A/N: Well, I'm sure most of you reading this are Spike fans, so I thought
I'd make a slight suggestion. Check out ghostoftherobot.net - it's James
Marsters' band's website! They sound awsome!
You can get sound clips here - http://www.14below.com/gotr/4_21_02/audio/ I'm listed as Hope in the band forum. Really hope you check it out!
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All eyes in the room fell on the vampire sitting on the counter, staring at him expectantly. He snorted. "Hell, if you're 'spectin' me t'tell you a bloody story like she jus' did, you got another thing comin'." He stated, hopping down from his seat. "Right, big ole dog demon, has itself a nice big set a'wings. The thing turns people into homicidal maniacs, all wantin' t'kill things and the like. Somethin' summoned it, and no, I don't know how t'kill it. The end."
"And bravo for Mr. Enthusiasm." Hope muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Gotta give it to the girl, her story was a bit more, uh, storyish?" Willow said, shrugging. "No offense, of course."
"None taken'." He muttered, fishing around his pocket for another cigarette.
"That's it?" Buffy questioned, raising an eyebrow at him as he lit up. "You came all the way here to tell me someone summoned a big dog with wings? I'm pretty sure we could have figure that out all on our lonesomes."
"I din't come here just t'tell you about it, Slayer. I came here t'help you fight it."
"We." Hope added, looking up from a book she had begun flipping through. Everyone looked up at her. "We came t'help fight it, not just him. It's that ego thing he has goin'." She shrugged, returning her eyes to the text.
"So, like, can't we just chop it's head off or something? That usually works." Dawn suggested.
"Not that easy, Nibblet. Remember that little homicide tidbit I mentioned? You'll go all brutal serial killer 'fore you get close enough t'lay a finger on the thing."
"Well, if I was all serial killer wouldn't I, like, be all 'grr' and try to kill it?" She asked, making little claws with her hands. Hope raised an eyebrow at her, smirking.
"Doubt it. S'far as I know, it's victims will only attack humans." Spike said with a shrug.
"Well, how does it make someone all homicidey?" Buffy questioned. "I mean, does it do it have to bite 'em or scratch 'em or what?"
"Don't know, ducks." He replied, grinding the tip of his cigarette out on the counter. "Council goons new it's bloody name and that it was big. The rest of the information is stuff I've heard over the years."
"So we're going on what you know?" Buffy demanded.
"Looks that way." He said with a shrug. "S'matter pet, don't trust me?"
The Slayer just shook her head, scowling, and stood, walking over to one of the bookshelves. "Looks like we're researching." She said flatly, tossing some books on the table. "Yay."
"You know, not tryin' t'be a party pooper or anythin', but shouldn't we try t'figure out who summoned the thing? Or for that matter, if it's even here yet? I mean, Travers did say a seer saw the thing, for all we know it might now even be here yet." Hope said, shoving the magic book she had been reading back on the shelf. "Besides, I'm hungry. Empty belly and books don't mix."
"And why not?" Spike asked.
"Fine. So I'm usin' it as an excuse t'go get pizza." She admitted, scowling. "I'll look for bad guys on the way, promise. If I see anyone who looks like they're gonna summon a big dog I'll kick their -"
"You're not goin' t'get pizza." Spike grumbled, falling down into one of the chairs around the table, propping his boots up. "Now get over here an' read."
"Uh, Spike?"
"Wha's up, Red?" He asked, looking across the table at the girl.
"Does this demon have a name, 'cause, y'know, could be helpful."
"Oh, right. Name." The vampire muttered, feeling rather stupid.
"Glasya." Hope chimed, looking back down at Spike. "See, I helped. Can I go get some food now?"
"Let her go, Spike." Buffy said, smirking as she sat back down beside Willow. "We have about thirty minutes before the pizza place closes and I'm pretty sure we're all hungry. And even if we aren't, this is an all night party so guarentee we will be eventually."
"See? Even she thinks I should go." Hope pointed out.
