Damage

Buffy and Spike sat in the waiting room of Dr. Burkles office. They had had to post pone her appointment seeing as she was in the hospital after her birthday party. Buffy had been living with Spike for a week now.

"Miss Summers? Mr. Finn? The doctor will see you now" a nurse poked her head from out behind the door and escorted them back to an exam room.

"You'll need to change out of your clothes and into this." the nurse said, holding up a paper gown that barely covered anything, she might as well be completely naked.

The nurse left the room and Buffy started to remove her clothes until she noticed Spike's eyes on her and she blushed and stopped.

"What?" Spike grinned.

"Stop looking at me like that." Buffy scolded him.

"Like what?" he feigned innocence.

"Like I'm naked!" she replied.

"Well, you are. I can't help it, luv." he told her.

Buffy rolled her eyes and removed the rest of her clothes and shimmied into the paper gown then hopped up onto the exam table.

"Don't be embarrassed, Buffy. It's not like I haven't seen every single inch of you." Spike said.

"Yeah, but that's different...and usually doesn't involve being in stirrups with some other chick's fingers up inside me." Buffy stated matter of factly.

"Well, now that you mention...." Spike's eyes crinkled with laughter.

"Don't even go there you pervert!" Buffy wagged her finger at him.

Suddenly there was a soft knock on the door and then Dr. Burkle was opening it and coming into the room.

"Hello Buffy." she smiled warmly, then turned to Spike.

"You must be William. Nice to finally meet you. I'm glad you could come with Buffy." Dr. Burkle shook his hand.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Spike informed her.

Dr. Burkle proceeded to examine Buffy. When she was finished, she explained that everything was progressing fine and to make an appointment for the following month and an appointment for her first ultra sound in two months. Buffy and Spike thanked her as she left the room. Buffy got dressed and her and Spike went out to the front desk to make their appointments.

Buffy was beaming at the care and concern Spike had shown as Dr. Burkle examined her. He had asked questions and held her hand. She felt so lucky to have him.

Until they got home.

"Spiooooke! I need my medicine." Dru wailed from the upstairs landing as Spike and Buffy sat in the kitchen having a bite to eat.

"I'll be up in a minute, Dru." Spike called out.

"You dilly dally with your precious sunshine and leave mummy in pain. Tsk Tsk. Bad dog, Spioooke." Drusilla purred.

Buffy fumed.

"Sorry, luv." Spike said as he left the table to go get Dru's medicine and take it to her.

"Oh, don't mind me. It's not like I'm the one who is your wife or anything." Buffy scoffed.

Spike closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

"Yeah and you don't have to throw it in my face every chance you get. It's not my fault the divorce isn't final yet. My lawyer is working on it. It's almost done." Spike informed Buffy.

"Divorced or not, she still lives here." Buffy pointed in the direction of the ceiling.

"What am I supposed to do, Buffy? Kick her out? She is sick. She has no place to go." Spike reasoned.

"Just forget it. I'm not hungry anymore." Buffy stood from the table and walked out of the kitchen.

"Bloody hell. What does it take? What is wrong with you bloody women? Why do you bitches torture me?" Spike said aloud to himself then left the room to take Dru her medication.


Life at the Finn household certainly was interesting. Riley spent most of his time avoiding his dad and Buffy, when they were together. He still felt uncomfortable about it. Apart, he was fine but he couldn't quite come to terms with the together thing yet. Drusilla was as crazy as ever but she was being manipulative and running Spike around the bend with tasks to get back at him for Buffy. Buffy was angry that Spike seemed to always be at Drusilla's beck and call. She started spending more time with Riley than she was with Spike. Spike was just plain tired, trying to keep everybody happy and away from each other. It was bloody exhausting.

Things finally came to a head a couple of months after Buffy had moved in. Spike found Buffy and Riley, laughing and apparently having a merry old time together, watching some teeny bopper flick in the living room. They were on the couch together and appeared to be rather cozy. Spike's jealousy and fear took over him.

"Well, looky looky here. Don't you two look all cozy?" Spike sneered as he came into the room.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Buffy said.

"You know damn well what it means. Decide to come full circle, Buffy? You gonna just go between us now?" Spike said.

"What? You asshole!" Buffy stood up and shook her finger at Spike. " You have some nerve accusing me of doing something with Riley! Look who spends all his time taking care of his precious Drusilla!" Buffy trembled with anger, "Spike this and Spike that...you follow her around like a puppy."

"I bloody hell do not!" Spike shouted back.

"I'm going to my room." Riley stood and started to leave the room.

"Yeah, get your rocks off with my girl then leave why don't you?" Spike said to him.

Riley turned back around, "Excuse me? YOU'RE the one who stole my girl to begin with! And now YOU'RE accusing ME? What, you think this is like father like son?" Riley yelled.

"Stop it. Both of you!" Buffy said.

Riley gave one last hateful look at his father and then stomped off. Spike turned back to look at Buffy who now had tears in her eyes. He finally came to his senses.

"Christ...Buffy...I'm sorry...I didn't mean...I.." Spike tried to apologize.

"Save it, Spike. How could you? Accuse me? Accuse your son? We were watching a movie for pete's sake. You wanted us to get along. We're getting along. I'm sorry if you can't deal with it now and your crazy head has to imagine things that aren't true. I love you, Spike. I thought you knew that but apparently you don't or you wouldn't be accusing me of cheating on you." Buffy told him.

"Well, it's not like you haven't done it before." Spike said.

"Yeah, with YOU. You are unbelievable! You're going to throw it in my face that we ended up together because I cheated on Riley with you and yet at the same time get upset cause you think Riley and I are doing something now. Make up your mind, Spike! You can't have it both ways!" Buffy ranted.

"I'm sorry baby. I'm a bad rude man. It's just...you spend more time with him now than me...and I'm trying here..I'm really bloody trying to make everyone happy and...I'm so tired..." Spike sat down on the couch and sighed.

"I spend time with him because you're always with Drusilla. Spike...we can't keep living like this" Buffy came over to him and sat down beside him and took his hand.

"I know, luv...I know I need to find a place for her...I know..." Spike admitted.

"I always feel like I only get seconds, Spike. Drusilla is first for everything and I'll always be second." Buffy started to cry.

"No..NO..baby...it's not like that. I love you...Sunshine..you're my everything..you're first..you and the baby....it's just..I feel responsible for Dru...." Spike held her to him.

"Well, when you decide to feel responsible for me and the baby, you let me know." Buffy wiped her face with her hand and stood and left the room, leaving Spike to sit there.

"Buffy...no...please..." Spike called to her but she was already gone, upstairs.

Spike hung his head and tried to think of what the hell he was going to do.

Continued in Chapter 23- When the Sun Goes Down