Chapter 7
“Yeah, I did. Mind tellin’ me why you thought nothin’ of makin’ me a widow? You knew you were goin’ to die and you let me talk about how we were goin’ grow old together. You let me talk about what our children would be like, and the whole time, you KNEW that it would never happen!” Spike roared.
“I’M SORRY!” Buffy screamed. “I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! How many bloody times do you want me to say it! I was eighteen years old and in love. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to leave you, and look how I ended up. I didn’t die and I STILL lost you.” She fell to her knees. “I’m being punished, aren’t I?” She whispered. “I’m being punished for what I did to you.”
“You didn’t make me a vampire,” Spike said. “And, yeah, you may have done a few things, but you did them to keep me alive. And…I sorta like bein’ alive…or more un-dead, whatever.”
“I am a selfish, selfish girl…take them, the journals. Read them and find out what kind of girl I really am before you pledge forever with me.” She stood up and dumped a toiletries bag in the trunk.
“Elizabeth-“
“Buffy,” she corrected him. “I’m Buffy until you make you decision…Spike.”
Spike growled in frustration. “Fine…Fine. Have it your way, pet. Let’s go to England then.”
XXX
It was the longest plane ride that Spike could ever remember. Buffy refused to talk to him and spent most of the trip alternating between sleep and pretending to be asleep. She wouldn’t talk to him in the car either, and by the time they reached the Council’s headquarters, Spike was ready to climb the walls.
He slammed the car door and stormed through the front door before the thought that he should probably have opened Buffy’s car door entered his head. Spike mentally kicked himself and turned to walk back outside. Through the window, he could see that Buffy had already let herself out of the car and was awkwardly caring her trunk.
Doubtfully, Spike held the door to the Watcher’s Council open. “Need some help there, luv.”
“No, thank you,” Buffy said, tersely. “I’m quite capable of carrying it myself.”
“I know that. I was just-“
“Spike! You’re back! Oh, and with the super powerful Slayer.” Andrew came running through the lobby. “Greetings, oh powerful Vampyre Slayer. I am Andrew, Watcher extraordinaire. Perhaps, if you are lucky, your future Watcher.”
“I don’t need a Watcher,” Buffy told him.
“All Slayers need a Watcher,” Andrew replied, haughtily. “They need us to watch…and research.”
“Really? What’s the best way to kill a Tschelikovic demon?” Buffy asked. “What’s the best spell to cast when trying to outwit an Edrawadian Warlock?”
“Um, er, well, I, uh,” Andrew stuttered.
“Oh, don’t know the answers. Well, you just killed your Slayer. Way to go, Watcher.”
“You don’t need to speak to him like that.” Faith walked into the room.
Buffy shrugged. “Not a fan of Watchers.”
“How do you know what a Watcher is?” Faith asked.
“I guess you could say that I knew the old Council very well.”
“Well, as I’m sure Spike explained to you, we are nothing like the old Council.”
“Really? Well, the manners in this place have certainly gone down hill as no one has offered me a place to put my trunk down or a cup of tea.”
Faith looked flustered for a moment. “Right, er, you can put your trunk in the corner for now. We’ll take it up to your room in a moment. Giles has tea waiting for you in his office. I’ll take you to him.”
Buffy placed her trunk in the corner and mumbled something before moving to follow Faith. Spike walked right behind her.
Giles was waiting patiently at his desk. He stood when Buffy and Faith entered the room.
“Hello, my name is Rupert Giles. As Head of the Watcher’s Council, it is my pleasure to welcome you to our school-“
“I am not here to attend your school,” Buffy said.
“Er, I’m sorry, Miss…”
“Summers,” Buffy said.
“Pratt,” Spike said at the same time.
Faith snorted. “Which is it, blondie? Summers or Pratt?”
Buffy cocked her head to one side and stared into Spike’s eyes for a moment. “It’s Summers-Pratt,” she answered slowly. “You can call me Buffy.”
“I see. You seem a little young to be married, if you don’t mind me saying so, Buffy,” Giles said.
“I do mind you saying so. You have no idea what my age is,” Buffy replied.
“Quite right…Erm, is your reluctance to stay her have anything to do with your husband?” Giles asked.
“Where is your husband, Buffy?” Faith asked.
Buffy gave her a cold look. “He was turned.”
“Well, that sucks. Did you stake him?” Faith asked.
“I heard that another Slayer…took care of him,” Buffy answered.
Spike caught on to her double meaning and looked at the floor.
“May I inquire as to what the Council has done to incur your wrath?” Giles asked.
“Look, I’m here for one reason and one reason only, because Spike asked me. I have no wish to attend your school or join your Council,” Buffy said.
“Well, that is your choice Mrs. Pratt,” Giles said. “Will you at least help us with the demons that have been attacking you?”
“They’re Bringers for one of the Firsts. That’s all I know,” Buffy said.
“One of the Firsts? What do you mean ‘One of the Firsts?’” Faith asked.
“There is a First for everything, not just the First Evil,” Spike answered.
“Well, how are we supposed to figure out which one it is?” Faith asked.
Buffy shrugged.
“You don’t seemed very concerned about this,” Giles said.
“Why should she? She’s an immortal,” Spike muttered. Buffy’s fist knocked him to the floor before he even noticed that she had moved from her chair.
“Hey!” Faith yelled, jumping to her feet. “No Slayer hits him but me.” Her fist never connected as Buffy blocked her right hook and countered with a left.
“I don’t know what I was thinking.” Buffy’s eyes darted between Spike and Faith. “I should never have come here.” She spun on her heel and started to leave the room.
“Elizabeth-wait! I’m sorry!” Spike yelled after her. “”M always puttin’ my foot in my mouth, just ask the Sl-Faith here.”
Buffy froze, but didn’t turn around. “This is all wrong. It always has been.” She lifted her left hand to look at the ring on her finger. Slowly, she removed it and pressed a kiss on the diamond before placing it on the floor at her feet. “I should have relinquished this when I lost my dreams.”
“No,” Spike whispered. “Please, Elizabeth, I just found you again. Please don’t leave me.”
“I should have stayed lost,” she whispered and was gone before anyone saw her move.
XXX
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