Chapter Forty-Three
The tense atmosphere in the safehouse didn’t ease with the breaking news, if anything it increased it. Buffy wandered restlessly through the rooms trying to offer comfort to the occupants, but really having no clue what to do or say to anyone to make it better.
Cam and Craig had gone outside, and a glance through the window had convinced her to leave the boys be for now. Maurice and Dora were in the kitchen listening to the news on the radio. Buffy joined them for a cup of tea. They were doing okay. Their lives, though undoubtedly changed forever by the things they’d discovered, weren’t shattered like the others’ were.
She could hardly bear to look at Riley or Mark though she tried her best not to show it. Both of them had inflicted terrible pain and suffering on her family – and if they had been demons she would have killed them in a heartbeat. As it was, she hoped that both would still be held accountable for what they’d done, no matter that their stories had been the ones to turn public opinion against the Initiative.
Hearing a crash, Buffy leapt to her feet and ran out of the kitchen in the direction of the noise. A wail that barely sounded human followed and as she skidded to a halt in the living room, her eyes widened. Spike was on his knees in the centre of the room, his left hand bleeding.
Willow arrived at a jog, but Buffy shook her head at her and smiled gratefully as Willow nodded and slipped out of the room without Spike ever knowing she’d been there.
The TV screen had been shattered and obviously Spike’s left hand had been the thing that did it.
“Spike? Baby?”
She approached slowly, knowing that even though his love for her was real, a stressed out vampire wasn’t always in full control of the demon within.
He sank lower at her words and a low keening sound escaped his lips.
“What is it? What did you see?”
Spike shook his head, but to her relief reached out towards her with his right hand. She took it and folded to her knees beside him.
“Are you hurt? Let me see your hand?”
“It’s okay,” Spike muttered, pulling the thumb-less hand closer to his body.
“What did you see?” Buffy inched closer to him.
“I—I…” He shook his head. “Oh shite!”
With vampiric speed he twisted his body until he could wrap his free arm around her and bury his head against her shoulder. By the time she’d let go of his hand and embraced him, he was racked with harsh gasping sobs. Her heart racing, Buffy wondered just what he’d seen on the TV to provoke this reaction. The rest of the house seemed peaceful, so it was something that affected Spike the most.
“It’s okay, baby. You’re safe. You’re with me. I love you.” She whispered the words and rocked him gently to and fro like an infant while she waited for him to regain his composure.
As suddenly as he’d leaned into her, Spike pulled out of her arms and stood up. He walked several yards away before he stopped, keeping his back to her.
“We’re going to lose.”
“How can you say that?” Buffy got to her feet. “There’s going to be an inquiry. The place will never survive it.”
“But she will.”
“Who?”
Buffy touched his arm, but Spike flinched and moved away.
“Her.” Spike’s words dripped with venom. “Walsh. The fucking bitch who took my eyes.”
“She won’t. She’s guilty and they’ll soon have the proof. She’ll be jailed.”
Spike whirled round. “She won’t. It’s just been on the news that Roger Futter has been found dead. Suicide.”
Frowning, Buffy shook her head. “I don’t underst—“
“He’s technically in charge of the British branch. She’s going to lay the blame at his feet. And she’s killed him so he can’t deny it.”
“But still…”
“No! She’ll walk! I know it. Look at me, Buffy…see what she’s done. I know I’m only a vampire and deserve to die, but what she’s doing—”
“Don’t say that! You don’t deserve to die! You’re a good man.”
He snorted and his lip curled into a sneer. “I haven’t been a good man for well over a century. Losing a few body parts and being tortured doesn’t make me a good man. You’re a slayer! You should be fucking killing my kind, not fucking them.”
Buffy took a step back. “Is that what you think we do? That’s what I was doing all those years? Just fucking you?”
Without thinking, she strode forwards and slapped his face. Retired she might be, but slayer strength is still slayer strength. Spike staggered sideways, before falling and catching his head on the corner of the mantelpiece.
Stunned, he touched his temple and vamped out when his fingers came away bloody.
“That’s right, Slayer. This is how it should be!” He got to his feet and waggled his fingers. “Come on then, what are you waiting for?”
“I’m not going to fight you, Spike.”
