B/S Fan Fiction

A Tale of Two Hearts

By A.Price

She peeped in the door and found Buffy alone still sleeping. She went to stand by her bed, reaching under the plastic tent and carefully taking Buffy's hand in hers. She had never seen Buffy look so vulnerable in her entire life, except .....well she didn't want to think about that tower ever again. Buffy was back and she was going to be better. Dawn wondered if Spike had helped Buffy get free before he died, she was well aware of everything that had gone on between her sister and the vampire and she knew there was a lot of feelings on both parts there, she felt a tear roll down her cheek, for Buffy, for Spike. Dawn was going to miss him, no more stories, no more Niblet.

Buffy stirred and opened her eyes, she coughed several times before she turned to Dawn, "Hey." She said softly moving the plastic so she could talk better.

"Hey you. How are you feeling this morning, you were kind of out of it last night." Dawn pushed Buffy's hair away from her face.

"I feel better. Doctor Grant says it will be a few days, but I'll be okay. This cough may hang around awhile, but my fever is going down steadily and my chest isn't hurting as much and oh yeah, that breathing thing is easier too." Buffy squeezed her sister's hand, "It's so good to see you. I was afraid I was never going to see you again."

"Me too. But I kept telling everyone that I knew you were alive somewhere, I could just feel it." Dawn grinned at Buffy, then softly asked, "Was it very bad?"

Buffy coughed again and reached for the tissues beside her bed. "It was bad, but Spike well he kind of helped, knowing he was there too." Buffy got very quiet, then added, "Yeah, it was bad."

"But you're here now. Maybe its too soon to talk about this, but maybe we, just you and me could do something for Spike, I mean maybe we could just go to that little place he showed us out in the woods behind his crypt, where the moon shines through the trees and makes it look like a fairyland at night, maybe we could go have a moonlight picnic in his honor. Just you and me." Dawn forced a small smile.

"Yeah, maybe. That would be nice, I think he would like it." Buffy smiled at Dawn through tears, "You can cry if you want Dawn, he was your friend."

Dawn nodded as tears ran down her cheeks, "I'm gonna miss him, and I feel bad that he died without knowing that I cared."

"He knew, Dawn." Buffy gave her sister a genuine smile, "Where are all the others?"

"Still sleeping down the hall." Dawn answered as the nurse brought in a breakfast tray for Buffy.

"I wonder if these eggs are as good as Maralee's." Buffy said aloud as she picked up her fork.

'"Maralee?" Dawn asked from her chair.

"Yeah, she fed me while I was captive and listened to me, I could tell she didn't like what was happening, but I think she was scared to do anything about it. In the end she and James are the ones who brought me home, I do remember that much." Buffy explained between bites.

****

"I'm packed, we can leave tonight, after he goes to bed." Maralee told James as she poured him a cup of coffee.

"Maralee, we have a problem." James sipped the hot coffee.

"What is it?" She asked worry lines creasing her forehead.

"Spike isn't dead. Quentin lied to us. After you went to bed, he took me back down to the basement. Spike is still there. I only know bits and pieces of what your Uncle wants from him but it doesn't sound good, I'm afraid he'll end up hurting more people. " James took a deep breath and sat down the cup.

"What are we going to do then?"

"I don't know, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I'm sorry." James stood and pulled her close to him in a tight hug.

"Don't be sorry, Spike's alive, we don't have his death on our hands." Maralee sighed.

"Not yet." James replied wearily.

***

Quentin Travers wondered about the whispers between his neice and James. They were naive enough to think that he didn't notice there relationship, stupid young people. After they were done in Sunnydale, Maralee could run away with James for all he cared. They had served there purpose, just as Spike would soon serve his. Travers was a cruel man, he had let Spike wait all day before he went down to the basement prison to confront him about 'the key'.

"Are you ready to talk now, William?" Quentin asked as he walked into the cell. Spike was standing in the corner of the room as Quentin pointed the tranquilizer gun at him, "Let me put these on you so you dont' get any ideas." He quickly cuffed Spike's wrists and ankles yet again.

Spike looked defeated on the outside, but inside he was stronger then ever, he wouldn't let Buffy down, she loved him. He would die keeping her secret, he would die gladly for the woman who loved him.

Travers stood in front of him, glaring down at him, "So tell me the real story of what happened at that tower in Sunnydale."

"That Glory bint kidnapped Dawn and we tried to save her, Buffy died doing it. That's the story." Spike smirked at Travers.

Travers backhanded Spike across the face, sending his head pounding against the wall. "Let's try again."

Spike straightened up and smiled at his jailer, "We were having a picnic up there and this Glory chic interrupted it?"

Travers hit him hard again.

"We had a deal!!! I let that miserable excuse for a slayer go! Tell me what happened." Travers punched him hard in the face again, Spike's eye's began to swell almost closed.

"I would think a man of your knowledge would know you don't make deals with vampires." Spike slurred at him through the blood running out of his mouth.

"I'll be back." Quentin warned him as he left he cell.

For two days this went on, Travers beat him and Spike smirked at him. He wore each bruise with pride, he was keeping Buffy and the Niblet safe, he was keeping his promise just like he said he would.

