Title: "Buffy Anne Summers: Therapist for the Theologically Insane"
Feedback: Criticism, praise and suggestions will be happily accepted at gjohnson@willamette.edu
Spoilers: Runs the gamut from "Dead Things" to "Selfless"
Summary: Buffy gets serious about helping Spike, and enlists the aid of the rest of the Scoobies.
Disclaimer: Spike, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Xander, etc., are not mine and never will be. They belong to Joss Whedon and M.E.
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Dawn stared miserably at the math test clutched in her hands. Her footfalls on the sidewalk were quiet; a breeze whipped up behind her, blowing her hair into her eyes. She sighed. Two hours she had spent with her math teacher, and she was just as confused now as she had been the day of the test. She crumpled up the paper, obscuring the big red F, and shoved it into her backpack.
She put her hands in her pockets, shaking her head. She looked up and realized it was getting dark. Stupid Daylight Savings Time. She suddenly thought that she should have called Buffy and told her she was going to be late.
"*Totally* stupid," she muttered, keeping her head down and staring at the sidewalk. She quickened her pace. It was getting darker.
She found herself on a dimly lit street. Uneasily she hurried along it, wishing for a stake. She reached for her cell phone, then remembered she'd used up this month's minutes. She cursed under her breath. She rounded the corner --
And was promptly knocked down by someone hurrying the other way.
She blinked, lying on the ground. "What the hell?" she said angrily. The person backed away into the dim light cast by a streetlight.
"Sorry," a girl said. She was short, scared-looking. She reached out her hand and Dawn took it, letting the girl pull her up. "I didn't mean to. . . ."
Dawn brushed her shirt off. "Oh, um, it's okay. Really. Happens all the time." She looked up to give the girl a smile, and screamed.
The girl had vamped out; she lunged for Dawn, but with a well-placed kick Dawn managed to send the girl stumbling. She whirled and ran the other way, her heart pounding.
The girl tackled her and Dawn let out a scream as she crashed to the ground. Dawn kicked out, arching her back and thrusting upwards, throwing the girl off her. She scrambled to her feet and faced the vampire, trembling. "Get the hell away from me!"
"Sorry, but I'm just *dying* for a snack," the girl smirked, licking her lips and getting to her feet. She snickered, then darted forward to knock Dawn down again. She straddled Dawn's back, pinning her arms against her.
Dawn struggled desperately against the girl, trying to kick her. But the girl was sitting too high up on Dawn's back. Dawn filled her lungs for a scream, but the vampire clapped her hand over Dawn's mouth. "None of that, now," the vampire laughed. She shifted her weight to lean forward, to go in for the kill -- Dawn closed her eyes -- fangs scraped her neck --
The girl let out a scream; Dawn heard footsteps, felt the girl being wrenched off of her. Dawn quickly got to her hands and knees and crawled a few feet away, then shakily stood up and turned around in time to see Spike slamming the girl into a rundown white picket fence. "We -- can share --" the girl managed to choke past Spike's death grip on her throat. He answered by shoving her again into the fence. One particularly long picket went straight through the girl's chest; a look of surprise crossed her face before she turned to dust.
Spike turned to stare at Dawn. "Niblet?" he asked incredulously.
"Spike?" She was just as amazed.
"Are you all right? She get you?" Spike asked, hurrying over to her. Concernedly he reached out and touched the twin marks on her neck.
"Just barely," Dawn admitted, brushing his hand away. "I -- thanks, Spike." She was suddenly torn between yelling at him and throwing her arms around him. After a moment's deliberation, she hugged him quickly. He stared at her, shock in his eyes.
"I thought you hated me?" he asked quietly as she withdrew.
"Oh. That." She shrugged, looking embarrassed. "Well, uh, maybe I don't hate you. Maybe I just really, really, intensely dislike you."
"Fair enough." He paused, looking at her. "Buffy's gonna be pissed. You do realize that, don't you? After dark and all . . . almost eaten. . . ."
