Disclaimer: So one morning Joss walks into the shop, and I'm really trying hard not to be all screaming fan girl, so I'm like, 'how can I help you sir?'
He looks me straight in the eyes and says in a cold voice "You little Mel?' and I'm like "Yea, why?" so he laughs a little bit then his serious face runs over him, "You write fan fiction right?" again I'm like "Yea, why?"
"Next time you write about my characters…" he pauses and move close to me now standing in front of the counter and leaning over. "Maybe you should say their mine…" he smiled and pushed from the counter, "Don't you think?" he spits out not even bothering to look at me… "Umm yes sir." I answer rather scared, with that he leaves as quietly as he entered. So Joss owns the characters… thought you might like to know.
Title: Tired Hearts
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Buffy finally let the last tear slip from her bloodshot eyes, she smiled ever so slightly as she lifted her head to look at the man she loved, when she saw the starting blue eyes staring back at her she blinked.
"You alright, luv?" Spike asked, his voice quiet as if not to scare her.
"Yea." She whispered, still looking deep into his eyes. He kissed her forehead before resting his on it. Their noses merely millimetres apart Spike smiled. He had her safe now, with him, and he wouldn't ever let go,
"Ready?" he asked, wanting to get far away from Riley, Harmony and the dingy basement.
"Uh huh." Buffy nodded, making her nose move against his. Spike stood up and turned to face Harmony who was sobbing quietly and she kept checking her now awake boyfriend. He patted Buffy's shoulder as if to tell her to wait a minute. Slowly he walked the stairs towards the bloody kidnapper and his lover. Once hovering above Riley he let out a loud chuckle, which would send a mad man running in fear. It almost made a tune, as he let the last laugh run its course.
"Hey captain cardboard." He kicked Riley in the ribs, with the base of his toe. Slowly Riley turned to the reason of his injuries and stared deep into his eyes. The coldness of blue sent a shiver through his weak body, doing more damage to his fragile state.
"You and me, we av' a problem." Spikes cockney accent was coming out in its true self. He bunched his nose up and looked at the bloke below him.
"I ought to av' you arrested… you know that right?" when Riley continued to stare and not give an answer spike kicked him in the stomach.
"Spike!" Harmony shouted but was greeted with daggers being thrown from his eyes in her direction.
"Now Riley. Did you hear me mate? I said you ought to be in prison. Freak." Riley barely nodded but it was enough of a response for Spike.
"So mate. I think if you fuck off, and don't come back, I won't tell. Ever. But only if I don't ever see your ugly face again. Got it?" Spike was in his face now; he had inched forward with every word. Spike then looked into this mad mans eyes and laughed,
"Oh and take her with you," He pointed towards Harmony, "Aving' her round me neck bout you disappearing is to much for any one man. Cept' you, you deserve each other." He smiled once again and walked towards his lover.
He offered his hand to her, and Buffy gratefully took it, as she walked past her admirer she stiffened up, noticing the change in her Riley laughed. Then he lifted his arm to Spike, his finger pointed to him.
"Wouldn't… catch… cough… catch me… risking it all… for a cough… chick." Then he laughed a little bit until his ribs were too sore to continue.
Spike looked sadly at Harmony. Then to the pile of mess on the floor that had just spoken to him for the first time that night.
"But you did, didn't you? You risked going to jail, to kidnap her and make her yours. But she don't want you. She loves me, and I love her. Nothing's ever gonna change that." With that Spike spun on his heels and lifted Buffy up to the window, she wiggled through the small gap, allowing her behind to wiggle in front of Spike. Causing things to swirl inside his body. He quickly thought of the bloke behind him and lost all feelings. Just before he too exited the building he leaned into Riley's ear.
"I'll be back tomorrow, your not gone, I go to the police and get your arse thrown in jail. I see her about" he nodded his head in Harmony's direction "and again I'll get in contact with the thin blue line. Got it?" he stood up straight and looked into Riley's eyes to see fear. He nodded and sunk his chin down low as Spike spun around and leaped through the broken window. He had no choice now. He was stuck with Harmony until he could lose her. And even then he would have to prevent her from going near Purley again.
He looked his whining female companion up and down before letting out an almighty cry.
"Don't worry honey. I'm here, I'll stick by and we can make a clean break, maybe take your mum and all." She smiled as she thought of her new life.
"We could get married and have children, and bring them up on a farm."
"Just get me to the van," he said giving her the key to the door at the top of the stairs. Harmony agreed and ran about collecting his things and putting them into a duffle bag.
********
Xander froze. The sight before him was petrifying.
"Ah if it isn't the little chef" Ted muttered. His voice was terrifying coming from underneath the mask.
