Chapter Thirty-Four: So Many Questions and Answers That Somehow Seem Wrong
"Spike," Buffy said, sitting down on the bed next to him. She wasn't worried he'd hurt her. The handcuffs were secure, she knew that from experience and she could get away if she had to. "What's the very last thing you remember?"
Spike thought hard for a minute and then said, "That sodding thing falling on me in that church."
"Nothing else?" Buffy asked.
"No," Spike said, pulling on the handcuffs. "Now let me go."
"Sorry," Buffy said. "You're not going anywhere."
"What do you care?" He asked. "Thought you'd stake me at the first opportunity."
"No," Buffy said. "There's no staking involved. I just want to know what you remember."
"That's it," Spike snapped. "Now undo these bloody cuffs."
"Sorry," Buffy said. "I couldn't even if I wanted to. They don't have a key." She didn't tell him that he was the only one who really knew how to unlock them. Although she suspected that Dawn knew. She had caught Spike teaching Dawn how to pick a lock using the handcuffs. Plus Buffy has practiced a few times herself.
"What?" Spike exploded. "You tie me up with handcuffs and you don't even have the sodding key?"
Buffy shrugged, "They didn't come with them." She was telling the truth again. When Spike had brought them to her room he had told her that he had lost the keys decades ago.
"Well figure out something," Spike snapped. "And let me go."
"Not going to happen," Buffy said.
"Look, Slayer," Spike said. "You don't want me here anymore than I want to be here so why don't you just let me go home to Dru and we'll all be happy." Buffy looked away, giving Spike the wrong impression. His expression changed from anger to panic, "What? What happened to Dru? Did you hurt her? Where is she?"
Buffy blinked back tears and tried to push away her hurt. Then she wondered why she was hurt in the first place. Why was she so upset over the fact that Spike was so concerned about his former lover? Then she brushed it off, deciding that it was probably hormones. "Dru's fine," She told him. "I don't know where she is but she's fine."
Spike shook his head. The Slayer didn't understand. He didn't know if the ritual had restored Dru or not and if it hadn't then she would be helpless. She needed him. "How do you know this?" He asked.
"I've seen her since that night in the church," Buffy said. "And there is nothing wrong with her."
Spike was relieved that his dark princess was alright but he wondered why she hadn't come for him. "Good," He said. "So why don't you let me go and we'll forget this never happened." He looked around, "And I'll even forget what the inside of a Slayer's bedroom looks like."
"You're not leaving here," Buffy said, standing up. She took the mug. "Try and get some sleep. Someone will be up later with some more blood."
"Why don't you just let me go? Let me find my own bloody dinner?"
Buffy gestured to the window, "Because if you left now I'd be naming…." She stopped just in time from saying that she'd be naming her child Big Pile of Dust Jr.
Spike studied her for a minute, "Naming who?" He asked.
"I'd be renaming you Big Pile of Dust," Buffy covered. "It's daylight." She sighed, "You'll be safe here. No one's going to stake you here."
"And I can trust you not to stake me because…?" Spike asked.
"I've let you live this far," Buffy pointed out. "Look just try and get some sleep. No one's staking you."
"Why?" Spike asked. "I'd think you'd be first in line to turn me into a big pile of dust."
"Well I'm not," Buffy said. Then before he could protest, she added, "I have my reasons for keeping you alive, well unalive. I'll explain them to you once you've recovered a little more."
"Explain them to me now," Spike ordered.
Buffy shook her head, "No, now's not the right time. Why don't you take a nap and we'll talk more later."
Spike growled, "I don't take orders from a Slayer," Spike said.
"You're not in much of a bargaining position," Buffy said. "Don't forget for once you're the one chained up." Then she realized that she had slipped, by mentioning that she was the one usually tied up.
"What are you talking about?" Spike asked.
"Nothing," Buffy said. "I'll explain later." She turned to go, "Seriously, get some sleep. That's all you can do right now anyway. I doubt you could walk out of here if you tried."