Spike shrugged. “Boring, but it’ll make my job easier.”
Unable to believe her eyes, Buffy dodged to the side as Spike attacked.
“Don’t do this,” she said.
“So…stop me.”
His fist lashed out and despite her reactions, he connected with her arm. He grinned. Even though his fangs had been clipped by Cam and so weren’t as they should be, the sight of them, glistening with saliva, was still impressive.
Another lunge from Spike, and another fist on target, made Buffy realise that there was only one way to end this.
By winning.
“I don’t want to do this, but I’m going to.” Buffy’s eyes narrowed as she lashed out with her foot, grunting as it impacted right on target – the back of Spike’s knee.
He went down, but before she could take advantage, he swung his leg out and swept her feet from beneath her. She fell on her back. Momentarily winded, Spike straddled her and had a hand at her throat in a fraction of a second.
“What was that you were saying?”
She wasted energy clawing at his hand as the metal thumb dug into her flesh. Her hands fell away, and she went limp, head lolling in his grasp.
Spike grinned and bent forwards, licking his lips as he anticipated the taste of her blood. Buffy’s eyes opened a little, and she brought her head up to meet Spike’s with a resounding crack. As he fell backwards, she wriggled and pulled herself out from under him.
“Sucker! I so had you.” Buffy kicked him in the ribs, the force sending him rolling along the ground.
He got to his hands and knees, shaking his head. “Buffy?”
Her boot found his ribs once more. This time when he stopped rolling, he managed to stagger to his feet.
“What? What’s going on?”
“Nice try, Spike. Just ‘cause I suckered you, don’t think it’ll work with me.”
“I don’t understand…what’s going on?” He held his hands out in front of him. “I’m sorry I said it, okay?”
“Good. How about being sorry you tried to bite me?”
“Bite?”
Buffy lashed out again, avoiding the ribs he was shielding with his hands, but hitting him between his legs. The air left his lungs with a wheeze and he collapsed, hands clutching at his crotch.
“Willow! I need some help in here!”
The witch was there in an instant.
Buffy pointed at the still writhing Spike. “Make it so he can’t move.”
Knowing better than to waste time asking why, Willow nodded. “Where do you want him?”
“The armchair in the corner.”
With a wave of her hand, Willow lifted Spike from the carpet and floated him across the room to the chair. As his body was lowered into it, he began to struggle.
“What are you doing?”
The chair began to move as he touched it, the upholstered arms rolling over Spike’s arms until he looked as if he was part of the chair, not merely sitting on it. The same happened to his legs.
“Wow. Neat trick,” said Buffy.
Willow grinned. “Been dying to use it for ages.”
“Buffy! Let me go!” Spike tried to pull free to no avail.
“Why do you need him restrained?” Willow said.
“Yeah. Tell us. It’d be nice to know.” Spike glared at Buffy. “It’s really not nice to kick a bloke down there, no matter what stupid thing he said.”
“Thing you said?” Buffy moved closer. “How about if I did it to stop you from trying to kill me?”
“Kill you…? I’d never hurt you. I know what I said was awful, yeah. And I deserved the slap, but why did you go postal on me?”
“I went postal on you?” Buffy shook her head.
Spike looked from Buffy to Willow and back again. “You didn’t?”
“Um…well, yeah, I did, but only after you attacked me and tried to bite me.”
The look of horror on Spike’s face couldn’t have been anything but genuine. “I-I can’t remember.”
“Buffy. Go out of the room – out of earshot,” Willow said. “I need both of you to tell me what happened without the other hearing.”
Nodding, and casting a glance at the semi-upholstered Spike, Buffy strode out of the living room.
“Okay,” said Willow, looking at Spike. “Tell me what happened.”
He told Willow of his fears of Walsh avoiding being held responsible and how he had turned Buffy’s kind words back on her, earning a well deserved slap.
“I hit my head and,” he wriggled his fingers, “I remember seeing blood, then Buffy began to kick the crap out of me.”
“Hmm, okay. I’ll be back in a few.”
Spike waited until she was at the door before saying softly. “I love her, Red. Wouldn’t hurt her.”
