Willow saw concern washing over Spike’s face, and she realized he had been back longer the he was letting on. He was worried about….friends?
“The hospital was really crowded, but if you could give me some names I might be able to tell you something.”
He signed, massaging the bridge of his nose with one hand.
“Have you seen……”No, he was not giving it away like that. He had his pride.
“Have you seen a woman: Blue hair, red tight clothing, very strong, little scary, looking like Fred?”
Willow raised an eyebrow. “Fred? What do you mean she looks like Fred? Is something wrong with her?”
Ouch, he did not want to get in to that. “Fred is gone; her body has been taking over by this ancient demon, called Illyria.” He said, pained by his own words.
“What?”
“Long story Willow, please. Have you seen her?”
Willow took a seat beside him. “No, I have not.”
Spike signed. He wasn’t surprised though. It was so like her to take off as soon as the battle was over. She had an own path she needed to walk, and he knew that was what she was doing, right now.
She wasn’t dead, he knew that. If she was dead, he had been send of to hell a thousand times. She was not an ancient old powerful demon for nothing.
“Gunn is dead too, and Wesley.”
Willow started to look paler and paler. She hadn’t realized the damage that this apocalypse had caused, until now.
“How do you know all this?”
Spike explained the situation, as he played nervously with his hair. It pained him more to talk about it then he had expected.
“Willow, have you heard anything of Angel? I haven’t seen him after he had been hit by this huge dragon thingy.”
“I’m sorry Spike, but we haven’t heard of him either.”
She noticed he was trying to keep his cool, but felt he was definitely a little worried.
“Angel. I can’t believe we forgot about him.” Buffy’s voice sounded from the doorway. She looked a lot paler then she had a few minutes ago.
The whole room fell silent; everybody looked at the two of them.
Spike felt a little pang in his heart, not knowing what would change if Angel was still alive. He did not want his sire dead, but loosing Buffy too him was a thought he could not bear.
“Buffy, I’m sorry.” He said, standing up and looking into her eyes.
“I don’t know if he is…”
“He is not dead.” A voice broke the silence.
Buffy had heard the voice from behind her, and knew Giles must have followed her down the stairs.
“He’s not?” She said, and heard Spike asking the same question.
“No, he gave me a call when I was in the hospital. He wanted to know if we were all right, and if we found anyone of his team. He is injured but nothing that won’t heal.” He said.
Buffy could tell he was still upset with her, because he brought the news as if he was reporting the weather.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Spike was ahead of her. “Where is he?”
“He said that he was going to search for his son, to make sure he was ok. After that he would come here.” Giles said and turned to Spike. ”Was that some sort of code language…searching for his son?”
Spike saw Buffy’s green eyes looking at him in wonder and surprise, and he felt himself getting angry. That son of a bitch hadn’t even told her. He couldn’t bear seeing her in any more pain, so he gave a shrug. “I don’t know, I think so.”
“Well, I’m glad he is ok.” Buffy signed and she took a seat on the sofa together with Spike, embracing herself and looking relieved.
“Yeah.” Spike said, a little insecure. “And he is coming over.”
“Yeah.” She said, knowing this was going to be difficult. She hoped Angel would arrive soon, because she really wanted to deal with this as soon as possible. She wanted to go home.
“Oh Spike, Do you know I live in Italy now?” She asked, breaking the tension, and hoping all the others would stop staring at them.
“Yeah, in Rome. I knew, and you told me.”
“Oh yeah, I did. Well, are you looking forward to moving there?”
Spike’s eyes widened.
“Yes! I will just find myself an apartment near yours and I’m out of here. You are not getting rid of me now.” He said, breaking into a grin. “I can’t wait to live in at least the same town as you.”
“How about the same house?” She said. Her eyes were sparkling once again as she hugged his arm close to her body.
He forgot about all the other people in the room with them. They only thing he felt was a warm feeling of happiness washing over him. He didn’t know what to say, and before he knew what he was doing he pulled her close to him and in for a kiss.
He snapped back into reality when he heard the gasps and giggles of the people around them, and he expected her to pull away.
She didn’t.
The moment she felt his mouth on her, she drowned. She couldn’t help but sign at the idea of being with him, always. She couldn’t care less about the stares, and kissed him back with all she could give.
They pulled away after a few seconds, but couldn’t keep their eyes of each other. Even though Spike couldn’t keep his eyes open.
She smiled when she saw him yawning, and pulled him from the couch.
“Come on, I’ll lead you to the bedroom. You need to rest.”
He did not argue as she led him upstairs and un-tight his shoes. It was the sweetest thing he had ever seen.
After he lay in bed she gave him on last kiss, and told him she would join as soon as she could.
As she walked back to the living room, she heard the gossips coming trough the door.
“Did you see that?”
“I didn’t know they were a couple, did you?”
“Well, they were together before.”
“Not like this, they weren’t.”
“Just let them be, you guys.”
“What is she going to tell Angel? He will be here in soon.”
“Maybe she wants to date both.”
That was enough, she was going back in.
When she opened the door the whole room fell silent, and she smiled. Some things never change.
“I think this might be a good time to fill you all in what happened with Spike.” She said, more to Giles then to anyone else in the room.
She made it as short and simple as possible. Trying to leave out all the parts that made it obvious he did not try to contact her. They wouldn’t understand.
After an hour and a half, and millions of meaningless question, she was ready for bed. Watching him sleep next to her sounded very appealing.
That was probably why it was not happening.
She was halfway the staircase when Giles called her back.
“Buffy, Angel is here.”