The next night, Buffy stood outside, poking around the backyard with a stick, searching for cameras. She thought about last night with Spike. She was pretty sure that he hadn’t gone to sleep that night, but instead had watched her sleep. When she had woken up, he looked like he was about to fall asleep so she had told him to go ahead. That had been around 12 noon and it was now around 10.
Xander’s voice startled her. “Time for the Spring Poking already?”
Buffy didn’t look up. “Just making sure there's no more Evil Trio cameras. Or Evil Uno.”
Xander grinned. “The sinister yet addictive card game?”
Buffy looked up and offered him a small smile. “Warren. Jonathan and Andrew got klinked, but Warren pulled a Rocket Man. It was a thing.”
Xander inched closer, his hope spurned on by her smile. “You'll find him. He won't be much good without his friends.”
Buffy looked back down at the ground, and started re-poking the ground. “No. He won't,” she said, softly.
An awkward silence ensued. Xander struggled to find the right words but couldn’t. Finally, he said, “How did we get here?”
Not looking up, she replied, “Scenic route. Long drive.”
Xander smiled slightly but dropped it as he continued, “These last few weeks...”
She looked up at him then. “I know.”
“I mean, I thought I hit bottom, but... It hurt. That you didn't trust me enough to tell me about Spike. It hurt. And it hurts that you think that I would do ANYTHING to destroy your happiness. But it really, really hurts that you didn’t tell me.”
Buffy winced. “I'm sorry. I should have told you.” Straightening, she said, “But this was my decision, Xand. He makes me feel....complete. But.....I know I should have told you.”
Xander looked down at his hands, guilty. “Maybe you would have. If I hadn't given you so many reasons to think I'd be an ass about it.”
Buffy nodded. “Guess we both did a couple of things we're not proud of. But, it’ll work out. Look at me and Spike-”
Xander interrupted. “Think I got you beat.”
“Uhm.....with....what? Ya kinda lost me.”
“With the....screwing up of things.”
Buffy smiled. “Wanna compare?”
Xander looked back up at her. “Not so much.”
They shared a smile. It faded quickly from Xander's face.
Xander continued. “I don't know what I'd do... without you and Will...”
“And I don’t know what I’d do without any of you. Let's not find out.”
She took him in her arms. He hugged her close, tears of relief breaking loose as he finally let go of his anger and pain.
Buffy closed her eyes. “I love you. You know that. right?”
Xander opened his mouth to reply-- but his eyes went wide with horror.
Xander pulled back and said with warning in his voice. “Buffy –”
Buffy turned. Warren stood in the very back of the yard, his battered face was twisted in rage and humiliation as he spat out, "You think you can just do that to me? That I'd let you get away with it? Think again...”
*~::~*
Inside the house, while Buffy and Xander are talking.....
Spike opened his eyes and stretched, reaching for Buffy. He sat up when he realized she wasn’t there. Standing, he walked to Willow and Tara’s room. He coughed when he saw the two kiss. They broke apart, startled. “Spike!” exclaimed Willow. “Where’s Buffy?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Dunno. Was gonna ask you. But you seemed a bit....um, preoccupied.”
Embarrassed, Tara moved to the window. Her eyes widened and then softened. “Spike,” she called. “I found Buffy.”
Curious, Spike moved to the window. He smiled when he saw Buffy and Xander hugging. They had obviously worked things out. Suddenly, the hairs on his neck raised, and his eyes turned gold as he registered danger. “Tara. Red.” They turned to him, startled by his hard voice. “Get out of this room. Now.”
“What? Why-”
He spun around, and grabbed them both by their arms, dragging them both and himself out of the room. “Something bad’s going to happen. Get down to the basement, and stay there.”
“But-”
“Go!”
The two wicca’s exchanged a look, before running down stairs.
Spike walked carefully downstairs and stood in the kitchen, watching the scene outside. His eyes widened when he heard the click of a gun and Buffy and Xander stood.
“No...”
He recognized that determined look on her face. She was going to try and grab the weapon from him.
But, before she could react Warren raised a black automatic handgun and opened fire, the violence of bullets exploding from the muzzle startled even him.
Before he knew what was happening, he was running.
*~::~*
Buffy shoved Xander to the ground. He landed hard, regaining his senses just in time to see Spike run into the yard and tackle Warren to the ground. He was obviously ignoring the frying in his brain. He continued to beat on the man until he resembled nothing more than a bloody pulp.. Xander swallowed his heart back into his chest. He turned to the ground, and was horrified by what he saw.
“SPIKE!” he screamed. “Spike, get over here NOW!”
Clutching his head in agony that he couldn’t describe, he stumbled to Xander....
...and the pain disappeared at what he saw.
Buffy lay on the ground, bullet deeply imbedded in her left shoulder, blood sputtering out of the wound. Her eyes were wide as pain rocketed through her system.
Spike dropped to his knees beside her, and pushed his hand down upon the wound. Fear coursed through him and tears stung his eyes as she wheezed out, with blood sputtering from her lips, “Spike....”
*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*~::~*
AN-------yaaaaay! Well, not yay that Spike’s sad cuz that’s never good. But yay cuz I got a new chappie up! Yaaaay!
MMMM MMMM.....i do love me some feedback!
[Reviews - 36]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 2637 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +