A/N: Sorry for such a long wait.
~*~
Chapter 2- You Saved Me
Buffy rested her head against the window, trying to calm the inner turmoil going on in the pit of her stomach. She clenched her eyes shut for a moment to compose herself.
He looked over at her, tilting his head slightly to the side. "You okay, pet?"
Buffy took a breath. "Yeah. I'm fine."
He nodded.
Buffy sniffed, wiping the side of her face on her shoulder. "So, what are you gonna do? We're sitting in a car in the middle of a storm."
"Well, I was gonna walk down the street to a gas station a few miles away. But, now that I've got you, I'll just wait until morning."
"What's your name?" she asked, turning to him.
"William. William Devin. However, most of my friends call me Spike."
Buffy's brow furrowed.
He half-grinned. "Don't ask."
Buffy shrugged.
"What 'bout you, pet?" Spike asked her.
"Elizabeth Summers."
She pondered over her answer for a moment. Why had she told him her real name? She could have easily just told him her more common name. Then again, Buffy is what her old friends called her. It's what her father, mother, and sister called her. And they weren't part of her life anymore. They were all in the past. If the guy was what he said he was, she was starting a whole new life. Clean slate. A chance to do it all over again.
"Look, if you're tired, you can lay down in the backseat. It's much better than the front," Spike said, peering into the back.
Elizabeth looked at him, then, quick as lightening, she leaned over to brush her lips against his. She pulled back enough that she could look him straight in the eye.
"You saved me," she said seriously, "I can't thank you enough."
He had a stunned look on his face.
She smiled before climbing over her seat and into the backseat.
Spike looked back at her. "G'night, luv."
Elizabeth smiled. "Night."
~*~
The next morning, Elizabeth woke to the feel of the wheels moving under the car. She shielded her eyes from the sun coming through the back window as she sat up.
Spike heard her moving around in the back. "You awake, pet?"
"Uh huh," she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looked up and around. "Where are we?"
"Los Angeles, California."
"Is this where you live?"
"Yep."
Spike pulled up to a stop sign and gave Elizabeth a second to climb into the front seat.
"You know, you're goin' to need some more clothes," he told her as she settled down in the seat.
She looked over at him. "I don't have any money. My wallet was in my pocket."
"Well, I don't 'ave any money either, but maybe later I can take you up to Wal Mart or somethin'."
She smiled. "Thanks."
They drove in silence. Elizabeth shifted in her seat, pulling her knees up to her chest.
"Why'd you do it?" he asked.
She looked up at him. "I told you already."
"Well, yeah, but there wasn't much detail."
Elizabeth tilted her head. "Why would you want details?"
Spike shrugged. "I figure, if I'm gonna have someone livin' in my home, I might as well know as much about her as I can."
Elizabeth seemed to accept the answer. "Well, my Mom died a few months ago from an aneurysm. She had had a brain tumor before and surgery just made a bunch of complications. Then, after she died, I had to drop out of college, which meant I couldn't get a steady job that paid enough to pay bills and support a small family. And while this is all going on, my boyfriend, Riley, didn't think he was getting enough attention and decided to cheat on me."
By now, small evidence of tears were blurring her vision, but she continued.
"I found out and he left me. Then, Social Services calls me up and tells me my sister, Dawn, can't live with me anymore. They made her go live with my Dad, who is a total jackass. He almost didn't take her, knowing that if she didn't come with him, she'd have to live in a foster home. When he finally did take her, his job transferred him to a place in France. I haven't seen my sister since."
She sniffed and turned to him. "So, what's your story?"
"It sure doesn't top yours, pet."
"Try me."
He took a breath. "Well, let's see here. I lived in London, England until I was about sixteen."
"That explains the accent. Why'd you leave London?"
He grinned. "I was quite the trouble-maker. Was expelled from so many schools my Dad was about to send me to boarding school. So, instead, he makes me come here. Away from all my friends and everything that I grew up in. Needless to say, he knew what he was talkin' about."
Spike pulled the car up to a five story apartment complex.
Buffy peered out the window. "This is where you live?"
"Home sweet home."
They climbed out of the car and headed inside.
Spike's apartment was on the third floor.
As they walked down the hall, Spike suddenly remembered something very *very* important.
"Um, luv," he started, seeming a bit sheepish.
She looked up at him. "What?"
"I don't know how I forgot, but I did and..."
"What is it?"
"Well, you see, I sort have a..."
His sentence was left unfinished when a door was flung open.
"Dad!"
