**Author's Note: I hadn't intended on writing more, but a friend of mine convinced me that it would be a good way to practice my dialogue.
*****
"Spike? Spike, are you down here?"
Buffy walked through the maze that was the Sunnydale High School basement with purpose. She had finally reached an understanding within herself, and she needed to make things right. The first step in that, though, was finding a certain souled vamp.
"I remember. Broke the promise. Hurt the girl. Bad man. William. Crazy like Dru. Never deserving. Monster. It hurts."
Buffy walked into the room in time to hear the last fragments of Spike's tirade. He was curled in a dirty and sobbing ball on the floor behind some old football gear. Just the sight of him was enough to make her want to turn and run away. Away from Spike and the pain she had caused. Away from the eventuality of facing her own feelings.
"Spike?" Softly, this time. "What hurts?"
He looked up at her with a look of confusion in his eyes. Did he even recognize her? Oh, God. What she wouldn't give for the days when she could see his love for her in those eyes. Even the days when hatred spilled forth were better than this. He was a broken man. Yes, he was a man. She could finally admit it to herself. He had a soul, and he had one because he wanted to be worthy of her love. It astounded her.
"Buffy? Slayer, is that you? Did you come to put an old poof out of his misery?"
Spike's words interrupted her thoughts. Would he ever believe that she was sorry? More importantly, would he ever again be the Spike that she knew? The Spike that she lo..cared about? No. It was too soon. She couldn't think about these thing yet. She had a purpose. Step one.
"Spike, you have to listen to me. We need to get you out of this basement. It's bad for you here. It's making things worse."
She only hoped that he would listen and not put up too much of a fight.
"Told you, luv. I've nowhere else to go."
Buffy steeled herself. Considering all that had happened since he had returned to Sunnydale with his soul, she wasn't certain how he would take her idea.
"Spike, I'm going to take you home with me. Listen, it's the best thing. You can't be alone like this. We can take care of you. We can help you get the old Spike back. Isn't that what you want?"
Suddenly he was standing in front of her. His eyes were no longer blank. He almost looked normal again. Just for a moment, maybe she could pretend.
"What do you want, Buffy? You would trust me in your home again? With Dawn? With..you? Even after all I've done?"
The look in those eyes. The pleading. The glimmer of hope that he was afraid to let forth. There was only one thing that she could say to those eyes. She prayed that she wouldn't choke on her words or burst into tears. She didn't know if she could trust him the way that he was. She wanted to, so badly, but the fact remained that he wasn't exactly the poster child for sanity. She knew he loved her, though, and that was all that mattered. Well, that and the fact that she owed him this much.
"Of course. Let's go home."
*****
"Spike? Spike, are you down here?"
Buffy walked through the maze that was the Sunnydale High School basement with purpose. She had finally reached an understanding within herself, and she needed to make things right. The first step in that, though, was finding a certain souled vamp.
"I remember. Broke the promise. Hurt the girl. Bad man. William. Crazy like Dru. Never deserving. Monster. It hurts."
Buffy walked into the room in time to hear the last fragments of Spike's tirade. He was curled in a dirty and sobbing ball on the floor behind some old football gear. Just the sight of him was enough to make her want to turn and run away. Away from Spike and the pain she had caused. Away from the eventuality of facing her own feelings.
"Spike?" Softly, this time. "What hurts?"
He looked up at her with a look of confusion in his eyes. Did he even recognize her? Oh, God. What she wouldn't give for the days when she could see his love for her in those eyes. Even the days when hatred spilled forth were better than this. He was a broken man. Yes, he was a man. She could finally admit it to herself. He had a soul, and he had one because he wanted to be worthy of her love. It astounded her.
"Buffy? Slayer, is that you? Did you come to put an old poof out of his misery?"
Spike's words interrupted her thoughts. Would he ever believe that she was sorry? More importantly, would he ever again be the Spike that she knew? The Spike that she lo..cared about? No. It was too soon. She couldn't think about these thing yet. She had a purpose. Step one.
"Spike, you have to listen to me. We need to get you out of this basement. It's bad for you here. It's making things worse."
She only hoped that he would listen and not put up too much of a fight.
"Told you, luv. I've nowhere else to go."
Buffy steeled herself. Considering all that had happened since he had returned to Sunnydale with his soul, she wasn't certain how he would take her idea.
"Spike, I'm going to take you home with me. Listen, it's the best thing. You can't be alone like this. We can take care of you. We can help you get the old Spike back. Isn't that what you want?"
Suddenly he was standing in front of her. His eyes were no longer blank. He almost looked normal again. Just for a moment, maybe she could pretend.
"What do you want, Buffy? You would trust me in your home again? With Dawn? With..you? Even after all I've done?"
The look in those eyes. The pleading. The glimmer of hope that he was afraid to let forth. There was only one thing that she could say to those eyes. She prayed that she wouldn't choke on her words or burst into tears. She didn't know if she could trust him the way that he was. She wanted to, so badly, but the fact remained that he wasn't exactly the poster child for sanity. She knew he loved her, though, and that was all that mattered. Well, that and the fact that she owed him this much.
"Of course. Let's go home."