Day One (Part One)


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She woke early, long before sunrise, and wriggled out of her sleeping bag. She quickly noticed the empty space beside her where Spike had slept but shrugged and got to her feet, stretching and making her way eagerly to the small window in the door. Her shoulders sagged when she saw the water still at the same level as the night before.

“Hasn’t gone down.”

She jumped at Spike’s voice and turned round, giving him a pointed look and moving past him into the kitchen, hyper-aware of the fact that she was in her pyjamas. She felt him join her a moment later as she stared out of the back door and onto the small lake that had once been her lawn.

“Stupid rain,” she mumbled.

She heard Spike chuckle and turned to face him, arms crossed self-consciously over her chest. It didn’t help that he was looking all tousled and sleepy and entirely sinful. Not that she thought about Spike that way. She shook that thought away quickly and moved to sit on a stool next to him with a sigh.

“I was really hoping to get out of the house today.”

“Just gonna have to sit and wait it out.”

“That’s what I was worried about,” she commented with a wry smile, “Buffy and sitting still don’t mix.”

He smiled affectionately and she felt a warmth spread through her, making her uncomfortable.

“Try not to explode, eh, Slayer?” he teased and she rolled her eyes, dropping her gaze to the counter.



They sat in companionable silence for a long time, both lost in their own thoughts as the sun began to rise over a flooded Sunnydale. As she had told Spike though, sitting still was not one of her greatest talents and soon, she was up on her feet, examining the contents of the kitchen cupboards.

“I have no idea how I’m going to feed everyone,” she sighed, “That water better go down soon.”

“Gonna slay it if it doesn’t?”

She turned and scowled at the smiling vampire before turning back to the cupboards.

“Should have got more food yesterday,” she mumbled half to herself, “Except for the whole lack of fundage issue.”

“Problems?” Spike asked softly and with a sigh, she turned to face him, leaning back against the worktop.

“Of the major financial variety.”

“Still not found a solution?” he asked, eyes watching her in concern.

She shrugged and gave another sigh, forcing a laugh.

“I’m sure it’ll work out… It has to… Right?”

She raised worried eyes to the vampire, seeking reassurance. He slid from his stool and came round the counter to stand opposite her, blue eyes shining with worry and sympathy. She saw him raise a hand – seemingly to reach out for her – but he drew it back a moment later and she wished he hadn’t.

“It’ll work out,” he said quietly, firmly, holding her gaze, “Promise.”

He gave her a tiny smile and she returned her own, nodding.

“I really hope so.”


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


It wasn’t long before the house started to feel crowded with all the extra occupants – especially when it came to using the bathroom - and she was quickly coming to the end of her tether. As she heard an argument erupt between Willow and Anya over who should get to shower first, she decided to escape to the relative safety of her basement – which sadly, having only just recovered from the one flooding, was now filled with water once more. Floodwater had poured through the ground level window and filled the room, soaking what had only just begun to dry. It was yet another catastrophe to add to the growing list.

With a sigh, she sank down onto the top step and buried her head in her hands, the sounds of the argument dying down but the silence soon filled with the sound of voices and then, the sound of the television. It was nice to know her friends were making themselves at home.



She hadn’t been sitting there for more than five minutes when she heard movement in the kitchen and a moment later, the basement door opened. Instead of speaking though, her new companion shut the door quietly and moved down, dropping to the step beside her. She turned her head and gave the vampire a wry smile as he watched her with concerned eyes.

“You alright?” he murmured.

“Teetering on the edge of madness… but yeah.”

He smiled and she turned back to stare at the flooded room below.

“Thought you got this fixed,” Spike spoke up a moment later.

“I did,” she sighed, sending a weary smile his way.

“Oh.”

They fell silent and she took a deep, relaxing breath, closing her eyes and letting the wave of calm wash over her. She didn’t know what it was about Spike that made her feel so calm, so quiet when at any other time she felt constantly tormented, surrounded, suffocated. He had changed though – everything about him seemed to have changed – and his mere presence no longer raised her hackles as it had been prone to do before. Now she found herself at her most relaxed when she was sitting by his side in silence.



The thought brought amusement and some surprise and she glanced at the vampire out of the corner of her eye, suppressing a smile. He would certainly be insulted by the idea – or at least pretend to be. His gaze moved to hers before she could look away and he tilted his head, one eyebrow rising in question.

“Nothing,” she whispered, turning away again.

He was softer, gentler, than he had ever been before and it made her wonder just how much she knew about this vampire, this man. She had fought him, fought by his side – but did she really know him? She knew of his legendary vampiric status, knew of his exploits, his brutality… But the man that sat beside her now seemed so removed from that once dangerous William the Bloody. Not least because he was now an ally, a friend even.

And he loved her. Or at least, he had. Before. Now, she was uncertain, although she still saw the same emotions in his eyes that had been there before. She sneaked a glance at him, studying the side of his face, searching for clues.

“You’re gonna make me blush if you keep staring at me.”

She jumped guiltily and turned away, only to turn back a moment later to meet his gaze.

“I wasn’t staring.”

