Six - Recovery
Buffy held in her groan of pain as she woke up. They liked it when she voiced her hurt. She refused to add to their pleasure. Her eyes stayed closed, not because she wanted them too, but because they were too swollen to open.
Forrest had really done a number on her this time. It was strange though, that she felt no pain between her thighs. Had he only beaten her? It wasn’t like him to pass up a chance at sticking his cock inside her.
As her senses sharpened, Buffy was confused. She didn’t smell the sterile environment of the cells she had been trapped in, nor did she hear the screams of the others.
What was going on?
Her body stiffened as she felt someone enter her cell. She wasn’t up to more tests right now.
She hadn’t realised she said that out loud until she heard the in-drawn breath of the human before her.
Breathing deeply through her nose, Buffy stiffened as the Slayer’s scent overwhelmed her. Was he here? Had they took him too?
Pain or no pain, she would kill them all if they hurt him. Her demon flashed quickly with the thought of killing the bastards who had de-fanged her.
Buffy tried to move, worried about what they were doing to him when a warm hand brushed the hair back from her face, and she felt it was the Slayer.
As her mind finally woke up, Buffy remembered what had happened.
It wasn’t Forrest who had hurt her.
It was Spike.
~~~~~~~~~~
He flinched when she stiffened before he drew back. She didn’t want him to touch her, so he wouldn’t.
“Buffy?”
Her head turned in the direction his voice had come from.
Her jaw worked, and he winced when he thought of her cry when he had to break it again. It had set wrong, her healing had kicked in, so he was forced to break it to let it heal properly.
She had still been knocked out at the time, but it hadn’t made him feel any better.
This was the first time she had woke up in over a day. Most of the smaller cuts had healed, but she needed to feed to heal the rest.
He placed a straw at her lips and felt her weakly suck up the blood before the demon appeared. She gulped up as much as she could, not even caring it was pigs blood.
Spike watched her feed, her throat muscles swallowing the red liquid she needed so badly.
When the mug was done, he replaced it with another, and then another until she had passed out on him again.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was another twenty four hours before Buffy woke up again, her body having shut down to heal.
She cracked open one eye to see she was back in Wes’s basement. Unlike the last time, there was no confusion when she woke, she remembered exactly what had happened.
“Damn he can sure pack a punch.”
Growling, Buffy rolled off the cot and hit the floor, her arms taking the brunt of the fall, causing her to cry out.
The sound of the basement door opening caused her head to jerk up and she spotted Wes there.
When he saw her on the floor, Wes rushed down to help her up, ignoring the fact that all she was dressed in was a pair of panties and that her breasts were on show.
He walked over to the dryer and retrieved a clean tee shirt, silently handing it to her.
Buffy scrunched up her nose at wearing a Watcher smelling piece of clothing, but swallow down the desire to chuck it away and slipped it over her head, her muscles protesting the movements.
“Why don’t you take a hot bath, relax those muscles?”
Buffy wondered why he was being so nice to her. Maybe he felt bad for what Spike had done.
“Sure… I guess.”
He helped her up the stairs before a thought it Buffy.
“Where is the Slayer?”
Had he really beat the shit out of her only to bring her to his watchers house? It made no sense. Unless… Buffy shook that thought off. Spike was nothing like Forrest.
“Patrolling. Buffy… can you remember what happened?”
Buffy nodded and took a deep breath before she sat on the closed toilet seat, watching as Wes started the bath for her.
“Yeah, I remember everything sadly enough. Wish I didn’t.”
He had never heard her sound so beaten, not even when she had first appeared to them just over a week ago.
He sensed though, that she didn’t want to talk about it and stayed silent as the bath filled.
“Do you have any bubbles?”
Wes looked at her, an eyebrow arched.
“Why would I have bubbles?”
Buffy shrugged but gave him a faint smirk.
Wes reached for the shower gel and poured some into the running water.
“That’s the best I can do.”
Buffy smiled her thanks and watched as he turned the taps off before laying out towels for her.
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
He spun to face her so quickly Buffy flinched back. When Wes saw her reaction he paused before holding a hand out and helping her to stand.
“I don’t know really. Maybe its payback for helping when Dru had me.”
Buffy met his eyes before looking away.
“That wasn’t to help you Watcher, I did it because Spike made me promise to get you out… alive and in one piece. That wouldn’t have happened if she had resorted to the chain saw.”
He gave her a look before leaving her to her bath, telling her he knew there was more to it than that.
