Disclaimer: I own nothing
Buffy was being held down on her bed, held by hands all over her bed, and Adam's hands were try to pull her jeans off. On the floor she knew her friends were lying there, probably unconscious but maybe dead, and the gang members crowding her room all held baseball bats.
Her window exploded, a loud explosion, and she felt a piece of glass hit her cheek, cutting her. A few more smashes cleared the glass out of her window, and she felt some of the people holding her let go in shock.
Her right hand was free, and she smashed Adam in the face, driving him back.
A dark figure dropped in her window, holding a baseball bat in each hand. She glanced at him, shocked to see the platinum shock of hair above the leather jacket.
"Now." Said Spike. "Try that again." His voice was cold.
Trick started for him, but Spike was ready, his bats whirling in his hands. Trick went down screaming desperately, and Buffy knew from the sounds of the impacts that bones were breaking.
Several other gang members were backing away nervously.
Spike kicked Trick, smashing one baseball bat down on him, smashing his face. Trick's scream died out.
Another gang member charged, swinging his baseball bat at Spike's head. Spike blocked with one bat, using the other to smash the gang member out the window, sending him falling down to the ground two stories away.
Two attacked him at once, and he blocked and swung faster than they could even begin to swing with their bats, and he forced them back, hitting them again and again until they fell.
The rest of the gang broke and run, freeing Buffy, who managed to kick Adam between the legs before he got out.
She lay there on the bed breathing heavily, aware that her jeans were undone and pulled down to her hips and that Spike was leaning against the window frame. She glanced at him, trying to pull her pants up.
His eyes were closed and he was breathing in long, hard pants. His face was covered in blood, and she wondered for the briefest of seconds what he was doing there.
Then she rolled to the edge of the bed, ignoring the sharp pains from her broken rib. She reached under, pulling out a nightstick.
Spike watched her. "Planning on throwing me out the window?" He asked her, and his voice sounded like she felt.
"It was one plan." She said.
He shook his head, sinking to the floor. "How's your face?" He asked.
"Smashing." She replied in a dry tone. She twirled the nightstick in her hand. "What happened to you?"
"Trick and Adam." He replied. "Lucky you had that tree by the window, because I don't think I coulda beat the guys at the door." He let out a wheezing cough.
"And what did you just do, anyway?" Asked Buffy. "Last I checked, rescuing damsel's in distress wasn't your thing."
That's right, she thought to herself. Just laugh about it. Be light about it. Let your heart slow down, let the fear go away.
She hadn't gone for the nightstick to fight Spike. She knew what kind of enemy he was. He was a good fighter, and he was probably the worst threat she'd ever met.
But right now, here, she wasn't afraid of him. Because she knew that he might break her nose, maybe even kill her. But he wasn't like the others. Wasn't an animal.
And she'd needed the weight of the nightstick in her hand. Needed the reassurance of the weapon. Needed something to tell her if they came back in now, it would different.
Spike groaned. "You tell anyone this happened, I'll deny it." He said. "I'm not that sort."
She glanced at him. "You okay?" She asked.
"They tried to kill me." He said. "And they were gonna kill you."
"And that turned you into a knight on a white horse?"
He glanced at her, and she saw hatred in his eyes. "Yeah, whatever." He said.
"Why did you come here?" She pressed. He just glared at her.
And for a split second, she could have sworn that he looked embarrassed. But then his face was a mask again, holding the world out by sheer force of sarcasm. "Well, I thought to myself, Adam. Adam? There's a fate worse than death, that is. And while I'm all for killing you, that seemed just a bit much. I mean, Trick, maybe. Sure, why not. I'd do him. Or even Warren. But Adam? No, that was just too much."
Buffy giggled, then winced and grabbed her ribs. "Are you always like this?" She asked. "Can't you just answer a question? Is this all a big joke to you? You nearly got me killed, and you're just laughing about it."
"What d'you have in mind, luv? A nice heart to heart with the guy who broke your nose?" He chuckled. "Oh, Jerry Springer would love that, he would."
Buffy sighed. "No, not a heart to heart. But you just...thank you." The words felt like poison on her tongue. But she had to say them.
He laughed, of course. He always laughed. She looked at his hands, and the cracked and bloody knuckles, at the streaks of blood on his exposed wrists.