To Be Continued . . .
~*~
Chapter 2- You Saved Me
Buffy rested her head against the window, trying to calm the inner turmoil going on in the pit of her stomach. She clenched her eyes shut for a moment to compose herself.
He looked over at her, tilting his head slightly to the side. "You okay, pet?"
Buffy took a breath. "Yeah. I'm fine."
He nodded.
Buffy sniffed, wiping the side of her face on her shoulder. "So, what are you gonna do? We're sitting in a car in the middle of a storm."
"Well, I was gonna walk down the street to a gas station a few miles away. But, now that I've got you, I'll just wait until morning."
"What's your name?" she asked, turning to him.
"William. William Devin. However, most of my friends call me Spike."
Buffy's brow furrowed.
He half-grinned. "Don't ask."
Buffy shrugged.
"What 'bout you, pet?" Spike asked her.
"Elizabeth Summers."
She pondered over her answer for a moment. Why had she told him her real name? She could have easily just told him her more common name. Then again, Buffy is what her old friends called her. It's what her father, mother, and sister called her. And they weren't part of her life anymore. They were all in the past. If the guy was what he said he was, she was starting a whole new life. Clean slate. A chance to do it all over again.
"Look, if you're tired, you can lay down in the backseat. It's much better than the front," Spike said, peering into the back.
Elizabeth looked at him, then, quick as lightening, she leaned over to brush her lips against his. She pulled back enough that she could look him straight in the eye.
"You saved me," she said seriously, "I can't thank you enough."
He had a stunned look on his face.
She smiled before climbing over her seat and into the backseat.
Spike looked back at her. "G'night, luv."
Elizabeth smiled. "Night."
~*~
The next morning, Elizabeth woke to the feel of the wheels moving under the car. She shielded her eyes from the sun coming through the back window as she sat up.
Spike heard her moving around in the back. "You awake, pet?"
"Uh huh," she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looked up and around. "Where are we?"
"Los Angeles, California."
"Is this where you live?"
"Yep."
Spike pulled up to a stop sign and gave Elizabeth a second to climb into the front seat.
"You know, you're goin' to need some more clothes," he told her as she settled down in the seat.
She looked over at him. "I don't have any money. My wallet was in my pocket."
"Well, I don't 'ave any money either, but maybe later I can take you up to Wal Mart or somethin'."
She smiled. "Thanks."
They drove in silence. Elizabeth shifted in her seat, pulling her knees up to her chest.
"Why'd you do it?" he asked.
She looked up at him. "I told you already."
"Well, yeah, but there wasn't much detail."
Elizabeth tilted her head. "Why would you want details?"
Spike shrugged. "I figure, if I'm gonna have someone livin' in my home, I might as well know as much about her as I can."
Elizabeth seemed to accept the answer. "Well, my Mom died a few months ago from an aneurysm. She had had a brain tumor before and surgery just made a bunch of complications. Then, after she died, I had to drop out of college, which meant I couldn't get a steady job that paid enough to pay bills and support a small family. And while this is all going on, my boyfriend, Riley, didn't think he was getting enough attention and decided to cheat on me."
By now, small evidence of tears were blurring her vision, but she continued.
"I found out and he left me. Then, Social Services calls me up and tells me my sister, Dawn, can't live with me anymore. They made her go live with my Dad, who is a total jackass. He almost didn't take her, knowing that if she didn't come with him, she'd have to live in a foster home. When he finally did take her, his job transferred him to a place in France. I haven't seen my sister since."
She sniffed and turned to him. "So, what's your story?"
"It sure doesn't top yours, pet."
"Try me."
He took a breath. "Well, let's see here. I lived in London, England until I was about sixteen."
"That explains the accent. Why'd you leave London?"
He grinned. "I was quite the trouble-maker. Was expelled from so many schools my Dad was about to send me to boarding school. So, instead, he makes me come here. Away from all my friends and everything that I grew up in. Needless to say, he knew what he was talkin' about."
Spike pulled the car up to a five story apartment complex.
Buffy peered out the window. "This is where you live?"
"Home sweet home."
They climbed out of the car and headed inside.
Spike's apartment was on the third floor.
As they walked down the hall, Spike suddenly remembered something very *very* important.
"Um, luv," he started, seeming a bit sheepish.
She looked up at him. "What?"
"I don't know how I forgot, but I did and..."
"What is it?"
"Well, you see, I sort have a..."
His sentence was left unfinished when a door was flung open.
"Dad!"
To Be Continued . . .