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Warning spoilers for the whole
BTVS series Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 8 Written by:
Heather Martin Episode 5:
Broken Hearts Prologue It was a
beautiful day in They came to
the Free Stamp and stopped. It was a steel sculpture that looked like a giant
ink stamp. The handle was red, and the stamper held
the words FREE in backwards letters. “I read about
this,” “Really? I don’t know anything about it,” Kennedy said. “But I’m
not on the internet for hours.” “Oh, this is
one of Kennedy
reached out and ran a hand through “I just enjoy
learning about stuff. Demony stuff, wordly stuff, just stuff.” An evil smirk
formed on Kennedy’s mouth. “I hope there are things you enjoy more.” “Most definitely.” They broke
away, breathing hard. “That is so
sweet,” “They must be
in love,” Kennedy acknowledged. The witch
nodded. “I wonder if we look like that.” Kennedy
grinned. “I don’t know about me, but you are very cute.” That made “K-Kennedy . .
.?” “Yeah, Will?” Kennedy’s eyes
widened. She was silent for a moment, in what seemed like shock. “Are you going
to say anything?” Kennedy
grabbed her hand, halting her in place. “No, wait!” “I love you
too,” Kennedy replied too quickly. The women
continued to walk together. Their hands were locked, but ______________________________________________ Scene 1 “Now that was
amazing,” declared Faith, rolling off Robin Wood. “This is how I want to spend
every morning.” They had just
spent three hours having mind-blowing sex. It was weird for Faith. She had
never been with the same man twice. Well, when she meant twice, she meant a
repeat on a different day. But this had been going on for weeks now, and the
surprising thing was she wasn’t bored yet. Every time they took the plunge it
seemed like she was heading in new territory. There was always something new to
discover about Robin. Strong arms
reached out and hauled the slayer back on top of him. He settled her on his
hard chest, her head near his heart. “There. I want
you right there,” he told her. Faith froze.
She felt him begin to stroke her disheveled locks. Panic overtook her. This
wasn’t supposed to happen. Sex was sex, and when it was over it was over. There
wasn’t supposed to be warm fuzzies afterward. That
was reserved for real relationships. Her eyes
widened. Did Robin think this was a real relationship? He couldn‘t! She’d never
been in a real relationship. She wasn’t one for tenderness. She tried to
get up. He pushed her back down. He was strong for a regular guy. “Come on
Faith, relax,” he whispered. “I have to
take a shower,” she said. He sniffed her
hair. “You smell all right to me.” Faith used her
slayer strength to get off him. “I-I really need a shower. I’m … uh, I’m
dirty.” She fled the
room, going into the bathroom. She locked the door, concealing herself away in
the sanctuary. She stared at herself in the mirror. Her brown eyes were scared
and unsure. Who was that girl in the glass? Was that really her? She looked
small and fragile. That can’t be her. Can it? She quickly
shed her clothes. She got into the shower, turning the water on cold. The spray
stung as it hit her body. She shifted her face so that the water shot in her
face. Clean water. So much purer than she ever would be. Scene 2 Buffy awoke
feeling safe and warm. Something strong and comforting was enveloping her. She
moved gingerly, turning to see what was holding her. Her eyes landed on the
most gorgeous creature. The man she had thought she would never see again. His eyes were
closed, lost in slumber. His blond hair was unruly, tiny curls sticking up,
free from gel. A smile crept onto her face. It hadn’t been a dream. Spike had
come back to her. “I love you,”
she softly breathed. He didn’t hear, oblivious to her voice. Not able to
stand it anymore, she reached out to touch him. She ran her thumb over his
cheek. She remembered last night. After defeating the wall demon, and had seen Suddenly Spike
began to stir. His eyes opened, swallowing her up in crystal blue. “Buffy?” he
moaned. He held her tighter. “That’s
right.” She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “This is
heaven, pet. The powers didn’t send me back to earn heven,
they sent me to it.” She laid her
