Chapter Five: Revelations
The Summers residence seems odd all closed off, with all the curtains drawn closed to allow Spike the freedom to move around the house while Buffy and Dawn are at the school. Willow's home of course, working through her fears of being home and dealing with the fact Spike has sort of taken up residence in the house. She's not entirely sure what she thinks of it, but she's decided she doesn't have a whole lot of room to point out all of his mistakes when she's made ones that in her mind are even bigger than his and she was forgiven pretty instantly.
Willow is sitting down on the sofa in the living room watching some chick movie on Lifetime but not really paying it any mind. Her mind is actually on the overly blond vampire who seems to be actually hiding upstairs in the guest room, which she supposes is actually his now if any of them can admit it. She's been watching the interaction between Buffy and Spike since she's been home and even she can see a difference between them. It's been near impossible to keep the secret from Xander, especially for her but she understands Buffy's desire to tell him herself when she has a better grasp of why she's even allowing it.
She shifts her position leaning forward and staring at the TV across from her but not really seeing it as something registers in her head. She cares about him... She thinks, realizing that's the whole reason Buffy's been so hell bent on not allowing him to go back and stay in his own crypt. She heard them the first night she was home, only bits and pieces of course, but enough to know that the almighty vampire slayer had been in fact comforting a vampire that night. She had been comforting a vampire that wasn't Angel. Of course in thinking back on the years with Angel Buffy had done a lot of things with Angel but comforting wasn't really one of them.
She pushes herself up from the couch heading towards the stairs to go and have a talk with the big bad himself only to be stopped as the sound of the phone crying out in the kitchen. She rolls her eyes and changes her course, rounding the corner into the kitchen she picks up the receiver in one fluid motion putting it to her ear only to hear two male voices already involved in conversation. Her eyes widen slightly as she recognizes the voice not belonging to Spike is Angel's. She quietly sets the receiver back in its place before walking back into the living room to her movie to give him time to finish the call before going up to see him.
She's not even been back on the sofa for five minutes when Spike comes tearing downstairs with his usual wool blanket for hiding from the sunlight heading straight for the front door. She's up instantly reaching the front door just as his hand reaches the knob. “Where is it you think you're going?”
“Away,” He answers her without meeting her gaze, his voice thick with the emotions he's trying so desperately to hide even from himself.
“You realize if you do that she's going to kick both our asses’ right?”
“She'll get over it, Red. The Poof is right; I was a fool to let her talk me into being here.”
“What exactly did he say to you?”
“Bit contradictory really, that I've no right to be here but I should let her help me with those whole bloody insanity bit from... well I don't know what, I kind of hung up on him at that point... Says I'm a danger to the lot of you being in the house.” He hangs his head letting his forehead rest against the front door.
“Right, because Angel's safe as kittens right? He's more of a danger to us than you even on a good day. No offense, you're big and bad and all but you're different. Look, I was coming up to talk to you when he called anyway, so come sit down with me and hear me out. If after you hear what I have to say and you talk to Buffy you still want to leave I'll stand behind your decision, k?” She looks up at him as cutely as possible, a bit of her high school innocence showing through.
“All right, Red, let's hear it then.” He follows her to the living room flopping down into the recliner to the side of the sofa.
“Right so um...” She fidgets with her hands nervously in her lap. “I've been sitting here doing some thinking. I've realized what I think Tara...” She pauses closing her eyes for a brief moment at the pain that her heart still fills with when she mentions her lover's name. “Saw before any of us. You're different, and this has nothing to do with the soul. Though I mean that alone proves how unique you are.”
“Pfft! Peaches has one too you know...”
“Yes, but, he was cursed with his. He killed Miss Calendar when she tried to give it back to him again too. But you, you went searching for yours. I remembered something Tara once told me.” She swallows again, her eyes barely catching the confused expression on Spike's features even as he leans forward to touch her knee in comfort at the pain he can see in her face every time she says the name. “Thanks... Um... anyway... After you helped us stop her dad from taking her, proving she was as human as me. She told me she didn't think you were like other vampires. She'd noticed something in your aura that was different than other vampires she'd encountered. The others were black, coal black and harsh, but yours was gray. There's a light behind yours that others don't have. It's like part of your soul had stayed with you when you were turned. It's why you could love in a way Angelus and Darla couldn't. You've never been hell bent on destroying the world either, you helped Buffy stop it and you weren't even in love with her at the time!”
