ONE NORMAL LIFE / TWO EXTRAORDINARY LIVES
folder
BtVS AU/AR › Het - Male/Female › Buffy/Spike(William)
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
210
Views:
10,600
Reviews:
182
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
BtVS AU/AR › Het - Male/Female › Buffy/Spike(William)
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
210
Views:
10,600
Reviews:
182
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
HOW THINGS WORK
CHAPTER 6 – HOW THINGS WORK
Buffy awoke to the sound of birds. She opened up her eyes and for a minute thought she could smell coffee and bacon cooking. She smiled thinking of Spike in the kitchen making her breakfast, but then she remembered. There was no coffee, no bacon, no Spike. Only her and this house to hold the memories of his 100+ years on this earth.
She closed her eyes again, squeezing out the tears. Maybe she cojustjust never wake up, never get up again, just lay here until she was dust. It was a comforting thought as she fell back asleep on her wet pillows.
When she awoke again, it was to the knocking on the door. She opened her eyes and realized where she was, once again, becoming overcome with grief for a moment. The knocking resumed, and Buffy pulled herself together and went to the door.
“Hi there,” Clem said, looking at Buffy’s rumpled appearance.
“Hi Clem, come on in,” she said, trying to brush her hair with her fingers, “I didn’t realize how late it was.”
“You look like you just got up, Buffy,” Clem said, “hard time sleeping?”
She just nodded, afraid to say anything else.
“I understand,” Clem said. “I brought you some soup, figured you didn’t have any food in the house.
“Thanks. You’re right, I didn’t even think of it. I just found out about the house…I mean…that it’s mine,” she stopped for a minute to compose herself, “I just hurried up here the next day, I just wanted to…to be here,” she whispered the last few words.
Clem nodded, “Look, why don’t you get yourself together, and I’ll start some soup, then we’ll talk, okay?”
Buffy nodded, and went off to the bedroom to find some other clothes. She’d slept in these last night, and she knew they looked pretty wrinkled and all kinds of icky.
Ten minutes later, Buffy reappeared in the kitchen with her hair brushed and back in a ponytail, wearing a clean sweater and jeans.
“Smells good,” she told Clem.
“Bear in Yak Urine Sauce,” he said.
“Yeah, okay,” Buffy said, not even paying much mind to the joke.
“Huh? Oh?” she said a moment later when the words had finally reached her brain.
“Okay now girl, you sit down and let old Clem serve you up some stew,” he said, as he handed her a bowl of beef stew.
He sat down opposite her, “Eat,” he said, when she made no move toward it.
“Oh, sorry, alright,” she said, putting on a Buffy smile and started to eat.
“Good?” he asked, still watching her.
She nodded, “Really is. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
They ate in silence for a while and then Clem cleared the table after they were finished.
“Wine?” he asked.
“Anything stronger?” Buffy asked.
“No, just some white wine.”
“Sure,” Buffy nodded.
He poured them two glasses, and sat down opposite her.
“You want to talk in here, or in the living room?” Clem asked.
“Wherever you want,” she answered.
“Here’s okay then,” Clem said.
“Okay.”
“I need to show you some things about this house so you can keep it running smoothly,” Clem said.
Over the next couple of hours he showed her how to fill up the generators tank with gasoline, saying, “I think you should think about propane, if you’re going to stay here full time. It lasts longer and it’s easier to haul. You could even get one of those really big tanks put on the property and then have propane delivered 3-4 times a year, you could…”
“NO!” Buffy said, a bit sharply, “Spike didn’t want anybody here and neither do I, it’s…” she looked up at Clem, her eyes pleading for understanding.
“I understand, I just thought it might be easier for you, than having to remember to get fuel all the time,” Clem said.
“I don’t mind. I want it that way, at least for now. Now tell me, what’s going to work best?”
So they discussed gasoline versus propane, and decided that it would be easier for her if they switched over to propane. Clem said he would do the work and get her started as soon as he could.
They also discussed the need for an updated, small refrigerator, as this one wasn’t very energy efficient, and perhaps another stove.
“I think I’ll keep the stove, “Buffy said, “for now. Kinda reminds me…”
“Of Spike?”
