Summary: Well…uhm, our couple finally meets and the question is; will
Buffy want to make like a shepherd and get the flock out of there???
Okay, bad joke. In this chapter (finally) Buffy and Spike meet and maybe even bond a little!
Chapter 7: ‘Lost Little Lamb’
It was an unnaturally warm day in this part of England; warm and sunny for this time of year that is.
Spike wiped the sweat from his brow as he toiled at his chore; trying to carefully disengage a little lamb caught in the barbed fence that surrounded his farm’s pasture.
He had removed his shirt at least two hours earlier when he had brought some stray horse’s home to the barn. With Xander’s, his best friend and best worker’s help that is.
Because it was so unusually warm for this time of the year, both he and Xander had to strip down from their shirts to finish their daily work. It was after Xander had left to join his wife, Willow, for a late lunch that Spike noticed something amiss.
Spike had realized right off that Sheba, his most prized sheep’s latest babe had gone missing from the herd. The poor ovine bleats of despair had alerted Spike to the missing lamb and he immediately went off in search of the little beast.
How the lamb had stumbled to the north forty, so far from his mum and the safe, familiar pasture Sheba dwelled in was anybody’s guess. Somehow the little fellow had entangled himself in the nasty barb wire and Spike heard his cries for help from at least an acre away.
It wasn’t that the lamb was in any real danger per say, but Spike could tell the little bloke was terrified and his little fury body shook in fear. Spike was doing his best to untangle and free the lamb as gently as he could, but quick as possible.
“Sometimes I’m thinkin’ that you and your lot are more trouble then you’re worth,” Spike grumbled good-naturedly as he freed the lamb from the last barb of wire.
“There then,” the blond man murmured tenderly, his smile belying the frustration he had momentarily felt over the lamb.
“Best be gettin’ you back to your mum,” Spike chuckled warmly. He felt a certain amount of self-satisfaction at his victory as he held the still frightened lamb close to his body and began the long walk back to the barnyard.
“Let this be a lesson to you little one,” he muttered as he trudged on, the lamb squirming in his strong arms. “You’d best keep to hearth and home and not wander off from your mum again, eh then?”
The little bloke looked up at Spike as if the master had lost his human mind completely.
Spike gazed at the little lamb thoughtfully and wondered once again why he, of all the farmers locally, took such an overly active interest in his animals.
Was it the fact that the somewhat helpless farm animals were so dependent on him? Just like his poor helpless mum had been so dependent on his dad?
Maybe it was the fact that Spike had detached himself from the human population so much in the past year or so. Ever since Cecily had dumped him for a much taller, wealthier and a higher bloke on the social status then he;
Oh, of course Spike had sought out female companionship since his uppity bitch of an ex had dumped him. A comely lady here and there to pass time with; but nothing special really.
No, no one could say that William ‘Spike’ Brenton was a ladies man and he did not want to be one. However…..
Spike wanted a special woman at his side. No, make that ‘the’ special woman at his side that is. He had come to believe that the woman of his dreams, literally, just might be that special one he was waiting for.
When Wesley had first mentioned the American woman who was headed this way, Buffy was her name. Well, Spike’s interest was peaked right off and then when his cousin had described the Yank girl and all?
Spike nearly dropped over at the sound of this Buffy’s looks. She sounded exactly like the girl in his dreams and although he was not superstitious, Spike was a romantic at heart. Perhaps this visiting American lady was just what he needed and what he was looking for.
The sound of a familiar car horn broke Spike from his thoughts and he glanced anxiously to the road that led to his modest home.
“And, so the drama begins,” Spike muttered in a self-derisive chuckle.
He placed the little lamb back in the safe harbor of the barnyard, next to his mum, Sheba and hurried into his house.
It was one thing to be stripped down to a comfortable nakedness of bare torso and chest; but to be soiled with his daily toil?
Spike Brenton was a workin’ man, true enough; but not a soiled one in the company of ladies. That much was for sure.
