Coercion 27
She is More to Be
Pitied Than Censured
A
week later, Buffy heard of a nest of vamps who had just come into town. She
asked Xander and the gang to come along and help clean them out. When he showed
up with Spike, Buffy turned angry eyes on him. “Why’d you bring him, Xander?
He’s just as likely to side with them.”
Spike took this jab in stride. He’d just had some fun with Xander and was
feeling good. “Look, Slayer, I don’t want anyone moving in on my territory.
‘Sides, you’ve seen me dust ‘em.”
Buffy stalked up to Spike and got in his face. “Well, maybe I don’t like
patrolling with you.”
Spike shrugged and pulled out a cigarette. He stuck it between his lips before
he answered. “Don’t fancy fighting by the Slayer, neither, but that’s the
fate life’s thrown me.”
Without warning, Buffy punched Spike in the nose, making him drop his unlit
smoke and fall back, and turned away with a flip of her hair. At the touch of a
hand on her arm, Buffy spun around, striking as she turned. Xander felt strong
arms pulling him back, and her fist breeze past him.
Xander wound up on the ground, tangled in Spike and his coat. Xander’s mind
was occupied in a whirl of thoughts from ‘Buffy almost hit me,’ to ‘Spike
had better not do anything with everyone watching,’ to ‘yum, Spike arms.’
They finally untangled with only one butt fondle which was hidden by the coat
and Xander stood to face Buffy. Everyone was standing around, looking from
Xander to Buffy who stood, her mouth agape, working like a fish on land
“God, Xander. I’m so sorry. What were you thinking?” Buffy babbled.
“To be honest, I was going to hit you ‘cause Spike can’t.”
Buffy’s brow knitted. “You would hit me? For him?”
Xander looked around at his friends. Giles stood with his arms crossed, watching
the Slayer and obviously poised to take action if needed. He met Xander’s eyes
and nodded. Willow’s finger’s twitched like she was ready to cast her famous
‘separate’ spell. She gave him a ‘yeah, Buffy’s nuts’ half-grin. Oz
stood holding the axe he’d chosen for the evening and was apparently silently
trading game plans with Spike.
“Yes, Buffy I would.”
“Why? He’s a soulless demon. It’s bad enough he convinced you to let him
keep mooching off you when you moved, now you want to make him a part of the
Scoobies.”
“You’ve been hanging out with Riley way too much, Buff. You know you can’t
judge every demon on his… its… race.
“He’s William the Bloody! You’ve read his bio.”
“Yes. I have. In fact, I’ve read more about vampires then you ever have.
Nights you’d go off … necking with Angel, we’d stay behind, researching.
I’ve actually read the Slayer’s handbook. If you had you’d know how to
read demons, not just identify and kill!”
“Vampire equals demon equals evil.”
“Did you even know that Cordelia is part demon now? She took it on willingly
so she could continue to help Angel in his fight. And I won’t even go down the
Angel path.”
“Thank god for that,” Spike muttered.
“But that’s…” Buffy gestured at Spike who stood ready to protect or
defend.
Xander stepped back to stand beside Spike. “This is Spike. I have seen more of
him in the last few months than I have of any of you. In that time, he’s
helped me get a better job, move out of my parent’s basement, and he’s even
taught me how to dress better!”
Spike pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing this wouldn’t go well.
“Xander…”
“When I sprained my back so bad I couldn’t move without crying, he fixed
it.”
“Xander…”
“He’s taught me more about literature than I ever learned in school.
I actually enjoy reading now.”
“Xander, please.”
“Did you know he has a degree in Literature from Cambridge? Not the New
England one, old England.”
“And there it is,” Spike said, crossing his arms and daring anyone to say
anything.
“But he’s a va…” Buffy started.
Xander interrupted, stepping forward and pointing back at Spike. “He’s a
vampire.” Then Xander pointed to Giles. “He was once known as Ripper,
reasons why we’ll never know.”
“I certainly hope not,” Giles muttered.
His finger moved on
to Willow and Oz. “She is a powerful witch who one time dated a
werewolf.” Xander’s finger moved from Oz to Buffy. “And you are a
freakishly strong mythical fighter who is dating a caveman.”
