For The Love Of Spike
Chapter 8
Spike, the Slayer, and her friends all turned toward the voice. To Spike's surprise, Katherine jogged up to the group and stood next to Spike. She spoke to the Slayer.
"I can't let you do that."
A look of disbelief covered the Slayer's face. "What do you think you are doing? Didn't I tell you I'd get rid of you for good if you came back?"
Katherine shrugged. "Do your worst."
The Slayer closed her eyes and shook her head quickly, as if to clear it, then looked back at Spike and Katherine. "Fine," she said, and shifted her weight, launching a kick straight at Katherine's face.
Katherine blocked the kick easily, catching the Slayer's foot and throwing the her onto her back. The other three humans started backing away. Quickly, the Slayer got up and assumed a fighting stance.
Katherine shook her head as if disappointed. "Just drop it, Buffy. Leave us alone, and we'll leave the humans alone. It's as simple as that."
"It's never as simple as that," the Slayer shot back, and swept Katherine's feet out from under her, sending her to the concrete.
Katherine got up quickly as well, started to move towards the Slayer, but changed her mind. Brushing off her pants, and said, "This time it is. See you later." With this, she turned and headed out of the alley. Spike and the Slayer were left to stare at each other.
"Well, get out of here," she said, gesturing. "I can kill you another day." Spike shrugged and walked back to his car. As he drove off, he noticed the Slayer's friends gathered around her.
They seemed to be arguing.
"What were you thinking? You just let him go?!" Xander yelled at Buffy as she quickly walked out of the alley. "Excuse me, but you're supposed to kill the bastard, not feel sorry for him!" Xander, Willow, and Cordelia all walked quickly behind Buffy, trying to keep up with her quick stride.
Suddenly, Buffy turned and stopped. "It was MY choice, Xander. I just don't feel comfortable killing someone who's that willing for death." Before she could turn away and continue walking, Xander grabbed her arm.
"He's not a person. You DON'T feel sorry for him. And for all you know, he could've been depressed tonight or something, and be normal and evil tomorrow! You just blew the chance to kill the most powerful vampire in Sunnydale!!"
Buffy wrenched her arm out of his grasp. "My choice, Xander," she said again. "Now, leave me alone."
Stunned, her friends simply watched as she walked away.
When Spike returned to the hotel, he found Katherine in his loft.
Instead of saying anything, Spike merely sighed and hung up his duster jacket. Katherine was standing in the doorway of the bedroom, holding a suitcase.
"I'm just getting my stuff," she said, and walked into the living room area.
"That's fine," Spike responded, and headed for the kitchen. Once there, he poured a glass of "wine" for himself and turned to find Katherine behind him.
"I guess...I guess I'll see you around, huh?" she said quietly. Spike nodded and took another sip. Katherine nodded as well, almost to herself, as if in confirmation of something, and turned to walk out the door.
After the latch clicked, Spike let out the breath he'd been holding, then sat on the sofa in front of the TV, aiming the remote at the set. But he wasn't going to watch HBO. Not yet.
Katherine stormed into her dressing room. Everything was going wrong, and it was all because of Spike. She'd been off-key during the third song of her set. The rest of the set hadn't been that great, either, for that matter. Not to mention how her dress had been torn two minutes before she'd had to go onstage, her hair wasn't curling right, and....she stopped pacing. Something wasn't right.
Spinning around, Katherine found herself face-to-face with Drusilla.
Immediately after Buffy walked through the front door, her mother, Joyce, hurried out of the kitchen.
"Thank goodness you're back. Mr. Giles is here; he's been waiting for half an hour. He says he need to talk to you, and that it's terribly urgent." Joyce stepped aside as Buffy rushed past her into the kitchen.
Giles, as he was called by Buffy and her friends, sat at the kitchen's island with his ubiquitous cup of tea. He looked up as she came in.
"Oh good, you're back," he said, visibly relieved. "I have very important news."
"So, what's the sitch?" Buffy asked impatiently.
"We've found Angel's cure."
Chapter 9