Title: Crusher
Rated: PG-13
Author: Etoile
Email- Etoile@soon.com
Summary: AU from Crush. Buffy accidentally finds out Spike's in love with her. When things change, she's not sure what to do. Please review.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sunnydale or anyone that lives there. They all belong to Joss Whedon.
Wow! Sorry for the long ass wait! Lots of midterms and papers and juk, so real life takes precedent. But here's the next chapter…
Chapter 4"Spike?" I leap into action and quickly push him into his crypt. "What the hell's wrong with you? You could have died out there!" This is clearly the wrong thing to say as I see his lips curl up into a smirk.
"Didn't know you cared Slayer," he says mockingly. He pulls himself out of my grasp and starts to saunter over to the sarcophagus. It would have been very cool and nonchalant, as I'm sure he was going for, if it weren't for the fact that he fell after two steps.
I pick him up from the ground for the second time today. I help him over to the couch where he sits back and sighs. It wasn't until then that I notice that his clothes are filthy, like he'd been rolling in dirt. Just how long was he out there? And how did he manage not to get himself dusted? His eyes are closed and he's breathing really hard. "Spike," I say. He opens his eyes and nods his head in acknowledgment. "What's wrong with you?"
His bright blue eyes fix on mine and a jolt goes through me. I don't even know what happened to him but I can tell it's pretty bad. I don't even know how I got so good at reading him, but the look in his eyes tells me everything he's feeling. Which looks to me like really scared, anxious, and angry.
He holds up one finger and struggles to catch his breath. Okay, this is weird. First of all, Spike doesn't breathe. I mean, he does but he doesn't need to. So there should be no need to catch his breath. And then, all he was doing was crawling. I did more work in moving him. So, even if he needed to breathe, he wouldn't need to breath hard unless he was like 500 pounds. This picture is very wrong. I run my gaze over him again. He looks the same. Other than the odd breathing and the pounding temples, he's the same vampire I saw yesterday. Wait. Pounding temples?
His breathing calms and he speaks, "I don't think I'm gonna get used to this breathing thing."
"Breathing thing," I repeat blankly. "Did you know your temples are pounding?" I ask.
If possible, he slouches even more into the couch. "Yeah, probably a side effect of the heart beat," he replies.
I'm speechless. Heart beat? Breathing? I'm sure I would have noticed that yesterday. Earlier, in the sun, I guess this is why he didn't burst into flames. But how? When? What?
I'm confused and it must show on my face because he starts talking again. "You know, I hate the bloody Initiative. All they ever do is mess with my perfectly fine unlife." He pauses. "Well, it was an unlife."
I shake my head. "The Initiative? They did this? But they're gone," I say. This makes no sense. Why would they still be around? And why would they make his heart start working again? And how did they do that? They have some great technology. Maybe they should stop wasting it on "hostiles" start helping humans instead. I can kill demons fine by myself.
"Yeah, that's what I thought too. But they're still alive and kicking me."
"Was it," I begin and Spike shakes his head. I roll my eyes. "You don't even know what I was about to say."
"No, I didn't see soldier boy anywhere. But his friend was there," Spike saysl. "Wasn't that what you wanted to know?"
"No," I lie and change the subject, "So they did what exactly?"
He places a palm on his heart. "They had a gun. An electric gun of some sort. And they shot at my heart. I don't know what happened after that since I was knocked out. It hurt like a bugger." He began rubbing his chest. "It was like fire running through me. I woke up and it was morning and I wasn't dust. Then the breathing and stuff," he finishes.
"Then the breathing and stuff," I repeat.
"Yeah."
I start pacing. So I got the who, what, where, and when, but not the why. What was the point of starting Spike's heart? Is it another rehabilitation program? I know they put the chip in his head to stop him from attacking humans. Starting his heart doesn't seem to be rehabilitating him very well. Looks like it's just making him cranky. Then again, the chip did that too. I sigh. The Initiative really needs to think out their little plans before they do it. Call it common courtesy. Then I wouldn't be stuck with all their mistakes.
I remember something else from earlier and ask Spike, "Why were you crawling home?"
"Oh yeah, that," he says and almost seems to turn red. Wait a second. He is turning red! I really wish I had a camera for this very special occasion. "I, um, couldn't walk. Couldn't stand up actually. I just feel bloody weak is all. Probably a side effect of the attack."
"How weak?" I ask, still smirking at his embarrassment.
"My legs aren't working real well. They don't hold me up for long."
I look at him and make a decision, "Come on, you're coming home with me."
Spike's head snaps up. "What? Why? I'm fine here," he says, a little offended.
