Buffy only enjoyed her sleep for a few minutes. She was awakened by a
voice. "Your juice sir. I hope your wife will be alright." She wondered
absently if someone else had come into the car before she tried to go back
to sleep. She was jolted awake when a familiar British accent said, "Thanks
mate."
She bolted up into a sitting position. "Spike?" Spike looked at her, startled, holding a small carton of apple juice. "Did that man just say...what I think he said?" Spike looked around sheepishly for an escape. "Spike?" Buffy demanded, her voice still hoarse. Spike cleared his throat.
"Yes he did," he said matter-of-factly. Buffy looked at him, bewildered. Spike figured he should explain before she tried to hit him again. "Well you see love, I thought he wouldn't be so suspicious if I said I was your husband and all, thought it'd look better if you know what I mean." Buffy shook her head. His logic did make sense. And despite all her inhibitions she couldn't ignore that tiny tickle in the bottom of her stomach when she thought of being Spike's wife.
She tried to disregard this. It had been a very hard day. She settled back into her chair. "Uh, I uh, got you some juice. Or something. Thought it'd help your throat." Buffy looked at him and smiled. "Why Spike, I think you're blushing." Spike sat up straighter. "Yeah bloody right. Vampires do not blush." He thumped his chest. "Especially William the Bloody." Buffy laughed and it felt good. It helped her not think of Giles.
"Whatever you say Spike, thank you." She reached over and patted his hand, then took the juice. Spike tried to brush aside the warm feelings he got from that simple gesture. If he was going to be with her practically nonstop all the time he was going to have to get over his control issues.
Buffy opened the juice and took a drink. It felt good going down her raw throat. She took another drink and sputtered. Something was in her drink! She coughed as she pulled out a piece of paper. "What the heck?" She said as Spike looked over.
She tentatively opened the folded paper. Her eyes widened. "Spike! It's a message from Willow!" Spike's eyes widened also. "Red sent you a juice telegram did she? What's it say?" Buffy read aloud: "'Buffy, Giles ok. Please be safe. Do not try to contact us. Message will dissolve in thirty seconds.' Sounds a little James Bond-y to me," Buffy said.
To her surprise the small slip of paper, magically unharmed by the juice, dissolved in her hands, leaving nothing but air. She blinked. "Red's a regular super spy," Spike commented as he raised his eyebrows. "More like a witch," Buffy said. Suddenly the message's words hit her.
Giles was ok. Giles was alive! "Oh my God Spike! Giles is alive!" She exclaimed gleefully. She laughed long and clear in her pleasure. "He's alive Spike!" In her exuberance she leaned over and kissed Spike on the cheek merrily.
Spike reached up to touch the place her lips had fluttered moments before as Buffy began to ramble in her happiness. He doubted he would ever forget that moment as log he lived...or rather un-lived. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and kiss her fully on the mouth but he dared not.
He was gracious that he had received such a kiss anyway. It was more than he had ever hoped. Perhaps there was some chance.
Buffy meanwhile, was joyous. She was talking of all the things Giles had told and taught her. How she was so glad he was back. That now she could take her little "vacation" with her mind clear.
She turned to Spike. "It's all going to be ok now Spike." He smiled at her as she beamed. Her color had returned and it even seemed her voice was losing its rawness.
Their mirth was interrupted by a voice over the loudspeaker saying, "Stop 32, MacGeiver, California, fifteen minutes." Spike looked at the tickets again. "That's one of our stops."
"One of them?" Buffy asked. Spike nodded as he handed her a ticket. "Giles is having us transfer a few times before we actually get to Roseland." Buffy understood. "You have to love the man," she said languidly. Spike chuckled and didn't reply.
"But wait. Spike, it says here that we transfer in Fremont at four in the afternoon. It will be daylight..." She looked at him with concern. "You notice that too love?" Buffy shook her head. "What are we going to do? I suppose you could go on without me, you're safe now aren't you?" Spike didn't want to leave her side for all the promises in the world. But if he was going to hold her back from being safe then so be it.
"No Spike. There's no way I'm leaving you. There's got to be someway. And we'll figure it out." Spike wasn't sure he had ever felt more love for the girl in front of him as he did now. She cared about him, and that mattered. If she was just concerned or felt responsible he didn't know. But it was care nonetheless.
