Chapter 26.
Xander pulled up outside the hospital entrance, to find Faith was leaning against the wall. She hadn't slept all night, too worried about her friends. Buffy, although physically ok and apart from a small head wound, was pretty freaked out. She hadn't said much all night, not that that had surprised Faith. She didn't know what it would be like if someone had tried to kill her. She decided it was best to just give her a bit of time, let her sort it out in her own head first, before she even started asking questions. That was the main reason she didn't want Dawn and the others at the hospital. They would mean well, but Faith knew they would be too 'in her face', and she didn't think Buffy was quite up for that yet.
Then there was Spike, she couldn't imagine what he was going through. He finally had his daughter back, but the consequence was seeing his wife shot dead, and his 'girlfriend' attacked. How he was going to cope with a young child, and deal with that she didn't know? Gunn was right, it was all fucked up!
The drive home was pretty quiet. Faith dozed in the front, and Buffy gazed out of the window. When they reached the apartment there was a small welcoming party. Dawn threw herself at her injured sister, nearly sending her flying.
"Buffy! I was so worried!" She whimpered, "I thought I was going to lose you too, please don't ever leave me! Please!" She begged.
"Sshhh Dawnie, it's ok. I just had a bump on the head," she said, pointing to the bandage.
She hugged her sobbing sister until she calmed slightly.
"You..you could have been killed!" She stuttered. "You could have been killed, and it's all Spike's fault. I hate him!" Dawn spat the words out with venom.
Buffy pulled away to look at her sister.
"It wasn't Spike's fault Dawn! Don't say that!" She said firmly.
Dawn was having none of it.
"It was his freakazoid girlfriend that was going to shoot you..duh! I am gonna kick his peroxide ass!"
"Dawnie, I have to lie down. I have a killer headache. Do me a favour, stay away from Spike. Please!" She said before turning towards her bedroom door.
She changed out of her bloodstained clothes, and climbed into her warm inviting bed. Just twenty-four hours ago he was in this bed with her. She could still smell him on the sheets. She pulled a pillow up to her face a breathed him in. It was comforting. She snuggled into the pillow as she let her eyes close.
Buffy slept most of the day. Faith and Dawn took turns to check on her every now and then, but she slept soundly. About five o'clock there was a knock at the door. Dawn went to open it.
"Hey Dawn," Gunn said as he came in.
"I guessed you guys wouldn't have been out, and noticed you were a bit short of supplies last night, so I brought some pizza. Kinda figured you would be a bit hungry!" He said with a smile.
Faith jumped up and took the boxes from him, placing them on the table.
"Oh you so read my mind! You are a star baby!" She replied, planting a kiss on his lips.
Dawn got some plates, and the trio began to tuck into to their late lunch.
"How's Buffy been?" He asked, with a mouth full of pizza.
Faith waved her hand side to side.
"Physical she's fine, mentally I just don't know. She's a bit 'out there' you know?" She replied.
He nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Spike's losing it man!"
"Like we care!!!" Dawn interrupted, as she slammed down her plate and stormed to her bedroom.
Gunn looked at Faith a little confused.
"She's pissed at Spike for nearly getting Buffy shot." Faith explained.
"Oh right, well I guess she has a point huh! But I am really worried about him. He is a wreck man! I don't think he is going to be able to cope with this. He blames himself, and he can't seem to calm Molly. He threw me out, totally freaked and shut the door on me. All he wants is her." He said, motioning to Buffy's room.
Faith sighed, and took another slice of pizza.
"I don't think she is going to be too keen to see him," she began, "I mean, would you be if you were her!! She has hardly spoken to any of us. I can't see her speaking to him anytime soon."
They finished their pizza and Faith leant her head down in his lap. She was exhausted, they both were. She felt safe in his embrace, safe enough to allow herself to fall asleep. He stroked her hair gently as she drifted off, and watched her as she peacefully slept. When they had first met he had thought she looked so broken, so vulnerable beneath her harsh, confident exterior. Spike had told him about her, and she had opened up to him a lot while they were searching for Buffy. He saw strength in her that he knew she didn't see herself. He decided he was going to help her see it. He was going to show her that she was an angel, not a demon. Soon he joined her in their comfortable slumber.
Buffy lay in her bed, still clutching the pillow. She stared at the ceiling, searching for answers, but she realised there really were none. While she was here, in her safe, homely apartment she knew he was alone with his daughter, in some crappy hotel room. He was scared, she could feel it. He needed her. He needed her and she wasn't there.
