Relentless Revenge ((COMPLETE))

Chapter 7: Unexpected (Part 1)

Buffy happily entered the kitchen two days later, her mood a mix of joy to be out of bed but combined with some moping that the house was so empty. Since no one had been upstairs or in the living areas, she had been left feeling somewhat at a loss? She spotted Willow in the kitchen, but still where was Dawn, Xander, …Spike?

She was still surprised that she had slept forty-five hours straight through before leaving her bedroom. Whatever that junk she was given by the doctor had really knocked her for a loop. Even with her Slayer healing abilities and Willow’s concoction, she had had a hard time expelling the yucky stuff from her system.

Last night, fed up with lolling around in her bed, Buffy had dragged herself down to the living room to watch a rented movie with Dawn and Willow. Insisting she rest up and get all the meds out of her system before returning to demon hunting, Spike and Xander covered patrols for her. Stunned by their apparent cease fire, Buffy had agreed. She didn’t know if they would ever be buds, but this truce was a much needed miracle.

At first Buffy had been embarrassed to see Spike again. She fondly remembered her first night back from the clinic, cuddling in his arms, kissing him on the lips, asking him to stay in Sunnydale. When she had woken up hours later, he had been gone. Later she was told that he had returned to the Magic Box, something about deliveries and workmen. She hadn’t expected him to stick around watching her sleep for a day and a half, but she had missed him all the same. Last night when he came to visit her with Xander, he acted his normal Spike-self, as if he had never left. In fact, he acted like he did after she was resurrected, no real zingers. Spike only made playful jabs shrouding his concern for her welfare. However, Buffy suspected Spike was sneaking sly looks at her when he thought she wasn’t looking, but try as she might, she could never catch him. Accordingly, she wasn’t sure how things between them now stood and could never find a private moment alone with the vamp to find out.

Standing by the kitchen sink, Willow’s voice brought Buffy back to the present. “Hey, Buff. Have a seat, and I’ll get you something yummy for your tummy.”

“Thanks, Will.” Looking at her friend, Buffy thought how great it was to see Willow smiling again. She knew Willow still missed Tara, but each day seem to be getting a little easier. Thinking of missing someone, Buffy asked, “Where’s Dawn?”

“Since summer school is over, the last couple of days she has been going over to the Magic box, helping Spike set the training room back up and training with him.”

Well, that answered one question. Sounds like Spike was going to stay in Sunnydale. Buffy smiled into her orange juice. “What are you going to do today, Wills?”

“After I finish here, I’m going to the lab for a while. Later Dawn and I thought we’d catch a matinee. Do you want to come with?”

“The lab, big ‘no.’ The movie, a ‘maybe.’ You know, I do want to start patrolling again tonight. I’m just really restless and don’t know if I could sit through a movie today.”

“No prob. Why don’t you meet me at the Magic box later if you decide on a ‘yes’ for the movie?”

Buffy thought for a minute, “Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll go over later and will probably tag along for the movie before patrolling.”

Shooing Willow out of the kitchen, Buffy cleaned up the kitchen before wandering upstairs to shower. Hey, a trip to the Magic Box entailed leaving the house. Definitely in the plus column, but seeing Spike was riding the line between the plus and minus column. Buffy longed to see him but wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. Dawn and Willow would be there, right? Why was she so worried?

An hour later, she was still in the bathroom. Why did her hair have to be perfect? The outfit just right? Why was the outfit better for a workout instead of a movie? Why did she find herself thinking more of sparing with Spike than going to a movie.

Buffy then tried to convince herself that she wanted to spare with someone to make sure she was ready for patrol tonight. Be prepared – Buffy the Boy Scout!! That’s it. Dawn and Spike were training, after all, and it was her training room. She could just join in, right? Ok, she was happy to have a plan now, to have made up her mind on a course of action. Now she found herself hurrying to get ready.
An uncomfortable thought struck her. If all that were true, that she needed to practice fighting, then why did her thoughts center around her body contact with Spike instead of the fighting moves? How come she pictured herself pinning him to the mats, her body pressing down on his, her lips…?

This was ridiculous; at lease she could be honest with herself. She liked fighting with Spike, liked the challenge but also liked the interaction and the yummy contact. Hell, she liked him. Whew, honesty was scary, but what the hell…

*****

Over at the newly renovated Magic Box, or whatever its new name would eventually become, Spike and Dawn had finally finished organizing the training room and had stopped for a lunch break in the new kitchen upstairs. In fact, the training room was the only room still remaining from the old Magic Box. The second floor now housed an open living area, kitchen, full bath and two bedrooms. The smaller third floor previously used for storage had been converted into the master suite.

