Farewell, Kitten 1/1, Teens and up
Title: Farewell, Kitten
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Characters: Ensouled Spike and interaction w/Buffy, but I consider this a gen fic
Prompt: The events of Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Rating: Teens and up
Genre: Gen, angst
Word Count: 2374
Spoilers/Warnings: SPOILERS: "Potential," Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 7; WARNINGS: Animal death. Triggers for feelings of guilt in relation to death of a loved one. Mild profanity.
Summary: Spike found a kitten to distract him from his guilt and inner pain a bit; but Sunnydale's not the place for consolation...not that he deserved it anyhow.
Disclaimer: Not mine. The people who created, wrote, produced, and distributed the original characters and/or plots own everything this writing is based on. This is just me having fun. Besides, I'm broke, so you won't get nuttin' if you sue.
Feedback: Concrit and stroking are welcome. Flames will get R2-D2's CO2 spray in the face.
Author's notes:
1. This begins with Spike and Buffy's relationship status in Season 7 when it was still a bit prickly and they didn't know how to act around each other.
2. Dedicated to Abigail Barterian. Hope you enjoy other kitties in death more than you did in life. <3 I love you, sweetie. Thank you for your playful visits. I'm enjoying them, but you need to go rest, now, you little stinkpot! :-D
3. This is a little bit fluffy, a little bit dark, so I'm posting it to both Spike communities. If the mods of either community don't approve of its presence, please feel free to remove it. Thanks!
Distribution: If I'm a member of your archive, community, forum, group, etc., and I haven't posted it, please give me a gentle reminder. Anyone else, please comment with an invite.
^-----^
\ _ _ /
\=x=/
As always, Spike woke an hour or two before the girl army upstairs. As per usual of late, he reached for his warm furry companion Annabelle and pulled her into a snuggling embrace as if she was a stuffed toy. It never ceased to amaze Spike how docile she was; but he always reminded himself that he had rescued her from a dreary life and, as a youngling, she was most likely grateful. That's what he told himself. Well, he would be appreciative if he was a little lost boy and someone took him in....
He had discovered little Annie, a grey tabby kitten, quivering under a garbage can lid in a back alley. The fur behind one ear had been matted with blood. Shocked, Spike had slowly reached out to her, a bit concerned about both frightening her and her possibly reacting in a rabid manner. Neither happened, so he gently brought her to his chest, lifting her a bit so he could check for more wounds. He saw none, so he pulled her to him once more and tucked her under one side of his leather coat.
He had brought her home and taken her directly to the basement, telling no one about her save Buffy and Dawn--well, and Willow indirectly, as Dawn had asked permission to tell her.
Now, here he lay with the precious creature.
"Well, mon belle," he ground out as he gave his body a torso-to-toe stretch, "Think it's time for Daddy to fetch you some vittles."
He scooped her up and moved to a sitting position, chuckling as she tried to reach his neck chain with her front paws.
"Silly little girl." Nuzzling her, he stood and walked to the laundry machines. Bending over, he reached between them and pulled out two little bowls and set one on the floor. The other he took to the sink and filled with water. He set that in front of her; and after rubbing her face on his hand, she started to lap up the water.
Smiling, Spike crossed to the basement stairs and climbed to the kitchen. Listening to make sure everyone else was still asleep, he nodded with satisfaction and went to the cupboard next to the refrigerator. He opened it and grabbed a can of tuna-in-water (Bloody humans always bollixing up the genuine) and opened it with the manual can opener, then made his way back downstairs. Once there, he crossed to where Annabelle was patiently waiting. He scooped the tuna into her dish and barely got each flake on its surface before it was gone.
"Such a hungry little kitty," he said with a chuckle, then stopped and blinked. "Hm. Deja vu." Shaking his head, he focused his attention back on his charge.
He stood and watched her eat for several minutes, then the basement door opened.
"Spike!"
"Buffy! Bloody hell! Warn a fellow, will you?"
"That's what I'm doing," she said with an irritated sigh. "People are starting to wake up."
He looked her up and down. "Obviously."
She sighed again. "I thought you'd want to know, so you could hide the kitten...stuff."
"Thank you."
"Yeah." She turned to go.
"Buffy!"
She turned just her head but said nothing.
"I mean it. Thank you."
"I know. You're welcome."
With the latch of the door, he sighed, his shoulders sagging. Picking up Annabelle, he looked her in the eyes. "Ohhhh, no. That wasn't awkward." He rubbed noses with her, and she pawed at him. Giggling, he asked, "What would I do without you, little niblet?"