She pulled herself out of bed, slowly as she was still a little dizzy. She couldn't hear any noise from the other room, so figured everyone was either out, or taking the chance to have a sleep. Quietly Buffy opened her closet, choosing her favourite jeans and a blue turtleneck. She quickly changed and pulled on her boots.
Reaching up on top of the closet she pulled down a small overnight bag. She stuffed some pyjamas and a change of clothes into the bag, before going to the bathroom and grabbing her wash bag.
Silently she crept down the hallway, stopping suddenly every time a floorboard squeaked. She considered leaving a note, but decided she wanted to leave now. She would call later. The door creaked as she pulled it open, she held her breath, praying nobody had heard. Quietly she closed it behind her.
Before Buffy knew it she was on the sidewalk hailing a cab, she didn't have to wait long, soon she was on her way. It wasn't until she was settled in the back of the cab that she realised her hands were shaking, in fact all of her was shaking.
What is he didn't want to see her? What if he still loved Dru? What if Molly hated her? What if??
All these questions suddenly flooded her mind. Panic set in.
As they pulled up outside the hotel she could barely breathe.
"We're here!" The cab driver shouted for the fifth time, shaking Buffy back into reality. "That's five bucks."
Buffy shoved a handful of dollars into his hand and got out of the cab. She stared at the outside of the building for what seemed like an age, before finally pushing the revolving door.
She rode the elevator up to the fifth floor, hands still shaking. People were staring, and then she remembered she still had the hospital bandage on her head.
She stood outside the door, listening. It was quiet inside. Buffy tried to hold back her own tears as she knocked quietly on the door.
And then there he was. Standing in front of her, looking so terrified. Molly was sleeping quietly on the bed. Buffy pushed the door closed behind her and moved towards him. Resting her head on his shoulder, she put her arms around him and held him tight. He couldn't believe what was happening. Was she really here? Was this really happening? He pulled away searching her face for an answer.
"Can I stay?" she whispered.
He reached a hand out to stroke her face.
"Please Spike. I want to be with you. Always. Whatever."
Spike couldn't speak. He pulled her to him again and she knew. This was forever.
Xander pulled up outside the hospital entrance, to find Faith was leaning against the wall. She hadn't slept all night, too worried about her friends. Buffy, although physically ok and apart from a small head wound, was pretty freaked out. She hadn't said much all night, not that that had surprised Faith. She didn't know what it would be like if someone had tried to kill her. She decided it was best to just give her a bit of time, let her sort it out in her own head first, before she even started asking questions. That was the main reason she didn't want Dawn and the others at the hospital. They would mean well, but Faith knew they would be too 'in her face', and she didn't think Buffy was quite up for that yet.
Then there was Spike, she couldn't imagine what he was going through. He finally had his daughter back, but the consequence was seeing his wife shot dead, and his 'girlfriend' attacked. How he was going to cope with a young child, and deal with that she didn't know? Gunn was right, it was all fucked up!
The drive home was pretty quiet. Faith dozed in the front, and Buffy gazed out of the window. When they reached the apartment there was a small welcoming party. Dawn threw herself at her injured sister, nearly sending her flying.
"Buffy! I was so worried!" She whimpered, "I thought I was going to lose you too, please don't ever leave me! Please!" She begged.
"Sshhh Dawnie, it's ok. I just had a bump on the head," she said, pointing to the bandage.
She hugged her sobbing sister until she calmed slightly.
"You..you could have been killed!" She stuttered. "You could have been killed, and it's all Spike's fault. I hate him!" Dawn spat the words out with venom.
Buffy pulled away to look at her sister.
"It wasn't Spike's fault Dawn! Don't say that!" She said firmly.
Dawn was having none of it.
"It was his freakazoid girlfriend that was going to shoot you..duh! I am gonna kick his peroxide ass!"
"Dawnie, I have to lie down. I have a killer headache. Do me a favour, stay away from Spike. Please!" She said before turning towards her bedroom door.
She changed out of her bloodstained clothes, and climbed into her warm inviting bed. Just twenty-four hours ago he was in this bed with her. She could still smell him on the sheets. She pulled a pillow up to her face a breathed him in. It was comforting. She snuggled into the pillow as she let her eyes close.
Buffy slept most of the day. Faith and Dawn took turns to check on her every now and then, but she slept soundly. About five o'clock there was a knock at the door. Dawn went to open it.
