Vicis Verto - Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, just the plot
“Do you have Giles’ number? He’ll need to take up Watching again.” Angel said.
“Yeah, I’ll give him a call. Um, do you have anywhere we can stay? Everything around here is way too expensive.” Dawn said.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll put you guys in one of the apartments for workers.” Angel walked over to his desk and pressed a green button on his phone. “Harmony, I want you to set up an apartment for Dawn and Buffy. They’ll be staying here until Buffy is back to normal.”
The sound of Harmony sighing unhappily came through the phone. “Get right on it.” She said trying to cover up the annoyance in her voice.
Angel picked up the phone and handed it to Dawn. “Press 8 to call out. Get Giles here as soon as possible.”
All the while Spike had taken a seat at the end of the couch that Buffy was laying on. Watching her with curiosity, he tilted his head to one side.
“So this is Buffy before she was a slayer, huh?” He said, not taking his eyes off her.
“Yeah, and she’s annoying.” Dawn said as she waited for Giles to pick up his phone. “Hi, Giles. It’s Dawn….Yeah, I’m fine, but it’s Buffy….”
Spike tuned out the rest of Dawns conversation and Angel excused himself to talk to Harmony. Spike rest his arm on the back of the couch and continued to watch Buffy. He watched a small smile form on her face and she peeked over at him.
“It’s not polite to stare.” Buffy smiled.
“Can’t help it, luv. It’s been along time since I’ve seen you.”
“We’ve met?”
Spike frowned. “Yes, pet, we have. We’ve met quite a few times.” He said, winking.
Buffy sat up and sat Indian style on the couch, facing him. “Liar. I would defiantly remember you if we did that. Besides, I’m still a virgin.” She smiled.
“Well I’m not lying luv. You’re just not yourself at the moment. If you were, you would have kicked my ass as soon as you saw me.”
“Why?”
“It’s a long story, pet. Too long to get into at the moment.” He said, patting her knee, a touch of sadness in his voice.
Buffy watched him with worry in her eyes. “What’s wrong? You sound sad.” She said placing a small hand on top of his, which was still on her knee.
Spike looked at their hands for a moment before sighing. “Just tired.” he lied.
Buffy nodded and looked around the room. Dawn was still on the phone with her back turned to them. She could see Angel through the open door talking to Harmony and looking annoyed. Everyone around her seemed to be either annoyed or sad. She never knew why. After a while, Buffy broke the silence.
“Dawn keeps saying something about me being a slayer. When she told me what it was, I flat out refused. I don’t want to die.” She whispered.
“You won’t die, pet.”
“If I really am a slayer, then I’ll be dead by my 17th birthday.” She said, looking away from him.
Instincts kicked in and Spike reached over cupped her face, running his thumb over her cheek. Placing a hand on his forearm, she leaned into his touch.
“Look at me.” Spike said firmly. Buffy looked up with watery eyes. “You’re not going to die. I won’t let you. Understand?”
Buffy nodded. Her eyes were cloudy and she watched him with curiosity. “Feels like dajiu vu.” She said. Spike smiled sadly. “So um, if this whole slayer thing is real, does that mean I have to kill you and Angel?”
“What?”
“Well you guys are vampires, right? Slayers are supposed to kill vampires.”
“Yeah, but, Angel and I are different. We have souls.”
“But you’re still vampires.”
Spike sighed. “Yea, we’re still vampires, but we’re different. We’re not evil. We don’t hurt people. We drink pigs blood. We kill other vampires. At least I do anyways, not sure about the big bad poof.”
“Big bad poof?”
“That’s Angel.”
“Oh.”
“Buffy, Giles will be here by morning. We should go see if Angel has the apartment all set.” Said Dawn when she hung the phone up.
“Whose Giles?”
“Giles is going to be your Watcher. He’s going to train you to be a slayer.”
“I don’t want to be a slayer, Dawn.”
“Well you have no choice.” Dawn said.
“I’m not being the slayer!” Buffy said standing up.
“Yes you are!”
Angel ran into his office, hearing the yelling and looked between the two girls. “What’s going on?”
