2.
In the two months since Spike left, Buffy had been lonely. She had Dawn and Xander, but she missed Willow, Giles and Spike. She could hardly believe she missed Spike, but had to admit it, she missed him. She missed his witty sarcasm and she missed looking at him. He was incredibly attractive. She guessed she was just selfish, because she also missed having a 'willing slave' as he'd sung to her once. She never realised just how much she enjoyed having him love her until he was gone. Only because it was good for the ego she told herself.
She knew that she didn't love him. How could you love an evil, soulless beast? And that last night, the night when he'd tried to. no, she'd suppressed that, it hurt too much to think about it. Anyway, he'd proved many times that he was incapable of trust. But he'd also proved that he was dependable, reliable and willing to die for her. Spike was like two sides of the same coin. She couldn't understand him. She didn't hate him. They'd been through too much together. And when she slept with him. well, she'd never felt that fulfilled in her life. He could do things to her that her other lovers would only dream of! She got excited just remembering what they'd done and felt a now familiar ache in her loins.
She'd been incredibly surprised when he'd left. After such proclamations of love and devotion, he'd taken off when she needed him. She'd been hurt, but didn't understand why she felt betrayed. She should have been glad he was gone! And anyway, she had more pressing matters to deal with. Tara was dead; Willow had gone on a rampage. it didn't leave much time for pondering on Spikes disappearance. It was when everything started to calm down, when Giles took Willow to England with him, to a magic rehabilitation facility run by The Watchers Council that she thought most about him. She found herself walking around the cemetery looking for him and peering in the windows of his crypt. But she'd only see Clem, sitting in Spikes chair watching TV.
Then, the gifts started to arrive.
She loved the presents; every single one was exactly to her taste! She felt like she was being watched all the time, but it wasn't a malevolent feeling so she didn't let it worry her. It occurred to her that it was Spike, but when she checked the tree, she found no evidence of him. No cigarette butts, no flattened grass. Not like before. She'd even visited Willies Bar and asked around, but nobody had seen him. She thought Clem acted a little strangely when she'd questioned him, but didn't really think much of his fumbling because he was an odd sought of demon.
She eventually put the presents down to some secret admirer, and found it all rather romantic. Then, this morning when she'd returned from a night of slaying, she saw the note.
Buffy opened the letter and read it's contents. "I knew it!" she thought.
She went into her lounge room and sat on the couch. How did she feel about this? She was surprised because she didn't expect this feeling of excitement. Did she want to see him? Was she looking forward to seeing him?
She put the note on the coffee table and went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of hot chocolate. As she was thinking deeply about what to do, Dawn came in.
"I thought it was you, you're home late!" she said, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"What?" said Buffy, shaken from her stupor "Oh, Dawn, sorry if I was too loud. Yeah, found a nest of Vampires and took them out. Took a while. Hope I didn't' worry you".
"Nar" replied Dawn, "knew you were up to no good. So, I've invited Clem over tonight to watch 'An Affair To Remember'. I told him about how you found it and he said it was his favourite movie. Hope you don't mind."
"That's fine. Just don't let him raid the pantry like last time. We need the money and he eats a lot." Buffy said with a smile. She was glad Dawn enjoyed Clem's company. She thought about her friendship with him and decided that she must feel closer to Spike when she's with him. Suddenly, she realised that the letter from Spike was still on the coffee table. She put down her hot chocolate and race out of the room. Thankfully the letter was where she'd left it. She folded it up and put it in her pocket.
"I'm just going to catch a couple of hours of sleep Dawnie". She walked up the stairs, heading towards her bedroom.
"Yeah, I'm going to go back to bed as well." Dawn said with a yawn.
In her bedroom, she read the letter again. He sounded ok. She liked the fact that he didn't expect her to trust him. She'd leant her lesson there. Should she tell Dawn he was back? What if she did, and Dawn tried to see him and he could hurt her? No, Buffy thought, I'll wait and see what he says first. With that, she realised she'd made up her mind to meet with him.
