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A Friend in Need by slaymesoftly
 
Two
 
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CHAPTER TWO (some weeks later)
 
“Look, Mom, it’s just until your appointment this afternoon. Okay? Dawn will be okay at school, but since that creepy bitch knows where we live... I just can’t leave you there alone.”
 
“You say this place is a crypt? You want me to spend the day in a grave?”
 
“It’s not that bad. Spike was fixing it up before he... left. The furniture’s still there, there’s a TV that Clem says works okay—”
 
“Spike? Clem?”
 
“Clem is a friend of Spike’s. He’s a demon, but a nice one. I’ll introduce you if I get a chance. The point is, he’s been keeping the place clean and unoccupied while Spike’s gone, so it’s a nice safe place to spend the day while I go looking for Glory. And I already took a bunch of stuff there so you guys will have lights and... stuff.”
 
“I still don’t understand what she wants with Dawn.”
 
“I’m not sure I get it either; all I know is those monks sent Dawn to us so I could protect her from Glory, so that’s what I’m gonna do.  Giles is talking to the Council, asking them what they might know about Glory.  If we can figure out what kind of demon she is, I’ll know how to kill her.”
 
“You do know how disturbing it is to hear my daughter talking so casually about killing someone who seems perfectly human... if a destructive one.”
 
“Trust me, Mom. Whatever Glory is, human isn’t it.  And if I wasn’t who and what I am, she’d have probably killed me several times over already.  If she ever finds out Dawn is....”
 
“All right, Buffy. I’m trusting you on this. How does Spike feel about us using his crypt?”
 
Buffy coughed and mumbled, “I’m sure he’ll be fine with it...”
 
“You haven’t asked him.” Joyce’s voice was disappointed and tired. “I raised you better than that, Buffy.”
 
“Spike likes you, Mom. I know he’d be okay with this.  I... I can’t ask him.”
 
“Why not?”
 
Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, as though a good answer might be hiding there.  “Because I haven’t talked to him since he left. And if I tell him I need to hide you and Dawn from some skank that can beat me up, he’ll just think....”
 
“That the only reason you called him was because you need him for something.” The disappointment in Joyce’s voice was still there, but her eyes were more understanding.  She sighed and stood up, shaking her head when Buffy immediately grabbed her overnight bag, but not commenting.
 
“I know you’re all grown up now, and your business is your business, but if you ever want to tell me what happened last year that sent Spike off to Seat—” She caught herself, but not soon enough.
 
“Seattle?  He’s in Seattle? All this time, you’ve known where he is and you never told me?”
 
It was Joyce’s turn to sigh. “He made me promise. He said you were better off not knowing where he was. That you knew how to get hold of him—“
 
She raised an eyebrow at Buffy, who mumbled, “He sent me a cell number.”  Remembering that she was the injured party here, Buffy went on the attack.
“But how could you know where he is?”
 
As they got into the car, Joyce held out her hand for the keys, saying firmly, “I’m not crippled, Buffy.”
 
Buffy handed them over, relief evident on her face. While she had managed to get her license, thanks to many hours of Riley’s patient instruction and practice, driving was still not her favorite thing to do.  She went back to her question. “How come you know where he is?”
 
Joyce concentrated on backing out of the driveway, then answered Buffy’s question. “He came by the gallery to say good-bye before he left. He told me he was worried about you and the Initiative—not a bad guess, as it turned out,” she added with a sideways glance. “Anyway, he called me when he was settled, gave me a number and told me where he was....” She hesitated for a second, then decided Buffy deserved the truth. “I’ve spoken to him a couple of time since then. He always asks me how you are and if everything’s okay here.”
 
Buffy was too busy trying to process the information that her mother had more of a relationship with Spike than she did and that he apparently still felt something for her, to notice Joyce’s flinch as a random pain shot through her head.  By the time Buffy looked up, the car was once again going in a straight line and her mother was looking ahead, her face relaxed and calm.
 
