TITLE: " Garden of Eden "
AUTHOR: LilHairyEyeball
EMAIL: lilhairyeyeball@allwrongheaded.com
FEEDBACK: Gimme gimme. Just be gentle.
SUMMARY: Alternate Season Four fic, stemming from Something Blue onwards.
SPOILERS: Up through Season 4
RATING: Giving it an R rating, in case I get frisky. Which I tend to do.
DISCLAIMER: Nobody buys me good presents, so I steal other peoples
---
Spike got the unnerving feeling that the Slayer wanted to talk. She was getting into a habit of stopping to look at him. Then she'd open her pretty mouth, before reconsidering and walking off again. It was funny to start with, but now it was just bloody annoying.
"Slayer, for the love of all things holy, would you just spit it out already!"
Buffy's face went from pre-occupied to shock, to disgust within a matter of seconds. "Eww Spike! Is that all you think about? And I already know that was the wrong thing to say, my God could I be more of a tool!" With that the Slayer slumped on the ground, using poor Douglas McRae's final words as her backrest. The vampire slid down next to her, playing with a semi- crushed packet of cigarettes.
"Wanna talk about it?" At the sight of Buffy's shocked expression, Spike decided to hell with it. "Look Slayer, I know you're feeling the stress of school and slaying, and trying to nail the captain of the football team, or whatever it is the enormous hall monitor does. I know you're trying not to worry your mum, since you left home. I also know that your dammed Scoobies seem pretty oblivious to how you're managing to juggle it all. So I'm offering my services so to speak."
The words hung in the air, as Buffy studied Spike's face. He seemed almost genuine, for an un-dead fiend and all.
"Okay, what's in it for you?"
An indignant Spike jumped up, and began pacing.
"Oi, I was trying to be nice! Keep your enemies close and all that rot, yeah? Work with what I'm given, which is apparently is a bloody white hat, but nooooo. Spike must have ulterior motives, mustn't he?" At the sight of a quirked eyebrow from the Slayer, Spike once more collapsed against the grave. "Okay. Would it make you feel better if I said I could privately revel in your pain? Use it to hatch the nefarious plans I could never execute?"
Buffy smiled at that, and bowed her head. Mr. Stupid Eyes strikes again.
There was silence for a few minutes, and Spike studied the Slayer, and she paid close attention to the blades of grass next to her leg. Spike was just about to pull a smoke out when she suddenly spoke.
"They don't get it, yanno? They say they do, but they don't understand what it's like"
"Being forced into a role you didn't want?"
She looked up at him then, the faintest hint of a smile gracing her face. "Exactly."
"Yeah, been there myself. Once. Or twice, it would appear. Well, you know what they say.
"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade?" Buffy rolled her eyes. Even the Big Bad was full of the feel good clichés.
"Actually, I was going to go with "Life's a bitch, and then you die," but yours works too"
They both laughed then, and the tension that seemed to be building over the past few days melted away, as Buffy turned to look at her unusual confidante.
"The stupidest part? They want it. What I've got. I know Xander, and he'd give his right eye for my power and responsibility. Where's the sense in that? If I could, I'd just give it to him! Say "have fun" and then skip off to class, or a party..or whatever the hell I wanted."
"No you wouldn't pet." At her indignant expression, Spike waded in. "You might not have wanted your power, but who would you be without it?"
"God, probably Cordelia," sighed Buffy. She hated that Spike could be so damn astute.
"Right. And the idea horrifies you now, doesn't it? You've grown up, and not just in the "I'm going to college" sense. You've seen the pain of the world. You know what's going on. You could never just ignore all that. Even if your powers were stripped tomorrow, you'd be by the Scoobies side, fighting the good fight and what not."
Buffy sighed. "You're right. I hate that, yanno."
Spike barked a little before standing up and scanning the graveyard. "Oh, I know, luv. Tell you what, I promise not to be insightful for the rest of the day. How's that?"
Buffy stood alongside him, sporting an honest to goodness smile. "Sounds good, Spikey. I say we call it a night now anyways. This place is dead, no pun intended, and I'm sure Xander is all finished with Anya."
"Probably finished about five minutes after I left," scoffed Spike. Buffy swatted his arm, before brushing the last of the grass from her pants.
"Be nice. He's your roommate, and he's trying. Kinda. Oh, go home Spike!" She laughed now, but not at his pain, just the situation. God, she was messed up.
"Yeah Slayer, I'll see you tomorrow no doubt." Without a backwards glance, Spike sauntered off, leather duster billowing around him like..God Buffy, he's just a friend!
Friend? Buffy sighed. Why couldn't things just be simple in her life? Now she was having pleasant chitchat with the vampire who had this pesky tendency to try and kill her? And it was. Pleasant, that is. She'd felt lighter since talking with him. It's weird the way things work out. Especially when she should be focusing on the weird soldier guys that were in the neighbourhood. Not that they were doing her any harm really, but if nothing else, for Spike's sake.
Buffy snorted. For Spike's sake? She really was insane, but she's pretty sure she means it.
