How in hell had this happened?
Spike stared down at the dead demon. This fight had been much easier than the first, when he and the Slayer had been attacked by it. Probably because he’d had surprise on his side this time round. Why was it he’d had that? The demon had looked Spike in the eye, waiting... and he’d leapt upon it, of course. A minute later, its neck was snapped. Spike blinked. He’d hoped for some kind of... revelation. A bang and then the return of his voice would have been good. But nothing. He really hoped they wouldn’t need the demon’s lungs (if it even had a pair) or something, to break this... whatever it was. Deciding he couldn’t do anything about it if that was the case, Spike returned on his path back to the crypt. Growling silently, Spike threw one last glance over his shoulder at the body.
Stupid, fucking demon.
Her mom hugged her when she stepped into the house, and held on for so long that breathing became an issue, even for the Slayer. Gently prying her mother’s arms away, Buffy gasped after air for a second, before smiling.
“Sorry, honey,” Joyce said, stroking Buffy’s hair and pressing a kiss against her temple, “I was just so worried about you.”
It was close to a minute before she at last turned to Giles, who was standing in the door way.
“Mr Giles,” she said, “Thank you for driving Buffy home.”
“It was really no problem,” Giles said.
Buffy stood tense. Waiting for her Watcher to explain... say something. For a long moment the two adults eyed each other, and Buffy could just imagine what they were thinking. Giles was probably pondering over a polite way to tell her mom to stay the hell away from Spike, and her mother... probably wanted answers, if she hadn’t already gotten them over the phone. Finally her mom made a gesture towards the open door.
“Well, Mr Giles,” she said, “I’d invite you in, but it’s very late and I have to work tomorrow... unless of course, if you know something new about this... condition of Buffy’s...”
“No, unfortunately not,” Giles said, “And I really wasn’t expecting you to invite me in at so late an hour.” He drew in a deep breath. “I just want to ask if you have invited a man who calls himself Spike into the house?”
Buffy closed her eyes. They had discussed the matter of the vampire the whole drive over. Or rather; Giles had discussed and she’d tried to look like she was listening. When he’d reached the point at ‘vampires are evil’ for the second time, she’d given up all pretence. Luckily Giles spent most of his talking watching the road, and it was dark in the car. Besides, it wasn’t like he expected any response.
“Actually, I enjoyed a conversation with the young man this very evening,” Joyce said, smiling dreamily, “Why do you ask?”
Why is she smiling like that? Buffy stared at her mother.
“You do know he’s a vampire?” Giles asked, as he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and took of his glasses.
Joyce paled. “What?” Hastily, she turned to Buffy. “Did you know this?”
Buffy gulped and nodded. God, what wouldn’t she do to have her voice back now. To be able to say... anything.
“I... is he dangerous?” Joyce asked, fixing her eyes upon her daughter.
For a moment Buffy hesitated, then she slowly shook her head. No, she definitely didn’t think Spike would harm Joyce. Not so long as he wanted help to get his revenge. But the word ‘dangerous’ covered people in general, and that kind of thought she refused to dwell upon.
“Mrs Summers,” Giles said, “I think you should be very careful with Spike.”
So it was time again.
Spike sighed, scratching his chest with his left hand. Wait. Chest. Bare chest. Now the Powers thought it was bloody funny to show him off half naked?
And there she was. Face hidden in shadow, tiny hands clasped as in prayer. She’d her eyes closed, head tilted back a fraction. But she knew he was there, Spike was sure. It still didn’t feel right to disturb her. Instead he sank down on the ground, taking in the surroundings as he leaned back against a wall. They were in Sunnydale, no doubt. He’d recognize this town’s smell anywhere. This was an alley; the alley he’d killed the blue-haired boy in. The body still lay sprawled on the ground. Strange. The police was usually good at cleaning up the signs after the sober natural creatures and any unexplained happenings.
“She is going to find out, you know.”
Spike didn’t startle at the words. Didn’t look at her. The boy’s eyes were wide open, but empty; there was no longer a gaze in them. His skin was so white, even paler than Spike’s own. Funny how the humans’ lives could just spill out with their blood. Beside him, the female tittered with a hand over her mouth. At least he assumed it was her mouth.
“Your thoughts are weird,” she said, then all laughter abruptly died out and she tilted her head to the side, “But you know all about that, don’t you?”
“All about what?”
“Reading thoughts.”
What was she going about? Just because he and Buffy communicated with their thoughts at the moment, didn’t make him some sort of expert in the subject. Maybe she just wanted to tell that she knew what had happened to him, but what was the point of that?
