Cordy and Fred glared at him for a full 5 minutes while he stood on the porch, doing his best impression of a puppy, Cordy even went as far as to raise her hand in a ‘im so gonna’ fucken’ smack you’ gesture but lowered it before throwing her arms around him, Fred in tow.
“God I missed you crazy birds” he said, his hands wrapped around them tightly. “I’m sorry, so sorry that I lost touch with you guys. I’ll make it up, I swear!”
Cordy arched a brow, “You better, start with buying us ridiculously girly drinks for the entire night and we’ll see where to go from there.”
Spike laughed, “You haven’t changed Cordy, not a bit.” She threw Xander a smile, “Actually…”
“We’re engaged” Xan said proudly, Cordy now flaunting the ring she’d been wearing.
“Wow…WOW, I mean, wow! Congratulations” he said giving Xan a friendly hug before giving Cordy a kiss on the cheek. His eyes turned to Fred and Gunn, “I know you two are married, but any surprises I should know about?”
Fred giggled, her Texan drawl charming as usual, “Nah, not yet anyway, but we’re trying to start a family so…well, we’ll let you know.”
Spike beamed at them, “That’s fantastic. God, but it’s good to be home.”, the anger he’d felt earlier about returning to this place dissipating, maybe he wasn’t putting his life on hold, maybe he was just starting to get it back.
“Where’s Red?” he inquired.
“Out with Buffy at the bar, she needed a friend.” Gunn offered.
“Buffy or Red?”
“Buffy, just got dumped.”
“I saw her this afternoon, she looked fine.”
Fred sighed, “Looks can be deceiving, Buffy’s strong, puts up a tough front on the outside…but on the inside, I think she’s dealing with a lot.”
“I’m not trying to be rude but when did you guys friend up with her?”
“Not too long after you left Buffy’s mother passed, she didn’t have friends her own age, not that 3 years is a big gap anyway, but we kind of took her in, she’s a great girl.” Cordy said softly.
Spike inhaled sharply, “God that’s terrible…her mum’s all she had left.”
“Ya and thank god for that.” Gunn spat out.
***
Spike walked with a purpose to the garage where Hank Summers was currently employed.
“Summers” he roared.
Hank wiped his forehead with his sleeve and rolled out from under the car and stood up.
“Calendar. We got a problem?”
Hank didn’t see the punch coming but fuck did he feel it, “Goddamn right we have a problem” He the older man again, grabbing his shirt before he could fall and dragged him into the bathroom for employees only. Grabbing the older man’s hair Spike made him look at his reflection.
“Tell me what you see” he hissed.
“A deranged asshole of a kid” Hank spat out.
“Wrong answer” Spike yelled and pushed Hank’s face into the glass. “You see a man that’s not good enough for the Summers ladies, you see a man whose gonna’ pack up and leave and most importantly….hey, no closing your eyes, lookit’ me! Most importantly I want you to see the promise in my eyes. Hurt Buffy again, and I’ll murder you myself” With those final words spoken Spike cracked Hanks head into the mirror, shattering the glass and hopefully the pattern of abuse little Buffy Summers had lived with for god knows how long.
Hank Summers had left town 3 hours later and had never come back. 3 weeks later he had found a handful of hand picked daisies by his bicycle before going to school one morning, there had been no note but then he hadn’t needed one to know who had left them.
***
“By the way Spike” Fred drawled, “Billy Idol called…”
Spike raised a hand in mock surrender, “And he wants his look back, I know” he laughed out along with the others, “Not gonna’ happen tho’, makes me feel all manly.”
The guys laughed and the girls rolled their eyes as Fred and Gunn hopped into the trucks seats and the others made do with the cab, Cordy trying to keep her hair flat while the wind whipped through it, Xander ever the gentleman, trying to shield her.
“I’m better off without him” Buffy sighed and sipped on her diet coke.
Willow nodded her head vigorously, “He was a poop face.”
Buffy laughed before sighing. “I know I know, it’s just lonely here sometimes, you know, with mom gone and the horses sold off to pay for the funerals it feels like I’m starting at ground zero again.”
Willow squeezed Buffy’s hand, “The horses have wonderful owners and beautiful homes, your mom would be proud of you for dealing with everything as well as you did Buffy, no parent could ask for a better daughter…and sometimes, I think re-starting at zero is the best way to go.”
Buffy smiled at her quiet friend, “Thanks. What would I do without you?”
Willow smiled, “You’d probably be a felon or something by now.” The girls laughed at clinked their coke cans together.”
“To friends” Willow said cheerily.
“To old ones too?” came the accented voice from behind. Willow squealed and managed to somehow turn and throw herself out of her seat and into his arms simultaneously.
Spike laughed while he held her, “Think I missed you the most” he whispered in her ear, smiling when he heard the “you better have” whispered back.
They turned back to the now empty table and Willow frowned, she didn’t want Buffy to be alone right now, but if that was what Buffy wanted to be she couldn’t stop it, that much she’d learned from experience. At least she hadn’t left the bar entirely; she realized when she caught a glimpse of her friends long blond pig-tails on the dance floor.
