ONLY THE ONES

Author: Richess a.k.a. A.N.H. Richards & Hilary a.k.a. Spike Lover UK
E-mail: spikeloverrichess@hotmail.com
Summary: Set after Crush. Buffy gets seriously injured and there is only one person that can help her.
Disclaimer: We own nothing all the characters belong to J. Whedon and Mutant Enemy Production, Fox Prod., UPN, and etc.
Distribution: DML, SF, DWD, fanfiction.net and anyone else just ask please at the e-mail above.
Richess' Dedication: To Hilsy cause we haven't written anything together in a long time. To Miss Binks & Lisa who have listened to me bellyache over the last two months. To my other hunnies, Kri and Py I lurve you girls.
Hilary's Dedication: To Daks for letting me help out with this one and to my hunnies.

________________________________________________

Part 1

Spike walked into the post office to check his P.O. box.

"That bloody wanker better have . . ." He stopped opening the box to see the large parcel inside. He tore open the letter that was taped to the box.

'William,

Finally all things have been settled. And accordingly after expenses and other administrative fees I have enclosed the following amount in cash, accounts and savings bonds to you. All of the identification and information is also enclosed. Thank you so much for the business. Please if you have any other finds direct them to me. I know that this took along time coming. But things never seem to go quite as planned. Itemised list and receipt copies are also enclosed. Thank you again.

Your dear friend and associate

Wilfred Manchester Esq.'

"How much is it? You stupid . . ." Spike turned the page to see the itemised list and was pleased with the amount and quickly left the drug store.

* * *

The real estate agent was at her wits end showing her newest client apartments, houses, and condos for the week. Their last stop was a loft near the edge of town, which was an old converted warehouse that was near the docks.

The ocean air sailed through open windows as they walked in.

"Mr. James, I think that is an excellent choice for a young man such as yourself."
The forty-year-old woman spoke cheerily. Secretly she prayed that he would take this place so she could be done with the annoying young man. "It's very well designed. And there are large windows, a spacious master bedroom, a state of the art kitchen and two spare rooms, each has its own full bath."

Spike listened absentmindedly as the woman droned on. He followed her upstairs she showed him all the of the lofts features and finished.

"So what did you think?" She smiled.

"Yeah, it's okay. I'll take it." He answered.

The woman let out an exasperated sigh thanking the powers that be and smiled, "I'll get the paperwork together."


* * *


Part 2


Buffy fought hard trying not to slip into unconsciousness as she stumbled, running away from the last Urize demon. They were strong demons and she had killed three of them but took a good beating in the process. She turned to see it running toward her.

She had to run because she couldn't fight any longer. A large gash above her eye by her temple was bleeding heavily and one of the demons had slashed her stomach with his talon like nails. She kept running but everything was getting blurry. She rounded a corner and hit something that felt like a wall and lost consciousness.

* * *


Spike could smell the blood as he walked toward the end of his street. Then something barrelled into him, and landed hard on the ground. He heard a sickening thud as the figure's head hit the pavement.

He knelt over the figure, and brushed back the blood soaked hair. Lightning crackled at the perfect moment. The sky was suddenly ablaze of white light.

"Please don't let it . . ." He cringed as he saw the blood all over Buffy.

Spike could smell something approaching, and it was moving fast. He grabbed at Buffy's leg to find a stake hidden in her boot, and looked up in time to see a heavy fist being swung at his head. The vampire ducked and rolled onto the street. Spike quickly manoeuvred, got to his feet and side stepped the demon. In one swift motion embedded the stake into its stomach.

In desperation the Urize demon clawed at his attacker tearing open Spike's thigh as it fell forward. But Spike knew the demon was far from dead.

As the demon tried to stand, Spike saw the perfect weapon a beer bottle on the ground. Spike held the neck, smashed the base into the wall and held a fighting stance as the demon lunged toward him. He caught the demons arm with the jagged glass which caused the large demon to roar in pain. Spike's leg was bleeding and he needed to get Buffy to a safe place. The Urize lunged at Spike with its claws but he dodged the razor sharp talons. But that was the demons last attempt as he stuck the broken beer bottle in the demon's neck. It sliced into the demon like a hot knife through butter.

The Urize dropped to a heap on the floor. It only took a couple of second for the demon to disintegrate into a green liquid that drained into a nearby sewer.

Spike picked up Buffy and carried her to his apartment.

Almost like clockwork the thunder boomed and the lightning flashed setting the night a glow. Soon enough the rain bellowed down on the vampire and tiny Slayer cradled in his arms. He ran with her to his loft.


