“You’re ready to go,” Jenny said as she slid the IV out of Buffy’s arm and placed a bandage over the small hole.
“Oh God, finally. Not that I didn’t enjoy your company or anything.” The two women had bonded, and Buffy had spilled out the bare bones of the saga she was currently wrapped up in while getting the drugs she needed to counteract the affects of the drug she hadn’t wanted.
“Well, I would actually recommend you go to the medical facility.”
“Jenny, I—“
“The LAPD medical facility. Room 314. Is the place you should probably go to feel better. If you want my opinion.”
Buffy stared at her in disbelief. “You mean—“
“I mean maybe you want to get checked out a little more. All I’m saying. All I can say.”
“Thank you,” the blonde whispered happily, jumping down from the ambulance and scanning the crowd. She saw Snyder coming her direction, anger in his beady little eyes, and quickly headed towards Xander, who she spotted talking on his phone near the sidewalk.
“Hi, you’re driving me somewhere,” she ordered as she walked up.
“I am?” His confusion was palpable, and he quickly said goodbye and hung up his phone. “I mean, I am!” He saw Snyder coming their way. “Get in, Buff. I have commandeered Willow’s car after you so rudely crashed mine, and am your chauffeur.”
“Great. Then you’re taking me to Spike.”
“Oh, bloody hell,” Spike winced as the last of his stitches were redone. “Think you could make that hurt a little more?”
The same angry nurse as before rolled her eyes at him and handed him a cup of pills before leaving the room with the doctor, who hadn’t said a single word to him.
The cops had dragged him here, manhandling him like he was some common criminal. Which he wasn’t, in his mind. He was a very uncommon criminal. The handcuffs were back on his wrist, chaining him to the bed like a dog. And he was pissed off about it.
“What the bloody hell does a man have to do to talk to someone with half a brain around here?” He yelled at the top of his lungs, pulling fiercely at the handcuffs on his wrist. “You can’t keep me here forever! This is America, I have rights! I get a phone call, at least.”
“Stop your whining,” Buffy smiled tentatively as she entered the room. “Who were you going to call? Ghostbusters?”
He stared at her in surprise. “Bad joke, pet.”
“I didn’t have time to think up a better one,” she shrugged.
“How are you feeling?”
“Better. A little weak, but definitely on the mend. How are you?” Her voice wavered a bit as her gaze traveled down his bare chest to the fresh white bandages wrapped around him.
“Fit as a fiddle, really.”
“Liar.”
Xander suddenly ducked his head into the room, saying, “Sorry to interrupt, but I think we’ve been located, you don’t have a lot of time. Okay, I’ll leave you to your…whatever.” He went back out and closed the door.
“Located?” Spike frowned.
“Um, yeah. I’m not exactly…I’m sort of in trouble? With the whole running away and not following orders and getting myself kidnapped. Barrel of laughs for Buffy in the near future.”
His eyes darkened quickly as she mentioned her possession by Angelus. “What did he do to you?”
“Nothing. I mean, not nothing, but…nothing. Let’s not talk about that now, okay?” She said hopefully, moving closer towards the bed. “I wanted to tell you I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t. Got nothing to apologize for.”
“Yeah, I need to. I lied to you---“
“You were just doing your job, I understand.”
“Wait, you do?” Her face brightened. “Really?”
“Yeah. You needed information, needed to get close. I got it, it’s fine.”
Buffy gasped. “What? Spike, no—“
“Pet, don’t try and excuse it. I’m not mad, you did what you needed to do and I would have done the same, probably. And it’s not like I didn’t enjoy myself, you were a fun ride.” The words felt like ashes in his mouth as he stared at her crumbling face, and realized he was wrong. She hadn’t been playing him. “Buffy, I---“
“You really think that of me?” She hissed. “That I was just…what, worming my way in by…worming my way in? That’s disgusting.”
“I didn’t think, I’m sorry---“
“I can’t believe you. After…after everything. How could you?”
“Well, you were lying to me the entire sodding time we’ve known each other, pet,” He snapped. “Not like I have a lot of built in faith in your honesty.”
She couldn’t argue with that. “I wasn’t using you, okay?”
Spike nodded. “Okay. Doesn’t really change anything though, does it?”
“What do you—“
Xander pushed open the door again and said, “Sorry, guys.”
“Ms. Summers,” Snyder said as he sauntered in, trying to carry himself like he had a good six inches or more on his frame. “How nice to finally see you. And Mr. Grace, I’m sure you’re feeling better.”
“Actually—“
“Glad to hear it.” He glared at the both of them, but the bulk of his wrath was directed at his wayward employee. “Ms. Summers, I think it’s about time you came with me and attempted to explain yourself. Not that it will do a lot of good, but I’d love to see you try.”
“Yes, sir,” she said softly. “If I could just—“
“No, you may not,” he interrupted her. “Outside. Now. Gunn is with me to escort you to the vehicle should you get the idea that it would be fun to run off again.”
She complied, glancing at Spike as she left, trying to convey everything she was thinking and feeling with her eyes. He couldn’t read them, though. He was no longer sure what was real and what was fake in those green depths. He just watched her go and disappear down the hall, until he became aware of Snyder speaking to him.
“Mr. Grace, the FBI appreciates your aid in the arrest of Liam Angelus. But, despite what the good people at the LAPD may have told you, one good act does not excuse a career of crime.”
“I’d like to call my lawyer,” Spike growled at the man, not even attempting suppress the immense dislike he felt for him.
“And you’ll get to. You’ll need one.” Snyder left the room quickly, and Xander shot an apologetic smile at Spike before following.
“Bugger,” Spike moaned, and quickly swallowed the pain-killers left for him, hoping at least one of them included something to knock him out. He wanted more than anything to escape from this nightmare.
[Reviews - 468]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 4081 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Ah, so sorry this took for-ev-er to post. Well, like two or three days, but I'm usually so much quicker! Thank you thank you thank you for your continued support in regards to this fic, the response has been overwhelming and inspirational. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! Please keep up the reading, and the reviewing!