“Buffy doesn’t want to be the slayer.” Said Spike, still sitting on the couch.
Buffy and Dawn argued for another 10 minutes before Angel kicked them out of his office, saying he had a headache. After a few minutes, Spike left Angel to wallow alone in his office, and went in search of Buffy and Dawn. “Harmony, pet, what apartment are Buffy and Dawn in?”
“Can’t tell you Spiky Bear. Angel said not to.” Harmony said not looking away from her computer.
“Well I’m your Sire. Do what you’re told and tell me what apartment they’re in.” Spike growled, his eyes turning a pale yellow.
Harmony sighed. “You know, you can’t pull that whole Sire thing all the time. Angel is going to catch on some day.” Harmony said as she pulled up the apartment number.
“Angelus is a prat. If he hasn’t figured it out yet, then he never will. And if he asks you where I went, tell him to sod off.” Spike said and walked away after getting the number.
Harmony rolled her eyes and went back to tying. Suddenly Angel’s voice came through her phone. “Where did Spike just go?”
Groaning, Harmony held down the little red button. “Sod off.”
Angel didn’t reply for a moment, then his office door opened. “Could I have a word with you.” He spat and slammed his office door shut.
Harmony sighed. “Shit.”
***
Spike made his way down the maze of hallways, looking for the apartment number. Finally finding it on the 7th floor, he went to knock, but jumped back as Dawn pulled open the door and walked out, not even noticing him. “Fine! Be a little bitch! I don’t fucking care anymore!” she yelled and stomped off down the hallway.
“I wouldn’t be a bitch if you weren’t always bugging me!” Buffy said as she ran into the hallway to finish her and Dawn’s fight.
Flipping her off quickly, Dawn got in the elevator and disappeared from sight. Growling, Buffy stormed back into the apartment and sat down on the couch, her legs and arms folded and a serious pout on her face. Spike watched her from the hallway and reached a hand out, but felt a shock when he tried to reach inside the door.
“Bloody Angel…” he mumbled.
“Spike!” Came Buffy’s excited voice. “I didn’t see you, come on in!” Buffy squealed, jumping up from the couch and going to see him.
“Thank’s luv.” He said, stepping inside the apartment and closing the door behind him. “So what was all that about, then?”
“That? Oh that was just Dawn trying to force feed me the whole slayer thing again.” Buffy said waving her hand and going to the kitchen to get something to drink. Opening the fridge she bent over to check out what was inside and pulled out a grape soda. “You want anything?” She asked.
“You don’t have what I want in there, luv.” He said, trying to keep his eyes on her face and not her body, which was covered with a tight belly shirt and dark jeans.
Buffy shrugged and closed the fridge, then sat down on the couch with her soda. Spike joined her and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Spike took this time to study her. Her hair was more blonde, she had an innocent face - one unharmed by the horrors she would soon remember, she was a few inches shorter than he remembered and her body was smaller, still amazing, but smaller. He smiled at how cute she looked, as she pulled her legs up beside her and grabbed the remote control. Just like she did in Sunnydale. Spike thought, remembering the times they would watch TV after a patrol. Only this time it wouldn’t end up with her curled up next to him with his arm around her and her head on his shoulder.
“So did you come here just to stare at me?” Buffy said, not looking away from the television.
Spike smiled. “No, but it’s a perk.”
“You’re not here to try and convince me to be a slayer are you?” She said quietly.
“No. I’m here to ask you what you want to do about it.”
“What?” Buffy looked at him in shock. “You’re asking me whether I want to be one or not?”
“Yeah. I know you said you didn’t want to, but I have a feeling it was just because everyone was saying you had to be one. So what do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. Can we not talk about it?”
“Alright. We don’t have to talk about it. We can just hang out and watch some telly.”
“Thank you.” Buffy said and went back to watching the movie.
20 minutes later, Spike found himself with Buffy laying down on the couch, and her head on his lap. Biting his lip, he tried to concentrate on the movie, but it was no use. Biting his fist, he closed his eyes, when she moved, giving him a better view down her shirt. Her hair fell around her shoulders, showing her bare neck and he had a strong urge to carry her to the bedroom and have his way with her. Hell, they didn’t even need to make it to the bedroom, the kitchen table would do just fine. Or bend her over the arm of the couch and…Spike jumped up from his seat on the couch and ran a hand through his hair.
