Spike pondered over whether he should knock or not. The other alternative was to just kick the door in, but he suspected that the Watcher wouldn’t be too keen on helping them if he did that. Spike had never really liked the prospect of knocking though, especially not with a little blonde Slayer behind him, who was trying to yank her hand from his grasp. If he actually took the time to knock, it was likely that she’d manage to tear away and flee.
Let go of me!
Let me think... No. He glanced at her. Why couldn’t she just shut up and keep still? If I do that, you’ll run off.
No I won’t!
He quirked an eyebrow at her.
I just don’t think we have to do this. The Slayer shifted her weight from one foot to another, then her face lit up. You know, Giles isn’t good with this stuff anyway. All those books he has, they are just for decoration. Oh! And the only reason he became a Watcher, was because his father was one!
Two raised eyebrows. Do you think I’m stupid?
Or maybe it was she who actually was dumb? He sure as hell didn’t like the thought of not being able to talk with anyone except her for the rest of his unlife. So what if the Watcher became furious with her? They had more important things to worry about than an angry man in tweed. Spike raised his hand, knocked and then pushed the girl in front of him. At least the man wouldn’t stake her.
Minutes ticked by. The silence broken only by her thumping heart and the thoughts she now and then couldn’t help but send him. They were so fuzzy though that he couldn’t make out much more than the underlying worry. When at last the door opened, they were faced by a yawning Watcher in a dark purple dressing gown. He saw the girl first and blinked.
”Buffy? Is something wrong?”
Then his gaze landed on Spike and his eyes went wide. It was obvious that his first impulse was to slam the door closed, but just as he gripped the door handle, his eyes landed on the Slayer again. She seemed ready to scramble backwards, probably would have if Spike hadn’t been in the way. She opened her mouth and closed it again. Instead, she slowly pointed first at Spike and herself, then her fingers made a walking gesture towards the inside of the house.
“Buffy, why...?” Giles asked, “What is he doing here?”
She opened her mouth, waving wildly with her hands as she moved her lips. Rupert just looked more and more confused.
Stupid bloody Watcher...
Uh-huh.
“What happened?” Giles asked.
The Slayer nodded furiously and mimicked zipping her mouth close. Spike could see when the last piece of the puzzle fell into place as the man’s eyes lit up.
“You can’t speak,” he stated, “Was it a demon?”
And the prize goes to...
Oh, shut up, Spike! At least he got what I meant.
Spike held up his hands in surrender and the Watcher frowned at him. Still standing in the doorway the man tried to urge the girl inside. She refused and pointed at Spike, who smirked knowingly.
“I’m not inviting him in.”
The Slayer glanced at Giles, her brow furrowed in thought. Spike scowled and stepped forward.
Make him invite me in!
The Watcher took a step back, as if the barrier would suddenly disappear. Buffy quickly placed a hand on Spike’s chest, eyebrows raised. It was clear that she was trying for annoyance, but it was impossible to miss the underlying fear in her eyes. What was she afraid of? The Watcher being angry with her? Well, of course he would be! But sooner or later they would make up and smile and be happy, like white hats always did.
How do you expect that to happen? The words said she was still going for annoyance, but her worried tone betrayed her. Look, maybe I should talk to him alone, I –
No. Bloody. Way.
This ‘thing’ was happening to both of them, and he didn’t trust her to be an honest spokesman. She might blame everything on him or try to sweep it under the carpet, not that he really thought she’d be that stupid but... You could never be sure with this sort of thing. God forbid.. he might wake up with a tail tomorrow.
“Buffy?”
Both startled and swung around to face the Watcher again, who was looking at them with a puzzled expression. The Slayer glanced at Spike for a second, and then turned to the Watcher. She stared into the man’s eyes for a second, before mouthing ‘please’.
You try to explain it then!
C’mon Slayer! Just bloody write something, it’s not that complicated!
So you do it!
She practically threw the notebook and the pen at Spike. How she wished she could yell at him. In the background she heard Giles clear his throat. Loudly.
“Please!” he said, “Something serious has obviously happened, you two should at least try to act like adults.”
The irritation in his voice made her close her eyes. She wasn’t mad at Spike really, and she shouldn’t take her anger out on him. They were both edgy, and she just found it really exhausting hearing him swearing in her head over and over again.
She and Spike were sitting together on the sofa and Giles sat across from them in an armchair. At first there had been close to two feet separating her and her vampire, but as soon as Giles had given her the notebook Spike had somehow drifted closer. OK. When she’d been staring at the blank paper for two minutes he’d told her to ‘give me the sodding book!’ as he attempted to grab it, which had led to the mind-yelling and throwing.
