CHAPTER 4 - BIG FARYL DEMONS
He sensed her before he felt her small hand lightly touch his fingers. He thought he'd just closed his eyes only for a few minutes while she slept, but had drifted off himself.
He opened his eyes as she took her hand away.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Hey yourself. How you feeling?" Spike asked.
"Confused. Head-achy...what happened?"
"Couple of nasties jumped you down by my old place. Knocked you out," Spike said.
"I don't remember," Buffy said.
"Probably due to that nasty bump on your head," Spike said.
Buffy raised her hand to her head, "Ouch! Must be the spot."
"How did I get home?" She asked, knowing the probable answer.
"I came out to find you. Something didn't feel right, so I went looking," Spike said, shrugging.
"What was it? That got me?" Buffy said.
"Big demons, two big Fyarl demons. Couldn't have fought them off by yourself," Spike said, trying to reassure her.
Buffy looked at him, no worse for the wear. Big Fyarl demons, huh? Something didn't add up, but she didn't press him.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what, luv?" Spike asked.
"Coming out, bringing me home, taking care of me," Buffy said, looking him in the eyes with gratitude.
"Buffy," he didn't know why, all of a sudden he had a lump in his throat. "I, I'm just glad to return the favor, luv," he said, wishing his head would explode in pain, like it used to. Something concrete to concentrate on, instead of this feeling that he was missing some sort of signal she was sending.
"Spike, I..." Buffy started just as the door opened.
"Hey Buffy," Willow said.
"Feeling better this morning?" Giles asked.
"Hey Willow. Yes, better," Buffy answered both of them.
"Spike, why don't you go downstairs and refill Buffy's icebag? Then you'll probably want to rest, since the sun has been up for hours now and the potentials are on their way out for some training with Xander at the gym. He rented the place for the whole day, just for them." Giles said.
Spike got the distinct feeling that both Giles and Willow had orchestrated this 'takeover' of Buffy's care.
Buffy quickly glanced at Spike with something like alarm in her eyes, but quickly veiled it before they could see. She nodded slightly to him.
"Okay, then," Spike said as he gently lifted the water-logged icebag from the back of Buffy's head, caressing it for just a second, just so that she knew that he had.
When he came back with the ice, Willow met him at the door.
"Thanks, Spike, I'll give it to Buffy," she said.
Spike looked at her for a couple of seconds, then shrugged and started to hand her the icebag.
Just as she took it, he held her wrist lightly for a moment, motioning her out to the hall.
"Don't let Giles upset Buffy by telling her every little detail about training and all that. She isn't herself right now. Wasn't herself last night," Spike said.
"What do you mean?" Willow asked.
"Buffy almost got killed by two junior vamps. Couldn't be much more than fledglings, yet she didn't even see them coming. Not before one of them cracked her on the head," Spike said.
"That's terrible, but maybe they were really strong?" Willow asked, hopefully.
"No, just average. Which is why I think Buffy's in serious shape and needs a break from the stress. I even told her they were big Faryl demons that attacked her. She doesn't remember and I didn't want to make her feel worse than she already does about getting bested last night," Spike said.
"You're right Spike, she's been wound up tighter than a, than a, well, something. What with all the Potentials, and The First, and when you were killing people, then captured, then your chip going all wonky, and...oh, sorry, Spike," Willow said, seeing the pain in his eyes.
"Yeah, I know, Wil, I'm a big part of her problem. Or at least I was. I intend to do everything I can to earn my keep around here. Helping Buffy, you guys, fighting evil," Spike said.
"You know, I'd leave in a minute if that's what she wanted. Even asked her; suggested it, that I should leave town, get away, before... you know, The First tries to make me its bitch again. But she said no. She said I had to stay. Telling you this just in case Giles wants to know why I am sticking around. Because Buffy ordered me to," Spike said, stretching the truth a bit, but for a good purpose.
"So tell Rupert that he can stop with the dirty looks and all that rot," Spike said, walking away. "And you too, Red. You and the boy."
"Spike!" Willow called after him, "I don't give you dirty looks!"
"No, just disparaging ones," Spike called back, over his shoulder, as he slunk off to the basement.
