Chapter 22.
"So, I should head back to the hotel and get showered and changed before work." Spike grinned at her. "Unless I shower here of course!" He grabbed her and swung her round, pulling the diminutive blonde in tight close to his body.
Buffy grinned back and pushed him away. "No, not today, we both know where that will end up! And we can't be late can we, especially after your big time keeping speech!"
She fastened the last button on his shirt and straightened his hair.
"There, your good to go," she smiled pecking him on the cheek. "I'll see you in the office."
Spike looked her up and down and licked his lips. "Or maybe I'll be seeing you in the office, hey pet!"
Buffy blushed and pushed him out the bedroom door, closing it behind him. She looked at herself in the mirror as she passed it, she looked alive for the first time in ages. She left it five minutes then made her way to the bathroom, turning on the shower until the water ran hot. She stood and let it wash over her, almost disappointed that she had to wash his scent off her, gently she let the bubbles run over her as she relived the events. She could feel his hands running all over her body, creating little sparks wherever they touched. His lips on hers, hard and passionate, his body crushing her and taking her to places she hadn't been in so long. She stepped out of the shower smiling and pulled on her robe, making her way to the bedroom to prepare for the day. It was going to be good, she could feel it.
By the time Buffy had actually managed to get ready, she was already late. Faith had hung back desperate to get the gossip, but Buffy was being pretty tight lipped. She stuck her hand up, as they stood on the sidewalk to hail a passing taxi. Faith had figured being late today wasn't going to be so much of a big deal, what with her two superiors being all 'loved up.' Finally a taxi pulled over and the two girls climbed in.
"So B! What's the deal then?" She enquired.
Buffy looked out of the window at the passing traffic. She didn't want to jinx things by telling people before they had even worked out what they were doing themselves. All she knew is that it felt good, she felt good.
"Spike stayed the night," she replied, before returning her eyes to look out of the window.
Faith pulled her back around and raised her eyebrows.
"Um yeah, kinda gathered that much, what with the whole 'naked in bed' and 'monkey sex' noises!" She began. "I meant, what happens now? What's the deal with you two?" Buffy blushed wildly.
"You.you heard the, um sex noises?" She said meekly.
Faith laughed and flicked her hair. "Honey, Willow called from LA, they could hear you from there!"
Buffy put her head in her hands embarrassed, "Oh, um is Dawnie, you know, ok?"
Faith patted her friend on the shoulder reassuringly. "The emotional scarring will be short lived B! Don't fret."
"It just kind of happened, it was an accident, but, well it was a good accident, you know?" She looked to her friend. "I just thought about what you said yesterday, about the past, I didn't want to lose him again."
Faith looked to her friend concerned. "So you slept with him, so you wouldn't lose him?" She questioned.
The blonde jumped in, "No, no, not at all. It wasn't like that, it felt right, we both wanted it. It was like.it was like he never left." She pulled her hair into a bunch and clipped it at the back. Faith smiled, she was happy for the blonde, her and Spike were meant to be, she was sure of that.
Buffy wasn't able to concentrate all day, she was glad that she and Spike had worked so late the day before, because she wasn't going to get much work done today, that was for sure. She was busy tying up some loose ends before the Christmas break, when Spike came and settled himself on the corner of her desk. They had agreed to keep business and pleasure strictly separate, and had struggled to keep away from each other all morning, worried that the rest of the office contingent would see what was happening. No one had of course, they were all oblivious, apart from Faith, who was now watching with interest.
Spike flicked through some papers in Buffy's in tray.
"So, you fancy grabbing some lunch pet?" He asked casually, not even looking at her.
Buffy smiled as she finished stapling a report together, he looked so vulnerable.
"Well I usually lunch with Faith.." She began, as she looked up to see Faith jumping up and down mouthing 'go, go, go!'
"But, it looks like she is kind of busy, so yeah, cool, lets go."
She grabbed her purse and followed him out.
Faith and Buffy normally lunched in the coffee shop across the road, but Spike had other plans. He popped in and grabbed a couple of sandwiches and two lattes, handing her the former as he led her down the road. They finally stopped at the little park they used to hang in when they were kids. Spike sat down on a swing and started to bite into his sandwich.
Buffy was the first to speak.
"I haven't been here in ages," she said as she started to swing gently, "it's a bit of a blast from the past!" She exclaimed remembering all the good times they had spent there.
"Buffy.." He began, a serious look on his face. Buffy could always tell when he was being serious, his brow furrowed and his jaw almost twitched.
"Buffy, I need to tell you why I left," he continued.
She leant over and stroked his face, she just wanted to feel him. It didn't matter anymore, nothing he could say would change that.
