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Chapter 17 – Delusions


Spike and Buffy lay curled up on the couch later that night. Buffy had
stayed true to her word and shared a shower with Spike while his parents
were spending the night out. He was contently wrapped around his
girlfriend, sharing a bowl of popcorn and some chick flick that Buffy had
picked out.

Spike frowned when he heard a knock at the door, disentangling himself from
Buffy as he went to answer it. His jaw set on edge when he opened the door
to reveal a very bruised Hank Summers.

“You’re not welcome here, mate,” Spike said with a raised eyebrow, not
intimidated in the slightest by the older man.

“I came to see my daughter.”

“Is that a fact?” Spike asked with a smirk. “Well, I’m sorry, but she
doesn’t want to see you anymore,” he finished, echoing the words Hank had
told him the previous night.

“She’s my daughter, and I’ll…”

Hank trailed off as he looked over Spike's shoulder. Spike turned around to
see Buffy huddled next to the stairs, staring at the two men. Spike wanted
to go to her, but he resisted the urge, not wanting to give Hank the
opportunity to walk in the house uninvited.

“Buffy, talk to me,” Hank said in the soothing tone he used on his clients.

Buffy took a step forward before Spike’s hand blocked the small opening
that led outside. “She’s not going anywhere.”

“Spike.”

Spike turned at the small voice, looking at Buffy in confusion.

“I’ll talk to him,” she whispered.

Spike abandoned the door, not caring if Hank came into the house. He knew
he could deal with him if it came to that. He stared at Buffy for a long
moment. She looked so tiny and frail, wearing a turtleneck that seemed to
swallow her, falling past her waist and almost covering her hands. Her hair
was down and lightly curled from drying after their shower. Her cheekbone
was still several shades of purple and blue, making her look even more
helpless to Spike. “You don’t have to do this, luv,” he said softly.

“Yes, I do,” she whispered, looking at Spike with pleading eyes.

Spike set his jaw, closing his eyes for a moment.

“We can talk outside,” Hank said, causing Spike to whirl around and face
him.

“No, you won’t!”

“Spike,” Buffy said softly. “It’s okay. I need to do this alone.”

Spike took a deep breath. “I’ll go outside,” he said to Buffy before
turning to face her father. “You have five minutes.”

Making sure he had his key in case Hank tried to pull anything over on him,
Spike stepped out on the front porch, lighting a much needed cigarette
before he was even fully out of the house.

Buffy turned to her father as the door shut behind her boyfriend, holding up
her hand. “Do NOT come any closer than that.”

“What are you doing here, Buffy?” Hank asked.

“Staying away from you,” she answered bluntly.

“You think he wants you?” he asked, gesturing to the front door. “You think
he’ll still be here if you weren’t such an easy lay?”

Buffy could feel her resolve crumbling as her father spoke. Tears began
glistening in her eyes as he continued.

“You’re nothing but a charity case to him, Buffy. You’ll have him for a few
months, and then he’ll head off to college, and you’ll go wherever the hell
you’re headed. He’ll forget all about you as soon as some cheerleader gets
him off.”

“What do you want from me?” Buffy asked, still fighting the tears as she
stared at a man who was supposed to be her father. “You don’t want me to
come home. Do you want me attend some fundraiser with you?” she asked
sarcastically. “Pretend to be the perfect family?”

Hank glared at his daughter as she looked down at the floor and continued.

“You’re supposed to love me,” she whispered, hating herself for showing her
weakness but needing him to understand at the same time. Maybe she needed
herself to understand as well. “You’re my only living relative. We share
the same blood, Dad. I never did anything that you said I did. I know you
got that call from Scott, and I don’t know how the rumor spread all over
town, but that’s all it was…a rumor. So, I want to know…why do you hate
me?”

Hank didn’t answer as he looked at his daughter with a strange mixture of disgust
and pity. He took a deep breath as he looked down at the floor. “I’ve
already told you.”

“Because of Mom,” Buffy said with a nod. “So what happens now?” she asked,
knowing that if he really wanted to drag her back to that hellhole, she would
have no choice in the matter.

Hank seemed to think for a moment before answering. “If anyone asks, you’re
only here temporarily.”

“Am I?”

“I don’t know.”

Without another word, Hank turned and left the house, not giving Spike a
second glance as the younger man bolted through the door and slammed it
behind him.

“Are you okay?” Spike asked.

Buffy was visibly shaken up, more from the fact that she confronted her
father, but also for the words that haunted her. What if Spike was only
with her because she was easy? It’s not like she had been before, but they had
only been together for a month and she’d slept with him. She wasn’t even
eighteen. Did she really expect Spike to stay with her for the rest of her
life? Was she that delusional?

“Buffy, are you okay?” Spike asked a little more forcefully as he looked at
her.

“I’m fine,” she replied in an unconvincing voice as she shook her head, as
if trying to clear it.

Spike frowned as he put his arms around her, only to have her flinch and
pull away from him.

“Luv,” Spike said softly. “I know you’re a little shaken up, but everything
will be okay. Why don’t we go upstairs, alright?”

Spike meant it in the most innocent context, but the shocked look Buffy gave
him, made him think he’d asked her to have sex on Principal Snyder’s desk.

“No,” Buffy said, shaking her head. “Y-you stay down here…I’ll be
upstairs.”

Spike watched anxiously as Buffy climbed the stairs, not giving him a second
glance. He heard the soft click of her bedroom door before turning and
facing the door. Hank Summers was gone, but Spike knew he was still with
Buffy in everything that she did.

“What did you say to her, you pillock?”





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