Chapter 11 - Explanations

Spike knew he didn’t have to let her drag him into the bathroom to confirm what she’d already seen. But of course, she was hoping to contradict what she’d seen, some part of her mind saying that she would of course see him in the larger mirror.

He could have stood in the hallway, refusing to be moved by her, but Spike had the feeling that would lead to an even bigger scene. A scene he’d never intended to have with her in the first place.

When they stood in front of the mirror, he didn’t know what to say when she turned to look at him, didn’t like the way she looked as she took a step away.

She surprised him when she suddenly lunged at him, pushing him out of the room. He heard the lock click into place.

For a moment, Spike simply stood there, staring at the door.

He knew he had to figure out something to say.

----

After a few minutes, Buffy heard his voice from the other side of the door.

“Buffy…”

She wrapped her arms around her knees, pretending not to hear him.

“Buffy.”

A small rap against the door.

“Go away!” she snapped.

“Look, I know you’re upset—”

“Upset? Upset?! I am way beyond upset. I’m—you’re a vampire!”

“I believe we covered that bit, pet.”

“Vampires are not supposed to be real!” she shouted.

“Sorry to disappoint. Why don’t you come out an—”

“No!”

“Sure. Fine,” he said, sounding just a bit exasperated with her. “Just so long as we’re clear that the door wouldn’t keep me out if I wanted in.”

“Well…I’m still never coming out!” Buffy cringed as that last bit escaped her mouth. Way to sound like a six-year-old.

“Oh, well. Makes my job easier. Not much chance of someone gettin’ you from in there. You might get hungry after a few days, though.”

Was he snickering?

Suddenly angry, Buffy stood and flung open the door. “Vampires can’t go out in the sun,” she accused, pointing a finger.

“I’m special.”

“And all the times that girl brought your food by?”

“There was also blood.”

“Oh, God.” Buffy walked out of the bathroom and moved past him. It was all making horrible sense. The cold hands, the not eating, the sleeping. The black. “Ohgodohgod,” she moaned, flopping on her bed and burying her face in the sheets. When she looked up, he was standing there, staring down at her with an unreadable expression.

“So you’re a vampire?” she asked again.

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to kill me?”

He did snicker this time.

“Pet, your daddy’s payin’ me over a thousand bucks a day to keep you alive. I’m not gonna fuck that up by killin’ you myself.”

There was a question in the air, but Buffy decided to let it remain there.

She sat up. “So do they know?”

“No.”

“That detective guy at the agency know?”

“Yeah.”

“And he sent a killer vampire over here to protect me?”

“Still here, aren’t you? And let’s just say he usually deals with things much worse than kidnapping.”

“I want to talk to him.”

“Buffy—”

“I want to talk to him. Now.”

-----

Buffy had marched down the stairs and pushed her keys at Spike. Upon seeing his questioning look, she said, “What? I don’t know where it is.”

Also, it was hard to drive and have a proper hissy fit at the same time. And really, she deserved to have some sort of fit, after having news like that thrown at her. They drove in silence, Buffy crossing her arms and pointedly looking out the passenger side window.

Eventually, they arrived, and Buffy found herself standing in the front of a small, respectable looking office located in a business district.

The brunette girl behind the desk stood up as they came in. “Hi, Spike. Um, is there a problem?”

Spike sauntered over. “Depends on Buffy here. I think she’s gonna have the talk with the Watcher.”

“Oh. Well, I’ll go tell him.”

“No need, love. I’ll do it.” He opened an office door without knocking and disappeared into the room.

“So,” Buffy said, finding herself alone with the girl. She glanced at a business card. “Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and Fred Burkle.”

“I’m Fred. From Winifred,” Fred put in, seeing Buffy’s confused look.

“Oh. So, Bryce Agency, nice name.”

“Well, it was better than Purkle,” Fred said, laughing.

There was an awkward silence. Buffy glanced over the items on the desk.

“So,” she said again, deciding to fall back on girl talk. “Do you two just work together?”

“Oh, we’re dating, too” Fred said happily.

“How did you meet?”