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"So, Spike, you're with us. Faith, you take Kennedy and Amanda."
"Got i--"
"Sh--You're kidding, right?" Kennedy cut off Faith and pointed at Amanda. "Look at her. A regular vampire could throw her the length of a football field, let alone one of these--" she circled her hand in the air as she searched for something adequate-- "super-villain vamps!"
"Hey!" Amanda snarled at her, her lips staying in that same position after the word had been said.
Buffy stepped between them, arms out, then looked to Kennedy. "Dawn saw firsthand the power Amanda has. According to Dawn, she took out a vamp as quickly as she's seen me do it sometimes--" Buffy looked straight into Kennedy's eyes-- "and she doesn't even have slayer strength, yet." She pulled back from them both, folding her arms across her chest, cocking her head to the side as she looked at Kennedy. "Kill any vamps before anyone told you you were a slayer?" She indicated Amanda. "'Cause...that's what she did when she took out that vamp so quickly....Any questions?"
Faith and Spike smirked at each other, then sobered when everyone began grabbing weapons and forming the pre-planned groups.
"Faith, you guys can take the fun--I mean, far side of town."
Faith grinned and nodded. "You got it, boss. My kind of fun."
"That's why I said it." Buffy replied with a smile, then turned to her group. "Molly, Rhona, Spike, we're gonna hit all the cemeteries this side of town." She looked to Spike. "Business as usual...or what used to be usual before...things got rough."
His gaze went immediately to the ground, followed immediately by hers.
"I did not just say that--" came her barely audible whisper.
"'S all right." His voice was light in pitch but also barely audible. "I deserved it."
"But...it's not what I meant."
"Ummmm--" Rhona rose her hand-- "am I missing something, here?"
Buffy shook herself. "Mmmmm-no." She looked to Spike, all-business, and they shared a curt nod of tacit agreement that there were more important things to deal with.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"Well...that was fun," Rhona breathed, holding a torn piece of her shirt to her neck.
"Go inside and let Willow or Dawn patch you up," Buffy told her. She turned to Molly. "Get the others together. I need to tell them what's up, and we need Faith to fill us in when she gets back, too."
"Right." Molly nodded and went inside.
Buffy looked to Spike. "You okay?"
"Yeah." He nodded, drawing on the cigarette he'd already started. "Just going to stay out here a spell. Have a smoke."
"Okay." She gazed at the grass at her feet. "You were a big help out there. We were outnumbered a lot of times, but your strength and your--" she thought for a minute-- "camouflage helped even the score. And, Rhona'd be dead if you hadn't staked that vampire." A pause, and then, "See you inside." Then, without looking at him, she walked up the front steps and disappeared into the house.
"Bollocks." Spike backed a short distance to lean against a tree in the front yard, and then blew out a long stream of smoke.
A tiny "mew" found his sensitive ears, one he recognized instantly.
"Annabelle?" Pushing away from the tree, he squinted as he walked around the yard, scanning far and near. "Where are you, little niblet? Come out of hiding, now."
He heard some rustling behind him and turned around, and little Annabelle bumped into the backs of his legs. He turned again and tossed his cigarette away, then reached for her.
"You had me worried, little one!" He rubbed noses with her. "How the bloody hell did you manage to get out of the cellar? Naughty little girl. Let's take you down and get you fed. Maybe that will keep you home, yeah?"
When the door closed behind Spike, a dark figure moved from its hiding place in the foliage by a nearby house, walking slowly down the deserted nighttime street.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
On their way home from another patrol of the cemeteries, Buffy walked with a much perkier step than the previous night.
"See, guys? Things went a lot better tonight because we learned from last night. No one got hurt. I'm proud of you, and you should be, too."
The girls smiled from ear to ear.
"Erm, excuse me," Spike said from behind them, "I got hurt. Took a good kick to the ribs."
Buffy turned to look at him, walking backward as she did. "Oh. Sorry, Spike. I meant the girls."
"Right. I don't count."
"I didn't say that!"
"Didn't have to."
"You're so--!" Making an exasperated noise, Buffy turned to face forward again and continued to walk quickly, only this time with a stomp instead of a bounce.
They finally turned the corner onto Revello Drive. Spike and the girls nearly had to run to keep up with Buffy once they were on the street itself.
When the house was in sight, Spike said, "You go on inside. Gonna have a smoke first before I do."
