DISCLAIMER: I don't own the rights to Buffy: the Vampire Slayer, Angel: the Series, or the people and places therein. I also do not own the character of Lucy Hannover. I've borrowed them to write this fiction, which is just that and not a way to try to steal money from Joss and company.
Now
When the hotel room door opened, Buffy felt her world tip sideways and slide out from under her. She'd come here to help Lucy Hanover, not have some cruel joke played on her.
She felt her knees go weak as she stared at some person who looked just like Spike. Naturally, she went into the first defense mode she could: denial.
"No, you're not him." She turned to walk away. "Spike is dead. That can't be Spike."
The Slayer heard Lucy call to her to wait, but ignored her, pretending that the ghost's voice had been too soft. She broke into a run, feeling the tears begin to flow down her face, and not wanting some stranger to see her cry.
Blindly, she ran , for how long, she didn't know, before turning into a alley way that beckoned with its sheltering darkness. Besides, if Lucy wanted to try to convince her to go back to that room, she could find her wherever she went. She slid down a wall until she felt herself hit the ground, then let hurting, angry sobs rack her body.
She didn't even feel the vampire enter the alley until he grabbed her hair and yanked her head up off her knees.
"Well, well," he said, bending down to stare in her face with his feral yellow eyes. "Aren't you a pretty little thing. And all alone too." His breath was foul, reeking of dead things that Buffy didn't want to think about.
Forcing back her sobs, Buffy managed to focus herself on the task at hand--however brief that may end up being. "Go away and leave me alone. You don't know who you're dealing with."
The vampire laughed in her face. "You're no different than the last hundred girls I've killed this year. Except for you not being afraid that is."
"Actually, mate, the Slayer's quite a bit different than any girl you've killed in you entire life."
The vampire's eyes widened comically, and Buffy's breath caught in her throat at the sound of Spike's voice. If the vamp in from of her hadn't still been grasping her hair, she would have buried her face back in her hands, afraid to have her heart torn out again by the sight of the man who--impossibly--wore Spike's face. And now spoke in his voice.
"Now, if you know what's good for you, you'll just let the Slayer go so that she can get on with her night. And we'll let you run away, and tell all your friends how you barely escaped with your life."
As Buffy continued to be non-threatening, the vampire grew bolder, and turned to look over his shoulder. "No way. This kill's mine, Blondie."
Spike shrugged, and pulled the crossbow he'd been hiding behind one leg into view. "Suit yourself." He was very glad that the witch had decided to leave it with him when she left.
The other vampire was just getting up to confront him when Spike pulled the trigger and let the shaft of wood that served as the bow's quarrel fly into his heart. The vamp exploded into a cloud of dust that settled over an hysterical Buffy.
Spike dropped the crossbow, and quickly moved to her side, grabbing her arms to keep her from running again. He and Lucy had had a hard enough time finding her this time, and he didn't want to do it again.
She screamed when he touched her, and fought him like a cornered animal. Her hysterics became even more frantic, and Spike felt a sudden fear that Buffy had been driven insane by his sudden reappearance. He knew that he had to get her calmed down, and thinking rationally again. The first method that came to mind was one of those tricks that always worked in books and movies, but he'd never really been sure that it worked in real life.
He let go of her arms and punched her. Hard.
She stopped struggling and screaming so suddenly that he thought she had passed out at first. Then he realized she was looking at him.
"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that you look--and sound--just like someone I lost recently. And Lucy didn't warn me before I saw you and I wasn't prepared for that and--"
"Buffy, its me." She stopped talking when he interrupted her, mouth open. "I didn't know that they hadn't told you."
"Spike…? I don't believe it." She stood up straight and looking him square in the face. "Prove it."
Spike's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Prove it? Bloody hell woman! I didn't make you "prove it" when your friends yanked you out of heaven did I?" Angrily he grabbed the crossbow and stormed out of the alley.
Buffy ran after him, and grabbed his arm. "Spike wait."
He stopped. "What is it Slayer? I hope its not more ranting and denial, because I left your sister alone in my hotel room."
"I'm sorry. And I…Dawn knew?"
"Yeah. Her and Red and Angel, if you can believe that." He reached out and pulled her into his arms, content just to hold her for a moment. Gently, he kissed the top of her head. "We need to get going, luv."
She nodded. "I know. I just want to tell you before we go: I love you."
