Chapter 15 – A Few Hours Alone


Sunnydale, 2000


Buffy walked out of her mother’s bedroom half an hour later after ensuring that she was safe and that she had fallen asleep. She walked downstairs and saw Spike hang up the phone after he had called Giles, informing him of Joyce’s return and all of the details she had given them about where Tessa was and what the young-looking vampire had told her.

“Did you tell Giles that we’ll meet up in the afternoon?” Buffy asked as she walked towards Spike.

“Yeah,” he answered. “And he’s going to call all of your friends to get them updated on everything.”

“Where are Angel and Darla?” she asked, looking around.

“They’re settled in the basement,” he said. “Darla wasn’t feeling well, and Angel said he’d stay with her down there to make sure she’s okay. I told him I’d let him know if anything came up before the sunrise.”

“Thanks,” Buffy replied, sighing. “It’s been one hell of a night, hasn’t it? Mom returned home, safe and sound, Angel and Darla came to town, and we know almost all there is to know about Tessa.”

“Except why she’s gunning for me,” he said, crossing his arms. “Joyce didn’t seem to have any specific explanations about that. She mentioned something about Tessa saying that she was assaulted by Dru, Angel, and Darla, but Angel and Darla didn’t know what Joyce was talking about, so I’ve got to wonder what Tessa’s vendetta is and why she’s suddenly making herself known after all of these years.”

“Well, you can ask the vampire herself tomorrow night when we storm the castle,” Buffy said, locking the front door and beginning to turn off lights in the living room. “On a scale of one to ten, how tough do you think she’ll be to take down?”

“She’s as old as I am, pet – she’s not going to be easy to dust,” he answered.

“Should I be worried about fighting her?” she asked, noticing the surprised look on his face.

“Are you ever worried about fighting a master vampire?” he asked.

“Every once in a while,” she replied, smirking a little. “Used to be when I fought you.”

“Is that right?” he asked, intrigued.

“Well, until I realized how much of a wimp you are,” she joked, gasping when he charged at her and wrapped his arms around her, crushing his lips to hers.

She returned his kiss with equal fervor, a small part of her hoping that Angel wouldn’t come upstairs and catch them but another part wondering how he’d react if he did. She knew that sooner or later, he would find out that there was more to Buffy and Spike’s friendship than everyone else thought, and she was partially wishing that it would be later… much later.

When she needed to breathe, she broke away from Spike’s lips and looked into his sparkling blue eyes, seeing the adoration he felt for her reflected in them.

“I’m not a wimp,” he murmured. “A wimp wouldn’t have done that – he’d be too afraid of the big bad Slayer.”

“What’s saying you shouldn’t be afraid of me?” she asked, smiling. “I could’ve staked you for being so forward.”

“You wanted it just as much as I did,” he replied. “Besides, you’re in a good mood because of your mum being back – I couldn’t have done that if you were as upset as you have been lately.”

“Didn’t keep you from kissing me before,” she said.

“What can I say?” he asked. “Couldn’t help myself.”

She giggled quietly and looked away. “So, we should probably call it a night. My friends will be here in a few hours, and I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty tired. It’s been an eventful day.”

“That it has,” he said. “I should go downstairs before Angel falls asleep – don’t want him to yell at me if I wake him up. He can be grouchy when he doesn’t get enough beauty sleep.”

“I don’t know if it’s such a good idea for you and Angel to share a room together,” she replied. “I wouldn’t want to wake up tomorrow and find out that he got stake-happy while you were sleeping.”

“True,” he agreed. “And he’d be useless to you because he’d spend the rest of the day brooding, feeling guilty about killing me, a harmless vampire.”

“You’re not harmless,” she said. “Who told you that?”

“You’ve said it to me before,” he answered. “I thought that’s what you think I am.”

“Your bite isn’t as strong as your bark,” she replied. “Well, towards me and the rest of the human population, at least. You definitely still can bite when it’s aimed at anything evil.”

“Thank you for comparing me to a dog,” he replied, annoyed. “Couldn’t you have chosen something better?”

“I thought it was pretty clever,” she said, pouting.

He smiled and grazed her cheek before kissing her softly. “Well, if I can’t sleep in the basement with Darla and the poofter, where should I go, then?”

“Well, I guess you have a couple of options,” she said. “You could sleep on the couch, although we’d have to make sure no sunlight will come in the room because that would be bad.”

“Definitely bad,” he affirmed, nodding. “Next option?”

“Dawn’s room is open,” she answered. “But I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Probably not,” he replied. “I don’t know if I could sleep in there – I’d spend the next few hours remembering all of the times I spent with her and wouldn’t get any rest.”

“So that’s out, too,” Buffy said, looking down. “I guess that leaves only one other place.”

“And where’s that?” he asked, having an idea of what she was hinting at and moving closer to her, wanting to hear her say it.

“My room,” she said, raising her eyes to his.

“Would you make me sleep on the floor?” he asked curiously, biting his lip to keep from grinning when she frowned.

“Would you want to?” she asked.

“Not particularly,” he answered. “But if you’re going to hog the covers, then maybe I’d be better off on the ground.”

“I’ll have you know that I always share the covers,” she replied petulantly.

“Should I go ask Angel about that?” he asked, laughing when she smacked his arm.

“You’re evil,” she muttered as she began to walk away.

“Don’t ever forget that, Goldilocks,” he said, following her to the stairs. “So, are we sharing your bed, then?”

She turned to look at him and noticed the insecurity playing on his features, not used to seeing him be unsure of himself. “Is that what you want?”

“Yes,” he answered. “If it’s okay with you, that is. I don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night to feel a stake going through my chest.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” she said before shrugging. “Well, only if you do something out of line.”

“Do you really think I would?” he asked, smirking.

“I can pretty much count on it,” she answered, smiling. “Come on, it’s getting closer to sunrise – we should go to sleep.”

They walked upstairs and to her room, and while Buffy went into the bathroom to change into pajamas, Spike closed all of her shades and made sure they were secure, not wanting them to open while they were asleep.

He took off his boots and duster before lying down on her bed, pulling the covers over him and resting his head on her pillow, catching her scent on her sheets as he got comfortable.

Buffy walked into the room a couple of minutes later and watched him for a moment, studying how peaceful he looked when his eyes were closed.

“Going to stand there all night?” he asked, never opening his eyes. “Or will you join me and keep me warm?”

“And how do your propose I do that?” she asked, walking towards the bed and smiling when he lifted up the edge of her sheets, letting her lay down before he covered her with them.

He draped one of his arms across her and pulled her closer to his body, happy when she relaxed against him and closed her eyes. “This is nice.”

“Yes, it is,” she agreed, yawning. “Goodnight, Spike.”

“Goodnight, Buffy,” he replied, kissing the top of her head.

Spike stayed awake until he heard her heartbeat slow down to its resting rate before he shut his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep as images of his past with Tessa filled his head.