The Xmas files
Spike V's the spiders 4
Part 4
The new arrival was greeted with mixed reactions from the Scooby gang. Xander screamed like a girl, Cordy and Willow grabbed crosses, Giles picked up a crossbow aiming it at Spike and Oz waved.
"Hey Buff, what's up?" He asked.
"Down guys!" Buffy held up both hands and stepped between them and Spike who waved weakly.
"Buffy what I-is going on?" Giles asked.
"First of all Giles, promise you won't shout......"
*****
"WHAT?!?" Giles shouted. "You made a truce with-with *Spike*?"
"Have a cow Giles!" Buffy frowned. "If it wasn't for spike we'd all be dead now."
"Why?" Xander asked standing and moving from his hiding place behind a chair.
"He's helped me out a bunch of times since we started the truce." Buffy said defensively standing next to Spike.
"W-when did you start the truce?" Giles asked slowly. Buffy looked at the floor and shuffled her feet.
"Since the start of summer." She admitted quietly. "Almost six months."
"Six months! Buffy are you out of your mind?" Giles asked sternly. It was hardly ever that he took that tone of voice with any of them and it made the whole thing all the harder.
"But Buffy why?" Willow asked meekly.
"It started with that whole Mimic thing. Do you guys honestly think that I could get rid of Abby, do a ton of research on a demon I didn't even know I was being stalked by and kill it all on my own while it made my life a living hell?" The room was silent.
"Spike researched?" Cordy asked finally.
"No I knew Abby and the Mimic already." Replied Spike speaking for the first time since they had entered the library.
"You knew them?" Giles asked
"Yeah." He shrugged. "I lived, or rather Unlived with my sodding Sire and the rest of the clan for over a hundred years before me and Dru left. Is it likely that I'm going to miss out on meeting the big cheese every now and again?"
"No I er I suppose not." Giles said. "Abby was the er, leader I take it then?"
"Well after the Master yeah."
"Anyways hate to break up the tea party but I have to sort out that bullet wound." Buffy said. "It's gonna need stitches."
"Oh leave it out Luv!" Spike wined "Your not seriously expecting me to put all that getup on are you?"
"Yes." Buffy grabbed the arm of his duster and pulled him over to the table. Cordy and Willow squeaked and quickly made way for the vamp. "And don't call me Luv."
"What ever you say poodle." Buffy scowled at him.
"Sit."
"Woof." Buffy rolled her eyes at him and folded her arms waiting.
"What?" Spike frowned sitting down on the table top.
"Oh, and like I'm really gonna be able to do anything with you wearing all that." She pointed at his duster and T-shirt. Spike smiled devastatingly
"You trying to get me out of my clothes pet?" He purred. Buffy gave an exasperated sigh and turned towards the office.
"Just get them off you idiot." She walked into the office to retrieve the first aid kit and her senses. *Why did he have to be so god damn cute? He said one sentence and your a pile of mush, Buffy get over yourself* She turned back out of the office and then tuned straight back in. *Oh God, Oh God, Oh God!* Spike topless and looking yummy she would never walk again! *Just what ever you do don't let him think he's affecting you.* She took another deep breath and walked out of the office.
"Right then." She announced stopping beside Spike.
"Er Luv?"
"Yeah?"
"First aid kit?"
"What?" Buffy frowned at Spike.
"Well stop me if I'm wrong but to stitch someone up your gonna need a first aid kit." Spike replied.
"Oh yeah." She'd left it in the office. "I'll just go get it shall I?"
"You do that Luv."
"Yep here I go getting the first aid kit." Buffy tuned back around and winced. *Stupid, stupid, stupid.*
"So why did you help Buffy anyways?" Oz was asking when she got back with the kit. "What was in it for you?"
"Nothing. I just helped." He said. "I'm a giver."
"What are you guys doing here anyways? I thought you where going straight home." Buffy asked sorting out the sterilizer and cotton swabs.
"Big vamp scare'orama at the Bronze." Xander replied. Buffy turned and raised an eyebrow at Spike.
"Nothing to do with me Luv." He responded "What my minions do on their free time is up to them. Just so long as it doesn't fuck up any of my plans they can kill who they like."
"Are you recruiting new guys coz none of these where your usual crowd." Oz asked
"How do you know?" Spike asked.
