The
Lecture
Written by Belle_Joy
Rating: M15+
Pairings: Buffy and Spike
Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing, especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them for the pure pleasure of messing with their lives.
Angel: I believe you and I have to talk.
Spike looked at Angel with a withering glance.
Spike: Yeah? And what would that be about mate?
Angel: You. Dawn. Buffy. Not happening.
Spike: I don’t know what you’re prattling on about Peaches.
Angel: You want to help them. Yes?
Spike: Made a promise to a lady.
Angel: Is that a yes?
Spike: Hmm. (Rolls his eyes) Yes.
Angel: Then stay away from them. They are too good for you. You are evil. The big bad remember.
Spike: One problem there mate. Got a funky chip in my brain. Kinda messes things up.
Angel: And the minute you get that out will you be back to evil Spike? Killing Spike? You could kill them.
Spike: Never happen.
Angel: You sound sure.
Spike: ‘Cos I am.
Angel: How can you be?
Spike: Listen mate. Are you done? ‘Cos last I remember I don’t have to answer to you. I am not a bad guy. Not any more. So just get lost would ya?
Spike walked past Angel into his crypt. He sat down on the armchair in front of the TV. He switched it on.
Spike: Ah, Goody. Passions
Angel: Are you still watching daytime soaps?
Spike: Well, it would seem that way wouldn’t it?
Angel: Do you have any idea why you still watch them?
Spike: Something to do with not being able to go out in the sun me ‘spose.
Angel: Anyone ever tell you that you are a smart arse?
Spike: No. Oh, hang on, yes.
Angel walked in front of the TV, placing himself between it and the platinum blonde vampire.
Spike: Do you mind?
Angel: Strangely no, I don’t. You and I are going to talk.
Spike jumped from his chair. And closed the gap between Angel and himself. He found himself nose to nose with his kin, this vampire with a soul. He wondered to himself why Angel was so upset about him being at Buffy’s house. Spike knew Angel was aware of what had happened to Joyce. He just wasn’t sure what it had to do with him. A sudden thought occurred to him. What if Angel had seen him consoling the Summers girls? Of course, that had to be it. He wouldn’t have cared otherwise. Trust Angel to think that Spike’s intentions were anything but honourable. He decided to have this confrontation with Angel and see what all the fuss was about.
Spike: Go on then Peaches let me in on your little problem.
Angel: I want you to stay away from Buffy.
Spike: I got that part mate; I just want to know why exactly.
Angel: Well it is exactly this Spike. Buffy has had her heart broken too many times. She was hurt by me. Her father. Riley. And she doesn’t need to add any more to that list. Especially not one she will regret forever. She is in a very vulnerable state. You know that, you saw her.
Spike: What makes you think that I can’t help her?
Angel: What makes you think that you can?
Spike looked down shamed. He knew the reason he felt compelled to help Buffy and the lil’bit. It was because he loved her. Loved them. He couldn’t help it. He didn’t know when it had happened. It just had. It was like they were kindred spirits; they were so much the same a lot of the time they were like one. They had fought side by side for the past year and they continued to do so. He knew she had her heart broken but look at the people that had done that to her.
He started with Angel. Buffy had loved him first. Angel had tried to protect her tried to make her seem like she had a normal life. Buffy liked that about him. But Angel was all ways very busy looking on the down side of events. He never laughed or joked. Most believed it was because he had a soul. But Spike knew it was because he was afraid. It was easier to hide from his feelings that to confront them and understand them. He could have changed for Buffy. Dear Lord, who wouldn’t. But he decided not to. Angel had believed that it was the best thing just to let her go, leave her to her own devices. Spike could see in Buffy’s eyes every time Angel was brought into conversation how much he had hurt her, and he also saw that every time Angel re-entered Buffy’ life her heart broke a little bit more. So, that was Angel’s part in Buffy’ pathetic love life.
Who did else did Angel mention. Oh right, Buffy’s father. Well, Spike didn’t know a lot about Hank Summers but what he did learn Joyce had told him and he didn’t believe that to be a very reliable source. Hank had only spent a very few holidays with Buffy and none with Dawn as far as Spike was told. When Hank did see the girls though he spent far too much time buying them clothes and shoes to worry about being the father that loved and cared for his children. He used to be able to hear how it broke Joyce’s heart to have her children pushed aside like a dirty rag or something just as useless. Spike was unsure however how much this had affected Buffy. It wasn’t like she didn’t have a male role model to look up to. She had Giles, and Giles made a very good father figure. But maybe Angel had been talking about the inner torment of not having a father. Spike wasn’t so sure; he never did understand the need for parents.
