Checkers

By Anne Rose

They had won. At least they'd escaped without casualties - unless you counted the robot.

Buffy stood to the side and stared at it, lying lifeless on the Magic Box table. She watched Willow dig around inside its back, trying to figure out why it had stopped working. As she watched, she tried very hard not to think about why the bot had been created.

Tara hovered near the table, watching. After a moment, she looked up at Buffy. "Is it weird?"

"Oh yeah." Buffy walked around and sat down at the table. "At least it's not a very good copy. I mean..." She laid her head on the table and examined the bot's face. "Look at it."

"Uh ... yeah," Willow mumbled, giving Tara a look, but not saying anything else to burst Buffy's bubble of denial. However, it was undeniable that the bot looked exactly like Buffy.

Buffy's head snapped up as bell on the front door jingled and Xander and Giles walked into the shop. She went to stand behind Dawn and crossed her arms.

"What'd you guys do with Spike? And please let the story have a dusty ending," Buffy asked. Her expression didn't quite match her words. She was trying a bit too hard to portray the injured party in Spike's latest adventure.

"We dumped him back in his crypt," Xander explained, looking down and sounding slightly apologetic.

Giles shrugged, also not making eye contact. "Tried to find out if he'd ... told her anything, but he was too badly beaten to make much sense."

"Well, even if he told her, he'd just lie to us about it anyway, right?" Anya added.

Giles raised his eyebrows but didn't comment.

"Yeah, you can count on it," Buffy said, barely above a whisper. "But I have to know, now. If he did give us up, Dawn and I need to get out of town. I mean, she could be on her way right now."

Dawn's expression changed from relief that Spike was ok, to concern about Glory. Giles noticed and tried to cover. "But, uh, not to worry, you know, I'm sure we'll all be perfectly safe."

"We're safe... right." Dawn rolled her eyes. "And, uh, Spike built a robot Buffy to play checkers with."

Buffy frowned at Tara.

"I-it sounded convincing when I thought it," Tara said, smiling self-consciously.

"Hey! I-I think I found somethin'," Willow interrupted, bringing their attention back to the bot.

"Uck!" Anya said. "Looks very complicated in there. Personally, I'd rather look at guts,"

Willow ignored her and looked at Buffy, clearly quite proud of herself. "I found where she's broken. Some of these wires got fried extra crispy. It's an easy fix." Her perky mood evaporated when Buffy only gaped at her. "I mean ... not that I would," Willow backpedaled.

"God, I feel ... kind of bad for the guy." Xander looked somewhere between embarrassed and amazed as the words left his mouth. "Gets all whupped and his best toy gets taken away."

Buffy snapped her head around and stared at Xander. Were all her friends losing their minds? "Please don't be suggesting what I'd have to kill you for suggesting."

Xander backpedaled. "No, no, travesty, completely on board, it's just..." and there was the pity again, "the guy was so thrashed."

Buffy's expression softened slightly to one of concern. Glory had beaten and tortured Spike because of her and Dawn. There hadn't been a chance to get a good look at him during the fight, but if it was enough to impress Giles and Xander, it must have been pretty bad. But then her resolve face returned. "We need to know for sure. Willow, help me get those clothes off the bot."

Willow looked up from her work, clearly confused, but she closed the flap on the robot's back and started helping Buffy strip it.

Buffy squeaked as the bot's anatomically correct breasts were exposed. She blushed and threw the shirt back over the bot's chest as she stepped between it and the guys. "Uh, Xander, Giles, do you mind?"

They stared at Buffy for a moment, not understanding her. Giles suddenly cleared his throat and removed his glasses. "Xander and I will be in the training room, in case you need us."

"Hunh?" Xander said. Giles stood quickly, took him by the arm, and lead him away. They heard Xander say, "Oh!" just before the door closed.

Tara and Willow suddenly remembered they needed to get a volume from one of the back shelves while Dawn helped Buffy swap clothes with the bot.

As they finished dressing the bot, Dawn looked at it thoughtfully. "Buffy, I understand why Spike had Warren build the robot, but..."

"Dawn, I really don't think we should talk about this -- ever." Buffy cut her off, blushing again.

"Oh, no," Dawn said, starting to blush now as well. "I didn't mean about that. I meant, I saw the bot fighting, and we know she went out patrolling. And," Dawn added, talking faster, as Tara and Willow returned followed by Xander and Giles. "There's all that stuff about us that she knew." Dawn paused.