"Ah if it isn't the killer of all those girls." Xander muttered knowing about the state of the girl he had only seen about twenty minutes ago. Ted just laughed at the wit of the boy. He should have been worried about him knowing, but in his current state of mind he was invincible. He would kill this boy in front of Faith but not until he had raped her in front of him. This will be fun he thought.
Xander began to step backwards, he needed to find Faith and get away from this mad man. He didn't see the knife come at him, but felt it as it ripped through his shirt and then his flesh burrowing deep into his side, he let out an agonising scream. He collapsed to the floor in pain and felt the masked Ted pick him up and throw him over his shoulder.
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Faith woke up about only five minutes after collapsing, the birds in the trees were fluttering about as if they had been disturbed by something. Using a log she lifted herself to her feet, she picked up a near by stick and continued to walk using it as a Kane, trying to find a way out of the woods.
Stepping as quietly as she could, she headed towards the opening between two trees. That's when she saw it. Xander was slumped over Ted's shoulders. Except Ted was wearing the mask she had earlier seen in the car. There was blood trickling from Xander down onto Ted. Without thinking she ran straight to her hurt boyfriend.
"Xander, baby, Xander come on wake up." Faith shouted as she ran towards the two men.
Ted saw her running towards him. Underneath the mask he smiled his little smile. She had run straight into his trap. He was going to make her pay. Pay for cheating, pay for leaving, pay for making him think she loved him. With ever ounce of strength he pushed an injured Xander from his shoulder and ran for Faith. She became graceful as she dodged Ted's attacks. All she had been taught from when she went to the gym came into use. She was an equal match for Ted and she was injured. But the thought of her lover lying there in the dirty ground injured was all she needed to become her top level. Ted flew at her with speed and strength knocking her to the ground, then he hit her again and as she struggled with him, he ripped away the top left strap of her black dress, which was now ripped in places. He continued trying to remove her clothing from her until she bit him. His low scream woke a sleeping Xander from his unconscious dream world.
He saw her struggling as the masked man tried to shred her clothing from her body.
"GET OFF HER!" he yelled trying to blot out the pain in his side. Ted laughed and Xander snapped, within a second he was on his feet, a following three and Ted was lazily moving to get off the now paralysed Faith, the fear was to much, having the same man try and rape you twice, was to much. She couldn't move as much as she wanted to.
Ted was heading towards Xander at full speed now, his arm raised with the knife within his sweaty palm. Even if his plan didn't go to plan he thought at least he teach them both a lesson.
"You know…" Ted said just before Xander dodged his strike with the knife.
"You shouldn't…" Ted said again before striking once again, but repeating his last movement, Xander managed to dodge the deadly weapon again.
"Steal other…" this time as they circled one another Ted swung his arm out in a lazy line, causing Xander to jump back and stumble a bit, that's when he saw the area the Faith had earlier approached from, and the small hope that lay on the ground partially hidden by leaves and mud. He made his way near the entrance by making the circling that little bit larger. Ted was still in the mind of making his point to notice Xander making the circling between them larger.
"Other people's girl…" Ted continued, not noticing when Xander dropped to the floor and rolling back up after picking up a large stick.
Ted looked at his soon to be victim, to find him holding something, next it was being jabbed at him, Xander then whacked Ted over the head. A sharp thorn on the stick pierced Ted's skin, allowing blood to trickle down into his short hair, he grabbed at the open wound, giving Xander the advantage. He began a physical assault on Ted with the stick, staying as far back from the murderer as he could, until he watched the knife drop to the ground, then he moved close, kicking the knife ten yards into the hill of leaves. Then the real assault began, he ripped the mask from Ted's head, and began to kick with the sole with his foot. He started with his stomach, and then moved to Ted's ribs, back down to his stomach and then up to his head for good measure. By the time he was spent, Faith was standing by his side, slipping her hands around his flexed muscles gently tugging Xander away, when he felt her he stopped and looked her in the eyes, as if asking her why she was stopping him. He stepped back as if reading her mind, never before had he been so happy to see someone, even though she was bleeding from her head and dirty from head to foot, her dress ripped and practically attached by a thread or two. And yet she was still beautiful to him, in fact he didn't think her beauty could ever beat this moment, the fact that she was alive and that she was still here on this earth so he could be with her, made him swell with joy.
Xander watched as she moved in front of her murderer of an ex then she leaned down to talk to him,
"Ted, babe. Your fucked… hope you rot in hell." With that she stood up straight and kicked him in the gut, then she walked away from both men towards the direction that Xander had kicked the knife. Ted moaned when she picked it up, although his eyes were already swelling, he could see her perfectly. She swayed over to him and bent down.
