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Next chapter will be so smutty...but I couldn't leave it like that, with them both sad. I hope people don't mind the plottiness (and the total schmoopiness either). I'm just hopeless at sticking to PWP for long. Or angst.
I woke up hurting and in all the wrong places. My right arm was blazing with pain but I couldn’t move it. Maybe someone had ripped it off and beaten me over the head with it, because that hurt too. Then I managed to open my eyes and the first thing I saw was Harris. Now they’d gone too far. Torture me, yes, but don’t make me hallucinate him. I made an effort and managed to spit out, “Fuck off,” before my eyes closed again. Heard him charge off, yelling for Giles and felt worse. Didn’t want to see Giles. Well, I did but –
“He woke up and told me to...uh, go away,” Harris babbled. The room felt full of people; I could feel them pressing against the air and I tried to push them away without looking at them.
“He moved his arm!” Yeah, I’m gifted, didn’t you know? Christ. I forced myself to open my eyes again, focus, and speak distinctly.
“Fuck off – all of you.”
Awkward silence. Faces were moving around; why wouldn’t they keep still? Made me feel dizzy.
“Spike? We thought you were dead.”
Dawn. For her, I’d make an effort. “Don’t stick around after, pet. Go dusty, remember?”
“Give him some space. Everyone out. I’m going to start the spell.” What the fuck?
“No, you bloody well aren’t!” I snarled it out, game face on. Helped the pain a bit. The demon didn’t care about suffering when there were people around who needed a good killing.
Giles was standing at the back of the room, leaning against the wall, arms folded, head down. When I said that his head jerked up, eyes flat. He pushed them aside, came over to the bed and smacked me on the head. It hurt. Not hard enough to be more than a brush of his hand really, but my head throbbed viciously. “Fangs away, Spike, or I’ll finish the job you started last night.”
Last night. Oh, yes. It all came back to me now. Pity.
“You’re hurt and this will help. Lie still, shut up and behave.”
“Sounds familiar but I’m not usually dressed when you say that.” Meant it to be nasty and it was. Giles looked hurt. Lost.
I shut my eyes again and heard people leaving. One heartbeat stayed behind and I sighed and took a look. Harris.
“I saved your life last night.”
“I remember.” He’d called out a warning; meant the demon’s sword had missed my head and just sliced into my arm instead.
“I carried you here. You bled all over me. You were unconscious by then or you’d probably have been cursing me. Spent the night going after whatever Willow and Tara needed to patch you up. Called in sick because I’d probably hammer my hand flat I’m so fucking tired.” He did look rough.
“This the part where I say ‘thanks’ and we bond with a hug?”
“Not if you want that arm to stay attached.” He stood up, hesitated. “Spike. I hate you. I really do. Don’t hate Giles though. If he wants you, he can have you.”
“Not up to you to say.”
“No. No it isn’t. We owe him an apology for trying.”
“Owe me one too.”
“Don’t hold your breath waiting.”
“Vampire. Don’t breath.”
“You are sick, aren’t you? That was lame.”
“Sorry. Come back later and I’ll tell you just what I think of your schemes and plans and fucking selfish behaviour.”
“Save it. I got it from all the others. Never seen Willow so angry and Dawn –”
“They didn’t know you were going to do that?” Shouldn’t have made me feel pleased – what did I care? - but it did.
“No. Don’t get thinking you’re Mr Popular. They were bothered about Giles, more than anything.”
“Giles.”
“Yes. Remember him? The man you just kicked in the teeth, metaphorically speaking.”
“Doesn’t want me anymore. Shouldn’t have brought me here.”
He sighed. “Stupid little bloodsucker, aren’t you? Wouldn’t say that if you’d seen his face when I brought you in. Or if you’d seen what he did to the demon who hurt you.”
That got me trying to sit up which was a terrible fucking idea. I didn’t have the energy to scream but I tried. Harris grabbed me and pushed me back. “Giles told you to stay still.”
