Thanks for all the reviews; I was blown away, ta.
Chapter 5
The trio of friends stopped beside Xander's car, Buffy had insisted on pushing Spike's wheelchair out of the airport, due to the lateness of the hour the parking lot was almost deserted. Xander undid the rear passenger door; Buffy scooped up Spike in her arms and placed him inside the car. Most of the weary travellers dotted around were too tired to notice the strange sight of the tiny blonde woman lifting a man into a car as if he was no more than a baby.
"You want me to ride in the back with him?" asked Willow.
"No thanks, I'm not letting him out of my sight," said Buffy firmly as she got into the car with him.
Willow and Xander exchanged looks, but said nothing as they got in the car. The drive back from the airport was pretty silent; Xander kept glancing at the couple in the back from his driver's mirror. He could see Buffy staring at Spike with such intensity, almost as if she was afraid that he might disappear. He sighed, he couldn't blame her, she'd been to hell and back these past three months.
"Good to have you back Will, really missed you," he said taking a hand off the steering wheel to give her hand a quick squeeze.
"Missed you all, felt kinda guilty about deserting Buffy in her hour of need," said Willow.
Buffy looked away from Spike for a moment.
"It's okay Willow, I understand, the destruction of the hellmouth gave us all a chance to have a new life," said Buffy.
"What was with all the, they threw me out they didn't want me crap, that spike was spouting?" asked Xander.
"I don't know, that's the first coherent sentence any one has managed to get out of him since he was found, even if it doesn't make much sense," said Willow
"So who found him?" asked Buffy.
"Angel, found him in a sewer tunnel, he was in quite a state, filthy almost starved and er naked," said Willow blushing.
"Why'd Angel help him? It's no secret that there's no love lost between those two," said Xander.
"He did it for me, because he knows I care about Spike," said Buffy quietly.
Willow turned her head to look at her friend, seeing the unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
"So is the wheelchair a permanent thing or what?" asked Xander.
"No, what with the sedative and my binding spell, he couldn't walk, should be fine in a couple of hours," said Willow.
Buffy breathed a sigh of relief; Spike had been through so much, the idea of him being incapacitated would have been terrible. She looked at Spike fast asleep on the seat next to her, his face looked thinner and his cheekbones more prominent. She stroked his cheek, he muttered something in his sleep and tried to turn over in the restraints of his seatbelt.
"Nearly there," Xander announced as the car turned up a suburban street.
Xander brought the car to a halt outside a modern apartment block.
"Wow this is nice," said Willow.
"Yeah Giles leased it off one of his watcher friends," Xander informed her.
"Never mind that we have to get Spike out of here quick, the sun is coming up," said Buffy anxiously.
Xander hurried round and opened trunk getting out Spike's wheel chair, by the time he'd brought it round the backseat was empty, he looked up just in time to see Buffy carrying Spike, slung over her shoulder.
"Guess we won't be needing that," smiled Willow as she followed Buffy into the building.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Giles had been watching from the window, waiting for their arrival. He'd opened up the sofa bed in readiness for Spike's arrival. He was at the door opening it, before Willow's finger managed to make contact with the doorbell. He opened the door wide to let Buffy in. Willow trailed after her and Xander followed a few moments later. Buffy deposited spike gently on the sofa bed, placing a pillow under his head, she sat down on the bed next to him.
"Giles!" said Willow excitedly, giving him a big hug and almost knocking his glasses from his face.
"Sshhh, Dawn is still sleeping," he told her quietly.
"Oops! Sorry, just excited that we're all together again, even if it is under these circumstances," said Willow apologetically.
"How is he?" asked Giles, motioning towards Spike.
Buffy's eyes widened at her watcher's enquiry. It hadn't been that many months ago he'd plotted with Principle Wood to end Spike's very existence.
"Well as far as I can tell, he's still Spike, he doesn't speak much, but I don't know if that is because he can't or he won't," said Willow.
"Maybe he's gone all Looney tunes, like in the school basement," said Xander.
"I don't think that's it somehow, I persuaded Angel that the best course would be to take him to Buffy, he wasn't too hot on the idea at first," said Willow.
