Once again she steals away
Then she reaches out to kiss me
And how she takes my breath away
Pretending that she won't miss me
And once again she calls to me
Then she vanishes in thin air
And how she takes my breath away
Pretending that she's not there
Somebody's got to see this through
All the world is laughing at you
Somebody's got to sacrifice
If this whole thing's going to turn out right
Oohh I would bleed to love her
Bleed to love her
Fleetwood Mac
Buffy became more pensive after that day. Sometimes she would talk about getting Dawn back. Making plans about getting a different job. Getting an apartment for the three of us to live in. But when I gently told her that I couldn't live with them. The state would never allow it. She panicked and said that it would get worked out. But her talk never came to fruition. It withered and died as she went through her daily routines. She had almost lost that shield that she had worn when I first came back. Her defiance was disappearing. Buffy was vulnerable and almost defenseless. Lost on the whims of her emotions. It hurt so much to watch her at times.
We went out patrolling a couple of nights later right after she had gotten off of work. There was an air of apprehension surrounding us. This was no random looking for vampires or demons. She was on the hunt. As we wandered closer to the bars and establishments that catered to demons I tried to get her to turn back. She looked at me and told me if I was scared to go home. I followed her right into a nest of demons. They were out of towners. Probably here to hook up with other unsavory characters and start trouble. We took to fighting. But we were outnumbered five to two. Buffy killed one as soon as we walked in. His back had been to us and she just went for it. After I had taken one out I turned to check on Buffy. My heart froze as I saw her being thrown to the ground by one. His claws reached out and ripped her belly. There was no decision I just flew across the room vamping out on the way. My growl echoed around the room as I grabbed him before he could swing at her again. I didn't just break his neck. I ripped his head right off his body. Flinging it across the room. The last two standing took one look at my rage and ran.
Buffy lay so still. Her breathing was shallow as the blood poured from her wounds. After pulling my duster off I took my t-shirt off and pressed it to the worst of the lot. She opened her eyes and as I looked into the green depths I knew.
"Don't you dare leave me again." I choked out to her.
She just closed her eyes again. This was what she had been looking for. A fight she couldn't win. I gathered her to me and carried her home. After I had cleaned her up as much as I could. Ebbing the flow of blood. She was still so pale. I called Tara explained everything quickly and asked her for help.
"Spike?" Buffy reached out and laid a cold hand on my arm.
"Yeah, love?"
"Thirsty."
Bringing back a glass of water for her I helped her to take a few sips. I held her hand until Tara came. But she had brought help. Right behind her was Willow and Giles. There was a questioning look in their eyes when they still saw me in vampire mode. The smell of blood was everywhere and the demon was demanding to feed. Only by intense concentration was I able to focus on anything besides the blood lust.
After they had discerned what kind of demon had hurt her. They sent me to the Magic Box to get some herbs. Once I was back with their requests they made a salve to put on her wounds.
"She'll be better by morning." Tara told me gently. She placed her hand on my forearm and squeezed. Trying to reassure me that everything was going to be okay. I nodded at her. After Buffy had gone to sleep we went upstairs.
"What happened?" Giles asked me worriedly.
"We were outnumbered." I said simply. Left out the part of Buffy jumping in without thought. Or the fact I knew that this was what she was looking for.
"Then why in, bloody hell, did you let her go in?"
I looked at him with such sadness. I wanted to run to him and tell him he was right. Buffy needed more than me. But I didn't.
"Spike, are you okay?"
It was Willow that asked.
"Yeah." I didn't realize it but I was trembling. My whole body was shaking from the aftermath of almost failing Buffy again.
I looked up at Giles.
"Buffy doesn't listen to me as much as you think. It was a mistake."
"A mistake that almost cost her life again." He reminded me pushing the knife deeper into my heart.
"Were you all drinking or something else before you went out there?" He apparently thought we were totally irresponsible. And I felt like a sixteen-year-old boy being interrogated by his girlfriend's father.
"No, sir." My sarcasm came out almost like a whimper. Suddenly needing to sit I went to the couch. Sinking on its leathered surface before my legs gave out. "We just went patrolling and misjudged the situation. As much as you think that I am trying to hurt her I would die first."
The three of them looked at each other. Then back at me.
"Spike, I don't think you are intentionally trying to hurt her. If I thought that you would be dust by now. Being who you are I don't think you can help it though."
He took a deep breath and then sighed. Looking at the girls he said it was time to go. Tara gave me some last instructions for dealing with the wounds. I nodded that I understood and watched them leave.
For the rest of the night I watched her. Checking for a fever or other signs of infection. Finally I fell asleep with my hand clasped in hers.
The next night she insisted on going to work. The rips on her stomach had developed scar tissue. For the first time she had to wear a shirt that covered her stomach to work. After she was ready I pulled her to me lifting the hem of her shirt. Gently I ran my finger over her belly. Kissing her softly on an unaffected area.
"You could have died, pet." It was stating the obvious but I was hoping that maybe it would open something up. Buffy started running her fingers through my hair.
"But I didn't. It's okay now. Everything's alright." She crooned to me. I stood up still holding onto her waist. Her hands linked behind my neck.
"Is it?" I asked her.