"Is there a point?" Buffy asked.

"I was just thinking that it didn't need to know all those things, or be able to fight, or want to patrol, in order to just 'play checkers'," Dawn said, making little air quotes.

"Dawn, you're too young to understand..." Buffy began and then paused as what Dawn said sunk in. It wasn't what she had expected and her prepared response didn't fit. None of her rehearsed responses to Dawn, or even to herself fit this situation. Giles raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Even Xander remained silent.

"Maybe," Tara said, breaking the silence. They all turned to look at her. "Well, you only need those things if you were planning to hold conversations with it, or if you wanted it to join you when you went out 'to get a spot of violence,' as Spike would say."

"It thought it was the slayer," Anya said, nodding.

"I know," Buffy said, collapsing back into the chair. "But this is still Spike we're talking about. Right?" She looked at them, her eyes pleading.

"Yes, it's Spike. He's still evil," Willow said, swinging her fist with clearly faked enthusiasm.

Buffy looked at her friends and her sister. They were just as conflicted as she was.

Buffy stood, straightening the light pink tank top and darker pink pleated skirt. She looked again at the bot. "Right. Well, I still need to find out what Glory knows."

Spike was lying on the sarcophagus in his crypt, where they had dumped him. His face was bruised and cut. One eye was swollen shut, and the other was almost as bad. The part of his chest showing through the tear in his t-shirt was covered with cuts and bruises, and one deep puncture where Glory had dug around inside his chest with her hands. It was turning out to be a very bad day.

He heard the door slam open and someone walk in.

"Spike! You're covered in sexy wounds," a voice exclaimed.

Spike turned his head toward the sound, opening his eye slowly. He was surprised to see the bot standing there. "Yeah." He grimaced as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "I feel real sexy," he groaned. "Where you been?"

"I fell down and got confused. Willow fixed me. She's gay," the bot chirped.

Spike was astonished. This was just about the last thing he'd expected. He leaned heavily on his arms and looked at her. "Will fixed you? I thought they'd melt you into scrap."

"They were confused too." She flashed him one of her plastic smiles. "Do you wanna ravage me now?"

"Give us a minute. Got some bones need mending."

At that, the bot moved forward and looked concerned. "Why did you let that Glory hurt you?"

Spike sighed. Maybe he should have thought twice about having Warren program so much personality into the thing. He knew the bot didn't really care, but it still made dealing with the real Buffy that much harder. "She wanted to know who the key was," he explained.

The bot spun around to walk out. "Oh, well, I can tell her, and then you'll..."

"No!" Spike yelled. The effort caused him to start coughing. "You can't ever. Glory never finds out!"

"Why?"

Spike sagged slightly. "Cause Buffy... the other, not so pleasant Buffy... anything happened to Dawn, it'd destroy her. I couldn't live, her bein' in that much pain. Let Glory kill me first. Nearly bloody did."

Buffy frowned as she heard his words and then slowly leaned forward gently kissed him on the lips. Spike started to respond, kissing her back, but something wasn't right. She was so warm, so soft. Suddenly he pulled back and looked at her - Buffy. He couldn't do anything but stare at her as she started to walk away. He was so battered that he hadn't noticed her scent until now.

She was walking away, and he needed to explain, to say something. "And my robot," was all he managed.

Buffy paused and turned. "The robot is gone. The robot was gross and obscene."

Spike felt what little energy he had drain out of him. His head sunk. "It wasn't supposed to..."

"Don't. That ... thing, it ... it wasn't even real." Buffy interrupted. He could see she was disgusted with him. It was bitter irony. He'd endured torture and never betrayed her or her little sis, and the day he'd picked to do it was the day she discovered the bot.

She was walking back towards the door when he heard her stop again. "What you did, for me, and Dawn... that was real."

Spike managed to lift his head and looked at her.

"I won't forget it."

Part 2

Spike stared after her for a moment, not knowing what to think. Then the pain and exhaustion got the better of him and he collapsed back onto the sarcophagus. The effort to sit up and talk to her had drained his last ounce of strength. He closed his eyes and replayed her kiss in his mind, trying to concentrate on the feel of her lips on his, instead of the open wounds that were screaming at him.

She was mad about the robot. That was clear. But it hadn't totally negated what he had endured to protect Nibblet. Maybe today wasn't the worst day of his existence after all. The only other time she'd kissed him, outside of his dreams, was when Red's spell had gone wrong.

