Chapter 7: Return
When Buffy woke in the morning, she opened her eyes to find herself in her own bed at home. Sunlight was just filtering in, and she suddenly remembered that for the first time since coming back, she didn’t have Spike to wake up to. She’d left him to rest in his own bed to recover from the bruised rib he’d received from their fight with the alley demon.
With a frown, she sat up, feeling the aching muscles in her back and chest from the blow she’d received, and she glanced at the clock. It was after eight. Dawn would be at school already. Willow was probably on campus, and Tara was either down in the kitchen or at the Magic Box. So, she took the opportunity to head into the bathroom and take a nice warm, shower, wincing each time the water stung her wound. She examined it as best she could in the mirror, seeing that it was already starting to heal again. She just had to make sure she didn’t get her ass kicked tonight.
After she was all cleaned up, she dressed, making sure to wear a loose fitting shirt over her uncovered wound to let it get some air. When she headed down the stairs, she could smell breakfast in the kitchen, and her stomach growled. She could hear Tara’s voice, but who was she talking to? Maybe Willow didn’t have class today?
But when she stepped closer to the kitchen, she became aware of a man sitting at the counter. Not just any man. An older man. A British man. A man with luggage. She froze in place the moment Giles came into view. Tara was spooning more hash browns out onto his plate. She looked up, a bit startled.
“Buffy! Good morning.” She smiled. Giles tensed a little before turning in his seat to see the Slayer. Buffy felt the tears immediately come to her eyes, and he stood, slowly walking over to her. Surely, this was a glasses cleaning moment, but he couldn’t bring himself to reach for them.
Buffy closed the rest of the gap, pulling her arms around the man who’d been like a father to her for five years. His arms closed around her, and she squeezed her eyes tightly, clutching him, hoping he wasn’t leaving again. Sure, she’d quit the Watcher’s Council some time ago, but right now, she needed him as her Watcher more than ever.
When they pulled apart, Giles couldn’t stop the smile from spreading over his face, though his eyes were full of concern.
“How was your trip?” Buffy asked.
“Quite long, actually,” he nodded, holding her out at arms’ length, as a proud father might do to his daughter before her very first school dance. “We have a lot to talk about.”
“Yeah,” Buffy muttered. “Can we do it over a little training?”
“What?”
“I’m not exactly…in primo slayer mode lately,” she responded, turning around, tugging down the neck of her shirt to reveal the bandage.
“Good Lord,” he muttered. “What did that?”
“A crypt wall…after a vampire threw me against it like I was a rag doll.” She watched the color slowly drain from his face. “Ready for that training session now?” Giles took off his glasses and proceeded to clean them.
***
Buffy spun on her heel, kicking the training pads Giles had slipped over his hands for this very training technique.
“Good. Once more, a little more force.” Buffy spun again, this time on her other heel, kicking with her left foot. “Excellent. I’d have you get on the pommel horse, but your shoulder could use another day or two of healing.”
“Thanks, Giles,” Buffy muttered, stretching her hood shoulder.
“Tell me exactly what happened that night,” he said, as he searched through the equipment chest, looking for a good board for her to break.
“The night I got hurt?” She thought back to that night, thinking about her conversation with Spike as they’d walked. “Spike and I were patrolling…we were talking.” She decided it would be best for now if she left out the fact that their talking would have ended in them kissing had the other vampire not broken up their moment. “A vamp showed, and I went off after him.”
“So soon after…”
“Coming back from the dead? It’s ok, Giles. I’m starting to accept it. You can say it.”
“Right,” he said slowly. “What were you thinking going in there?”
“I definitely wasn’t thinking about being weaker,” she said with a shrug. “But Spike helped, and he took care of the rest. I just kinda lay there trying to catch my breath.”
“Yes. Well, Spike was rather helpful this past summer.”
“I noticed a big change in him,” Buffy offered. “I know he’s helped before, but I guess I wasn’t prepared for how much he changed while I was gone.”
“He didn’t take your death very well. None of us did. At first I thought perhaps it was his way of manipulating the group, trying to get on everyone’s good side due to a mutual loss. But, he took care of Dawn, looked after her like she was his own sister. I was wary of him, but he never gave me reason to doubt he was helping her.” Buffy felt her throat becoming dry. Giles was actually talking Spike up? She’d never thought she would see the day.
“Well, he did help me…a lot, after I came back. He took care of me that night, and he helped out with this new fun injury,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “And we went out again last night. We both got it big time, thanks to some gross, red demon. He’s dead now though. No worries.”
“Yes, well,” he said with a nod, “it’s good you weren’t patrolling alone. I don’t think you should go out tonight, Buffy. In fact, I strongly advise against it. The rest of us can hold our own for a night or two. You need time to recuperate.”
“Great,” Buffy said with a heavy sigh. “I can’t wait until I’m functioning on all Slayer cylinders again. This weak Chosen one thing sucks.”