"Shut up, okay?" Dawn said crossly. "I had a good excuse. I had to stay after for my stupid math teacher." She sighed. "You'll, um, back me up, won't you?"
He blinked. "I. . . ." He shrugged. "All right."
*****
Buffy hadn't gone two blocks before she saw Dawn round the corner, Spike trailing along behind her. She stopped, lowering the stake she held in her hand. "Dawn, get your butt inside!" she snapped.
Dawn walked to her sister, bowing her head. "Sorry I didn't tell you I was staying late, Buffy."
"Yeah, well. . . ." Buffy let out a sigh, running her hand through her hair. "Just as long as you're okay --" She stopped, seeing red scratches on Dawn's neck. "*Are* you okay?"
"Um." Dawn smiled weakly. Spike stopped behind her, looking gravely at Buffy.
"Vampire," he said, his voice quiet. "Pulled it off her not ten minutes ago."
Buffy stared at her sister. "Dawn? Is this true?"
Dawn nodded. "Yeah. Spike -- he saved me. He dusted her like nobody's business." She gave Buffy a small smile. "If ithadn't been for Spike. . . ." She broke off, seeming unwilling to finish the sentence.
Buffy looked at the both of them, taking in Dawn's dirtied knees and reddened neck, Spike's questioning eyes and bandaged hand. "Spike. Weren't you just saying that you had to leave? Yet here you are again."
He drew himself up to his full height. "Well, I couldn't just leave the Bit to fend for herself."
Dawn scowled. "Hey!" She turned half around and elbowed him. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself --"
"Except when you aren't," Buffy finished. She crossed her arms, staring at the two of them. "Well, come on, dinner's ready." Dawn began walking to the house, wasting no time. Spike, however, hung back, looking at the ground.
Buffy stepped towards him. She reached out and touched his arm. "Thank you. For helping her." She took a deep breath. "You know, you're invited too."
He stared at her, indecision dancing in his eyes. She knew very well how much he wanted to take back his earlier words and join them. She inched her hand down his arm to take his hand in hers, intertwining her fingers with his. He swallowed.
"Don't do this to yourself," she whispered. "Let us help you." She squeezed his hand. His fingers were cold, but soft.
"Buffy!" Dawn's voice yelled. "Get a move-on already!"
Buffy tore her hand from Spike's and turned around. "Hang on!" She looked nervously back at Spike, wondering if Dawn had seen her holding his hand. "Uh, come on, Spike."
He pretended to look annoyed. "If -- if you insist. But there had better be some blood for me. I'm starving."
She grinned. "Picked some up this afternoon. Fresh from the pig." She looked down at the ground. "Come on. Dawn'll get -- ideas."
He chuckled, the sound low, smooth, easy. "And we know we wouldn't want that to happen, now would we?"
*****
Xander sat sullenly on the couch, arms crossed, a scowl on his face. Willow sat next to him, smiling nervously. Dawn was perched on the arm of the couch, not meeting the gaze of Buffy, who stood before the three of them. Buffy had left Spike down in the basement, reclining on the cot with a mug of blood and staring up at the ceiling.
Buffy cleared her throat. "I tried to call Anya but she wouldn't pick up. So, we'll just have to start without her."
Xander raised an eyebrow. "Maybe the fact that you drove a sword through her chest a few days ago has something to do with it."
Buffy fixed him with a glare. "Xander, I didn't have any choice. And she's all right now. . . ." She faltered. "I think. . . ." She shook her head. "But we're not here to talk about Anya --"
"We'll save that for the next Scooby council of war," Dawn said brightly. Buffy glared at her too.
"We're here to talk about Spike." Xander rolled his eyes, and Buffy frowned. "He's different. Any moron could see that. He went and got his *soul.* And that means that he deserves to be helped."