On the third day, Travers had enough, he ate his supper with Maralee and James then stood up from the table and made an announcement, "You two may go back to England, wherever you want, I don't need you here anymore." He opened the basement door to go down.

"What is he going to do?" Maralee asked fear creeping into her voice.

"I don't know, but it can't be good. He hasn't allowed me down there for a couple of days. I think it's time for me to quit being a coward and face him." James stood up and went to the basement door.

"Be careful." Maralee called after him.

***

After a few days in the hospital, and no drugs to weaken her, Buffy's healing kicked in, she was feeling much better, no fever and only a small cough now. The oxygen tent was gone and the Doctor had told her she could go home the next day.

"Okay, it's time for Dawn to go home. She's got school tomorrow." Buffy instructed Xander as Dawn rolled her eyes at her big sister. "It's already late and I'll be home tomorrow."

"Okay, okay." Dawn rolled her eyes again as she hugged Buffy. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Buffy. I'll be here to pick you up tomorrow." Xander kissed her cheek and left the room.

***

Spike tried to stand when he heard Quentin enter the cell again but he had no strength left.

"Have you decided to cooperate now?" He asked as he lay the tranquilizer gun next to the cell door.

"I'm never going to cooperate with you." Spike sighed as he tried to get comfortable for another round of punishment, the last time Travers had been there he had left the ankle and wrist restraints on him.

"Then it's over." Quentin pulled a stake from his pocket and raised it.

James crept quietly to the cell door, he quickly realized what was happening and without a second thought picked up the gun from the floor. His aim was true as Quentin Travers fell to the floor, the stake still in his hand, a dart stuck firmly in the back of his neck.

"James?" Spike asked squinting through his swollen eyes.

"Yes it's me. Let's go." He searched Quentin's unconcious form for the keys to the restraints and quickly let Spike free. He locked the other man in the cell and helped Spike out of the cell.

"Wait I need somethng." Spike limped towards the cell that had been Buffy's prison. He grabbed the duster from the cot and followed James up the steps to the kitchen.

"Oh....." Was all Maralee could say when she saw the state of Spike. He was battered from head to foot.

"I'm making a phone call and we are out of here." James told her as he helped Spike sit down at the table, "Give him some blood."

Maralee got blood from the refrigerator and handed it to Spike, she turned her head as he began to gulp it down, she couldn't remember the last time her uncle had allowed her to take food to Spike.

James made his call and turned to Maralee, "Your uncle is in the cell downstairs, he's alive. I've called the Council and told them what was going on. Did you know that they weren't even aware of what was going on? Travers had told them he was going on vacation and taking us with him. They'll be here to take care of him - but we won't be here to greet them."

"Let me get my things." Maralee ran to her bedroom, she grabbed her bags and also a large blanket she thought it might come in handy.

"What about me?" Spike asked as he finished his blood.

"We are taking you the same place we took Buffy." James answered as they walked to the garage and got in the van.

"The hospital?"

"No, we didnt' take her there." Maralee looked ashamed, "We took her home, but they took her to the hospital because I called to check to see if she had been admitted."

"We'll take you to her house." James told him as he started the van.

"I'm not sure anyone there will be happy to see me." Spike sighed as he took the blanket Maralee offered him.

"I think you're wrong. I'm so sorry for the part we played in this. Can you forgive me?" Maralee asked as they pulled outside Buffy's house.

"You're asking a vampire for forgiveness?" Spike looked surprised.

"Yes, I am. My father was right, it's not all black and white. I see that now. You find Buffy, you tell her that you love her." Maralee smiled at him as James got out and opened the back door for him.

"Thank you." It didn't seem like enough but Spike was too overwhelmed to say anything else.

"Goodbye and good luck." James told him as got back into the van and drove off.

Spike was left on the front lawn staring at the dark house, everyone inside was probably sound asleep. He walked to the front door and raised a tired hand to ring the bell, he was clutching the duster to him like his life depended on it. Buffy had thought enough of it to keep it and wear it and he was gong to give it back to her, it belonged to her now.

Dawn was in the kitchen mixing cereal again she was too excited about Buffy coming home to sleep much. She thought she heard a car stop and the start again out front. She walked to the front door and looked out the peep hole, her heart jumped in her throat as she opened the door. "Spike! You're alive!" She pulled him inside and hugged him tightly.

Spike groaned at the pain from the hug but he held on to her anyway it was worth the pain, to have her happy to see him. "Yeah, it's me Niblet. Where is Buffy?"

Dawn pulled back from him, "She's not here, Spike."

Spike misunderstood Dawn's meaning, "But you got her to the hospital, right? They told me she was in the hospital."

"She is Spike, she's fine. Calm down, she'll be home tomorrow." Dawn smiled at him, "Looks like you should be in a hospital." She helped him to the couch.

"I'll be okay." He settled on to the couch, he was so tired, "She's really okay?" He asked drowsily.

"Yes she's really okay. She's going to be so happy to see you!" Dawn leaned over and hugged him again.

"You really think so?" Spike felt for the note in his back pocket and smiled. Now he could finally tell her his news.....and it was even better because she had admitted she loved him before she knew about his soul.