“I was in the library downtown, and this portal suddenly opened up! Wesley was an aisle over, but he ran up and pulled me backward. I almost got sucked into some other dimension. We started seeing each other right after the whole ‘demons are real’ talk.”

“Wow. Um, how romantic. So you know about Spike, too?”

“Yeah.”

Just then, the door opened and Spike emerged. There was a man in casual business clothing following him. “Miss Summers, I’m Wesley Wyndam-Pryce. If you’ll just come this way?”

Buffy followed Wesley into his office and sat down as he shut the door. He took a seat behind his desk.

“Are you a vampire?”

“No. Miss Summers—”

“Just Buffy.”

“Buffy, I know this must be a shock—”

“Gee, ya think?”

“—but perhaps I can explain a few things. However, you must be aware that Spike can undoubtedly hear every word we’re saying. His being in the next room is only the illusion of privacy.” He paused. “Suffice it to say that many of the things which are not supposed to be real do indeed exist. I myself was formerly a member of a group that studied and eliminated demons and vampires. This agency, while it may look nondescript, is involved in many cases that have some element of the paranormal.”

“Like you hire vampires?”

Wesley brought his hands together. “Generally, I prefer to kill vampires. Vampires, as you probably know, live off blood. One becomes a vampire by drinking the blood of a vampire, and once turned, will be nearly immortal and have heightened senses and strength. Please don’t get the wrong impression. Vampires are not romantic figures, as stories and popular culture make them out to be. They’re killers.”

“Is this the part where you tell me Spike is a good vampire?”

“Not exactly.” He paused again. “However, I can tell you that you’re perfectly safe with Spike. He’s taken a job for you. If he says he’ll do something, he’ll do it; if he says he won’t, he won’t. He works for whomever will pay him the most, and he’ll do almost anything for the right price. Good, bad, human, demon, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t get involved, he doesn’t ask questions, and he doesn’t care what side he’s playing as long as he gets paid.”

Buffy’s mind flashed back to something Spike had said on the first night they’d met. If it’d been me, I’d have gotten you.

Wesley continued. “Spike and I had a run in in an alley, where he quite accidentally saved my life. Later I learned of him professionally, and we began a tense working relationship, as is necessary in my line of work, and as I have sometimes done with other demons.” He paused. “However, his business practices aside, I have no reason to think that Spike doesn’t still kill. And the Council member in me doesn’t do well with dealing with vampires at any level.

“However, I have reason to believe that Spike possesses the Gem of Amara, a talisman that allows a vampire to walk by day, and more importantly, renders them nearly invincible. Despite legends of the necklace, for all purposes it has been considered mythical. Spike most likely keeps it hidden, which is certainly wise, and I imagine that the gem itself could have been reset into anything, if done properly in ritual.

“Attacking any vampire with the gem would be suicide, much less doing so with Spike. That, plus his reputation for hire, and the fact that he didn’t kill me when he had first had the chance have led to my occasional association with him.”

She shifted in her seat. “Why would he want to kill you?”

“Vampires and the Council have been enemies for as long as either have existed. I am no longer a member of the Council, but that wouldn’t be a deterrent.”

“This is the ‘almost any’ job, isn’t it?” Buffy said after a short silence.

“I’m sorry?”

“Well, usually when you hear about someone doing almost anything, you think of really bad things. Something it would be hard to find someone to do. Protecting some girl would be the ‘almost any’ job to a vampire.”

“His activities tend to fall within the criminal and demon element, yes. It’s where his particular talents are most in demand.”

“Then why is he doing this?”

“The money.” He paused again. “Spike is good at what he does, whatever he chooses that to be. I can tell you that whatever else he may or may not do, Spike keeps his word.” He held up a card. “Think it over. However, if you find you’re uncomfortable, I will most certainly find you someone else.”

Buffy was silent. She took the card from his outstretched hand, and then turned and walked out of the office.

Spike got up from where he was slouched in a chair and followed her out of the building.

“So did you hear all that?” she asked once they were in the car.

“Yeah.”

“Take me home.”

But she didn’t look at him at all.