“Yes.”
“Stop that!” Spike growled.
“Why?” She looked genuine confused. “You get to read her thoughts, it’s only fair that I get to listen to yours.”
First now she unclasped her hands and stood, slowly making her way over to him. A small finger came up to graze Spike’s cheekbone.
“This,” she said, knocking on her temple with her free hand, “is all going to lead to an explosion and then... she’ll know.”
“Know what? That I killed blue boy over there,” Spike snorted, “Like I give a damn.”
She leaned closer, so close he could feel her cool breath against his face. “She is going to rock your world, William,” she whispered, “You should ensure that you rock hers first.”
Angelus and Drusilla. The revenge. Why wasn’t she talking about that? She’d said she’d guide him. Or had she? Spike couldn’t remember. Maybe she’d been fooling him all along. Roughly, Spike pushed her away and rose.
“They can’t be your priority until she has risen.”
“Risen, what do you mean risen?”
She started to faint and he grabbed her forearm.
“Wait! Last time, you were trying to tell me something.”
“Oh. I thought you’d fuck something up, but you didn’t.”
And she was gone.
Afterwards, Joyce came into Buffy’s room, sitting down on the bed. Giles had left a while ago, hurrying away to do that disinvite.
“Sweetheart,” her mom said, “This must be terrible for you.”
Buffy just shrugged; right now it felt like she’d more important things to worry over than her inability to speak. Like why her mom suddenly acted all friendly with the vampire she’d forbidden Buffy to see.
Reaching over, she took the pad her mom had placed on the nightstand. Hastily, she scribbled down a line. ‘Why did you invite Spike in?’.
“It seems a little... strange, doesn’t it?” Joyce smiled a little. “Especially after forbidding you to see him.”
Buffy nodded, sitting up in bed, and her mom sighed.
“I overreacted, Buffy,” she said, “First you were in that institution and then you got kidnapped... you can hardly blame me for being overprotective.” Buffy had to give her that, and she offered a small grin. “Then you refuse to see your counsellor again and suddenly I find out that all your talk about... vampires and such, is true.”
Mom’s eyes were suddenly glittering of tears. She let out a deep breath and glanced away for a second, before taking Buffy’s hand.
“I didn’t take it very well, as you know,” Joyce said, “And I think I, well, thought everyone was trying to hurt my baby.”
Buffy took the pen again. ‘Spike is everyone?’. Joyce gave a small laugh.
“I still don’t like that you spend time with him,” she said, “Beside the... vampire aspect, I don’t like the thought of you spending time with the man... eh vampire, who saved you.”
Strangely enough, Buffy wouldn’t be surprised if Joyce invited Spike in again if he showed up. Not ‘if’, she thought, ‘when’. Still, she could tell her mom was wigged about the whole ‘Spike is a vampire’- thing.
”Well, Mr Giles, do you think he’d hurt us?” her mother asked, “He certinly didn’t act like a.... a killer when I spoke to him this evening.”
“Mrs Summers, vampires are very impulsive beings,” Giles said. “They can seem perfectly normal one second, and attack you the next. All to serve their own selfish reasons.”
What was he talking about? Buffy knew vampires were impulsive, but that was mostly fledglings. So, Spike planning his revenge was impulsive?
“Really?” Joyce said, glancing at her daughter, “I really didn’t get that impression of... but I suppose you know best.”
But as her mom looked at Buffy, she could still see the flicker of doubt in the older woman’s eyes.
“I did believe vampires were a little less... civilized.”
‘Most of them are’ Buffy wrote, ‘Usually they just lunge for your neck’. She ended her writing with a big yawn. This conversation wasn’t over. Buffy didn’t even want to think of how many more ‘Slayer talks’ that lay ahead of her. But for now, her mother ended the chat and kissed her on the cheek.
Spike rolled onto his back and groaned. Or rather he rolled over on his back and opened his mouth. Sighing, he put a hand over his eyes. Somehow, he’d hoped yesterday had been a dream and that he’d wake himself up by his own snoring. Not that he did snore, at least he’d never had anyone complaining about it... what wouldn’t he do for a some snoring right now? He hadn’t slept very well. On top of all this, that sodding bitch kept showing up. The least she could do was giving him messages that made sense.
Slowly he sat up on the sarcophagus. Why had he woken up in the first place? The sun was sneaking its way in through a slit by the door and should have lulled him into a deeper slumber.
Spike?
