Title: Afternoon tea
Part: 1/1
Author: Gemma
Rating: PG
Summery: Spike is acting strangely and the Scoobies decide to follow him to a rather strange friends house.
Spoilers: Up to Season six
Disclaimer: I own nothing here but the story, everything else belongs to Joss Whedon and Co.
“So are you coming Spike?”
Dawn asked hopefully.
They were going on a night picnic to celebrate the 1-month anniversary of Buffy’s coming back from the dead. She was finally settled back in and now they were all happy. But Spike had been acting strange lately, he never hung around as much as he used to and he seemed quiet.
“Sorry Niblit, got stuff to do.”
Buffy looked at him as if looking for the truth,
“Please Spike, I want you to be there. I’m finally happy about being back and I want you to share me happiness. What’s wrong with you lately?”
Spike shrugged,
“I’ve just got better things to do that go having girlie fun in the park.”
Spike walked out of the Magic Box and disappeared.
“Something’s wrong with him and I’m gonna find out.”
Buffy grabbed her coat and headed out after Spike.
The Scoobies looked out the door and shrugged,
“I guess we should follow her.”
Willow said quietly.
“It’s not a girlie thing to have a picnic is it?”
Xander asked worriedly.
Tara and Anya sighed and followed everyone out the door.
Spike sighed, he really did want to go with. But he promised her he would visit. She had become his friend over the past week and he liked being around her. Meredith. The old woman whom he had saved from a vampire a week ago. She was frail and needed someone to look after her, so he did.
She loved him like a son and he loved her like a mother. She was the only mother he had since Joyce died. She had been his mother for a while and he had loved her. He will always love her. But now she was gone and Meredith was left.
He sighed, he really did want to go with.
Buffy and the Scoobies silently watched Spike as he marched down the road. He lit his cigarette and stopped outside someone’s house. He picked a flower, a daisy a white daisy.
He carried on walking as he twirled the daisy around in his fingers.
“What is he doing?”
Anya asked as she watched Spike pick a flower. He looked almost happy as made his way down the road.
“I think he’s gone insane.”
Xander said and started to laugh.
Spike must have heard because he turned around and looked down the empty road.
The Scoobies hid around the corner and Buffy smacked Xander across his arm,
“Shut up will you, he nearly saw us.”
Xander shrugged,
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it.”
Spike heard a low laugh and turned to look behind him, he had the feeling some one was following him but he couldn’t see them. Well he would see them when they came out.
He turned back and carried on walking down the street.
He stopped outside Meredith’s house and walked up to the door and knocked lightly,
“Meredith? Luv it’s Spike. Are you awake?”
A young woman opened the door and let Spike inside.
“A woman! He blew us off for a woman!”
Buffy yelled.
They had seen Spike call to a Meredith and then a woman had opened the door. He had a new lover?
Buffy and the Scoobies crept up to the small house and peeked through the window.
Spike sat on a chair talking to the young woman but couldn’t here what they were saying. They only saw the mouthed words of bedroom and they stood up and went to another room.
Spike was greeted at the door by a young woman whom he had met on a few occasions, it was Mary, Meredith’s nurse.
They sat down on the couch and Mary explained what had happened,
“She had a fall. She fell on the bathroom floor and hurt her back. That’s when she called me, poor thing. And I know she would like to see you. She’s in her bedroom, this way.”
Spike followed Mary into Meredith’s bedroom to find Meredith lying frailly in bed.
He sat beside her and she smiled up at him,
“Spike, I’m so glad you’re here. How are you?”
Spike smiled and tried not to get upset. She looked so sick, so tired.
“I’m fine luv, it’s you I’m worried about.”
Spike held onto her hand and kissed it sweetly.
Mary left when she heard a knock on the door and Mary took this opportunity that they had alone together.
“I love you Spike, you are like a son to me.”
Spike felt a tear drip slowly to the tip of his nose.
“I love you like a mother Meredith.”
Buffy was furious; he had blown her off for another woman. Buffy was fed up and marched up to the door followed by the others.
She knocked and the door was opened by the same young woman,
“May I help you?”
Buffy tried not to get emotional but failed miserably with the sound of her voice,
“Where’s Spike?”
The woman smiled,
“Friends of his? He’s in the bedroom.”
They group walked straight into the room she had indicated and stopped in their tracks at the sight before them.
Spike sat by and old woman’s bed and held her hand,
“I love you like a mother Meredith.”
Spike said as a tear rolled down his face.
Meredith and Spike seemed oblivious to the visitors in the room.
“Don’t leave me Spike, I don’t want to be alone.”
Spike nodded silently and kissed the woman’s forehead. She smiled at him once more as she took her final breath.
Spike let the tears fall down his cheeks and he stood up only to find himself face to face with the Scoobies and the Slayer.
“Spike I…”
Spike walked straight past Buffy and didn’t even let her finish. Mary came into the room and slowly lifted the blanket over Meredith’s head,
“They became quite attached to each other they did, he came to visit her every night and would always bring her a flower. He was like a son to her you know. Nice boy. Poor thing, he looks quite upset.”
Buffy and the rest of them left as Mary called the morgue.
Spike sat in his crypt feeling very sorry for himself, he had saved her from a vampire only to die a week later of old age. It wasn’t fair.
He had no mother now, it felt like he had an empty void in his heart. A small figure which stood in front of him brought him out of his thoughts,
“I’m sorry Spike.”
Buffy said quietly.
Spike smiled,
“’S okay, you didn’t kill her.”
Buffy sat down on the floor next to him and held his hand,
“She’s in a better place now, believe me I know.”
Spike let a tear drop down onto Buffy’s hand and she put her arm around him,
“She died happy knowing that you were there and that you loved her.”
Spike looked up at her,
“Did it make you feel better?”
Buffy smiled and nodded,
“I knew you would look after Dawn for me and that you loved me. It gave me a great feeling of peace.”
Spike looked at Buffy and their eyes met in a sweet moment,
“I love you Buffy.”
She smiled and kissed him sweetly,
“I know.”
THE END