Third Time’s a Charm
By Chani
“I still can’t believe this,” Buffy said, sneering. “You love me. You’ve got to be kidding! You’re disgusting, Spike.”
Spike stared at the girl, his eyes cold. She continued ranting on about how nauseating and undesirable he was. She kept babbling about how she would rather be with a slime demon than to be with him. He could feel the anger rising in him, ready to boil over. This wasn’t the way things were supposed to be, not even close.
The slayer had come to him demanding to know if he had feelings for her. At first he had denied it, refusing to subject himself to the humiliation of admitting that he, the vampire who had killed two slayers, was indeed in love with a slayer. But, after a little prodding, he finally confessed that he had fallen in love with Buffy.
Her reaction was less than appealing. Much less. In fact, her behavior was repulsive…she was repulsive. It’s not like he expected her to fall all over him and profess her undying love for him, but he definitely had not expected her to act like this. She was being nasty, abusive, and intentionally cruel. He had put up with her physical abuse ever since he got that bloody chip stuck in his head. He had tried to be nice, but nothing satisfied her. He was tired of trying to please her and tired of her abuse. If she wanted to play that game, he was more than willing. Besides, he had a few surprises for her. He turned his attention back to what she was saying to him, and quickly wished that he hadn’t.
“…and if you think I’d give you the time of day, you’re wrong William,” she was saying sadistically. “You’re nothing to me…nothing! I told you before that you’re beneath me!”
She never saw Spike’s foot coming and she definitely didn’t expect it. As his foot connected with her knee, the look of sheer horror on her face said it all. Her pained scream escaped her mouth at the exact moment her leg snapped backward, and it was like music to his ears.
She crumpled to the floor of the crypt in a heap, tears involuntarily flowing from her eyes. She had been injured before, but nothing came close to the pain she felt at that moment. She could feel the bone sticking out of her skin behind her knee, blood flowing everywhere. She tried to get up, but the toe of Spike’s boot met her face, knocking her back down. She didn’t try to get up again, but that didn’t stop Spike from kicking and stomping her…her ribs, her stomach, her head…she tried to use her hands to stop him, but it was futile.
Spike looked down at the blonde. The slayer. The girl who had been the source of his pain and aggravation for almost four years. The girl who made him fall in love with her. The girl who almost made him forget what he was…what he is. He straddled her and slowly sat down on top of her, pausing only long enough to punch her in the nose a couple of times. “I can’t even count how many times I asked you not to hit me in the nose, luv. Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it?” He grabbed her arms and pinned her hands under his knees, knowing full well there wasn’t much she could do to fight him at this point.
“Spike,” she moaned, her voice weak from the pain.
“I bet you’re wondering why the chip didn’t stop me from doing this,” Spike said, leaning closer to her. “Well, luv, it’s been gone for a couple of weeks now. Found me a nice surgeon just outside of town.” Buffy went limp under him, but he didn’t release her.
“Why?” she asked, knowing he understood what she meant.
“Because I love you, pet,” he told her, leaning down to lick her neck. She started to struggle under him, but she was too weak for it to have any effect. He moved so his face was right in front of hers. “I just wanted you to love me back. I tried to be what you wanted, but you wouldn’t even give me a chance.”
“What did you expect, Spike?” she asked, her fear evident in her eyes. “Without the chip you tried to kill me…you tried to…”
“I told you it was just a dance, luv,” he whispered, his face making the change from human to vampire. “This isn’t how I wanted it to end.” He moved down to her neck, but she bucked beneath him, trying to force him off of her. He grabbed her arms again and slammed them down, holding her still. She still tried to fight him, but he moved his boot down her injured leg and kicked her hard, just as his teeth broke the skin of her neck.
“Spike!!!!” she screamed, unsuccessfully fighting for all she was worth. Memories of the past flashed through her mind…the first time she met Giles, meeting Angel, making love with Angel, the first time she ever met Spike…and every other major event in her life. She felt the life drain out of her as he drank her blood, her body becoming weaker by the minute. She didn’t want to die like this…not now.
Spike drank Buffy’s blood quickly, feeling heady from its taste. There was nothing like a slayer’s blood…the power it gave you, the feeling of complete and utter dominance…and he loved every minute of it. When he felt her heartbeat slow, he stopped and looked at her. She was unconscious, but it didn’t make her beauty any less stunning. She was moments away from death and exactly where he wanted her to be, but he was paralyzed.
Should he kill her or should he turn her? That was the question. Killing her would solve some of his problems, but he wasn’t sure it would allow him to get over her. Turning her would solve nothing and would pose a whole new set of problems. Would it be worth it? He didn’t know for sure, but he doubted it. He thought quickly about the events of the night…how she was so mean and abusive, how she found him so repulsive…but he still couldn’t move. Then, suddenly, a memory flickered in his head and he made up his mind. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips before completing his mission.
Spike looked up at the moon as he lit a cigarette. He felt good, better than he had in a long time. He inhaled deeply, blowing the smoke through his nose. He still didn’t know if he made the right decision or not, but for better or worse, it was done.
Buffy Summers was no longer the slayer.
And most importantly, he had finally won.