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Chapter 13

“Buffy, it was a pleasant surprise to see Spike at the hospital today.”

“You think so?” Buffy asked, drumming her fingers against the dining room table.

“You need someone right now, Buffy. With Riley gone and—sweetheart, I’ve noticed you haven’t been leaning on your friends as much as you used to, perhaps Spike can fill that void.”

As she continued to move her fingers, Buffy refused to think of Spike filling any of her voids.

“You must like him.”

Her fingers froze. “I must? Why must I? Mom, he’s a vampire.”

“He seems like more than just a vampire to me. He’s funny and charming. You know, I find his personality much more pleasant than Angel’s.”

“Mom!”

“Well, it’s true,” Joyce shrugged. “I had a bad feeling about Angel from the moment I met him.”

“Yeah, and you hit Spike over the head when you first met him. But of course later on you had hot chocolate with the guy and talked about his problems with women…” Buffy rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t muster up a scowl. She grabbed a napkin from in front of the pizza box and wove it between her fingers. “You really think he’s okay? I mean, he’s the kind of guy you’d approve of…for me?”

“From what I’ve gathered, he’s strong enough to fight with you and protect you. He cares about you and he is very handsome. If he looked a few years older, I wouldn’t mind--.”

“Mom!”

Joyce snickered. She leaned forward in her chair and placed a hand on Buffy’s forearm. “I think he’s a keeper. Haven’t you seen him with your sister?”

She inhaled deeply and grimaced as she exhaled. “Mom, Spike’s kinda smitten with me. He likes Dawn too, but… He thinks he’s in love with me.”

“Oh, Buffy, that’s--.”

“Don’t even say it,” she interrupted, hearing the ‘awww’ build in her mother’s voice. She looked down as a blush colored her cheeks. “He’s just really intense. I don’t know if I can handle that intensity right now…or ever.”

“Oh, Buffy. My little girl…”

“What?” she asked, still embarrassed, not sure how to react as her mom’s voice practically gushed with warmth. “Mom, please. Don’t be like Dawn about this. I need words of wisdom. I need--.”

“He’s running late,” Dawn announced. She walked into the dining room and her eyes never left her cell phone. “He says to start without him so the pizza won’t get colder than it already is.”

“Are you texting him?”

“Uh huh.”

“Where is he?”

“Running an errand,” Dawn replied with a little giggle, still reading the screen on her phone.

“Is that all?” Buffy asked. “Why is he running an errand now? He should’ve been here two hours ago.”

“Like I know?” She giggled again before saying, “Oh, Spike. So, so lame.”

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.”

“Dawn--.”

“He’ll be here soon, honey. Then you’ll have him all to yourself. For now, let your sister have her fun.” Buffy eyes bugged out and her mother just laughed and patted her hand. “Help me set the table. You get the drinks, I’ll get the paper plates.”
***

Whether anyone would believe it or not, Spike had experienced a wide array of feelings and emotions before he’d crashed his way into the Hellmouth. Even as a soulless vampire without a sturdy moral compass, he wasn’t a stranger to such things as guilt and paranoia. However, being near his Slayer made those sentiments a hell of a lot more potent.

Over the past few days, he had felt like pinching himself periodically because everything was going so unbelievably well. Buffy was coming around. She didn’t find him repulsive. Their kisses were considered so ‘nice’ she felt like pouncing on him every time he turned around. He had even shared an intimate moment with her family. He was running late for a dinner date at her house…

But all the delicate progress they’d made could crumble at any minute. Especially once the Slayer found out he didn’t quite live up to the innocent victim role he’d played on Tuesday night. She might have mercy on him after learning the finer details, but he probably wouldn’t have the time to get them aired out before she zeroed-in on the trickery and withheld information, and tried to stake him.

As much as he’d love to point fingers, all the blame would bounce back on him. About a week ago, his brain had been practically pickled in alcohol, aching from too much exposure to Harmony. His heart had been bursting with unrequited love for the Slayer. And his mouth had run off so much that a new friend from the local demon bar had offered to find him a solution to his problems.

The guy had said something along the lines of, “You want your girlfriend out of the picture and attention from the Slayer? Bring Harmony here. I’ll talk to her, but then you’ll owe me one.”

Spike had tried to get an inkling of what the guy had up his sleeve, but there was only so much he could’ve done utterly smashed. While inebriated, he might’ve mentioned Dawn telling him that Buffy preferred Riley all ‘helpless’ and ‘puppy-like’, but Spike never thought the guy would come up with Tuesday’s fight night. And the human-lackey bit? That was just cold, but who could he complain to? No one, and definitely not Buffy. His sweet Slayer actually thought Harm was the only mastermind behind the scheme…of course he hadn’t given her a reason to think otherwise.