“Fuck that! He went after that thing? By himself? And you let him, you tosser?”
He poked me in the chest, hitting a sore spot, not that he had much choice. “Wrong. We went after it. Want to see my back? Gone a lovely shade of bruise. Giles took a hammering too.”
Let that sink in. “You killed it?”
“Giles did. Eventually.”
“Gave him some trouble?” It had given me plenty - course, I’d softened it up a bit for them ...
“Trouble? No. I think he just liked hurting it.” He looked vaguely admiring. “Giles was angry with it.”
I closed my eyes. Too much to think about. “Get Red back. Tell her she can do the spell.”
“Want Giles too?”
Shook my head. “Tell him –”
“Not your fucking messenger, Spike.”
He got to the door before I could say it but I did. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. Please.”
Still a git.
Red patched me up, bit of chanting, way too many candles and something to drink that was mostly blood but tasted vile enough that I guessed she’d doctored it up. She didn’t say anything but she smiled at me when she left. Tried to remember the last time she did that. Couldn’t. Maybe she never had.
Heard the door open and close and the house settled down. Giles was moving about a bit, but he didn’t come near me and I went to sleep.
Woke up when the cuff snapped around my wrist.
“Giles?”
He ignored me, pulled my arm up and fastened the other part of it to the bed.
“What are you playing at?”
He looked at me then. “Not playing. Never was. Can you lift your injured arm?”
I tried; still stiff but it felt attached again. “Looks like it.”
“Good.” Snap, snap.
“Uh, Giles ...”
“Shut up.”
“No!”
He reached out and grabbed something, held it up. A gag. Fine. I settled for glaring at him and he waited long enough to be sure I wasn’t going to talk and then sat down on the bed, looking down at his hands.
“You left. Without telling me. You got brought back by Xander covered with so much blood -” His voice was level, almost bored, but his hands were shaking. “You required the efforts of four people to keep you from losing your arm. You also needed blood and there was no time to get it.”
I opened my mouth and his head lifted, eyes widening in a warning. He rolled up his sleeve; showed me a mark. “You couldn’t feed. We drew blood and spooned it into you.”
‘We’? He knew what I wanted to know and he told me. “Tara, Xander and myself. Dawn wanted to but it wasn’t needed. Willow was too busy with the healing.”
“Why, Giles?” Didn’t care if he gagged me, as long as he told me.
He stared at me, looking almost shy. “They ... did it for me. I never quite realised how much they –”
“Love you?”
He ducked his head. “Something like that.”
Felt tired. “So, it’s all sorted and it’s soppy families all around. Great. Couldn’t be happier. If you’ll just let me go, I’ll sod off and you can all pretend this never happened.”
“Is that what you want, Spike?”
I shrugged.
He took hold of my face in one hand, turned it to him. “I believe I told you not to do that.”
Not one for being unselfish. Good at lying though. “It was fun, but I’ve had enough, Giles. No hard feelings?”
“None whatsoever, Spike.” Cool, polite, vintage Giles.
He stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“Lunch. A rather late one, but still...”
“Let me go, then.”
“No, that’s not going to happen. I could say it’s because you’re still sick, but you’re well on the mend. I could point out that it’s daylight, but I do have blankets you could borrow. No. You’re staying because I don’t want you to go. If you try, when I eventually stop being so angry that tying you up is all that’s saving you from a beating, I’ll drag you back here. If you tell me you hate me, I’ll ignore you, if you misbehave, I’ll teach you manners.” He paused, looked back at me and smiled. “If I thought it really bothered you, I still wouldn’t let you go.”
“Why?”
His face went still and his eyes were the same the demon must have seen as he died. “Mine, remember?”
“I didn’t mean to do it, Giles.” Fuck. I sounded pitiful. What had Willow given me?
He sighed and the tension dissolved. “You never bloody do.”
He walked back and leaned over, kissed me hard. “I killed it, you know.”
“Harr –Xander told me. Left out all the details. You tell me.”
“Well - you should rest.”
