Buffy felt the sun stream in through the cracked window, and shut her
eyes tighter. She wasn't yet strong enough to face the day which was
pounding itself on the concrete below. Tangling the blankets between her
calves, she tried to fall back into sleep which had left her moments
before. Her attempts weren't going according to plan, and she shoved her
head harder into the pillow.
"Pet, the Watcher wants you up." The cool drawl was Spikes and only when prompted by his voice did she notice his presence. "Now." He added, and ambled toward her, sitting at the edge of the bed and looking over his shoulder at her.
She moaned. "It's morning."
"So?"
"I don't work until the sun goes down." Forcing her eyes opened, she sat up and met his gaze.
He smiled at her. "C'mon Slayer, up." As if taking his own advice he got on his feet, and watched as she slowly fell out of bed and yawned.
Without turning toward him she unzipped her pack which was still on the floor and took out a shirt. "Ew." She said, holding it up to him. "Why did I pack this?"
Spike just shook his head in a grin as she begun to dress.
"So where is everyone?" She asked, struggling on a pair of jeans.
The vampire looked up to her from his previous gaze to the sun painted window. "The poof and his bit are on the street, something bout a demon. Soldier boy said he was checking up with one of his commandos, they'll be back for the battle tonight."
Buffy nodded as she slid on a jacket. "What are we doing?"
"Watcher wants us to go with him to pick up some weaponry."
"Right." The Slayer nodded, walking toward the door. "Like a stake wouldn't do the trick, we need to get expensive."
Spike fell into step behind her, following as they reached the shadowed lobby. Wesley stood impatiently in the middle the room, watching as they descended the stairs.
He shook his head. "Some things never change." The ex Watcher met Buffy's gaze. "I was going out to pick up some weaponry Angel asked for, would you like to come along?"
"Sure." The Slayer nodded, and glanced at Spike from behind her. "You coming too?"
"Not like there's anything for me to do here." The vampire shrugged and Buffy heard rather then saw the sigh Wesley let out from his decision.
***
The car ride was long, and Buffy gazed out the window for amusement. She sat in Spikes embrace in the back seat and the pale curiosity at the passing streets suddenly grew to intense interest as she recognized the apartment building up ahead.
"Uh, hey, Wes." She said quickly, straitening up. "Can you drop me off up at this next road?"
The ex Watcher took a sharp left to make the turn, licking his lips out of confusion. "Any particular reason?"
Spike let Buffy position herself out of his arms, but didn't have the energy to try to pull her back in. Sending a quick glance out the stained windows, he saw only normal suburban LA, nothing out of the ordinary.
"My dad lives here." The Slayer said simply, but it didn't take much to realize the apprehensive tone that eased into the few words.
The vampire didn't bother to speak as he grabbed the blanket he had found earlier, throwing it over his head as he followed Buffy out of the car. He hurried ahead of the Slayer to the safety of the awning.
Wesley rolled down the window of the car and yelled toward the Slayer. "You want me to pick up?"
Buffy looked around as though gathering her perimeters. "Yeah, five- ish OK?"
Wesley glanced at his watch and nodded before driving off.
"Thought your pops was gone." Spike noted as he surveyed the area with blinking eyes.
The Slayer shrugged and took a step toward the door. "Could be for as much as he tries to stay in contact." She stayed in uneasy thought for a moment before noticing Spike's obvious uneasiness about being in the daylight with only pale shadows for protection. "Let's go." Her voice was definite as she stepped through the electric doors, Spike followed, throwing the blanket in the bushes.
They entered the front room of the apartment and Buffy went to the receptionist. The vampire waited with quite impatience until she led him to an elevator. They were the only occupants as the doors closed.
"Did he know I was dead?." Buffy asked quietly, breaking the silent spell that had been cast between the four walls.
Spike buried his hands into the depths of his pockets and sighed. "No, he doesn't."
The Slayer shook her head and sighed, allowing her eyes to fall toward the floor as the elevator climbed up the levels. "Good, it would make this all way more confusing then it has to be."
