Title: Sanguine

Author: Anne Rose

Email: anne3rose@yahoo.com

URL: http://annerose.cjb.net/btvs
http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=47579 

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Seasons 6 & 7

Summary: S/B, It's the obligatory "Spike's Return", what's up with the
soul, and btw I hated Seeing Red, story.

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 asking me annoying
questions so I could fix things. Thanks to Rabid/Raeann and Hubby for
betaing. (c) November 19, 2002

More Author's Notes: My beta readers asked me a bunch of questions, and
rather than sending the plot exposition fairy to drop anvils on you,
I'm writing long, boring author's notes. You can skip ahead if you
promise not to whinge later.

1) First of all, I adore Joss, but nobody is right all the time. I'm in
the "that wasn't attempted rape" camp. I think Joss made a huge error
in using that term - but as a male writer/executive producer in our
society he probably felt he needed to in order to avoid millions of
angry letters and pickets. When Buffy was constantly beating up Spike,
there was no labeling of it as battery or her as an abuser. That's a
classic double-standard. IMHBCO

PSA - Unquestionably "no" should mean "no", and "Seeing Red" is an
object lesson in why you should not keep saying no when you mean yes.
(Listen to the dialog during the balcony scene in "Dead Things".)

2) I don't think everything in life has to be incredibly complicated.
Sometimes you can just wake up and smell the coffee, the light bulb
comes on. (Insert cliché of choice here if that didn't work for you.)

3) To whinge is to whine in England or Australia. It's not a bloody
typo! I offer http://m-w.com as a reference if you still doubt me.

4) PSA stands for Public Service Announcement. 

5) IMHBCO stands for In My Humble But Correct Opinion.

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.

~*~*~
Part 6
~*~*~

Once Buffy was out of the room, Giles continued. "Spike, please sit."
He paused for a moment while Spike took a seat. "I understand you and
Buffy had some difficult times last year." He saw Spike's back stiffen,
and he tried to reassure him. "Buffy also knew she could rely on you.
She's had a lot of time to think and reflect on her life this past
summer." He smiled at Spike. "I expect you've noticed she's not unhappy
you're back."

Spike snorted. "Rupert, she has me here because she needs help with the
latest big bad who's trying to take over Sunnydale or destroy the
world, or whatever's fashionable for demons this year. I'm still a
means to an end." 

Spike wasn't sure yet where he stood with the Watcher, and he didn't
want to be maneuvered into revealing more than was necessary.

Giles sighed and tried again - perhaps a different tack was required.
He took a deep breath. "When two people have such a complicated...
volatile relationship already, like you and Buffy, and then you throw
sex into the mix, there are bound to be one or two rough spots along
the way."

Spike's head snapped around and his mouth dropped open in shock.
"What?" Giles was the closest thing Buffy had to a father. He couldn't
believe she'd told him about them.

"Spike, there's no use in maintaining this pretense, however gallant it
might be. Buffy confided in me about your relationship when I came back
to assist with the Willow situation."

Spike narrowed his eyes. "What exactly did she tell you?" Spike didn't
want to give away anything Giles didn't already know. He fidgeted in
his seat. It felt like he was under a microscope. He needed to move
around, to get away from the Watcher's penetrating gaze.

"She spared me the exact details, but suffice it to say, I have a
fairly complete understanding of your relationship from the point you
found the chip didn't work on her until you left Sunnydale. She told me
of her regrets about how she treated you, particularly the incident
before her birthday. And... she told me about the fight you had just
before you left Sunnydale."

Spike jumped up, causing Giles to pull back, gripping his notepad and
pen. 

"She said we had a fight?" Spike was surprised and a little confused.
He ran a hand through his hair as he paced back and forth behind Giles'
chair.

Giles sighed. "I was rather disturbed by the information. And more so
when Buffy explained to me how it was not dissimilar to a number of
other 'encounters' the two of you had had previously... except that she
followed through on stopping you." 

Giles shook his head. "I'm not going to defend what either of you did.
You each brutalized the other in ways I don't want to think about. But,
it seems both of you are finally aware of what you've been doing. I'm
not sure what will happen now, whether or not it's even possible to fix
things, but I do know she's forgiven you. And more importantly, from my
perspective, she badly needs your forgiveness."

"What makes you think she's forgiven me?"