She paused momentarily, but said nothing before she disappeared from view. Spike struggled ineffectually again, before sighing and giving up.
“I now know how all those bloody nickels and dimes feel stuck down the side of the sofa.”
Willow found Buffy sitting on the front door step.
“Hey.”
Buffy glanced up and smiled weakly. “Is he okay?”
“What happened?”
Buffy told her, and when she was finished, Willow said, “He only remembers up to you slapping him and then nothing until you began to kick him.”
“So who do you believe?”
“Do I believe my best friend or a vampire who has been mind controlled for years?”
“So you don’t trust him?”
“Buffy. You have bruises on your neck. What he’s been through…we were dumb to think that it wouldn’t leave a legacy.”
“So you think it’ll happen again? He really meant it. I played dead and then managed to catch him by surprise, but he did mean to bite me.” Buffy covered her face with her hands. “What he said…”
“I think the key was him getting hurt. For so long, he just had to take whatever pain he was subjected to. Now the chip is gone and he’s well fed…I think the demon won out for a while.”
“But the soul? Did it go? Like Angel’s did?”
“His soul’s still there. But the demon is still there too, and maybe it needs revenge.”
Nodding, Buffy said, “He was freaking out at the thought of Walsh escaping punishment. That’s what started it all off.”
“Then I think that’s our answer. I guess he needs closure. He needs Walsh to pay.”
“Another thing he needs is to be kept away from the news. I could handle him, but if he was with Dora…”
“He ought to go back in the cage.”
Buffy let out a sob. “God, is this never going to end?” She looked at Willow with anguished eyes. “He’s been through too much…I can’t ask him to go back in the cage.” She shook her head. “I just can’t.”
Willow patted her shoulder. “I’ll let him know what happened.”
“I should come…”
“No. You stay there.”
“Aunt Willow?” Cam’s voice reached them. “Er…did you make the couch eat Spike?”
The two women grinned, despite the gravity of the situation.
“It’s okay, Cam…I’m just coming.” She rose and then glanced down at Buffy. “He’ll come through it. He’s strong and his love for you is stronger still.”
She left her friend blinking back tears as she went to retrieve Spike from the clutches of the armchair.
“Is Buffy okay?” Spike said as soon as he saw Willow.
“She’s fine.”
Cam narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Your mom’s on the front step. Why don’t you go ask her?”
Knowing he was being dismissed, he hauled himself to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster and left Willow and Spike alone.
“Did I do it? Did I hurt her?”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t bloody know, do I? But the way you’re looking at me makes me think something happened.”
“So you really don’t remember anything after you fell against the mantelpiece?”
“How many more times do I have to tell you? No! Not until she was kicking me across the room.”
“In that case, Spike. We have a bit of a problem…”
Willow told him all that had occurred and Spike’s reaction was what she expected it to be.
“Stake me or lock me up, Red. I’m a fucking time bomb!”
“I think I know what triggered it.”
She told him her theory.
“So unless my demon feels revenge has been had on those bastards, it could take over without me even knowing it?”
“It’s all just supposition. But essentially, yes, that’s what I think.”
“So there’s hope for me then? When this is all over I could be with Buffy and not be a danger to her?”
“I really hope so.”
“When you put me in the cage, can I get out of this sodding chair?”
“Sure thing.”
She waved her hands and all at once, Spike was sitting on the chair and was no longer a part of it. Moving closer to Spike she held out her hand. Thinking that she was offering to help him up, he took it and then…whoosh….they were in the cage in the basement.
“Shite. You didn’t even trust me to walk here without hurting someone?”
“Honestly?”
Spike nodded.
“No. Like you said you’re a time bomb waiting to blow. It was too great a risk.”
She teleported out of the cage and Spike rested a hand on the bars.
“You’re right. I want you to promise me something.”
“What?”
“When this is over, if you think I’m still going to be a danger to them, then dust me. I don’t care how.”
“It won’t come to that.”
He tapped his metal thumb on the bars. “Promise me, if it did, that you’d do it. Don’t let me hurt my family.”
As she watched a solitary tear ran down his cheek. Turning away so he didn’t see hers, she nodded. “I promise.”
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We're getting towards the end of the story - would love to hear your thoughts :D