Neither spoke until the doors opened to reveal a long hall with doors on either side. The Slayer stepped in awkwardly, and Spike noticed that she was more nervous here then in the dark. She turned to the fourth door on the left and knocked quickly, taking large breaths.
"Spike." She whispered as they waited.
"Yes pet." He said, coming closer and grabbing her hand for comfort.
She squeezed his in thanks. "My dad doesn't know I'm the Slayer. . . could you. . ."
"Act human?" He supplied for her. "Whatever you want love."
Just as the Slayer was about to knock again, the door opened. It revealed a women with her honey brown hair pulled back in a bun, but allowed a few strands to frame her face. Her alabaster skin was smooth and matched the white of her shirt. Hazel eyes scanned the two until her lips turned into a soft smile.
"Buffy, it's so good to see you. How are you?"
The Slayer forced a smile and regrettably let go of Spikes grasp. "Hi Shelly, I'm good, thanks. . ." She trailed off trying to regain her composure, but realized that the women's attention had wandered to Spike. "Oh, this is. . ." Buffy said in regards to the vampire and then trailed off. What was Spike? She was compelled to say lover but she didn't feel comfortable saying that to someone she barely knew. He wasn't exactly her boyfriend, or human for that matter. . . so what could she say?
"This is my friend, Spike."
Shelly nodded and finally drew her eyes away from the vampire. "You here to see your father?"
"Yeah, actually. . ." Buffy forced another smile on as Shelly invited them in. The apartment had changed the Slayer noted as she entered with her fingers intertwined with Spikes. Red wallpaper had been traded for blue painted walls which matched well with a new carpet that was laid across wood floor.
"Make yourselves comfortable, I'll go find Hank." Shelly said quickly as she left the hall. Spike was the first to sit on an overstuffed couch, he waited as Buffy confirmed her surroundings before joining him.
Neither spoke, and Spike found it was appropriate time to break the silence. "So I'm just a friend, hey?"
Buffy shot him a emotionless glance and then occupied her eyes with her hands. "Now is really not the time to talk about this Spike."
He knew from her tone that she meant what she had said. "Later then Slayer?"
"Don't call me that." She whispered with a cautious glance to the hallway. "OK, fine, whatever."
Buffy sat against the couch and sighed, trying to clear her suddenly caught throat. The last time she had visited her father was just as her Freshman year had started. It had been an excuse to confront Angel about coming to Sunnydale and not telling her. She had met Shelly on the evening her and her dad had gone to dinner. The women was nice enough, not the same secretary he had first run off with, but cut from the same cloth.
Lost in thought, Buffy failed to realize it as her father walked into the room. She needed a prompt by Spike, a touch on shoulder, to look up. Scrambling to her feet she rushed to Hank to embrace him quickly. He pressed a small kiss into her head and she stepped back carefully when he let go.
"Honey, it's so good to see you." He said with a large smile. "Is Dawn here?"
Buffy shook her head. "No, she couldn't come. . . she had school. I just came down here to visit some friends."
Hank nodded and looked over Buffy to where Spike was now standing. "Hiya." The vampire said in false bravado. He confidently strode up to Hank and shook his hand with a strong grip. Buffy watched him cautiously. "I'm Spike. . . Buffy's friend." He continued with a stolen grin to the Slayer, she glared back. "Lovely girl you have here, really."
"Thank you. . ." Hank said, a bit thrown by Spike. He turned back toward his daughter who was straining to keep a smile on her face. "Why don't we go into the kitchen, I'll have Shelly whip up something."
Buffy cast a glance toward Spike, warning him not speak as they followed her father. It all made her wonder really how much Hank really cared that she was her. He had never called, not once after her mother died and communicated only through child support. The Slayer was surprised to see that Shelly was already hard at work in the kitchen when they entered. Hank lead them to the kitchen table and Spike made it a point to sit next to her, leaving her between him and her father.
The vampire settled his elbows on the table and waited for someone to speak. He could feel the apprehension from Buffy, and the uneasiness was like a stench from her father.
No one was comfortable.
"So Spike, how do you and Buffy know each other?" Shelly broke the silence as she came over with a tray of tea and cookies. She it down and seated herself next to Hank.
