As she left Anya's place Willow made her way to Sunnydale High wondering just what had happened to everyone since her departure. As she entered the basement she was unaware that Buffy and Xander were close behind.
"We can't use the blueprints to find our way around here...it's like the walls move or something." Xander didn't know why he had agreed to accompany Buffy here. After all, the last thing he wanted to do was see Spike right now. Suddenly, Buffy slowed her pace.
"This is my place you need permission to be here, you need a special slip with a stamp."
As Buffy heard Spike she gave Xander a pointed look and started walking. "I think I hear him."
Spike didn't even know what was real anymore. Sure the thing in front of him looked like Red but for all he knew it was the other.
Willow stared at him taking in what had become of this vampire she once knew. "Spike my god-"
"You go off and you try to wall out the bad parts and put your heart back in where it fell out. You call yourself finished but you're not...you're worse than ever you are."
As Buffy walked in she could see him talking to himself. 'God what's happened to the Spike I knew? If only I could- god no stop it Buffy. You're here for a reason and that's the body. Now focus.' Once her internal monologue was complete, Buffy finally spoke up.
"Spike...spike!"
Oh bloody hell if it wasn't her. What to say? 'Hey Buffy how's it going, don't mind the craziness?'
"You went away....you've been gone since..."
"The church....you scared me a little...I didn't.." What could she say? I didn't know what to say to the man who went through hell and back for me after I treated him like shit? As Buffy looked up Spike nodded at her as if understanding her inner turmoil.
"I didn't know what to think."
Xander looked on and decided it was time to end the scene playing before his eyes. "We're here for a reason Spike."
As Willow watched Spike talk she could do nothing but assume that he was talking to her. Sure this was an uncomfortable situation but if anyone could help her find Buffy it was him. "Yeah I- I needed to go but I'm back now and I found... there's a body."
Spike had nearly forgotten Willow's presence but at the mention of the corpse he looked back at her. "Tragedy...is there blood?"
Buffy and Xander stood there perplexed at Spike's words.
"He knows...he must have seen the body." Buffy nodded in agreement.
"I-I...yeah and I can't find Buffy or Xander or Dawn and there's this thing killing people th-the victim was...skinned. W-what could do that?"
"You did it once. I heard about it."
Buffy felt herself getting exasperated. "Spike we need to know who did this."
Completely unaware of Buffy and Xander's presence Willow continued trying to get some answers out of the vampire. "Anything other o-other than me?"
Spike was aware of Willow speaking but he couldn't take his eyes off of Buffy. He slowly stepped forward inhaling her Vanilla scent. "Look at you...glowing...what's a word means glowing? Gotta rhyme."
Buffy closed her eyes trying to keep her calm while having him so close. God, it had been forever since she had touched him, truly touched him. "Spike please."
Willow stared at the vampire with curiosity. "Spike?"
All he could do was stare into Buffy's eyes. God her scent, it was enough to drive him wild....wild as he had been that night. The night that he did what he swore he would never do. The night he hurt her. As shame and guilt filled him, Spike backed away trying to shield his face from Buffy. "Oh Oh ahhh no I-I should hide, hide from you, hide my face you know what I did."
"Boy he's extra useful today."
"Xander, this isn't the time."
"Yeah well I'd love to stay Buff but honestly I just can't handle any more of this right now. I'll see you later ok?" Buffy nodded and watched her friend leave. 'I should leave too. There's nothing for me here. Why can't I walk away from him?' In her heart she knew. She knew that she couldn't make herself walk away because of what Spike had done. This vampire went to the end of the world and back. For her. That had to mean something.
Then it came. One of those few moments of clarity that Spike seemed to get every so often. As he looked around the room back and forth between Buffy and Red he noticed something very interesting. "Everyone's talking to me, no one's talking to each other." As he turned his head towards Willow a slow smile of realization spread across his face.
Willow decided she did not like where this was going. "Spike, please try to listen to me."
"Someone isn't here. Button button who's got the button? My money's on the witch." He gave Willow a pointed stare and continued on what seemed to her the craziest tirade she had ever heard.
"Red's a bad girl." That was the final straw for Willow as she took off wondering what in the world had happened to the Spike she once knew.
Now with only him and Buffy in the room, Spike approached her slowly.
Buffy backed off a bit not sure if she could trust him but still determined to get answers out of him. "Spike, what's going on with Willow? Did she do this?"
As he stalked toward her, Spike quickly lost his interest in the conversation. The thing..beneath, it was too strong. It had asked questions to which he did not have an answer. He had told it over and over he didn't know why Buffy couldn't love him. And now, having her so close made his anger rise. He'd gone to the end of the world and back for her he had. Yet she still wouldn't give him the time of day.
"Why is it that you only come around when you want something Slayer?"
At his choice of name for her Buffy quickly moved to the side deciding that it might not be safe to be around the vampire right now. "Spike, I just wanted to know who killed that man, but you obviously don't know anything so I'm just gonna go now."
As Buffy went to hurry off Spike grabbed her arm roughly and spun her around to face him. With a deadly stare he held her in place. "Oh, I don't think so pet. You and I are gonna talk, and it's gonna happen now."
Buffy struggled but for some reason couldn't get free. "Spike, let me go!"
"Don't think I'll be doing that luv." He growled as he pinned her to the wall.
"No more running and hiding from me Buffy. This ends now."
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!