He looked down into her teary eyes. "You know, I finally believe that now." He put an arm around her and gently led her back to the hotel.
Now
When the hotel room door opened, Buffy felt her world tip sideways and slide out from under her. She'd come here to help Lucy Hanover, not have some cruel joke played on her.
She felt her knees go weak as she stared at some person who looked just like Spike. Naturally, she went into the first defense mode she could: denial.
"No, you're not him." She turned to walk away. "Spike is dead. That can't be Spike."
The Slayer heard Lucy call to her to wait, but ignored her, pretending that the ghost's voice had been too soft. She broke into a run, feeling the tears begin to flow down her face, and not wanting some stranger to see her cry.
Blindly, she ran , for how long, she didn't know, before turning into a alley way that beckoned with its sheltering darkness. Besides, if Lucy wanted to try to convince her to go back to that room, she could find her wherever she went. She slid down a wall until she felt herself hit the ground, then let hurting, angry sobs rack her body.
She didn't even feel the vampire enter the alley until he grabbed her hair and yanked her head up off her knees.
"Well, well," he said, bending down to stare in her face with his feral yellow eyes. "Aren't you a pretty little thing. And all alone too." His breath was foul, reeking of dead things that Buffy didn't want to think about.
Forcing back her sobs, Buffy managed to focus herself on the task at hand--however brief that may end up being. "Go away and leave me alone. You don't know who you're dealing with."
The vampire laughed in her face. "You're no different than the last hundred girls I've killed this year. Except for you not being afraid that is."
"Actually, mate, the Slayer's quite a bit different than any girl you've killed in you entire life."
The vampire's eyes widened comically, and Buffy's breath caught in her throat at the sound of Spike's voice. If the vamp in from of her hadn't still been grasping her hair, she would have buried her face back in her hands, afraid to have her heart torn out again by the sight of the man who--impossibly--wore Spike's face. And now spoke in his voice.
"Now, if you know what's good for you, you'll just let the Slayer go so that she can get on with her night. And we'll let you run away, and tell all your friends how you barely escaped with your life."
As Buffy continued to be non-threatening, the vampire grew bolder, and turned to look over his shoulder. "No way. This kill's mine, Blondie."
Spike shrugged, and pulled the crossbow he'd been hiding behind one leg into view. "Suit yourself." He was very glad that the witch had decided to leave it with him when she left.
The other vampire was just getting up to confront him when Spike pulled the trigger and let the shaft of wood that served as the bow's quarrel fly into his heart. The vamp exploded into a cloud of dust that settled over an hysterical Buffy.
Spike dropped the crossbow, and quickly moved to her side, grabbing her arms to keep her from running again. He and Lucy had had a hard enough time finding her this time, and he didn't want to do it again.
She screamed when he touched her, and fought him like a cornered animal. Her hysterics became even more frantic, and Spike felt a sudden fear that Buffy had been driven insane by his sudden reappearance. He knew that he had to get her calmed down, and thinking rationally again. The first method that came to mind was one of those tricks that always worked in books and movies, but he'd never really been sure that it worked in real life.
He let go of her arms and punched her. Hard.
She stopped struggling and screaming so suddenly that he thought she had passed out at first. Then he realized she was looking at him.
"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that you look--and sound--just like someone I lost recently. And Lucy didn't warn me before I saw you and I wasn't prepared for that and--"
"Buffy, its me." She stopped talking when he interrupted her, mouth open. "I didn't know that they hadn't told you."
"Spike…? I don't believe it." She stood up straight and looking him square in the face. "Prove it."
Spike's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Prove it? Bloody hell woman! I didn't make you "prove it" when your friends yanked you out of heaven did I?" Angrily he grabbed the crossbow and stormed out of the alley.
Buffy ran after him, and grabbed his arm. "Spike wait."
He stopped. "What is it Slayer? I hope its not more ranting and denial, because I left your sister alone in my hotel room."
"I'm sorry. And I…Dawn knew?"
"Yeah. Her and Red and Angel, if you can believe that." He reached out and pulled her into his arms, content just to hold her for a moment. Gently, he kissed the top of her head. "We need to get going, luv."
She nodded. "I know. I just want to tell you before we go: I love you."
He looked down into her teary eyes. "You know, I finally believe that now." He put an arm around her and gently led her back to the hotel.
