AN: Well, Spike is angry at the world at the moment... he just decided that
being a nice guy doesn't get you along in life, you just get shot. And he
doesn't have amnesia, but it's quite common for people not to remember the
exact events when they have an accident (or...) and survive. I hope this is
kind of the explanation you all want :o).
Chapter 26
"Thanks."
"It's okay, luv, just looked like you could use some help."
"Not for that. . . Also for that, but for believing me."
"I guess a photo doesn't lie. . . See you around, pet."
"Wait!"
Spike turned around.
"Would you like to get a drink of something later?"
"Sure." He smiled and then went on. Buffy was happy, she finally did it! Everything would never be the way it used to, but maybe this new William was as good as the old one, maybe even better.
"Xander, Willow, are you coming with us tonight?"
"With who? Where?"
"Somewhere quiet, where we can talk. I invited Will. . . Spike."
"I don't know, Buff, he can be very angry these days. Who knows how he will react if we tell him things."
"Don't tell him anything then, just come with." ***
That same night, they were all sitting at a table at McDonalds. It was the only place Buffy could come up with so fast that was quiet and where they could talk.
"I have to admit, luv, you do have style."
"Spike! You're already here!"
"Yeah. I didn't know where the place was, so I looked around a bit."
Not that you could see the sign for the fastfood restaurant from two miles away, but Buffy accepted the excuse without another word of protest. It would be difficult enough without embarrassing him as it was.
"Xander and Willow are coming too, they should be here any second."
"I don't like having much people around me. Maybe it's better we see each other another time, without your little friends."
He made a move to stand up, but her words kept him in his place.
"They are your little friends. It might be better if you'd at least gave them a chance before shutting them out. They did a lot for you in the past few months, even you have to acknowledge that. The old William payed his debts, Spike, do you do that too?"
He mumbled something incoherently, but sat down again.
"There they are. Willow, Xander, in here!"
They greeted each other as old friends, but Spike didn't bother saying hello. He just lighted his cigarette and leaned back in his seat.
"Since when do you smoke?"
"Since when is that your business, luv? So, mind telling me what I'm doing here? 'Cause it feels like I'm losing my time."
"Wel. . . We thought maybe. . . If you'd talk to us. . . ."
"London calling, luv, the old William you all knew and loved is not coming back! Why don't you all let it be and leave me alone, yeah?"
He stood up but before he was out of the restaurant Buffy was behind him.
"You can be such an asshole, you know that? Why do you keep doing this, pushing people away?"
"They always keep coming back."
She rolled his eyes at the obvious answer. Buffy watched as he again moved to go away, and as she grabbed for his sleeve he blocked her and clamped her hand.
"Never do that again luv, you might get hurt." He said to her in a cold voice.
"Why? Why did you defend me to Angel, Spike?"
"I don't know, I just don't like him. Hurting women is not done. . . Hurting you is not done."
He sighed and closed his eyes. He felt Buffy coming closer, but he didn't move. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest.
"I'm so sorry for you, Spike. . ."
She looked up. "But I like Spike. . . He's a cool guy."
And then she kissed him.
Chapter 26
"Thanks."
"It's okay, luv, just looked like you could use some help."
"Not for that. . . Also for that, but for believing me."
"I guess a photo doesn't lie. . . See you around, pet."
"Wait!"
Spike turned around.
"Would you like to get a drink of something later?"
"Sure." He smiled and then went on. Buffy was happy, she finally did it! Everything would never be the way it used to, but maybe this new William was as good as the old one, maybe even better.
"Xander, Willow, are you coming with us tonight?"
"With who? Where?"
"Somewhere quiet, where we can talk. I invited Will. . . Spike."
"I don't know, Buff, he can be very angry these days. Who knows how he will react if we tell him things."
"Don't tell him anything then, just come with." ***
That same night, they were all sitting at a table at McDonalds. It was the only place Buffy could come up with so fast that was quiet and where they could talk.
"I have to admit, luv, you do have style."
"Spike! You're already here!"
"Yeah. I didn't know where the place was, so I looked around a bit."
Not that you could see the sign for the fastfood restaurant from two miles away, but Buffy accepted the excuse without another word of protest. It would be difficult enough without embarrassing him as it was.
"Xander and Willow are coming too, they should be here any second."
"I don't like having much people around me. Maybe it's better we see each other another time, without your little friends."
He made a move to stand up, but her words kept him in his place.
"They are your little friends. It might be better if you'd at least gave them a chance before shutting them out. They did a lot for you in the past few months, even you have to acknowledge that. The old William payed his debts, Spike, do you do that too?"
He mumbled something incoherently, but sat down again.
"There they are. Willow, Xander, in here!"
They greeted each other as old friends, but Spike didn't bother saying hello. He just lighted his cigarette and leaned back in his seat.
"Since when do you smoke?"
"Since when is that your business, luv? So, mind telling me what I'm doing here? 'Cause it feels like I'm losing my time."
"Wel. . . We thought maybe. . . If you'd talk to us. . . ."
"London calling, luv, the old William you all knew and loved is not coming back! Why don't you all let it be and leave me alone, yeah?"
He stood up but before he was out of the restaurant Buffy was behind him.
"You can be such an asshole, you know that? Why do you keep doing this, pushing people away?"
"They always keep coming back."
She rolled his eyes at the obvious answer. Buffy watched as he again moved to go away, and as she grabbed for his sleeve he blocked her and clamped her hand.
"Never do that again luv, you might get hurt." He said to her in a cold voice.
"Why? Why did you defend me to Angel, Spike?"
"I don't know, I just don't like him. Hurting women is not done. . . Hurting you is not done."
He sighed and closed his eyes. He felt Buffy coming closer, but he didn't move. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest.
"I'm so sorry for you, Spike. . ."
She looked up. "But I like Spike. . . He's a cool guy."
And then she kissed him.