“Spike, what’s wrong?” Buffy asked, shocked at his erupt movement.
“Fine, fine, just um, drink. I need a drink!” he said and practically ran into the kitchen.
Turning on the faucet he splashed some cold water on his face and closed his eyes. He had to control himself. He couldn’t make a move on her. Not now. She would kill him when she was the slayer again. She’s already going to be pissed for him not telling him he was back. He turned off the water and opened the fridge. Grabbing a can of soda, he popped the top and walked back into the living room, to find that Buffy was no longer on the couch.
“Luv?” He called out. A door down the hall opened and Buffy walked into the living room, half her hair in a braided pigtail and the other pigtail on its way to being braided. A lump formed in his throat as she smiled at him and made her way to the couch. She was now wearing black short-shorts and a deep red tank top.
“You alright?” She asked when she saw his face.
Spike nodded. He couldn’t take his eyes off her perfectly tan body. When she finished braiding her hair, he watched her sit down on the couch, her shorts riding up, revealing even more sun kissed skin. Spike swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to think of anything that would get rid of the bulge in his jeans, which he prayed she hadn’t seen. He quickly sat down and put a throw pillow on his lap when she went to lay down again.
After struggling to get through the rest of the movie, he noticed that Buffy was starring at him. “Not polite to stare, luv.”
Buffy smiled. “I know. Just feels like we’ve done this before.”
Spike smiled down at her. “I know what you mean, luv.” Spike licked his lips. “Its getting late. You should get to bed.”
“I guess.” Buffy said and sat up.
Spike watched as Buffy stood, reached her arms above her head and stretched. Spike shifted on the couch and tensed his jaw. When she moaned, he made a fist and held it against his mouth, looking away, and closed his eyes tight. When he opened his eyes, Buffy was starring at him.
“You sure you’re okay?” Spike nodded. “Okay, well, I’m gonna go to bed. You can hang around for Dawn if you want.” Buffy said and walked down the hallway.
Spike watched her go, tilting his head to get a better view of her as she walked away. Letting out a quiet whistle, he picked up the soda cans and threw them in the trash. Before he could stop himself, he had found his way down the hall to Buffy’s room. He knocked lightly and waited for her to invite him in. Poking his head in he nearly feel down in pain from getting too hard. Buffy was sitting in bed rubbing her legs with lotion. He watched her hands as they ran over her tan legs and held in a whimper.
“What’s up?” She asked as she put the lotion bottle down and began to get into bed.
“Uh, just came to say g’night. I’m goin’ to get goin’.” Spike stuttered.
Once the door was almost closed, Buffy spoke up. “Spike?”
He opened the door again. “Yes, pet?”
“Um, I…I know we just met but, would you stay?” At the unreadable look on Spike face, Buffy licked her lips. “Just until I fall asleep. Please?”
Spike nodded and took off his duster. Throwing it over the back of a large couch, he sat down. “G’night then, luv.”
“No, not over there.” She said quietly.
Spike tilted his head. “Then where?”
Buffy chewed on her bottom lip and moved over in bed to give him some room. Spike watched her and rubbed the back of his head. Bullocks. He thought to himself. “Luv, I’m not sure that’s a great idea. ‘Specially with our past.”
“Which I don’t remember, so how can it be a bad idea?” Spike didn’t say anything. “Please? I’ve been having all this horrible dreams. Maybe if I’m with someone I feel safe with I won’t have them.” Buffy whispered.
Spike walked over to the bed and laid down beside her. Propping himself against the pillows, he closed his eyes, remembering the last time this happened. She had done the exact same thing, asking him to stay with her and saying to stay in bed with her instead of the couch. Wrapping his arms around her when she curled up next to him and laid her head on his chest, he felt old feels rush through him.
“Good night Spike.” She said softly.
“G’night, Buffy.”
The two of them feel asleep within just a few minutes, neither hearing Dawn come home.