"You do know that thing is off don't you?"
Buffy lifted her head and looked towards Spike. "What?"
Spike grinned as he finished climbing up the ladder. "You were staring at the TV like your life depended on it. Just wanted to remind you that it's off."
"Oh" she said, a little embarrassed. "Right."
He put a bag of stuff on top off one of the stone slabs and looked suspiciously at her. "Is that my shirt?"
"Yeah, I borrowed it. Sorry, mine is just a bit." she trailed off. "Sorry."
"Hey, its no problem" he reassured her. "So, sleep well?"
Buffy muttered, "Yeah."
"Terrific," he said sarcastically, unpacking a few things. When he finished, he lit up a cigarette and sat leant against the wall. "So, what are your plans now?"
Buffy leant back in the chair. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, now that you've slept here for the night, what are you gonna do now? Last time you spent the night here you found it hard to give it up for the next few weeks."
Spike raised his eyebrows suggestively. Buffy just stared at him, a small smile starting to form. He may not be the nicest of all people but he did make her laugh occasionally.
Before she had a chance to respond, they both whipped their heads towards the direction of the door, both picking up the sound of footsteps. One of the things they did have in common was a heightened sense of hearing, supernatural of course. As they listened, Buffy recognised the voices of her friends. She looked at Spike is alarm. He read her mind immediately and nodded towards the stone coffin at the other end of the room.
They both moved towards the object, the vampire pulling the lid aside and the slayer jumping in. When she was safely inside, he pulled the lid across, locking her in and sat cross-legged on the top, still smoking.
After a few moments, Xander opened the door, Tara behind him. Spike grinned. "Well well, it's the Lord of the Un-used wedding Rings. Chickened out again did ya mate? Want a place to crash?"
Before Xander got angry, Tara pushed him backwards, giving him a look that said 'Calm down'. He obeyed, and stood back by the door, leaving her to explain the reason why they were here.
"Spike, we're looking for Buffy. She ran out of the house yesterday and we haven't seen her since, we're worried."
The vampire just sighed and looked round. "Well, she ain't here as you can see." He stubbed out the cigarette in front of him, seeing the opening for information. "What happened?"
"That demon? The one that made her crazy? Well, it looks as though she didn't take the antidote. She tied up Xander, Willow and Dawn and set the demon free on them." Tara explained.
"She came to her senses before the demon got us," Xander added from the door, stepping forward a bit. "She killed it and then ran off."
Spike looked a bit concerned. "Why did she run off?"
Tara smiled slightly. "We don't know." She had an idea and turned to her friend by the door. "Xander, could you go get the car, I'll meet you outside in a minute."
Xander looked a bit suspicious but obeyed, leaving Tara alone with Spike. When he was out of hearing range, she turned to the vampire.
"Look, Buffy told me. about you and her. what's been going on for the last few months. She made it sound like you would be the person she'd go to in a situation like this. Honestly Spike, have you seen her?"
He looked down, not sure what to say. Inside the coffin, Buffy cringed slightly, hoping he'd say the right answer. Spike just sighed. "Honestly Tara, I haven't seen her." He heard a small sigh from beneath him.
"Ok" the witch said, smiling appreciatively at him and started towards the door. "If you see her, can you get her to contact one of us."
"Good luck with the search." He shouted after her but she'd already gone. He jumped off of the coffin and slid the lid aside, holding his hand out.
Buffy took it and climbed out, coughing a little. "Thanks." She said.
"No problem," he said. "So that's what happened?" "Yeah, that's what happened." She replied shyly, leaning against the large stone coffin.
"Well I can see why you'd want to get away." Spike muttered. Then he reached over and placed his hand on Buffy's shoulder. She looked at him, almost helplessly.
"You know you can stay here for as long as you want" he said with a sympathetic smile. She looked at the floor and finally back up at the vampire.
"Thank you." She said with a smile. "I appreciate it." She flopped back down into Spike's chair, almost as though she owned it. She raised her hand to her forehead as if her brain was aching. She never thought in a million years that she'd been staying in a vampire's lair, least of all Spike's. One could never predict these things though, not even those ancient prophecies Giles used to have his head buried in back in Sunnydale Library. Her mind was cast back into the memories that the library held.
Giles was usually in his office sorting out one of her assignments for the night, either a particular vampire that would rise or a demon that he knew was nesting in a particular area.
Willow was usually at the computer checking the hospitals and funeral parlours for any suspicious deaths that may be from a vampire. As she once said, she was the only person in school to have the City Morgue in her favourites.
Xander and Cordelia were often sitting in the corner helping Giles with research or bickering. Theirs was a volatile relationship so it wasn't exactly a surprise when they finished.
And Dawn. Her sister Dawn. Often with her mom at her Gallery, Buffy was compelled to take care of her sister after school. Usually the small brunette was tucked up in the corner doing homework or reading a book on Witchcraft she'd sneaked from the shelf.
Those were the times that stuck in her memory, their slayer circle. The Scooby Gang. From a time when she had her whole life ahead of her.
She could not completely forget about her friends, even if it was just responsibilities to them. The same ones she'd faced when she came back from the dead. Money, Food, Routines. She also felt under obligation to let her friends know she was okay.