Spike didn't say anything. She was right. He hadn't felt this weak since before he was turned, even dying he hadn't felt this weak. He just remembered the ecstasy of Dru sucking the life out of him, he didn't remember any more. He glanced up at the handcuffs and then shut his eyes. He hadn't felt this weak and helpless since he'd been human and his uncle had beaten him. He paused, wondering why he was thinking about his Uncle Charles. He hadn't thought about him in decades, not since he'd killed his cousin, Frederick in revenge for what Charles had done to him and Charlotte and for what Frederick was doing to Charlotte. Charlotte…. Spike shook his head. He wasn't going to think about his precious baby sister, not now, not ever. He had promised himself a long time ago, after he'd fed on his cousin and freed his sister from a life of misery, that he was never going to think of her or his human family ever again.
"Spike," Buffy asked, looking down at him. "What's wrong?"
His eyes flew open. Apparently he hadn't realized that she was still there and she saw the brightness of his eyes as he fought to keep her from seeing. "What are you still doing here?" He growled, angry at being seen when he was so vulnerable.
"My room," Buffy pointed out.
"Get out," Spike said, yanking at the handcuffs, his voice betraying him.
"Spike, what's wrong?" Buffy asked, sitting back down on the bed next to him.
"Nothing," Spike said, turning away from her. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He should be able to control himself better and he should know better than to think about his human family. Every time he did he had no control over himself and it usually ended in something being killed very violently and Angulus having to teach him a lesson.
Buffy studied him. She knew that look. She saw it in his eyes every time he mentioned Charlotte or Charles. "You're thinking about Charlotte, aren't you?"
Spike turned back to her, his entire face vamping out, "Who told you about Charlotte?"
"Uh," Buffy said, trying to think of an answer. "You called out the name Charlotte while you were out," She explained. "Who was she?"
"None of your bloody business," Spike growled at her, furious that he had called out for his sister.
"She must have been someone important to you if you called out for her," Buffy said, hoping that talking about Charlotte might trigger something. Spike had talked about her to both Buffy and Dawn and he might remember their conversations.
"No," Spike said, his voice thick with emotion, "She wasn't."
"Then why do you have this?" Buffy asked, pulling a framed photo of Charlotte out of her dresser. She and Dawn had had it restored and framed for Spike as a surprise. He had been touched at the gesture.
"Where did you get this?" Spike snarled, pulling at the chains, itching to grab the photo out of her hands. Where had she gotten that? It had been at the bottom of a trunk that he had hidden in the back seat of his car. There was no way that the Slayer would have been able to find it and then why had she gotten it, prettied it all up and framed it? Charlotte meant nothing to her.
"I found it," Buffy said, telling the truth. She had found the picture in the pocket of Spike's duster when she was looking for all his cigarettes. She had taken advantage of his not wearing it while he slept to search it and throw out every cigarette she could find. He had been furious with her until she had pointed out that second hand smoke wasn't good for the baby.
"It's not yours," Spike told her. "Now give it to me."
"Don't worry," Buffy said, putting the picture on the bedside table. "It'll be right here." She stood up again. "Now get some rest."
Spike studied her for a moment and then said, "Could you untie me? I'll probably sleep better if I'm not chained up."
Buffy hesitated and then decided to. He was too weak to leave the house anyway. What harm could it do? She grabbed a bobby pin and quickly picked the lock. Then she left the room and went downstairs and into the kitchen.
Willow and Tara were at their classes, Xander and Anya had gone home and Dawn was asleep. So Buffy was alone in the house except for Angel and Cordelia who were upstairs, comforting a fussy Connor. She had heard the baby crying when she had walked downstairs and was surprised that Spike hadn't noticed.
Buffy sat down at the kitchen island and made herself some toast. She wasn't hungry but she had to eat for the baby's sake. When Spike regained his memory he would be furious if he found out she hadn't been taking care of their baby. She sipped a glass of orange juice and felt her eyes grow heavy. The late nights had started to take effect and before she knew it her head had fallen onto the counter and she had fallen asleep.
Buffy wasn't sure how long she had been asleep but she was awakened by Angel's voice, "Buffy, wake up."
Buffy looked around sleepily, "Huh, what's going on?"
"Buffy, where's Spike?" Angel asked.
"He's upstairs," Buffy said.