Dawn rolled her eyes and stood up, pulling her jacket back on. "Come on, I'll take you."
Hope smiled triumphantly, holding her hand out to Spike. "Okay, Whitey, hook me up with some moolah."
"Here." Buffy said, reaching into her pocket.
"I got it, pet." Spike said, waving for her to put her money away. The vampire scowled at the teen standing above him before digging his hand in his pocket, producing some money. "Since it's my money you're blowin', get me some chicken wings."
"Will do, Cap'n.." Hope stated with a grin, turning on her heal and following Dawn out the door.
"Be back in a bit." The brunette called over her shoulder.
"Be careful!" Buffy and Spike called in unison. They blinked, staring at each other.
"Aww, that was kinda cute. You know, with the whole, like, little sister thing and you both bein' all concerned and all. " Willow commented, smiling. Buffy and Spike both turned to stare at her, their faces blank. "O- Or not." She corrected, slinking back into her chair.
----------
"So you and Spike, like, live together?" Dawn asked, looking at the girl walking beside her.
"Yep." She answered simply.
"Isn't it kinda weird? I mean, hello, vampire."
"Not really. Well, aside from the whole sleeping during the day and drinking blood." She shrugged. "Y'get used to it, I guess."
"Yeah, I guess so. I used to hang out with him a lot and sometimes I'd forget that I was even talking to a vampire, y'know?"
"Yeah, I do that a lot."
"It was kinda weird though. He didn't have a house back then, so we always hung out in his crypt. It's really weird how you can forget someone's a vamp when you're sitting on top of a sarcophagus talking to 'em. I dunno, guess it's one of those things you get used to, or just forget about."
"So, what, you're like eighteen, nineteen?" Hope asked, looking up at her.
"Nineteen."
"So you were like sixteen when you guys hung out."
"Well, no. He started hanging around when I was thirteen. Before that he just tried to kill me. Anyways, we talked every now and then, but only when I ran into him at Giles' place or something. We talked a lot more throughout the next couple years, and when Buffy died, we hung out a lot. We kept each other going, you know?" Dawn explained. "But when Buffy came back, well, at first she didn't mind him being over or if I hung around him. But then they started to fight and he stopped coming over. I'd go see him every now and then, but it was always kinda awkward because he was always upset about Buffy or something. He wasn't the same."
"They fight a lot?"
"Like you wouldn't believe." Dawn stated, smirking. "Even though she's my sister and all, and like, I'm supposed to side with her, I have to say that she had a lot of it coming to her. For a while they we're okay together, I mean, God, they were friends. But after they got together, things got weird. Buffy was absolutely horrible to him, using him, manipulating him, beating him.
I'm not saying Spike didn't play a part in it, but everyone else thinks it's like totally his fault. They refuse to see that Buffy did anything wrong. In the end, that's why he left. He just couldn't deal with her anymore, couldn't deal with what was happening between them. But hey, I can't blame him. He stuck around a lot longer than he should of with everything she was doing to him."
"I take it there was a real big fight 'fore he left, huh?"
Dawn cringed. "Sorta, but I really shouldn't be the one to tell you about it. I mean, I don't even thinks he knows I know. It's really complicated a- and I only got Buffy's side, so it's probably all twisted anyways."
"No big. Not really none of my business anyways."
Dawn shrugged. "Eh, I'd be a bit curious if I was you too. I mean, you live with the guy and don't know very much about his past, it's gotta be kinda weird."
"No, I know. He told me all kinds of stories 'bout, well, the stuff he used to do. The only thing he never went into detail about was what happened to him here. He mentioned Buffy, only because he told me that if I wanted to survive I'd have to have a perspective more like hers, you know?"
"In other words he turned you against the Council." Dawn commented, grinning.
"Nah, I didn't need his help for that."
----------
"Anything?" Buffy asked, watching as Willow closed yet another book and set it back down on the table.
"Nothin'." The redhead exclaimed, grabbing another volume.