Buffy nodded, “I’m just not ready to change everything around, things that he had…his way,” she said.
“I understand, really I do, but you have to remember, he was hardly ever here, and he was a vampire, he didn’t need much in the way of creature comforts, like you and me,” Clem said, then laughed at his own joke.
Buffy laughed, too.
“Still, I’m not ready for any big changes. I’m not even sure what I’m going to do,” she said.
“Yes, you are,” Clem said, “you’re staying on, just like Spike predicted you would.”
“Stupid vampire! What does he know?” Buffy said, and once again, tears came to her eyes. “Guess he knew me, huh?”
Clem just patted he on the arm, “Yeah, ‘fraid he did at that, knew both of us, it’s probably a vampire thing, a predator kind of thing, get to know your prey…” Clem went on.
Buffy looked at him, and said, “I think it’s more likely a Spike thing, when he cares…when he cared about somebody, he just intuitively knew them, I don’t ever want you to use those words around me when we’re talking about Spike again, okay? He was not a predator, not for a long time, he died a man, a hero. You’re here, I’m here, we’re all here because he died in order to close the Hellmouth. Nothing predatory about that!”
“I’m sorry, Buffy.” Clem said, feeling bad for upsetting her, “it was a bad choice of words, a bad joke, don’t be mad at me.”
Buffy looked at Clem and softened, “You know I could never be mad at you, Clem. I’m just…”
“I know,” Buffy said.
Clem showed her how to work the gates, and even a trick he rigged up, so she wouldn’t have to jump the fence every single time she came up to the house. He showed her where to chop the wood for the fireplace, and where it was kept to keep dry, “I’ll bring you plenty, so you probably won’t have to worry about chopping any yourself,” he said.
“I don’t mind,” she said, “help keep me in shape, now that I’m not the only slayer.”
“What?”
“Oh, you don’t know, do you? Before it all went down, well, moments really, Willow cast this spell and now all the potential slayers are actual slayers, so I’m not the only one, in fact, I’d say I’m semi-retired. Had my fill for a while,” Buffy said, “I’m just going to…”
“What?”
“I don’t know, Clem. I have to think over what I’m going to do now. Just know I don’t want to be in the killing demon business for a while, if ever.”
END CHAPTER 6
Buffy awoke to the sound of birds. She opened up her eyes and for a minute thought she could smell coffee and bacon cooking. She smiled thinking of Spike in the kitchen making her breakfast, but then she remembered. There was no coffee, no bacon, no Spike. Only her and this house to hold the memories of his 100+ years on this earth.
She closed her eyes again, squeezing out the tears. Maybe she cojustjust never wake up, never get up again, just lay here until she was dust. It was a comforting thought as she fell back asleep on her wet pillows.
When she awoke again, it was to the knocking on the door. She opened her eyes and realized where she was, once again, becoming overcome with grief for a moment. The knocking resumed, and Buffy pulled herself together and went to the door.
“Hi there,” Clem said, looking at Buffy’s rumpled appearance.
“Hi Clem, come on in,” she said, trying to brush her hair with her fingers, “I didn’t realize how late it was.”
“You look like you just got up, Buffy,” Clem said, “hard time sleeping?”
She just nodded, afraid to say anything else.
“I understand,” Clem said. “I brought you some soup, figured you didn’t have any food in the house.
“Thanks. You’re right, I didn’t even think of it. I just found out about the house…I mean…that it’s mine,” she stopped for a minute to compose herself, “I just hurried up here the next day, I just wanted to…to be here,” she whispered the last few words.
Clem nodded, “Look, why don’t you get yourself together, and I’ll start some soup, then we’ll talk, okay?”
Buffy nodded, and went off to the bedroom to find some other clothes. She’d slept in these last night, and she knew they looked pretty wrinkled and all kinds of icky.
Ten minutes later, Buffy reappeared in the kitchen with her hair brushed and back in a ponytail, wearing a clean sweater and jeans.
“Smells good,” she told Clem.
“Bear in Yak Urine Sauce,” he said.
“Yeah, okay,” Buffy said, not even paying much mind to the joke.