"I bet he wasn't, even more so if he knew their history," said Xander.
"He knows, did you get the blood? I want something handy if he wakes," said Buffy quietly.
"Yes, went to a wholesalers after I dropped you off at Xander's last night," said Giles.
Xander looked at his watch,
"It's 6am, I'm sorry to have to leave you all, but I have to be at work in an hour, come on Willow, you're staying at my place," said Xander.
"I'm about ready to hit the sack, you going to be okay here, Buff?" asked Willow.
"You guys go, we'll be fine here," said Buffy eager to be left alone with the man she loved.
Giles saw Willow and Xander to the door.
"Good luck with Andrew," said Giles.
"Oh yeah I forgot, you had Mary Poppins keeping house for you, how's that working out for you?" she teased Xander.
"I'll tell you about it in the car," yawned Xander.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Giles shut the door and went back into the lounge, Buffy had curled up on the bed to lie along side Spike. She looked exhausted and almost as colourless as the man who laid along side her.
"Would you like me to stay and keep watch, if he wakes?" asked Giles.
Buffy smiled sleepily at him.
"No, it's okay you get to bed, I'll know if he stirs," said Buffy.
Giles switched off the main light, leaving Buffy in the soft glow of the Dawn that penetrated the closed drapes. Buffy put her arm gently around Spike, looking into his face, wishing she could see his eyes. He trembled slightly, she held him closer to her and his shaking slowly subsided. He smiled in his sleep, she wondered what he dreamed of, and what ever it was she hoped it was happy.
"Buffy," he muttered in his sleep.
Maybe he was dreaming of her.
"I'm right here, I'm not going any where," she said as her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dawn opened one eye, as the alarm went off, she hit the snooze button and rolled over. Five minutes later she was rudely awakened as it went off again.
"Dammit," she said hitting the clock.
She got out of bed and rubbed her tired eyes, she'd been awake most of the night, but she hadn't heard them come in. Dawn looked at her sister's bed, it was as neat and unused as she'd left it, the day before. Dawn frowned in concern, maybe something had happened while she had been sleeping. Dawn threw on her robe and knocked quietly on Giles's bedroom door, getting no answer she opened the door a crack. Giles was sprawled out in his bed fast asleep dressed in a very unbecoming pair of flannel pyjamas.
Dawn opened the lounge door and walked sleepily over to the windows, she threw open the drapes, letting the bright early morning sun flood the room.
"Dawn! Shut the drapes," screamed Buffy.
Dawn turned, rendered speechless and motionless with shock, her mouth open as she noticed her sister and Spike for the first time. She quickly recovered herself and started closing the drapes.
"No wait!" said Buffy.
"What now, do you want Spike to turn into dust?" asked Dawn confused.
"Look!" said Buffy urgently.
Dawn looked at the man on the bed, Spike's skin was exposed to the sunlight, but there was no sizzling flesh, or any sign he was in pain from the sun's rays at all.
"I don't get it," said Dawn.
Giles had awoken, when he had heard Buffy cry out. He entered the lounge breathless, holding a stake and cross in his hand. He looked at Buffy and then at Spike.
"Bloody hell," said Giles.
Spike stirred, he could hear voices at a distance, they sounded familiar, like Buffy, but he had heard so many things in his head, this last month, he was afraid that if he opened his eyes, that her voice would go away, like it always did. He felt an arm on his shoulder. If it was that bloody Angel again.. Spike opened his eyes, he squinted a bit at the brightness of the room. It was a strange room, he hadn't seen before, he looked into the face of the woman he loved. He put out a hand to touch her, was it the first playing with him again? He wondered. Was she even real?
He touched her, she felt solid enough.
"Buffy?" he asked.
"Spike," she answered.
He looked around the room in alarm, the sun was shining on his skin, he looked up and saw Giles, maybe he was trying to kill him again. He struggled to get out of the light. Buffy held him back.
"Spike it's okay, look you're not burning," she showed him his bare arm.
"I don't understand, but I'm still a vampire," he said.