"Slayer, can't we just call your bloody watcher? He probably has something about...."
"No." Buffy snapped, cutting him off. "I'm not calling Giles and bothering him over this, we'll figure it out."
He rolled his eyes, pulling another cigarette from his pocket. "Says you."
Glaring, the Slayer reached over and pulled it from his mouth before he had a chance to light it. "You're not smoking in here."
"Already did, pet." He stated flatly as he stood. Buffy continued to scowl as he pulled it out of her hand, heading towards the door. Her green eyes narrowed as she watched him lean back against the outside of the door, sliding down to the sidewalk as he lit up his cigarette.
"You okay?"
Buffy's eyes snapped shut and she shook her head, turning back to Willow. "Huh?"
The ex-witch looked over at the vampire. "It's weird, isn't it..." When the Slayer didn't respond, she looked over, only to find her staring out at him once more. "Are you still, you know, mad at him?"
Buffy snorted, shaking her head as she slumped back into her chair, rubbing her fingers over her forehead. "I don't know. He just gets on my nerves, you know?"
"I think he gets on everyone's nerves." Willow helpfully pointed out.
"Not Hope's..."
"Well, no. But she's lived with him for three years, she's had time to get used to him and all his annoyingness. Kinda like we can zone out when Dawnie gets all whiney." She added, smirking.
"That's the thing though. I mean, the way she was talking, it was like he never got on her nerves."
"He saved her life, Buff. She was just a kid and he was like, her hero. You don't find heroes annoying."
The Slayer frowned. "Why do you think he did it?" She looked over at Willow, only to find a confused expression on her friend's face. "Why do you think he saved her? Spike's not exactly Mr. Charity."
"It's not the fact that he saved her that's bothering me, it's the fact that he actually took her in. It's weird. Who's ever heard of a vampire adopting Little Orphan Annie?"
The pair hushed as the bell above the door jingled, their eyes going up to see Spike walking back in. He stopped, noting that they were both staring at him. "Talkin' 'bout me, 'ey?"
"No!" Willow exclaimed hurridly, shaking her head. "We weren't talking about you. Why would we talk about you? Why do you think we we're talking about you?"
The vampire smirked, flopping back down in his seat, watching as Willow gave him an innocent smile. He looked over at Buffy, who had reengrosed herself in her book. "Not gonna defend yourself, luv?"
"Nope." She said simply, not looking up. "We were talking about you." Spike looked back over at Willow, who shrugged and went back to her book. Shaking his head, he grabbed another of the texts and began to flip through it.
"Oh! I got it!"
Buffy and Spike immidiately jumped up from their seats at Willow's exclamation. "You found something?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Well, spit it out, Red."
"No! I mean, no. I didn't find anything. Buffy, remember those texts we were using at the house last week when that purpley goo demon showed up?"
The Slayer made a face. "Yeah, why?"
"Well, I just thought that maybe there might be some information in 'em." Willow explained.
"That was you're big 'Oh! Oh! I got it'? Red, you really need t'work on showing less enthusiasm when it comes to boring stuff." Spike mumbled, falling back down into his chair.
"Sorry." She said, shrugging.
"Don't worry about him, Will." Buffy said, shooting a glare at the vampire. "You're probably right, there's more likely to be information in those books than anything we have here. I'll run over to the house, get 'em, and..."
"No, I'll go." Willow said simply, pulling her coat on. "I want to change anyway, Bronzing clothes aren't exactly comfy clothes, if ya know what I mean. If we're in for a night of researching, I wanna be comfy." She finished with a nod.
Buffy nodded, sitting back down. "Be careful."
"Always am." the girl stated as she walked out the door.
Buffy immidiately went back to her book while Spike looked around the now empty shop. He turned back to the Slayer, quirking an eyebrw at her. "You do realize we're all alone now, don't you?"
Buffy looked up, her eyes glancing around. They fell back on the vampire and she pouted, narrowing her eyes at him. "Don't talk to me."
