Humanity - March 2009
Chapter Fifty-One
Buffy walked through the doors of the hotel. Bob the demon had dropped her off in a McDonald's bathroom about four blocks away. Apparently he and the other demon chick hadn't worked out all the kinks in the teleporting deal yet. She had just been embarrassed to walk out of there filthy, covered in bruises and burns, in bare feet, and half a shirt on. Luckily it was LA and most of the patrons just passed her off as some crazy person.
Buffy was stunned when she saw the man made picture window throughout the back wall of the hotel. She then began to worry, maybe she had been too late. Perhaps it had all been for nothing. She tried to fight back the tears until she knew for sure what was going on. Just then Connor and Willow came down the stairs. Willow ran to hug her friend while Connor held back and gave a polite wave.
"Oh my God, Buffy! What happened to you, you look like shit." Willow responded honestly to her friend's battered shape.
"Had to kill my vampire self, killed a few human apparitions, and a few million fire ants gnawed on me for a few hours. Please tell me I was in time, because right now I want to soak in a bath tub full of calamine lotion more than I've ever wanted anything in my life." Buffy sighed.
"Buff, maybe you should go take a shower, get cleaned up and I'll round everyone up."
"Spike's alive, isn't he?" Buffy asked, suddenly worried.
"Well, he's talking and moving around if that's what you mean." Willow said.
"Good, you're right - going to go take very long shower and try not to scratch all of my skin off."
Willow sighed as she watched her battered friend walk up the stairs. She gave Connor and anxious look and they went to go wake everyone up.
*************************
Spike wasn't sure what to do. He had been wondering around downtown for almost twenty four hours. He couldn't figure out what the hell he was supposed to be. He didn't feel the constant need to maim and kill like he had a few days ago, but he also didn't have that irritating little whisper in the back of his head telling him what to do. He was confused and he had no one to talk to about it. He then thought that he would talk to the sorceress that had teleported him in the first place all those years ago. She seemed to be all hip with the reading people thing. He frantically looked through his pockets for enough cash to buy a pack of smokes before he headed over to the demon's place. He then wondered why he cared if he had enough money, and wondered why he didn't just knick a pack off some vendor.
*******************************
After Buffy got done explaining her sordid adventure to the rest of the group, they all stared at her in awe. They couldn't believe that she had gone through that for Spike. None of them would have had a problem believing that Spike had done that for her, but the other way around just sounded strange to them.
"So where is Spike and where is Giles?" Buffy asked innocently.
Just then Giles came wandering down the stairs. His jaw was purple and swollen to accessorize the matching black eye he wore. He was wearing a short sleeved polo shirt and everyone could see the hundreds of tiny cuts that were embedded in his arms. The battered Slayer went and fiercely hugged her bruised watcher. The two looked at one another and started laughing.
"You look like hell." Buffy said.
"And you look like shit." Giles replied.
"What happened?" Buffy asked.
"Trust me, you do not want to know."
"Spike, huh?"
"Yes." Giles said quietly.
When they took their seats once more, Dawn explained what happened after the battle.
"He freaked Buffy. He starting crying and then he ran off. None of have seen him since yesterday." Dawn said in a worried voice.
"He has some stuff to sort through, I'm sure he'll remember that we all still love him though." Buffy said, trying to assure her sister as much as herself.
"He just needs some time, maybe he thinks we won't forgive him." Anya said.
"I don't know why. With all the stuff we've done to one another over the years, I think considering we all still have our limbs, no one's dead or in the hospital, I don't think Spike caused all that much damage." Xander said, attempting to make some amends for his previous slanders.
"Except for my wall. You know how much this is going to cost?" Angel said in an irritated tone.
"Honey, all of your friends are alive, isn't that enough?" Cordelia said.
"Yeah I guess." Angel said, his eyes never wavering from the wall, or lack thereof.
"Guys, this may be at the bottom of the priority list but what are we going to do about the vampire prisoners?" Fred asked.
"Right, I say we just let Nick go, tell him to leave town. He's no real threat. Most harm he's going to do it bump off a few drug dealers." Buffy said honestly.
Buffy knew she was the Slayer, but the vampire had come in good faith, and everything had worked out, sort of. She couldn't just dust him, over the years her views of black and white had seriously mixed into some shades of gray.
Suddenly Gunn came out of Wesley's office, holding a note.
"Guys, I don't think we have to worry about doling out punishments, looks like vamps flew the coupe." Gunn said.
Buffy then read the note.
Slayer and her pals:
Sorry about taking off like this, hope everything worked out well. It's not that I didn't trust you to keep your word, it's just that if I were you Slayer I would have waited until you were alone with me and then dusted me. I took Dru with me, I know she's a nut case, but she makes me feel special or something. I guess like I can take care of her, haven't had that feeling in awhile. Thought we would go to Australia or something like that. You never have to worry about seeing me or her in The City of Angels again. For humans you guys are all right, a lot more tolerant than most I've met. Slayer, Spike still loves you. Even when he was plotting to kill you it still looked like he was going to burst into tears whenever I brought up your name. And I should know, I followed the guy around for over six years. And tell your kid sister to find someone her own age, she's cute. We're going to slip out now, take care.
