Spike watched her rush around him and tend to Finn, which only served to fuel his fire further. Grabbing her arm, he hauled her off him and made her look at him. “He almost got you killed!” Spike shouted at her.
“What the fucking hell is going on in here?”
Angel was up.
Buffy glared at Spike and yanked herself free. “You didn’t have to hit him!”
“Who hit who?” Angel asked curiously, jogging up to see. He peered over Buffy’s shoulder at Finn who was now climbing to his feet. “Damn…” Angel whistled. “You did that?” he asked Spike.
Spike nodded. “Couldn’t help it,” he said, still looking at Buffy. “He hurt Buffy.”
“No, he didn’t,” Buffy spat, “The murderer hurt me.” And she went to tend to Finn once more.
Finn had his hand over his nose and Spike could see some blood leaking out. Buffy was helping Finn in the house, who was dutifully ignoring him under Buffy’s tender loving care. Cracking his neck, Spike clenched his jaw in annoyance and followed them to the bathroom while Angel picked up the mess that Finn had left behind.
Leaning in the doorway, Spike watched Buffy tend to Finn as though he were a child. “You’re lucky she cares what happens to you, Finn, cause I don’t.”
Finn ignored him.
“So, what? You think if you ignore me, I’m going to go away?”
Still, Finn ignored him.
“She’s not going to protect you when I tell Rayne to take you off the case.”
That snapped Finn out of it and his head whipped to Spike. “You can’t do that.”
Spike raised a brow. “I can’t? Watch me.”
Buffy spun to him, glared, and then pushed him out of the way, shutting the door and then locking it behind her.
Spike stared at the door, stunned at that, and angered even more. Stalking into the kitchen, he found Angel looking in amazement at the box, which was actually a velvet jewelry box that Finn had brought over.
Angel looked up at Spike and gestured toward the box, “Check this out.”
Coming over, Spike peered inside curiously. “What the fuck?” he muttered, taking the silver necklace with the sapphire pendant hanging from it out of the box. He held it up, studying it.
“That’s…well, not to sound like a chick,” Angel said, “But that’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah…and I’m sure very expensive.”
“Check it out, there’s even a card attached. All sealed up though,” Angel said, waving the white envelope around. “No doubt not for our prying eyes.”
Spike was about to grab it and open it anyway when Finn and Buffy emerged from the bathroom and were entering the kitchen.
Upon seeing Spike with the necklace he had for Buffy in his hand, Finn marched up and snatched it out of Spike’s hand, glaring at him while shoving the necklace back in the box.
Buffy shook her head at them, clearly disgusted by their behavior.
“Buffy, could I talk to you for a minute alone?” Finn asked.
“Absolutely not,” Spike barked at the same time Buffy said “Yes” and started to lead him away.
Spike growled, ready again to pummel something.
“So, uh, how much do you guys make anyway?” Angel mused. “I wasn’t aware cops could buy things like that.”
“They can’t,” Spike said simply, “And trust me; I intend to find out how he did.”
Riley sat down next to her on the living room couch, looking awkward and upset. His nose was swelling and while it wasn’t broken, Buffy did suggest that he get it looked at.
“Buffy, I didn’t mean to come over here today and have all this happen.”
“It’s not your fault, Riley. Spike was out of line.”
“And yet I do understand where he’s coming from. I’d most likely be the same way.”
Buffy smiled, “I find that hard to believe.”
Riley nodded earnestly, “I would if it came to your safety and well-being. It was the whole reason why I came over today.”
“Oh?”
“I’m sorry about what happened last night, Buffy. I should stayed close to you, should have gone to the bathroom with you. Well, not with you, I would have given you your privacy, but I should have stayed outside the door and kept watch…And gone in to make sure no one was hiding out in the stalls. You know, the whole standing on the toilet trick to hide—“
Oh boy, Buffy thought, while Riley rambled on. He seemed to be aware that he was, because finally, he stopped and heaved a deep sigh.
“I got you this,” he said and shoved the box to her.
Opening the box to reveal the necklace she briefly saw being waved around and held by her brother and Spike, Buffy gasped. It was gorgeous. Sparkling silver with a chain so fine, it was soft in her hand, and the sapphire was gorgeous, iridescent and simply beautiful.
He gave her this to apologize? That couldn’t be normal.
Looking at him, at his hopeful and eager face as he watched her behold the necklace, Buffy knew she could not accept it. It would just be leading him on in some way and she couldn’t do that to him.
“Riley, thank you so much for the thought, but I cannot accept this,” she told him as she placed the necklace back in the box.
His smile faltered. “What?”
“I simply can’t accept that. It’s not something you should be giving me, and certainly not as an apology.”
“But, I want you to have it.”
“I can’t, Riley, I’m sorry. You should save that for someone special—“
“You are someone special,” he said adamantly.
“Thank you, but I mean a…a girlfriend, Riley.” Buffy watched him, holding her breath on that one, hoping he’d caught her meaning.
He stared at her, at the box, and then at her again before grabbing the box. “I apologize,” he murmured.
Before he could walk away, Buffy grabbed his sleeve. “Riley, please don’t be upset. I do like you a great deal, but—“
“No, Buffy. You don’t have to apologize, its okay,” and he hurried away.
The poor guy. He got caught off guard by coming over and getting a punch in the face as soon as the door was open, and then she went and rejected him.
She felt bad. Some people got off on hurting others, but she was not one of them. Hurting someone like that was not fun, especially since she knew something about being hurt and being rejected.
Feeling a tap on her shoulder she looked up to see Spike standing over her. “What did you say to him?” he asked. “He looks like he just lost his best friend.”
“I couldn’t accept the necklace. Not that it’s any of your business,” she said haughtily and stood, facing him.
“Buffy—“
“You were out of line, Spike.”
“Apparently we don’t see eye to eye on this.”
Her eyes widened, “Ya think?”
“Buffy…you don’t get it…” he said, shaking his head and starting to walk away.
“Then explain it to me!” she exclaimed.
He stopped in his tracks and turned to her. “I told you last night I nearly went out of my mind to learn you got hurt. You. Got. Hurt. For me, it’s pretty simple. No matter that you were on a date, he should have been watching. He didn’t and you. Got. Hurt. What if the killer had…?” Spike shook his head, closing his eyes. When he opened his eyes, his blue eyes bore into her with their intensity. “If you’d gotten more than a slap, I wouldn’t have thought twice about doing much worse to Finn.”
Coming up to him, like a moth to a flame, she looked up at him imploringly. “What does that mean, Spike? That feeling…What does it mean?”
Please let it mean that you love me, or are at least falling, she begged him in her mind. Please.
Instead though, he stepped back, running a hand through his hair. “Listen, I’ve got an idea, you want to come with me?”
She frowned, feeling dejected. “Sure. What idea?”
“I want to do a little investigating of my own.”
“Sure,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant. “Where are we going to go?”
“To see a sort of friend of mine.”
“Who?”
“Faith.”
Jealousy flared inside Buffy. “Oh?”
“Yeah, she has her ear to the ground if you know what I mean.”
“How is that?” Buffy asked. “She a snitch?”
“Only for me,” Spike grinned.
“Where is she?”
“Around. She’s a hooker.”