Then, all thoughts of his own appearance disappeared completely when Spike saw the vision that stepped out of his cousin’s automobile.
The blond beauty of his dreams from America slipped out of the back seat of the car and turned to look at Spike. He could see the emerald green of her eyes and….
Like a cold splash of water, a little dark haired sprog of about five or six, Spike guessed, leapt out behind his golden goddess and sprinted towards him.
“Are you Mr. Spike,” the little bint squealed in delight before she blocked his ultimate escape.
“I am,” Spike mumbled in reply to the child; but his blue eyes were focused on the slight slip of a blond woman who had now joined them.
“It’s him,” Dawn shrieked excitedly and pointed up at the platinum blond man. “It’s the ‘man’ that Mr. and Mrs. Wesley told us about!”
“Oh, it’s a ‘man’ alright,” Buffy giggled with a slight smirk…..”that much is for sure,” she added with a genuine smile at this British stranger.
However…..
Oh, Buffy was smug alright; at least acting like it and all, but underneath?
Her heart was racing like a thoroughbred at the Kentucky Derby; in fact, probably faster then that.
This ‘man’ as Dawn pointed out was no ordinary man and didn’t Buffy realize that from the moment she laid her green eyes on him.
This was the man from her dreams; lock, stock and smoking gun and oh boy, was he smoking!
From the dampness on his dark brows to the trails of labor induced sweat streaks on his muscular chest….this man was definitely smoking.
Buffy realized, immediately, that not only did this Spike spell working ‘man’ but that he may also indeed spell ‘trouble’ with a capital T!
“I’m sorry,” Spike stammered like a bloody schoolboy at his first dance. “I’m a bit of a mess, from workin’ and this little bloke took off from his mum and…..”
“Oh! He’s so cute!” Dawn squealed joyously as she reached out and stroked the little lamb lovingly.
‘Oh, yes he certainly is cute,’ Buffy echoed silently; but she was not thinking about the obviously lost little lamb.
‘Is he blushing?’ Buffy wondered in her own mind.
“Uhm, I’ll just be gettin’ in and cleanin’ up a bit,” Spike stammered nervously. “Come on in then,” he added almost shyly as he waved his ‘guests’ into his humble home.
‘Yup, he’s blushing,’ Buffy nodded to herself as she followed Dawn, Wesley and Fred into Mr. Spike’s cozy looking house.
While ‘Spike’ cleaned up a bit; Buffy boldly dawdled about his front room. She seriously studied the ten or so photos that took up Mr. Brenton’s used brick fireplace mantel.
“Who’s this?” Buffy asked to no one in particular.
“Me mum,” Spike answered from his hallway, well before his cousin Wes or Fred could.
“She’s lovely,” Buffy sighed dreamily, her focus on the beautiful dark-haired woman’s picture.
“She ‘was’ that,” Spike sighed as he joined this Yank chit by the mantel his father had built.
“Was?” Buffy asked carefully, her eyes still focused on Spike’s mother.
“She passed away, years ago,” Spike muttered quickly.
“Can we take Dawn down to see the new foals then, William?” Wesley blurted out from his place on the sofa.
“Course you can,” Spike replied quickly; eager to change the subject of his poor, doomed mum.
“Ooohhh, thanks Mr. Spike!” Dawn cried happily and leapt up from the cozy chair next to the sofa.
“That’s Mr. Brenton, Dawnie,” Buffy admonished her charge.
“Sorry Buffy,” Dawn mumbled shyly.
“It’s fine little Bit,” Spike interjected kindly. (The nickname for Dawn would stick from then on in). “You go on with old Wes and Fred then and see those new ponies, eh?”
“Yeah!” Dawn cried excitedly and tripped on out into Spike’s front yard; followed by Wesley and Fred.
It was understood, silently, that Buffy would remain behind with Spike. How convenient was that?
