Summary/Disclaimer: See Prologue
*****
Chapter 11
"Buffy, get that lovely arse up so we can start doing these exercises!" Buffy rolled over and snuggled her pillow.
"But I'm sleepy."
"Do you think I got out of that chair by lying around doing nothing Slayer? Whenever Angelus or Dru wasn't looking I was exercising and training. Now, unless you want to be stuck in one, you've got to do the same." Buffy sat up and scowled at him.
"I didn't say I wasn't going to do them, I just wanted some more time in bed first!"
Spike helped Buffy get dressed and they made their way down to the training room that had been set up in the basement. Buffy could manage the few steps to the chair lift on the stairs and the short walk to the basement door but Spike had to carry her down the basement stairs.
In the basement there was very little equipment compared to where she normally trained as the Slayer, none of the weapons of her training room behind the Magic Box. What it did have was thick mats on the floor for if she fell down, and sets of parallel bars for her to hold onto while she walked. There was also a running machine, but she was far from being ready to try that out. All of this had been set up by Xander and Giles with Spike footing the bill. They had surprised Buffy with the room the day before and she had been even more thrilled than when she was given the room in the shop.
For two hours they exercised, mostly working on keeping the strength up in her upper leg and also on her balance with the new prosthetic limb. Buffy was frustrated with the amount of times she nearly fell over but Spike was always there to catch her.
When they were finished Spike carried Buffy back up the stairs and they sat down in the living room to watch some TV. After a while Spike switched the TV off and turned to Buffy.
"Buffy luv, I've got a couple of ideas. I don't know if you'll like them, and you can say no if you want, I mean I was only thinking." Buffy cut him off by reaching out and taking his hand. He was babbling, something he rarely did, and only when he was nervous.
"What is it? Just ask." Spike grinned at her.
"Right, well, I was thinking, when you're a bit surer on your feet, would you.I mean, could I take you out? On a date?" He looked at her with hopeful eyes and Buffy realised what this meant to him.
It would make what they had real. Not just her needing him to feel or because she was injured, not her making a point against her friends. It would just be the two of them, together, no hiding, no secrecy, the real deal.
Two months ago, hell two weeks ago such a thought would have sent her running. If she opened herself up then she could get hurt worse than any demon attack. And from the way Spike had tensed up she knew he was readying himself for her rejection. She gave him a bright smile.
"Of course you can. Just let me get a bit less wobbly so I can make it to the table and we'll go the best restaurant in Sunnydale." Two weeks ago she would have been running by now, and not just in the physical way. But a lot had happened since then. She knew she was giving Spike the opportunity to hurt her but she had realised that he would never intentionally do that.
"Bugger that! I'm taking my girl out to the best place in LA. Proper night out, that's what it will be. Not bloody staying on the Hellmouth for some nasty to come crashing in and ruin everything! Plus the places are crap round here." He leaned over and gave her a passionate kiss which Buffy was happy to deepen. When she eventually had to pull back for air a thought struck her.
"Spike? You said you had a couple of ideas. That was just one. What else are you thinking of?"
"Well pet, this one will also have to wait a while, but I was thinking that we could do some training together." Buffy was confused.
"But we already train, we just spent two hours doing it."
"No luv, I meant Slayer training. Fighting. You probably won't be able to do those high kicks you like, or those summersaults, but there's no reason we can't work on your punches. Plus you could do with using more weapons now, a sword or that nice axe you have."
Spike was cut off by Buffy squealing and wrapping her arms around him.
"Steady on luv, I'm not saying we go out on patrols or anything yet, just do a bit of training is all."
Buffy didn't care that she wouldn't be patrolling yet, she knew that with Spike's help if there was any possibility of her being able to one day she would.
Just as he had been doing since he was attacked he had once again given her hope that her life would get better, and she loved him even more for it.
TBC
AN: Short, even for me, but I thought you'd like an extra chapter.
What do you think? Let me know.
(PS: Thank you to Tigerwolf for pointing out the spelling mistake. It has been corrected.)