"Oh, please. I'm sure his soul is just as twisted as his . . . um . . . non-soul," Xander said, frowning. "I mean, serial killers have souls, don't they? But you don't see them going all Mother Teresa on people -- instead, they make with the death and the blood and the butchering. . . ."
"You don't understand," Willow said. "This means that he knows everything he's done -- and feels remorse for it. He *has* to. I don't think he was bad when he was human."
Buffy nodded. "He's guilty, he's remorseful -- and also more than a little insane. He needs someplace to stay until he can get back on his feet --"
"You want us to nurse him back to health?" Xander asked incredulously.
"Think about it. If it was you who was crazy what would you want us to do? Leave you insane in the basement?"
Xander shrugged. "Works for me. And besides, it's *not* me. It's Spike. Spike, our good buddy, the murderous vampire *who tried to rape you.*" His words were icy. "Buffy, *why* do you care?"
She took a deep breath. "Xander, I told you. This isn't me -- falling in love with him or anything. This is me recognizing what he did for me -- he got a soul -- and realizing that he's changed."
"And I see it too," Willow added. Xander looked at them and sighed.
"Fine. So we'll help him. But where is he staying?" he asked.
Buffy shrugged. "There's three choices. One -- he stays here." Xander shook his head violently. "Two -- he stays with Anya. She's ex-demon, she might be able to help him more than we could. But, there is the fact that I tried to kill her the other week. And the fact that you *probably* don't want him staying with her. So, that one's probably out."
"What's number three?" Dawn asked.
"He stays with Xander."
"*What?*" Xander choked.
"Think about it!" Buffy wheedled. "You'll be perfectly safe. He can't hurt you -- he's still got the chip, I've seen it work -- and he won't be a threat to me or Anya. It's not like you guys have to be friends. This would just be temporary until he stops with the crazy talk and finds himself a nice crypt. You probably wouldn't even see each other much, since he'll sleep in the day and you at night. . . ."
Xander stared openmouthed at her. "You're serious, aren't you."
"Well, if you don't want to, he can just *stay here* -- with me and Dawn --"
Xander held up a hand. "*Fine.*" He tried to hold back a scowl and failed. "But you owe me, Buffy. Big time."
*****
"*Him?*" Spike gasped in horror. "You want me to stay with *him*?"
"Just until you get back on your feet," Buffy said quickly. "You've done it before and survived. You can do it again."
Spike snorted, setting his mug on the concrete floor and sitting up on the cot. "I only survived because I was already dead, pet."
"Look, it's the best solution we've got, Spike. Take it or leave it."
He looked up at her, frowning, then sighed. "Guess it can't hurt to give it a try. But he better not hog the telly during 'Passions.' God, I miss that show."
She sat down next to him. "They can't have had good reception in the school basement."
He shook his head, suddenly morose, contemplative. "I didn't know this soul thing was gonna be so hard, you know?" he said quietly. "I dunno what I *thought,* but it wasn't this."
She didn't know what to say. She placed a hand on his back, watched as he idly unwrapped the bandage on his hand. The burn was nearly healed already.
"Thank you," he said throatily. "For helping me. You didn't have to."
She smiled softly. "Yeah, I did."
"Buffy?" Xander's voice floated down the stairs. "If we're gonna do this, let's do it now."
Buffy stood up and took hold of Spike's hands, pulling him to his feet. "Time to go. Give it a shot, all right? It's the best we can do right now," Buffy said.
He stared at her, trust in his eyes. He squeezed her hands. "I believe you."
They turned and headed up the stairs, together.
~FIN
Yep, it's done. Thanks to those who reviewed. There may be a sequel... eventually. After all, what was up with Xander's seeming 180 in his attitude towards Spike? In the beginning of "Him" he's horrified at the thought of Spike living with him... yet in "Sleeper" he asks Buffy if Spike is "in trouble" (not "What did Spike do this time?"), and in the following episodes he seems to be reluctantly sticking up for Spike. What changed? Anyway, that would be the sequel, if ever it followed... some Xander/Spike male bonding. But not in *that* way. :) Thanks again.