"What a surprise." Buffy's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she turned onto her front walk.
"You know, Sl--"
He was cut off by Buffy's gasp as she stopped short.
"What is it?" Spike asked.
"Molly, Rhona, go inside. NOW."
"Oh, my GOD."
"That's disgusting."
"It's TERRIBLE!"
Buffy gave them a shove. "INSIDE!"
Cigarette forgotten, Spike stuffed the pack back into his pocket and moved closer, wondering what all the commotion was about. "What is it?" Then he, too, stopped in his tracks. "No." He shook his head, closing his eyes. "No, no, no, no...." He repeated the word over and over, the shaking of his head becoming erratic.
"Spike." Buffy put a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Lying at the foot of the porch stairs was Annabelle, drained of blood, with a note pinned through the bite punctures that read, "Delicious little niblet."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
On their way home after burying Annabelle next to Joyce in Sunnyrest Cemetery, Buffy laced Spike's right arm with her left, hugging it gently with her right arm touching it, as well. Spike had been playing the what-if game ever since they'd found Annabelle on the front steps of her house; and after trying to talk him out of his feelings of guilt several times, she had given up and decided to just let him get it out of his system.
"I should've done more to keep her inside," he continued with his diatribe. "You know, bolted the cellar windows closed or something." He met Buffy's eyes. "I honestly don't know how she got out the first time. I thought keeping her fed would keep her inside!" He thrust his free arm in front of him, then brought that hand to his face, making a noise of frustrated disgust. "I should've known if she got out once, she'd do it again! Bloody idjit."
They walked in silence for a bit more, the self-depracation palpable in the air around them. Buffy began to feel that tell-tale prickly heat in her eyes.
"I shouldn't have sheltered something demons consider a delicacy," he began again. "Worse still, I didn't think to hide where I kept her, me killing demons and all. Yeah, brilliant that. Brass off all the local demons, then care for their favorite dessert. Good plan, Spike." He looked heavenward. "Just one more message, wasn't she? Don't deserve love 'cause I'm damned, yeah? Well, not like I chose to be this way, is it?"
"Spike--"
He shook his head, pulling away from her as they reached her front walk. He turned to face her.
"You know I called her niblet? Right out here, right in the open. We demons, we have good hearing. Can hear things across town--can hear the smallest whisper--all of us. Was really asking for someone to come eat her." He shook his head again. "I'm a bloody fool." He flopped his back against the same tree he'd been leaning against for his smoke breaks. "It's my fault she died a horrible death full of pain and fear."
He met Buffy's eyes, then, his own full of tears. She gasped at the pain she saw there. He lowered his head again, and she could hear and see him sobbing quietly.
She approached him slowly and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Spike." No response. "Spike, look at me."
Slowly, he brought first his eyes, then his head up to meet her gaze. He sniffled, then wiped roughly at the tears on his cheeks.
"When you found that kitten, she was cowering in fear and injured," Buffy reminded him. "Right? That's what you told me."
"Yes, but--"
"But nothing. You gave her a better life. She probably would've suffered and died slowly, either from starving or from some kind of nasty disease she would've gotten if you hadn't rescued her. You gave her lots of love, and she was very happy."
Spike sniffled. "She made me happy, too. Not like I didn't get anything out of the deal."
Buffy sighed. "She isn't the only being you're helping in this world, Spike." She placed her hand on his cheek. "You asked if this was some kind of punishment or reminder of what you are and what you've done. Well, I don't think so...unless it's to remind you that you can do a lot of good now that you have a soul, but you can't save everyone."
Spike huffed a laugh at that. "Hell of a way to send a message. Make an innocent kitten suffer." He sniffled again, then looked to Buffy. "I truly did love her."
"I know." Buffy nodded. "I kinda did, too." She scrunched up her face. "Ooooh. I just realized I have to tell Dawn. She is not going to take it well. She adored Annabelle."
"I'll do it, if you w--"
Buffy shook her head. "No, I will. Trust me, you don't want to deal with the monstrosity that is teenage girl."
Spike chuckled. "Thinking back on a certain birthday party where she had us all locked in this house, I'd have to agree with you." He sobered and looked Buffy straight in the eyes. "Thank you. For everything. Made it easier, having you along. Talking to you."
She smiled. "I owed you. Lots."
He smiled and turned toward the house. "Shall we?"
"What, no smoke?"
He shrugged. "Naaaah. Don't think it'd do me much good out here."
"Gotcha." And, inside they went.