*****
Chapter 11
"Buffy, get that lovely arse up so we can start doing these exercises!" Buffy rolled over and snuggled her pillow.
"But I'm sleepy."
"Do you think I got out of that chair by lying around doing nothing Slayer? Whenever Angelus or Dru wasn't looking I was exercising and training. Now, unless you want to be stuck in one, you've got to do the same." Buffy sat up and scowled at him.
"I didn't say I wasn't going to do them, I just wanted some more time in bed first!"
Spike helped Buffy get dressed and they made their way down to the training room that had been set up in the basement. Buffy could manage the few steps to the chair lift on the stairs and the short walk to the basement door but Spike had to carry her down the basement stairs.
In the basement there was very little equipment compared to where she normally trained as the Slayer, none of the weapons of her training room behind the Magic Box. What it did have was thick mats on the floor for if she fell down, and sets of parallel bars for her to hold onto while she walked. There was also a running machine, but she was far from being ready to try that out. All of this had been set up by Xander and Giles with Spike footing the bill. They had surprised Buffy with the room the day before and she had been even more thrilled than when she was given the room in the shop.
For two hours they exercised, mostly working on keeping the strength up in her upper leg and also on her balance with the new prosthetic limb. Buffy was frustrated with the amount of times she nearly fell over but Spike was always there to catch her.
When they were finished Spike carried Buffy back up the stairs and they sat down in the living room to watch some TV. After a while Spike switched the TV off and turned to Buffy.
"Buffy luv, I've got a couple of ideas. I don't know if you'll like them, and you can say no if you want, I mean I was only thinking." Buffy cut him off by reaching out and taking his hand. He was babbling, something he rarely did, and only when he was nervous.
"What is it? Just ask." Spike grinned at her.
"Right, well, I was thinking, when you're a bit surer on your feet, would you.I mean, could I take you out? On a date?" He looked at her with hopeful eyes and Buffy realised what this meant to him.
It would make what they had real. Not just her needing him to feel or because she was injured, not her making a point against her friends. It would just be the two of them, together, no hiding, no secrecy, the real deal.
Two months ago, hell two weeks ago such a thought would have sent her running. If she opened herself up then she could get hurt worse than any demon attack. And from the way Spike had tensed up she knew he was readying himself for her rejection. She gave him a bright smile.
"Of course you can. Just let me get a bit less wobbly so I can make it to the table and we'll go the best restaurant in Sunnydale." Two weeks ago she would have been running by now, and not just in the physical way. But a lot had happened since then. She knew she was giving Spike the opportunity to hurt her but she had realised that he would never intentionally do that.
"Bugger that! I'm taking my girl out to the best place in LA. Proper night out, that's what it will be. Not bloody staying on the Hellmouth for some nasty to come crashing in and ruin everything! Plus the places are crap round here." He leaned over and gave her a passionate kiss which Buffy was happy to deepen. When she eventually had to pull back for air a thought struck her.
"Spike? You said you had a couple of ideas. That was just one. What else are you thinking of?"
"Well pet, this one will also have to wait a while, but I was thinking that we could do some training together." Buffy was confused.
"But we already train, we just spent two hours doing it."
"No luv, I meant Slayer training. Fighting. You probably won't be able to do those high kicks you like, or those summersaults, but there's no reason we can't work on your punches. Plus you could do with using more weapons now, a sword or that nice axe you have."
Spike was cut off by Buffy squealing and wrapping her arms around him.
"Steady on luv, I'm not saying we go out on patrols or anything yet, just do a bit of training is all."
Buffy didn't care that she wouldn't be patrolling yet, she knew that with Spike's help if there was any possibility of her being able to one day she would.
Just as he had been doing since he was attacked he had once again given her hope that her life would get better, and she loved him even more for it.
TBC
AN: Short, even for me, but I thought you'd like an extra chapter.
What do you think? Let me know.
(PS: Thank you to Tigerwolf for pointing out the spelling mistake. It has been corrected.)