Chapter 3:
Melanie stood on the opposite side of Spike’s poorly lit basement apartment as she continued to watch with interest as the souled vampire carefully made his way down the stairs with Buffy holding onto him. She thought the way he gently whispered, ‘Okay, take another step’ and ‘We’re nearly there’ sounded so strange coming from him. Melanie guessed that if Spike had a bedroom voice that this would be what he would use.
“Where should I put her bag?”
Melanie hesitated at first before she asked the question, she felt a little bit guilty every time she interrupted any type of moment between the two of them.
“Next to the bed will be fine Mel.” Spike said as he briefly looked up at the young Slayer before focusing his attention back on Buffy’s slow moving feet traveling down the stairs.
“I have a bag?” Buffy asked quietly, her voice was hoarse from sleep and the drugs.
“We went back to your hotel and collected your things love.”
“How did you know where I was staying?”
“Nurse found your key card in your back pocket when they brought you in.” he explained as they hit the last step down and turned into the living room.
“You didn’t have to do that, I-I could have—“
“I know, I know.” Spike interrupted, “You could done it yourself and take care of yourself …there you go, pet, being all brave and noble again.”
“Give me 24 hours, let the drugs wear off and the bones set, and I’ll be kicking ass in no time.” Buffy argued.
“Is she always this stubborn?” Melanie asked as she turned over the covers of Spike’s bed and clicked on the night table lamp.
“You’re catching her on a good day I think…can’t tell…” Spike answered.
“Hey! I resent that!”
“Of course you do love, you always do. Now let’s get you tucked away.” Spike started to maneuver her towards the bed, Buffy didn’t fight him despite his teasing.
“I’m choosing to ignore the fact that you’re treating me like a baby.”
“Probably for the best…” Spike smiled as he directed her to lie down.
Melanie watched as Spike carefully slipped Buffy’s shoes off and then her socks. She was started to get that uncomfortable feeling again, so she went to fetch Buffy some water across the room in the kitchen sink. As she filled the glass full she glanced behind her shoulder to see Spike rubbing Buffy’s shins and talking to her quietly.
“Do you want me to call Dawn?” Spike asked as he glanced up at the bandage on Buffy’s forehead and down at her damaged limbs.
Buffy paused and briefly thought about how Dawn would physically handle a phone in her Jolly Green Giant hands. She almost laughed out loud at the image of Xander handing Dawn the phone, it seemed that the situation would be something she would watch on a comedy sketch on Saturday Night Live or something.
“Umm…that’s okay…I don’t feel like explaining the whole thing to her just yet…” Buffy used her tired state to her advantage to avoiding telling Spike the long story about Dawn’s fiasco again.
“Alright…” he muttered and looked back to see Melanie come over and sit Buffy a glass of water on the nightstand.
“Doctor wanted her to take painkillers again in another 4 hours.” Melanie explained.
“More drugs?” Buffy whined and thrashed her head back and forth on her pillow in disapproval. Spike smirked down at her, for a girl that didn’t want to be treated like a child she sure was acting like one.
“What’s the matter with drugs? I’m sure some of the guys around the block wouldn’t mind getting there hands on this stuff they gave you.” Melanie shrugged as she picked up Buffy’s small prescription bottle and examined it.
“She just doesn’t like being weak.” Spike explained, “She likes being in control of everything…right love?”
“Will you quit it with the teasing…” Buffy whined and shot him a glare.
“Well I’m off…” Melanie announced, the more time she spend with these duo the more she felt like she was the third wheel. “I’ll be doing her job…” Mel nodded to Buffy, “While you’re on a league of absence.”
Melanie had her hand on the door knob when Buffy nudge Spike to stop her.
“Mel, wait!”
“Ya?”
The young Slayer turned around and watched Spike limp quickly over to her and Buffy sit up in bed. If she didn’t know any better, it looked like Buffy too was going to chase after her.
“No slaying…not here, not in this city with those crazy Slayers lurking about.” Spike ordered.
Melanie looked back at Buffy in bed and saw that she too was anxious for her to not patrol.
“Okay…so what do you want me to do?”
*~*~*~*~*~
After Melanie left with a Spike’s money to get Buffy some food at the store, the blonde duo were alone once again.
“You in much pain?” Spike asked when he came back from the bathroom after putting a few of Buffy’s things away for her.
“Spike, you don’t have to rearrange everything for me to stay…I told you, I’m not going to be here for long.”
“And I told you before that it’s smart to stay here for the time being…” he argued, “Now…the pain?”
“Pain is pain…” she rolled her eyes, “Doesn’t matter what degree of pain I’m in because the fact is that I still have pain.”
“Nice analogy there…” Spike stepped up and stood at the foot of his bed to look down at her, “I know you hate this love—being weak and helpless, relying on someone else for a change, but can you just try to be a little accepting of someone’s help?”
Buffy looked down at her brace on her wrist before meeting his blue eyes, she let out a sigh and muttered, “I don’t have any pain…”
“Good.” He muttered and limped over to the chair he had placed by her bedside.
Buffy watched him struggle to find comfort with his sore leg, “Seems you too are having not such a good day.”
Spike glanced at her before looking at his knee, “It will heal…”
“Want some of my painkillers? I’ll give you the discount price.” Buffy smiled.
“No…” he shook his head with a smile, “You need those much more than I do…”
Once their smiles faded and silence fell upon them, they thought to themselves what should be talked about next. Four years, almost half a decade, went by in a flash and they each were leading different lives…but at the same time they had the same life. They still fought evil; they still liked the rush of a good fight. Sure, Buffy was able to get a few more resources, a few more helping hands with all the other Slayers around the world, but even that had ts setbacks.
“I like your place…” Buffy muttered as her eyes drifted the one room apartment with a small bathroom. It wasn’t decorated or anything but she didn’t expect it to be, her room back in Scotland lacked the personal touch too. “Reminds me of my basement in Sunnydale”
“Ya, thought that too when I moved in.” Spike sighed as he too looked around his place, “The bed is a little less of being a cot than yours, that’s a plus.”
“Mmm…” Buffy nodded and shifted slowly so she was on her side looking at him, having one hand between her head and the pillow. She caught a whiff of some sort of soap that she wasn’t familiar with on the sheets, “It’s not as luscious as your crypt bed…”
Spike gave her a funny glance, “When did you ever sleep in that bed?”
Buffy thought about it for a second and recalled their sexual adventures, “Oh…right…”
She forgot how that bed was not ever used for sleep, well, not for her anyway.
“Well, if you’re comfortable love, I think I’m just going to get some shut eye.” Spike rose to his feet with a grimace and walked over to his couch a few feet away.
“You don’t need to take the couch…you can—“
“I don’t think us in the same bed will work…” he shook his head, interrupting her before she got the invite out.
“Oh…” she sounded a bit disappointed, “It’s not like we haven’t done it before…” she reminded him of their last few nights in Sunnydale.
“I know…but I’ll just take the couch.”
Buffy watched as he sat down to lay back on the dark brown couch, propping one small pillow under his head and closing his eyes. Buffy knew that he knew that she was staring at him from her side of the room, but he didn’t stir or pop an eye open. She too rested back down on her pillow, but with a frown on her face as she closed her eyes, sleep didn’t come quickly.
TBC…