"Work, mostly" Buffy answered for him.
Hank nodded as he grabbed for a cup of tea. "And what are you doing these days Buffy?"
Taking a cup herself, she swallowed the hot liquid before speaking. "I'm a counselor at Dawns school."
"Really?" Hank exclaimed. "I'm very impressed Buffy." The Slayer tried to keep from blushing at how pleased her father was.
Spike caught it through.
"So are you a teacher then?" Shelly asked, and it took Spike a moment to realize the question was to him.
"What? Oh, right, yeah, I am." He let his eyes settled on Buffy and she nodded her approval, obviously amused by it all. She dropped her gaze to her cup to hide a smile. It was intricately decorated and she roamed the designs with her eyes.
"Take some tea, won't you Spike?" Shelly said with a large smile plastered on her face. The women was really beginning to aggravate him. "So what subject do you teach?" She continued.
He pulled a course out of the air. "Math." Knowing the Slayer wanted him to please these people, he reached out for a cup. The liquid would do nothing to sate the hunger that was slowly gnawing at his stomach, but it would keep him occupied. Heat met his cold hand as he grasped the cup and he was surprised at the temperature of the tea. Bringing it closer to him, he saw steam rise from his hand and suddenly the warmth turned to blistering pain.
"Oh I used to love that subject!" Shelly exclaimed, oblivious to the unnatural occurrence between the tea cup and Spikes skin. "Do you teach geometry or algebra? My school sent me to the math fair, I won first place!"
Buffy wasn't paying attention to any of this, her gaze still on the cup. She wound her eyes around the curved surface, it seemed to be a religious theme as she noted there were crosses running along the side. It took her a moment to process exactly what that would mean for a vampire.
It was something akin to having his hand lit on fire
Having Shelly babble just mounted Spikes dislike of her and he lost it.
He slid into gameface just as Buffy raised her head to warn him.
Shelly screamed and Hank scrambled out of his chair, pushing Buffy aside. She was to stunned to do anything, realizing that her father was acting on instinct to protect her. It was only after a moment that she regained herself, ready to take control of the situation, when she saw her father had pressed Spike against the wall.
A stake to his heart.
"Pet, the Watcher wants you up." The cool drawl was Spikes and only when prompted by his voice did she notice his presence. "Now." He added, and ambled toward her, sitting at the edge of the bed and looking over his shoulder at her.
She moaned. "It's morning."
"So?"
"I don't work until the sun goes down." Forcing her eyes opened, she sat up and met his gaze.
He smiled at her. "C'mon Slayer, up." As if taking his own advice he got on his feet, and watched as she slowly fell out of bed and yawned.
Without turning toward him she unzipped her pack which was still on the floor and took out a shirt. "Ew." She said, holding it up to him. "Why did I pack this?"
Spike just shook his head in a grin as she begun to dress.
"So where is everyone?" She asked, struggling on a pair of jeans.
The vampire looked up to her from his previous gaze to the sun painted window. "The poof and his bit are on the street, something bout a demon. Soldier boy said he was checking up with one of his commandos, they'll be back for the battle tonight."
Buffy nodded as she slid on a jacket. "What are we doing?"
"Watcher wants us to go with him to pick up some weaponry."
"Right." The Slayer nodded, walking toward the door. "Like a stake wouldn't do the trick, we need to get expensive."
Spike fell into step behind her, following as they reached the shadowed lobby. Wesley stood impatiently in the middle the room, watching as they descended the stairs.
He shook his head. "Some things never change." The ex Watcher met Buffy's gaze. "I was going out to pick up some weaponry Angel asked for, would you like to come along?"
"Sure." The Slayer nodded, and glanced at Spike from behind her. "You coming too?"
"Not like there's anything for me to do here." The vampire shrugged and Buffy heard rather then saw the sigh Wesley let out from his decision.
***
The car ride was long, and Buffy gazed out the window for amusement. She sat in Spikes embrace in the back seat and the pale curiosity at the passing streets suddenly grew to intense interest as she recognized the apartment building up ahead.
