Buffy had not said a thing to Spike since Dawn left, accept to ask him to
pass things across the table and then she had gone to shower leaving him
alone.
Spike was beginning to feel like they were back to square one, why did she act so reserved?
The tension that hung in the air was suddenly all too much to bear and he rose silently and left. He had no idea where he was going only where he was leaving.
Buffy finished dressing and came back to their small living area to find Spike had disappeared in the annoying way vampires did.
*****
Alex was more than glad to see Sam after she finally got off duty. The girls watched as the stranger clad in black silently entered ten-forward.
Sam leaned across to whisper to her best friend, "Alex, what you make of blue eyes?" "He's kind of sallow looking." "No, just pale. He's badly in need of a tan." Alex nodded. "He looks like he needs cheering up too!" Sam said with a wicked smile. Alex giggled, "So? Go get him over here!"
Alex watched as Sam walked boldly over and whispered something to the new comer and taking hold of Spike's arm, ushered him to the round table where her friend sat.
Alex smiled brightly as Sam came back, waving gaily and pulling the miserable looking vampire behind her.
The brunet led him to a table where another girl sat and practically pushed him onto a chair.
Spike was too surprised by the turn of events to say anything until she sat down too, "Sorry, didn't catch your name miss." Sam shook her head slightly but beamed at him, "It's Samantha, everyone calls me Sam though." "Well everyone calls me Spike."
Alex laughed quietly, "How did you get a name like that?" Spike looked down into his glass and up again, "You don't want to know." Sam gestured to her friend; "This is Alex."
Spike nodded at the redhead who blushed slightly back, this reaction only served to through him somewhat. No woman had ever blushed shyly because of him, not even when he was human, especially when he was human.
Siting round the large table Spike started to feel less rejected and more accepted. These women were talking to him; they obviously had to like him. Oh, bloody hell what was he thinking? When did he care whether people liked him or not? Still as he was likely to be here for a long time he may as well enjoy it, couldn't lapse into brooding now.
*****
Dawn burst through the doors to their pad, "I found out where we can train tomorrow Spike." Dawn shouted excitedly. "There's this Holodeck and it can be any landscape or room you want, it's so cool!"
Dawn stopped babbling the second she saw just Buffy sitting there. She looked broody too. "Where's Spike?"
Her sister didn't look up; "I don't know Dawn."
*****
Sam and Alex were still chatting with Spike. Sam wondered why she hadn't seen their new companion before, he was handsome but he looked full of worry and sorrow. Clearly this was a man in need of help and surely she was just the girl to oblige!
Spike had left Buffy on her own nearly two hours ago now, couldn't she see she was destroying him? Perhaps she did. He had been so filled with hope when she welcomed him stead of threatening to convert his carcass to ashtray material when he had come back but she was a proud girl.
She wouldn't allow herself to take comfort from him and why would she now? He'd had his chance and he'd dashed it. She had said constantly he hadn't really changed and it was the chip and he had started to believe it himself, reason he had this soul now. Loving her was destroying him but he couldn't stop.
Alex felt her heart do back flips every time Spike's gaze touched her. It must be those eyes, they were like pools of energy and amazingly blue. "How long have you been on board?" she managed to ask. "Almost a day." "How? We haven't made any stops."
Spike shrugged. "Couldn't say. One minute we were in California in the 21st century and the next we're here in the 24th century. Not my idea of fun getting whipped about through time and space, still can't complain."
Sam suddenly clapped, "Oh, I heard this story last time I was on duty. You came appeared her with the two girls last night, called the Captain a warlock! I thought it was all a joke!" "Yeah. I thought it was a spell, Slayer always has someone or something after her." He explained. "You don't seem to phased by all this." Alex observed. "Stranger things have happened to me. More so since I started protecting humans." Spike didn't see any harm in stretching the truth just a little bit.
Alex frowned thoughtfully, "What do you mean? Aren't you human?" Spike shook his head, "No, haven't been for more than 120 years."
Sam's brow shot up; "You're over one hundred years old?" "Yeah, not that uncommon among my species. I'm quite young for a Master actually." "Master what?" Spike smirked, "Master Vampire."