"It will be. As long as you're here."
We just stood and held each other for a few minutes. Giving each other comfort. I pulled back and kissed her forehead. It was time to leave to take her to work.
I hesitated before knocking on the door. The odds were pretty good that I would be blowing in the wind in a few moments but I was willing to take a chance. Taking an unneeded deep breath I finally laid my knuckles on the wood.
"You are either very brave or very stupid for coming here." Xander said after he opened the door and found me standing there.
"Just trying to do my civic duty." I answered him ready to take flight at the first sign of a stake.
"You? Civic duty? I guess stupid it is." He took a step toward me. And as I backed away I told him I was here because of Buffy.
"What did you do to her now? I heard how you almost got her killed."
"Not my choice, mate. But I'm glad you know one version of the truth from the other night."
He had stopped and I guess he was waiting for an explanation.
"Look those demons weren't from around here. They came here for a reason and two of them got away. I plan on looking for them. You coming? Or are you going to stay?" I was telling him the truth. And even as bad as an idea as this looked, a little back up might come in handy. As he hesitated I raised an eyebrow at him. Just to let him know I didn't have all day.
"I'm in." He grabbed his jacket and we were off. The first stop was Willie's. Everyone stopped and looked at us as we came in. I headed straight for the bar. Willie turned and tried to make it to the back room. But we were on his heels. Xander impressed me as he took him by the throat and put him against the wall while I asked the questions. Of course at first he didn't say anything. But with a little persuasion he told us the demons had come to Sunnydale at the request of some humans. He swore he didn't know who they were. Xander looked at me and I told him to let him go. Willie had told us all he could.
As we left Xander and I started talking about who might have hired them. After a few ideas were thrown back and forth we figured it was probably whoever had been torturing Buffy when she had first come back. They hadn't shown their face in awhile. When Buffy had taken time off from Slayer duties they must have figured she wasn't a threat. But now that she was back in action they wanted her out of the way.
We started looking for Clem. He probably knew more than he told me the other night. We caught up with him at his place. After I told him the whole story he reluctantly told me about three guys who had been stirring up trouble. He said they had taken up residence in an old abandoned shop near where Buffy and I had found the demons.
The place looked deserted from the outside. We broke in through the roof lowering ourselves to the floor. There was nothing in the main area except dust. But we hit the mother load in the back room. Somebody had obviously been living there. There were couches. And desks set up with computers and other technical shit. But there were also a lot of magic supplies lying around too.
"Spike, look at this baby." Xander was holding the diamond that had been stolen from the museum. It had been lying next to some kind of gun on one of the worktables.
"This would give us a little trip to easy street." I took it from his hand and held it up to the light. Watching it sparkle.
"Now, what do we do?" He asked me as I handed it back to him.
"We call the police." I turned to start making my way out. "By the way if I was you I would wipe my fingerprints off of that." He frantically started to do just that. Holding it by his shirttail he laid it back on the table. I just laughed at him. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything and let him get arrested for being an accessory. Nah, too easy and Buffy would never forgive me.
As he followed me up on the roof again he asked why call the police. Why didn't we just take care of them ourselves? I turned to look at him patiently.
"Because they're human. I can't touch them. And you can't take the law into your own hands without going to jail yourself."
I led the way across the street and took up a spot on top of a warehouse across the street. We waited there until they returned. My eyes flew open with surprise as I saw the guy who had built the Buffy bot go into the alley with two other guys.
"It's Jonathan." Xander exclaimed pointing to the smallest guy.
"Who?" I had no clue who that was.
"We went to school with him." He explained.
But by that time I was dialing 911 on the cell phone. After giving them a story and telling them to hurry. Xander and I sat back to watch the show. The cops came. The equipment was hauled away and the three were arrested. It was great. Easiest fight of evil I had ever done. Didn't even have to lay a hand on them.
There was still the issue of the demons to deal with. We headed back to Willie's. I walked in the door and made an announcement. That the humans were arrested and that any demon associated with them would be killed. As I was talking a couple of demons started to make their way out the back door. Satisfied that anyone involved would be leaving town shortly. I turned to leave. As Xander and I parted ways he gave me a little warning of his own.
"Look, this does not make everything okay. Just so you know I still don't like what's going on." Then he turned and walked off. I watched his departing back for a minute then called out a thanks for the help. He just raised his hand and waved. Never looking back. It was okay though. Even working with him again was like a step back to the way it used to be. Like the universe was realigning itself to the way it should be. Even his insults and warning was comfortable. Just normal behavior for Xander.
When I told Buffy about it that night. She looked at me like I had totally gone around the bend.
"You and Xander went patrolling? Together? And you caught who?"
So, I told her the story again. I don't think she believed everything till she watched in on the news the next day. As we watching the news report she just kept looking from me to the screen.
"What, pet?" As she looked at me again.
"You went to Xander and the two of you figured this out?"
"Yeah, is something wrong with that?" I sure as hell didn't see anything in it. It was just taking care of business. Taking care of her.
She came to sit in my lap wrapping her arms around me.
"I'm proud of you that's all." Then she kissed me on the cheek. It made me feel weird inside. Her being proud of me. I guess there is a first time for everything.
