| Alternate Gift Part 5 by snakes �And you�re angry?� �We�re glad that Dawn and the world are both intact, but you still acted irresponsibly.� �Thanks! Appreciate the compliment.�, Spike shot back, �but still have my second reason for coming here. I was half starved when I woke up. Felt like I hadn�t eaten in days. Just how long was I out of it?� �A week.� �A week?! What the hell could knock me out for an entire week?� �You got hit with energy from the portal closing.� Giles stated. Xander laughed, �Then again, so did Dawn. She wasn�t knocked out at all. Guess keys are stronger than vamps�. Spike just grinned at Xander. He was used to the insulting banter from Xander, and now that Spike knew Dawn was alive, he wasn�t going to let it get to him. Spike pulled up a chair and sat down. �What are you doing?� Xander and Giles spoke at the same time. �What do you mean, what am I doing?� Spike looked at them somewhat confused. �I�m guessing it�s right about time to go patrol, right? Stake us a few vamps and other assorted nasties. Save the world for another day. Right?� Xander and Giles both stared at him. Xander was the one to speak up. �Uh, Spike, the whole Glory thing is over. We don�t need you for a standard patrol.� Spike responded somewhat cautiously, �Well need, no� You�ve been doing this long before I joined up. Thought you might want my help though�. Xander looked at him incredulously. �Joined up?! Is that what you think? That you�re� what� our buddy now?� Spike stammered, �Well�Yeah.� Xander couldn�t look directly at Spike as he replied, �Hey, we do appreciate your help with Glory, but it doesn�t change anything with us�. �It wouldn�t hurt to have another person to help patrol�� Spike began, but Xander interrupted. �That�s just it. You�re not a person. You�re a demon� a creature�. �I�m not a human. I AM a person�. Giles finally spoke up, sighing, �Spike, we�ll let you know IF we need your help again. But for now, please, just go�. After the shock of being unconscious for a week, the astonishment of finding out his chip was non-functional, and the immense relief at finding out that Dawn was still alive, Spike was too overwhelmed to noticed the myriad emotions underlying both Giles� and Xander�s reactions. He simply took in what they said. Spike was stunned. He had come here expecting to face rejection, but he had thought that he�d allowed Dawn to die. He had saved her, and they were throwing him out? He remembered all the times in the past when he had helped them, only to be soundly rejected when his help had no longer been needed, but he�d truly thought things had been different this time. It had felt different. He�d felt accepted. It was one thing to be rejected for his failure, but quite another when he had been the one who�d saved Dawn�s life, and by extension, the rest of the world too. Spike rose from his chair, not letting the hurt show. �Fine, I�ll find myself some other entertainment for the evening�. He turned and stalked out. |