Chapter 35

When the Rain falls down

Buffy had agreed to go talk to Pike but she wouldn't go alone.

Apart of her wanted to ask Spike but considering the fact that they hadn't spoken since her departure from the lunch room.

Buffy lay on her bed, she needed someone to go with her but who?

Fortunately the answer came almost immediately, Willow. The girl had always treated her politely, friendly, like a person instead of the slayer.

Buffy cracked open the Sunnydale phonebook and looked up 'Rosenberg' and thanks to Sunnydale being such a small town with only about two hundred people, Willow's was the only Rosenberg family in Sunnydale.

Buffy dialed the phone number and waited patiently as it rang.

"Hello?" she sighed a breath of relief; she'd been praying that Willow was home.

"Hey Willow"

"Buffy is that you?"

"Yeah"

"What's up?"

Buffy was still expecting the girl to be upset about what she'd done to Spike, "I don't know what I'm doing, you must totally hate me."

"Why would you say that? I don't hate you Buffy."

"Are you sure, because I am totally feeling like I deserve to be receiving some serious hate."

"Yeah, I mean what happened wasn't entirely your fault but still….nah, don't hate you."

"Thanks, um… I actually called because I need your help."

"Math or Biology?"

"Prison." Was Buffy's answer.

"Okay you're gonna have to explain that one to me."

"It's a long story, I could tell you on the way if you wouldn't mind coming with me."

"Alright."

"Thanks Willow, I'll be at your house in fifteen minuets."

"Um Buffy is that really safe?"

"Huh?"

"You driving and all, because I was in your drivers Ed classes and-" the red head was cut off.

"Fine when I get to your house you can drive, is that better?"

"I guess,"

"Good, and just for the record what was your answer to the 'Does Willow totally hate Buffy' question?"

"I don't hate you."

Buffy smiled, "Thanks Wills."

The drive to the Sunnydale Jail had been a long one for both girls and not just because it was on the opposite side of town, Buffy explained the whole story to her from the beginning, in Los Angeles and ended with the scene in the lunch room a few days ago. Willow was unsure what to say, of course she had known that Buffy had some serious problems that had caused her to act the way that she did. An experience like the one Buffy had could seriously mess a person up sometimes forever, and she was hoping that Buffy wasn't going to be one of those people.

Willow pulled into the parking lot and shut off the car but did not get out, "I hope this talk with Pike helps you Buffy, I would hate to see what happened to you back then hurt what you could have now." And both of them knew what she was talking about.

"I hope so too, Willow. I just don't know if I can really do this. It still hurts, so much."

When they got in, Buffy requested to speak with Pikington Bennett before following the cops to the jail cell she quickly glanced at Willow who nodded at her.

"I'll be here."

Buffy nodded and tuned to the officers, "I'm ready."

The two police officers led her to a small room at the back of the building. Along the middle of the room were two rows of desks all facing each other, in between them a thick sheet of glass with a small speaker attached to the glass so that people sitting on either side could talk to each other with out coming in contact. Chairs were set up in front of all the desks and Buffy noticed the door on the other side of the room.

As it opened her breath caught in her throat as she watched a police officer lead Pike into the room and sit him down in front of one of the desks.

"Miss Summers, we'll be standing just outside the door in case this guy should try anything." Said the officer on her side of the room before he left.

Buffy nodded her eyes never leaving Pike, "Thanks."

Buffy sat down in front of Pike and stared down at her hands, she wasn't exactly sure where to start. This guy had done her a lot of harm, she had loved him, and he'd ripped out her heart and shoved it in her face with a smile on his.

Surprisingly though Pike was the first one to speak, "Did you come just to stare at your hands Summers?"

Buffy stared at him, "I came to talk to you."

"I never would have guessed."

Buffy sighed, "Can we have a normal conversation with out your sarcastic comments?"

Pike nodded, "What do you want Buffy?"

"I just want to know what I did wrong."

"Huh?"

"What did I do to make you…do that?"

It was Pike's turn to sigh now, "Buffy it was never about you."

"Then what?" her eyes were watery and she was doing everything she could to keep from crying.

"I had my problems Buffy, it changed me as I grew older, I didn't wanna get any help, talk to anyone, and so that was the outcome." he had been thinking about what'd happen while sitting in the cell, that was how he came up with such a short answer but it wasn't enough for her. He knew it wouldn't be.

"I was there for you Pike, always even as a little kid, if something was wrong you should have told me."

"You had your own problems as I recall being a totally dorky, short, glasses wearing, brace-faced brunette named Liz, skinny as hell and, Still are." she gave him an angry look, "I meant about the Skinny and short."

"It doesn't matter Pike, I was your friend."

"Listen I don't blame you for being upset with me, I know I should have." His gaze went back to the wall, "They've got me seeing some doctor, talk about everything that happened back then and why I did what I did to you a few weeks ago. So far its made me realize some stuff, I don't wanna burden you with the whole thing cause I need to deal with this myself."

Buffy was glad to hear this but she knew this wasn't all of it, "Pike, why did you ask me to be your girlfriend?"

He shrugged, "Same reason that you said yes, to have someone, to feel loved. I knew I could get that with you, and Now I realize that we would have been better off if I had never stopped you outside your house that day and kissed you."

Buffy wasn't sure what to say, she had come here prepared to get into a heated argument similar to the ones that she'd been having lately but instead Pike was talking to someone and getting the help he needed for his problem, talking to her totally calm and collected, "I thought this would go differently, don't really know what to say to Pike the repenter. "

"I know."

"Pike, what you did…its ruining my life."

"Why are you letting it?"

"I was afraid that I would get hurt again. I loved you."

"Don't do it to yourself, Buffy. My main problem came from being too afraid to get help. All that pain makes you angry inside, I developed an anger problem as well because of that." he glanced at her for a second, "Getting some help with that too."

Buffy nodded, "I don't know what to do any more, there's this guy."

"He loves you Buffy."

She looked at him in confusion, "how do you know?"

"It was the guy who knocked me out right, bleached blonde, really pale, accent, skinny?" Buffy nodded, "I could see it in his eyes when he saw me hit you, came charging at me."

Buffy smiled as the mental picture of Spike coming to her rescue popped up, "He told me, that he loved me but I was so angry then, I didn't want to listen."

"Don't let what happened with me affect your decisions Buffy, erase me from your memory."

"We had a fight, I broke up with him. He probably hates me now."

"I wouldn't count on it; you should go talk to him Buffy."

Buffy stood up to go but stopped, "Did you love me Pike?"

"Always."

"Then why did you do it?"

He stood up as well, "I guess you always hurt the ones you love."

Buffy nodded, "I guess, good bye Pike."

"Buffy, I just want you to know that I am truly sorry. I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness right now but I just thought you should know."

Buffy opened the door, "I do forgive you Pike, and just so you know…I will never forget you, when the rain falls down…I will remember you." And she left, closing the door behind her, she felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Willow stood up as soon as she saw Buffy enter the lobby, "How did it go?"

"It was fine, not like I expected but I feel better."

Willow smiled, "That's great to hear Buffy."

"I feel free for the first time in a long while."

Willow nodded, "Lets go home, I'll treat you to some ice cream."

Buffy hugged her new friend and smiled, "That sound great."

As the two girls left the police station, a drop of water fell on Buffy's head. As she looked up…it began to rain. Buffy smiled up at the sky.

Starting tomorrow there are going to be a few changes, and the first thing I'm gonna change is my situation with Spike!