ever come back. You started her back. She'll be okay. She has to." He picked up the pipes again and carried them towards the crypt. "The sooner we get moving, the sooner we'll be done. But I can handle this myself. Go to her, if you want to."
Spike looked at the back of the truck. "All this stuff you brought. I can't pay you, not yet. I'll get the money, though."
"You don't owe me anything." Xander turned back to the truck to grab another load. "I have a friend in demolition who owes me a favour. This is stuff from a site we pulled down. Abandoned house."
"Ironic," Spike muttered. "You sure you can handle this? If I leave?"
"Help me clean off the truck and you can go. You'd probably only get in the way." He hoisted the wood on his shoulder. "Unless you have hidden carpentry skills?"
"None that I know of."
"You did okay with that rudimentary plumbing. That you can help me with."
"Well, technically, that was my friend Clem," Spike replied.
"Then get me Clem." He lay the wood by the crypt door and went back for more, passing Spike carrying his own load. "How was she when you left?"
"Anya was with her. Holding her like she was her own daughter. I wouldn't have suspected it of the demon."
"I hurt someone great. I know that." The dark haired man went back to the truck. "She's happy now, isn't she? With Giles?"
"Seems to be."
"Good." He shut the back of the truck. "All done. I want her to be happy. I owe her that. I still care about her. You know I'm not in love with her anymore?"
"I figured that," Spike replied, heading out. "Remember to close the door while you're working. Don't want any unannounced nasties dropping by."
"This lock's the first thing I'm installing." He tossed a shiny object to Spike. "The key. Doubt I'll still be here when you get back."
Spike caught it, looking back at Xander. "It's Red, isn't it?"
"Yeah. I guess it's always been Willow."
"Sorry." Spike turned and headed away.
"My God," Xander exclaimed, as he sat down the pipes he was pulling off the back of his truck. "How is she?"
"Broken. Again." Spike picked up a length of wood and carried it towards the crypt entrance.
"So why are you here?" Xander watched the vampire drop the wood and lean against the marble wall. "She needs you."
"I know." He pulled a cigarette out of this duster pocket and lit it. "I was trying to give these up. Stress, I guess." He took a drag, then threw the burning cigarette against the wall. "How much does the girl have ta go through? Her mother, her sister, her dead beat dad. He was in debt, by the way, no help there. Everything, all of it, taken from her."
"Not everything. Not us. Why are you here?"
"She hasn't eaten a thing today. Not a bloody thing. She didn't cry, not at first. Just lay there, quiet in my arms. 'Bout one a.m. the tears started flowin' and she couldn't stop. Sobbed, all night. She was thirsty then; I got a ginger ale from the soda machine for her and she sipped at it. Didn't finish it. She slept the next day, next to me. I wanted to be there for her, but I fell asleep too. It's hard to shake off, once it starts. Not like human sleep, not really. I woke up about five; she told me to go, I had to meet you." He looked at Xander with tear-filled eyes. "It hurts so much, seein' her like this. I left. She wants us to finish this as quick as we can, get her out of that hotel suite, but I didn't want to go. She just lies there, hardly talkin'. I'm afraid."
"I remember." Xander walked over to Spike and put his hand on the vampire's shoulder. "She shut right down after Willow. I didn't think she'd ever come back. You started her back. She'll be okay. She has to." He picked up the pipes again and carried them towards the crypt. "The sooner we get moving, the sooner we'll be done. But I can handle this myself. Go to her, if you want to."
Spike looked at the back of the truck. "All this stuff you brought. I can't pay you, not yet. I'll get the money, though."
"You don't owe me anything." Xander turned back to the truck to grab another load. "I have a friend in demolition who owes me a favour. This is stuff from a site we pulled down. Abandoned house."
"Ironic," Spike muttered. "You sure you can handle this? If I leave?"
"Help me clean off the truck and you can go. You'd probably only get in the way." He hoisted the wood on his shoulder. "Unless you have hidden carpentry skills?"
"None that I know of."
"You did okay with that rudimentary plumbing. That you can help me with."
"Well, technically, that was my friend Clem," Spike replied.
"Then get me Clem." He lay the wood by the crypt door and went back for more, passing Spike carrying his own load. "How was she when you left?"
"Anya was with her. Holding her like she was her own daughter. I wouldn't have suspected it of the demon."
"I hurt someone great. I know that." The dark haired man went back to the truck. "She's happy now, isn't she? With Giles?"
"Seems to be."
"Good." He shut the back of the truck. "All done. I want her to be happy. I owe her that. I still care about her. You know I'm not in love with her anymore?"
"I figured that," Spike replied, heading out. "Remember to close the door while you're working. Don't want any unannounced nasties dropping by."
"This lock's the first thing I'm installing." He tossed a shiny object to Spike. "The key. Doubt I'll still be here when you get back."
Spike caught it, looking back at Xander. "It's Red, isn't it?"
"Yeah. I guess it's always been Willow."
"Sorry." Spike turned and headed away.