"Hey Dawn," Gunn said as he came in.
"I guessed you guys wouldn't have been out, and noticed you were a bit short of supplies last night, so I brought some pizza. Kinda figured you would be a bit hungry!" He said with a smile.
Faith jumped up and took the boxes from him, placing them on the table.
"Oh you so read my mind! You are a star baby!" She replied, planting a kiss on his lips.
Dawn got some plates, and the trio began to tuck into to their late lunch.
"How's Buffy been?" He asked, with a mouth full of pizza.
Faith waved her hand side to side.
"Physical she's fine, mentally I just don't know. She's a bit 'out there' you know?" She replied.
He nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Spike's losing it man!"
"Like we care!!!" Dawn interrupted, as she slammed down her plate and stormed to her bedroom.
Gunn looked at Faith a little confused.
"She's pissed at Spike for nearly getting Buffy shot." Faith explained.
"Oh right, well I guess she has a point huh! But I am really worried about him. He is a wreck man! I don't think he is going to be able to cope with this. He blames himself, and he can't seem to calm Molly. He threw me out, totally freaked and shut the door on me. All he wants is her." He said, motioning to Buffy's room.
Faith sighed, and took another slice of pizza.
"I don't think she is going to be too keen to see him," she began, "I mean, would you be if you were her!! She has hardly spoken to any of us. I can't see her speaking to him anytime soon."
They finished their pizza and Faith leant her head down in his lap. She was exhausted, they both were. She felt safe in his embrace, safe enough to allow herself to fall asleep. He stroked her hair gently as she drifted off, and watched her as she peacefully slept. When they had first met he had thought she looked so broken, so vulnerable beneath her harsh, confident exterior. Spike had told him about her, and she had opened up to him a lot while they were searching for Buffy. He saw strength in her that he knew she didn't see herself. He decided he was going to help her see it. He was going to show her that she was an angel, not a demon. Soon he joined her in their comfortable slumber.
Buffy lay in her bed, still clutching the pillow. She stared at the ceiling, searching for answers, but she realised there really were none. While she was here, in her safe, homely apartment she knew he was alone with his daughter, in some crappy hotel room. He was scared, she could feel it. He needed her. He needed her and she wasn't there.
She pulled herself out of bed, slowly as she was still a little dizzy. She couldn't hear any noise from the other room, so figured everyone was either out, or taking the chance to have a sleep. Quietly Buffy opened her closet, choosing her favourite jeans and a blue turtleneck. She quickly changed and pulled on her boots.
Reaching up on top of the closet she pulled down a small overnight bag. She stuffed some pyjamas and a change of clothes into the bag, before going to the bathroom and grabbing her wash bag.
Silently she crept down the hallway, stopping suddenly every time a floorboard squeaked. She considered leaving a note, but decided she wanted to leave now. She would call later. The door creaked as she pulled it open, she held her breath, praying nobody had heard. Quietly she closed it behind her.
Before Buffy knew it she was on the sidewalk hailing a cab, she didn't have to wait long, soon she was on her way. It wasn't until she was settled in the back of the cab that she realised her hands were shaking, in fact all of her was shaking.
What is he didn't want to see her? What if he still loved Dru? What if Molly hated her? What if??
All these questions suddenly flooded her mind. Panic set in.
As they pulled up outside the hotel she could barely breathe.
"We're here!" The cab driver shouted for the fifth time, shaking Buffy back into reality. "That's five bucks."
Buffy shoved a handful of dollars into his hand and got out of the cab. She stared at the outside of the building for what seemed like an age, before finally pushing the revolving door.
She rode the elevator up to the fifth floor, hands still shaking. People were staring, and then she remembered she still had the hospital bandage on her head.
She stood outside the door, listening. It was quiet inside. Buffy tried to hold back her own tears as she knocked quietly on the door.
And then there he was. Standing in front of her, looking so terrified. Molly was sleeping quietly on the bed. Buffy pushed the door closed behind her and moved towards him. Resting her head on his shoulder, she put her arms around him and held him tight. He couldn't believe what was happening. Was she really here? Was this really happening? He pulled away searching her face for an answer.
"Can I stay?" she whispered.
He reached a hand out to stroke her face.
"Please Spike. I want to be with you. Always. Whatever."
Spike couldn't speak. He pulled her to him again and she knew. This was forever.