Summary/Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
*****
Chapter 17
Six months had passed since the fight with Warren. Six months since the Scooby gang had carried a bleeding and unconscious Spike from the warehouse. Six months since they had to worry about the Nerds.
Six months since Buffy had experienced her last coherent thought.
Spike had kept his promise and stayed with Buffy and Dawn. His days involved taking care of Buffy while he would try and comfort Dawn at night. He still slept in the same bed as Buffy. Buffy's mental condition had not improved at all during the last six months.
Buffy was still happy. She got to spend the days with Spike then she got to see Dawn in the evening. What made her happiest of all was that Spike hadn't left her. He said he wouldn't but she had been scared that he would. She was glad she was wrong.
She had wanted to kiss Spike quite a few times over the last few months. She had tried quite often at first but every time she tried he would stop her. She didn't understand why. Its what she wanted, didn't he want the same? Every time he stopped her it hurt her more and more so she tired less and less.
Spike had also come through with his promise to take care of the Summers money problems. Having been around for over 120 years he had collected quite a few things that could be considered valuable. Whenever funds got low or bills needed paying he would sell another item. So far he had parted with only a few things but that didn't matter to him, he was willing to sell it all if it helped Buffy and Dawn.
The demon situation had been quiet over the last months, which was just as well seeing as it was only Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya who had been patrolling. While Buffy didn't mind Spike being in a different room to her, she still didn't like him leaving the house without her and seeing as he would never take her on patrol in her current state, he didn't patrol either.
Spike and dawn still hadn't fully given up hope of finding a way to help Buffy. Spike still had Clem looking for a cure. Unlike in the first month, Spike had told Clem not to spend all his time searching for a clue, but if he happened to hear of something that may help he was to look into it and report in. Spike really wanted Clem to be actively searching all the time but he couldn't ask his friend to give up his own life in order to do him a favour.
*****
Spike jumped when the phone rang. He knew that this could be it, this could be the best news he had ever heard or another just another setback. Clem had called two days previous with news of another lead on a possible cure, the first lead in two months.
He looked over at Buffy who was sat watching TV. His eyes held a mixture of hope and fear. Buffy didn't know what was making him feel that way. She watched him slowly approach the phone
Spike's hand hesitated before he finally picked up the receiver.
"'ello?"
Buffy continued to study Spike as he listened to what was said over the line. She watched his body slump and his eyes seemed to loose the hope, they became purely sad, like happiness was a long forgotten memory.
Buffy saw him hand up the phone and fall onto the floor. She quickly got up and went over to him.
"Spike? What wrong?" Spike held her and started to cry. All these months of hope and disappointment had taken their toll on him. He realised that he had reached the end of the line. He could take no more.
"I thought I could do this luv, after all I looked after Dru for over a century. But I cant luv. I cant take seeing you like this any more."
Standing up he made his decision. Things needed to be arranged and he was sure of only one thing. No matter what happened, things just couldn't stay the way they were.
TBC
AN: In case you got the wrong impression about the fic I described in the last author's note: it will be Spuffy and it will not be all dark and broody and there will be fluff, it will just be less fluffy than this one. And now I'm rambling. Sorry.
The next chapter, which is posted at the same time as this one, is the last proper chapter, then there will be a short epilogue. I'm going to miss writing this story. Sigh.
Oh well, on to the next chapter!
*****
Chapter 17
Six months had passed since the fight with Warren. Six months since the Scooby gang had carried a bleeding and unconscious Spike from the warehouse. Six months since they had to worry about the Nerds.
Six months since Buffy had experienced her last coherent thought.
Spike had kept his promise and stayed with Buffy and Dawn. His days involved taking care of Buffy while he would try and comfort Dawn at night. He still slept in the same bed as Buffy. Buffy's mental condition had not improved at all during the last six months.
Buffy was still happy. She got to spend the days with Spike then she got to see Dawn in the evening. What made her happiest of all was that Spike hadn't left her. He said he wouldn't but she had been scared that he would. She was glad she was wrong.
She had wanted to kiss Spike quite a few times over the last few months. She had tried quite often at first but every time she tried he would stop her. She didn't understand why. Its what she wanted, didn't he want the same? Every time he stopped her it hurt her more and more so she tired less and less.
Spike had also come through with his promise to take care of the Summers money problems. Having been around for over 120 years he had collected quite a few things that could be considered valuable. Whenever funds got low or bills needed paying he would sell another item. So far he had parted with only a few things but that didn't matter to him, he was willing to sell it all if it helped Buffy and Dawn.
The demon situation had been quiet over the last months, which was just as well seeing as it was only Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya who had been patrolling. While Buffy didn't mind Spike being in a different room to her, she still didn't like him leaving the house without her and seeing as he would never take her on patrol in her current state, he didn't patrol either.
Spike and dawn still hadn't fully given up hope of finding a way to help Buffy. Spike still had Clem looking for a cure. Unlike in the first month, Spike had told Clem not to spend all his time searching for a clue, but if he happened to hear of something that may help he was to look into it and report in. Spike really wanted Clem to be actively searching all the time but he couldn't ask his friend to give up his own life in order to do him a favour.
*****
Spike jumped when the phone rang. He knew that this could be it, this could be the best news he had ever heard or another just another setback. Clem had called two days previous with news of another lead on a possible cure, the first lead in two months.
He looked over at Buffy who was sat watching TV. His eyes held a mixture of hope and fear. Buffy didn't know what was making him feel that way. She watched him slowly approach the phone
Spike's hand hesitated before he finally picked up the receiver.
"'ello?"
Buffy continued to study Spike as he listened to what was said over the line. She watched his body slump and his eyes seemed to loose the hope, they became purely sad, like happiness was a long forgotten memory.
Buffy saw him hand up the phone and fall onto the floor. She quickly got up and went over to him.
"Spike? What wrong?" Spike held her and started to cry. All these months of hope and disappointment had taken their toll on him. He realised that he had reached the end of the line. He could take no more.
"I thought I could do this luv, after all I looked after Dru for over a century. But I cant luv. I cant take seeing you like this any more."
Standing up he made his decision. Things needed to be arranged and he was sure of only one thing. No matter what happened, things just couldn't stay the way they were.
TBC
AN: In case you got the wrong impression about the fic I described in the last author's note: it will be Spuffy and it will not be all dark and broody and there will be fluff, it will just be less fluffy than this one. And now I'm rambling. Sorry.
The next chapter, which is posted at the same time as this one, is the last proper chapter, then there will be a short epilogue. I'm going to miss writing this story. Sigh.
Oh well, on to the next chapter!