~ Part 10 ~
She was trying, she really was, but control was something she seemed to be lacking in lately. She was crying. Again. And whatever had been left of her sugary emotional fix hadn't much done the trick.
It was stupid to think that some chocolate chunks and fudge swirls could help. They never really had before.
She had the job. She had the husband. She had the interview all set up. Keeping Dawn didn't look as though it would be a problem.
But keeping the house had become one.
She looked at the pile of envelopes she had been hiding under the dishtowels. Second notice. Third notice. Final notice. Payment expected. The mortgage was way past due and the last installment she had tried to make bounced. Not a positive sign to the bank at all.
She heard the click of the door, and quickly went to shove the mail once again beneath the checkered pieces of material. Sniffing, she slammed the drawer shut.
"I'm just going to go. Get out of your hair." Spike turned quickly back in the direction he had come from. "Just needed these." He scooped the Desoto's keys off of the counter and stuffed them into his deep pockets. "We'll talk about the meeting.later"
Grabbing a napkin from the crocheted little holder her mother had once bought at a church craft fair, Buffy wiped the mascara streaks from her eyelids. She really didn't know why she bothered to apply makeup anymore. "Don't. Just please don't"
"Don't what Slayer? Huh? Make you cry some more, because I'm really not trying all too hard."
"Are you that self-centered that you think that's the only thing I could be upset about?"
"Hmmmm, let's think this through. Boy loves girl. Girl hates boy. Girl marries boy out of desperation. Girl realizes that she's stuck with boy. Boy gets tired of hurting girl. Boy gets damn tired of everything and so boy decides to call it a night."
"Girl decides to stop him." She scooped her fingers down into the recesses of his leather coat, fingers latching upon metal rings. "I'd like you to stay. But it's up to you. If you want to leave, just tell me, and I'll drop these right now back to where I found them. If you don't, then I'll hold on to them for safe keeping."
"Married for a couple of hours and she already has me whipped into submission."
"Does that mean you'll stay?"
"That means I'll stay." She removed her hand from his pocket, snaking the keys back on top of the counter. "So what was weepy Slayer for if I'm all self-centered and obviously much too arrogant?"
"It was nothing."
"I have an inkling that I was right and you don't want to admit defeat. You don't have to worry about hurting my feelings pet. I'm a big boy, I can take it."
"Spike it wasn't you. It's not you. I just.I'd just rather not talk about it. Not now. Another time."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
"I wasn't expecting anything less." She yawned, quickly trying to cover her mouth with her hand. "Sorry. How mercilessly will you tease me if I said I couldn't sleep last night because of the jitters?"
"I will never stop with the insults. Go to sleep Slayer. I'll take my place on the fold-out in the basement. Know where the clean sheets are and everything."
"I think Dawn was hoping we'd at least use the same room. There's a cot set up. She used it for a pretty long time after Mom. She didn't like being alone. If you mind, that's ok. I understand."
"The cot's perfect. But what are we going to do with it should our lovely friends at Social Services drop by?"
"Say exactly what I just said to you."
"That a couple of newlyweds welcome a frightened teenager into their bedroom? It sounds odd."
"My sister is much more important to me than sex. Of the married or unmarried version. And oh my God, I did not just suggest that there would be sex between us."
"I got the word loud and clear. Hope I'll be able to satisfy you as often as you like."
"You're a pig Spike."
"Her favorite saying, knew it was going to make an appearance sooner or later." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Why don't you head off to bed. I'll be up later."
"Don't make too much noise."
"Wouldn't dream of waking the woman who sleeps with a stake under her pillow."
She glared at him walking within inches of his face. "How exactly do you know that?"
"Didn't. Thanks for the heads up."
"Pig."
"Scardey Cat."
"Demon."
"Goody-two shoes."
"WILL-iam" His eyes flickered a little bit.
"Buffy."
"Yes?"
"Sweet dreams." He walked around her, giving a slight push to her back. "A cranky slayer is nobody's friend."
"Goodnight Spike."
"G'night pet." She walked out of the room, and as soon as he heard her footsteps quiet, he released the breath he'd been holding and flopped down in a chair. Her blond head bobbed back into the doorway, startling him a little more than it should have.
"And if you even think of taking my underwear again, I know how many pairs there are." She stalked away again, leaving the chuckling vampire in her wake.