"Careful honey." Xander said, scared the murderer could some how get up and snatch the knife from her hand, also worried she might do some she would regret, he wouldn't though. Not after what he had put all those girls through. He had seen the girl in the attic and the image would haunt him for years to come.
"You sick barstard." Faith shouted as she pulled the knife back.
"All those girls, you killed them, tortured them, raped them when they did nothing to you." She was speaking in a deadly quiet voice that would scare the biggest man, she had something possess her as she lifted the knife in both hands and raise it above her head. She began to cry.
"What did they do to you, huh?" Her voice full of emotions all for the girls he had killed. She wanted revenge for them; she wanted to hurt him just a little so those girls could have a little retribution.
"They were all… you Faith… slag's… Cough… down to the… core." His breath was becoming rapid, he wanted her to kill him, it would be better than jail, and he knew that was where he was heading. He watched as Faiths face contorted to all different emotions, she wanted to kill him for what he said and as she slowly began to plunge the knife down, Ted let his head fall backwards, and looked up to the sky, he felt the tip of the blade resting on his abdomen.
Faith felt two hands rest on her shoulders.
"Faith, he wants you to, don't give him that, let him rot in prison."
She stared into her lover's eyes; she saw the fear and love all mixed up behind his brown orbs. Faith nodded and put the knife down at her side, Xander reached inside his coat pocket, he rang the police and told them they had Ted.
Of course when they arrived they lecture Xander about not ringing and putting his and his girlfriends lives at risk, soon they were put in the ambulance and taken to get checked over and stitched up, Xander never felt relief like it as he lay down on the uncomfortable bed across from Faith, as the doors to the ambulance closed he leaned across and kissed her on her slightly parted lips. She smiled as she felt him and turned onto her side, her wound facing the ceiling,
"Quiet the adventure, huh?"
"Yea, hope Spike found Buffy." Xander said staring into her wide brown eyes.
"What, is Buffy missing to?" Faith began to panic she sat up and looked into Xander's eyes, the driver and male nurse listening to the couple who they envied. Their relationship was obviously a close one and they only wish they could openly admit that they could do what that young man had done for their wives.
Xander continued to tell the complicated story of how Spike and himself felt something and knew that they were both in trouble. How they had run from one end of Purley, into Croyden and back again. He completed his story just before they reached the hospital. Faith was taken into one room and Xander into another. Neither noticed the two blondes sitting in the waiting room hopping their baby was all right.
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Buffy hadn't wanted to go to the hospital, but on the way home, Spike had insisted. Every thing seemed to be going great and, although the baby had suffered a little bit from the shock and the sleeping pills Riley had spiked Buffy's drink with, it seemed everything would cure itself. With great relief Buffy and Spike decided to leave the hospital to go home and sleep the rest of this disastrous day away.
Faith had left the consultants room to get a cup of water; she was parched and wasn't expecting to see a newly pregnant Buffy and dad to be Spike. Delighted to see them, she ran to catch up with the couple. After half an hour talking in the waiting room Buffy and Spike told Faith to wish Xander well and that they would see them tomorrow. They decided on a get together to get all the details from one another, and to inform Willow, Tara and Dawn on the nights events. But everything was good, they were all together, and all alive, it could have been so much worse.
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A few days later and every thing had returned to normal, Buffy was working as was Spike and Xander. Faith had begun the job hunt and Dawn had begun the cleaning shift, giving Willow and Tara a lot easier time of running the Bistro. Buffy and Spike had told everyone that she was pregnant, and everyone was ecstatic. Spike had decided he wanted their child to have a special family, so together the couple gathered their friends. Sitting at table number 7 the group gathered.
"Ok, guys just a quickie." Spike joked.
"What's up Spike?" Dawn asked secretly knowing, having been the first to be told about today's special announcement.
"Buffy wants to tell you all something." Spike looked at Dawn winking.
"No, Spike and I want to ask you all something." Buffy said sharply, playfully smacking Spike on the knee.
"Get on with it!" Dawn shouted, practically bubbling up.
"Ok, um Xander, Faith. We want you to be Godmother and Father to our baby." Buffy said, smiling at the now beaming couple.
"Oh hunny, I'm so happy for you." Willow shouted hugging her oldest companion close.
Before Xander or Faith could say anything, Spike cut in.
" We also want our child to have a further two more Godmothers so Willow, Tara. If you would also do us the honour, we would gratefully…" Spike was interrupted by the biggest hug the red head could give Buffy to was in a large hug from Tara.
Soon they were all toasting the child with red wine, other that Buffy and Dawn, who were on orange juice.
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A/N: There is going to be one more chappie, so I hope you liked it so far.
Please Review.
Mel xxx