DestinyBy PSUBrat
Blows
Buffy slowly walked home. She had left the Magic Box early since William hadn't been around to tell her otherwise. Even though Cecily had been at the shop, Buffy was sure that William's absence had something to do with the ex-demon. He was probably out buying her flowers or cooking her dinner. She was angry and jealous. Not a good combination in a slayer. She decided to swing by the cemetery on her way home, hoping to find some vampires to take out her aggressions on.
Her feet kept moving absently as she reached out with her senses, searching for anything that she might be able to have a good fight with. She found nothing. Her half-hearted patrol continued as her feet continued moving. Suddenly, as if an invisible hand was guiding her, she found herself in front of the crypt. She sighed and leaned up against the side of the crypt like she had done the night that she had found out that Spike had left. Gazing up at the stars she thought about how different things were now that he was back.
She closed her eyes and thought back to the first night she had met Spike. She had been struck by how handsome he was, even then she had been attracted to him and had denied it. Had she loved him even then? Or had she truly fallen in love with him when Willow's spell had gone all wonky? She wasn't sure. Did it matter anymore? It mattered to her. And what did matter was the fact that she was in love with him now and now she couldn't tell him.
"You've got to stop feeling sorry for yourself Buffy," she said aloud to the air around her. She hung her head and closed her eyes again. The image of Spike covered in bruises from head to toe came rushing to her mind. She had pretended to be the Buffy-bot that day, to make sure that he hadn't told Glory about Dawn. And she had been so moved by his devotion to keep her sister safe that she had felt compelled to kiss him. Maybe it was then that she had seen him differently. Yes, the two of them had started their dance trying to kill each other. But didn't it make sense that out of that hatred that love was sparked? Wasn't it true that there was a really fine line between love and hate? She thought she had read that somewhere. Maybe Cosmo.
As she continued to stand there lost in her own world, she could hear voices coming from within the crypt. She held her breath and tried to make out what was being said but it was inaudible. Slowly she moved along the crypt until she was close to the front door.
***
William stood up abruptly and glared at Clem. He didn't need to hear what this demon thought about his love life, even though he had asked. Things were just too complicated. There was no way he could possibly explain the way he felt right now. He was torn and confused and that wasn't even counting how he felt about the two women in his life. Seeing Cecily again like that had blown him away. How could he not give things a chance with the woman whom he had loved prior to his death? And to find out that she had always loved him…he'd have to be a fool not to explore what was there, even now, after all of this time.
"Spike," Clem said trying to get his friend's attention again, "You love Buffy more than your own life and you proved that by going to Africa to get a soul. So don't even tell me that you're just going to give up on a chance with her. Just because you're human again doesn't mean you have to pick up where you left off a century ago."
"You have no idea what you're talking about Clem," William growled, "So shut your gob!"
Clem looked at William with pity in his eyes. The once mighty master vampire was now nothing but a confused human. Slowly, and in a low voice, Clem stated, "Man. I hope this was all worth it to you."
William made his way to the door and opened it. "Just so you know," he said quietly with his back still to Clem, "You can have the crypt. Thanks for taking care of it. As for what we were just talking about, I'm Buffy's watcher. She's my Slayer. There will never be any type of romantic relationship between us. Ever."
Clem watched his friend leave and close the door. He wasn't all that sure that he liked the new Spike.
***
Buffy had heard him open the door so she quickly wiped her eyes and took off in the opposite direction. But not before hearing that there would never be anything between them. The last thing she wanted to do now was to talk to William. She barely spoke to him now as it was. She wasn't sure if he had noticed her change in behavior towards him though. But Giles had noticed it, so she was sure the others had as well. On the other hand, she believed that William was too caught up in his relationship with Cecily to notice much of anything else at the moment. The thought depressed her even more. As she was about to double back to go home, she was attacked from behind.
Suddenly Buffy found herself surrounded by five vampires as she picked herself up off the ground. "Oh! A party! Am I the guest of honor?" She asked as she whipped a stake out of her coat pocket and dusted the closest vamp before the others knew what had hit them. That left her with four.
A large vampire rushed at her. She thought she recognized him as one of the football players she graduated high school with. At least he had survived graduation, which was more than she could say for some of her other classmates. She let him take her down and then used his momentum to do a back roll. He ended up on his back and she straddled him. With one quick motion the stake went through his heart and he dusted beneath her.
She didn't have time to assess the situation after the second dusting because a fist met with her cheek. She fell to the ground somewhat dazed. She opened her eyes and saw the third vamp standing over her with an axe. Why did they always have to bring axes? As the axe swung down towards her body she rolled to her left and took down a fourth vampire with her feet. The third vamp was still trying to get his axe out of the ground as she got up on her feet. Before she could dust another one, the fifth vampire who had been standing back taking everything in, grabbed her from behind and put her in a strong hold.
***
William stopped walking when he thought he heard a scuffle coming from behind him. He strained his ears to listen but all he heard at first was the thumping of his own heart. "Bloody hell," he growled, "this is one of those times I wish I was still dead." Just as he was about to give up and continue walking home, he heard Buffy groan. His blood ran cold and adrenaline started pumping through his veins. His heart began to pound as he started running towards the sounds. He just hoped he wasn't too late.
When he came to the clearing where the fighting was taking place, he was shocked to see Buffy being held from behind by one vampire while she was kicking a second. His heart stopped when he saw yet a third vampire free his axe from the ground. Assessing the situation, he looked around for something to use as a stake. If he could just take out the vamp with the axe, Buffy would be able to take care of the other two on her own. Or maybe not. Looking down, he found her stake on the ground a few feet in front of him. He'd have to use it and then throw it to her after he was finished with Axe Boy.