Yes, perhaps there was a chance. And if there was, then Spike was sure he was going to take it no matter what the risks.
She bolted up into a sitting position. "Spike?" Spike looked at her, startled, holding a small carton of apple juice. "Did that man just say...what I think he said?" Spike looked around sheepishly for an escape. "Spike?" Buffy demanded, her voice still hoarse. Spike cleared his throat.
"Yes he did," he said matter-of-factly. Buffy looked at him, bewildered. Spike figured he should explain before she tried to hit him again. "Well you see love, I thought he wouldn't be so suspicious if I said I was your husband and all, thought it'd look better if you know what I mean." Buffy shook her head. His logic did make sense. And despite all her inhibitions she couldn't ignore that tiny tickle in the bottom of her stomach when she thought of being Spike's wife.
She tried to disregard this. It had been a very hard day. She settled back into her chair. "Uh, I uh, got you some juice. Or something. Thought it'd help your throat." Buffy looked at him and smiled. "Why Spike, I think you're blushing." Spike sat up straighter. "Yeah bloody right. Vampires do not blush." He thumped his chest. "Especially William the Bloody." Buffy laughed and it felt good. It helped her not think of Giles.
"Whatever you say Spike, thank you." She reached over and patted his hand, then took the juice. Spike tried to brush aside the warm feelings he got from that simple gesture. If he was going to be with her practically nonstop all the time he was going to have to get over his control issues.
Buffy opened the juice and took a drink. It felt good going down her raw throat. She took another drink and sputtered. Something was in her drink! She coughed as she pulled out a piece of paper. "What the heck?" She said as Spike looked over.
She tentatively opened the folded paper. Her eyes widened. "Spike! It's a message from Willow!" Spike's eyes widened also. "Red sent you a juice telegram did she? What's it say?" Buffy read aloud: "'Buffy, Giles ok. Please be safe. Do not try to contact us. Message will dissolve in thirty seconds.' Sounds a little James Bond-y to me," Buffy said.
To her surprise the small slip of paper, magically unharmed by the juice, dissolved in her hands, leaving nothing but air. She blinked. "Red's a regular super spy," Spike commented as he raised his eyebrows. "More like a witch," Buffy said. Suddenly the message's words hit her.
Giles was ok. Giles was alive! "Oh my God Spike! Giles is alive!" She exclaimed gleefully. She laughed long and clear in her pleasure. "He's alive Spike!" In her exuberance she leaned over and kissed Spike on the cheek merrily.
Spike reached up to touch the place her lips had fluttered moments before as Buffy began to ramble in her happiness. He doubted he would ever forget that moment as log he lived...or rather un-lived. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and kiss her fully on the mouth but he dared not.
He was gracious that he had received such a kiss anyway. It was more than he had ever hoped. Perhaps there was some chance.
Buffy meanwhile, was joyous. She was talking of all the things Giles had told and taught her. How she was so glad he was back. That now she could take her little "vacation" with her mind clear.
She turned to Spike. "It's all going to be ok now Spike." He smiled at her as she beamed. Her color had returned and it even seemed her voice was losing its rawness.
Their mirth was interrupted by a voice over the loudspeaker saying, "Stop 32, MacGeiver, California, fifteen minutes." Spike looked at the tickets again. "That's one of our stops."
"One of them?" Buffy asked. Spike nodded as he handed her a ticket. "Giles is having us transfer a few times before we actually get to Roseland." Buffy understood. "You have to love the man," she said languidly. Spike chuckled and didn't reply.
"But wait. Spike, it says here that we transfer in Fremont at four in the afternoon. It will be daylight..." She looked at him with concern. "You notice that too love?" Buffy shook her head. "What are we going to do? I suppose you could go on without me, you're safe now aren't you?" Spike didn't want to leave her side for all the promises in the world. But if he was going to hold her back from being safe then so be it.
"No Spike. There's no way I'm leaving you. There's got to be someway. And we'll figure it out." Spike wasn't sure he had ever felt more love for the girl in front of him as he did now. She cared about him, and that mattered. If she was just concerned or felt responsible he didn't know. But it was care nonetheless.
Yes, perhaps there was a chance. And if there was, then Spike was sure he was going to take it no matter what the risks.