He snorted, grabbing another book. "My pleasure." He began to flip though it, remaining quiet for a few moments. He looked back up, only to find Buffy still staring at him. Rolling his eyes, he closed the book and set it back down. "What?"
"Where were you?" She asked, propping her elbows up on the table.
"I told you, New York."
"No, before that. I mean, you didn't go straight from here to the Big Apple, did you?"
He sighed, making note that Hope had made no mention of his soul during her little story. Probably for the best, though. "I had some things to take care of, needed to do somethings."
"What kind of things?"
"It doesn't matter." He mumbled, deciding he'd rather be reading the book again. He opened it back up and pretended to be trying to find his page.
"You went and got the chip out, didn't you?" Buffy asked coldly. He froze, his eyes snaking up to meet hers. "She said you were beating the crap out of watchers, and last I checked, they were human."
Spike suddenly felt sick. Now she thought he had left just to become a monster again - well, that was his original intention, but that's was beside the point. "No, Slayer, it doesn't work anymore." He said flatly, dropping his eyes.
"That's why you left?"
He shook his head. "I left because of us. Then I went..." He clucked his tongue, looking up at the ceiling. "I didn't try to get rid of it, it was a side effect."
Buffy made a face. "Side effect of what?"
He looked over at her. She was staring at im, waiting expectantly. "Nothing important, luv." He finally said, his voice quiet. "Don't worry 'bout it."
"Spike, you can at least..."
"Slayer, I said no, alright?" He snapped, slamming the book back down on the table. She jumped, pulling back. He clenched his jaw, running his hand through his hair as he closed his eyes. "Sorry, luv. God, I shouldn't have come back here..."
Buffy watched as he slammed his head down onto the table. She shifted a bit in her seat, uncomfortable by the whole scenerio. "Spike?"
"What?" He snapped before even realizing he was yelling. Shaking his head, he sat back up. "What?" He asked a bit more softly.
She stared at him for a minute before shrugging. "I missed you." She mumbled., looking down a bit.
He smiled slightly. "Missed you too, Slayer."
You can get sound clips here - http://www.14below.com/gotr/4_21_02/audio/ I'm listed as Hope in the band forum. Really hope you check it out!
----------
All eyes in the room fell on the vampire sitting on the counter, staring at him expectantly. He snorted. "Hell, if you're 'spectin' me t'tell you a bloody story like she jus' did, you got another thing comin'." He stated, hopping down from his seat. "Right, big ole dog demon, has itself a nice big set a'wings. The thing turns people into homicidal maniacs, all wantin' t'kill things and the like. Somethin' summoned it, and no, I don't know how t'kill it. The end."
"And bravo for Mr. Enthusiasm." Hope muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Gotta give it to the girl, her story was a bit more, uh, storyish?" Willow said, shrugging. "No offense, of course."
"None taken'." He muttered, fishing around his pocket for another cigarette.
"That's it?" Buffy questioned, raising an eyebrow at him as he lit up. "You came all the way here to tell me someone summoned a big dog with wings? I'm pretty sure we could have figure that out all on our lonesomes."
"I din't come here just t'tell you about it, Slayer. I came here t'help you fight it."
"We." Hope added, looking up from a book she had begun flipping through. Everyone looked up at her. "We came t'help fight it, not just him. It's that ego thing he has goin'." She shrugged, returning her eyes to the text.
"So, like, can't we just chop it's head off or something? That usually works." Dawn suggested.
"Not that easy, Nibblet. Remember that little homicide tidbit I mentioned? You'll go all brutal serial killer 'fore you get close enough t'lay a finger on the thing."
"Well, if I was all serial killer wouldn't I, like, be all 'grr' and try to kill it?" She asked, making little claws with her hands. Hope raised an eyebrow at her, smirking.
"Doubt it. S'far as I know, it's victims will only attack humans." Spike said with a shrug.