He bent down and scooped up the stake as he ran forward yelling. He caused just enough of a distraction that Buffy was able to use it to break free from her captor. He reached his target in a matter of moments but Axe Boy was ready. The two squared off and slowly circled one another.
"Come on watcher," Axe Boy goaded, "why don't you show me what'cha got."
William stopped the dance. He looked at Axe Boy and shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. But remember. You asked for it." He waved for Axe Boy to bring on his best. This angered the axe-wheeling vampire who then tried to swing his weapon at William but missed. William quickly kicked the axe out of the vamp's hands. For every kick or punch Axe Boy threw at William, William blocked it with ease.
***
While her watcher was busy with Axe Boy, Buffy decided to get serious with the two that were pestering her. She looked around for her stake while avoiding fists and legs. That's when she saw that William had Mr. Pointy. Great. Now she needed another weapon. As she went down to do a sweeping kick to knock vamp four off his feet, she saw the axe. In one quick motion she grabbed the axe and cut off vamp number four's head. She turned her thoughts to her last attacker when she heard William howl out in pain.
"Bloody hell," William cried as Axe Boy knocked him on his back. His head grazed the bottom of a gravestone when he went down. "That's gonna leave a mark," William growled as he punched Axe Boy in the head. The demon staggered back in obvious pain. "Okay. That's it. I'm done playing." He reached for the stake and realized that he had dropped it in the last fall. Bloody brilliant.
"Spike," Buffy yelled out in concern, "be careful!"
"Don't worry 'bout me luv. I can take care of myself," he assured her. Then he saw another vampire come up behind her, "Look out behind you," he shouted to her as he continued his fight with Axe Boy.
Buffy spun around in time to avoid the vampire's kick. She gripped the axe tightly as she used a series of back kicks to knock her assailant to the ground. She put her foot down on the demon's chest. He struggled hard to get back up to continue the fight but she wouldn't let him. "Sorry," she said with a smile and a shrug, "you're not going anywhere. Well, except maybe to hell." She swung the axe handily and dusted him. She had dusted all but one and William was busy playing with that one. "Want some help?" She asked as she watched William take a blow to the chest.
"No pet. I've got it under control. Just waiting for you to throw me a stake is all."
She walked over and picked up Mr. Pointy and threw it to him. She watched in awe as William landed a back kick to the last vampire's chest sending the demon flying into a headstone several yards away. She couldn't believe her eyes. How could a human be that strong? Only Slayers and vampires could do something like that.
Seizing the opportunity, William walked over to the dazed vampire and staked him immediately. "Right then. I think that's all of them." He looked over at Buffy who was staring hard at him. "What?"
"How did you do that?" She demanded.
"Do what? " He asked confused.
"Kick that vampire like he was a soccer ball. For not being a demon anymore you certainly do have demon type strength."
He shrugged and looked at her. "Dunno. Got lucky I guess."
"I thought you said you were human," she replied in an irritated tone.
"I am human, pet," he shot back.
"Really? Then care to explain the foot action?"
"Not particularly."
She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. "How am I supposed to trust you as my watcher if you don't tell me the truth?" She demanded.
"And how am I supposed trust my slayer if she doesn't even give me the time of day?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.
"Oh Buffy, come off it," he huffed, "You don't think I haven't noticed how you've been avoiding me like the plague?"
She shrugged her shoulders and tried to avoid his glare. She just couldn't look into those piercing blue eyes of his. "I haven't been avoiding you. I've been busy. Training Dawn. And stuff."
He snorted. "Right. So I'm making this all up in my mind am I?"
"Yep. In your warped little mind." She turned and started walking towards her house.
He grabbed her upper arm and spun her around to look him in the face. "I think we both know each other better than that, pet. So why don't we just stop this nonsense right now and get to the point. You can't stand the thought of me with someone else."
"What," she yelled in shock. "You're crazy."
"Am I," he growled, "You don't want me but you don't want anyone else to want me either. Isn't that right?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about Spike. You're insane. We've been over a long time and I'm so over you. Not that I was ever interested in you in the first place," she back peddled.
"Right. So me dating Cecily has no effect on you whatsoever?" He asked hoping that she would give him a straight answer.
"None. I'm effect free thank you very much. Now if you'll excuse me I need to get home. Tomorrow is Dawn's first day at school and I want to make sure she gets off okay."
"You're lying," he said accusingly. He was baiting her. He knew that. He was buying time. He didn't want to leave her yet.
She wrenched free of his grip and frowned at him. "Why would I lie about Dawn going to school?"
"Not that. The other thing."
Her eyes narrowed and the anger in her started to boil over. "What do you want me to say Spike," she yelled, "huh? Do you want me to say that I've been lost without you? Oh! Or maybe I should just declare my undying love for you and get it out in the open finally? Is that what you want? Well I'm sorry. Neither of those is true!" She hoped that he couldn't see through her lies.
He stared at her trying to search her eyes. Obviously he wasn't going to get a straight answer from her this evening. He sighed. "Fine then pet. Go home and take care of the Bit. I'm going home myself."
"Fine," she huffed and stalked off towards Revello Drive not once turning around to see if he was watching her.
William watched her walk away. He slowly shook his head and turned to make his way to his own home. Tonight was going to be another long night with his journal.