"She told me so. And then there was her little display earlier today."
Spike stopped pacing and sank in to the couch. Giles was amazed when he
lowered his head into his hands and began sobbing. He knew Spike tended
to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but this was... well it was
awkward. He didn't know if he should pretend it wasn't happening, offer
him a tissue, or give him a hug. The last option was right out. Giles
fell back on his old habits and gave Spike his privacy by picking up
his notepad and pretending to study it.

"Giles! What did you do?" Buffy thrust the tea mugs at Giles and went
to Spike. She put an arm around him and looked up at Giles. "Well?"

"We talked. I informed Spike that you had confided in me about
everything that happened while I was in England."

"And that caused this?" Buffy frowned at Giles.

"I told him you had forgiven him, and that I believed you wanted and
needed his forgiveness." Giles sighed again. "Buffy generally refrain
from meddling in your affairs, but it needed to be aired, and I wasn't
sure it could wait until you..."

"Until I pulled my head out of the sand?" Buffy finished. "This is the
new and improved Buffy, no avoidiness anymore. I know you're just
trying to help." She rubbed Spike's back as she continued quietly. "I
really appreciate that you're not judging me. I was so afraid that
you'd be disappointed in me when you came back."

Giles smiled at her. She was like the daughter he'd never had. And God
help him, Spike was looking a bit like the son he... who was he
kidding, the son he'd never wish on anyone. At least he could trust
Spike to stay with her.

"I have everything I need for now. If you don't mind, I think I'll go
get a newspaper and start looking for a new flat." Giles got up and
collected his coat and keys.

Buffy looked up at him as he walked to the door. "We get the newspaper,
Giles."

"Quite. Well I'll get another one while I'm at the grocery store then."
He shut the front door behind him as he left.

~*~*~

Buffy stared after him for a moment and then turned back to Spike. He
was still sniffling softly. She hoped this tearfulness wasn't going to
be a regular feature of the soul. Buffy handed him a tissue and he
wiped his face. "Spike, this isn't helping your image as a scary
vampire."

He gave her a watery smile, sighing, "Yeah, better stay away Willie's
till I get this soul sorted out." 

"Spike," Buffy hesitated. "Now that you're dried off, I don't want to
start you up again..., but you should know, what Giles said was right.
I forgave you a long time ago." She looked very serious and vulnerable.
She broke eye contact and looked down at her hands. "And I'm hoping you
can forgive me for being so horrible to you."

Spike was tearing up again, but he smiled. "Same here, Luv. I forgave
you ages ago."

Buffy hugged Spike fiercely. Then suddenly she let go. He watched her
grab a handful of tissues and swipe at her own eyes with them. "Enough
already!" She jumped to her feet. 

Spike stood and backed up a little, not at all sure what was going on.

Buffy noticed his reaction. She chuckled and held out her hand. "I
think I need a 'spot of violence' to get rid of this weepiness. Want to
come along?"

He took her hand. They grabbed some stakes, and left the house.

"After we sweep the cemeteries, how about if we swing by the Bronze?"
She asked as they approached the first cemetery on their route.

"Don't think there'll be much demon activity at the Bronze, Pet."

"Good. I don't want to have to run out and slay something in the middle
of a dance."

He stopped and eyed her with curiosity. "Is this a date?"

"What, this? No." She walked back to him. "This is work." She ran her
fingers up the lapels of his duster, and took hold of them and pulled
him forward. "But you know how it is, two people in the workplace,
feelings can develop..." She slid her hands up higher and laced her
arms around his neck.

Spike stared into her eyes, frozen for a minute, then he smiled. "I
don't know. Slayer. Vampire." But as Spike continued looking into her
eyes, he couldn't control the hope he felt rising again. He wrapped his
arms around her waist.

Buffy squeezed him back. "I don't know either, but let's find out.
Nothing radical for now, just a few dates, get to know each other
again, talk through our issues, see how things go. What do you think?"
She kissed the tip of his nose playfully. Maybe this wouldn't be so
hard after all.

"I think we should get back to work." He disentangled himself and
started back toward the cemetery. She watched him go with a frown on
her face.

Spike stopped a few yards away. "Come on then." He held out his hand to
her. "Sooner we kill the baddies, the sooner I can start getting
reacquainted with some of my favorite things." 

Buffy jogged forward and took his hand. "When exactly did I become a
thing?"

"Don't know what you mean, Luv. Was talking about buffalo wings and
blooming onions."

Buffy pouted, and Spike laughed. It felt so good to be able to joke and
laugh again with each other. 

Things were not the way they were before, but maybe now they could be
better. 

~*~*~

The End