[Reviews - 249]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 3089 times

- Text Size +




***This chapter for some reason, seemed to be plauged by errors. Both my beta and I have been through it and yet we keep missing things. We think we have it now and I personally apologise for the errors, since I know they detract from the story. We think we got it under control now, so thanks for all of you who took the time to suffer through the originally posted chapter.***



After Buffy’s impassioned plea, the others had begrudgingly decided to give Spike a chance and now hours later they were all trying to work out their plan of attack against Adam. Faith turned to ask Buffy her opinion and was shocked to see that she was sound asleep, despite the noise they had been making. Her head was resting against Spike’s shoulder and her thin body was hidden by the thick green sweater Giles had lent her. To her it looked like Buffy was at complete peace and that too was unexpected.

Catching on to what had captured Faith’s attention, Spike broke into her thoughts. “She looks innocent when she sleeps, like this is the real her and when she‘s awake it‘s easy to forget that.”

“You’re in love with her aren’t you.” Faith said, recalling a conversation she had once had with Angel. He claimed he had fallen in love with her instantly and he had worn the same look in his eyes that Spike had now.

“Why else do you think I gave up my best chance to get this sodden chip out?” Spike said aware that everyone in the room was hanging on his every word. “I could care less if Adam kills the lot of you. We’re not friends slayer, never were, but if I helped Adam she would die trying to save your miserable hides. She can pretend all she likes but I can see through her act and into her heart. She can take everything this world throws at her and laugh at the pain but she can’t stand to see anyone else suffer. So just like she helped the kid in LA she would fight for you all until the end and I couldn’t very well help Adam if it meant killing her as well. Think what you like about me but she believes in me and I am not about to let her down, even if that means I have to save the lot of you while I am at it.”

Faith thought about his words, measured every nuance of his face, every inflection of his tone and she had no choice but to believe that he was telling her the truth. “Are you prepared to face what your love could mean for her? With you she would have to give a lot of things up. She would never get to have a picnic with you in the sun, never have any children and she would have to watch you remain young as she grew old and died.”

“Those aren’t your words slayer, their Angel’s.” Spike said casually certain that when Angel learned about his feelings for Buffy he would tell her the same thing. “He may have convinced you he was trying to be noble but in reality he was a coward. He may look like a man, talk like a man and even have a soul but none of that makes it the truth. What it comes down to is that he wasn’t strong enough to watch you live in a world he couldn’t. I don’t want to deny Buffy her place in the sun and as much as I wish it wasn’t true I know she will never live to see her first wrinkle or the first stand of grey work it’s way into her hair. Being the slayer gave you a lot of power and skills but it has it’s drawbacks as well. Other than dying before your time, it makes having children nearly impossible because every big bad that comes to town is going to use that child to get to you. That’s something you are going to have to accept before you settle down with anyone. You are going to have to ask yourself if you could bring a child into this world knowing that if you take your eyes off of it for a second, some nasty thing will snatch it away just to hurt you. Being a slayer makes you a creature of the dark Faith, you spend more hours in the cemetery than in the sun but atleast with someone in your life you can have some chance at happiness before you stay there forever, six feet under in a wooden box.”

“Atleast with a me she won’t have to worry about me killing her simply because she wants to walk away before I’m ready to let her go.” Riley argued.

“Read the paper you ponce, your kind kills more of each other than my kind ever will. Killing isn’t something that only demons do and love isn’t something that only humans can do. We’re more alike than you care to believe and just because Angel made a mess of things doesn’t mean I intend on repeating his mistakes and something tells me you don’t either.” Spike told Riley knowing that their mutual dislike of Angel was something they could agree on.

“Fine let’s say we believe that you actually love her.” Xander said getting into the conversation and doing his level best to keep his voice neutral. Buffy comments about Anya had hit a chord and though his still hated Spike, he understood that he didn’t have the right to tell Buffy she couldn’t start a relationship with him. “It looks like she’s going to be sticking around for a while, so that means we are going to have to atleast try to get along. That means we can’t threaten to stake you and you can’t plot our demise with whatever monster comes to town hoping to gobble us up.”

“Why are you suddenly offering a truce?” Spike asked, searching for the trap.

“Hey, I like her,” when Anya elbowed him in the ribs, he clarified. “Like a friend and it’s plain to see, even to me, that she has had it pretty rough all ready. If you two are going to have a relationship it wouldn’t be fair to her to always have her trapped in the middle of our squabbling. I don’t want to make things harder for her than they already are and she looks like she is in the market for a few new friends and a brand new life. It wouldn’t kill us to make it easier for her and I’m not saying that we have to be friends, because hey I can barely stand you, but I could live with us not being outright enemies.”

“It’s not exactly like I admire you either but I am willing to tolerate you when she’s around. But that doesn’t mean I want you to venture by my crypt looking to hang about.” Spike warned him, shuddering at the thought of him actually being friends with the whelp.

“Like I want to spend my time watching girly soap operas.” Xander shot back.

“Yeah, well atleast I don’t listen to sodden music that is sung by a bunch of nancy boys for the sole enjoyment of adolescent girls and one bloke entirely to thick to get accepted to University like his mates.” Spike told him cruelly, remembering Xander’s fondness for bubblegum pop music from his brief stay in his dank and dismal basement.

“Wow that truce lasted a whole ten seconds,” Willow remarked casually selecting another chip from the bowl on the coffee table. “Buffy is totally going to believe that you two don’t hate each other…you know if her ears suddenly fell off and she went blind.”

“Yes, perhaps you two should simply avoid conversing with each other at all.” Giles said getting up to pour himself another scotch.

“You’re taking this pretty well Giles,” Faith said giving him a considering look.

“I know better after dealing with you. And the idea of never having to break up another argument between those two does have it’s merits. They are constantly at each other like little old ladies or possibly even a pair of those fluffy little dogs that yip trying to assure the world that they are mean.”

“You’re sloshed.” Spike said catching the slight slur in Giles’s voice.

“Not yet,” Giles admitted filling his glass to the brim. “But mark my words this entire conversation is entirely pointless. Buffy’s new Watcher could be an absolute terror and no matter if we do accept an uneasy…hic, oh pardon me…truce with Spike I can guarantee that he or she won’t make things easy for us.”

“I think it’s time we call it a night.” Faith said getting to her feet, shaking her head at Giles’s inebriated state. It had been a hard couple of weeks for them all and he was still feeling a bit left out about not being in the loop on Riley being a part of the initiative. So it wasn’t hard to see that he wasn’t thrilled about another Watcher coming to town. “Do you need help getting her home or do you got it?”

Spike slid his arm around Buffy and pulled her closer to his chest, hooking his other arm around her knees. She mumbled for a moment before snuggling against him and he rose to his feet effortlessly. “Thanks, but I think I can manage.”

Going on instinct, Faith laid her hand on his arm to stop him. “Mom wants to have everyone over to dinner so she can meet Buffy…I’ll have her sit out an extra place.”

“Thanks,” Spike said with a slight nod knowing that she would understand he wasn’t just thanking her for the invite.





You must login (register) to review.