“Okay, I want to know what this is all about and I want to know now! Nobody talks about raping my daughter and just leaves me hanging unless they want me kicking their asses,” Joyce fumed in the direction of the two impassive Gods. “And you better have a good explanation, or else.”
“My dear, Joyce, it’s quite simple, really. I thought you knew about the spell Willow performed on Buffy, Xander, Giles and Spike.” Bendis took it upon herself to talk to the distraught woman.
“The one a year ago when I was away?” Joyce questioned. “I’ve been told some things, but apparently some vital information that the mother doesn’t need to know was conveniently overlooked. And don’t you think I haven’t noticed,” she added looking straight at her daughter’s guilty looking face.
‘I knew why I liked that woman! She could guilt the Slayer into anything, I’d wager. Well, just as long as she’s kept away from axes that is.’ Spike mused to himself.
“My dear, some things were omitted for your own protection. There wasn’t a need to concern you with…” Giles started only to be cut off by Joyce’s death glare.
“You, mister, still owe me presents, dinner and a show“ Joyce accused. “So quit while you’re ahead!”
“Mom,” Buffy began to whine. “Don’t talk about Giles that way, you’re being affected by magic.”
“You,” she spat out, rounding on her daughter, “are not too old to be grounded, young lady, especially now that you’re back under my roof.” Joyce’s tone brooked no argument. “If these people are telling the truth, and as far as I can see they have so far, then the relationship between Rupert and me is something we truly want and not open for discussion.” At Giles’ cocky look, she decided to bring him down a notch. “If, that is, he can get his head out of his ass and do it properly.”
“I promise you, my dear, we’ll discuss this at length and I’m sure we’ll get to a pleasurable understanding,” Giles purred, his voice more in line with Ripper than the reserved Watcher the Scoobies all recognized.
“Ewwww! Moooooom, impressionable teen here!” Dawn felt the need to add, but shut up at her mother’s glare. ‘No way am I getting grounded! Shutting up now.’
‘So the old sod is putting the moves on the Slayer’s mum. Chip or no, if he treats her bad, he’s in for a beating. Ripper looks like a right interesting bloke, though.’ Spike settled in for what looked like more entertainment. He wished he could have a fag, but even the more laid back Joyce and Ripper probably wouldn’t go for it. So, he sprawled more in the chair, a smirk firmly plastered on his face.
“So,” Joyce ignored everyone else’s splutter and directed her best “mom” look on the two Gods, “you were saying?”
“Well,” Bendis took up the challenge, unconcerned at the interrupting outburst, “when that spell was performed, your daughter and Spike were thrown into a union that neither consciously wished at the time. They believed they were engaged to be married, and only Spike’s Victorian upbringing prevented him from taking his wife to bed.”
‘Bugger, these gits know something. At least Joyce and the others didn’t catch on. And that look of gratitude from the Slayer's mum is almost worth it even if they did.’ With that, Spike made a mental note to try and find out more from the two.
“So. it is the Evil Dead we should be putting on trial, not Willow. He was pawing at our Buffster.”
“Oi, I was a bloody gentleman with the chit. Could have had my way with your lily white Slayer then and none ‘f you gits would have been able to say a bloody thing about it, us bein’ engaged and all.” ‘The Whelp seems jealous and belligerent. So, this is what he’s hiding? Doing a piss-poor job at it, he is.’
“Precisely,” Bendis spoke over the angry retorts from Xander directed at Spike, “if Spike would have done what was within his rights to do, none of you would have had a basis to condemn him. So, who would you have blamed for the fact that the Slayer would have had unwanted sex? The other unwilling participant, as much a victim as her, or would the one behind it all have gotten the blame? Knowing you, Spike would have been dusted and Willow would have walked away without a reprimand, at the very least.”
“Hey, that’s…” Xander tried to intervene again only to be cut off.
“And don’t attempt to say that wouldn’t have been the case! You, Xander, tried to actually rape her and nobody called you on it!” Zamolxis just had to add.
“Oh, my God!” Buffy choked out.
Spike vamped out for a moment, fast enough that only a few of those present caught the change, then struggled to regain his composure. ‘Bloody buggering git, he almost what? And me without an invite to his new cave-in-the-wall. He’ll pay for it; I’ll make bloody well sure of it!’
Meanwhile, Joyce leaned across the table, not even thinking about the fact that she was free to get up again, the compulsion to remain in her seat replaced by white hot rage. She grabbed the front of Xander’s shirt and slapped him hard with her other hand. “What did you do? How dare you enter my home after that? Who did you think you were? You had no right! Be glad I don’t have a knife handy!” With each couple of words she said, Joyce slapped a stunned Xander again and again.
Buffy finally caught her mother’s hands getting her off him. “He didn’t manage to do it. I stopped him, mom! He was possessed at the time and he doesn’t even remember it.”
“Actually, that is false.” Bendis stated this looking straight into Xander’s horror-filled eyes. “He was possessed, indeed, but he does remember everything he did.” She moved to hold the shell-shocked Slayer in her gaze and continued. “The Hyena Spirit, not unlike the Vampire Demon that overtakes the human body, did not kill off the personality or desires of the human it inhabited. What it did do was free him from human morality and allowed him to give in to his baser impulses.” At Joyce’s new move to pummel Xander, she raised a hand and spoke again. “That is not to say that Xander’s deepest desire was to rape Buffy, but it does mean that his deepest desire was to bed her nonetheless. The warped sense of right and wrong only made him force past where he would have stopped as himself.”