Feedback: Criticism, praise and suggestions will be happily accepted at gjohnson@willamette.edu
Spoilers: Runs the gamut from "Dead Things" to "Selfless"
Summary: Buffy gets serious about helping Spike, and enlists the aid of the rest of the Scoobies.
Disclaimer: Spike, Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Xander, etc., are not mine and never will be. They belong to Joss Whedon and M.E.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dawn stared miserably at the math test clutched in her hands. Her footfalls on the sidewalk were quiet; a breeze whipped up behind her, blowing her hair into her eyes. She sighed. Two hours she had spent with her math teacher, and she was just as confused now as she had been the day of the test. She crumpled up the paper, obscuring the big red F, and shoved it into her backpack.
She put her hands in her pockets, shaking her head. She looked up and realized it was getting dark. Stupid Daylight Savings Time. She suddenly thought that she should have called Buffy and told her she was going to be late.
"*Totally* stupid," she muttered, keeping her head down and staring at the sidewalk. She quickened her pace. It was getting darker.
She found herself on a dimly lit street. Uneasily she hurried along it, wishing for a stake. She reached for her cell phone, then remembered she'd used up this month's minutes. She cursed under her breath. She rounded the corner --
And was promptly knocked down by someone hurrying the other way.
She blinked, lying on the ground. "What the hell?" she said angrily. The person backed away into the dim light cast by a streetlight.
"Sorry," a girl said. She was short, scared-looking. She reached out her hand and Dawn took it, letting the girl pull her up. "I didn't mean to. . . ."
Dawn brushed her shirt off. "Oh, um, it's okay. Really. Happens all the time." She looked up to give the girl a smile, and screamed.
The girl had vamped out; she lunged for Dawn, but with a well-placed kick Dawn managed to send the girl stumbling. She whirled and ran the other way, her heart pounding.
The girl tackled her and Dawn let out a scream as she crashed to the ground. Dawn kicked out, arching her back and thrusting upwards, throwing the girl off her. She scrambled to her feet and faced the vampire, trembling. "Get the hell away from me!"
"Sorry, but I'm just *dying* for a snack," the girl smirked, licking her lips and getting to her feet. She snickered, then darted forward to knock Dawn down again. She straddled Dawn's back, pinning her arms against her.
Dawn struggled desperately against the girl, trying to kick her. But the girl was sitting too high up on Dawn's back. Dawn filled her lungs for a scream, but the vampire clapped her hand over Dawn's mouth. "None of that, now," the vampire laughed. She shifted her weight to lean forward, to go in for the kill -- Dawn closed her eyes -- fangs scraped her neck --
The girl let out a scream; Dawn heard footsteps, felt the girl being wrenched off of her. Dawn quickly got to her hands and knees and crawled a few feet away, then shakily stood up and turned around in time to see Spike slamming the girl into a rundown white picket fence. "We -- can share --" the girl managed to choke past Spike's death grip on her throat. He answered by shoving her again into the fence. One particularly long picket went straight through the girl's chest; a look of surprise crossed her face before she turned to dust.
Spike turned to stare at Dawn. "Niblet?" he asked incredulously.
"Spike?" She was just as amazed.
"Are you all right? She get you?" Spike asked, hurrying over to her. Concernedly he reached out and touched the twin marks on her neck.
"Just barely," Dawn admitted, brushing his hand away. "I -- thanks, Spike." She was suddenly torn between yelling at him and throwing her arms around him. After a moment's deliberation, she hugged him quickly. He stared at her, shock in his eyes.
"I thought you hated me?" he asked quietly as she withdrew.
"Oh. That." She shrugged, looking embarrassed. "Well, uh, maybe I don't hate you. Maybe I just really, really, intensely dislike you."
"Fair enough." He paused, looking at her. "Buffy's gonna be pissed. You do realize that, don't you? After dark and all . . . almost eaten. . . ."
