Summary: Buffy made a wish that changed some things about Spike: he's now
human, his crypt was redecorated, he dresses normally, doesn't listen to
punk music, drink, smoke, lie, cheat, steal, or swear, and his hair has
reverted to its original color. He also doesn't love Buffy anymore, but she
doesn't know that. Everyone in the Scooby gang has found something to like
about the new Spike, and Buffy is starting to feel a little jealous, but
she doesn't blame him, and has found that she kind of likes him too. And
now, the moment you've all been waiting for...
A/N: Yeah, I know I said you wouldn't have to wait as long over the summer for chapters, but apparently I lied. I'm soooo sorry. :::grovels for forgiveness::: Unfortunately, I'll be out of town for a couple of weeks, so you won't be getting any new chapters for a while after this. Sorry. :::winces:::
Chapter 9:
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*ONE WEEK LATER~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Buffy, behind you!" Spike shouted across the cemetery to his partner in slaying.
"Thanks!" she called back as she kicked the demon who had tried to sneak up behind her in the stomach before kneeing it in the head. A few minutes of fighting later, and she was the only one in the cemetery still standing. "Spike! Spike?" Buffy started running to where she had last seen Spike fighting before he had disappeared around the corner of a mausoleum.
"Ow. 'M all right, Buffy, just hit my head, 'sall," Spike said, leaning on the wall.
"God, I was worried. Are you going to be ok?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Spike waved his hand, as if to make his injury disappear, then noticed that Buffy was looking at him with a shocked expression on her face. "Buffy? What, 'm I bleeding somewhere else? Buffy?"
As Spike responded to her, Buffy suddenly realized just how worried about Spike she had been. She knew that over the past week she had come to like him as a friend, and she tried to think of him like she thought of Xander, but occasionally, she would slip into different thoughts about Spike. But now, as she stood in the cemetery looking at him, she realized just how much he had changed, and just how much he had become a part of her life, and in what way. Spike, of all people, was starting to fill the hole that Riley had left in her heart.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Buffy realized that Spike had been calling her name, and looked concerned. "No, Spike, I'm ok. I just...I just realized something."
She took a step closer to Spike, who was still standing with his back against the mausoleum wall. Buffy lifted her hand to his face, bringing it down slightly so she could reach him. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Spike's. He stood, frozen with shock for a moment before trying to move away, but he couldn't. Inwardly wondering what was going on, he put his hands on Buffy's shoulders to push her away. Unfortunately, she took his movement as encouragement and moved closer. When she stopped to breathe, she looked up at his face and frowned.
"Spike?" Buffy asked, suddenly nervous. He hadn't responded to her kiss at all, but he had to have a good reason, after all, she knew that he loved her.
"Buffy, you sure you're ok?" Spike looked into her eyes, searching for any clue as to why Buffy was acting so strangely. Over the past week, he had started to relax around him, and treat him as a friend. He was now enjoying the friendship of all the members of the Scooby gang, and he thought things were getting back to whatever normal was in Sunnydale after his transformation. Apparently not.
"I'm fine. I just...when I said I realized something, it was that I care about you, maybe as more than just a friend, and I said that really wrong, 'cause I suck at the whole word thing-" Buffy started babbling nervously trying to let Spike know that she was fine.
"Whoa! Buffy, are you sayin' you care about me...like that?" Spike motioned to his mouth uncertainly. Surely that wasn't what she was trying to say...
"Yes, I just realized it. I think I really care about you," Buffy said sincerely, then looked to Spike for a sign of any response.
"Oh." Spike's mouth opened and he blinked a couple of times before he spoke again. "Look, Buffy, I know I used to feel that way about you, and I expressed it really," here, Spike winced, remembering the scene in his basement, "well, really badly. But whatever it was I felt, I...I don't love you anymore Buffy. I'm sorry." He paused for a moment, taking in her stunned expression and realizing she wasn't going to be saying any more any time soon. "I didn't say anything about it earlier, 'cause I didn't think you felt like that 'bout me. I should have said somethin' when I was talking 'bout all those other changes.
