Tied Together With A Smile (Buffy Summers)
Spike, as much as he hated to admit it, had a soft spot for Buffy Summers.
No, he wasn’t in love with her. He was Love’s Bitch, but he knew better than to get involved with the slayer. He wouldn’t stand a chance anyway.
The girl loved his grandsire, even if the poof didn’t deserve her.
He, unlike her useless friends, could see the truth. She was tired of fighting but wouldn’t stop because it was in her nature. She wanted to rest but they wouldn’t let her.
Her exhaustion was making her insecure. She could no longer see how pretty she was due to fact that everyone she loved kept leaving her in one way or another.
Her father left her because he just didn’t care enough.
Angel left her for her to live in the sunlight when she was built to survive in darkness.
Parker left her because he was a bastard.
Riley left her because he was an insecure little man child that Spike should have found a way to get rid of a long time ago.
Giles was so close to leaving her because he thought he was no use to her.
Xander, Willow, Anya, and Tara were just cruel, except maybe the latter. They expected her to save the world and just move on, despite all that being a slayer cost her.
Dawn was a spoiled little brat.
Her mother was a controlling and emotionally abusive bitch.
Oz and Cordelia were gone.
That left her with only him, a mockery of the only person she truly loved.
She craved love, he could see it. Why else would she throw herself at Finn and Abrams, well, besides Willow’s persistence? The little boys that had her love were undeserving and left her because they were morons and bastards.
As much as hated Angel, the poof was what she needed.
Too bad the moron was too much of a jackass to realize that she didn’t need or want what he wanted her to have.
That was the main problem in Buffy’s life. Everyone kept deciding what they wanted for her and no one would let her decide for herself.
It was only a matter of time before the girl broke for good and offed herself.
When that day came, Spike wouldn’t be surprised. The ‘Golden Girl’ facade was falling apart. The smile that tied her together was coming undone.
And he just hoped that she would let him help when that day came because she deserved all the help in the world.
Even if it was from just him.