I really enjoy working with all my betas. Three great people: Mabel Marsters, Tanit, and Slaymesoftly.

In Harm’s Way

Chapter Ten: House Mates


The battle weary group filed into the watcher’s condo with Spike taking up the rear. He hadn’t wanted to come back with them, but his choice had been taken from him when he stood by Xander’s car arguing with Buffy and a group of Commandos had come rushing out of nearby bushes. He’d jumped in and they sped off. Only after they were on their way did he realize that the soldiers were chasing a couple of escaped demons and hadn’t even noticed him.

“Buffy!” Joyce exclaimed, rushing to her daughter. “What happened to you?”

“Mom? What are you doing here?”

Joyce examined Buffy’s wrist as she talked. “I went by your dorm to drop off a letter from your dad, but you weren’t there, so I figured that you’d probably be here.” She frowned at Giles. “Willow let me in and said that you were on a mission, so I decided to wait for you.” Joyce settled her gaze on Spike and slowly stalked over to him with her finger pointed. “Did you hurt my daughter?”

Spike smiled. “Gee, Joyce. Even without the axe, you are one hell of a scary woman when you’re on the warpath.” He scratched at the back of his head.

“No, Mom. He didn’t hurt me.”

“Actually,” Xander said grudgingly, “Spike helped us get her out of the Initiative building.”

Spike was so busy glaring at Xander for revealing that he had helped them that he almost missed the warm look that Joyce gave him. “Well, thank you, Spike.”

“Um, yeah…well.”

In the corner, Willow chanted softly over Riley until the glamour slowly faded away. They spoke quietly to each other until they realized that everyone was looking their way. Riley cleared his throat and asked Giles if he could use the phone.

“Buffy, let me look at your wrist,” her mother demanded. “Look at that! It’s very swollen.”

“I might have broken it.”

Joyce took charge, ordering Spike to get some ice, Giles to get a clean towel and Xander to clear some books off the couch so they could sit down. After much assurance from Buffy that she would heal very quickly and that she wasn’t in much pain, Joyce packed her wrist with ice.

Buffy tried to get her mom to leave, but she insisted on being there and knowing what was going on. Spike sat on the stairs, as far away from the group as he could get, listening to Buffy describe what had happened to her. This Adam creature seemed formidable, but he would shed no tears from learning of the evil scientist’s death. He’d have a party, more like.

While he was on hold on the phone, Riley went on and on about how he couldn’t believe that his mentor was actually evil.

It alarmed Spike to know that Buffy wasn’t sure she could take Adam down. Xander piped in, telling her not to worry. That the next time she had to face him, they’d all be there as back up. Rolling his eyes, Spike got up and lit a smoke. Like any of them could help her. They were a liability, not help.

When the conversation came around to him and his chip, he stood behind the couch. Buffy told them what Dr. Walsh had said. Spike glared at Riley when he agreed with Buffy that the Initiative would not give up on looking for Spike.

“If you don’t want to let them get Spike, you’d better hide him. Here is not a good place; they’ll be back,” Riley told them and then excused himself, stretching the phone cord as far as he could and talked quietly to the person on the other end of the line.

It was on the tip of Spike’s tongue to tell them all to shove it up their arses, and that he’d take care of himself, but he noticed Buffy wincing with pain when she moved her ice-packed wrist. The thought of Adam getting hold of her and doing more damage or possibly even killing her, was enough to keep him around. He could fight this Adam demon thing; he was sure of it. It might be part human, but it was part demon as well.

“Spike can stay with me,” Joyce said cheerfully.

Protests went up all around, but Joyce raised a hand to quiet them. “No one would think to look for him there. He can stay in the basement. It’s the least I can do to thank him for getting Buffy out of that awful place.”

When she smiled at him, Spike didn’t feel the need to put up his usual defensive walls. She reminded him of his own mum, and he couldn’t resist her kindness. “Thank you, Joyce.”

“Then I’m staying there, too,” Buffy said to her mom. “There’s no way I’m letting you stay alone with him.”

“I wouldn’t hurt your mother,” Spike said indignantly.

“Actually,” Giles said calmly, “it’s probably a good idea for you and Willow to both stay clear of your dorm room until we know what the Initiative plans to do about our escape.”

“Willow can stay with Anya and me,” Xander offered.

“Anya is living with you now?” Willow asked incredulously. “You just started dating a few weeks ago. Isn’t that kind of soon?”

As Xander stammered, Buffy said to Giles, “What about you? You aren’t safe staying here, then.”

“I’ll stay at a hotel,” Giles said.

“Nonsense.” Joyce stood. “There’s plenty of room at my house. You can stay in the guest room.”

As Giles stuttered a thank you and climbed the stairs to get his things, Riley hung up the phone. “It won’t be necessary for Buffy and Giles to hide out. The Initiative is now in complete disarray, and they are waiting for the real Col. Holbrook to arrive and put things in order.” He grabbed his jacket from the coat rack. “I still don’t think Spike should show his face around town much. That prototype in his head is something the government isn’t going to let go of easily.”