FIN
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Characters: Ensouled Spike and interaction w/Buffy, but I consider this a gen fic
Prompt: The events of Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Rating: Teens and up
Genre: Gen, angst
Word Count: 2374
Spoilers/Warnings: SPOILERS: "Potential," Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 7; WARNINGS: Animal death. Triggers for feelings of guilt in relation to death of a loved one. Mild profanity.
Summary: Spike found a kitten to distract him from his guilt and inner pain a bit; but Sunnydale's not the place for consolation...not that he deserved it anyhow.
Disclaimer: Not mine. The people who created, wrote, produced, and distributed the original characters and/or plots own everything this writing is based on. This is just me having fun. Besides, I'm broke, so you won't get nuttin' if you sue.
Feedback: Concrit and stroking are welcome. Flames will get R2-D2's CO2 spray in the face.
Author's notes:
1. This begins with Spike and Buffy's relationship status in Season 7 when it was still a bit prickly and they didn't know how to act around each other.
2. Dedicated to Abigail Barterian. Hope you enjoy other kitties in death more than you did in life. <3 I love you, sweetie. Thank you for your playful visits. I'm enjoying them, but you need to go rest, now, you little stinkpot! :-D
3. This is a little bit fluffy, a little bit dark, so I'm posting it to both Spike communities. If the mods of either community don't approve of its presence, please feel free to remove it. Thanks!
Distribution: If I'm a member of your archive, community, forum, group, etc., and I haven't posted it, please give me a gentle reminder. Anyone else, please comment with an invite.
^-----^
\ _ _ /
\=x=/
As always, Spike woke an hour or two before the girl army upstairs. As per usual of late, he reached for his warm furry companion Annabelle and pulled her into a snuggling embrace as if she was a stuffed toy. It never ceased to amaze Spike how docile she was; but he always reminded himself that he had rescued her from a dreary life and, as a youngling, she was most likely grateful. That's what he told himself. Well, he would be appreciative if he was a little lost boy and someone took him in....
He had discovered little Annie, a grey tabby kitten, quivering under a garbage can lid in a back alley. The fur behind one ear had been matted with blood. Shocked, Spike had slowly reached out to her, a bit concerned about both frightening her and her possibly reacting in a rabid manner. Neither happened, so he gently brought her to his chest, lifting her a bit so he could check for more wounds. He saw none, so he pulled her to him once more and tucked her under one side of his leather coat.
He had brought her home and taken her directly to the basement, telling no one about her save Buffy and Dawn--well, and Willow indirectly, as Dawn had asked permission to tell her.
Now, here he lay with the precious creature.
"Well, mon belle," he ground out as he gave his body a torso-to-toe stretch, "Think it's time for Daddy to fetch you some vittles."
He scooped her up and moved to a sitting position, chuckling as she tried to reach his neck chain with her front paws.
"Silly little girl." Nuzzling her, he stood and walked to the laundry machines. Bending over, he reached between them and pulled out two little bowls and set one on the floor. The other he took to the sink and filled with water. He set that in front of her; and after rubbing her face on his hand, she started to lap up the water.
Smiling, Spike crossed to the basement stairs and climbed to the kitchen. Listening to make sure everyone else was still asleep, he nodded with satisfaction and went to the cupboard next to the refrigerator. He opened it and grabbed a can of tuna-in-water (Bloody humans always bollixing up the genuine) and opened it with the manual can opener, then made his way back downstairs. Once there, he crossed to where Annabelle was patiently waiting. He scooped the tuna into her dish and barely got each flake on its surface before it was gone.
"Such a hungry little kitty," he said with a chuckle, then stopped and blinked. "Hm. Deja vu." Shaking his head, he focused his attention back on his charge.
He stood and watched her eat for several minutes, then the basement door opened.
"Spike!"
"Buffy! Bloody hell! Warn a fellow, will you?"
"That's what I'm doing," she said with an irritated sigh. "People are starting to wake up."
He looked her up and down. "Obviously."
She sighed again. "I thought you'd want to know, so you could hide the kitten...stuff."
"Thank you."
"Yeah." She turned to go.
"Buffy!"
She turned just her head but said nothing.
"I mean it. Thank you."
"I know. You're welcome."
With the latch of the door, he sighed, his shoulders sagging. Picking up Annabelle, he looked her in the eyes. "Ohhhh, no. That wasn't awkward." He rubbed noses with her, and she pawed at him. Giggling, he asked, "What would I do without you, little niblet?"
