| Longer Then Forever by Demonica Mills |
| Chapter #5 - Chapter 5 |
| Chapter 5 “We need to bathe her,” Anya announced as they walked into the Summers’ residence. “I c-could help,” Tara offered. “I’m really good at getting knots out.” “I’ll go see if I can find something for her to eat,” Willow said, walking to the kitchen. “I’ll help Tara with the bath,” Dawn said, taking her sister’s hand from Spike’s. Buffy gave a little noise in the back of her throat. She had been so busy looking around her that she hadn’t noticed Dawn grab her hand. “Careful, bit. Best not to sneak up on her so fast,” Spike said. “But, I didn’t. I was talking the whole time,” Dawn protested. “Yeah, but she can’t understand you.” “Oh,” Dawn said. “The rest of us will begin researching where Buffy’s been. Maybe if we known where she was, we can help her now,” Giles said. “I’ll…get donuts,” Xander offered. Giles nodded at him as he watched Dawn and Tara trying to lead Buffy upstairs. Buffy kept stopping to look at the pictures on the wall, and every so often she would try to touch one, leaving a smear of mud across the glass. XXX “How are we going to do this?” Dawn asked once they were in the bathroom. “Um, I think for the first part we should just sit her down in the tub and run the shower over her.” “Okay, suggestion. Maybe we should put on different clothes ‘cause we’re going to get soaked.” Tara nodded slowly. “Good idea. Why don’t you change first and I’ll watch her.” Dawn nodded and walked into her bathroom. Tara watched Buffy’s fascination with the mirror. “That’s you,” Tara said as Buffy tried to poke the mirror. “Do you wanna try and brush your teeth?” Tara picked up Buffy’s toothbrush and showed it to her. “Toothbrush. Tooothbrush.” Buffy looked at the toothbrush then to Tara. “Toothbrush,” she repeated. Tara nodded and picked up the tube of toothpaste off the counter. “Toothpaste. Toothpayst.” She waited until Buffy had repeated both several times before putting the paste on the brush. Then she picked up her own toothbrush and started brushing her teeth. She looked at Buffy to see if the other girl followed her example. Buffy watched her for a moment and then tried to stick her toothbrush in Tara’s mouth. “No, sweetie, that’s your toothbrush. See,” she guided Buffy’s brush to her mouth. Buffy allowed her to brush her teeth for awhile before taking the brush herself. She happily brushed her teeth until Dawn came back. Then she tried to brush Dawn’s teeth. “No, I have my own toothbrush, thank you,” Dawn insisted as Tara hurried out to change. “You need to spit out the toothpaste though, don’t…swallow it,” Dawn said too late. “Buffy toothbrush,” Buffy announced proudly. “Uh, yeah, why don’t I run the water,” Dawn said walking over to the tub. “Come on Buffy, let’s take off Spike’s duster and get you in here.” She moved to take the coat off, but Buffy growled. “You can’t wear it in the water, you’ll ruin it even more.” “What’s going on?” Tara asked, walking back into the bathroom. “She won’t take off the duster.” “Oh…well, maybe she thinks that, um, you’re trying to take it away from her?” Tara suggested. “Buffy,” she said soothingly. “You can have that back after your bath, okay?” Buffy growled again. “Maybe we should get Spike?” Dawn suggested. “Well, I suppose we’ve all technically already seen her naked…” Dawn was already yelling for him down the stairs, and Spike appeared seconds later. “Wot’s wrong?” “Buffy won’t take off the duster,” Dawn told him. “Oh, yeah?” Spike walked over to Buffy. “Come on, luv, time to get you all squeaky clean. If the leather’s not ruined, you can have it back.” It was no surprise to Tara when Spike was able to calmly take the jacket off her. He led her over to the tub and motioned her to get in. Buffy quietly sat down in the tub and Spike turned the faucet on. “Bit, fetch us one of those big ounce glasses the whelp left here, would ya?” Dawn ran out of the room and thundered back in a moment later with said item. Spike had picked up washcloth and was already gently cleaning the mud off Buffy’s face. “Their auras are so beautiful,” Tara breathed softly to Dawn. “Really? Wish I could see that.” “I’ll teach you,” Tara offered. Spike was slowly washing the layers of mud from Buffy’s body and he couldn’t stop the surprised gasps as he uncovered scar after scar on her. “Oh my goddess,” Tara breathed. “The scar on her back, Spike. She has a scar on her back…like the creature in the bubble we saw…” Dawn just realized what Spike had already known, and she started crying softly. Buffy obliviously played with the water running out of the facet, making small noises and occasionally splashing Spike. Tara had pulled Dawn into her arms. “Will-Will you be o-okay alone w-with her for a moment?” Tara asked. “Yeah, me and the Slayer will be just fine, won’t we Buffy?” Buffy smiled at him when he said her name. “We’ll be just outside,” Tara said. Spike nodded and turned his attention back to Buffy. Most of the mud was off her now, well except for her breasts and her lower areas. It wasn’t because he felt ashamed of touching her there, more like he didn’t want Glinda of the bit to see him do it and he was glad they left. There wasn’t anything sexual about cleaning someone like this, a century with Dru had taught him that, but it was still something he doubted the humans would understand. He mechanically washed the remaining mud off her body, trying to ignore the small moan the came from Buffy’s lips as he cleaned off her inner thigh. Now was not the time for that. Buffy seemed to have other ideas though, and she grabbed his hand and tried to put it back there. “Sshh, pet. Not now, but soon if you want it, yeah?” he breathed softly in her ear, placing a light kiss on her neck. His hands were rubbing soothing circles on her wrists. “What say we do something about this hair?” Spike filled the mug with water and gently dumped it over her head. Then he grabbed a bottle of conditioner and dumped half of it onto his hand. He covered her entire hair with it, and then picked up a comb. He turned her head to one side and methodically worked through little sections of her hair. After a while, Tara came back into the room, picked up another comb and began to work on the other side. Three hours and two bottles of conditioner later, the knots were out. “Okay, so we shampoo, rinse and repeat,” Tara said tiredly, picking up the bottle of shampoo. Another hour and they had Buffy completely clean and semi dressed in a t-shirt, she had refused the boxers. “Should we cut her hair today or tomorrow?” Tara asked, watching Buffy draw pictures in the steam covered mirror. “Might as well do it tonight,” Dawn answered. They sat Buffy down on the toilet, and Tara found a pair of scissors. She combed out a section of hair and was moving the scissors toward Buffy’s head, when the Slayer spun around, grabbed the witches hand and slammed her into the wall. “Buffy, no!” Dawn yelled, trying to pull her sister off. Spike was stronger though, and he grabbed Buffy’s arms, yanking her backwards. Buffy struggled against him, but Spike held firm. “No, Buffy. We don’t hurt friends,” he told her as he blocked a kick she had aimed at his stomach. “I said, no. Look at me Buffy.” Spike managed to pin her against the sink and pulled her face to look at him. When she continued to struggle, Spike did the only thing he could think of, he kissed her. |