head on his chest. He was right. This was heaven. If only she had realized that
after she came back from the dimension with the same name. “Remember when
I said I wasn’t ready for you to go?” Buffy asked. “Yeah,” he
said, a little uncertain as to where this was heading. “Well, I don’t
think I’ll ever be ready. Stay with me, Spike. . . Forever.” “Till the end
of the world,” he vowed. Scene 3 Every morning She sat down
at the table, a steaming mug of gourmet chocolate coffee, and the paper before
her. She took a sip of her drink, satisfied with the taste. Her fingers took
hold of the paper. They were about to turn the page when she stopped,
captivated by the front page. There was a picture of a woman on the front. Déjà
vu came over her. She was sure she had seen this person before. Then it hit
her. The park. This was the same woman from the park. Kennedy was a
late sleeper. She often didn’t rouse until nine or sometimes even The red-head
came over and shook her girlfriend. “Kennedy?” A groan came
from Kennedy. She groggily woke up. “Will?” Slowly,
Kennedy sat up. She examined the picture. “Yeah. So?” “She killed
her husband. The same guy we saw her with the other day.” Kennedy shook
her head. She didn’t understand what “But . . .” Kennedy raised
her gaze to meet ______________________________________________ Scene 4 On Thursday,
the gang gathered together and went to the Touch Supper Club on Buffy and
Spike never left each other’s side. The food was
great. Xander, Dawn, After dinner,
they headed downstairs to dance. The six paired off. Kennedy and “I’m not used
to being alone yet,” Xander told Dawn sadly. The teen
looked over with an expression of sadness. “I remember how Anya
always dragged you out on the dance floor. You guys looked so good too.” Xander smiled slightly at the memory. “Yeah.” There was a
span of silence. Xander watched Spike and Buffy. God,
they were so into each other. Their movements were sensually heated and
intense. The sight made him want to shiver. “I can’t get
used to that,” he commented. “Buffy and Spike? Oh, I know,” Dawn replied. “I came down for
breakfast this morning and guess what I found. Spike and Buffy.” “O-k.” “Yeah, but
Buffy was on Spike’s lap.” Ugh, now that
was an image Xander didn’t want going through his
head. The concept of Spike as a good guy was something he wasn’t ready to
grasp. Spike as Buffy’s boyfriend, well that was something he would never get
used to in his entire life. Suddenly Xander spotted a female step out of the crowd. She was
tall, with long legs and a lean body. Her hair was white, flowing around her in
gentle waves. Her make-up was dark and heavy. She moved straight toward him. “Want to
dance?” the woman asked. Xander gulped. He wasn’t sure about this. He glanced over at Dawn. She
gave him a ‘go for it’ look. “Uh . . .
Sure,” he answered. The woman
smiled, leading him out into the moving people. Scene 5 Faith and
Robin entered the dancing floor. The slayer felt awkward. This was an actual
date. Robin had even called it that. She stood there, not knowing what to do. Wood took her
hand. He tugged her forward. “Come on.” She
reluctantly followed his lead. She stopped in her tracks, however, when a very
shocking scene filtered into her vision. “Oh boy!” she
exclaimed. There before
them, was Buffy and Spike. They were grinding their hips, oblivious to
everything around them. Beside her,
she felt Robin stiffen. His hold on her tightened. “Nice moves,
B,” Faith commented, loudly over the music. Buffy and
Spike halted. They looked over in surprise. Robin let
Faith’s hand go. “I thought I was rid of you,” he said to the vampire. “Sorry to
disappoint you, mate,” Spike replied. The two males
stared at each other, cold and challenging. “Whoa, down
boys,” Faith stated. She took Robin’s arm. “Let’s dance. That is why we’re
here, right?” Robin Wood
took a deep breath. His gaze still was focused on the bleached-blonde with
antipathy. “I don’t like
you, Spike.” “Well, uh,
duh,” Spike said. “Don’t expect you too either.” “But you did
save the world. So, I’ll leave you be for now. But if I find out you’ve done
anything shady I’ll be right there with a stake in my grasp.” After a moment
Spike nodded. He seemed to accept Wood’s warning. Robin grabbed
Faith’s hand again. “Come on, let’s dance.” Buffy smiled.