“Huh? Oh?” she said a moment later when the words had finally reached her brain.
“Okay now girl, you sit down and let old Clem serve you up some stew,” he said, as he handed her a bowl of beef stew.
He sat down opposite her, “Eat,” he said, when she made no move toward it.
“Oh, sorry, alright,” she said, putting on a Buffy smile and started to eat.
“Good?” he asked, still watching her.
She nodded, “Really is. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
They ate in silence for a while and then Clem cleared the table after they were finished.
“Wine?” he asked.
“Anything stronger?” Buffy asked.
“No, just some white wine.”
“Sure,” Buffy nodded.
He poured them two glasses, and sat down opposite her.
“You want to talk in here, or in the living room?” Clem asked.
“Wherever you want,” she answered.
“Here’s okay then,” Clem said.
“Okay.”
“I need to show you some things about this house so you can keep it running smoothly,” Clem said.
Over the next couple of hours he showed her how to fill up the generators tank with gasoline, saying, “I think you should think about propane, if you’re going to stay here full time. It lasts longer and it’s easier to haul. You could even get one of those really big tanks put on the property and then have propane delivered 3-4 times a year, you could…”
“NO!” Buffy said, a bit sharply, “Spike didn’t want anybody here and neither do I, it’s…” she looked up at Clem, her eyes pleading for understanding.
“I understand, I just thought it might be easier for you, than having to remember to get fuel all the time,” Clem said.
“I don’t mind. I want it that way, at least for now. Now tell me, what’s going to work best?”
So they discussed gasoline versus propane, and decided that it would be easier for her if they switched over to propane. Clem said he would do the work and get her started as soon as he could.
They also discussed the need for an updated, small refrigerator, as this one wasn’t very energy efficient, and perhaps another stove.
“I think I’ll keep the stove, “Buffy said, “for now. Kinda reminds me…”
“Of Spike?”
Buffy nodded, “I’m just not ready to change everything around, things that he had…his way,” she said.
“I understand, really I do, but you have to remember, he was hardly ever here, and he was a vampire, he didn’t need much in the way of creature comforts, like you and me,” Clem said, then laughed at his own joke.
Buffy laughed, too.
“Still, I’m not ready for any big changes. I’m not even sure what I’m going to do,” she said.
“Yes, you are,” Clem said, “you’re staying on, just like Spike predicted you would.”
“Stupid vampire! What does he know?” Buffy said, and once again, tears came to her eyes. “Guess he knew me, huh?”
Clem just patted he on the arm, “Yeah, ‘fraid he did at that, knew both of us, it’s probably a vampire thing, a predator kind of thing, get to know your prey…” Clem went on.
Buffy looked at him, and said, “I think it’s more likely a Spike thing, when he cares…when he cared about somebody, he just intuitively knew them, I don’t ever want you to use those words around me when we’re talking about Spike again, okay? He was not a predator, not for a long time, he died a man, a hero. You’re here, I’m here, we’re all here because he died in order to close the Hellmouth. Nothing predatory about that!”
“I’m sorry, Buffy.” Clem said, feeling bad for upsetting her, “it was a bad choice of words, a bad joke, don’t be mad at me.”
Buffy looked at Clem and softened, “You know I could never be mad at you, Clem. I’m just…”
“I know,” Buffy said.
Clem showed her how to work the gates, and even a trick he rigged up, so she wouldn’t have to jump the fence every single time she came up to the house. He showed her where to chop the wood for the fireplace, and where it was kept to keep dry, “I’ll bring you plenty, so you probably won’t have to worry about chopping any yourself,” he said.
“I don’t mind,” she said, “help keep me in shape, now that I’m not the only slayer.”
“What?”
“Oh, you don’t know, do you? Before it all went down, well, moments really, Willow cast this spell and now all the potential slayers are actual slayers, so I’m not the only one, in fact, I’d say I’m semi-retired. Had my fill for a while,” Buffy said, “I’m just going to…”
“What?”
“I don’t know, Clem. I have to think over what I’m going to do now. Just know I don’t want to be in the killing demon business for a while, if ever.”
END CHAPTER 6