"I have a photographic memory." He explained.
"Same here, its a bitch isn't it?" Mulder sympathized.
"Yeah but great for tests."
"I haven't been recruiting anyone new lately." *I haven't been killing anyone new lately* Spike added silently. Buffy took this opportunity to push Spike further onto the table so that his feet where no longer touching the floor. She put her knee between his legs and began to clean his wound before taking out the bullet that was still inside.
"Although come to mention it these guys did look familiar." Oz added with some thought.
"I'll do some checking." Spike said. He wasn't concentrating on the conversation any more though he was trying too hard to make it look like Buffy was not affecting him with how close she was or the fact that the way she was positioned gave him a perfect view down he top. *get a grip mate*.
"Spike? Spike?" Spike looked up to find the Slayer frowning at him. "Hey where did you go?"
"No where important." He grinned.
"Well I just have to say Spike, in advance, Sorry."
"Sorry for what?" He frowned. His eyes grew wider when she produced a long pair of surgical tweezers.
"Try not to think about it." She advised.
"Do your worst." Spike wasn't about to look like a poof. Buffy pushed the tweezers into the wound and Spike felt his game face go up. *shit, shit, shit, pain, pain, pain, breasts, breasts, breasts.*
"There all done." Buffy smiled holding up the bullet. Spike looked at it.
"Thanks Luv." He smiled. Spike blinked a couple of times and started to feel light headed. "Oh not good." Spike said swaying a little on the table top. Blood was flowing quite freely from the wound in his shoulder as Buffy tried to clean it.
"What? What is it?" She asked looking concerned.
"A little thing called blood loss. I'm already feeling a bit..." Spike didn't get to finish his sentence as he collapsed back on to the table unconscious his last thought before it all went black was *oh bollocks.*
*****
When Spike opened his eyes the first thing he registered was flowery wall paper. The next was stuffed toys, then the smell of Buffy. He sat up, too quickly, and almost passed out again. He sat up again, slower this time. Buffy looked over at him.
"Oh your awake." *Finally your awake*
"Where am I?" Spike asked looking around *Oh god, the Slayers bedroom!*
"In my room." She replied "you passed out from blood loss at the library so we had to move you here. Believe me I had to put up a fight to get them to let me stay with you alone." *If they knew what I wanted to do while we where alone they would have never left.*
"What about your mum?" He asked *great we're alone, but no fun if the mum's home*
"Art Buying in Nevada until the 22nd she's coming home for Christmas at least." *3 days, we need not leave the house!*
"Oh." *Yes!* he looked down at himself. "Slayer?" *Bloody hell!*
"Yeah?" *Oh god he's noticed!*
"Why am I only dressed in my boxers?" *Does this mean your up for it?* Buffy blushed.
"Well I didn't know when you where going to wake up so I thought I better make sure you where comfortable." *I wanted to see you naked but got too scared to go past the boxers.* "At least that stopped bleeding, finally." She flipped her fingers at the neatly bandaged shoulder.
"What time is it?" *Too late for a shag?*
"3 'o'clock." *Too late for a shag?*
"And your still up?" *Not too late for a shag?*
"Well I wanted to make sure you where Ok when you woke up." *hope that's a no.* Buffy blushed again.
"You better get some sleep then." *Mate, I think you lost your self on the whole shag concept.* Spike got up off of the floor.
"Okay." *Damn.* Buffy climbed into the bed and switched off the light. "Where are you going?" She asked.
"Where do you think?" *Buffy, bed, Buffy, bed.* Spike wandered over to the bed "Shift over."
"What?" *oh god, oh god.* Buffy sat up.
"Shift over." *Don't act dumb Buffy.*
"What do you mean shift over?" *Don't act dumb Buffy.*
"I'm damned if I'm going to sleep on the floor, I'm injured." Spike replied. *Come on mate that's a poor excuse she's never going to let you sleep in the same bed as her with an excuse that lame.*
"Okay." Buffy sighed *yes!*
*Woo hoo! It worked never doubted it for a second.* "Thanks Luv." Spike said climbing in beside her.
"But touch me and I'll rip your hands off." *I don't mean it, I don't mean it.*
"Sure thing Luv." *Damn.*
*I DON'T MEAN IT.* "Don't call me Luv."