“See ya, Faith.” Her sister
slayer gave her a toothy grin. “Sure thing, B. Oh, and Spike,
nice to see you undead and not . . . uh, deader.” Scene 6 The woman’s
name was Sirena. Xander
felt weird dancing with her. She was too tall. Anya
had been the perfect height. He stopped himself before his thoughts trailed off
toward angst-ville. “So, you’re
here with friends?” Sirena questioned. “Yeah,” Xander answered in mono-tone. “I saw you
eating together earlier. They all seemed to be in love. Except
you, Xander. Why are you alone?” Xander’s good eye became murky. “My girlfriend died.” Understanding
came over Sirena. “I had a boyfriend. He died too.” Their gazes
met. “I’m sorry,” Xander told her. She gave him a
sad smile. “So am I.” Scene 7 The next
morning, Buffy awoke on something hard. She rolled off, sitting up. When she
saw what she had been on she jumped off the bed. The vampire stirred.
Then he opened his eyes to meet hers. He bolted up. “Slayer.” “Spike,” Buffy
replied. Spike got to
his feet. They faced each other. Buffy gestured
toward the bed. “We were in that bed together last night. I can’t believe it.
It’s like An ‘ah hah’
expression came over Spike. “That must be it! I was under a spell!” “So was I!”
Buffy said. “At different times, pet?” “How else do
you explain the feelings we had? You must have been hexed first and then me. It
is the only explanation.” He ran a hand
through his bleached locks. “Oh well, it doesn’t bleeding matter. Whatever has
been happening is broken. We’re free.” Buffy smiled. “Yeah. And I know what I must do now.” “What’s that?” The slayer
took a fist and hurled it into his face. _____________________________________________________ Scene 8 Faith pounded
on the Summers’ door. She needed help. Robin was
acting strange. She had awoken from him pushing her out of bed. He had gone off
about how disgusting she was. He had even called her a whore. That had almost
made her cry. Almost. The door burst
open. She was greeted to the sight of Laura behind it. Faith didn’t wait for an
invitation. She pushed her way inside, past the other slayer. “Where’s
Buffy?” Faith demanded. Laura sighed. “In the bathroom.” “Well, she
better hurry up. I need answers to a prob I have. And
she’s all researchy and crap.” “You see . .
.” Laura began. She was
interrupted by a British yell. “This is cruel and unusual punishment! I haven’t
tried to kill anyone today.” “Was that
Spike?” “Y-yeah.” Faith headed
toward where the voice had come from. She was led to the bathroom down the
hall. The door was open. She entered to see a blond slayer with crossed arms.
She was scowling at Spike, who was in the bathtub. His wrists were chained up,
keeping him in place. “If this is
something kinky you really should use a lock,” Faith commented. Buffy glanced
over. “Hello, Faith,” she said calmly. “B, what’s
going on?” Buffy
shrugged. “I’ll bloody
well tell you what is going on!” Spike shouted. “The slayer here tried to burn
me up outside.” Shocked, Faith
widened her brown eyes. “It didn’t
work unfortunately,” Buffy told her sister slayer. “For some reason he is
protected from Mr. Sunshine now. I‘m only keeping him undead
right now so we can figure out why.” Spike
struggled against his binds. “Come on, let me go. I told you I don’t want to
kill ya or your little pals. Remember, I got that
soul while I was under the spell?” “Spell?” Faith questioned. “Spike and I
were under a spell.” Faith peeked her head out into the hall. “Laura, girl, get your
ass in here!” The teen
slowly made her way into the bathroom. “What the hell
is going on here?” Faith swept a hand toward the two blondes. “I don’t
know,” Laura confessed. “I woke up to find them both fighting. Buffy was ready
to dust Spike. I had to persuade her to confine him instead. Spike doesn’t seem
too fond of Buffy either. At least he isn’t trying to snap her neck or
anything, though.” “Something is
definitely fucked up here. I was kicked out of Robin’s apartment this morning.” “We should
contact Giles,” Laura reasoned. “Ol’ Mr. G. Yeah, he can help.” Scene 9 Giles cleaned
his glasses with a white handkerchief. Then he placed them back on his nose and
peered at “I can’t go
back there. Please, just for tonight,” Willow begged. “ “I don’t see
how I could have shared a bed with that bitch!” He was
surprised to hear Just then the
phone rang. He went to answer it, after glancing at “Rupert Giles
speaking,” he said into the telephone. “Hey, G, this
is Faith.” “Faith, hello. I’m a little busy right . . .” “It’s
important. It’s about Buffy.” That got
Giles’ attention. “What about Buffy? Is she hurt?” “No, nothing like that. She’s gone insane or something. In fact, I
think Robin and Spike went wacko too. Robin kicked me out this morning. Buffy
wants to stake Spike. And Spike is back to calling Buffy slayer.” On the other
line, Giles heard Spike yell,” I may have a shiny soul, but I am on the verge
of sinking my teeth into your throat! I bet I can have a taste without much
guilt!” “Dear lord,”
Giles muttered. “See what I
mean? I say get your ass down here before Luara and I
go crazy too from their bickering.” The ex-watcher
looked over where “Thanks, G.” There was a
growl from the Summers’ household. “And please
hurry,” Faith added before hanging up. ___________________________________________________ Scene 10 Convincing “Buffy’ll understand,” “Do be quiet!”
