Chapter 30 - Glasgow, 7 July 2005
The idea that there are eight Slayers somewhere, in some
world where they're being abused or used in some way, and that we can't get
them out - it leaves me feeling so damn inadequate, I want to hit
something. I think it's had much the
same effect on the others. There's silence after Giles' quiet agreement, each
of us lost in our own thoughts.
Moira comes in then, reminding me that I need to do
something about my front door. Everyone seems to think they can just walk in
without a thought and while I see that must've been useful when I was
incapacitated, I'm definitely fit enough by now to answer my own bloody door.
As she always does, Moira doesn’t immediately ask what’s
going on. I'm pretty sure she knows exactly what we've been saying anyway.
She clears her throat, just in case anyone didn't spot her
arrival, and I realise that neither Giles nor Gus did spot her.
"Mrs. McConnechie," Giles greets her warmly.
"Never mind the Mrs. McConnechie," she warns him.
"You've been calling me Moira for over ten years, so if you've reverted,
I'll take that as a sign of a guilty conscience."
"Just … well, it's been a long time since I've seen
you." It's fascinating to see Rupert Giles wrong-footed by this woman. He
seems younger than ever … a small child being asked to account for himself by a
powerful adult.
"Yes it has, Rupert. But not so long since we've
talked. And that's what I'd like to do now. Can you come next door? It really
would be better if what I had to say didn't have an audience."
"Would the office not be better?" Giles suggests.
"Not for my purposes," Moira says ominously.
"I'll put the kettle on and I'll expect you in five minutes. Spike, can
Dawn come in here for a bit?"
"The Bit's always welcome in here, Mrs. M. She knows
that, or, at least, I hope she does."
Moira nods at that, smiling at me. I'm sniggering inside at
the way she's treated Rupert and me. Rupert's the naughty little boy she needs
to speak to privately, and I'm an adult - an equal. Rupert noticed too, and his
face reddens just a touch although whether it's embarrassment or anger is hard
to tell.
Gus takes his opportunity to retreat upstairs to get back to
his role of collating information from all over, and Giles follows Moira next
door. A moment later, our peace is shattered by Dawn's arrival. She, of course,
wants to know what's happening, so between us, Buffy and I give her the edited
version of Giles' news.
She's understandably upset by the apparent fate of the
Slayers who're still missing, but by silent agreement, we didn't mention
Buffy's intended fate, and Dawn doesn't think to ask about the special
treatment that Buffy had.
It's a fairly sombre gathering, and while I'm desperate to
try to lighten the mood somehow, I just don't know how to start.
In the absence of anything else to do just now, I turn my
attention to the wall separating the two flats and concentrate on trying to
hear what Moira's got to say to Giles. Before I can focus on anything more than
the general buzz of conversation, I feel a wash of magic coming and I stiffen,
worried that something bad is happening. I hear Moira's voice in my mind then,
her tone amused.
"Go and flap your ears somewhere else, Vampire. What
I've got to say to Rupert is between him and me. You've had your laugh at his
expense, but that's all you're getting from me."
Cunning bloody witch. She knows me better than I'd like.
Buffy spots me smiling and asks what's up. I tell her, and she grins widely.
Somehow, for now, the desolation we all felt a moment ago is broken by that
simple gesture.
"How's the tablet?" Buffy asks Dawn.
"Still cooling, but the bit I scraped out of the pan?
Mmmm. Sugar paradise."
"Tablet? What's that?" I ask, confused.
"Sort of like fudge but different. Moira taught me how
to make it. She's going to take it to the Summer Fair at the local Kirk -
that's church to you English and American people."
"So, what're you, Bit?"
"I'm an honorary Scot. I've decided."
"Oh, have you?" Buffy laughs back. "Does that
mean you're not going back to school in September?"
"Oh, it’s a long time till September. We've got so much
to do before then."
"Like what?" I ask.
"Well, there's the Slayers to find and bring home, and
I want to travel around a bit - see the Highlands, go to
Edinburgh, although Moira didn't
seem too keen on that idea."
"That's just big city rivalry," I tell her. "Glasgow's
the biggest city in Scotland,
but Edinburgh's the Capital.
There's a lot of banter between people from the two cities, both groups
believing they've got the best of it."
"Ah. By the way, Buffy, when are we due to go
back?"
"Good thought, Dawn. I need to change our reservations.
We were due to go back soon, but with things as they are, I can't see us going
back to LA for a while. I hope it's ok with Moira for us to stay with her, but
if not, we could always find a hotel."
"Never mind a bloody hotel. If there's a problem with
Mrs. M., then you can always stay here - same deal as next door. There's an
identical room here - not so well decorated or furnished, I'd wager, but I could
sort that out if you like. I can't see Mrs. M. kicking you out though - not her
style at all."
"Still, thanks. Hotels are … restrictive."
"And expensive," I add.
She smiles at that. "Not too bad when the Council's
paying," she reminds me.
"Like I'd know about that."
Not sure what to say then, so for once, I keep quiet. Truth
is, I'm feeling like I need to do something. All this lying around might have
been necessary, but I feel like doing something more worthwhile.
"Spike," Buffy's voice sounds nervous.
"Yes, Pet?"
"Thanks. I didn't get the chance to say it before, what
with everything happening, and now I know what they had planned for me - well.
After everything I did to you, how Giles treated you, sending you up here, you
still risked your life coming after me. I … do appreciate it."
"Didn't do it for you." My voice sounds uneven,
and I swallow in an attempt to calm down a bit. "Did it because I've
already seen a world where you were dead. Not planning on seeing that one
again."
My concentration's been in Buffy's direction, although I've
been looking down. As I finish speaking, I raise my head to look at her
properly, but I'm tackled from behind.
"Dawn, what do you think you're doing?" Buffy
demands. "You'll hurt him."
She jumps back, mumbling, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.
It's just … I wanted to thank him too. For finding me the other night and for
bringing Buffy back. I didn't think much of the world with you dead
either."
I stand up and hold my arms out to her. She moves towards
me, and I hold her tight, just hugging her. To my surprise, Buffy touches my
arm, and I look to see she's beside us.
"Room for another one in that hug?" she asks.
"Only if it's you," I reply, and we both bring her
into the circle. Idiot that I am, I feel my eyes misting over, so I blink
furiously while no one can see, just enjoying this closeness with my girls. For
the first time in forever, I feel like I'm at home - really at home. I've got
no real ties to the place, no history here, but it's not the place that means
home. Whatever else happens, my only priority is to keep these two girls in my
life in any way I can.
I kiss Dawn's forehead and turn around to do the same to
Buffy but she's looking up at me and my eyes are drawn to her lips. I duck down
and kiss them, pleased that she doesn't turn away. It's just a friendly kiss -
couldn't be anything else with Dawn involved like this - but it means
everything to me.
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