Empty hearts

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Whedon and ME Summery: A different take on Empty Spaces. Spuffy.

Xander startled awake in his hospital room and stared into a pair of hazel eyes as he opened his right eye. They were watching him with care. "Xander," Buffy mumbled softly, "Are you awake?"

"Oh, God, I hope so," he muttered with a bright smile, but quickly grabbed his head in pain.

"Are you alright?" Buffy quickly asked, worried.

Xander leaned his head back on the pillow and grimaced. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You were hit hard, Xan. Caleb-"

"Yeah, I don't think I'll ever forget him, Buf. He and I have a nightly appointment together."

Buffy frowned. She paused a moment and looked very worried. "You dream of him?" she asked.

"Well, more like nightmares. But, it's okay. You're always there to save me in the clinch."

Buffy smiled wryly. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. I mean . . . Y'know?"

"I'm your hero?" she more or less stated with a warm smile, instead of asking.

"Well, yeah, that too."

"Xan-"Buffy began softly, but was quickly interrupted by Xander.

"It's alright Buff, I know you don't love me. Doesn't mean I can't pretend."

"Xander, I love you, but . . . I just don't love you . . . Y'know?"

Xander rolled his good eye away. Buffy swallowed. "You still love Spike," he said softly without the question mark, "Even after what he did."

The hurt, jealousy and anger was thick in his voice and it made Buffy look away. "I don't love him," she responded, "Never did," she added and stood up.

"Always in denial," Xander whispered, to himself.

"I'm sorry, Xander. I'll go, talk to Dr. Kallet now."

Xander didn't react and she left silently, passing Willow as the red head walked through the door.

Late in the evening

Front porch at Summer's residence

Faith took a last draw on her cigarette and threw it away and looked up. "Xander's home."

Willow and Anya helped Xander out of the car and the three stumbled of the lane towards the door. Xander glanced at Faith while they passed her and principle Wood. "Faith, looking colorful as ever," he said softly and without a smile. Faith snorted, but didn't respond.

Living Room at Buffy's house

There's a hastily made yellow banner painted with "WELCOME HOME" in big red letters hanging over the fireplace. Giles was standing with his face to a wall, his head a bit down, and he barely looked up as Anya and Willow escorted Xander into the room. Dawn and the potentials were gathered in the living room and they all looked at him. Faith and Robin Wood followed, closing the door behind them.

Xander saw the banner. "Oh, God."

"We didn't have time to do more. You have to pretend there's a big party here," Kennedy replied with a smile.

A tight, long hug from Dawn brought a smile on Xander's face. "That's fine. Parties in this house, I usually end up having to . . . rebuild something," he joked and earned some laughter from the group.

Dawn guided him to a overstuffed chair, with Dawn took place beside him on the arm of the chair and held his hand. Kennedy went to sit on the sofa, with Willow sitting beside her on the arm of the sofa. Anya stood beside Willow with her arms crossed. Buffy with a couple of potentials behind her entered the room.

"Welcome home, Xander. I wanted you to be here for this. I think you'll be interested in what I found out," the young woman said.

"W-what did you find out?" Willow asked.

"I-it's about the cellar. Look, I know that night wasn't fun for any of us... but I figured out some things about that place, and I realize now what we have to do. We're going back in."

"Look, I know what you're thinking, but I had a visit at the school today from Caleb."

"Buffy, why didn't you -"Dawn responded immediately.

"I'm fine. I mean, it wasn't fun, but I'm fine. I'm better than fine. I - I figured something out. He kept making all this noise about the school."

"Is it that seal again?" Wood asked.

"Do we need to try shutting it again?" Willow wondered.

"No, that's just it. We've spent all this time worrying about the seal and the hellmouth. Why isn't Caleb guarding them? Why doesn't he have someone there protecting it? Why is he camped out at the vineyard? The bad guys always go where the power is. So if the seal was so important to Caleb and the First, they would be there right now. They're protecting the vineyard or something at the vineyard. I say it's their power, and I say it's time we go in and take it away from them."

Xander shook his head and looked down. Giles uncrossed his arms and sighs.

"Or, in the alternative, how 'bout...we don't?" Faith said, "I mean, it's a neat theory, B, but I'm not going back in that place, not without proof, and neither should you and neither should they."

"I'm not saying it's gonna be easy."

"I think Faith had the floor," the principle said, helping the Dark Slayer.

"Maybe it ends OK the way you wanna play it, but maybe it doesn't. And right now, I don't think I want you playin' the odds." Faith continued.