"No he's not," Angel said. "I just checked in your room and he's gone."
"Spike," Buffy said, sitting down on the bed next to him. She wasn't worried he'd hurt her. The handcuffs were secure, she knew that from experience and she could get away if she had to. "What's the very last thing you remember?"
Spike thought hard for a minute and then said, "That sodding thing falling on me in that church."
"Nothing else?" Buffy asked.
"No," Spike said, pulling on the handcuffs. "Now let me go."
"Sorry," Buffy said. "You're not going anywhere."
"What do you care?" He asked. "Thought you'd stake me at the first opportunity."
"No," Buffy said. "There's no staking involved. I just want to know what you remember."
"That's it," Spike snapped. "Now undo these bloody cuffs."
"Sorry," Buffy said. "I couldn't even if I wanted to. They don't have a key." She didn't tell him that he was the only one who really knew how to unlock them. Although she suspected that Dawn knew. She had caught Spike teaching Dawn how to pick a lock using the handcuffs. Plus Buffy has practiced a few times herself.
"What?" Spike exploded. "You tie me up with handcuffs and you don't even have the sodding key?"
Buffy shrugged, "They didn't come with them." She was telling the truth again. When Spike had brought them to her room he had told her that he had lost the keys decades ago.
"Well figure out something," Spike snapped. "And let me go."
"Not going to happen," Buffy said.
"Look, Slayer," Spike said. "You don't want me here anymore than I want to be here so why don't you just let me go home to Dru and we'll all be happy." Buffy looked away, giving Spike the wrong impression. His expression changed from anger to panic, "What? What happened to Dru? Did you hurt her? Where is she?"
Buffy blinked back tears and tried to push away her hurt. Then she wondered why she was hurt in the first place. Why was she so upset over the fact that Spike was so concerned about his former lover? Then she brushed it off, deciding that it was probably hormones. "Dru's fine," She told him. "I don't know where she is but she's fine."
Spike shook his head. The Slayer didn't understand. He didn't know if the ritual had restored Dru or not and if it hadn't then she would be helpless. She needed him. "How do you know this?" He asked.
"I've seen her since that night in the church," Buffy said. "And there is nothing wrong with her."
Spike was relieved that his dark princess was alright but he wondered why she hadn't come for him. "Good," He said. "So why don't you let me go and we'll forget this never happened." He looked around, "And I'll even forget what the inside of a Slayer's bedroom looks like."
"You're not leaving here," Buffy said, standing up. She took the mug. "Try and get some sleep. Someone will be up later with some more blood."
"Why don't you just let me go? Let me find my own bloody dinner?"
Buffy gestured to the window, "Because if you left now I'd be naming…." She stopped just in time from saying that she'd be naming her child Big Pile of Dust Jr.
Spike studied her for a minute, "Naming who?" He asked.
"I'd be renaming you Big Pile of Dust," Buffy covered. "It's daylight." She sighed, "You'll be safe here. No one's going to stake you here."
"And I can trust you not to stake me because…?" Spike asked.
"I've let you live this far," Buffy pointed out. "Look just try and get some sleep. No one's staking you."
"Why?" Spike asked. "I'd think you'd be first in line to turn me into a big pile of dust."
"Well I'm not," Buffy said. Then before he could protest, she added, "I have my reasons for keeping you alive, well unalive. I'll explain them to you once you've recovered a little more."
"Explain them to me now," Spike ordered.
Buffy shook her head, "No, now's not the right time. Why don't you take a nap and we'll talk more later."
Spike growled, "I don't take orders from a Slayer," Spike said.
"You're not in much of a bargaining position," Buffy said. "Don't forget for once you're the one chained up." Then she realized that she had slipped, by mentioning that she was the one usually tied up.
"What are you talking about?" Spike asked.
"Nothing," Buffy said. "I'll explain later." She turned to go, "Seriously, get some sleep. That's all you can do right now anyway. I doubt you could walk out of here if you tried."
