When Things Fall Apart
Sequel
to “I Need You”
by Calli
“Uh- Giles?”
“Yes Willow?”
“I’m worried about Buffy.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Xander chipped in.
“Xander! Giles, she said she’d kill Angelus. The Buffy I know -- we know -- she wouldn’t do that.”
“If I may interrupt?” Wesley entered the conversation. “A few weeks ago,
Angel recovered an ancient script. It prophesized a vampire with a soul,
fighting evil. We think it may be Angel.”
“And, yeah, how many other vampires are there running
around trying to have sex with Buffy?” asked Xander. Both Willow and Giles gave
him a look before turning back to Wesley and his explanations.
“Wesley, just tell them what it says!” exclaimed Cordy impatiently.
“Well, it wasn’t until I translated the whole thing...” the ex-watcher began.
“Yes??”
“It says…that Angel cannot be killed until the prophecy is fulfilled.”
“So?”
“I seem to remember, Mr. Giles, you said something about Angel returning
from Hell, after Buffy sent him there?”
“Yes, quite right. That, er, did...happen.” Giles looked up momentarily
from his book. “So you’re saying, that
no matter how many times Buffy kills him, he’ll return?”
“Indeed. So the only thing we can to is -”
“Return his soul! Oh, Tara and I
can do that!” Willow exclaimed.
“Right then. Very Good. Willow, I suggest you go to the magic shop, and
get an Orb of Thesula, and whatever other things you need, right away.” Giles stood up, taking control of the
situation. “Wesley, make yourself
useful and translate the rest of that document, Cordelia, you can help by
looking through these books for the ritual.”
“Hey, what about me -- us?” Xander corrected himself after a punch in
the ribs from Anya.
“Oh. Um. Right. Xander, you and Anya find Buffy, and tell her the plan. She should be on patrol somewhere.”
“Oh great,” moaned Xander “Only like, loads of potential slaying spots
in Sunnydale.”
“You could stay and help look through these books,” said
Cordy, smiling, knowing full well that her old flame hated anything involving
books.
“We’re going!” Xander and Anya rushed out of the door.
Buffy’s room…
“Thanks for staying a while, Spike,” Buffy said, getting up. “I -- I don’t wanna be alone.” Spike
looks almost sympathetic, she thought. Oh, who am I kidding?! This
is William the Bloody I’m thinking about.
“Um...would you like a drink?” she asked, pulling open the
fridge. “Oh. I thought I had some blood
in here. Guess not.”
Shrugging, Spike pulled a blood-bag out of his duster pocket. “Take-away luv.” Grinning, he waved it at Buffy, but she didn’t see. She was
staring at the fridge, a faraway look in her eyes. “Slayer? Hey Slutty.” He cringed at calling her the name he used
so much...no answer. What’s up now?
he wondered. “What’s wrong pet?” Did I just call her ‘pet’? What am I
doing? Ruining my unlife, my chances with Dru, -- for her? He looked at the slayer, who was still
staring at the fridge.
“I used to keep blood-bags in there,” she began.
“Slayer?”
“Just in case Angel came back. I guess that was pretty stupid, huh?”
Spike stepped up behind her. “Wanna know a secret?” he whispered. Buffy turned, and looked at him
quizzically. Spike continued. “After she left -- Dru -- I kept one of her
old dolls with me, just ‘cause it looked like her, and in the hope that,
someday, she’d come back looking for it.
I guess I blew my chance to win her back.” He looked to Buffy,
who’d fallen silent. Come on, mate, tell her! You are William the Bloody after all. No! I can’t tell her, not now. But I may never have another
chance. It would ruin my chances of
getting Dru back. But do you really
want her back? A war was raging
inside of him. Part of him wanted to
tell her, and forget about Dru, his first love, the other told him to hold
back, hold on to Dru.
Lifting her tear-streaked face up to him, Buffy saw the same torment in
his eyes that he saw in hers. “Oh
Spike,” she said, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.
She looks so helpless. Almost like Dru used to. I just want to -- oh
bloody hell! That chip’s gone and turned me into a ninny! But look at her. She
needs someone. And with the mental
war still raging on in his head, Spike closed the small gap between him and the
slayer, wrapping his arms around her protectively. As she laid her head against his shoulder, Spike sighed sadly, wishing
things were different.
They stood there in silence, savoring the moment.
“You know, a year ago, if you’d done this, I’d have staked you,”
murmured Buffy after a few moments.
“A year ago I wouldn’t have done this,” the vampire muttered.
“I don’t know how to tell you this, but...” Buffy began.
Spike tensed a little in anticipation. What’s she gonna say?
“Ever since you first turned up on Giles’ doorstep, after the Initiative
caught you, I’ve slowly gotten used to havin’ you around.” Oh god! Why can’t I just tell him?
Oh. So she’s used to havin’ me around. That’s all, Spike sighed
to himself. I was beginning to think
that she...no, it’d never happen. If only I could tell her, put an end to this
torment. He broke his hold of the
slayer in frustration. They stood
apart, neither wanting to make the first move.
Eventually, Buffy took the plunge. “S-Spike?”
What’s wrong? Have I done something? The vampire looked back at her. Shit! What have I done now? Bail mate. Get outta here. “I’ve gotta go,” he whispered almost incoherently, and left a stunned slayer staring at the space where he’d been standing, only a few seconds ago.