They left the car in the small parking lot near the entrance to Restfield, smiling kindly at a family laying flowers on a new grave as they worked their way toward the back where the older graves and mausoleums were located. It was only a few minutes walk to Spike’s crypt, although Buffy watched Joyce carefully for any signs of fatigue.  
 
“Here we are.  Home sweet home,” she trilled as she opened the two heavy doors.  She left them open long enough to light some candles and turn on one of the battery-powered lanterns she’d stashed there earlier.  As soon as she was sure Joyce would be all right by herself, watching her settle on the couch and turn on Passions, Buffy turned to leave.  “I’m going to go look for Glory again, Mom.  I’ll be back in time to go with you to the doctor this afternoon, but if I’m not...”
 
“If you’re not, I’m perfectly capable of walking back to my car and driving myself to hospital.  They’re just doing some more tests today. It’s no biggie.”
 
I’ll be back,” Buffy said, closing only the relatively easy to open and close metal gate behind her.
 
~~~~~~~~~
 
 
“A tumor?”
 
“It’s going to be all right, Buffy. He says he can get me in right away for surgery.”
 
“Surgery?”
 
“First thing in the morning.”
 
“Surgery?” Buffy repeated, unable to form a more coherent thought. “Brain surgery?”
 
“It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
 
~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
“I need you.”  Buffy held her breath. She hadn’t even identified herself when Spike answered his phone on the second ring.  Common sense was telling her that she was crazy to be calling a former enemy/brief ally/and even briefer spell-induced lover, but her fingers had dialed anyway.  She waited for him to ask who was calling, or give an evil laugh as he reminded her that she’d told him he couldn’t stay in Sunnydale without the chip.  She was already preparing her arguments: “You like my mom, and she’s sick, and you like the way Dawn hero-worships you, and—” when Spike interrupted her mental practice speech.
 
“I’ll be there sometime tomorrow night, luv. Or, by morning, anyway.  Is that soon enough?”
 
Left with unused arguments, Buffy filled the silence with them anyway. “I know I’ve got no right... but you said I could... and Mom is really sick and Dawn is a pain and Glory is stronger than—”
 
“I said I was on my way, Buffy.” She could hear the smile in his voice as he gently interrupted her.
 
“I know,” she sighed. “It’s just... I had all these arguments ready to use when you laughed at me, and.... I don’t know. I guess I just thought I should use them.”
 
He did laugh then, but with genuine humor and a trace of fondness rather than the derision she’d been expecting.
 
“Well, I’ll listen if you want me to, but think my time might be better spent packing up and getting ready to hit the road as soon as it’s near enough to dark.  It’ll take me the better part of tonight and tomorrow night to get there. If it’s close to morning, I’ll probably head straight for my crypt. Do you remember where it is?”
 
“Uh... yes... I, uh, actually, I might have... borrowed... it a couple of times. Just to stash Mom and Dawn somewhere safe.  I didn’t mean to... but Clem said you wouldn’t mind, and—”
 
“You know you’re perfectly welcome there anytime, Slayer. And your mum and sis too.”
 
“Thank you,” she almost whispered. 
 
“You’re welcome, luv. I’ll see you another day or two, alright?”
 
“All right.  If... if you don’t see me around, I might be at the hospital, with Mom and Dawn.  But I’ll check your crypt before I go home and before I go back to the hospital...”
 
“Hospital?”
 
“Mom’s having surgery tomorrow morning. She has a brain tumor. But it’s going to be okay. She told me it would.”
 
There was silence for some time before Spike said, “I’m sure she will, love. You go spend time with your mum. I’ll find you.  Don’t worry about it.  Give her my best, yeah? Tell her I’ll... well, just give her my best.”
 
“’K. See you soon, then?”
 
“Soon as I can make it. I promise.”
 
“... well.... bye then.”
 
“Later, Buffy.”
 
She stared at the now-silent phone and wondered what she’d just done. 
 
“Riley’s going to go apeshit over this,” she muttered to herself as she put the receiver down. 
 
 
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