When You See Me Again

Chapter Four

Sometime late in the night, Buffy was awoken from where she had laid her head on Giles’ desk in his office. Her face hurt from lying that way and she rubbed her jaw slightly. Looking up, she saw Willow there with a cup of hot coffee in one hand, a Krispy Kreme in the other. “Hey, Buffy! Thought you might like a visit from the donut fairy!” Her smile was great, so Buffy returned it, taking the offerings given to her by her friend.

“What’s up Willow? You guys send Spike back from wherever he was from?” She dug in to her breakfast.

“Well, no. But not from the lack of trying! Apparently we need to do a little more research, cause I can’t get any spell to work. None, nada, nothing!” Her smile was so bright it was contagious.

“Okay,” Buffy drawled, “Spill it, Willow.”

“Well, see, he told us this story about from where he’s from, oh, you’ll have to hear it from him, but hey! With the good! He, uh, wanted everyone to hear it from his mouth so nothing would get confused between us, but I think you should hear what he’s got to say! Oh- oh, and he drinks animal’s blood. Pig, otter, some others if you mix it in just right!” She was waving her hands around excitedly.

Buffy leaned back in the chair. “Spike doesn’t hunt anymore?”

“Nope! He has a soul now too, said he got it for a girl, can you believe the sweetness?”

“Where’s he now? I need to see this load of crap for myself.” Instantly, she knew that wasn’t the way she felt about this Spike, she’d seen too much already to know he wasn’t bad at all. Something was clawing at her conscience, and she was trying desperately to find out what it was. In the meantime, Willow’s happy factor was falling by the minute.
“Sorry Will, I’m just really tired. Where’s our big hero at?”

Willow’s happy face returned with fervor and she bounced in her chair. “He wanted to see your mom. I guess they’re friends in the future or something. Angel took him.” She finished as she saw the look of disbelief on her friend’s face.

Putting down her cup, Buffy walked out of the library, ignoring everyone who talked to her. Running quickly she ran, all the way home.


“Want another cup of coffee Angel?” Joyce Summers asked the brooding figure sitting in her kitchen. He held up his hand to pass and she turned to Spike. “How about you?”

“I’d love another cup Joyce. Absolutely love one! Can you throw in a few more of those incredible little marshmallows?” He curled his tongue behind his teeth. Angel rolled his eyes at Spike.

“What?”

“Nothing. Say Joyce, how is the gallery running, smashing I hope?” Spike was curious to how she was feeling, but didn’t want to ask that either.

“Great! I am so glad we cleared up the misunderstanding about Parents night. If I had known you had snuck in to help everyone under that disguise, I wouldn’t have hit you with the axe. Here’s your chocolate.” She smiled kindly at him. Angel rolled his eyes again.

The backdoor came open and Buffy walked in out of breath. “Guys! What are you doing here? I told you to wait for me at the library!” She motioned to Spike. “Can I talk to you in private?” He stood and knew when he was in trouble, for all he did you was shake his head and follow the Slayer.

She headed upstairs to her room, knowing he was following her. “Buffy? What’s got your knickers in a twist? I was only talking to your mum!”

She went into her room and waited for him to come inside. Shutting the door behind them, she leaned against it casually. “What’s your game Spike?”

He looked at her incredulously. “I don’t- I mean, what?”

“I know you’re plotting something, letting everyone think that you’re from the future, but tell me something. You don’t drink from humans anymore, you pal around with us like we’re your buddies, and you have a nice personal relationship with my mother. Mind letting me in on your new dastardly deed?” Walking over to her chair at her vanity, she pulled it out for him and she sat on the edge of her bed. “Talk, Spike, or you’ll be fitting in a dustbuster before I’ll let you leave my room.”

Spike walked over and sat down, legs spread before him. He reached out and took her hands in his and smiled. They had done this before, he remembered. After she was brought back the last time. He smiled a sad smile and looked down at their joined hands, his thumbs stroking hers. He could feel the anger building in her.

“Buffy—,“ he began.

“Quit calling me Buffy! It creeps me out!” She tried to pull her hands away from him.

“I can’t let your hands go, pet, just let me have them for a moment.” She stopped her struggling. “Now, you want to know why I’m so different? Let me tell you a story you won’t believe, but I swear to the Big Guy Upstairs, its all true. Can you handle that?”

She nodded, relaxing now.

“Right. Well, I was fighting a horde of demons six years in the future with Angel, when I saw him jerked of the ground by a dragon. Last thing I remember, a light, a bright light showing up ahead in the alley where we were. It was headed straight for us. I remember Blue sidestepping it amazingly enough, but it caught me and pulled me in. So, that’s how I got here.” He waited for a minute. “What else do you want to know?”

Buffy thought for a minute. “I want to know why you think it’s alright for you to touch me. Why do you call everyone by their names? Explain.”

“I can’t, Buffy, I was told by Giles not to. Something about how it would mess up time or fate or something.” He looked at her, tilting his head. “I can tell you something though. We work together in the future. More than once.”

The sixteen-year-old Buffy looked at the joined hands and lost herself in thought. “Spike.” She paused. “You’re holding my hands. Are we like boyfriend and girlfriend in the future? Cause if so, eww.”

Spike chuckled again. “Remember earlier when I told you not to sleep with Angel?” She nodded. “Well, let’s just say we’re a little closer than we are right now. We fight together, argue even still, but for the most part, we’re allies.”

Spike let go of her then, and Buffy rubbed her hands together. Something was going on, that was for sure. She felt some kind of charge when she touched him, maybe she’d have to tell Giles. Have him check and see if he was full of electrical energy or something, when they got back to the library. Something else dawned on her. She would never have let him be so intimate unless something changed drastically between them. No one touched her really, till they broke through her tough shell.

“Does she love you?” Her voice was barely a whisper, she was actually scared he’d say yes, and sick at the same time.

“Thought she did.” He didn’t look at her. “That’s all I can tell you. Let’s get out of here and head back to the library. Got me some people I need to take care of back home.”

Shuddering at his last statements, she nodded and headed down to the kitchen, ready to send this Spike straight to hell, if it would take away this feeling she was having.