“Hey!” Buffy protested.
“And I am a schmuck who is finally finding his feet and some self esteem
thanks to exhibit A.”
“You’ve called me nicer things, Pet.”
Buffy folded her arms and glared at Xander. “So what is your point? We’re
all Freaks. Gooble Gobble. He’s still a killer.”
“My point is this,” Xander paused and looked back at Spike. The vampire
tilted his head, interested to see what the boy would come out with next. Xander
turned and went back to Spike’s side. He looked down at the vampire who cocked
a brow, ran his eye over the crowd, turned back to Xander and shrugged. Xander
put his hand behind Spike’s head, pulled him in, and very soundly kissed him.
“That’s my point, Buffy. If you want me around, Spike will be around,
too.”
Buffy’s eyes narrowed. “It’s a spell, right?” She turned to Willow.
“It’s some strange spell.”
Willow shook her head. “Nope. I... I don’t think it’s any kinda love spell,”
she looked at the boys who glanced at each other and shrugged, looking
uncomfortable, “but they’ve been together all summer.”
“Xander, you’ve not seen what he can do. One night I found him… raping a
girl.”
“She was a vampire, Buffy. Spike’s got a vampire’s appetites.” Xander
said, disregarding the other’s expressions. “Spike told me about it. Tell
them how badly you beat him up after dusting the fledge. You cracked three of
his ribs, Buffy.”
“But he was… and she…”
“She was enjoying it, Slayer,” Spike stated. “That’s another part of the
tale you don’t know. Vamps are wired different from humans. We like it hard
and fast and savage.” Xander flushed and looked at his shoes. Spike felt
Xander’s embarrassment and added, “not that we can’t be gentle.” He
cocked his head, his voice low, “And you can’t tell me you wouldn’t like
some of that hard and fast, too.”
“No! Riley keeps me happy! He does!”
“So why are you out patrolling so many nights alone?” Spike replaced his
lost cigarette and lit it.
Giles stepped in
before the argument could proceed much further down that road. “Buffy,
they’ve got an agreement. They’re happy, Buffy. Let it be.”
“Why doesn’t anybody tell me these things?”
Giles laid a calming hand on her arm. “You’ve not been around, Buffy.
You’ve taken to spending all you time with Riley, and his… group.”
“So? I’m happy. Riley’s normal and strong and reliable…” Buffy’s
face started to crumple. “And… sweet. And… tall… and… dull…” she
turned to Giles who caught her up, protectively wrapping his arms around her.
“And apparently everyone’s happy but me.” Willow stepped in and rescued
Giles’ shirt from further wetting, leading her friend off to sit on a low
tombstone.
The men gravitated together. Giles picked at his shirt and Oz hopped up on a
tombstone. “That went well,” Oz said.
“Yeah, well,” Xander shrugged. “Spike’s not dusty so I’m happy.”
“I went to Cambridge, too,” Giles said.
“Yeah? Well it was a
long time ago. Don’t remember much.” Spike put his hands in his
pockets and looked off into the night.
“Sure you do, Spike, you’ve explained all those po…” Spike turned gold
glinting eyes on his roommate, “porn titles that were actually literature
references to me. Makes ‘em funnier, I tell ya.”
Spike shouted over to Buffy. “Hey, Slayer, if the Jerry Springer episode is
over, we’ve got some vamps to fight. God knows I need to kill something right
about now.”
Buffy sniffled and re-joined them. “I’m sorry.” He went to Xander who
accepted her hug. “Just… be careful.”
“I will.”
She turned and looked up to meet Spike’s eyes. “Sorry I hit you. All those
times. Well, most of those times.”
“We’re never going to get along, Slayer. It’s chemical. We make each
other’s skin crawl. Okay?”
“Yeah.” Buffy wiped her nose. “Shall we kill?”
Xander hung back with Spike. “Sorry for outing us, but Oz knew, and Giles
knew, and because Oz knew, I knew Willow knew even before she told me she
knew…”
“’sal right, Pet. Just watch where you kiss me. It’ll make you a
target.”
“Like I’m not one already.”
“Now, about almost outing me as a poet…”
On to Chapter 28
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