* * *

Spike set the Slayer down on his bed. And grabbed a pair of scissors to cut of the rest of her already shredded shirt

He cringed as he examined her wounds. Three distinct jagged cuts across her stomach, caked with blood and dirt. He needed to clean her off and take care of her injuries. Thunder clapped and echoed in the loft. He could tell from her heartbeat that she had lost a lot of blood as he carried her into his bathroom. He gently put her in the tub and quickly realised that this wasn't going to work.

"Well just call her Watcher, you daft fool."

As soon as Spike reached his phone lightning illuminated the sky. Seconds later the apartment was plunged into darkness as the power cut out. Picking up the phone Spike wasn't surprised to find the line dead

"Oh bloody great!"

Spike used his demon to see in the dark and got some candles out. He took a set of the wide square candles and placed them around the bedroom and bathroom

The Slayer hadn't moved an inch when he returned to the bathroom with the lighter.

"Well Slayer this would usually be considered a romantic gesture. A candlelit bathroom." Spike talked to the unconscious girl, then started to laugh, "You said the only chance I'd have with you was when you were unconscious."

Spike took an unneeded breath as he slowly began to remove the rest of her shredded clothes. She was going to dust him when she woke up and realised what he'd done.

He discarded the bloody clothes onto the floor and gently began to wipe at her wounds with a washcloth, letting the warm water of the bath clean the mud and grime away. For the first time he could remember he was actually worried about hurting her. She was normally so strong, but like this she looked like a normal, fragile girl. All he wanted to do was protect her and keep her safe. Spike shook his head, she was the Slayer, it would take more than one little demon to finish her off.

Once she was clean he laid a towel out on the floor and gently lifted Buffy onto it. He carefully dried her off and bound the deeper cuts, the smaller ones already healing. Finally he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, setting her down on the bed and rooting around in her drawers for some clean clothes for his to wear.

He pulled out a dark blue button-down shirt and a pair of boxers. As carefully as he could he managed to get Buffy into the clothes and finally he was able to be relax. There was nothing more he could do except let her rest and allow her healing powers to do their job.

Sitting down on the bed beside her he brushed her hair away from her forehead. All at once he was struck by how incredibly beautiful she was, and his heart ached with the knowledge that she despised him.

Suddenly she stirred and her eyes opened blearily. She raised her head to look around and see where she was

"Easy, pet." Spike said gently. "You're ok."

Her eyes fixed sleepily on him for a second before they closed and her head dropped back onto the pillow. She was out cold once again.

With a yawn Spike realised that dawn was approaching. He was exhausted, the demon had clawed him as well and he hadn't even thought about cleaning up his own wounds.

Later. He thought to himself as he lay down next to Buffy and drifted into an exhausted slumber.

* * *

Part 3

Buffy awoke with a searing pain in her head. It felt like some had been using a jackhammer inside her skull. She opened her eyes painfully. The room was in complete darkness. She was on a bed. But not her bed. There was someone else in the bed with her. But they weren't breathing.

She slowly lifted her aching body to notice that she was wearing an oversized shirt. The covers slipped revealing her bare legs and a pair of shorts that sat loosely on her hips and sudden panic swept over her until she turned to see the sleeping figure next to her. Spike looked peaceful sleeping; the lines of his rugged face were smoothed away leaving him as handsome as ever. His body showed the telltale signs of a fight; some bruises and scrapes. There was also a rip in the thigh area of his jeans and she could see that he was bleeding.

The Slayer quickly remembered the demons that she was fighting and felt her head and then her stomach. She hissed as the tender skin was inflamed by her touch.

She tried to ease herself off of the bed but found that her tired limbs had other ideas.

* * *

Spike felt the slight movement of the contour of the bed and bolted up to see Buffy sitting as still as possible.

"Buffy?"

"Spike!"

"Where are you going luv?"

"I am trying to get up and go to the bathroom Spike." Her voice shook in pain.

Spike got up as quickly as his injured leg would allow him and reached her side in seconds, he was kneeling in front of her. Her hair hid her face but as he raised Buffy's head slowly the pain etched on her face broke his unbeating heart.

"Does it hurt that much pet?"

"More." Buffy gasped as tears trickled down her face. She hated for him to see her like this weak and not in control, especially after what had happened between them. "But I can handle it."

"No you can't pet, let me look."

