Chapter Thirty-Three: The Memory Is Fading
Spike looked around, confused. He tried to sit up but fell back, too weak to move. "Where am I?" He growled at Buffy.
"You're at my house," Buffy said, carefully. She wasn't sure what was going on. Spike looked different, harder, angrier, more like he had when she had first met him.
"What am I doing here?" He asked, looking around and seeing Dawn and Angel. "Oh great, Peaches is here too. Is this some kind of torture you've invented? Your great Poof is mad at me for letting Dru play with him so you're going to tie me up and make me watch the two of you shag?" He spotted Dawn, "Who the bloody hell are you?"
"Spike," Buffy said, trying to understand what he was saying. "What the last thing you remember?"
He looked confused, thought for a second and then said, "Leaving that church with Dru and something bloody heavy fell on me," He eyes Buffy. "You had something to do with that, didn't you?"
"Yes," Buffy admitted. "But you don't remember anything else?"
"No," Spike told her. "Now why am I here and what have you done with Dru?" He saw Angel and Buffy exchanging looks, "What did you do to her?" He snarled, vamping out. He tried to sit up was still too weak. "Where is she?"
"I don't know," Buffy said, honestly.
"If any of you have harmed even one hair on her head," Spike snarled. "I will make you wish that I had killed you a long time ago."
"You couldn't do that even when you tried," Angel said.
Spike shot up off the bed, lunging at Angel but he fell backward, crying out in pain, "What did you do to me, Slayer?"
"Nothing," Buffy said. She wasn't sure what to say. Spike's memory had been damaged so that everything after that organ fell on him was gone. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He studied her for a moment, noticing something, "Are you wearing my clothes?"
Buffy looked down and realized that she was wearing another one of Spike's red shirts. With Angel knowing about her pregnancy she had decided to wear her own clothes but when she went to get dressed she had discovered that nothing fit. All her pants were so tight she couldn't breath and none of her shirts fit either. Right now she was wearing a pair of sweats and one of Spike's shirts. She had decided that as soon as Spike was recovered she was going shopping for maternity clothes. She looked at Spike, trying to decide what to say, "No," She lied. "This is mine."
"What? Your fashion sense changed? Decided you needed a change of pace or," He said, looking her up and down, "Been drinking too many beers down at your little hangout. Looks like you've gained a little beer belly."
In an instant, Angel grabbed Spike by the throat and pinned him to the bed, vamping out himself, "Don't you ever speak to her like that again! Do you understand? She's…"
"Angel," Buffy said, pulling him again from Spike. "Don't."
"You're just going to let him talk to you like that?" He asked, incredulously.
"He doesn't know what's going on," Buffy defended Spike, pulling Angel out of the room so that they could talk without Spike being able to hear. "He thinks it's still 1997. He doesn't remember anything. He doesn't remember being paralyzed, Angulus, breaking up with Drusilla, the Initiative, our affair, the baby. He doesn't remember any of this."
"So what are you going to do now?" Angel asked. "Just let him treat you like this?"
"No," Buffy said. "I'm going to help him get his memory back."
"Why?" Angel asked. "Just let him go. Set him free."
"I'm not turning him lose," Buffy said. "I have to help him. I owe him that much."
"Buffy, don't you see," Angel said. "This is your chance to be free of him. You can let him leave and you're free. Free to have a normal life, free to raise your baby without Spike."
"No," Buffy said. "I can't do that to him. If I turn him loose right now he'd be dead by sunrise. He doesn't know he can't bite people or how much time he's lost. I can't do that to him. I know what he is but I also know what he's done for Dawn, this baby and me. He's helped us a lot and I'm not going to repay him by throwing him out."
"Then how about I take him back with me to L.A.," He suggested. "I can keep him under control. I've done it before."
"No," Buffy said. "I don't think that would be a good idea. If we want his memory to come back then we have to keep him in familiar surroundings and with familiar people. That's not in L.A."
"So what do you plan to do?" Angel asked. "Keep him here and play nursemaid to him?"
"I'm going to try and help him get his memory back," Buffy snapped.
Angel started to speak but then Dawn poked her head out into the hall, "Buffy, Spike's trying to leave."
Buffy and Angel hurried back into Buffy's room. Spike was struggling to sit up, "I'm getting out of here. You can't keep me here."