"Buffy, I do like you. You're a good friend, an' I like doing things with you and the Scoobies. I think maybe it'd be best if we stayed friends. I'm sorry." With that, Spike hesitantly patted her on the shoulder and walked off toward his crypt.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Yeah, I know I said you wouldn't have to wait as long over the summer for chapters, but apparently I lied. I'm soooo sorry. :::grovels for forgiveness::: Unfortunately, I'll be out of town for a couple of weeks, so you won't be getting any new chapters for a while after this. Sorry. :::winces:::
Chapter 9:
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*ONE WEEK LATER~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Buffy, behind you!" Spike shouted across the cemetery to his partner in slaying.
"Thanks!" she called back as she kicked the demon who had tried to sneak up behind her in the stomach before kneeing it in the head. A few minutes of fighting later, and she was the only one in the cemetery still standing. "Spike! Spike?" Buffy started running to where she had last seen Spike fighting before he had disappeared around the corner of a mausoleum.
"Ow. 'M all right, Buffy, just hit my head, 'sall," Spike said, leaning on the wall.
"God, I was worried. Are you going to be ok?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Spike waved his hand, as if to make his injury disappear, then noticed that Buffy was looking at him with a shocked expression on her face. "Buffy? What, 'm I bleeding somewhere else? Buffy?"
As Spike responded to her, Buffy suddenly realized just how worried about Spike she had been. She knew that over the past week she had come to like him as a friend, and she tried to think of him like she thought of Xander, but occasionally, she would slip into different thoughts about Spike. But now, as she stood in the cemetery looking at him, she realized just how much he had changed, and just how much he had become a part of her life, and in what way. Spike, of all people, was starting to fill the hole that Riley had left in her heart.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Buffy realized that Spike had been calling her name, and looked concerned. "No, Spike, I'm ok. I just...I just realized something."
She took a step closer to Spike, who was still standing with his back against the mausoleum wall. Buffy lifted her hand to his face, bringing it down slightly so she could reach him. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Spike's. He stood, frozen with shock for a moment before trying to move away, but he couldn't. Inwardly wondering what was going on, he put his hands on Buffy's shoulders to push her away. Unfortunately, she took his movement as encouragement and moved closer. When she stopped to breathe, she looked up at his face and frowned.
"Spike?" Buffy asked, suddenly nervous. He hadn't responded to her kiss at all, but he had to have a good reason, after all, she knew that he loved her.
"Buffy, you sure you're ok?" Spike looked into her eyes, searching for any clue as to why Buffy was acting so strangely. Over the past week, he had started to relax around him, and treat him as a friend. He was now enjoying the friendship of all the members of the Scooby gang, and he thought things were getting back to whatever normal was in Sunnydale after his transformation. Apparently not.
"I'm fine. I just...when I said I realized something, it was that I care about you, maybe as more than just a friend, and I said that really wrong, 'cause I suck at the whole word thing-" Buffy started babbling nervously trying to let Spike know that she was fine.
"Whoa! Buffy, are you sayin' you care about me...like that?" Spike motioned to his mouth uncertainly. Surely that wasn't what she was trying to say...
"Yes, I just realized it. I think I really care about you," Buffy said sincerely, then looked to Spike for a sign of any response.
"Oh." Spike's mouth opened and he blinked a couple of times before he spoke again. "Look, Buffy, I know I used to feel that way about you, and I expressed it really," here, Spike winced, remembering the scene in his basement, "well, really badly. But whatever it was I felt, I...I don't love you anymore Buffy. I'm sorry." He paused for a moment, taking in her stunned expression and realizing she wasn't going to be saying any more any time soon. "I didn't say anything about it earlier, 'cause I didn't think you felt like that 'bout me. I should have said somethin' when I was talking 'bout all those other changes.
"Buffy, I do like you. You're a good friend, an' I like doing things with you and the Scoobies. I think maybe it'd be best if we stayed friends. I'm sorry." With that, Spike hesitantly patted her on the shoulder and walked off toward his crypt.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