"Oh." Was all Alex could manage, Sam however felt a sudden surge of excitement, she had heard there was a vamp or someone claiming to be a vamp on board and this apparently was him. God she hoped he wasn't involved! "Spike are you and this Slayer, um, does she have another name?" "Buffy." "Are you and Buffy, um in a romantic relationship?" Spike snorted, "No. We have a love hate relationship, I love her and she hates me!" Damn! Sam thought, that could be a problem.
Alex knew Sam wouldn't be put off just by being told her object of desire was chasing someone else although she wouldn't dream of breaking up a couple.
Alex wondered how any girl would NOT want Spike; hell if she weren't involved she'd be after him too! "How could she hate you?" she asked. "Perhaps she doesn't but she doesn't love me, not that I blame her. Who could love what I am? I'm a vampire, creature of the night with a score card of at least one kill per night." He tilted his head to the side and gave her a strange look as if he were challenging her to respond.
Alex had an idea now why he had been rejected but. "Surly you deserve forgiveness though?" she said at last. "Yeah well what you deserve and what you receive are two different things."
***** Dawn saw him now siting at a table with two women. She frowned and walked purposefully over to them. She frowned, What the hell was he up to? Quickly, she made her way across the room to the round table trying to look disapproving.
She folded her arms and stared at him. "Dawn." "Spike." She retorted uncertain of what to say next.
The two women immediately turned to her warmly, "Oh, your Dawn?" Alex asked the teenager. Dawn was too confused by the friendliness of this woman to reply for a moment. "Uh, yes. Who the hell are you?" "Alex and this is Sam." She gestured to the other woman who smiled at Dawn. "Spike was just telling us how you got here.
**** Buffy watched the vampire carefully as she ate her dinner, even though the soul wasn't a curse Spike seemed just a little too guilt free. "Spike you killed for over 100 years and you're all happy." He frowned, "I'm not happy pet and yes I killed but for blood, that's what vampires do." She frowned back, "What about fun Spike? Vamps do that too." "The only people I killed for pleasure were the Slayers an they weren't entirely helpless."
Spike was tired of being told he wasn't miserable enough, yes he felt bad but only for Buffy. For what he did to her.
Dawn was tiring of her sister's attitude too; "Buffy lay off. You wouldn't want Spike all lame and broody anyway."
Buffy opened her mouth to put the younger Summers girl in her place but thought better of it and closed it again. Dawn had a point.
Spike was beginning to feel like they were back to square one, why did she act so reserved?
The tension that hung in the air was suddenly all too much to bear and he rose silently and left. He had no idea where he was going only where he was leaving.
Buffy finished dressing and came back to their small living area to find Spike had disappeared in the annoying way vampires did.
*****
Alex was more than glad to see Sam after she finally got off duty. The girls watched as the stranger clad in black silently entered ten-forward.
Sam leaned across to whisper to her best friend, "Alex, what you make of blue eyes?" "He's kind of sallow looking." "No, just pale. He's badly in need of a tan." Alex nodded. "He looks like he needs cheering up too!" Sam said with a wicked smile. Alex giggled, "So? Go get him over here!"
Alex watched as Sam walked boldly over and whispered something to the new comer and taking hold of Spike's arm, ushered him to the round table where her friend sat.
Alex smiled brightly as Sam came back, waving gaily and pulling the miserable looking vampire behind her.
The brunet led him to a table where another girl sat and practically pushed him onto a chair.
Spike was too surprised by the turn of events to say anything until she sat down too, "Sorry, didn't catch your name miss." Sam shook her head slightly but beamed at him, "It's Samantha, everyone calls me Sam though." "Well everyone calls me Spike."
Alex laughed quietly, "How did you get a name like that?" Spike looked down into his glass and up again, "You don't want to know." Sam gestured to her friend; "This is Alex."
Spike nodded at the redhead who blushed slightly back, this reaction only served to through him somewhat. No woman had ever blushed shyly because of him, not even when he was human, especially when he was human.
Siting round the large table Spike started to feel less rejected and more accepted. These women were talking to him; they obviously had to like him. Oh, bloody hell what was he thinking? When did he care whether people liked him or not? Still as he was likely to be here for a long time he may as well enjoy it, couldn't lapse into brooding now.
*****
Dawn burst through the doors to their pad, "I found out where we can train tomorrow Spike." Dawn shouted excitedly. "There's this Holodeck and it can be any landscape or room you want, it's so cool!"
Dawn stopped babbling the second she saw just Buffy sitting there. She looked broody too. "Where's Spike?"