"It doesn't matter baby," she whispered, "that's all over with now, it's in the past." She gently kissed his lips. Suddenly she realised he was shaking in her embrace, his whole body shuddered as he sobbed into her shoulder. She lifted his head and saw the tears running down his face, lifting a finger she wiped it across his cheek, smoothing away the tears.
"Buffy, you are my everything," he sobbed, "Everything I ever wanted, ever needed. I need you to know that."
She fought back her own emotions and whispered, "And you're mine."
She held him as he let everything out, stroking his back as his sobs echoed around the playground. Finally he calmed down, wiping his face as he looked at her.
"It matters Buffy! It matters because I can't just forget it." Pulling his wallet out of his pocket, he opened the clip fastener on the little pocket, and retrieved the photographs within. He flicked through until he reached the most recent, the one he had shown Xander days earlier. Slowly he handed it to the confused blonde. Buffy took the photograph and examined it for what seemed like an eternity. Spike just waited, waited for a response, a punch, anything, but she sat silently.
Eventually he broke the silence.
"Her name's Molly," he began, Buffy didn't respond.
"That was taken at her birthday last year," he continued, "she had a fancy dress party, she was a princess." His voice cracked on the last words and his head fell into his hands.
"It's the last time I saw her, she took her the next day," he couldn't get the words out.
Still she sat in silence, staring at the picture in her hand. A pretty dark haired girl, piercing blue eyes, hair falling in ringlets down to her waist. She was dressed in a frilly pink dress, with a sparkly tiara. She was smiling and he was hugging her. Buffy ran her fingers across the picture.
"How old is she?" She asked.
Spike took her hand and held it tightly, stroking her cheek with the other.
"Buffy, I love you," he whispered as he leant forward to kiss her. She knew he meant it, she could tell, but her stomach was in knots, her head was pounding and she felt as if someone had just punched her in the gut.
"How old is she Spike?" She repeated.
"Five," he began, "Five last September." He looked to the ground.
That was enough, she felt as if she was going to die on the spot, like all the life had just been kicked back out of her. She stood up and picked up her purse, fighting the tears that would betray her feelings.
"I have to go," she said as she handed him the picture and began to walk away.
"Buffy wait, please, I need to explain!" He called after her.
But she couldn't wait, she had to leave, now!
"I have to go, I can't hear this now," she whispered as she turned and walked away, leaving him sitting on the swing alone.
"So, I should head back to the hotel and get showered and changed before work." Spike grinned at her. "Unless I shower here of course!" He grabbed her and swung her round, pulling the diminutive blonde in tight close to his body.
Buffy grinned back and pushed him away. "No, not today, we both know where that will end up! And we can't be late can we, especially after your big time keeping speech!"
She fastened the last button on his shirt and straightened his hair.
"There, your good to go," she smiled pecking him on the cheek. "I'll see you in the office."
Spike looked her up and down and licked his lips. "Or maybe I'll be seeing you in the office, hey pet!"
Buffy blushed and pushed him out the bedroom door, closing it behind him. She looked at herself in the mirror as she passed it, she looked alive for the first time in ages. She left it five minutes then made her way to the bathroom, turning on the shower until the water ran hot. She stood and let it wash over her, almost disappointed that she had to wash his scent off her, gently she let the bubbles run over her as she relived the events. She could feel his hands running all over her body, creating little sparks wherever they touched. His lips on hers, hard and passionate, his body crushing her and taking her to places she hadn't been in so long. She stepped out of the shower smiling and pulled on her robe, making her way to the bedroom to prepare for the day. It was going to be good, she could feel it.
By the time Buffy had actually managed to get ready, she was already late. Faith had hung back desperate to get the gossip, but Buffy was being pretty tight lipped. She stuck her hand up, as they stood on the sidewalk to hail a passing taxi. Faith had figured being late today wasn't going to be so much of a big deal, what with her two superiors being all 'loved up.' Finally a taxi pulled over and the two girls climbed in.
"So B! What's the deal then?" She enquired.
Buffy looked out of the window at the passing traffic. She didn't want to jinx things by telling people before they had even worked out what they were doing themselves. All she knew is that it felt good, she felt good.
"Spike stayed the night," she replied, before returning her eyes to look out of the window.
Faith pulled her back around and raised her eyebrows.
"Um yeah, kinda gathered that much, what with the whole 'naked in bed' and 'monkey sex' noises!" She began. "I meant, what happens now? What's the deal with you two?" Buffy blushed wildly.
"You.you heard the, um sex noises?" She said meekly.
Faith laughed and flicked her hair. "Honey, Willow called from LA, they could hear you from there!"
Buffy put her head in her hands embarrassed, "Oh, um is Dawnie, you know, ok?"
