Buffy hacked into a horned demon as Spike held him down. "I think it's
done." She said as she had finished hacking it to bits and Spike still held
him down. "You seem preoccupied tonight. Would it happen to be the pretty
little tear factory at the house that's on your mind?"
"You know better," Spike growled and headed home, determined to ignore the nagging feelings of guilt he felt for having left her again. They found her seated listening to Giles as he explained the vigorous course of study that they would go through to establish her education. When she noticed Buffy and Spike's entrance, she stood and smiled. "Beautiful," Spike mumbled unaware that Buffy had heard him. Buffy tossed him a frown before walking forward to Giles and Cerridwen, "So how's it going?" She asked as Cerridwen self consciously straightened her skirt. "Beautiful, eh?" She said in an aside to Spike.
"The material in her clothing," Spike reached out a hand and fingered the skirt. "Soft, yet it moves like liquid and feels like silk, like your hair," he said to Cerridwen. She smiled shyly and looked away, studiously searching through the dictionary that Giles had given her to help her make sense of the language that filled her head
"Come on, Weeping Beauty. Let's get you off to bed." Buffy took Cerridwen's hand and led her upstairs to Dawn's room where a bed had been set up. Buffy showed her how to lie down and tucked her in. "I know this may be upsetting for you, but really the earth is not as bad as you may believe."
"When did you stop caring for God's wisdom?" Cerridwen asked as she looked up at Buffy who stood over her bed. "When I found out that my sister was not my sister, When Glory showed up. When I have had more evidence of demons and monsters than anything else." Cerridwen reached up and wiped the tears that she had not known were there. "If there is a dark, there must be a light. What mastermind do you think made you to be who you are? Of course there are bad things on this world and so there are great things made to protect the innocent. God has a master plan for us all; all you have to do is listen to what He wants. It is hard I know, but the human disregard is the reason most angels are upset. How dare you turn your backs." Cerridwen began to sob then. "And yet there is always love and there is always patience. There will always be guardians to protect this race from the bad things. There is genius at work here, if you but care to acknowledge it."
Buffy smiled, sad that she did not have the conviction she once had, or even half of what Cerridwen displayed. "Good night." was all she could manage, before she left the room in tears.
"Buffy?" Dawn reached out to her older sister who rushed past her and into her own room. "What did you do to her?" Dawn demanded of the drowsy angel who lay ensconced in her blankets. "My sister has enough to deal with. She doesn't need you to make her feel guilty about the life we live."
"And what is there to not feel guilty about?" Cerridwen said around a yawn.
"You know, you got a lot of nerve to show up here, depend on us for support and protection and cast judgments on the way we live. You have been giving us those odd looks. I know you hate humans, but guess what, you are one now, so deal with it and get rid of that holier than thou attitude. If you were so holier you would still be there. And for your information, Spike's not a human, he's a vampire." As Dawn heaved and fought against her own tears, she clenched and unclenched her fist. She stared at the prostrate form upon the bed and felt slight remorse at what she had said, "I'm sorry..." Dawn waited for a response, she walked closer to the bed, "Really, it's just been so difficult lately and things have been..." It was a moment before Dawn realized that Cerridwen was asleep.
***** Giles brought his cup of tea to his lips and paused. "Spike, I would suggest you keep yourself away from her as much as possible." Spike looked up from his tankard of blood. "We don't know what the repercussions of her close association with a vampire would be."
"What do you expect me to do, old man?" Spike stood and headed for the basement. "I'll protect her like the rest of you lot, and there's nothing you can do to make me stop."
Buffy held up a stake, "Give me a reason," She said as she pressed it to his heart.
Spike stood his ground and glared at her, "I found her, I brought her here, and I will protect her with my life."
Buffy lowered the stake, "No fair. You're already dead. You've got nothing to lose."
"I've got more than you know," Spike said. He seemed more sad than angry as he left the room. Something about that girl pulled at him. Made him wish there was something that he could do to make sure she remained safe. It was almost as if he were meant to find her. His heart, or what was left of it, wanted nothing more than to remain next to her. He lifted up a swatch of cloth from the original white cloths she arrived in. Spike sighed and placed the cloth into his inside coat pocket.
