Endings and Beginnings: Part 1
Buffy was patrolling alone. She did a sweep of the campus, but like this summer, Sunnydale was uncharacteristically demon free. Buffy figured she should ask Giles about it next time he called. It should have filtered out that the Initiative was gone, and the demons should have returned.
Buffy decided to patrol further into town away from the university. It wasn’t like she had any better plans. Plus being around Willow, and having to lie was getting harder, and harder for Buffy. It wouldn’t have been so hard if everything didn’t remind her of Spike.
Buffy was torn from her thoughts as she became aware of footsteps behind her. She smiled to herself at the thought of some good old fashioned, clean violence.
Buffy ducked down a deserted street, and stepped into a small crack between two buildings. She listened, as the footsteps get closer. Anticipation built inside of Buffy, and adrenaline rushed through her body.
When she heard the footsteps inches away from her hiding place, Buffy reached out, and grabbed the arm of her stalker. The owner of the arm yelped, and Buffy propelled him into the side of the building face first. Buffy jumped out from her hiding place ready to battle, but when she saw Riley’s crumbled body on the ground she gasped.
“Oh my God, Riley. I’m so sorry.”
Buffy crouched down next to him, and put her arm around his shoulder. “Are you okay?” she asked.
Riley struggled to his feet with help from Buffy. “I’ll be okay. You sure haven’t gotten rusty.”
“I was a little overexcited at the possibility of a good slay. It’s been a long time since I last got to give it good to a demon. I was just itching for a good fight,” she laughed.
“Well, I’m not exactly a demon,” Riley laughed as he rubbed his bruised head.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Buffy asked growing concerned at the sight of his bleeding forehead.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Riley assured her, but added, “In a few days.”
“Want me to walk you home?” Buffy offered.
“No, I’m okay, really,” Riley insisted.
Riley started to walk away, but the blow to his head had thrown of his balance, and he ran back into the wall. Buffy rushed to his side, and steadied him.
“Maybe I should take you up on that offer after all. I seem to be a bit disoriented,” Riley said with a little laugh.
“No problem. Let’s go.”
Buffy held Riley’s arm to steady him, and they began the walk back to Riley’s place in silence.
“Buffy,” Riley began, but stopped.
“Yeah,” Buffy prodded him.
“Buffy, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday.”
Buffy cut him off. “Now’s not probably the best time to discuss this. You just took a blow to the head. We should just get you home.”
“No discussion. I just wanted to say that it’s okay. You can tell me if you met someone this summer. I can take it, and I really would just prefer to know.”
“Riley,” Buffy interrupted.
Riley continued, “I don’t want any secrets between us, and I really just want to know where I stand.”
“Riley,” Buffy started again.
“Isn’t that Hostile 17?” Riley asked pointing up ahead.
Buffy’s heart stopped, and then began to pound uncontrollably in her chest. She slowly looked to where Riley was pointing. She just hoped that if it was Spike she could control her emotions.
What Buffy saw shocked her. Spike was fighting two huge horned demons. He was definitely holding his own, but Buffy couldn’t help wondering why they were fighting in the first place. It wasn’t like Spike had to fight demons anymore, because he couldn’t hurt humans.
One of the demons kicked the legs out from under Spike sending him crashing to the ground. Without even thinking, Buffy rushed over to the fight as fear overwhelmed her.
Buffy grabbed the closest demon, and snapped his neck before anyone knew what was going on. As the demon’s body fell limply to the ground, Buffy grabbed the other demon, and levied a series of punches to it’s gut, and face. With the demon startled, Buffy spun and sent the demon staggering backwards with a sharp kick to the chest.
Buffy allowed herself one quick look at Spike, who was on his feet now. Relieved that he was okay, Buffy focused in on the last demon, but in the few seconds she had allowed herself to check on Spike, the demon had recovered, and was now charging right at her.
Unable to get out of the way, the demon barreled straight into Buffy sending them both crashing to the ground. Buffy’s body thudded onto the ground, and the fall knocked the wind out of her. The demon fell on top of her, and Buffy tried to push him off, while at the same time fill her lungs with much needed air.
The demon’s scaly hands wrapped around Buffy’s throat, and squeezed. Buffy felt her lungs closing up, but as quickly as it started it stopped. Buffy breathed in, and out trying to get air in her lungs.
