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I know i'm a week late.....last weekend my computer decided it didn't feel like connecting to the internet and the last 10 days have just been horrible for me health-wise and so I haven't gotten the update up for you--I'm sorry :(
Chapter 51

“I’m going to make this as painful as fucking possible,” Riley hissed at Spike as he led him into the designated operating room. “I won’t kill you for Buffy’s sake, but I am going to be sure you leave here in a great deal of pain.”

“Always did have a bit of an inferiority complex; never did like me having what you didn’t.”

“You’ve never had something I wanted, vampire.”

“Have Buffy,” he said simply. “You thought I did then and I do now, must be fun for you.”

“Shut up, Spike.”

“Make me,” he knew it was a dangerous statement to make, but even if the ponce hit him now, Spike would be able to hit him back in just a matter of minutes. He figured he’d be able to get by on one punch if he came back with evidence he’d received one of his own.

Spike took the hit straight on, his cheek and around his eye already throbbing just seconds later. Harder Soldier Boy hit him, harder he could hit Soldier Boy. Simple matter of reasoning.

‘Sides, they were about to cut upon his skull, what was Iowa’s fist compared to that?

“Thank you,” Spike said very simply, not a hint of sarcasm anywhere to be found. Riley just looked at him in extreme confusion. “Mind getting a move on? I’ve a got a girl to get back to if you don’t mind.”

Oh how Riley wanted to hit him again. But he knew that no matter how much he might want to wait hours just to keep Spike anxious, he needed to get this done as quickly as possible; for Buffy’s sake.

If it were just Spike he would wait for—actually, he wouldn’t be doing this at all if it were only for Spike. If this were all for Spike, have staked the undead menace ages ago. For Buffy, though, he would do anything—including dechipping Spike. Maybe then she would see what Spike was really like and she would finally realize that someone like him—who loved her—was worth more than a try. Maybe





Spike was settled face down on the operating table, had been for about twenty minutes, and he was very busy wishing that he had something to distract him. Anesthesia. A bottle of Jack. Buffy. A naked Buffy. A fucking sledgehammer to the head.

Anything.

Sure having his brain cut open with him just lying there aware of every sound, ever burst of pain, wasn’t going to kill, but it didn’t mean it didn’t still hurt like a mother. His only solace was imaging the hit he was going to deliver to Riley’s nose—or maybe his eye—and the pain that that would not bring him. And that he was going to see Buffy again. Again and for a very long time to come.

His girl was going to be okay; and as long as that held true he could put up with anything.

Even Soldier boy and the mad scientist up there cutting into his skull with what he thought to be rather blunt instruments.



Riley was this close to jabbing the knife they’d used on Spike’s head straight into the vampire’s back. He was sure that by now, with the torture—and that’s what it was, torture—they were inflicting on the vampire that he would have been howling in pain by now. He should have known better.

This was Spike; Spike who was never going to let Riley one up him. As long as he knew any sign of discomfort, distress or God forbid, pain would bring the soldier pleasure, Spike was not going to make a sound.

God how Riley hated him.

If only he could think of a way to explain a metal object protruding from Spike’s shoulder to Buffy…




Buffy was starting to go get anxious; Riley and Spike had been gone for over forty minutes now and the longer they were gone the more she worried about what they would do to each other. She trusted Spike not to do anything too stupid, knowing he wouldn’t want to let her down like that—but she didn’t know how the situation would be changed by Riley’s presence.

And she wasn’t sure just how much she trusted Riley.

Funny how that was the way things are, logically it should have been the reverse given that Riley had been her boyfriend and Spike was her formal mortal enemy.

Oh how things changed.



The last stitch was now in Spike’s head and Spike still hadn’t made a single indication that he was in pain. It was seriously pissing Riley off.

“All done yet?” Spike wondered, trying to keep the pain from showing in his voice.

“As soon as you even bite someone I’m going to kill you,” Riley assured him. “I don’t even care if they die-or if they’re even hurt at all—I will get rid of you, vampire.”

“Good for you—now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got one last thing to do then I’m off to see my girl.”

Riley literally ached to correct him, to tell him that Buffy was not his girl…but the fact was that she did seem to be.

“I swear that if you hurt her—“

“Believe I’ve got it, Box Boy—now, mind if I get up?”

Riley again was at a loss for a viable objection so he merely stood back as Spike rose from the operating table, wobbling only for a matter of seconds when he finally made it to his feet.

“You know, I think I should try this new thing out. Or lack of thing, I guess I should say.” Riley didn’t even have time to figure out what Spike was talking about before Spike had decked him and was striding out of the room.



“Buffy!” Riley came storming into the hospital room just seconds after Spike had entered, “You have to stake him!”

Buffy ignored Spike’s indignant snort and calmly asked Riley why.

“He’s only had the chip out for a few seconds and he’s already hit me! He’s violent, Buffy! He’s dangerous!”

“He just hit you? Just now?”

Riley just motioned dramatically at the quickly forming bruise along his cheekbone.

Not giving Buffy the chance to ask any other questions—or Riley to say anything more, Spike jumped in front of Buffy, much the way Riley had, and motioned in an even more exaggerated manner at the bruise on his own face.

”But Buffy,” he whined, “he hit me first!”

“That’s not—It doesn’t—He’s jus—“ Riley sputtered, trying to find an explanation, once again unable to find the words.

“Spike,” Buffy said slowly and for once in the last hour, Riley was pleased, sure he had finally won something.

“Oh come on, kitten. You know he was asking for it. ‘Sides, he did hit me first.”

“You made me,” Riley countered, sounding very petulant.

“Spike,” Buffy said again slowly, a warning in her voice.

“You know I’m not going to do it again. He really was asking for it and I’ve been waiting to do it for years—you really can’t stake me for a one time thing. Can you?” he asked, finally sounding worried.

“Of course she can—you’re a dangerous animal and you’ve just proven it.”

“Buffy?” Spike asked quietly.

“No, Spike, I won’t. As long as you promise me you’re not going to go back to biting people, I—“

“Are you crazy, Buffy? How can you take him at his word? He’s not even a man; he’s a—“

“Don’t even start with me, Riley. Spike is more of a man than you or any of the other males in my life have proven to be. He’s been here; can you say that?”

“You know why I had to leave, Buffy. I would have been back if you’d just asked, me. You know that.”

“First of all, I didn’t want you back anyway Riley—you left me, why would I want you here when you didn’t want to be? And no, I didn’t actually know that.”

“Buffy.” Riley didn’t think he’d ever been at a loss for words more than he had been that night.

“Relationships end, Riley. People break up. It happens. What we had is over and done with, nothing’s going to change that. You don’t have to like Spike; I don’t expect you to. But you can’t kill him, you can’t kidnap him; just leave him alone. Move on, Riley. What we had is over and done with,” she repeated. “This is my life—you don’t have to be happy with it; I am and that’s all that matters.”



TBC……..





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