Sitting at a make-shift kitchen table, Spike finished a mug of blood as Dawn put away the remains of her sub sandwich. She was excitedly babbling about her training. “Spike, I’ve been practicing that spin kick you showed me yesterday. I think I’ve got it now. Can we start with that?”

“Sure, Platelet, let’s see what youlearlearned, but lets do it on the mats this time. I would think you’re sore from yesterday. Ya know, a spin kick should end with you on your feet, not your arse.”

Dawn shot him a mock insulted look, “And this coming from the man drooling ‘platelets’ down his chin. Use a napkin much?”

Rolling his eyes and wiping his mouth, Spike followed her downstairs into the training room, not worried in the least. Bite Size had attempted that move at least twenty times the day before, never making contact. Unless, of course, you didn’t count her arse hitting the floor each time. “Ok, this time keep your eyes on your target, snap your head as you come around, and little Ms. Humpty Dumpty, keep your balance forward this time…”

Before Spike could finish his instructions, his senses started to tingle. Buffy was near. He knew the instant she walked in the front door. There was no longer a bell on the door, but he still knew. As he started to turn towards the training room door leading into the main room, one second he was looking at the door, and the next all he saw was the ceiling. As his hand came up to gently probe his throbbing jaw, Spike mentally shook himself. He laid there thinking, ‘Déjà vu, Nibblet. Should have learned, you ponce, when Clem had distracted you at the crypt, and Dawn had landed a punch.’ Trust Dawn to finally get the kick right when he wasn’t paying attention. ‘Maybe I will just stay here for a bit, admire the new ceiling, and try to blend into the mats. The Slayer will eventually go away, won’t she?’

Dawn was ecstatic, cheering, jumping around the room, giddy with success. “Oh, oh, Buffy. I did it. Did you see it? I finally got the move right. A gorgeous spin kick.”

Buffy smiled at her enthusiastic sister, for what she wasn’t quite sure yet since all of Dawn’s words were running together, but she had a good idea after spying the blond vamp laid out on the mats, holding his jaw. She let Dawn continue her victory celebration which now included opening the back door and yelling her success to the alley. Buffy laughed to herself, ‘To think she had put off coming over…’ Buffy strolled over to Spike and looked down into his face.

The vamp, however, was still trying to hold onto his denial. ‘Maybe, I will get lucky, and Buffy will take little sis and go.’ When the Slayer’s face suddenly blocked his view of the ceiling, Spike gave a long suffering sigh, ‘No such luck, mate.’

“You know, I came to watch, thinking you were a little old to be a teacher to an energetic teenager, but I didn’t think you would need a wittle nappy-poo, Spikey.”

Absently noting that Buffy’s face was still beautiful even upside down, the already mortified vampire looked up into the Slayer’s smiling face before closing his eyes. “My new teaching technique. Give the youngster some confidence first. Just thought I would wait here for her to run out of steam.”

Glancing at her sister who had finally stopped yelling and was now returning, Buffy smirked, “Ok, Gramps, I’ll just sit over there and watch. But, just so you know, I don’t have a cell phone if you need me to call 911.” Taking a seat on the weight bench on the side of the room, Buffy gave her best innocent look, batting her eye lashes, “If she breaks a bone, does that mean she’s ready for the big show?”

Making a sound that was a mixture of a groan and a growl while he sat up, Spike thought, ‘Bugger! Face it, she wasn’t going away any time soon.’ And to be honest, he really didn’t want her to leave. It was great to see her up and about with a genuine smile on her face. Even if it was at his expense, it was worth the bruised jaw and pride. But a master vampire did have to keep up appearances. Distinctly growling this time her way, Spike snapped, “You can stay but just shut your soddin’ trap.”

As Dawn helped him to his feet, he heard Buffy smirk, “Yes, teacher.”

Much later, Willow showed up for the movie. Dawn was tired and glad to have an excuse to stop and went to take a quick shower in the guest bath upstairs.

Buffy had really enjoyed observing Dawn’s new skills but had been itching to join the practice, having a hard time sitting on the side lines. Spike wasn’t the only one who knew the moves. The Slayer could teach them a thing or two.
While greeting Red, Spike was trying to think of a way to get Buffy to stay. He knew he had worn Nibblet out, extending the practice longer than usual, hoping that as long as little sis was there, so would big sis. But now he could tell Buffy wanted some action, and he knew he was just the vamp to goad her into it. Putting on his best Big Bad grin, he challenged the Slayer, oo… oo… Ms. Lady-o–Leisure thought she would finally roll out of bed, did she? Think you can do better?”

‘Well, that was easy,’ Spike thought as he raised an eyebrow, watching Buffy kick off her shoes and take up a fighting stance.


TBC…. I really hoped you have enjoyed it so far.