Title: Checkers
 
Author: Anne Rose
 
Email: anne3rose@yahoo.com
 
URL: http://annerose.cjb.net
http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=47579 
 
Rating: PG-13
 
Spoilers: Intervention and beyond
 
Summary: S/B, Follow-up to Intervention (the Buffybot episode).  What
happened after Buffy left Spike's crypt?
 
Archive: Yes.  I would be honored if you want to archive it.  Please
let me know where so I can visit it. 
 
Author's Note: Thanks to Caffey and Spiletta for ripping this story
apart and helping me fix several issues and confusing bits.  Thanks to
Hubby for initial plot help and Raven and Tamytha for catching even
more of my typos.  Thanks to the Buffy Dialog Database
(http://vrya.cstone.net/index.htm) and the Buffy Guide
(http://www.buffyguide.com/episodes.shtml) for help with research and
parts of episodes.  (c) August 15, 2002
 
Disclaimer:  Joss and Mutant Enemy, etc... own BtVS.  No infringement
intended.  Any resemblance to people living, dead, or undead, or to
real life events is all in your mind, is downright scary, and means you
seriously need to get a life.
 
~*~*~*~
 
Checkers
by Anne Rose
 
 
Part 3
 
~*~*~
 
Giles began to worry when over six hours had passed, with no sign of
Buffy.  He approached the crypt carefully, weapon in hand, not sure
what he was expecting to find.  He paused for a moment, debating
whether to knock, or to kick the door open.  He settled on opening it
quietly and peeking inside.
 
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust.  When he could see, Giles was
able to make out something, off to the side, lying under a blanket.  As
he walked closer to the makeshift bed he gulped as he saw the two blond
heads.  Buffy's back against Spike's chest, and his face was nuzzled
into her neck.
 
Giles stared at them for a long moment, amazed at how peaceful Buffy
looked sleeping in Spike's arms.  It looked as though she hadn't been
able to get any answers out of him yet.  He hated to wake her, but
there was no time to waste if Glory knew about Dawn.  "Buffy," he
whispered.  "Buffy, I need to talk to you."
 
She stirred slightly, and then opened her eyes.  She looked disoriented
for a moment.  "Giles?"  She mouthed silently, her cheeks reddening.
 
Giles waited while Buffy gently unwrapped herself from Spike and slid
out of the bed.  Spike moaned as she moved away and reached out for
her.  "So warm... don't leave," he murmured.
 
She leaned over and put his arm back under the blanket.  "It's ok," she
said, stroking his hair gently.  "I'll be right back.  Just getting you
some more to eat.  OK?"
 
"S'cold," he groaned as she stood and left him.
 
Buffy was all business as she walked over to the microwave and started
to prepare another mug of blood.  Giles joined her there.  
 
"Is there a problem?"  She asked.
 
Giles looked from Buffy over to Spike.  "Perhaps we should talk
outside?"
 
"Spike's in and out... mostly out.  I don't think we need to worry
about him overhearing us," Buffy assured Giles as she put the mug in
the microwave and started it.  She stared at the mug as it went around
in a circle, to avoid looking at Giles.
 
"Buffy, you know I trust you implicitly, and I don't want to question
your methods, but..."  He reached up and removed his glasses to clean
them.  "I realize your plan was to impersonate... it, but how much
longer is it going to take to get the information?"
 
Buffy looked at her hands.  "I didn't mean to be here so long.  I was
really tired after the visit with the first slayer and then fighting
with Glory's minions.  I guess I fell asleep after I fed Spike that
last pint."  She looked up at Giles.
 
"I completely understand, you must be exhausted, but we need to wake
him and find out what he told Glory," Giles said firmly.
 
Buffy looked down at her hands again.  "Spike didn't tell Glory about
Dawn," she whispered.
 
Giles tried to mask his surprise, not only at the news, but also at
Buffy's continued presence in the crypt after finding out.  "Are you
certain?  Spike is not the most straightforward of creatures."
 
Buffy sighed.  "I'm certain.  He thought I was the bot.  I offered to
go tell Glory about the key to keep her from hurting him again, and he
stopped me.  He ordered the bot never to tell Glory."  She looked over
at Spike.  "He didn't betray us, Giles.  She did that to him, and he
didn't give us up."
 
Giles saw the look of sadness in Buffy's tired eyes as she explained. 
Tears were threatening to fall, and he didn't know what to do, so he
gathered her into his arms, comforting her as best he could with a hug.
"I can't say I'm not surprised.  I've seen Spike do a number of things
to help us, but I wouldn't have thought him capable of that level of
self-sacrifice."  He paused and looked at Spike.  His face was almost
unrecognizable in its current bruised and swollen state.
 
"Giles," Buffy whispered, lifting her head.  "Were we wrong about him?"
 
"Perhaps we were."
 
Further conversation was cut off by the microwave beeping.  Buffy let
go of Giles and went to get the mug out of the microwave.  Giles
watched her as she carried it to Spike.  She set it down and then
carefully raised Spike to a sitting position.  Sliding in behind him,
she propped him against her body and helped him to find the straw. 
Giles was amazed as he watched them together.  If he didn't know
better, he would have said they looked comfortable, like they belonged
together instead of fighting against each other.
 
When Spike finished the pint, Buffy looked over at Giles.  Holding the
mug out to him, she asked, "Giles, could you warm up one more please?"
 
Giles took it and went back to find another packet.  As he waited for
it to finish warming, he noted the large number of empty packets.  By
his count, this was the twelfth pint, as much blood as Spike could have
gotten from draining a large man, and then some.  And in spite of it,
he was still weak and his wounds were only just starting to close. 
Giles marveled again at how much damage Glory had inflicted on Spike,
and yet he never betrayed Dawn... or Buffy.  Yes, perhaps they all
needed to rethink their opinion of Spike.
 
He carried the blood over to Buffy, and watched her feed it to Spike. 
When Spike finished drinking, he crumpled back against Buffy.  She
looked up at Giles.  "I want to move him as soon as the sun goes down. 
He's defenseless here and Glory's minions might return to finish the
job."
 
"Yes, good point."  Giles nodded.  "Shall I return after sunset and
help you?"
 
"Sounds good.  I'm thinking he should stay at one of our houses... just
until he gets back on his feet," she added hastily.
 
"Agreed.  I'll be back at sunset.  Try to get some rest between now and
then."  Giles smiled at her and left the crypt.  
 
As he walked back to the Magic Box Giles thought about the soulless
creature Buffy was caring for.  A year ago, even a few months ago, he
had looked at Spike with nothing but contempt and suspicion.  His
obsession with Buffy was a danger to them all.  But the scene he had
just witnessed contradicted all of that.  The idea went against
everything he had been taught and experienced, but it did appear that
Spike had changed.
 
~*~*~
 
TBC...