The last person Angel had mentioned was Riley. Now as far as Spike was concerned Riley was the worst possible one of any of Buffy’s heart breaks. Not because it hurt her so much but because she shouldn’t have been with him in the first place. Riley was always trying to be like Buffy even though he wasn’t. He had depended on Buffy nightly to help him feel like a man. He relished in saving her. He loved making her seem helpless and childlike, even a little bit girlish just so he could feel manly and powerful. Nah, Riley was the biggest loser of them all. Spike didn’t think that Riley ever really cared for Buffy, he believe that Riley was just there for the adrenalin rush that came from saving the world or maybe dusting a vamp. But Riley was the least of Spike’s worries, he had heard news from his underground friends that Riley had died while fighting those vampires in Belize. Damn shame about that Spike thought.
Spike looked Angel right in the eye and replied,
Spike: What makes you think I can’t help her? ‘Cos I’m a big bad vampire? Funny, I believe so were you? And then not. Oops, then you were again. So tell me Peaches, what is that you and those other poofs had that I don’t.
Angel didn’t understand what he was hearing. What didn’t Spike get? He was a vampire without a soul. In fact the only thing that kept him good was that darn chip in his head. The minute that was removed he knew Spike would become the monster that he always was. Angel knew that Spike believed all Buffy’s previous lovers had treated her with kid gloves, tried to change her, protect her. But isn’t that what Whistler had told him to do? Help her, protect her, and make sure she lived. Spike thought that just letting Buffy be Buffy was going to be enough to establish a relationship with her. He didn’t get it; Buffy was a very emotionally unstable girl. She has proven that time and time again.
Angel: Spike, Buffy is a very emotional human; she needs compassion, understanding and love to help her. Not snide comments and sexual innuendo.
Spike: Well everybody needs sex my friendly poof. Oh, hang on ‘cept for you.
That was the last straw Angel leaped over onto Spike and pushed him to the ground. Spike struggled against him but the rage Angel was holding Spike down with was too strong. Angel growled a deep throaty growl and picked Spike up and threw him against the wall. Spike felt his head fling back and smash against the wall hard. He shook the feeling off and glared at Angel. He charged him and threw a fist out knocking his kin onto his butt. Angel grabbed Spike around the ankles and pulled hard making the blonde vampire fall onto his back. Just as Spike was about to roll over and get up he felt a hard punch to his jaw. He tried to lift his head but the punches began flying faster and faster. Eventually Angel slowed down which gave Spike enough time to jump to his feet. He picked up the nearest chair and hit Angel over the back of the head with it. The chair shattered on impact. This floored Angel and Spike put his foot on Angel’s throat. He glared menacingly into his eyes. He growled.
Spike (growling): Get out of my crypt. And never come back. You come near Buffy and I will kill you.
Angel: I’d like to see you try.
Spike reached behind him to where the chair had fallen broken. His hand found a single piece of wood. With lightening quick reflexes he grabbed the make shift stake and brought it to Angel’s chest right above his heart.
Spike: Don’t underestimate me Peaches.
He lifted his foot off Angel and pulled him to his feet he then flung Angle through the open doorway and into the sun. Angel ran as fast as he could to the next crypt smoking all the way. Spike wasn’t stupid enough to think that Angel wouldn’t come after him another day but for now he had won. And it felt good.
Angel paced in the crypt next to Spike’s. He couldn’t figure it. He knew that Spike had never been afraid of him. He was too stupid to be afraid. However, the only person Angel had ever seen Spike fight for was Drusilla and he hadn’t needed to fight for her long, she was insane and nobody else wanted her. Angel would have sighed if he had the breath to do so. Instead he just sat on the floor with his back to the wall. He hung his head forward. He really didn’t know what he was going to do to save Buffy this time. Spike was not a vampire that gave up easily.
Dawn had followed Spike back to his crypt. Seeing as her sister wouldn’t let her talk with him at their house she was just going to have to do it at his. She didn’t mind, she trusted Spike. He was a good guy just like her, just like Buffy. If only the rest of the world could see that. Anyway Buffy thought that Dawn was asleep in her room and that she wanted to be alone. Buffy always fell for that alone stuff, probably because she used all the time herself. Dawn had expected Spike to get home just about daybreak. She figured he would watch Passions and then sleep. So it was the perfect time to talk to him because he would be sitting still for at least and hour. How much of his attention she got would be another story. When Dawn became closer to Spike’s crypt she could hear yelling from inside. She figured that it was just the TV. Then she picked up Angel’s voice. He and Spike were fighting. About her and Buffy. Dawn sighed loudly.
Dawn: Great just what I need. Another person who isn’t me telling me what I should be doing and who I should be doing it with.
Suddenly the door to the crypt held a shadowy figure and she only just managed to get out of the way before Angel was flung into the daylight. Dawn gasped and held her breath but let it out again when she saw that he made it to another crypt before turning to dust. After she had stopped shaking, she slowly began to approach Spike’s crypt. Dawn wondered to herself how much of a bad mood he was in.
End of part 3.