In the two months since Spike left, Buffy had been lonely. She had Dawn and Xander, but she missed Willow, Giles and Spike. She could hardly believe she missed Spike, but had to admit it, she missed him. She missed his witty sarcasm and she missed looking at him. He was incredibly attractive. She guessed she was just selfish, because she also missed having a 'willing slave' as he'd sung to her once. She never realised just how much she enjoyed having him love her until he was gone. Only because it was good for the ego she told herself.
She knew that she didn't love him. How could you love an evil, soulless beast? And that last night, the night when he'd tried to. no, she'd suppressed that, it hurt too much to think about it. Anyway, he'd proved many times that he was incapable of trust. But he'd also proved that he was dependable, reliable and willing to die for her. Spike was like two sides of the same coin. She couldn't understand him. She didn't hate him. They'd been through too much together. And when she slept with him. well, she'd never felt that fulfilled in her life. He could do things to her that her other lovers would only dream of! She got excited just remembering what they'd done and felt a now familiar ache in her loins.
She'd been incredibly surprised when he'd left. After such proclamations of love and devotion, he'd taken off when she needed him. She'd been hurt, but didn't understand why she felt betrayed. She should have been glad he was gone! And anyway, she had more pressing matters to deal with. Tara was dead; Willow had gone on a rampage. it didn't leave much time for pondering on Spikes disappearance. It was when everything started to calm down, when Giles took Willow to England with him, to a magic rehabilitation facility run by The Watchers Council that she thought most about him. She found herself walking around the cemetery looking for him and peering in the windows of his crypt. But she'd only see Clem, sitting in Spikes chair watching TV.
Then, the gifts started to arrive.
She loved the presents; every single one was exactly to her taste! She felt like she was being watched all the time, but it wasn't a malevolent feeling so she didn't let it worry her. It occurred to her that it was Spike, but when she checked the tree, she found no evidence of him. No cigarette butts, no flattened grass. Not like before. She'd even visited Willies Bar and asked around, but nobody had seen him. She thought Clem acted a little strangely when she'd questioned him, but didn't really think much of his fumbling because he was an odd sought of demon.
She eventually put the presents down to some secret admirer, and found it all rather romantic. Then, this morning when she'd returned from a night of slaying, she saw the note.
Buffy opened the letter and read it's contents. "I knew it!" she thought.
She went into her lounge room and sat on the couch. How did she feel about this? She was surprised because she didn't expect this feeling of excitement. Did she want to see him? Was she looking forward to seeing him?
She put the note on the coffee table and went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of hot chocolate. As she was thinking deeply about what to do, Dawn came in.
"I thought it was you, you're home late!" she said, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"What?" said Buffy, shaken from her stupor "Oh, Dawn, sorry if I was too loud. Yeah, found a nest of Vampires and took them out. Took a while. Hope I didn't' worry you".
"Nar" replied Dawn, "knew you were up to no good. So, I've invited Clem over tonight to watch 'An Affair To Remember'. I told him about how you found it and he said it was his favourite movie. Hope you don't mind."
"That's fine. Just don't let him raid the pantry like last time. We need the money and he eats a lot." Buffy said with a smile. She was glad Dawn enjoyed Clem's company. She thought about her friendship with him and decided that she must feel closer to Spike when she's with him. Suddenly, she realised that the letter from Spike was still on the coffee table. She put down her hot chocolate and race out of the room. Thankfully the letter was where she'd left it. She folded it up and put it in her pocket.
"I'm just going to catch a couple of hours of sleep Dawnie". She walked up the stairs, heading towards her bedroom.
"Yeah, I'm going to go back to bed as well." Dawn said with a yawn.
In her bedroom, she read the letter again. He sounded ok. She liked the fact that he didn't expect her to trust him. She'd leant her lesson there. Should she tell Dawn he was back? What if she did, and Dawn tried to see him and he could hurt her? No, Buffy thought, I'll wait and see what he says first. With that, she realised she'd made up her mind to meet with him.