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Chapter 13 – Blind Ambition


“Is this really necessary?” Buffy asked skeptically, watching Spike and Giles move around the training room of the Magic Box.

“Yes,” they replied simultaneously.

“Why?” she asked, putting an appropriate amount of whining into her voice to get the point across.

“Because Spike told me about the close call last night, and we both feel you need a little more work,” Giles said.

Both men watched as a pout grew on Buffy’s lower lip before she turned to Spike. “Traitor,” she muttered halfheartedly.

“Sorry, luv, but I’m not taking anymore risks with you,” Spike replied, walking toward her with a blindfold.

Buffy felt a tremor of fear go through her at the idea of being deaf and blind before Spike gave her a soft smile of reassurance. “You’re safe,” he said, looking into her eyes. “We’re just going to work on your other senses.”

“But it’s not like it will help. We don’t have any chained up vampires that we can use, and I always know when you’re close by.”

Giles raised an eyebrow as Spike smiled with pride. “True, but you’re not getting out of this.”

With a heavy sigh, Buffy nodded her agreement. Spike slowly moved behind her, slipping the blindfold over her eyes and knotting it. He could hear her heartbeat pick up and lightly ran his hand over her back to assure her that everything was alright before moving to stand in front of her.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” Buffy said, turning her head from side to side as if she was searching for them in the darkness. “You’re just doing this so you can take funny pictures of me.”

Spike smiled, gently running his hand along her cheek. His smile broadened when she leaned into the caress, a move that did not go unnoticed by Giles.

Letting his hand travel down her arm, Spike squeezed her hand, signaling that they were ready.

Buffy took a steadying breath, instantly knowing when Spike moved away from her. Her heartbeat increased when she felt his demon emerge. Turning in a circle, she didn’t realize when she closed her eyes against the blindfold, tuning into him.

“How’s she doing?” Giles asked as Spike walked around the Slayer in a circle.

“She’s adjusting,” Spike replied, feeling a little strange that they were talking about a woman who was standing no more than five feet away.

“Is she in danger if she goes out alone?”

Taking a moment to stop and shoot the Watcher a glare, Spike replied, “She’s standing in front of me in a blindfold because of last night’s patrol. What do you think?”

Giles nodded, watching as Buffy seemed to adjust and slowly move toward Spike. The blonde smiled as he moved away, leading her in a circle.

“Attack her.”

Spinning around to face Giles, Spike looked at him in disbelief. “Are you insane?”

“Don’t hurt her, Spike. Just let her know what it would be like to fight blind.”

“She’s not just blind, Rupes. She’s deaf, in case you forgot.”

“Exactly,” Giles replied. “Which is precisely the reason I want you to do this. I’m trying to keep her alive, Spike. And somewhere, deep down, I know that’s what you want as well.”

“Not deep down,” Spike muttered.

“What was that?”

“I said, it’s not deep down,” he repeated, looking the other man in the eye. “In fact, it’s pretty close to the surface.”

“What are your feelings for her?”

Spike backed away as Buffy grew more confident, picking up her speed and walking directly toward him.

“I don’t know,” Spike replied honestly. “There’s a connection between us.”

“What kind of connection?”

“I don’t know what it is.”

Buffy whipped around, landing a kick to Spike’s side, causing him to fall back on the mats. Springing up, Spike blocked her other moves before she smashed her fist into his nose, sending him reeling back.

Whipping off the blindfold, Buffy glared at the two men.

“It means that I can understand him without looking at him and he should have remembered that,” she said, throwing the blindfold at Spike and walking out of the training room.

“Bloody hell.”

“She can understand you?”

“What did it look like?”

“Only you?”

“As far as I know,” Spike replied. “I better go find her.”

Giles nodded as Spike ran out of the room and out of the shop. He saw Buffy down the street and jogged toward her, not surprised when she turned to face him.

“What?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What did I say to make you mad?” Spike asked, stopping in front of her.

“What did you say?” Buffy asked in disbelief. “It doesn’t matter what you said, Spike. It’s the fact that you were talking about me as if I was invisible. The two of you were having a conversation and it’s like I wasn’t even in the room. I thought the objective was to help me, not talk about me behind my back. It’s like I’m nothing to you.”

Slowly approaching her, Spike made sure to keep eye contact. “I’m sorry,” he said honestly.

Trying to hide how hurt she really was, Buffy crossed her arms over her chest in a protective manner.

“Forgive me?” he asked with a pout that brought a brief smile to her face.

“Don’t do it again.”

“I promise.”

Buffy nodded, turning around and smiling when he fell into step with her. “Are you walking me home?” she asked playfully.

“I figured it’s the least I can do.”

The two walked in comfortable silence until they reached her house.

“You can come in if you want to,” Buffy said. “You haven’t seen my mom in a while, and I’m sure she’d be happy to see you.”

“Raincheck?”

“Do you have a hot date?” Buffy asked, trying to keep her tone lighthearted.

“No, Slayer,” he said with a smile. “Believe it or not, I actually just want to go home and get some rest.” At Buffy’s confused look, he continued. “Harmony’s not there to yap at me, so I can actually enjoy the quiet.”

Buffy laughed and nodded as Spike turned around to walk back down the path.

“Spike?”

She waited until he turned around before approaching him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she left a soft kiss on his cheek, smiling when he pulled back to look at her in surprise.

“I just wanted to say thank you. You’ve had to deal with me adjusting to the situation, and then there’s the mood swings-“

“I’ve been dealing with the mood swings for a lot longer,” he said, chuckling when she smacked him on the shoulder.

“I was trying to be nice.”

“Thank you, luv,” he said, his voice and eyes softening as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Buffy relaxed against his touch, leaning closer to him. “You’re the only one I feel like I can trust.”

Tilting his head to look at her, Spikes brow furrowed in confusion. “What about Giles?”

Buffy shrugged. “I trust him…to an extent. I just trust you more.”

Spike’s face lit up in a smile as he took Buffy’s hand, leaving a tender kiss on it. “That means a lot, luv,” he said, watching Buffy’s smile brighten. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Count on it.”

“Good night, pet. Tell your mum I said hello.”

“I will,” she said, waving at him and disappearing into the house as Spike walked toward the cemetery.

Neither noticing Riley watching the entire conversation from the shadows.




Thank you so much to: Darla Winifred, Bernardette, Juanita, Jenn, parisian, Renee, BuffyandSpikeForever, Alicia, Steph, songgal, Mariana, samica, Cordykitten, Rana, Franchesca, skywolf_fem2, Seraiza, gypsy_jin, and blondiebear for reviewing!! Please keep them coming! As a thank you to everyone who has been so sweet and supportive of this fic, expect another chapter tomorrow :-)





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