Chapter 7. Bruises

Tom came home all beat and battered he stumbled in the door and went into the kitchen and got the first aid box out. Buffy walked into the kitchen and stared at Tom.

"Ouch?" She said.

"Yeah." He smiled.

"What happened?"

"A vampire."

"Just one?"

"Yeah." He looked away.

"Must have been a hell of fight."

"Yeah it was."

"Come here." She said and sat him down and poured some cold water in a bowl and rinsed a towel out and pressed it against his wounds.

"Ow." He muttered.

"It's not that bad." She said and put a plaster on his cut.

"Hey I don't have super strong strength like you." He smiled.

"But you're a fighter."

"I am." He smiled.

He wrapped his arms around Buffys waist and started kissing her.

Spike walked in the back door and sighed. "Don't mind me."

They stopped kissing and Buffy pulled away.

"Spike!" She said. "You look beat up to."

"Yeah." He said and looked at Tom. "I ran into a few vamps."

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

"I'll live." He smiled. "What happened to young Tomas." He nodded to Tom.

"A vampire." Tom looked at Spike coldly.

"Just one?" Spike smiled.

"What can I say he had a better advantage."

"I bet he did." Smiled Spike. "Well kids I'm off to my basement."

"I'll be down in a few minute's." Buffy looked at Spike and Spike nodded and walked down.

"Yeah I better get to bed and rest." Tom said and got up out of his seat.

"I'll help you up."

"No, I'm okay." Smiled Tom and kissed her on cheek and limped out of the room.

Buffy walked down the basement stairs and Spike was punching the punch bag. Buffy stood at the bottom of the stairs, she crossed her arms and watched Spike.

"If that bag was real they would be dead already."

Spike stopped, he turned round and looked at her and then lit up a cigarette. "That's the point." He said.

"What's wrong?" She asked and walked over to him.

"You better ask Tommy that."

"Why?" She went and leant against the table.

"The guy is a bloody idiot!" Angry Spike said.

"Why?"

"I just don't like him and he doesn't like me." Spike sighed and sat on his bed.

"He is just-"

"Yeah he just doesn't like vampires."

"Looks like those three vamps got you pretty good." Buffy said and looked at his bruises and cuts.

"Yeah."

Buffy went and sat next to Spike. "Things will be different. Once Tom comes to terms-"

"I'll be gone."

"What?"

"I'm going to find a place of my own."

"Didn't you listen to me? I said I feel safe with you around."

"And I will be, just not in your house."

"This is were I want you to be."

"I want to be here too, you're the only thing keeping me sane Buffy. But I can't get in the way with you and Tom."

"Your not."

"He is just, our past he doesn't like it."

"Well who would. You used me."

"I know."

"I didn't care back then. It was good and some part of me still thinks it is. But I know its not, not now. Not now I've changed."

"You were just there."

"I was an escape from your troubled life."

"Yeah."

"So why do you want me now? Your life seems to be pretty dandy."

"It is." She said.

Spike looked at her and tilted his head, she got up and walked away and turned to him. "Lets just say I see you different now."

"You said that."

"Well I do and the more I get to know this Spike the more I like." She walked up the stairs and Spike watched her walk up. He loved her more and more everyday but every time he thought he was getting closer to her she would walk away.

Buffy got up stairs and went into her room Tom was sat up in bed reading.

"You coming to bed?" Tom asked and put his book down on the side table.

"Yeah." She said and sat on to bed with Tom.

"You might want to get changed then." Smiled Tom.

"Okay." She muttered.

"I love you Buffy." He said softly.

"I know." She said and lent on him and he put his arm around her and kissed her head. He then looked up and looked disappointed and quietly sighed.

The next day Buffy was at Work at school and Dawn came to her office.

"Dawn." Buffy smiled.

"Hey!" Dawn waved at Buffy.

"Why are you here?"

"Free period." Dawn said and sat down.

"Oh. Well I have got students coming in-"

"And when they do I'll go!"

"Okay."

"So whats up?"

"Nothing."

"I mean with Spike, you don't talk to anybody about him much."

"That's because there is nothing to say."

"Well me Anya, Xander and Willow are going to the Bronze tonight you and Tom should come. I know he's pretty pissed off about the whole Spike thing."

"I know." Buffy sighed.

"So?"

"Okay we will."

"Great!" Smiled Dawn.

"Hi." Buffy said and looked up at a student.

"Okay I'm gone." Dawn said and scattered away.

"Take a sit." Buffy smiled at the student.

Buffy walked in her house after a long day of work and sighed. Anya popped up in her face smiling.

"Anya?"

"Hi."

"What do you want?"

"Well see Xander said you are coming to the Bronze and were going now and he said you wont go, but I said yes she will. But he said no she wont because she has just got back from work. And then I said-"

"Yeah you know what? You guys go down me and Tom will meet you down there."

"That's if he's well enough." Willow said and walked into the living room.

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"He is pretty beat up from last night."

"He's okay." She said sweetly. "He's a fighter." Buffy said and walked into the living room.

"Well are you two going?" Dawn said.

"Yes but not now."

"Okay well we will see you down their Buff." Xander said and smiled at her.

"Okay." She smiled and they all left.

Spike walked down the stairs and looked at Buffy sat in the living room on her own. "Where's everybody gone?"

"To the Bronze." Buffy looked at him.

"And you're not there because?" He said and stood in the doorway of the living room.

"I'm waiting for Tom go get back then were going."

"Right." Spike smiled.

"Are you coming?"

"And watch you and Tommy all loved up? No it wasn't on my things to do list."

"Right."

"That is why I suggested I left." He said and went and sat next to her.

"You can't."

"Whats stopping me?"

"Me." She whispered.

"Were going to go though this again." Spike sighed.

"You're the one who keeps saying your going to leave."

"And then you say you want me here and it makes me feel-." He stopped.

"Feel what Spike?" She sat up and looked at him.

Spike took a deep breath. "Like you want me, need me…Love me."

"I do need you here, you know do. And-"

She was cut off by Tom who walked in the front door and Spike rolled his eyes.

"Typical." He laughed. "Let's just leave it."

Buffy nodded.

"Leave what?"

"Patrolling tonight." Spike said.

"Willow, Dawn, Xander and Anya are down the Bronze I said we would meet them down there. Just the gang could go out for the night."

"Yeah that sounds good."

"That means for me to hit the cemeteries." Spike said and got up and looked at Buffy. "I might see you later." And walked out.

They got to the Bronze and sat down with the gang. Everybody was laughing and joking but Buffy could only think about Spike and how her sentence would of finished. She looked around the Bronze and looked at the stairs. She remembered their kiss and then quickly snapped out of it and smiled at Tom, who was looking straight at her and he smiled back.