She was trying, she really was, but control was something she seemed to be lacking in lately. She was crying. Again. And whatever had been left of her sugary emotional fix hadn't much done the trick.
It was stupid to think that some chocolate chunks and fudge swirls could help. They never really had before.
She had the job. She had the husband. She had the interview all set up. Keeping Dawn didn't look as though it would be a problem.
But keeping the house had become one.
She looked at the pile of envelopes she had been hiding under the dishtowels. Second notice. Third notice. Final notice. Payment expected. The mortgage was way past due and the last installment she had tried to make bounced. Not a positive sign to the bank at all.
She heard the click of the door, and quickly went to shove the mail once again beneath the checkered pieces of material. Sniffing, she slammed the drawer shut.
"I'm just going to go. Get out of your hair." Spike turned quickly back in the direction he had come from. "Just needed these." He scooped the Desoto's keys off of the counter and stuffed them into his deep pockets. "We'll talk about the meeting.later"
Grabbing a napkin from the crocheted little holder her mother had once bought at a church craft fair, Buffy wiped the mascara streaks from her eyelids. She really didn't know why she bothered to apply makeup anymore. "Don't. Just please don't"
"Don't what Slayer? Huh? Make you cry some more, because I'm really not trying all too hard."
"Are you that self-centered that you think that's the only thing I could be upset about?"
"Hmmmm, let's think this through. Boy loves girl. Girl hates boy. Girl marries boy out of desperation. Girl realizes that she's stuck with boy. Boy gets tired of hurting girl. Boy gets damn tired of everything and so boy decides to call it a night."
"Girl decides to stop him." She scooped her fingers down into the recesses of his leather coat, fingers latching upon metal rings. "I'd like you to stay. But it's up to you. If you want to leave, just tell me, and I'll drop these right now back to where I found them. If you don't, then I'll hold on to them for safe keeping."
"Married for a couple of hours and she already has me whipped into submission."
"Does that mean you'll stay?"
"That means I'll stay." She removed her hand from his pocket, snaking the keys back on top of the counter. "So what was weepy Slayer for if I'm all self-centered and obviously much too arrogant?"
"It was nothing."
"I have an inkling that I was right and you don't want to admit defeat. You don't have to worry about hurting my feelings pet. I'm a big boy, I can take it."
"Spike it wasn't you. It's not you. I just.I'd just rather not talk about it. Not now. Another time."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
"I wasn't expecting anything less." She yawned, quickly trying to cover her mouth with her hand. "Sorry. How mercilessly will you tease me if I said I couldn't sleep last night because of the jitters?"
"I will never stop with the insults. Go to sleep Slayer. I'll take my place on the fold-out in the basement. Know where the clean sheets are and everything."
"I think Dawn was hoping we'd at least use the same room. There's a cot set up. She used it for a pretty long time after Mom. She didn't like being alone. If you mind, that's ok. I understand."
"The cot's perfect. But what are we going to do with it should our lovely friends at Social Services drop by?"
"Say exactly what I just said to you."
"That a couple of newlyweds welcome a frightened teenager into their bedroom? It sounds odd."
"My sister is much more important to me than sex. Of the married or unmarried version. And oh my God, I did not just suggest that there would be sex between us."
"I got the word loud and clear. Hope I'll be able to satisfy you as often as you like."
"You're a pig Spike."
"Her favorite saying, knew it was going to make an appearance sooner or later." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Why don't you head off to bed. I'll be up later."
"Don't make too much noise."
"Wouldn't dream of waking the woman who sleeps with a stake under her pillow."
She glared at him walking within inches of his face. "How exactly do you know that?"
"Didn't. Thanks for the heads up."
"Pig."
"Scardey Cat."
"Demon."
"Goody-two shoes."
"WILL-iam" His eyes flickered a little bit.
"Buffy."
"Yes?"
"Sweet dreams." He walked around her, giving a slight push to her back. "A cranky slayer is nobody's friend."
"Goodnight Spike."
"G'night pet." She walked out of the room, and as soon as he heard her footsteps quiet, he released the breath he'd been holding and flopped down in a chair. Her blond head bobbed back into the doorway, startling him a little more than it should have.
"And if you even think of taking my underwear again, I know how many pairs there are." She stalked away again, leaving the chuckling vampire in her wake.