"Night Slayer." *just shag her!*
"Night Spike." *just shag me!*
*****
Buffy woke that afternoon having slept until just about an hour before sunset. She didn't notice anything out of the ordinary to start off with, until she tried to move. She found only one reason as to why she couldn't move, and it was called Spike. He had both arms wrapped tightly around her from behind and his cheek was resting on her hair. She didn't care if she never moved. Unfortunately it was not to be. She heard the sound of someone knocking on the front door and sighed. Buffy extracted herself from Spike's arms and went downstairs to open the door.
"Hi..... Everyone." Buffy greeted. On the porch was Oz, Willow, Cordy, Xander, Giles, Mulder and Scully.
"Buff, where's the fanged one? Did he bite you? Are you human? Can I stake him? or does he already fit in an ashtray?" Xander rushed earning a back hand from Cordy
"Over protective of the wrong girl much?"
"D-do you think e er c-could come I-in?" Giles asked looking around inside for any sign of Spike.
"Sure, make yourselves at home. I'll just go get changed." Buffy turned hurrying up the stairs. She completely forgot the vampire in her bed yanking her top over her head as soon as she got onto the room.
"Who is it?" Buffy almost screamed at the unanticipated voice and turned round. She quickly crossed her arms over her chest but not before she had given Spike a very good show.
"Spike! Don't do that!" Spike gave her a sexy smile and got up.
"What, not getting all coy on me are you Slayer?"
"The others are down stairs, now turn around so I can change." Buffy said blushing furiously.
"What? Can't I watch?" He walked slowly up to her like a predator eyeing the prey. *God why does he have to look so sexy?* Spike put his hands on Buffy's shoulders and pulled her into a kiss. Reaching out with his tongue he licked her lower lip deepening the kiss. Spike ran his hands down Buffy's arms to her wrists while he plundered her mouth.
He moved her arms from across her chest and put them around his neck cupping her breasts with his hands. Buffy moaned deep in her throat as he brushed his thumbs lightly over her sensitive nipples. Reluctantly Spike broke the kiss. He gave her a small smile that threatened to make her spontaneously combust.
"You'd better finish getting dressed your friends are going to wonder what happened to you."
"Yeah I suppose." Buffy looked down at Spike's hands and blushed again. Stepping back she turned away and pulled a T-shirt on when she looked back Spike was facing the corner. Buffy smiled at him and finished getting dressed.
"I'll close the blinds so you can come down stairs."
"Thanks pet."
"Oh and Xander wants to kill you."
"I'd like to see the whelp try."
"Play nice with my friends will you?"
"If I must." Spike sighed.
"Thanks, Give me five minutes and come down."
"Okay."
"Oh and Spike?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't call me pet."
*****
"I'm going up there!" Xander turned to leave the living room. Oz stopped him.
"Man, if anything was going on I would have smelt blood. Tonight being the night before the full moon I could smell a fart in an English bathtub." Oz explained.
"God, Graphic much?" Cordy said wrinkling her nose.
"Hey Guys!" Buffy said practically bouncing into the room.
"Buffy your in a good mood." Willow beamed at her friends happiness and wondered why she suddenly started to blush.
"I am?" Buffy asked not looking at anyone. "Oh I am. Yeah good mood's R us." She nodded going and closing the curtains. "So, why are we here, all of us."
"Well you'll be glad to know that little Ms. Skeptic here finally believes us that some things are beyond the normal." Cordy explained
"After what I saw last night I decided that some of my Ideals needed a little... adjustment. I may not have been right about everything by disbelieving everything I saw but what ever happens I'm still going to exhausted all the rational explanations first." She looked pointedly at Mulder. "After all that is my job on the X-files, to bring in a rational scientific mind."
"And Oz has remembered where he saw those vamps before." Willow said
"Where?" The voice made every one jump and Spike appeared from the shadows even thought they where few and far between he made easy work of lurking in them.
"God don't *do* that." Xander clapped a hand over his chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Shame, and I was going for full out Cardiac failure." Spike shot him a deadly grin and Xander gulped audibly. Spike turned his attention to Oz.
"You said you remember where you saw them before. Where?" He asked.
"Abby." Oz nodded. "They where with her when she hit the Bronze and threatened to kill Buffy. They where around for a couple of weeks after that but disappeared as soon as the mimic thing was over."