"NO!" Buffy practically screamed. "As you are well aware I don't have on anything under this shirt and these shorts. It's lucky I'm not up to full strength because we are going to have a little talk about this when I'm better."

Spike swallowed, "I didn't do anything, I'm not that kind of man." The look Buffy gave made him frown. "I wouldn't take advantage of you, pet. You have to believe that."

Silence

"Just help me to the bathroom and then I can go home." Buffy sighed.

"Sod off."

"What?"

"S-O-D-O-F-F." Spike replied walking away from her, "Bathroom is over there, go there yourself."

Spike limped out of the room and Buffy could faintly hear the pull of a fridge door. And then nothing.

"Stupid vampire." Buffy grumbled as she bit back a scream and entered the bathroom.
Candles softly lit the room, giving it an almost romantic glow. It was dim but enough to see that the bathroom was a total mess. Bloody handprints lined the sink and tub and her clothes were in a shredded heap in a bag on the floor. "Just great."

She walked back into the bedroom and tried to stretch her aching body but all that did was aggravate her wound she doubled over in pain and then everything went black.

* * *

Spike was in the middle of thanking the old building's generator for at least keeping the fridge running so that his blood didn't spoil, when he heard a heavy thud come from the bedroom. "Slayer?"

He begrudgingly got up of the couch thankful that his leg was feeling better now he had fed. Once he reached the room he could see Buffy crumpled on the floor unconscious. Not caring about her waking up and staking him. Spike unbuttoned the shirt; to see that her wounds were still bleeding the gauze was soaked through with the lines from the signature claw marks. He grabbed the antiseptic wipes on the nightstand and the gauze. He needed to clean the wound for her and there was a chance that she would need to see a doctor. But the rain was still pouring outside and although his leg was feeling a little better he wasn't sure he'd be able to carry her far

He carefully wiped the area and watched as she even flinched in her unconscious state. It was over fairly quickly and he was buttoning the last button when her eyes fluttered open.

"I'm sorry." He said gently, helping her into a sitting position. "I should have helped you."

She pushed feebly against his chest, trying to make him let go of her.

"Don't need you." She mumbled, still only half conscious.

"I could leave you here on the floor." Spike suggested half-heartedly, before picking her up and carrying her back over to the bed. He pulled the covers back over her and brushed her hair from her face. Buffy tried to sit up.

"I have to go, my mom will be worried."

Spike shook his head and gently pushed her back down. "You're not going anywhere until you've rested. Now stay."

Too exhausted to struggle any more Buffy lay back and closed her eyes.

"Spike, why did you help me?" She asked, not opening her eyes.

He sighed. "You know why, pet."

Buffy let out a faint snort. "Because you love me?"

She heard him sigh and shift on the bed. "Yes."

Opening her eyes she saw him still sat on the edge of the bed; his eyes focused intently on his hands in his lap.

"Even after I uninvited you from me house?"

He turned to face her and she was amazed that there were tears shining in his eyes. "That doesn't make any difference. Doesn't change how I feel."

Suddenly she felt swamped with guilt. Although part of her told him that he'd deserved it, after all he'd let Dru zap her with a cattle prod and had chained her up in his basement. But at the same time he still loved her even after she'd totally rejected him and had risked his life to save her.

"Spike….I…."

She wanted to say that she was sorry, but they both knew it wasn't true. She didn't regret what she had done and he knew it.

"Thank you." That part at least was true, she was grateful for what he had done.

He smiled, knowing how much it had cost her to say that. "Anytime. Now get some sleep, you'll feel better once you've rested properly."

She nodded and settled herself down. "Can you call my mom and let her know I'm ok."

"The power's out but as soon as it comes back I'll call her for you."

She smiled as she drifted back to sleep. "Thank you."

* * *

Buffy for days on end would think about that night and morning Spike saved her and him taking care of, her it made her smile but it also made her worry. A part of her liked having the vampire around; it made life a bit easier and also interesting. But she was determined not to ever let her heart be wounded like before, with Riley and Angel. And she knew that any relationship that would ever be possible with Spike would be filled with heartache eventually.

She rounded the corner and as a tenant was coming out Buffy ducked in not having to buzz the sleeping vampire's apartment.

The Slayer walked along the hallway until she reached the last apartment and knocked on the door. She waited for a bit before testing the knob to her relief it wasn't locked.

Buffy stepped inside to hear some voices. She immediately knew that one was Spike but couldn't tell whom the other voice belonged to until she got closer and looked into the kitchen to see Spike standing on one side of his kitchen island munching on a carrot smiling seductively at a voluptuous blonde. She turned with a spoon in her hand and outstretched it for Spike to take a taste.