Giles commanded. The red-head
frowned. “Fine. But Buffy will want to hear. That’s
what us best-friends do. We listen to each other. I
guess watcher-type friends don’t.” A sigh escaped
Giles. The woman sounded as if he should be ashamed that he didn’t stay up at
night gossiping with his mates. He didn’t know how much of this he could take.
He needed to get to Buffy and Spike. The sooner he did that, the sooner this
whole thing could be resolved. He managed to
get Giles drove
five miles over the speed limit the entire way. Finally they arrived. He parked
the red vehicle in the Summers’ driveway, quickly
opening the door. “We’re here, She peered out
the window, clearly just noticing. “Oh.” The two were
greeted by Dawn. She ran out of the house. “Make her
stop!” the teenager begged. “Who stop?”
Giles asked. “Buffy.” “What is it
that needs to be stopped?” Dawn took his
hand, leading him inside. “Just come and see.” They went
inside, Spike was
chained in the bathtub, a scowl on his face. His fingernails were painted hot
pink. His hair shot up with gel, a replica of Angel’s. A boom box was set
nearby, blaring some horrid boy band. “What in God’s
name is going on here?” inquired Giles. The vampire
turned to face the ex-watcher. “Rupert,” he said in relief. “You have to help
me. Buffy’s gone mad.” Giles took it
all in again. Suddenly he began to laugh. “Hey!” Spike
shouted. “This isn’t funny!” Giles simply
laughed louder. Dawn smiled.
“I know it’s funny,” she remarked. “But something is seriously wrong here.” Just then
Buffy came in. She held a makeup kit. “I couldn’t find the coral pink, but
harlot red will do.” “If you dare
to put that on me, slayer, I’ll. . .” Spike threatened. “Ooo, you’ll what?” Buffy mocked. “Shoot me angry
death-glares? Really that’s all you can do given the circumstances.” He struggled
against his manacles. “I’ll get out of here somehow. And when I do, soul be damned!” Buffy shook
her head. She selected a light crimson lipstick. “Princess Passion. Yeah, I
think I’ll go with that.” “What is going
on?” Giles stepped
forward. “Buffy, what are you doing here?” “What does it
look like I’m doing? I’m torturing Spike.” She glared at Dawn. “Dawn, Faith,
and Laura won’t let me do it physically.” The slayer
took off the lipstick lid. “Buffy, don’t
you wonder why all of a sudden you wish to hurt Spike when only a day ago you
did not?” She shrugged.
“It was a spell.” “Wouldn’t it
make more sense to think that you are under a spell now?” She shook her
head. “NO! I don’t love Spike!” “That’s
right,” Spike agreed. “We hate each other. Loathed enemies.” “I can see
that trying to reason with you is pointless. Very well, carry on with the
makeover.” Giles waved a hand at them. “I guess we’ll just have to deal with
this on our own.” “There is
nothing to deal with,” Buffy said. “Nothing is wrong. This is the way things
should be. I wish you would realize this so I could go ahead and dust him.” There was a
scream from downstairs. Everybody ran down to find out what was going on. That
is, except for Spike. They found
Faith sitting against the front door. There were tear-streaks running down her
cheeks. Somebody was pounding outside. “It’s Robin,”
Faith informed. “He has a stake and is trying to use it on me. Says I’m no better than a vampire.” Buffy eyes
widened. “Good lord!”
