Spike couldn’t drive fast enough as he raced back across town to where he’d last seen Buffy. He’d barely turned off the car before he was out and running towards the front door. Panting he stopped dead just inside the door.
Searching, scanning the diner for her. “Buffy?” he called, moving toward the back of the restaurant.
No answer came and Spike’s paranoia grew into an almost chocking fear. He’d left her here only a few hours ago.
She was safe. Unharmed.
Nothing could’ve happened to her in that short a time, could it?
Please god, no… his inner voice cried.
She had to be safe. He couldn’t lose her again.
And not like this.
He had so much he wanted to tell her still. So much he wanted to show her... do with her.
“Spike?” Gwen questioned, spotting him as she rounded the corner by the kitchen.
As he whirled about she saw the terror in his eyes. The strong man that was ready to take on the world for the woman he loved, whom she’d met yesterday was no longer there. In his place was a man who looked like his whole world was crashing down around him.
“Where is she? She was here, safe. I know she was. I saw her…” he choked, fighting to get the words out.
“Spike, what’s going on?” she questioned, as she too started to worry.
What did he know that she didn’t? What had happened?
“Tell me she’s still here. Still safe?” he pleaded, as tears shown in his bright blue eyes.
Gwen shook her head, coming to stand in front of the blonde. “Calm down, please. Buffy’s fine.” The more he worried he got, the worse her own fears became.
“She left work a little while again. She probably just got home. Now tell me what’s going on?”
He visibly relaxed for a moment, knowing she’d just left and was fine, but that soon vanished as he thought about all the things that Riley could be doing to her at that moment.
“Buffy’s in danger. I know she is. We need to get her out of there. Now! Before he hurts her again. Tell me where she lives, please. I need to get her away from him.” The last was whispered in a pain filled plea. There were tears glistening in the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill at any moment.
The brunette stared at him for moment. She also knew that Buffy needed to get away from Riley, and sooner rather than later. She’d had this overwhelming sense of impending doom ever since last night.
She’d been racking her brain ever since they’d talked, trying to find a way to Buffy away from Riley safely. She knew she could go in there and take everything her sister in law owned and force her to leave.
But that wouldn’t solve anything. Most likely she’d be back with him within a few days at best. Besides she didn’t want to practically kidnap her either. No, it had to be Buffy’s choice to leave or she wouldn’t stick with it.
‘This might be the solution you’ve been praying for. Spike still loves her… you know she loves him, and he wants to help,’ she told herself.
“Give me a minute to punch out and I’ll do you one better. I’ll take you there.” With that Gwen raced off to the kitchen to tell Faith and Giles where she was going.
Both of them were relieved that with any luck the petite blonde would be away from Riley but they were also worried for both the girls’ safety. With a promise to call or come back after they had Buffy safe, the fiery brunette headed out to once and for all get Buffy out of the evil clutches of her step brother...
~*~
Following Gwen to Buffy’s place seemed to take forever even though in reality it was only a few minutes. He pulled up in the driveway beside the run down apartment building right next to her Jeep, then got out.
Gwen was standing beside her black Wrangler looking up at the building. “Well, she’s home. That’s her Civic right there,” she told him, not even glancing his way.
Looking around again she added, “And it looks like she’s alone…”
“You sure, pet?”
“Not a hundred percent, no… but his car’s not here,” with a shrug she made her way up the front steps, through the old weather door and up the narrow rickety stairway.
“No one should have to live like this,” she muttered under her breath, shivering as she saw something scurry across the floor on the landing above them.
Spike shuddered thinking this was where she lived. This place was beneath her… beneath a rat even, truth be told. The place should be condemned. His temper flared with every step. How dare the bastard treat her like this?
Coming to a stop at the second door on the right on the third floor Gwen knocked.
After a few moments with no reply she knocked again. “Buffy…? Sweetie, are you in there?”
As the seconds ticked slowly by his worry was back, growing and growing until it overpowered his rage. Reaching around Gwen, he pounded on the door. “Buffy! Open the door!”
Gwen winced. If Riley was in there, god only knew what he’d do.
Jiggling the handle hoping it was unlocked she reached in her purse, while Spike continued to bang on the door. Digging for the spare keys Buffy had given her not long after they moved in. She only hoped it was still the same locks.
Buffy was enjoying the quiet bliss of a hot shower. It’d been so wonderful to come home and not find him there. And bonus… the apartment was still relatively clean.
No beer cans sprawled from one end of the apartment to the other. The only mess she could find were the remains of yesterday’s clothes in a pile beside the bed where he’d passed out. There weren’t even any dishes in the sink, which meant he hadn’t been home all day.
Hey, maybe I can get a good night’s sleep for once if he passed out somewhere else?
Her heart filled with excitement, hoping that was true. It hadn’t happened often… or rather often enough, but it had happened a few times over the course of her imprisonment, um… their marriage.
God, what she wouldn’t give for this to be a normal, every day thing. To come home and just relax after a long day’s work. To be able to take a shower and not have to worry about the asshole banging on the door, or worse breaking it down to get her cause she wasn’t fast enough.
That would be blissful… simply glorious.
Gwen fumbled with the last lock, finally getting it open. Spike shoved it wide and yelled Buffy’s name again as the two of them started searching the dinky apartment.
Just as Gwen had hoped, Riley wasn’t there. In fact the whole place looked empty. The only thing that made her think otherwise was the sound of running water coming from the one and only bathroom in the apartment.
