Breathless

Spike could feel the bile rising in his throat as he saw her bruised face.
Angel had given him all the gory details, but it took seeing her in person
to feel the full effect. Pushing back the tears that were stinging his eyes,
he crossed the small distance to her bed, taking her tiny hand in his. Her
emerald eyes gazed up at him, shiny with tears.

Buffy couldn’t believe he was here. Her resolve broke; tears spilled over
her thick lashes and down her face. Pain shot through her as her body shook,
her broken ribs were on fire. She could no longer control her emotions. He
joined her on the bed, pulling her gently into his arms, letting her cry.
She could feel the warmth of his breath in his ear, as he whispered softly
to her that everything was going to be all right.

Lorne moved from the bed to stand closer to Angel, who was glowering at the
blonde couple holding on to one another tightly. Nudging the brooding man in
the side, Lorne urged him out the door to allow them to have some privacy.
Once they were in the hallway, Angel asked “Do you have any idea what the
hell just happened in there?”

Lorne smiled and replied,” They finally found one another.” He chuckled
lightly as Angel paced in front of the doorway.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know the whole story, just pieces of what not from various people.”
Lorne began, warning Angel ahead of time that he was unsure if what he
thought was correct. “Apparently they met last summer at my bar and had what
could only be described as one hell of a good time in the women’s bathroom,
if you know what I mean.” He paused and glanced at Angel, the look on his
face informed Lorne that he in fact understood what he was saying. Lorne
started again, “Anyway, from what I can tell they kept missing one another
after that. Wesley said that by the time Spike had found her, she was
already with Riley and he gave up. According to Faith, that song of theirs
that Buffy wrote, you know the one that stayed at number one for so long?
Well, she thinks that Buffy wrote it about some guy she met last year, but
Buffy wouldn’t tell her for sure. I figure it’s about Spike.”

Angel stopped pacing. He had just assumed “Taking Over Me” was about him,
secretly gloating that she still wanted his love. ‘God I am such an idiot!’
he berated himself mentally as he started pacing again. “Why in the hell
didn’t Spike say anything to me when I told him Buffy’s name?” he questioned
Lorne, who shrugged. “I’ll be back in a minute, Lorne. I need some fresh
air!”

Back inside the room, Spike continued to hold Buffy in his arms while she
cried. He hated that this is what it took for him to find her. When Angel
had called for his help with his friend, Buffy, Spike’s spirits soared
hoping that it was the same Buffy. Angel had filled him in on what had
happened, Spike’s stomach twisting in knots and his temper was seething just
below the surface. He asked how Angel knew Buffy, a memory nagging in his
mind. His suspicions were confirmed, she was the girl that had broken
Angel’s heart and ultimately set the events in motion for Angel and Spike to
meet.

He recalled the night he had met Angel. He had been at Willie’s, a seedy bar
on the other side of the tracks, drowning his sorrows in whiskey after
professing his undying love for Cecily, the attractive girl that sat next to
him in class. Laughing cruelly in Spike’s face, she had informed him that he
was “beneath her” before walking away with her girlfriends, snickering.
Angel had sat near him at the bar and they had bonded because his girlfriend had
just broken up with him. After several drinks, Angel had told him that it
felt as though she had stabbed him in the heart and sentenced him to a life
of hell; but that he deserved it for being a downright bastard to her.
Drunkenly, Spike proclaimed them the best of friends and to hell with all
women. The two had been friends ever since that night.

Spike had planned to walk in her room as though nothing had happened between
them last summer, not wanting to risk pissing off Angel. He had failed
miserably, his resolve crumbling at the sight of her face, bruised and
swollen.

She pulled away from his embrace, gently wiping at her eyes. Smiling
tenderly, she said, “I thought I would never see you again.” Buffy gazed
into his beautiful blue eyes, “I don’t even know your name.”

“Spike. My name is Spike.”

Her gaze lingered over him, his perfect features reminding her that her own
was a hideous disaster. Depression soaked in and Buffy turned away from
Spike, causing a concerned look to wash over his face. “I don’t want you to
see me this way.” she murmured, sniffling as a tear glistened and rolled
down her black and blue cheek. “Can I please be alone for a while?”