Giles exclaimed. Faith shook
her head. “I don’t understand. He told me he loved me only yesterday.” “Something is
going on,” Buffy announced. “We have to fix this.” Her sister put
her hands on her hips. “So now you’ll admit that things aren’t right?” Buffy gestured
to Faith. “About this, yes. Robin can‘t be wanting to kill Faith for no reason.” She frowned. “Spike
and I are a different matter. I know you like him for some weird reason. But,
Dawn, you have to stop. It is my duty to take care of him.” Dawn let out a
frustrated sound. She spun toward Giles. “Please do something.” He
concentrated. “I do think I have a hypothesis.” “What is it?” “The ones effected seem to be the couples of our group.” “You mean the
ones that get hot and sweaty and night?” Embarrassed,
Giles said, “Er, uh, actually I was thinking along
the lines as the ones that are in love.” Understanding
came over Dawn. “OH! And Faith and Kennedy aren’t effected
because they aren’t in love.” “Precisely,”
the man confirmed. “Kay. So how
do we fix this?” “That’s where
research is required. We need to assemble everyone and hit the books.” Then he
remembered that there were no books. “The internet I suppose,” he reluctantly
corrected. ________________________________________________ Scene 11 Xander arrived to find a crowded living room. Everyone was there. A
sulking vampire was tied to a chair, Buffy glaring at him from the couch. The
scene made Xander halt. He pointed a finger at them. “What is going
on here? Are you punishing blondie for getting bleach
on your favorite towels, Buff?” The slayer
crossed her arms. “No. I’m punishing him for being a cocky evil vampire that I
should have gotten rid of years ago.” Xander lifted an eyebrow. “What made you finally see the truth?” he
remarked, only half-serious. He surveyed the research committee. “What are we
dealing with now?” “We don’t know
yet,” Laura informed. “Everyone in love is acting strange.” “We’re also
trying to find out why Spike can go out in the sun,” Dawn told Xander. “What!? When? How?” he stammered. “Uh, Xan, we’re researching. We can’t answer those questions
yet.” “Oh, right.” From his seat,
Spike spoke up. “I’ve told you lot before that it was a gift. The powers gave
it to me for saving your arse.” “They never
gave me any presents. I died ‘twice’,” Buffy complained with a pout. “But you
make a giant hole in the ground and you’re blessed.” “Now, see
here, slayer . . .!” “Quiet, all of you!” Giles burst out. “ Excitement
came from Everyone
turned their attention toward the witch. That is, except Buffy and Spike, who
continued to glower at each other. “It’s a heart
snatcher,” “That’s it? No
weird named demon that I can’t pronounce?” Buffy remarked. “No,” Giles
replied. “And it isn’t a demon. It’s a wronged woman, if you will.” “What, like a vengeance demon?” “Well, er, yes. But instead of becoming a demon these women simply
call upon the forces of evil to steal love. Their hate corrupts them so much
that they dedicate their life on preventing anyone else from being happy.” “Oh.” “This is
great,” Dawn said with enthusiasm. “All we have to do is steal the love back,
right? Everything can go back to the way it was. Buffy and Spike will be
together. Faith and Princ . . . Um, Mr. Wood can
continue with their relationship. And Kennedy and Buffy leaned
back against the sofa cushions. “Things aren’t that simple, Dawnie.
I keep telling you. . . Spike and I . . .” “The slayer’s
right,” Spike agreed. “What is more believable? A pair of
sworn enemies falling in love and being under a spell to think they hate each
other again? Or, a pair of sworn enemies really hating each other and
thinking they loved each other for a while?” The youngest Summers opened her mouth, prepared to speak. Spike cut her
off. “Oh, Bollocks. Don’t answer. Both scenarios sound equally
preposterous.” “We have to
focus on this heart snatcher.” Buffy turned toward The last part
had been said more quietly and with less zeal. “How?” “Well, uh. . .