Her sister didn't look up; "I don't know Dawn."
*****
Sam and Alex were still chatting with Spike. Sam wondered why she hadn't seen their new companion before, he was handsome but he looked full of worry and sorrow. Clearly this was a man in need of help and surely she was just the girl to oblige!
Spike had left Buffy on her own nearly two hours ago now, couldn't she see she was destroying him? Perhaps she did. He had been so filled with hope when she welcomed him stead of threatening to convert his carcass to ashtray material when he had come back but she was a proud girl.
She wouldn't allow herself to take comfort from him and why would she now? He'd had his chance and he'd dashed it. She had said constantly he hadn't really changed and it was the chip and he had started to believe it himself, reason he had this soul now. Loving her was destroying him but he couldn't stop.
Alex felt her heart do back flips every time Spike's gaze touched her. It must be those eyes, they were like pools of energy and amazingly blue. "How long have you been on board?" she managed to ask. "Almost a day." "How? We haven't made any stops."
Spike shrugged. "Couldn't say. One minute we were in California in the 21st century and the next we're here in the 24th century. Not my idea of fun getting whipped about through time and space, still can't complain."
Sam suddenly clapped, "Oh, I heard this story last time I was on duty. You came appeared her with the two girls last night, called the Captain a warlock! I thought it was all a joke!" "Yeah. I thought it was a spell, Slayer always has someone or something after her." He explained. "You don't seem to phased by all this." Alex observed. "Stranger things have happened to me. More so since I started protecting humans." Spike didn't see any harm in stretching the truth just a little bit.
Alex frowned thoughtfully, "What do you mean? Aren't you human?" Spike shook his head, "No, haven't been for more than 120 years."
Sam's brow shot up; "You're over one hundred years old?" "Yeah, not that uncommon among my species. I'm quite young for a Master actually." "Master what?" Spike smirked, "Master Vampire."
"Oh." Was all Alex could manage, Sam however felt a sudden surge of excitement, she had heard there was a vamp or someone claiming to be a vamp on board and this apparently was him. God she hoped he wasn't involved! "Spike are you and this Slayer, um, does she have another name?" "Buffy." "Are you and Buffy, um in a romantic relationship?" Spike snorted, "No. We have a love hate relationship, I love her and she hates me!" Damn! Sam thought, that could be a problem.
Alex knew Sam wouldn't be put off just by being told her object of desire was chasing someone else although she wouldn't dream of breaking up a couple.
Alex wondered how any girl would NOT want Spike; hell if she weren't involved she'd be after him too! "How could she hate you?" she asked. "Perhaps she doesn't but she doesn't love me, not that I blame her. Who could love what I am? I'm a vampire, creature of the night with a score card of at least one kill per night." He tilted his head to the side and gave her a strange look as if he were challenging her to respond.
Alex had an idea now why he had been rejected but. "Surly you deserve forgiveness though?" she said at last. "Yeah well what you deserve and what you receive are two different things."
***** Dawn saw him now siting at a table with two women. She frowned and walked purposefully over to them. She frowned, What the hell was he up to? Quickly, she made her way across the room to the round table trying to look disapproving.
She folded her arms and stared at him. "Dawn." "Spike." She retorted uncertain of what to say next.
The two women immediately turned to her warmly, "Oh, your Dawn?" Alex asked the teenager. Dawn was too confused by the friendliness of this woman to reply for a moment. "Uh, yes. Who the hell are you?" "Alex and this is Sam." She gestured to the other woman who smiled at Dawn. "Spike was just telling us how you got here.
**** Buffy watched the vampire carefully as she ate her dinner, even though the soul wasn't a curse Spike seemed just a little too guilt free. "Spike you killed for over 100 years and you're all happy." He frowned, "I'm not happy pet and yes I killed but for blood, that's what vampires do." She frowned back, "What about fun Spike? Vamps do that too." "The only people I killed for pleasure were the Slayers an they weren't entirely helpless."
Spike was tired of being told he wasn't miserable enough, yes he felt bad but only for Buffy. For what he did to her.
Dawn was tiring of her sister's attitude too; "Buffy lay off. You wouldn't want Spike all lame and broody anyway."
Buffy opened her mouth to put the younger Summers girl in her place but thought better of it and closed it again. Dawn had a point.