Long Way From Home - Chapter 9

Spike unlocked the door and pushed it open, smiling as Buffy walked into his flat.

"Well?" Spike stood in the hall and let Buffy look around.

"Well..." She smiled at him and raised her brows.

"Kitchen to your left, closet just to your right. Living room is just the big open space that everything leads on to. Two bedrooms on the left of the hall straight ahead of you, bathroom after that and on the right of the hall is my junk room." He grinned at her and she thought he looked like he wanted her approval of the place.

"It's nice. Very black, like a giant chalkboard, must be your inner five year old." She couldn't help winding him up, every wall in the place was painted black and it matched his chipped nail varnish.

"Hey, it's homely and it's not all black..." Spike dropped his tone and leant close to her ear. "My bedrooms red."

"I so don't want to see that. Just get the tickets already mister 'I won't forget them', we'll miss the train." Buffy walked around the living room, he wasn't wrong about it - it was just a messy space in between every other room in the flat. She had to admit it did look comfy.

"Okay, keep your knickers on." Spike started tossing the cushions on the sofas aside in search of them, pausing only to watch Buffy move to the window.

"Broom." She smiled at something and he frowned.

"No, it's a motorbike." Spike had moved to stand behind her and peered out the window at the street below.

"Yours? And bikes go 'broom'." She pouted at him and watched his eyes dart to her lips, then she smiled.

"Mine and it goes grrrrhhhhmmmmmm." Spike purred into her ear and she let her eyelids fall shut as her insides heated up.

"Nice boys have cars." Buffy whispered as she opened her eyes again and fixed them on the bike.

"Not a nice boy kitten." Spike leant in closer to her and watched her bite her lower lip.

"Really?" Buffy sounded sarcastic as she took control of herself.

"Alright." Spike rolled his eyes and switched back to his normal tone. "My baby is in the garage. But I'm still bad."

"Baby?" Buffy turned to Spike and giggled.

"She's classy - maybe out classes your pretty little face." He pinched her cheek.

"I'm thinking she's a car?" Buffys cheek felt hot where he'd touched her.

"Bollocks. All I need." Spike narrowed his eyes at the street below and Buffy followed his stare.

"You know her?" Buffy felt a little jealous of the reaction this girl was getting from him. She felt that if he labelled herself pretty then this would be beautiful in his eyes, she was the total opposite of Buffy.

"My ex, you may not want to be here when she comes up." Spike caught her arm and started towards the door.

"You're throwing me out?" Buffy looked visibly hurt at the thought of being kicked out of his place.

"Bloody women." He changed direction and pushed her into the bedroom then shut the door on her. "Just be quiet."

Buffy huffed and folded her arms, she opened her mouth to say something but a knock at the front door silenced her. Spike didn't seem to be in a hurry to answer it.

Sitting on the bed Buffy looked at her current environment. He was right, it was a deep shade of red, laying back on the bed she registered that it was a four poster with dark hangings that were a little tattered.

Spreading her arms out she felt soft sheets under her fingers; it was warm and sedating. Looking to the end of the bed she noted that there were three tall mirrors in a row on the wall. As she closed her eyes she heard the front door slam shut, Buffy shot up and listened hard.

"Listen Drusilla, I understand that you're mad - literally - but…" Spikes voice sounded agitated.

"No buts sweet William, you poisoned my mind with your nasty little thoughts. Pounding my skull till it cracked like ice in the sun." Frowning Buffy had to admit that Spike was right, she was mad.

"Dru?"

"No more, I won't be your dark beauty while you bathe in sunlight."

Buffy frowned again she was definitely mad. She looked around the room and saw the tickets on the bedside table.

"Pet, come on now. These years count for nothing?" Spikes voice sounded like it was going to falter, Buffy picked up on a sharp edge to it that sounded like anger barely restrained.

"Their emptiness engulfs me Spike, you're no longer my sweet William. You're poison, bitter and sharp like a knife in my gut. Twisting it twisting it with your cruel words."