Buffy lifted her head and looked towards Spike. "What?"
Spike grinned as he finished climbing up the ladder. "You were staring at the TV like your life depended on it. Just wanted to remind you that it's off."
"Oh" she said, a little embarrassed. "Right."
He put a bag of stuff on top off one of the stone slabs and looked suspiciously at her. "Is that my shirt?"
"Yeah, I borrowed it. Sorry, mine is just a bit." she trailed off. "Sorry."
"Hey, its no problem" he reassured her. "So, sleep well?"
Buffy muttered, "Yeah."
"Terrific," he said sarcastically, unpacking a few things. When he finished, he lit up a cigarette and sat leant against the wall. "So, what are your plans now?"
Buffy leant back in the chair. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, now that you've slept here for the night, what are you gonna do now? Last time you spent the night here you found it hard to give it up for the next few weeks."
Spike raised his eyebrows suggestively. Buffy just stared at him, a small smile starting to form. He may not be the nicest of all people but he did make her laugh occasionally.
Before she had a chance to respond, they both whipped their heads towards the direction of the door, both picking up the sound of footsteps. One of the things they did have in common was a heightened sense of hearing, supernatural of course. As they listened, Buffy recognised the voices of her friends. She looked at Spike is alarm. He read her mind immediately and nodded towards the stone coffin at the other end of the room.
They both moved towards the object, the vampire pulling the lid aside and the slayer jumping in. When she was safely inside, he pulled the lid across, locking her in and sat cross-legged on the top, still smoking.
After a few moments, Xander opened the door, Tara behind him. Spike grinned. "Well well, it's the Lord of the Un-used wedding Rings. Chickened out again did ya mate? Want a place to crash?"
Before Xander got angry, Tara pushed him backwards, giving him a look that said 'Calm down'. He obeyed, and stood back by the door, leaving her to explain the reason why they were here.
"Spike, we're looking for Buffy. She ran out of the house yesterday and we haven't seen her since, we're worried."
The vampire just sighed and looked round. "Well, she ain't here as you can see." He stubbed out the cigarette in front of him, seeing the opening for information. "What happened?"
"That demon? The one that made her crazy? Well, it looks as though she didn't take the antidote. She tied up Xander, Willow and Dawn and set the demon free on them." Tara explained.
"She came to her senses before the demon got us," Xander added from the door, stepping forward a bit. "She killed it and then ran off."
Spike looked a bit concerned. "Why did she run off?"
Tara smiled slightly. "We don't know." She had an idea and turned to her friend by the door. "Xander, could you go get the car, I'll meet you outside in a minute."
Xander looked a bit suspicious but obeyed, leaving Tara alone with Spike. When he was out of hearing range, she turned to the vampire.
"Look, Buffy told me. about you and her. what's been going on for the last few months. She made it sound like you would be the person she'd go to in a situation like this. Honestly Spike, have you seen her?"
He looked down, not sure what to say. Inside the coffin, Buffy cringed slightly, hoping he'd say the right answer. Spike just sighed. "Honestly Tara, I haven't seen her." He heard a small sigh from beneath him.
"Ok" the witch said, smiling appreciatively at him and started towards the door. "If you see her, can you get her to contact one of us."
"Good luck with the search." He shouted after her but she'd already gone. He jumped off of the coffin and slid the lid aside, holding his hand out.
Buffy took it and climbed out, coughing a little. "Thanks." She said.
"No problem," he said. "So that's what happened?" "Yeah, that's what happened." She replied shyly, leaning against the large stone coffin.
"Well I can see why you'd want to get away." Spike muttered. Then he reached over and placed his hand on Buffy's shoulder. She looked at him, almost helplessly.
"You know you can stay here for as long as you want" he said with a sympathetic smile. She looked at the floor and finally back up at the vampire.
"Thank you." She said with a smile. "I appreciate it." She flopped back down into Spike's chair, almost as though she owned it. She raised her hand to her forehead as if her brain was aching. She never thought in a million years that she'd been staying in a vampire's lair, least of all Spike's. One could never predict these things though, not even those ancient prophecies Giles used to have his head buried in back in Sunnydale Library. Her mind was cast back into the memories that the library held.
Giles was usually in his office sorting out one of her assignments for the night, either a particular vampire that would rise or a demon that he knew was nesting in a particular area.
Willow was usually at the computer checking the hospitals and funeral parlours for any suspicious deaths that may be from a vampire. As she once said, she was the only person in school to have the City Morgue in her favourites.
Xander and Cordelia were often sitting in the corner helping Giles with research or bickering. Theirs was a volatile relationship so it wasn't exactly a surprise when they finished.
And Dawn. Her sister Dawn. Often with her mom at her Gallery, Buffy was compelled to take care of her sister after school. Usually the small brunette was tucked up in the corner doing homework or reading a book on Witchcraft she'd sneaked from the shelf.
Those were the times that stuck in her memory, their slayer circle. The Scooby Gang. From a time when she had her whole life ahead of her.
She could not completely forget about her friends, even if it was just responsibilities to them. The same ones she'd faced when she came back from the dead. Money, Food, Routines. She also felt under obligation to let her friends know she was okay.