AUTHOR: LilHairyEyeball
EMAIL: lilhairyeyeball@allwrongheaded.com
FEEDBACK: Gimme gimme. Just be gentle.
SUMMARY: Alternate Season Four fic, stemming from Something Blue onwards.
SPOILERS: Up through Season 4
RATING: Giving it an R rating, in case I get frisky. Which I tend to do.
DISCLAIMER: Nobody buys me good presents, so I steal other peoples
---
Spike got the unnerving feeling that the Slayer wanted to talk. She was getting into a habit of stopping to look at him. Then she'd open her pretty mouth, before reconsidering and walking off again. It was funny to start with, but now it was just bloody annoying.
"Slayer, for the love of all things holy, would you just spit it out already!"
Buffy's face went from pre-occupied to shock, to disgust within a matter of seconds. "Eww Spike! Is that all you think about? And I already know that was the wrong thing to say, my God could I be more of a tool!" With that the Slayer slumped on the ground, using poor Douglas McRae's final words as her backrest. The vampire slid down next to her, playing with a semi- crushed packet of cigarettes.
"Wanna talk about it?" At the sight of Buffy's shocked expression, Spike decided to hell with it. "Look Slayer, I know you're feeling the stress of school and slaying, and trying to nail the captain of the football team, or whatever it is the enormous hall monitor does. I know you're trying not to worry your mum, since you left home. I also know that your dammed Scoobies seem pretty oblivious to how you're managing to juggle it all. So I'm offering my services so to speak."
The words hung in the air, as Buffy studied Spike's face. He seemed almost genuine, for an un-dead fiend and all.
"Okay, what's in it for you?"
An indignant Spike jumped up, and began pacing.
"Oi, I was trying to be nice! Keep your enemies close and all that rot, yeah? Work with what I'm given, which is apparently is a bloody white hat, but nooooo. Spike must have ulterior motives, mustn't he?" At the sight of a quirked eyebrow from the Slayer, Spike once more collapsed against the grave. "Okay. Would it make you feel better if I said I could privately revel in your pain? Use it to hatch the nefarious plans I could never execute?"
Buffy smiled at that, and bowed her head. Mr. Stupid Eyes strikes again.
There was silence for a few minutes, and Spike studied the Slayer, and she paid close attention to the blades of grass next to her leg. Spike was just about to pull a smoke out when she suddenly spoke.
"They don't get it, yanno? They say they do, but they don't understand what it's like"
"Being forced into a role you didn't want?"
She looked up at him then, the faintest hint of a smile gracing her face. "Exactly."
"Yeah, been there myself. Once. Or twice, it would appear. Well, you know what they say.
"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade?" Buffy rolled her eyes. Even the Big Bad was full of the feel good clichés.
"Actually, I was going to go with "Life's a bitch, and then you die," but yours works too"
They both laughed then, and the tension that seemed to be building over the past few days melted away, as Buffy turned to look at her unusual confidante.
"The stupidest part? They want it. What I've got. I know Xander, and he'd give his right eye for my power and responsibility. Where's the sense in that? If I could, I'd just give it to him! Say "have fun" and then skip off to class, or a party..or whatever the hell I wanted."
"No you wouldn't pet." At her indignant expression, Spike waded in. "You might not have wanted your power, but who would you be without it?"
"God, probably Cordelia," sighed Buffy. She hated that Spike could be so damn astute.
"Right. And the idea horrifies you now, doesn't it? You've grown up, and not just in the "I'm going to college" sense. You've seen the pain of the world. You know what's going on. You could never just ignore all that. Even if your powers were stripped tomorrow, you'd be by the Scoobies side, fighting the good fight and what not."
Buffy sighed. "You're right. I hate that, yanno."
Spike barked a little before standing up and scanning the graveyard. "Oh, I know, luv. Tell you what, I promise not to be insightful for the rest of the day. How's that?"
Buffy stood alongside him, sporting an honest to goodness smile. "Sounds good, Spikey. I say we call it a night now anyways. This place is dead, no pun intended, and I'm sure Xander is all finished with Anya."
"Probably finished about five minutes after I left," scoffed Spike. Buffy swatted his arm, before brushing the last of the grass from her pants.
"Be nice. He's your roommate, and he's trying. Kinda. Oh, go home Spike!" She laughed now, but not at his pain, just the situation. God, she was messed up.
"Yeah Slayer, I'll see you tomorrow no doubt." Without a backwards glance, Spike sauntered off, leather duster billowing around him like..God Buffy, he's just a friend!
Friend? Buffy sighed. Why couldn't things just be simple in her life? Now she was having pleasant chitchat with the vampire who had this pesky tendency to try and kill her? And it was. Pleasant, that is. She'd felt lighter since talking with him. It's weird the way things work out. Especially when she should be focusing on the weird soldier guys that were in the neighbourhood. Not that they were doing her any harm really, but if nothing else, for Spike's sake.
Buffy snorted. For Spike's sake? She really was insane, but she's pretty sure she means it.