"Great she's back." Spike frowned thinking out loud.
"What do you mean *back*?" Buffy said angrily looking at Spike "You said you killed her."
"I said nothing of the sort. I said I got rid of her, I didn't say I killed her."
"What *did* you do?" She asked putting her hands on her hips.
"I got her to leave town I didn't think she'd come back." Spike said pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Well that's the thing with vampires isn't it? They never do what they're told. You should have just killed her when you had the chance."
"It's not that easy!" Spike shouted his demon coming forward with his anger. She was just assuming that he was another soulless demon who didn't care about killing the person who had cared for him for years. That he didn't care about friends or family and that *really* pissed him off.
"I tried to kill her I was within an inch of doing it. I had her cornered I had the stake to her heart and I couldn't do it. I had half a second to think about it and I backed out. I told her to go and watched her leave." His face slid back to its human planes but if anything it only served to make him look more deadly. He stepped nose to nose with Buffy and hissed. "You want to know why I couldn't? Ask her, she knows."
With that Spike spun around and stormed up the stairs. He would have just left but he preferred to keep away from the dangers of skin cancer. How could she assume that he was just as cold as the next vamp? Now could she truce with him, flirt with him, kiss him, *sleep* with him and at the end of the day believe he was just like all the other demons on the Hellmouth? It was his one pet hate for people to take him at face value but he could normally just take it. Now with the Slayer who had acted like she trusted him to think he was so shallow. If she wanted evil killer, he would deliver!
Part 5
"What got his goat?" Cordy asked.
"You pissed him off." Mulder supplied.
"What?" Buffy frowned at the agent who she had forgotten was there. "How? What did I do?"
"Before I worked on the X-files I was in the violent crimes section of the bureau. There's a lot of psychology involved."
"So?"
"So he thinks your his friend and you understand him that you shouldn't just expect him to kill someone who was his friend once. You where acting like killing was the most natural thing in the world for him, obviously it isn't."
"But it is he's a vampire he kill's people everyday."
"Well maybe there's something you don't know about. This Abby, you said she was the leader of the group he was with?"
"Y-yes she was, she is also, I-in vampire terms Spike's great grand mother." Giles supplied.
"So he could still hold some loyalty to her?" Scully asked.
"Yes but that alone would not stop any normal vampire from killing her if they had been separated for some time that is. Over time the natural bond between a parted sire and childe can break down and they become almost strangers." Giles replied quite proud of the fact that he managed to keep from stuttering the whole time.
"So he's not like other vampires, there's something different, and Abby's going to tell me what it is." Buffy said determinedly.
*****
Buffy persuaded everyone to leave. It would be sunset in less than half an hour and they needed to get Oz to the cage before he wolfed out on them.
Buffy walked slowly up the stairs to her room taking a deep breath as she walked through the door, ready to face a really pissed vampire and try to apologize. The last thing she wanted was to jeopardize their friendship. She looked around the room was empty the sheet had been pulled away from where it covered the window to keep the sunlight out.
"No!" She breathed. Relief flooded through her when she saw that it was cloudy outside and the window had been opened. Spike had left already before she could say sorry. She sat down on the bed and wondered what to do when Spike sprang out of the shadows where he had been hiding and tackled her to the bed straddling her hips his vampire face showing through.
"Spike what are you doing?" She gasped trying to struggle out of his grip.
"What you wanted me to do!" He replied leaning close to her neck and grazing her skin with his fangs. "I'm being a killer. I'm following my vampire instincts. Turn off all the other feelings and I'm just like the rest, just what you wanted."
"No!" She Breathed as his fangs bit into her vein. She bucked her body managing to flip him off onto the floor she flew up into a fighting stance and Spike smiled at her slowly.
"Next time slayer. You won't get a chance to fight back." He turned and dived out of the window running off down the street. Buffy fell back onto the bed and put he head in her hands. *not again.* she curled up on the bed and cried herself to sleep. Abby was going to have some explaining to do.
Part 6
Buffy opened her eyes to the sunlight streaming through the window. Everything had suddenly caught up with her last night, her 17th birthday, Acathla, Angel.... She thought she'd put it all behind her but it was as though it was happening over. She had forgotten about patrol after last night. She sat up going to the bathroom to clean up. When she came back was when she noticed it. Laid on the floor beside the bed where Spike had woken up last night after he'd passed out in the library. It was his beloved duster. He'd gone out the window last night and left it behind.
