Chapter 13
**
.
Previously:
“Your decision?” the butler politely inquired.
“Easy…” Buffy was stopped before she could complete her sentence by Spike’s firm request.
“Wait.”
**
After Buffy and Spike escorted a now healthy Joyce home, they continued silently on to the Magic Box. While their mouths may have been silent, their thoughts were not.
Buffy’s thoughts bombarded her; why had he told her to wait? Wasn’t it what he wanted? Sure, he’d made the decision to change sides. Hell, he’d willingly offered his own life for her mom’s and that was like the single most amazing thing she’d ever witnessed; she’d even kissed him for it. She’d kissed Spike. Hmmm…let’s try that again. She had actually kissed Spike. Spike! Nope, no guilty voices telling her it was wrong; she’d kissed Spike and she didn’t seem to be having a problem with that. Interesting. Okay, so she’d kissed Spike, didn’t seem to be wigging, he’d stopped her from removing the chip and this wigged her. So, the obvious question here was; why was she not wigged over the Spike kissage?
‘She kissed me’, Spike was in shock. She’d kissed him. Him. Buffy the Vampire Slayer had, by her own choice, kissed William the Bloody. ‘Bloody hell, she kissed me’. What a day, Joyce was safe and Buffy had kissed him. Joyce had hugged him and Buffy had…
‘She kissed me’.
Walking into the Magic Box ensured that both left their inner musings and returned to the matters at hand. Buffy had news to share.
After all the greetings were out of the way, Buffy proceeded to tell the group what had just happened. Her joy at the knowledge that her mother was once again healthy was shared by the rest of them. Spike’s part in the trials was orated and he was lauded with praise and a few well done slaps to the back. His shyness at the praise for his selfless actions further endeared the vampire to them all.
“There is one more thing I have to tell you, but I need to say first that at this point no official decision has been made yet,” Buffy announced, waiting for the total attention of the group before continuing. “They said that they could remove Spike’s chip.”
“What do you mean ‘that no decision has been made yet', Buffy?” Giles asked curiously.
“Yeah, I thought we were all on board with the ‘give the guy a chance’? What’s the deal, Buffy?” Xander crossed his arms and glared at the petite blond. He was not happy. Xander had spent a lot of time the night before thinking about his own treatment of Spike. He had decided to take Penny’s words to heart. If he was going to give the guy a chance then he would do it completely. He had mentally moved the vampire from his enemy group to his friend group…and Xander Harris stood by his friends.
“Oh, no. It’s not like that. Spike wanted to wait,” Buffy quickly clarified.
When all eyes turned to the shy vampire, he kept his eyes on the floor and softly told them what he had been thinking. “I just thought you all deserved to be apart of the decision, is all.”
With his eyes focused on the floor, Spike was unaware of the silent vote taking place. His first indication that something momentous was about to happen came when small, boot covered feet moved into his view.
He slowly lifting his gaze until he was looking directly into the dancing eyes of his slayer.
“Chip’s history,” she blithely announced as she lifted a finger to his forehead and tapped on it. A small blue spark was the only indication that anything had happened. Cautiously lifting his own hand, Spike hesitantly touched a lock of her hair, before quickly giving it a yank.
“OW!” Buffy’s indignation quickly changed to amusement when faced with the innocently boyish grin in front of her. When he picked her up and spun her around, whooping with joy, Buffy wasn’t the only one to join in with his laughter.
Once the laughter died down, everyone resumed their seats and Buffy turned to Penny. “So, Doc, what’s next?”
“Research.” Penny grinned at the now frowning girl and laughed out loud when Xander’s head lightly hit the table. Repeatedly.
“What are we researching?” Giles asked as he indulgently smiled at the antics of the children of his heart.
“A demon in Africa; a demon that grants wishes.” Penny smiled her Mona Lisa smile.
“Why are we looking up a demon that grants wishes?” Willow asked speculatively.
“Sorry, but this time I’m gonna have to let you find that out on your own. You need to come to your own conclusions.” Penny refused to give them any more information. As a champion, Spike would need this, but he also had to come to that decision by himself. His demon would rebel if he thought the choice was not his own.
Grabbing an armful of research books, Giles placed them on the table. The Scoobies went to work.
When the doorbell to the Magic Box rang, they were all hard at work. Lifting their heads in curiosity, none could admit to being surprised at the arrival of Riley Finn.
Spike returned his gaze to the book he was reading, but not before Xander had caught the look of vulnerability that had flashed in his eyes. Picking up his own book, Xander moved around the table to sit next to the vampire, effectively placing his own body between Spike and the ousted ex-soldier.
“You know, I think G.I. Joker is my favourite of your names for him,” Xander casually informed the reading vampire, not particularly caring if his voice carried to the door. Watching Spike smirk, Xander waited for his reply.
Leaning back in his seat, his face a picture of seriousness, Spike offered his own opinion. “I’ve always liked Captain Tiny Tool myself.”
The spluttering, red-faced object of their discussion decided that he should complete his mission before he was drawn into anything else. Speaking loudly, so he could be heard over the laughter, Riley spoke to the subject of his mission. “Buffy, I want you to give me another chance.”
As he finished speaking the front door to the Magic Box again opened and Riley was pushed firmly to the side.
“I’m through playing people. I want my key!” The Hell God had arrived.
Quickly moving in front of the Scoobies, Penny crossed her arms and confronted the intruder. “I’m not your anything.”
“MY KEY!” Glory cried out jubilantly. Her joy soon faded as she realised that she couldn’t touch the woman in front of her. Her cries of jubilation quickly changed to ones of frustrated rage.
“What are you talking about? You can’t be what she’s looking for, you only got here yesterday,” Riley griped, oblivious to the pandemonium he was unleashing.
Grabbing Riley by the throat, Glory looked back at the others, once again feeling the power of her Godhood. “I want answers and I want them now! No answers and I’ll snap his neck like a twig.”
“You could, but then I’d just do the same thing to Ben.” Penny smiled smugly at the God.
“How do you know about…” the bottle blond gasped.
“I know a lot of stuff. Just like I know who and whom not to trust. You don’t honestly think I’d tell an idiot like that my secrets, do you?” Penny openly laughed at the God.
Glory’s fury at being laughed at had her tossing Riley aside. “You can’t laugh at me, I’m a God!”
“Well now you get to prove that,” Penny informed her. “If you can solve the riddle that is me, you can have me, but if you hurt any humans, I will pay a visit to Ben.” Leaning close to her, Penny made sure the woman understood what she was saying. “Leave, Glorificus. If you return to this place or these people, I will introduce Ben to the same sort of pain that you have inflicted on others. Your time will be short if you harm one more person.”
Penny just watched as the fuming Hell God left.
“You sooo remind me of the Spike I first met.” Buffy grinned at Penny in appreciation. Looking down at Riley, Buffy’s expression changed to one of mock scolding. “But, gotta say I’m not so impressed with your clean up skills. You forgot to throw out the garbage.”
Penny smiled, opened the door and hauled Riley out.
Before the group could get very far into their discussion on the confrontation with Glory, the front door once again opened. Most of the group rolled their eyes at Riley’s persistence. Most of the group refused to even acknowledge his entrance. Xander was the exception.
“Well, well, well. Came all this way just to be staked by a Scooby, did ya, deadboy?”