“I’m sure you’ll be feeling more like yourself in a few days. Good as new. Resurrection is quite a draining spell for the intended deceased, after all.”
“Yeah. Noticed that.” Giles planted his feet firmly on the mat and held the board out. Buffy shook out her legs, prepping her muscles for impact. She grew very still, staring hard at the center of the board, focusing on that only. Sucking in a sharp breath, she spun again, kicking hard enough that when the board broke, Giles stumbled back.
“Like I said,” he winced, his hands tingling from the force of the impact, “in a few days, you’ll be good as new.”
***
After Giles and Buffy’s training session, Anya closed the shop for a late lunch, and the group headed to a small café. Tara, who normally wasn’t talkative, took the opportunity to fill Buffy in on some things she’d missed while she was gone, while Buffy tried to listen intently. Anya would break in with a quip here and there, and Buffy tried to smile and be patient with the very literal ex-demon. Still, all through lunch, Buffy couldn’t stop thinking about the night before.
She’d opened up to Spike and decided to take a chance, and the moment she let go of her reservations, she’d felt so free. Now, a knot was forming in her stomach again. Relationships never turned out well for her. At least not relationships that involved sex. Friendships, she could do, but actually sharing a part of herself with Spike that was so personal scared her a little. Having sex with Angel had resulted in his turning evil. Having sex with Parker resulted in her feeling like crap for weeks. Having sex with Riley…well, it was good sometimes, but there was always something missing. Maybe it would be different with Spike. Better. If he made love as well as he kissed, well, she was in for some serious, serious trouble. And not exactly the bad kind. The kind that sent chills up and down her spine and made her ache for his touch.
“Buffy? Are you feeling ok? You haven’t had more than two bites,” Tara said softly. Buffy snapped out of her thoughts.
“Oh…I guess I’m not that hungry,” Buffy said quietly. “Big breakfast. It was delicious, by the way.” Tara smiled, but she didn’t hide the concern that shone in her eyes. “I’m fine, Tara.”
“You don’t look fine. You’ve been looking off in the distance and blushing for the past three minutes,” Anya pointed out. “Xander says I do that when I think about sex.” Buffy’s eyes widened, Tara stifled a smile, and Giles fought the urge to clean his glasses.
“I don’t know what I was thinking about,” Buffy muttered, taking a sip of ice water.
“You weren’t thinking about sex with Xander, were you?” Anya asked, gaze prepared to shoot daggers. Buffy made a face.
“No, Anya.”
“It’s good, but he’s mine.”
“Yes, Anya. He’s yours,” Buffy said with a slight laugh. Anya showed her sparkling engagement ring to the Slayer. Buffy remembered something in the back of her head about Xander getting engaged to Anya, but she couldn’t remember much else about it. “It’s beautiful. He has good taste in engagement rings.”
“I think so,” Anya sighed dreamily. “By the way, I’m supposed to ask you to be a bridesmaid. Xander said he insisted.”
“Oh,” Buffy said slowly.
“You’d be up there with me and Willow,” Tara offered. “Willow’s also acting as best man.”
“Oh. Alright,” Buffy said quietly. She looked around, suddenly craving being back at the Magic Box, releasing a little tension through training. “We should be getting back. Willow will be waiting for us.” Buffy got up, taking her check up to the counter to pay, while the rest watched after her for a moment before quickly following after.
***
Willow still wasn’t at the Magic Box by the time Buffy and Giles finished up their second training session. She had called and left a message with Anya, explaining that she would meet everyone at the house later that night. She was helping a classmate study for an exam. Giles looked a little put off by this, like he was eager to talk to Willow yet dreading it at the same time.
After she’d cleaned up and changed back into her jeans and T-shirt, she figured she’s stop by Spike’s crypt on her way home and see if he was doing alright. However, when she was getting ready to head out the door, the phone rang, and Anya answered.
“Magic Box. Oh! Hi! Yeah. She’s here. Oh. Ok. Love you.” Anya hung up. “Buffy? That was Xander. He needs you to pick up Dawn from school. He’s running late at work.”
“Oh. Ok. Thanks. Tell Giles I’m taking his car, and I’ll get it back to him in one piece.”
***
“Where’s Xander?” Dawn asked, climbing into the passenger’s side of Giles’ car. He’d left the car at Xander’s apartment building, giving strict rules that it not be touched by any of them until he returned, if he ever did, that was. But, of course he had.
“Had to stay over at work. How was school?” Dawn shrugged.
“No homework. That’s a plus, right?”
“Big plus,” Buffy agreed.
“How’s your shoulder?”
“It’s ok,” Buffy replied, pulling out onto the road. “I trained with Giles this afternoon. You got to see him before you left for school, right?”
“Yep. But he didn’t look too happy with Willow,” Dawn pointed out.