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"So, Spike, you're with us. Faith, you take Kennedy and Amanda."
"Got i--"
"Sh--You're kidding, right?" Kennedy cut off Faith and pointed at Amanda. "Look at her. A regular vampire could throw her the length of a football field, let alone one of these--" she circled her hand in the air as she searched for something adequate-- "super-villain vamps!"
"Hey!" Amanda snarled at her, her lips staying in that same position after the word had been said.
Buffy stepped between them, arms out, then looked to Kennedy. "Dawn saw firsthand the power Amanda has. According to Dawn, she took out a vamp as quickly as she's seen me do it sometimes--" Buffy looked straight into Kennedy's eyes-- "and she doesn't even have slayer strength, yet." She pulled back from them both, folding her arms across her chest, cocking her head to the side as she looked at Kennedy. "Kill any vamps before anyone told you you were a slayer?" She indicated Amanda. "'Cause...that's what she did when she took out that vamp so quickly....Any questions?"
Faith and Spike smirked at each other, then sobered when everyone began grabbing weapons and forming the pre-planned groups.
"Faith, you guys can take the fun--I mean, far side of town."
Faith grinned and nodded. "You got it, boss. My kind of fun."
"That's why I said it." Buffy replied with a smile, then turned to her group. "Molly, Rhona, Spike, we're gonna hit all the cemeteries this side of town." She looked to Spike. "Business as usual...or what used to be usual before...things got rough."
His gaze went immediately to the ground, followed immediately by hers.
"I did not just say that--" came her barely audible whisper.
"'S all right." His voice was light in pitch but also barely audible. "I deserved it."
"But...it's not what I meant."
"Ummmm--" Rhona rose her hand-- "am I missing something, here?"
Buffy shook herself. "Mmmmm-no." She looked to Spike, all-business, and they shared a curt nod of tacit agreement that there were more important things to deal with.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"Well...that was fun," Rhona breathed, holding a torn piece of her shirt to her neck.
"Go inside and let Willow or Dawn patch you up," Buffy told her. She turned to Molly. "Get the others together. I need to tell them what's up, and we need Faith to fill us in when she gets back, too."
"Right." Molly nodded and went inside.
Buffy looked to Spike. "You okay?"
"Yeah." He nodded, drawing on the cigarette he'd already started. "Just going to stay out here a spell. Have a smoke."
"Okay." She gazed at the grass at her feet. "You were a big help out there. We were outnumbered a lot of times, but your strength and your--" she thought for a minute-- "camouflage helped even the score. And, Rhona'd be dead if you hadn't staked that vampire." A pause, and then, "See you inside." Then, without looking at him, she walked up the front steps and disappeared into the house.
"Bollocks." Spike backed a short distance to lean against a tree in the front yard, and then blew out a long stream of smoke.
A tiny "mew" found his sensitive ears, one he recognized instantly.
"Annabelle?" Pushing away from the tree, he squinted as he walked around the yard, scanning far and near. "Where are you, little niblet? Come out of hiding, now."
He heard some rustling behind him and turned around, and little Annabelle bumped into the backs of his legs. He turned again and tossed his cigarette away, then reached for her.
"You had me worried, little one!" He rubbed noses with her. "How the bloody hell did you manage to get out of the cellar? Naughty little girl. Let's take you down and get you fed. Maybe that will keep you home, yeah?"
When the door closed behind Spike, a dark figure moved from its hiding place in the foliage by a nearby house, walking slowly down the deserted nighttime street.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
On their way home from another patrol of the cemeteries, Buffy walked with a much perkier step than the previous night.
"See, guys? Things went a lot better tonight because we learned from last night. No one got hurt. I'm proud of you, and you should be, too."
The girls smiled from ear to ear.
"Erm, excuse me," Spike said from behind them, "I got hurt. Took a good kick to the ribs."
Buffy turned to look at him, walking backward as she did. "Oh. Sorry, Spike. I meant the girls."
"Right. I don't count."
"I didn't say that!"
"Didn't have to."
"You're so--!" Making an exasperated noise, Buffy turned to face forward again and continued to walk quickly, only this time with a stomp instead of a bounce.
They finally turned the corner onto Revello Drive. Spike and the girls nearly had to run to keep up with Buffy once they were on the street itself.
When the house was in sight, Spike said, "You go on inside. Gonna have a smoke first before I do."
"What a surprise." Buffy's voice was dripping with sarcasm as she turned onto her front walk.