The night had passed too quickly in Spike’s opinion and he vowed never to forget how important the people sitting around him were ever again. At some point Buffy had slipped away and he felt a pang of disappointment. He politely declined the lift home when closing time came around, telling his friends he wanted the fresh air.
After about twenty minutes of walking he found himself a short distance from the swimming hole and smiled when he heard the sound of soft singing. His feet had more control than his mind did apparently because the next thing he knew he was walking up behind her.
“Last time I was here you were crying, it’s good that some things change.”
She turned her head and raised an eyebrow giving him a soft smile, “I came here to swim.”
“Mind if I join you?” a beat, “Déjà vu, huh kitten?” he laughed.
She opted not to say anything and though Spike had half expected her to stay in her shorts and shirt like she had 7 years ago she didn’t and he swallowed back a moan. The moonlight danced across her skin chasing the shadows back and forth, revealing her perfect body. Tan, smooth skin, flat stomach, toned legs and arms, the smooth column of her neck leading to a collarbone he wanted to dance his fingertips across. Her bikini was all white, and when she turned to dive in he noticed the writing on the backside of it, ‘Bite Me’ with two l’il red dots that looked like a vampire bite. He bit his lip and shut his eyes as he peeled off his shirt, ‘calm yourself mate’ he told himself and jumped into the cool waist deep water hoping it would help.
He and Buffy were only a few feet away from each other and he couldn’t help but notice the way the water sparkled on her.
“You’re beautiful”
She smiled, “You know, I would have killed to hear you say that when I was younger.”
“And now?” he asked taking a step forward but stopping at that distance.
“Now? Well now murder isn’t on my ‘Get Spike to notice me’ list.”
He laughed, “There’s a list?”
“I probably have one written down in a journal somewhere” she giggled.
“I really am sorry if I ever hurt you Buffy.”
She rolled her eyes, “I thought we’d been over this already?”
“Yes and no…you said it was ok, that you understand, but I don’t think you really do.”
“Do we really have to get into this, I’ve moved on, you plain out moved…I don’t see the need to put importance into a childhood crush at this age.”
“It’s important to me.”
She nodded her head, “Ok, let’s talk, but not in here, I’m kinda’ cold.”
He followed her out the water and smiled when she pulled out an extra towel, “Knew I’d be here did you?”
She snorted, “Nooo, knew I’d get my hair wet.”
Ha laughed, more than a little embarrassed at his assumption but comfortable in her company none the less.
“I was sorry to hear about your loss. Joyce was a right nice lady.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your loss too…well; sorry for your mom at least, I know you hated Ethan.”
“How’s that?”
“I noticed you, that’s all.”
He nodded his head. “So, like I was saying in the water, there’s some things you don’t understand.
She nodded her head as if to tell him to continue and so he did.
“I didn’t know you that well Buffy, but you were a sweet kid with a misguided crush that could only have led to bad things.”
“I know, and I say again, we so don’t have to go over this.”
“Shh, let me finish, thing is…I noticed you too.”
Her mouth dropped open a bit but she remained silent.
“I noticed how adorable you were, how beautiful you would be. I noticed how strong you were and how much you cared about your mom, But I noticed your age too, and that’s why my noticing had to stop. You were just a kid Buffy, and it broke my heart to have to break yours….”
“I know it was you that got Hank to leave.” She said softly.
“And I know it was you that left me those daisies.” He whispered back.
“We were never friends though Spike, so to be honest, I don’t know why you’re sitting here telling me all this.”
He ran a hand through his wet hair and sighed, and then he chuckled, and then laughter split his sides. “I don’t know” he managed to get out, his infectious laughter had her joining in.
“Maybe we can be friends now?” he asked after a few moments.
“Well, that sounds…doable” she responded with a smile.
“So…feel like talking about what happened tonight?”
Her smile stayed in place he was happy to note, “I got dumped, my heart remains intact.”
“Didn’t love the guy?”
“God no, the thing is I wanted too, he was nice and normal and…”
“Safe?”
She smiled at him, “I was going to say boring.”
Spike laughed at that, “You’re as honest as you ever were. That’s a good quality to keep.”
“Thank you.”
“Just being honest. So what do you do now to pass the time, make some cash?”
“I take care of horses, sing at the bar sometimes. I used to have a beautiful one.”
“Bar?”
“No, horse, but she died a few years back.”
“What was her name?”
“His name was Apocalypse.”
“Type?”
“Gypsy Vanner. Mainly black except for a streak of white down his left side, he was stunning.”
“Sounds like. So is that what you were doing at my mom’s place? Handling the horses?”
She nodded her head, “Slayer’s definitely got some kick to her, Dawn is the biggest brat of a horse I’ve ever known and Clem is just a sweetheart, poor guy with his skin condition…it’s clearing up nicely though.”
“I noticed, it’s good to see him more people friendly, you must be very good at what you do.”
“Oh, I am, I really, really am” she said with a smirk and walking off, leaving him pondering the mystery of Buffy Summers.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
thanks for the uplifting reviews guys! means a lot.