'Did you come here to fight?"

"Listen, we're fighters, all of us, but you gotta give me something to fight, something real, not—"

"Windmills," Giles interrupted Faith softly and he looked at Buffy.

"There is something there," Buffy responded.

"Maybe. But we can't be sure of that. This is a hell of a lot to ask."

"Too much," Wood joined the Brit.

Buffy grinned nervously and looked around. "I - I don't understand this. For 7 years, I've kept us safe by doing this - exactly this, making the hard decisions. And now, what - suddenly you're all acting like you can't trust me?"

Xander wanted to respond, but Giles was too fast. "Didn't you say to me today you can't trust us? Maybe there's something there that should be addressed."

"Is that why you sent Spike away, to ambush me?"

"Oh, come on."

Rona suddenly interrupted. "You know what? I am sick of your deal with this Spike guy. It's always about that guy. He's a piece of shit."

Buffy stepped back. "What?"

"You are so obsessed with Spike that you don't give a damn about us. You can't even think straight," the black potential retorted.

"I'm not obsessed," Buffy defended herself through gritted teeth.

"You are," Wood interrupted, "You chose my mother's murderer over me."

"You only wanted vengeance," Buffy bit back, "You didn't care for me. You were only interested in me because I'm the Slayer. Like your mother."

Wood' eyes widened. "That's-"

"You couldn't even bring back my property, because it reminds you so much of her. Important property."

"I-"

But Buffy continued quickly. "Is that why you came back? I hit your ego and now you want revenge on me? Well, you chose the perfect partner in crime,' she said and scowled, "Faith."

"I don't need him to distrust Spike. Can do that for my own," Faith commented harshly. "Besides, why hasn't he turned into dust a long time ago?"

"Spike's got some sort of "Get Out of Jail Free" card that doesn't apply to the rest of us," Anya explained.

"So, vampire above Slayer, huh?" Faith growled. "Pussy whipped much."

"I don't love him. I'm not obsessed with him. And I'm certainly not obsessed in having sex with him."

Kennedy stood up and walked up to Buffy. "Well, that's how it feels to us. You only listen to Spike and now people are dying."

Willow walked up to Kennedy. "Kennedy . . ."

"Why are you always standing up for her!?" her girlfriend snapped back.

"I'm not," Willow said softly and sadly.

"What do you mean, you're not?" asked, slightly insulted, but mostly surprised.

"Kennedy saw it. You had Caleb down and were winning. Spike ordered you to retreat."

Buffy's mouth dropped open, but Dawn was quicker to react verbally. "How can you trust Spike?" she fumed. "He has tried to kill all of us before. You left him alone with me!"

Buffy's eyes widened. "I-" Dawn's expression radiated anger. She switched gazes between her younger sister and Xander. "I'm so sorry, Dawn."

"Get out!"

Buffy was shocked. "Dawn," she whispered, "I'll will send him away, okay?"

Dawn calmed visibly down. "Okay."

Before Buffy could react another voice softly spoke. "Dawn," Xander said, as he laid his hand supportively on her leg. He slowly looked at the whole group as their attention was now fully on him.

"He was following Buffy's orders, Dawn . . . Willow. We can trust him."

Everybody was silent. "What?" several persons, including Dawn, Anya and Buffy herself reacted, stunned.

Faith eyes were still wide. "You trust Spike, but never Angel?"

"Spike would never kill the woman he loves to save his own ass. And oh, is this the reason why we would trust you? Because you saved Angel?"

"He fucking saved my life!" she snapped back. "When nobody else cared."

"Yeah, vampire over human, huh," he retorted in the same tone as Faith did earlier. "Because a normal human guy is only in for the chase."

"At least Angel is a gentleman," she said, a lot calmer this time.

"And you have been in his head? How little do you know," Xander reacted calm. He sighed. "Look, I don't like Spike. Never did. But, unlike others," He stared at Faith, Robin and Giles, "He at least was there when we needed him the most. When we only had Buffybot left to defend ourselves with." He stared Dawn. "He protected you from Glory, even when everybody hated him. He almost paid with his life." He turned Buffy. "He loves all Summer's women. He loves you, Buffy. He cried when you died. Don't let him go like you did with Riley. He went against his nature and got himself a soul for you."

Buffy' s eyes widened.

He stood up. "I'm going to bed. You don't need me," he said and strolled out of the room

Outside the house

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered. He looked at his stake as he still held it against his chest, while a blood tear rolled over his cheek. He sheathed it back in his black goat and listened further.

A/N: Continue? And how?