Spike fussed with the makeshift tray he had arranged in the kitchen; his fine but large hands were a bit clumsy with the tea cups and biscuits.
“Let me,” Buffy said softly as she carefully took the intricate tea tray from her host.
Buffy set the tray that held the tea pot and cups along with the sweet looking biscuits on the living room coffee table.
Spike stood, stoically, next to his mantel; his blue eyes thoughtfully studied this little blond minx who now set up his company’s high tea.
“Sorry I was such a mess when you arrived,” Spike mumbled apologetically, his eyes focused on the tea setting.
“You clean up real nice,” Buffy giggled in reply. Then she coughed nervously and looked away from Spike, her green eyes falling on another picture on his mantel. It appeared to be Spike’s mother, with an older man; perhaps his father?
“Who’s that?” Buffy asked casually as she peered at the photo.
“Me mum and dad,” Spike replied quietly; again he joined Buffy at his prized mantel.
“They’re both quite beautiful,” Buffy whispered reverently.
“They were, but they were somewhat, well, lost I guess you’d say,” Spike sighed. His tone was a mix of sadness and something else that Buffy could not quite put her finger on.
Buffy placed her left hand, gently on the picture and picked it up carefully.
She studied the photo seriously, trying to note the similarities between her host and his parents.
“My mum,” Spike began quietly. “She wasn’t quite right…in her mind I mean,” he added cautiously.
Buffy could tell that this ‘man’ was not quite comfortable with speaking about his parents, especially his mother, but…..
“She never quite took to the farm life, even though she loved me dad past reason,” Spike added almost shyly.
“Go on,” Buffy encouraged Spike gently; her one was that of compassion. She studied him with a keen but kind eye.
“Mum was like that lost little lamb earlier today,” Spike offered, his voice almost a whisper.
His indigo blue eyes looked so sad to Buffy and it made her tummy flip-flop momentarily.
“She…..” he stammered and glanced away from the little blond. His manly pride had gotten the better of him and he hated for the little golden goddess to see him so weak and all. Talk of his parents, especially his mum, had always made him a bit poncey. He hated it, of course, but…..
“Did she love you?” Buffy asked in a whisper, gently she placed her tiny right hand on his strong arm.
“William, I mean Spike,” she repeated, “did she…..”
“You can call me William,” Spike mumbled quietly, almost shyly.
His blue eyes were now focused on Buffy, nearly pleading they were; for understanding and compassion.
“She did,” he replied quietly and he squeezed her little right hand with his left one. “And I loved her and me dad too,” he added in a hushed tone.
“Then it’s alright,” Buffy stated matter-of-factly, but in a kindly tone. "It's alright if your mother was a little off. "If she loved you and your father, without reason and unconditionally, then nothing else matters."
Spike stared at this little blond angel in disbelief. He had never met anyone in his life who could come in and just state such things in such a matter-of-fact way. It made him feel feelings that he’d never had before.
He felt understood and yes, really safe for the first time in his life. Spike felt as if he was truly bonding with Buffy and it was bloody exhilarating!
“My mother was weak too,” Buffy began cautiously, her green eyes misted over at the memories.
“She was weak in other ways, not like your mother. My father was a monster,” she added sadly. “He fed on my mom’s weakness; at least your dad didn't do that to your mom, right?"
“But you know.” Buffy continued. “My mother loved me, even though she was weak and made mistakes. I loved her too, William.”
Spike placed his left hand on Buffy’s soft little cheek and smiled down at her.
“Thanks, pet,” he mumbled sincerely, his mouth turned up in a kind smile.
“No problem,” Buffy replied with a warm smile of her own.
‘Bloody hell if I’m not going to marry this girl someday!’ Spike thought giddily.
A/N: It’s been so long since I posted any chapters of any of my stories. I hope you all read this one and review.
Thanks, spufette.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Wow, it's been like forever since I updated. RL has been 'harsh' for me, but here I am.
Hope you read an enjoy.
Hope you read an enjoy.