"They beat you up pretty bad, didn't they?"
He shrugged. "Whatever." He rose to his feet, his hands empty, and she tightened her grip on the nightstick, aware her pants weren't even fastened. He sat down on the bed beside her, groaning. Then he picked up the first aid kit, taking out a box of band-aids.
His hand froze halfway to his face.
She turned, glancing at his face. He was staring at the floor. At Giles, lying there unconscious. She glanced to Xander, who was also unconscious. "Willow's downstairs." She said, a sudden panic rising in her.
"They hit Rupes." Said Spike coldly.
"What?" She said.
"Messing with me was bad enough. Messing with my family--they do not get to do that!" He snarled.
She put down the nightstick and fastened her pants. He didn't even look at her. She sighed. "Spike, calm down. You're in no shape to start anything."
He picked up her nightstick, examining it. He handed it back to her. "Yes I am." He replied. He took a deep, long breath. "It's just pain."
"And pain is your friend." Said Buffy sarcastically.
Spike just grinned. "Help them out." He said.
She grabbed his arm. "Don't do this. I need your help."
"I don't give a rat's arse what you need." He said, shaking off her arm.
"Don't you dare!" She said. "Look at your uncle! What if they come back?" She was shaking slightly.
"I find them, they won't be coming back." He replied, but he didn't move. Finally he sighed. "All right, I'll stay."
She gave a little sigh. "Thank you." She said.
"Don't thank me." He muttered. "I feel such a git when you do that."
He got off the bed, limping to where Giles lay on the floor. He crouched over the other man, checking his pulse.
"I'm beginning to hate it here." He said, his voice angry. Buffy nodded. "It's not just the violence. I like violence. It's not that it's mindless violence. I like that too. It's not that they don't recognize rules. I like that too. It's that they're so bloody stupid!" He kicked Trick where the gang leader was lying on the floor. "You should have known I'd do this, eh, Trick? Should have known! Bloody stupid!"
Buffy blinked, her frazzled nerves finally calming down enough to put two and two together. "Adam and Trick were here together." She said.
Spike blinked. "Oh, yeah. That's right." He said. "They called some kind of truce to try and kill me."
Buffy blinked. "You managed to singlehandedly unite the two biggest threats into town, making them even bigger."
Spike shrugged. "What's life without a little challenge?"
Buffy shook her head. "I ought to kill you for what you did to my face." She said, touching the bandages on her nose."
Spike chuckled. "Oh, don't worry, somebody handled that one for you." He stretched, and there was a popping noise from his shoulder."
"What happened?" She asked.
"Both gangs jumped me at the same time." He said with a shrug. "Nearly got me."
"How did you escape?" Asked Buffy. He shrugged.
"Rather not say." He said coldly.
"Let's go downstairs." Said Buffy. "Check on Wills."
Spike rose from the crouch over Giles, and glanced at Xander. He grinned, seeing the bruises on him. "That'll teach him." He muttered. Buffy gave him a hard look. "Oh, come on!" He said, irritated.
He limped towards the door. Buffy followed, wincing at the pain from her broken rib. The one Spike had broken kicking her. She glared at him.
He moved through the door and towards the stairs, still limping heavily. She frowned, watching him. "Serves you right." She said.
He glanced at her face. "Yeah, well, you're still pretty enough." He grumbled. "I may never have children now, eh?"
She tried to hold back her reaction, but she still blushed. He glanced at her, catching her reaction, and grinned. He winced from the grin, brushing a hand across his bruised jaw, and stumbled, almost falling. He steadied himself with a bloody hand against the wall.
"Don't get blood on the walls." Said Buffy.
"Where's your mother and little sis?" Asked Spike.
Buffy shook her head. "They're not home." She said sharply.
"I know that, Buffy. So where are they?" He asked, his voice strained. He went down the stairs slowly, pain obvious in his eyes.
"There's a PTA meeting tonight." She replied. "Mom took Dawn there."
Spike let out a long breath. "That's what I thought." He said.
"What's wrong?" Asked Buffy sharply.
"That's where they're going next." He said flatly.
**
A/N: Hm...why did he go all white knight, do you think? Well, I know.
It was because he already felt guilty about hurting her, and he
didn't want to KILL anybody.
