Chapter 2
Dawn sighed and opened the door. "Buffy! Are you home?" 'Well, it looks like I'm home alone tonight…' She glanced on her watch. 'Hum, it's only 22.30…Why go to bed when you can...' She went to the kitchen to grab a slice of pizza and sat down in the living-room.
Buffy came home and found a sleeping Dawn in the living-room, a half eaten pizza slice in her hand. After taking the pizza from Dawn and tucking her in under a blanket Buffy started to climb the stairs. She decided it was for the best if she didn't meet Riley anymore tonight. She smiled as she turned to her nightstand and saw the letter her mother had sent her last day. She had sent her best wishes to Buffy and Riley, and that she would be home from the hospital any day now.
Buffy snuggled beneath the covers as the phone rang. 'If it's any of Dawn's friends, I'm so grounding her.'
"Hello?"
"Buffy! What the hell are you doing at your mum's house?"
"Oh, Riley, hey… I was just…"
"What! Leaving me?" He almost screamed into her ear.
"No, no of course not… I didn't think you wanted me to come…"
"Buffy Anne Summers. You are going to listen to me. And listen carefully. I'm the reason you're alive today. You can't last a day without me. If I hadn't been around, maybe you would still be a pathetic whore, crying yourself to sleep because of a guy named…Angel."
Buffy winced by his harsh words, but braced herself. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I will come home now."
"Don't, I don't know if I want to share bed with a worthless. Pathetic. Whore."
Buffy tried to ignore his words but heard that her voice trembled when she answered him.
"…Riley, I…" But he hung up on her and she stood staring into space before she silently dropped to her knees, still clutching the phone in her right hand.
Spike sat in the darkness of his crypt, silent tears running down his pale face. He sniffed and threw the empty whiskey bottle he had in his hand across the room and it smashed on the cold concrete. 'Bloody ponce… You knew this would happen. It was destined to lead to this. You are always second best. Always! First your brooding sire, Peaches, and now Captain Cardboard… '"Screw this! Bloody hell, I'm going all broody." He rose from his chair and grabbed his duster before heading out the door.
Buffy walked down the stair, careful not to wake Dawn. She opened the front door and sighed when the cold night air washed over her. She started to run as fast as she could and didn't stop until she was in the middle of the cemetery. There, surrounded by grey tombstones and with withering bodies beneath her, Buffy fell to her knees and wept.
Spike's, since long dead, heart almost broke when he saw her cry. Her small body shuddered with every sob that she made, and her wails could be heard from miles away. That was why she didn't see the approaching vampire before it attacked her. Spike watched from the shadows as Buffy, still weak from crying her heart out, tried to stand but tripped and fell. Spike's body tensed with anticipation as he let his demon come forth. His duster flew around his slender form when he ran towards the vamp. He kicked his opponent in the gut before the newly-risen vamp had even noticed his presence. He grabbed a stake that he kept in one of his Doc Marten's and plunged it into the vampire's chest. Spike rose from the ground and noticed that Buffy sat on the ground holding her ankle. He brushed of the dust that was covering him and walked over to crouch down beside her. She looked up at him with puffy eyes.
"Spike… You… "Hiccup"Saved me."
He smiled slightly and shrugged. "Yeah, well… Don't tell the whelp 'bout it." He rose from the ground.
"Why do you do that?"
He turned around and looked at her, confused. "Do what, pet?"
"You know…put on an act like that. I've seen you around Dawn, you know… You're different with her. Not this bad ass vampire, you're just…" She searched for the right word. "…William."
"He's always there, Slayer…" He said, then softly added"…you just don't see him."
"Maybe not…" She rose from the ground.
"Buffy, I know I probably don't have anything to do with it but… Why were you… crying?"
She chose to ignore his caring tone and decided that talking to Spike would probably make Riley even angrier so she simply just shrugged.
"'Right then, let's get you home, princess."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Get me… home?"
"Yeah,'s not like you can get anywhere with that ankle tonight. And I figured, since I'm your knight in shining armour, I should get you home." He studied her face for any signs of disgust but she just smiled with a look of relief on her face. "…Thanks. I guess you're right…" She tried to stand but Spike just glared at her with raised eyebrows and easily picked her up in his arms.
He walked with the Slayer in an awkward silence, before they reached the apartment that Riley had gotten from the Initiative, and he gently put her down on the ground, making sure she didn't put any pressure on her right foot.
Buffy bit her lip and looked at the apartment door before her; she knew that Riley would still be up. "What's wrong, pet?"
"Oh, it's nothing" she answered.
"…Yeeaah… Well, see you 'round, Buffy."
"Spike! Wait…" She took his hand as he turned away and Spike felt it very hard to breathe, even if he technically didn't need to.
"I just wanted to thank you, for saving me and taking me home…" She leaned in towards him and before he knew it, he had her arms around his neck. He just had the time to return her embrace before she let go again and even though the hug had been short, it had been sweet and full of gratitude, and when Spike had taken one last look at Buffy he walked away.
For the first time in over one hundred years, Spike felt alive again.
A/N Review! If you're unsure if I own anything or not; Check ch.1 ;)