“What about you?” Willow asked Riley. “Are you going to be okay with them?”

Riley looked down. “They know that someone impersonated Col. Holbrook, but they don’t know it was me. I should be safe enough. I just need to take some time to deal with all this.”

Giles opened the door for him. “We are grateful that you came to our aid. We could really use your help on the inside again, if the need arises.”

Giles and Riley shook hands and Riley agreed to call him the next day and let him know if he had any new information.


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~


The car ride over to Revello Drive was tense but quiet. With the exception of Joyce, none of the others thought it was a good idea to have Spike go home with her. That was motivation enough for Spike to put aside his pride at having to hide and to agree to hole up in the basement of the Slayer’s house.

After Joyce had set up a cot for him in the basement, Buffy had stood on the steps, glaring at him. The pompous girl had the nerve to order him to “stay” like a dog, warning him not to come out until she got back with the overnight items she needed from her dorm room and with some blood for him.

Spike stayed in the basement for a half an hour, getting himself situated; and then he trudged up the stairs, having no real reason to do so other than to show the Slayer that he didn’t take orders from anyone. Joyce was in the kitchen washing dishes by hand. He made enough noise to alert the woman to his presence.

She glanced over her shoulder quickly, but went right back to her sudsy water. “So, I guess you and your girlfriend have broken up for good this time?”

“Huh?”

“That girl-what was her name? It started with a ‘D’”

“Drusilla. Yeah, she left me for someone else, again. I’m through with her.”

“Good for you. She didn’t sound like a nice girl. You deserve better.”

He smiled fondly at her, thinking that she wouldn’t be so kind to him if she knew that he’d had her daughter in his lair not too long ago. He approached the sink, grabbed a dishtowel, and picked up a glass.

“You don’t have to do that.”

Shrugging, he said, “Figure I should earn my keep if I’m going to be staying for a few days.”

Joyce paused from her work and smiled at Spike, then she handed him the next glass. “I don’t know why Buffy is so worried about you being here. The last time you stopped by, we had a nice chat and you tried to protect me from that awful vampire, Angel. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that you are supposed to be a bad guy or even that you are a vampire.”

“Hey! I am a bad guy. I’m very dangerous. I just happen to like you; and I have a bloody chip in my head now. I couldn‘t bite you if I wanted to.”

“Well, you didn’t bite me last year when we visited together, and you didn’t have a chip then.”

“True. But don’t go spreading that around. I’ve a got a reputation to maintain,” Spike told her seriously.

He would never have guessed that a middle-aged woman like Joyce would have such a cute giggle. “If your friends could see you now, doing dishes, I think your big bad reputation would be shot.”

First, he glared at her, which only caused her to graduate from a giggle to a full on hearty laugh. But then he smiled, and soon he was chuckling along with her as she handed him a plate.

The back door fell open and the Slayer stepped just inside the kitchen, frowning at them over two full bags of groceries.

“Oh, hi, Buffy,” Joyce said cheerfully. She wiped her hands on Spike’s dishtowel and took the bags from her. “I’m so glad for twenty-four hour grocery stores. Did you remember the roast beef?”

Buffy folded her arms, glaring at Spike, but addressing her mother, “Yes, I remembered. Put half of the blood in the freezer so it keeps fresh.” She put the keys on the hook next to the door and glared at Spike some more.

“What?” he asked defiantly.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay in the basement until I got back?”

“Maybe you did.”

“Next time, do what you’re told!“ Buffy ground the words out, letting her impatience show.

“If your mum wants me to stay in the basement, I will,” was his calm reply, ever mindful of the older woman.

Joyce shut the refrigerator and with a glare only her mother could give a slayer, she said, “Spike is a guest in my home. One that I have invited here. I expect you to treat him with respect.”

Behind Joyce, Spike sneered smugly, just loving the fact that he got to see Buffy taken down a peg or two by her own mother.

“Mom!” Buffy whined. “He’s not cousin Spike come to visit from out of town. He’s a vampire!”

“Don’t get smart with me, young lady. If you don’t like it that he’s here, you can go back to your dorm room.”

With a huff, Buffy turned and walked out the back door.

After rolling his eyes heavenward and exchanging a look with Joyce, Spike ran after her.

“Buffy.”

“Go back into the house, Spike, before someone sees you,” she said in a deflated tone.

“You don’t have to go on my account. I’ll leave if you want me to.”

“I’m not going,” she snapped peevishly. “I’m getting my bags from the car. Now go back inside like I told you to.”

With his back to her, he grinned. He should have known that he wouldn’t be able to get rid of her that easily.

Joyce was pouring blood into a mug for him. “I’m not sure how long to heat this up?”

“I’ll do it. Thank you.”

“Well, I’m off to bed. I have an early shipment from Greece arriving at the gallery tomorrow.”

“Um, Joyce?” Spike asked hesitantly. He continued when she stopped. “I’m sort of a night owl. Would you mind if I watched some TV?”

“Oh, sure. Do me a favor, though, and keep the volume down.”

He smiled, pointing to one of his ears. “Enhanced hearing. I’ll keep it down.”