Nick
The group was stunned that a soulless vampire had written such a letter, if they wouldn't have already seen his bumpy face they would have just taken him for a normal human. They all laughed a little that he had decided to take Dru on by himself.
"Looks like there's a little Spike Jr. wondering around with his insane princess." Buffy said softly before setting the note aside.
After the group dispersed once more to help Angel finish cleaning up the mess on the back of his hotel, Wesley pulled Giles into his office to tell him about what Nick had told him about Quentin.
"What are we going to do about this?" Wesley asked the older watcher.
"I'm leaving for London tomorrow, I'll take care of it." Giles said.
Wesley shuddered when Giles left the room, he didn't even want to know what Giles had meant by his last remark.
**********************
Spike walked into the demon's haunt. It was pretty clean. It was contemporarily decorated loft. He smiled appreciatively at all the black that was used to furnish the joint. He looked up to find Cale standing in front of him. Apparently she was going for the human visage for the time being.
"Didn't mean to bust in, door was open." Spike said, not sure why he was apologizing.
"It's fine, could've killed you before you entered if I had wanted." Cale replied nonchalantly.
"Yeah." Was all Spike could think of to say.
"You're confused vampire." Cale said.
"Yeah, I'm not sure what I am. Got some sun bathing in today and I didn't get all dusty." Spike replied honestly.
"Your demon is gone." She replied simply.
"So am I a vampire, do I still have a soul?" Spike asked. He didn't want to play twenty questions with the witch.
"Technically your still a vampire. You have the immortality, the need for blood, the strength, but you have none of the weaknesses. Sunlight won't bother you, you can hold crosses, stake through the heart will still kill you, but that would kill you if you were human too. And no, I don't smell a soul anywhere near you."
"So, how come I feel all guilty about being such a wanker the past few days then?"
"Spike, you're a special case. You may not have your soul, but you retained you humanity. It had never left you. You'll be fine. Now go to your Slayer. Go to your daughter and love them." Cale said, signaling that the conversation was over.
Spike then left. He knew he needed some time to get his nerves in order. He called Buffy's home phone and left a message. He then went to his motorcycle and headed up the coast. He just needed a few days to clear his mind and let everything sink in.
Buffy walked through the doors of the hotel. Bob the demon had dropped her off in a McDonald's bathroom about four blocks away. Apparently he and the other demon chick hadn't worked out all the kinks in the teleporting deal yet. She had just been embarrassed to walk out of there filthy, covered in bruises and burns, in bare feet, and half a shirt on. Luckily it was LA and most of the patrons just passed her off as some crazy person.
Buffy was stunned when she saw the man made picture window throughout the back wall of the hotel. She then began to worry, maybe she had been too late. Perhaps it had all been for nothing. She tried to fight back the tears until she knew for sure what was going on. Just then Connor and Willow came down the stairs. Willow ran to hug her friend while Connor held back and gave a polite wave.
"Oh my God, Buffy! What happened to you, you look like shit." Willow responded honestly to her friend's battered shape.
"Had to kill my vampire self, killed a few human apparitions, and a few million fire ants gnawed on me for a few hours. Please tell me I was in time, because right now I want to soak in a bath tub full of calamine lotion more than I've ever wanted anything in my life." Buffy sighed.
"Buff, maybe you should go take a shower, get cleaned up and I'll round everyone up."
"Spike's alive, isn't he?" Buffy asked, suddenly worried.
"Well, he's talking and moving around if that's what you mean." Willow said.
"Good, you're right - going to go take very long shower and try not to scratch all of my skin off."
Willow sighed as she watched her battered friend walk up the stairs. She gave Connor and anxious look and they went to go wake everyone up.
*************************
Spike wasn't sure what to do. He had been wondering around downtown for almost twenty four hours. He couldn't figure out what the hell he was supposed to be. He didn't feel the constant need to maim and kill like he had a few days ago, but he also didn't have that irritating little whisper in the back of his head telling him what to do. He was confused and he had no one to talk to about it. He then thought that he would talk to the sorceress that had teleported him in the first place all those years ago. She seemed to be all hip with the reading people thing. He frantically looked through his pockets for enough cash to buy a pack of smokes before he headed over to the demon's place. He then wondered why he cared if he had enough money, and wondered why he didn't just knick a pack off some vendor.
*******************************
After Buffy got done explaining her sordid adventure to the rest of the group, they all stared at her in awe. They couldn't believe that she had gone through that for Spike. None of them would have had a problem believing that Spike had done that for her, but the other way around just sounded strange to them.
"So where is Spike and where is Giles?" Buffy asked innocently.
