As soon as the door was shut behind them, Buffy started in on Spike. "Who the hell do you think you are!?! Going in the ambulance with him! That should have been Willow! Or at least Giles or me! Since when have you cared about Xander that much?! And don't give me that bullshit about him being your friend, 'coz there's no way you'd go this far out of your way for a 'mate'. And anyway, where are you gonna get the money to pay for Xander's bill? Thought you were.... what's the word you use? Skint."
Spike growled and glared at her before replying. "I care about Xander, and, by the looks of things, a lot more than any of you do! Did you know he's tried to kill himself before?"
The girls gaped at him when they acknowledged this fact, as did Giles, who had just come in – but as Spike had his back to the door and was focusing on Buffy he did not notice.
"No? Well, the first time that I know of was during his Senior year, about the time he wrote that part of the diary that you were starting to read before Slayer. You should all read that part – full of stuff that happened the night the Hellmouth almost opened that time that none of you know about. Then, when I arrived, he tried it after his dad beat him to a pulp, - he said me coming in, and being around afterwards was the only thing that stopped him from doing it again. That's when we became friends. I really *was* the only thing holding him together, but I guess that wasn't enough."
By this time, silent tears were streaming down Spike's face, and he stopped to wipe them away before continuing.
"Oh, and for your information, I am not skint. It's just that most of my money was tied up in Europe. I mean, I've been alive for over 100 years, and you think I didn't learn a thing or two about money? What do you take me for? The Poof? Well, when I found out about that-that bastard beating Xan, I started to pull my accounts together, so I could turn my paper money into proper American cash, so that I could get Xan a proper apartment, away from his bastard of a supposed father. Came through yesterday. Over $100, 000. More than enough to pay a pesky hospital bill. There, that enough information for ya?"
At Buffy's baffled nod, he said, "Good. If I were you, I'd finish reading that diary entry, and Red, Watcher, you should read it to."
At that, Willow, Buffy and Giles huddled together around the diary, and Spike resumed his pacing in front of the door.
Spike growled and glared at her before replying. "I care about Xander, and, by the looks of things, a lot more than any of you do! Did you know he's tried to kill himself before?"
The girls gaped at him when they acknowledged this fact, as did Giles, who had just come in – but as Spike had his back to the door and was focusing on Buffy he did not notice.
"No? Well, the first time that I know of was during his Senior year, about the time he wrote that part of the diary that you were starting to read before Slayer. You should all read that part – full of stuff that happened the night the Hellmouth almost opened that time that none of you know about. Then, when I arrived, he tried it after his dad beat him to a pulp, - he said me coming in, and being around afterwards was the only thing that stopped him from doing it again. That's when we became friends. I really *was* the only thing holding him together, but I guess that wasn't enough."
By this time, silent tears were streaming down Spike's face, and he stopped to wipe them away before continuing.
"Oh, and for your information, I am not skint. It's just that most of my money was tied up in Europe. I mean, I've been alive for over 100 years, and you think I didn't learn a thing or two about money? What do you take me for? The Poof? Well, when I found out about that-that bastard beating Xan, I started to pull my accounts together, so I could turn my paper money into proper American cash, so that I could get Xan a proper apartment, away from his bastard of a supposed father. Came through yesterday. Over $100, 000. More than enough to pay a pesky hospital bill. There, that enough information for ya?"
At Buffy's baffled nod, he said, "Good. If I were you, I'd finish reading that diary entry, and Red, Watcher, you should read it to."
At that, Willow, Buffy and Giles huddled together around the diary, and Spike resumed his pacing in front of the door.