"Uh, hey, Wes." She said quickly, straitening up. "Can you drop me off up at this next road?"
The ex Watcher took a sharp left to make the turn, licking his lips out of confusion. "Any particular reason?"
Spike let Buffy position herself out of his arms, but didn't have the energy to try to pull her back in. Sending a quick glance out the stained windows, he saw only normal suburban LA, nothing out of the ordinary.
"My dad lives here." The Slayer said simply, but it didn't take much to realize the apprehensive tone that eased into the few words.
The vampire didn't bother to speak as he grabbed the blanket he had found earlier, throwing it over his head as he followed Buffy out of the car. He hurried ahead of the Slayer to the safety of the awning.
Wesley rolled down the window of the car and yelled toward the Slayer. "You want me to pick up?"
Buffy looked around as though gathering her perimeters. "Yeah, five- ish OK?"
Wesley glanced at his watch and nodded before driving off.
"Thought your pops was gone." Spike noted as he surveyed the area with blinking eyes.
The Slayer shrugged and took a step toward the door. "Could be for as much as he tries to stay in contact." She stayed in uneasy thought for a moment before noticing Spike's obvious uneasiness about being in the daylight with only pale shadows for protection. "Let's go." Her voice was definite as she stepped through the electric doors, Spike followed, throwing the blanket in the bushes.
They entered the front room of the apartment and Buffy went to the receptionist. The vampire waited with quite impatience until she led him to an elevator. They were the only occupants as the doors closed.
"Did he know I was dead?." Buffy asked quietly, breaking the silent spell that had been cast between the four walls.
Spike buried his hands into the depths of his pockets and sighed. "No, he doesn't."
The Slayer shook her head and sighed, allowing her eyes to fall toward the floor as the elevator climbed up the levels. "Good, it would make this all way more confusing then it has to be."
Neither spoke until the doors opened to reveal a long hall with doors on either side. The Slayer stepped in awkwardly, and Spike noticed that she was more nervous here then in the dark. She turned to the fourth door on the left and knocked quickly, taking large breaths.
"Spike." She whispered as they waited.
"Yes pet." He said, coming closer and grabbing her hand for comfort.
She squeezed his in thanks. "My dad doesn't know I'm the Slayer. . . could you. . ."
"Act human?" He supplied for her. "Whatever you want love."
Just as the Slayer was about to knock again, the door opened. It revealed a women with her honey brown hair pulled back in a bun, but allowed a few strands to frame her face. Her alabaster skin was smooth and matched the white of her shirt. Hazel eyes scanned the two until her lips turned into a soft smile.
"Buffy, it's so good to see you. How are you?"
The Slayer forced a smile and regrettably let go of Spikes grasp. "Hi Shelly, I'm good, thanks. . ." She trailed off trying to regain her composure, but realized that the women's attention had wandered to Spike. "Oh, this is. . ." Buffy said in regards to the vampire and then trailed off. What was Spike? She was compelled to say lover but she didn't feel comfortable saying that to someone she barely knew. He wasn't exactly her boyfriend, or human for that matter. . . so what could she say?
"This is my friend, Spike."
Shelly nodded and finally drew her eyes away from the vampire. "You here to see your father?"
"Yeah, actually. . ." Buffy forced another smile on as Shelly invited them in. The apartment had changed the Slayer noted as she entered with her fingers intertwined with Spikes. Red wallpaper had been traded for blue painted walls which matched well with a new carpet that was laid across wood floor.
"Make yourselves comfortable, I'll go find Hank." Shelly said quickly as she left the hall. Spike was the first to sit on an overstuffed couch, he waited as Buffy confirmed her surroundings before joining him.
Neither spoke, and Spike found it was appropriate time to break the silence. "So I'm just a friend, hey?"
Buffy shot him a emotionless glance and then occupied her eyes with her hands. "Now is really not the time to talk about this Spike."
He knew from her tone that she meant what she had said. "Later then Slayer?"
"Don't call me that." She whispered with a cautious glance to the hallway. "OK, fine, whatever."