When he was gone, Buffy eased the tee off and pulled down her panties. The heat of the water scalded her as she eased down, but it was a good heat, it warmed her the whole way through.
~~~~~~~~~~
Spike hung up his cell and made an about turn to head back to Wes’ house.
“Buffy’s awake.” Was all he said to both Xander and Willow.
~~~~~~~~~~
She knew the second he entered the house. Her demon stood to attention as he neared the bathroom.
The knock on the bathroom door made her jump.
“Buffy?”
It was him. She wasn’t ready to see him, but she couldn’t let him know how much he shook her.
“Yeah?”
She forced her voice to come out evenly, giving nothing away.
“… you okay?”
Buffy snorted and sank deeper into the warm water.
“Peachy. Trying to take a bath in peace here though Slayer. You mind leaving me to it?”
She heard him mutter as he walked away, but it was too faint for her to make out the words.
Her demon retreated once more and hazel eyes locked on the doorway, making sure no-one was about to come bursting through it.
~~~~~~~~~~
Spike entered the kitchen to see Willow and Xander talking with Wes.
“She’s fine, having a bath still.”
She did sound fine, which confused Spike. Shouldn’t she be screaming bloody murder at him? The darker side of his nature whispered to him that she was a vamp, they liked the violence. He shoved that side of him away. Never again would he raise his hand to her in anger.
~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy walked into the living room like she owned the house and claimed the seat by the fire, letting the heat dry her wet hair.
She avoided looking at Spike and kept her focus on the Watcher.
“Any blood left?”
Wes nodded and moved to get her some food.
Xander leant forward in his seat.
“Damn, gotta love that vamp healing huh?”
It was true, all of the cuts were gone, just the large wounds around her eyes were still visible on her face. Her insides though still hurt like a bitch.
Not that she was going to tell Xander that. She kept her front on, acting like nothing was hurting or bothering her.
Spike opened his mouth but Buffy cut him off before he could speak.
“Dawn alright?”
Both Xander and Willow threw her startled looks, both surprised she would be asking after the teenager.
Spike nodded as Wes handed her her blood. Neither of them were surprised she had asked about Dawn.
“She’s been bugging me to let her see you.”
Buffy half smiled.
“Sure, why not.”
Spike went to speak again, but Willow got there first.
“What happened?”
Buffy frowned and sipped her blood.
“Huh?”
Willow rolled her eyes at the vampire and leant forward in her seat.
“Who did that too you? You were beat pretty bad, was it the soldiers, did they find you?”
Buffy’s eyes shot to Spike for the first time but he couldn’t meet her gaze.
So… he hadn’t told them? They had no clue what had happened?
Good. She didn’t want them to know, to think badly of him, if they even would.
Buffy shook her head and finished her meal.
“I don’t remember.”
Both Spike and Wes looked at her, each knowing she was lying, but only one willing to call her on it.
“Early, you told me you remembered everything.”
Buffy shrugged and set her empty mug on the coffee table, ignoring Xander’s disgusted look.
“I’m a demon, I lie.”
Wes scowled and rested a hand on her shoulder.
“Buffy, we can’t help you if we don’t know who did this.”
Buffy shook him off and stood up.
“Look, thanks or whatever for fixing me up, but I’m better now and I have things to be doing.”
She made her way to the basement and pulled on her dirty jeans and boots.
She was quickly gathering a collection of men’s tee shirts. She doubted though that this one would hold the same appeal as Spike’s.
She wasn’t a fool, she had seen the guilt he tried to hide as well as the worry that she would confess just who had hurt her.
And despite everything, she still wanted to protect him, still loved him.
But that didn’t mean she liked him very much at the minute.
Nobody had moved when Buffy made it back to the living room.
Spike looked up at her and met her eyes, wondering why she hadn’t told them. Her words came back to him, but he brushed them off. If Dru had taught him one thing, it was that you can’t love without a soul.
So what was her game? Did she expect she could hold this over his head, blackmail him?
His eyes hardened and as he noticed her reaction, he calmed himself down.
Buffy flinched when she saw that look enter his eyes as he stared at her. She back up a few paces and watched as he took a deep breath before calming down.
She left out her own un-needed breath and walked towards the door.
“See… I told you it was those soldier guys, she’s just too embarrassed to say she got beat by a human.”
Buffy spun around and growled at Xander, her eyes shifting to gold as her fangs dropped down.
Wes had never see anything like it.
Spike stood up and blocked everyone’s view to Buffy as he stepped towards her. He couldn’t stop from noticing how beautiful she looked, how deadly in her anger.