Just then Giles came wandering down the stairs. His jaw was purple and swollen to accessorize the matching black eye he wore. He was wearing a short sleeved polo shirt and everyone could see the hundreds of tiny cuts that were embedded in his arms. The battered Slayer went and fiercely hugged her bruised watcher. The two looked at one another and started laughing.
"You look like hell." Buffy said.
"And you look like shit." Giles replied.
"What happened?" Buffy asked.
"Trust me, you do not want to know."
"Spike, huh?"
"Yes." Giles said quietly.
When they took their seats once more, Dawn explained what happened after the battle.
"He freaked Buffy. He starting crying and then he ran off. None of have seen him since yesterday." Dawn said in a worried voice.
"He has some stuff to sort through, I'm sure he'll remember that we all still love him though." Buffy said, trying to assure her sister as much as herself.
"He just needs some time, maybe he thinks we won't forgive him." Anya said.
"I don't know why. With all the stuff we've done to one another over the years, I think considering we all still have our limbs, no one's dead or in the hospital, I don't think Spike caused all that much damage." Xander said, attempting to make some amends for his previous slanders.
"Except for my wall. You know how much this is going to cost?" Angel said in an irritated tone.
"Honey, all of your friends are alive, isn't that enough?" Cordelia said.
"Yeah I guess." Angel said, his eyes never wavering from the wall, or lack thereof.
"Guys, this may be at the bottom of the priority list but what are we going to do about the vampire prisoners?" Fred asked.
"Right, I say we just let Nick go, tell him to leave town. He's no real threat. Most harm he's going to do it bump off a few drug dealers." Buffy said honestly.
Buffy knew she was the Slayer, but the vampire had come in good faith, and everything had worked out, sort of. She couldn't just dust him, over the years her views of black and white had seriously mixed into some shades of gray.
Suddenly Gunn came out of Wesley's office, holding a note.
"Guys, I don't think we have to worry about doling out punishments, looks like vamps flew the coupe." Gunn said.
Buffy then read the note.
Slayer and her pals:
Sorry about taking off like this, hope everything worked out well. It's not that I didn't trust you to keep your word, it's just that if I were you Slayer I would have waited until you were alone with me and then dusted me. I took Dru with me, I know she's a nut case, but she makes me feel special or something. I guess like I can take care of her, haven't had that feeling in awhile. Thought we would go to Australia or something like that. You never have to worry about seeing me or her in The City of Angels again. For humans you guys are all right, a lot more tolerant than most I've met. Slayer, Spike still loves you. Even when he was plotting to kill you it still looked like he was going to burst into tears whenever I brought up your name. And I should know, I followed the guy around for over six years. And tell your kid sister to find someone her own age, she's cute. We're going to slip out now, take care.
Nick
The group was stunned that a soulless vampire had written such a letter, if they wouldn't have already seen his bumpy face they would have just taken him for a normal human. They all laughed a little that he had decided to take Dru on by himself.
"Looks like there's a little Spike Jr. wondering around with his insane princess." Buffy said softly before setting the note aside.
After the group dispersed once more to help Angel finish cleaning up the mess on the back of his hotel, Wesley pulled Giles into his office to tell him about what Nick had told him about Quentin.
"What are we going to do about this?" Wesley asked the older watcher.
"I'm leaving for London tomorrow, I'll take care of it." Giles said.
Wesley shuddered when Giles left the room, he didn't even want to know what Giles had meant by his last remark.
**********************
Spike walked into the demon's haunt. It was pretty clean. It was contemporarily decorated loft. He smiled appreciatively at all the black that was used to furnish the joint. He looked up to find Cale standing in front of him. Apparently she was going for the human visage for the time being.
"Didn't mean to bust in, door was open." Spike said, not sure why he was apologizing.
"It's fine, could've killed you before you entered if I had wanted." Cale replied nonchalantly.
"Yeah." Was all Spike could think of to say.
"You're confused vampire." Cale said.
"Yeah, I'm not sure what I am. Got some sun bathing in today and I didn't get all dusty." Spike replied honestly.
"Your demon is gone." She replied simply.
"So am I a vampire, do I still have a soul?" Spike asked. He didn't want to play twenty questions with the witch.
"Technically your still a vampire. You have the immortality, the need for blood, the strength, but you have none of the weaknesses. Sunlight won't bother you, you can hold crosses, stake through the heart will still kill you, but that would kill you if you were human too. And no, I don't smell a soul anywhere near you."
"So, how come I feel all guilty about being such a wanker the past few days then?"
"Spike, you're a special case. You may not have your soul, but you retained you humanity. It had never left you. You'll be fine. Now go to your Slayer. Go to your daughter and love them." Cale said, signaling that the conversation was over.
Spike then left. He knew he needed some time to get his nerves in order. He called Buffy's home phone and left a message. He then went to his motorcycle and headed up the coast. He just needed a few days to clear his mind and let everything sink in.