"Shut up, okay?" Dawn said crossly. "I had a good excuse. I had to stay after for my stupid math teacher." She sighed. "You'll, um, back me up, won't you?"
He blinked. "I. . . ." He shrugged. "All right."
*****
Buffy hadn't gone two blocks before she saw Dawn round the corner, Spike trailing along behind her. She stopped, lowering the stake she held in her hand. "Dawn, get your butt inside!" she snapped.
Dawn walked to her sister, bowing her head. "Sorry I didn't tell you I was staying late, Buffy."
"Yeah, well. . . ." Buffy let out a sigh, running her hand through her hair. "Just as long as you're okay --" She stopped, seeing red scratches on Dawn's neck. "*Are* you okay?"
"Um." Dawn smiled weakly. Spike stopped behind her, looking gravely at Buffy.
"Vampire," he said, his voice quiet. "Pulled it off her not ten minutes ago."
Buffy stared at her sister. "Dawn? Is this true?"
Dawn nodded. "Yeah. Spike -- he saved me. He dusted her like nobody's business." She gave Buffy a small smile. "If ithadn't been for Spike. . . ." She broke off, seeming unwilling to finish the sentence.
Buffy looked at the both of them, taking in Dawn's dirtied knees and reddened neck, Spike's questioning eyes and bandaged hand. "Spike. Weren't you just saying that you had to leave? Yet here you are again."
He drew himself up to his full height. "Well, I couldn't just leave the Bit to fend for herself."
Dawn scowled. "Hey!" She turned half around and elbowed him. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself --"
"Except when you aren't," Buffy finished. She crossed her arms, staring at the two of them. "Well, come on, dinner's ready." Dawn began walking to the house, wasting no time. Spike, however, hung back, looking at the ground.
Buffy stepped towards him. She reached out and touched his arm. "Thank you. For helping her." She took a deep breath. "You know, you're invited too."
He stared at her, indecision dancing in his eyes. She knew very well how much he wanted to take back his earlier words and join them. She inched her hand down his arm to take his hand in hers, intertwining her fingers with his. He swallowed.
"Don't do this to yourself," she whispered. "Let us help you." She squeezed his hand. His fingers were cold, but soft.
"Buffy!" Dawn's voice yelled. "Get a move-on already!"
Buffy tore her hand from Spike's and turned around. "Hang on!" She looked nervously back at Spike, wondering if Dawn had seen her holding his hand. "Uh, come on, Spike."
He pretended to look annoyed. "If -- if you insist. But there had better be some blood for me. I'm starving."
She grinned. "Picked some up this afternoon. Fresh from the pig." She looked down at the ground. "Come on. Dawn'll get -- ideas."
He chuckled, the sound low, smooth, easy. "And we know we wouldn't want that to happen, now would we?"
*****
Xander sat sullenly on the couch, arms crossed, a scowl on his face. Willow sat next to him, smiling nervously. Dawn was perched on the arm of the couch, not meeting the gaze of Buffy, who stood before the three of them. Buffy had left Spike down in the basement, reclining on the cot with a mug of blood and staring up at the ceiling.
Buffy cleared her throat. "I tried to call Anya but she wouldn't pick up. So, we'll just have to start without her."
Xander raised an eyebrow. "Maybe the fact that you drove a sword through her chest a few days ago has something to do with it."
Buffy fixed him with a glare. "Xander, I didn't have any choice. And she's all right now. . . ." She faltered. "I think. . . ." She shook her head. "But we're not here to talk about Anya --"
"We'll save that for the next Scooby council of war," Dawn said brightly. Buffy glared at her too.
"We're here to talk about Spike." Xander rolled his eyes, and Buffy frowned. "He's different. Any moron could see that. He went and got his *soul.* And that means that he deserves to be helped."
"Oh, please. I'm sure his soul is just as twisted as his . . . um . . . non-soul," Xander said, frowning. "I mean, serial killers have souls, don't they? But you don't see them going all Mother Teresa on people -- instead, they make with the death and the blood and the butchering. . . ."