Spike didn't say anything. She was right. He hadn't felt this weak since before he was turned, even dying he hadn't felt this weak. He just remembered the ecstasy of Dru sucking the life out of him, he didn't remember any more. He glanced up at the handcuffs and then shut his eyes. He hadn't felt this weak and helpless since he'd been human and his uncle had beaten him. He paused, wondering why he was thinking about his Uncle Charles. He hadn't thought about him in decades, not since he'd killed his cousin, Frederick in revenge for what Charles had done to him and Charlotte and for what Frederick was doing to Charlotte. Charlotte…. Spike shook his head. He wasn't going to think about his precious baby sister, not now, not ever. He had promised himself a long time ago, after he'd fed on his cousin and freed his sister from a life of misery, that he was never going to think of her or his human family ever again.
"Spike," Buffy asked, looking down at him. "What's wrong?"
His eyes flew open. Apparently he hadn't realized that she was still there and she saw the brightness of his eyes as he fought to keep her from seeing. "What are you still doing here?" He growled, angry at being seen when he was so vulnerable.
"My room," Buffy pointed out.
"Get out," Spike said, yanking at the handcuffs, his voice betraying him.
"Spike, what's wrong?" Buffy asked, sitting back down on the bed next to him.
"Nothing," Spike said, turning away from her. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He should be able to control himself better and he should know better than to think about his human family. Every time he did he had no control over himself and it usually ended in something being killed very violently and Angulus having to teach him a lesson.
Buffy studied him. She knew that look. She saw it in his eyes every time he mentioned Charlotte or Charles. "You're thinking about Charlotte, aren't you?"
Spike turned back to her, his entire face vamping out, "Who told you about Charlotte?"
"Uh," Buffy said, trying to think of an answer. "You called out the name Charlotte while you were out," She explained. "Who was she?"
"None of your bloody business," Spike growled at her, furious that he had called out for his sister.
"She must have been someone important to you if you called out for her," Buffy said, hoping that talking about Charlotte might trigger something. Spike had talked about her to both Buffy and Dawn and he might remember their conversations.
"No," Spike said, his voice thick with emotion, "She wasn't."
"Then why do you have this?" Buffy asked, pulling a framed photo of Charlotte out of her dresser. She and Dawn had had it restored and framed for Spike as a surprise. He had been touched at the gesture.
"Where did you get this?" Spike snarled, pulling at the chains, itching to grab the photo out of her hands. Where had she gotten that? It had been at the bottom of a trunk that he had hidden in the back seat of his car. There was no way that the Slayer would have been able to find it and then why had she gotten it, prettied it all up and framed it? Charlotte meant nothing to her.
"I found it," Buffy said, telling the truth. She had found the picture in the pocket of Spike's duster when she was looking for all his cigarettes. She had taken advantage of his not wearing it while he slept to search it and throw out every cigarette she could find. He had been furious with her until she had pointed out that second hand smoke wasn't good for the baby.
"It's not yours," Spike told her. "Now give it to me."
"Don't worry," Buffy said, putting the picture on the bedside table. "It'll be right here." She stood up again. "Now get some rest."
Spike studied her for a moment and then said, "Could you untie me? I'll probably sleep better if I'm not chained up."
Buffy hesitated and then decided to. He was too weak to leave the house anyway. What harm could it do? She grabbed a bobby pin and quickly picked the lock. Then she left the room and went downstairs and into the kitchen.
Willow and Tara were at their classes, Xander and Anya had gone home and Dawn was asleep. So Buffy was alone in the house except for Angel and Cordelia who were upstairs, comforting a fussy Connor. She had heard the baby crying when she had walked downstairs and was surprised that Spike hadn't noticed.
Buffy sat down at the kitchen island and made herself some toast. She wasn't hungry but she had to eat for the baby's sake. When Spike regained his memory he would be furious if he found out she hadn't been taking care of their baby. She sipped a glass of orange juice and felt her eyes grow heavy. The late nights had started to take effect and before she knew it her head had fallen onto the counter and she had fallen asleep.
Buffy wasn't sure how long she had been asleep but she was awakened by Angel's voice, "Buffy, wake up."
Buffy looked around sleepily, "Huh, what's going on?"
"Buffy, where's Spike?" Angel asked.
"He's upstairs," Buffy said.
"No he's not," Angel said. "I just checked in your room and he's gone."