Chapter Thirty-Two: This Isn't Where We Intended To Be
"How's he doing?" Angel asked, entering Buffy's room and sitting down next to her.
"The convulsions stopped around sundown," Buffy said. She looked to Spike's still body. "He hasn't moved since then, though."
"He still thinks he's back in the 19th century?" Angel asked.
"I don't know," Buffy said. "He hasn't said a word either." She shook her head, "I don't know what's worse, watching him trash around like that or seeing him so still."
"You're not used to seeing him like that," Angel said. "Spike's never been one to sit still. When he was stuck in that wheelchair he couldn't stand it, being so helpless and not being able to do anything." He didn't add that he hadn't helped much by taunting him and parading his renewed relationship with Drusilla in his face.
"At least then he recovered," Buffy said. "Now we don't know what we're doing."
"He looks better," Angel said. And he was right, the burns on Spike's body were starting to fade. He still had bruises, though and his bones hadn't finished mending. The main problem was that he wasn't waking up. "Why don't you go lay down?" He suggested. "You need your rest."
"I'm fine," Buffy said, stifling a yawn.
"Go," Angel said. "I'll stay here with Spike."
"No," Buffy said. She knew that Dawn would never forgive her for leaving Spike alone and if Spike woke up and Buffy wasn't there then she would never forgive herself.
"I'll get you if there's any change," Angel said, seeing the way Buffy was looking at Spike. He hated it but he had lost his right to have any say in the matter. "Go," Angel said. "You're about to fall asleep sitting up."
"Fine," Buffy said. She stood up and walked down to Willow's room. Willow and Tara were sleeping on the couch so the bed was free. She sank down onto the bed, not even bothering to take any of her clothes off. She shut her eyes and soon she was fast asleep.
Angel looked around and realized for that for the first time since he had come back to Sunnydale he was alone with Spike. Previously there had always been someone with Spike.
Now it was just the two of them and he wasn't sure what to do.
He sighed, "Well it's just the two of us now," Spike didn't stir. "How did we get here? How do we always wind up with the same women? First Dru and now Buffy. I know we used to share women all the time in the old days but did you have to take things so literal now?" He studied the younger vampire. "How did this happen, Spike? The last time I saw you, you were sticking pokers in me to get that gem so that you could kill Buffy. Now you're living with her, sleeping with her and she's carrying your child. How did this all happen?" Spike didn't respond. "Answer me," He demanded angrily. "You owe me that much."
Spike still didn't respond. Angel stood up, frustrated and began to pace around the room. He paused by the window and looked out. Then he looked down and saw something that puzzled him. Dawn was standing on the sidewalk talking to a demon with dangling skin. Angel was about to jump out the window and pull her away from him when he noticed that there was no evil intent coming the demon. They were just talking, with Dawn gesturing and the demon nodding. Finally he walked off and Dawn went back into the house.
Angel was about to go and find out what she was doing when she walked through the door to Buffy's room. Dawn looked around and said, "Where's Buffy?"
"She went to get some sleep," Angel explained.
"Good," Dawn said. "Spike would want her to put herself and the baby first."
Angel shook his head, "Spike doesn't put anyone first. All he's ever thought about is himself."
Dawn glared at him, "You don't know him at all. Spike is a lot of things but he has always put Buffy and the baby first. He's doing everything he can for them." She gestured to Spike, "This happened because he was trying to protect them."
"Dawn," Angel started to say and then he changed the subject, "What were you doing with that demon?"
"Huh?" Dawn asked. Then she realized what he was talking about, "Oh Clem, he stopped by to see Spike."
"Why?" Angel asked. "And why were you talking with a demon? This is Sunnydale, you know better than to make friends with demons."
"Like you and Spike," Dawn snapped. "Look Clem and Spike are poker buddies and friends. Spike didn't show up for their poker game last night so Clem stopped by to see if he was alright and I asked him to check on something for me."
"What?" Angel asked suspiciously.
"None of your business," Dawn snapped. "It's something Spike and I are working on."
"And what's that?" Angel asked. Dawn didn't answer so Angel insisted, "What is he making you do? Dawn, you have to tell me. It could be something dangerous."
"Oh yeah," Dawn said sarcastically. "Kittens are really dangerous."