“Fuck that. Tell me how you killed it.”
He grinned, looked about ten. “We found it by the Alpert crypt –” he began.
I woke up hurting and in all the wrong places. My right arm was blazing with pain but I couldn’t move it. Maybe someone had ripped it off and beaten me over the head with it, because that hurt too. Then I managed to open my eyes and the first thing I saw was Harris. Now they’d gone too far. Torture me, yes, but don’t make me hallucinate him. I made an effort and managed to spit out, “Fuck off,” before my eyes closed again. Heard him charge off, yelling for Giles and felt worse. Didn’t want to see Giles. Well, I did but –
“He woke up and told me to...uh, go away,” Harris babbled. The room felt full of people; I could feel them pressing against the air and I tried to push them away without looking at them.
“He moved his arm!” Yeah, I’m gifted, didn’t you know? Christ. I forced myself to open my eyes again, focus, and speak distinctly.
“Fuck off – all of you.”
Awkward silence. Faces were moving around; why wouldn’t they keep still? Made me feel dizzy.
“Spike? We thought you were dead.”
Dawn. For her, I’d make an effort. “Don’t stick around after, pet. Go dusty, remember?”
“Give him some space. Everyone out. I’m going to start the spell.” What the fuck?
“No, you bloody well aren’t!” I snarled it out, game face on. Helped the pain a bit. The demon didn’t care about suffering when there were people around who needed a good killing.
Giles was standing at the back of the room, leaning against the wall, arms folded, head down. When I said that his head jerked up, eyes flat. He pushed them aside, came over to the bed and smacked me on the head. It hurt. Not hard enough to be more than a brush of his hand really, but my head throbbed viciously. “Fangs away, Spike, or I’ll finish the job you started last night.”
Last night. Oh, yes. It all came back to me now. Pity.
“You’re hurt and this will help. Lie still, shut up and behave.”
“Sounds familiar but I’m not usually dressed when you say that.” Meant it to be nasty and it was. Giles looked hurt. Lost.
I shut my eyes again and heard people leaving. One heartbeat stayed behind and I sighed and took a look. Harris.
“I saved your life last night.”
“I remember.” He’d called out a warning; meant the demon’s sword had missed my head and just sliced into my arm instead.
“I carried you here. You bled all over me. You were unconscious by then or you’d probably have been cursing me. Spent the night going after whatever Willow and Tara needed to patch you up. Called in sick because I’d probably hammer my hand flat I’m so fucking tired.” He did look rough.
“This the part where I say ‘thanks’ and we bond with a hug?”
“Not if you want that arm to stay attached.” He stood up, hesitated. “Spike. I hate you. I really do. Don’t hate Giles though. If he wants you, he can have you.”
“Not up to you to say.”
“No. No it isn’t. We owe him an apology for trying.”
“Owe me one too.”
“Don’t hold your breath waiting.”
“Vampire. Don’t breath.”
“You are sick, aren’t you? That was lame.”
“Sorry. Come back later and I’ll tell you just what I think of your schemes and plans and fucking selfish behaviour.”
“Save it. I got it from all the others. Never seen Willow so angry and Dawn –”
“They didn’t know you were going to do that?” Shouldn’t have made me feel pleased – what did I care? - but it did.
“No. Don’t get thinking you’re Mr Popular. They were bothered about Giles, more than anything.”
“Giles.”
“Yes. Remember him? The man you just kicked in the teeth, metaphorically speaking.”
“Doesn’t want me anymore. Shouldn’t have brought me here.”
He sighed. “Stupid little bloodsucker, aren’t you? Wouldn’t say that if you’d seen his face when I brought you in. Or if you’d seen what he did to the demon who hurt you.”
That got me trying to sit up which was a terrible fucking idea. I didn’t have the energy to scream but I tried. Harris grabbed me and pushed me back. “Giles told you to stay still.”
“Fuck that! He went after that thing? By himself? And you let him, you tosser?”