"Oh not just a vampire, I'd say on a lucky guess, you're a day walker," said Giles
TBC
Chapter 5
The trio of friends stopped beside Xander's car, Buffy had insisted on pushing Spike's wheelchair out of the airport, due to the lateness of the hour the parking lot was almost deserted. Xander undid the rear passenger door; Buffy scooped up Spike in her arms and placed him inside the car. Most of the weary travellers dotted around were too tired to notice the strange sight of the tiny blonde woman lifting a man into a car as if he was no more than a baby.
"You want me to ride in the back with him?" asked Willow.
"No thanks, I'm not letting him out of my sight," said Buffy firmly as she got into the car with him.
Willow and Xander exchanged looks, but said nothing as they got in the car. The drive back from the airport was pretty silent; Xander kept glancing at the couple in the back from his driver's mirror. He could see Buffy staring at Spike with such intensity, almost as if she was afraid that he might disappear. He sighed, he couldn't blame her, she'd been to hell and back these past three months.
"Good to have you back Will, really missed you," he said taking a hand off the steering wheel to give her hand a quick squeeze.
"Missed you all, felt kinda guilty about deserting Buffy in her hour of need," said Willow.
Buffy looked away from Spike for a moment.
"It's okay Willow, I understand, the destruction of the hellmouth gave us all a chance to have a new life," said Buffy.
"What was with all the, they threw me out they didn't want me crap, that spike was spouting?" asked Xander.
"I don't know, that's the first coherent sentence any one has managed to get out of him since he was found, even if it doesn't make much sense," said Willow
"So who found him?" asked Buffy.
"Angel, found him in a sewer tunnel, he was in quite a state, filthy almost starved and er naked," said Willow blushing.
"Why'd Angel help him? It's no secret that there's no love lost between those two," said Xander.
"He did it for me, because he knows I care about Spike," said Buffy quietly.
Willow turned her head to look at her friend, seeing the unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
"So is the wheelchair a permanent thing or what?" asked Xander.
"No, what with the sedative and my binding spell, he couldn't walk, should be fine in a couple of hours," said Willow.
Buffy breathed a sigh of relief; Spike had been through so much, the idea of him being incapacitated would have been terrible. She looked at Spike fast asleep on the seat next to her, his face looked thinner and his cheekbones more prominent. She stroked his cheek, he muttered something in his sleep and tried to turn over in the restraints of his seatbelt.
"Nearly there," Xander announced as the car turned up a suburban street.
Xander brought the car to a halt outside a modern apartment block.
"Wow this is nice," said Willow.
"Yeah Giles leased it off one of his watcher friends," Xander informed her.
"Never mind that we have to get Spike out of here quick, the sun is coming up," said Buffy anxiously.
Xander hurried round and opened trunk getting out Spike's wheel chair, by the time he'd brought it round the backseat was empty, he looked up just in time to see Buffy carrying Spike, slung over her shoulder.
"Guess we won't be needing that," smiled Willow as she followed Buffy into the building.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Giles had been watching from the window, waiting for their arrival. He'd opened up the sofa bed in readiness for Spike's arrival. He was at the door opening it, before Willow's finger managed to make contact with the doorbell. He opened the door wide to let Buffy in. Willow trailed after her and Xander followed a few moments later. Buffy deposited spike gently on the sofa bed, placing a pillow under his head, she sat down on the bed next to him.
"Giles!" said Willow excitedly, giving him a big hug and almost knocking his glasses from his face.
"Sshhh, Dawn is still sleeping," he told her quietly.
"Oops! Sorry, just excited that we're all together again, even if it is under these circumstances," said Willow apologetically.
"How is he?" asked Giles, motioning towards Spike.
Buffy's eyes widened at her watcher's enquiry. It hadn't been that many months ago he'd plotted with Principle Wood to end Spike's very existence.
"Well as far as I can tell, he's still Spike, he doesn't speak much, but I don't know if that is because he can't or he won't," said Willow.
"Maybe he's gone all Looney tunes, like in the school basement," said Xander.
"I don't think that's it somehow, I persuaded Angel that the best course would be to take him to Buffy, he wasn't too hot on the idea at first," said Willow.
