And as expected, Superman made his appearance.
Ripping off one demon’s head with her bare hands, she jumped in the foray with Xander and grabbed his battle axe, slicing off another’s head. She spun to do battle with another, when a clawed hand ripped across her stomach. The sting of the claw cutting across her stomach was hot – so hot steam rose from her body (Giles was going to love researching the side effect of this demon attack); and she felt her bloods warmth immediately rise to the surface.
“Buffy!” Spike shouted, his eyes widening upon seeing her. No sooner had she turned to take out the demon that sliced her, Spike was there, growling ferociously and ripping the demon to shreds—literally. Buffy gaped at the pure animalistic viciousness of him taking out the demon in such a barbaric manner – and all for her. However, she didn’t have time to dwell as a few were coming at Superman who had graciously taken out two of his own demons, thus saving Willow and Tara.
She needed to get to Lois, was her next thought, and it was difficult with the demons around them to go after her. Jumping at the antlered freaks, she smiled sweetly and looked at Superman. “Duck!” And she swung the axe over her head and brought it down clear across, taking all three heads off in a flash.
Superman was already down the hall, following the sound of Lois’ screams and Buffy turned to see who else needed help. Spike was fighting fiercely with one and she bounded up to him and handed him the axe. Happily, he tore the thing in half. Literally.
“Ewww…”Buffy said wrinkling her nose.
“Buffy, are you all right?” Xander asked, coming up to her.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Buffy replied and promptly passed out.
When Buffy came to, her eyes opened with a start and she bolted up. “Lois!”
“So maybe I’m not in competition with Superman or Clark or whoever the hell he is. Maybe I’m actually in competition with Lois Lane.”
Buffy whipped her head to the side to see Spike sitting beside her, gauze and antiseptic in hand. She was in his crypt, she noted. Looking down, she found her shirt tore to just under her breasts, and her stomach bandaged up with some blood oozing to the surface. She grimaced. “What happened? Is Lois okay?”
“Buffy, luv, lay down. She’s fine.”
Buffy swallowed and let Spike push her back on his bed. She stared up at the ceiling. “It stung when he clawed me. Is it poisonous?”
“It can be if enough time passes,” Spike told her. “That particular demon’s poison can make your heart shrivel in your chest.”
“Was everyone all right?”
“Everyone is fine, Buffy.” Spike told her, getting up and making his way to his nightstand. Opening a drawer, he shoved the gauze and antiseptic inside. “Willow found a simple antidote to the poison and administered it to you.”
“You’d think if a poison can make your heart shrivel, the antidote wouldn’t be ‘simple’. Giles—“
“Has been made aware.”
“Lois might need—“
“Buffy, she’s fine. Would you stop worrying about everyone else for half a second?” He sat back down and stared down at her.
She looked up at him, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Why do I have to lie down again?”
He grinned. “I like you lying down on my bed.”
“Spike, honestly,” she said, annoyed, and tried to get up.
“Stay down,” he told her sternly. “I’ve gone through quite a bit of gauze with you missy. You stay down or you’ll just open the wound again.”
“Do I need stitches?” she asked horrified.
“Stitches frighten you?”
“Needles…yeah,” she shrugged. “Do I need them?”
“No, they weren’t as deep as they felt. That was because of the poison.”
She nodded. “Okay.” She stared up at the ceiling for a minute –was it a ceiling? She wasn’t sure. She looked over at Spike who was watching her intently. “Thank you.”
He smiled and took her hand in his. “Don’t have to thank me.”
“You helped me.”
“I’ll always help you.”
She gestured to her stomach, “You put me back together like Humpty Dumpty.”
“I’ll always take care of you, Buffy,” he said softly.
“Still. Thank you.”
Silence then, “But you were kind of a jackass tonight,” she told him.
He sighed, “I was waiting for that.”
“You were?”
“Yeah, I was. Figured you’d ask about Clark and Superman before we got to that first, though.”
“What did happen with that?”
“First, why don’t you tell me – I was right?”
She smiled, “You were right.”
“Can you write that down or something? ‘Spike was right’ and then the date. Just for posterity.”
“Yeah, that might happen.”
“So, does that mean you’re free and clear to pursue the blue Boy Scout?” Spike asked, standing up and moving away from the bed.
She blinked, “What?”
Spike turned. “You were hanging on him all night.”
“I was definitely not hanging on him and –“
“Come to find out Superman made his appearances today while you were alone.”
Buffy sat up gingerly, “That’s what you think? That Clark and I decided to get it on because he showed up during a free minute?”
“Yes.”
She shook her head, “No, that’s not what happened at all.”
“Then perhaps you’d like to enlighten me?”
“We talked about his secret identity and Lois and . . . other stuff.”
Spike raised a brow, “’Other stuff’? It’s the other stuff that I’m worried about.”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Of course you can’t!” Spike said, throwing up his hands in frustration.
“I wasn’t supposed to find out, it’s a big secret, and considering how you acted tonight, I don’t know that I can trust you to keep your big mouth shut!”
“I only acted like that because I thought you were making time with Clark!”
“I wasn’t! I was trying to make Lois jealous.”
“Guess what? You made me jealous instead!”
“Well, I’m sorry. I thought you knew that he was in love with Lois already.”
“I did until I found out that he was with you alone this afternoon.”
“God,” Buffy sputtered, “Would you get off anything going on with me and Superman? Nothing is going on.” Trying to climb carefully out of bed, Buffy winced, and in an instant, Spike was there, helping her, wrapping an arm about her to help her up.
She looked up at him. “Spike.”
He met her gaze in silent question.
“Nothing is going on with me and Clark. I came up with this idea to help him out with Lois. I thought if she could pay some attention to Clark, she could see past the red, yellow and blue and see the man inside. He asked me not to – mainly because he knew you’d get jealous. I figured you’d just get over it—“
“How did you expect me to just get over that, Buffy?” Spike asked hoarsely, pulling her closer and gazing at her searchingly. “How did you think I’d be okay with seeing you act as if you wanted him? You’ve done nothing but go on and on about Superman since he showed up and—“
Buffy pressed a finger to his lips, stopping his tirade. “I thought you’d get over it because I thought you knew that I…”
He leaned closer, prompting her, pleading with her to continue.
“I thought,” she said, drawing a deep breath, “that you knew that …that I feel things for you.”
“Buffy,” he breathed.
“I don’t know what they all are, but I thought that you knew that and—“
Spike took the opportunity to silence her with a kiss.