"Well, how does it make someone all homicidey?" Buffy questioned. "I mean, does it do it have to bite 'em or scratch 'em or what?"
"Don't know, ducks." He replied, grinding the tip of his cigarette out on the counter. "Council goons new it's bloody name and that it was big. The rest of the information is stuff I've heard over the years."
"So we're going on what you know?" Buffy demanded.
"Looks that way." He said with a shrug. "S'matter pet, don't trust me?"
The Slayer just shook her head, scowling, and stood, walking over to one of the bookshelves. "Looks like we're researching." She said flatly, tossing some books on the table. "Yay."
"You know, not tryin' t'be a party pooper or anythin', but shouldn't we try t'figure out who summoned the thing? Or for that matter, if it's even here yet? I mean, Travers did say a seer saw the thing, for all we know it might now even be here yet." Hope said, shoving the magic book she had been reading back on the shelf. "Besides, I'm hungry. Empty belly and books don't mix."
"And why not?" Spike asked.
"Fine. So I'm usin' it as an excuse t'go get pizza." She admitted, scowling. "I'll look for bad guys on the way, promise. If I see anyone who looks like they're gonna summon a big dog I'll kick their -"
"You're not goin' t'get pizza." Spike grumbled, falling down into one of the chairs around the table, propping his boots up. "Now get over here an' read."
"Uh, Spike?"
"Wha's up, Red?" He asked, looking across the table at the girl.
"Does this demon have a name, 'cause, y'know, could be helpful."
"Oh, right. Name." The vampire muttered, feeling rather stupid.
"Glasya." Hope chimed, looking back down at Spike. "See, I helped. Can I go get some food now?"
"Let her go, Spike." Buffy said, smirking as she sat back down beside Willow. "We have about thirty minutes before the pizza place closes and I'm pretty sure we're all hungry. And even if we aren't, this is an all night party so guarentee we will be eventually."
"See? Even she thinks I should go." Hope pointed out.
Dawn rolled her eyes and stood up, pulling her jacket back on. "Come on, I'll take you."
Hope smiled triumphantly, holding her hand out to Spike. "Okay, Whitey, hook me up with some moolah."
"Here." Buffy said, reaching into her pocket.
"I got it, pet." Spike said, waving for her to put her money away. The vampire scowled at the teen standing above him before digging his hand in his pocket, producing some money. "Since it's my money you're blowin', get me some chicken wings."
"Will do, Cap'n.." Hope stated with a grin, turning on her heal and following Dawn out the door.
"Be back in a bit." The brunette called over her shoulder.
"Be careful!" Buffy and Spike called in unison. They blinked, staring at each other.
"Aww, that was kinda cute. You know, with the whole, like, little sister thing and you both bein' all concerned and all. " Willow commented, smiling. Buffy and Spike both turned to stare at her, their faces blank. "O- Or not." She corrected, slinking back into her chair.
----------
"So you and Spike, like, live together?" Dawn asked, looking at the girl walking beside her.
"Yep." She answered simply.
"Isn't it kinda weird? I mean, hello, vampire."
"Not really. Well, aside from the whole sleeping during the day and drinking blood." She shrugged. "Y'get used to it, I guess."
"Yeah, I guess so. I used to hang out with him a lot and sometimes I'd forget that I was even talking to a vampire, y'know?"
"Yeah, I do that a lot."
"It was kinda weird though. He didn't have a house back then, so we always hung out in his crypt. It's really weird how you can forget someone's a vamp when you're sitting on top of a sarcophagus talking to 'em. I dunno, guess it's one of those things you get used to, or just forget about."
"So, what, you're like eighteen, nineteen?" Hope asked, looking up at her.
"Nineteen."
"So you were like sixteen when you guys hung out."
"Well, no. He started hanging around when I was thirteen. Before that he just tried to kill me. Anyways, we talked every now and then, but only when I ran into him at Giles' place or something. We talked a lot more throughout the next couple years, and when Buffy died, we hung out a lot. We kept each other going, you know?" Dawn explained. "But when Buffy came back, well, at first she didn't mind him being over or if I hung around him. But then they started to fight and he stopped coming over. I'd go see him every now and then, but it was always kinda awkward because he was always upset about Buffy or something. He wasn't the same."