Rushing down the hall, she banged on the door, “Buffy, are you in there?” she yelled, trying to be heard over the shower.
Spike soon joined her in the effort to make the petite blond hear them. “Luv, you need to come out here now. It’s not safe for ya.”
Buffy groaned at the sound of someone banging. Just her luck the jerk hadn’t passed out somewhere.
‘Oh friggin’ great. He’s probably drunker than drunk and higher than a kite,’ she mused, rinsing the last of the conditioner out of her hair. With a sigh she called out, “I’ll be right out.”
To her relief that pounding stopped, ‘Okay… that’s strange.’ Turning off the water, she grabbed her towels and started drying off.
Outside she could hear voices… not just one but at least two. ‘What the hell? Do NOT tell me he brought his friends home to …. “share”.’ She shuddered at the thought.
The prick had done it a few times in the past and it never ended well for her. Besides, the thought of being with him alone made her sick; to even think about being with him and his friends was beyond disgusting.
Spike paced the cramped hallway waiting for Buffy to come out. Until he saw for himself that she was unharmed, he couldn’t stop. She had to be safe. She just had to be.
And once he knew she was okay, he was bound and determined to wrap her up in his arms and take her away from here forever. The drive over here was slow torture, not knowing how she was.
He wasn’t quite sure how he was going to do it yet, but he had to. Just seeing where she lived was enough to solidify it in his mind. He was going to keep her safe, no matter what.
‘Okay, Buffy, you can do this…’ she told herself, donning her tank top. ‘Just keep telling yourself it doesn’t matter what he does to you any more. You’re nothing. Think of nothing…. Be nothing.’ she kept chanting to herself over and over as she mentally prepared herself for what was to come.
Taking a deep breath and blowing it out she opened the door, but she wasn’t prepared for what she saw. Instead of Riley and his dirty disgusting friends, her sister in law and best friend was standing there with Spike beside her, concern clearly written on their faces.
“What….” Was all she could get out before Spike rushed to her, pulling her tiny body into his arms and kissing her deeply. She stiffened for a moment then slowly she relaxed into his arms, opening to him and then responding as she kissed him back.
But all too soon she pulled back, question clearly written in her eyes.
“Thank bloody hell you’re alright,” he sighed, resting his forehead against hers and taking the first full breath he’d taken since Dru’s vision.
“What’s going on? Why are you here….?” She asked as panic took over. “You can’t be here. What if he comes home? He’ll kill you!”
She’d been so thrilled and relieved to discover it was her former lover instead of Riley that it didn’t occur to her that they might be in serious danger if he did come home.
Spike caressed his finger down her cheek and across her lips in an effort to calm her. “Shhh… princess. Its fine… everything’s fine. I’m here now; not gonna let that bastard hurt you any more. I promise.”
“I promise.” He whispered raining tender kisses all over her face. Each word he punctuated with another kiss, repeating it over and over until she was once again leaning her tiny frame into his larger one.
Gwen leaned against the wall watching the tender exchange between the couple. In that moment she knew she’d made the right decision by bringing Spike here. Not once in all her years of marriage to Riley had Buffy ever looked so calm and in love. Not even on their wedding day.
She was truly in love with Spike and he was more than clearly in love with her. Her heart ached just watching the two of them. After a moment she turned and headed to the bedroom and started gathering a few things she knew Buffy would want to take with her.
Buffy let herself relax for a few minutes in his arms. It felt so good to feel so loved, so cherished. She’d been craving this for years. Gods, how she missed it. Missed him.
Spike spoke softly still cradling her petite body to his own, “Luv, we have to get you out of here. You’re in serious danger.”
She sighed resting her head against his chest. “Spike, I’m always in danger here. That’s what my life is.”
Pulling back he looked deep in to her hazel eyes, “No, real peril. More than ever, we have to get you away from him. Now. Before it’s too late. There’s things you don’t know about him. Come with me and I’ll tell you everything. Okay?”
Buffy studied him for a moment. He was truly terrified for her. What on earth could possibly be so bad? Yeah, Riley beat her regularly but that was something that happened to millions of women, children and even men across the country every day. Granted it wasn’t too high on her to-do list, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Right?
“Spike, tell me what’s going on. Please?”
“Not here. When we get you some place safe I will. Promise,” Spike stoked her hair and cheekbones trying to memorize every last line. How was he ever foolish enough to let her go in the first place?
“Okay you’re starting to really scare me, William. What’s going on?” she knew Spike well enough to know if he was this worried and not telling her, it was bad.
Like the time he came and got her when her cat got hit by a car, that day he wouldn’t tell her anything. Just made her come with him until she was away for the rest of the world before he told her. Her heart clenched, thinking about the poor tabby. She missed her to this day.
Looking down at the floor, Spike weighed his options. What would… what could he tell her to get her out of this place without telling her everything he knew? He knew the longer they stayed there, the greater chance there was of Riley coming home and hurting both the girls. And that was something he didn’t want.
“Dru had a vision…and you were in it,” he told her, his eyes pleading with her to understand.
TBC…
[Reviews - 126]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 2127 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Beta'd by the wonderful Tis 'aka' Tistoo....
I wanted to say thank you to all the lovely people that have been reading and reviewing this fic. Thank you so much you don't know how much it means to me. Really Thank you.
I wanted to say thank you to all the lovely people that have been reading and reviewing this fic. Thank you so much you don't know how much it means to me. Really Thank you.