"Spike," Buffy said. "You can't leave. You're still too weak."
"You think I'll stay here?" Spike asked. "And give you the chance to stake me in my sleep?"
"No," Dawn said. "There's going to be no staking in this house."
Spike looked at her, "Who's Mini-Me?" He asked.
"Don't you remember me?" Dawn asked, trying to hide her hurt.
"No," Spike said.
"Dawn's my little sister," Buffy explained.
"Well, well, the Slayer has a little sis," Spike said. "Haven't met up with one of those before." He eyed Dawn, "I wonder if Slayer's siblings taste as good as they do."
"No," Buffy said. "There's going to be no feeding in this house."
"How do you plan on stopping me?" Spike asked.
Buffy sighed, "I really didn't want to use these but you're leaving me no choice." She opened her drawer and pulled out two pairs of handcuffs.
Angel looked at them, "What are you doing with those in your room?" He asked. Then he looked at Buffy's bed, Buffy and then at her stomach. "Never mind, I don't want to know."
Spike watched as Buffy handcuffed each wrist to her bed, "You know, Slayer, I always knew that Peaches was into that kinky stuff but I wouldn't have figured you for that."
Buffy hid a grin. If Spike remembered even a fraction of the things that they had done together than he would realize exactly what she was capable of doing in the night. "Now don't even think about trying to escape. You wouldn't last a second out there." Spike started to complain but Anya coming in with a mug of blood interrupted him.
"I thought Spike might want something to eat," She said. "Oh you're awake. How're you feeling?"
"Who are you?" Spike asked, eyeing Anya. As soon as he was free he'd have to grab her. She looked like the perfect girl for him and Dru to play with before they ate her. "How about you untie me and then we can go back to my place? I'll show you my man sized manicotti."
"Cute," Anya, said, annoyed with him. "This is what I get for spending my hard earned money to get some blood for you from the butchers."
"Anya," Buffy said, pulling her into the hallway. "Spike doesn't remember the past few years. The last thing he remembers is when I dropped an organ on him."
"Oh Amnesia," Anya said. "Just like on the soap operas."
"Right," Buffy said. "So he doesn't know you, or Dawn. He basically doesn't remember anything."
"Okay," Anya said. She handed Buffy the mug of blood. "Xander and I are going to go home now." Buffy glanced outside and realized that it was almost sunrise.
"You go," Buffy said. "Tell Xander thanks for staying tonight. I know this isn't easy. Right back from your honeymoon and you have to hang out here."
"Well I'd rather be having sex back at our home but Xander says that we need to help you right now and he's right."
"Well, thanks, I'll talk to you later," Buffy said, before turning and going back into her room.
Angel was standing at the foot of her bed and Dawn was standing next to Spike. "Dawn, why don't you try and get some sleep. You can stay home from school today."
"Okay," Dawn said. She walked over to Buffy and said, "Is he going to remember anything? He's not going to forget about us completely, is her?"
"No," Buffy said. "He's not." Dawn nodded and then she went off to her room.
"Why don't you go back to bed too," Angel said. "I'll handle him."
"No, I'm fine," She said. "I've gone longer than this without sleep."
"I won't hurt him," Angel said.
Buffy was just about to agree when she heard Connor start to cry. Angel glanced at the door, obviously wanting to go to his son, "Go," Buffy told him.
Angel nodded an apology and hurried out the door, to go and tend to Connor. Buffy looked back at Spike, "Are you hungry?" She asked.
"Are you offering?" Spike counted.
"Here," She said, holding the mug's straw to his mouth, "Drink this."
Spike took a sip and then spat the straw out of his mouth, "Ugh, what is this stuff, pig's blood? Can't you get some real stuff?"
"Sorry," Buffy said. "This is all we have."
Spike didn't want to drink pig's blood but he had to eat something so he obediently drank the blood. When he was done Buffy took the cup away. He eyed her for a moment, "Slayer, what the bloody hell is going on? Who are all those people? Why is everyone acting so bleeding strange? Where's Dru?" He studied her for a minute, "And what happened to you? Last time I saw you, you were a little stick and now you're looking a little chubby. What is going on?"
Buffy stared at him, wondering how to answer his questions, one arm wrapped around her stomach.