Buffy was being held down on her bed, held by hands all over her bed, and Adam's hands were try to pull her jeans off. On the floor she knew her friends were lying there, probably unconscious but maybe dead, and the gang members crowding her room all held baseball bats.
Her window exploded, a loud explosion, and she felt a piece of glass hit her cheek, cutting her. A few more smashes cleared the glass out of her window, and she felt some of the people holding her let go in shock.
Her right hand was free, and she smashed Adam in the face, driving him back.
A dark figure dropped in her window, holding a baseball bat in each hand. She glanced at him, shocked to see the platinum shock of hair above the leather jacket.
"Now." Said Spike. "Try that again." His voice was cold.
Trick started for him, but Spike was ready, his bats whirling in his hands. Trick went down screaming desperately, and Buffy knew from the sounds of the impacts that bones were breaking.
Several other gang members were backing away nervously.
Spike kicked Trick, smashing one baseball bat down on him, smashing his face. Trick's scream died out.
Another gang member charged, swinging his baseball bat at Spike's head. Spike blocked with one bat, using the other to smash the gang member out the window, sending him falling down to the ground two stories away.
Two attacked him at once, and he blocked and swung faster than they could even begin to swing with their bats, and he forced them back, hitting them again and again until they fell.
The rest of the gang broke and run, freeing Buffy, who managed to kick Adam between the legs before he got out.
She lay there on the bed breathing heavily, aware that her jeans were undone and pulled down to her hips and that Spike was leaning against the window frame. She glanced at him, trying to pull her pants up.
His eyes were closed and he was breathing in long, hard pants. His face was covered in blood, and she wondered for the briefest of seconds what he was doing there.
Then she rolled to the edge of the bed, ignoring the sharp pains from her broken rib. She reached under, pulling out a nightstick.
Spike watched her. "Planning on throwing me out the window?" He asked her, and his voice sounded like she felt.
"It was one plan." She said.
He shook his head, sinking to the floor. "How's your face?" He asked.
"Smashing." She replied in a dry tone. She twirled the nightstick in her hand. "What happened to you?"
"Trick and Adam." He replied. "Lucky you had that tree by the window, because I don't think I coulda beat the guys at the door." He let out a wheezing cough.
"And what did you just do, anyway?" Asked Buffy. "Last I checked, rescuing damsel's in distress wasn't your thing."
That's right, she thought to herself. Just laugh about it. Be light about it. Let your heart slow down, let the fear go away.
She hadn't gone for the nightstick to fight Spike. She knew what kind of enemy he was. He was a good fighter, and he was probably the worst threat she'd ever met.
But right now, here, she wasn't afraid of him. Because she knew that he might break her nose, maybe even kill her. But he wasn't like the others. Wasn't an animal.
And she'd needed the weight of the nightstick in her hand. Needed the reassurance of the weapon. Needed something to tell her if they came back in now, it would different.
Spike groaned. "You tell anyone this happened, I'll deny it." He said. "I'm not that sort."
She glanced at him. "You okay?" She asked.
"They tried to kill me." He said. "And they were gonna kill you."
"And that turned you into a knight on a white horse?"
He glanced at her, and she saw hatred in his eyes. "Yeah, whatever." He said.
"Why did you come here?" She pressed. He just glared at her.
And for a split second, she could have sworn that he looked embarrassed. But then his face was a mask again, holding the world out by sheer force of sarcasm. "Well, I thought to myself, Adam. Adam? There's a fate worse than death, that is. And while I'm all for killing you, that seemed just a bit much. I mean, Trick, maybe. Sure, why not. I'd do him. Or even Warren. But Adam? No, that was just too much."
Buffy giggled, then winced and grabbed her ribs. "Are you always like this?" She asked. "Can't you just answer a question? Is this all a big joke to you? You nearly got me killed, and you're just laughing about it."
"What d'you have in mind, luv? A nice heart to heart with the guy who broke your nose?" He chuckled. "Oh, Jerry Springer would love that, he would."
Buffy sighed. "No, not a heart to heart. But you just...thank you." The words felt like poison on her tongue. But she had to say them.
He laughed, of course. He always laughed. She looked at his hands, and the cracked and bloody knuckles, at the streaks of blood on his exposed wrists.