He poked me in the chest, hitting a sore spot, not that he had much choice. “Wrong. We went after it. Want to see my back? Gone a lovely shade of bruise. Giles took a hammering too.”
Let that sink in. “You killed it?”
“Giles did. Eventually.”
“Gave him some trouble?” It had given me plenty - course, I’d softened it up a bit for them ...
“Trouble? No. I think he just liked hurting it.” He looked vaguely admiring. “Giles was angry with it.”
I closed my eyes. Too much to think about. “Get Red back. Tell her she can do the spell.”
“Want Giles too?”
Shook my head. “Tell him –”
“Not your fucking messenger, Spike.”
He got to the door before I could say it but I did. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. Please.”
Still a git.
Red patched me up, bit of chanting, way too many candles and something to drink that was mostly blood but tasted vile enough that I guessed she’d doctored it up. She didn’t say anything but she smiled at me when she left. Tried to remember the last time she did that. Couldn’t. Maybe she never had.
Heard the door open and close and the house settled down. Giles was moving about a bit, but he didn’t come near me and I went to sleep.
Woke up when the cuff snapped around my wrist.
“Giles?”
He ignored me, pulled my arm up and fastened the other part of it to the bed.
“What are you playing at?”
He looked at me then. “Not playing. Never was. Can you lift your injured arm?”
I tried; still stiff but it felt attached again. “Looks like it.”
“Good.” Snap, snap.
“Uh, Giles ...”
“Shut up.”
“No!”
He reached out and grabbed something, held it up. A gag. Fine. I settled for glaring at him and he waited long enough to be sure I wasn’t going to talk and then sat down on the bed, looking down at his hands.
“You left. Without telling me. You got brought back by Xander covered with so much blood -” His voice was level, almost bored, but his hands were shaking. “You required the efforts of four people to keep you from losing your arm. You also needed blood and there was no time to get it.”
I opened my mouth and his head lifted, eyes widening in a warning. He rolled up his sleeve; showed me a mark. “You couldn’t feed. We drew blood and spooned it into you.”
‘We’? He knew what I wanted to know and he told me. “Tara, Xander and myself. Dawn wanted to but it wasn’t needed. Willow was too busy with the healing.”
“Why, Giles?” Didn’t care if he gagged me, as long as he told me.
He stared at me, looking almost shy. “They ... did it for me. I never quite realised how much they –”
“Love you?”
He ducked his head. “Something like that.”
Felt tired. “So, it’s all sorted and it’s soppy families all around. Great. Couldn’t be happier. If you’ll just let me go, I’ll sod off and you can all pretend this never happened.”
“Is that what you want, Spike?”
I shrugged.
He took hold of my face in one hand, turned it to him. “I believe I told you not to do that.”
Not one for being unselfish. Good at lying though. “It was fun, but I’ve had enough, Giles. No hard feelings?”
“None whatsoever, Spike.” Cool, polite, vintage Giles.
He stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“Lunch. A rather late one, but still...”
“Let me go, then.”
“No, that’s not going to happen. I could say it’s because you’re still sick, but you’re well on the mend. I could point out that it’s daylight, but I do have blankets you could borrow. No. You’re staying because I don’t want you to go. If you try, when I eventually stop being so angry that tying you up is all that’s saving you from a beating, I’ll drag you back here. If you tell me you hate me, I’ll ignore you, if you misbehave, I’ll teach you manners.” He paused, looked back at me and smiled. “If I thought it really bothered you, I still wouldn’t let you go.”
“Why?”
His face went still and his eyes were the same the demon must have seen as he died. “Mine, remember?”
“I didn’t mean to do it, Giles.” Fuck. I sounded pitiful. What had Willow given me?
He sighed and the tension dissolved. “You never bloody do.”
He walked back and leaned over, kissed me hard. “I killed it, you know.”
“Harr –Xander told me. Left out all the details. You tell me.”
“Well - you should rest.”
“Fuck that. Tell me how you killed it.”
He grinned, looked about ten. “We found it by the Alpert crypt –” he began.