"I don't ... what happened? I don't understand, the spell worked, he's healed! He shouldn't act ... he shouldn't be like ..." Willow trailed off as she started to cry.
Tara wrapped an arm around her and looked calmly at Spike before stroking Willow's hair. "He's really messed up, baby. He doesn't understand that you ... you want to help."
"And why is it you he trusts?" Buffy demanded. Her aggressive step forward made Xander stiffen and emmit something that was half-whine, half-growl. "He's know Willow all his life."
Spike rolled his eyes. "Cause I'm good with sodding crazy people, I don't know. But you best be glad I am, hadn't you?"
Ignoring the byplay, Spike growled and shook Xander as hard as he dared. "Don't," he said clearly.
Xander subsided, but by then the whole room was staring at them.
He sighed, wishing he could just drop the boy and storm out. "He's still Xander, just. . . he's been hurt, and hurt bad. He isn't sure what's not gonna hurt him right now."
Spike shot Xander an irritated look. "Let's get you out of this, first," he said, untying the thin sash and allowing the robe to fall open. "Can you take it off yourself?"
No answer, just those empty eyes locked onto Spike's.
"Right then. Guess I'm doin' that, too." Spike tugged at one sleeve. Miraculously, Xander did actually move enough to allow Spike to undress him.
Getting Xander's own robe on him was a trickier matter.
"Acting like a sodding infant," Spike mumbled, trying not to look at the shadowed ribs, the bruises, both old and new, or the new, pink skin that signaled just how much Willow's spell had healed. "Put your hand through the arm hole, boy," Spike said in a stern voice. That seemed to work, and Xander complied, actually assisting this time.
Once the robe was on, Spike hesitated. Despite the familiarity, he had no idea how to take care of the boy--mostly due to him not knowing what the hell had happened to him. They knew a group of demons had kidnapped Xander weeks ago, but not why or how or any of those important details.
"How 'bout food?" he tried. "Could make you broth or somethin'?"
Stumping over to the kitchen, Spike didn't bother trying to be quiet as he rattled through the cabinets looking for something a boy that'd been tortured and probably worse could eat. He ended up finding some dried cubes of vegetable broth, there for who knew what reason, and the directions looked simple enough.
Comments 33
Tara wrapped an arm around her and looked calmly at Spike before stroking Willow's hair. "He's really messed up, baby. He doesn't understand that you ... you want to help."
Reply
Spike rolled his eyes. "Cause I'm good with sodding crazy people, I don't know. But you best be glad I am, hadn't you?"
Reply
Xander cried out and thrashed in Spike's arms, obviously unsettled.
"Buffy, stop," Giles said, pulling her back. "You're upsetting Xander."
"He's not crazy," Buffy said softly. "He's Xander, he's not ..."
"Shh," Giles said. He wrapped his arms around her and she turned to hide her face in his chest.
Reply
Xander subsided, but by then the whole room was staring at them.
He sighed, wishing he could just drop the boy and storm out. "He's still Xander, just. . . he's been hurt, and hurt bad. He isn't sure what's not gonna hurt him right now."
Reply
No answer, just those empty eyes locked onto Spike's.
"Right then. Guess I'm doin' that, too." Spike tugged at one sleeve. Miraculously, Xander did actually move enough to allow Spike to undress him.
Getting Xander's own robe on him was a trickier matter.
"Acting like a sodding infant," Spike mumbled, trying not to look at the shadowed ribs, the bruises, both old and new, or the new, pink skin that signaled just how much Willow's spell had healed. "Put your hand through the arm hole, boy," Spike said in a stern voice. That seemed to work, and Xander complied, actually assisting this time.
Reply
"How 'bout food?" he tried. "Could make you broth or somethin'?"
Reply
Reply
Stumping over to the kitchen, Spike didn't bother trying to be quiet as he rattled through the cabinets looking for something a boy that'd been tortured and probably worse could eat. He ended up finding some dried cubes of vegetable broth, there for who knew what reason, and the directions looked simple enough.
Reply
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