A person who loves someone has to confront the heart snatcher. Then her powers
should evaporate,” “Bummer,” Faith
commented. “We’re doomed. No one here loves anyone anymore.” All of a
sudden Buffy stood up. “I guess I’ll just have to do her in the old fashioned
way?” “Buffy, this
snatcher has mystical powers. There is no guarantee that stabbing her in the
chest will kill her,” Giles reasoned. “I’m not going
to stab her. I’m going to hack off her head.” Faith
shrugged. “That’ll probably work.” Scene 12 “Why did he
have to come along?” Buffy whined. “He is a handy
fighter, Buffy.” Giles sighed. He actually wished that Buffy would go back to
loving the vampire. “And even if you really do hate Spike, you have to come to
terms with his soul. He is on our side.” Buffy
shivered. She cast an evil glance over at her ‘so said enemy’. “I can’t stand
to be around him. I want to do to him what I have planned for this snatcher
chick.” “Well, get
over it!” Giles snapped. “Excuse me?” “I said get
over it. We have more important things to deal with. This heart snatcher is
endangering people’s lives with hate. Unlike Spike, who is doing nothing
threatening at the moment.” The slayer was
silent for a moment. Then she finally admitted, “You’re right. I’ll try to
quench my desire to use my sword on him. No matter how hard it is.” The group
arrived at the park. Dusk had approached and shadows crept around them. I conjure
thee Come
solidify before us Far to near
I invoke Appear. . .
Appear . . . Appear With the
power of thrice I call upon you Appear . .
. Appear. . . Appear There was an
explosion of smoke. The Scoobies drew out their
weapons. The film in the air faded to reveal a woman with long white hair. Xander took a step forward, his one eye wide. “This is so
not fair!” he cried. “Um, Xan, this is not the time to revert to a three year old. We
don’t always get our way,” Buffy chastised. “You don’t
understand,” he said. “That is the woman I danced with at the Touch Supper
Club.” Buffy shook
her head. “You’re right. . . That is unfair.” “Darn tootin it is,” “I’ve been
thinking about it. But Little Xan-man has . . .” Buffy hit him
hard in the shoulder before he could go on. “Don’t you dare finish that
sentence!” she warned. He gave her an
impish grin. “Sorry.” “Will you
children please stop with the prattle and focus,” Giles scolded. Their
attention snapped to the Heart Snatcher, AKA Sirena.
She looked them over with disdain. “Have you come
to defeat me?” she asked. Buffy smiled,
hefting her blade. “That’s right.” “I doubt you
can do much damage, but go ahead and try.” “Thanks, but I
didn’t need your permission. One question before I begin. . . What is with the
make-up? Makes you look like a streetwalker. For someone who hates men you sure
look like you want to attract them. . . . For a price that
is.” The Heart
Snatcher snarled. Buffy
shrugged. “Just a thought.” The slayer
threw herself at the Heart Snatcher. She swung her sword, but before it could
make contact it was deflected by a shoot of power. Buffy flung through the air,
landing on the ground. “Oooomph,” Buffy let out. “B?” Faith
asked. “You okay?” “She has super
powers!” Buffy exclaimed. She jumped back to her feet, turning toward her
ex-watcher. “You never said anything about super powers.” “Actually I
did. But I did not anticipate this amount of energy. “Great,” Buffy
mumbled. “Let me have a
go at it,” Spike said. The vampire
hurled himself at the Heart Snatcher in a streak of white. He anticipated her
strike, and dodged out of the way as the bolt of power shot out. He grinned in
triumph. His arrogant expression was ripped off his face by another blow, this
time hitting its target. Spike was tossed aside. Spike happened
to be directed at Buffy. He fell on her, both of them tumbling to the grass.
She bucked, flinging him off her. “Ugh, get off
of me!” Buffy shouted in disgust. “It isn’t my fault,”
Spike defended. “You breathed
on me,” Buffy accused. “I got a whiff of your cigarette breath.” “Yet again, not my fault. I didn’t choose to land on you.” “You shouldn’t
even have to breath.” “Reflex,” he
replied. “And why didn’t you get out of the way?” “Excuse me. My
mind was trying to figure out a way to get rid of our Heart Snatcher. I wasn’t
watching what was going on with you.” He knew that
she was basically saying that she didn’t care what happened to him. Which was understandable. He didn’t care what happened to
her either. But the weird thing was that a part of him felt like he should. “Maybe if we
all attack at once . . .” Spike reasoned. “Why should we
listen to you?” Buffy retorted. “Your plans never work.” “Hey now,
missy, that was uncalled for.” “That’s it!” Buffy punched
Spike in the nose. He took a hand and touched it. When he brought his fingers
back down they were covered in blood. “You made my
nose bleed!” Spike said in astonishment. “Shut up or
that won’t be the only thing that bleeds.” Angry, Spike
punched the slayer back. “You wanna dance, then let’s go.” He circled around her. All of a
sudden something slammed into Spike. His vision cleared, realizing that it was
Faith. “This is not
the time to ‘dance’!” Faith informed. She nodded toward the Heart Snatcher.