"Kittens?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, kittens," Dawn said, too angry to realize she was letting a secret slip. "Spike is trying to raise money to support Buffy and the baby. So he's breeding kittens. I think he wants to sell them to pet stores or something. I asked Clem to check on them."
Angel looked at her incredulously, "Dawn, he hasn't told you what he plans for those kittens, has he?"
"Well no," Dawn said.
"Dawn, demons use kittens as currency, especially for gambling. Kittens are used as money during poker games. They're something most demons can eat so they're a very valuable commodity. Spike probably had some notion of becoming a loan shark."
"You're making this up," Dawn said.
"No, I'm not," Angel said. "Ask that demon you were just talking to. He'll tell you."
"Kitten poker," Dawn said, remembering something Buffy had once said. Then she laughed, startling Angel. "I should have known something was up when I had to tell Clem that he couldn't eat the kittens."
"What is Spike thinking?" Angel asked.
"He wants to take care of us," Dawn said. "Provide for us so that Buffy doesn't have to work at the Double-Meat Palace."
"By becoming a kitten loan shark," Angel said. "That's something his kid will be proud of."
"Want me to tell Connor everything you've done in your life?" Dawn shot back. "I'm sure he'll be proud of you. At least Spike was a good person when he was human. Can you say the same?"
Angel didn't answer. She was right but he still hated this whole situation. Spike was living the life with Buffy that he should have had. While he wouldn't have given up Connor for anything a part of him wished that Connor had been his son with Buffy. Now Spike was the one who got to have a child with her.
His thoughts were interrupted by a sound coming from the bed. Angel and Dawn looked down and Spike was thrashing around again. "Go get Buffy," Dawn ordered, hurrying to Spike's side. Angel obeyed and returned with a sleepy Buffy. "I think he's waking up," Dawn told them.
Buffy sat down on Spike's other side, "Spike, can you hear me?"
There was no response from Spike and then suddenly his eyes shot open, startling everyone.
"Spike," Buffy said, gently, hoping to get a reaction out of him.
He looked around, at Buff, Dawn and then at Angel. He looked confused for a minute and then turned his gaze back to Buffy, "Slayer," He snarled, fixing her with a look that she hadn't seen from him in years.
"How's he doing?" Angel asked, entering Buffy's room and sitting down next to her.
"The convulsions stopped around sundown," Buffy said. She looked to Spike's still body. "He hasn't moved since then, though."
"He still thinks he's back in the 19th century?" Angel asked.
"I don't know," Buffy said. "He hasn't said a word either." She shook her head, "I don't know what's worse, watching him trash around like that or seeing him so still."
"You're not used to seeing him like that," Angel said. "Spike's never been one to sit still. When he was stuck in that wheelchair he couldn't stand it, being so helpless and not being able to do anything." He didn't add that he hadn't helped much by taunting him and parading his renewed relationship with Drusilla in his face.
"At least then he recovered," Buffy said. "Now we don't know what we're doing."
"He looks better," Angel said. And he was right, the burns on Spike's body were starting to fade. He still had bruises, though and his bones hadn't finished mending. The main problem was that he wasn't waking up. "Why don't you go lay down?" He suggested. "You need your rest."
"I'm fine," Buffy said, stifling a yawn.
"Go," Angel said. "I'll stay here with Spike."
"No," Buffy said. She knew that Dawn would never forgive her for leaving Spike alone and if Spike woke up and Buffy wasn't there then she would never forgive herself.
"I'll get you if there's any change," Angel said, seeing the way Buffy was looking at Spike. He hated it but he had lost his right to have any say in the matter. "Go," Angel said. "You're about to fall asleep sitting up."
"Fine," Buffy said. She stood up and walked down to Willow's room. Willow and Tara were sleeping on the couch so the bed was free. She sank down onto the bed, not even bothering to take any of her clothes off. She shut her eyes and soon she was fast asleep.
Angel looked around and realized for that for the first time since he had come back to Sunnydale he was alone with Spike. Previously there had always been someone with Spike.
Now it was just the two of them and he wasn't sure what to do.