“But,” Buffy turned accusing eyes on Giles, who had lost almost all his cockiness and was looking very contrite, “you said he didn’t remember. Did you know?”
“I did.” Giles whispered his confession, not even daring to look either Summers’ woman in her eyes. “I knew he remembered his actions, but I considered it to be inconsequential. He was not in control at the time and I made the decision to hide this from you in order to spare you the emotional pain.”
“Both of you need to reassess your relationship to the Slayer.” Zamolxis decided to jump into the fray again to ensure things were going the way he wanted them to. “Giles, you have wronged her, but, to your defense, you actually thought you were doing what was best. Remember your human saying, though: ‘the road to Hell is paved with good intentions’. Make sure you do not fail your Slayer so again. The next mistake might cost you something so great you would be more willing to pay with your life than have it taken from you.” The God looked straight into the shaken Watcher’s eyes.
“You dared try to be with me having this secret about my daughter on your conscience?” Joyce was seething with anger towards her would-be suitor.
“With your help, he could become what he should have been: a helpful father-figure for your daughter. You must help him overcome his training and fulfill his potential. You can ensure he will not fail her again!” Bendis once more tried to diffuse the escalading tension. “As for you,” she continued turning towards Xander again, “there are many things you need to change. Your prejudice against expats, your unwillingness to understand the one you’re sharing a bed with, your unhealthy obsession towards the Slayer.”
“But I have…” Xander was at a loss for words, looking for support amongst his friends and finding none.
“You, Whelp, and you, Watcher, listen closely. This chip will not work forever, we all know this. And even if it does, you hurt the girl again and you WILL learn why I am called Spike, bugger the consequences!” The calm and cold way in which Spike spoke, with a determination that none had truly seen since his unchipped days, chilled the two recipients of his glare to the bone.
Buffy was startled at the hatred she could see burning behind his ice-cold eyes. ‘What does it matter to him? What happened to Spike lately? Oh, the Gods are… No! Spike cannot be like this deep down! Can he?’
“What’s your interest with my daughter’s well being, Spike?” Joyce asked in a soothing voice, the same tone she used on her daughters to catch them when they tried to hide something.
Without thinking, Spike answered, “I love her, mum, and I always protect the ones I love!” As his words registered inside his brain, his eyes widened and he locked gazes with the reeling Slayer. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way, love, but it’s the truth. I’m not asking for anythin’, just that you accept it and let me continue to be there for you. As I told you, love, all we ever did was dance. Well, the dance has led me here and if you could tell me that there may be a chance in the future…” He couldn’t finish his sentence, overwhelmed by his own momentous admission and he mentally cursed at the two Gods responsible for bringing his feelings out in the open. He tried to prepare himself for another rejection, the only thing he could possibly expect from yet another unattainable woman he managed to fall in love with.
The only sound that could be heard for the next few minutes as all eyes were turned to the vampire that had just revealed his hand and heart was Dawn’s muffled squeal. As the tension became uncomfortable, everyone waited for Buffy’s answer and the two Gods exchanged knowing looks. For a brief moment, Willow’s eyes turned black again, but a frown from Bendis froze her in her place, something that didn’t escape Tara’s attention.
Buffy was shell-shocked. Spike’s declaration had come… not out of the blue actually. Looking in retrospect, the signs were there, if one just took the time to look closely. His little speech in the alley after he’d told her of his Slayer kills was just the latest in a series of things pointing in the direction of Spike having fallen for her. The question though, was what was her stance on it?
Had this happened before the Gods came along she could admit she’d probably acted all grossed out and ewey and probably would have done a disinvite from her home.
But would that be the truth or just a sham she’d put on for others? Considering she felt no inclination to do any of those things, the answer was blatantly obvious: it would be acting. Apparently acting was something she had become proficient at. And the god’s weird auras were causing some heavy-duty introspection.
She had to admit to herself how much she enjoyed bantering with Spike, fighting with and against him, his uncanny ability to cut through layers and layers of masks and call one out on the inner workings of one’s brain. He’d used his knowledge to almost bring the Scoobies to their knees for Adam, to cut with his tongue when he was unable to physically fight. In the same position, she’d have done the same.
So what did she feel about him loving her? She could have said he was incapable of love, had the same thing that was preventing her from her usual denial not had the same obvious effect on him. He was truly in love with her, apparently. So what did she feel about it?
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Author's Chapter Notes:
First of all I would like to say that this is the first chapter with OKDeanna as beta. For this I offer her my deepest thanks.
Second of all, Sotia and Carrie have helped me along with writing it. So thanks to them for being so patient as to listen to my rants and reading the first versions.
Other than that... here starts the Spuffyness... I think ;)
Second of all, Sotia and Carrie have helped me along with writing it. So thanks to them for being so patient as to listen to my rants and reading the first versions.
Other than that... here starts the Spuffyness... I think ;)
Chapter End Notes:
Whatever will she say?