"You know, Sl--"
He was cut off by Buffy's gasp as she stopped short.
"What is it?" Spike asked.
"Molly, Rhona, go inside. NOW."
"Oh, my GOD."
"That's disgusting."
"It's TERRIBLE!"
Buffy gave them a shove. "INSIDE!"
Cigarette forgotten, Spike stuffed the pack back into his pocket and moved closer, wondering what all the commotion was about. "What is it?" Then he, too, stopped in his tracks. "No." He shook his head, closing his eyes. "No, no, no, no...." He repeated the word over and over, the shaking of his head becoming erratic.
"Spike." Buffy put a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Lying at the foot of the porch stairs was Annabelle, drained of blood, with a note pinned through the bite punctures that read, "Delicious little niblet."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
On their way home after burying Annabelle next to Joyce in Sunnyrest Cemetery, Buffy laced Spike's right arm with her left, hugging it gently with her right arm touching it, as well. Spike had been playing the what-if game ever since they'd found Annabelle on the front steps of her house; and after trying to talk him out of his feelings of guilt several times, she had given up and decided to just let him get it out of his system.
"I should've done more to keep her inside," he continued with his diatribe. "You know, bolted the cellar windows closed or something." He met Buffy's eyes. "I honestly don't know how she got out the first time. I thought keeping her fed would keep her inside!" He thrust his free arm in front of him, then brought that hand to his face, making a noise of frustrated disgust. "I should've known if she got out once, she'd do it again! Bloody idjit."
They walked in silence for a bit more, the self-depracation palpable in the air around them. Buffy began to feel that tell-tale prickly heat in her eyes.
"I shouldn't have sheltered something demons consider a delicacy," he began again. "Worse still, I didn't think to hide where I kept her, me killing demons and all. Yeah, brilliant that. Brass off all the local demons, then care for their favorite dessert. Good plan, Spike." He looked heavenward. "Just one more message, wasn't she? Don't deserve love 'cause I'm damned, yeah? Well, not like I chose to be this way, is it?"
"Spike--"
He shook his head, pulling away from her as they reached her front walk. He turned to face her.
"You know I called her niblet? Right out here, right in the open. We demons, we have good hearing. Can hear things across town--can hear the smallest whisper--all of us. Was really asking for someone to come eat her." He shook his head again. "I'm a bloody fool." He flopped his back against the same tree he'd been leaning against for his smoke breaks. "It's my fault she died a horrible death full of pain and fear."
He met Buffy's eyes, then, his own full of tears. She gasped at the pain she saw there. He lowered his head again, and she could hear and see him sobbing quietly.
She approached him slowly and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Spike." No response. "Spike, look at me."
Slowly, he brought first his eyes, then his head up to meet her gaze. He sniffled, then wiped roughly at the tears on his cheeks.
"When you found that kitten, she was cowering in fear and injured," Buffy reminded him. "Right? That's what you told me."
"Yes, but--"
"But nothing. You gave her a better life. She probably would've suffered and died slowly, either from starving or from some kind of nasty disease she would've gotten if you hadn't rescued her. You gave her lots of love, and she was very happy."
Spike sniffled. "She made me happy, too. Not like I didn't get anything out of the deal."
Buffy sighed. "She isn't the only being you're helping in this world, Spike." She placed her hand on his cheek. "You asked if this was some kind of punishment or reminder of what you are and what you've done. Well, I don't think so...unless it's to remind you that you can do a lot of good now that you have a soul, but you can't save everyone."
Spike huffed a laugh at that. "Hell of a way to send a message. Make an innocent kitten suffer." He sniffled again, then looked to Buffy. "I truly did love her."
"I know." Buffy nodded. "I kinda did, too." She scrunched up her face. "Ooooh. I just realized I have to tell Dawn. She is not going to take it well. She adored Annabelle."
"I'll do it, if you w--"
Buffy shook her head. "No, I will. Trust me, you don't want to deal with the monstrosity that is teenage girl."
Spike chuckled. "Thinking back on a certain birthday party where she had us all locked in this house, I'd have to agree with you." He sobered and looked Buffy straight in the eyes. "Thank you. For everything. Made it easier, having you along. Talking to you."
She smiled. "I owed you. Lots."
He smiled and turned toward the house. "Shall we?"
"What, no smoke?"
He shrugged. "Naaaah. Don't think it'd do me much good out here."
"Gotcha." And, inside they went.
FIN