Shaking her head, she glanced at Spike. He had written something down and was now handing the book back to Giles.
It’ll be alright. He was grinning at her, but his eyes had softened. Watcher man will forgive and forget, yeah?
But I promised him I’d never see you again.
You didn’t keep a promise, so what? Everyone –
“Are you two having a conversation right now?”
Buffy flinched, it felt just like she’d been whispering behind Giles’ back. Then she inwardly rolled her eyes at herself; it wasn’t like she could stop thinking.
“Do you think a demon did this?” Giles asked, “Or could it be some kind of spell?”
The vampire shrugged helplessly as response, but grabbed the notebook again and Buffy leaned over his shoulder. She was surprised to see he had a rather nice handwriting. Far more elegant than her own girlish scrawl.
Do you have any ideas? she asked him, even as he just let the pencil rest against the paper and it was obvious that he didn’t.
No. Spike sighed. Alright. Let’s think over what happened tonight.
Okay. She drew in a deep breath and licked her lips. What have we done?
Eh… I came straight from your house to the Bronze. Did you fight something while you were there?
They soon covered what had happened during the night. They hadn’t fought anything other than a fledgling, and it seemed highly unlikely that Owen would be a big bad. During the time she and Spike were discussing, Giles gaze went back and forth between them. She was surprised he was quiet as long as he was.
“Maybe you could think over if something unusal happened tonight,” he said at last, “Did you see any strange demon or person?”
Spike scrawled down a line and held the book up ‘Already did and can’t remember anything’.
“I see,” Giles nodded, “What about the last couple of days, then? Have you two met since Buffy fought the insect demon?”
It felt like she was answering two questions at the time. The one Giles was asking straight out, and the underlying one ‘how many times have you met since I told you Spike was a ruthless killer?’. She shifted in her seat. It was only once, excluding today, and they hadn’t decided to meet up three days ago; it had just happened.
Slayer… you remember that demon outside the mantis woman’s house?
Buffy startled and looked up. Spike’s eyes was sparkling and she nodded slowly. It had been really gross, especially when Spike had gotten that slime all over her face. The demon had been rather strong too, if...
The slime. Spike put the pen against the paper. You see, pet? That has to be it.
But it’s been days! Wouldn’t it affect us before now?
Can you think of anything else?
For a moment they looked at each other, before Buffy yielded. It seemed to be the most logical option. Far better than Owen beeing the great danger.
The pencil had started to move on the paper and soon the pad was back in Giles’ hands.
“Oh, right,” the man said when he’d read, “That’s why you… I’ll look this up immediately.”
Buffy quickly took the book again, scribbled down a line and held it up for her Watcher to see. 'Call my mom?'. She knew her mother would become worried if she wasn’t home soon, if she wasn’t pacing the floor already. Besides, Buffy would be happy if she didn’t have to explain this situation on her own. Hell, she’d probably have to write an essay for her mom in that case.
“Yes, of course.”
Giles stood and walked over to the phone. Slumping back into the sofa Buffy breathed out. The storm was far from over; he had yet to show his disappointment for her breaking her promise. But now when she had time to think rationally, Spike’s reasoning did make sense. Of course they should talk to her Watcher. Besides, this might give Giles a chance to see that the vampire could help them in the good fight. Help them to kill him. It wasn’t like she could count on Giles to stand at her side in the actual, physical fight. For one thing, she would have to worry about him getting hurt, and besides she didn’t even think he’d prove himself very helpful. Not like Spike would anyway.
Good thinking, pet.
Buffy could even hear the pleased smirk in his mental voice. An irritated sigh slipped through her lips as she turned towards him, which did little but let her see the actual smirk too.
I wasn’t supposed to hear that? Sorry. The smirk grew even wider.
Oh shut up! She scowled at him. So what if your reasoning was good? It isn’t like you saved the world… and you would never do that, okay, but maybe…
In the end she just shook her head with a dismissive gesture and got the dubious pleasure of seeing his smirk broaden again. She could almost see the comeback ready on his lips.
Whatever! Let’s listen to Giles instead.
Giles. She’d really expected a different reaction from him. Screaming perhaps, but then again, it really wasn’t like Giles to yell. It was much more possible that she’d be on the receiving end of that look of his. The look that told her how disappointed he was. He would probably talk to her mom about this too. But still, she felt a warm feeling spread in her belly at the thought that he’d put her first. He’d focused on her wellbeing before everything else.