“Funny thing there, Red, I think I was even then I just didn't know it yet. That's when it all started to go further down hill between Dru and me. I think I sort of get what you're trying to say, and I appreciate it. But I don't want to make things harder for her... She's had enough troubles she doesn't need me mucking things up. For that matter neither do you.”
“What are you mucking up for me by being here?”
“The whelp is going to be just as hard on you about me being here as he is on her when he finds out. From his point of view he figures you should have talked 'sense' into her about it by now.” He turns his head in the direction of the door, standing and starting towards the kitchen. “Speaking of, I'm going out the back. He's here... I knew Angel would call him next...”
She stands quickly grabbing the sleeve of his coat and shaking her head. “Just go upstairs, please. If not for my sake do it for Dawn and for Buffy okay? Go stay in my room until I give you the all clear. Even if he gets past me to go up and look for you he won't think to look there. Be careful because I don't remember if the curtains are closed though.” As soon as he nods and rushes up the stairs she goes to the front door, opening just in time for Xander to come stomping through.
“Where is he!?” Xander demands, his face contorted in anger and betrayal.
“Where's who?” She tries to play innocent, even as she watches Dawn and Buffy come in soon after him.
“He knows, Wil. Angel called him apparently after calling here?” She looks at her best friend questioningly as she nods for Dawn to go to her room and let the grown ups talk, which of course results in a storming teen.
“He did, and he is. But... Look...” She turns her attention from Buffy to Xander. “Xander, sit down; listen to what Buffy and I both have to say. After all our word should be more important than anyone's right?”
“Fine. But, if I still feel the same I reserve the right to march up there and stake his peroxided ass.” He huffs before marching over to the chair Spike had just been occupying and flopping down into it folding his arms childishly across his chest. He knows he's not going to win this but the teenage part of him that still has Buffy on a pedestal has him protesting as much as possible.
As the girls start to plead their case with Xander on Spike's behalf Dawn opens her closet door with a smirk to find a disobedient vampire hiding behind her clothes, “Something wrong with Wil's room?”
“A lot if I don't want to be a pile of dust on her floor, Niblet,” He pushes himself from the depths of her closet walking over to the edge of her bed and taking a seat. “So I guess they're down there pleading my case on deaf ears yea?”
“Don't know how deaf he is. I mean Willow had her Resolve Face and you know how scary Buffy can be when she's determined. Were you really going to leave again?”
“Not leave for good or anything Bit, just back to my crypt was all.” He'd no sooner finished the sentence and the back of his head was throbbing as she hit him with all her might, which was a lot more than when he'd left. “Bloody hell! What was that for?”
“Are you trying to make her as loony as you? Are you seriously that stupid? She would have gone through the roof if you'd gone off like that in the state you're in. I know you both think I'm too young to understand anything still, but I do actually see a lot of what goes on between you two. I see more than she does, and I think Willow does too. Isn't this what you wanted? For her to do something other than beat you to a pulp and run when emotions got involved? Didn't you want to matter to her?”
“It's more complicated than that Bit...”
“No it really isn't. You make it complicated. She's finally seeing the gray in the way the world works and now after fighting for that for so long you're ready to run. Don't you know the safest place for any of us, including you, is right here? Something's coming. I know everyone thinks I'm just a kid and I don't know what's going on. Even after everything this summer she still has trouble seeing it, but I'm not blind. I can see something's coming, and I know she's been having dreams again.”
“That's more to do with me than what's coming...”
“No, only some of them have to do with you. Something big enough is coming that she's having dreams again, Spike, dreams that terrify her.” Her expression said what her words did not. It took a lot to terrify Buffy Summers that was no secret. So the fact that what was coming was enough to terrify her even if she wouldn't admit it, Dawn could see realization spreading into his features and she flops onto her bed with a satisfied expression. “Good to see you're opening your eyes finally. So what did good ol' Peaches say to you anyway?”