"I bet he wasn't, even more so if he knew their history," said Xander.
"He knows, did you get the blood? I want something handy if he wakes," said Buffy quietly.
"Yes, went to a wholesalers after I dropped you off at Xander's last night," said Giles.
Xander looked at his watch,
"It's 6am, I'm sorry to have to leave you all, but I have to be at work in an hour, come on Willow, you're staying at my place," said Xander.
"I'm about ready to hit the sack, you going to be okay here, Buff?" asked Willow.
"You guys go, we'll be fine here," said Buffy eager to be left alone with the man she loved.
Giles saw Willow and Xander to the door.
"Good luck with Andrew," said Giles.
"Oh yeah I forgot, you had Mary Poppins keeping house for you, how's that working out for you?" she teased Xander.
"I'll tell you about it in the car," yawned Xander.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Giles shut the door and went back into the lounge, Buffy had curled up on the bed to lie along side Spike. She looked exhausted and almost as colourless as the man who laid along side her.
"Would you like me to stay and keep watch, if he wakes?" asked Giles.
Buffy smiled sleepily at him.
"No, it's okay you get to bed, I'll know if he stirs," said Buffy.
Giles switched off the main light, leaving Buffy in the soft glow of the Dawn that penetrated the closed drapes. Buffy put her arm gently around Spike, looking into his face, wishing she could see his eyes. He trembled slightly, she held him closer to her and his shaking slowly subsided. He smiled in his sleep, she wondered what he dreamed of, and what ever it was she hoped it was happy.
"Buffy," he muttered in his sleep.
Maybe he was dreaming of her.
"I'm right here, I'm not going any where," she said as her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dawn opened one eye, as the alarm went off, she hit the snooze button and rolled over. Five minutes later she was rudely awakened as it went off again.
"Dammit," she said hitting the clock.
She got out of bed and rubbed her tired eyes, she'd been awake most of the night, but she hadn't heard them come in. Dawn looked at her sister's bed, it was as neat and unused as she'd left it, the day before. Dawn frowned in concern, maybe something had happened while she had been sleeping. Dawn threw on her robe and knocked quietly on Giles's bedroom door, getting no answer she opened the door a crack. Giles was sprawled out in his bed fast asleep dressed in a very unbecoming pair of flannel pyjamas.
Dawn opened the lounge door and walked sleepily over to the windows, she threw open the drapes, letting the bright early morning sun flood the room.
"Dawn! Shut the drapes," screamed Buffy.
Dawn turned, rendered speechless and motionless with shock, her mouth open as she noticed her sister and Spike for the first time. She quickly recovered herself and started closing the drapes.
"No wait!" said Buffy.
"What now, do you want Spike to turn into dust?" asked Dawn confused.
"Look!" said Buffy urgently.
Dawn looked at the man on the bed, Spike's skin was exposed to the sunlight, but there was no sizzling flesh, or any sign he was in pain from the sun's rays at all.
"I don't get it," said Dawn.
Giles had awoken, when he had heard Buffy cry out. He entered the lounge breathless, holding a stake and cross in his hand. He looked at Buffy and then at Spike.
"Bloody hell," said Giles.
Spike stirred, he could hear voices at a distance, they sounded familiar, like Buffy, but he had heard so many things in his head, this last month, he was afraid that if he opened his eyes, that her voice would go away, like it always did. He felt an arm on his shoulder. If it was that bloody Angel again.. Spike opened his eyes, he squinted a bit at the brightness of the room. It was a strange room, he hadn't seen before, he looked into the face of the woman he loved. He put out a hand to touch her, was it the first playing with him again? He wondered. Was she even real?
He touched her, she felt solid enough.
"Buffy?" he asked.
"Spike," she answered.
He looked around the room in alarm, the sun was shining on his skin, he looked up and saw Giles, maybe he was trying to kill him again. He struggled to get out of the light. Buffy held him back.
"Spike it's okay, look you're not burning," she showed him his bare arm.
"I don't understand, but I'm still a vampire," he said.
"Oh not just a vampire, I'd say on a lucky guess, you're a day walker," said Giles
TBC