They had talked about putting her first. They had looked her in the eye with all their proper rules and pretty speeches, but only lies had come out of their mouths. They had thought they were almighty. With their white little pills three times a day. White walls that smelt like...
Buffy shuddered and forced herself to calm. Taking a deep breath she sat up straighter, just in time to see Giles put the phone down. She caught Spike looking at her strangely, but the vampire quickly shook his head and turned to her Watcher.
“I should get you home now, Buffy,” Giles said, “I’ll research this and meet up with you in the morning.”
Buffy fumbled after the pencil and the book. 'What did she say?'
“She’s very worried, naturally,” Giles said, “Honestly I’m not sure she completely understood what I told her.”
She seems to be accepting the Slayer-gig though, right, love?
Yeah, Buffy smiled a little. She is really trying to... wait. How do you know that?
Shifting a little, Spike shrugged. I told you I ran into her when I was at your house earlier.
And she told you this?
Well... She invited me in, didn’t she? We had a little chat. She’s a nice lady, your mum.
Buffy frowned. She told you this? Just like that? Was this the same mom who had given her a lecture about never seeing Spike again?
Yeah, surprised me too at first.
But yesterday she said I could never see you again!
“Are you having another conversation?”
Suddenly Buffy noticed her Watcher watching the two of them with a wrinkled brow, as in deep thought. Grinning sheepishly, she mouthed ‘sorry’ and he gave her a gentle smile.
“I suppose it’s understandable,” he said, “Well, Buffy, I better drive you home now... and when I come back I’ll do a spell to disinvite a certain vampire.”
Giles rose to his feet and made a gesture to the door. “Come on, Buffy,” he said, “We should really get going, your mother is worried.”
I’ll see you later, Slayer, yeah? Spike stood and glanced at the Watcher, Looks like we’ve worn out our welcome.
Buffy nodded slowly, unwillingly. The thought of sitting alone in a car with Giles wasn’t very appealing.
As soon as they stepped outside, Spike disappeared into the darkness. For a long moment Buffy stared at the spot where she’d last seen him.
Spike? Even as she sent the thought, she couldn’t help but wonder if their telepathy worked at a distance too. A part of her wished it didn’t. She didn’t like the thought of having someone else... in her mind. But a small voice spoke of the comfort in it. In a way Spike was just a blink away now. If he showed up. But what proof did she have that Spike would help her? Vampire, evil, blah blah.
Yeah?
Patrol tomorrow?
A pause.
What’s your Watcher gonna say about that?
A second pause.
Well... we have to meet anyway, this mind-thing, you know.
Right. Buffy could swear she heard the hint of a smile in his voice. Tomorrow at your house then, love.
Tomorrow.
Spike walked slowly towards the crypt. His crypt. It was the closest thing he’d had to a real home in ages. It was comforting. Maybe because he knew how much Angelus would not have liked the place. It wasn’t very cosy, not even for a creature of darkness. But it was his. His to do with as he pleased. And he felt like putting it in rather good order. He almost chuckled at the thought; he’d never really liked the idea at nesting anywhere before – at least not in Sunnydale. If he ever were to actually start over again, it wouldn’t be here. And it would definitely be after Dru and his Sire were gone. If ever. He sighed, searching in his pocket for a cigarette. As he stuck it between his lips, he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. Spinning around, a very familiar demon suddenly stood before him.
“You,” Spike tried to say, but ended up mouthing the word instead.
The demon grinned.
“It hardly seems fair to have this discussion when you can’t defend your actions, Buffy, but,” Giles drew in a deep breath, “Spike is an evil creature. He is not, and will never become, a... a friend.”
A friend? Of course not! She didn’t see that vampire as a friend, he was just... extra muscle.
“Buffy,” Giles continued, “Have you even thought about.... The possibility that he isn’t feeding is very low.”
Right. That thing she’d chosen to ignore. But would Spike really be so stupid that he would walk around killing people even as he teamed up with the Slayer? Buffy bit her bottom lip. Maybe vamps could feed without killing.
“Bloody hell, Buffy!” Giles suddenly stepped on the accelerator and the old car jumped. “You’re putting the lives of all your loved ones in danger! What about you mother? What if Spike decides to make her his... midnight snack?! Would you ever forgive yourself?!”
Buffy swallowed. No, she wouldn’t.
But she didn’t believe the vampire would harm her family.
TBC