He raised an eyebrow but said nothing in reply, clasping his hands together as he stared out at the room, seemingly content to sit in silence. She watched him surreptitiously, taking in every line of a face that was as familiar to her as any of her friends’, wondering just what secrets hid behind his Big Bad façade.



She took in the curve of his back and trailed her gaze down black leather to his hands, still clasped in one another. She saw them twitching and a second later, her attention was drawn to his shaking leg. Now she had noticed it, she saw all of the tiny outlets of nervous energy and she smiled somewhat affectionately. Why had she never noticed any of these before? But then, he was usually smoking all of the time and she guessed that gave him something to occupy himself with.

In a moment of realisation, she laughed, drawing his gaze to her, but not halting his twitching.

“Nicotine withdrawal symptoms?” she asked with a pointed look at his leg and he stopped immediately.

“Partially. Also not one for being cooped up.”

“I’m totally with you there.”

“Really?” he murmured silkily, eyes narrowing to dark slits that made a tremor run through her, “Lucky me.”

The sudden tension between them and the look he was giving her quickly spurred her into motion and she jumped to her feet.

“I guess I should get back in there. Stop any trouble and, yeah…”

He smiled and stood up beside her, the narrow nature of the steps making them closer than she had realised. He leant over her and took the doorknob, pushing the door open with a little bow.

“Milady.”

She hurried out into the kitchen, scuttling past him and cursing her racing heart.


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


By midday, she was sure she was going to go insane and after preparing lunch for the gang, she escaped to the basement once again. This time, she wasn’t the first though and she dropped to Spike’s side with a sigh and a smile.

“Everything alright?” he asked, turning to her.

“You know that thing I said about this being hell…”

She saw the pain flash through his expression and instantly regretted her flippant words. Reaching out, she placed a gentle hand on his arm.

“I’m sorry.”

Surprised eyes flew first to her hand and then to hers and then his expression quickly turned serious.

“You don’t have to apologise to me,” he said lowly, “Not after… what you’ve been through. Never have to apologise to me, Buffy.”

His hand came to cover hers hesitantly and she squeezed his arm gratefully, watching him with teary eyes.

“Can I at least apologise for being a bitch to you all those years?” she asked with a tiny smile.

“No,” he answered with a smile of his own, “Find I was quite fond of the bitch anyway.”

“You always did have dubious taste in women,” she whispered, giving him a shaky teasing smile and he laughed, squeezing her hand in his and then releasing it a moment later with a shy look.



They were silent for a few minutes and she kept her hand on his arm, the simple contact reassuring her in ways she was sure it shouldn’t.

“You haven’t told them then?”

She turned to face him and shook her head sadly.

“I can’t.”

He went to protest but she held up a hand, forestalling him.

“It would kill them… knowing the truth.”

“I know,” he got out painfully, eyes averted from her.

She sighed and withdrew her hand, sinking her head against her hand.

“I should never have told you. I’m sorry.”

“Told you about apologising, didn’t I?” he got out, laying a hand on her shoulder and drawing her attention back to him, blue eyes fixed on hers, “You needed to tell someone… share the burden and all that… And I’m… M’bloody honoured it was me.”

She watched him for long seconds, taking in the burning intensity in his gaze, and felt something spin and turn upside down inside her. She shook it away and forced her eyes to stay on his.

“You didn’t bring me back,” she said simply.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Would you have stopped them?” she whispered, “If you’d known?”

“I… I don’t know,” he murmured.



They fell silent once more and she took a deep, calming breath, forcing away unwanted emotion. She took another deep breath and spoke up, her eyes fixed on the wall.

“Did you think I was in Hell?”

He didn’t answer for a long time but she dared not look at him, still treading a thin line between calm and breakdown and fighting to hold back all the anger and grief she felt.

“No,” he finally said, “How could I? Warrior of the people… died to save the world… how could you be sent…”

He trailed off but his meaning was clear: he had never even contemplated the idea that she might be anywhere but Heaven. She found herself fighting her emotions even harder after his hesitant words and she took several deep breaths to do so. She reached out one shaking hand though and found his, twining her fingers in his, telling him with her touch what she could not with words.

She felt his surprise at first but then he squeezed her hand back tightly, placing his other hand over hers and enveloping her in his cool touch. She bowed her head, shoulders shaking as she struggled not to let the emotions she had been holding back overflow.

“Buffy?”

“I’m… I’m okay,” she choked out, still unable to look at him but calming down slowly.



When she had forced the emotions down – for now – she turned to him and forced a weak smile, her fingers twitching against his.

“Thank you,” she whispered with a watery smile.

She saw him swallow hard and he reached out his free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She leant into his touch, enjoying the feel of his soft caress – and not missing the slight widening of his eyes. He stroked his thumb over her cheek and she closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath.

Moments later, the peace was shattered by voices in the kitchen and she jerked away, throwing a look at the door behind them.

“Buffy?” Dawn called out.

She felt all of her energy sapped from her but she forced herself to her feet as Spike gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze. She opened the door and moved out into the kitchen to meet her sister, followed by the vampire. Dawn sent a confused look between them but said nothing and dived into a complaint that the television wasn’t working.