CHAPTER TWO
Buffy felt more exhausted than she ever had in her life. All she wanted was to lie down and never get up again.
"Spike, I'm so tired."
"Oh sweetling, I'm so sorry let's get you somewhere so I can get ya cleaned up and ya can rest."
Spike wasn't sure where to take her. The Revello Drive house had been sold not long after Hank Summers had come to take Dawn away with him. The Wicca's had moved back on campus and the Xander and Anya's apartment was to far to walk. His crypt wasn't far but he was loath to take her there but saw little choice. If he thought about it was the best first stop because he had quite a few of her clothes there, which he'd taken at the height of his obsession with her before her death. 'Crypt it is. Jus' get her a few things and take her to a hotel,' he thought to himself.
"Buffy let's go by my crypt so I can get a few things for you and then I'll take you to a hotel so you can clean up."
Buffy was confused, "Why do we need a hotel can't you take me home?"
'Damn, shoulda known I couldn't avoid the topic.' Aloud he responded, "Pet, yer Dad sold the house when he came for Dawn. So I can't take ya there."
"Oh that's right. Mom told me he was coming. I'd forgotten."
"Yer mum?"
At Spike's question tears began to well in Buffy's eyes.
"Oh pet. 'M sorry jus ignore me. 'M a stupid git upsettin ya."
"Oh Spike, I was with her and now she's gone. What am I going to do?" Buffy sobbed out.
Spike drew her into his arms again and turned her toward his crypt. "I don' know luv but I'll help ya as much as I can."
The two began to walk toward his crypt. Buffy leaned heavily against Spike struggling with each step. Her body felt weak from disuse.
Spike noticed her struggles and quickly making a decision swept her into his arms and carried her rapidly toward their destination.
Buffy sighed deeply. She hadn't wanted to ask him to carry her but when he picked her up she felt an overwhelming sense of relief. She relaxed against him and for the first time since she'd dug herself out of her grave she felt safe.
When they arrived at the crypt Spike kicked open the door, strode directly to his chair and gently placed Buffy down.
"Pet, 'm gonna get a few things and then we'll go. Yeah?"
"Mkay. Spike do you have anything to drink. Some water?"
Spike felt like an idiot. He'd been so busy trying to absorb her presence that he hadn't even thought of what she might need. Quickly he turned and rummaged around in his mini-fridge pulling out a bottle of water and opening it.
Turning back to Buffy he was again overwhelmed by the fact she was even here. She amazed him. After her death and Dawn's leaving it had been almost more than he could handle to go through the motions of living and not meet the sunrise. The only thing that had kept him going was continuing her fight to protect the hellmouth. He'd never considered himself a white hat but for her he would go against his very nature.
Spike knelt before her and handed her the bottle of water. Buffy brought the bottle to her lips and took a long drink feeling the cool liquid trail down her dry throat. As she took a second long swallow she looked into the deep blue eyes of the vampire kneeling before her. She was amazed by the love reflected in his gaze.
Before her death she hadn't wanted to believe that he loved her. In fact up until the night of her death she'd fought against it every step of the way. It had been the last words spoken by him when they'd been at her house that had finally opened her eyes to the depth of his feelings. She'd finally realized that he cared for her but she'd still been unwilling to call it love.
Now faced with the truth of his love she found herself drowning in his eyes and wanting to stay lost in them forever.
Buffy lifted her hand and caressed his cheek. His skin felt soft and cool to her touch. Spike turned into her touch and lifted his hand to hold her's to his face not wanting to break the contact. For a long moment they sat there staring into each other's eyes lost in what they saw there.
After several moments Spike gently stroked Buffy's hand causing her to flinch in realization of the torn skin of her fingers. He drew her hand away and looked at her fingers.
"Oh luv, I can't seem to do right by you tonight. Let me get something to clean these up and then we'll go."
Spike stood, walked to a small cabinet next to his mini-fridge and pulled out a first aid kit. He then reached back into the refrigerator and pulled out another bottle of water to use in cleaning Buffy's wounded hands.
He walked back over to Buffy knelt in front of her and set down the first aid kit. After removing a clean cloth from the kit he took one of her hands in his and began to clean, disinfect and bandage the wound. Several minutes later he'd treated both hands. As he finished bandaging her hands he gently kissed the palms of each and placed them in her lap.
"I'll be right back. 'M jus going to pack a bag and we'll get outta here."
"Okay," Buffy softly replied watching him stand and go toward the trapdoor leading to the lower level of his crypt.
Buffy leaned back into the chair in exhaustion to wait for him. Several moments passed when she heard loud voices outside the door of the crypt. Buffy sat up in fear. She knew that whoever was outside the door was human but she sensed strong magic's coming off of them. Magic that felt very close to what she'd experienced at her gravesite. As the door began to open Buffy's heart rate skyrocketed and her breathing became erratic.
In the lower level of the crypt Spike packed a bag with clothes for himself and Buffy. Suddenly he felt fear coming from the girl waiting in the upper level of his crypt. Her heartbeat and breathing were erratic. Spike leapt up the ladder and threw back the trap door just as the Scoobies burst into his crypt.
As the Scoobies came into the crypt Xander called out, "Spike! Are you here?"
Buffy whimpered drawing everyone's attention toward her. Suddenly Xander and Willow converged on her with Tara and Anya hanging back.