"You don't understand," Willow said. "This means that he knows everything he's done -- and feels remorse for it. He *has* to. I don't think he was bad when he was human."
Buffy nodded. "He's guilty, he's remorseful -- and also more than a little insane. He needs someplace to stay until he can get back on his feet --"
"You want us to nurse him back to health?" Xander asked incredulously.
"Think about it. If it was you who was crazy what would you want us to do? Leave you insane in the basement?"
Xander shrugged. "Works for me. And besides, it's *not* me. It's Spike. Spike, our good buddy, the murderous vampire *who tried to rape you.*" His words were icy. "Buffy, *why* do you care?"
She took a deep breath. "Xander, I told you. This isn't me -- falling in love with him or anything. This is me recognizing what he did for me -- he got a soul -- and realizing that he's changed."
"And I see it too," Willow added. Xander looked at them and sighed.
"Fine. So we'll help him. But where is he staying?" he asked.
Buffy shrugged. "There's three choices. One -- he stays here." Xander shook his head violently. "Two -- he stays with Anya. She's ex-demon, she might be able to help him more than we could. But, there is the fact that I tried to kill her the other week. And the fact that you *probably* don't want him staying with her. So, that one's probably out."
"What's number three?" Dawn asked.
"He stays with Xander."
"*What?*" Xander choked.
"Think about it!" Buffy wheedled. "You'll be perfectly safe. He can't hurt you -- he's still got the chip, I've seen it work -- and he won't be a threat to me or Anya. It's not like you guys have to be friends. This would just be temporary until he stops with the crazy talk and finds himself a nice crypt. You probably wouldn't even see each other much, since he'll sleep in the day and you at night. . . ."
Xander stared openmouthed at her. "You're serious, aren't you."
"Well, if you don't want to, he can just *stay here* -- with me and Dawn --"
Xander held up a hand. "*Fine.*" He tried to hold back a scowl and failed. "But you owe me, Buffy. Big time."
*****
"*Him?*" Spike gasped in horror. "You want me to stay with *him*?"
"Just until you get back on your feet," Buffy said quickly. "You've done it before and survived. You can do it again."
Spike snorted, setting his mug on the concrete floor and sitting up on the cot. "I only survived because I was already dead, pet."
"Look, it's the best solution we've got, Spike. Take it or leave it."
He looked up at her, frowning, then sighed. "Guess it can't hurt to give it a try. But he better not hog the telly during 'Passions.' God, I miss that show."
She sat down next to him. "They can't have had good reception in the school basement."
He shook his head, suddenly morose, contemplative. "I didn't know this soul thing was gonna be so hard, you know?" he said quietly. "I dunno what I *thought,* but it wasn't this."
She didn't know what to say. She placed a hand on his back, watched as he idly unwrapped the bandage on his hand. The burn was nearly healed already.
"Thank you," he said throatily. "For helping me. You didn't have to."
She smiled softly. "Yeah, I did."
"Buffy?" Xander's voice floated down the stairs. "If we're gonna do this, let's do it now."
Buffy stood up and took hold of Spike's hands, pulling him to his feet. "Time to go. Give it a shot, all right? It's the best we can do right now," Buffy said.
He stared at her, trust in his eyes. He squeezed her hands. "I believe you."
They turned and headed up the stairs, together.
~FIN
Yep, it's done. Thanks to those who reviewed. There may be a sequel... eventually. After all, what was up with Xander's seeming 180 in his attitude towards Spike? In the beginning of "Him" he's horrified at the thought of Spike living with him... yet in "Sleeper" he asks Buffy if Spike is "in trouble" (not "What did Spike do this time?"), and in the following episodes he seems to be reluctantly sticking up for Spike. What changed? Anyway, that would be the sequel, if ever it followed... some Xander/Spike male bonding. But not in *that* way. :) Thanks again.