But he really, really didn’t want her to know all the sordid details. He figured that was where his soullessness kicked in. He wanted to sweep his fibs under the rug, cut off all loose ends, and just enjoy his new and improved Buffy. For someone who claimed to barely tolerate him, she’d shown him so much enthusiasm; it made his knees quake just thinking about it. If he could keep her happy and comfortable, she’d like him thoroughly at some point, and then, he wagered, she’d erupt like a tiny eager volcano and she’d direct all her fiery hot passion his way.

All he had to do was get rid of one human-shaped loose end. The guy had seemed mostly human through Spike’s beer goggles. He had been elderly and balding. He had worn glasses. He probably just wanted money or someone dead. Hell, if he needed a demon exterminated, maybe the Slayer could tag along. They could make another date out of it.

And now Spike had entered the demon bar after receiving a call from the guy. He’d taken a seat, ordered a drink and chatted with Buffy’s sister via text message with every intention of learning exactly what the guy wanted from him, handing it over, and never looking back.

“Think it took you long enough?” Spike demanded, finally seeing him over two hours into his wait. “I told you I had somewhere to be.”

The man just blinked and it caused Spike to do the same. His eyelids didn’t touch, instead membranes appeared at the corner of the man’s eyes and they met at the middle.

“Oh! I saw that trick on the Discovery Channel! Wait, don’t tell me!” Spike rose up his pointer finger and bobbed it at the guy’s nose. “Bird, shark or is it reptile? Only those animals do that.” He mimicked the sideways blinking with his thumb and forefinger. “Can’t believe I didn’t notice it before.”

“How was your big night? Did everything go according to plan?”

“You mean the plan where you and my ex sent fucking humans after me?” When he just nodded, oblivious to Spike’s glare, Spike glared some more. “Look here, mate, you’re very very lucky that I’ve got my girl waiting, or I’d--.”

“The Slayer pays the most attention to you when you’re vulnerable, you said so yourself. It made perfect sense to make you appear more weak and pathetic than you already are.”

“Weak? Pathetic? I’ll show you weak and pathetic, you sodding little—I can kill demons, pops! I’d watch your tongue if you know what’s good for—.” Before he could finish, the man opened his mouth and Spike fell to the floor, knocked flat by a long, forked reptilian tongue.

“I don’t have time for you either, Spike.”

“What the—what the hell are you?”

“You may call me Doc.”

“Right,” Spike hissed, looking down at his ripped shirt and bloody chest. Doc’s tongue had cut through layers of his skin. “So, eh, what can I do for you, Doc? What will make us even?”

“I wasn’t going to make this easy on you. I had something very…messy in mind. Have you ever heard of a Gora demon?”

“Aren’t they local?”

“They are. I was looking to acquire a few of their eggs, directly from the nest. The Gora, she wouldn’t have been happy about that.”

“Lucky me. What do you actually want? Listen, I don’t have all night to--.”

“The Slayer has the Key. I want it.”

“Okay… and what key is this?”

“She’s keeping it hidden from Her Splendidness.”

“I’m sure she is…bloody nutter,” Spike mumbled, getting to his feet. “So, that’s all you want? A key? Not a life’s worth of smokes or a wad of cash? You don’t have a lizard or iguana-type cousin you want me to snuff under my boot?”

Doc opened his mouth again and Spike held up a hand instantly in defense. “Hey!” he yelled. Not only did the tongue slice into his palm, but it also cut into the side of his face. “Watch it! I’ll get it, but I need some more information! It’s a key, but—hey, this wouldn’t be about that Glory, right?”

“She will not be named! Not by a bottom-feeder like you!”

Before Doc could assault him further with his nasty tongue, Spike punched the man’s mouth, snapping his head to the side. “Lay off! If you want your bloody key, keep the trap shut, man! When do you want this thing by? How much time do I got?”

“Her Splendidness will be coming for her. Then your Slayer will be dead.”

“When?” Spike demanded.

“Soon,” was the only answer Doc gave.

“And her Splendidness is…? Clearly, you’re taken with the bird. We haven’t met. How will I know when I see her?”

“She’s…Glorificus. She’s my Goddess.”

“A god? Well, that’s new.”

“She must have the Key!”

“Why’s that?” Spike asked, only to have Doc lunge at him. Moving quickly, Spike managed to dodge his razor-sharp tongue. He lifted Doc up by his old-man trousers and tossed him behind the bar. “Right, that’d be too easy. I’ll just be on my way.”

“She must have the Key!”

“Overzealous religious lizard,” Spike grumbled, wiping at the blood on his face. He looked at the wound on his chest and sighed. “And how am I going to explain all this to my Slayer?”
***





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