Buffy picked up the coat smelling the leather and cigarettes. It was a gorgeous coat she could tell why Spike liked it. Quickly she changed into a pair of navy jeans and and a black turtleneck jumper. She reached for her own coat but stopped and pulled on Spike's duster running down the stairs and out the door heading for the library. She hoped the others would be there.
Everyone was sitting around the library when Buffy rushed in. Scully was obviously still trying to get over the shock of all that had happened. Mulder was grinning at his partners new found faith in his idea's. Oz and Willow where sitting on the same library chair in front of the computer. Xander and Cordy where sitting on the stairs Giles was sitting at the table talking. They all looked up taking in Buffy's appearance.
"Buffy. How are things with junior?" Xander asked. "And why are you wearing is coat?"
"Buffy what's wrong?" Willow asked looking at her friend.
"Spike, Spike ran out last night." Buffy looked at the floor. "It was worse than we thought. He went Angelus on me." Buffy pulled down the neck of her jumper showing the partially healed bite on her neck.
"Bastard." Xander jumped up.
"Who's Angelus?" Mulder asked. The room was quiet.
"A-angelus, Angel, w-was a vampire who helped us a while ago."
"A vampire?" Scully asked.
"Yes he had a soul though." Willow said defensively. "He was a good guy."
"The key word in that sentence willow is *was*." Cordy said and turned to Mulder. "Angel and Buffy had a thing then they did *the* thing, Angel lost his soul tried to kill us, Buffy sent him to hell."
"Yeah." Buffy said her voice laced with hurt. "And now Spike's gone psycho on me."
"I'll hunt him down and..."
"Xander no." Buffy stopped him. "It's my fault, it always is. I'll sort it."
"Buffy its not your fault, he's a vampire they have tendencies to be unpredictable." Giles reassured her
"No Spike's different. Don't ask me how or why but he is. And no I'm not defending him. He's a demon and he kills people. There is something though, and I'm going to find out what it is. But if I have to I will kill him. I learnt last time. I can't let anyone get hurt."
"Buffy, you should be careful around Spike." Willow warned.
"I'd have to agree with her." Scully added.
"I know, I'll be careful."
"I think someone should go with you when you find him." Mulder suggested.
"No I realized last night, this is something I have to do on my own. I'm the chose one this is my job. I shouldn't drag anyone else into this. I'm more than capable."
"Buff, It's not that any of us thinks you aren't capable. It's just will you be willing when the time comes?" Buffy looked at him, then the others.
"Is it just me or does my life repeat itself?" Buffy asked them. She pulled on the lapel of the duster a second. "I did this once I can do it again, but this time I'm not going run away." Buffy pushed the surfacing memories back into the depths of her mind. Her face became set as she looked up and she took a deep breath. "So." Her voice changed to pure slayer. "What do we know about where Abby's hiding?"
"N-nothing as of yet."
"Well that's top priority."
"There's always the factories, vamps seem to like it there. Why is that?" Xander asked.
"Well there's a lot of factories I'll have to narrow that down as a first option. Willow you get on the net with Oz and see what the two of you can scare up about recently sold factories." Willow and Oz nodded. "The rest of you brainstorm think of anywhere else they could be and research it. I'm going to find some inside information."
*****
"Where is she?" Buffy slammed Willy up against the bar.
"Hey, Slayer! Nice coat... Where's who?" He asked.
"Abby." Buffy said letting go of Willy who scuttled around to the other side of the bar and looked at the other patrons.
"Oh come on now slayer you know I cant tell you that Abby's goons would skin me." He said filling a tall glass with coke and setting it down on the bar with a napkin "Why don't you have a drink?" He asked "On the house." He pushed the napkin closer to her. "Sorry to hear about Spike."
Buffy looked at the napkin. "Thanks." She drank down the coke and slipped the napkin into her pocket Willy nodded at her and she left.
*****
"Stop looking. I know where she is." Buffy said breezing back into the library.
"How?"