"No, you're not. You can barely stand up by yourself. You just said," I point out and he glares at me. I continue, "and Dawn wants you over anyway to help her with her homework."
"So I'll come over later," he says.
"Right. If you can walk." I can tell he's about to argue again so I quickly say, "this is the best solution Spike. This way, if you still need help, I don't need to come all the back here to pick you up. And the Initiative people are still around. They could come for you anytime."
Spike's glare hasn't softened one bit. "What do you care Slayer?" he asks resentfully.
"I don't," I answer a little too quickly, "I just dislike you less than the Initiative."
Now he smirks. "Me thinks the lady doth protest too much."
Lovely. Now he's happy and I'm mad. "Are you coming or not?" I snap.
He shrugs.
"Good," I say and start helping him up. "Eeeww!" I say as touch some kind of slime on his jacket, "you're so gonna need a shower."
* * *
Great, I think as I look at the clothes on the bed in distaste. Now I'm some bloody charity case for the slayer.
I just finished my mandatory shower. And her bloody smell was all over the place. It brought about a fit of dizziness to walk into her bathroom and be hit with 'Eau de Buffy'. I made a mental addition to the list of things that were still vampire-like because I'm sure that aromas were not this intense when I was a human. Unless it's a testament to the 21st century. Or just to Buffy.
Even worse, I had to use her stuff. All the scents I had associated with her (the strawberry shampoo, the vanilla lotion, flowery aroma of her shaving cream) are now all over me. I even had to use her girlie deodorant. I couldn't very well stink all day. I might have glands!
I dry myself off with a pink towel and look at the outfit again. The slayer already took my clothes to the washer. They were dirty anyway, so it's not like I can wear it. But there's no way I'm wearing what she's put down for me. I don't even know whose it is. I'm hoping it was her dad's because I'm not wearing anything that was the whelp's, soldier boy, or the great brooding Angel. But it's not like I have any choice here so I put on the gray sweat pants and the white t-shirt.
Oh bloody hell! I have to look like an idiot in this. The shirt is almost down to my knees. I tighten the sweats. Don't want anyone to get a surprise if they fall down. I'm not an avid underwear wearer. I'd traumatize the Niblet. Hmm…But maybe Buffy could stand for a little surprise. I shake my head. Not unless I want a stake to the heart. But the slayer can't get off her high horse and stake a human being, can she? I'm still musing over what I may be able to get away with now when there's a knock on the door.
"Spike? Are you done in there?" The slayer's voice asks.
Before I can answer, she walks in. "I could have been naked!" I say.
"Whatever," She says and rolls her eyes.
Maybe I shouldn't have tightened the sweats after all.
She looks me up and down and starts shaking with suppressed laughter.
My eyes narrow and I growl, "What?"
A snort escapes and she starts laughing out loud. "Nothing," she says. "Nothing… Eminem."
I look down at myself and see what she's talking about. The sweatpants and the t-shirt are baggy as hell on me. And my bleached hair is still wet and plastered to my forehead. I quickly rub my hands through it and succeed in spiking it up. "Shut up!" I say to her as she laughs even louder. "It's not my fault that these clothes belong to some unnaturally large person."
Her laughter dies down. "Riley was not unnaturally large!" she says.
I groan. No wonder I look like an idiot. I say that out loud and a fist shoots out towards me. I reach up and stop it before it can hit me in the nose. At least I still got vamp reflexes. I can see she's confused. I answer before she can even ask the question, "Yeah, I still got some vampire stuff in me. Reflexes, smell, even the face." I quickly vamp out and change back. "And I don't know why either."
She looks disappointed and takes her fist out of my hand.
"Hey!" I say, "You were gonna hit a defenseless human! Isn't that against your slayer code or something."
She shrugged. "You're not human. You just proved it."
"Yeah, but you didn't know that 'til now. You were just gonna hit me and let me die!"
She rolled her eyes, getting annoyed. "Like you'd die from one hit."
"You're the slayer. You could have burst a blood vessel in my brain. I'd be dead in minutes." I say, on a roll now.
"Shut up, Spike. I don't have time to argue with you. I called Giles. We're all going to meet at the Magic Box tonight and figure out what's wrong with you." She paused. "And Riley is not an idiot."
What? I'm a little confused at that last sentence. What did that have to do with anything? And she's wrong. I open my big mouth, "Wasn't he the one getting bitten by vampires? Seems bloody idiotic to me. Why are you even defending him? He left you. Seems he doesn't need you coming to his rescue anymore."
This time I can't stop the fist that smashed into my nose. My head snaps back and my hands reach up to stop the blood flow. Buffy stomps out, slamming the door. Well, I think, I still got it.
* * *