"They fight a lot?"
"Like you wouldn't believe." Dawn stated, smirking. "Even though she's my sister and all, and like, I'm supposed to side with her, I have to say that she had a lot of it coming to her. For a while they we're okay together, I mean, God, they were friends. But after they got together, things got weird. Buffy was absolutely horrible to him, using him, manipulating him, beating him.
I'm not saying Spike didn't play a part in it, but everyone else thinks it's like totally his fault. They refuse to see that Buffy did anything wrong. In the end, that's why he left. He just couldn't deal with her anymore, couldn't deal with what was happening between them. But hey, I can't blame him. He stuck around a lot longer than he should of with everything she was doing to him."
"I take it there was a real big fight 'fore he left, huh?"
Dawn cringed. "Sorta, but I really shouldn't be the one to tell you about it. I mean, I don't even thinks he knows I know. It's really complicated a- and I only got Buffy's side, so it's probably all twisted anyways."
"No big. Not really none of my business anyways."
Dawn shrugged. "Eh, I'd be a bit curious if I was you too. I mean, you live with the guy and don't know very much about his past, it's gotta be kinda weird."
"No, I know. He told me all kinds of stories 'bout, well, the stuff he used to do. The only thing he never went into detail about was what happened to him here. He mentioned Buffy, only because he told me that if I wanted to survive I'd have to have a perspective more like hers, you know?"
"In other words he turned you against the Council." Dawn commented, grinning.
"Nah, I didn't need his help for that."
----------
"Anything?" Buffy asked, watching as Willow closed yet another book and set it back down on the table.
"Nothin'." The redhead exclaimed, grabbing another volume.
"Slayer, can't we just call your bloody watcher? He probably has something about...."
"No." Buffy snapped, cutting him off. "I'm not calling Giles and bothering him over this, we'll figure it out."
He rolled his eyes, pulling another cigarette from his pocket. "Says you."
Glaring, the Slayer reached over and pulled it from his mouth before he had a chance to light it. "You're not smoking in here."
"Already did, pet." He stated flatly as he stood. Buffy continued to scowl as he pulled it out of her hand, heading towards the door. Her green eyes narrowed as she watched him lean back against the outside of the door, sliding down to the sidewalk as he lit up his cigarette.
"You okay?"
Buffy's eyes snapped shut and she shook her head, turning back to Willow. "Huh?"
The ex-witch looked over at the vampire. "It's weird, isn't it..." When the Slayer didn't respond, she looked over, only to find her staring out at him once more. "Are you still, you know, mad at him?"
Buffy snorted, shaking her head as she slumped back into her chair, rubbing her fingers over her forehead. "I don't know. He just gets on my nerves, you know?"
"I think he gets on everyone's nerves." Willow helpfully pointed out.
"Not Hope's..."
"Well, no. But she's lived with him for three years, she's had time to get used to him and all his annoyingness. Kinda like we can zone out when Dawnie gets all whiney." She added, smirking.
"That's the thing though. I mean, the way she was talking, it was like he never got on her nerves."
"He saved her life, Buff. She was just a kid and he was like, her hero. You don't find heroes annoying."
The Slayer frowned. "Why do you think he did it?" She looked over at Willow, only to find a confused expression on her friend's face. "Why do you think he saved her? Spike's not exactly Mr. Charity."
"It's not the fact that he saved her that's bothering me, it's the fact that he actually took her in. It's weird. Who's ever heard of a vampire adopting Little Orphan Annie?"
The pair hushed as the bell above the door jingled, their eyes going up to see Spike walking back in. He stopped, noting that they were both staring at him. "Talkin' 'bout me, 'ey?"