And he could still smell her; taste her, as if she was still there. Spike was so caught up in his thoughts that he was taken by surprise when he heard the microwave beeping. He turned his head slightly, and thought about opening his eyes, but it was too much effort.

A few moments later he was aware of an arm sliding around his shoulders and of being lifted into a sitting position. He smelled blood and opened his mouth slightly when he felt the tip of the straw against his lips.

"Drink," he heard her say. He obliged, sucking in the warm, thick liquid. When the mug was empty, he felt himself being laid back down again. Idly, he wondered if she would leave now, and the thought saddened him. He'd done it again. Risked his life for the Slayer and what did he have to show for it? Open, bleeding wounds, deep purple bruises, a series of cuts and abrasions - and a kiss.

At least he thought he remembered a kiss. He could still feel her on his lips - it seemed so unreal; maybe it was a dream from his battered brain.

He was brought back from his musings by the sound of the microwave beeping again. 'Or was it the first time,' he wondered. He had lost track of the flow of time. He felt the warm arm reach around him, propping him up, leaning him against her soft body. Spike stopped trying to figure things out. If this was a hallucination, it was better than dreaming about Glory.

He felt the straw against his lips again. Halfway through the second mug he stopped suddenly, the taste finally soaking through to his brain - human, not pig's blood. "Slayer?" He asked, befuddled. He tried to open his eyes and look at her, but they were both swollen shut. "Where d'you get this?"

"Uh, from Ben, at the hospital," Buffy said. "Is it ok? They were about to throw it out, so it's not fresh, but I thought you'd heal faster on human blood."

"S'wonderful, Pet," he slurred as he finished sucking down the rest of his meal.

The process was repeated several more times over the next few hours - at least it seemed like hours. Spike lost count, but each time he felt a bit stronger. He slept in between feedings, and at some point he realized he'd been moved off the hard sarcophagus onto something softer. He was slowly becoming more aware of his surroundings as the pain started to retreat and his brain began to clear.

This time when Buffy sat him up to feed him, he was aware of her hand gently rubbing his back as she supported him. He nestled into her warm body as he slurped from the mug. He tried again to open his eyes and found that he could force them open, just a slit. Her forehead was creased with worry, but she brightened when she saw him look at her. "Finally back among the living?"

Spike coughed. His chest rattled as he laughed quietly. "In a manner of speaking, Luv. Still knackered, but on the mend." She smiled at him and all the pain melted away for a moment. "Not that I'm complaining, Luv, but what's with Florence Nightingale routine?"

Buffy shrugged and gingerly set the cup aside. "You took one for the team, so I'm here making sure you get back in the game."

Spike smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair away from her cheek. He was pleased when she didn't pull back. "Since when did you start using sport metaphors?"

She looked away from him nervously. "I guess Xander is rubbing off on me."

Spike raised an eyebrow slightly. "I hope not." He smirked as she chuckled, getting his meaning.

"It's funny though. Xander almost suggested that we fix the bot for you. I couldn't believe it. I've never heard him say anything remotely nice about you. Then when I saw you laying there..." She never finished the sentence, but he had his answer.

He wanted to keep looking at her, hoping she would smile at him again, but his eyelids were so heavy he couldn't keep them open. With a sigh he slumped against her, dropping his free arm across her legs.

Buffy laid him back down, and tucked the blanket around him. Dimly, he was aware of still being warm as he drifted back to sleep.

Part 3

Giles began to worry when over six hours had passed, with no sign of Buffy. He approached the crypt carefully, weapon in hand, not sure what he was expecting to find. He paused for a moment, debating whether to knock, or to kick the door open. He settled on opening it quietly and peeking inside.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. When he could see, Giles was able to make out something, off to the side, lying under a blanket. As he walked closer to the makeshift bed he gulped as he saw the two blond heads. Buffy's back against Spike's chest, and his face was nuzzled into her neck.

Giles stared at them for a long moment, amazed at how peaceful Buffy looked sleeping in Spike's arms. It looked as though she hadn't been able to get any answers out of him yet. He hated to wake her, but there was no time to waste if Glory knew about Dawn. "Buffy," he whispered. "Buffy, I need to talk to you."

She stirred slightly, and then opened her eyes. She looked disoriented for a moment. "Giles?" She mouthed silently, her cheeks reddening.

Giles waited while Buffy gently unwrapped herself from Spike and slid out of the bed. Spike moaned as she moved away and reached out for her. "So warm... don't leave," he murmured.