"They beat you up pretty bad, didn't they?"
He shrugged. "Whatever." He rose to his feet, his hands empty, and she tightened her grip on the nightstick, aware her pants weren't even fastened. He sat down on the bed beside her, groaning. Then he picked up the first aid kit, taking out a box of band-aids.
His hand froze halfway to his face.
She turned, glancing at his face. He was staring at the floor. At Giles, lying there unconscious. She glanced to Xander, who was also unconscious. "Willow's downstairs." She said, a sudden panic rising in her.
"They hit Rupes." Said Spike coldly.
"What?" She said.
"Messing with me was bad enough. Messing with my family--they do not get to do that!" He snarled.
She put down the nightstick and fastened her pants. He didn't even look at her. She sighed. "Spike, calm down. You're in no shape to start anything."
He picked up her nightstick, examining it. He handed it back to her. "Yes I am." He replied. He took a deep, long breath. "It's just pain."
"And pain is your friend." Said Buffy sarcastically.
Spike just grinned. "Help them out." He said.
She grabbed his arm. "Don't do this. I need your help."
"I don't give a rat's arse what you need." He said, shaking off her arm.
"Don't you dare!" She said. "Look at your uncle! What if they come back?" She was shaking slightly.
"I find them, they won't be coming back." He replied, but he didn't move. Finally he sighed. "All right, I'll stay."
She gave a little sigh. "Thank you." She said.
"Don't thank me." He muttered. "I feel such a git when you do that."
He got off the bed, limping to where Giles lay on the floor. He crouched over the other man, checking his pulse.
"I'm beginning to hate it here." He said, his voice angry. Buffy nodded. "It's not just the violence. I like violence. It's not that it's mindless violence. I like that too. It's not that they don't recognize rules. I like that too. It's that they're so bloody stupid!" He kicked Trick where the gang leader was lying on the floor. "You should have known I'd do this, eh, Trick? Should have known! Bloody stupid!"
Buffy blinked, her frazzled nerves finally calming down enough to put two and two together. "Adam and Trick were here together." She said.
Spike blinked. "Oh, yeah. That's right." He said. "They called some kind of truce to try and kill me."
Buffy blinked. "You managed to singlehandedly unite the two biggest threats into town, making them even bigger."
Spike shrugged. "What's life without a little challenge?"
Buffy shook her head. "I ought to kill you for what you did to my face." She said, touching the bandages on her nose."
Spike chuckled. "Oh, don't worry, somebody handled that one for you." He stretched, and there was a popping noise from his shoulder."
"What happened?" She asked.
"Both gangs jumped me at the same time." He said with a shrug. "Nearly got me."
"How did you escape?" Asked Buffy. He shrugged.
"Rather not say." He said coldly.
"Let's go downstairs." Said Buffy. "Check on Wills."
Spike rose from the crouch over Giles, and glanced at Xander. He grinned, seeing the bruises on him. "That'll teach him." He muttered. Buffy gave him a hard look. "Oh, come on!" He said, irritated.
He limped towards the door. Buffy followed, wincing at the pain from her broken rib. The one Spike had broken kicking her. She glared at him.
He moved through the door and towards the stairs, still limping heavily. She frowned, watching him. "Serves you right." She said.
He glanced at her face. "Yeah, well, you're still pretty enough." He grumbled. "I may never have children now, eh?"
She tried to hold back her reaction, but she still blushed. He glanced at her, catching her reaction, and grinned. He winced from the grin, brushing a hand across his bruised jaw, and stumbled, almost falling. He steadied himself with a bloody hand against the wall.
"Don't get blood on the walls." Said Buffy.
"Where's your mother and little sis?" Asked Spike.
Buffy shook her head. "They're not home." She said sharply.
"I know that, Buffy. So where are they?" He asked, his voice strained. He went down the stairs slowly, pain obvious in his eyes.
"There's a PTA meeting tonight." She replied. "Mom took Dawn there."
Spike let out a long breath. "That's what I thought." He said.
"What's wrong?" Asked Buffy sharply.
"That's where they're going next." He said flatly.
**
A/N: Hm...why did he go all white knight, do you think? Well, I know.
It was because he already felt guilty about hurting her, and he
didn't want to KILL anybody.