Spike looked around, confused. He tried to sit up but fell back, too weak to move. "Where am I?" He growled at Buffy.
"You're at my house," Buffy said, carefully. She wasn't sure what was going on. Spike looked different, harder, angrier, more like he had when she had first met him.
"What am I doing here?" He asked, looking around and seeing Dawn and Angel. "Oh great, Peaches is here too. Is this some kind of torture you've invented? Your great Poof is mad at me for letting Dru play with him so you're going to tie me up and make me watch the two of you shag?" He spotted Dawn, "Who the bloody hell are you?"
"Spike," Buffy said, trying to understand what he was saying. "What the last thing you remember?"
He looked confused, thought for a second and then said, "Leaving that church with Dru and something bloody heavy fell on me," He eyes Buffy. "You had something to do with that, didn't you?"
"Yes," Buffy admitted. "But you don't remember anything else?"
"No," Spike told her. "Now why am I here and what have you done with Dru?" He saw Angel and Buffy exchanging looks, "What did you do to her?" He snarled, vamping out. He tried to sit up was still too weak. "Where is she?"
"I don't know," Buffy said, honestly.
"If any of you have harmed even one hair on her head," Spike snarled. "I will make you wish that I had killed you a long time ago."
"You couldn't do that even when you tried," Angel said.
Spike shot up off the bed, lunging at Angel but he fell backward, crying out in pain, "What did you do to me, Slayer?"
"Nothing," Buffy said. She wasn't sure what to say. Spike's memory had been damaged so that everything after that organ fell on him was gone. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He studied her for a moment, noticing something, "Are you wearing my clothes?"
Buffy looked down and realized that she was wearing another one of Spike's red shirts. With Angel knowing about her pregnancy she had decided to wear her own clothes but when she went to get dressed she had discovered that nothing fit. All her pants were so tight she couldn't breath and none of her shirts fit either. Right now she was wearing a pair of sweats and one of Spike's shirts. She had decided that as soon as Spike was recovered she was going shopping for maternity clothes. She looked at Spike, trying to decide what to say, "No," She lied. "This is mine."
"What? Your fashion sense changed? Decided you needed a change of pace or," He said, looking her up and down, "Been drinking too many beers down at your little hangout. Looks like you've gained a little beer belly."
In an instant, Angel grabbed Spike by the throat and pinned him to the bed, vamping out himself, "Don't you ever speak to her like that again! Do you understand? She's…"
"Angel," Buffy said, pulling him again from Spike. "Don't."
"You're just going to let him talk to you like that?" He asked, incredulously.
"He doesn't know what's going on," Buffy defended Spike, pulling Angel out of the room so that they could talk without Spike being able to hear. "He thinks it's still 1997. He doesn't remember anything. He doesn't remember being paralyzed, Angulus, breaking up with Drusilla, the Initiative, our affair, the baby. He doesn't remember any of this."
"So what are you going to do now?" Angel asked. "Just let him treat you like this?"
"No," Buffy said. "I'm going to help him get his memory back."
"Why?" Angel asked. "Just let him go. Set him free."
"I'm not turning him lose," Buffy said. "I have to help him. I owe him that much."
"Buffy, don't you see," Angel said. "This is your chance to be free of him. You can let him leave and you're free. Free to have a normal life, free to raise your baby without Spike."
"No," Buffy said. "I can't do that to him. If I turn him loose right now he'd be dead by sunrise. He doesn't know he can't bite people or how much time he's lost. I can't do that to him. I know what he is but I also know what he's done for Dawn, this baby and me. He's helped us a lot and I'm not going to repay him by throwing him out."
"Then how about I take him back with me to L.A.," He suggested. "I can keep him under control. I've done it before."
"No," Buffy said. "I don't think that would be a good idea. If we want his memory to come back then we have to keep him in familiar surroundings and with familiar people. That's not in L.A."
"So what do you plan to do?" Angel asked. "Keep him here and play nursemaid to him?"
"I'm going to try and help him get his memory back," Buffy snapped.
Angel started to speak but then Dawn poked her head out into the hall, "Buffy, Spike's trying to leave."
Buffy and Angel hurried back into Buffy's room. Spike was struggling to sit up, "I'm getting out of here. You can't keep me here."