The way the girl smiled at Spike just then made the slayer uneasy. It was full of sexuality and confidence nothing of which Buffy particularly had. She slowly backed out of the room hoping not be detected, but for the brief instant the Slayer had the stealth of an elephant knocking over a vase shattering it. The girl yelped and Spike's eye landed on the caught Slayer. Buffy bolted from the room.

"Bloody hell." Spike muttered under his breath.

"Is that her?"

"Yeah."

"So are you going to go after her or stand here tasting spaghetti sauce?"

"She doesn't.... Never mind it's too hard with her."

"You are so wrong. You know the reason she bolted was because of me. And you know what that means?"

Spike waited for an answer.

"Well it means that she cares for you. If she didn't, she wouldn't have bolted. So hurry up and go after her."

"I can't." He sighed as looked at the clock on the wall 4:38pm. Spike silently cursed the daylight.

* * *

Buffy felt almost numb as she walked down the bustling streets her heart felt sick. An erratic rhythm in her chest shocked her. Seeing Spike with someone else should not have affected her. But it did.

She had no clue how long she had been walking until she realised that it was night. Buffy crept through the cemetery and finally reached her destination much to her surprise, she opened the crypt door and looked around the barren space. She quickly made her way to the tunnel opening to see most of Spike's stuff still there. She had never even gotten a chance to ask him how he could afford to live in the loft but that was the furthest thing from her mind. She sat at the end of the bed and noticed a thin slip of paper between the box spring and the mattress she recognised the scrawled writing immediately,

Her eyes shine like jewels
Her smile brightens my heart
I wish her voice would soothe my soul
I wish her arms could keep me safe
I want to be warm in her arms
I want her embrace
She is my world.
She is my Slayer.

"Planning on hiding in the shadows all night Spike." Buffy turned in the direction of the hidden figure.

"Well I was hoping to get the rest of my stuff, especially that." He pointed to the piece of paper in her hands. "And you owe me a vase."

He grabbed a box prepared to go upstairs.

"Spike..... I..... Never mind."

He shrugged his shoulders trying not to show his disappointment. He walked toward the make shift stairs.

"Wait!" She called.

The peroxide vampire stopped but didn't turn back.

"Who was she?"

A smile now splayed on his face he remained still, "Why?"

"I just want to know. You two seemed... friendly." Buffy choked out.

"Well Slayer she's...."

But Buffy wasn't listening.

"This happens to me every time. I can't believe I was stupid enough to think that your feelings for me were genuine. Here I was feeling bad for running out on you after you took care of me and I find you carrying on with some…bimbo!"

Spike watched with mild amusement as Buffy paced in front of him. Maybe Elise had been right.

Finally he reached out and grabbed hold of her arm, stilling her.

"Are you going to listen to me or not?"

With a sigh she jerked away from him and perched on the edge of his bier.

"I saved Elise from a vampire a few days ago and she wanted to do something to thank me."

"I bet she did." Buffy muttered under her breath.

Ignoring her Spike continued. "Turns out she works as a chef in a local restaurant and she was helping me prepare a dinner which I was going to cook for you until you stormed off."

Buffy started at him, her eyes wide and her mouth slack. "Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'." Spike grumbled as he gathered his things together. "That's your problem pet, always quick to jump to conclusions. Now if you don't mind, I've got places to be."

Still stunned by his words Buffy could only watch as he made his way out of the crypt and into the night.

A few minutes passed and Buffy jumped to her feet. She wasn't going to drive him away like she had with Riley.

She ran.

* * *

"Spike, wait!" She called, catching up to him just outside his apartment.

Slowly he turned to face her. "What is it now?"

"I-I was just wondering if you had any of Elise's food left. I haven't eaten all day."

Spike cocked his head to one side, not sure if she was serious or not. Finally he sighed.

"Alright, come in."

As he turned to open the door Buffy caught hold of his arm. "Wait, there's something else."

Before he could ask her what it was she pulled his head down and kissed him softly.

"I really liked your poem." She smiled as they parted.

"Really?"

"Really! It was sweet. You always surprise Spike. Just when I got you figured out you throw me for a loop."

Spike opened the door and the couple eased themselves inside. "You'll never have me figured out pet. It would be boring that way. And I want to surprise you everyday."

"I know that won't be hard." Buffy captured his lips in another kiss. "It won't be hard at all."

The End.