“See you tomorrow, then.”

“G’night.”


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *


Carrying a duffle bag and her backpack, Buffy followed Spike into the living room. “What are you doing?” she asked, clearly annoyed with him.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m watching TV. Wanna join me?” He raised an eyebrow and patted the spot beside him.

She dropped her bag and gestured with her hands as she spoke. “Look, you, I’m sick and tired of getting my head messed with. First it was a love spell, then an engagement spell, followed by a damn truth serum, and then you kissed me. Stop playing with me.” She picked up her bag. “Let’s get one thing clear. I hate you; you hate me. I’m not sitting on the couch with you and I’m NOT happy that you are staying in my mother’s home.” When he opened his mouth, she hurried on with her speech. “And don’t ever try to kiss me again, or I will stake you. Chip or no chip.”

He leapt to his feet, coming around and blocking her path to the stairs. “Stay where you are. I listened to you blather on about all your woes, now you listen to me.” He took a deep breath, keeping his fisted hands at his sides. If he hadn’t had the stupid chip in his head, he’d have hit her by now. “I was just as much of a victim of those bloody spells as you were. More so with the first one, because I had to endure your sappy attentions. Now I’m stuck with a blasted chip in my head, and I can’t even do what comes natural. So you tell me. Whose head has been messed with more?”

She stuttered, but couldn’t come up with anything intelligent to say.

“What’s more, I didn’t ask you to come and live under the same roof. As I recall, neither did your mother. So who’s playing head games with whom?”

“I’m here to make sure you don’t hurt my mother. And, I’m not just talking about physically.” She put her hand up to silence the argument he was about to let loose. “Let’s just agree to keep our distance from each other.”

“Kind of hard to do with you living upstairs and me in the basement.”

Buffy sighed, saying softly, “Just--don’t get in my personal space. Don’t touch me. Don’t smile at me suggestively. That kind of stuff.”

With a smirk, he said, “What? Are my manly charms too much for you to resist?”

She swung the duffle bag at him with her good hand and brushed past him. “You see? This is what I’m talking about.” Pausing on the bottom stair, she said with narrowed eyes, “Why don’t you just leave town? Better yet, leave the country. Go far away where the Initiative can’t find you.”

Now Spike was flustered. He didn’t want think about why he was staying. He glanced at her wrist, still wrapped in the ace bandage, and swallowed. If he left now, who was strong enough to make sure she didn’t get killed? His eyes widened as an excuse came to him.

“The Initiative. I need to find a way to get them to take this chip out of my head. Can’t do that, if I run away. Moreover, I know you have the Gem of Amara hidden away somewhere in town. I’m not leaving Sunnydale until I find it.”

“I’m through talking with you,” she said, stomping up the steps and out of sight.

Spike was glad. He didn’t want to spend any more time in her company either. Or, so he tried to tell himself. As he flipped through the channels, he did his best not to think about what the Slayer was doing up in her room. Was she getting undressed? Had she worn that sexy little black bra today? He slipped his hand into the inner pocket of his duster, ran his fingers over the lace material of the matching knickers, and sighed.

He got up again and paced in front of the phone by the desk. Pulling out a small notebook from his duster, he sat in the chair and dialed. He talked with one person and got a phone number for someone else, then dialed the new number and waited on hold for five minutes until the doctor could speak with him.

The call ended up making him feel more down than he already was. An icy cold fear had gripped his dead heart when the doctor said he was certain that Spike would end up being paralyzed from the neck down for at least six months if the doctor performed surgery to remove the chip. Of course, he couldn’t say for sure, without having Spike come to the office.

He was just sitting down to watch TV again when the phone rang. He sat where he was, not knowing if he should pick it up or let it ring. Buffy ran down the stairs, wearing a chaste set of pajamas..

“Hello,” she said breathlessly with a small frown on her face. “Riley, you do know that it‘s almost one o‘clock in the morning, don‘t you?” As she listened, she slowly pulled the chair out from the desk and sat down. Holding the phone between her head and shoulder, she fidgeted with her messy ponytail, then unbuttoned and buttoned the top button on her shirt. “Thanks for letting me know.” A pause. “Yes, I’ll be careful.” Another pause. “No. I’ll call him later at a decent hour. There’s nothing we can do right now, and we all need some sleep.”

After she ended the call, Spike watched her get up and flop down in the chair across from him.

“Well?” he asked her.

“That was Riley,” she said with a weary sigh.

He felt like growling. There was no one in the world who could try his patience like the Slayer could. “I know that. What did the ponce want?”

“He just found out that Adam was an unauthorized, secret experiment that Dr. Walsh and another doctor were working on. No one else knew about it.”

“So?”

“This should cheer you up.” She sat up straight, frowning at him. “Adam is designed to be an ultimate fighter. It’s programmed to carry out its last orders at all costs and will only cease when the person who gave the order says so.”

“Sounds like something the U.S. Government would want to use. Why should this make me happy?”

“Because, the last order Dr. Walsh gave Adam before he accidentally killed her was for him to kill me.”