"Spike," Buffy said. "You can't leave. You're still too weak."
"You think I'll stay here?" Spike asked. "And give you the chance to stake me in my sleep?"
"No," Dawn said. "There's going to be no staking in this house."
Spike looked at her, "Who's Mini-Me?" He asked.
"Don't you remember me?" Dawn asked, trying to hide her hurt.
"No," Spike said.
"Dawn's my little sister," Buffy explained.
"Well, well, the Slayer has a little sis," Spike said. "Haven't met up with one of those before." He eyed Dawn, "I wonder if Slayer's siblings taste as good as they do."
"No," Buffy said. "There's going to be no feeding in this house."
"How do you plan on stopping me?" Spike asked.
Buffy sighed, "I really didn't want to use these but you're leaving me no choice." She opened her drawer and pulled out two pairs of handcuffs.
Angel looked at them, "What are you doing with those in your room?" He asked. Then he looked at Buffy's bed, Buffy and then at her stomach. "Never mind, I don't want to know."
Spike watched as Buffy handcuffed each wrist to her bed, "You know, Slayer, I always knew that Peaches was into that kinky stuff but I wouldn't have figured you for that."
Buffy hid a grin. If Spike remembered even a fraction of the things that they had done together than he would realize exactly what she was capable of doing in the night. "Now don't even think about trying to escape. You wouldn't last a second out there." Spike started to complain but Anya coming in with a mug of blood interrupted him.
"I thought Spike might want something to eat," She said. "Oh you're awake. How're you feeling?"
"Who are you?" Spike asked, eyeing Anya. As soon as he was free he'd have to grab her. She looked like the perfect girl for him and Dru to play with before they ate her. "How about you untie me and then we can go back to my place? I'll show you my man sized manicotti."
"Cute," Anya, said, annoyed with him. "This is what I get for spending my hard earned money to get some blood for you from the butchers."
"Anya," Buffy said, pulling her into the hallway. "Spike doesn't remember the past few years. The last thing he remembers is when I dropped an organ on him."
"Oh Amnesia," Anya said. "Just like on the soap operas."
"Right," Buffy said. "So he doesn't know you, or Dawn. He basically doesn't remember anything."
"Okay," Anya said. She handed Buffy the mug of blood. "Xander and I are going to go home now." Buffy glanced outside and realized that it was almost sunrise.
"You go," Buffy said. "Tell Xander thanks for staying tonight. I know this isn't easy. Right back from your honeymoon and you have to hang out here."
"Well I'd rather be having sex back at our home but Xander says that we need to help you right now and he's right."
"Well, thanks, I'll talk to you later," Buffy said, before turning and going back into her room.
Angel was standing at the foot of her bed and Dawn was standing next to Spike. "Dawn, why don't you try and get some sleep. You can stay home from school today."
"Okay," Dawn said. She walked over to Buffy and said, "Is he going to remember anything? He's not going to forget about us completely, is her?"
"No," Buffy said. "He's not." Dawn nodded and then she went off to her room.
"Why don't you go back to bed too," Angel said. "I'll handle him."
"No, I'm fine," She said. "I've gone longer than this without sleep."
"I won't hurt him," Angel said.
Buffy was just about to agree when she heard Connor start to cry. Angel glanced at the door, obviously wanting to go to his son, "Go," Buffy told him.
Angel nodded an apology and hurried out the door, to go and tend to Connor. Buffy looked back at Spike, "Are you hungry?" She asked.
"Are you offering?" Spike counted.
"Here," She said, holding the mug's straw to his mouth, "Drink this."
Spike took a sip and then spat the straw out of his mouth, "Ugh, what is this stuff, pig's blood? Can't you get some real stuff?"
"Sorry," Buffy said. "This is all we have."
Spike didn't want to drink pig's blood but he had to eat something so he obediently drank the blood. When he was done Buffy took the cup away. He eyed her for a moment, "Slayer, what the bloody hell is going on? Who are all those people? Why is everyone acting so bleeding strange? Where's Dru?" He studied her for a minute, "And what happened to you? Last time I saw you, you were a little stick and now you're looking a little chubby. What is going on?"
Buffy stared at him, wondering how to answer his questions, one arm wrapped around her stomach.