CATCH ME IF I FALL
Summary: This happens somewhere between Season 6. Buffy decides she has had enough of life. Good thing Spike came along...
NOTE: Spike is a bit OOC, and the fic switches POVs in between, hope you're not too confused. Thoughts are in italics.
Disclaimer: I don't own squat.
Chapter 3
---Buffy's POV---
Great. Of all the people to run into. It had to be him. Sure, I liked him more than I was willing to admit, but I should never, ever fall in love with a vampire. Especially him. Not that I HAVE fallen in love with him or anything...
Nevertheless, I just felt so happy to see someone I knew, even if it was Spike, that I found myself scrambling over to him and hugging him.
"Hey, geroff! Now none of that, Slayer," Spike said, trying to shove me away. "Didn't really think we were on hugging terms, pet."
I immediately let go of him and moved as far away as possible. Whoa, I did NOT just do that. That's impossible. I'm supposed to hate him!
"Well anyway..." he said. "That's not the issue here. Why the hell were you trying to kill yourself?!" He suddenly shouted. "Are you off your trolley? You almost gave me a bloody heart attack! Wait... that's not right..."
I giggled in spite of myself. Imagine, a vampire having a heart attack! That would be the day.
"H-hey, I'm serious!" Spike said, trying to regain his composure. "Anyway, luv, you haven't answered my question yet. Why were you trying to kill yourself?"
My spirits took a dip again. But I said nothing.
"Oh, so you're not gonna talk, are you, Slayer?" he said, frustration evident in his voice.
Again, I didn't answer. Tears started to pool in my eyes.
"You know what!? Fine, Slayer. You don't want any help. I get the message. I'll leave you there, wallowing in your sorrows." He turned to leave.
"No! Spike, don't leave me," I sobbed, unable to control my tears any longer. "I don't want to be left alone!! Please stay with me! " I cried loudly.
--- Spike's POV ---
Damn it. I've gone soft. Here I am, comforting the Slayer. The slayer for crying out loud. The girl who hurt me so many times before... But I just hated seeing her there, crying, pleading for me to stay with her, that I forgot about all those things and just wanted to make everything all right with her.
So I sat down next to her, and lay her head on my shoulder. "There, there, pet. It's alright. No need to get all soggy about it." She seemed surprised at my gesture, but made no move to stay away.
"I'm sorry, Spike..." Buffy started to say. "It's just that..."
"Shh..." I said to her softly. "It's ok, luv. No need for apologies." I looked at her face, streaked with tears. God, even at her lowest point, she still looks so beautiful. My Slayer...
We stayed like that for a while. And at that moment, I knew, Buffy trusted me. It was the best feeling in the world. And somehow, I wanted it to stay that way forever.
After what seemed like an eternity, Buffy pulled away. "Spike..." she said softly.
"Yeah, luv?" I asked.
"I guess I should tell you why---."
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm sorry I even forced you to tell me." Did I just say that? I'm losing it.
"No, I owe you an explanation. It's the least I could do, you being so nice and all for me." She smiled weakly.
I shrugged, trying to act all nonchalant. "Okay, if that's what you want..." Besides, I was a bit curious...
She took a deep breath. "Okay... well... after I came back... everything is really... different..."
I nodded. "I guess I can understand that... It feels really weird, coming back here after four months of being...." I didn't want to say it.
"Yeah... But that really wasn't what troubled me. Well, not much anyhow. It's... my friends..." She stopped.
I was confused. "I thought your chaps were downright elated when you came back."
"Uh... that's true... but it's just... I don't know. They don't treat me the same way as before. It's like... they're not sure how to act around me... they aren't the same..." she fidgeted a bit.
"What did you expect, Buffy," I said gently. "Of course they would feel weird about it. It takes time to get used to it."
"THEY feel weird? How about me? I was the one pulled out of my rest to be back here in this hellhole! Why did they have to bring me back in the first place!?" she asked, her voice filled with spite. "I certainly didn't want to."
I was shocked. This girl doesn't realize how much her friends care for her. "Calm down. S' no need to bite my head off. Have you tried talking to your friends? Tell 'em what's bothering you?"
She rolled her eyes. "Only a few gazillion times. Only today, I was trying to tell them about this, but they didn't even listen. They just went all bonkers on me and didn't even let me finish. They were even mad at me! I just couldn't take another second of that..." She sighed.
I frowned. That certainly didn't sound like them, especially the Nibblet. "Are you sure? Seems like you just had a case of miscommunication. Surely you weren't gonna kill yourself over that?"
Buffy glared at me. "Well, actually, I was." She sat down, shaking her head.
That's it. I have to do something. I just can't sit here, when I knew the Slayer was sad and lonely. During the beginning, I would have thrown a bloody feast when that happened. But now's different...
I took her hand and pulled her up. "All right, pet. I'm taking you home, now."
Author's notes: This chapter's a bit long, right? But definitely worth it. Do you really think Buffy would let herself be taken back to her house? Or... would they do something else... hmm...