He jumped up, scanning the place for intruders. Then he remembered.
What, Slayer?
You don’t have to be so irritable, Her voice sounded ridiculously chipper and Spike wondered what she could possibly have to be happy about at this time of day. I thought you’d like to know what Giles found.
Did you wake me up?
I might’ve... Don’t you wanna know what he said?
Spike decided to shut up about his lack of sleep and hopped onto the sarcophagus again. He really hoped the reason for her perky tone was because the Watcher had solved their problem.
It is! the girl exclaimed, Giles said all we have to do is kill the demon and –
Already done. Ran into the ugly bugger last night and took him down.
Really?
Yep.
Great!
Now Spike couldn’t fight a grin. He never thought he’d heard her this happy. It suited her. She sounded so carefree... like a girl.
Giles said all it needs is to reach its breaking point and then it’ll go away.
Its breaking point? That didn’t sound good.
I dunno exactly what he meant. He could almost see her shrug. Something about this sharing thoughts thing going as far as it can.
As far as it could go? Why didn’t this seem as simple as it sounded?
He didn’t say what this... breaking point... might be?
Actually, he wasn’t sure. The book wasn’t that specific, but it can’t be too bad, right?
Right.
Spike didn’t really think everything would be that simple.
They didn’t speak more during the day; still she was always a presence in his mind. Even though he didn’t get any thoughts from her, she was... there. And he did not like it. He wished that bloody breaking point the Watcher had spoken about would come soon. He just wanted her... gone. It felt like having a visitor inside his head who he couldn’t get rid off. What if he thought the wrong thought and happened to send it to her by mistake? What if it led to her believing him to be even less trustworthy? And what was it that bitch in his dream had babbled about, ‘she is going to find out’? There was no doubt she meant the Slayer, but did the female mean the kill of that boy specifically or all the kills Spike had ever done? And if the Slayer found out, would she ever accept it? Spike sighed, before picking up a small stone and throwing it at the Slayer’s window.
She appeared in an instant, meeting his eyes for a brief second before opening the window and climbing out.
Hey. She greeted, a small smile accompanying the word. Ready?
She was actually bouncing, eyes twinkling of undisguised mirth and the energy was practically sparking off her. What reason in the world did she have to be so happy? Had she forgotten that they were waiting for the ‘breaking point’?
Nope, Her smile grew even wider. Happiness reasons are that this mind thing is going away and Mom and I had a good talk yesterday.
Sorry to burst your bubble, kitten, but these things always have consequences. He started to walk. This bloody breaking point your Watcher talked about... you never know what it is.
Spike almost regretted his words when all light in her eyes abruptly died. Her shoulders slumped, she hugged her arms around herself and she was again the girl he’d started getting to know these last weeks.
I know. Her voice was so low he barely heard her. I’m no that naïve, Spike, it just... it feels like forever since things at least seemed this good.
Hey, He hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder. What about your mum, then? Not a reason to be happy?
That brought back a hint of the smile back to her lips. But next moment her brow was suddenly wrinkling, before she glanced at him and her cheeks reddened slightly.
You don’t... like my mom, do you?
Like as in...
Like as in likeher.
It took him a moment to work out what exactly she meant, but then he shook his head rapidly.
God no – definitely not. He couldn’t help but grin a little. You’re worried mum is harbouring a crush on me?
No! Maybe. Do you think she is?
Spike opened his mouth in a silent chuckle and received a slap on his shoulder.
Don’t make fun of me.
He’d expected her tone to be a whining girl’s, but instead it was so calm he barely registered the underlying hurt.
I’m not, pet, really, But he couldn’t fight the return of his grin. And no, your mum definitely doesn’t look at me that way.
The thought of Joyce feeling... it was hilarious. The way she’d patted his hand and smiled, he suspected her feelings leaned more towards the motherly kind. When he saw the relieved look on the Slayer’s face, he had to bite back a new laughter.
They walked the rest of the way in silence. As they reached the first cemetery for the night, the Slayer took the lead. She didn’t walk in front of him as such, but Spike still didn’t doubt that he was the one following her. It didn’t bother him; rather he was quite pleased. The Slayer should never cede to anyone.
They hadn’t even seen a fledgling the high-pitched scream rang through the air. For a brief second their gazes clashed, then she took off and he followed without a second thought.
They were just in time to see Angelus let the dead girl slip from his grip to the ground. Dru was glued to the vampire’s side, licking her bloodstained lips.
Angelus smirked.
“Well, well, aren’t you a sight to behold?”
TBC