She leaned over and put his arm back under the blanket. "It's ok," she said, stroking his hair gently. "I'll be right back. Just getting you some more to eat. OK?"

"S'cold," he groaned as she stood and left him.

Buffy was all business as she walked over to the microwave and started to prepare another mug of blood. Giles joined her there.

"Is there a problem?" She asked.

Giles looked from Buffy over to Spike. "Perhaps we should talk outside?"

"Spike's in and out... mostly out. I don't think we need to worry about him overhearing us," Buffy assured Giles as she put the mug in the microwave and started it. She stared at the mug as it went around in a circle, to avoid looking at Giles.

"Buffy, you know I trust you implicitly, and I don't want to question your methods, but..." He reached up and removed his glasses to clean them. "I realize your plan was to impersonate... it, but how much longer is it going to take to get the information?"

Buffy looked at her hands. "I didn't mean to be here so long. I was really tired after the visit with the first slayer and then fighting with Glory's minions. I guess I fell asleep after I fed Spike that last pint." She looked up at Giles.

"I completely understand, you must be exhausted, but we need to wake him and find out what he told Glory," Giles said firmly.

Buffy looked down at her hands again. "Spike didn't tell Glory about Dawn," she whispered.

Giles tried to mask his surprise, not only at the news, but also at Buffy's continued presence in the crypt after finding out. "Are you certain? Spike is not the most straightforward of creatures."

Buffy sighed. "I'm certain. He thought I was the bot. I offered to go tell Glory about the key to keep her from hurting him again, and he stopped me. He ordered the bot never to tell Glory." She looked over at Spike. "He didn't betray us, Giles. She did that to him, and he didn't give us up."

Giles saw the look of sadness in Buffy's tired eyes as she explained. Tears were threatening to fall, and he didn't know what to do, so he gathered her into his arms, comforting her as best he could with a hug. "I can't say I'm not surprised. I've seen Spike do a number of things to help us, but I wouldn't have thought him capable of that level of self-sacrifice." He paused and looked at Spike. His face was almost unrecognizable in its current bruised and swollen state.

"Giles," Buffy whispered, lifting her head. "Were we wrong about him?"

"Perhaps we were."

Further conversation was cut off by the microwave beeping. Buffy let go of Giles and went to get the mug out of the microwave. Giles watched her as she carried it to Spike. She set it down and then carefully raised Spike to a sitting position. Sliding in behind him, she propped him against her body and helped him to find the straw. Giles was amazed as he watched them together. If he didn't know better, he would have said they looked comfortable, like they belonged together instead of fighting against each other.

When Spike finished the pint, Buffy looked over at Giles. Holding the mug out to him, she asked, "Giles, could you warm up one more please?"

Giles took it and went back to find another packet. As he waited for it to finish warming, he noted the large number of empty packets. By his count, this was the twelfth pint, as much blood as Spike could have gotten from draining a large man, and then some. And in spite of it, he was still weak and his wounds were only just starting to close. Giles marveled again at how much damage Glory had inflicted on Spike, and yet he never betrayed Dawn... or Buffy. Yes, perhaps they all needed to rethink their opinion of Spike.

He carried the blood over to Buffy, and watched her feed it to Spike. When Spike finished drinking, he crumpled back against Buffy. She looked up at Giles. "I want to move him as soon as the sun goes down. He's defenseless here and Glory's minions might return to finish the job."

"Yes, good point." Giles nodded. "Shall I return after sunset and help you?"

"Sounds good. I'm thinking he should stay at one of our houses... just until he gets back on his feet," she added hastily.

"Agreed. I'll be back at sunset. Try to get some rest between now and then." Giles smiled at her and left the crypt.

As he walked back to the Magic Box Giles thought about the soulless creature Buffy was caring for. A year ago, even a few months ago, he had looked at Spike with nothing but contempt and suspicion. His obsession with Buffy was a danger to them all. But the scene he had just witnessed contradicted all of that. The idea went against everything he had been taught and experienced, but it did appear that Spike had changed.

Part 4

Spike woke just as the sun was setting. The familiar change in the air prodded him, alerting him it was time to get up and hunt. He started to roll over and noticed something warm and heavy against his chest. Baffled for a moment, he breathed in to try to determine what it was. Buffy's unique scent filled his nostrils, overwhelming him.