"Oh goddess! Buffy! It worked," Willow rambled as she rushed up to Buffy.
Buffy flinched away from the red headed witch trying to avoid her touch.
"Woah! Buffy it's okay. It's me Xander and your other bestest bud Willow," Xander said confused about Buffy's reaction to Willow's touch.
Buffy felt panicked. These were the people who'd cast the spell to bring her back. She could feel the black magic rolling off of them particularly Willow. She shrunk further back into the chair trying to get away from the people crowding her.
Willow and Xander were firing questions at her causing her panic to escalate rapidly. Finally having enough she screamed for the one person in the room that made her feel safe, "Spike!"
Spike hearing her cry pushed Xander and Willow out of the way and took Buffy in his arms.
"I'm here sweetheart," he said pulling the shaking woman into his arms. Buffy collapsed into the safety of his arms and began sobbing again.
"Spike take me out of here," she sobbed into his shoulder.
"Anything you want," he replied and then turned to the four people who'd just invaded his crypt. "Shut up you gits. Yer scaring her."
"You shut up bleach boy! Let her go. We'll take her with us. She's doesn't want to be with you," Xander said snidely.
Buffy clutched Spike tighter fearful that she'd be ripped out of his arms. Spike instinctively responded to her fear by rubbing his hands in soothing circles on her back and sides.
"Shut up whelp. The slayer wants to stay with me. 'M not forcing her to go with me and you lot are sure as hell not forcing her to go with you."
A sneer crossed Xander's face, "How are you going to stop us? That chip shoved in your brain makes you pretty damn defenseless against humans and last I checked we're all humans."
A low, deadly growl erupted from Spike's chest. "I might have this chip boy but I can assure you that a little pain isn't going to stop me from hurtin' you. Listen to me and listen good."
Then Spike spoke slowly and distinctly as if speaking to an extremely stupid child said, "Buffy. Does. Not. Want. To. Go. With. You."
During the confrontation Buffy continued to clutch Spike's shirt holding him close to her. From across the room Tara observed her fear of them and her absolute trust in Spike. She knew instinctively that this would end in blows unless someone took control of the situation. Xander hated Spike despite everything he'd done for them and Tara knew there was no way he'd let Buffy go with the bleach blonde vampire unless someone forced him to see that was what Buffy herself wanted.
"Stop," Tara said in a firm voice that caught everyone's attention. The shy Wicca usually stuttered and stammered so when she spoke in such a sure manner she caught the attention of the entire room.
She smiled softly, "Why don't we ask Buffy what she wants? If she wants to come with us or stay with Spike."
Spike was glad for Tara's presence he'd known that of everyone present she would be willing to listen to what Buffy wanted and convince the other's to listen. Tara might be one of the shiest and quietest people he'd every met but she also had an inner strength that radiated from her.
"Thanks, Glinda."
Tara slowly approached Buffy trying not to startle the obviously traumatized young woman Spike held in his arms. As soon as Tara neared Buffy she knelt down next to Spike and reached out to softly stroke her honey gold hair.
Buffy knew that Tara had been involved with the spell to bring her back but for some reason the girl's touch, unlike that of Willow or Xander, soothed rather than frightened her. Tara exuded peace and Buffy knew that her participation in the spell had not been for selfish purposes. She wondered to herself at the feelings the people in the room were capable of generating in her. It felt almost as if she could sense their auras. This was something she'd never been able to do before her death and she filed it under the long list of unanswered questions since her resurrection.
'God,' she thought to herself, 'it's like I got this huge welcome home gift but no one bothered to leave an instruction manual.'
While Buffy was lost in her own thoughts the room once more exploded into a heated debate on what should happen to her. Slowly Buffy stiffened and sat up, "Everyone just stop it! You are all acting like a pack of dogs and I'm the only bone. I want to go with Spike. I'm the one that just got brought back from the dead without so much as a by your leave so I'm the one that gets to decide what I want. I want Spike and I don't really care what the rest of you think about it. So just shut up!"
Xander sputtered, "Buffy! He's the evil undead. You can't go with him there's no telling what he'll do to you."
Spike wisely stayed silent at Xander's outburst when he saw the cold determined gleam in Buffy's eyes.
"Xander Harris! Did you not hear a word I said? I want to go with Spike. I am going with Spike. I didn't ask for nor do I need your permission. Now, I'm tired, achy and dirty so Spike is going to take me somewhere to get clean and sleep. All of you are going home. I don't want to talk to you anymore tonight."
"But, Buffy," Willow whined wringing her hands.
"I'm done talking Willow. Everyone who is not Spike – Leave. I can tell that you won't just let this go so tomorrow after sunset Spike and I will meet you at the Magic Box but until then just leave me alone!"
At Buffy's outburst Tara stood and began herding the other Scoobies toward the door of Spike's crypt. As they neared the door Anya turned and gave Buffy a long hard look. She'd quietly watched everything since she'd entered the crypt and was very disturbed at what she'd seen. She made eye contact with Tara and both girls shared a knowing look. They'd made a mistake in helping to resurrect Buffy. Neither knew the consequences of what they'd done but they both realized there would be consequences.
Quietly Anya spoke, "Buffy, I'm sorry."
Buffy looked at the ex-vengeance demon and knew the girl spoke the truth. Of all the people in the room, other than Tara, Anya was sorry for what she'd done to Buffy this night.
Buffy's response was simple and heartfelt, "Thank you."