Buffy sat against the couch and sighed, trying to clear her suddenly caught throat. The last time she had visited her father was just as her Freshman year had started. It had been an excuse to confront Angel about coming to Sunnydale and not telling her. She had met Shelly on the evening her and her dad had gone to dinner. The women was nice enough, not the same secretary he had first run off with, but cut from the same cloth.
Lost in thought, Buffy failed to realize it as her father walked into the room. She needed a prompt by Spike, a touch on shoulder, to look up. Scrambling to her feet she rushed to Hank to embrace him quickly. He pressed a small kiss into her head and she stepped back carefully when he let go.
"Honey, it's so good to see you." He said with a large smile. "Is Dawn here?"
Buffy shook her head. "No, she couldn't come. . . she had school. I just came down here to visit some friends."
Hank nodded and looked over Buffy to where Spike was now standing. "Hiya." The vampire said in false bravado. He confidently strode up to Hank and shook his hand with a strong grip. Buffy watched him cautiously. "I'm Spike. . . Buffy's friend." He continued with a stolen grin to the Slayer, she glared back. "Lovely girl you have here, really."
"Thank you. . ." Hank said, a bit thrown by Spike. He turned back toward his daughter who was straining to keep a smile on her face. "Why don't we go into the kitchen, I'll have Shelly whip up something."
Buffy cast a glance toward Spike, warning him not speak as they followed her father. It all made her wonder really how much Hank really cared that she was her. He had never called, not once after her mother died and communicated only through child support. The Slayer was surprised to see that Shelly was already hard at work in the kitchen when they entered. Hank lead them to the kitchen table and Spike made it a point to sit next to her, leaving her between him and her father.
The vampire settled his elbows on the table and waited for someone to speak. He could feel the apprehension from Buffy, and the uneasiness was like a stench from her father.
No one was comfortable.
"So Spike, how do you and Buffy know each other?" Shelly broke the silence as she came over with a tray of tea and cookies. She it down and seated herself next to Hank.
"Work, mostly" Buffy answered for him.
Hank nodded as he grabbed for a cup of tea. "And what are you doing these days Buffy?"
Taking a cup herself, she swallowed the hot liquid before speaking. "I'm a counselor at Dawns school."
"Really?" Hank exclaimed. "I'm very impressed Buffy." The Slayer tried to keep from blushing at how pleased her father was.
Spike caught it through.
"So are you a teacher then?" Shelly asked, and it took Spike a moment to realize the question was to him.
"What? Oh, right, yeah, I am." He let his eyes settled on Buffy and she nodded her approval, obviously amused by it all. She dropped her gaze to her cup to hide a smile. It was intricately decorated and she roamed the designs with her eyes.
"Take some tea, won't you Spike?" Shelly said with a large smile plastered on her face. The women was really beginning to aggravate him. "So what subject do you teach?" She continued.
He pulled a course out of the air. "Math." Knowing the Slayer wanted him to please these people, he reached out for a cup. The liquid would do nothing to sate the hunger that was slowly gnawing at his stomach, but it would keep him occupied. Heat met his cold hand as he grasped the cup and he was surprised at the temperature of the tea. Bringing it closer to him, he saw steam rise from his hand and suddenly the warmth turned to blistering pain.
"Oh I used to love that subject!" Shelly exclaimed, oblivious to the unnatural occurrence between the tea cup and Spikes skin. "Do you teach geometry or algebra? My school sent me to the math fair, I won first place!"
Buffy wasn't paying attention to any of this, her gaze still on the cup. She wound her eyes around the curved surface, it seemed to be a religious theme as she noted there were crosses running along the side. It took her a moment to process exactly what that would mean for a vampire.
It was something akin to having his hand lit on fire
Having Shelly babble just mounted Spikes dislike of her and he lost it.
He slid into gameface just as Buffy raised her head to warn him.
Shelly screamed and Hank scrambled out of his chair, pushing Buffy aside. She was to stunned to do anything, realizing that her father was acting on instinct to protect her. It was only after a moment that she regained herself, ready to take control of the situation, when she saw her father had pressed Spike against the wall.
A stake to his heart.