Suddenly, memories of the past day came back to him. Images and sensations flooded over him. The fight with Glory, her nearly torturing him to death, the painful confusing trip back to his crypt, the bot returning. Only it wasn't the bot, it was Buffy, and she had stayed on, fed and cared for him. He thought he'd dreamed it. It wouldn't have been the first time. But now he felt a warm body curled against his and smelled her scent.

He was afraid to try opening his eyes again, afraid that she would evaporate like she had in so many of his other dreams. Instead he settled back down and wrapped his arm back around her. She snuggled in closer, burrowing her head into his shoulder. If it was a dream, he wanted it to last as long as possible.

A short while later, Spike was awakened again by the sound of someone approaching the crypt. He listened carefully as the person stopped at the door, and then opened it. As the footsteps came closer, Spike morphed into his demon visage and growled menacingly at the intruder.

He saw Giles step back, staring at him in shock. "Bloody hell, Rupert. Thought you were one of Glory's little trolls sneaking up on me." Spike's head dropped back on the bed, his face reverting back to his human mask.

Two things went through Spike's mind in that moment. First, he noticed that Buffy really was there with him, lying in his arms, in his bed, fully clothed - but then, you couldn't have everything. Second, her watcher was standing over them, so perhaps the clothes weren't such a bad thing after all. 'Or maybe Rupert will make the whole thing academic by staking me?' Spike's mind wandered on of its own accord.

"Yes, sorry about that. Buffy asked me to return after sunset." Giles apologized as he scrutinized Spike. "You seem to be doing much better than when I was here before."

Here before? That was news to Spike. He wondered how long he'd been out. Covering his surprise, he smirked at Giles. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm afraid I threw most of my energy into trying to scare off whoever had come calling. My ribs haven't knit yet, and I think one leg's broken. That hell bitch busted me up right and proper."

"I see." Giles nodded. Spike watched Giles' eyes as they moved from him to Buffy, who was still draped across his chest, sound asleep. His expression shifted from curiosity to concern as he regarded her. She had been on the point of exhaustion after the Glory incident. "How is she?" Giles asked.

Spike looked at Buffy again. "She's tired, but other than that she's ok. Her heartbeat and breathing are steady. Can't smell any fresh blood on her. I think all her wounds have closed up already," he said quietly. "She's been asleep since before I woke up."

"She's had a hard couple of days, and I know she needs her rest," Giles said, his concern evident. "I really hate to wake her, but we'll be safer once we get back to the house."

Spike sighed. He knew this was too good to be true, too good to last. However, he wasn't a pile of dust, in spite of the watcher finding Buffy in his bed, so the day wasn't a total loss. That last bit did cause him to question if this was all a dream, but he pushed it aside. "Hope you brought your car. I don't fancy the idea of her walking back to the house in her current condition, meeting some nasty along the way." Giles nodded, and Spike began gently shaking Buffy. "Slayer, rise and shine. Watcher's here, come to take you home."

"Spike?" She murmured, and buried her head deeper into his chest.

Spike hissed as her hand accidentally grazed one of the wounds on his chest. Catching her hand, he tried again to get her attention. "Slayer," he called. "Wake up, Buffy. Early bird stakes the vampire."

"What?" She groaned, as she opened her eyes and saw Spike staring back at her. "Spike? How did I wind up here?" She asked, a bit startled.

"Dunno, Luv. I was asleep, just woke up to find you all over me," he said casually, his face contorted into an approximation of his trademark smirk.

"I am not all over," she started, but Spike cut her off with a raised eyebrow. "Well... technically, but you know what I mean," Buffy muttered as she began carefully untangling herself from Spike. She changed the subject abruptly before things could get more awkward. "Can you eat some more? I think there are a few packets left in the..." She paused mid-sentence as she turned and saw Giles standing there, watching her with obvious curiosity.

"Giles, what a pleasant yet embarrassing surprise to see you here, again," she stammered as she smoothed her hair and clothes, and purposefully walked past him to the refrigerator.

"You did ask me to return after sunset," Giles reminded her.

"Right," she said, as she opened a new packet and poured it into the mug.

"I am rather concerned... no, curious," Giles said, removing his glasses and fidgeting with them, "Uh, about your sudden closeness with Spike."

Buffy closed the microwave and leaned against it. She took a deep breath and turned to Giles, giving him a big, almost bot-like smile. "You said I should get some rest, and you know me, always taking those watcher suggestions to heart."

"Quite..." Giles put his glasses back on and stared at her.