When she was no longer having trouble breathing, Buffy sat up. She watched Spike in shock as he attacked the demon with such anger, and hatred that the demon was hardly recognizable anymore. Realizing Spike wasn’t going to stop, Buffy called out to him.
Hearing her call his name, Spike stopped mid punch, and recoiled his hand. It was like hearing her voice snapped him out of his crazed tirade. He slid his hand under his coat, and pulled out a knife. He quickly buried it into the demons chest. Spike twisted on the knife, and then yank it up, and out, splitting the demons chest open. The demon’s body fell to the ground. Buffy stood up, and jogged over to Spike to see if he was okay.
Spike turned around, and angrily shouted, “What are you doing here?”
“Saving your ass,” Buffy replied in anger at his obvious desire not to see her.
“I was fine, and I had to save your ass,” he growled back.
“Sorry for caring,” Buffy cried out close to tears.
“Is everything all right, Buffy?” Riley asked as he walked up behind her.
Spike’s head snapped to look at Riley, and jealousy burned dangerously in his eyes. Buffy froze completely terrified. She had forgotten Riley was there, and she was now scared of Spike’s reaction, as well as Riley’s.
“I was just leaving,” Spike said through clenched teeth before disappearing into the night.
“Buffy, what just happened?” Riley asked dumbfounded.
“I don’t know.”
~~~
Buffy grabbed her pants off the floor, and slid them on. She did the same with her shirt. She walked over to her dresser, and grabbed a scrunchie. She quickly pulled her hair up into a ponytail.
Spike sat up on the bed, and reached for his cigarettes. He lit one as he watched Buffy grab her shoes, and sit on the edge of the bed to put them on.
“Patrol?” Spike asked.
“Uh huh,” Buffy mumbled as she laced up her sneakers. “Are you going to be able to entertain yourself while I’m gone?”
“I’ll think of something to amuse myself with.” Buffy stood up, and headed for the window. “Don’t I even get a kiss goodbye,” Spike pouted from the bed.
“Our kisses never say goodbye, and I have to patrol. You know sacred duty blah, blah, blah,” Buffy answered as she stepped out through the window.
“Have fun,” Spike called out after her.
“I will,” Buffy shouted back as she disappeared from his sight.
Spike waited a beat before jumping out of bed, and throwing on his clothes. He took one last drag of his cigarette before smashing it out, and jumping out the window.
Spike set out on his normal route, which was always two steps ahead of the slayer. He knew the slayer could take care of herself, but he didn’t want anything to happen to her. He couldn’t lose her. Plus, the less time she had to worry about demon stuff, the more time she devoted to him. He knew he was being selfish, and the slayer would kill him is she knew, but the time he had with her was so short, he didn’t want anything to infringe on his time with her, or to end it prematurely.
That night Spike killed two vampires, and a slimy demon before heading back to Buffy’s house. He crawled up to her bedroom window, and jumped through. He tossed his jacket onto the floor where it was before, and kicked his boots back to their position by the bed. He tugged his shirt over his head, and tossed it back onto the bed.
Spike headed downstairs, and flopped onto the couch. He flipped on the TV, and began channel surfing. Settling on an old Dukes of Hazard rerun, Spike kicked his feet on the table, and waited.
Moments later, Spike heard Buffy descending the stairs. “How was patrol?” Spike called out.
Buffy appeared before him. “Boring, not a demon one.”
Buffy moved her gaze from Spike to the TV. “I see your night was just as eventful.”
“Yeah, me and Boss Hog, real fun high jinx,” Spike lied with a roll of his eyes.
“You are hopeless,” Buffy laughed.
“But you want to shag me anyway,” Spike said with a cocky grin.
“Most definitely,” Buffy answered, and sat on his lap.
Spike didn’t wait another second to capture her mouth in a kiss. Buffy immediately felt the familiar heat start to consume her body, and she reached out to pull Spike closer to her. She pressed her body against his bare chest, as he moved from her mouth to her neck.
Spike sucked on her neck, and Buffy threw her head back to give him more access. She held his head to her neck possessively, completely trusting him that close to her jugular. As his mouth descended further down, Buffy reached over, and grabbed the TV remote. She clicked the TV off silencing that cheesy Dukes of Hazard honky tonk music that always played during the chase scenes.
“Thank you,” Spike exclaimed relieved that the annoying noise was gone.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Buffy smiled, as she slid off his lap, and kneeled on the floor in front of him.