“She’s repelling all of our attempts.” “She started
it!” Spike said. Faith sighed.
“Like what Buffy said to Xander, ’This is no time to
revert to a three year old’.” “I didn’t want
to hurt the girl. Not really. Dawn wouldn’t be pleased.” Buffy hovered
over them. She crossed her arms. “Leave my sister alone!” she threatened. “I no
longer want you around her.” “You can’t
keep me from her,” Spike said. “Wanna bet?” “I love the
bit, would never hurt her.” “You’re a bad
influence.” Abruptly,
something flashed in Spike’s gaze. He pushed Faith off him. He rushed over to
Dawn and grabbed her arm. He searched the teen’s face. “You care for
me, right sweet bit?” he questioned. “Y-yeah,” Dawn
answered, perplexed as to why he was asking her this during a battle. “Right then.” Spike pulled
Dawn forward. They stood before the Heart Snatcher, getting her attention. “What are you
doing!?” screamed Buffy. “I told you to leave my sister alone!” Spike ignored
the slayer. Spike smirked at
the Heart Snatcher. “I think there’s somethin ya overlooked.” “And what’s
that, vampire?” the Heart Snatcher inquired. Spike wrapped
his arm around Dawn. “There are different types of love out there. Romantic
love is only one kind.” He glanced down at Dawn. “I love the nibblet here. She’s my best friend.” A bright grin
lit up Dawn’s face. She hugged the vampire. “I love you too, Spike.” The Heart
Snatcher let out a holler. She threw back her head as power shot out, going off
in different directions. Some of it hit Buffy, Spike, and The power
finally dwindled. The Heart Snatcher vanished, leaving nothing to indicate it
had ever been there. “Are you
okay?” Dawn called to her sister. Buffy picked
herself up. “I’m fine,” she softly said. Spike’s gaze
traveled over to the slayer. Their eyes met, sadness swimming in them. Scene 13 “You lied to
me,” Kennedy
remained silent. Scene 14 Robin and
Faith sat on the bed, a foot apart. There was a long span of silence. Finally
Faith broke it by speaking. “Is it true?
Do you . . . .” She couldn’t bring herself to say it. “I must. I
didn’t really realize it until now,” he confessed. She shut her
eyes. “God, this is weird.” Robin Wood
took her hands. “I understand. If you don’t think this is going to work let’s
stop now.” Faith’s lips
twitched. “It’s weird, but it also feels kinda nice.”
She opened her eyes. “I think I like being loved. I think. . . I think I’ll
give it a go.” Scene 15 Buffy’s head
was buried in Spike‘s chest. She clung to him. “I’m so sorry,”
she apologized, her voice muffled. Spike ran a
hand over her hair. “It’s okay, luv.” She lifted her
head. Her green eyes were large. “NO! No, it’s not! I hurt you. I can’t believe
how I treated you.” “If you
remember, pet, I hit you back.” “Yeah, but I
was the one to start it. I . . .” She took in a deep breath. “I promised myself
I would never hurt you again after you got your soul.” “It wasn’t
your fault,” Spike told her. “In fact, I’m glad it happened.” Confused, she
asked, “Why? Why would you ever be glad this happened?” He brought her
closer to him. She could feel his cold breath on her face. Cigarette breath, yes, but not revolting. Her heart sped up. Blue eyes
found hers. “I’m glad because now I know.” “Know what?” “That you love
me.” Buffy laughed.
“Well, duh. And don’t you ever tell me I don’t again!” “Never.” “So you
believe me?” “Yeah.” “So, if I ask
you to move in you’ll agree?” Shock and
pleasure could be seen in Spike’s expression. “You sure?” “I want you
with me forever, Spike. I don’t expect this feeling to go away anytime soon.” “Well, that’s
comforting.” She smiled.
“So, you’ll stay?” “Yeah, I’ll
stay.” “Good.” They curled up
on the bed, holding each other. “So, this
moving in thing, it includes shagging, right?” Spike asked after a moment. “This is
supposed to be a romantic moment. You just ruined it, you know?” “I know.” Buffy raised
herself up on her elbow. Her hand reached out and slid under Spike’s shirt.
“But, what the hell . . .” |