“Really?”
“Yeah. It was kind of tense. They didn’t say much to each other, and she looked worried. But she left before they got the chance to talk.” Buffy wondered if they were talking about the thing they didn’t talk about this morning right now.
“Oh,” she muttered. She knew it was something to do with her. It had to be. The reason he was back was because she was too.
“Spike didn’t sleep over last night. Did you guys have a fight?”
“What?” Buffy asked, concentrating hard on the road. It had taken everything in her to keep from swerving off the road at the abrupt mention of his name. “Um, no. No, we didn’t have a fight. We both got roughed up by a demon last night. We went back to his crypt to get patched up. He passed out on the bed before I left.” The moment she realized what she’d said, her heart nearly stopped.
“I knew it! You are having sex with him.”
“No!” Buffy exclaimed, “and don’t use that word.”
“Sex?”
“Ack! It sounds weird coming out of the mouth of my baby sister,” Buffy groaned. Dawn smirked. “We’re not having sex.”
“Did you ever think it’s just as gross when you say it?” Buffy rolled her eyes at that.
“Spike bruised a rib, and he fell asleep. Nothing happened. I came home.”
“You’re spending a lot of time with him. Are you guys…a couple?”
“Dawnie, it’s complicated,” Buffy admitted. Dawn’s eyes went wide.
“Oh my God!”
“What?”
“You didn’t deny it.”
“What?”
“You didn’t say you’re not a couple. You guys are dating?” Buffy felt her cheeks glowing, and she chewed on her lower lip. “What? You’re the one that told me to stay away from him, because he’s evil. It wasn’t that long ago.” Buffy gave her a look. “I’m just teasing you. If you guys start dating, you have no idea how happy I’ll be.”
“Why would you be happy?”
“Because! You guys are so meant for each other.” Buffy looked at her sister skeptically.
“You think so? Why?”
“Well, because it’s your perfect romantic story! Two lovers from opposite sides of the tracks find a common bond, and they fall madly in love with each other.”
“OK, I’m cutting you off. No more soap operas.”
“Oh, come on,” Dawn whined. “I’ll stop talking about it, but just so you know, if you start dating Spike—which you’d be stupid not to, by the way—you’ll totally have my support.”
“Thanks,” Buffy said slowly. “Why all this sudden interest in my love life, Dawnie?” Dawn shrugged.
“Hey, it’s just good to have my big sister back. It’s good to see you happy. Well, happier each day. I know it’s not easy, and Spike seems to get that. He’s been good to you, and he was really nice to me while you were gone. He’s good, Buffy. He really is.” Buffy let those words sink in, echoing what her heart was already telling her.
“You realize that we haven’t fought since I came back? That’s weird,” Buffy noted.
“I’ve just been going easy on you, because you were dead and everything.” Buffy couldn’t help but let out a laugh at that. God, it felt good to laugh like that. “Just wait…the sisterly torture’s coming.”
“Oh, I’m sure it is,” Buffy pointed. “But I can give as good as I get. And you’d better not even think about looking for my diary.”
“Afraid I’ll find some juicy details about Spike in there?” Buffy’s face turned pink again, and she gasped at her sister.
“Shut up! You are gonna pay, little sister. Mark my words.”
“We’ll see about that,” Dawn laughed. They rode in silence for a few blocks, until Buffy pulled up in front of the butcher. “What are we doing here?”
“I noticed Spike was almost out of pig’s blood last night. I just thought I’d stop and get him some more.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“It’s just blood.”
“Yep. Blood for your vampire boyfriend.”
“Shut up, Dawn,” Buffy said with a roll of her eyes, but she couldn’t stop the smile tugging at the corners of her mouths.
“Whatever. I know I’m right.” Buffy shook her head, got out of the car, and headed in to make her order. Five minutes later, she came out carrying the sack, placed it gently on the floorboard of the backseat and turned toward home. “The cemetery’s that way.”
“I know. I’m taking you home.”
“No way! I want to say hi to Spike and see for myself that he’s ok. He’s kind of like my big brother, you know? Come on. He took care of me. The least I can do is help you deliver some pig’s blood.”
“Alright, alright,” Buffy muttered, turning the car around and heading off toward the cemetery. No, this won’t be uncomfortable at all, she thought. Trying to suppress the butterflies in her stomach and the thoughts of Spike that made her knees tremble, she pulled through the gates of the cemetery and parked near the groundskeeper’s office.
They walked silently across the cemetery together, Buffy carrying the bag of pig’s blood, Dawn looking around, shivering.
“What are they gonna do?” Dawn asked. “About your headstone, I mean. How are we gonna explain the empty grave?”
“Willow’s gonna take care of that, I think. I think she can hack into the files and erase my plot. I’m sure she can do a spell to make the headstone disappear.”