"Willy the snitch, and I didn't even have to beat it out of him." She smiled producing the napkin with the directions to the factory where Abby and Spike where holed up. Willy had written it out as soon as Spike had come to find out where Abby was. There wasn't a thing happened in Sunnyhell without him knowing it.
"You should exercise extreme caution this could be a trap."
"That's why I'm going to admit I'm going to need some help." she nodded. "Someone out side with a car. Back up incase I need it."
"Well it's good to see that your thinking straight." Oz smiled.
"It's the time for it."
Part 7
Buffy looked up at the Factory. It was 1 hour until sunset no one would be up yet. She was still wearing Spike's coat. She pushed open the door quietly, creeping inside. There was a long wooden table in the middle of a main hall with dark high back chairs around it much like the old factory. She felt the overwhelming power in its walls not just of many vampires but of one vampire in particular. One powerful vampire. Abby. Buffy heard the footsteps before she saw her. Buffy remembered the time she had first met Abby, her footsteps ringing out in the Bronze as she appeared in the light.
Abby moved over to the table in front of Buffy sitting down on the wooden top. "Hello Slayer." She smiled sweetly. She looked like any other 16 year old girl. "You've come for Spike?" She It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yeah."
"It's not the time." She replied.
"What do you mean it's not the time?" Buffy asked.
"I mean its not the time. Spike won't go with you. He'd rather kill you right now. I'm looking after him until he knows what he wants." Abby Explained then smiled. "You really managed to screw him up you know."
"Yeah, I know. I didn't mean to." She said "What is it that makes Spike different?" Buffy asked. Abby thought for a second.
"That's not my place to tell you. He'll tell you when he feels it's right." She replied. "He's never been the same as other vampires, he's special."
"Your not like other vampires either." Buffy observed.
"I'm older than other vampires it's how I can understand him."
"Yeah. I know Giles told me. Your what 500?" Buffy asked. Abby began to laugh.
"You don't get as understanding as me by being 500 years old. I'm more that 2000 years old If I'd wanted I could have gone to the Crucifixion. Shame I was in the wrong part of the world then." Abby smiled. "You should go you know. The others are waking up." Buffy just nodded knowing she was right.
"So everything's back to enemies between us?"
"Yeah, get out before I kill you." Abby smiled. Buffy returned it. She turned to leave.
"Promise you'll take care of him." She said.
"Promise."
*****
"We have to get back to DC in the morning." Scully told the gang in the library. "I have the distinct feeling I'm going to be contacting you a lot you seem to know what your talking about."
"W-well that's quite a-alright. phone anytime y-you want." Giles smiled at them.
"Good luck with the X-files man, and remember the truth is out there." Oz nodded shaking Mulder's hand.
"I'll think about that." Mulder smiled then tossed paper bag at Xander. "Knock yourself out." He smiled at the teen who produced a couple of sunflower seeds from the bag.
"Hey thanks!" He grinned.
"Here's My E-mail if you ever need anything." Willow said handing Scully a piece of paper.
"Thanks Willow."
"Thank you for showing my boy friend the wonders of sunflower seeds." Cordy smiled to Mulder. She looked between Mulder and Xander a second. "You know you two aren't all that different."
"Er, thanks. I think."
"Don't forget. Guns don't work on vampires, stakes, garlic, holy water, sunlight, fire and beheading will get it done." Buffy said from her perch on the check-out desk.
"Good luck with Spike." Scully returned.
"Thanks, I'm gonna need it." She smiled back tears reflecting in her eyes.
*****
Buffy looked up at the sky. It was Christmas eve. Her mom had come home and Buffy was putting on a brave face around her. She wasn't as happy as she would have been if Spike was around. She'd be Okay though, She knew that Spike was there lurking in the trees he'd been around most of her patrols. She wished he would come out and talk or fight or something but she knew he'd only show himself when he was ready. She had learned that from Abby even though the vampire didn't need to say it. She knew. She stood and looked over to where Spike was hiding hugging the duster around her and smiling at him she turned and left the park.
Spike came out from his hiding place in the bushes. She had known he was there. He needed to kill her. He knew he did, but... there was something else. He shook his head. He'd been living around the Slayer too much. He hadn't killed anyone in months he was turning into a pansy. Spike walked over to the entrance to the park in time to see Buffy disappearing down the street.
"Merry Christmas Slayer."
End