“Like I told Red... Said it wasn't safe for all of you if I stayed in the house, which I'm sure, is why he rated us all out to the boy wonder... But. that I should be letting Buffy help me through this whole soul having bit. He also said there's more to the dreams than we know though. The ones she keeps making appearances in that is. He just won't tell me what the bleedin' hell he means by that and I'm assuming he hasn't told her either. But he might have.”
“How did he even know about all this?”
“Your big sis called him from work because she didn't know if she was doing all she could for me in this. Wanted to know what more she could do about the dreams to ease me throughout his or something like that. Again he was a bit cryptic with the whole mess.“ He glances towards the door of Dawn's room as he hears the silencing of voices below and the sounds of multiple footsteps in their direction. “Seems the verdict is in, Niblet...” He frowns looking in her direction for just a moment before a stoic expression takes over when the door opens.
Xander is the first one to come through the door with his arms crossed over his chest stubbornly. He sighs though before he begins, “I don't like this, and I don't particularly like you Spike. But the girls made several valid points. So here's the deal; I'm agreeing to give you a chance to prove yourself to be what all three of these girls seem to think of you. But I swear if you step even one millimeter out of line I'll find a way to stake your ass before you have a chance to see it coming. Are we clear? I'm only doing this for them.”
“End of the day they have us both by our stones eh?” Spike lets the tiniest of smirks play over his lips as he stands offering a hand to the carpenter. He could easily fall into his usual smart ass responses, pretend at being the big bad, but he needed to make this moment different and give his Slayer something to believe in beyond the soul he'd worked for. “I won't step out of line mate. Not lookin' to piss off either of these scary birds any more than you are yea?“ He looks in turn to the three girls gathered around them and asks, “Mind giving us just a minute alone? Let us talk man to man yea?” He can see the hesitation in all of their faces but one by one they nod and leave the room and shutting the door behind them, though he knows they're on the other side listening.
“What's this about, Spike?” Xander's hesitation is more than obvious.
“I need, for their sake, for you to promise if something happens and I become a danger to them and none of us see it that you'll rectify the situation. We may not like each other in the least, but I do respect how you care for them as I hope you'll learn to do with me. Angel didn't give me much but a bunch of his cryptic garbage, you know how he is. But I love her too much to leave against her will, I'd like to think I could do it if it was for their safety but I'm not sure I'm strong enough for that any more because of the chance it could be worse for her if I disobey. So I am counting on you to make sure what's in their best interest is kept top priority yea?”
“Oh you can bet on it, Blondie.” He stops though, Willow's words making more sense to him as he stares at the vampire in front of him, seeing him with new eyes. “You actually do love her, don't you?”
“With everything I am.”
“Hm. Fine, for the moment I'll leave well enough alone... but I swear...”
Spike holds up a hand with a shake of his head. “I get it. I'll be staked good and proper; it's what I want too, so forget the speech.”
“Fine!” He huffs turning on his heel and storming out of the room, and out of the house without a word to any of the girls for the time being. He needs time to himself, to think over the way his world has literally been turned upside down and inside out, again!
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I am so sorry it's been so long since I've posted a chapter! I truly hope I have not lost any of my wonderful and faithful readers with the absence! Especially Guest!
I honestly hope to start putting chapters out a little more often. I am working on writing chapter seven and hope to get out of this insane writer's block I've been dealing with! Between writer's block, work, going back to college, and my own son... Well, it's been tough! So, I hope all of you enjoy this chapter and I hope to have another up soon! I promise I will post chapter six just as soon as I finish writing chapter seven! On to the chapter!
I honestly hope to start putting chapters out a little more often. I am working on writing chapter seven and hope to get out of this insane writer's block I've been dealing with! Between writer's block, work, going back to college, and my own son... Well, it's been tough! So, I hope all of you enjoy this chapter and I hope to have another up soon! I promise I will post chapter six just as soon as I finish writing chapter seven! On to the chapter!
Chapter End Notes:
Guest Never fear! Buffy will, in time, be more forth coming to her friends with exactly how horrible she was to Spike. She has a lot to learn as this story goes on and a lot to atone for. What better way for her to prove to him that she's sorry but to have to actually admit to someone other than Spike exactly what she's done wrong?