He sighed, "Well it's just the two of us now," Spike didn't stir. "How did we get here? How do we always wind up with the same women? First Dru and now Buffy. I know we used to share women all the time in the old days but did you have to take things so literal now?" He studied the younger vampire. "How did this happen, Spike? The last time I saw you, you were sticking pokers in me to get that gem so that you could kill Buffy. Now you're living with her, sleeping with her and she's carrying your child. How did this all happen?" Spike didn't respond. "Answer me," He demanded angrily. "You owe me that much."
Spike still didn't respond. Angel stood up, frustrated and began to pace around the room. He paused by the window and looked out. Then he looked down and saw something that puzzled him. Dawn was standing on the sidewalk talking to a demon with dangling skin. Angel was about to jump out the window and pull her away from him when he noticed that there was no evil intent coming the demon. They were just talking, with Dawn gesturing and the demon nodding. Finally he walked off and Dawn went back into the house.
Angel was about to go and find out what she was doing when she walked through the door to Buffy's room. Dawn looked around and said, "Where's Buffy?"
"She went to get some sleep," Angel explained.
"Good," Dawn said. "Spike would want her to put herself and the baby first."
Angel shook his head, "Spike doesn't put anyone first. All he's ever thought about is himself."
Dawn glared at him, "You don't know him at all. Spike is a lot of things but he has always put Buffy and the baby first. He's doing everything he can for them." She gestured to Spike, "This happened because he was trying to protect them."
"Dawn," Angel started to say and then he changed the subject, "What were you doing with that demon?"
"Huh?" Dawn asked. Then she realized what he was talking about, "Oh Clem, he stopped by to see Spike."
"Why?" Angel asked. "And why were you talking with a demon? This is Sunnydale, you know better than to make friends with demons."
"Like you and Spike," Dawn snapped. "Look Clem and Spike are poker buddies and friends. Spike didn't show up for their poker game last night so Clem stopped by to see if he was alright and I asked him to check on something for me."
"What?" Angel asked suspiciously.
"None of your business," Dawn snapped. "It's something Spike and I are working on."
"And what's that?" Angel asked. Dawn didn't answer so Angel insisted, "What is he making you do? Dawn, you have to tell me. It could be something dangerous."
"Oh yeah," Dawn said sarcastically. "Kittens are really dangerous."
"Kittens?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, kittens," Dawn said, too angry to realize she was letting a secret slip. "Spike is trying to raise money to support Buffy and the baby. So he's breeding kittens. I think he wants to sell them to pet stores or something. I asked Clem to check on them."
Angel looked at her incredulously, "Dawn, he hasn't told you what he plans for those kittens, has he?"
"Well no," Dawn said.
"Dawn, demons use kittens as currency, especially for gambling. Kittens are used as money during poker games. They're something most demons can eat so they're a very valuable commodity. Spike probably had some notion of becoming a loan shark."
"You're making this up," Dawn said.
"No, I'm not," Angel said. "Ask that demon you were just talking to. He'll tell you."
"Kitten poker," Dawn said, remembering something Buffy had once said. Then she laughed, startling Angel. "I should have known something was up when I had to tell Clem that he couldn't eat the kittens."
"What is Spike thinking?" Angel asked.
"He wants to take care of us," Dawn said. "Provide for us so that Buffy doesn't have to work at the Double-Meat Palace."
"By becoming a kitten loan shark," Angel said. "That's something his kid will be proud of."
"Want me to tell Connor everything you've done in your life?" Dawn shot back. "I'm sure he'll be proud of you. At least Spike was a good person when he was human. Can you say the same?"
Angel didn't answer. She was right but he still hated this whole situation. Spike was living the life with Buffy that he should have had. While he wouldn't have given up Connor for anything a part of him wished that Connor had been his son with Buffy. Now Spike was the one who got to have a child with her.
His thoughts were interrupted by a sound coming from the bed. Angel and Dawn looked down and Spike was thrashing around again. "Go get Buffy," Dawn ordered, hurrying to Spike's side. Angel obeyed and returned with a sleepy Buffy. "I think he's waking up," Dawn told them.
Buffy sat down on Spike's other side, "Spike, can you hear me?"
There was no response from Spike and then suddenly his eyes shot open, startling everyone.
"Spike," Buffy said, gently, hoping to get a reaction out of him.
He looked around, at Buff, Dawn and then at Angel. He looked confused for a minute and then turned his gaze back to Buffy, "Slayer," He snarled, fixing her with a look that she hadn't seen from him in years.