"No!" Willow exclaimed hurridly, shaking her head. "We weren't talking about you. Why would we talk about you? Why do you think we we're talking about you?"
The vampire smirked, flopping back down in his seat, watching as Willow gave him an innocent smile. He looked over at Buffy, who had reengrosed herself in her book. "Not gonna defend yourself, luv?"
"Nope." She said simply, not looking up. "We were talking about you." Spike looked back over at Willow, who shrugged and went back to her book. Shaking his head, he grabbed another of the texts and began to flip through it.
"Oh! I got it!"
Buffy and Spike immidiately jumped up from their seats at Willow's exclamation. "You found something?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Well, spit it out, Red."
"No! I mean, no. I didn't find anything. Buffy, remember those texts we were using at the house last week when that purpley goo demon showed up?"
The Slayer made a face. "Yeah, why?"
"Well, I just thought that maybe there might be some information in 'em." Willow explained.
"That was you're big 'Oh! Oh! I got it'? Red, you really need t'work on showing less enthusiasm when it comes to boring stuff." Spike mumbled, falling back down into his chair.
"Sorry." She said, shrugging.
"Don't worry about him, Will." Buffy said, shooting a glare at the vampire. "You're probably right, there's more likely to be information in those books than anything we have here. I'll run over to the house, get 'em, and..."
"No, I'll go." Willow said simply, pulling her coat on. "I want to change anyway, Bronzing clothes aren't exactly comfy clothes, if ya know what I mean. If we're in for a night of researching, I wanna be comfy." She finished with a nod.
Buffy nodded, sitting back down. "Be careful."
"Always am." the girl stated as she walked out the door.
Buffy immidiately went back to her book while Spike looked around the now empty shop. He turned back to the Slayer, quirking an eyebrw at her. "You do realize we're all alone now, don't you?"
Buffy looked up, her eyes glancing around. They fell back on the vampire and she pouted, narrowing her eyes at him. "Don't talk to me."
He snorted, grabbing another book. "My pleasure." He began to flip though it, remaining quiet for a few moments. He looked back up, only to find Buffy still staring at him. Rolling his eyes, he closed the book and set it back down. "What?"
"Where were you?" She asked, propping her elbows up on the table.
"I told you, New York."
"No, before that. I mean, you didn't go straight from here to the Big Apple, did you?"
He sighed, making note that Hope had made no mention of his soul during her little story. Probably for the best, though. "I had some things to take care of, needed to do somethings."
"What kind of things?"
"It doesn't matter." He mumbled, deciding he'd rather be reading the book again. He opened it back up and pretended to be trying to find his page.
"You went and got the chip out, didn't you?" Buffy asked coldly. He froze, his eyes snaking up to meet hers. "She said you were beating the crap out of watchers, and last I checked, they were human."
Spike suddenly felt sick. Now she thought he had left just to become a monster again - well, that was his original intention, but that's was beside the point. "No, Slayer, it doesn't work anymore." He said flatly, dropping his eyes.
"That's why you left?"
He shook his head. "I left because of us. Then I went..." He clucked his tongue, looking up at the ceiling. "I didn't try to get rid of it, it was a side effect."
Buffy made a face. "Side effect of what?"
He looked over at her. She was staring at im, waiting expectantly. "Nothing important, luv." He finally said, his voice quiet. "Don't worry 'bout it."
"Spike, you can at least..."
"Slayer, I said no, alright?" He snapped, slamming the book back down on the table. She jumped, pulling back. He clenched his jaw, running his hand through his hair as he closed his eyes. "Sorry, luv. God, I shouldn't have come back here..."
Buffy watched as he slammed his head down onto the table. She shifted a bit in her seat, uncomfortable by the whole scenerio. "Spike?"
"What?" He snapped before even realizing he was yelling. Shaking his head, he sat back up. "What?" He asked a bit more softly.
She stared at him for a minute before shrugging. "I missed you." She mumbled., looking down a bit.
He smiled slightly. "Missed you too, Slayer."