Buffy sighed, walking to the other side of the crypt, away from Spike where she could speak more privately with Giles. "I have no idea, Giles." She shifted her weight and didn't meet his eyes. "It's just, he went through so much for Dawn... and me... and I've misjudged him so badly." She fidgeted with her hands. "He can't even sit up, so he's even more harmless than usual.... And I was really tired and... I don't know," she looked up at Giles hesitantly. "Maybe a little scared and lonely. Is that so terrible?"

Giles looked at her with a bemused expression. "No, I don't think it's terrible. I think we all misjudged him. He's been changing subtly, and we're just now starting to realize it. If Xander can actually say a few sympathetic words about Spike, he must have changed," Giles chuckled. Buffy laughed softly at the joke.

"But on a more serious note, Buffy, this is new territory, and we don't know what will happen. I think you should bear in mind what you told me of your encounter with the First Slayer."

Buffy sighed. "You think she could have been referring to Spike?"

"It's possible. Didn't you say she told you to forgive and risk the pain?" Giles prompted her.

"I'm full of love," Buffy parroted back. "I should love, give, forgive, and risk the pain. It's my nature and love will bring me to my gift." She looked up at Giles. "The only catch is, death is my gift."

Giles fidgeted now and looked over at Spike. "There could be many interpretations of that. It could be referring to you being the slayer. Or..." Giles paused and fiddled with his glasses for a moment, "Spike isn't exactly alive, and he has seen more death than any of us, including his own."

Buffy silently mulled over what Giles and the First Slayer had said. "He did have other options than staying in Sunnydale and helping us, after the chip. But I still don't get it. Angelus would have given up Dawn in a second. He probably would have rushed to join forces with Glory, except their egos wouldn't fit in the same room." She threw her arms in the air, not able to understand.

"Spike is a paradox. Since coming to Sunnydale, he's never really behaved like your typical vampire," Giles said, almost to himself. "Well, this is something you'll have to sort out for yourself. I can't advise you except to say, you need to be true to yourself."

Buffy smirked up at him. "You got that out of a book, didn't you?"

"It's timeless advice really," Giles stammered with mock indignation. "And just because someone wrote it down once doesn't make it any less valid."

The microwave beeped. "Right." She said, as she went to feed Spike.

Buffy gently raised Spike up and helped him with the mug. He drained it quickly. "Thanks, Luv, that really hits the spot." Giles brought over the last packet and poured the warmed blood into the mug. "And thanks to you too, Rupert." Spike raised the mug as if he were making a toast.

"Don't mention it." Giles watched Spike finish and then took the mug back and rinsed it in the makeshift kitchen. "Buffy, we need to be leaving as soon as possible," he called out. "Collect up whatever we need to take with us and let's be going."

Spike sighed. They would be leaving soon and that would be the end of his happy little dream. He had been elated, even hopeful, when he overheard Buffy and Giles talking, but now he leaned back against the bed, a little deflated and suddenly feeling much more tired than he had a minute ago.

"I'll be back in just a minute," Buffy said. She ruffled his hair and then got up, grabbed her bag, and disappeared into his 'basement'. She returned a few minutes later. "All set, Giles." Spike watched her as she walked closer. He didn't want to say good-bye to her.

"Come on lazy-bones," she said, gently easing him into a sitting position. "Giles car is only a few hundred feet away. You think you can make it, or do we have to carry you?" She winked at him, but he just stared back at her, not understanding what she was going on about.

"Giles, I'm gonna need some help. Looks like Spike may have checked out again."

"I'll be right there," Giles said. Together they lifted a dazed Spike and practically carried him out of the crypt. "Crutches would have been a good idea," Giles muttered as they struggled through the cemetery to the car.

"Crutches. Check. I'll put it on the list for the next time one of us gets beaten to death by a hell-god." Spike's ears pricked up at Buffy's use of us. He would have smiled, but just then his foot bounced over an uneven patch, jarring his body.

They managed to get Spike into the car and to Buffy's house without incident. The stairs up to the front door were a bit more of a challenge, but finally they had Spike inside and installed on the couch.

Buffy looked at the windows behind the couch. "Giles, we're gonna have to move him. All this work'll be for nothing if he goes poof as soon as the sun rises."

Giles nodded. "I see your point, but I'm not sure we can get him upstairs in his current condition. At a minimum, we would need to splint his leg. Then we would have to carry him." Giles trailed off as he puzzled over the situation.

