Chapter 4:
Melanie glanced cautiously to the right and then to her left before putting the spoon full of cereal in her mouth and chewing. The tension was too thick, so thick that the young Slayer felt like she was being choked as she sat between the two old warriors.
When she arrived early in the morning at Spike’s place, Melanie noticed that Buffy was up and actively about. She was able to dress herself, make her own bed, and fix herself some cereal without pain. Something that should have been seen as joyous and encouraging didn’t seem so by Spike. The vampire’s mood wasn’t hard to read, he was on the edge of losing his temper. However, Melanie wasn’t exactly sure why until Spike spoke.
“You forgot to take your painkillers when you woke up.”
Melanie’s eyes darted back and forth between Buffy and Spike before resting in the middle of the table. She thought no eye contact with either of them would be a good thing right now.
“I didn’t forget…I’m fine, I don’t need them.”
“Docs orders were to take them ever four hours.”
“Doc doesn’t know I’m the Slayer.” Buffy muttered as she slowly got up from her seat, wincing in the process as she felt a shock of pain on her side.
“You’re in pain…you can’t fool us.”
‘Us?’ Melanie panicked and shifted in her seat, ‘Why did he have to involve me?’
“Well excuse me for knowing my own body and what it can withstand.”
“I know what your body can withstand too…your doing too much too soon.”
Melanie wasn’t sure if she should be hearing this. ‘Was that a comment in reference to their coupling…did he really know what her body can take?’
“Too much is standing up to brush my own hair?” Buffy raised an eyebrow.
“Too much is getting out of bed at all…you were nearly beaten to death.”
“Ya…been there, done that…multiple times…” Buffy turned her back to him so she put her bowl in the sink to wash off.
“Stubborn bloody chit…” Spike muttered to himself in frustration and slammed his left fist down on the table. He rattled the dishes, which in turn rattled Melanie.
The girl jumped to her feet with her bowl and spoon in hand, and walked over to the sink where Buffy stood. She was able to get a good look at the older Slayer’s face as she placed her silverware in the tub. Buffy’s eyes were closed—almost like she sleeping standing up or meditating.
Melanie placed a hand on Buffy’s shoulder to shake her out of her daze before Spike noticed, “You know what I think we should do?”
Buffy whipped her head around to meet Melanie’s hopeful eyes, “Get you some new clothes.”
“Mel, she has clothes.” Spike argued, “Besides—“
“Pshhh…you mean the ones she got beat up in?”
Melanie knew that Spike was about to argue that idea of shopping at time like this was crazy and nonsensical, but she didn’t care. The mood needed to be lightened for all their sake.
“Melanie…I’m not staying long…my clothes now are fine for the time being.”
“What do you mean you’re not staying long?” Spike interrupted.
And once again, Melanie wished she was invisible.
*~*~*~*~
Buffy and Spike’s fight was not as dramatic as Melanie thought it would be. It was a brief argument, one that didn’t need a lot of words. The two were straightforward with each other, telling one another that the other was wrong and not budging by what they believed. In the end, Spike grabbed his leather duster and left—deciding to go for a walk and a smoke.
“Are you really going to leave so soon?” Melanie asked
Buffy, who was checking on her bandages wrapped around her midsection while seated on the couch.
“I can’t stay here forever…my friends need me and will be looking for me.”
“Spike’s your friend, right?”
Buffy stopped repositioning her bandages and looked up at Melanie.
“He was.”
“You don’t consider him a friend anymore?”
“We hardly know each other anymore…you probably know him more than I do.”
“Hardly…” Melanie rolled her eyes, “Spike changes very little over the years…take note of the black attire…”
Buffy smiled and looked down at her lap, the girl had her there.
“He’s not as layered as you think…you can read him like a book…and if you haven’t read his latest entry, it says ‘Buffy please don’t go…please let me help you’.”
“This is not his problem to deal with.” Buffy confessed.
“Any problem concerning you I think is his problem.” Melanie argued as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“I don’t want him to do this again okay…he’s done this before…sacrificed it all for me and in the end he died…”
“He’s a vampire…being dead is his thing.”
“No, I mean dead dead…deader than dead.”
“And yet he’s still here…walking, talking…being stubborn as you in fact.”
Buffy sighed and shook her head, “It would be best for Spike if—“
“Why don’t I decide what’s best for Spike…”
Buffy and Melanie jumped when they saw the man of the hour stand near the door with a rather annoyed expression on his face.
TBC…