"You know better," Spike growled and headed home, determined to ignore the nagging feelings of guilt he felt for having left her again. They found her seated listening to Giles as he explained the vigorous course of study that they would go through to establish her education. When she noticed Buffy and Spike's entrance, she stood and smiled. "Beautiful," Spike mumbled unaware that Buffy had heard him. Buffy tossed him a frown before walking forward to Giles and Cerridwen, "So how's it going?" She asked as Cerridwen self consciously straightened her skirt. "Beautiful, eh?" She said in an aside to Spike.
"The material in her clothing," Spike reached out a hand and fingered the skirt. "Soft, yet it moves like liquid and feels like silk, like your hair," he said to Cerridwen. She smiled shyly and looked away, studiously searching through the dictionary that Giles had given her to help her make sense of the language that filled her head
"Come on, Weeping Beauty. Let's get you off to bed." Buffy took Cerridwen's hand and led her upstairs to Dawn's room where a bed had been set up. Buffy showed her how to lie down and tucked her in. "I know this may be upsetting for you, but really the earth is not as bad as you may believe."
"When did you stop caring for God's wisdom?" Cerridwen asked as she looked up at Buffy who stood over her bed. "When I found out that my sister was not my sister, When Glory showed up. When I have had more evidence of demons and monsters than anything else." Cerridwen reached up and wiped the tears that she had not known were there. "If there is a dark, there must be a light. What mastermind do you think made you to be who you are? Of course there are bad things on this world and so there are great things made to protect the innocent. God has a master plan for us all; all you have to do is listen to what He wants. It is hard I know, but the human disregard is the reason most angels are upset. How dare you turn your backs." Cerridwen began to sob then. "And yet there is always love and there is always patience. There will always be guardians to protect this race from the bad things. There is genius at work here, if you but care to acknowledge it."
Buffy smiled, sad that she did not have the conviction she once had, or even half of what Cerridwen displayed. "Good night." was all she could manage, before she left the room in tears.
"Buffy?" Dawn reached out to her older sister who rushed past her and into her own room. "What did you do to her?" Dawn demanded of the drowsy angel who lay ensconced in her blankets. "My sister has enough to deal with. She doesn't need you to make her feel guilty about the life we live."
"And what is there to not feel guilty about?" Cerridwen said around a yawn.
"You know, you got a lot of nerve to show up here, depend on us for support and protection and cast judgments on the way we live. You have been giving us those odd looks. I know you hate humans, but guess what, you are one now, so deal with it and get rid of that holier than thou attitude. If you were so holier you would still be there. And for your information, Spike's not a human, he's a vampire." As Dawn heaved and fought against her own tears, she clenched and unclenched her fist. She stared at the prostrate form upon the bed and felt slight remorse at what she had said, "I'm sorry..." Dawn waited for a response, she walked closer to the bed, "Really, it's just been so difficult lately and things have been..." It was a moment before Dawn realized that Cerridwen was asleep.
***** Giles brought his cup of tea to his lips and paused. "Spike, I would suggest you keep yourself away from her as much as possible." Spike looked up from his tankard of blood. "We don't know what the repercussions of her close association with a vampire would be."
"What do you expect me to do, old man?" Spike stood and headed for the basement. "I'll protect her like the rest of you lot, and there's nothing you can do to make me stop."
Buffy held up a stake, "Give me a reason," She said as she pressed it to his heart.
Spike stood his ground and glared at her, "I found her, I brought her here, and I will protect her with my life."
Buffy lowered the stake, "No fair. You're already dead. You've got nothing to lose."
"I've got more than you know," Spike said. He seemed more sad than angry as he left the room. Something about that girl pulled at him. Made him wish there was something that he could do to make sure she remained safe. It was almost as if he were meant to find her. His heart, or what was left of it, wanted nothing more than to remain next to her. He lifted up a swatch of cloth from the original white cloths she arrived in. Spike sighed and placed the cloth into his inside coat pocket.