"Ok, one splint coming up." Buffy dashed downstairs, into the basement, returning minutes later with some sturdy sticks and an old sheet. She tore the sheet into strips as Giles began arranging the sticks on Spike's leg.

"This may hurt a bit," Giles said as he and Buffy secured the splint. Spike hissed in pain as they checked their work and tightened the knots. "I think that should do it," he said. "Now we just need to carry him upstairs."

Spike rolled his eyes, but said nothing, saving his energy for the ordeal of moving upstairs.

That was easier said than done, but after a couple false starts, they managed to carry and drag Spike upstairs and deposited him on Joyce's bed. He looked exhausted, and Buffy knew the trip upstairs had to have been painful, but he hadn't complained. Now he just lay there with his eyes closed.

"Giles, maybe you could get him some more to eat, and then he can rest for a while," Buffy suggested.

"Yes," Giles nodded. "The more he eats, the faster he should heal. I'll be right back."

Buffy sat on the bed next to Spike and studied him for a moment. She reached out a tentative hand to stroke his forehead and then smoothed his hair back.

At her touch, his eyes opened. He lay still, and watched her.

"I meant what I said," she started. He looked up at her questioningly. "What you did for Dawn and me, I won't forget it."

Spike reached over and took her other hand. "Buffy, about the bot." He swallowed before continuing. "I just wanted to say, I'm sorry."

Buffy nodded. "It's okay, Spike. Well, it's not really okay. The whole robot Buffy idea was gross. But, I think I understand." She smiled at him. "And after all, you are evil." She chuckled.

He chuckled a bit, relieved that she wasn't furious. And then stopped and looked thoughtful. "Sometimes..." He caressed her hand. "Sometimes I think maybe it might not be so bad not being evil. I know you'll never love me, but if it meant you'd let me stick around..." his voice faded, unsure of what to say next.

"Why did you do it?"

Spike sighed, "Dunno. I was lonely I suppose, and since you were... unavailable."

"I don't mean why the bot, I meant why did you have Warren give it all that extra programming. It knew about my friends and my family. It wanted to patrol and it could fight." Buffy looked at him, waiting for an answer.

Spike considered what to say for a moment. Very quietly he said, "Those things are part of who you are."

Buffy couldn't believe what he was saying. He was so different from the vampire that had tried to kill her when he first arrived in town.

Anything else they might have said was cut off by Giles' return with blood for Spike. He drained the mugs silently while Buffy rummaged around in her bag. She traded him a clean t-shirt for the mug. With Giles' help, they managed to remove his boots and get the ruined shirt off and put the new one on him. Spike was still awake, but it looked like he would be asleep again in minutes. They covered him with a blanket before Giles left to go back downstairs.

Buffy walked to the bed and sat carefully next to Spike. She lifted his hand up and brushed it against her cheek. "Get some sleep so you can get well soon. We're going to need all the help we can get against Glory." Spike looked up at her hopefully, and she gave him a warm smile. Buffy leaned down and pressed a kiss against his forehead. "And never is a long time."

Part 5 - Epilogue

Only a few short weeks later, Dawn and Spike stood together at her graveside, clinging to each other in desperation. Buffy had come to rely on him and he'd finally felt accepted into her circle of friends. And now Buffy was gone, and with her his whole world.

In the chaos of their flight from Glory and then the preparation for the final showdown, there hadn't been much time for exploring their feelings. They had spent a great deal of time together, working with one purpose, one goal, and one mind. They had given it their all, and in the end, it hadn't been enough. He hadn't been enough. And now it was all gone.

Dawn sniffled again next to him. Maybe not his whole world, he still had Dawn.

"Ready to go home, Nibblet?" he asked her, gently rubbing her back.

"I can't do it, Spike."

"Do what, Pet?" he asked.

"How can I face everyone? This is all my fault," she sobbed.

He pulled her closer and tried to calm her. "It's not your fault. It was Glory's fault." Spike reached down and lifted Dawn's chin up so he could look at her. "If we all tear ourselves apart with guilt, she wins."

Dawn gulped and nodded slowly. She was so trusting, and she was depending on him. "We can't let her win then," Dawn replied.

"No, we can't," Spike agreed. As he said it, the words he'd meant for Dawn sunk in, just a little. Just before they turned to walk home, he picked up a rose, touched it to his lips, and laid it on the gravestone. "I hope you're happy where you are, Buffy."

 

~Fin~