Fight Your Own Demon: Part 25
by AKA Becker
Spike was startled by a bang from upstairs. "Dru, back already?" he called out. He actually hoped she wasn’t back because he was working on his strength.
Another bang came from upstairs. Something got knocked off a table. Spike could now hear footsteps making their way towards the basement. Too heavy to be Dru, unless she was carrying something home for him. The basement door opened and a moment later, a body tumbled down the steps.
"Dru, I appreciate you getting me..." Spike began. "I’m sorry, Angel, I didn’t recognize you. You look like hell. I take it the Slayer is fine," Spike said, not even attempting to withhold his grin.
"Shut up, Spike," Angelus said and used the steps to help him stand again.
"Need a hand?" Spike leered. "You’re dripping all over the place. Funny, I didn’t know it was supposed to rain." Spike held back his laughter, but not his grin. He really wished he still had that camcorder. This was certainly a Kodak moment.
"The Slayer had nothing to do with this," Angelus said. "I’ll be in my room," he spoke and began to walk off.
"No? Don’t tell me that girl bested you. My my, my day just keeps getting better. Who needs cable," Spike mused.
Angelus glared back at Spike and entered his room.
Spike finally allowed himself to laugh out loud.
* * *
Giles removed the horrendous bandage job that Cordelia had done. Actually all he did was remove the safety pin and the bandage just fell off her arm. "Come over to the sink so I can rinse the scratches down," Giles instructed.
Cordelia got up and walked over. She turned on the water and put her elbow under the water. She winced as it stung.
Giles pulled her arm out right away. He just wanted to clean off the loose dirt, but he didn’t want to wash away anything that might be in the cuts. He turned off the water and led her back to her seat.
"I’m going to be stuck in long sleeves for a while," Cordelia frowned.
"Maybe a collar," Buffy said without thinking.
Everyone gave her a different but equally bad look.
"If I’m a werewolf, I’m blaming you, Buffy," Cordelia said.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"Hey, this isn’t her fault," Xander said.
"Well, she got me involved in all of this," Cordy said.
"If you never met me, you’d be dead," Buffy said.
"At least I wouldn’t be a werewolf," Cordy replied.
"Ladies. Cordelia, could you please stop moving your arm?" Giles asked.
"So you’d rather be dead then?" Buffy asked. "Fine." Buffy got up and got ready to leave.
"Buffy, sit down. Cordy, we don’t...." Xander started.
"Fine, go! Leave me alone," Cordy said.
"No problem," Buffy said and turned towards the hallway to the door.
"Stop it, both of you! You are being childish. Cordelia, so far it looks like nothing but a sidewalk scrape, but you are going to have to stop moving if you want me to be sure. Buffy, please sit down," Giles said.
"Guys, chill, OK," Xander added. "OK?"
"OK," Cordelia said.
"OK," Buffy said and sat back down.
"Thank you," Giles said and resumed looking at her scratches. After a few moments Giles moved to examine her knee. He put his hands on either side of the small scratches.
"Hey, watch your hands," Cordy exclaimed.
"Hey," Xander said and stood up.
Cordelia’s comment also grabbed Buffy’s attention.
"Your knee is scratched and I am going to examine it," Giles said firmly. He had a sudden thought, and quickly pushed it out of his mind. No, he didn’t hope for Cordelia to be infected.
"Oh," Xander said and sat down.
"Oh, I forgot about that. And I was going to wear my leather mini tomorrow!" Cordelia frowned.
"That’s too bad. Sorry, Xander," Buffy said, with a slight smile. She saw the look on his face when Cordy mentioned the leather skirt.
"Huh?" was the general reaction from the other three.
"Nothing," Buffy replied.
"No, it appears all of your scratches were caused solely from falling on the driveway. You should go rinse them off again though, there is a little dirt in some of the scratches," Giles said.
"I’m not gonna be scarred, am I?" Cordelia asked with genuine concern on her face.
"You shouldn’t be. None appear to be that deep, though they will be visible for a week or so," Giles told her. "And, also, you won’t be a werewolf either."
"A week? OK, I guess I can deal with that," Cordelia sighed and went to go rinse off.
"So, Cordy, how did you get them to leave anyway?" Buffy asked as Cordelia reached the hallway door.
"Oh, the holy water. I shot the werewolf in the face and Angel...somewhere else," Cordy said.
"And where was that," Xander asked.
Cordelia backed up a bit onto the wall next to the hallway she was about to walk into. She was actually looking a little embarrassed, which surprised the other three. "Um, OK, well, after the werewolf left, Angel grabbed me in a bear hug and was about to bite me." She paused.
"Yeah, and?" Xander said.
She gave Xander a look, but continued. "Well I couldn’t move but I still had the gun in my hand and I was stuck like this." Cordelia showed them how she was being held, with her shoulders pulled in and her arms straight down with her hands meeting below her waist. "Then I remembered what you told me you did to him at the mall. So I shot him there, until I was out of water. He dropped me and ran away screaming."
"Good shot," Buffy said almost smiling. Wishing she had seen that, or better yet had done it herself.
"Where did you shoot him?" Xander asked.
"Somewhere private," Buffy added for Cordelia.
"Ouch," Xander said and winced.
"I can see how that would work," Giles stuttered out, trying to mask his discomfort.
Buffy and Cordelia smiled at each other after seeing the men’s reactions to what Cordelia did.
"I’m going to rinse off now," Cordelia said and left the kitchen. She actually felt a little better. That was the first time that Buffy had ever approved of her. Not that she really felt she needed her approval, being a loser and all, but it still felt good. And Xander’s look was priceless. She forgot all about that, and her smile, when the water stung her scratches.
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