END OF CHAPTER 4
He sensed her before he felt her small hand lightly touch his fingers. He thought he'd just closed his eyes only for a few minutes while she slept, but had drifted off himself.
He opened his eyes as she took her hand away.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Hey yourself. How you feeling?" Spike asked.
"Confused. Head-achy...what happened?"
"Couple of nasties jumped you down by my old place. Knocked you out," Spike said.
"I don't remember," Buffy said.
"Probably due to that nasty bump on your head," Spike said.
Buffy raised her hand to her head, "Ouch! Must be the spot."
"How did I get home?" She asked, knowing the probable answer.
"I came out to find you. Something didn't feel right, so I went looking," Spike said, shrugging.
"What was it? That got me?" Buffy said.
"Big demons, two big Fyarl demons. Couldn't have fought them off by yourself," Spike said, trying to reassure her.
Buffy looked at him, no worse for the wear. Big Fyarl demons, huh? Something didn't add up, but she didn't press him.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what, luv?" Spike asked.
"Coming out, bringing me home, taking care of me," Buffy said, looking him in the eyes with gratitude.
"Buffy," he didn't know why, all of a sudden he had a lump in his throat. "I, I'm just glad to return the favor, luv," he said, wishing his head would explode in pain, like it used to. Something concrete to concentrate on, instead of this feeling that he was missing some sort of signal she was sending.
"Spike, I..." Buffy started just as the door opened.
"Hey Buffy," Willow said.
"Feeling better this morning?" Giles asked.
"Hey Willow. Yes, better," Buffy answered both of them.
"Spike, why don't you go downstairs and refill Buffy's icebag? Then you'll probably want to rest, since the sun has been up for hours now and the potentials are on their way out for some training with Xander at the gym. He rented the place for the whole day, just for them." Giles said.
Spike got the distinct feeling that both Giles and Willow had orchestrated this 'takeover' of Buffy's care.
Buffy quickly glanced at Spike with something like alarm in her eyes, but quickly veiled it before they could see. She nodded slightly to him.
"Okay, then," Spike said as he gently lifted the water-logged icebag from the back of Buffy's head, caressing it for just a second, just so that she knew that he had.
When he came back with the ice, Willow met him at the door.
"Thanks, Spike, I'll give it to Buffy," she said.
Spike looked at her for a couple of seconds, then shrugged and started to hand her the icebag.
Just as she took it, he held her wrist lightly for a moment, motioning her out to the hall.
"Don't let Giles upset Buffy by telling her every little detail about training and all that. She isn't herself right now. Wasn't herself last night," Spike said.
"What do you mean?" Willow asked.
"Buffy almost got killed by two junior vamps. Couldn't be much more than fledglings, yet she didn't even see them coming. Not before one of them cracked her on the head," Spike said.
"That's terrible, but maybe they were really strong?" Willow asked, hopefully.
"No, just average. Which is why I think Buffy's in serious shape and needs a break from the stress. I even told her they were big Faryl demons that attacked her. She doesn't remember and I didn't want to make her feel worse than she already does about getting bested last night," Spike said.
"You're right Spike, she's been wound up tighter than a, than a, well, something. What with all the Potentials, and The First, and when you were killing people, then captured, then your chip going all wonky, and...oh, sorry, Spike," Willow said, seeing the pain in his eyes.
"Yeah, I know, Wil, I'm a big part of her problem. Or at least I was. I intend to do everything I can to earn my keep around here. Helping Buffy, you guys, fighting evil," Spike said.
"You know, I'd leave in a minute if that's what she wanted. Even asked her; suggested it, that I should leave town, get away, before... you know, The First tries to make me its bitch again. But she said no. She said I had to stay. Telling you this just in case Giles wants to know why I am sticking around. Because Buffy ordered me to," Spike said, stretching the truth a bit, but for a good purpose.
"So tell Rupert that he can stop with the dirty looks and all that rot," Spike said, walking away. "And you too, Red. You and the boy."
"Spike!" Willow called after him, "I don't give you dirty looks!"
"No, just disparaging ones," Spike called back, over his shoulder, as he slunk off to the basement.
END OF CHAPTER 4