Spike did not know what to do. He was torn, afraid that if he left she might
disappear and he would not be able to find her again; but if he refused to
go she would become angry with him. Hesitantly, he reached out to stroke her
hair and felt sick when she flinched, as if he was going to strike her.
Spike pulled his hand back and laid it on top of hers, being careful not to
disturb any of the tubes that were running into her. “I’ll just be in the
hallway, OK?” Spike told her calmly, “I’m not far if you need me.” He paused
briefly before leaving the room, looking back at Buffy. She never turned
back towards him. When the response he was waiting for never came, he hung
his head and slipped out the door.

Spike slumped in the chair nearest to Buffy’s door, his head resting in his
hands. It pained him to see her this way. Not only because of the stitches
and discoloration from the numerous bruises painted across her beautiful
features, but because the light that normally radiated from her was gone.
‘I’ll kill that son of a bitch if he comes near her again!’ he thought
angrily to himself.

He had no idea how long he sat there, unmoving, staring at the floor with
his head still cradled in his hands; only looking up when voices filled the
hallway around him. Spike looked up to find Angel approaching three people,
escorting them towards Buffy’s room.


“How’s she doing?” Angel inquired.

“Um...she wants to be alone for a bit.” Spike replied, easing out of the
chair, stretching his legs. “Any news about Riley?”

“No. The police have a unit watching the house to see if he would return
there, but so far not a peep out of him. He hasn’t used any credit cards,
went to an ATM or called anyone. So far, it seems as though the bastard has
disappeared.” Angel said, bitterly. “Anyway, Spike, this is Buffy’s family.
Her mother, Joyce, and stepfather, Rupert Giles.” he indicated towards the
people nearest to Buffy’s room, “And, this is Dawn, her little sister. We
can thank Dawnie here for her quick thinking, which got help to them as soon
as possible.”

Spike looked over the adorable brunette to the left of Angel, eyeballing the
cast on her left arm. “Riley did that to you?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t compare to what that monster did to Buffy. He wasn’t
counting on me being there; so I figure that if I hadn’t conked him on the
head with that vase, he might have killed her.” she replied, her pretty
little face appeared as though she was holding back her emotions.

“Angel,” Spike started,” if Buffy lived with that git where is she going to
go when she is released from the hospital?”

A worried look crossed Joyce’s face, as she realized that her oldest
daughter did not have a home to return to. “She was only renting that house
she lived in before Riley’s. I guess Buffy can come back to the hotel with
us. Rupert and I will be in town for a bit longer and we have a suite, it
has an extra bedroom, where Dawn has been staying, but there is another
bed.”

Angel nodded in agreement. “That will work for now, Joyce. She will need
something more permanent; a place that Riley would never think to look for
her.”

“She could stay at my flat.” Spike offered, and then remembered who was there
and said “No, that won’t work. Harmony is there.” The curvy blonde had
become quite a fixture at his place over the past couple of weeks. Spike had
allowed her presence; she was almost tolerable as long as her mouth was
shut. Plus, she was always up for a tussle, which was fairly enjoyable and
kept his mind of Buffy. He quickly made a mental note that he needed to nip
that situation in the bud as soon as possible.

“I have a place in mind,” Angel interjected, ”Cordy’s parents have a place on
the beach around Malibu. Very private, has security gates and cameras. I’ll
have to give them a call and arrange it. Spike, have you had a chance to get
your things together?”

“Not really, mate. Mind staying with Buffy for a bit while I run home?” he inquired,
hopefully.

“No problem. Cordy is at her parents house for the weekend, I can stay as
long as needed.” Angel replied, “I’m sure Joyce, Rupert and Dawn would like
to get some rest. Why don’t you guys go on in and say goodnight to Buffy? I
need to talk business with Spike.” Buffy’s family nodded in agreement, worn
out expressions on their faces giving away the fact that several hours of
sleep would be greatly beneficial.

Once they were in the room, out of earshot, Angel turned towards Spike and
asked,”So, you want to tell me what went on between you and Buffy?” He
crossed his arm over his chest and waited for his friend to give him the
story.