“Yeah. It’s nice to know a witch,” Dawn said with a nod. They came upon Spike’s crypt in a matter of minutes, and Buffy slid the door open. When she entered, it was empty, but she knew he had to be home. Where else would he be right now?
“Spike?” A pause.
“Down here, pet.” Buffy froze.
“Oh. Um, I have Dawn with me,” she called. That was code for ‘you’d better have clothes on.’
“Yeah. Come on down!” he called. Buffy led the way, just in case he was perhaps delirious from pain and actually was naked. But when she made it down the steps and reached up to take the bag of pig’s blood from Dawn, she turned to see Spike standing in front of a mirror, bandaging himself. Of course, all that anybody could see was circle of cloth surrounding air. It was like watching the invisible man bandage himself up.
“How’s your rib?”
“Almost healed. Not very painful. Think I’m up for some grunt work tonight.” Buffy’s eyes widened. “Patrol?”
“Oh,” Buffy stammered. “I’m not patrolling tonight. Giles thinks it’d be better if I rest a couple days.”
“Oh. Alright,” he said with a shrug. “What’s this?”
“Fresh from the butcher.” She handed out the bag to him, and he gratefully accepted it.
“Thanks, luv. I’ll pay you back.”
“Nah, this one’s on me.” Spike raised an eyebrow in surprise, and Dawn smiled inwardly to herself, deciding that if these two were going to get together, she’d better let them have every opportunity to get there.
“Whoa, Buffy. I need some fresh air. I’ll be outside.”
“Are you ok?” Buffy asked, turning to her sister?
“Yeah. Yeah. I just forgot how…claustrophobic I can get.” Buffy furrowed her brows.
“OK. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
“Oh, take your time. I’ll be alright. I might walk to the car.”
“Don’t even think about…”
“How could I?” Dawn asked, rolling her eyes. “You have the keys.”
“Right,” Buffy said with a sheepish smile. “OK. Take it easy. Sit down if you have to.”
“Will do,” Dawn said, turning to climb back up, smiling proudly to herself, amazed that Buffy hadn’t caught on.
Buffy turned back to Spike, and she smiled nervously. He eyed Dawn as she disappeared up the ladder, and he shook his head. Clever little bit, he thought to himself.
“You’re…um…you’re sure your rib’s ok?” Spike lifted the thin layer of bandage to show her the almost faded bruise.
“It’s a bit tender, but it’ll be fine by morning, like I said.”
“Yeah,” Buffy said slowly. “Um…well, I don’t want to keep Dawn waiting.” Spike moved toward her, and she couldn’t make her own feet move in any direction. He reached out, resting his hands on her hips, making her entire body quake.
“Don’t think she’d mind waiting a few minutes. You heard her.”
“Spike,” Buffy warned, but not convincingly. She placed her hand on his bare chest, feeling how the cool skin contrasted with her warm hand. She was mesmerized by the pale, cool flesh, and she wondered what it tasted like. Closing her eyes, she tried to think other thoughts, but the only ones she could think were the ones that were about to get her into trouble. Sweet, delicious trouble.
“So,” he murmured. “No patrolling tonight?”
“Nope. I’ll be sitting at home watching reality TV all night, because apparently, it’s taking over the world.”
“Or, you could stop by here…”
“Spike, they’ll all be out patrolling. It’ll be a little suspicious.” Spike cocked an eyebrow, and he could practically feel the tremors running up and down her spine, as he caressed her lower back.
“Or I can come by.”
“Dawn’ll be home,” she pointed out, as he leaned in to brush his lips against hers. “Speaking of…she’s probably still up there right now.”
“Right…you don’t want anybody to know.” She heard a hint of pain in those words.
“Not right now. It’d be too much for them to deal with. Too much for me to explain.” Her hands found his, and their fingers laced together. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms, kiss her breathless, and show her what it really was to be loved. But, he knew the timing wasn’t right. “If this…whatever this is…works out, which I’m not sure it ever can, I will tell them. Just be patient with me, ok?” Her voice was so innocent, and there was a hint of a pout on her lips. He couldn’t resist. He pulled her against him, his lips crashing against hers hungrily. He held her so close, and despite the twinge in his side, he kept pulling her tighter against him. She was never close enough. He never wanted to stop touching her.
But the kiss had to end sometime, and Buffy slowly backed away, placing her fingers against her lips, feeling the tingle left from his amazing kiss.
“Come back tonight,” he suggested. “Tell the Bit you forgot something at the Magic Box.”
“Spike…”
“Alright,” he said, backing off. “But I’m going to call you at ten sharp.”
“Call me? How…”
“Ten sharp. If you change your mind—if you want to see me—let me know.”
[Reviews - 587]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 4834 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Chapter End Notes:
I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support and encouragement! I really hope those of you that are reading continue to do so and to let me know what you think after each chapter. I appreciate knowing what you all think from chapter to chapter. :)