There was a pause and Buffy held her breath, when Spike replied his voice was altered. He sounded venomous.

"So why are you here?"

"Because I had something for you, to stop you from bending me to your will, corrupting me, ruiner."

Buffy got off the bed and moved to the door.

"Dru, put it down. You don't want to hurt daddy." Spike sounded like he was trying to calm her down.

Buffys eyes widened in horror and she gasped at the thought that this psycho was trying to hurt him. Everything went silent in the other room.

"Someone here lover?" Drusillas voice dripped with malice and she looked towards the bedrooms.

Spike took the opportunity to grab the wrist Dru held the knife in and her head snapped around to look at him. Pushing forward with all her might she managed to scratch down his shoulder with it before he whipped her arm back and forced her to her knees.

"Daddy hurts me, he doesn't love me anymore - he loves the sunshine."

As Spike took hold of the knife he let her wrist go and she bolted for the door. Standing still for a moment he tried to think over what she had said then remembered Buffy.

As he opened the door Buffy grabbed the tickets from the table.

"The tickets were here all along, can we go… god Spike you're hurt, you're bleeding." Buffy felt sickened by the trail of blood that coursed down his left arm to his fingertips.

"Just a scratch." Spike took the tickets and headed to the bathroom, Buffy followed him edgily.

Struggling to get his t-shirt off over his head Spike winced as he saw Buffy enter the room. She looked genuinely concerned as she walked towards him and Spike watched her golden hair shimmer under the light, like the sun. He smiled in recognition of Drusillas words to him.

"Sit." Her tone was commanding and he obeyed by perching himself on the edge of the bath.

Buffy pulled his uninjured arm out of his t-shirt then manoeuvred it over his head and let it slip gently down his injured arm. Pausing for a moment she looked over his body and raised her brows. Shaking herself back to her senses she walked over to the little mirrored cabinet.

"Got any bandages and stuff?" Buffy turned back to him from the cabinet and he looked shaky. "Spike?"

"Sorry." Spike roused himself and pointed to the little medical box on top of the cabinet.

Tip toeing Buffy bought it down to her and placed it on the toilet next to Spike.

"Have you fixed in no time." Buffy tried to remain upbeat but he was looking so pale and weak, she realised it wasn't all about the cut.

"I know you heard everything. She's a little weird, actually she's totally fucked up but I loved her once." Spike watched Buffy fumbling with a little packet in the medical box.

"Now you apparently love sunshine. She seems very resentful, perfect for you." Buffy opened an antiseptic wipe and grinned at him.

"She's right." Spikes voice lowered as he looked up at Buffy, intent on her work. "I love sunshine."

Buffy frowned at what he said and dabbed at the cut on his arm with the wipe. Spike flinched and gritted his teeth, she couldn't help but smile at how hard he was trying not to swear at her for inflicting pain.

Smiling still she applied little strips of tape across the cut and then placed a long plaster over it, pressing it down firmly so it wouldn't shift.

"All done, you're a brave little boy." She patted his head and then froze as his eyes met hers.

"Less of the little missy." Spike arched a brow at her playfully then rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw. "Bugger, what time is it?"

Buffy looked at her watch and wrinkled her nose. "About twenty minutes after the train left."

"Sorry. All I seem to be doing today is apologising to people." Spike hung his head low and sighed, she was going to leave he knew it.

"You're not fit to go anyway. We could hire a movie?" Buffy smiled at him as he raised his face to look at her with disbelief echoed in his narrowed eyes. She realised it was more like a date than ever but she couldn't leave him here alone, bleeding and miserable.

She soaked some tissue then squeezed out the water, running it over his arm she tried to remove the blood that had started to dry. Spike tilted his head as he watched her, his very own Florence Nightingale. Buffy ran her fingers down his arm and followed them blankly with her eyes, when she raised them to his face she smiled warmly.

"No girly flicks." Spike raised his brows at her and as she turned towards the door he couldn't help but wonder how Drusilla had seen it happening.

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