“I’ll walk you back to wherever you’ve been staying.”
Buffy shook her head no.
“Really not wanting company right now Slayer.”
Willow stood up and grabbed her coat.
“Well, we were in the middle of patrol, how about we walk you as far as main street?”
Buffy turned her scowl on the redhead before rolling her eyes.
“Look, I got beat up, its happened before and its gonna happen again so would you all stop being so fucking nice and leave me the hell alone!”
She stormed out and slammed the door behind her.
Spike stared at the closed door for a full minute before grabbing his jacket.
“I’m gonna follow her, make sure nothing happens.”
No-one stopped him, and he could hear Xander muttering about how rude and ungrateful Buffy had been.
He caught sight of her at the end of the block but stayed far enough back so she couldn’t sense him.
~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy cursed as her sore body protested every move she made. Storming out and marching home was not what she needed. What she needed was some warm human blood and a bed.
She had a seconds warning before she was surrounded by soldiers.
Spike cursed as he saw them corner her into an alley and put on some speed, a plan running through his mind.
Buffy held in her whimper as she scented Forrest. Sure enough, the one in front of her whipped off his mask and smirked as he took a step closer.
“Hey baby, miss me?”
Buffy spat at him and attempted to run, but he lashed out and hit her with his weapon, knowing her down.
Her already sore body screamed, but she kept her pain inside.
“There a problem here?”
Buffy could have wept with joy as she heard his voice. No matter what, she trusted he wouldn’t let her get taken again.
Forrest spun to see Spike leaning against the wall at the front of the alley.
“Hey man, why don’t you just head on home.”
Spike smirked and walked closer. He had to be careful here. There were five of them and they had guns, and the only one who’s face he could see was Forrest.
“You look like your about to have some fun.” he put enough sleaze into his voice to sound convincing, and let his thumbs hook into his jeans, cupping his own crotch and he saw when Forrest’s stance changed.
Bingo.
“I am yeah… you like… fun?”
Spike curled his tongue and looked down at Buffy, hoping his eyes were saying what his mouth could not.
“Pretty little thing she is.”
Forrest puffed up and reached down, fisting a handful of Buffy’s hair.
“That’s my girl.”
Spike held in his growl as he saw Buffy’s reaction to Forrest’s grip but when he yanked her head forward and thrust his crotch in her face, Spike saw red.
He moved before anyone was aware of it and soon all soldiers were knocked out and lying on the ground.
Spike picked Buffy up and swung her into his arms.
“Where to pet?”
Buffy gave him directions and buried her face in his neck, exhausted.
Spike didn’t flinch even though he had a Master Vamp at his throat. Buffy wondered if it was because she couldn’t hurt him, or that he knew she wouldn’t if she could.
She hoped for the latter.
~~~~~~~~~~
Spike set Buffy on her feet so she could open her front door. When he tried to follow her inside he was knocked back by some force.
“What the… Buffy?”
Buffy looked up, glad her barrier spell worked.
“Vamp invite in reverse.”
When he realised what she meant he smiled and leant against thin air.
“Smart love, soldier boys can’t get in to hurt you then.”
Buffy looked away.
“No-one can get in to hurt me.” He was the implied no-one and he leant both hands against the barrier.
“Buffy…. I’m so sorry for what happened…. It was like this rage… covered me… didn’t realise it was you Pet…”
Buffy looked up and met his eyes.
“I get that Spike. I saw how out of it you were.”
Spike nodded, glad she understood that.
“But I tried to get you to stop… tried yelling, I even fucking tried begging Slayer, and you just kept on hurting me.”
Spike flinched and wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans.
Buffy took a step towards him.
“I want to thank you though, for tonight. Getting me away from him. For not letting him hurt me.”
Spike tried to reach out to touch her, even though he knew he shouldn’t, but he was stopped by the barrier.
“Promised you Pet, won’t let him get you again. Won’t let anyone hurt you again.”
Buffy half smiled and rested a hand on the doorframe.
“I believe you.”
He didn’t want to leave, but knew he had to.
“I had better get back there, pretend I was knocked out too.”
Buffy didn’t like the idea of that. What if they took him.
“Wait, Spike what if-”
He shook his head, cutting her off.
“Have too, they saw me, they know me. I can’t have them looking into who I am, what I am.”
He was gone before she could say another word.
Buffy sighed and closed her door. Food then sleep. That was her plan.
She just had to hope Spike could handle the situation convincingly.
tbc...
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Author's Chapter Notes:
You get two for one simply because I couldn't leave it hanging there