Faith patted her friend on the shoulder reassuringly. "The emotional scarring will be short lived B! Don't fret."
"It just kind of happened, it was an accident, but, well it was a good accident, you know?" She looked to her friend. "I just thought about what you said yesterday, about the past, I didn't want to lose him again."
Faith looked to her friend concerned. "So you slept with him, so you wouldn't lose him?" She questioned.
The blonde jumped in, "No, no, not at all. It wasn't like that, it felt right, we both wanted it. It was like.it was like he never left." She pulled her hair into a bunch and clipped it at the back. Faith smiled, she was happy for the blonde, her and Spike were meant to be, she was sure of that.
Buffy wasn't able to concentrate all day, she was glad that she and Spike had worked so late the day before, because she wasn't going to get much work done today, that was for sure. She was busy tying up some loose ends before the Christmas break, when Spike came and settled himself on the corner of her desk. They had agreed to keep business and pleasure strictly separate, and had struggled to keep away from each other all morning, worried that the rest of the office contingent would see what was happening. No one had of course, they were all oblivious, apart from Faith, who was now watching with interest.
Spike flicked through some papers in Buffy's in tray.
"So, you fancy grabbing some lunch pet?" He asked casually, not even looking at her.
Buffy smiled as she finished stapling a report together, he looked so vulnerable.
"Well I usually lunch with Faith.." She began, as she looked up to see Faith jumping up and down mouthing 'go, go, go!'
"But, it looks like she is kind of busy, so yeah, cool, lets go."
She grabbed her purse and followed him out.
Faith and Buffy normally lunched in the coffee shop across the road, but Spike had other plans. He popped in and grabbed a couple of sandwiches and two lattes, handing her the former as he led her down the road. They finally stopped at the little park they used to hang in when they were kids. Spike sat down on a swing and started to bite into his sandwich.
Buffy was the first to speak.
"I haven't been here in ages," she said as she started to swing gently, "it's a bit of a blast from the past!" She exclaimed remembering all the good times they had spent there.
"Buffy.." He began, a serious look on his face. Buffy could always tell when he was being serious, his brow furrowed and his jaw almost twitched.
"Buffy, I need to tell you why I left," he continued.
She leant over and stroked his face, she just wanted to feel him. It didn't matter anymore, nothing he could say would change that.
"It doesn't matter baby," she whispered, "that's all over with now, it's in the past." She gently kissed his lips. Suddenly she realised he was shaking in her embrace, his whole body shuddered as he sobbed into her shoulder. She lifted his head and saw the tears running down his face, lifting a finger she wiped it across his cheek, smoothing away the tears.
"Buffy, you are my everything," he sobbed, "Everything I ever wanted, ever needed. I need you to know that."
She fought back her own emotions and whispered, "And you're mine."
She held him as he let everything out, stroking his back as his sobs echoed around the playground. Finally he calmed down, wiping his face as he looked at her.
"It matters Buffy! It matters because I can't just forget it." Pulling his wallet out of his pocket, he opened the clip fastener on the little pocket, and retrieved the photographs within. He flicked through until he reached the most recent, the one he had shown Xander days earlier. Slowly he handed it to the confused blonde. Buffy took the photograph and examined it for what seemed like an eternity. Spike just waited, waited for a response, a punch, anything, but she sat silently.
Eventually he broke the silence.
"Her name's Molly," he began, Buffy didn't respond.
"That was taken at her birthday last year," he continued, "she had a fancy dress party, she was a princess." His voice cracked on the last words and his head fell into his hands.
"It's the last time I saw her, she took her the next day," he couldn't get the words out.
Still she sat in silence, staring at the picture in her hand. A pretty dark haired girl, piercing blue eyes, hair falling in ringlets down to her waist. She was dressed in a frilly pink dress, with a sparkly tiara. She was smiling and he was hugging her. Buffy ran her fingers across the picture.
"How old is she?" She asked.
Spike took her hand and held it tightly, stroking her cheek with the other.
"Buffy, I love you," he whispered as he leant forward to kiss her. She knew he meant it, she could tell, but her stomach was in knots, her head was pounding and she felt as if someone had just punched her in the gut.
"How old is she Spike?" She repeated.
"Five," he began, "Five last September." He looked to the ground.
That was enough, she felt as if she was going to die on the spot, like all the life had just been kicked back out of her. She stood up and picked up her purse, fighting the tears that would betray her feelings.
"I have to go," she said as she handed him the picture and began to walk away.
"Buffy wait, please, I need to explain!" He called after her.
But she couldn't wait, she had to leave, now!
"I have to go, I can't hear this now," she whispered as she turned and walked away, leaving him sitting on the swing alone.